2/10/06

-Roman lets go of Austin at Carrie’s request. He asks Austin how he could do such a thing to Carrie and how Lucas could even let it happen and not stop it. Lucas apologizes and says that he just he wanted Carrie and took the opportunity that presented itself. Sami calls him a hypocrite for always complaining about her scheming when he did the same to get Carrie. Carrie says its not about Lucas, even though she is mad at him, its about Austin. Carrie is surprised when Eric takes Austin’s side and says it was a business decision. He, along with Austin and Victor, thinks she needs to be tougher. John concurs and says that she needs to be thick-skinned if she plans to hold on to her position at his company. Carrie realizes that she may be too nice and vulnerable but that is who she is and she was still hurt and can’t understand why Austin never found out. Nicole says she found out but circumstances kept her from telling Austin over the phone so she didn’t tell him until she returned from LA. Carrie and Austin have it out and she ends up slapping Austin. He realizes that she is really hurt and that she may never forgive him for this. He may have lost her. She runs out and tells Caroline she will be home later. After she leaves, the mystery man from the bus station follows her. Carrie ends up at the pier where the mystery man puts a substance on a tissue and then puts it over Carrie’s mouth, knocking her out. He picks her up and carries her away. Austin and Lucas have it out over him letting the takeover happen. Lucas blames Austin for rushing through the takeover and not finding out the name of the CEO. Austin is upset and wants to go home and asks Sami if she is coming. Sami is clearly more interested in Lucas and Maggie but Austin says he needs her so she leaves with him. Victor is upset with Lucas and warns him never to let his emotions or relationships get in the way of business. Nicole thanks Eric for his support in regards to the takeover. Austin tells her that he doesn’t blame her but from now on they need to do a better job of obtaining info and can’t rush into things like this no matter how hot of a commodity. Nicole tells Eric she is happy he is home.

-Doug and Julie want to take Alice and Maggie home. Maggie says she doesn’t want to go yet and is not ready to go home to an empty house. Lucas agrees to take her home. Maggie is worried about their secret coming out given all the secrets being revealed but Lucas assures her nothing will come out. They need to find out whether him or her was the one that hit Zach first before anything else. They both agree that they need to resist temptation and stay sober. :He goes to get the car and Maggie takes a whiskey bottle from behind the bar and runs off. Lucas comes inside and can’t find Maggie. No one has seen here. He calls the Horton house and Doug, Julie, and Alice get worried when Lucas tells them Maggie is missing. Lucas goes out in search of her as Maggie walks the streets of Salem devouring her alcohol.

-Jen and Frankie go home, as do Frankie and Max. Jen thanks Frankie for being there for her through everything and he does the same. Its been a tough couple of months. They nearly kiss but stop themselves. Meanwhile, outside, Max and Abby both thank each other for helping each other get through everything lately. Max gently takes her hand and kisses it and says he feels something so nice when around her. He feels alive and she makes him strive to be a better person, someone that she will like. She says she feels drawn to him and special around him too. He kisses her cheek and they say good night. Jen and Frankie watch and comment on how much they remind them of themselves. Frankie asks Jen if she is ok with Max and Abby growing closer and she is. She likes Max and he lives in the garage apartment and doesn’t bother anyone. Plus, he is Frankie’s brother so he can’t be that bad. They say good night to each other and, taking a cue from Max, Frankie kisses Jen on the cheek and goes upstairs as Jen stares off wondering if its ok to feel close to Frankie again after all these years and only shortly after Jack’s death.

-Abe and Celeste are taking care of Theo at the Carver house. Abe thanks Celeste for helping him get through everything and for helping with Theo. He realizes he is putting her in a tough spot-almost like she is choosing between Lexie and him. Celeste says that Lexie would want her with Theo and she doesn’t want to be at the Dimera mansion anyway. Celeste has that same vision of Lexie becoming a Dimera and she tells Abe that she fears her daughter may become a true Dimera once more-only this time for good. She then has a vision of a phoenix and says that the Dimeras are on the rise in Salem and that danger and trouble are on the horizon for everyone in Salem. More secrets will be revealed and lives will be changed. Abe thinks she is exaggerating but acknowledges that she is usually right. He says they just need to watch their backs and hope that for once she is wrong. He takes Theo to bed as a worried Celeste looks on as a strong breeze blows through the room blowing the door open. Celeste then says, “It has begun.” Meanwhile, Lexie arrives home at the mansion and hears someone in the bushes. Its Bart who is on a cell phone. She hears him say “Stefmeister” and remembers he once called her father that. She pulls him out of the bushes and demands to be taken to her father. He tries to get out of it but finally admits Stefano is alive and that Tony lied so that Stefano could stay in hiding and orchestrate all his plans without interruption and more efficiently. He takes her in a limo to meet him, realizing he has no choice.

-Roman confronts Caroline and tears into her again. Bo and Hope try to calm him but he won’t listen. Bonnie finally get him to lay off. Roman tells Caroline that he doesn’t care if everyone else is so forgiving-he isn’t and she is no longer his mother. Victor tells him to calm down but Roman hauls off and punches Victor. He then walks out with Bonnie behind him as Caroline breaks down in tears. Bo comforts her but Hope wants to get back to the hospital to check on the kids and Caroline tells them to go. Bo and Hope leave and on the way talk about Caroline and Victor. Bo says his mother and family are going to need him and Hope tells Bo that is fine but him and her have a lot to work through too. He agrees and for the first time all day then tension between them is apparent.

-Shawn decides to take Mimi home since its not wise for her to be on her feet too long in her condition. He tells his grandmother to call if she needs anything. They leave as Belle looks on with Marlena comforting her. Marlena asks her if she wants to move in with her and her father. Belle declines but does ask John for her job back at Basic Black. John agrees. Belle leaves as John and Marlena are worried about her. John says he has a surprise for her too but she will have to wait until morning for it. They leave and outside the pub share a romantic kiss that bring on another memory for Marlena of them kissing. She is hopeful that she is close to getting all her memories of John back.

-Caroline is left alone with Victor and is clearly heartbroken. He approaches her but she tells him to leave. They can never be now and really never could. Most of her family and friends were nice enough to forgive her but her family is still ruined and so is her integrity. She knows nobody will ever look at her the same way again, or him for that matter. Roman will never forgive her. She warned him it would come out, especially if he was close to her against her wishes and it happened. She regrets never telling everyone when she first returned him but only didn’t for her family and husband’s sake given his health. She also blames Tony for putting them in a position to have an affair. She tells Victor to stay away from her and to never come near her. If he ever loved her he will do this. A heartbroken Victor once again realizes he has lost another chance with his true love and agrees to her wishes and leaves. We see a single tear drop from Victor’s eye when he leaves as Caroline breaks down in tears in the pub.

-Bonnie lost track of Roman after he raced out of the pub. She finds him at the station working and knocks on the door. He tells whoever it is to go away. Bonnie says its her and he tells her to just leave him alone and to stop nagging him. Bonnie is clearly hurt given all they have been through together and done for each other and leaves, both angry and upset as Roman keeps working to get his mind off his issues and to hold everything together.

-Kate is in Paris at a café alone. She many shopping bags and is thinking about Salem and her children. She realizes she needs to change and stay out of her children’s lives if they are ever going to be happy. She also wonders about her love life and about whether she will ever be happy on that front. She still loves John and Roman but that will never work out on both accounts and she doesn’t know if those were even lasting. She remembers Curtis, Bill, Stefano, Vincent Moroni, and Victor and how all her relationships with those men ended up. She also recalls Nicholas and wonders if that was the one that got away. He was the only man that ever really swept her off her feet. The only con was that he was Vivian’s nephew. She leaves the café and ends up at a nearby fountain. The sign next to it talks of a legend that says the fountain brings slot loves together. Someone then grabs Kate and startles her. She turns around to find Nicholas Alamain standing right in front of her.

-Bart takes Lexie to a warehouse outside of Salem that is the same one where Patrick is being held prisoner. Bart worries about Lexie finding him but she doesn’t. They enter a room at the end of a hallway and we see a chair turned towards the wall. Lexie slowly walks in and says, “Father?” The chair turns around to reveal Alex North. Lexie shakes her head, “Your not my father. What are you doing here?” Alex responds, “On the contrary my dear Alexandra. I am your father. Your new and improved father. Always have been, always will be. Did you miss me?” A stunned Lexie looks on as does a gleeful Bart.

-Eric and Nicole end up at the Salem Inn. They didn’t want to go back to her place since Austin and Sami are there. They enter the room and things get intimate. He says she will always be the love of his life. They kiss and things get heated. Eric then begins to fall back. Nicole asks what is wrong but he just keels over in pain and then passes out in her arms. Nicole panics and goes to call 911. Eric grabs her arms and begs her not too. He tells her that if she has ever loved him not to pick up that phone and get help. He says no help is needed as a stunned and confused Nicole looks on helplessly.

-Austin and Sami are at home and Austin is hitting the alcohol hard. This reminds her of Lucas and Maggie. Sami tells Austin to lay off and that drinking is not the answer. He agrees and stops and admits that he screwed up and its not no one’s fault but his own. Carrie should have been tougher but he still went about everything the wrong way and now has lost his true love. He says he could really use a friend like Sami right now. Sami says she is there for him but then wonder why when she finally looks like she is getting Austin all she can think about is Lucas and what is going on with him and Maggie. Austin embraces Sami as she continues to be miles away thinking of Lucas.

-Carrie wakes up in a cabin. It looks like she is in the mountains. She wonders how she got there and who is responsible. The cabin door then opens as the mystery man arrives with fire wood. Carrie can’t believe her eyes and is clearly afraid of the man. She backs up and says, “It can’t be you. Stay away!! Stay away from me!!” The camera then slowly pans up from the man’s shoes to reveal...Alan Harris and then the screen freezes and fades to black.

On the next Days...

Alan presents his case to Carrie. Eric lies to Nicole. Stefano fills in the blanks and reveals his plans for Salem to Lexie. Nicholas and Kate get re-acquainted. Sami confronts Lucas as a shocking person comes to Maggie’s rescue.