Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of May 12, 2008 on DAYS

Comprehensive daily recaps for Days of our Lives, dating back to 1996.

Monday, May 12, 2008

by Diane P.

Henderson delivered an envelope to Philip that contained John's memory disc. Philip intended to use the information on the disc as leverage against John in their business dealings. As Philip started to review the disc he realized it was encrypted and he needed technical assistance to decode the information. Before he could proceed, Chloe walked into the room.

Philip asked Chloe why Brady did not return to Salem with her. She told Philip that Brady was still in rehabilitation, but that he was making progress and would stay on in Switzerland until he completed the program. She told Philip that their reunion did not go very well because Brady still blamed her for his addiction and asked her for a divorce. Chloe was angry and told Philip that her marriage to Brady never had a chance to succeed because of Victor's meddling in her and Brady's lives. Philip said that he didn't agree with his father but felt Victor did what he thought was best for Brady at the time. Chloe said that she tried to help Brady and that she loved him, and vowed to find a way to get even with Victor for ruining her marriage.

Philip goaded Chloe into revealing the reason she returned to the mansion and suggested that she had an ulterior motive. Philip asked her if she was planning to get even with his father by romancing him, the favorite son. Chloe denied Philip's supposition and claimed she needed someone to talk to and she considered Philip a friend. Philip tempted Chloe and invited her to stay at the mansion. He suggested that it would be a perfect way to keep an eye on Victor and pitched her on the idea that two "friends" could enjoy themselves living under the same roof. At first, Chloe rejected Philip's outrageous offer but soon thought there was no sweeter way to get revenge against Victor than to have a fun romantic interlude with her best friend under his daddy's nose.

Nicole walked in on Philip and Chloe sealing their deal with a kiss, and with disgust blurted out, "Oh God, not them, too."

Chelsea confronted a surprised Daniel in the steam room and told him that she knew he was planning to leave Salem because of what happened to Rebecca. Chelsea desperately tried to convince Daniel to stay in Salem so they would have the chance to work at their relationship. Daniel was overwhelmed at Chelsea's spirit and insisted that Rebecca's death was in his past and was not the reason that he was leaving town. Chelsea fired back at Daniel that he was using his past to let her down gently. She pleaded with him to give their relationship a chance and to stop resisting his feelings for her. Chelsea was relentless and told Daniel that he was holding back because he was afraid that she would get sick again and end up like his wife. Daniel was very emotional and pushed Chelsea away. He told her that he would not make the same mistake twice and he was doing what was best for her. Chelsea challenged Daniel not to walk away from happiness, reminding him of how she felt when they kissed. She shamelessly admitted that she had feelings for him the moment they met on the park bench.

Daniel kept finding excuses to rebuff Chelsea. She was so frustrated with his empty reasoning that she pulled him into a passionate kiss and he responded as she expected. After they kissed, she challenged him again and asked him to tell her that he didn't feel anything for her. He said, "No, I definitely did feel something, and that is the problem," and then walked away. Chelsea had more reason to hope, though, because she knew for sure that Daniel cared about her.

Sami blasted Nicole for using E.J. to comfort her over something as foolish as her dog, and then turned and planted a kiss on E.J. Sami surprised herself by her impulse to kiss E.J. and the feelings that followed and ran off, and immediately regretted her actions.

Sami was frantic and upset after she kissed E.J. and told Grandma Caroline that she needed to talk to Lucas as soon as possible. Caroline tried to find out what was wrong, but Sami was so flustered that she told Caroline she could not discuss the matter with her.

Outside the pub, E.J. thanked Nicole for accidentally helping to make Sami realize that she was jealous of him and Nicole. Nicole warned E.J. not to get involved with Sami, but E.J. confided to Nicole that he was smitten and truly loved Samantha.

E.J. was curious why Nicole was so concerned about his relationship with Sami. Nicole brushed him off and said that she wanted to make sure her lawyer was not distracted. E.J. assured her that his personal life would never interfere with her case. E.J. suspected that Nicole was more upset with Sami because E.J. loved Sami for who she was and that no man had ever cared about Nicole in such an unconditional way.

Back at the Brady Pub, Sami tried to call Lucas at the prison, but he left word that he did not want to talk to or see her. Sami was crying and poured her heart out to Caroline. She said that Lucas must get over his guilt soon and agree to see her if they were ever going to have a future together. Caroline questioned Sami about why she was so upset just as E.J. walked over to join them. Caroline explained to E.J. that Sami tried to call Lucas but he refused to talk to her, and Sami was upset because she loved Lucas and could not be with him. Sami seemed disappointed that Caroline told E.J. about her call to Lucas, but E.J.'s response to Sami was that she was desperate to hold on to her past life with Lucas. Sami was furious at E.J.'s comment and stormed out of the pub. Caroline asked E.J. what he did or said to Sami to make her so upset. E.J. explained to Caroline that Sami walked in on him comforting Nicole and misunderstood what she saw. Caroline asked E.J. to help Sami but reminded him that Sami was only with him because she could not be with Lucas.

E.J. reflected on his past conversations with Sami when Lucas was sent to prison, his arrangement with Nicole to testify on his behalf so he could win Sami's heart away from Lucas, and a few other events that forced E.J. think about his relationship with Sami and her feelings for him.

At the DiMera mansion, Sami thanked Rolf for helping her put the twins to bed. Sami told Rolf that she might have misjudged him and that she was happy to see a softer side of Stefano's henchman scientist.

She asked Rolf what he thought of E.J. and he said that he thought E.J. was becoming his own person but he wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Sami asked Rolf if she could bother him with one more question about her mother and John's relationship and he agreed to oblige. Sami asked him if he thought John and Marlena would ever be together. After weighing the facts, Rolf's response surprised Sami when he said "with John the way he is and your mother longing for the way he used to be, the chance of them reuniting is about the same as the chance of you forgetting about Lucas and falling in love with E.J."

E.J. entered the room and Sami asked him if he heard any of the conversation. He said no and then she told him that she wanted to go to bed to get some sleep.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

by Spalding

Down at the docks, Stephanie stopped by to visit Max as he worked. Uneasy, Stephanie pressed him to tell her the truth about what he really did to Nick's proposal. Nick continued to deny that he did anything but recopy the work and clean it up, but a frustrated Stephanie told him she did not believe him. With Max refusing to give her a different answer, Stephanie walked away from him. After she left, Max thought about the time he visited Shawn Sr.'s grave and told him about helping Nick with his proposal because Nick needed his guidance.

At the Brady Pub, E.J. read the paper over breakfast as Steve cautiously approached the table. Smiling broadly, E.J. asked Steve why he had chosen the pub for their meeting. Steve ignored the question and sat down, clearly looking uncomfortable. E.J. asked about Steve's recent kidnapping, but impatient, Steve pressed E.J. to get straight to business. Happy to oblige, E.J. passed an envelope to Steve. After inspecting the contents, Steve said that everything was in order. Outside the pub, a man watched Steve through the window. Seeming to sense the eyes on his back, Steve kept looking over to the window in the direction of the mysterious man. Steve started to leave, but E.J. stopped him, suggesting they have coffee together and try to learn to trust one another.

Over at the bar in the pub, Nick feverishly worked on his grant proposal as Alicia, one of his students, stopped by to say hi. Busy, Nick gruffly brushed her off. After a moment though, Nick went over to her table to apologize for being rude. When Nick explained that he was stressed about getting his grant proposal submitted, Alicia told him not to bother because it was submitted to the dean the day before. Confused, Nick suggested she was mistaken. However, Alicia was certain that she had given the proposal to the dean herself.

On the other side of the room, Stephanie entered the pub and after a brief conversation with Steve about missing Kayla's doctor's appointment, she headed over to Nick to talk. A clearly shaken Nick explained that he was upset about his breakup with Chelsea. When Nick asked Stephanie whether she knew why Chelsea broke up with him, Stephanie told him she did not know. Nick then started to inform Stephanie that his proposal had been submitted to the dean, and that he could not understand why someone would submit it to the dean rather than return it to him. Nick lamented the fact that the proposal still needed a lot of work, as a worried Stephanie looked questioningly over at Max who was watching them as he cleaned tables. When Max came over and heard Nick talk about the proposal, Max suggested it was lucky that the proposal was submitted on time. Nick vehemently disagreed, telling Max that it was a disaster considering how much work he still needed to put into the proposal. While Nick cursed his luck, Stephanie took Max aside and begged him to tell Nick the truth. Back at the table, Nick thought about his previous argument with Max about tearing a page out of his notebook. While Nick thought about the past, Stephanie continued to urge Max to come clean. When Max once again refused, Stephanie marched over to Nick and told him everything. Looking a bit shell-shocked, Nick confronted Max at the bar, demanding to know why Max had submitted his proposal. Max claimed he was only trying to help. Frustrated, Nick thanked Stephanie for telling him the truth and left Max and Stephanie standing in silence.

Meanwhile, at the Salem Police Department, Bo stopped by to have a look at Earl Larson's file. As Bo admitted how upset he was that Earl was killed for talking to him, Sami frantically rushed into the office. Sami begged Roman to talk to Lucas and convince him to see her before she did something stupid. When Roman asked her what she might do, Sami remembered her kiss with E.J. the night before. Sami immediately explained that she loved and missed Lucas and wanted to make sure that Allie did not forget her father. Roman agreed to talk to Lucas, but cautioned her that if he did not want to see Sami, Lucas could not be forced to talk to her.

Later, Sami returned to find out how Roman's talk with Lucas went. Unfortunately Roman's visit did not go well. Roman explained that Lucas still did not want to see her but that he might call her later. Beaming, Sami thanked her father for his help. As Sami excitedly hugged her father, an officer entered the room with an email from Lucas. Roman handed the email to Sami, and then left her alone to read it. The note said that Lucas was letting her go. "I still love you Sami and I always will but that's why I'm telling you again to forget about me. And to move on with your life," the email read.

Back at the DiMera mansion, a clearly exhausted and sad Sami entered the living room and collapsed into a chair. Over at the desk, E.J. stopped working when he noticed the dour look on Sami's face. Concerned, he asked her how she was. Sami claimed she was tired from lack of sleep, but on that note, E.J. inquired whether her lack of sleep was because of what had happened between them the night before. Sami denied it and demanded that he change the subject. E.J. offered to help her, and Sami quietly countered, "Will you drop Nicole as a client?" Unfazed, E.J. offered to do anything but that, and then he gently asked if he could hug her instead. Tears welled up in Sami's eyes, but she pulled herself together and told E.J. that she just needed to go for a walk. As Sami hurriedly walked out the front door, she overheard E.J.'s phone ring and him answer, "Hey, Nicole." Sami paused briefly in the doorway, and then rushed out into the night.

In Hope's living room, Hope had tea with Kayla. Not fooled by Hope's hovering, Kayla asked her whether Steve had pushed Hope to keep her company and take her to the doctor. Hope admitted Steve had asked her, and a defiant Kayla stated that she was not afraid of the Vitalis. Unsure, Hope cautioned Kayla that an extra pair of eyes on her back could only help. Kayla said that she felt Ava's behavior was all due to the drugs, but Hope reminded her that Ava not only shared a past with Steve, but that Ava was still Martino Vitali's daughter. Running late, Hope hurried Kayla out the door in order to make her doctor's appointment on time.

At Salem Hospital, Ava exited an exam room to find her cousin Angelo in the hallway. Angelo asked how her checkup went and Ava happily told him that her vitals were normal and that there would likely be no permanent damage from the drugs that she had taken. Smiling, Ava exclaimed that she wanted to start living her life again, and to only live in the present. Pleased to see the old Ava, Angelo happily agreed. Ava wondered aloud whether Dr. Neusbaum had given her the wrong drugs in order to keep draining money out of her father, and when she asked Angelo if he agreed, he was silent. Before Ava could question his silence, Kayla and Hope wandered into the same hallway and the foursome shared an awkward silence. Ava quietly thanked Kayla for diagnosing her problem, and Kayla inquired about Ava's health. Ava admitted she was much better, and then she wished Kayla luck at her appointment. As Kayla and Hope quickly walked away, Angelo chided Ava for her comments. Ava disagreed, saying that Kayla had saved her life. Angelo once again blamed Steve for Ava's sickness, but Ava ignored him. When Angelo said that he knew for a fact that Martino agreed with him about Steve, a worried Ava pressed Angelo to let her know if anyone was going to go after Steve. Angelo claimed he had no knowledge of any plans to take out Steve and, reassured, Ava suggested they go eat lunch.

At the Brady pub, Ava walked in and immediately noticed Stephanie. When Ava remarked on Stephanie's beauty, Angelo quickly countered that she was not as pretty as Ava. Ava smiled at first, but then paused and frowned. "How did you know I had an appointment at the hospital?" she sternly asked Angelo. Angelo claimed that she must have told him, but Ava did not remember the conversation. Ava pressed Angelo to explain why he was following her, and when she started to leave, Angelo stopped her. Angelo explained that her father had asked him to keep her busy that day so that she would not get hurt.

Back at Bo and Hope's, Kayla and Hope returned from the doctor's appointment. A frustrated Kayla was upset that the doctor had ordered her on bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy, but Hope reminded her that she had to do what was best for the baby. Kayla agreed that she would, but told Hope that she had no intention of forgetting about the Vitali family. Trying to lift Kayla's spirits, Hope headed into the kitchen to fetch tea and apple pie. As Kayla sat alone in the living room, she suddenly clenched her stomach in pain.

Down on the docks, the man that was following Steve earlier rushed down the stairs with a rifle in his hand. The man climbed behind some crates and peered through the rifle's scope. Across the dock, Steve wandered into the far side of the clearing, playing his harmonica. As a fisherman followed Steve onto the dock, Steve stood back behind a pole, just out of the rifle's site. Steve made a phone call to Bo and cryptically clued him in that he was being followed. Bo hung up the phone at the police station and turned to Roman saying, "Steve's in trouble."

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

by ChickenGrrl

Chloe and Philip were having dinner in the Kiriakis dining room when Nicole interrupted them. Nicole warned the two of them that Victor would not approve of their getting together, since he believed Chloe had almost ruined his grandson Brady's life. Philip told her to butt out, but she insisted that, despite what Philip might think, she really did care about him and was just trying to help. Nicole then got a phone call from E.J., inviting her to work out with him at the gym, so she left. Chloe reluctantly admitted that Nicole was right. She said they shouldn't be fooling around because she and Brady were still married. She added that she blamed herself for not being able to help Brady. Philip reminded her that Brady was the one who wanted the divorce, and urged her to let go. With a sly smile, he suggested that she use him as a distraction, and assured her there would be "no strings." She maintained that it just wouldn't be right. "I don't see it that way," Philip countered, "and deep down, neither do you." He rose from his chair and kissed her. She initially kissed back, then broke away, insisting she couldn't go through with it. He told her he knew she had returned to Salem for him, but she indignantly insisted she hadn't. She declared that it had been a mistake to stay at the mansion to get back at Victor, and left the dining room.

As Sami returned to the DiMera mansion, E.J. met her at the front door, where he handed his wife the baby monitor and announced that he was going to the gym. Marlena came in as E.J. was closing the door behind himself, and Sami immediately passed the monitor off to her mom. She asked Marlena to watch the twins while she went to the gym, and barely waited for an answer before dashing up the stairs.

At the Salem Health Club, Sami entered as E.J. was helping a female patron with some dumbbells. When Sami spotted them, she tried to sneak in unnoticed, but in the process she knocked over a display in the lobby. E.J. just smirked and pretended not to notice, and continued lifting weights. When E.J. turned his back, Sami came in and climbed onto an exercise machine and began to work out furiously. The young man on the machine next to hers introduced himself as Chris, then followed her gaze across the room and asked who E.J. was. When Nicole entered and greeted E.J., Chris commented that she was hot, but Sami loudly coughed, "Bitch!" and glared in E.J. and Nicole's direction. Nicole and E.J. walked over on the pretense of saying hello, and E.J. remarked that he wasn't aware Sami had planned to come to the gym. Sami haughtily replied that her friend Chris had invited her. Nicole said something pointed about working out with E.J., then asked E.J. to join her in the steam room. After they had gone, Sami asked Chris if he'd spy on them for her. He eagerly agreed, and scampered off in that direction.

Nicole locked the steam room door behind her and purred, "I bet you Sami is dying to know what we're doing in here." She sat next to E.J. and kissed him deeply. Outside, Chris tried to open the door, and when he found it locked, he put his ear to the door. He gasped when he heard Nicole's moans, and dashed back over to Sami and breathlessly told her what he'd heard. Sami then stormed over to the steam room and started to bang on the door, then stopped. "If he wants to be with Nicole, that is his problem," she huffed, then stomped away again.

Inside, E.J. broke away from Nicole, reminding them both that he was in love with Sami. "Who said anything about love?" Nicole replied, and the two began kissing again.

Marlena carried the baby monitor into the living room, where John was still working on solving the mansion's break-in. She started to tell him that she had put out some feelers about the burglary, when Daniel Jonas knocked on the door. Daniel told Marlena that he needed some advice with a personal problem, so Marlena asked John to give them some privacy. He refused, pointing out that they had been in the middle of a conversation, but she firmly told him that they would finish after she had talked with Daniel. Once John had left, Marlena invited Daniel to sit on the couch and asked what he needed to discuss. John listened at the door as Daniel explained how his wife's death had left him "a little gun-shy" about getting involved again, especially with a patient. He continued that he was worried it was happening again, and asked Marlena, "How do you fall out of love and move on?" She smiled and said she didn't think that was possible. She then asked him to close his eyes and picture his wife there, and then to imagine what she would say to him. Though he admitted the visualization was hard for him, Daniel finally concluded that his wife might say, "My baby, you have so much to give. Allow yourself to love someone." Marlena agreed that it was very good advice. He admitted he was unsure of how he felt, and asked what he should do. She replied that she couldn't tell him that, nor could she tell him what to feel, but asked if their talk had helped him at all. He admitted that it had, a little, and confessed that although he might be great in the operating room, he wasn't as great when it came to figuring out his personal life. Marlena declared that she thought he hadn't decided whether he wanted to act on his feelings, nor whether he was ready to take another risk emotionally. He asked her again what he should do, and she advised him that, if he did pursue a relationship with his patient, he should take things slowly. Daniel thanked Marlena for her time and help, and she wished him luck.

After Marlena saw Daniel out, John asked if they could continue their conversation. She said they could if he'd explain why he'd been eavesdropping. John maintained that it was his house and he could do as he chose. Marlena admonished him that she was a doctor and required privacy on the rare occasion that she must see patients at home. He reluctantly concurred, and asked what she had meant earlier about the feelers she'd put out. She replied that she'd asked Roman for help investigating the break-in. He declared that he did not want a cop working on it, and that he didn't want her involved, either. She countered that she loved him, so they were in it together.

At the Brady Pub, Chelsea and Kate dined at a table near the bar. Kate asked how her granddaughter was doing emotionally, since she had recovered physically. Chelsea said she was coping. She then asked for Kate's advice on how to make a guy realize he loved her, and admitted she was talking about Daniel. When Kate asked about Nick, Chelsea informed her that she and Nick had broken up-and though she finally knew she wanted a relationship with Daniel, he didn't want her. This surprised Kate, so Chelsea filled her in about Daniel's wife and how he blamed himself for her death. Kate said she could tell Daniel cared about Chelsea, but added that she thought Chelsea should get as far away from him as possible before she got hurt. Chelsea insolently reminded Kate of her own poor track record with men, including gangsters like Martino Vitali. Kate didn't take much offense, and calmly said Martino was part of her past. She told Chelsea she'd known plenty of men who had "issues," and stressed that until Daniel got over his wife's death, he'd never be able to commit to a relationship with Chelsea.

Daniel arrived at the pub just then and went to the bar. He observed Chelsea sitting nearby, but she looked away uncomfortably. Kate quietly assured her granddaughter that she only wanted Chelsea to be happy, then said goodnight and left. Daniel asked Chelsea if he could join her, and then confided that he'd been to a shrink to talk about their situation. She asked what he'd learned. He replied that he didn't have any answers, adding "All I know is the concept of 'us' is just... it's not happening right now." Chelsea told him that she'd also talked about their situation with Kate, who had warned her that, if she and Daniel got involved, Chelsea would only end up hurt. She added that she disagreed, but she wasn't going to chase after him-even though she believed they would be great together. She told him if to call her he figured things out, and then departed, leaving Daniel a bit stunned.

Ava and Angelo were also at the Brady Pub, where she grilled him about why he'd been instructed to keep her busy. He reluctantly told her that her father was planning to "take care of Patch." Though Angelo warned her the plan was already in motion, Ava urgently dialed Martino and told him she needed to talk to him immediately. When she hung up, she asked Angelo why he'd told her what her father was doing. He confided that he was sick and tired of how Martino treated her. She assured him that, since she was off the meds, the days of her father's controlling her were over.

Martino arrived, escorted by two of his thugs, and tried to kiss Ava hello. She flinched and ordered her father to sit as Angelo made his exit. She then demanded that Martino stop the hit on Steve, but he pretended not to know what she was talking about.

Hope and Kayla were sitting on Hope's couch, enjoying some tea, when Bo called to tell his wife that Steve was in trouble. He urged her not to let Kayla know what was going on, so as nonchalantly as possible she told him she loved him and she'd be right there.

Down on the docks, a gunman watched through his rifle's scope as Steve paced and played his harmonica, unaware that Steve had spotted him and called for help. The man kept trying to get a bead on his target, but Steve managed to stay just out of range by ducking behind crates and pillars. Suddenly, the gunman had a clear shot-but before he could fire off a round, he felt the barrel of a pistol against his own temple. Bo stood over him and put him under arrest. Another officer handcuffed the gunman while Bo read him his rights and Hope searched his pockets. With a look of satisfaction, Hope pulled out the man's wallet and showed it to Steve. As the officer led the gunman to the squad car, Hope remarked that she hoped they could use the new evidence they'd found. Steve asked how Kayla was, and then headed to Bo and Hope's house to pick his wife up.

Kayla, bored with waiting for Hope to return, rose from the couch to call Steve. Before she reached her purse she doubled over in pain. She collapsed on the couch, calling Steve's name, then finally managed to crawl to the phone. She dialed 9-1-1 and anxiously told the operator that she was 26 weeks pregnant and thought she was going into labor.

As Ava continued to plead with her father to call off the hit on Steve, Bo flung open the door of the pub. Bo ordered the thugs to sit down and keep their hands visible, and Hope announced that Martino was under arrest. When Martino asked, "For what?" Bo replied, "Two counts of murder, and the attempted murder of Steve Johnson." Ava glowered at her father.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

by LaDaisia

Sami returned to the DiMera mansion ranting and raving about E.J. and Nicole. Rolf told her to keep it down because the kids were sleeping. She complained to Rolf that she was stuck married to E.J. Sami said she had no feelings for E.J. Rolf told Sami he overheard E.J. talking to the prison warden in an effort to get Lucas an early release from jail.

Nicole and E.J. kissed in the steam room of the gym, but E.J. made her stop, saying he felt like he was cheating on Sami. E.J. tried to explain, but Nicole stopped him, guessing he probably wanted to stay close to Sami because of his son. E.J. corrected her and said it was because he loved Sami. Nicole warned E.J. that Sami was in love with Lucas and would never care about E.J.-and the minute Lucas walked back into her life, Sami would forget about E.J. E.J. explained his plan to get Lucas released from jail so he could have a fair fight for Sami's love. When E.J. returned to the mansion, Sami accused him of sleeping with Nicole. Then she asked him to explain why he was trying to help get Lucas released from prison. E.J. and Sami had it out over him raping her, which led to their son's conception. E.J. apologized for hurting her and asked that she wipe the slate clean, and Sami agreed. Just when they were making progress, Nicole barged in and flirted with E.J. He pushed her away, and Sami threw her out. Then she kissed him but regretted it afterwards and ran upstairs.

Stephanie met Max at the wharf, and he apologized for lying to her about Nick's grant and not trusting her. Stephanie said she realized Max was just trying to be a friend to Nick, but she wondered why he couldn't have just told her that. Max said Nick accused him of tampering with his work before when Max used a piece of paper from Nick's notebook to write down a phone number. Then Max and Stephanie made up.

Back at the Brady Pub, Bo had police officers pat down Ava Vitali's father, Martino, and cousin, Angelo, and take her father's bodyguards away. Martino told Bo he didn't have anything on him, then Hope presented proof that the man who tried to shoot Steve killed Dr. Nussbaum. Martino said they couldn't prove he hired the gunman, but Ava said she could. She said she knew everyone on his payroll. Angelo told Ava that Dr. Nussbaum was acting on Martino's orders to drug her. Ava told her father he kept her drugged up to keep her from remembering that he'd had her mother killed. She attacked him, and he pulled out a gun from under a napkin and fired while Bo fired his gun at the same time. Martino was fatally shot. After his body was removed, Roman reminded Ava and Angelo that they were still out on bail and weren't allowed to leave town. Bo told Hope that Martino got off easy.

At Bo and Hope's house, Kayla went into early labor, so she called 9-1-1. Steve walked in as she doubled over in pain. The paramedics arrived and took her to the hospital. As Bo briefed Roman on what happened at the pub, he received word that Kayla had gone into labor.

Friday, May 16, 2008

by ChickenGrrl

A pajama-clad Sami found E.J. in the DiMera living room, where he was working at his computer and having a snack. Both admitted they hadn't been able to sleep. E.J. teased his wife that she'd enjoyed their kiss earlier. She denied it, though she admitted she had no idea why she'd kissed him, and then said she didn't want to talk about it. "Very well," E.J. conceded, then bade her goodnight. Sami stopped him, claiming they should discuss where the twins should go for preschool, but they were interrupted by a call from the prison. When E.J. hung up, he informed her that Lucas hadn't made the cut for early release. Crushed, Sami tried to hold back the tears as she declared she would just have to accept the fact that Allie would have to grow up without a father. E.J. quietly told her that she didn't have to pretend not to be upset. He took her gently in his arms, and she crumpled into miserable tears.

When she finally pulled away, she muttered something about hating girls who cried all the time. "You don't cry all the time, darling-sometimes you're angry," E.J. cracked, which elicited a wry smile from Sami. He assured her that his shoulders were always available for her to cry on. She vowed to just focus on being strong for the children, and he agreed that was wise. He then wished her a good night again, because he was due to play tennis with Nicole the next morning. Sami stopped him and asked him sincerely what he saw in Nicole. He replied that it was more about what Nicole saw in him, adding, "She thinks I'm a bit of all that." He alluded to the fact that Sami did not share that sentiment, which brought about a playful argument, and then he asked her straight out how she felt about him. She hedged for as long as she could, but he kept pressing her for an answer. He contended that she had been giving him mixed signals, because she maintained that she didn't care about him, but then acted jealous of Nicole-and she'd kissed him. He said that if Sami wanted him not to have anything other than an attorney-client relationship with Nicole, she just had to give him a reason. Sami moved closer to him, eyes blazing, until she was inches from his face. "You are my husband," she declared firmly, her voice barely above a whisper, "and there is no way I'm just going to stand by and let that slut sink her claws into you. You got me?" E.J. smiled impishly and replied, "What are you going to do about it?" Breathing heavily, she slowly moved her face closer to his, and finally kissed him, tenderly at first, then more passionately.

Chloe wandered into the Kiriakis dining room to make herself a drink. Victor was already sitting there alone, and when he saw Chloe, he angrily demanded to know what she was doing there and threatened to have her arrested for trespassing. Unfazed, she poured a brandy and reminded him that she was family. They argued about how she was no longer welcome in his house, and how Brady had filed for divorce. Finally Philip entered and informed Victor that he'd invited Chloe to stay there. Victor then asked to speak to his son alone. Chloe agreed but still managed to anger Victor again, and they argued so loudly that Philip had to shush them. Once they were alone, Philip complained that Victor had kept Brady's whereabouts from him, but Victor retorted that Philip was keeping secrets as well. Philip claimed not to know what his father was talking about, and was stunned when Victor informed him that he knew Philip's man had broken into the DiMera mansion. Philip insisted that once he'd figured out what he'd found, he'd planned to fill Victor in. He then told his father about the computer disk from the safe. He continued that he'd been monitoring John's conversations for a while, and had gleaned that since Stefano had locked the disk in a safe it must contain something important, so he was having its contents decrypted.

Victor commended his son on how he'd handled the whole situation with John, and declared that Philip was ready to take on even more responsibility. Surprised, Philip reminded his dad how he already handled the Kiriakis shipping lines as well as their manufacturing and publishing divisions. Victor replied that because he was exhausted from what had happened with Brady and Chloe, he was ready to hand over control of even more of the company to Philip. He explained that the John Black situation had shown him that Philip he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, though he admitted he'd hoped his son could remain above all that. Once Victor had reassured him that he wasn't retiring, Philip vowed he wouldn't let Victor down. Victor then confessed that he'd been frightened when Philip had gone off to war and lost his leg, and admitted he was worried that running the family business wouldn't be challenging enough for Philip. Philip assured him it was. Victor then presented Philip with a leather folder and proclaimed, "This is your legacy, and your future." Philip thanked him, but Victor declared that he'd earned it.

Later, as Philip sat alone at the table with the folder's contents spread in front of him, Chloe returned. Philip told her Victor had just given him control of most of the business, and somewhat coldly assured her that it wouldn't affect her divorce settlement. He added that Victor would likely try to make sure that she never got a cent. She asserted that she hadn't married Brady for his money. She then congratulated him, and playfully added, "Handsome, rich, and powerful-that's a pretty potent combination." He replied, "You forgot about ruthless." She laughed, but he startled her by turning and giving her an icy, withering glare, which he allowed to slowly soften into a sly grin.

In the delivery room at University Hospital, a worried Kayla begged Dr. Elman to stop her contractions, because it was too soon for the baby to come. Sarah, the nurse, announced that Kayla was already somewhat dilated, but Dr. Elman reassured Kayla and Steve that the drug she was adding to Kayla's I.V. should slow the contractions. Steve and the doctor both urged Kayla to focus on staying relaxed. Kayla panicked when she felt another contraction, but Steve whispered assurances and reminded her to breathe. Dr. Elman stated that the baby's heartbeat sounded strong, but that the ultrasound she'd ordered would tell them more. Kayla refused the doctor's offer of an epidural because it could speed the contractions, so Dr. Elman injected something to help her relax. When the doctor ordered Sarah to alert the neonatal team, Kayla became even more distressed, but Dr. Elman pointed out that they had to be ready for anything.

Hope and Bo paced in the hallway, where Hope assured an anxious Bo that there was no need to call Caroline unless the doctors couldn't stop Kayla's contractions, but added that Stephanie should be there.

Stephanie was watching TV and eating popcorn with Chelsea at the Brady house when Hope called and told her that her mom was in labor. Stephanie quickly filled Chelsea in, and, both worried that the baby was coming too soon, the girls gathered their things and rushed out.

Bo and Hope went into Kayla's room to check on her, and Lexie announced that the ultrasound had not revealed any fetal distress. After another contraction, Kayla said she didn't think the drugs were working, and when Sarah examined Kayla she found that she'd dilated a little further. Dr. Elman, troubled that Kayla's contractions were getting stronger and closer together, added another drug into Kayla's I.V. to help slow her labor.

Bo and Hope were back in the hall when Stephanie and Chelsea arrived. Hope filled them in about the drugs Kayla was getting to slow her labor while Bo went to ask if Stephanie could go in and see her mom.

Lexie and Dr. Elman told Kayla the medications weren't working, but Kayla was terrified her baby wouldn't survive if it were born so early. Steve tried to reassure his wife that their baby was a fighter, and coached her through the next round of contractions. Lexie announced that, due to the timing of the contractions and how far Kayla was dilated, the baby was coming any minute, and asked Sarah to get the neonatal team. Stephanie came in during this flurry of activity in preparation for the delivery, and, alarmed that her mom was already giving birth, rushed over to her parents.

When the doctors wheeled an incubator past where the Bradys waited in the hall, Chelsea asked Hope if that meant the baby was about to be born. Hope sadly told her it did. Chelsea confessed she was worried about the baby coming too soon, adding how scared the Johnsons must be. Hope encouraged her to pray and hope for the best. Bo quietly noted to Hope that the ordeal must be hitting close to home for Chelsea, and went to put his arms around his daughter. Hope remembered spending time with Chelsea in the hospital after Chelsea had learned she was infertile. She recalled how she'd tried to convince Chelsea that Zack's death was an accident, and assured her stepdaughter that she loved her very much. Bo then asked Hope if Kayla would have gone into early labor if not for the ordeal at the Vitali compound. Hope said there was no way of knowing, and when Bo stopped short of saying he was glad Martino was dead, Chelsea overheard and demanded to know what they were talking about. Hope reluctantly told her how Martino Vitali had been killed. Chelsea yelled at her dad, worried that he could have been killed, but he urged her to try to forget about it and focus on Kayla.

A bit later, everyone in the delivery room had donned surgical gear, and Dr. Elman instructed Kayla to push. Kayla tried to refuse, crying again that it was too early, but Lexie firmly told her the baby was coming whether they were ready or not. Kayla moaned in pain while Steve and Stephanie uttered encouragement and everyone coached Kayla to push. Finally the baby was born. Kayla, Stephanie, and Steve were thrilled to hear that it was a boy, but their joy quickly turned to worry and fear when they saw the doctors' grim faces. "Why isn't he crying?" Kayla asked fearfully.

Bo, Hope, and Chelsea watched as the team of doctors pushed the incubator carrying Baby Boy Johnson past them, and, inside, Dr. Elman informed the Johnsons he was being taken to the neonatal intensive care unit. A panicked Kayla asked again why the baby wasn't crying. Lexie sadly told her that the he wasn't breathing. "No!" Kayla wailed over and over, sobbing hysterically as a devastated Steve held her, tears streaming down his own face, and Stephanie stood nearby and wept helplessly.