beebs

Hey! Glad to see you're still reading this! (Reading again?) Haha, nothing's quite so simple with the Grants, but you'll see where that's going soon enough. I had to tell this story with Roman, there's so much potential and they squander it time and again. I think Valerie's the perfect person to help Marlena figure out what's going on. Thanks re: Will. I needed to find a Will that could bring some sexuality to the role, and who wasn't such a dead fish if he needed to be bad for a minute. Wilson just never worked for me. Martsolf I haven't minded as Brady, but anything could change. Brady did turn up alive a little while ago, but he's recovering in a remote cabin at the moment, so we'll see where that goes. Liam is another one with lots of potential, IMO. Squandered potential on the part of TomSell. I think you'll love what I've got planned there. Bo is MIA, but it won't be forever. There's a whole lot of story left for him, and I have no plans to kill him off. Thanks for commenting, I'm glad you're enjoying

EPISODE 83 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks, Nick Monarco & C. Nathaniel Richardson Eric walks out of the flower shop at Town Square, a huge bouquet of red roses in his arms, as he ponders his next stop. He strolls alongside the shops lining the town square before stopping before The Hourglass. Looking inside, he smiles before opening the door to step in. ERIC: Perfect. The door creaks as it shuts behind him. --- Jerome makes his way down the street in his rented van, transporting his belongings to his new home in Salem. He approaches his grandmother’s new house. Radio on, he overhears the news. RADIO: Salem PD are on the lookout this hour for a suspect involved in a string of burglaries in West Salem. Suspect is said to be an African-American male— Pulling into the driveway in his rented U-Haul, he turns the van off, pulling the keys out of the ignition, shaking his head. JEROME: Always a black man. (sigh) Opening the van door, he remembers to press the button to automatically unlock the back of the van. Walking around to the back, he pulls out one lighter box from on top, breezily slinging the box under his arm. Jerome shuts the back of the van before heading for the door. Looking through his keys, he finds the key that Valerie told him would open the door. Awkwardly trying to balance the box and manoeuvre himself around to get the key in the lock, he nearly drops the box. Jerome finally gives up, and places the box on the ground, focusing his attention on unlocking the door to his new home. The key doesn’t work. Jerome’s arms drop to his side, frustrated, he curses in his head, as he pats his jacket, searching for his phone. JEROME: Where the Hell…is my phone?? --- Jerome’s phone sits on Valerie’s desk in her new office at University Hospital. As she flips through the files on Roman Brady, she’s struck by something. Concerned, she flips back to the previous page, studying the page through her reading glasses. VALERIE: Wait a minute…this file…there’s nothing in here from before in 1997…maybe it’s still in John’s file? Valerie flips through to find John’s file. Opening that up, she takes a minute to search through his records before closing that file. Valerie looks up, deep in thought. VALERIE: Where on Earth is the rest of Roman’s file? --- Liam walks quickly into the lobby at University Hospital. Looking around, he sees Marlena step off the elevator, and head for her office. Hanging back, he watches her intently. She stops, then turns back towards the opposite hallway, stopping quickly at the nurses’ station. MARLENA: Maxine, is Jennifer still in her office? MAXINE: Yes, Dr. Evans, she’s in her office right now. Marlena smiles her trademark warm smile as she heads back towards Jenn’s office. MARLENA: Thank you. As Marlena disappears down the hall, Liam smirks, and begins down the opposite hall, heading for Marlena’s office. Not far behind is Laura, still trying to keep out of sight from Liam. Maxine watches as Laura follows Liam at a distance. She furrows her brow as she tries to figure out what’s going on, but Laura’s eyes are trained on Liam, as she makes her way down the hall. Around the corner, Liam looks around to make sure no one sees him. Sensing the coast is clear, he closes his eyes momentarily as he puts his hand on Marlena’s office door handle. Twisting it, the door opens and Liam breathes a sigh of relief as he enters, still checking to see if anyone’s looking. As he steps inside and goes to shut the door, Laura turns the corner. Seeing the door shut, Laura looks on in fear for her friend’s safety. She doubles back to seek out Marlena. --- --- At Titan HQ, Victor steps into Tyler’s office, an unhappy look on his face. Tyler turns around, surprised to see him. TYLER: Victor! I thought you were working from home again today. VICTOR: I was, but I had to go over some things quickly with you before the day was out, and it isn’t anything we can go over on the phone. Tyler, sensing something serious is up, sets down the files he had in hand and sits down in his chair behind his desk. TYLER: Alright. What’s the trouble? VICTOR: John’s declared Brady dead. Says he doesn’t want to drag the matter out any longer when there’s so little chance of Brady being alive. And as much as I don’t want to believe that he’s really gone…I really don’t have much choice but to accept it. Tyler looks on, mulling over Victor’s words. He nods gently as he responds. TYLER: I’m sorry, Victor. Victor doesn’t look up from the ground after Tyler speaks. He continues, still deeply in his own mind. VICTOR: I have, as a result, room to appoint a new member to the Titan board. TYLER: Do you have anyone in mind? VICTOR: Not really. No one I particularly trust, anyway. Phillip’s removed himself from the board while he’s working for another company, and Daniel has no interest in the business. TYLER: I see. Victor looks up at Tyler suddenly, his gaze piercing through Tyler, almost causing Tyler to jump back a bit. VICTOR: I was considering my wife. TYLER: Oh? VICTOR: Yes. I have set up arrangements so that my wife will have full ownership over the top floor of this property. She’ll be regenerating the space as The Penthouse Grille once again. I’ll need your sign-off, of course on that. Tyler, still a bit off-kilter, almost intimidated by Victor, nods quickly to Victor’s request. TYLER: Absolutely. No problem. I do have to...well, question your taking on your wife as a board member, I mean…what kind of business credentials does she have, really? Victor looks at Tyler incredulously. He scoffs back at Tyler. VICTOR: She owns three thriving restaurants across the city, and is about to reopen a fourth, all while also running a health spa. I don’t know, Tyler. You tell me. She goes by Maggie Horton in the professional world, perhaps you’ve heard of her. Tyler’s eyes widen, surprised to hear the woman he’d been flirting with was Victor’s wife, and so accomplished. --- Eric steps out from the parking lot outside Horton Town Square and locks his car remotely. He stands in the park just outside Town Square and smiles widely, a relaxed feeling he hasn’t felt in ages. ERIC: Everything’s set. Now…the last step. Eric pulls his phone out of his pocket and texts Nicole. meet me @ Anderson park 535. dont b late, its important. Love, eric Eric smiles as he hits send. ERIC: And now, we wait. --- Laura walks briskly back down the opposite hallway, in hot pursuit of Marlena, who’s just about to enter Jennifer’s office. Before Marlena has a chance to knock, Laura calls out to her. LAURA: Marlena! Marlena turns quickly to see a panicked Laura. LAURA: I really need you for a moment, it’s urgent! I think someone’s breaking into your office. Marlena draws herself up, a worry rushing over her as she lets go of the handle of Jennifer’s door. --- Inside Marlena’s office, Liam leaves the light off, but pulls a pocket flashlight from his pocket, attached to his key ring. Holding the keys so they don’t jingle, he walks over to Marlena’s desk. He crouches down, and attempts to open the top drawer. It’s locked. Noting that a couple are locked, he quickly adjusts his key ring to pull out a long pin-shaped device. Sliding the device into the lock, he manages to fix the lock to open the drawer. He begins to dig inside, while holding the flashlight above the drawer. He spots what he’s looking for. LIAM: Bingo. Pulling the pad out, and sliding them quickly into his pocket, Liam quickly closes the drawers and gets up, heading quickly for the door. As Liam heads for the door, Will makes his way down the hallway, approaching Marlena’s office door. As he puts his hand up to the handle of her office door, Laura and Marlena quickly approach, concerned looks on their faces as Marlena call out to him. MARLENA: WILL! Will turns around fast, smiling widely as he spots his grandmother and Laura. His smile fades as he looks at their worried expressions. WILL: Hey! I was just looking for you. Uh…you alright? MARLENA: Yes. I…we’re fine. We just had a scare. Laura was…just telling me she thought someone had broken into my office. You…weren’t just in there looking for me, were you? Laura looks on, realizing that Will is dressed almost exactly the same as Liam, and realizes she could easily have confused him for Liam. She sheepishly responds as she begins to second-guess herself. LAURA: Uh…maybe I…I must have made a mistake. I…saw you in the hall, Will and had to…call Marlena over. I thought…well, it doesn’t matter. Uh…mm…hey, I bought Arianna an early Christmas gift. It’s…in my office if you wanted to come see. Will smiles broadly, though still confused. He nods at Laura, while Marlena smiles. WILL: Uhmm…sure! I have to get going in a minute though. Family…dinner tonight or something. LAURA: Oh, I won’t keep you long. MARLENA: I have to grab something from you anyway, so I’ll come along. LAURA: Great! Let’s go… Laura scurries away, as Marlena and Will look at each other with confusion. After Marlena and Will walk away, Liam creaks the door open to Marlena’s office. Seeing them round the corner, and noting that coast is now clear, he slyly exits Marlena’s office, before heading casually back down the hall. He gets on his cell phone once again. LIAM: (into phone) I got everything you need. I’ll be at the pier in ten. Liam hangs up, rolls his eyes, and sighs, as he walks over to the elevator, hitting the down button and waiting for the elevator to arrive. --- Hope drives the road, heading for the elementary school to pick up Ciara. As she drives, she’s in the middle of a call piped through the sound system in her car. It’s Rafe. RAFE: (through the speakers) I’m just gonna put through the final papers on that case and we’re done, alright? HOPE: Sounds good, Rafe. Um…Rafe, I have to meet with that…(sigh) Aiden Jennings tomorrow morning, can you… Midsentence, Hope spots the infamous rental van parked outside a house she’s driving by. She becomes transfixed by it, nearly running herself off the road. Hope slows down slightly, as she changes her subject to Rafe. HOPE: Uhm…Rafe? RAFE: (through the speakers) Yeah. HOPE: What was that description you gave me of the burglary suspect? After a moment, with the sound of papers ruffling, Rafe finally answers. RAFE: (through the speakers) Uhhhh…black man, 6 foot, driving a rental van. Possibly wearing an out of state college sweater— Hope interjects before Rafe can even finish. HOPE: …I think I just got him. Hold on. RAFE: (through the speakers) What? … Rafe’s next comments get cut off as Hope parks her car and quickly turns off the ignition. She steps out into the street, as Jerome walks back over the back of the van, placing the box he had planned on bringing into Valerie’s house back inside the van. He mutters to himself. JEROME: I can’t believe I forgot my phone… As Jerome shuts the back doors to the van, Hope appears behind the door, gun in hand, pointed at a stunned Jerome. HOPE: Put your hands up! You’re under arrest! JEROME: WHAT?!? HOPE: NOW! Jerome, visibly angered, but knowing he shouldn’t say another word, raises his hands, palms facing Hope as he turns to face her, a resigned look on his face. ---

An excellent episode again. Simple, tight, and well-constructed. I like that Devin is meeting everyone, and Gregory is NOT happy. That jealousy is already kicking in and we can see it playing out. Great recast with RSW, btw. Totally works. I also really liked that Lorna's still a bit sneaky, grabbing that water bottle for the DNA. Ooo, she's good at this sneaky stuff. Jake and Stacey connecting over their concern for Lindsay was great and real. A small beat, but an important one. And it shows their continued connection through their daughter. I'm sure that's going to draw them closer and closer over the coming weeks. Great stuff. Christy is not being honest and Frankie knows it. Glad to see she's onto her, someone has to be. The conflict between Cass and Frankie is turning and I enjoy that shift. Their energy is going to shift, though I expect they'll continue to debate how ill-intentioned her motives are. Rachel and Russ trying to make Carl feel less guilt was great too. The beauty of it is how much history is there, and you captured it all. Very character-driven and strong writing. You really know how to write for Rachel, I have to say. WONDERFUL work.

EPISODE 82 Written by A. Washington-BeebyStory Consultants: ML Cooks, Nick Monarco & C. Nathaniel Richardson Will walks down the hallway on the EnerNext floor of Titan towards his office. As he walks, he passes Alex, who’s heading into his own office across the hall from Will. Will looks up, suddenly nervous as Alex locks eyes with Will and smiles. Will holds back a giggle and smiles back awkwardly. ALEX: Hey Will! How’s the first day going? Will nearly chokes on his words as he responds, voice cracking. WILL: Gre…(clears throat) great! Heh. Will immediately bugs his eyes out as he turns away, opening his office door and quickly scurrying away in embarrassment. Closing the door behind him, he leans up against the other side of the door, exhaling audibly in relief to be out of that situation. A moment later, Will’s cell phone rings. Frantically trying to remember where he’d put his phone, he jumps over to his desk to grab his phone. Seeing Sonny’s name on the screen, his face drops. Looking unimpressed, Will holds his finger over the ‘hang up’ button, but thinks better of it and, after a moment, answers. WILL: Hey. … Sonny is sitting standing by the bar at Club TBD, nervously tapping his fingers against the bar as he begins to speak to Will. SONNY: Will! Hey…I…uh…I’m glad you answered. … WILL: Sonny, I don’t really have much time, I got a lot of work to do. … SONNY: Don’t worry, this…this won’t take long. I uh…I just got off the phone with Maggie, she and Victor invited us to dinner at the mansion tonight. … Will rolls his eyes and tries to cut Sonny off. WILL: Sonny, I don’t really have time— … SONNY: Will, it’s…a big deal. Apparently Victor has a surprise for us or something. It’s a big family dinner. … WILL: This wouldn’t happen to be some ploy to get me to forgive you, would it? Because, seriously, Sonny, I’m really not in the mood for any more games right now, I’m serious— … SONNY: Will, I’m serious. This is no game. Now, please, can we just…put our problems aside, just for tonight and just…pretend everything’s okay? … Will bites his lip, looking to the sky as he mulls over Sonny’s plea. Reluctantly, he answers. WILL: Fine. But this does not mean everything’s good between us. Don’t even try to use this as an opportunity to try to squirm your way back into bed tonight. You understand. … Sonny closes his eyes in frustration, sighing audibly. SONNY: Fine. Meet me at TBD for 6 and we’ll head over together? … WILL: Meet me at Victor’s for 6:30 and we’ll walk in together. … Sonny snaps, finally losing his cool at Will. SONNY: Will, come on! … Will smiles evilly, knowing his got Sonny’s goat. WILL: Final offer! … SONNY: (sigh) FINE. See you at Vic’s. Sonny hangs up angrily. … Will hangs up, a deliciously evil smile on his face as he chuckles to himself. WILL: Sonny, you are not gonna get away with lying to me that easily. Will sits down in his office chair, smirking as he leans back confidently. WILL: You did the crime, now you’re gonna do the time. --- At the hospital, Billie steps into Laura’s office, having interrupted Daniel’s talk with Laura about Liam. Both Laura and Daniel are taken aback by Billie’s arrival, and both struggle to speak. DANIEL: Uh…Billie! Hey…uh…mm, Laura and I were going over some… BILLIE: …Something I’m not supposed to know about? Sorry to drop in like this, Laura. I couldn’t find Daniel in his office and I heard his voice from the hall. Laura, sensing tension in the air, looks back and forth between the two of them and starts to back away. LAURA: I think…I’ll leave you two for the moment. Daniel, we can finish this later. DANIEL: Sure, Laura. Laura walks towards the door, but, before walking out, stops and turns back toward Daniel. LAURA: Oh! And, by the way, Daniel! Thank you so much for everything. You’ll lock up behind me? Laura smiles, and heads out the door, as Daniel holds up his hand in a half-hearted wave back at Laura. DANIEL: Sure. Don’t mention it. Once Laura leaves, Billie crosses her arms, impatiently waiting for an answer from Daniel. BILLIE: Far be it from me to be sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong, but what exactly was that? Daniel looks off to the side in frustration, knowing Billie won’t stop until she has an answer. DANIEL: (sigh) I can’t go into this with you, Billie. BILLIE: Oh come on, Daniel. I mean, I…Jenn’s a good friend of mine. If something’s wrong with her and Abigail, I want to know about it. DANIEL: Billie, there’s nothing wrong. I…Jenn’s worried about Abigail being in Italy working for the DiMeras, and Laura just wanted me to check in on her. Billie’s eyes peer down at Daniel, who’s sitting in front of Laura’s desk. Billie leans over and perches on top of Laura’s desk. She looks at him intensely as she responds softly and slowly to him. BILLIE: I don’t believe a word you’re saying. And I’m going to find out exactly what’s really going on. Daniel sighs in frustration at Billie’s resolve. --- In Jennifer’s office, Jenn sits behind her desk, working away on her computer, when she hears a knock at the door. JENNIFER: Come in. The door opens and Liam’s smiling face appears. Jenn smiles in return, pleased to see him. JENNIFER: HEY! I wasn’t expecting you! Liam comes in and walks immediately over to Jenn’s desk. The two kiss quickly on the lips. LIAM: I figured you could use a break from the nonstop…press releasing. Jenn laughs and smiles warmly as Liam sits down across from her at the other side of her desk. JENNIFER: Well, it’s definitely welcomed. I gotta get this all done by the end of the week. We have to announce the new head of HR that’s replacing Anne and then…ugh, I’m boring you, aren’t I? LIAM: Never. JENNIFER: Well, good, cos I’m boring myself. (laughs) So what brought you here, I thought you had to go consult at a hospital in Chicago. Liam shuffles in his seat a bit before leaning in close to Jenn, a sensuous look in his eye as he gives Jenn his news. LIAM: I…yeah, but I finished early, so, I thought you and I could leave work a little early today for a little…quiet dinner at Chez Rouge? Jenn leans in, smiling wider than ever, she nuzzles in close to Liam as she answers. JENNIFER: I think that is something that can be arranged, Mr. Frasier. Jenn leans in and touches Liam’s nose with hers. They look intensely in each other’s eyes before leaning in ever-so-slowly for a soft kiss. --- Gabi looks up from reading Nick’s tablet, as she sits across from him at a booth at the Brady Pub. She looks stunned by what she sees: An old modelling picture of her in an apparently new ad for MadWorld Cosmetics. GABI: Wh…what? You want me to be new face of MadWorld? Nick smiles broadly, anticipating a favourable reaction from Gabi to his gift. NICK: Absolutely. I mean, Gabi, you’re gorgeous, and you’re already established with MadWorld…there’s nothing stopping you. GABI: I…Nick, I mean, this isn’t the first time you’ve set up modelling jobs for me and it was a disaster— Nick holds up his hands to stop Gabi midsentence. He interrupts her. NICK: I know! I know, it’s…I didn’t go about it the right way last time. This way, you can stay here in Salem, you can co-parent with Will and Sonny, there’s no great upheaval. We can take it slow. GABI: Nick, you’re…you’re talking like… Gabi stops herself mid-sentence, stopping herself from letting Nick know her true (lack of) feelings for him, but Nick’s suspicious, and it shows in his eyes. NICK: Like what? Gabi tenses up almost immediately, trying to backtrack to allay Nick’s suspicions. GABI: You’re talking like…like I can just stay in Salem and model, I mean…that isn’t exactly how it works. Nick nods in understanding, but pinches the bridge of his nose, as though feeling a sudden pain. Gabi looks on, trying to sort out what’s happening. NICK: No, you’re…you’re right. GABI: Nick, you okay? A voice is heard approaching Gabi and Nick from behind, while the sound of approaching heels clicks closer slowly. KATE: Is he ever? Gabi and Nick look up in surprise to see Kate looking down with her usual sour expression. She catches a glimpse of the MadWorld ad and looks over at Nick, unimpressed. KATE: What are you up to now, Nick? --- --- Kate leans against the edge of the booth casually, waiting for an answer from an obviously pained Nick. NICK: Nothing, Kate. Just…ugh, taking care of business with Gabi. Kate, unmoved by Nick’s pain, grabs his tablet and looks at it momentarily before holding it up to show Nick the picture of Gabi. KATE: I see, and this wouldn’t have anything to do with your little…amateur adventures at Photoshop, would it? Because I never authorized you to set up any ad campaigns, Nick. You work in the lab, remember? You make the formulas, I sell them. Nick groans as he tries to keep up with Kate, trying to grab his laptop bag to grab his “ibuprofen” tablets. He replies as he searches. NICK: God, Kate. You never let up, do you? KATE: In business, if you let up, you get screwed. You should know that better than anyone. Kate looks over, watching Nick struggle to find anything in his bag. KATE: Having trouble, Nick? NICK: Yeah, can’t find my aspirin, you have any, Gabi? I’d take them from you, Kate, but you have a bit of a history with poisoning things, I’m not gonna take my chances. Kate rolls her eyes as Gabi hesitantly goes through her bag. Not finding anything, she gets up from her seat. GABI: Uh, no. I don’t…if you want, I’ll run down to the drugstore at the corner and grab you something, okay? NICK: Sure, thanks, Gabi. GABI: No problem, uh…Kate, can you do me a huge favour and watch over Ari— KATE: …Say no more, but hurry. I have places to be. Gabi turns back and nods appreciatively. GABI: Yep, no worries, I’ll be right back. Kate turns around and picks Ari up from her high chair, as Nick fumbles out of his seat. Outside the door, Gabi looks back to make sure she isn’t spotted by Kate or Nick. She walks just to the edge of the building, just out of sight from those inside. She grabs her cell phone and makes a call. GABI: (into phone) EJ! I need your help. NOW. --- Will walks onto the elevator to head for home. When the doors open, Will steps in, and leans casually against the back wall, catching up on messages on his cell phone. As the doors are nearly closed, a hand stops them from completely shutting, and the doors open again. Will sighs, impatient to go home, and looks up unimpressed by the new passenger. Until he sees who it is. WILL: Alex. Will immediately lights up as he sees his new supervisor dressed in skin-tight biking gear. Will’s eyes look Alex up and down as he steps on. Alex smiles back at Will. ALEX: Hey! Will! How you doing? WILL: I…uh…good, I…heh. You look, awfully casual. ALEX: Oh! Yeah, this. I…heh…I usually bike home from work, and I wanted to try the commute home from the new office before the weather got too cold. Will nods, half-listening to Alex, as he’s too distracted by Alex’s biking outfit, which leaves…little to the imagination. Will licks his lips and, catching himself, looks up at Alex, smiling. WILL: Yeah, it’s…good weather for that. Alex smiles, before the air fills with an awkward silence, broken only by the sound of the elevator as it beeps, passing each floor on the way down. Alex finally breaks it. ALEX: So, how was your first day? WILL: Oh, it was great. I’m…really glad you were able to help. I have a feeling I’ll…need a bit more. Heh. ALEX: Oh, don’t even worry about it. I’ll definitely be around whenever you need. Just ask. WILL: Thanks. Will looks up, looking at his watch. The awkward silence hits again for a moment, but Alex again takes the opportunity to break it. ALEX: So…you…uh…have any plans tonight? Will thinks a moment, before answering carefully. WILL: I…uh…yeah. A bit later, but...hey, maybe…did you wanna maybe grab a drink before you head home, we can maybe…go over…a few more things and get to know each other better… Will quickly realizes what he’s just said and quickly backtracks. WILL: In a totally professional way, of course. Alex laughs as Will blushes, Alex’s eyes linger into Will’s as the elevator finally stops at the ground floor. The doors open as Alex responds. ALEX: I would love that, but I have dinner plans tonight, and I’d better go shower before all that, so…maybe tomorrow? WILL: I…YEAH! Definitely. ALEX: Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow. Alex goes to head out the door, but puts a hand on Will’s lower back on his way out. Will tenses as he feels Alex’s hand touch him gently. ALEX: Great work today, by the way. Will nearly chokes as he feels Alex’s hand slide away, Alex walking out the door, smiling at him as he waves, that Will nearly forgets to leave the elevator himself. WILL: I…yeah…I mean, thanks! Will exhales as he exits the elevator. He watches Alex walk towards the door, mesmerized momentarily by his muscled body in his tight-fitting sportswear. Will snaps out of it a second later, feeling like the biggest fool on the planet. WILL: Yeah, Will. Great work. (sigh) --- Daniel gets up from his desk, still trying to find a way to allay Billie’s concerns. DANIEL: Billie, you can’t do anything about this. Billie watches from atop Daniel’s desk, looking at him incredulously. BILLIE: Like Hell, I can’t. Look, I know you want to protect them, but if something’s seriously wrong…I mean...you’re not exactly chummy with Jennifer since you two split. DANIEL: That’s…putting it mildly. Billie gets up from Daniel’s desk and slowly walks up behind him. She puts her hands gently on his shoulders and sensuously rubs them, as she softly speaks in his ear. BILLIE: So…why not let someone who’s a little less…let’s say…controversial get the goods you need, hm? Daniel smiles and has a bit of a laugh, but turns around to face Billie. Putting his arms around her, while she rests her arms on his shoulders again, he tries to let her down gently. DANIEL: I would love nothing more than to fill you in on every detail of this… BILLIE: Good— DANIEL: But…it’s not going to happen, Billie. This is something I have to do myself. Billie’s drops her arms to her side. She sulks as she backs away from Daniel. BILLIE: Fine! I’ll just go to Jenn myself and find out from her what’s going on— Daniel’s voice booms as he instructs Billie. DANIEL: NO YOU WON’T! Billie is stopped in her tracks by Daniel’s explosion. Her face looks toward Daniel, shocked by his intensity. Daniel walks back towards Billie. His voice returns to its soft tone, but the intensity remains, forcing Billie to take in every word. DANIEL: Look, you cannot go to Jenn about ANY of this, do you understand? She has no idea what’s going on, and if she does, she may be in grave danger, okay? And if I tell you, there’s a good chance that you’ll be in just as much danger as she is, okay? Billie looks at Daniel, a mix of worry and fear in her eyes as she nods slowly in understanding. BILLIE: But…will YOU be okay? Daniel bites his lip, thinking things over a moment before speaking. DANIEL: God, I hope so. --- Kate holds Ari, bouncing Ari in her arms as she speaks to Nick, unimpressed by his latest antics. KATE: I told you to keep out of my business. Nick, still struggling with his sudden headache, pinches the bridge of his nose while he responds. NICK: Kate, we had a deal. You had to get Gabi a contract with MadWorld or I say what I know. Kate leans in, speaking softly, as if to get Nick to quiet down by proxy by lowering the tone of her own voice. KATE: And it wasn’t time to offer anything to her yet. We had to have product first. NICK: No, no. You were stalling. I knew you were. And I decided to take matters into my own hands. You should be thankful this is all I did. You know what I could do. Kate rolls her eyes, unable to counter Nick once again. NICK: I’m gonna go check with Mrs. Brady and see if she has anything for this headache. Nick heads off to the bar to talk to Caroline, while Kate saunters over to the front of the pub. Suddenly spotting Gabi just outside the doorway, she walks closer to the door to spy on her. Outside, Gabi stands slightly off to the side, thinking she can’t be seen in the building. She has her cell phone out, talking on her phone. GABI: (into phone) I know I was supposed to just get him hooked and get him arrested but it wasn’t that easy… … EJ stands in his office at DiMera Enterprises, an agitated tone in his voice as he talks to Gabi. EJ: (into phone) What do you mean, Gabi? What’s happened? … GABI: (into phone) Hope didn’t take the bait. She couldn’t find the bottle of pills I switched out at all. I know he’s been using it, I mean, he’s been getting these really bad headaches. But…he’s out of pills and I don’t know what to do. Kate is now outside, looking on, brow furrowed as she catches some of what Gabi’s saying. She listens closer as she approaches, as quietly as she can. … EJ: (into phone) Okay…I have an idea. Just…head to the pier and meet the same guy as before in one hour. … GABI: (into phone) No, I don’t have that kind of time, EJ. He thinks I’m already headed out to the pharmacy. Please, you have to make it sooner than that. I can’t do this anymore. This time, the plan has to work. He has to be caught red handed before he goes any farther. … EJ: (into phone) Well, if the pills weren’t enough last time… … GABI: (into phone) Well, then we need something more incriminating then. A prescription pad, a…phony doctor’s note.SOMETHING. Kate is stunned by what she’s hearing. A wry smile starts to appear on her face as she begins to realize what Gabi’s up to. … EJ slams his fist on the desk in anger. He shouts into the phone. EJ: (into phone) Dammit, Gabi! Okay, just head there now. I’ll try to get my guy over there, but no promises. … GABI: (into phone) Oh my God, thank you, EJ. I owe you BIG time. Gabi hangs up the phone, and quickly walks off toward the pier. As she walks away, she doesn’t see a smiling Kate behind her. As she bounces baby Ari in her arms, she laughs quietly to herself. KATE: Bravo, Gabi. I gotta say, I didn’t think you had it in you. --- Liam and Jenn’s kiss is interrupted by Liam’s cell phone ringing. The pair are jolted out of their romantic moment, as Liam leans back in his chair, grabbing his phone and looking at who’s calling. Frustrated, he gets up from his seat and holds up one finger to indicate to Jenn. LIAM: Ahh I gotta take this, it’s Chiacgo, one moment. JENNIFER: That’s fine, take your time, sweetie. Jenn nods, going back to work, as Liam hastily leaves her office, shutting the door behind him. Liam storms into the hallway, checking all around to see who’s passing by, before sliding into the waiting room. As he turns into the waiting room, Laura passes by and spots Liam going in. She carefully follows to the doorway and, just out of his line of sight, listens in closely. LIAM: (into phone) This better be important. … EJ responds, now pacing his office, a headache developing for him as well now. EJ: (into phone) You need to get Percocets and a prescription pad to the pier in 15 minutes or less. … Liam reacts in angered disbelief. LIAM: (into phone) WHAT? … EJ: (into phone) Exactly what I just said. We’ve got an emergency on our hands and if Gabi Hernandez doesn’t get Percocets and a prescription pad in her hands by… EJ checks his watch hastily before continuing. EJ: …4:30, everything we’ve worked for is in jeopardy. … LIAM: (into phone) A prescription pad? EJ, I mean…the drugs are one thing but… Liam looks around the room to make sure no one’s watching or coming into the room. He leans in and speaks softer. Outside, Laura focuses in even closer. LIAM …a prescription pad? That’s not exactly easy to get. Laura looks on, confused as all get out as to what Liam’s up to. She whispers almost inaudibly to herself. LAURA: Prescription pad? And why is he talking to EJ? (sigh) I have a bad feeling about this. … EJ: (into phone) You’re in a hospital, you’ll manage. 15 minutes, Liam. No ifs, ands, or buts. … LIAM: (into phone) Oh, what? I’m just supposed to pull one out of my ass now? Come on, EJ. This is crazy. … EJ: (into phone) There is no time argue or question me. Get the pills, put them in the same ibuprofen package as before, get the prescription pads, give them to Gabi Hernandez, and tell her she needs to sneak the pad into the target’s bag when he isn’t looking. That’s it. … Liam, resigned to his fate, throws his hands up. LIAM: (into phone) (sigh) Yep. Right. I’ll be there. EJ hangs up the phone. Liam follows suit. LIAM: Okay. Percocets…and prescription pads. Good luck, Liam. You’ll need it. Liam turns and storms out of the room. Laura, still standing outside, leans up against the wall as closely as she can, praying Liam doesn’t spot her. He turns away from her, and walks down the hall in the other direction. She breathes a sigh of relief, but looks on, more worried than ever. LAURA: Selling pills and prescription pads…to EJ DiMera. Oh Daniel, I hope to hell you figure out what he’s up to before it’s too late. ---

I bet it wasn't Blair who ran Reva down, but someone trying to frame her. Marty trying to frame her maybe? Hah, who knows. So much good here, I loved the Eartha and Elijah flashbacks, they're so sweet together, and you really feel their sense of love and loss and tension. It's a great story, keep that up! Zack needs to make a move before his girl ends up with Cory. GET IT! Haha Lily and Holden are inviting Noah back. AH! That's gonna get messy and I LOVE it. Haha, right up my alley, as you know. Good move there. Gary is up to some shady [!@#$%^&*], and I can't wait to figure out what it is. You're really building that mystery and it's strong story. I can't wait to find out what he's after and what he's scheming and with whom. GREAT stuff! Another great show, good work Nick!

I loved the Reva and Blair scenes. I was waiting for some kind of food fight to start, though. Haha! Excellent self-control by both women, I gotta say. This rivalry is fun to read. Enjoying the build between Malik and Dani, I expect that will be a great budding romance in no time. As well as Sam and Trinity, I love Todd hesitance to publish her article. it was so true, though I'm surprised Todd relented so easily, I can totally see him not actually publishing it and just saying he will so Sam goes away, LOL. I'm with Cary on the Luke/Ben thing. Gary must be behind this, it all seems so suspect and Luke doesn't seem any the wiser. I expect this all ties into Todd and the paper as well, it's gonna be a fascinating story, I know it, especially now with Jack involved. I know you'll get it all tied together. And now Reva's getting run over. WOW. What a great way to end it. GOOD show overall as well, you took it to the next level this time

EPISODE 81 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks, Nick Monarco & C. Nathaniel Richardson Hope walks through the Salem Police station towards her office as Rafe approaches. Hope looks over and smiles in greeting as Rafe does the same. RAFE: Hey! Just who I was looking for. HOPE: Well, don’t I feel flattered. Come in. Hope opens the door to her office and props it open for Rafe come in behind her. He shuts the door after entering as Hope sits down behind her desk. HOPE: So I got a few things I’ll need to take care of today so I’m not here long. What’s up? Rafe walks over to Hope’s desk and drops a file on it before her. RAFE: Well, this can’t really wait. There was another burglary in the west end again last night. Hope looks up, stunned and disappointed. HOPE: You’re kidding. RAFE: Nope! This time, they at least got a description of the suspect. It’s not perfect, but… Hope picks up the file and looks it over quickly, studying it as best she can. HOPE: Young male, black, 20-25, muscular build. Grey college hoodie, not Salem U. Wow, okay. Anything turn up so far? RAFE: Nah. This guy seems to have vanished into thin air after the robbery. All they know is he was in a rented moving van, but no one can trace it, they didn’t get the licence plate or anything. Hope drops the file on her desk as she looks back over at Rafe. HOPE: Damn. (sigh) Alright, well, we’ll keep looking. You doing okay? Rafe shrugs, smiling half-heartedly. RAFE: Yeah, I’m fine. Can’t complain too much. Hope looks at Rafe’s face and raises her eyebrow skeptically. HOPE: Why don’t I believe you? Rafe looks up, confused. HOPE: It’s Jordan, isn’t it? Rafe, is something going wrong between you? Rafe sighs, hesitant to get into this discussion now. --- Daniel stands, stunned in Laura Horton’s office at University Hospital. Laura looks up at him, worried about Daniel’s sudden silence. She gets up from her chair and tries to get Daniel’s attention. LAURA: Daniel? Daniel! Daniel blinks, suddenly back to reality. DANIEL: Hi. Sorry. Umm…look. I think I just…put two and two together and…yeah, I’m worried about Abigail. Very worried. Laura looks at Daniel, now more worried than before about her granddaughter. --- Nick sits casually on Percy’s sofa in the cabin, as Percy works away, carefully studying the Titan security videos. Nick scrolls through his tablet, earpiece in one ear, smiling widely at what he’s seeing and hearing as he suddenly gets up and turns to Percy. NICK: Got it! Percy looks up, peeling the headphones off his ears as though they’d been on for hours. Percy winces in pain as his ears appear, red as tomatoes. PERCY: My apologies, Nicholas. I didn’t hear you. NICK: I think I know exactly what we’re going to need to stick it to Victor. Check this out. Nick offers his tablet to Percy, who studies the image of Jordan, Sheryl, and Jerome’s meeting. After squinting at it a moment, Percy dons his bifocals, staring once again at the screen looking down his nose. PERCY: But…Nicholas, who is that young man there? I’ve never seen him before. Nick pulls his tablet away, casually flipping the case around it to close it as he heads back to the sofa to put the tablet away. NICK: That…is apparently a man named Jerome Grant. From what I caught, which, incidentally isn’t much because those girls need to stop mumbling so damn much, he knows Jordan and Sheryl from before they came to Salem. PERCY: Could he be a danger to us? Nick pulls out his cell phone from his bag, smiling his classic smug smirk. NICK: Ohhh, I don’t think that’ll be a problem, Percy. Look, I’m gonna head into town, I’ll see you later, okay? Nick grabs his laptop bag and slings it over his shoulder as he heads for the door. Percy smiles, nods, and waves as he begins to put his headphones back on. PERCY: Absolutely, I’ll keep you informed if I hear or see any so-called “juicy tidbits”, Nicholas! NICK: Great stuff, Percy. See you later on. Nick closes the door to the cabin, as he makes his phone call. … Gabi, sitting at a table at Town Square, rocking Arianna back and forth in her stroller, hears the phone. She suddenly stops and looks frantically for her phone. Pulling it out, she looks down with a sickened look on her face as she sees Nick’s name on her screen. GABI: Oh God. Quickly answering, she swallows hard, expecting the worst. GABI: Hey Nick, w…what’s up? … NICK: Hey, Gabi! Uh…look I really have something important to talk to you about. Can you meet me in 20 minutes at the Brady Pub? … GABI: Uh…sure. Yeah, I can! … NICK: Great. See you then. Nick hangs up the phone, beaming. NICK: Ohhh Gabi. You’re gonna love the surprise I have for you. Nick walks off toward his car, feeling on top of the world. …. Gabi hangs up the phone, a look of dread on her face, as she tries to distract Ari, but silently curses Nick. Her sudden tension isn’t lost on Ari, who begins to cry, upsetting Gabi even more. --- Marlena and Eric walk into Club TBD, Eric finally having a laugh with Marlena after spending two days in solemn silence. They find a seat and are handed menus by the server. Marlena and Eric both look up pleasantly, Marlena holding up her hand to stop her before she puts the menus down. MARLENA: Oh, it’s okay. I’ll just have a coffee. ERIC: Same for me. Marlena turns back to Eric with a serious, but loving face that Eric recognizes immediately. He reacts to it with a change of expression, back inward. ERIC: Mom… MARLENA: (interrupting) I know you don’t want me to pry… ERIC: No. Actually, I do. Mom, you’re the only person I can turn to about this. I’m…honestly, I’m really struggling. Marlena looks on, now really concerned for Eric. She squints a bit, staring intently at him. Eric catches this and looks down as his coffee is put down on the table in front of him by the waitress, Marlena’s in front of her. MARLENA: Eric…what’s the problem? Eric breathes in deeply, then sighs as he prepares to tell his mother about his dilemma. ERIC: Mom, I’ve been…really troubled ever since this whole…situation with Kristen went down and…I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. MARLENA: Okay. I mean, it’s understandable that you’d have a lot of conflicting emotions, Eric. You lost your vocation. It meant a lot to you, you don’t just…lose that overnight. ERIC: Right, but…(sigh), some things have happened since then…I mean…Sonny and Will’s wedding, among other things…and it’s made me sort of…realize… Marlena leans in, trying to catch Eric’s eyes. Eric, stirring his coffee mindlessly, stops, finally looking at his mom. MARLENA: Sweetheart. Realize what? ERIC: I’m thinking of leaving the church altogether. Marlena’s eyes widen at Eric’s revelation. --- --- Valerie stands in her office at University Hospital, leaning against her desk with her other hand on her hip, as she stares down her grandson, Jerome. VALERIE: Come on now, out with it! Something is on your mind, and you’re a bad liar. JEROME: Grandma… VALERIE: Well, maybe you can fool other people but you sure as Hell can’t fool me. Now spit it out. Jerome rolls his eyes, pausing a moment before he gives in. He turns and faces his grandmother, earnestly responding to her. JEROME: I just…I ran into old university friends from Toronto here and…we didn’t leave things on a good note. That’s all. VALERIE: Well, you know, it’s not like you’re still kids, Jerome. I think taking the year off before you started your PhD was probably a good idea. Maybe things have mellowed and you’ll work things out. JEROME: Hopefully….I just can’t shake the feeling that something’s happening that I don’t quite understand. I got a bad feeling, Grandma. Valerie smiles as she walks over to Jerome, putting her hand under his chin in a form of encouragement. VALERIE: You will be alright. In all your years on this Earth, you’ve managed to be smarter, and more resourceful than anyone I’ve ever met. You just remember that. Jerome smiles slightly, a warmth in his eyes as he looks at Valerie. He suddenly looks down at his phone and sees the time. Fumbling around a moment, he sets his phone on Valerie’s desk as he asks her a question. JEROME: Thanks, Grandma. Look, I gotta get going, uh…you got the keys to the new house? Valerie digs into her pocket and pulls out a keyring with three keys on it, tossing them Jerome’s way casually. VALERIE: Yep! Got ‘em right here. Jerome catches them with ease as he starts for the door. JEROME: Thanks. I gotta get this stuff into my room before I head into Salem U. Get into the registrar’s office before it closes. Thanks, Gran! VALERIE: See you later, Sweetie. As Jerome closes the door, Valerie watches him, a warm smile on her face, before she grabs her file folder on Roman. She stops as she picks it up, putting it back down again as she sees Jerome’s cell phone. VALERIE: Oh Damn it, JEROME! She jumps up from her seat and runs for the doorway, but Jerome is already gone. She stops in her doorway, turns back around and sighs. As she heads back to her desk, she stops before it, and stares at Roman’s file. VALERIE: Well...maybe it’s time we found some answers for you, Roman. --- Rafe looks at Hope, sitting opposite her at her office desk. Rafe tries to hold back his emotions a bit. Hope leans in, trying to catch Rafe’s eye. HOPE: Rafe, come on. I think we’ve known each other long enough to know when something’s up with each other. Rafe looks up at Hope and sighs. He decides to speak his mind. He begins, fidgeting uncomfortably. RAFE: Well…yeah, you’re right. I dunno. Jordan’s been…really distant the last few weeks and I can’t put my finger on why. Hope looks at Rafe, concerned. HOPE: Has anything changed in the last few weeks? Like…I know she’s been busy with work and all but… RAFE: Nah. It’s mostly been Sheryl. I think she’s going through something and…apparently can’t go to Lucas about it so she goes to Jordan. HOPE: And you get left out in the cold. RAFE: (sigh) Right. Hope reaches out and puts her hand over Rafe’s, giving him a comforting look. HOPE: Just be patient. Whatever’s going on is not going to break the two of you. I see the both of you and you’re always…incredibly happy when you’re together. Whatever’s going on with Jordan or Sheryl…it’ll pass. Rafe smiles slightly, as Hope gets up from her desk and slips on her jacket, and grabs her keys. RAFE: Hope you’re right. HOPE: I know I’m right. Look, I’m going to pick up Ciara from school, I’ll keep my eyes open for anything about the burglaries. Okay? Rafe gets up from his seat to head into the hallway himself. He holds the door for Hope as she exits the room, with Rafe right behind her. RAFE: Sounds good. I’ll text you in a bit if I come up with anything. HOPE: Great. See ya! RAFE: Bye! Rafe shuts the door behind Hope. He sighs as he grabs his phone to check for any notification from Jordan. RAFE: Nothing. (sigh) --- Laura looks at Daniel, she takes a moment before asking her next question to Daniel, almost afraid of the answer she’ll get. LAURA: I’m afraid to ask. Daniel immediately starts to pace the room, trying to calm himself a bit in hopes of also placating a now-frantic Laura. DANIEL: Look, just…I was Abigail’s doctor when she had that…accident at work. And…I’m not saying to panic but…I will look into this for you, okay? But…don’t worry. I will make sure Abigail is okay. Laura exhales and smiles at Daniel, nodding in satisfaction. She relaxes a bit, feeling reassured. LAURA: Thank you. Laura stops a moment, seeing that Daniel still appears troubled by their conversation. She puts a hand on his arm in reassurance. LAURA: And, Daniel. Just…I’m sorry to insert you back in Jennifer’s business like this…I know you two have, well, gone your own way. But…I feel like you…you know my family better than anyone at this hospital and…well…Jenn and Abigail could really use your help. I just…I didn’t know who else to turn to. Daniel nods in understanding. As he responds, Billie approaches Laura’s office door. She hears Daniel’s voice and stops, creaking the door open as he speaks. DANIEL: No, it’s okay. I…totally understand why you came to me, and I mean…I’m always going to love your daughter, no matter what’s happened between us. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Jenn and Abigail safe. BILLIE: What are we keeping Jenn and Abby safe from? Daniel and Laura both turn around, surprised by Billie’s entrance. Billie looks back, a curious look on her face. --- Marlena looks at Eric incredulously. She leans in closer to him, almost scolding him with her reaction. MARLENA: Are you serious? Eric, you were so passionate about being a priest, it…it was your life— ERIC: …WAS my life, Mom. MARLENA: Eric, don’t let Kristen win. She’s taken so much from us already, you can’t… Eric holds up his hand to try to stop his mom from continuing. ERIC: Mom…please. It’s not about Kristen. In fact, I’m starting to think that it’s because everything that happened was because of Kristen, that…maybe that’s why it’s taken me until now to make this decision. Marlena chokes a bit on her words, unsure how to respond, but still not pleased. MARLENA: I…I, I mean how…look, you just need the proof that Dr. Chyka’s drug is what poisoned you that night, and you’ll be exonerated. We know that. Eric looks down, already exhausted by Marlena’s unrelenting pressure. ERIC: Mom— MARLENA: Eric! You can’t give up when you’re so close to clearing your name. ERIC: Mom! I’m not about to give up. I will never stop until people know the truth about what happened to me that night. But, Mom, how am I supposed to support a system of beliefs that tells me that my nephew…not only doesn’t have the right happiness with the man he loves, but that they both should be killed for it. Just for loving each other? How do I support a church that is so ready to throw me under the bus, and to judge me as this…monster, when I was a victim? There is so much…evil that is swept under the rug in this church, and they want to dismiss a priest who comes out as gay? I mean…Mom, they won’t even acknowledge your marriage to John, even with all the extenuating circumstances that caused your affair and your divorce from Dad. Marlena looks down, nodding sadly as she thinks back on her affair with John. MARLENA: I know that was hard, but… ERIC: Mom, it’s…I chose to overlook it for a very, very long time. Because I saw the good that being faithful, and being a priest could do. The benefit it could have to humanity, and the…the joy and comfort that my faith could bring, and I wanted to share that with the world. And maybe I was doing it, in a way to…make my family proud, I don’t know. But the fact remains that I could not reconcile my faith and my love for my family. And my desire to see them happy with the people they love. Marlena reaches out across the table and grabs Eric’s hands in hers. Squeezing them tightly, she begins to cry, a look of pride across her face. MARLENA: Ohh, Eric. My darling boy. I don’t care what your vocation is. I will ALWAYS be proud of you. And so will your father, and your grandmother, and your aunts and uncles and everybody. Eric and Marlena share a laugh, as Marlena holds Eric’s hands firmly. MARLENA: I want you to remember, no matter what…I couldn’t be more proud of you than I am right now. Don’t you ever forget that. ERIC: Thanks, Mom. Marlena and Eric get up from their seats and share a tight, warm hug that seems to last ages. As Marlena lets go of Eric, she looks him dead in the eyes, still a bit teary. MARLENA: And whatever you do decide…I will support you. No matter what. Eric nods, feeling the first bit of comfort he’s felt in a long time. ERIC: You know, you don’t realize how comforting it is to hear that. Seriously, thank you. I love you. MARLENA: Oh, Eric. Marlena pulls Eric in again for a hug, once again holding him tightly, like she was comforting him as a boy. --- Nick looks up from his tablet, as he sits in the booth at the Brady Pub. He spots Gabi in the doorway and gets up from his seat. He goes to grab Arianna, but Gabi tenses up, reactively pulling her closer to her chest. She tries to pass it off as nothing and points to the high chair in the corner. GABI: No, no! I got her, can you just…grab the high chair for me. Nick turns around and spots the high chair, springing into action dutifully. NICK: Oh! Yeah, absolutely. Nick steps over to grab the high chair, and sets it up for Ari to sit in. Gabi smiles and slots Ari in carefully, with Nick’s help. GABI: There we go! Easy does it. Once Ari’s in place, the pair sit down. GABI: Ohh, thank you, Nick. Nick shifts midsentence towards Ari, paying the beautiful young child some attention, but Ari is not having it and flinches at Nick’s touch. NICK: Anything for you and this beautiful little girl of yours! Hey sweetie!! Ari kicks Nick’s hand away, causing Nick to jump back a bit, and having a short laugh about it. NICK: Wow, she’s feisty today! Gabi laughs nervously in response before becoming fairly serious, nervously asking Nick the question of the hour. GABI: Heh, yeah. She’s…like that some days. You never know. So…uh…why did you ask me to come, Nick? It sounded...pretty important on the phone. NICK: Oh, trust me, Gabi. This is…life-changing news. Without a doubt. Gabi looks to one side, grimacing, trying to fake a smile and failing. GABI: Can’t wait. Nick looks down at his trusty tablet, swiping through different screens until he pulls up the screen to show Gabi. NICK: Kate and I have been working on a new line for MadWorld. It’s a young, fresh line of skin care that is 40% less heavy than your main line products with just as long-lasting coverage. Can’t really get into details more than that, but…it’s tested REALLY well. GABI: That sounds fantastic. W…what does it have to do with me? Nick turns the tablet toward Gabi and hands it to her. On the screen is a beauty shot from Gabi’s old modelling shoots with a tester from the new line photoshopped in. Gabi looks on in shock as Nick reveals his intentions. NICK: We want you to be the face of the new line. Gabi looks up at Nick, breathing in deeply, an almost panic-stricken look on her face. ---

EPISODE 80 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks, Nick Monarco & C. Nathaniel Richardson Laura sits in her office at University Hospital, recalling what JJ told her the previous night about Liam. ... FLASHBACK TO EPISODE 71 Laura breathes in deeply, standing in her bedroom, as she tries to relax herself and keeps asking JJ questions. LAURA: Right. Okay...so...JJ...what happened after that conversation you had with your mother? JJ: Well...they took off, mom and Liam did...and I stayed behind to try to...sort this out in my head...and as they left...Liam...he looked at me...I caught him trying to...like...stare me down or something. But I'm more worried about Abigail than anything. I mean...she's working for Stefano but...Liam works at the hospital, he has no ties to Stefano. ... Laura thinks intensely about what JJ said, while shaking her head. She swallows hard before talking to herself. LAURA: Ohhh, let's just hope I'm wrong about Liam. As she finishes, Daniel opens her door, knocking gently on it. Laura looks up and smiles at him. LAURA: Daniel! DANIEL: You asked to see me? LAURA: Yes, I...I have a favour to ask you. Daniel squints a bit, unsure what to expect. DANIEL: Oh? What kind of favour? Laura stirs awkwardly for a moment, trying to find the best way to ask. LAURA: I need you to do a bit of digging on someone...Liam Frasier. Daniel looks down, sighing in frustration. --- At the former Titan TV studio, Nicole stands with Miles before hearing the sound of the doors to the studio opening, as a group of people enter the room. She closes her eyes, anticipating the worst before turning around to see who's come in. As she turns, she spots a group of men in suits approaching. Followed by none other than Sami Brady and EJ DiMera. NICOLE: No! Sami stops before the group of men, and immediately launches into her announcement. SAMI: Good afternoon, everybody! I'm sure you all know by now, I'm Samantha Brady. And I will be operating the TV operation formerly known as Titan TV, as of today. Nicole breathes in deeply, choking back a scream, as Sami locks eyes with Nicole, a huge smile across Sami's face. NICOLE: No! You've got to be joking! Sami smiles widely, trying to stop herself from laughing as EJ responds. EJ: Oh, believe me, Nicole. This is anything but a joke. Nicole looks at EJ incredulously, before looking back towards Sami. NICOLE: How is it not? Samantha Brady has as much experience running a TV station as Billy Baldwin has at the Oscars. SAMI: My God, Nicole. Even your references are dated... Sami saunters over a little too causally over towards an agitated Nicole. She stands inches in front of her as she continues. SAMI: You know...considering how our...advertisers demand our programming be....youthful, fresh...ahead of the curve? I might be really careful what I say around here. Know what I mean? Nicole scowls at Sami, as Sami smiles smugly. --- --- Marlena walks into the 7th floor lobby at University Hospital as the door to the elevator opens. Eric walks out, catching Marlena's eye. He spots her as well and stops, walking back towards his mother. MARLENA: Eric! It's good to see you. ERIC: Mom. The two hug warmly, though Eric's troubled face doesn't get past Marlena, who immediately begins to worry. MARLENA: You alright? You seem...a bit distracted. ERIC: Yeah, you could say that. The two separate, and Marlena looks at her son. She steps back a moment before answering, a worried look on her face. MARLENA: You want to grab a coffee and we can talk about it? Eric nods solemnly. ERIC: I'd like that. Marlena smiles warmly as she presses the down button to the elevator, headed for the ground floor. MARLENA: Great. I've had quite a morning myself. As the door opens, the two step on, and Eric looks on, puzzled himself. ERIC: Oh? What happened? MARLENA: Ohhh....it's a long story. The elevator doors shut as Marlena looks over at her son, whose own worried expression is now equally directed as his mother as it has been at himself. --- Valerie steps into her office, holding Roman's medical files in hand. Pouring over them, she looks confused by the contents. VALERIE: This...can't be right... As she speaks, Jerome steps into the room, knocking on the door of her office, causing her to jump a moment. JEROME: Hey Grandma. VALERIE: Jerome! Baby, how are you?? When did you get into town? Valerie puts the folder down, and almost runs over to Jerome, throwing her arms around him, gleeful at seeing her grandson. JEROME: Just this morning. I...actually haven't had a chance to go to the house and drop my things off yet. VALERIE: Well, actually that's good because I should probably go help you out when I'm done here. JEROME: Okay, I'll meet you after. Valerie smiles, happy to see her grandson again. VALERIE: Sounds good. I should be done in an hour or so. I just gotta...figure out something with this patient file first. Hey, did you get everything settled at the university yet? Jerome stops a moment, a strange look on his face that Valerie spots immediately. JEROME: I...yeah...I just was taking care of a couple things. Valerie looks at Jerome, squinting her eyes like she knows something's up. VALERIE: Jerome Paul Grant. I have raised you from the time you were in diapers, and I know you're lying to me. Now out with it. What were you really up to? Jerome breathes in, eyes darting quickly to the side as he tries to quickly come up with something to tell his grandmother. --- Nicole keeps her eyes firmly locked on Sami, as she puts one hand on her hip. NICOLE: You know, this is hardly the way to build workplace morale, Sami. SAMI: Well, I always figured it wasn't exactly great for workplace morale to have a murderous psycho on staff, but these folks seem to manage just fine. Nicole rolls her eyes. NICOLE: (sigh) Sami, get over it. Whether you want to admit it or not, I'm good at my job, and I work hard. So at least someone thinks I have something worth holding onto. Sami begins to laugh at Nicole's assertion. SAMI: Like who? NICOLE: Your brother for a start! SAMI: Right, well, Eric always did have rotten taste in women. NICOLE: Oh that's rich, considering you're the one taking my sloppy seconds. EJ finally has had enough and interjects. EJ: Okay, ladies, that's enough, alright? Look, Nicole, I recognize you've done a lot of fine work for Titan TV, and you're in no danger of losing your job now, you understand. Nicole looks back EJ's way with a smug smile. NICOLE: Thank you, EJ. EJ walks up behind Sami, putting both hands on her shoulders. EJ: Besides, Samantha, we have a very special project for Nicole to work on for us. NICOLE: And what would that be, exactly? EJ: You're going to work on that expose of all the shady business practices over at EnerNext. We'll give you every dollar you need. I want you to nail the bastards for us. Nicole smiles widely, partly in relief to get her bosses' support. NICOLE: Oh, I think I can arrange that. --- Daniel squirms as he tries to respond to Laura's request, visibly uncomfortable getting involved in this situation. DANIEL: Laura...I want you to understand something, okay? Jenn and I...when we split, I made the point to stay out of her life as much as possible, and I've held to that-- LAURA: ...Yes, but now she needs you, Daniel. DANIEL: What do you mean? I mean...Liam's a good guy, I work with him every day here at the hospital. Laura begins to appear visibly agitated by Daniel's refusal, her desperation becoming clear to him as she continues. LAURA: Daniel! Look, I know what your situation has been with Jennifer, and I understand you're moving on, but I do NOT trust this man at ALL. Daniel looks stunned by Laura's statement. Laura, meanwhile, gets up from her desk, and begins to pace nervously around the room. DANIEL: Wha...why not? I mean, he treats Jenn really well from all accounts, and...honestly, I don't understand what all the fuss is about, Laura. LAURA: No, you don't understand. Look, before I say anything to you about this, you need to promise me this stays between you and I. Nobody else can know about any part of this. Do you understand. Daniel puts his hands up in surrender, as Laura stands tense before him, looking directly into his eyes with a great intensity that is offputting even to Daniel. DANIEL: You have my word. LAURA: Alright... Laura looks away, a bit more relaxed again, but once again pacing the room. LAURA: JJ came to me last night...he was...he was shaking, Daniel. He was terrified. Daniel looks at Laura, a real concern starting to come across his face. DANIEL: Terrified of what? LAURA: Of Liam. He had overheard Liam talking to someone outside the Town Square on his cell phone, and that someone mentioned that they would be keeping tabs on Abigail while she's out of the country, and...something about reporting to Stefano. Daniel looks down a moment, mulling over what Laura's just told him. Daniel thinks back to Abigail's fall, and her being his patient afterwards. He recalls her nervousness regarding her pregnancy. ... FLASHBACK TO EPISODE 49 Abigail lies in her hospital bed as Daniel casually goes over her chart. Abigail is nervous thanks in part to Daniel's close ties to her family and ex-colleagues at the hospital. ABBY: That's good. Uh...Daniel...umm...you're not going to tell my mom about any of this, are you? DANIEL: Nah, that's...that's not gonna happen. See, your mom and I are, in no uncertain terms, finished. ABBY: Good. Uh...that's....not quite what I meant. I mean, I just...well, you know a lot of my family and friends and... DANIEL: Doctor-patient confidentiality. Cross my heart. Abigail smiles, feeling reassured that Daniel won't speak to anyone about her condition. ... After this moment, his eyes snap back up towards Laura, a realization having struck him. DANIEL: My God. ---

Good episode again. I liked Greg and Marcino's scenes here. The close-but-not-close moments that teased us again. Love that you're slowly building this up. Gonna be interesting to see that go down. Again, great move getting them involved in Bo's mystery. This creepy guy at the club now too! Wonder what he's up to. He seems like an all-seeing-eye kinda character. Wonder what he knows and whether he'll use it at an opportune moment. Loved having Terrence reconnect with Elijah in UC. Reminding us of the connections between the two shows. Awesome to see, and hopefully there'll be more crossing back and forth to come! Lucas was SO snarky with Daniel. LOL. WOW it just...DRIPPED off him, and Daniel just was too stupid to be able fight back well enough. Ugh ugh ugh. Jennifer is too invested in Daniel still, but I'm sure that'll change. GREAT ending with Bo's friends and family finding out about the burnt out car. Poor Kayla always in the dark, and I'm sure Kim is too. Gonna be some conflict in the Donovan home when that bomb drops. Hopefully Bo isn't dead though (I expect he isn't, but...you know). AWESOME work yet again!

GREAT end to the episode! WOW! You are connecting it all together and it's a GREAT mystery. Hopefully Bo's okay, but you're really setting it up well. That bromance between Greg and Marcino seems more and more like a....well...budding ACTUAL romance. Hmmm... LOL @ Eliza. Hope she gets the hang of her job, or she won't have it long. Loving the dynamics between a lot of the characters. JJ and Miranda have a natural chemistry that will be fun to develop. Really enjoying them together. That weird guy seems to know more than we think, wonder how he's connected to Lucas. Hmm... SO many mysteries, and I enjoy that about your writing. It's good stuff. Katsu and Barbara are interesting. I like the Barbara took back command over Katsu, as he seemed to be getting a little cocky businessman there. I love when the businesswomen can kick ass, and you have made sure Barbara has that fire, so I'm very pleased about that. GREAT show again!

EPISODE 79 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks, Nick Monarco & C. Nathaniel Richardson Maggie walks down the stairs at the Kiriakis mansion, a worried look on her face as she calls out to her husband. MAGGIE: Victor?? Maggie looks toward the doorway, then the living room. Not seeing Victor, or indeed anyone else, she slowly walks into the living room. Spotting an envelope on Victor's desk, she sees her name written on the front of it. Curious, she touches the envelope reluctantly. She then turns around, looking behind her, making sure Victor isn't looking in on her. Once she deems the coast clear, Maggie slowly opens the envelope, pulling the paper out and unfolding it nervously. She struggles to read it, having left her reading glasses in her purse. MAGGIE: Oh My God. Hearing a noise behind her, Maggie turns around to find a morose-looking Victor behind her. She smiles warmly at him. MAGGIE: The title for the Penthouse Grille. Victor smiles slightly. Maggie looks on lovingly. VICTOR: I wanted to make sure you had control over the property regardless of what happens to Titan. Maggie looks at Victor, surprised by his attitude. MAGGIE: Victor...what on Earth are you talking about? Victor looks down, away from Maggie, the sadness and worry plain on his face as he struggles to answer her. --- Marlena opens the door to her office at University Hospital. Roman and Valerie follow Marlena into the room. Valerie immediately closes the door behind her, ready to get down to business. VALERIE: Okay, so, talk to me. Tell me about these memory lapses. Roman stands, head down, hands on his hips, as he thinks over the moments he's missed so far. His reluctance to talk about his problem being obvious as he stutters his way through his troubles. ROMAN: Well...they...just started a few months ago. Minor stuff. There were these....holes in my memories that weren't there before. VALERIE: Such as...? Marlena, resting against the front of her desk, chimes in. MARLENA: The first time I met Bo, for a start. Roman turns to look at Marlena. He makes a strong face of frustration, recalling her reaction to his misremembering of that memory. Marlena sees his frustration and stops herself for a second, having been caught off guard by his look. --- Nicole walks into the studio at what is no longer Titan TV, as many of her colleagues mill about, chattering. All are fascinated by what's going on, curtains obscuring the studio wall that formerly held the Titan logo. Nicole looks around, as Miles appears, immediately going to speak to Nicole. NICOLE: Miles! MILES: Hey, Nicole. You excited about the news? NICOLE: To be honest...I'm more nervous than excited. Miles nods, and takes a moment before responding. MILES: Yyyyeah. So am I. If the news matches the rumours I heard, you won't like the news any more than I will. Nicole looks up, eyes widened. A thousand negative outcomes fill her head. --- Kate sits at her desk at her office. She looks up at a worried Lucas, who has just come in panicked about Sheryl and Jordan. Lucas, meanwhile, paces back and forth in front of Kate's desk as Kate tries to relax him. KATE: Oh come on, Lucas. What do you mean, you can't carry the charade with Sheryl? You owe this to me, and to your sister. She's worked way too hard on this for you to back out now. LUCAS: I'm not backing out, I just...we need to talk to Roman and Billie and get them to start making a move. KATE: Oh sure! And blow this whole thing up? And then what? Kate holds up her hands and dramatically makes air quotes. KATE: "Jordan Ridgeway" and "Sheryl Connors" catch wind of what we're doing, and throw US under the bus. No way. LUCAS: Well, Mom. I'm sorry. But I just can't keep up this ruse anymore. I'm not gonna sit there wasting all of my time and energy on a phony relationship just so YOU can win Rafe back. Billie steps into the room as he finishes his sentence, closing Kate's office door behind her, startling Lucas. BILLIE: Well, you're gonna have to, or else this whole operation goes down the toilet. And this is way bigger than keeping Rafe away from Jordan at this point, Lucas, and you know it. Lucas looks on at his sister, sighing audibly. --- --- Valerie, Roman, and Marlena stand in Marlena's office at the hospital, going over Roman's recent history of memory lapses. Marlena hesitates to continue, knowing Roman's frustration and hurt over his disappearing memories is building each time she brings them up, but she presses on. MARLENA: He...I mentioned the day I met Bo, and his "wedding gift" for us...and...well, it troubled Roman quite a bit that he couldn't remember it properly. Valerie looks on, almost through Marlena and Roman as she contemplates the situation. VALERIE: Properly, or at all? Roman looks down, shaking his head. He sighs before turning back toward Valerie. ROMAN: At all. I don't remember that happening. But it WAS over thirty years ago. These things don't always stay as clear in your mind as you get older. Marlena looks on, concerned for Roman, she attempts to chime in, but Roman interrupts. MARLENA: Roman, I-- ROMAN: Now, look, I...want to figure this out as much as you do...but I...I gotta get going. I have to deal with some police business, okay, Doc? Marlena closes her eyes, visibly frustrated by Roman's volatility. She exhales before speaking. MARLENA: Okay. Sure. Roman turns back to Valerie as he turns to head out of Marlena's office. He speaks sternly, with a hint of irritation in his voice. ROMAN: Valerie. If you need anything more from me, let me know. But I can't do this right now. I'll see you later. Roman leaves, closing the door behind him forcefully, causing Marlena to tense up visibly. Valerie shuts her eyes a moment, before looking back up at a troubled Marlena. VALERIE: He's worried, Marlena. MARLENA: (sigh) I know. So am I. Valerie racks her brain, deep in thought over what she's witnessed. She throws her hands in the air, before pacing across Marlena's office. An idea strikes her. VALERIE: I mean...the symptoms, top to bottom....it reads like Alzhymer's. But... Marlena nods. She herself looks down, not giving Valerie eye contact, as her troubled mind racks through all the possibilities. Valerie stops pacing, and looks up at Marlena. VALERIE: Roman's medical records. MARLENA: What about them? Valerie, perking up, moves toward the doorway, an idea having finally hit her. VALERIE: I'm going to grab them. If there is any clues as to what may be wrong with him...chances are it'll be there. I'll be right back. Valerie opens the door, almost running down the hallway towards the records room. Marlena stays behind, a concerned but hopeful expression on her face. MARLENA: My God, I hope you're right, Valerie. --- Maggie shakes her head at Victor in disbelief. She puts down the title deed for The Penthouse Grille and puts her hand on her hip, the other on the desk beside her. MAGGIE: Victor, nothing is going to happen to Titan. It hasn't so far, and there's no way it will now. VICTOR: You can't guarantee that, Maggie. MAGGIE: Oh I don't have to. I've seen how much blood and sweat you put into this company, Victor. And I'm not exactly new to this whole business thing myself, you know? VICTOR: Maggie, that's different. You run a restaurant, not a conglomerate. Maggie looks at Victor, exasperated. MAGGIE: Victor, I've never seen you be such a defeatist. In my entire life, I haven't. Victor looks away from Maggie. He shrugs. VICTOR: Maybe I've always had a reason to fight before. Maggie's face changes, realizing how Victor's been affected by Brady's demise. She approaches him and puts her hands on his shoulders, prompting Victor to look up at her. MAGGIE: Victor...do you remember when I lost Janice? VICTOR: Maggie, this isn't the same-- Maggie raises a finger to hush Victor up. She raises her voice over him. MAGGIE: NOT...a word! Now, I recognize that the circumstances were different...but we pulled through Janice's death. It took time....but we were able to put our lives back together. And remember...you have Phillip, you have Daniel...whether you believe it or not, you have Justin! Victor rolls his eyes, holding back his feelings at the moment about Justin, which Maggie anticipated, and quickly continues before Victor can retort. MAGGIE:...and you have me. Just rememeber that. Victor leans in to kiss Maggie, and embraces her warmly, as Maggie smiles. --- Billie walks into Kate's office, pleasing Kate, as she could use the backup against Lucas' hysterical position. Lucas folds his arms, knowing what's coming from his sister. BILLIE: We have too much on the line for you to be giving this up already, Lucas. We nearly have them right where we want them, right? Lucas rolls his eyes, answering begrudgingly. LUCAS: Right. BILLIE: And...we are VERY close to getting them to do something major that will get them into jail. The deeper we dig, the better the chances of getting Jordan and Sheryl in jail, where they belong. KATE: Exactly. So Lucas, you're doing us all a favour by staying the course for just a little longer. Lucas sighs heavily. Throwing his hands up in defeat, he responds. LUCAS: Okay, fine. Sure. I'll stay with Sheryl for now, but we need to figure out what they're up to with this...Jerome charater. And fast. KATE: Jerome? Who the... LUCAS: That's what I wanna know. I was just in Sheryl's office and Jordan was there...with this...guy named Jerome Grant. Said they were working on a project together. She made out like it was for my birthday but... Billie thinks a moment, before pointing Lucas' way. BILLIE: Okay. I'm gonna look up this Jerome Grant guy, and see what his story is. If that's his real name, and we can get a handle on what he's actually here for, we might be able to intercept them before they do too much damage. Kate smiles Lucas' way, confidence beaming in her eyes. Lucas looks back, much more unsure than Kate. --- Nicole looks around, making sure no one's paying attention as she talks quietly with Miles. NICOLE: What do you mean? What did you hear? MILES: I heard a major corporation was taking over the station, and they're planning to flip the whole operation on its head, and it's someone well-known to us. NICOLE: Like who? Miles hesitates to answer. He stutters a bit as he does. MILES: I erhh...it's someone you know very well, put it that way. NICOLE: I don't like the sounds of this at all, and if you're playing a game on me, Miles, I swear to God... Nicole hears the sound of the doors to the studio opening, as a group of people enter the room. She closes her eyes, anticipating the worst before turning around to see who's come in. As she turns, she spots a group of men in suits approaching. Followed by none other than Sami Brady and EJ DiMera. NICOLE: No! Sami stops before the group of men, and immediately launches into her announcement. SAMI: Good afternoon, everybody! I'm sure you all know by now, I'm Samantha Brady. And I will be operating the TV operation formerly known as Titan TV, as of today. Nicole breathes in deeply, choking back a scream, as Sami locks eyes with Nicole, a huge smile across Sami's face. ---

EPISODE 78 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson Kim sits quietly in Theresa's hospital room, watching her comatose daughter. She looks on, visibly pained by her daughter's condition, as she holds her daughter's limp hand. The sound of the heart monitors beep behind Theresa, the only sound in the room. As Kim squeezes Theresa's hand, the door opens, causing a focused Kim to jump slightly, as she turns her head toward the opening door. Kayla walks slowly in to see her sister and niece. Kim quickly wipes away tears as she greets her sister. KIM: Uh, Kayla! Hi! Kayla smiles with a tempered smile as she walks over to her sister, putting a hand gently on her shoulder as they both watch Theresa's lifeless body. KAYLA: Hey Kim. How are you holding up? KIM: Ohh, you know. Same as always. You? KAYLA: Well, actually...I'm glad I found you. I wanted to tell you before I told Roman or Ma. Kim turns around to face Kayla, a worried look on her face. KIM: Kay? Is everything alright? KAYLA: Oh yeah! No, everything's fine! Don't worry...I...I just have some...well...big news. Kim smiles, a bit confused. Anticipating the worst, she asks her sister the obvious question. KIM: Well...what is it? Kayla breathes in deeply and, taking Kim's hand in hers, makes her announcement. KAYLA: I'm leaving Salem...tonight. Kim looks on, shocked into speechlessness. --- In the hospital cafeteria, Roman stands in the doorway, confused by Valerie Grant's greeting. Marlena stands by Valerie, attempting to figure out how intervene. ROMAN: I...I'm sorry? VALERIE: Chris? Don't you remember me? Valerie Grant. Marlena cuts in to try to stop the situation from escalating. MARLENA: I...uh, think you should know that-- ROMAN: ...Ahh, it's alright, Doc. I remember Valerie. I just can't figure out who de hell she think I am. Valerie furrows her brow slightly, unsure what's going on. VALERIE: What do you mean? You're Chris Kositchek. I mean, you sure look like him, I... ROMAN: Valerie, I'm Roman Brady. You...do remember me, don't you? Valerie looks stunned, now even more confused as she looks Roman up and down, before turning to look at Marlena, who stands, nodding in agreement with Roman. --- Lucas looks around at Sheryl's office, seeing Jordan and a stranger, Jerome sitting all around. He asks Sheryl again his previous question. LUCAS: I asked you what the hell was going on, Sheryl. Now come on! Answer me! Sheryl looks on with a raised, sarcastic eyebrow from behind her desk as Jordan and Jerome look back and forth between Lucas and Sheryl. SHERYL: Obviously, it's a meeting. LUCAS: Between your friend, who's a physiotherapist, and...who are you exactly? Jerome stands up and immediately extends a hand to Lucas, rather formally, catching Lucas off guard. JEROME: My name is Jerome Grant, and you are...? Lucas looks at Jerome with a baffled look as they shake hands, Lucas moving his hand towards Jerome's very reluctantly. LUCAS: Lucas Horton...what...exactly are you doing here, exactly? Sheryl pipes up as the two men firmly shake hands, interjecting from her seat. SHERYL: Ah HE...is an old friend of Jordan's and I. He's...uh...here to help me with a project. LUCAS: A project? SHERYL: Yes, honey. Uh...look, can I...talk to you a second outside? Lucas looks over to Sheryl and nods, unsure what on earth is going on. LUCAS: Uh...sure. Yeah. Sheryl steps out from behind her desk and heads hastily for the door, grabbing Lucas' hand as she heads out. She turns quickly back toward Jordan and Jerome. SHERYL: Great! Okay you two...try not to kill each other while we're gone, yeah? Sheryl flashes a cheeky smile and winks at Jordan and Jerome. Jordan glares back, irritated by Sheryl's behaviour, as Sheryl shuts the door behind them. Jordan immediately turns to Jerome, hissing as she points toward the door. JORDAN: That was too damned close, Jerome? What the Hell are we gonna do? And why the hell are you really here anyway?! --- --- Nicole stands in Town Square, arms folded, her face showing her displeasure plainly to Eric, who separates from a hug with his old friend, Noelle. NOELLE: Uh...Eric? ERIC: Yes, Noelle? NOELLE: This wouldn't happen to be someone you know, would it? Nicole steps forward, never taking her eyes off Noelle as she extends a hand to greet her. Noelle looks cautious as she meets Nicole's hand. They shake, Nicole squeezing Noelle's hand a little too firmly, causing Noelle to resist wincing. NICOLE: Nicole Walker. Eric's girlfriend. You know what that means, don't you? Noelle rolls her eyes quickly as she responds curtly to Nicole. NOELLE: Oh I know well. NICOLE: And you are? NOELLE: Noelle Curtis. Childhood friend of Eric and Sami. Oh, and... Noelle holds up her hand, showing her diamond wedding band off to Nicole. NOELLE: ...a married woman. Happily. Married woman. Nicole looks on, slightly embarrassed at having given Noelle a hard time, but refuses to let it show, and leans back, folding her arms again with a disapproving look on her face. Eric looks on, surprised. ERIC: Married? Noelle turns to face Eric momentarily, putting a hand on his shoulder. NOELLE: I'll explain later. Let's have lunch tomorrow? ERIC: Sure. NOELLE: Great. Good seeing you, Eric. Noelle turns and nods, her face turning quickly to a scowl as she looks to Nicole. NOELLE: Nnnnicky. Nicole doesn't respond verbally to Noelle as Noelle steps past her on her way out, but her returning scowl follows Noelle out as well. Eric observes disapprovingly, and once Noelle's out of earshot, he immediately cuts into Nicole. ERIC: What was that? Nicole, that was unbelievable! Nicole turns back to Eric, surprised and annoyed by Eric's reaction. NICOLE: Excuse me? You wanna stand there trying to tell me how unreasonable I'm being? You're the one who told me that this relationship will never go anywhere because you're so attached to a church that's rejected you because they can't prove you were raped! ERIC: How dare you? NICOLE: I could ask you the same thing. Don't waste my time moralizing about God's laws when you can't even figure out that He's obviously not here for you. ERIC: Nicole! Nicole holds her hand up to stop Eric from speaking. Getting emotional, she finishes. NICOLE: Seriously, Eric, you know what? If you ever find your brains, come find me at the station, figuring out who my new boss is. Excuse me. Nicole storms off, leaving a stunned Eric behind, looking on as she walks away. --- Marlena steps over to guide Roman in closer, as Valerie stumbles over her words, trying to form an apology to Roman. VALERIE: I...I don't understand. Wh...what's going on? MARLENA: Uhh...Roman...came back looking somewhat....different last time. He uh...he had an accident and... VALERIE: And came back looking like someone else? MARLENA: Well...it's a long story. VALERIE: I'd love to hear it. Marlena tries to shake the awkward moment she, Valerie, and Roman are sharing, and clasps her hands together tightly. MARLENA: Ah, well...we can maybe do that in my office? Valerie, I have something...important to talk with...both of you about? That...research I was hoping you could do? Valerie takes a moment, still transfixed by Roman's similarity to Chris, before she turns to Marlena, and nods in agreement. VALERIE: Ah, yes! Yes. Let's do that. Roman? ROMAN: Lead the way. Valerie looks Marlena's way, conveying her astoundment at the situation. Marlena motions to Valerie to head for the door after Roman, and she complies, with Marlena following close behind. --- Kim sits up in a chair beside Theresa's bed as Kayla sits down across from her. KIM: I...I don't understand, Kay. I mean...why are you leaving, it's so... KAYLA: Sudden? Yeah. Well, see John was in town for Brady's memorial service and...well, he asked me to come over with him to...Europe. KIM: Why? KAYLA: Well, it seems like Steve needs my help with something so...John's going to fly me out. Kim looks at Kayla, observing the concern in her eyes. She turns her head slightly and reaches out to hold her sister's hand. KIM: I know you wouldn't leave so suddenly without a good reason. So...is everyone okay? Should I be worried? I mean... KAYLA: No, no, no, no, no, no. Kim, no. Don't worry. In fact, when I get back, we may have some really good news for everyone. Kim smiles, squeezing Kayla's hand as Kayla puts her other hand over top of Kim's. KIM: I hope so. How long will you be away? Kayla shrugs, trying to fight tears off. KAYLA: Oh, I don't know. As long as it takes. Few weeks, few months. CAROLINE: Well, I hope it's sooner than that. I can only afford so many plane tickets to see my kids, you know. Kayla and Kim turn around to see Caroline standing in the doorway. KAYLA: Ma! CAROLINE: And just when were you gonna tell me you were leaving town? I had to hear it from Maggie. Kayla gets up from her seat and walks over to Caroline, giving her a big hug. KAYLA: I'm sorry, Ma. I just...it was so last minute, It's a bit of an emergency. CAROLINE: Why? What's wrong? Kayla hesitates to say anything, but continues. KAYLA: Nothing. Nothing's....wrong. In fact, if this all goes to plan, a lot of things may be right. Caroline looks on, a bit confused. KAYLA: Just...trust me, Ma. I'll be fine. I'll fill you in when I can. Caroline mulls it over a moment, before coming to accept Kayla's words, nodding before putting a hand on Kayla's shoulder. CAROLINE: Well...just make sure that you keep me updated on how Joey is doing, okay? KAYLA: I will. And I'm so sorry to just...up and leave like this. It's just... CAROLINE: Don't worry about it now. You can explain it to me later. Just be safe. Caroline and Kayla return to their hug, as Kim gets up and slowly comes over, wrapping her arms around Caroline and Kayla as well. They share a laugh as they cry softly. --- Jerome smiles and almost begins laughing aloud at Jordan's histrionics. Sauntering across the room, before leaning against Sheryl's desk casually. JEROME: You know? I almost miss your...melodramatic way, you know? Jordan rolls her eyes at Jerome, reacting with disgust at his coolness. JORDAN: Oh, don't you dare patronize me, Jerome. You know this isn't the first close call. JEROME: Oh, I know! That's why we need to begin meeting at a more discreet location. JORDAN: OH? Where's that, exactly? Jerome smiles cheekily. JEROME: Your place. Jordan's eyes widen in disbelief. JORDAN: Wha...Absolutely NOT! You can't... JEROME: Oh, I can. And I will. And I think that Sheryl would agree with me. Jordan folds her arms, shaking her head in disbelief. JORDAN: I cannot believe you. You know, now I remember why we broke up. Jerome keeps smiling, trying not to laugh. JEROME: Oh really? Why's that? JORDAN: Because you never take anything seriously. Nothing I say, nothing I do. Anything that happens is a joke. My reactions, my concerns. Look at you! You're trying not to laugh as we speak, I mean, I can't believe Sheryl still wants to work with you at all! JEROME: And yet, she does. And you're gonna have to get used to that. Jordan stands, displeased by Jerome's obstinance. ... Sheryl turns Lucas around abruptly and grabs the lapels of his suit, pulling him in for a quick kiss on the lips that's still full of passion. Lucas relaxes almost immediately. LUCAS: So...what's this...project? Sheyl leans back, slowly opening her eyes from her seductive kiss and smiles widely. SHERYL: Mmmm....I can't tell you yet. LUCAS: Oh? It's for me then? SHERYL: Suffice to say you'll be incredibly surprised...and VERY pleased that I didn't tell you anything right now. LUCAS: Ehhh, I like the sound of that. Sheryl giggles slightly, never taking her eyes off Lucas. SHERYL: I knew you would. Now you...get back to work. I gotta finish these plans up, okay? Sheryl jabs Lucas gently with her finger as she directs him away. Lucas reluctantly complies. LUCAS: Ohhh fine, if you insist. SHERYL: I do. Come on now, people will talk. LUCAS: Yeah, well, I'm their boss so they better not. I'll see you tonight? SHERYL: Always. The two kiss quickly as Lucas darts off down the hallway. The relief and relaxation as Sheryl sees Lucas leave is clear on her face, as she rolls her eyes back, shoulders dropping as she turns to head back into her office. SHERYL: God, I wish I could get away with drinking at the office sometimes. ... Jordan turns abruptly to Jerome and, holding back a bit, speaks to him. JORDAN: You know, I think we were doing pretty damn good without you. So you know how to manipulate a computer. So what? Sheryl opens the door at this moment and steps in in time for Jerome to respond. She hangs back to listen to him. JEROME: The difference is that without me, neither of you would have gotten out of that prison cell in Canada, you'd never have made it back into the States, and you never would have made it to Salem so you could go screw up your lives all over again. You want my honest opinion? You shoulda thanked me for saving your ass. And instead, you dump my ass for some cop? SHERYL: Far be it for me to interrupt a personal moment... Jordan and Jerome jump in surprise as Sheryl breaks up their tense moment. Sheryl calmly continues. SHERYL: ...But we had better get to work right now...or we are all going to end up right back in those prison cells. --- Kate sits in her office when her office phone rings. She quickly picks it up, hardly breaking her focus from her work. KATE: Ahh, I see you're at your desk for once, Francince...Lucas? Sure, let him in. Kate hangs up the phone, and a second later Lucas walks in, a concerned tension on his face and his walk that alarms Kate immediately. KATE: Rough morning? LUCAS: Oh yeah, we got problems. KATE: What kind? LUCAS: With Jordan and Sheryl, mom. I don't know how much longer I can keep up this charade. We need to stop them. NOW. ---

GREAT episode. Lots quieter than the previous few but just as powerful. II loved the jail scene, and it's great that Victor is just goading people. So true of him. I love that you've made Victor take a fall. It's a much stronger story choice than usual. So tired of Vic getting away with EVERYTHING. But he took folks down with him, and I love how that's playing out too. Leslie and Roxanne was FIRE. The intensity between those two was excellent. I was so engaged in them, and I loved that Leslie is standing up to and not letting her get away with calling her out endlessly for her past. Leslie getting a spine. It's great to see. Their dynamic is excellent. Paul and Dru....I can't wait for Dru to tell all. I wonder if Paul will buy it. Nick and Noah dealing with Sharon's death. I guess that will play out for awhile. I wonder if Noah will be able to bounce back from this, especially with the impending turmoil over Mary's baby. OOOO this will be good. I especially like that your episodes are getting shorter and tighter. It lets you be more focused, and the stories will be tighter for it. You've done GREAT this time and left us begging for more, and that's the way to do it, I think. Really impressed with this one! AWESOME work!

GREAT episode yet again. I loved Trinity's article. So thoughtful and intense. I really do hope it makes the paper, it's a fantastic statement and beautifully written. I see Trinity as being a very smart girl who holds a lot of her feelings in, a lot to do with her family. I think Sam will draw a lot of that reservation out of her. I'm enjoying them forging a connection. Jack's concerns about being watched are well-founded, and I realized why Reva feels such a responsibility to Jack, considering her own time in Goshen. Totally forgot about that parallel until just then. Really great that that's motivating her. Again, you're nailing these characters, and it impresses me. The flashbacks with Eartha continue. I'm enjoying seeing Eartha and Morris fall in love. Wonder what ends up coming between them. Does Elijah somehow come back in the picture? I can't wait to find out. Blair finally making friends. The best way to people's hearts is via alcohol, as I say. Blair's still bitter about Reva. Gotta love a strong female rivalry. Very focused episode. I love that you're taking your time and moving slow with this show. Getting everyone mixed up and getting us comfortable with the characters first and foremost. It's a wise move, and it will pay off down the road. Really loving it so far!

Ben's giving me creepy vibes, knowing when Luke's on lunch breaks. Hmmm...I'm so curious why Ben is so intent on pursuing Luke. I feel like he's connected to a lot of other bits of the story, like the paper, and Jack. VERY curious. Jack coming back to do what he does best. His homing instincts are uncanny! Too bad he's so nervous about everything, I'm not even sure Todd will get him a job in this case. Speaking of Todd, his repartee with Gary is amazing. You really get how to write Todd, I'm telling you. GREAT stuff there. Hopefully this new incentive gets Todd up off his ass and to finally getting this dumb document. Haha. Elijah and Eartha's backstory starting to fill in. I'm really excited about that, as their situation is curious to me, but I'm still patchy on their past, and I really want to know more. Them as teenagers had a real spark. GREAT show. Enjoyed it as usual.

OOOO Michele is still gonna lie about Bridget "attacking" her. As if she knows Bridget is still up to no good. AND LOOK HOW IT TURNED OUT! OOOOO that condom. Bridget is in trouble now! WOW WOW WOW, this story is getting better and better. Your pacing with it is GLORIOUS and I can't wait to see what twist it takes next. Lindsay dealing with her depression and her changing hormones is obviously taking its toll on her. The realization that she won't be able to have children isn't sitting well with her, and Stacey is not able to be patient anymore. It's hurting her so much to see Lindsay in so much pain. GREAT scenes and great that you connected her and Michael again. I wonder if Stacey still has lingering feelings for Michael, considering how she slipped her hand away from his like that. Wonder if that's setting anything up. Donna talking with Bridget was on point. Donna trying to stop Bridget from making the same mistakes Vicky made. It's so fitting, as she sees so much of Vicky in Bridget. I'm glad that's been made clear to Bridget, and that she's that little bit smarter. Good discussion there. You're still giving me great, focused episodes, and fantastic stories. You're KILLING it! GREAT work!

OOOOO this was another great one. Bridget still hasn't stopped scheming, and it could all backfire on her if Michele figures it all out. Loved the moment between Michele and Vicky as they discuss burying the hatchet and Vicky's own struggles with Marley. Excellent mother/daughter moment. Great to see Allen and Tyrone bury the hatchet too. Brothers reconnecting, just in time for the baby to be born. I do love that you're having a laugh at Marley's looooong pregnancy. Good work there. Donna and Michael are giving me life too. I love Donna quipping about texting to Michael. She totally would know how to text, and be so smug about knowing how as well. Great to see Donna worried about Michele, as we all know what Michele's state of mind is right now. It's all building up. I can't wait to see the next one to see what goes down with the twins. EEK!

This is a much quieter episode than the previous one, but still very strong. I enjoyed getting the backgrounds on everyone. Seeing where Maggie's been and catching up with Matt was a treat. Those 90s teen stories weren't all that memorable to me so I'm glad we got some background to refresh my memory. Haha. I'm really liking that Maggie will be a doctor at BCGH. Good move. Devin Lucas, Carl and Lorna were good as well. Devin's sadness at not being able to get close to his father, and slowly understanding the reality of that. It was well done and strong choices. Russ and John competing for COS. John seems like a shoe-in, but I expect Russ will stick around regardless. Too big a return for him to quietly sneak back away. Good work yet again, Cary!

This was a great little episode. So rich, the dialogue, the stories moved and the situations were powerful. I love seeing Devin Lucas and Carl going head-to-head. You could feel that energy and his hurt and confusion surrounding every aspect of his life. And the impatience he's feeling towards Carl, who has a whole story he needs to tell him, but Devin can't wait. I'm not big on the mid-scene cuts, only because it cuts the rising energy of the scene off just as it builds. BUT, that's just me being old school. The scenes were still fantastic, so don't even worry about my whiny ass. This keeps your show different, and that's a GOOD thing. I enjoyed Elizabeth trying to nudge Michele into going after Bridget. They are gonna make a GREAT team if Michele decides to go back to her schemes, which, judging by Bridget's newest trick, may be very likely. Vicky and Jake were AMAZING. You saw where each of them were coming from and it was a real struggle. Very honest and rich and real. Love love love this, and I wish I had a situation like this on my show. The tension between their love for each other and their anger at each other is so palpable. Brilliant work there. ALL great stuff, and I could picture it all playing out in my head, like it was on TV. BRILLIANT episode, Cary. You're doing Grade A work here!

LMAO WTF Nick punching Paul in the face. HAHAHA. OMG. That's a reaction and a half! Great episode all around again. Lily finding out about Cane selling their kids. WOW. There's gonna be some major fallout here. I can't imagine Sharon's actually dead. Great scenes with everyone sort of...getting their bearings after the crazy night they'd had. Scotty, Daniel and Lauren trying to figure out who Vandalynn is. The flash-dying of her hair from the explosion is an interesting twist too. This girl is the master of disguise. I can't wait to see that all play out. Excellent stuff. Mary's baby WTD thing will be excellent, especially since basically half the men in Genoa City could be the daddy. Love it. That story has potential to have legs for YEARS. All around fabulous work again, ML. You're doing a fantastic job.

This is one crazy episode. So much fallout from all the past month's events! Good use of flashbacks with Mary and her men. Haha. I'm hoping this all leads to some great fallout there. Mary has been very good at doing her mother's dirty work, so I really do hope there's some fallout from that. Leslie really needed to put Sister Patterson in her place. That was some foolishness. She needs to do something other than harrass Leslie, so I'm glad that happened. Haha. Dru and her family reunion were wonderful. Every beat felt real and well-written. I love that Dru and Phyllis finally had their showdown, but hope it isn't their last. One of my favourite Y&R rivalries. GREAT cliffhanger too. Did Nate pull through? Gonna be an exciting episode next time around. Fantastic work, beginning to end!

EPISODE 77 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson Valerie and Marlena sit in the cafeteria in University Hospital, sipping on coffee as they pick away at their lunch. The old friends smile as they catch up. Marlena pulls a picture from her wallet. MARLENA: So this is my daughters Belle and Sami. VALERIE: What beautiful young women they are...Wow. Roman must be so proud of them. Marlena looks down awkwardly, which Valerie catches. VALERIE: Okay, Marlena...you gotta get me up to speed on this whole...Roman situation. What happened between you two? Marlena nearly spits out her coffee at Valerie's unintentionally loaded question. MARLENA: Valerie, if you wanted me to fill you in on that, you'd need all afternoon, not just a lunch date. Valerie smiles, laughing quietly, but realizing how out of the loop she's been. She furrows her brow subtly as she responds. VALERIE: Cliff notes? Marlena puts down her coffee, trying hard to hide her frustration at Valerie's persistance, but Valerie catches on, and holds up her hands. VALERIE: Okay...if you don't want to talk about it... MARLENA: No no. It's just...it's very complicated. (sigh) Basically...we thought we had lost Roman...many many years ago....not to...get into too much detail but...a man came to town. John Black. We...we all thought he was Roman and...I married him. VALERIE: But Roman was alive the whole time? MARLENA: He had been held prisoner...for seven years. And then they kidnapped me as well. Valerie looks on, shocked by Marlena's story. VALERIE: My God! Marlena, I'm...so sorry. Marlena smiles re-assuringly. She puts her hand over Valerie's. MARLENA: It's alright. We managed to escape. Either way, once we were all back in Salem...things got complicated. John and I had an affair...and that's how we had Belle. VALERIE: I see. Is....that why you and Roman aren't together anymore. Marlena nods with a hint of sadness. Valerie looks at Marlena with a sympathetic face. VALERIE: I'm sorry to hear. MARLENA: Oh it's okay. That was a long time ago. I just wish things were going well with John now. Marlena stares off in a distance as she thinks over her recent problems with John, and their divorce. --- Daniel stands by the nurses' station at the hospital, trying to step between Billie and and angry Kim, who has caught Billie and Daniel in a warm embrace. DANIEL: Okay...Kimberly, I want you to understand something here. This hospital is extremely well-protected without a police guard. There will always be someone within eyeshot of Theresa's room, so all this talk about a police guard is unneccessary. Okay? KIM: Says the man that I just caught hugging the woman I have a restraining order against. Come on, Daniel. I'm not stupid. Daniel sighs, as Billie rolls her eyes. Giving up, Billie presses the down button on the elevator. BILLIE: Look. I have to get back to Titan, but, Kim. Just...let it go. I'm not going to see Theresa, okay? I'm respecting your wishes. KIM: If that's the case, then why are you here? BILLIE: Believe it or not, I have friends at this hospital that aren't named Theresa. I had to go see Jennifer for a moment, if you must know. Alright? So just relax and call your dogs off. The door to the elevator opens, with Billie staring Kim down as she steps on, making a snarky remark before leaving. BILLIE: But I will not stop caring about Theresa. And when she wakes up, you better hope she doesn't put a restraining order out against you. Especially conseridering how well you two get on. Have a nice day, Kim. Daniel? I'll see you at Club TBD? Billie steps onto the elevator, while Kim stares her down as the doors close. Kim points to Billie as she looks up at Daniel, who's had quite enough of Kim, himself. KIM: Do you see that? And you try to explain to me why I shouldn't have a police guard up. Daniel finally snaps, looking over Kim's head as he shouts out at her. DANIEL: Okay, Kim, ENOUGH! There will be no guards for Theresa's room and that's final, got it?? Kim looks at Daniel, stunned and disgusted by his strong reaction, and his domineering. --- Eric walks through Town Square, deep in thought as he quickly grabs his phone from his pocket to check a newly received text message. As he does, he continues walking. Turning the corner by Tom & Alice's tree, he slams into a woman passing by, who jumps back before she falls down, herself not having paid close enough attention. NOELLE: Oh God, watch...! ERIC: I'm so sorr-- Eric stands back, shocked to see Noelle again. Eric looks on, at a loss for words momentarily, as is Noelle. ERIC: Noelle Curtis...what are you doing here? --- --- Eric offers a hand to Noelle as he lifts her up off the ground of Horton Town Square. The both smile, surprised to see each other again after so long. NOELLE: My God! Eric Brady, it's been...ages! Noelle leans over and gives Eric a warm hug. Eric smiles and hugs back. ERIC: It's been a...long while. You're looking...fantastic. Eric pulls out of the hug and, still holding her hands, backs away from her to see how beautiful she looks. Noelle smiles, flattered by Eric's compliment. NOELLE: You're not looking so bad yourself. I heard you...have had...quite a year. Eric's face drops, as he nods, a sad look across his face. ERIC: ...Or two. Yeah, you could definitely make a case. But I'm pulling through. NOELLE: Good. I'm glad. Yeah, it's...definitely not be an easy year for me either. ERIC: I heard about your dad. I'm sorry to hear. Neil and my mom were good friends for a very long time. Noelle smiles half-heartedly, a certain sadness in her eyes. She nods as she looks down, deep in thought in a way, as she continues to talk to Eric. NOELLE: Yeah. It wasn't easy on any of us. Especially since now I'm...helping to support her. Eric looks shocked by Noelle's revelation. He looks into Noelle's eyes with a deep concern. ERIC: What?? Noelle holds up her one hand to motion to Eric not to panic. NOELLE: It's...not a big deal, don't worry. I'm taking it all in stride. I'm just...gonna have to make it work is all. ERIC: Well, I hope it does work itself out. Hey, how long are you in town for? 'Cause I really would love you to meet everyone, catch up with me and Sami and... Noelle laughs at Eric's enthusiasm as she interrupts him to give him her news. As she does, Nicole appears from the opposite end of Horton Town Square and spies Eric and Noelle speaking. She hangs back, observing their body language from afar. NICOLE: Who the Hell is that? Noelle smiles and responds to Eric. NOELLE: Well...we'll have plenty of time for all that. I'm staying in Salem...hopefully for good. Eric's eyes light up at the news. He smiles widely, still standing hand-in-hand with her. ERIC: Really?? NOELLE: Really! ERIC: That's fantastic! Eric pulls Noelle back in for a big hug as Nicole looks on. Now blind with jealous rage, she storms over to Eric and Noelle and, upon approaching them, makes herself known. NICOLE: And just what in the HELL is going on here? Eric pulls away from Noelle and turns to face Nicole, his face immediately twisted into one of confused displeasure. --- Jordan sits down at Sheryl's desk, sitting in a chair next to Jerome. Sheryl leans over her desk, placing down before the both of them a single page each. Jordan squints at the page as she picks it up, looking up at a smirking Sheryl as she scans the page. JORDAN: You're serious about this? SHERYL: Absolutely. Jordan sets the paper down on Sheryl's desk. She looks over incredulously at Jerome. JORDAN: You're going to steal all the data Titan has on EnerNext from their mainframe and cover your tracks with a virus? SHERYL: Not just any virus, Jordan. That's why I brought Jerome back to help us. He can explain it a lot better than I can. Sheryl motions to Jerome to continue. He smiles wryly and begins, hands clasped together as he sits casually at his seat. JEROME: We will be accessing that specific server only. Once the files are accessed and copied, which should only take about twenty minutes, we would have to cover our tracks to avoid any chance of Titan's security system catching the transfer. As a result, we will systematically corrupt and effectively paralyze the Titan servers, top to bottom. JORDAN: And what if the firewall stops us before then? I mean, wouldn't someone not get a warning that there was a breach in the firewall? SHERYL: Not if Jerome's plan goes correctly. Jerome looks over to Jordan, who is still a bit lost on the logistics of the plan. JEROME: There is a hole in every firewall. We just have to figure out where it is, and take advantage of it. SHERYL: Once we're in, we take what we need, and then effectively set fire to the house. Jordan looks at Sheryl, unimpressed, and responds sarcastically. JORDAN: Sounds extreme. JEROME: It's the best way. It's effectively untraceable, destroys Titan's inner workings, which will cost them millions if not billions, and whatever we collect on the project will go straight to the media, which will put the final nail in Titan's coffin. Jerome turns to Sheryl at this point, pointing and smiling, looking impressed. JEROME: Oh, and by the way. Great work with the Titan TV sale. I didn't think you could pull that one off, but it helps us out big time. SHERYL: Thank you. JORDAN: Won't that still be a bit of a battle? I mean, I'm sure there's a boatload of Titan loyalists still left at the station. I can't imagine they'd be thrilled with this. Jerome looks back to Jordan, a wry smile on his face, and a glimmer in his eye. JEROME: Trust me. When the man isn't signing their cheques, they'll take him down in a heartbeat for a good story. You can believe that. SHERYL: And truth be told, I'm certain that by the end of the week, there won't be a Titan for them to worry about anyway, and we'll be miles away by then. As she finishes her sentence, Sheyl looks up shocked as the door to her office swings open. Lucas looks on, confused by the scene he sees in front of him. LUCAS: Miles away from where? Sheryl looks on, stunned and at a loss for words as Jordan and Jerome turn to see Lucas in the doorway. LUCAS: Sheryl, what the Hell is going on here? --- Daniel pulls Kim into his office, with Kim attempting to free herself from his clutches, as he shuts the door. Kim pulls off him, finally, and curses him as she feels her not-as-sore-as-she's-making-out upper arm. Daniel leans against his desk and points a finger at Kim as he starts in on her. KIM: Let go of me! What kind of neanderthal are you? DANIEL: One that's concerned about your daughter's well-being. Daniel stops a moment, relaxing somewhat as his tone changes to a more reserved, concerned one. DANIEL: ...And yours. Kim looks up from studying her arm for bruising. She squints at Daniel in wonder. KIM: My well-being? (laughs) Daniel, I've been through...so much worse than this. DANIEL: Yeah, and how did you handle that? Kim looks away a moment, annoyed by Daniel's interference. KIM: I don't want to get into this with you, okay? Daniel raises his voice, hoping to stifle Kim's objections. DANIEL: You need to, Kimberly! Daniel stops a moment before softening his tone again, his eyes unmoving from Kim's. DANIEL: Your daughter has been in a terrible accident. The longer she's in that coma, the greater the chance she'll never wake up from it. Now, I want to do everything I can to make sure she does wake up, but that includes her being surrounded by friends and family that will help her heal. And whether you want to admit it or not...that includes Billie. Kim looks away at the window, shaking her head in denial. As she responds to Daniel, she becomes increasingly emotional, tears beginning to form in her eyes. KIM: That woman has caused us nothing but pain. She's torn every bit of stability and normacly away from that girl. And just when I finally get my daughter back... Kim stops a moment to collect herself as she begins to break down. Daniel looks on, sympathetically, but folds his arms and stays put, not wanting to step towards Kim. KIM: I can't take any chances with this, Daniel. Billie Reed poisoned my daughter against me, and I'm not going to let her near my daughter again, ever! Daniel looks down, retaining his composure as best he can as he takes in Kim's emotion. DANIEL: It's not right. And you know it. Kim nearly hollers over Daniel, refusing to accept what he has to say. KIM: Oh to HELL with what's right for Billie! She has no right to insert herself into this. DANIEL: Okay, Kim...I want you to realize something. Okay? I saw Billie with Theresa, and I saw how much Billie cares about that girl getting better. That kind of energy is sometimes exactly what can make the difference between someone coming back out of a coma, and someone never waking up. Kim stays silent, wiping away her tears as she listens to Daniel. DANIEL: But I have to respect that restraining order. If I don't, I run the risk of losing my job, and my licence. Why would I risk that? Just...don't let this anger consume you, Kim. Billie may be in my life, but that's not gonna give her special privilege where Theresa's concerned. You need to trust that. Kim stops a moment, mulling over what Daniel's said before continuing. KIM: Okay...fine, I won't ask for a guard for Theresa's room, and I will respect...whatever thing you have going with her...but if I ever catch Billie Reed in my daughter's hospital room again, so help me, you will live to regret it. Do you understand me? And trust me, if she's in there, I WILL find out. I can guarantee you. Daniel looks up again, afraid to even make a response against Kim's strong reaction. --- In the hospital cafeteria, Valerie studies Marlena's troubled expression with concern of her own. VALERIE: What do you mean by that? Is everything okay with you and John? Marlena sighs as she answers, not able to quite look Valerie in the eyes, hoping to retain her composure. MARLENA: No, I can't say that they are. We're getting a divorce. Marlena feigns a smile, as Valerie reaches out across the table to touch Marlena's hand in comfort. VALERIE: I'm really sorry to hear that. But I'll tell you something, you look a hell of a lot more conflicted than sad about this. Marlena...are...are you sure this is what you want? Marlena looks down, contemplating Valerie's question. She slowly nods, before looking back up at her friend to answer her question. MARLENA: Yes. Yes, it's probably for the best. Too much water's passed under the bridge, and as much as I don't want to admit it, I have much more important priorities to consider right now. Valerie raises an eyebrow at Marlena's vague statement. VALERIE: Such as...? MARLENA: What to do about Roman. VALERIE: What do you mean? Is he okay? Marlena takes a sip of her coffee before answering. Putting the cup down, she shakes her head subtly, hoping to maintain discretion concerning his situation. MARLENA: No. And actually, that's something I really should ask you about, especially with your expertise in neurology. VALERIE: Absolutely, anything. Marlena leans in, looking around to make sure no one could be listening in on them as she softly asks Valerie her question. MARLENA: Roman's been having very...bizarre memory lapses and these...strange moments that almost seem like the beginnings of dementia... VALERIE: It very well could be, but he's so young, that's a surprise to me. MARLENA: To me too. And it comes so soon after his mother's diagnosis with Alzheimer's as well. But, that's the thing. The symptoms don't quite line up. Valerie looks on, head tilted slightly in confusion. VALERIE: How do you mean? MARLENA: I mean that something in my gut is telling me something else is happening to him. And I need you to figure out what it is. VALERIE: I'll do whatever I can. Marlena smiles at Valerie warmly. MARLENA: Thank you. I'll be meeting with Roman after lunch so maybe we can have a chat with him then. VALERIE: Sounds good to me, I'm free for a little while longer, so I don't mind at a... Before Valerie can finish her sentence, she spots another familiar face walk through the door of the cafeteria, looking for someone. She spots Roman immediately and calls out to him as she stands up, smiling widely. VALERIE: Chris Kositchek! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes! Roman looks at Valerie, bewildered, and as though looking at a stranger, as Marlena looks on, a flash of deep concern hits her as she looks quickly back and forth between Roman and Valerie. ---

Uh oh! Who's watching Marah? I loved the teen's party. The song fit the whole scene beautifully. Great work there. Could see it all play out, Zack got some game. Wonder if it's all gonna blow up in his face when Cory figures out what's going on. You got a handle on the young characters like I'd never be able to. haha. I'm a bit envious of that, if I'm honest. The party felt really real, and I love Zack and Sam's friendship. Oooooh the Davis BBQ is drama. Morris is acting like a baby about this, and you know it's gonna get more drama from here. I wonder what's really motivating them to stick together. Is it just all for the kids? Do they realize the damage they're doing to the kids staying together? It'll be interesting to see that grow and how the kids' relationships with others end up witnessing their parents' dysfunctional relationship. I hope you play those beats down the road. Those dynamics are spot-on. Loved Blair and Todd again. Awesome romantic 4th of July under the stars. Good way to bring the episode together. I'm really impressed by your work on this one. Good job!

The teens are really doing it for me. Great stuff between Sam and Trinity, and I love the math class stuff. Very small beats but it makes everything set up for later, and I can't wait to see that all play out. The Davises are fantastic in so many ways. So many questions unanswered, and I love that you're peeling back the layers slowly. It's really fantastic to see Malik dealing with being the mediator, and, just like us, not really knowing what the root of it is or how to take the steps to fix it. Reva and Josh taking Jack in. Wonder what's gonna happen there and where it'll lead. It is a bit odd that Reva's so committed to having Jack stay with them, so I figure there's more to that than meets the eye. Josh, of course, isn't so sure of this himself. You're really doing good stuff there, and everything's building up nicely. Keep this up, and I know you'll have a great show on your hands. You're doing GREAT.

EPISODE 76 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson Billie walks up to Daniel by the Nurses' station at University Hospital, and taps him on one shoulder, before darting in the opposite direction. Daniel turns around and looks confused momentarily before spotting Billie out of the corner of his eye and grabbing her. They both laugh heartily as Billie grabs Daniel's arm and smiles. DANIEL: Gotcha. BILLIE: Yeah, well, I don't put up much of a fight with you. How are you doing? DANIEL: Ahhh, alright. Ready for lunch if you are. BILLIE: I think that would be an excellent idea. You made the arrangements for tonight? Daniel looks at Billie and shakes his head. DANIEL: You know I can't talk about that here. BILLIE: I am being as vague as I can, but frankly, I just want to be sure you made the arrangements. This has got to work. Daniel leans in close and hugs Billie. DANIEL: Don't worry. Everything will be fine. As Daniel holds Billie, Kim steps off the elevator and catches the two of them in their embrace. She folds her arms immediately and stares disapprovingly. --- Sami walks down the hallway of University Hospital, just outside Dr. Laura Horton's office, making a quick phone call on her cell phone as she turns the corner. SAMI: Gabi! Glad I caught you...umm...are you free at all this afternoon? ... Gabi walks casually toward The Brady Pub while on her phone, pushing her stroller with her other hand, thinking momentarily before responding to Sami's question. GABI: Uh...yeah. Sure. I can...meet you. Why? Is something wrong? ... SAMI: Uh...no! No, everything's fine, I just...I have a proposition for you, so I just...figure we could meet up. ... GABI: Sure! I'm just about to sit down to lunch with Will, so...maybe after that? ... SAMI: I might have to make that a little later. I've got a quick stop to make to clear up some business so...maybe...around 3? ... GABI: Sounds good, I'll see you then. ... SAMI: Perfect, bye! Sami hangs up the phone before looking down at it again to check the time. She inhales deeply as she looks up at Laura's office. SAMI: Well, here goes nothing. Sami steps into Laura's office, but jumps back a moment when, opposite Laura, sits EJ. He smiles upon seeing Sami enter the room, and gives a small wave. Sami smiles back, relieved that he's made it. --- Gabi struggles into the Brady Pub with her stroller. Will, already inside, catches this and jumps over to help Gabi in. He laughs as he helps Gabi push Ari inside. GABI: Oh my God, thank you SO much, Will. Will lifts the stroller over the bump in the doorway, and lets the door shut behind him as he helps to guide the stroller. WILL: Heh, hey, I gotta make myself useful somehow today. GABI: Rough first day? WILL: Just a bit. Gabi finds their booth and sits down, positioning the stroller so that Ari can face her. WILL: Here, I'll just...grab a high chair, be right back. GABI: Kay. Will grabs a high chair from the corner and they set Ari up in it, at which point Gabi folds the stroller shut. GABI: There we go! WILL: So how was your morning? GABI: Pretty boring. Just...got Ari fed, got myself ready, came here. WILL: Must be nice. GABI: Well, it was pretty uneventful until a minute ago. Will's ears perk up. He looks at Gabi inquisitively. WILL: Oh? GABI: Yeah. Your mom just called me. Something she really wants to talk with me about. WILL: Sounds...serious. GABI: Yeah...and with your mom, I don't ever know what to expect. Will rolls his eyes and nods his head in agreement. WILL: Trust me, I've lived with her my entire life, it never gets any easier. Gabi snickers a bit before looking at Will with a bit of a bemused look as well. GABI: So...morning that bad? Will shrugs, looking down at his menu disinterestedly. Gabi tries to catch his attention. WILL: I guess...I dunno. Met my boss. GABI: And how's he? Will thinks carefully about his answer, recalling the tension he felt as Alex moved in close to him, and helping Alex peel his shirt off. He snaps out of it after a second as Gabi snaps her fingers, trying to regain his attention. GABI: Will! Will shakes his head, trying to get back to the land of the living. He looks at Gabi with a confused, smitten look that's hard to hide, even though he's desperately trying to downplay it. WILL: Sorry. I just...I don't know...I've never met anyone like this guy in my entire life. Gabi looks at Will, trying to downplay how shocked she is at Will's answer. --- --- Jordan awkwardly steps forward in Sheryl's office, half-smiling at Jerome as she goes to take a seat. Jerome gets up as she makes her attemps and steps toward her, causing her to step back slightly. JORDAN: Wow...It's...been a long time, Jerome. JEROME: How've you been...what is it now? JORDAN: Jordan Ridgeway. JEROME: Right. Jerome smiles and opens his arms for a hug. Jordan reluctantly accepts, wincing as Jerome pulls her near. She steps back and sits down as she looks daggers at Sheryl, she smiles smugly at the situation. SHERYL: So nice to see old friends reunited, no? Jordan rolls her eyes at Sheryl. She shakes her head as she responds. JORDAN: You know, you're really starting to make me question this partnership, Sheryl. Ever since we got to Salem, you've been doing nothing but antagonizing me. SHERYL: Well, if I don't push you, you'd be spending all your time cozying up to the good cop Rafael, am I right? Jordan tries to shush Sheryl as she mentions Rafe, but to no avail. Jerome's heard, and turns his head Jordan's way. JEROME: Rafael? You done got yourself some latin dude now? And a cop? My God, nearly going to jail for blowing up that bank really must have scared the crap out of you, Kay. JORDAN: JORDAN. My name in Salem...is Jordan. And no, it didn't. I just have other priorities than constantly trying to take down Western capitalism. It's called growing up. Sheryl lets out a dismissive laugh at Jordan's comment. She looks Jerome's way, while pointing to Jordan. SHERYL: You see what I've had to put up with? So come on now, let's just...get down to business. I don't have much time before Lucas comes to pick up for lunch so...let's get this plan down, okay? JORDAN: Sure, whatever. SHERYL: Not whatever. This is going to give us all the leverage we need to stop this EnerNext deal...with or without Nick Fallon's help. Jordan looks on, increasingly uneasy with Jerome suddenly involved in this situation, but sighs, looking at Jerome, a bit defeated. --- Gabi looks at Will, a bit surprised by his expression about his new boss. GABI: You sound like you're...smitten or something. WILL: I'm not... Gabi looks at Will, giving him a disbelieving "yeah right" look. Will looks to the side, knowing he's been caught. He leans in close to Gabi so as not to be overheard. WILL: He...(sigh)...Gabi, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. GABI: Are you attracted to him? Will sighs heavily, looking down at his coffee mug. He nods sheepishly. WILL: Yeah, I am. But...I just met him today, I mean...you've been attracted to people you've just met before, right? GABI: Well, yeah, but, I mean...I'm not always the most rational person when it comes to guys, now am I? WILL: You said it, not me. GABI: Rude. WILL: I know. Will winks at Gabi, and the two friends laugh a second, before Will looks at Gabi seriously. WILL: But...seriously...you...you can't...don't tell Sonny, okay? Promise me. Gabi takes Will's hand across the table and puts hers overtop, giving it a gentle squeeze. GABI: Will, why would I do that? You know I'd never say anything...but you have to be honest with yourself, Will. I mean...you've only ever really been with...Sonny...I mean...there's me but that... WILL: Hardly counts, I know. And...maybe you're right. Maybe my...brain or my body is just telling me that I'm just...not ready to be married yet. GABI: Maybe. But I do know one thing. I know you love Sonny more than anything. So, you really need to be sure before you take your vows. Will nods. He thinks over Gabi's words carefully before answering. WILL: Yeah. But I do know one thing...I know I can't hurt Sonny. And maybe I'm just...angry at him and want to...lash out because of yesterday but...I know that'll pass. I love him, Gabi. GABI: Then you need to be honest with him. Tell him what's going on, and figure out what you two need to do next. Do it now, before this goes any further. Will looks up at Gabi, struck by her seriousness. --- Sami looks pleasantly surprised to see EJ in Laura's office. She laughs awkwardly, as she steps forward, then takes a seat next to him. SAMI: EJ! Wow...I'm really glad you made it. EJ: Samantha, where else would I be? Laura smiles, seeing the natural closeness they share, she steps over toward her own seat, and sets herself down across from EJ and Sami. LAURA: You know, it's not often that I see such positive energy coming from both partners in a setting like this. It's a very good sign. EJ: It's simply how I feel for her, Laura. If this is what I have to do to give Samantha peace of mind, so be it. I will be here for her every step of the way. Sami looks over EJ, touched by his warm words, and sensing how genuine they seem. She smiles and replies softly and emotionally. SAMI: Thank you, EJ. Laura looks on, putting on her reading glasses as she grabs her notebook and tape recorder. She hits 'record' and begins to take notes as she looks over the top of her glasses at Sami and EJ. LAURA: Okay, shall we begin? Sami and EJ shuffle in their seats at Laura's announcement. SAMI: When ready. LAURA: Excellent. Now, Sami, I wanted to start with you. We've talked about how your relationship with your son has changed recently. How has that situation changed in the last few days? Sami looks up at the ceiling. She thinks a moment before responding. SAMI: Ohhh I don't know...I stepped into Johnny's room last night. Was watching him sleep. I wanted to reach out to him...run my fingers through his little curls...but I couldn't. LAURA: Okay, I just want to focus on something here though...you say you went to his room. Sami, that's actually a good sign. You weren't even able to look at him before without having flashbacks. EJ looks to Sami, seeing her stare straight ahead, letting Laura's words sink in. She hesitates to smile, as though unsure whether she believes Laura's optimism or not. --- Kim steps towards Daniel and Billie, who immediately separate from their embrace. Her arms folded, she tuts them as she shakes her head disapprovingly. KIM: Well! Far be it from me to break up a cozy scene. But don't you think that, as Theresa's doctor, you really shouldn't be so...cozy with the woman I've specifically had banned from my daughter's hospital room? Daniel turns to Kim, arms up to try to motion to Kim to cool down. DANIEL: Kim, you need to hold on a sec-- KIM: I am not going to hold on a second. How am I supposed to trust that you're not sneaking her in? BILLIE: Because I'm not. Kim glares at Billie as Daniel tries to cool the tension between the two women. DANIEL: Kim, I understand why you're concerned about this, but Billie and I have discussed the situation, and she will not be going in to see Theresa, okay? Kim shakes her head, refusing to buy into Daniel's words. KIM: No. I don't buy it. Kim raises her voice, pointing her finger towards the doorway to Theresa's room. KIM: I want that door protected by a police guard so I can be absolutely sure...that this woman... Kim points to Billie as her voice lowers to a hiss. KIM: Stays the hell away from my daughter. Billie sighs, biting her tongue hard as Daniel looks on, still trying to reason with Kim, who could shoot daggers at Billie with her eyes. ---