The Phoenix Rose From The Ashes Again!

Willow tells Belle, "Nice of you to stop by. If I'd have known you were going to be here, on the way home I'd have picked up steaks."

Belle picks up on the H-word, "On your way home?"

Willow is diplomatic, "Time for you to know where you stand, honey." Belle knows exactly where she stands. Between a hooker and a dead man.

Hope plays around with Claire. Bo comes down, bags packed and ready to go.

Hope is shocked, "I didn't ask you to move out."

"I came up with it on my own," says Bo, "I can't live with someone who doesn't trust me."

John and Marlena run around in their black tights. They sneak into a cemetery. John shines his flashlight onto the crypts where they can see the names. Marlena says, "I never thought I'd be spending my honeymoon with dead people."

"John asks, "Am I that bad in bed? " He finds Stefano's crypt and tries to pry it open with his gloved hands. Not even John can raise the two-ton lid. He asks for a pry bar, "Let's hope the old man's in there."

Patch sits on the floor and chuckles. He remembers. Flaashbackaroo. "I remember you, Sweetness." He cries, "I remember being with you, loving you." Kayla asks if he is OK. He thinks so, "For the first time in a long time." He strokes her head.

Nick eats the dessert Maggie gave them for helping decorate. The brat runs up and says, "Nick! I need you more than any woman has ever needed any man." Nick practically swallows his fork.

Willow rants, "Shawn and I share everything... including a bed. She turns to Shawn and shouts, "Tell her!"

Shawn is finding this little scenario particularly uncomfortable. He searches for words as Belle bolts.

Willow senses that Shawn might be just a tad peeved. She says she thought Belle needed to know the truth, "I didn't want to hurt her."

Shawn sees it differently, "You came here to destroy her!"

Meanwhile, over at his Mommy and Daddy's house, the shoe is on the other foot for a change. Hope begs Bo to stay. Bo puts on his jacket, "I told you what happened. You didn't believe me after all these years. So, you know what? I'm outta here."

Hope says, "No! Wait! Please!"

Hope says she knows Bo is innocent.

Patch is deliriously happy. He can't believe it, "Now I remember people, places. Stockholm. We almost drowned in a storm drain. Patchy Claus. A New Year's Eve hayride. Lavender soap. I remember! Come on baby, ask me anything."

Kayla cries. All this time all she wanted was for him to remember her, "Now I just don't know if I can believe it."

Bo removes his coat, "What made you change your mind?"

"You called my bluff," says Hope, "Also, Patrick telling me how vicious the beating was. I did what they taught me to do as a cop. I put the evidence aside and went with my gut. That's the first thing they teach you as a Salem cop – Ignore the evidence. It just isn't who you are. I'm sorry it took so long. I never thought you were a monster. Punching bag, yes. Monster, no."

Bo hesitates, "I should never have given Chelsea permission to drive the car that night. A part of you died that night. I'd do anything to change it."

"We can't do that," says Hope, "I want you to bring your suitcase back upstairs. Please stay."

Shawn explodes at Willow. She gives it right back to him. She thinks the real truth is Shawn wants Belle back and her out, "Are we happy together? At night we can't wait to get into bed."

"That's not all a relationship is about," says Shawn, "There's the other one percent, too."

"I never had a relationship before," says Willow, "All the other guys just wanted one thing. You were my angel. How am I supposed to walk away from the one thing that's been good in my life?"

Kayla is worried Steve is making this up. He insists he isn't. Kayla cries, "Whatever you're doing, just stop. I can't let you get my hopes up again."

John and Marlena hear someone approaching. They stop work and hide behind the crypt. The brilliant superspy leaves his bag behind.

Bo comes downstairs. Hope says Roman called to say he couldn't find anything on Nancy Everett, a.k.a. Red. Bo thinks someone paid her to take Claire. He tells Hope about her wad-o-cash. He thinks Wells paid her. Hope says Bo has been down that road before with Patrick. He should leave it alone. She begs him to back off.

Doorbell. Bo answers. The woman is crying so hard Bo can't quite tell who it is, so he figures it must be Belle. She comes in, hugs Hope and bawls some more.

Willow says she was scared of losing Shawn to Belle. She asks him to forgive her. She wants to go for a ride in the new car.

"I can't," says Shawn. He starts to leave.

"Why," she asks, "Are you gonna go see Belle?"

"I don't know. I might if there is enough room in the living room to park my car. I just know I have to think and I can't do it here. Or anywhere else, for that matter."

Willow cries, "I'll be home when you get back." He leaves.

The brat shows Nick the picture of Lonely Splicer and asks him to find out about him. Nick chokes and says he isn't a PI. He wants to help but doesn't know how to do it. Billie walks up and overhears Nick. "Thank God," she says. She turns to the brat, "So give up."

Patch assures Kayla he is back. Kayla falls apart. "Really," he says, "Steven Earl Johnson is back."

Kayla cries, "I can't let you get my hopes up again."

Patch says, "Kayla, no." He grabs her, "Look at me! I'm back." Kayla runs out.

John tries to reach his bag. The guard comes by, and John hustles back behind the crypt.

Hope offers Belle some tea. Belle declines and says she is worried about Claire. Hope says, "Bo has things under control. He's changed many diapers in his day."

Belle vows Claire won't be staying with Shawn and his hooker. Hope says she knows Belle is disappointed, but she thinks she's letting the situation with Willow sway her opinion of Shawn. Doorbell. Shawn arrives. Hope leaves them alone to talk.

Belle says, "I think Willow said it all back in your love nest."

"For Claire's sake," says Shawn, "I hope you will listen."

The brat says she just offered him the chance to be a hero and he turned her down.

"So," asks Nick, "Lonely Splicer is the guy for you?"

"How did you know his name," asks the brat.

"Stephanie told me."

She begs him to look for clues. Please help me identify Dr. McDreamy."

Patch chases Kayla. She slips. He grabs her, hugs her and says things will be OK.

The guard misses the bag and leaves. John moves back out and starts prying gain. Grunting... Prying... He looks inside, "Empty!"

Marlena whines, "And EJ's reporting to him!"

"Damn," says John, "The Phoenix rose from the ashes again! Mascolo must've signed that contract."

Shawn and Belle share a nervous silence. Belle says, "I don't know what to say. I hope you're using protection!"

Shawn says, "She's not in that life any more." Translation: No.

Shawn says he just wanted to help her. Belle says, "I don't have to ask how she helps you."

Shawn says, "There hasn't been someone I could trust since..."

Belle interrupts and utters her favorite word, "Me!"

Bo sings Claire a lullaby. Claire fakes being asleep just so he'll stop.

Patch wraps Kayla in a blanket. He thinks maybe he should call Lexie, but she doesn't want him to. Patch is so happy. Kayla is so scared. He asks, "What are you scared of? I hope it's not me."

"I believed you before," says Kayla, "It was all a lie."

"Not now," he says, "Look in my eyes... Uh, eye... It's me. It's real."

"I just can't go through this again," cries Kayla.

Patch says, "If the viewers can endure it, so can you."

John decides to leave the lid open so Stefano will know someone has broken into the crypt.

Marlena gasps, "John, what are you thinking?"

John takes out his crayon and writes on the wall, "Stefano's mother wears combat boots." Right next to it, he scribbles, "John Black was here."

Marlena can't believe it, "You might as well paint a target on yourself." John says he wants a showdown. They gather their tools and leave.

Enrico comes out of the bushes and makes a call, "EJ, it didn't go as we planned. I am sorry. What do I do now?" He waits for EJ's answer and gives an evil laugh. "It looks like Mr. And Mrs. Black aren't going to have their dream honeymoon after all. Too bad. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Shawn says this isn't how he expected things to turn out. They shared so much he felt like he was married to her.

"Oh, no," says Belle, "Things weren't that bad."

"When Zack died," he says, "I needed you to talk to."

Belle says, "I used to hear you and Mimi talking, among other things, through the air vent. I wanted to be with you so bad. I'm not proud of that. So maybe Willow and I aren't that different. I shouldn't judge her. Are you in love with her?"

Bo kisses Claire. Hope says it was nice hearing that song again. She tells him Shawn and Belle are talking. Bo hopes they work things out. Patrick Junior kicks Hope in the solar plexus. Hope grimaces. Bo promises he will love the little evil spawn, "I will protect her and her mommy for all the Days Of Our Lives. But you have to stay away from Lockhart. Can you do that for me?"

Hope stares. Translation: Not on your tintype.

Kayla says she isn't strong enough to do this. Patch thinks she is the strongest woman he has ever known. Kayla says she just can't be hurt again. He turns her around, "Look at me..." He signs, "Courage." He tells her, "It's me baby. It's me." Smooch. Kayla smiles. The smooches get serious.

John stands gratuitously half-naked and pours champagne, "To my beautiful wife, who looks sexy as hell in black. Ti amo mi amore."

Marlena falls in his arms, "Oh John, I love it when you talk dirty like that." They hit the couch. Fade to roses. Fade to the bed.

Enrico comes into the hallway. The little perv listens at their door.

"I hope this doesn't make me seem like a jerk," says the jerk, "I care about Willow, but I'm not in love with her. I know what it feels like to be in love. I can prove it to you. I'll tell her to move out."

Belle says, "If you're doing this so I'll let you spend time with Claire, you don't have to. I trust you with Claire. So if that's really who you want, I won't let it get in the way of you spending time with Claire."

"I have been meaning to end things with Willow," says Shawn, "Because I love you."

"I love me, too," says Belle.

Bo asks if Hope is going to stay away from Lockhart.

"Can we be happy again," asks Hope, "Do we have a chance?"

"Of course we do," says Bo, "We have to have faith in each other." Hugs.

Abby says Nick is busy and has to get back to the lab. Nick wants to finish his dessert. Abby gives him a look and grabs his fork. Dessert flies. Nick asks Chelsea if he can see the photo. Chelsea squeals and runs over to him. She hugs him and then pulls back in terror when some of the dessert gets on her outfit.

Billie chimes in, "Say thank you, Chelsea."

The brat mocks her, "Thank you, Chelsea."

Nick and Abby run off. Nick tells her, "I didn't graduate magna cum laude for nothing."

Abby says, "Magna cum laude... that's Latin for, 'not an ounce of common sense,' isn't it? "

Chelsea asks, "Why does he have to be such a klutz?" Billie criticizes her for having Nick do this, but the brat tells her she doesn't feel like ending up alone, "Like some people."

Billie says she thinks the brat has already met the perfect guy. She nods toward Nick as he leaves the restaurant.

The brat wretches, "You mean the lab rat? When I could be with Lonely Splicer?"

"You have a lot to learn about love," says Billie.

"And you're going to teach me," asks the brat.

"As a matter of fact," says Billie, "And I think I finally got it right this time."

Unbeknownst to her, Billie's balloon is bursting as they speak. Patch. Kayla. Kissing. Moaning. Undressing. Close shots of unidentifiable body parts.


Previews
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Patch says, "I'm always gonna worry about losing you again." Kayla says, "You are never gonna lose me."

Shawn says, "I'm gonna get my life together and I'm gonna make you proud of me." Belle says, "The way you just handled Victor, I already am."

Mimi tells Max, "You stood by me even when it cost you Shawn's friendship. You're a definite keeper."

John says, "I know where Stefano is." Marlena asks, "Where do we find him?" John says, "No! We don't do anything. You are outta this!"