So, I decided to bite the bullet and make another DAYS Alternate Timeline blog. After months of writing up recaps of the late 70s and into the (GOD-AWFUL) 1980 Nina Laemmle run, I got so frustrated by the missed opportunities on the show, that I decided to have some fun and build some stories of my own based on what Ann Marcus and Elizabeth Harrower had set up. If any of you have ideas, suggestions, questions, complaints, have at it. Let's have some fun together with this, and run with the story opportunities DAYS missed way back when.

 

NOTE: I will be italicizing segments of the story that actually played out on screen (because I didn't hate EVERYTHING Elizabeth Harrower did). I know it'll be tonally different than the rest of it, but I'm being lazy.

 

ONWARD!

 

 

APRIL 1979

 

So, as Stephanie recovers from burning her hands off, David spends time at her apartment caring for her, which leaves Donna alone with Scotty a lot more often, giving Trish far more opportunity to see Scotty. But this all blows up in her face when Alice finally convinces Donna that it's a bad idea to continue keeping secrets from David, and implores her to keep her distance from Trish, she will handle telling David about Trish's visits herself.

Before Alice can get a chance, however, Trish tries to pay another visit. Donna won't let her in, and David returns from Stephanie's apartment, needing to grab something from his place before he makes her dinner. He spots Donna trying to keep Trish at bay, and goes off on Trish, vowing to have her evicted from the building for harrassment, and to slap a restraining order against her.
Once Trish is dealt with, David tries to find out from Donna what was going on. Donna breaks down and admits that she had been letting Trish visit for some time, also admitting Alice knew, but before Donna can explain that Alice intended to tell David about the visits, David fires Donna, and heads for Alice's in a rage.

 

Alice attempts to explain the situation to David, noting that she only just found out about Trish's visits herself, and was going to visit David this evening to explain the situation to him. David cools off a bit, but still needs time to think. Realizing he's neglected Stephanie, he heads back to her apartment. Stephanie tries to further cool David's nerves, but to no avail, he's too deep in thought. 
Mary, after hearing the news of Stephanie's "accident" pays her a visit while David is away. Mary isn't particularly comfortable, but feels for Stephanie. Mary, her usual unfiltered self, wonders out loud how Stephanie could've injured her hands. Stephanie is defensive, raising Mary's suspicion. Stephanie quickly backtracks, and apologizes, before quickly feigning exhaustion. Mary shows herself out.

 

Bill continues to fixate on the strange burns on Stephanie's fingers the next day. Mary pays him a visit, and tries to casually bring up the subject. Bill, of course, can't divulge any information to her, but privately, the question nags at him. He takes the question to Tom, and together they discuss the possibility that Stephanie didn't burn her hands the way she claimed to. 

 

Julie, now back from her antiquing trip to Scotland, visits David, who fills her in on Trish's latest machinations. Julie is more irritated with Trish than ever. While understanding her need to leave Salem with Scotty years before, she agrees with David that taking Scotty and running away was a terrible thing to do. Still unsure about how she feels about Stephanie, she asks David how he feels about her. David's eyes light up when he speaks of her, saying that it feels like they've known each other for years. Julie makes a decision: to avoid arousing suspicion, Julie will check in on Stephanie instead, which will allow her to keep an eye on Stephanie (not that she's telling David that part, of course).

 

Julie's first visit to Stephanie goes as expected. Stephanie is shocked to see her instead of David. When she asks Julie where David is, Julie tells her plainly that she doesn't think it's a good idea that David be seen to be taking care of Stephanie while they prepare for the court case, so instead, Stephanie is stuck with Julie. Stephanie, while displeased, understands and resigns herself to spending a lot more time with her potential mother-in-law. The first visit is awkward, but Stephanie is thankful to Julie for coming around to help her.

 

Bob is stunned when he pays Stephanie a visit, learning of Julie's decision to help her during her recovery. Bob suggests Stephanie stay with him at the lakehouse instead, but Stephanie won't hear of it, noting that the house is full up as it is with Linda, Mary, and Melissa staying there. Bob relents, but insists on visiting her regularly until she's ready to come back to work.

 

 

Linda plays Bob like a fiddle once again. She suggests to him that she needs to start over with a new job, and a new home, knowing full well Bob's ego wouldn't allow his wife to be working full time as a typist in a cramped apartment. He also feels for Melissa, and wants to give her a secure, stable home life, so he promises Linda he'll provide for her and Melissa generously and she can stay with him, regardless of whether or not they eventually separate. 

 

Linda then asks for a copy of the PI's report on her, then feigns horror at what she "used" to be like. She begs his forgiveness and asks for his help in remembering her "lost" past. Bob feels guilty, but admits he could have forgiven Linda if her affair had been with anyone other than Neil, but doesn't hold what she can't (allegedly) remember against her.

 

Linda then sets about ruining Bob's relationship with Stephanie. She doesn't get it. She doesn't like it. She's gonna END it. She decides to get Mary on-side, convincing her that it is best for Bob if Linda stay at the lakehouse because then Linda can protect Bob from Stephanie. Mary is her usual blunt self, and admits she agrees that Stephanie is not to be trusted, but neither is Linda.

Linda is shot down again, this time by Bob, who is lauded with compliments and flirtatious come-ons, and pathetic pleas for forgiveness by Linda. Bob wants to hear none of this, and goes to bed alone.

 

 

Neil convinces Amanda to go to dinner with him at Doug's Place. After falling for his trickery once again, Amanda is left alone almost immediately, as Neil gets an emergency call from the hospital and has to bail. Chris, who's been drowning his sorrows over Mary having the audacity to have boundaries, offers to step in for Neil. They hit it off and have a lovely evening.
Chris and Amanda go out once again to a local dive. Amanda finds the dive bar charming, as well as her company. Amanda later comes down with the flu, and Chris brings her some soup, but is pushed out of the way by Neil, who comes around on a "house call".  Chris is falling hard for Amanda, but Amanda, still wounded by the breakdown of her marriage, is still needing some time. She enjoys Chris' company, but doesn't want to rush things. Chris agrees.

 

Julie, now back from her Scottish antiquing trip, hears of Amanda's dates with Chris. She warns Amanda that Chris may be cute, but not worth dating. Julie feels he doesn't have the maturity, nor the refinement that would suit Amanda in a partner. Besides, Amanda is still married. Amanda gets Julie's point, but Chris makes her feel special, unlike Greg. 

 

Mary is convinced that Chris will come crawling back soon enough, but when she spies Chris and Amanda at Doug's Place, her insecurities begin to gnaw at her. Steve, still fascinated by Mary, sees Mary's sudden rush of anxiety, and takes full advantage. They make a date, and Mary relaxes enough to even be a little openly flirtatious in front of Chris and Amanda.
The next day at Anderson, Chris is put off by what he saw as a desperate display by Mary to get his attention. Mary denies this, and plays it cool to Chris about her connection with Steve. Chris warns Mary to watch out for Steve. "There's something about that guy I don't like." Mary tells Chris to mind his own business.

 

Robert collects Rebecca's safe-deposit box. Inside he discovers a letter addressed to Doug.

 

Robert hands Doug the letter, and Doug reads it. Inside, Rebecca tells Doug that Dougie is, indeed, his son. He decides to keep the news that Dougie is his a secret from Robert, as he doesn't want to take Dougie away from him as well, but also from Julie, due to her insecurities about her inability to conceive.

 

Julie and Doug continue to try for a baby, unsuccessfully. Neil is reticent to run any tests on Julie for it, but recommends she take it easy, as the stress of running Chez Julie can't be helping matters. Julie asks Maggie and Steve to take on more responsibility at the shop, hoping to spend more time with Doug. Steve sees this as an opportunity to involve himself in more seedy nonsense, but Doug makes it clear that his eyes will be on Steve.

 

Julie and Doug get into a row over Trish and David's impending divorce. Julie tries to hold back, but ultimately wishes Doug would fire Trish for her conduct with Scotty. Doug is more sympathetic to Trish, and tries in vain to convince Julie of Trish's position. Julie understands why Trish left town all those years ago, and is sympathetic to a point, but is enraged that she expects to return to Salem and simply pick up where she left off as though nobody's moved on with their lives. Julie feels David has a right to move on with his life, despite her reservations about Stephanie. Doug feels similarly, but instructs Julie to keep her nose out of it. Julie insists it's too late for that, as she's the one helping Stephanie out around the house while she recovers. Doug is livid about this news, and things are tense at home afterwards. 

 

Amanda picks up on this tension the next morning at home, and attempts to mediate, but to no avail. 

 

 

 

Maggie decides not to uproot Janice again, and lets her stay with Joanne and he fiancé in San Francisco. Instead, she buries herself in her work. Mickey, equally distracted by his law practice, barely notices as Maggie becomes less and less engaged in their home life.

 

 

 

At home, Laura is stunned by the news that her mother committed suicide, after calling out for her to come visit repeatedly. Laura sinks into a steep depression, and withdraws from everyone, including Bill. Marlena visits her, hoping to open the virtual prison she's built for herself just a crack, but Laura only asks Marlena to take over her caseload, saying she needs time to herself.

 

Bill, worried immensely about Laura, tries to reach out to her, but is pushed away at every turn. He commiserates with Kate, who comforts him in a friendly way, but once Laura spies them in an embrace, Laura hits a new low. She confronts Kate, congratulating her on taking advantage of Laura's suffering for her own gain. Kate insists that isn't the case, but Laura won't hear of it. Laura hands in her resignation to a shocked Tom, before paying Mike and Margo a visit. She writes Mike a cheque for $2000 to help cover the expenses of their new house, and heads to her house. She informs Donna, who is watching Jennifer, that she won't be home for a couple weeks, as she needs to do an emergency consult at Brookville Hospital. Laura insists that Bill knows all about it, and after a heartfelt goodbye to Jennifer, Laura heads off.

 

Once Tom tells Bill about Laura's resignation, he makes a beeline for home, only to find Donna there with Jennifer. Upon Donna filling him in on Laura's alleged consult at Brookville Hospital, he calls there, only to hear, as he suspected, there was none. Bill is now clueless as to where Laura could be.

 

Laura heads to the airport, where she books a last minute flight. At the airport, Laura runs into Julie, who is just coming back from her trip to Scotland with Doug (Doug is getting the car). Laura is awkward and evasive with Julie, but is warm and glad to see her. Julie suspects something is wrong, but Laura insists she's just there  to pick up a friend from the airport (deftly hiding her plane tickets out of Julie's sight), apologizing for not giving Julie a ride back into town. Julie tells her it's fine, as Doug's just picking up the car to drive them back, but she buys Laura's story, and leaves. Laura then boards her flight. It's not until Julie arrives home that she realizes that Laura was leaving town. Bill fills her in on not only that, but also on Stephanie's accident. After much probing from Julie, Bill admits he feels that Stephanie is hiding something from everyone, as her injuries were inconsistent with what she claims happened.

 

Julie doesn't know where Laura was flying off to, and can't give Bill much more information, but she notes that Laura didn't have much in the way of luggage with her, which, if she were flying for a long time, she would likely need. Bill doesn't even know where to start looking for Laura, but Kate offers to lend him a hand in his search, for which he is grateful.

 

Marie is called into Mother Superior's office. Concerned, she heads straight over and asks why she's been called. Mother Superior informs her that there is someone here who really needs her help. When Marie inquires who it is, Laura enters the room.