WHORE!

The brat storms into the garage looking for Max. Abby follows. Abby does some quick detective work and concludes Max and Stephanie are together.

Stephanie and Max are at the Java Café. Stephanie tells Max not to let the brat get to her. She thinks the brat is crazy, "If I had a guy like you there is no way I would treat him like that."

Sami hopes Carrie is OK. She didn't mean to upset her. Austin goes to check on her. EJ chews on the fact Sami said this was the worst thing she has ever done. When he questions her about it, Sami says it's debatable. He urges her to tell Austin NOW. He grabs her and tells her to grow up and take responsibility for her actions.

Carrie bawls. Lucas tries to comfort her. Carrie screams, "STOP IT, LUCAS, NO! I CAN'T. I made a huge mistake. We rushed our wedding because I thought I was pregnant. I don't know how to say it... I only married you because I thought I was pregnant." Austin listens outside.

Kayla wants to get out of the joint. Patch insists he belongs there. It's the only life he can relate to. Nothing in Salem was even remotely familiar to him. He thinks its best to go their separate ways, "I don't want to hurt you more than I already have. It's time to say goodbye."


Lucas tries to comfort Carrie. She says she has just been getting more upset since they talked to Lexie. She needs time to think about everything. Lucas agrees. They will take things slow. Starting with the honeymoon. He assures her things will be fine. Carrie comes up with a bad headache. Lucas goes for aspirin. Carrie takes the opportunity to bawl. Austin walks in. Staredown.

Sami knows she has to tell Lucas, but she is afraid. EJ insists Austin will forgive her. Sami twirls her ring and remembers Austin's rejection at their last wedding. Or the one before that. Or the one... Whichever one it is, Austin says, "I'm not marrying Sami today or any day and I don't care if I hear the name Sami Brady ever again."

Sami says she can't let Austin hear this from someone else. EJ tells Sami, "Your future lies in your hands. You need to make a choice. Either you tell Austin and go through a few moments of hell or you let someone else do it and go through a lifetime of hell."

The brat worries that Stephanie is making a move on Max. Abby tells her the only time she's interested in Max is when someone else is after him. Abby thinks Max and Stephanie are just friends. The brat asks, "Do you think she's still a Virgin?"

"I heard my mom and Aunt Kayla talking," says Abby, "They said she wants to wait until marriage."

"This is very interesting," says the brat, "We need to find out more about her." The brat rummages through Stephanie's locker. Abby tries to stop her.

Max asks about the guy Stephanie is interested in. Stephanie says she thinks he might be interested in someone else. Max thinks Chelsea wasn't ready for an exclusive relationship. Stephanie says Chelsea reminds her of Sami. Max insists she is nothing like Sami.

Patch doesn't know who he is or who Kayla is either. Kayla insists they can start over with getting to know each other. Patch thinks someone did this to him purposely. Kayla wants to fight, but thinks that isn't what Patch wants. He says she is right.

Sami and EJ. Blah, blah, blah. Same stuff. Sami wonders if the person stalking her might not know what she has done. EJ wonders if Sami wants to take that gamble, "There could be another note on the way right now."

The Hand seals an envelope and lays it on a table.

Lucas comes out and finds Austin there. He couldn't find an aspirin, "Sami is used to giving headaches not getting them." Lucas decides to go to the store and get some. He asks Austin to look after Carrie while he is gone.

Lucas leaves. Austin tells Carrie he overheard what she said about the baby. "I can't do anything right," says Carrie, "I feel like such a failure." He puts an arm around her shoulder.

Max is relieved there is only one Sami Brady in this world. Stephanie says, "Give her time. Chelsea is Sami on training wheels." Max thinks the brat doesn't let herself get close to anyone because she's afraid she will lose him. She's insecure. Stephanie thinks she doesn't look insecure when she's throwing herself at every guy in sight. Max says he thinks Stephanie was right when she thought the brat was jealous of her.

Abby begs Chelsea not to do this. The brat insists she is just going to take a peek inside. She dives in and pulls out a book. Wuthering Heights. The sales slip is stuck in halfway as a marker. The brat pulls it out and sees Stephanie bought it about a month ago. "Slow reader," she says. Abby wonders why the brat doesn't try being nice to Max. Chelsea is defensive, "I am nice to him. Aren't I? You're my friend – you can tell me."

"You've flirted with other guys," says Abby, "It's what you're doing now."

The brat finds a notebook with Max' name and hearts on the page, "Now tell me she's not after my boyfriend!"

Patch thinks they need to be realistic. The only thing this trip has accomplished is to remind him where he belongs is in Cincinnati. Kayla says when she lost Patch, the only thing that kept her going was Stephanie. She tried to get involved with another man, but it didn't work, "If you walk out of my life tonight I will love you for all the Days Of Our Lives, and that's just the way it is."

"You deserve to have that kind of love in return," says Patch, "I'm sorry. I don't think it can come from me."

Sami, once again, wonders how she can tell Austin. EJ, once again, tells her she has to find the courage to do it. Sami flashes back to Lexie telling her she is now free to tell Carrie the truth and Austin's love won't last once he knows the truth.

Austin wonders why Carrie didn't say anything on the roof. She says she didn't want to ruin his special evening with Sami, "How could I have been so stupid?"

"It comes natural for you," says Austin.

"Lexie told me I can never have children," bawls Carrie.

"Wow," says Austin, "I know how badly you wanted a family."

"It's just one more dream that won't come true," says Carrie, "I just have to suck it up."

Austin asks, "You and Lucas are talking about adopting, right?"

"That's not what's bothering me," blubbers Carrie, "I need to figure out a way to clean up the mess I've made. You were right all along. I only got married because I thought I was pregnant. It's time I was honest with myself. This marriage was a huge mistake."

Stephanie thought they had decided there was no reason for the brat to be jealous of her. Max thinks she's sweet. She thinks he is sweet. He wonders if he should take that as a compliment. He thinks she's trying to psych out the competition. He asks about how she is doing. She says meeting Max has helped. She always dreamed of her parents getting back together. Now there is a real possibility of it happening. Max asks, "You really believe in fairy tales, don't you?"

"You must, too," says Stephanie, "or you would have given up on Chelsea long ago."

"No," says Max, "That's because I believe in nightmares. Let's get back and work on my long lamented car."

Abby says all this proves is Stephanie doodles. The brat doesn't buy it. She finds Stephanie's "cheap" lipstick and scribbles "WHORE!" on the locker.

Patch says Kayla has wasted too much of her life on him. It has to end. He is never going to be the person she remembers. Kayla doesn't care. He lectures her. She insists he is talking like her husband.

"You just don't give up do you," asks Patch, "You are asking me to give up my life, too. You are asking me to choose between what's comfortable and a blank slate. I need you to go."

Abby tells Chelsea to wipe it off. She refuses and drags Abby outside.

Max and Stephanie come in and discover the nice little message, "OMG," says Stephanie.

Max asks, "Who would do something like this?"

Stephanie says, "You have to ask?"

Max says, "Oh, Chelsea. Steph, I'm sorry... I'm sorry." He hugs her.

Abby encourages Chelsea to erase the message.

"It was stupid," says the brat, "I don't know why I did it. You have been a good friend to me. Let's go wipe it off." Too late. She sees Max and Stephanie hugging.

EJ and Sami take us down the same old path.

Austin reminds Carrie she was so sure she wanted to marry Lucas. She agreed to marry him before she was pregnant. She says she doesn't know if she would have done it if she knew she couldn't have children.

Austin asks, "Are you telling me you wish you married me instead of Lucas?"

"There is no point in getting into it," says Carrie, "I'm married to Lucas. You're engaged to Sami. Nothing will change that."

The hand slips a note under the door. Carrie sees it. Austin picks it up. Out in the hallway, Lucas sees the hand scurrying off, "Hey! What're you doing?"

"So I guess this is it," says Kayla.

"I guess so."

Patch wishes he could be the Steve Johnson Kayla remembers. Kayla begs him to come back to Salem. He wants her to understand. She has tried but never will. She gets up and leaves.

Outside, her car remote doesn't work. She struggles, but can't get the key in the lock. She throws her keys and sobs. FF.

Previews
========

Carrie cries, "Hurting someone as wonderful as Lucas... I can't do it." Lucas comes in to find Carrie and Austin hugging.

Stephanie says, "Don't apologize for Chelsea." The brat says, "I owe you both an apology."

Sami says, "This is exactly why I hate telling the truth. Because now you hate me too. Just like I knew you would." EJ looks up at her.

Kayla watches Patch and Della liplock.