2000-01:
Despite their shaky past, Chris and Michael formed a law partnership. He remained friends with Phyllis (Michelle Stafford). As Chris and Paul's marriage fell apart, Michael's feelings for his former protégée grew stronger and he hired Isabella to start a fling with Paul. The plan worked, but Isabella grew to care for Paul and wound up pregnant. She didn't want Paul to know, so she slept with Michael and lied that Baldwin was the father. Christine discovered Paul's affair and filed for divorce.

2002-03:
After Chris learned that Isabella was carrying Paul's child, she began dating Michael. Paul wed Isabella, but when he learned that Chris and Michael were engaged, he beat up Baldwin and then forced himself on Christine. Michael and Chris then eloped, but she left him upon learning that he was the one who'd sicced Isabella on Paul. Both Paul and Michael saved Christine when Isabella tried to kill her. After, Michael began working as a lawyer for Newman and flirted with Victoria.

2004:
Michael and Victoria's romance ended when Victor was arrested for engaging in shady business practices, and she left town. Michael reconnected with his troubled younger brother, Kevin (Greg Rikaart), and then their mother, Gloria. Glo began dating John Abbott and moved in with him. Meanwhile, Christine and Michael resumed their legal partnership ... and hired Paul. Kevin fell for Lauren and was furious when Michael began dating her.

2005-06:
Michael and Lauren (Tracey E. Bregman) became engaged, but she was still reeling from her past with Sheila — who'd stolen Lauren's son, Scott, and tried to kill her. Meanwhile, Michael and Kevin were contending with their stepfather/father, Terrible Tom, who'd come to town to cause trouble for their mother. Michael located Lauren's son and got him to come to G.C. after revealing that he and Lauren were getting married. Mike tried to get Tom out of their lives by teaming up with Ashley to frame Tom on a drug charge. He and Lauren believed Sheila was in an institution. They were unaware that she was passing herself off as Brenda, Scott's writing partner. Sheila and Tom united in a plot to take down Lauren and Michael ... and almost succeeded in killing Lauren after Sheila poisoned Lauren's necklace. To Tom and Sheila's chagrin, Lauren and Michael married, but on their honeymoon, Sheila blew up their boat and Lauren was presumed dead. Turns out, she and Sheila were being held hostage by Tom. Tom was soon killed.