At the McCluer home, the family has just sat down at the table for lunch. Renee is still quite upset that James seems to be keeping something from not only her, but the entire family as well....

Renee: Look, honey. I don’t know what kind of fool I’m supposed to be but this work you’re doing for Victor is crazy. I mean, the man is dead!! What can you be doing for a dead guy? You are out at all hours of the night and sometimes the entire night? None of your children see you anymore and, other than the other night, when is the last time you’ve been home for a sit-down dinner with us, huh? I want answers, James, and I want them....right.....now.

James Sr. takes a deep breath and looks around at all three of his children, who are staring at him with rather inquisitive eyes. He has his fork in his hand but slowly places it back on his plate before answering his wife....

James Sr.: Renee, if I could tell you what is happening, I surely would. You know that. In the 21 years we have been together, I have not held anything back from you....

Renee: Until now.

James Sr.: That’s right. Until now. And why is that? Because what I’m involved in is obviously very important.....and a little too dangerous......for me to involve any of you in at this time. Please, my darling. You have to trust me on this one.

James Jr.: And us, Dad? I’m working as an intern at The Spectator. Now, how is it going to look when the people I work with ask me “Aye, J.J. What’s this crap with your pops working for a crime lord?” What should my response be?

James Sr.: Jr., just do the best you can. Look, I know I’ve put you all in a tight squeeze but, just give some time.....and trust me.

Jonathan: Dad, you’ve been saying that for awhile now. And every time there is some type of mess, here you come walking in the door like nothing’s happened. How deep are you in this thing anyway?

Angel: Aye. Will everyone just leave him alone?!

The room becomes quiet once again.

Angel: I’m sick of repeating myself but......here it goes. I trust this man to do what’s right. (Looking at her father) For now. But Daddy, you also have to realize.....that this trust only goes so far, ok? At some point, we need to know what’s happening with everything. That’s only fair and just. And......I don’t want you to tell us to keep trusting you. That’s what we’re doing now. Fair enough?

James Sr. gets up and walks over to his daughter and kisses her on the forehead, telling her......

James Sr.: Thank you, darling. You’re right on the money, as usual. I will try to do better by you all. But......

James looks around the table.....

James Sr.:You have to stay out of all of this. This could be some very dangerous business down the road and, if anything happens to any of you,........I won’t be able to forgive myself. Now......is that a deal?

Jonathan: Well, as long as you give Mom the benefit of letting her know what’s going on first. After all, she is the one who has stuck by you....even through everything. Not that I’m not, but.......

James Jr.: Well.......don’t worry, Pop. I’ll do what I need to......to keep my job.......at the only newspaper in Salem. Ok?

James nervously looks at his youngest son and says.....

James Sr.: Sure, son. Anything you want.......within reason.

The family resumes breakfast while James looks around to each of his family members, hoping that this operation goes smoothly so he can finally get back on the right track.....before he puts his family in danger.

-Hope runs into Caroline at the Puband sits down at the bar. Caroline asks her if she wants anything to eat to which Hope responds with a quiet no, thank you. Carline looks at Hope, wondering why she is so depressed. Hope must have sensed it because she actually answers Caroline’s question by saying that she knows Bo is hiding something from her and it really makes her sick to keep going through this with him.

But, Caroline warns, it does goes both ways. She tells her that she is not taking up for her son, if it seems that way, but she can’t keep saying how she’s sick of it when she has kept a secret or two of her own in the past. And, she needs to keep that in mind. Hope is silent for a moment before she agrees with her. She also says that at least Victor is now gone so he can no longer be any type of influence on him.

Caroline is taken aback by this, saying that to blame all this on Victor, especially after Roman told the family that he and Bo were pulling some type of sting operation on Victor, is kinda wrong. Hope asks if she is now taking up for the man who she held at gunpoint and felt no emotion over watching die only a short time ago. Caroline says no, not at all. All she’s saying is......give Bo some time. Caroline tells her that she is just as worried as Hope is about Bo’s behavior but......when he is ready to deal with it, all the family can do is be there for him, no matter how hard it may be.

She also reminds her that, even though we all thought that Bo tried to kill his own brother on his orders, she will always love the Victor she grew up with. Not the complete monster he became. Hope sees what she’s saying but she just doesn’t know what to do about Bo keeping that from her. Caroline tells her to grow up. Hope is stunned. Caroline says that she heard her right. As much as she loves her, and as much as she knows that they love each other.........

.............it seems like that their biggest problem has always been feeling that they both have the right to keep secrets but then reserve the right to get angry when the other does it to them. And, the other is supposed to understand, while Hope or Bo feel each of them have the right to stay as angry as they want, for as long as they want, about keeping a secret. She tells her, once again, that understanding is the key. That.......and forgiveness. Caroline would know, with the secret she didn’t know she was keeping all those years. Hope knows how that nearly destroyed everything. That’s why, Caroline says, that she needs to just be there for him when it does come out.

Hope agrees and tells her that sometimes, she needs a good swift kick in the pants. And.....she thanks her for that. Caroline says no problem. Hope pats her hand and gets off the stool, turning to walk towards the door. She turns when she reaches it and smiles back at her before she leaves. Caroline then gets her purse when she is sure Hope is out of sight and tells one of the waitresses to watch the store while she’s gone. She then takes off in the opposite direction that Hope went into.

-Bo is now by himself and seems to not be able to get rid of the bad nightmares he’s been having. They have now become very clear to him. And....they are recurring. A man who keeps telling him that it will be alright, while he calls out for his mother, father & brother. And another one, where he is trapped in an alley while this same man comes closer and closer....

At that moment, Dr. Glancy comes in to check on him. He asks Bo if his memories/nightmares have become more vivid and Bo tells him yes. He also asks that whatever they say stays between them. The doctor tells him about patient/doctor confidentiality and that no matter what, anything he tells him will stay right there. Bo is very pleased, saying that he only wants to reveal this when he can get a better handle on it, which the doctor agrees with.

Bo then walks past him, telling him that they started right after he was shot in Sydney last year. He recovered very quickly from that, God knows how, but then he started having these dreams. They were hard to place at first but then got clearer. Now.....he is basically scared of them. Scared of even closing his eyes. The explosion that killed his father brought them back after they had left and now his wife is scared for him because of a blow-up he had with her recently.

The doctor tells him he knows about that. His wife had already told him about it. He just wants to help him get to the bottom of his illness so he can become a good father and husband once again. Bo looks up at him and says that is what he wants as well. He also tells the doctor that it is hard for him to open up about something like this so please, he asks, bear with him. Dr. Glancy suggests hypnosis and, after a few moments, Bo agrees saying that anything is better than just letting these nightmares take over his life.

The doctor tells him how proud he is of him for accepting this form of treatment and tells Bo that he will make the necessary preparations. After he leaves, Bo goes back over and looks out the window, hoping that this will be the key to ending what could destroy him.

-Kimberly is once again panicking because of Bo. Shane happens to walk up on her and frightens her. When she gets upset with him for doing it, he says that the nurses are starting to talk about her lurking around Bo’s room all the time. She then says that maybe she should cut that down. Then Shane ask her what is she so upset about, to which Kimberly replies nothing. She lashes out at him, saying that she is just worried about her brother, that’s all. She then bids Shane a hasty good-bye and wheels off, leaving him bewildered about her recent behavior.

-Back at the Horton House, Julie, Doug & Alice are worried about Maggie, who hasn’t been close to herself since Victor’s death. Julie tries reaching her at Chez Rouge but when she comes to the phone, she tells them that she’s busy getting it ready for it’s re-opening and can’t be bothered right now. She insists that she’s fine and wants Julie to tell Alice and Doug to not worry about her. She then hangs up the phone rather abruptly.

Alice asks her how Maggie is doing and Julie fills her in on the phone call. She is also upset at the way Maggie left the house this morning without telling a soul that she was gone. Julie then pulls out a note she left Alice, telling her thank you but she doesn’t need to stay one more night at her house. Doug tells Julie to call her again and, when she reaches Maggie, tells her that she doesn’t really feel comfortable having her around all that liquor.

After Maggie explains that not only is she still attending AA meetings but she has talked to Lucas and will call him if she needs anything, Julie feels more at ease. Maggie insists that she will be fine and, with Julie’s blessing, hangs up the phone. Julie tells Doug & Alice that it was her way of telling her that she trusts her. What Julie says she didn’t say was that she doesn’t trust her and wants Doug to go with her over to the restaurant to check on her. With Alice’s blessing, they head over.

Maggie is now sitting by herself, thinking about Mickey and then Victor. She feels so much pain but tries to once again push it back down and ignore it. She then looks over at the counter and sees the expensive bottles of Dom Perigon that she was going to put back into the wine cellar. She remarks that......

Maggie: I guess one sip can’t hurt, now can it?

As she stands up, transfixed on each bottle. She moves in what seems like slow motion to her because the bottles are her oasis of relief. She feels deeply that if this will take the edge off and ease the horrible pain of losing the love of her life and a man who helped her to live once again, then so be it. She owes it to herself to be happy and if one tiny sip form a wine bottle does it......and she stops after that......who would be the wiser, she rationalizes.

Once she reaches the counter, she is in tears. All of the help is gone now and she is the only one left in the entire building. She looks at the bottle, then up to the ceiling, and says......

Maggie: Oh God! Please...please give me the strength to leave this bottle alone. I’m begging you, Lord. Don’t let me ruin my life again!

Maggie then slowly looks down at the bottle.......and, with tears covering her face,......grabs the cork of the bottle with her hand, yanks it off and, while crying deeply........takes one big drink from it........

As the screen freeze-frames on her, the scene slowly fades to black.

On the next Salem Lives...

Kim to Roman: Bo is up to something.

Roman to Kim: Then it won't be long now.

Hope to Bo: I want the truth. Are you lying about what is going on with you?

Caroline: I hope you can forgive me, Victor.

Julie (with Doug) to Maggie: Is there something you want to tell us?

JJ to Angel: I have a plan...to prove once and for all what is going on with dad.

Renee to James: If Victor is dead, then who in the hell are you working for right now?