Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of July 19, 2010 on DAYS

Chad was heartbroken that his father blamed him for Madeline's death. Stephanie moved in with Nathan. Daniel was upset with Chloe and her erratic behavior. Chloe confided her pregnancy concerns to Father Matt. Rafe was close to learning the truth about Sydney's kidnapping and that E.J.'s was involved. Hope's cycle of madness reached a dangerous climax.

Monday, July 19, 2010

by LaDaisia

At the hospital, Kate and Stefano argued about Madeline. Stefano was upset with Kate because she didn't inform him that Chad had found out his mother was an ex-hooker. Lexie walked in during their argument and sensed that something was wrong.

At the pier, Madeline chased after Chad during an argument, and Chad told her to stay away from him. He pushed her hand off his arms, and she lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs. Chad told his mother to hang on. She whispered to him that she lied to protect him. The EMTs wheeled Chad's mother into the hospital, and Lexie ordered an operating room to be available.

Stefano and Kate noticed Chad waiting and that he was upset. Kate asked what happened, and Chad explained that Madeline fell and hit her head. Chad's father showed up, and Chad tried to explain what had happened. Chad's father got angry upon hearing that Chad and Madeline were fighting. He wanted to know what they were fighting about.

Chad lied about their argument and said that Madeline just fell. Lexie told Chad and his father that Madeline had died.

Melanie told Philip that she was throwing a baby shower for Chloe, but he told her not to, and said it was a bad idea. Melanie asked why, and he said it was too early. Melanie told Philip about how she had failed at getting Brady and Arianna back together. She said she had lost Maggie's bowl and serving spoon, and she left to retrieve it at the lake.

At the lake, Nathan surprised Stephanie with a present -- a bracelet to celebrate her promotion as "special coordinating administrator." Melanie walked by as Stephanie and Nathan were making out. Stephanie accused Melanie of stalking them, but she explained that she was there to pick up something that she had left behind.

Melanie bickered with Stephanie and told her to get a room, and Nathan jumped to Stephanie's defense and told Melanie to "back off." Melanie was hurt and said she couldn't believe she once considered him to be a friend. After Melanie left, Stephanie asked Nathan to go back to her place to help her write a "roommate wanted" ad because her roommate had gotten a job offer out of town. Nathan asked her to consider him as a roommate.

Nathan explained that Lucas was planning to sell his house, so Nathan needed to find another place to live, and Stephanie was the only person he wanted to live with. Stephanie was delighted.

Daniel and Chloe picked out baby names, and Chloe flashed back to when she and Philip had sex. Daniel sensed she was uncomfortable and assumed it was because of her worry that something might be wrong with her pregnancy. He assured her that she would have a healthy child. Chloe wondered what Victor would do when he found out that she was a having a baby with his son. Daniel corrected her, saying "Godson," and Chloe covered, saying that was what she meant.

Daniel said he lost respect for Victor over the way that Victor had treated Chloe, but Chloe said it didn't bother her anymore. Daniel left to pick up their food. While he was gone, Philip stopped by, wanting to know if everything was okay between Chloe and Daniel and if Daniel had believed their story. Chloe said that Daniel discovered that Vivian had manipulated Chloe into believing that Daniel and Carly were cheating together.

Philip was angry and threatened to "break that bitch's neck," but Chloe said he couldn't tell anyone. She said that if he attacked Vivian, Vivian would realize that there was a connection between her and Philip. Chloe was afraid of losing Daniel. Philip agreed not to confront Vivian. Chloe said that Carly planned to set up a paternity test soon. She also admitted to telling Father Matt about her indiscretion.

Philip berated Chloe for telling someone else about what they did. Chloe assured Philip that Father Matt wouldn't tell Daniel what she told Father Matt in confession. She was relieved that Father Matt was out of town. Chloe told Philip that she was glad they were still friends, and he felt the same. He said he couldn't imagine them not being friends.

At the Brady Pub, Daniel ran into Father Matt and wanted to know when the situation with the annulment would be resolved. Father Matt told him that there was no problem with the annulment. Daniel asked Father Matt to explain, but he told Daniel to ask Chloe.

When Philip returned home to Maggie's house, Melanie surprised him with a passionate kiss. He asked what it was for, and she said she was lucky to have him. Melanie and Philip made love, and she told him that when they had a child, he would be "an amazing dad." She realized that Philip wasn't ready to have kids, and she said neither was she.

When Daniel got home, he told Chloe about his run-in with Father Matt and asked why Father Matt really decided against marrying them. Chloe stalled while she thought up a lie. Chloe said there wasn't a problem with the annulment anymore, and she realized that she and Father Matt didn't see eye-to-eye on "important things." She said she changed her mind about having Father Matt involved.

Daniel was angry that Chloe cancelled their wedding plans without telling him. Daniel asked what was really going on. Chloe said she'd changed her mind and wanted a civil ceremony instead. Daniel said she didn't believe her.

Bo invited Roman over to talk about Hope's strange behavior. Bo explained that Hope had criticized Carly for her public display of affection and then hours later had told Carly that she admired Carly for killing Lawrence. Bo also said that Hope contradicted Justin and Adrienne's assertion that she and Justin were involved. Roman advised Bo to back off of Hope.

Roman told Bo to let Hope live her own life. After Roman left, Bo didn't follow Roman's advice and decided not to turn his back on Hope.

Hope told Dr. Baker that it was time to kill Bo. Dr. Baker didn't want Hope to kill Bo, but she said it wasn't his call to make -- it wasn't even hers. It was in the stars -- time for Bo to die. Dr. Baker stopped Hope from leaving, and told her that he was falling in love with her. He begged her not to murder Bo.

Dr. Baker said that he was scared, because he loved Hope even though he knew it wouldn't work out. Dr. Baker said that the police would catch Hope if she killed Bo. He said that he had an alternative plan to get revenge on Bo. Dr. Baker said they would mug Bo by giving him a drug to knock him out for hours while they stole money from Bo's bank accounts and then Dr. Baker and Hope would leave the country together.

Hope said Dr. Baker was a breath of fresh air. She said she would think about his offer but wanted him to get the rest of the things on the list. After he left, she said that no one would talk her out of "this." She left to carry out her plan.

Bo stopped by the Kiriakis mansion, and while Henderson was checking on Hope, he told Ciara that Hope was upset about the stories that Ciara was telling. Ciara defended herself, saying she actually saw Hope hugging a man, and it wasn't Justin. Ciara said the man might be the person who took her treasures. Bo said goodnight to Ciara when Henderson returned. He told Bo that Hope wasn't at home.

Hope went to Bo's house and looked at the pictures on the mantelpiece. She said the house was "hell inside of a white picket fence and the devil's my husband." She said there was no "happily ever after -- nothing but abandonment and misery." Bo returned home while Hope was still plotting his demise. She opened the door and he was standing there.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

by Spalding

After setting the first part of her plan in motion at Bo's house, sleepwalking Hope talked smugly to herself about getting the rest of the items from her list. As Hope exited the house, she ran in to Bo as he was arriving home. When Bo asked why Hope was at the house, she explained that she was there to pick up Ciara's video game but could not find it. Bo crossed to the TV, picked up the video games boxes, and handed them to Hope. "Hang in there, Beauregard," Hope whispered before grabbing the front of Bo's shirt and pulling him in for a passionate kiss. As Hope started to leave, Bo called out to her. "Something is wrong here," Bo said with a furrowed brow. "Where's Hope and what have you done with her?" Bo said half joking.

When Hope bristled at Bo's comment, Bo noted that although he was joking, Hope seemed different. "You're right. I am different. But you know what? There's a very good reason," Hope said with a grin. Hope explained that she was dressed differently because she was working on an undercover case that evening. Suspicious, Bo noted that Hope's demeanor was different and that he was worried about her. Hope thanked Bo for caring about her and urged him to get "everything out in the open." "I am trying to get my life up and running again," Hope announced. Hope warned Bo not to listen to gossip about her. Bo countered that the people he had talked to had Hope's best interest in mind.

Bo begged Hope to stop the sarcasm and tell him what was going on. Shaking Bo's hand off of her arm, Hope shouted, "I can't play the long suffering, jilted wife 24/7. Do you have any idea how hard, how painful it is to see the woman who stole my husband sashaying around here like she won the damn lottery?" Shocked, Bo slowly backed away from Hope. Hope noted that she was a "human being who is dealing with her life the best she can." "What's your problem?" Hope growled at Bo. "My problem? Is that you're dealing with this in a way Hope never would. Just the opposite in fact," Bo said with a look of concern on his face.

"You are such a hypocrite. Who are you to judge me?" Hope said through gritted teeth as she advanced toward Bo. Bo explained that he was not judging Hope, but that he was worried about her. Bo apologized to Hope for hurting her, but he added that he would not apologize for Carly. "I hate what happened just as much as you. But to put this on Carly? That's below us. You and I have a problem? We work it out face to face, all right?" Bo said. Hope agreed. "We're not together any more but that doesn't mean I don't still love you. We're family. We have our children together. We've shared most of our life together. I will always care and so will you," Bo said softly. Holding back tears, Hope agreed that she would always have a connection with Bo.

Bo urged Hope to talk to him if she needed him. "I'm here. I can be here all night if you need," Bo offered, just before his cell phone rang. As Bo talked on the phone, Hope's demeanor shifted from tearful to watchful. When Bo hung up the phone, Hope pretended to regain her composure. Bo explained that Carly was going to be in surgery all night, and he offered to spend the evening talking. "I'd say I'd like that," Hope said with a devilish smile. Hope asked Bo to make some coffee, and while he was gone she called him a "stupid fool" while she poured a handful of pills into her hand. "After tonight no more games, no more manipulations because my job will be finished. And so will you," Hope whispered gruffly.

Bo returned to the living room with a pot of coffee but no sooner had he placed it on the table did his phone ring. While Bo took the phone call from Roman in the kitchen, Hope gleefully pulled the bottle of pills out of her purse. "Some things are just meant to be," Hope said as she poured the pills into Bo's cup of coffee. When Bo returned, Hope handed him his cup of coffee. Bo took the cup and reiterated his concern for Hope. "How's your coffee?" Hope asked as she raised an eyebrow.

In their apartment, Daniel confronted Chloe about her strange behavior regarding their wedding. "What the hell is going on?" Daniel asked. "I changed my mind okay? I just want a civil ceremony," Chloe said. Daniel refused to believe Chloe and demanded that she tell him the real reason she changed her mind about the church wedding. "Father Matt can't marry us because he thinks I'm a bad person," Chloe said. When Daniel seemed confused, Chloe commented that she had done things that Father Matt "could not accept." Chloe continued that Father Matt said that he felt like she needed to "be in a better place" before she got married.

Still suspicious, Daniel told Chloe that he believed there was more to the story. Defensive, Chloe questioned whether Daniel was calling her a liar. Daniel offered to accompany Chloe down to the church to talk to Father Matt. When Chloe resisted, a frustrated Chloe told Daniel to call Father Matt and tell him to explain what she said in confession. "Just find out the real reason we can't get married," Chloe cried out as she shoved her cell phone at Daniel. With a gentle tone, Daniel told Chloe that she did not need to talk to her about what was wrong until she was ready. "It'll all come clear someday, whenever," Daniel said with a shrug. "I'm sorry I'm making things so confused," Chloe said as she fell into Daniel's arms.

After making love, Daniel suggested to Chloe that they should consult with a different priest. Uncomfortable, Chloe declined the suggestion and asked Daniel to wait a bit longer before they got married. Daniel reminded Chloe that she would begin to show soon in her pregnancy and that he felt it would be better if they got married sooner. "No! Absolutely not," Chloe said, shutting Daniel down. Upset, Daniel stormed out of the bedroom with Chloe chasing after him. Confused, Daniel begged Chloe to tell him why they could not get married now. "What are you so conflicted about?" Daniel asked. "I wish I could explain it to you but I just can't," Chloe said. Frustrated, Daniel left the apartment.

At the hospital, Lexie informed Chad and Charles Woods that Madeline had succumbed to her injuries and passed away. While Chad stammered in disbelief, Stefano and Kate watched the scene unfold from nearby. Charles pulled away from his son and said, "You son of a bitch. You killed her." Freaked out, Chad hurriedly explained that Madeline's fall was an accident. As Chad mentioned that Madeline grabbed his arm when he was running up the stairs, Charles screamed at him to shut up. Lexie urged Charles to sit down and listen to her explanation about Madeline's injuries.

"Why do I need to sit down and listen to some half assed explanation from the doctor that let her die?" Charles cried out. Ruffled by the verbal attack on his daughter, Stefano interrupted and argued for Charles to back off. Chad pleaded with his father to understand that he was upset over the loss of his mother, but Charles argued that Chad never thought about his mother's feelings. "You know what I see when I look at you? I see her killer," Charles said. "I don't give a damn what you need. Stay away from me. Get out of my sight," Charles screamed as he headed down the hallway.

When Kate took Stefano aside to suggest that they leave the hospital, a teary eyed Stefano talked about how he had pushed Tony away before he died, just like Charles was pushing Chad away. Worried about her husband, Kate pulled Stefano toward the exit. Across the hall, Chad pleaded with his father listen to his explanation of what happened. When Charles accused Chad of pushing Madeline down the stairs, Lexie intervened and explained that Madeline was suffering from a serious and fatal condition. "Your son did not kill her," Lexie said softly.

When Charles noted that Madeline had issues with hypertension, Lexie added that Madeline had a history of aneurysms. Charles admitted that Madeline had mentioned her aneurysms before, but that she did not like to talk about her medical problems. Lexie informed Chad that Madeline had a burst aneurysm in her brain, which caused her death. When Charles noted that Madeline's fall down the stairs had caused the aneurysm to burst, Lexie responded that the fall was not necessarily to blame. "I want you both to understand that placing blame has no bearing on what happened," Lexie said firmly. Not swayed, Charles walked away. Lexie offered condolences to Chad as he stood there, stunned.

Lexie explained to Chad that Madeline may not have shown any symptoms of a brain aneurysm, so he should not blame himself. "You were not the cause," Lexie said firmly. Chad thanked Lexie before she left to check on a patient. As Chad sat by himself in the corner, Stefano approached him and said, "Your mother loved you very much." Angry, Chad told Stefano that he did not want to hear from the man that his mother hated. "She was a good woman and she loved you," Stefano reiterated. Chad walked away, and Kate stopped Stefano from following Chad down the hallway. "The final curtain has come down on our relationship with Madeline," Stefano said. Once Stefano had walked away, Kate mumbled sadly to herself, "The final curtain? I don't think so."

Kate spotted Chad pacing in the waiting area and she asked him if he was going to be all right. Kate urged Chad to be with his father, and she noted that Charles was lashing out because he was in pain. "Maybe he is right. Maybe I did kill her," Chad said. Kate attempted to reassure Chad that he did not kill his mother by noting that "it takes a long time for an aneurysm to develop." "Unfortunately you can't listen to your father right now because he is not thinking clearly," Kate said softly. When Chad expressed fear that he would never be able to know for sure what killed his mother, he added that he did not believe his father would forgive him. "Give him time. He's still your father," Kate said reassuringly. "Funny. He's never acted like it," Chad retorted. As Chad walked away from Kate, she muttered under her breath, "I wonder why."

Sitting in the Brady Pub, Stephanie was admiring the bracelet Nathan gave her as he walked in. When Stephanie asked if Nathan was packing to move in with her, Nathan responded that he wanted to have a "serious" talk with her. Nathan assured Stephanie that he loved her but that he wanted to make sure that she really wanted to move in together. Stephanie commented, "I want you to move in with me. I want to be with you. I want to go to bed next to you every night. I want to wake up next to you every morning. I want to raid the fridge with you. I don't know, I want to get those famous back rubs and shower together, everything, anything. Because I love you." "Well that seems clear. I guess we're good to go then," Nathan said with a smile before agreeing to go home and pack.

After Nathan left, Adrianne entered the pub and commented on how good Stephanie looked. Stephanie happily admitted that Nathan was moving in with her. When Stephanie explained how Nathan had proposed to move in together, Adrianne smiled. "Isn't it so much better when you just let it happen naturally?" Adrianne asked. Stephanie announced that she was mortified by her past behavior in throwing out her pills, but that she was excited to move ahead with her relationship. "Nathan does love me and that little Melanie girl? She's history," Stephanie said with a serene smile.

Melanie was eating chocolate in Maggie's kitchen when Philip wandered in to the room and joined her. "I finally realized how important it is to be honest and tell the truth and as long as we have that going for us, what could go wrong?" Melanie said. Philip agreed that they were lucky to have gotten past all their problems. "If something happens down the road, we'll make it past that right?" Philip wondered aloud. When Melanie asked Philip if he knew of any issues that might crop up down the road, Philip dismissed Melanie's question. With a smile on her face, Melanie suggested to Philip that they head back to the bedroom.

After making love, Melanie headed back to the kitchen to get some juice. While she stood in the kitchen in nothing but Philip's dress shirt, Nathan opened the back door and walked into the kitchen. As Melanie gasped in embarrassment, Nathan shielded his eyes and explained that he was stopping by the house to drop off Maggie's bowl. "So I did set up a picnic for Brady and Arianna and forgot that stuff and I wasn't stalking you or Stephanie," Melanie said sarcastically. Nathan noted that Melanie had caught them by surprise at the lake, and he apologized for how he reacted.

Nathan started to leave when Philip rushed in to the kitchen, calling for Melanie. Seeing Nathan standing in the kitchen, Philip put his arms around Melanie and asked Nathan why he was visiting so late. Melanie pointed out that Nathan was returning Maggie's bowl. Feeling awkward, Nathan backed toward the door and stated, "I've obviously interrupted something so..." "Coming to bed now?" Philip whispered to Melanie before kissing her softly. After Philip left the room, Melanie said good night to Nathan, who quietly slipped out the back door.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

by ChickenGrrl

Bo returned from the kitchen to his living room, where Hope had just drugged his coffee. She handed him a cup and thanked him for being concerned about her. Bo stopped before taking a sip, and told Hope that he had known her for too long not to know that she wasn't being honest about why she was there. Hope admitted that she had used Ciara's video game as an excuse, in case Bo hadn't wanted to talk to her. Bo insisted that he always wanted to hear what she had to say, and took a big gulp of his coffee.

Hope recounted all the things the two of them had managed to get through together. Bo wondered what had changed, and why they hadn't found their way back to each other. Hope replied sadly, "I just wish that you had fought harder for us." Bo maintained that he had fought for them as hard as possible, and he had been heartbroken when she had left. Hope argued that he had given up as soon as Carly returned to town, but Bo pointed out that Hope had given up on their marriage and had taken their daughter and moved out even before that.

Hope furiously snapped that Bo still refused to take responsibility for his part in things. Bo countered that he had accepted responsibility for hurting her during Ciara's kidnapping. Hope icily demanded, "How soon was it after Carly arrived in Salem was she sleeping in my bed?" Bo took another gulp of coffee, and asked if it would change things if he broke things off with Carly and had Hope and Ciara move back in so they could start over.

Stunned speechless, Hope's eyes filled with tears. As he reached for his coffee, Bo told her to answer the question, but Hope forcibly stopped him from picking up the cup. "You can't have any more," she declared. She explained for an utterly confused Bo that she was just going to warm up his coffee. She then noted that his cup was empty. "Would you really break up with Carly, give our marriage another chance?" Hope asked when Bo pressed her about why she'd snatched the cup away from him.

Bo replied that he wasn't convinced that they really could work things out, even if he did break up with Carly-he'd only said that to get Hope to see that Carly wasn't responsible for what had happened between them. "You're right!" Hope shouted, rising to her feet. She added more quietly, "Carly's innocent in this. It's you. It's all you. And any which way you cut it, you betrayed me."

Bo stood up, but immediately became so woozy that he couldn't make his next point. Reiterating that neither she nor Carly was responsible for what had happened, Hope stroked Bo's face sensually, while he could only watch with a bemused frown. "I'm going to get my revenge," she purred. "Hell hath no fury..." Bo stammered groggily, "What are you talking about? Revenge? You wanna hurt me, Hope?" He collapsed onto the couch.

Hope entered the room from the kitchen a few moments later, and gazed smugly at the unconscious Bo. "I like you like this-where you can do no more harm," she murmured, kneeling to peer into his face. She whispered that she couldn't believe all their years together had meant nothing to him. "You heartless bastard!" she hissed. "But it's over now. You won't hurt us anymore. I'll see to that." She picked up her purse and strolled out.

Hope then met Dick in the poker basement, and asked if he'd gotten the rest of the things on her list. She was pleased to find a gasoline can and a box of kitchen matches in the shopping bag. Dick asserted that Hope's plan was "downright evil," and wanted to know if she intended to burn down the whole town. With a sly smile, Hope maintained that she needed the fire to obliterate the house-and Bo. Hope then informed Dick that she'd just disabled the fire alarms at the house, and when Bo had arrived unexpectedly, she had seized the opportunity and drugged him.

Hope picked up the bag and started for the door, but Dick stopped her. "Arson is one thing, but to use these things as murder weapons-you can't do it," he stated. "I won't let you." His concern touched Hope, and she was grateful for all his help, but she maintained, "This is something I have to do. It's the only way I can truly move on." Dick refused to help her any further. "I don't need you to make this happen," Hope hissed.

Bo began to regain consciousness, and struggled to get to his feet. He called out for Hope, but fell to the floor before he could take more than a couple of steps. Hope returned to the house, and left Bo where he lay as she began splattering gasoline over everything. She poured the remainder of the can on her husband, doused him thoroughly, then tossed the empty gas can over her shoulder and sat down with the box of matches. "Finally, I'll be at peace," she declared, and then struck a match on the side of the box.

Sami visited Rafe at his office to deliver his mail, which she said had been piling up at the townhouse. Rafe's face lit up when he saw her, and he pointed out that she could have called him to pick up the mail. Sami informed him somewhat reluctantly that her mom had decided to sell the townhouse, so Sami and the kids were going to stay with E.J.-permanently. Rafe responded with hostile sarcasm, but Sami maintained that E.J. was a great father who had been wonderful to her and the kids.

Rafe believed that E.J. was in love with Sami. She admitted that E.J. had told her he loved her, and she thought it was only fair to give him another chance. She insisted that she had agonized over the decision, but she was only trying to do what was best for her family, by providing her kids with some stability. Rafe argued that Sami's kids wouldn't be happy if she wasn't. Sami insisted that she was happy, because the servants at the mansion made her life easy. "Your life will be hell," Rafe asserted quietly.

While Sami was arguing that her life was great, Rafe's assistant entered with a file that he had asked for. After the assistant left again, Sami asked, "That girl-did she get the job that I wanted?" Rafe reminded Sami why he hadn't encouraged her to apply for it, but she was clearly resentful. She then declared that she was moving on with her life, and she thought she had a future with E.J., because he wanted to be with her-and because he loved her. "And what about you?" Rafe asked. "Do you love him?" Sami hedged that E.J. was a great father, and her children adored him. After asking Rafe to respect her decision, Sami left.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady was ordering someone on the phone to keep searching for proof of Arianna's innocence, when Nicole arrived. Nicole was surprised that Brady was still helping Arianna, since the two of them had broken up. "Are you still in love with her, Brady?" Nicole asked hesitantly. Brady reminded her that he and Arianna had just broken up, and he was nowhere near ready to get involved with anyone else. Stung, Nicole told him she'd allowed herself to feel hopeful about him, but she had been wrong.

Brady stopped her before she could leave, and gently explained that although he was still trying to get over Arianna, he didn't think they could ever be together. "You need to understand that just because Arianna and I are broken up doesn't mean I'm going to discontinue working on her case and proving her innocence," Brady added. Nicole stated that she wished he wouldn't, because she had just begun to believe that she could be happy again. She understood that he needed time, but added, "I think that I could put all the terrible things that I have done behind me if I know that I have a future with you." Kissing her cheek and forehead tenderly, Brady urged her to take things one step at a time.

Arianna dropped by the DiMera mansion to fire E.J. as her lawyer. She explained that she knew he had a lot on his mind, so she worried that her case might not be a priority, plus he had told her that he was leaving town for a while. E.J. reassured her that he wasn't going anywhere, and he planned to give her case his full attention. "How are you going to prove that I'm innocent?" Arianna wanted to know. "By proving that Nicole set me up?"

E.J. was reminding Arianna that they didn't have any real evidence against Nicole, when Johnny ran excitedly into the foyer in his pajamas. Picking the boy up, E.J. chided Johnny for not being in bed asleep. When Arianna said hello, Johnny shyly hid his face against his daddy's shoulder. E.J. promised to read Johnny a story as soon as E.J. was finished with his meeting, but a charmed Arianna offered to leave instead. E.J. asked if Arianna would still allow him to be her "primary counsel." Arianna assured him, "You are officially re-hired."

When Nicole met E.J. on the pier later, he impatiently asked what she wanted. "A lot of things," she replied with a happy sigh. "And I'm going to get them, because I'm going to blackmail you until the end of time." E.J. strongly cautioned her against it, and hinted that he could easily "take care" of her. Nicole retorted that if anything happened to her, the tape on which he had admitted to kidnapping Sydney would get out. He growled that he would find all of her copies of the tape, but she angrily reminded him that she'd had a lot of practice at hiding things from him.

E.J. asked what Nicole wanted. She declared that she wanted him to prove Arianna's innocence-but leave Nicole out of it. E.J. was baffled, but agreed. Rafe arrived on the pier, but hid to listen when he saw Nicole talking to E.J. With a chuckle, Nicole asked, "Did you ever think that something like this would be the reason we call a truce?"

As Sami returned to the DiMera mansion, Johnny surprised her by running into the foyer to greet her. Sami scooped him up and declared that it was time for him to get back into bed. "Mommy's home," she murmured with a smile.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

by LaDaisia

Hope poured gasoline on an unconscious Bo. "Finally I'll be at peace," she said. Then she lit a match, but she stopped when she saw a picture of her, Ciara, and Bo. She blew out the match. She contemplated how much Ciara would be hurt to see Bo and another woman together for the rest of Ciara's life, not to mention if they had kids together and Bo loved those children more than Ciara. Hope was then convinced that Bo needed to die. She lit another match, and she prepared to torch Bo's body, but Daniel knocked on the door, so Hope hid in the kitchen.

The door was open, so Daniel walked into Bo's house. He saw Bo on the floor and realized he was drenched in gasoline. He looked around then proceeded to try to revive Bo. Meanwhile, Hope lurked behind the kitchen door with a gun aimed at Daniel. Before she could pull the trigger, Hope heard sirens. Daniel told Bo that help was on the way and for Bo not to give up. Daniel continued CPR on Bo.

The EMTs arrived and prepared to take Bo to the hospital. Roman was with them. Daniel determined that it seemed like Bo had a drug overdose, but Roman didn't understand how that could be, because he smelled gasoline all over Bo. Daniel wondered how the EMTs got there so fast, and Roman said that a man had called anonymously. Daniel said that Bo owed that man his life. Daniel hoped that they could save Bo. Meanwhile, Hope said that Bo wasn't supposed to die from the drug, but it might have to happen that way.

Hope went to see Dr. Baker to chew him out for calling 9-1-1 to save Bo. Dr. Baker explained that he did it for her, because if she got arrested for killing her ex, she would go to jail for a long time, as opposed to just being charged with the muggings, in which case she might get off. He also reminded her that he helped her with some of the muggings, so it was his problem too.

Dr. Baker said he had assumed at first that she was just mugging people for the money, but then he realized that she was just a "nice lady who had been pushed too far." Hope got angry and ordered him to stay out of her plan to kill Bo. Dr. Baker offered his help, and Hope accused him of trying to run her life for her. She stormed out, pledging to finish what she'd started.

Chloe went to see Carly at the hospital to ask if her paternity test would remain a secret. Carly repeated her promise not to tell Daniel about Chloe's infidelity as long as the baby was proven to be Daniel's. Chloe blamed Carly at first for her relationship problems. She filled Carly in on her argument with Daniel about Father Matt refusing to marry them.

Chloe explained that Daniel wondered if Chloe really wanted to marry him. Chloe assumed that Carly was happy about her dilemma, but Carly wasn't happy at all. Carly reiterated that she hoped that the baby Chloe was carrying was Daniel's. However she reminded Chloe that, as a doctor, if the baby wasn't his, Daniel would find out, possibly by noticing that the blood types didn't match.

Chloe feared that even if the baby was Daniel's, he might not want to be with Chloe anymore, because Daniel was already upset with Chloe for lying to him again. Nurse Nadine called Carly to the ER for a surgical consult. Chloe wondered to herself if there was a way to keep her situation from getting worse.

Daniel ordered tests on Bo, and Carly burst into the room. She asked Daniel what had happened, and Daniel said it looked like a drug overdose, but she said that Bo didn't use drugs. She begged Daniel to save Bo. Carly didn't believe that Bo had overdosed because Bo wasn't on any medication. Daniel agreed with Carly. He added that there was gasoline all over the place at the house. Bo's respiration was shallow, and Carly tried to intercede, but Daniel ordered her out of the room.

Hope lurked in the hallway while Daniel told Carly that they had saved Bo. Daniel didn't have any idea who had drugged Bo and doused him with gasoline. Roman arrived, and Daniel said that Bo was stable and would be okay. Carly asked if Roman knew anything more about what had happened to Bo.

Roman said that the smoke detectors, fire alarm, and security system were all disabled and that the gasoline indicated that whoever drugged Bo wanted to burn him alive. Carly wondered who would want to do something so awful to someone like Bo. Meanwhile, Hope sneaked into Bo's room and whispered to him while he was still unconscious, there was no one in the room next to him, which convinced her that she was meant to be there.

Chloe met with Father Matt, who was still upset with her for lying to Daniel and then dragging Father Matt into her lie. She said she didn't know that Daniel would run into him, but Father Matt said that wasn't the point. She thanked him for not telling Daniel the truth, and he explained that she had to respect the confidentiality of her confession. She told Father Matt that she was pregnant, and she wondered if he would continue to keep her confidence.

Father Matt asked if the reason that Chloe didn't want to get married was because the sacrament of marriage was something she didn't want to enter into under those conditions. Chloe said she wasn't that good a person. She said that Carly threatened to tell Daniel about Chloe's affair unless Chloe could prove that the baby was Daniel's. She said that Carly didn't know that the other man was Carly and Daniel's son-in-law.

Father Matt was at a loss for words. He reminded Chloe that Daniel could find out the truth from someone else. Chloe felt like she wasn't worth it and that was why people kept leaving her, but Father Matt reminded her that she was a child of God and she was worth it.

Father Matt thought that Daniel could find out the truth from someone else, and Chloe felt that Daniel would hate her if that happened. "Even if it's his baby?" Father Matt asked. Chloe said that Daniel would love the baby, but their relationship would be over, and she didn't think she could go on if she lost Daniel. Father Matt said there was only one thing Chloe could do: tell Daniel the truth. He reminded her that her way only got her in "deeper and deeper."

Chloe wondered if Daniel could understand why Chloe had done it, and Father Matt reminded her that Daniel loved her very much. She wondered what would happen if that wasn't enough. Father Matt said that Chloe didn't want his advice -- she wanted him to promise that he would keep quiet, and he would. He said he would pray for Chloe, and she asked him to pray that Daniel would forgive her if he found out what she did.

Nicole told E.J. that she wanted him to prove that Arianna didn't commit the muggings before Brady did, and if he did, Nicole would keep E.J.'s secret that he had kidnapped Sydney. He agreed to Nicole's deal. She and E.J. talked about their secret as Rafe lurked nearby and heard them conspiring. Even though he didn't know the details, Rafe was bolstered by the fact that his investigative instincts were correct -- Nicole and E.J. were up to something.

Nicole stopped by to see Dr. Baker and tell him that they were off the hook for setting Arianna up for the muggings, because E.J. accepted her offer, and no one would suspect them. Dr. Baker wondered why E.J. was willing to keep Nicole's involvement in framing Arianna secret. She wouldn't reveal E.J.'s secret, but she simply said she was very persuasive. Dr. Baker knew that Nicole had something "big" on E.J. She wished that Sami knew of E.J.'s deception.

Sami dreamed that Rafe stopped by the mansion and they argued, but when Sami told him that she'd leave E.J. "in a heartbeat" if she thought she had a chance with Rafe. Rafe kissed Sami passionately. She woke up, realizing it was only a dream and reminded herself that she and Rafe were over, and E.J. was trying to be a better man.

The doorbell rang, and it was Rafe, who was there to inform Sami that he saw E.J. and Nicole meeting to discuss a "secret truce." Sami questioned Rafe about what he'd heard, and Rafe asked why she felt the need to cover for E.J. Rafe said that E.J. was not a better man, like Sami wanted to believe. Sami wondered why Rafe was telling Sami that, and he said it was because he cared about her.

Sami said that E.J. wanted to be with Sami, unlike Rafe, who cared about her but not enough to want to be with her. Rafe said it was Sami's business if she wanted to keep blinders on about E.J. being a "great guy." After Rafe left, E.J. returned home, and Sami asked him about his "meeting." E.J. lied to Sami about whom he was meeting with, and when Sami pressed him some more, E.J. admitted that he also ran into Nicole.

Sami joked about E.J. looking under rocks when he saw Nicole. E.J. made up a story about him and Nicole having a strange conversation where Nicole said she wanted to make things right between the two of them. He said he played along to see what she was up to, but Nicole wasn't up to anything. Sami disagreed and thought that Nicole was up to something.

E.J. downplayed Nicole's machinations, saying that she was just trying to get attention. Sami felt she should burst Nicole's "bubble" by telling Nicole that Sami knew everything, so that way Nicole wouldn't have any more power over E.J. E.J. said Sami didn't need to do that, because Nicole already knew she had gone too far, and they wouldn't have any more trouble from Nicole.

Sami said that trusting E.J. seemed right. E.J. was delighted to hear that. Sami told him that her mother was planning to sell the townhouse, and Sami had told Marlena that she was fine with it. E.J. asked where Sami wanted to live. Sami said that she was hoping that she and the kids could stay at the mansion with him. E.J. smiled.

Rafe ordered a drink at the Brady Pub, and he told the bartender that he had finally gotten "sane." Nicole walked in and sat at a table. Rafe noticed and watched her from the bar as she argued with her landlord over a parking spot. The bartender picked up Nicole's plate and, in the process, spilled Nicole's drink all over her. The bartender asked her to accompany him to the back so he could help her clean her shirt. While he was gone, Rafe checked Nicole's cell phone and then looked at her mail and found her address. Then he left.

Friday, July 23, 2010

by ChickenGrrl

Despite the late hour, Victor called Maggie to tell her that he had just finished plans for the Mickey Horton Scholarship Foundation. Maggie admitted that she hadn't been able to sleep, and invited him over. Before Victor could leave the house, Vivian cornered him with a bottle of Greek brandy that she wanted them to enjoy as a nightcap. "Can't. Meeting," Victor grunted in reply.

Since she knew Victor had handed over the running of Titan Enterprises to his son and grandson, Vivian surmised that he was going to Maggie Horton's house. "Yes, I am," Victor growled. "And it's none of your damn business." Vivian reminded him that she was his wife, and asserted that Maggie was using him. She pulled a folder out of the desk drawer and declared brightly that she had drawn up a business plan for the scholarship fund, so Victor could stay home.

After reading over the file, Victor pronounced it "crap work" that Vivian hadn't even done herself. "Okay, so sue me!" Vivian admitted. "I just wanted to have some time with my husband. We're living here like brother and sister, for God's sake. I can make you happy, Victor-happier than that red-headed cow!" She immediately realized she'd gone too far and regretted her words. As an angry Victor stalked out, Vivian hurled the file into the fireplace.

When Victor arrived at Maggie's, he complained momentarily about how Vivian's drama had made him late, then happily changed the subject to the scholarship foundation. Maggie confessed that she'd invited Victor over because she had been feeling blue, but she worried that perhaps they shouldn't be friends.

"You're married, Victor," Maggie pointed out. "You said yourself how upset Vivian gets when you come here." Victor didn't care, but Maggie was determined to do what she thought was right. "I think from now on, you need to talk to my lawyer about the foundation," Maggie asserted. Before Victor could even react, he got a phone call from the hospital. "Bo's been hurt seriously," Victor stated when he hung up, and Maggie followed as he hurried out the door.

Over martinis at the Brady Pub, Vivian wailed to Gus about the state of her marriage. Gus urged her to remember who she was and what she was capable of doing. "I mean this with great respect, Madame," he declared. "I think it's time that Mr. Kiriakis and his little candy-striper found out exactly who they're dealing with."

Vivian admitted that her adoration of Victor had turned her into a "quivering mass." She ordered Gus to hire a car, because she was going to Chicago to pick up some of Victor's favorite Greek foods. Vivian's submissiveness and depressed mood appalled Gus, but Vivian declared that Maggie Horton was getting on her nerves. Gus suggested, "If that's true, Madame, don't get sad; get even!"

As Nicole paced in her motel room, she complained about what a dump the place was. She told herself that once she made E.J. pay for his crimes, she would put it all behind her. When her cell phone rang, Nicole assumed it was E.J., but it was a computer-distorted voice, offering a scoop on a story about dirty cops and a drug bust if Nicole met him on the pier right away. "I'll be there," Nicole agreed, and hung up.

"I won't," replied Rafe with a smirk, after he hung up the pay phone from which he'd called Nicole. He then waited around the corner from Nicole's door until she left her room, and as soon as she was out of sight, he broke in. He rifled through her closet and dresser drawers, and he was clearly touched when he discovered that she still kept a baby picture of Sydney. "At least if I'm not going to be a part of your life, I can keep you away from those damn DiMeras," Rafe told the photo.

At the DiMera mansion, Sami admitted that no one was more surprised than she was that she trusted E.J., but she knew that they had both done things that they needed to atone for. E.J. asserted that he was the one who needed Samantha's forgiveness-and she should remember that he was a DiMera. Sami believed that E.J. had changed, that he was no longer following in Stefano's footsteps.

E.J. remembered how he had faked Sydney's death, and remarked dolefully that since the day they met, it seemed he had always been keeping something from Samantha. Observing his dark mood, Sami made an attempt to get him to lighten up. It worked, and then E.J. recounted how he had fallen in love with Samantha at first sight-when he was supposed to have been exacting revenge against the Bradys. As they were marveling at how far they had come since those days, Sydney's crying on the baby monitor interrupted them, so E.J. went upstairs to check on her.

Sami shook her head when E.J. returned just a few minutes later from getting Sydney back to sleep. "That is so not fair!" she teasingly complained. E.J. reminded Sami that Sydney had simply spent more time with him, and the more time mother and daughter spent together, the more comfortable Sydney would be. After Sami went to the kitchen to get the twins' lunch ready for the next day, E.J. vowed to make things right.

Nicole arrived on the pier and looked around for her contact. "Is anyone here?" she called in a loud whisper. She dialed the number that the earlier call had originated from, and was furious when she learned that it was a pay phone. "Son of a bitch!" she hissed after she hung up. "I was set up!" She wondered why someone would call her down to the pier in the middle of the night, but finally it hit her: "Oh, my God-it's a trap!"

Nicole called E.J. and angrily told him she was on wild goose chase at the pier, but he snapped that he'd had nothing to do with it. She reminded him, "If anything happens to me, your life as you know it is over. The whole world will know your dirty little secrets, and Sami will never let you see Sydney ever again!" She snapped her phone shut.

Sami returned from the kitchen just as E.J. was hanging up, and she correctly guessed from his posture that he'd been on the phone with Nicole. Sami wondered why Nicole had called-and why E.J. had bothered to answer the phone. E.J. urged Sami to let him handle Nicole, and then asserted that Nicole was jealous, because Sami had everything that Nicole wanted. Sami agreed, and then went upstairs so she could watch Sydney sleep.

When she returned, Sami asked E.J. about the new dress she'd seen in Sydney's closet. E.J. explained that he'd hired a photographer to take a family portrait the next day, and so he'd gotten new outfits for all the kids and for Samantha-and even Will had agreed to wear a suit. Sami was thrilled, because it was something she'd wanted to do for a while. She told E.J. that he was part of the family and should be in the picture as well, and he beamed in response. When Sami announced that she was headed to bed, E.J. stopped her to plant a light goodnight kiss on her lips first. A happily surprised Sami wished E.J. a good night, and went upstairs.

Rafe continued rummaging through Nicole's things, and he was about to give up when he found her diary, hidden under some lingerie in a nightstand drawer. "What the hell does this mean?" he muttered when he saw a page filled with a series of seemingly random numbers and letters. As he snapped a picture of the page with his cell phone camera, he remarked that it wouldn't take his man in cryptanalysis long to figure out the code. Suddenly, he heard keys jingling outside the door.

When Nicole entered the room, she knew instantly that someone had been there, because the window was open and some of her things were obviously disturbed. She suspected that E.J. had lured her to the pier to get her out of the room for a while, but when she found her diary where she had left it, apparently untouched, she breathed a sigh of relief.

At the hospital, Roman discouraged Carly against calling Hope and Caroline before they knew more about what had happened to Bo. Since Bo was stable, Roman thought there was no need to worry the family. Abe and Roman were both grateful that Daniel had shown up in time to save Bo-as was Carly, who knew from experience how horrific Bo's injuries could have been if the gasoline he'd been doused with had ignited.

Privately, Abe asserted to Roman that Hope had a right to know what had nearly happened in her house. Roman maintained that he didn't want to wake Hope up with bad news until he knew more. Both men wondered who could possibly hate Bo enough to want to kill him by drugging him and setting him on fire. Roman didn't think the attack on Bo had anything to do with the muggings, because everything about it had been different, and it was much more personal. Abe and Roman briefly considered the DiMeras as suspects, but just as quickly dismissed the crime as not the DiMeras' style.

In Bo's room, Hope pulled on a pair of black leather gloves, and sat on the edge of her unconscious husband's bed. She kissed him on the lips, and then whispered, "That was the kiss of death, my dear." She carefully wiped her lipstick off his lips with a gloved finger. After she found a syringe in a drawer, Hope prepared to inject Bo's I.V. with an air bubble. She muttered that it wouldn't kill him as slowly or painfully as she had planned, but it would kill him, and that was all that mattered to her.

Bo suddenly stirred, and opened his eyes and looked right at her. "What are you doing?" he mumbled. "I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago," Hope replied, depressing the plunger on the syringe. She heard voices outside just as she finished. While Bo tried weakly to call Hope's name, she darted out the side door of his room.

Carly and Daniel entered the room then, and Carly was pleased that Bo seemed to have regained consciousness. "Hope?" was all Bo could manage to say. Carly asked if Bo wanted her to call Hope for him, but his eyes suddenly rolled back in his head and his heart monitor began beeping. Daniel shouted for a crash cart and called a code blue.

While Daniel worked to revive Bo with the defibrillator paddles, a sobbing Carly wondered what was going on, because Bo had just been stable. Once Daniel managed to get Bo's heart started again, they had to put a tube down Bo's throat to help him breathe. Carly knew that she couldn't put off calling Hope any longer.

As Hope arrived at the Kiriakis mansion, she paused outside to catch her breath. "He looked me right in the eyes," she noted anxiously to herself. "He knows I tried to kill him." When she went inside, she found Ciara asleep on the couch next to the nanny, who explained that the girl had refused to go to bed until Mrs. Brady got home. Hope gave the nanny permission to leave. She then sat down next to her sleeping daughter and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "My beautiful girl," Hope whispered, stroking Ciara's hair. "I love you more than anything in the world. And I want you to know that I did all of this for you."

Hope continued that Zack had died because Bo had cared more about "that daughter he had with Billie" than about Zack, and Hope had nearly lost Ciara because Bo had handled the kidnapping "like he knew everything." When Hope's cell phone rang, she looked at the caller ID and then silenced the phone. "So, Bo told Carly what happened," Hope said to herself. "And now they're coming for me. I'm so sorry, Ciara."

A bit later, Hope lay in bed in her pajamas. "This is goodbye," she whispered before closing her eyes.

When Bo finally regained consciousness, Carly was sitting at his bedside. He immediately yanked the tube out of his throat, despite her protests. As Bo coughed and gagged, Carly asked gently, "You really want to tell me who did this to you, don't you?"