Let The Chips Fall Where They May

Belle contemplates a picture of her, Phillip, Mimi and Shawn. She remembers Mimi's lecture.

"Bet I know what you're thinking," says Kirinac the Magnificent.

Mimi is on the phone with Bonnie, "Everything is fine. She didn't tell Shawn she wanted to leave Phillip for him. I got Shawn to remind her how he feels about divorce. What if he learns the truth?"

Shawn, of course, walks in the door carrying a grocery sack at that very second and asks, "YO! Truth about what?"

Austin and Carrie attack each other in the hospital. Carrie doesn't think this is right. "What's not right is you're with my brother," says Austin, "It's not too late. You're not married yet, as if that would matter. Lucas and Sami should be together. They have a long past. We should be getting married." Carrie imagines happy moments in the hospital just after she has given birth. Lexie's announcement that the birth defect has shown up breaks up the happiness.

"What's wrong," asks Austin.

John says, "I'm right, you're getting your memory back. We are going to be together." Kiss.

Abe paces. Tek asks if Lexie is back. "No," says Abe, "It's not like her to talk about her health problems in front of everyone."

Alex is still waiting for Lexie's answer. Lucas calls for Sami from outside the door. He moves on. Alex continues to badger Lexie. He reminds her of what Abe said on the tape. Lexie bawls, "I can't do this. I can't let you blackmail me any more. I have to tell the truth. Someday."

Austin works on Carrie, "You know you love me more than Lucas."

"Stop it," says Carrie, "You have to let me go and hope you will be happy with Sami. I have to go back downstairs." She looks back as she leaves.

Austin says, "I have no idea what is going on with you but I won't give up."

Lexie won't let this go on, "If Abe doesn't forgive me I'll get what I deserve." She talks about her conversation with Sami. Alex asks what Sami wanted Lexie to lie about. Lexie tells her about the birth defect lie.

Alex throws an accusing look at Sami.

Sami makes a face at him, "Shut up."

Lexie tells Sami, "I'm going to see to it you lose Lucas and Austin." She turns to Alex, "and that you lose Marlena."

Sami asks Alex what they are going to do now. She remembers their argument in the records room.

Alex tells Lexie, "I'm sure you'll make the right decision."

"I have made my decision," says Lexie, "Let the chips fall where they may." Lexie leaves. Sami tells Alex this is a disaster. He goes to do damage control.

Abe hugs Lexie as she comes back. She says she will explain everything. They are both glad the tumor is benign.

Lucas bumps into Carrie and Austin. She tells Lucas she signed up to be a nursery volunteer. It will be good practice for when they have kids.

Alex assures Sami his plan will work and wonders where Marlena is.

The aforementioned Marlena breaks away from John, "I'm a married woman." She remembers her wedding night with John, "I can't do this." She runs out.

Once again the entire town of Salem has gathered at the nurses' station. Lexie asks for everyone's attention.

Sami asks Alex what he's going to do now. "Just wait and see," he says.

Mimi tells Bonnie she has to go. Shawn asks her again, but pulls his best Phillip act by telling her what she is thinking. He speculates Mimi is upset because the honeymoon got interrupted. He has a surprise for her. He whips out a blindfold and puts it on her.

Belle unloads on Phillip, "Why do you always say you know what I'm thinking? You're not psychic. Most of the time you're not even right."

Phillip asks, "Am I a good husband to you? Since we've been married it's been one thing after another. It's a lot to deal with. And you never dealt with your feelings about Shawn. I feel like you're having second thoughts."

"I have trouble with any thoughts," says Belle, "You're a wonderful husband." She hugs him. "But you're right. I have a lot on my mind lately. It's time for me to be honest with you about how I'm feeling." Phillip does his best bobblehead impression.

Alex says he's bringing in reinforcements. Lexie continues the big announcement but Celeste walks in with Theo. She tells Lexie, "Someone called and told me to bring Theo down here, and of course I just follow the orders of any anonymous Joe on the phone, so here I am."

"That's your plan," asks Sami, "How is that gonna help?"

Alex walks away as Lucas walks up to her. "I know you and I know you're hiding something," he says.

"You're wrong," insists Sami.

Lucas threatens, "If you get in the way of me and Carrie so help me God..."

John tells Marlena to tell him what she remembers. "Just little pieces," says Marlena.

"Soon those flashes will tell you that you don't belong with Alex," says John.

Alex watches and thinks, "Sorry John, you're not going to get what you want."

Lexie says it's as if she's been given a second chance. Abe feels the same way. He takes Theo off. Celeste asks how Lexie is feeling. Lexie says she feels all right. Celeste still feels unsettled about something. Lexie says that's because she hasn't yet told Abe and exposed Sami and Alex. Celeste senses potential for disaster.

Lexie calls them all together, "I just had a brush with a serious illness. I need to get rid of a lot of stress in my life. So this is why I have to tell you all of this even though it will be painful. Hopefully it will change your lives for the better."

Shawn removes Mimi's blindfold. Candle city. She can't believe he did all this. Strawberries and cream. She thanks him. He runs over and puts on music.

Belle and Phillip listen through the magic vent. Phillip says, "It's hard for you to see them married isn't it? It'll get easier." He understands what Belle is going through with her parents. He loves her and doesn't want to lose her.

"This is gonna be hard," says Lexie. Abe tells her she can save it for later.

Alex steps in. He says as a psychiatrist he knows what she wants to say, "Lexie is trying to say you shouldn't let anxieties impinge on your lives. She has been through a difficult time. It made her do what she felt was the right thing."

Abe jumps in his face, "Nobody asked you to speak for Lexie. Let her say it. Nobody here likes or respects you. I can't count the times I have saved your life, but not because I give a damn about you. I should have let John kill you when I had the chance."

Lexie breaks things up with the big confession, "Abe, I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me, but while you were recovering from your blindness and, uh, other... thing... Tek has been a friend. Not only was he not blind, but he didn't have that, uh, other... thing... So it turned into more than friendship. We had an affair."

Abe becomes unhinged. He attacks Tek. DOWN goes Tek. Lexie stoops over Tek's cold and limp body, "He's dead! You killed him," wails Lexie. Fortunately for Tek, Lexie never makes the right diagnosis.

Conveniently, there is a uniformed cop standing there. He immediately arrests Abe.

Alex tells Lexie, "I warned you..."

Of course, Lexie snaps out of her little fantasy. Alex asks what Abe would do if another man came between him and Lexie.

"What are you implying," growls Abe.

Lexie cops out, "He's not implying anything. Alex is right, that is why I called you here today." She leaves. Lucas stares a Sami.

Lexie tells Celeste, "I couldn't do it, Mom."

Abe comes over, "Sweetheart, are you gonna be all right?"

Marlena tells John, "I've never seen Abe behave that way."

John's jaw drops, "You remember Abe."

"Of course..."

"Then you are on the verge of a breakthrough," says John. Alex asks for a moment with Marlena. John responds the way any normal, civilized man would to a sensible question and beats the stuffing out of him.

Alex gets away and says, "You'd better listen or I'll get another restraining order."

Like an idiot, Marlena says she will talk to Alex. He takes her into another room. Marlena says it's time they got something out in the open. She is remembering what he did to her, "You abused me physically and psychologically. And now you're drugging me, aren't you?"

"That's right, Marlena," says Alex, "But after I give you this, you won't remember any of it." He grabs her. Marlena struggles.

Belle has something she needs to tell Phillip, "I want to have another baby with you."

Phillip nearly falls off the couch. Of course he would want that.

"Then why are we just sitting here talking about it," asks Belle.

"You mean right now," he asks.

"Right now," she whispers. Phillip obliges.

Mimi and Shawn wind things up. Shawn remembers the letter. Mimi says she thought he had forgotten about it. Mimi flashes back to writing the letter. Shawn goes off to find it.

Abe tells Lexie he wishes he had just one thing on Alex so he could take him into custody. He takes Theo down to the cafeteria for his favorite... hospital chocolate pudding served in its own petri dish. The kid needs to get out more.

Celeste tells Lexie she can't go on lying.

Austin goes back to work on Carrie. He insists she isn't with the right man, "You still love me, don't you?"

Meanwhile, Lucas grills Sami, "You're about to faint form relief. What's going on? I'll bet Lexie was going to say something pretty bad. You just dodged another bullet, didn't you?"

"Nothing is going on," insists Sami.

John babbles, "I have to keep Alex away form Marlena. He took her away to drug her. I think she's finally ready to confront him. I have to be there before it's too late."

Alex jams the hypo. Marlena gets woozy. He tells her they will be gong on their honeymoon soon, and she will never see John Black again.

John looks for Marlena and Alex. Abe is with him. Out of all the rooms in the hospital, John busts into the one they are in.

Alex is exasperated, "What did you think you'd find in here, John? Marlena hanging?"

Marlena drones, "I'm married to him and I love him."

"Too late," snorts John, "You got to her."

Ales claims, "I didn't get to her with anything. We are about to leave. Abe, I'm taking her someplace where he can't find her. I expect you to keep a collar on him. Say goodbye Marlena."

"Goodbye, Marlena."

John seethes and runs out of the room ranting.

Carrie says she can't be with Austin and thinks he should be with Sami.

Lucas says he saw Sami talking to Alex. Sami insists she isn't up to anything. Lucas tells her things will backfire if she's up to her old tricks.

Lexie tells Celeste she has screwed up so many lives trying to ensure her own happiness.

Phillip, Belle, afterglow. "That was amazing," he says. He tells her he wants a big family, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," says Belle, "My family and future are with you. That's where I want it to be." Kiss.

Mimi frets. Butter Hunk says, "I cannot wait to read this letter, finally." Mimi grimaces.

Mimi thinks, "If he reads that letter, it's the end of our marriage."

Shawn opens the letter. He struggles with the big words as Mimi stares. FF Mimi, caught in her web of lies.


Previews
========

Phillip says to Belle, "Well, I have a confession to make."

Lexie tells Sami, "For once in my life I am going to do the right thing. So you can take your threats and stuff them."

Alex is on the phone, "I want you to take off immediately. Make sure this plane cannot be traced."

John tells Abe and Roman, "But I'm gonna save her life or, by God, I'm gonna lose mine trying."