White On Risotto

A nurse comes out of a hospital room with "DIMERA" on the door. John asks for him. The nurse answers in Italian. John halfway figures out what she meant. John and Marlena walk toward the room as Marlena has flashbacks. This was the hospital corridor in her dream.

Sami speaks for the company. The potential sponsors belong in the winner's circle with them. She introduces EJ. He comes out and gives her a smooch as Lucas walks in. EJ tells the crowd the other advantage of joining the team is his beautiful assistant.

Hope comes downstairs. She woke up and Bo was gone, "Do you regret making love to me?"

"No," says Bo, "That was the best thing that's happened to me in a long time." Hope was ready for seconds. Bo tells her about Max. He and Mimi are missing. No leads; no nothing. Bo pouts, "I'm not out there helping look for them because I'm not a cop any more. Roman gave me busy work to keep me useful." He rants about Lockhart. He says he doesn't blame Hope for her little bout of monkey sex with him. DiMera ordered Lockhart into their lives. He thinks he failed her and Zack and Shawn. He wasn't there for them.

They argue about who was there for whom. Hope vows it will all be better from now on. Bo says, "There's part of me... I feel like a failure."

Hope says, "Must be a big part."

Shawn yells for Willow as the apartment fire rages. Shawn busts in. Willow screams, "It's out of control. Just like me! " Shawn goes for a fire extinguisher.

Lucas watches as EJ leaves the crowd to Sami. She passes out ad packages. EJ catches up with Lucas, "Hey, look who the cat dragged in." He tells Lucas Sami is amazing. Lucas is proud of her. EJ tries to get Lucas to go see her. Lucas don' wanna.

Hope tries to tell Bo he's an honorable guy. They argue about who is the best person. Blah, blah, blah. Bo brings up his wonderful children Chelsea and Shawn, "One is responsible for so much heartache and the other is living with a hooker." Bo is peeved Shawn is working for Wells. He can't figure why Shawn doesn't realize EJ is a crook, "What does he need, an indictment? If he isn't careful he'll get one with his name on it. It was my job to teach him values and it's my fault he doesn't know right form wrong. Or left from right. Or up from down."

Shawn fires up the extinguisher and gets the blaze under control. The sprinkler system goes off. He sees a burned picture of Claire and him. He sticks it in Willow's face, "I wanted to give this to Claire. They will have questions and you'd better have answers."

This was the dream Marlena had at Smokey Robinson's. John had a knife in his heart. He tells her it was just a bad dream. She says she isn't going in there, "And you're not going in there. John, it's not me, it's you they want. We've gotta go before it's too late."

EJ asks if Lucas plans to hide all night long. Lucas says he doesn't want to bother Sami. He really doesn’t want her to know he is there. EJ gets the idea. He thought as much. He tells Lucas that's why he invited him. Lucas says he's there because he doesn't like EJ and is there to protect Sami. EJ says she will hate him if she finds he is there.

Hope says it's both their jobs to teach Shawn. "He's stubborn just like his old man," says Bo.

"Stubborn can be good sometimes."

"And sometimes it can get you in trouble," says Bo, "I spent most of my adult life chasing bad guys. Now I'm suspended and my kid's in trouble."

Hope comes up with a boat analogy, "On a boat you find your way using the GPS and the stars. What if a hurricane comes up and the GPS goes out? The stars are nowhere to be seen. How do you find your way back?"

"If you're Shawn," says Bo, "You sink the boat and the Coast Guard comes and rescues you."

"The hurricane was Zack's death," says Hope, "When you were arrested Shawn was the first to say 'my father didn't do this.' He's finding his way back home. Do you think he'd be able to do that if we hadn't taught him right?"

"Lost puppies find their way home sometimes," says Bo.

"Lost puppies are a lot smarter than Shawn," says Hope.

Bo gets a phone call, "Hang tight son, we are on our way." He tells Hope Shawn needs them.

A neighbor comforts Willow and offers her tea. Shawn grabs her and drags her into the apartment. He screams, "How the hell could you do this? I can understand you being mad at me, but you burned Claire's toys and the picture of us!"

Willow nukes, "I am sick of competing with a child!"

"I never thought of us as competing against each other," says Shawn.

Willow continues her rampage, "I am tired of your pushy mom! You wanted a home for your precious daughter. Will now it's gone. Deal with it."

John comforts Marlena. They will be OK. Marlena doesn't buy it. She begs him not to go in. He says they are just a couple steps away from finding out who EJ is. He can't run away.

Marlena says Abe and Roman can get that information themselves. John holds fast, "No. I made a promise and, by God, I'm gonna do everything I can to keep it. I'm going in. You don't have to go."

Sami hands out materials, "The hood of the car is prime time for sponsors. Just as long as you don't mind having our driver stand on it drinking his milk." She invites them to supper in their suite.

EJ watches. He tells Lucas she is marvelous, "And you didn't think she was qualified."

"I didn't say that," says Lucas.

"You think I still want to get her into bed," says EJ, "What are you going to do? Are you going to follow us upstairs?"

"I'm not into that," says Lucas.

"You're a perennial loser," says EJ, "One has to wonder if you could be with any woman who is less desperate than Samantha."

"Really," says Lucas, "If is so desperate, why did she reject you, then?"

EJ winks, "Did she? How about you, Lucas, Have you been in her bed lately? Do you think you really have a chance of being happy with her?" EJ goes over Lucas' poor track record. A wife who was paid five million to hook up with him... another who had an affair less than a week after they were married, "And now we are to believe all this time you had a thing for Samantha. Go on. Show your face. Let her see you didn't trust her enough to stay home. Lets see what kind of pathetic little man you are."

Lucas goes macho, "If you don't shut your mouth, I'll shut it for you. Because I'm sure you'll quiet down once you beat the crap out of me. You think you can charm her into bed."

"If you're so concerned," says EJ, "Come on and tell her. That is what you came for. Be a man if you can."

Shawn rants. The firemen come in and ask how it started. Willow says it was an accident, "I was asleep and smelled smoke..."

Shawn butts in, "If you don't tell him the truth, I will."

The investigators take Willow into the other room. The building owner comes in totally unhinged, "The loud music at all hours of the night... the fighting... the screaming that goes on in this apartment... And now this! The water from the sprinkler system has destroyed the apartment below!"

"Don't worry," says Shawn, "I'll pay for all the damages."

"You're darn right you will, but for now get out and don't ever come back!"

Marlena can't go in, "Promise me you'll get in, get out and we can go home and make love for the next forty years."

"Oh, good," says John, "We get to make love in our next life, too." He snorts and starts to go in. Rico comes up behind him, "Stop or you're a dead man!"

"Rriiccoooo... I thought I left you in the armoire," says John, "I just came here to see Stefano."

"Leave or I'll put a bullet in your head."

"Bullets have a tough time going through concrete," says John, "Can I have a second to think about this?" Marlena sneaks around.

EJ taunts Lucas, "You can't do it, can you?"

"You're really loving this," says Lucas.

"No," says EJ, "Actually, I'm on your side. I understand your need to protect her. I am a romantic at heart. If you leave I will never tell her you were here."

"You'd love it if I left wouldn't you?"

EJ doesn't want anything interrupting Sami right now. He asks him to walk away. Lucas stares.

Sami wraps up her presentation. She sees EJ talking to someone and runs toward him.

The apartment owner sticks a finger in Shawn's face and tells him he has exactly one hour to get out. Bo walks up behind him and grabs the offending finger, "It's not polite to point."

The owner asks, "Who are you? This loser's parents?" He tells them about Shawn's antics in the apartment. He hopes this was arson. Shawn insists he didn't set the fire. The owner growls, "No matter who set it, your name is on the lease."

Hope asks if Shawn has renter's insurance. He tells her he does. The owner leaves to call his insurance company.

"Good thing you have that insurance," says Bo.

"I should have bought the 'scorned woman' rider," says Shawn, "There is no coverage for this."

Bo asks, "Was the landlord right? Was it arson?"

"No," says Hope, "It was his girlfriend"

They lead Willow out in cuffs.

"What the hell is wrong with me," asks Shawn.

"Let's not get into it," says Bo, "The show is only an hour long."

John tells Rico he isn't armed, "I didn't come here to hurt the old man."

Rico jabbers back in Italian. Roughly translated, he tells John he doesn't care what he is there for and he's going to miss having his brain inside his head once Rico splatters it all over the walls.

John slowly pulls the ring out of his pocket, "You know what this means. Show it to him. Tell him I'm here for the family."

"I told you to leave," says Rico, "You're still here. Now I get to kill you. This time I will get it right!"

Mr. Williams stops Sami as she heads for Lucas and EJ. He tells her he's going to be a buyer. EJ tells Lucas he'd better go. Lucas sneers, "Just keep your hands off her."

Sami comes up to EJ and asks whom he was talking to. EJ just flat out rats Lucas out.

Shawn puts down the scorched picture. Bo offers him a candy cane. He says he's not going to lecture or judge. He's just there to help. Shawn tells him about dumping Willow. Bo thinks that's smart. Shawn says, "I did it while she as setting up a Christmas tree."

Bo grimaces, "Owwww."

Shawn says he made a tactical error. He didn't take the apartment key from her. So Willow used that to get back in, and then set the bonfire, "How could I not learn my lesson with Jan spears?"

"You have a big heart," says Bo, "To make up for your small brain." Shawn is worried about Belle forgiving him. Bo assures him she will.

"How could I be such an idiot," says Shawn.

"That's what the whole town has been asking," says Bo, "Have a candy cane."

John's in a pretty good mood for a guy with a gun at his head, "I liked you better when you were a coat hanger. Lucky for me I'm in a hospital. The staff will be on you like white on risotto if you fire that gun."

Rico says, "The staff won't get into DiMera business. There is no one around here to help you."

Marlena walks up behind him and points her pistol, "Wrong again, Scarface! You drop that gun or I will shoot you where you stand."

"Lady, do you think you can really pull that trigger?"

Marlena does her best Clint Eastwood, "Are you feeling lucky today?"

John whispers, "I think you should've stayed with the dry cleaning, Rico." Marlena says she isn't bluffing.

"I was told to keep you out, dead or alive."

John winks. He's just having too much fun. Marlena gets serious, "You go in there right now and tell the old man that Marlena is here. If he finds out I was here and you didn't let him see me, that armoire will look like a palace to you." Rico goes in.

Marlena stands with the gun pointed. John pushes it away, "Remind me never to play poker with you."

The owner says he found out his insurance covers this. He isn't going to sue if Shawn covers the deductible. Shawn can't stay in the apartment, though. Hope says, "You could ask EJ for an advance."

Shawn says he quit his job.

"I'll bet EJ was sorry to hear that," says Bo, "Good mechanics are hard to find."

"That's not what I was doing," says Shawn.

"Rreeaallllyy...," says Bo.

Shawn tells them what he was really doing for EJ. The smile on Bo's face is so big he has to move back a few feet to make room. "I guess I'll just have to find another job," says Shawn, "I don't know what I'll do in the meantime, though"

"You can come home," says Bo.

Sami can't believe Lucas came. Mr. Williams asks EJ for an autograph and says he'll be there this evening.

Sami says she thought Lucas trusted her. EJ says he obviously cares a good deal about her. He tells her she was wonderful this evening. They have two hours to kill before the dinner. EJ says, "Why don't we go upstairs to my suite, get a bottle of champagne, and we can celebrate your new deal as the new face of Mythic? What do you say?"

John and Marlena kiss. For a second he thought he was a dead man. He thinks it was smart of him to bring her. Marlena says she thought of calling the police, but remembered Stefano probably has them on his payroll. John gets serious. He asks if she really wants to go in there. She declares her dream a nightmare, "You are my dream."

Rico and a goon come out of Stefano's room, "The old man will see you. Not him. No guns." John won't let her go in alone. Rico insists. Marlena says she can handle it. Rico goes back in. John tells her to be careful.

"If anything happens I'll scream my brains out," says Marlena.

"That'll be a pretty short scream," says John, "I hope I hear it."

"This may be our only chance to get information about EJ," says Marlena.

Shawn doesn't know about moving in. Bo gives his good dad speech. Shawn gives his good son speech. Hope jumps in with the good mom speech. Shawn will come home. Group hug.

Sami asks what EJ means, "Just the two of us."

EJ says, "As much as I would love to make love to you, I don't mix business and pleasure." He gets a call and goes out into the hall to take it. Rico tells him John is there at the hospital, "The old man says you have to leave Salem." EJ says he needs more time. Rico snorts, "The old man has spoken."

Sami listens as EJ rants, "I don't give a damn about John Black! Tell Stefano I'm not listening to him any more." EJ hurls the phone across the room.

Rico comes back out and says Stefano will see Marlena now. She goes in. John, Rico and the goon stand outside. The goon lights Rico's cigarette.

Rico says, "White on risotto. If he moves, he's dead."

The goon cocks his pistol. John smiles.

Marlena stands at the foot of Stefano's bed. He extends a hand, and motions for her to come. She creeps up on the creep. FF.


Previews
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Shawn says, "I don't want to scare you, but I think Victor and Phillip are in this together. They are trying to take Claire away from us." Belle turns in shock.

Marlena asks, "What do you want from me, Stefano?" He grabs her hand. Focus on his ring.

Sami whispers, "EJ is connected to the DiMeras." Lucas says, "We've gotta get you out of here right now before you get yourself killed."

Rico is on the phone with EJ, "You're orders are to kill John black, and leave Salem forever."

Exotic Stefano music plays as the credits kick in, actually, it kind of sounds like Ray Stevens humming Ahab the Arab.