Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of February 16, 2009 on DAYS

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

Monday, February 16, 2009

by Ladaisia

Bo asked Hope why she wasn't returning his calls, and she said it was for the same reason that she moved out of the house - because she was still upset about what happened. Hope was afraid she was going to lose her job, but Bo said it wouldn't come to that, and he promised to make it up to her. Abe and Roman walked up while they were talking, and Roman asked if everything was okay.

Kayla tried to get out of her hospital bed so she could testify at Hope's police hearing, but Steve tried to stop her. Kayla thought she could help Hope keep her job, and maybe it would help Bo and Hope stay together.

At the DiMera mansion, E.J. ordered the maid to move all of Nicole's belongings into his bedroom. Meanwhile, Nicole was in the living room when she got a call from Mia, asking about her baby. Nicole told Mia to be strong for the baby's sake and ordered her not to call ever again. E.J. overheard her and asked whom Nicole was speaking to. Nicole pretended it was a telemarketer, and E.J. bought it.

After E.J. left, Mia called Nicole again and accused her of pretending to be nice, and Mia was having second thoughts about letting Nicole raise her baby. Mia said she was having trouble getting her career started, and all she could get was a backup dancer job.

Brady confronted Dr. Baker in the alley and made him promise not the threaten Nicole anymore. Dr. Baker accused Brady of still being in love with Nicole, and claimed he wouldn't have done some of the things that Nicole wanted him to do if she hadn't forced him. Dr. Baker tried to tell Brady that he wouldn't have switched the babies, but Brady wouldn't let him speak, and threatened him. Dr. Baker wondered why Brady cared so much for Nicole. Brady said Nicole had a good heart. Dr. Baker said Brady was a fool when it came to Nicole.

Philip confronted Melanie at the Brady Pub, but Stephanie interrupted when Philip started to lose his temper. E.J. called Melanie and set up a meeting with her on the pier after confirming that the part of the formula she wrote down for him was valid. Melanie pretended to be talking to Max so that Philip wouldn't know what she was up to. Melanie said goodbye to Philip, and he asked where she was going, but Melanie said she didn't have to tell him anything. Philip tried to stop Melanie from leaving, but Stephanie intervened and told him to let her go.

Max and Chelsea walked in after Melanie left. Philip realized that Melanie was trying to deceive him, so he took off after her. Stephanie filled Chelsea in on how Philip had been acting, and Chelsea told her to talk to him about it, but Stephanie said that didn't seem to work. Max brought over drinks for them, but they stopped talking, and Stephanie excused herself from the table. Max assumed that Stephanie was complaining that Melanie made Philip into a bad person. Chelsea told Max to take it easy on Philip. Stephanie overheard him and told him not to badmouth Philip in her presence.

Stephanie left, and before Chelsea could say anything, Max assumed she was going to tell him what a jerk he was and that he was still hung up on Stephanie, which is why he got upset about Stephanie and Philip. Max claimed to only care for Stephanie as a friend, but Chelsea didn't believe him. Max told Chelsea not to tell him how to feel, and Chelsea told him he was obsessed with Philip and Stephanie. They got into an argument, and she tried to walk off, until he stopped her and apologized. He said was upset about Philip and Stephanie because they always blamed their problems on his sister, Melanie.

Chelsea asked if Max considered Stephanie a friend just like he considered her a friend. Chelsea asked if what she and he had was just a friendship. Max wondered if she wanted more than a friendship. At first, she denied it, and then she said she wanted something more.

E.J. gave Melanie an advance on her profits for the alternative fuel project, and she promised to get him the other half of the formula so he could pay her more money. E.J. wanted to know how he could be sure that she wouldn't skip town without giving him the rest of the formula. Melanie asked him if the injunction Philip filed against her would last a long time, and E.J. assured her that he was taking care of it. E.J. asked Melanie how she was able to get a look at the formula and whether someone helped her get to the formula. She said she had help but the person didn't know he was helping her because she was very smart.

Philip confronted E.J. and Melanie and accused her of industrial espionage and trying to steal corporate secrets. E.J. baited him by telling him to call the police if he felt that a crime had been committed. Then, E.J. excused himself. Philip grabbed the envelope full of money from Melanie, and he was confounded that E.J. gave her an advance for the project. Melanie squealed with delight at watching him squirm.

Philip threw the money on the ground, and Melanie picked it up and started to leave. Then she turned around and told him things didn't have to be that way and that he could give her what she wanted. Melanie told Philip that he could solve his problems by making a gesture of good faith to her.

Brady stopped by the mansion to see Nicole, and she was upset when she realized that Brady had confronted Dr. Baker, because she had tried to keep Brady out of it. She warned him to stay away from the doctor. Brady suspected that Nicole was hiding something else, and he demanded to know what it was. Nicole characterized Dr. Baker as a gambling addict and asked Brady whom he would believe - an addict who sold babies or someone he cared about.

Brady told her he would always believe her over someone like Dr. Baker, and he hoped they would always be friends. Brady asked if Nicole would shut him out if she did something she thought he wouldn't approve of. Nicole said she couldn't handle it if he turned on her, too. He promised he wouldn't do that and that he would be her friend. After Brady left, Nicole called Dr. Baker and asked why he had talked to Brady.

Dr. Baker said that Brady tracked him down, and he assumed that Nicole was sleeping with Brady. Dr. Baker was curious as to when she was going to tell Brady about the baby switch, but she said she never planned to tell him. Dr. Baker assumed that Brady was in love with Nicole. She got mad and hung up on him after she said she would call him the next day.

At her hearing, Roman and Bo testified about what happened at the hospital when Hope accidentally shot Kayla. The officials wanted to know if the rules allowed Hope to fire at will in a hostage situation. Bo told them firing at will required the direct verbal command of the ranking officer on the scene and Hope didn't receive that order. Bo tried to give more positive testimony on Hope's behalf, but the review board stopped him and made a note that he was married to Hope. The board told them they needed time to confer.

Then, Kayla interrupted the meeting and demanded to testify on Hope's behalf. After Kayla's testimony, a board member mentioned that Kayla was related to Hope through marriage. After the hearing, Hope walked out of the room, handed Bo her badge, and walked off.

Nicole waited in the bedroom for E.J. and talked to Sydney about how complicated things were becoming between her and Brady. When E.J. walked in, she kissed him and then asked him to make love with her. He reminded her that they couldn't have sex since she'd just had a baby.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

by Spalding

On the Salem pier, Melanie urged Philip to offer a gesture of good faith and get rid of Stephanie. Philip lashed out at Melanie and told her that everyone in town despised her. Giggling, Melanie countered that Philip liked her because she appreciated Philip's ruthless side. Angry, Philip continued to call Melanie crazy, but Melanie just reiterated her offer to keep the fuels project at Titan if Philip broke up with Stephanie. When Philip scoffed at her audacity, Melanie argued that her boldness was better than being boring like Stephanie. "I knew you were delusional but for you to ever think that I would get involved with a lying bitch like you is crazy," Philip snarled.

Philip cautioned Melanie that he was growing closer to Stephanie every day, but Melanie argued that the body language between Stephanie and him did not support his statement. Leaning in close, Philip warned Melanie that if she "screw[ed] over me or Titan, I will do everything in my power to destroy you." As Philip stormed off the pier, Melanie smiled to herself and whispered, "God, I hope so."

Philip marched in the Titan offices still fuming from his argument with Melanie. When Philip walked up to his office door, he remembered that he had left Stephanie alone earlier. Philip called her cell phone and left a message apologizing for not returning to her. Citing that he was currently at the Titan offices, Philip asked her to call him there.

At the police station Hope handed her badge over to Bo. Apologizing for her suspension, Bo said, "I'm sorry this happened." "So am I," Hope said firmly. Hope reminded Bo that she believed in his visions and that she could not stop thinking that if he had told her about his vision of Kayla that the shooting could have been avoided. "I'll never forgive myself," Hope said shaking her head. "Or me?" Bo asked. Frustrated, Bo offered to head into the boardroom and change their minds about the suspension, but Hope asked him to back off. Hope added that their problems were not just limited to the suspension.

"After everything we've been through we're gonna let this come between us? That's crazy!" Bo pleaded. Holding back her emotions, Hope said that she did not know how to get past it because she would always have the memory of seeing Kayla lying on the floor, bleeding. Bo begged Hope not to shut him out, because their marriage was worth fighting for. When Hope refused to go home with him, Bo asked her to go home with him for Ciara's sake. Upset, Hope said she was not ready to go home and that she was not sure when she would be ready.

At Salem Hospital, Stephanie and Steve told Kayla how proud they were that she went to testify on Hope's behalf at her hearing. Kayla worried aloud about Hope's relationship with Bo, which caused Stephanie's eyes to tear up. "Why does it always have to be so hard?" Stephanie lamented. Kayla inquired whether Stephanie had broken up with Philip, and, concerned, Steve asked whether Philip had hurt Stephanie. Stephanie assured her parents that Philip had not hurt her and that her problem with Philip was that she did not like his ruthless side when it came to business. "It's obvious it's not meant to be," Stephanie said.

Steve advised Stephanie to dump Philip, but upset, Stephanie asked her father not to tell her what to do. "I'm not a kid and I already know what I need to do and you'll be happy to hear that I'm..." Stephanie cried out before stopping herself and asking her parents to leave her alone. Steve agreed that he would let her make her own decisions but reminded her that her happiness meant the world to him. With the emotion drained from her voice, Stephanie announced that things were over with Philip, then said goodbye and left her mother's hospital room.

As Kayla and Steve started discussing the problems between Bo and Hope, Roman walked into Kayla's room and informed them about Hope's suspension pending a full investigation. When Roman went outside to take a phone call, a furious Kayla grabbed her cell phone and started to call Abe. Steve took the phone from her hand and encouraged her to let go of her anger and concentrate on recuperating. Kayla resisted at first, but Steve reminded her that Bo and Hope had gotten through worse situations before and had emerged from those times even stronger.

While Philip was working at Titan, Stephanie walked in and jokingly asked where Melanie was hiding. Philip attempted to explain why he had run after Melanie, but Stephanie told him she was not interested in his reasons. Undaunted, Philip argued that he needed to run after Melanie because she was attempting to scheme with E.J. Stephanie countered that there would always be a reason to obsess over Melanie because she had what he wanted and that he would do whatever it took to get it. "There is no way she will take what is mine," Philip yelled.

Stephanie pleaded with Philip to be satisfied with all his accomplishments and let the project go. Sneering, Philip joked that he should become a bartender. "I'll be bored to death and poor, but hey, if it makes you happy!" Philip said mockingly. Hurt, Stephanie asked Philip why he was being mean to her. Philip apologized for upsetting Stephanie and asked her to understand what he needed to do for his career and for Titan. Noting the look on Stephanie's face, Philip argued that he did not want her to be disappointed in him because she meant so much to him. Stephanie told Philip that she wanted the kind side of him back, and trying to soften her anger, Philip kissed her. "I want to be with you. Only you," Philip whispered. Unsure, Stephanie confided that she was worried about the effect that Melanie had on him.

At the Brady Pub, an emotional Chelsea told Max that she had feelings for him and wanted more from their relationship. Chelsea immediately then took back what she said and blamed her mood for her outburst. Nervously, Chelsea sat Max down at a table to order dessert. While Chelsea nervously chatted about the dessert options, Max attempted to explain that he felt the same way about Chelsea. Max asked Chelsea to listen to him, and then he explained that he had been having feelings for a while, but Chelsea had said that she wanted to remain friends. Smiling, Max then explained that when she said that she had feelings for him, he realized that they might have a chance to be together.

Feeling guilty, Chelsea told Max that Stephanie had explained that she was uncomfortable with the idea of Max and Chelsea dating again. Max scoffed at Chelsea's fears and urged her to get over what other people thought about them, because their relationship only concerned the two of them. Staring into her eyes, Max explained that when he saw Chelsea with Theo down on the pier that he thought if he ever dated her again, "I'd never let you go again." Chelsea lunged across the table and kissed Max passionately.

As Melanie walked into the pub, she spotted Max and Chelsea kissing at a table. Giggling, Melanie walked over and interrupted the two lovers by telling them she was happy for them. Uneasy, Chelsea grabbed her coat and left the siblings to chat. Melanie told Max that she approved of his upgrade from Stephanie, but unwilling to banter, Max tried to walk away. Melanie grabbed Max's arm to stop him, then asked whether Max wanted to know about how things were with Philip. Max started to scold Melanie for continuing with her plan to play the DiMeras against Titan, but Melanie beamed and announced that she loved the adrenaline rush of it all.

In Nicole's bedroom at the DiMera mansion, E.J. walked in to find Nicole getting ready for bed. Nicole grabbed E.J. and asked him to make love to her. Startled, E.J. reminded Nicole that she could not have sex yet since she just gave birth. Correcting herself, Nicole explained that making love did not necessarily entail sex. Intrigued, E.J. kissed Nicole and the two fell into bed together.

While E.J. applauded Nicole's "creativity," the two lay in bed together, enjoying one another's company. Sydney woke from her nap, and Nicole went to her closet to get a bottle out of the mini fridge. While Nicole was out of the room, E.J. received a call from Roman. E.J. demanded to know when Sami would be returning home, since Johnny had been crying for his mother. Roman explained that they were delaying Sami's return in order to investigate whether there were other people involved in carrying out the hit on Sami. Returning to the bedroom, Nicole heard the end of the phone conversation.

E.J. filled Nicole in on Roman's call and explained to her that the killer had been shot a few days earlier. Surprised, Nicole asked why E.J. had not told her sooner that they had caught the mayor's killer. E.J. explained that with all that was going on with Sydney, he wanted to spare Nicole from getting upset. Already upset, Nicole argued that it was only a matter of time until Sami returned home and Nicole became an afterthought to E.J.

E.J. promised that Sami's homecoming would not change their lives together, but thinking of the baby switch, Nicole became more agitated. Nicole explained that she wanted E.J. all to herself, and E.J. agreed that he felt the same way about her. E.J. argued that nothing would ever come between their family or their love, and that Sami could not change that. Nervous, Nicole questioned whether E.J. knew of any major changes with Sami, but he confessed that he had not heard anything else about her.

Nicole awoke in bed to find that both E.J. and Sydney were gone. Panicking, Nicole jumped out of bed and rushed to the door to find a stern-faced E.J. holding Sydney. E.J. warned Nicole to prepare for a "nightmare of monumental proportions." Confused, Nicole asked what E.J. meant. With a menacing tone to his voice, E.J. cautioned that Nicole had crossed the DiMeras and that they would have their revenge. When E.J. turned around and started to leave the room, Nicole begged E.J. to explain. "You are going to pay for what you did," E.J. growled. E.J. ordered Nicole to leave the house, and then announced that he was taking Sydney to see her real mother.

Nicole woke up from her dream, crying out. E.J. slept quietly beside her, unaware of Nicole's nightmare about him. "Sami may be coming home but she's not gonna break up my family. Not while there is a breath left in my body," Nicole swore.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

by ChickenGrrl

Daniel called Chloe on her cell phone as she was walking through the park. He told her that if Kate's latest round of tests indicated that she was in remission, he and Chloe could leave town together right away.

As Daniel hung up, he turned and almost ran into Kate, who had just come from having blood drawn. They both admitted to feeling hopeful about the results. Kate thanked Daniel for all he'd done. As they hugged, Maggie came around the corner and spotted them. She glared at Daniel, then greeted them both pleasantly, and asked Kate how Lucas was doing. Kate replied that Lucas wasn't handling things well. With a pointed glance at Daniel, Maggie asked if Kate knew why Chloe had dumped Lucas. Kate didn't know, but was still hopeful that they would patch things up and get married.

When Chloe hung up, she turned to find Lucas and Allie. Though Lucas tried to discourage it, Allie ran up and gave Chloe a big hug. Allie then went to play with a little friend, and Lucas declared that he didn't want Chloe anywhere near his daughter in the future. Chloe sadly asserted that she'd never meant to hurt Lucas. He demanded that she stop spouting clichs and tell him the truth about why she really broke up with him.

Chloe began to cry, maintaining that she was a horrible person and that Lucas deserved better. Although he was angry, Lucas confessed that he couldn't hate her, because he still loved her. "I still love you, too," Chloe admitted, but Lucas didn't buy it. Chloe insisted she did love him, and wished she could go back and change things. Lucas declared that he'd had enough of her lies, and stormed off.

After Kate had said her goodbyes, Maggie confronted Daniel. He claimed he had patients to see, but Maggie read him the riot act. She maintained that Chloe didn't really love him-she only loved the excitement of doing something illicit. Daniel retorted that he and Chloe had never meant to hurt anyone-and if Maggie couldn't understand that, she should mind her own business. Maggie firmly asserted that it was her business: her nephew was hurting because he didn't understand why Chloe had dumped him, but everyone would eventually find out that Chloe had cheated. Daniel insisted that he and Chloe had nothing to be ashamed of. Maggie was incredulous, and declared that Daniel was despicable for not caring how many people he and Chloe had hurt-including Kate. Maggie added darkly, "Hell hath no fury like Kate Roberts scorned."

Chloe sat on a bench, sobbing. A kindly old priest observed her misery, and asked if she'd like to talk. Chloe blurted tearfully, "I've done a terrible thing, Father, and I need some help." As he listened patiently, she poured her heart out about her adoption, her unhappy childhood, her struggle with cancer, her marriage, and her divorce. She said she'd always felt like a strong person, but confessed that recently she'd been feeling weak, because she hadn't been able to control her feelings. Taking a deep breath, she finally declared, "I'm a slut. There, I said it."

Chloe explained that she'd cheated on her fianc, and when she hadn't been able to end things with the other man, she'd broken off her engagement. The priest asked if she believed she'd made a mistake. Chloe admitted she didn't know what to do, but knew she deserved to end up alone. The priest asked if she wanted his advice, and Chloe assured him she did.

E.J. chided Melanie when she arrived late for their meeting on the docks, and accused her of telling Philip that she was taking the fuels project to the DiMeras. She denied it, assuring E.J. that she'd handled Philip like a pro. E.J. doubted that, and informed Melanie that his team was very close to figuring out the rest of the formula she'd given him-rendering her completely dispensable. E.J. also believed that Melanie had a thing for Philip, and was using the fuels project as leverage. She swore rather unconvincingly that she didn't care about Philip, and asked what she could do to prove her loyalty to E.J. E.J. simply cautioned her that waging a war always meant casualties, and then strolled away.

As Philip was rushing out the door to work, Victor stopped him by telling him that Brady had convinced one of Philip's important accounts to sign with Titan. Philip was furious, so Brady attempted to apologize. Though clearly exasperated with Philip, Victor tried to explain why he'd had Brady call on the account. Their words fell on deaf ears. Victor then informed his son that, because he was uneasy having Philip at the helm of Titan solo, he'd asked Brady to try to smooth things over with Melanie.

Philip became even more incensed, insistent that he had Melanie and the fuels project under control. Victor argued that Philip had lost his grip because he lusted after Melanie. Philip vehemently denied it, and asked for one more chance to prove himself. Victor agreed, but warned that one mistake meant that Philip would be looking for a job. Victor stalked out. Philip grumbled that Brady hadn't stood up for him. Brady countered that butting heads with Victor was a never a good idea, but assured Philip that he had no interest in working with Melanie.

Kate arrived just then, interrupting Brady and Philip's argument. After Brady left, Kate told Philip she'd just come from the hospital, but didn't have the test results yet. Both of them were optimistic that it would be good news, and Kate declared that she was ready to finally be back. She then suggested that Philip and Lucas go on vacation with her soon, and Philip agreed that it sounded like a good idea.

Victor returned, and Philip quickly made an excuse to leave. Kate observed the chill in the air, and asked Victor what was going on between the Victor and Philip. Victor asserted that he'd simply reprimanded Philip for making a mistake. Kate reminded him that there were more important things in life than work. She confided that, if she got a clean bill of health, she planned to become more involved in her sons' lives. Victor argued that her sons were grown men who didn't need her help, but she countered that he wanted the best for his children as much as she did. They began to argue about Chloe; Victor maintained that the girl was a tramp, but Kate wanted to try to make things right between Chloe and Lucas. Their conversation turned to Daniel, and Kate admitted that she'd pushed him away because of her illness. Victor urged her to tell Daniel that she still cared for him.

Kate returned to the hospital, and invited Daniel to go out for a drink with her after his shift. He hedged, so she added that she wanted to talk with him. Daniel admitted that he had something to tell her, as well, and Kate assumed he had bad news about her test results.

Brady ran into E.J. outside the Brady Pub, where they immediately began sniping at each other about Nicole. When Brady asserted that Nicole would be making a huge mistake if she married into E.J.'s family, E.J. pointed out that Brady was also a DiMera. He added that Stefano didn't take disloyalty to the family lightly, cautioning, "If you insist on clinging to these Kiriakis roots of yours, let me assure you: you're as fair game as anyone." Brady shrugged off E.J.'s warning, and the two men parted company.

Philip arrived in time to witness their exchange from a distance. Once E.J. had left, Philip confronted Brady, sure that he was talking to the DiMeras about the fuels project behind Philip's back. Brady insisted that the subject hadn't even come up. Philip declared, "If you don't back off from my project, you're the one who's going to be looking for a new job."

A short while later, Philip was pounding on the door of the DiMera mansion. When an annoyed E.J. answered, Philip asserted that he knew E.J. was using Melanie to steal the fuels project from Titan. E.J. tried to feign ignorance, so Philip declared, "We are going to settle this right here, right now."

Lucas went to the Brady Pub and sat at the bar. Eying the bottles of booze, he tried to talk himself out of having a drink, but found himself ordering a Bloody Mary, anyway. Melanie arrived and recognized him as Philip's brother, so she introduced herself as Max's sister. Lucas shook her hand and acknowledged that he knew of her because she roomed at his Aunt Maggie's house. Lucas then tried, politely, to get rid of her, but when Melanie began asking for his advice, he rudely barked at her to leave him alone. Melanie walked away indignantly, calling Lucas a jerk, loudly enough for him to hear it.

The bartender returned, setting the drink down in front of Lucas. Lucas again tried to convince himself that he didn't need it. He decided to call Maggie, his sponsor, to talk him out of it, and began searching through his pockets for his phone. He found Chloe's engagement ring first, and sadly remembered the night she'd returned it. Finally Lucas gave up, flung the garnish and the straw onto the bar, and downed half of the drink in one gulp.

Melanie returned home to the Horton kitchen, where she found Maggie taking some aspirin. When Maggie learned that Melanie had just met Lucas, she asked if he'd seemed all right. Melanie replied that he hadn't, adding with a chuckle that, despite the early hour, Lucas had ordered a Bloody Mary. A worried Maggie immediately began trying to call Lucas.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

by Ladaisia

Philip went to the DiMera mansion and tried to intimidate E.J. into backing off the alternative fuels project. E.J. mocked Philip for trying to scare him. While they were going at it, Tony walked in and berated them for fighting. Tony chastised E.J. and Philip for trying to start a war between the Kirkiakises and the DiMeras. E.J. said he was able to separate business from his personal life, unlike Philip, who allowed his attraction towards Melanie to cloud his judgment, which caused him to lose the fuels patent.

Philip grabbed E.J., called him a "smug son of a bitch" and threatened to run him out of town. E.J. said when the smoke cleared, Philip would understand that it was the way Philip mistreated Melanie that caused him to lose the fuels deal. Philip said E.J. had no idea what he was getting himself into. Philip vowed that it wasn't over, and E.J. threw him out. Tony told E.J. he had a lot to learn.

E.J. didn't want to listen to Tony, but Tony chewed E.J. out anyway. He said E.J. didn't think things through. E.J. reminded Tony that E.J. did everything for the company. Tony asked him if he thought the company was his, and E.J. said it wasn't Tony's. That set Tony off. He said E.J. better not dismiss Tony's contributions, because Tony had worked tirelessly to put the company on top where it was. E.J. accused him of overreacting over nothing.

Tony said E.J. started a war between the two families, but E.J. said Tony was hyping things up. Tony asked if E.J. really thought that Philip would just roll over and concede, but E.J. didn't care what Philip was planning to do, because he had won the fuels contract. E.J. was furious at Tony for undermining him in front of Philip, and E.J. noted that Stefano would not like Tony's juvenile behavior. Tony said if Stefano found out what E.J. was up to, he'd fire E.J.'s arrogant butt. E.J. reminded Tony that Stefano chose E.J., because he trusted E.J.'s judgment.

Tony asked if Stefano would keep trusting E.J. even though he was about to start a war, no matter what the consequences, and E.J. said he was completely confident with his decision and Stefano would be, too, because Stefano had complete confidence in E.J. E.J. declared himself the golden child and stormed out the room. Tony laughed and called E.J. a fool behind his back; he predicted that E.J. was playing with fire.

Melanie mentioned to Maggie that she had seen Lucas at the Brady Pub ordering alcohol, and Maggie tried to reach him before it was too late and Lucas ruined his sobriety. Maggie called him on the phone, but he looked at his cell, realized it was her, put the phone down and said to himself, "Sorry, Maggie. You're too late."

Chloe confided in a priest she saw at the park about her affair with Daniel. She considered herself a greedy person for wanting the security of a relationship and a family, but once she got that, she got bored because she missed the passion and excitement that Daniel provided. The priest asked her for all the details of how she found herself in that dilemma.

She told him how she donated her bone marrow to Kate and how she and Daniel discovered they had a connection. Chloe said she slept with Daniel, and it was all that she had imagined it would be and more. But, she was afraid that if Lucas found out about her and Daniel, it would destroy him. The priest said there was nothing wrong with Chloe and that she had just fallen in love.

The priest said if Chloe's relationship with Lucas were truly satisfying, she never would have had to connect with another man. The priest told her of his decision to become a priest and how it wasn't really a choice - it was inevitable. He said his devotion to God was probably like finding a soul mate and it was much like what happened between her and Daniel. The priest didn't think she had to fight her attraction to Daniel and she probably couldn't if she tried. Chloe tried to clarify whether the priest was telling her to follow her heart. He said he couldn't tell her what would make her happy, because he didn't know.

Chloe realized that only God knew, but she was unsure of whether God answered prayers. The priest told her to pray and see if it worked. Chloe didn't think she would be good at praying, so she asked the priest if she could practice on him, so she said her prayer, asking for help figuring out who to choose, and the priest said her prayer sounded fine. She wondered how God would get back to her once she prayed, and he said God would find a way to communicate with her.

Abe was dropping Theo off at the hospital after picking him up from school, and when Abe tried to leave so he could go to work, Theo grabbed him and asked him to stay. Abe offered to take Theo to his therapy, thinking it wouldn't be a big deal if he missed work, but Lexie said they shouldn't indulge Theo's every request, because he needed to know how to deal with disappointment. Abe said Theo was making progress, but Lexie felt like she was failing Theo somehow. Abe reminded Lexie that Theo might never do some of the things that non-autistic kids did, but he showed his love in other ways. Abe told her he was proud of how dedicated she was to her family.

Chelsea met Stephanie on the docks to tell her that she and Max had kissed. It was the second time they had kissed, Chelsea said, but the first time hadn't meant anything. Chelsea wanted Stephanie to hear about it from her first. Stephanie pointed out that she and Max weren't seeing each other anymore. But Chelsea reminded Stephanie that she said she would have a problem if Chelsea and Max got together.

Stephanie was embarrassed remembering that she said that, but she said it was because it seemed too soon on the heels of Stephanie and Max's breakup for Chelsea and Max to get involved. Chelsea said she and Max were taking things slow anyway, and she asked about Stephanie and Philip. Stephanie said Philip didn't know what he wanted, and she was afraid he would turn his back on Stephanie and chase after Melanie. Chelsea encouraged Stephanie not to give up on Philip, and pointed out that his involvement with Melanie was just business-related.

Stephanie refused to take a back seat to Melanie. Chelsea told her to give Philip an ultimatum. Stephanie agreed to track Melanie down and put her on notice. Chelsea told her to do what she had to do, but not to get thrown into jail. Before leaving, Stephanie said she was happy for Chelsea and Max. Then Stephanie asked Chelsea to wish her good luck with Melanie, but Chelsea didn't think she needed it, since Philip only loved one woman - Stephanie.

Daniel tried to break the news to Kate that he and Chloe were seeing each other, but at first she thought he was going to tell her that her test results showed her cancer had returned. Daniel said there was nothing wrong with her, and as he started to speak again, he got Kate's test results from a nurse. Kate was in remission, and she was ecstatic to hear the good news.

Kate said getting cancer made things clear for her, and she was filled with hope, yet ready to accept the fact that the only thing certain about life was that the future was uncertain. Kate said she had promised that if she got a second chance, she would embrace life fully and cherish the people she loved and express that life and love fully. Then she grabbed Daniel and pulled him into a kiss. Kate apologized for kissing him, then took back her apology and said she planned to talk to him about them anyway.

Daniel tried to let Kate down easy, but she cut him off and said she broke up with him because she was afraid and uncertain of how things would go with the cancer and didn't want to put him through any type of loss again after what he had endured with his ex-wife. Daniel tried again to tell Kate about Chloe, but he changed his mind and said it could wait. He told Kate to go tell her kids the good news about her health status, so Kate followed his advice and left.

Lucas tried to drown his sorrows in a Bloody Mary at the Brady Pub, and he asked a bartender why love had to be so hard. He changed his mind about wanting the bartender's opinion and ordered another drink instead. Lucas stared at the engagement ring Chloe had given back to him and lamented about the love he lost. He thought he wasn't good enough for Chloe and he was a better man when he was with her. The bartender brought him another drink and told him to be careful.

When Theo saw Chelsea at the hospital, he ran up to her and gave her a hug. She offered to take Theo to his therapy session, and Theo turned around, pointed at Abe and Lexie, and said "family." Chelsea told him he was right and he was lucky to have both his parents.

Melanie felt bad for Lucas, and told Maggie that if Melanie knew he was a drunk, she would have stopped him. Maggie corrected her and said Lucas was a recovering alcoholic. Melanie wished she had known about Lucas' alcoholism so she could have called Maggie or taken the drink out of his hand. Melanie wondered why Lucas fell off the wagon, and Maggie said she knew why and was duty-bound as his aunt and sponsor to get him back on track.

Lucas went to another bar and ordered a vodka. The bartender mentioned how he thought Lucas was trying to stay sober, but Maggie grabbed the drink out of his hand. Maggie reminded Lucas that he was sober for six years before he got drunk. Maggie was angry at Chloe for pushing Lucas off the wagon. Lucas wondered what Maggie was referring to, and Maggie told Lucas that Chloe was having an affair. Lucas didn't believe her at first, but he decided to play along and asked Maggie whom Chloe was sleeping with.

Maggie had second thoughts about telling him, but Lucas demanded to know, so Maggie told him Chloe was seeing Daniel behind his back. Lucas was furious and wanted to kill Daniel. Maggie tried to calm Lucas down and reminded him that he wasn't in his right mind, but he said he was more in his right mind than he had been in years. She tried to grab Lucas' phone, but Lucas said she'd have to rip the phone from his fingers. He tried to make a call.

Daniel realized that since Kate was in remission, it was time for him and Chloe to tell Lucas and Kate about their affair, so he tried to call Chloe. At the park, Chloe said goodbye to the priest and then said a prayer for real and asked God for a sign on who she should choose. After her prayer was over, her cell phone rang. She looked at it and realized that it was the sign she'd asked for.

Philip stopped by Maggie's house to see Melanie. Melanie thought he was there to yell at her again, but he surprised her with a passionate kiss. Melanie was suspicious of Philip's motives, since he had said on numerous occasions that he had nothing but disdain for her, and he explained that he couldn't resist her anymore. He said they were a lot alike in many ways.

Philip kissed her again but stopped before things went any further, because he wondered if they were moving too fast. He said he had been picturing her angry with him and how hot she was when she was angry. He said he liked her and he had an epiphany and realized he had wanted her since they first met. Melanie wanted to believe Philip, since she had experienced the same attraction for him. While they kissed again, Stephanie walked up to the door, peered through the window at them and was shocked at what she saw.

Friday, February 20, 2009

by ChickenGrrl

As Philip and Melanie kissed passionately on Maggie's kitchen table, Stephanie arrived and spotted them through the window. Horrified, Stephanie began to walk away, then turned back and flung the door open, exclaiming furiously, "You complete bastard!" Philip tried to apologize, but Stephanie wasn't listening. She stated bitterly that she'd come over with the intention of telling Melanie that she was going to fight for Philip. Disgusted with both of them, Stephanie declared, "Melanie, if you weren't such a self-obsessed moron, you'd know that that wasn't passion just now. That's just how a Kiriakis does business."

While a hurt Melanie begged Philip to tell her that Stephanie was lying, Stephanie taunted that Philip would do anything to get Nick's plans. Philip denied it, swearing to Melanie that what had happened between them was real. Melanie seemed to buy it, and ordered Stephanie to leave. Stephanie agreed, but demanded that Philip choose between her and Melanie-right then and there.

Philip announced that he chose Melanie, adding with an apologetic shrug, "You can't choose who you fall in love with." Stephanie, incredulous and angry, declared that at least Philip's answer had shown her what he was really like. She stormed out, fighting back tears.

Melanie assured Philip that she wouldn't hold him to his answer, and asked tiredly if they could just call it a day. "I'm not usually a fan of being someone's consolation prize," she added as she went to open the door for him. Philip asserted that he'd meant what he said, and that he couldn't get Melanie out of his head. When he used the word "love" again, Melanie was skeptical, but kissed him anyway.

Stephanie was walking through the park later when she ran into Chelsea, who was out for a run. Chelsea was horrified when she heard about how Philip and Melanie had been making out on the kitchen table, and offered to hunt Philip down and kill him. Stephanie, her face streaked with angry tears, declared that she couldn't stand idly by while Melanie used Nick's research as a weapon. She strode off, leaving Chelsea still pondering incredulously, "The kitchen table?"

Melanie told Philip it had been like music to her ears when he'd chosen her over Stephanie. "If only it wasn't all one big fat lie," she added sadly. Philip tried to deny it, maintaining that Stephanie had been lashing out. Melanie pointed out that he'd only become interested in her when he'd learned she was working with E.J. With a laugh at his discomfort, she then ordered Philip to "run home to Daddy and tell him you lost out to E.J. DiMera." Philip vowed irritably that he wouldn't lose out to anyone, and left in a huff.

Melanie was alone in the kitchen later, making a sandwich and trying to talk herself out of her attraction to Philip. As she ranted about his audacity in believing that she would buy his affectionate act, there was a knock at the back door. Thinking that it was Philip, she rushed to open it. Instead, she found a livid Stephanie, who landing a hard slap across Melanie's face. "You bitch!" Stephanie spat, as Melanie laughed in disbelief.

Stefano found E.J. in the living room of the DiMera mansion, where he was reviewing Melanie's contract for the fuels project. Stefano remarked that E.J. was not a very shrewd businessman, if he believed that Melanie would actually sign it. E.J. argued that he had done exactly what Stefano wanted, and that he could easily handle the greedy and nave Melanie. Stefano countered that Melanie was after more than money, and was using the DiMeras to get what she wanted: Philip Kiriakis.

E.J. was certain that Melanie would sign with them, because he'd made it clear that it was a very bad idea to cross the DiMeras. He added that when he closed the deal, Stefano would then have beaten Victor. Stefano seemed pleased, but wanted E.J.'s next deal to be drawing up a prenuptial agreement for Nicole to sign.

E.J. angrily reminded his father that he'd already rejected that idea. Stefano argued that Nicole had threatened to take the baby and leave several times, and she must not think she held the trump card in their relationship. E.J. insisted that he was marrying Nicole because he loved her, not because he wanted to control her. Stefano shrugged, and said that E.J. should just keep trying to convince himself that everything was "hunky dory."

Nicole was sitting with baby Sydney at the Brady Pub, looking through bridal magazines, when Brady found them. Nicole confided that Dr. Baker believed that Brady was in love with her. When Brady reacted with defensive anger, Nicole gently pointed out that his response could indicate that it was true. She also wondered why he would have done everything he'd done for her if he weren't in love with her. Brady admitted that he did love Nicole, but he was not in love with her. He added that he'd seen how the miscarriage had affected her, and knew that all the terrible things she'd done afterward were out of love for her baby and for E.J.

Nicole was relieved that Brady wasn't really in love with her, and apologized for leaving him holding the bag with Victor. She admitted she'd been worried that Brady might fall off the wagon, or that her problems would come between him and his family. Brady told her that he'd cleared the air with his grandfather after she'd left, and reassured her that he was-and would continue to be-just fine.

Nicole wondered if Dr. Baker would leave her alone after getting his last blackmail payment, but Brady didn't think so. When he suggested there might be an alternative, Nicole joked that they could just kill Baker. Brady clarified that he meant she could tell E.J. the truth, but Nicole wouldn't even consider it.

Brady walked Nicole and Sydney back to the DiMera mansion. On the doorstep, Nicole confided that he was the only one she could talk to, because he was the only one who knew the truth. As Brady was promising her that the two of them would be the only ones who ever knew, Philip came up the walk, and stopped behind a bush to eavesdrop on them.

Chloe sat on a park bench and prayed for God to give her a sign as to what she should do. When her cell phone rang just then, and she saw that it was Daniel, she declared that it was her sign. Daniel asked her to meet him at his apartment right away, because he had some news.

When Chloe arrived at Daniel's, before he could even speak to her, the smoke alarm in the hallway went off. The super arrived shortly to fix it, and as he climbed down from the ladder, he accidentally stepped on a gas pipe, loosening it.

Daniel then informed Chloe that Kate was in remission. Chloe was happy for Kate, but also miserable, because it meant they no longer had a reason to keep their affair a secret. She admitted that she didn't want to face Lucas when he found out.

Daniel reminded Chloe that she didn't have to go to him, just because she'd left Lucas. He added that he never wanted her to feel the same kind of obligation to him that she had with Lucas. Chloe confided that after talking with a priest earlier, she'd prayed for a sign-and then Daniel had called. She reassured him, "I know now that I'm supposed to be with you." Daniel embraced her happily.

As they were kissing, Daniel was paged to return to the hospital. Chloe offered to wait at the apartment for him, and a thrilled Daniel accepted. He promised that soon they would have a fresh start, and then left.

At the Cheatin' Heart, a drunk Lucas got a wrong number when trying to dial Chloe, so he shouted a sarcastic apology into his phone and hung up. Maggie tried to persuade him that if he was too drunk to dial, he was too drunk to talk to Chloe. Lucas angrily declared that he was drunk enough to tell Chloe what a lying slut she was. Maggie adamantly insisted that he should sober up before he did anything. Lucas accused Maggie of getting Chloe and Daniel together, just to prove that Chloe wasn't good enough for Lucas. An exasperated Maggie countered that Lucas was merely inventing excuses for self-pity, but Lucas belligerently claimed he was having the time of his life. Maggie declared that she'd like to join in the fun, and ordered a double Scotch.

Lucas tried to get Maggie to stop, certain that she was only messing with him. Maggie firmly stated that she couldn't leave, because she couldn't be sure he wouldn't do something stupid. She reminded him that she'd been exactly where he was, and urged him to get it together-if only for his children. When Lucas muttered that they would be better off without him, Maggie furiously knocked the drink out of his hand. "Damn it! Don't you ever say that to me again!"

Maggie pointed out that Lucas shouldn't parlay losing Chloe into losing everything. Lucas then decided that he blamed Daniel for what had happened, and rose to leave and confront "that stupid doctor." Maggie shoved him back into the chair and tried to take his keys. Lucas refused to hand them over, so she asked if she could drive him home. Lucas meekly agreed, then put his head down on the table, and seemed to pass out. Maggie, relieved, rushed outside to pull her car around front. As soon as the door closed behind her, Lucas raised his head and chuckled.

When Maggie returned, she realized with exasperation that Lucas had snuck out the back door. She ran back out to try to find him. Maggie drove to the hospital, assuming that's where Lucas had gone. She found Daniel and worriedly asked if he'd seen Lucas.

Lucas, meanwhile, had arrived outside Daniel's apartment, where gas was filling the hallway. Pounding on the door, he shouted, "Open up, Jonas! I know what you did, you son of a bitch!" Chloe, dismayed to hear Lucas sounding so drunk, reluctantly rose to open the door. Just then, the gas exploded, blowing the door in, and sending her flying across the room.