Those Two Idiots

Austin comes in carrying with a tripod. He bumps into Billie. Big reunion. Billie says, "I just ran into Maggie at a Countess Wilhelmina function. She gave me some really bad news – you're going into business with Nicole walker. And Sami. Tell me it's not true."

"Technically," says Austin, "I'm not going into business with them, but they are working for me."

Billie says, "Aw, come on Austin. I thought you were smarter than that."

Sami thinks she should have been part of the dinner at Chez Rouge. Nicole says they were discussing "business that was over your head."

Sami insists she heard them talking. They weren't discussing business. She heard Nicole talking about it being a date.

Nicole says, "Can you just knock it off? If you were a TV I'd just press the mute button. Austin and I were discussing business, which we have to get down to. We have to get everything ready for that pitch session."

Sami says, "Which I'm not even going to be a part of if Austin takes your advice and leaves me out of it because I was Stan."

Nicole says, "We need them listening to Austin, not wondering if you are innocent or not."

"Well," says Sami, "If Stan shouldn't be there, maybe Nurse Nicole shouldn't be there either. Whaddya think of that?"

"I think you'd better fire up that computer and get to work," says Nicole.

"OK, but I want to be a part of this business," says Sami, "I have some really good ideas Austin could use."

"Maybe later," says Nicole, "But this pitch is set. We need to close this deal and you can't even close your own wedding."

Sami bump-walks Nicole halfway across the room, "OK I'll just talk to Austin myself. Anyway, you set up the whole Nurse Nicole thing yourself. I don't think Austin would like it if he found out you tried to turn Chloe's face into a roadmap. He might even go to the police. So, you wanna hear my ideas or what?" Nicole clears her throat and smiles.

Phillip tells Belle it sounds like she doesn't want Shawn to be with anyone. She just wants him to find the right person. Phillip insists he has – Mimi. Poor Belle is tired. She says she's going up to lie down.

"OK," says Phillip, "I'll go with you." No way Jose. Belle sashays upstairs. Phillip sighs.

Belle flops on the bed and does what Belle does best – wah, wah, wah.

Mimi is deep into the maternal thing. She holds Claire and hums rock-a-bye baby. Shawn watches. Mimi shoos him away.

REVUZE UNABASHED DICTIONARY DEFINES THOSE WHO ARE RELIGIOUSLY FANATIC ABOUT SHAWN AND MIMI AS SHIMITES.

Marlena wants John to cough up the answer – does he want to spend the rest of his life with Kate or her?

John sighs, "I don't want there to be any doubt in your mind. I want to be with you."

"It was the loss he felt for you," says Kate, "that brought him to me. When he got home, he was paralyzed and bedridden. He had no one to help him."

"I had excruciating pain and I became addicted to the pain medication," says John, "and that's why Kate moved in at first – to make certain I kicked the habit. Without her I would never have recovered or coped with losing you."

Alex claps, "That's very touching but not especially sincere. Why won't you just admit you would have been far better off if Marlena had stayed dead?"

GASPS all around. John hauls off and slugs Alex. DOWN goes Alex.

Austin doesn't want to hear it. Billie says, "I give you a lot of credit for going into business for yourself, but hiring those two idiots? If they were both nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize they'd kill each other trying to win it."

"I think they're both quite talented," says Austin.

"Yeah, at manipulating you."

Austin wants Billie to trust her. He goes to get his briefcase from the car and tells her not to go anywhere.

Nicole says, "I don't want to hear your lame ideas. And if you want to blackmail me about the flesh eating bacteria, go right ahead and tell Austin, because I will just tell him you... I mean Stan, gave me the idea. And I might be fired, but so will you. As far as I can see, the two of us can't afford that right now."

"YOU SLUT," says Sami, "You are after Austin, aren't you."

"That doesn't make me a slut. Besides, I know Austin is in Salem to settle down with the woman he loves. Oh, I forgot you heard the whole thing, bushy."

"Well, guess what," says Sami, "He didn't come back to town for you." Sami flashes back to getting ready for her wedding with Austin.

Nicole chuckles, "What, you think he actually came back for you? OMG you are insane! Well, I already knew you were insane, but I didn't know you had amnesia too. It must run in the family. What? You don't' remember the last time you tried to make Austin marry you."

Sami remembers. Oh, the screaming! Oh, the tears! "Well," she says, "He came back, didn't he. And who did he wind up supporting? ME! And who is he living with? ME! Because he came back to Salem for ME!"

The door slams. Billie says, "You are delusional if you think my brother is still interested in you."

Alex gets up. The girls pull John and Alex apart. John snarls, "You said I wanted Marlena dead."

"Well, it's true, isn't it," says Alex, "Had you married Kate, would you have divorced her for Marlena? I don't think so."

"I'm not answering hypothetical questions," says John, "And you quit poisoning my wife against me."

"I'm donig no such thing. If anyone is poisoning Marlena's mind, it's you," says Alex.

Kate jumps in, "No! that is not true."

Alex says, "If your marriage is so solid, why are you so afraid of losing her?"

Shawn is all cleaned up and Claire is asleep. He tells Mimi, "After you put her to bed, I'll open a bottle of wine to celebrate."

"Celebrate what?"

"Your return to sanity." It's a date. Mimi goes off with Claire.

Phillip is at the door. Shawn tells him Claire is asleep. "I'm glad she sleeps for somebody," says Phillip, "I actually came over to check on Mimi." Shawn tells Phillip about Mimi's revelation. He asks how Belle is doing. "She's doing much better now," says Phillip, "She's bipolar instead of quadrapolar. But something else is bothering her." Shawn stares.

Belle tosses and turns. She dreams of Shawn telling her Mimi has been right for him all along, "And she's looking especially beautiful these days. She has that special glow that women get."

"You mean she's pregnant," asks Belle.

Mimi comes in, "Did Shawn tell you the good news?"

Belle sits up in bed, "OMG, if Shawn gets any closer to Mimi, I really will lose him forever."

Billie says says, "I just passed Austin in the hall and gave him hell for hiring you."

"I told him the same thing," says Nicole.

"You too," snaps Billie. Sami insists she is helping Austin by letting him work in her apartment. Billie says it's more like Austin is helping her, "If either one of you tries to bring your personal baggage into my brother's life, you will have to answer to me."

Austin clears his throat. The girls tell him everything is hunky-dory. Austin suggests he and Billie go up on the roof to catch up. Off they go.

Sami says, "She hates us and if she has her say, she will see to it that neither one of us gets Austin."

Austin wants to know what was really going on between Billie, Sami and Nicole. "OK, Austin," says Billie, "You know this, right? Those girls want to jump your bones."

Austin says, "An the problem is..."

John says, "I've lost you so many times to Tony, Stefano. I'm not gonna lose you to this freak. Our love is not just strong. It's powerful. If the bond between us was ever broken there are certain men who would want to take advantage of it."

"You mean like Roman Brady," asks Alex.

"No," says John, "I mean like you, pal."

Alex asks, "Then you weren't worried about Roman?"

"I was concerned," says John, "That you might snap out of this amnesia and believe you were still in love with him."

Alex asks, "Is that why you asked me to tip the scales in your favor when I was working with Marlena?" Marlena does a double take.

"Guilty," says John, "It's like on the terrace when you wondered if I loved Kate more. Maybe I was feeling the same way you were. I was afraid I might lose you to him."

"Yet," says Alex, "You had no problem having her declared dead and moving on with Kate. Listen to me, Marlena, not only John, but also your entire family had moved on from you. The only one who can love and cherish you the way you should be cared for is me."

Shawn and Phillip talk about Belle's "condition." Mimi comes out with a hungry Claire. Phillip "lets" Mimi feed her.

Belle comes downstairs looking for Phillip. Just like in Belle's mind, nobody's home. Belle flips through an album and sees a picture of her and Shawn. She turns on the waterworks again.

Nicole says, "Billie doesn't have any say in what Austin does. He is his own man. He either does or doesn't love you. And in your case, he doesn't."

"Shut up," says Sami. Nicole goes off to work. Sami says to herself, "Austin may be his own man, but I wouldn't put anything past Billie." She wonders if Austin is up there telling Billie the name of the woman he loves. She rushes to the window and starts climbing the fire escape ladder, only to find Nicole already there. The girls struggle up the ladder together.

Austin assures Billie she doesn’t have to worry about Sami and Nicole. She asks why he came back to Salem. He wants to start a family.

Billie goes bonkers, "Is there something you aren't telling me? Do you have a ggiirrrlllll in your life?"

"Yeah, sort of."

"Ohmygosh, whoisshewhoisshewhoisshe?"

Sami and Nicole's heads pop up over the roofline.

"Awright, pal," snorts John, "You're done spewing your garbage to my wife. You don't even have any right to be with her."

"I have every right to be with her and I can prove it," says Alex. He goes over to the desk and picks up a set of papers, "Marlena, you are about to see how special you are to me." Group stare.

Belle says, "I have to pull myself together. Shawn and I can't love each other any more. I have to let him go, even if that means he moves on with Mimi." She leaves the apartment.

In Shawn and Mimi's apartment Phillip contemplates the Norman Rockwell scene: Shawn, Mimi, Claire. Belle comes in. "Look at that," says Phillip, "That is exactly what we pictured when we asked them to be Claire's godparents."

Belle asks Mimi if she is OK. Mimi says, "I had the most amazing thing happen tonight. Can we talk? That is, unless you want to finish feeding her?" Hell, no, Belle doesn't want to feed her. The girls go to talk.

Mimi asks how Belle is doing. For the first time in her life, Belle says, "I don't want to talk about me. So what was the amazing night you had?"

Mimi says, "Belle, I want to apologize."

Phillip asks Shawn if he thinks Belle and Mimi can patch things up.

Shawn says, "It's hard with Belle's "condition" and Mimi not able to have kids. I'm not sure about Mimi forgiving Belle."

"It was Mimi who asked her to go out and talk," says Phillip, "Belle has been through a lot. Her mother has amnesia, she had her breakup with you, and her breakup with Mimi. Every person she used to count on isn't there for her any more. If there is anyone who can help Belle with her PPD, it would be Mimi."

"You want to apologize," asks Belle.

"Yeah I do," says Mimi, "Belle, tonight I had sot of an epiphany. I was alone with Claire and she started crying and I had a meltdown."

"Shawn told me about it," says Belle, "I went over there after you left. Where did you go?"

"I went to St. Luke's to pray and Father Jansen told me I needed to forgive myself. I also realized I needed to forgive you. It wasn't your fault. You had begged me for months to tell Rex the truth." Was it only months? It seemed like years. Mimi continues, "I really need to move on. But I can't do it without your forgiveness."

Phillip comes out and says, "Come on Belle. You know you want to forgive her."

"Of course I forgive you," says Belle. Hug.

"Good for you, honey," says Phillip. Hug. Shawn and Mimi join the Hug-a-thon. Belle watches.

"There is only room on this ladder for one person," says Sami. Nicole and Sami struggle. The ladder starts to slide.

Austin hears the commotion and wants to know what's going on.

"It's probably a cat," says Billie, "remember that cat Buddy? He used to be able to flip the spring on that fire escape and let the ladder down. Now, I'm not letting you go until you tell me who you're in love with."

"No, I'm keeping it to myself until I get my business going," says Austin.

"OK," says Billie, "It's your prerogative, just as long as it's not Sami or Nicole."

"I'm not saying another word," says Austin.

Sami and Nicole come inside. "You panicked," says Sami, "You almost got us killed. Austin is probably telling Billie right now. You think you're the one he's going to hook up with? He's using you. When you take him to the top, he'll dump you and then you'll know what a real freefall is like."

Nicole leaves.

"It's OK," says Sami, "I'm going to let him know I've changed."

Alex hands Marlena the documents. She reads. Alex purses his lips. "I need you both to leave," says Marlena.

"What does it say," asks Kate.

Marlena says, "I just need time to process this."

"I am not leaving you with Alex," says John. Kate takes John aside and offers to have Alex stay with them. John turns and tells Alex he can stay at Kate's apartment.

Alex asks Marlena, "Are you OK with this?"

"I need to be alone," says Marlena, "You can all go now." She reads more.

"Goodnight, Doc," says John, "I love you."

They all leave. Marlena contemplates the pictures. She looks at the document, "Oh... oh, my word. Can this be true," she asks. FF.

Previews
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Jack says, "It's kind of a remembrance from me to you. I want you keep it always, long after I'm..." Jennifer shushes him, "Don't say that!"

Hope tells Frankie, "You promised to take care of her. You gotta keep that promise."

Eugenia tells Sami, "Girl, you are without a doubt your own worst enemy, and you are going to be Austin's, too, when he finds out what you did."

Marlena says, "I know now the person with whom I'm going to spend my life."