Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of December 17, 2001 on DAYS

After Bo slugged it out with John, he learned the truth that John was J.T.'s biological father and that Hope, Marlena, and John had been lying to him all along. Brady and Chloe overheard the secret and argued over whether or not they should tell Belle and Shawn, but Brady won out and decided their parents should be the ones to tell them about J.T. Bo was hurt and devastated at Hope's deceit and found solace at the Brady Pub. Bo's dad advised him to trust his feelings and go home and work things out with Hope. Belle and Shawn suspected that something serious had happened at the party involving their parents, but consoled each other and decided to enjoy the rest of their evening together. Jennifer sought advice from Julie about her past and potential future love interests: Jack, Colin, and Brandon. Brandon advised Nicole to drop Victor and get someone new in her life. Rolf drugged Barb, and she was rushed to the hospital just before she was able to tell the Blacks and the Bradys Lexie's secret. Abe suspected that Lexie was hiding something. Rolf prepared to eliminate Barb against Lexie's wishes, but Glenn foiled his plan. Hope accused Lexie of reactivating her brain with Princess Gina's memories and ruining her life, but Lexie continued to lie and act clueless to her dastardly deeds. Marlena tried to console a brokenhearted Hope and convince her that they needed to work through their problems to try to save their marriages and protect their children.

Monday, December 17, 2001

by Stephanie

Belle, Shawn, Brady and Chloe are in the catacombs under the DiMera mansion, and they come across the entrance to a secret room. After pushing a button, the door swings open and they all go inside. The door suddenly starts to close and Brady and Chloe manage to make it through, leaving Belle and Shawn trapped inside, though hey don't appear to mind it in the least. Belle and Shawn share a kiss, then Belle asks why it took Shawn so long to ask her out on a date, when he told her earlier that he knew since they were kids that they would end up together. Shawn says he wanted to wait until the time was right to ask her out, and that he is crazy about her. Belle then asks if she is the most important person in Shawn's life, and to her surprise, he answers no. Before Belle gets upset about this, however, Shawn clarifies that, while Belle is very important to him, J.T. is the most important person in his life. Belle is touched by his love and concern for his little brother, and tells Shawn that this is one of the things she loves most about him. They kiss again, and both hope that no one is coming to rescue them very soon, as they are enjoying the time alone together.

After trying unsuccessfully to open the door, Brady and Chloe realize that it must have been some sort of an escape route for Stefano, and that Belle and Shawn will have to try to get out on the other end. They share a close moment together, making Chloe a little uncomfortable. They finally decide to go upstairs and get Brady's father, as he has had dealings with Stefano and might have some ideas about opening the door.

Alice tells Jennifer that she's going home, but Jennifer wants to stay and say goodbye to Hope, who has disappeared. They both wonder where Hope has gone, then go to join a large group including Doug, Julie, Caroline, Grandpa Shawn, Maggie, and Mickey. Lexie and Abe also join the group, after Abe tells Lexie that the party was a great success and she should attend to her guests. In her ear, Rolf agrees with Abe, telling Lexie to see to her guests to avoid any further suspicion. Lexie makes an attempt to get the group to leave the party, but they resist, wanting to stay for a nightcap. Lexie finally has her way, however, and the group, which now also includes Austin and Sami (still glowing from her engagement), get their coats and prepare to leave. They all finally make it out the door, not before Sami works her engagement into the conversation one more time. Barb, however, refuses to leave just yet, and continues to threaten to expose the baby switch if Lexie doesn't pay her soon. Rolf, watching on the TV, comments that Barb needs to be taken care of once and for all. In the car with Doug, Julie, Maggie and Mickey, Jennifer comments on how happy Sami is, then has a flashback of her wedding vows with Jack. The other occupants of the car comment on Lexie's strange behavior throughout the night.

Hope is unconscious in a bed upstairs at the mansion with John over her trying to get her to wake up. When she does, she momentarily thinks she is Gina, and passionately kisses John. John, realizing that it is Gina and not Hope, breaks the kiss and tells her they can't do this as Bo comes in the door, pulls John away and starts to punch him. As Bo and John fight, Hope has more memories, both of Gina and herself, all of them having to do with J.T.'s conception, birth and paternity. Bo and John finally stop fighting and Hope tells Bo that what he saw wasn't her kissing John, it was Gina. Bo doesn't believe her and storms out, leaving Hope in tears. Bo then goes downstairs and tells Marlena that he just found his wife kissing her husband. Brady and Chloe arrive upstairs just in time to hear this. Lexie tells Bo he must have been mistaken, but Bo is sure there was no mistaking what he saw. Hope and John come downstairs and Marlena sees John bleeding and rushes to his side. Hope again tries to convince Bo that she was overwhelmed by the memories and thought that she was Gina when she woke up. John confirms this, and Marlena says that she believes both of them - that her husband loves only her. Bo wants to believe Hope, but he says he knows that she has been keeping something from him for a long time and wants to know the truth. Barb walks in and announces that someone in the room has been lying to everyone...

Tuesday, December 18, 2001

by Soap Central

Barb is on the verge of spilling the beans when she collapses. Rolf knocked her out with a drug-laden dart, which Lexie retrieves before anyone can find it. She and Abe head to the hospital with Barb, who occasionally comes to consciousness, fretting that "she" is about to kill Barb. Abe assumes that the "she" in question is Lexie, which ticks her off to no end. Arriving at the hospital, Barb goes in to get checked, and Abe continues to demand that Lexie tell him "what in tar nation is going on." She keeps stonewalling, which angers Abe even more. He goes to the nurses' station to request that they notify him the minute Barb wakes up. He further decides to post a cop outside Barb's hospital room door. Rolf, meanwhile, has come to the hospital intending that Barb never wakes up. He has a syringe, which he tells Lexie will silence Barb once and for all. Lexie huffs and puffs and rolls her eyes, but she's ready to agree with his plan.

After Barb leaves, Bo demands that Hope tell him the secret she's been keeping. As Brady and Chloe eavesdrop, Bo then turns to Marlena and asks her what she knows. Hope intervenes and says she'll tell him everything. She begins by begging him to consider the children, and for him to understand that she wasn't herself when she was Gina. Marlena tries to help, putting her arm around Hope's waist and asking Bo to remember that Hope and John have been through their own "private hell." That clues Bo in immediately, and he guesses that John is indeed J.T.'s father. Bo goes ballistic, telling Hope that he is disgusted by her. Marlena pleads with him to settle down, but he asks her how she responded when she found out. Marlena says that she was where Bo is now, and he spits out, "Exactly." He leaves the three of them and heads to the pub, where he recalls conversations he had with Hope where she denied that John is the boy's father. This only enrages him more, and he wishes he had killed John when he had the chance.

Trapped in the mansion, Belle and Shawn make the most of it and play kissy face. They talk about how much Brady seems to be falling for Chloe. Eventually they find an escape hatch and wind up on terra firma. Brady and Chloe spot them and try to stop them from going into the mansion. Brady doesn't want Belle to find out about Hope and John. Fortunately, when they enter the house, Hope hears them approach and she and John and Marlena try to appear as if nothing is wrong.

Wednesday, December 19, 2001

by Soap Central

After Belle falls once, she and Shawn search their hiding place and find a tunnel that leads to some stairs. As Barb starts to spill the beans, Rolf fires a dart at her and knocks her out with a drug. Bo demands answers from Lexie but she claims they must get Barb to the hospital. Lexie then secretly removes the dart so no one will find it. Realizing that John, Marlena and Hope know a secret, Bo insists that he be clued in. Unaware that Brady and Chloe are nearby listening, Marlena begins setting Bo up for the truth. He guesses the secret and forces Hope to tell him that John is J.T.'s father. Furious, Bo rushes outside where he wishes he had killed John when he had the chance. He heads to the pub where he tries to drink away the many memories of Hope lying to him. At the ER, a frustrated Abe demands answers from his wife but Lexie lies that she doesn't know anything. Rolf secretly hands Lexie a syringe and orders her to take care of Barb by injecting her. Meanwhile, Brady and Chloe find Shawn and Belle in the yard and offer them a ride home. Belle rushes back to get her coat where she finds Marlena and Hope covering their anguish.

Thursday, December 20, 2001

by Soap Central

Barb

At the hospital, Glen rushes to his wife. She mumbles about murder in her sleep, which he hears. When she comes to, he tells her about her ramblings and insists they leave Salem post haste. Despite her drugged state, Barb tells him that they must stay and get the money Lexie owes them. She makes it clear that Lexie hurt her, and she wants compensation. Glen confronts Lexie, warning her that if what Barb says is true, he will hurt Lexie. Naturally, this freaks the already frazzled Lexie out even more. She runs to Rolf, telling him to contact Stefano and get $2 million for Barb. Rolf has other plans, and tells Lexie that they must put a permament stop to Barb. Convinced that she is about to be ruined, Lexie breaks down. Abe finds her and offers comfort, telling her that their love for one another is enough to overcome anything and he wishes she would confide in him. Just as Barb is being wheeled into her room, Rolf sneaks in and hides in the closet, holding a syringe.

Belle

Sensing the tension in the room, Belle and Shawn ask their mothers what is going on. Hope and Marlena try to explain that they were talking about all their blessings and all they have to be grateful for, but the kids don't buy it. Belle goes upstairs to retrieve her coat and finds the injured John. He calms her down, claiming he was hurt in the bathroom. Again, Belle believes she's being duped. Outside, Brady tries to convince Chloe that it is not up to them to tell Belle and Shawn what they know. He accuses Chloe of wanting Belle to know because Chloe is convinced that life is all misery, and wants everyone else to be as miserable as she is. This stuns Chloe, who agrees not to tell Belle, but wants to discuss this topic further with Brady. When Belle and Shawn come outside, they ask Brady and Chloe if they know anything, but the two deny it. Brady tells Chloe that maybe with the passing of time, it will be easier for Belle and Shawn to accept what Hope and John did, as well as the fact that they share a half-brother.

Bo

At the pub, Bo continues his rampage, turning over the Christmas tree. Shawn hears him and comes downstairs. Bo won't tell Shawn what's bothering him, but Shawn senses it has something to do with Hope. He recalls when he found out that Bo wasn't his biological son, which obviously resonates with Bo. Shawn explains that while he was devastated, he and Caroline worked through it because they loved each other. He urges Bo to go home to Hope and begin trying to make their marriage work. Bo leaves.

Friday, December 21, 2001

by Soap Central

Barb

Rolf prepares to administer the killer drug to Barb, but hears someone approach the room. Hiding in the closet, he emerges after the nurse leaves. Unfortunately for Rolf, Barb is lying on the I.V. tube. He again retreats to the closet when Glen comes to spend the night with his wife. Somehow, Rolf manages to leave the room unseen by Glen or the awake Barb. In her delusional state, Barb tells Glen that she wishes she were as good as he is, because she lied to him. Glen asks what she lied about, and Barb says the DNA test. She mumbles that Isaac isn't his baby, but his baby is in Salem. She falls asleep before she says with whom.

Hope

Hope bemoans the fate of her marriage to Marlena, who tries to comfort her. Hope admits that she became Gina during the party, and that she snapped out of it when Bo entered the room and found her sucking face with John. As Hope ponders the state of her marriage, Lexie and Abe come back home. Home lunges at Lexie, asking her what happened. Putting on quite a performance, Lexie starts weeping at how her best friend Hope could possibly think that Lexie would cause her any harm. Hope is disgusted, and assures Lexie that she will find out what happened. It also occurs to Hope that Barb might be the missing link to this equation. She asks Lexie what Barb was trying to say, but Lexie plays dumb. Hope decides that she will go to the hospital the next day to interrogate Barb. John, meanwhile, has gone to talk to Bo. He tells Bo that everyone lied to him because they wanted him to bond with JT. John asks Bo if he could have loved JT as much as he does, had he known from the start that John was the boy's father. Bo seems to start to understand, but the betrayal has cut him to the quick. Hope and Marlena return home to their men.

Belle

At their "secret place," Belle and Shawn build a snowman together. Clearly depressed, Belle takes a while to warm up to the idea. Shawn cajoles her into enjoying herself and, using some of her nail polish, tells her he loves her with a note.

Chloe

Back home, Chloe makes Brady a BLT sandwich as the two discuss the hurtful words Brady hurled at Chloe earlier in the night. Brady eventually apologizes, telling Chloe that he knows her because he is the same way. They both are frightened at the thought that they are unloveable, and that part of them makes them want others to be unhappy. Brady also tells Chloe that he cares deeply about her, which clearly touches Chloe. After they make up, he tells her that he's worried about Belle finding out the truth about John and Hope.