You Think It Was The Chinese?

Phillip wonders what is taking so long while Lexie examines Belle. Shawn thinks it was too much for Belle to have Mimi and him there. Mimi thinks it is normal to be emotional in Belle's condition. They try to reassure Phillip.

"OK, there is nothing physically wrong with you," says Lexie. Translation: Nutty as a Stuckey's Pecan Log Roll.

"I am so tired," says Belle.

"This is why they used to keep new mothers in the hospital for a week," says Lexie, "to let them get their strength back. But nowadays... try to get some rest." Belle's mind is off in Never-Never Land. She grabs her teddy bear.

Kate has the perfect candidate for Brady's replacement. "Then why don't you hire him," asks Victor.

Austin comes in, "It sure ain't Tuscany any more." He goes over to the bar and asks, "What's on tap?" Lucas turns around, "Lucas, what are you doing working here with your history?"

"I've stayed sober one day at time for years now," says Lucas, "I don't need to hear it from you."

Father Austin says, "What happened between you and Sami – you don't need to be here right now. You're an alcoholic, my sister was an addict, my father... I don't want you to be in that position ever again."

John spies, "North is playing you, Doc."

Abe and Marc arrive. Abe asks, "What are you doing here at Kate's?"

"Marlena kicked me out," says John, "She wants a divorce. North wants to keep her memory suppressed. We have to get her away from him."

Kate tells Victor, "I would hire him in a minute if I could, but we have a history."

Victor says, "Let me guess – Lucas. I like him, but I don't think his head is in the right place right now to take over those responsibilities."

"He is completely over Sami," says Kate, "He wants to kick start his career."

"Hence the bartending job huh?"

Kate says, "You're the closest thing to a father he has had. Just give him an interview, OK? He really needs this chance."

"All right," says Victor, "I'll talk to him, but no promises. I'm running a business not a charity."

Lucas tells Austin, "You have a lot of nerve strutting in here lecturing me. Maybe this isn't ideal for me, but I need the money."

"I could help you out," says Austin.

"I don't need charity," snaps Lucas, "I can take care of myself, thank you."

"I can help," insists Austin.

Lucas asks, "Is that why you betrayed me? You went back to Sami. You gave her your big successful shoulder to cry on didn't you?"

"Marlena thinks I'm trying to pressure her too much," says John.

Abe tells him, "It sounds like North has Marlena where he wants her."

"I have to get rid of him, but how do I do it," says John. He watches them dance.

Lexie tells the crowd she couldn't find anything physically wrong with Belle, "She is in a very precarious state. At the very least this is mental exhaustion." She has Phillip sit down. "I'm not a psychologist, but this probably didn't start with the baby. Look at the year she has had. Losing your leg didn't just happen to you. It happened to both of you."

"She has been so strong," says Phillip, "I've just leaned on her too much."

"This isn't your fault," insists Lexie, "This was an unplanned pregnancy. It makes it that much harder to adjust to all these changes. She knows she or the baby could have died. It's too much for anyone to deal with. My guess is that Belle is developing a full-blown case of postpartum depression."

Belle sleeps. Toss. Turn. She remembers the birth. She remembers Phillip afterwards. The toast. "NO," she gasps. She sits up, "OMG. What is happening to me, to my life? My baby?" She goes over and picks Claire up. "Our baby."

Austin claims he isn't taking Sami's side. Lucas tells him, "You might have forgiven her, but I don't think so, man. Why don't you move in with Mom, huh? Sami was working for Tony DiMera."

Austin reminds him, "So were you."

"She almost got me killed," says Lucas, "I am beyond angry. We're not best friends, we're brothers, and brothers should stick together. If you want to hang out with her that bad... That backstabber..."

Austin says, "Look what she has been through in the past year or two. For one thing, you took Mom's word over hers when you found her with Brandon."

"You think I'm risking my sobriety being here," says Lucas, "Sami has already suckered you in – again. So don't lecture me."

Kate tells Victor, "Nicole and Sami have been sniffing around Austin ever since he got off that plane. I'm worried about him. He won't listen to me when I try to warn him about those two tramps. Talk to him."

"I will give him the benefit of my experience," says Victor, "And I will talk to Lucas. And I will continue to dig up things on Alex North."

John watches North and Marlena share champagne, "He's over there, Abraham. At my house, romancing my wife, and she doesn’t know what is going on."

Abe asks, "Are you sure about that?"

"She'd never ask me for a divorce," says John, "She loves me."

Abe says, "I used to be sure Lexie loved me, but now I think she might be involved with another man."

John says, "When she thought you were dead, she was beside herself."

"I know," says Abe, "But after I got back, the blindness and the other complications..."

"She would never leave you, Abe."

"She's done it before," says Abe, "This time I chased her away. I hope there is still time to work things out. I'm sure going to try."

"At least Lexie will listen to you," says John, "Marlena doesn't want to be in the same room with me. She doesn't want to acknowledge what we had ever existed."

Abe asks, "You think that's North's intention?"

John says, "Oh, hell, yeah. He's not trying to restore her memory. In fact, he's trying to wipe that slate clean."

"Some degree of depression isn't uncommon," says Lexie, "It's called 'Baby Blues,' but what Belle has suggests something more serious. It won't go away by itself."

Phillip asks, "Would she hurt herself or the baby?"

Lexie says, "Postpartum psychosis is rare. I don't think she has that. Try to eliminate as much stress as possible. You should probably hire a nurse."

"What about medication," asks Phillip.

"I want to wait and see," says Lexie, "If her symptoms continue I would probably prescribe something."

"Then she would have to stop breast-feeding. That would depress her even more," says Phillip.

"The most important thing," says Lexie, "is to make sure someone is always here with her."

Belle cries. The baby cries. Like mother like daughter. "Why are you crying," blubbers Belle, "You can't be hungry you just ate. STOP! I DON"T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT!"

The group rushes in and finds the girls in crisis. Belle wails, "I'm a bad mother aren't I?"

"You're just a new one," says Lexie. She sends Shawn and Mimi out. Phillip hugs Claire.

"I'm just so tired," cries Belle.

"I'm going to give you something to help you sleep," says Lexie.

"I'm a bad mother." No, just a self-centered sniveling nut case.

"No, sweetheart, no," says Lexie.

"I'm so sorry," she blubbers.

Kate comes up to Lucas, "I want to talk."

"I don't have time."

"Then take a little time. I just need a minute," says Kate, "If not for you, then for Will. Bartending at Alice's is not the way to support yourself."

Lucas says, "I don't want anything to do with a job a Basic Black."

Kate says, "Victor is looking to replace Brady at Titan and he is interested in talking to you." Brady set the precedent for this job. You never have to go into the office and you certainly don't have to know anything. Lucas can handle it.

"You put Victor up to it," claims Lucas.

"No," insists Kate, "It's a perfect match. I just want what is best for you."

Lucas says, "Your minute is up, Mother."

Victor asks Austin if he wants to play pool. Austin racks. "Lots of changes since you were in Salem," says Victor.

"Isn't change what it's all about," asks Austin.

"Sometimes change is for the better," says Victor, "And sometimes for the worse. I hear you're shacked up with Sami."

"Staying with her, not that it's any of your business," says Austin.

"A businessman makes everything his business."

"My mother put you up to this," says Austin.

Victor says, "You're very good."

"I make my own decisions, Victor," says Austin, "That's how I got where I am."

"I promised your mother I'd talk to you," says Victor, "You made quite a splash in New York."

Austin says, "You know what they say, if you can make it there..." Yeah, but the real test of character is Salem, USA.

Victor asks, "What do you think of taking everything you've learned to Titan?" Sophie, whose name we really haven't learned yet, listens.

"I'm not looking for a job," says Austin, "I'm going to start out on my own. I've just about lined up all my investors."

"Moving from the JV to the varsity can be tough," says Victor, "And just because you are family doesn't mean I'd cut the competition any slack."

Austin says, "I think Lucas is available."

"So I've heard," says Victor. He gives up on the game and goes over to Lucas. "I have a proposition for you, Lucas. One I think you will like."

Abe asks what if John spoke to the judge and had Marlena declared incompetent. John says, "North would declare her competent and Marlena would back up everything he said. This North has things worked out."

"Even the craftiest villain makes a mistake," says Abe, "It's up to you to be there when North makes his."

Shawn and Mimi clean up. Mimi says, "Belle's depression didn't come out of nowhere."

Shawn proves for once and for all he is the Village Idiot, "You think it was the Chinese?"

Mimi says, "When Belle realized she would never be with you again – that's when she broke down. If I hadn't ruined the recipe we wouldn't have gone over to Belle and Phillips."

"No," says Shawn, "This wasn't your fault. Lexie said this had been brewing. Your cooking dinner was a nice gesture."

"It was supposed to be more," says Mimi, "This morning when I said the kiss didn't mean anything I wasn't telling the truth. I – I like you. I really like you. I was hoping the kiss meant you liked me too and hoped the romantic dinner would help us see if there was anything between us."

Shawn says, "This morning when you said the kiss didn't mean anything I didn't tell you he truth. It did mean something to me. Thai's why I brought the rose."

"It's like we're in high school all over again," says Belle.

"Come on," says Shawn, "Dinner was a wash but we can continue this date." He takes her onto the fire escape.

Phillip looks at Claire. He thanks Lexie for coming over. Lexie tells him Belle is fine for the moment. She's zonked. "This happens with a lot of new mothers. With your support she will be fine. Just give it time, OK?"

"OK."

Belle tosses and turns. She says, "I can't breathe in here." She opens a window. She hears music. She crawls onto the fire escape. She starts to climb the ladder.

Victor tells Lucas his name keeps coming up for Brady's replacement. He liked the ad campaign Lucas developed. Lucas says, "Then I started working for Tony."

"I have learned there is something to be learned from even most the unsavory people," says Victor, "Why don't' you come to work for Titan?"

Lucas asks, "No interview, no nothing?"

"What do you say," asks Victor.

"OK," says Lucas, "I won't let you down."

"Somebody form HR will be in touch with you," says Victor. He leaves.

Lucas whispers, "YES!" He tells Sophie about his conversation with Victor.

"It's sure a good thing your brother turned down the job," says bigmouth.

Lucas asks, "What?"

Abe tells John to hang in there, "I think we both have to."

As Abe starts to leave he and Marc bump into Kate. Small talk. They leave. Kate comes in.

Kate says, "So you wanted to ask Abe about Dr. North and Marlena, didn't you?"

"Yep."

Kate asks, "Are they still out there?"

"Last time I checked," says John. He looks again. Still dancing. Slow dancing. "That SOB. The hell with letting him slip up. I'm going to the penthouse and throw him off the balcony."

"I'm not going to let you do that," says Kate.

Phillip tells Claire Belle will be fine. Claire is relieved.

Belle climbs toward the music. Walk the streets of love... Shawn and Mimi dance. Mimi tells him this is the most relaxed first date she has ever been on. Kiss... Belle reaches the top. She watches. She looks down. The audience chants, "JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!" Belle starts to climb back down. She slips. Into oblivion...


Previews
========

Nicole tells Austin, "If I win you come home with me tonight and not Sami."

Sami tells Lucas, "I am really grateful to Austin. I thought you would be, too." Lucas says, "You know what I'd be grateful for? If he'd mind his own damn business."

Jennifer asks Jack, "Abigail – how are we going to tell her?"

John tells Alex, "She is leaving with you over my cold, dead body."