Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of March 20, 2000 on DAYS

Kate and Victor found a way to retrieve the five million-dollar bribe from Nicole. John rescued Stefano to keep alive his ties to the past. Hope told Bo and Shawn that she was pregnant. Bo feared Stefano might be the father of Hope's child.

Monday, March 20, 2000

by Marcia Elgart

MMickey told Sami that the report from the social worker said it all: Will was thriving in his environment. Sami said that was because she and Austin were there with him. Mickey pointed out that was because Lucas was letting them live there, another thing in his favor, as the court would see him as being very generous. Sami was appalled, and Austin asked what the bottom line was.

Mickey said that Sami didn't have a leg to stand on; she was outgunned. He said that her only hope was to find evidence that Lucas was an unfit father. Sami knew there was evidence and said she would hire an army of detectives if need be. Austin told her no way and asked her to drop the plan. He told her that she couldn't investigate Will's father because of how it would look. She said she didn't care. She asked how he thought it had made her feel watching from death row as he stole her son.

Austin told Sami that Lucas was still Will's father, and joint custody would have been the way to go. Sami told them that they seemed to think she should give Will up to "Saint Lucas the wonder dad." Austin told Sami that she had to face the facts; Lucas was Will's father, and she couldn't manipulate people or rewrite things the ways she wanted them to be. He told her to deal with what she had right at that moment and work with Lucas to deal with Will's best interest. Sami said that it was not in Will's best interest to allow Will to be raised without his mother. He would think she had abandoned him.

Maggie said one of them had to give in, but Sami said she had been raised without her mother, and she'd "be damned" if she let her son go through that kind of hell. Austin told Sami to calm down, but she refused and walked out. Austin apologized to Mickey and Maggie, but Mickey said they had tried. Austin went after Sami and told her that he had something important to show her.

Maggie felt sorry for Sami, and Mickey said that Sami had always been her own worst enemy. She could have had joint custody, but she was going to end up with nothing. Later, Maggie talked with Mickey about the type of restaurant she wanted to run. Mickey told Maggie that she should buy Tuscany.

Lucas showed Nicole the report the social worker had written up on Will. The social worker indicated that Will was thriving in his environment. Lucas said that they would have Will all to themselves, and Sami would be out in the cold. He talked about how soon they would be moving into their mansion, and Sami would be moving into some run-down apartment. He commented that if Sami didn't improve her living conditions, he might not let her see Will. That news seemed to trouble Nicole, especially when Lucas said that way Will would think of Nicole as his mother. When he said that they could start working on giving Will some brothers and sisters, Nicole shouted out loud, "No way!"

Nicole realized her mistake and told Lucas that it wouldn't be fair to Will to have more children when things weren't settled with Will yet. Lucas thought she was being very unselfish. Nicole still thought they should give custody to Sami, but Lucas told her that she'd never had a child, so she wouldn't know what it was like not to want to give up that child, but she would soon when they had one of their own.

Lucas said he was starving and suggested they go down to dinner. Nicole said she wanted to change her earrings, so she'd catch up. Lucas left, and Nicole told herself that there was no way Lucas was going to turn her into a baby-making machine. She then said if it was Eric's baby, things would be different. She told herself that she had to figure out a way to get Sami "her brat" so Sami could help Nicole get Eric back.

Kate and Victor were getting ready for an elegant dinner at the mansion. Kate told Victor that it was great to have him home, and it was almost like the past few years had never happened. Victor said they had happened, but he wanted to look toward the future, which included getting his five million dollars back from Nicole. He asked Kate if she had any questions before they began playing the game. Kate said she had no questions and was impressed with his plan. Victor said he was counting on Nicole's greed to cause her to fall into his trap.

When Kate said that Nicole was no match for him because she was a lowlife tramp, Victor told her that she couldn't be more wrong. Victor told Kate that Nicole was a natural at playing those games, and she played them very well. Still, Kate thought she was just "a little tramp." Victor wondered why because she was from good stock, at least on her mother's side. Victor said Faye was a hard worker and had a lot of dignity; she really impressed him. Kate said it was too bad that dignity hadn't rubbed off on Nicole. Victor discussed his plan with Kate, which included steering Nicole into investing her money back into Titan somehow.

Nicole and Lucas arrived downstairs in the dining room, and Henderson signaled to Victor that they were right outside. Victor told Kate that it was important that they tell no one the real reason Rex was going to dinner because Rex had entrusted him with information on a new deal that would make him a lot of money, and he didn't want to ruin their relationship. Lucas and Nicole listened in, and Nicole was intrigued. Victor told Kate that the more people who knew about it, the less money there was for them to make.

Lucas and Nicole went into the dining room, and Lucas asked Victor what he was talking about. He wondered if Victor and Kate would care to share their information on the wonderful investment. Kate told Lucas that he shouldn't have been eavesdropping, and Victor said he should have thrown the whole lot of them out months before. Lucas said the cat was out of the bag, and he asked about the great money-making tip.

Victor told Lucas that it was to be kept confidential, and he was not going to jeopardize his relationship with Rex Rollins so Lucas could play with the big boys. Victor told Lucas to drop it, but Kate said Lucas should be involved in it. Nicole silently decided to make her own killing in the deal, since she wouldn't be a part of the family for much longer. Victor thought Nicole had to be bored with the business talk, but Nicole claimed she was fascinated and told them to keep on talking. Victor hoped that Rex hadn't let anyone else in on the deal, and Nicole asked why. Victor explained that the key to making money was to buy the stocks before others did.

Kate told Victor not to worry because Rex had always been trustworthy. Victor agreed, except for his one weakness. When Lucas asked what it was, Victor said that Rex had been known to reveal information to beautiful women. After the dinner, both Kate and Victor believed that Nicole had fallen headfirst into their trap. Kate told Victor that she had learned her lesson about giving away money and wouldn't make that mistake in the future.

Victor told Kate that he had already dealt with that; he had removed the temptation by removing her signing privileges at Titan. Kate was shocked and walked out of the room. Lucas went to read Will a story and promised Nicole that he wouldn't be long. She told him to take his time. After he left, Nicole called the operator to get Rex Rollins' number and address.

Hope had regained consciousness and saw that the place was on fire. She told Stefano that they had to get out of there, but he was out cold. Hope ran to the door and banged on it, screaming for help, but nobody was there to help them. She looked out the window and saw that the cars were gone, and she screamed for Bo to return. Hope believed it was all over, and as the flames rose higher, she cried.

Hope crawled over to Stefano and tried to wake him up, but he was unresponsive. He finally awoke and told Hope to save herself. Hope said she would save both of them. She covered Stefano's face with a wet towel and prayed to God to let them live. Hope eventually passed out, but before doing so, she said she would see her family again in heaven one day.

In the cars, Alice noticed that there was a fire going in the castle. Bo wondered who could have started the fire if Kurt was gone, and he suddenly realized it was Hope. Bo stopped his car and turned around, so John followed him. They arrived at the castle, and John said they had searched the top floor. Bo said they had never gone up to the turret.

Doug called for help as Bo, John, Eric, and Shawn broke into the castle. Belle worried about Shawn because the fire was out of control, and Greta worried about Eric. Greta felt guilty because it was her fault Eric had gone on the trip, but Marlena said Eric had no regrets about anything he did. Alice said that she had faith everything would work out, and Marlena said that faith would carry them through.

Bo and Shawn began searching one side of the chateau, and John and Eric took the other. Shawn remembered that earlier, Belle had sworn she had seen the bookcase move, so he told his dad about it. They started pushing on the bookcase, but it wasn't moving. They decided to move the books, and Bo found the trigger that opened the passage. Bo and Shawn climbed the turret and showed up at the door, but it was locked.

Bo told Shawn to find something to bust the door down with. Inside the turret, Hope heard Bo and Shawn calling to her, and she thought it was a dream. She woke up and called back to them, and they heard her. Bo told her that they would get her out of there. Shawn found the keys hanging on the wall, but there were a lot of them on the key ring, so it took them some time to open the door. They finally got it open and got to Hope.

Meanwhile, John had a memory of a secret passage in the walls, so they started searching the panels. John managed to find the switch, so they entered the passage. Eric ran ahead of John, and a beam fell on him and knocked him out. John rescued Eric and carried him outside. He apologized to Hope for the delay.

Greta panicked when she saw Eric, but Lily told her not to look because he had a bad head wound. John ran back into the castle, despite Marlena begging him not to. Eric awoke, and Doug and Julie noticed that the entire castle was going up in flames. Julie wondered "where in the hell" the fire department was.

Back inside, John encountered Bo, who had Hope in his arms, and Shawn in the staircase. John said they needed to get out of there, but Hope said someone else was up there. John told Bo to get Hope out, and he'd go up for whoever it was. John went up to the turret and finally saw Stefano on the floor. However, he was shocked when he realized it was Stefano.

Back outside, Bo and Shawn walked out of the castle, and everyone was relieved to see that Bo had Hope in his arms.

Tuesday, March 21, 2000

by Marcia Elgart

At the Kiriakis mansion, Nicole told Lucas there was a movie on pay-per-view she wanted to watch. He said he couldn't watch it at that moment because it was time for him to read Will his bedtime story and put him to bed. Will arrived and happily greeted his dad. Nicole left disgusted.

Outside the mansion, Sami and Austin were watching Will and Lucas through a window. Austin told her he had watched Lucas and Will's bedtime ritual every night since he had moved back into the house. He asked her to watch with him. She was happy, thinking it would prove Lucas was an unfit father. Austin told her he hadn't taken her there to spy on Lucas or prove him unfit. He said he had taken her there to show her what a loving and devoted father Lucas was.

Austin explained that if she and Lucas were in a nasty custody battle then she would not have the opportunity to watch the ritual, let alone have the opportunity to see Will whenever she wanted. She had a vision of herself and Lucas fighting over Will, and when the boy approached the two of them, he rejected Sami and went to Lucas, saying, "I want my daddy!" Sami didn't tell Austin about her vision. She just continued to watch Lucas and Will together. While Lucas was reading Will his bedtime story, he began to tickle his son.

Sami thought Lucas was hurting her son and wanted to confront him, but Austin stopped her before she could. Austin said Lucas wasn't hurting Will. He was just playing with him. Will told Lucas he wanted to play airplane. Lucas granted his son's request. Sami told Austin she was worried Will might hit his head and get hurt. Austin wondered aloud if Sami could've made a mistake when she accused Lucas of hitting Will. Sami said she had made no mistake. She said Lucas was a drunk, and she still felt like he was a danger to Will.

Sami told Austin she didn't understand how he could want her to give up her son. Austin said that wasn't what he was asking her to do. He said he wanted her to share custody of Will with Lucas. She said that would be like giving up her son, and she couldn't do that. She said Austin couldn't know what that felt like to her.

Austin reminded Sami that he did know what it felt like to give up a child. He told her that when Carrie, Mike, and Eric had proven he wasn't Will's father, he'd had to give up the boy he had thought had been his son. He told her that wasn't what she would have to do if she could just have an open mind about Lucas' relationship with Will. He said Lucas had proven many times over that he was a good father.

Meanwhile, in another room in the mansion, Nicole was alone, and to herself, she said, "That damn kid!" Victor appeared and said "That damn kid -- what a way for you to refer to your stepson." Nicole told Victor she hadn't really meant to say that. She said she had been looking forward to spending some time with Lucas. Victor told her to stop with her lies and excuses because he could see right through her and didn't believe a word she said. He told her when he looked into her baby blue eyes, he saw nothing but evil.

Nicole told Victor she had wanted some alone time with her husband, whom she loved very much, and hadn't realized they would be interrupted by Will. Victor told her that was a bunch of bull because she didn't know what real love was. He called her a gold-digging tramp and said she hadn't married Lucas for love -- she married him for money. Nicole pretended to be hurt by Victor's harsh words, but he didn't fall for her act.

When Nicole realized Victor wasn't going to play her games, she turned the conversation around. She told him he might not think highly of her, but one day, he would want her just as all men did. Before she left, she tried to kiss him, but he turned away. She stopped in the hallway to look at herself in a mirror. Aloud, she congratulated herself on turning the situation with Victor around to benefit her. Into the mirror, she said, "You were right, Dad. All it takes is my beautiful face and body to get everything I want."

Nicole vowed it wouldn't be long before "that old coot" desired her just as every man did. She smiled smugly. In the other room, Victor was on the phone with Rex Rawlins and told him Nicole would be by to visit him soon. He reminded Rex to be careful because Nicole would be cautious about investing at first. He said to make sure she won big on her first few investments so that she would feel comfortable enough to make bigger investments. He said once she did that then all of the money would be back in the Titan account where it belonged.

Outside the castle, Bo revived Hope with mouth-to-mouth. Greta and Lily roused Eric after he had been knocked out while trying to rescue Hope. In the turret, John found Stefano, who asked if Hope was safe. John said she was, and Stefano said "Now you must save me." John laughed, saying, "Why should I? You made this hell. Now you should burn in it."

Shawn told Marlena the reason John hadn't reemerged with them was because Hope had told them someone else was in the turret. Marlena wondered who it could be. Shawn said he didn't know. Both he and Eric said they were going back inside to find John. The others told them that they couldn't.

Doug went inside instead, and Shawn slipped away from the others and followed him. While deciding whether or not he should rescue Stefano, John had memories of their past friendship. He tried to push the memories away while Stefano asked him if he was remembering something. He said that Stefano deserved to die. Stefano reminded John that if he didn't rescue Stefano then Stefano would never be able to see his children again.

Stefano asked John to tell Lexie he truly loved her. John said, "I'll make sure to tell her she's better off without you." Stefano said, "It's not over yet." John replied snappily, "Yes, it is." He left Stefano alone in the turret. Stefano tried to drag himself along the floor but stopped when he heard a noise. When he looked up at the ceiling, it was falling down on him.

Doug and Shawn were separated by the smoke, and Doug made his way back outside. He told the others John and Shawn were still inside. Suddenly, John and Shawn appeared, and they were dragging Stefano with them. Bo said to John, "Don't tell me you risked your life for that?" John replied, "He has answers, and I have questions." Marlena said, "Don't tell me he was locked up there with Hope." As soon as John said, "Yes," the castle exploded, causing glass and debris to fly everywhere. John covered Marlena just as Bo covered Hope, and everyone fell to the ground.

Once the dust settled, everyone was okay. The firemen and paramedics arrived. Lily told John she was disappointed he hadn't allowed her to get her painting before it went up in flames. He reminded her that saving lives was more important than any art piece. John told the paramedics to make sure Stefano's hospital room was heavily guarded. They said they would have policemen posted.

Greta told Eric she believed her mother had washed up at the lagoon as her way of getting everyone back to the castle. She said she realized that when her mother's coffin had fallen over, she had been pointing at the turret. She said everything was beginning to make sense. She said her mother had to have been trying to tell her where Hope had been before she died, but because she hadn't believed the woman in the hospital had really been her mother, she had refused to listen. She said that everything that had happened with her mother's body since she had died had been her mother's way of letting them know Hope was alive.

Eric reminded her there was something else her mother had said before she had died and asked Greta if she wanted to tell him what that was. While watching John and Stefano, Greta remembered her mother telling her who her father was. She told Eric it wasn't the time to talk about what her mother had said. She said she would tell him when the time was right.

Once Hope was on a stretcher, Marlena checked her vital signs. She told the paramedics Hope had inhaled a lot of smoke and that her abdomen was distended, which might be due to malnutrition. As they were getting ready to go to the hospital, Hope removed her oxygen mask and said, "Wait. Bo, I'm going to have your baby." Standing around her stretcher, Marlena, Shawn, and Bo were confused by Hope's comment. "What? That's not possible," said Bo.

Wednesday, March 22, 2000

by Marcia Elgart

The police assured John and Marlena that Stefano was well guarded and wouldn't escape. John decided to check on Stefano's condition. Marlena checked on Hope's condition and reported back to John that she was stable. John asked about the pregnancy, but Marlena said the nurses hadn't say anything about it. Marlena told John that Bo obviously wasn't the father of Hope's child, so there was only one other explanation. John remembered the submarine sex and was about to open his mouth, but Marlena said perhaps that there was no baby, and Hope had imagined it after seeing she was so bloated from malnutrition.

Shawn and Bo were in with Hope, who was stable. She woke up and told Bo that she was afraid she was dreaming. He said he was there and wouldn't leave her again. Hope asked where she was. Bo told her that she was in a hospital in Paris and would be just fine. Hope was reunited with her son, and she was happy to be back with her family. Doug, Julie, and Alice entered to see Hope, and Doug gave her a big hug.

The doctor returned with some test results, and he looked a little grim. Hope panicked and asked if it was their baby. The doctor said that Hope's malnutrition was more serious than they had thought, but there was no indication that the baby was in distress. However, he needed to do more tests. Bo told Hope that they would be right outside, so they left. Shawn decided to go take care of something. Bo told Marlena and John that the woman in there was Hope, and she was pregnant.

Marlena told Bo that he had said he and Hope hadn't been close physically. Bo said he was having a hard time dealing with her and another man. Marlena pointed out that she had been living Gina's life, but Bo said that the last time he had seen her, she had remembered everything and hadn't told him she had been with anyone else. Marlena suggested that she had gotten pregnant sometime after he had returned to Salem.

Bo asked why Hope would think it was his baby, and Marlena said she had an answer to that question. Marlena suspected that finding out she was pregnant could have caused Hope to lose touch with reality, and believing it was his child could have helped her hang on. Bo said he needed to know who the father was, but Marlena said that if he questioned her right away, she might shut down and repress everything.

Bo went back in to see Hope, and Hope asked Bo what he had meant when he had said it wasn't possible that she was pregnant. Bo said that he just hadn't expected to hear the news. Hope said she was shocked, as well, but was happy since she and the baby were safe. Hope asked Bo if he was happy to be a father again. Bo opened his mouth, but Hope interrupted him and said she knew it was shocking, but her faith in and love for her family had gotten her through the ordeal.

Suddenly, Shawn returned with flowers, chocolates, and a card for the baby. It said, "To the newest Brady from your brother and your dad, we promise to love you just like we love your mom." He had also bought the baby a dookee bear. Hope was positive that the baby would be as loving and kind as its brother and dad. Bo looked troubled, and Hope asked what was wrong.

Bo said they had a lot to talk about. Hope said that she wanted to know what had been happening, but part of her was glad she didn't remember a thing that had occurred over the past year. Bo was shocked to learn that she remembered nothing. Hope said the last thing she remembered was a car accident in Salem and lying in the snow; after that, it was all a blank. She said she remembered being with Kurt for a while and thinking she was his wife.

Bo asked if that was when Kurt and Hope had been in the castle. Hope said no; it was in a small fishing cottage. Hope told Bo all about the cottage and what had happened there. Shawn asked if Kurt had hurt or threatened her. Hope said not while they had been at the cottage, but when she had tried to run away, he had locked her in the turret. She said she hadn't remembered the truth about who she was until she had been locked up. Hope was exhausted, so Bo told her to get some rest. Shawn decided to stay with his mom, and Bo left.

Stefano asked the nurse how Hope was. The nurse said she didn't know, but she could check for him. She asked if they were close friends. Stefano remembered being seduced by Hope/Gina, and Stefano told the nurse they had an interesting relationship. The nurse asked Stefano to tell her about his relationship with Hope Williams.

Doug ran into a nurse in the hall and learned where Stefano's room was. He sneaked into Stefano's room and confronted him. He called Stefano a sick bastard for what he had done to Doug's daughter. Doug grabbed Stefano's oxygen line and said if Stefano didn't get the oxygen, he would die, and the Bradys and Hortons would finally be safe. He then squeezed the line, which caused Stefano to choke.

However, Doug couldn't go through with it and said that he would get his revenge when Hope used her memories to put him away for life. Doug left, and Stefano told himself that Hope didn't remember being Princess Gina, and she never would, so he would beat him again. Later, Stefano had an out-of-body experience.

Doug ran into Julie, and she realized something was wrong. Doug told her about his visit to see Stefano and how Doug had almost killed him. Julie told Doug to concentrate on Hope and her recovery. She said they could go back to Salem and help her recover and prepare for the baby. Doug said the baby was the only good thing to happen as a result of the nightmare. Julie told him to leave Stefano to the ISA. Hope had to have enough evidence to put Stefano away for life.

The nurse who was watching Stefano met up with John to talk to him. She was really an undercover agent guarding him. The agent told John that Stefano was very ill. He had slipped into a coma, and she doubted he would survive through the day. Later, Bo told John and Marlena that Hope didn't remember anything of her time as Gina. Marlena said it had to be Stefano.

Bo thought Stefano had wiped out Hope's memory so Gina could go to Salem in her place, and he wished John had let Stefano die. Bo explained how Hope had been rescued from a river, and John reminded him that Gina claimed Hope had jumped off the bridge. Bo refused to believe she would have jumped and thought she had been pushed. He also had an idea as to who the father of Hope's baby was.

Eric found Greta outside of Stefano's room. Greta told Eric that Stefano was really sick. He had pneumonia and smoke inhalation. Eric thought she sounded sorry for him and said he couldn't look at Stefano because of all the unforgivable things he had done to Eric's family and to Hope. Greta told Eric that she was also responsible for Hope's pain. Eric told Greta that she was a victim in all of it, as well, and he wouldn't let her beat herself up over it.

Eric suggested that he and Greta go check on Hope, but Greta didn't want to intrude. Eric suggested they get some breakfast instead, so they did. While buying breakfast, Eric saw a copy of Bella with Nicole on the cover. Greta saw it and couldn't believe she was still interfering in their lives. Eric was just surprised they were still using the picture and then changed the subject and said that Greta's picture should be on the cover of the magazine.

Greta and Eric ended up having chocolate crepes for breakfast, and later, Lily showed up to have a word with Greta in private. They left to talk, and Eric couldn't stop staring at Nicole's picture. He even imagined that he saw her in the bistro, beckoning to him. Eric started thinking about when he had proposed to Nicole and told himself to get Nicole out of his head.

Lily told Greta goodbye; she was going to her beach house for some peace and quiet. Lily said she had to leave for the airport in a few minutes. Greta was shocked that she was going to fly again so soon. Lily said that was why she was knocking back the champagne at that hour. Lily told Greta that before she could leave, she needed to tell Greta something about her mother.

Lily told Great that Stefano had been responsible for Greta's mother going mad, but she needed to be sure that her mother's love for her had been good and pure. She told Greta not to feel guilty for keeping her mother's secret; they had trusted a woman who they had loved, but she had betrayed them because of her decent into madness. Lily told Greta to remember the happy times she had spent with her mother, not the bad times. Lily said that she would miss Greta but would always be there when Greta needed her. Lily wished Greta well with Eric and told her to follow her heart.

Greta returned to Eric and asked him what he was thinking about because he looked a million miles away. Eric grabbed Greta and passionately kissed her. Greta was shocked, and he apologized and said he just felt so intensely about her. He asked her if she was okay with that. He took her hand, but she didn't look very happy.

Thursday, March 23, 2000

by Sharon

At the Wesleys', Chloe sat on the couch with the dog. She had a memory of Philip telling her she had pretty eyes and another memory of his friends calling her a freak. She remembered thanking Philip for being a man when he had apologized for the headless chicken incident. While looking for Sugar, the dog, Nancy happened upon Chloe and said, " I know when I was a teenager, the only thing that made my face look like yours does was boys."

Nancy asked Chloe if there was anything she wanted to talk about. Chloe said there wasn't. Nancy explained that she would never want to be a teenager again. She said she had felt awkward when she had been in high school. She pulled out an old yearbook and showed Chloe some pictures of her and told of the most popular girl in her class. She said that at the time, she had wished she could be her, but she didn't anymore. She said she wouldn't trade her life for anything.

Nancy showed Chloe a picture of her first love. "Was it love at first sight?" asked Chloe. "Are you kidding? I never hated someone so much in my life!" Nancy replied. Chloe was stunned. Nancy said that sometimes the boy could be really sweet and say nice things, but at the same time, he and his friends would tease her. She said some people became overwhelmed by their fear and did things they wouldn't normally do if they weren't afraid.

Nancy explained that all she was trying to say was that Chloe should treat people as she wanted to be treated. Nancy said that she still had fears, but she had learned to overcome them by trusting in what she believed. Chloe seemed appreciative of Nancy's advice. When Nancy left her alone, Chloe picked up the dog and said, "Sugar, I know I can tell you this because you won't tell anyone." She said she knew Nancy was right about everyone being afraid of something. She said being a teenager really sucked, and try as she might, she just didn't know how to get past her fears.

In the Paris hospital, a nurse told Hope she would be moved to a regular room. Shawn was with her, and they happily hugged. Hope told the nurse her son would be going with her. Before they left, she told Shawn she needed to speak to John. Shawn left to find him.

Outside Hope's room, Bo told Marlena and John that he thought Kurt was the father of Hope's baby. He said Kurt had to have taken advantage of her. Hope's doctor approached them and said he wouldn't be certain until they ran some more tests, but he was pretty sure they would reveal Hope to be in her third trimester. Bo was stunned, and John seemed curious. Bo knew the baby couldn't possibly be Kurt's.

Marlena asked who the baby's father could be if it wasn't Kurt. Bo asked John and Marlena not to say anything about him not being the baby's father. He said he had to tell Hope the truth when the time was right, and then together they would tell their families. Marlena and John agreed that was the best solution for the time being. Shawn approached them and told John that Hope had asked to see him.

In her room, Hope explained to her family the last memory she had of Salem was when she had been in the car wreck a year before. She said after that, it was blank until the fisherman rescued her and took her back to his cabin. She told them Kurt had caught up to her there and had claimed to be her husband. She told them she had always felt like Kurt was lying to her, and when she had checked in his wallet, she had discovered he was single. She said that no matter what she said or did, Kurt refused to set her free.

Shawn, John, and Marlena entered Hope's room. John said, "Hope, you wanted to see me?" "Yes, John. There's something I need to tell you. Something you must know," she said. Hope told John he had done the right thing and thanked him for saving Stefano's life.

Meanwhile, in Stefano's room, the image of his face was hovering over his bed when Lexie arrived. She told her father that Marlena had called and told her everything. She said she knew he wasn't the evil person everyone had made him out to be. Lexie was weeping and praying for her father to survive. She told him she loved and needed him very much. The image coaxed Lexie to keep professing her love, as that was what he needed to heal. Lexie thought she was hearing things but continued to pray.

Suddenly, Stefano opened his eyes. Lexie was elated. Stefano's doctor arrived and told Lexie it was a miracle. The doctor said that her love for her father seemed to be just the cure Stefano had needed. He told her to keep loving her father, and he should be fine. Stefano thanked Lexie, telling her that her love was what had pulled him back.

Abe entered and began to question Stefano about his involvement with the bomb on John's plane. Stefano explained he didn't know anything about a bomb. He said he had been locked up in the turret, and Hope was his alibi. "Ask her," he said, and then he fainted. The doctor entered and told them they needed to leave immediately.

When Stefano awoke, he told a nurse it wasn't his time to die. He said he still had promises to fill. Outside Stefano's room, Lexie berated Abe for not waiting for Stefano to be well enough to answer questions. Abe explained he had only been doing his job, and he needed to go speak to Hope. Lexie said she was going with him.

When Abe and Lexie entered Hope's room, she was telling everyone that Stefano had saved the lives of her and her baby. She said that the entire time they had been locked up together, Stefano had done everything in his power to keep her and her baby alive. She said he had even been willing to die in the castle fire if it had meant saving her life first. Lexie thanked Hope for her kind words. She said she wasn't used to anyone saying something nice about her father.

Hope said she had meant every word. She said she owed her life to Stefano, and she told John if he should hate anyone, he should hate Kurt because he was the evil one. Everyone was speechless. The doctor arrived and told everyone Hope needed her rest, so they had to go. Hope asked if Bo could stay. He did, and she asked him to hold her. She said she wanted to wake up in his arms.

Bo crawled in the bed to hold Hope. To himself, he wondered, "Oh, Fancy Face, how am I ever going to tell you the truth?" Outside Hope's room, John and Abe discussed any possibility that Stefano could have still been involved with everything that had happened. Lexie told them she couldn't believe they could think such a thing when Hope had already proven Stefano couldn't have been involved. She said she wished everyone could see the good in her father for once. A nurse interrupted them and told John that Stefano had asked to see him.

Greta and Eric were on their way back to the castle. She wanted to pay her last respects to her mother before they boarded a plane for Salem the next day. They discussed how her mother's secrets had caused so much heartache. She said she had family secrets of her own that she needed to deal with. She told him that after they visited her mother's grave, she wanted to go back to the hospital because there was someone she needed to see. "Who?" he asked. "Stefano DiMera," she replied.

When Eric wanted to know why she wanted to see him, she explained that Stefano needed to know her mother was the one responsible for him being rescued. She said it was important to her that Stefano know that. She told Eric she had to tell Stefano that despite all the horrible things he had done to her mother while she had been alive, her mother had still reached out from her grave and saved his life. She said everything that had happened with her mother's body after she had died was her mother's way of making sure Hope and Stefano were saved.

Meanwhile, someone at the castle was digging the dirt away from Princess Gina's grave with their hands. They removed the coffin from its grave. The gravedigger ran their hands down the coffin and began to open it. When Greta and Eric arrived, they spotted the empty hole where her mother's coffin had been buried. They heard a noise, and Eric aimed his flashlight toward the sound.

When the flashlight landed on its target, Eric and Greta discovered Kurt holding Princess Gina's corpse. He was stroking her hair and talking to her. Greta screamed. She begged Eric to make Kurt stop. Kurt was rocking the corpse, telling the princess he was going to take her back upstairs so they could dance together. He said he was sorry for not telling her how much he loved her when she had been alive.

Eric jumped on Kurt's back, saying, "What are you doing? " The corpse fell to the ground, and the two men began to fight. Eric told Greta to go back to the car and wait. She said she wasn't leaving him. Kurt pushed Eric into Princess Gina's grave, saying he was going to bury Eric just as they had buried her.

Kurt began throwing dirt over Eric, who was trying to climb out of the hole. When Kurt backed up to get more dirt, Greta hit him over the head. He fell face first into Princess Gina's coffin. Eric climbed out of the hole, and he and Greta fell into each other's arms. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Yes," he replied.

Friday, March 24, 2000

by Sharon

Benny and Brandon met at the break of dawn at Brandon's request. He didn't want Abe to learn about the meeting. Brandon said that Abe Carver would not only lose his career and the respect of Salem but his loving wife as well. Benny said that he couldn't figure Brandon out. Larry showed up for the meeting, and they got started.

Benny said that he would be filing a lawsuit against Abe Carver and the Salem Police Department for shooting an innocent boy and paralyzing him for life. Larry asked what Benny needed from him. Benny said he needed Larry to see a neurologist to verify his condition, and then he and his parents needed to see a psychiatrist to attest to their mental anguish.

Larry had a problem with that: he didn't want his parents to undergo any more pain. Brandon said that he understood Larry's point of view, but it would be worth it. Larry wanted another lawyer because Benny seemed like an ambulance chaser. Brandon told Larry that Benny was the best lawyer in Salem. Larry agreed to go through with it, as long as Brandon would go with him to the doctor. Brandon agreed and told Larry that it wasn't just a case to Benny. It was personal for him too.

Benny told Larry that he had once worked on the force with Carver, but there had been an incident, and he was getting the chance to pay Abe back. Benny asked Larry if they were working together or not. Brandon told Larry that he could be the one to make Abe pay, so Larry said he was in. Larry wanted to get some food, so Brandon said he'd take Larry out. Before Brandon left, he told Benny that he had meant what he had said -- he wanted to bury Abe Carver.

John and Marlena showed up at the hospital. John hadn't slept well because he'd kept dreaming of choking Stefano. Marlena told John that the doctors said Stefano might not have long to live. John told her that was why he needed to get answers out of Stefano while he was still alive. Lexie was sitting with Stefano. When he woke up, he called her an angel and asked if he was in heaven. Lexie told him no; he was on earth and was staying there.

Lexie went shopping for a portable CD player and bought some opera for Stefano to listen to, and she bought some Shakespearean sonnets for him to read. Lexie told Stefano that Hope had told them what he had done for her. Stefano said he couldn't allow any harm to befall Hope's child, just as he would risk anything for Lexie's safety. He said children were a person's greatest treasures. She told him that he was a hero, and so was John.

Lexie said that John had saved everyone aboard the plane somehow, even though he had never piloted a plane. Lexie told Stefano about the plane ride from hell, and Stefano realized that John did remember the past. John arrived to see Stefano, so Lexie left after Stefano told her that it was all right because he had asked for John. John told Stefano that he had done a good job snowing Lexie.

Stefano told John that they said he was dying. John said that would break his heart. Stefano asked John how much he remembered of his past. John asked how much Stefano thought he remembered. Stefano said from what John had said to him in the turret, he was remembering more and more. Stefano told John to draw close because he had something important to say to him.

John leaned in close to Stefano, who asked John to make sure Hope's baby was well taken care of. John asked why he cared about Hope's baby. Stefano said he knew John was just as concerned; for once, they were both wondering whose baby it was. When John said that it was Bo's baby, Stefano said that they both knew there were other possibilities. John said that Hope only loved Bo, but Stefano pointed out that Hope hadn't been Hope for over a year.

John told Stefano that he loved Marlena, and he suggested Stefano keep his disgusting insinuations to himself. Stefano said, "My, my, my, we aren't the faithful husband we thought we were." He then asked John how his Hawaiian honeymoon had been. John glared at Stefano, who asked if he didn't remember the honeymoon -- or if he remembered it too well. John said that Stefano knew "damn well" he had spent his honeymoon lost at sea, but he tried not to remember it.

Stefano asked John to tell what he recalled. John wished he had left Stefano to burn in that castle. Stefano told John that some secrets continued to live on beyond the grave. He also said he had reached a decision that would have profound consequences on Salem. Stefano said that he had decided to live. John told Stefano that he had something important to tell him. John grabbed the plug to Stefano's life support and said nobody was there to stop John from sending Stefano straight to hell!

Lexie argued with Abe about her father. Abe still refused to believe Stefano was innocent. He said that she needed to consider all the evidence because it was possible that Stefano had had another reason for wanting to save Hope's baby. Lexie said that Stefano had thought he was going to die, and maybe he had wanted to spend his last days on earth doing good. Abe said it was a nice story, but he didn't buy it.

Lexie said they all did bad things, and there had to be something Abe had done in his past he was not proud of. She said that it was not fair to judge someone on their past actions. She had been taught that everyone deserved to be forgiven. When Abe said the trick was forgiving oneself, Lexie asked Abe what he had done that he didn't feel he should be forgiven for. Abe remembered shooting Larry but only told Lexie that he was just being too hard on himself.

Suddenly, Lexie and Abe heard John scream, "Die, you miserable bastard!" Abe pulled John out of the room, and Lexie looked in on her father. Lexie told Stefano that his vitals were improving, and so was his color. Stefano said that he had regained his will to live, and he was anxious to get out of there. Abe asked John what had gone on, specifically what Stefano had said to him. John said it hadn't been just one thing; it had been everything.

Marlena found Bo talking with Hope's doctor. He told Bo that Hope was recovering very rapidly because she was happy, stating that happiness was a great healer. Marlena talked with Bo, who was conflicted about whether to tell Hope the truth. Marlena asked Bo how he was going to tell her the truth. Bo didn't know and asked Marlena for suggestions. Marlena was clueless, because the news would shatter Hope.

Marlena told Bo that if he needed to talk to someone and if he couldn't talk to her, she could refer him to someone else. Bo said he didn't want to think about it, but there was someone she had been close to when she had been Gina. Bo said the pictures of her with the guy sickened him. Marlena asked him who it was. Bo told her it was Stefano.

When Bo said he wanted to tear that man apart, Marlena told him that he couldn't do that because he was a better man than Stefano. Marlena said that Stefano had saved Hope's life, but Bo said that made sense if he was the father. Bo said all the evidence against Stefano was gone, and it was almost like he had planned the whole thing.

Marlena doubted that because Stefano had almost died. Marlena then asked Bo if he were to tell Hope that he wasn't the father of her child and Stefano might be, whether Hope would want to keep the baby. Bo told Marlena that Hope loved Shawn and shared a bond with him, but Marlena said Shawn was a child she'd had with the man she loved. Bo said Hope was very happy at that moment, but Marlena said Hope was happy to be alive and to have his love.

Bo knew that Hope wouldn't turn her back on the child, no matter who the father was. Marlena asked Bo how he felt about it. Bo said he'd deal with it, but he hated it and knowing she had slept with someone else. Bo said it wasn't her fault, though, because she hadn't known what she had been doing. However, he was another case; he knew what he had been doing when he had slept with Gina. Marlena told Bo that he couldn't blame himself because Gina had fooled him.

Bo said he'd had his suspicions, but he'd wanted to believe she had been his Hope. He thought that Hope wouldn't be able to forgive him for that, but Marlena was sure their love would get them through it. John showed up and told Bo and Marlena the bad news: Stefano was going to live. He had also gotten a message from Eric and Greta, who were at the police station. They had caught Kurt, and he was in custody. Bo thought that was great news. Perhaps they could get him to rat on Stefano and tell Bo who the father of Hope's baby was.

In Hope's room, Hope woke up, and Shawn was with her. She'd had a wonderful dream and asked where his dad was; she wanted to tell him about it. Doug, Alice, and Julie showed up and told Hope that her test results were good, so she might be released as early as that day. Julie asked Shawn whether he wanted a baby sister or brother. Shawn said either way, he got to boss the kid around. Everyone laughed, but Hope scolded Shawn playfully.

Doug and Julie were taking Alice back to Salem that day, but they promised to stay in Salem for the arrival of their grandchild. When Doug called Hope "princess," Julie suggested he not call her that because it reminded them of bad memories. Hope said not for her; she had no memories of being Gina, and she knew who she was. Hope then said Bo had better make an honest woman of her -- she was not having the baby without being married. Alice was sure that was high on his list.

Hope said the one bad thing about her memory lapse was that she did not know where she and Bo had conceived the baby. Later, Hope stunned her family when she asked them what had happened to Gina when she had returned to Salem. She wanted to know how Gina had died. They all told her that Gina had been sick, and Hope should forget it. Hope said Gina had claimed she had been living Hope's life back in Salem, and Hope wanted to know if it was true. She also asked, if it was true, how they could have believed her.

Shawn swore that he had never believed Gina had been Hope, and he had tried to convince the others. Hope apologized to Shawn and said he shouldn't have had to go through that. Shawn said it didn't matter; Gina was gone, and he had his mother back. Hope told them all that the thought of Gina taking over her life just angered her, and she wanted to know how Gina had conned them. Alice said that was not the time to look back; Hope needed to think about the baby. Hope told Alice she was right, but Hope wouldn't forget, and they would talk about it later.