Dylan McAvoy grew up in Darien, CT, at the same time as Avery and Phyllis Summers. Dylan moved to Chicago with his family when he was in high school. While attending college to become an architect, Dylan's father fell off a ladder and broke his back, so Dylan returned to Chicago to run his father's construction company, which he did for several years. He met lawyer, Avery Bailey Clark when he was doing some construction work at her house. Avery's husband, Joe, had been a workaholic and neglected her. Dylan found Avery crying, and told her not to let her happiness depend on someone else, and they began an ongoing affair. Avery got pregnant, but had a miscarriage. When Dylan's reserve unit got called up, he bought her a ring and asked her to leave her husband for him. Instead, Avery broke it off to work on her marriage. But then Avery's husband found out about the affair, and he divorced her.

In November 2011, Avery received word that Dylan had been killed in Afghanistan, where he had been deployed. Distraught, Avery moved to Genoa City, where her sister Phyllis lived, and where she had done a lot of casework for the Innocence Foundation.

Avery fell in love with Nick Newman. During their courtship Avery told Nick about Dylan and how she had destroyed her marriage for their affair. Nick later found Dylan's dog tags in a jar in Avery's kitchen cabinet drawer. Viewers then saw a man with a duffle bag and in camo attire check into the Genoa City Motor Arms. The man sat on the bed and unfolded a falling-apart journal from which a worn photo of Avery fell. When asked about it later, he said that it contained all of his hopes and dreams. Another time the man was seen digging a boxed engagement ring out of his bag.

With Avery's encouragement to follow his dream, Nick bought a basement bar, started renovations, and named it The Underground, intending to run it with his son, Noah, as bartender. Prior to opening night, a man walked into the club calling himself Mack. Telling Nick he was a contractor, Mack had heard that Nick needed help with some troublesome wiring. Nick asked him if he'd ever done any bartending, and hired Mack to help out, at least on opening night.

On opening night, Avery went to the back, recognized Mac as Dylan and cried, "You died, is this real?" Interrupted by Nick, she told Dylan that she needed to be there for Nick, and they would talk later. The next morning Avery showed up at Dylan's motel and slapped him, asking how dare he come back like that, with no warning? Dylan said he had been injured, returned to Chicago to find her, then found her through the Innocence Foundation, and saw a photo of her and Nick. Dylan claimed he didn't want to mess things up, but just wanted to see her, asked if he should go, and if she loved Nick. Avery left, and told Nick the truth about Dylan, who gave her time to decide who she wanted to be with.

Valentine's Day evening, Avery was stuck at home during a major winter snowstorm, and Nick at the bar. Dylan showed up at her apartment, they reminisced, the power went out, and they kissed in the dark. Nick showed up. Avery tearfully told Dylan goodbye, that she had moved on, and was in love with Nick. Dylan packed and left in his truck on the icy roads, intending to return to Chicago. But Nick's former wife Sharon's car slid on the ice, running Dylan's truck off the road, and he hit a tree, leaving him unconscious. Sharon called for help, and Dylan survived with a concussion and bruised ribs. While in the hospital, Dylan had a flashback to Afghanistan: Dylan was down in the sand, his buddy "Sully" Sullivan was injured. Sully moved to shove his weapon to Dylan and was shot, apparently dead.

Sharon called for help, and Dylan was diagnosed with a concussion and bruised ribs. Dylan went to thank Sharon the next day and found her place with storm damage and her unable to find anyone available to make repairs. Dylan offered his services, and Sharon accepted. Both Avery and Nick were disappointed to hear that Dylan would be staying in town. While Dylan worked on Sharon's kitchen, he told Sharon that his mother had died while he was in the army in Afghanistan. Dylan and Faith became close, and Dylan rescued Faith when she disappeared in the woods. He explained his affinity for children remembering how he had given candy to kids and played soccer to help gain the confidence of the locals. Dylan also told Sharon how a local Afghan family had taken him in after he had been injured, and later how he had rescued their young daughter Ara from an attack and kept her safely hidden for 2 weeks.

After Dylan received word that his dad was getting worse, he moved him from the Milwaukee hospital to Genoa City so they could spend more time together. Dylan explained to Sharon that his father had fallen from a ladder and broken his back years ago, and he had been told that he would never walk again, but he proved them wrong and walked again. But after getting an infection after surgery to get pins replaced, his health had gone downhill ever since. Dylan spent the day talking to his dad about old times, selling his construction company, and his house. His father encouraged him to leave for a couple of hours, and Dylan returned to find that his father had died.

Dylan helped Chelsea Lawson when her car had a dead battery, and they enjoyed each other. Then weeks later, after being yelled at by her estranged husband Adam Newman, and her hopes for telling him about the baby she was carrying were dashed, Chelsea fell into bed with Dylan. Both agreed it was just a one-night stand, and Chelsea knew it would be convenient if she ever had to claim her baby was not Adam's.

Dylan finally told Avery that he could not settle for just friends or be the other man in her life again. On his way out of town, he ran into Chelsea at Crimson Lights and said goodbye. Dylan stopped at a bar, got into a fight with a sheriff's son who had been harassing a woman. Dylan went to jail, and Avery bailed him out. Required to stay in town for his trial, Nick offered Dylan his bartender job again to make money to repay Avery for his bail. Nick also offered to get the charges dropped so Dylan could leave town, but Dylan declined.

Avery broke it to Dylan that she had accepted Nick's marriage proposal. Dylan tried to talk her into marrying him instead, saying that they deserved another chance after all they had gone through. Then Avery asked Dylan if he ever thought about "their baby". Avery said she felt that her miscarriage had been punishment for cheating on her husband. She said that she had lost their baby, then Dylan had disappeared, then she spent two years of misery thinking he was dead, and how she had lost everything. She admitted she had not told Nick about the miscarriage, saying that she could not survive another one, or another failure at love. That Nick was love without pain, and it was too late for her and Dylan. Dylan finally gave up on Avery and sold the engagement ring to repay her for the bail money. Avery begged Dylan not to leave town, but he said that he could not stay and watch her marry Nick, and quit his job at the Underground. He later became a bartender at On the Boulevard working for Billy Abbott.

Adam found out that Chelsea was pregnant, he confronted Chelsea in front of Dylan, and she told them that the baby was Dylan's. Tearing up, Adam told Chelsea he was happy that she was finally having a baby, but apparently it did not matter with whom. After the shock wore off, Dylan assured Chelsea that he would not abandon his child, which Chelsea told him would be due around Thanksgiving. Chelsea felt guilty the more Dylan got into the idea of becoming a father, and invited him over to tell him the truth, that he was not the father. But when he surprised her with plans to build a baby cradle, she backed out again. They began spending a lot of time together, enjoying each other's company while Dylan began designing his new digs in a converted warehouse, including a nursery. Dylan bought Crimson Lights coffee bar, and as they made plans to change its name and personality to make it successful again, Chelsea realized she was falling in love, and she spent the night. The next day, Dylan and Chelsea exchanged "I love you's" while Chelsea's mother, Anita, attempted to tell Adam that he was the father of Chelsea's baby. But knowing Anita only wanted him with Chelsea because he had more money than Dylan, Adam refused to let her talk.

One evening, Chelsea arrived at Dylan's to find 'WILL YOU MARRY ME' scrawled on the wall. Feeling guilty, Chelsea said that she did not deserve this. Dylan left the room, but returned to see that Chelsea had painted her reply of yes.

"Stitch" Rayburn who had been part of Dylan's crew in Afghanistan visited Dylan and met both Chelsea and Avery. Stitch had been a medic, and told how they had met when Dylan busted his chin open falling off a camel. He had stitched Dylan up, and left no scar, so had been called "Stitch" ever since. Stitch told Chelsea that he had been married seven years, with a three year old son. He explained that he had been home on leave after his son's birth when his platoon was massacred, and felt guilty that he should have been there. Alone with Dylan, Stitch suggested Dylan open up to Chelsea about the past. The nightmares returned to Dylan that night, and Chelsea told Dylan that she would be there for him when he is ready to talk about it.

Dylan surprised Chelsea by inviting Jeff and Anita to their place for dinner. Both were visibly disappointed in the place, and Jeff insulted Dylan as not being able to take care of his daughter. But Anita surprised Chelsea saying that Dylan was a good guy, and everything would be all right. They discussed potential baby names of Scarlet, Emily, or Terry after Dylan's dad. After Jeff made some more judgmental comments, Dylan said that he was not Adam and glad of it, because Adam was smart enough to make millions but smart enough to make Chelsea happy.

Dylan finally explained to Chelsea that they had been on a routine mission, but hit a mine that had been planted in the road, causing a huge explosion which killed all of his men. He recalled how Sully had been just a scared kid who was injured in the sand nearby. Dylan had lost his gun and needed one to fight back, so he asked Sully to shove him his gun, but when he moved, Sully was fired on and killed, and it had been Dylan's fault. Somehow Dylan had been rescued by a local family and nursed back to health. But when insurgents attacked the village, the father handed his young daughter Ara to him, and he ran out the back to save her while the family had been slaughtered. Dylan told how they had found what food and water that they could, but Ara's health declined and she had died on the way back to camp. Dylan had been wracked with guilt ever since for letting his unit and the family down, that they were all dead because of him.

Chelsea went into labor, and Dylan took her to the hospital and was at her bedside as they waited for the contractions to stop, as Dylan was led to believe it was too early in her pregnancy. When Chelsea's doctor evaded his questions, Dylan assumed it was because he was not her husband, and suggested to Chelsea that they get married right away. When Chelsea's labor stopped, Dylan took her home to his loft which was decorated for a wedding. The invited guests Chloe, Jeffrey, Anita, and Stitch arrived, followed by Billy with a cake catered by his restaurant. After some quick alterations to Chelsea's wedding gown by Chloe, the minister arrived, heartfelt vows were exchanged, and they were married using Dylan's parent's wedding rings. Afterward, Chelsea again went into labor, and Dylan delivered a baby boy before the paramedics showed up. Chelsea blamed his normal lung development on medication she had been taking and his size on the fact that both she and Dylan had been big babies at birth. They named him after Dylan's father, Terrance Connor McAvoy, to be called Connor. But their happiness was short-lived after Connor was suspected to have inherited retinitis pigmentosa. After Chelsea said there was none in her family, Dylan blamed himself, sure that it must be in his.

Adam confronted Chelsea after overhearing that her baby had a degenerative eye disease like his, but Chelsea still denied that Adam was the father. Dylan arrived, and Adam left, warning her to tell Dylan the truth. Chelsea then had to admit to Dylan that Adam was the father, and that she had known it all along. Dylan teared-up, asking how she could do that to him, let him name the baby after his father, and make him a cradle? Chelsea claimed that she had fallen in love with Dylan, that nothing had to change. Dylan cried that he had loved and trusted her and the baby, but that everything had been based on a lie. Chelsea begged Dylan not to abandon them, but he left. Meanwhile Adam was with Avery asking her to sue Chelsea for custody of his son, and get a paternity test, but she refused.

Avery and Nick's wedding day arrived, but just as she was about to leave for the ceremony, Avery found Dylan sitting on the floor in the hallway outside her apartment. She helped him inside and got him to talk through his distress. Dylan admitted that he had wanted a family so much that he had ignored all the signs, and now he had lost it all. Avery and Dylan then relived the tragic loss of their own unborn child. By the time Avery made it to Chancellor Park, the guests had gone, leaving Nick there alone. After Avery explained, Nick decided that it had become increasingly clear Avery was still too emotionally involved with Dylan. Nick broke up with her, and left her standing there in her wedding gown as it began to rain.

Dylan returned home and told Chelsea that he could not forgive her, was leaving town, and wanted a divorce. As Chelsea left the room, the thunder storm outside intensified. Dylan had a flashback to explosions in Vietnam and ran out the door with Connor. After finding out that his son was missing, Adam went to Avery for help, and they found him with Dylan at his family cabin. Avery talked Dylan down from his PTSD delusion, and he gave the baby to Avery. Avery convinced Dylan to see a psychiatrist, but the man could not relate to PTSD, and Dylan walked out. Dylan's friend Stitch came to his rescue, announcing that they would find him some help from a military doctor, and that he was moving in now that he was a resident at Genoa City Memorial.

Dylan eventually hired Leslie Michaelson to handle his divorce, Chelsea signed, and they wished each other well.

Nikki Newman held a Veteran's Day fundraiser at The Underground to honor the vets. Dylan and Stitch were invited, but Dylan was reluctant to attend. Avery was able to convince him to show up as they reconnected after remembering how much she loved him while he was in the service, and they kissed. Everyone was rather mystified by Nikki's overly friendly gesture of hugging Dylan for having the courage to attend.

Dylan convinced Avery that since they were both finally free, it was their time for second chances, and he set up a romantic date at the Genoa City Athletic Club. But when they arrived, they spotted the Newman family at the table next to theirs. Rather than arouse Nick's ire again, Dylan called around in an attempt to get reservations at another restaurant. But when Nick spotted them together, he unreasonably accused Dylan of following him around and throwing his relationship with Avery in his face. They got in a fist fight, and the other Newmans crowded around in an attempt to break them up. Nikki finally was able to do so by shocking them all by shouting that Dylan was her son. Dylan told her that could not be, that Terry and Penny McAvoy were his parents. Nikki explained that Penny had adopted him as a baby in an attempt to hang onto his father who had never found out. Dylan refused to believe it, and left with Avery. Dylan was further upset when Avery admitted that she had known about it for awhile, and that the facts proved that it was true. But Avery was able to convince Dylan to talk with Nikki. Dylan forgave Avery for just following the rules, they kissed, and Avery admitted that she loved him.

When Dylan asked, Nikki told him that his father Ian was a bad man, that she did not know what had happened to him, and did not want to know. Dylan told Nikki, "I don't need another mother. And if I needed another family, it would not be yours." Dylan requested a DNA test, and it proved that he was Nikki's son. Sharon suggested Dylan start slowly with Faith, his niece who already loved him, and he promised Faith he would build her a dollhouse for Christmas. After continual encounters, Nick offered Dylan a deal to both do nothing that would hurt their mother.

Avery presented Dylan with the background info she had found on Ian Ward who had taken off with all the money after commune was broken up, leaving his brainwashed followers to take the fall. They all went to jail but still talked about Ian like he was a savior. Ian had finally been captured and served a short sentence, then had disappeared. Dylan thanked Nikki for giving him her medical history and they discussed her M.S. Nikki assured him it was not hereditary, although he would be more likely to get it than most people. They had a nice chat and Nikki smiled after he had left, assured that they would have a relationship. Both Avery and Nikki objected to Dylan wanting to find his father, but he took off for northern Idaho after Nikki recalled his family had a farm there. Dylan did not have much luck getting people to talk about the town black sheep, until Dylan met Willa, who had been Ian's wife. She explained that they married just out of high school, started the movement together in Idaho, then moved to the Midwest to set up the commune. She claimed that Ian had a good heart, and cared about people, but the power had gone to his head when he realized that his followers would do anything for him, and they had divorced. When Dylan mentioned Ian hooking up with young girls, Willa got upset. Dylan shocked Willa by telling her that he was the son of one of those girls and that Ian was his father. She assured him that he had no other siblings by her nor had there been any other claims. Willa said that last she heard, Ian had moved to Indiana and changed his name. She warned Dylan that whatever he was looking for, not to count on Ian.

After Dylan returned to Genoa City he did some Internet searches, and he and Avery decided to go to Indiana to find Ian. Dylan and Avery visited a similar organization called The Path, led by a John Darwin. Darwin's associate, Clarence, saw through their story of a married couple hoping to become followers, and they admitted they were looking for Ian Ward and that Dylan was his son. Clarence asked them leave and phoned Ian with their names and that they lived in Genoa City. Dylan then decided he really did not want to find Ian, that Avery was all the family he needed, and they made love before returning to Genoa City.

It was not long before Ian showed up at Nikki's, then to Crimson Lights to meet Dylan. Avery and Dylan told him they no longer wanted anything to do with him, but Ian said he was sticking around awhile. Concerned about their mother and the fact that she had not told Victor about Ian being in town, Dylan and Nick decided to unite to get Ian to leave. When Faith identified a photo of Ian as Summer's new friend, Nick and Dylan went looking for him. Finding him taunting Nikki, Nick socked Ian in the eye and took her home. Dylan threatened Ian, who taunted him with "Don't kill me or you will never know." Paul arrived and arrested Ian for extorting money from Nikki to leave town.

Avery and Dylan began to get back the closeness they once shared, and after teaming up, Nick and Dylan began to become friendly.

Nikki and Dylan bonded over a leaking espresso machine when Nikki suggested a bubble gum fix. They began to discuss her past and her state of mind when she gave him up, and both agreed that she had done the right thing. Dylan and Avery were visited by Ian's ex-wife, Willa Ward, who had come from Idaho to give them some important information for a price, but they sent her away empty-handed.

Avery entered her key lime pie recipe in a cooking contest, took first place, and was asked to come to New York and bake it on the TV show. The producers liked her so much they offered her a cooking show of her own. After giving it some thought, she told Dylan that she had turned it down to go back to working with Innocence Foundation. Dylan talked her into doing both, and after a prototype was filmed, the web series was picked up, and named "You are being served". Dylan was unnerved by some odd emails taunting the "real" Avery Bailey Clark. Nikki and Dylan were disturbed to hear that Ian's trial had ended in a mistrial when his attorney, Leslie, discovered that the son of a juror was a New World Cult member, and Ian had been set free. Ian returned to Genoa City and began taunting Dylan about how he could help him with his combat psychological issues. Then someone broke into his room and trashed the place. Dylan was unimpressed when Ian told him that he had made Dylan his sole beneficiary of his fortune, especially when Ian pointed out that if anything happened to him, Dylan would be the prime suspect. Later, Ian reported to Paul that he was being followed, and suspected Dylan. Then Avery received roses from an unknown person, and suspecting it was Ian, Dylan waited for Ian in his room at the club. When Ian entered and found him there, he called the police and Dylan was arrested for trespassing.

Ian continued to harass Dylan, dropping into the coffee house until Dylan threw him out and refused him service. Ian made sure to tell everyone within hearing that Dylan had anger issues and that Ian feared him. Ian gloated to Nikki that the extortion charges had been dismissed as circumstantial, but he was willing to forgive her for trying to send him to prison. Victor closed all of Nikki's accounts to protect her funds from Ian, and promised Ian that he would leave Nikki alone or live to regret it. That night Victor met Ian in an alley with some thugs to convince him to leave town. Paul found Ian badly beaten, Ian told Paul that Dylan had done it, and Dylan was taken in for questioning. Ian interrupted, telling Paul that it had not been Dylan, that he had been mugged. Dylan contacted Willa again to get the goods on Ian, and he thanked Victor for what he "didn't do to Ian" for Nikki, suggesting they work together to get rid of him.

Victor gave Dylan a bundle of money, and sent Dylan to Idaho to see Willa. But Dylan found that she had moved in the middle of night just before he arrived, left no forwarding address, and her phone had been disconnected. Victor refused to accept the money back, telling Dylan to keep it to "remove the incentive for Ian to stay in town".

Avery's cameraman, Austin Travers, got her to go to his apartment with him. Austin insisted that she confess on camera to being responsible for his mother's death. It seemed that Avery had defended a man named Boz Foreman and gotten him off for a convenience store hold up and killing. Afterward, Boz had repeated the crime, killing Austin's mother, Mary Jameson, and was in prison for it. Austin admitted that he was 4MJ "for Mary Jameson". When Avery tried to leave, Austin pulled a gun on her. Dylan arrived by way of the fire escape and jumped Austin. As they wrestled for his gun, Paul and the police arrived, the gun went off, and Paul was shot. Austin escaped. Paul was taken to the hospital where Dylan and Avery waited for word on his condition. Detective Harding viciously accused Dylan of being responsible by not waiting for the police.

A second surgery determined that only a liver transplant could save Paul's life, and his rare blood type AB- made it difficult to find a donor. When Dr. Rayburn discussed the dilemma with Nikki, Avery, and Dylan, Dylan piped up that he too was AB-. Everyone hoped that Dylan could save Paul's life as Dylan underwent testing to see if he could donate part of his liver to Paul. But Dylan was rejected as a donor due to his combat wounds, and the danger of surgery. While waiting for Father Todd to gather his loved ones to give Paul last rights, Dylan walked in to hear Nikki telling an unconscious Paul that Dylan was his son. Dylan insisted on being the donor to save his father's life, and both Nikki and Avery tried to dissuade him. But attorney Michael Baldwin confirmed that Dylan had the right, in a matter of life or death, to override the doctor's objections at his own risk. So Dylan and Paul were taken in for surgery. Many hours later, they both awoke in ICU about the same time – Dylan to Nikki and Avery at his bedside. But when they left to tell the doctor he was awake, Dylan managed to make his way to Paul's bedside. Dylan told Paul that he should have listened, took the blame for Paul getting shot, and talked about being his being Paul's son. Paul got confused, became upset and began to hyperventilate, saying how sorry he was for shooting his son, Ricky. (It was actually the second anniversary of the date that Paul had shot and killed his son Ricky in self-defense.)

After Dylan was returned to his room, and Avery scolded him, Dylan appeared to fall asleep. As Avery was about to leave, Dylan's monitor went off. Dylan had fallen into unconsciousness with an infection causing gram-negative sepsis and shock. Dylan's organs began shutting down, Dr. Ben felt that antibiotics were Dylan's only hope for survival, but feared that Dylan may not make it thought the night. While unconscious, Dylan saw Sully who was there to take him to the great beyond. Dylan's blood pressure spiked and alarms went off as he began talking out loud to Sully. Ben yelled at Dylan to tell Sully to go away, that he was NOT going with him. Avery begged Dylan not to leave her. Meanwhile Paul, after being told about Dylan's condition, began trying to commune with Dylan to live. Dylan saw Paul who told him how much life they missed together, asking why Dylan would risk his life to save Paul only to leave, telling him don't go now, it is not your time, to fight to give Avery a future, and he and Paul a future. Dylan suddenly awoke and smiled at Avery. Paul awoke to Nikki crying, and said, "Dylan is going to be all right." Paul and Dylan bonded as both recovered.

Dylan was released, and later so was Paul. Dylan began having nightmares due to his guilt about the shooting, and Avery and Nikki became concerned as he showed rage toward Austin and Ian.

Ian sued Nikki for emotional distress caused by finding out that Dylan was not his son. The trial began with Nikki reading passages from the diary in her defense, telling how she thought Ian was a monster, and she did not want to raise his baby, afraid it would turn out like him. Ian's attorney claimed that Nikki had not told Paul about the baby because Paul was irresponsible, so claimed the baby was Ian's to justify getting rid of it. Michael pointed out that if that were true, Nikki could have gotten an abortion a lot easier, and maintained that Nikki was the one who endured pain and suffering at the hands of Ian ever since, and especially now. Dylan got upset and interrupted the proceedings, defending Nikki. The judge determined that Ian had acted unethically and ruled against him with prejudice so that it could not be retried.

Ian showed Nikki a story in the National Inquisitor "Nikki Newman's Secret Sex Cult Diary", which told of her sexploits with Cult Leader Ian Ward and Chief of Police Paul Williams. Then Ian taunted Dylan suggesting that Paul had given them the story. Dylan was so enraged at Ian that he trashed the coffee house. Avery arrived, and Dylan claimed to be in control, for if he was not, he would have killed Ian.

Paul began to have second thoughts about Austin, and decided to give him the second chance that his own son Ricky had never gotten. Thanks to Avery's letter to the judge forgiving him and Paul's refusal to testify at the trial, Austin was given deferred adjudication with a fine and community service. But Dylan became enraged by the verdict and his father and lover's part played in it. Avery was able to get Dylan to talk it out, and they reconciled over it. Just over that hurdle, Avery was surprised to receive a voicemail from her ex-husband Joe. Then Dylan was recruited by Nick to help find Ian Ward, who had kidnapped Mariah and was asking for a ransom from Sharon. They rescued Mariah, and later Dylan walked in on Ian confronting a hysterical Nikki. Ian fled, with Dylan on his heels. Dylan later showed up at Crimson Lights with blood on his hands, and Avery caught him cleaning it up, and throwing away his blood covered shirt.

Paul was investigating the disappearance of Ian Ward. Blood found on the Newman driveway turned out to be Ian's, his wallet turned up in a dumpster near the racetrack where his car was found, and Ian's muddy jacket was later found in the quarry. After Jeffrey Bardwell reported seeing Dylan at the racetrack that night, and seeing that Dylan had somehow injured his hand, Paul knew he had to question Dylan. Christine threw Paul a party to celebrate his receiving the Distinguished Citizen Award, but Paul and Dylan left early to go back to the police station together. Dylan claimed that Ian had given him the slip outside the Newman's, so he returned to Crimson Lights, then went for a walk near the racetrack to calm down, and that he had punched out a window in frustration at a warehouse near the tracks. Before he left, Dylan gave Paul a gift of some fly fishing lures which he had made himself. Later while talking to Avery at her apartment, Paul noticed some muddy boots of Dylan's. Meanwhile Dylan was admitting to Stitch that he still had PTSD blackout moments. It was discovered that someone had made a phone call from Avery's land line to Ian's insurance company inquiring about Ian's beneficiary. Paul came up with a plan where Christine would charge Dylan with murder, he arrested Dylan, informed Avery, and convinced Nikki to allow them to place an ad in her name to bring Ian back and expose Ian's setting up Dylan. Christine opined that Ian was too smart to fall for it, but it was set in motion.

Ian saw an ad from Nikki, and called her from a burner phone so it could not be traced. They arranged to meet in a room at the athletic club. Ian entered the club through a trapdoor in the basement, expecting to avoid the police. But Paul was in the room with a gun when Ian showed up, and the police and Dylan surrounded him from the hallway. Ian smirked that he had come back for Nicole and would be back again. Nikki told him off, saying that he was sick. Dylan held his temper, as Ian was arrested for the drugging and abduction of Mariah. All charges were dropped against Dylan, and expunged from his record.

Avery ran into Joe in Michael's office getting legal documents drawn up. Dylan was there and free since the sting operation on Ian Ward was over, and was introduced to Joe. Joe apologized for the awkward circumstances, saying that his old friend Cane had recommended Michael. He shook hands with Dylan, saying that the past was water under the bridge. Later, Dylan was miffed that Avery had not even mentioned Joe being in town. But Avery was able to convince him that she and Dylan were all that mattered, no matter where Joe was. Dylan was shocked when given 2 months notice to evacuate Crimson Lights due to the building being sold. When he found out that Joe was the agent who was buying up the block, Dylan confronted him and socked him in the jaw. Avery began looking into how to fight the demolition with the possibility of it being a city landmark. After a brick was thrown through the coffee house window, Dylan was sure that Joe was behind it.

Just prior to Christmas 2014, Dylan proposed. Avery told him that he was the only man who had ever loved her completely, just the way she was, and she accepted.

Meanwhile, Landmark status was denied for Crimson Lights, Joe planned a cocktail party at GCAC for potential investors in the warehouse district project, and Avery and Dylan were involved in a save the neighborhood rally. On Christmas evening, a snow storm caused a power outage everywhere in town but Crimson Lights, people converged there, and word went out that it was the place where miracles happen. Dylan surprised Nikki with a gift of photos from his childhood, which she had missed out on.

The Genoa City Chronical editorialized, urging the saving of the warehouse district. Kevin's digging discovered that Victor was in cahoots with Joe Clark, and Victor's holding company GEROLAMO Ltd. owned the properties scheduled for redevelopment by demolition. Dylan was livid when he found out, and confronted Victor in front of Nikki. Victor claimed it was just business, and Nikki was furious with him. After the City put the sale on hold awaiting a community impact study, Victor offered Dylan big bucks to relocate. When Dylan turned it down, Victor threatened that he would not want to see Dylan or Avery get hurt over this. That same day, two masked men entered Crimson Lights and robbed Dylan who fought back, and he ended up in the hospital with a concussion. Dylan bought a gun, and threatened Joe with it, but luckily Avery was there and stopped him from doing anything but threaten Joe to stay away from Avery or he would kill him. Dylan was livid after Joe told him that he had again enticed Avery to Joe's room, and he inferred that she was there to make love to him. Avery explained that it was a setup, and she had been wearing a wire to entrap him, but Dylan left mad and did not come home that night. They later reconciled.

Dylan and Avery attended the Valentines party at The Underground. Joe was there too, and provoked Dylan. Dylan slugged Joe, but he ducked and the blow hit Avery instead causing her nose to bleed. Dylan was so ashamed, he left, driving in a snowstorm during a power outage. He returned in time to discover that the ceiling of the club had collapsed, trapping people inside. Dylan volunteered to help, having had search and rescue training in the military. He kicked in a door and rescued Nick and Sage, then he dug Avery and Joe out from the rubble. After Avery assured him that she was all right, he and Nick went back in and rescued Phyllis and Nikki, leaving Jack and Victor behind. But then the snow-weighted roof collapsed too. When Nick returned to the spot where Victor and Jack were last seen, they found the dead body of part time bartender, Derek. They finally found Jack alive in bad shape, but no sign of Victor. But he later walked into the ranch with a concussion, and was taken to the hospital.

Dylan and Avery began arguing a lot, mostly about the amount of time that Avery spent with Joe, and Dylan spent with Sharon. A fundraiser was held in Avery's honor for her work with the Innocence Fund, but Dylan was busy rescuing Sharon so did not show up. Joe took the opportunity to make another move on Avery, congratulating her, and telling her how she had made him a better man. Joe kissed her, she pushed him away, and Joe fell over the athletic club balcony, landing on a dumpster, suffering spinal injuries. Avery admitted to Paul that she had pushed him, but Joe let Paul know that it had been an accident. After Avery realized that Joe was paralyzed she would not leave his side at the hospital.

Dylan had been helping Sharon who was convinced she was being framed for Austin Travers' murder. Sharon told Dylan that on the night of his murder, she had pulled over on Old Post Road, a car had gone by coming from the direction of the cabin, slowed down and tossed something, and the occupant had seen her. Dylan found a tire iron there, hired Avery, who had it tested, and found it contained Austin's blood and Sharon's prints. Dylan locked it and the report in a file drawer in Avery's office and they left together. Sharon returned and tried to open the drawer, but was grabbed from behind and woke up on her own couch at home. She was shocked to see the tire iron lying on the coffee table.

Sharon called Dylan to say goodbye, then out in the woods in the dark, her car would not start. Kyle found her and took her home. Noah walked in as Dylan was showing them the starburst necklace that Courtney had been wearing which he had found in Sharon's car trunk. Sharon was arrested for the murders of Austin and Courtney. With Avery still at Joe's bedside and unavailable, Michael became her lawyer.

Joe went to a Chicago clinic for spinal injury patients, and Avery offered to go along for a few weeks. Using tough love she became his physical therapy partner. Dylan still did not trust Joe and warned Avery that he was manipulating her. She replied, "Yes the same as Sharon is manipulating you." Later, Avery texted saying that she was sorry they had quarreled, and was coming home. But Sharon secretly texted back, "Finish what you started, and so will I." After Michael proved that Sharon had been set up and she was cleared, Sharon and Dylan celebrated and they kissed.

Avery returned and accused Dylan of sleeping with Sharon. But even after Sharon admitted that she had sent the text, Avery reluctantly returned her engagement ring to Dylan and went back to Chicago. Dylan was mad at Sharon, but Avery's words rang true that he did have feelings for her, and Sharon and Dylan made love. Afterward, he told her he had to be careful, that he had a white knight complex, always trying to rescue someone, and they only end up hurt. Dylan left promising to return after he had consulted his therapist.

Avery returned to Genoa City to work on a case, and Dylan admitted that he was now sleeping with Sharon. Back in Chicago, Joe was released from the clinic and having no luck finding a wheelchair accessible place to live in Genoa City. Since Dylan had moved out, Avery offered Joe to live with her, and Joe accepted, but she kicked him out when she discovered he had recovered and was faking paralysis. Joe just ranted about how Avery still loved him. Avery went to Dylan telling him that Joe had hit her once when they were married. Refusing Dylan's help, Avery decided to leave town. Dylan, Phyllis, and Michael talked her into staying, and a restraining order was issued against Joe.

Sharon lamented how she had no job, that Chelsea had never called her in to work, and she would not be welcome now that Victor owned the company, so Dylan hired Sharon to work at Crimson Lights.

Sharon told Dylan that she was pregnant, and having always wanted to be a father, he was elated. Sharon gathered their families and made the announcement. Paul was happy to be getting his first grandchild, but the rest were skeptical. Nikki sniped that Sharon had had all the men in her family now, and Noah questioned if she had spoken to her psychiatrist about it. Sharon assured him that she had, and taking her meds while pregnant was fine.

After Avery was attacked and raped by a man in black ski mask in the alley behind her apartment. Dylan confronted Joe, slugged him, and tied him to chair, interrogating him. Avery joined Dylan in Joe's room telling Joe she recognized him and knew he had attacked her. Joe still denied it. Joe filed a civil suit against Dylan and the GCPD for not arresting Dylan. Both Avery and Dylan were deposed, at which Dylan asked Joe's attorney David Sherman to question his client about how he used to abuse Avery when they were married. Afterward, Dylan discovered his gun was missing at Crimson Lights. Dylan arrived at Joe's room and found Avery holding the gun on Joe. Dylan reminded Avery how she had always been there to talk him down from a PTSD episode, and got her to lower the gun. He told Avery how the police had caught a serial rapist who had Avery's cell phone and purse. Joe stood up relieved, and Avery fired two shots into the ceiling. Paul broke in, and Avery dropped the gun. Paul had to arrest Avery. Paul later thanked Dylan for his help, remarking that with his background, Dylan might make a good police trainer. Avery refused to make amends with Joe, saying she was sorry she had shot the ceiling when it should have been his face.

During an interview for the Innocence Foundation, Avery broke down and told how she had been raped and had accused an innocent man, saying she had to step away from the foundation because she had violated everything that it stood for. She thanked Dylan for never giving up on her, and encouraging her to get help. When Joe heard about her breakdown, he decided not to press charges. Avery left town to get herself together, and promised to return to testify against the rapist. She said goodbye to Dylan, who said he hoped she would find what she was looking for, and to remember the good times they shared together saying, "What is doesn't erase what was." Avery said she needed to start over somewhere new, but promised Phyllis, Nick, and Michael that she would return someday.

Sharon had her first sonogram with Dylan present, quashing any suspicions that she was not really pregnant.

Paul asked Dylan to join him on a case, and Sharon was horrified when she ended up watching via surveillance video as Dylan was nearly killed confronting the suspect who ended up dead. Paul asked him to join the force, but Dylan told Sharon he was going to decline for her and their unborn child.

After Esther Valentine told Dylan that Colin had been making illicit advances toward her and that she had moved out of the Chancellor estate, Dylan hired her to work at Crimson Lights. She also told him that she had overheard Colin blackmailing Devon again. Dylan asked Paul to look into Colin's bank records, and Kevin discovered some hefty transactions including paying a hooker named India. Dylan found the hooker and discovered she had been paid by Colin to falsely claim that she had slept with Devon after his bachelor party. Colin denied having anything to do with Hilary's disappearance, but suggested they look at the person who had not wanted them to live happily ever after. When confronted by Dylan that Neil had something to do with Hilary's disappearance, Neil admitted that he knew about Colin's blackmailing Devon and had stopped him, but said he was not sure if Devon was aware.

Dylan began investigating for Devon. When a ransom was asked for Hilary's return, Dylan made the drop, hid, and tackled the person in black who picked it up. They fought, but the person escaped with the money.

Dylan met his aunt Patty for the first time while visiting Sharon at Fairview. Patty told him that she was concerned about the drugs Sharon was being given. Considering that Patty was a patient there herself, Dylan didn't take much stock in it. But the next time he saw Sharon she was having memory problems and seemed spaced out. Sharon said she was just tired. But then Dylan was suddenly banned from visiting Sharon. Dr. Anderson showed him the paperwork Sharon had signed banning all visitors, and Sharon confirmed it by phone.

The annual Delia Halloween costume party benefit was held at Top of the Tower. A fire broke out on the floors just below them, cutting them off from the floor where her children were having their own party. Paul put Dylan in charge of search and rescue, and helicopters were called in to evacuate the party-goers from the roof. Dylan led several missions inside even after it was deemed unsafe rescuing people from the building. Paul and Dylan were brokenhearted to find out that Paul's sister Patty, Dylan's aunt, had escaped from Fairview, and had apparently perished in the fire, but her body was not found. Both Dylan and Paul yelled at Patty's doctor for letting her escape once again. After Nick and Sage were rescued, they went to the hospital to be with their premature baby Christian, but were told that he had died.

Dylan broke the news by video chat to Sharon that Christian had not made it. Sharon got so upset that Dr. Anderson shut down the chat. Dylan became suspicious of Dr. Anderson.

Hilary turned up drugged and wandering in the park. They put it together that Hilary had been in a coma, and a Dr. Neville had used a dangerous drug cocktail to bring her out of it. Shortly after Hilary checked herself out of the hospital, she called Dylan to tell him that she was in Dr. Neville's hotel room. Dylan kicked in his motel room door, Dr. Neville plunged a syringe in Dylan's neck, and he fell to the floor unconscious. Paul found Dylan. Dylan received a call from Sharon that she had had their baby, so Dylan went to Fairview to see them. Sharon surprised Dylan by naming their son Sullivan McAvoy, after Dylan's deceased buddy Sully. Sharon decided it was time she went home over Dr. Anderson's objection.

Dylan planned a spur of the moment evening wedding, asking Paul to play Santa for Faith, get an online ordination, and perform the ceremony in their living room as a surprise for Sharon. Noah and Mariah showed up with the rings and a mistletoe bridal bouquet. Both Nick and Dr. Anderson happened to show up and stayed for the wedding.

Paul offered Dylan a position as police detective, saying that with his military training Dylan could skip the police academy, and only get some on the job training, and pass the exam and gun range test. Dylan accepted but when he gave Sharon the news she told him no, he could not take the job.

Dylan and Paul were called when Sharon's doctor, Dr. Sandra Anderson, was found dead on the floor of her office, a syringe sticking out of her back. They visited Patti and were dismayed to find her with blood on her shirt, rocking her stuffed kitty, singing, and out of it. Paul hugged her, convinced that she had murdered Dr. Anderson. Dylan wondered why Sandy had been so good to Sharon when Sharon had gotten everything Sandy had ever wanted, and was ready to do more investigating into why Patty had killed her. But Paul said that Patty was deranged and closed the case.

Sharon became resentful when Dylan had to arrest her son Noah for the hit and run of Billy Abbott, even though Noah admitted that it had been unintentional.

Unable to give up on the investigation of Dr. Anderson's murder, Dylan questioned the Fairview staff finding that none of them remembered Sharon giving birth. Dylan questioned Sharon's memory, but she also remembered no birth, nothing until Dr. Anderson handed Sully to her. But she did recall seeing a nurse watching from the doorway. This led them to Nurse Stevens at Genoa City Memorial, who told them she had only been there to check out the baby.

After Victor was knifed in the chest while in prison, Nikki went to visit him in the hospital, but was rebuffed, Victor reminded her that she was dead to him. Nikki began drinking again, and was struck by a car as she walked off a curb. Dylan talked her into staying with him and Sharon. Sharon and Nikki tangled immediately, but Dylan told them he loved them both, to learn to coexist. Of course Nikki moved out after a while and Victor was released from prison.

Dylan was shocked when Sharon told him that one year old Sully was actually Nick and Sage's child Christian, that Dr. Anderson had kept her drugged so she didn't realize that she had never been pregnant or given birth. Patty had known about it, and when Dr. Anderson tried to shut her up, Patty had killed the doctor instead. Sharon pleaded for his forgiveness, admitting that she had known the truth for months, but didn't want to break Dylan's heart. When Nick found out, he claimed Christian and took him home. Dylan and Sharon sued for visitation but lost.

Unable to get over the loss of Sully, Dylan volunteered to go undercover for the FBI to bring down Luther Fisk, the leader of a drug ring. Using Derek Young as his alias, he was given burner phones to contact Kevin, and went to Miami to meet Luther Fisk's second in command, Alex Dettmer. Alex turned out to be a statuesque hard drinking female. Dylan's burner phone rang, Alex answered the female caller, so Dylan had to have sex with her to regain her trust. Afterward, he showed her his briefcase of cash, ready to meet Fisk and make a deal. Dylan checked in with Paul, telling him he assumed it was Christine who called. A beefy guy with a gun named Stan took them to Fisk at a warehouse where a man was being beaten and killed. Dylan made the buy, then when he realized the driver had locked him in and they were heading in the wrong direction, he got word to Kevin the he was last at Pier 13. Sharon had been the one to make the call, putting Dylan's life in danger. Sharon fretted while Paul went to search for Dylan in Miami. But Dylan suddenly walked in the door to their home looking haggard.

Dylan explained that prior to the Feds showing up at the pier and arresting Luther Fisk, Dylan had fought with Stan, had to kill him, and Alex had gotten away. Fearing Alex or Fisk's goons would track him down, Dylan was going to have to leave her forever and go into witness protection. Sharon begged to go with him, then realized it would mean running with her kids, or leaving them forever. Dylan signed over Crimson Lights to Sharon, Dylan left town, and Sharon began telling everyone that he had left her. Six months later Sharon received divorce papers from Dylan via an attorney.