Katie, Katie, Katie

Nick strolls aimlessly at the pier. Stephanie comes down the steps, "Hey, I got your message. Why did you want to meet here?"

Nick looks around at the dingy scene, "This set cost a lot of money to build and they are going to continue to tape scenes here even though it's a ridiculous place for us to meet." He wants to talk about Jeremy.

Abe tells Roman to hang in there. Roman hangs. Jett comes in and asks about Roman. Abe says he hasn't woke up yet, but he's keeping him company until he does, "Roman is better company when he is unconscious." They go outside to talk. Jett tells Abe he has blown his cover. Abe wonders how that could happen. He wonders what unbelievable set of circumstances let to this incredible slip up.

"Chelsea knows, because I told her," says the crack ISA agent.

Chelsea meets Granny at the pub. She can't believe Kate tried to blackmail Nick. Kate says she regrets it and wants to apologize. She asks what's going on with Chelsea. "Sameo sameo," says the brat, "In a couple weeks I go back to school full time. I wish it weren't so expensive. With what I earned with Touch The Sky, I have enough for two semesters of skipping classes."

Kate hands her an envelope, "Maybe this will help."

Chelsea drops her jaw, "Fifty thousand dollars. OMG!"

A couple walks out of the pub and stares at the evil hooded figure. Celeste meets Lexie. Lexie tries to leave, "You must let me go."

"You can't keep hiding forever," says Celeste. As the thermometer pushes 100°, Lexie pulls her hooded cloak around her a little tighter, blows in her cupped hands to warm them and asks if they can move out of the shade., "I'm not hiding. I'm just acting like an idiot. I was locked away for so long." Celeste asks if she is still going to therapy. Lexie says she is, but she knows after setting the trap for Andre, he's still out there, "Even though I hear he's feeling a little flat lately."

Celeste suggests going to Abe. Lexie is afraid of him most of all. She can't face him yet. "Then why don't you go back to your tunnel," snorts Celeste.

Jett runs through the Touch The Sky caper with Abe. He couldn't keep lying to Chelsea. She was on to him. She was suspicious and hurt. He says they aren't involved, but got kind of close while they were working together. He says Chelsea kept digging until she found out about Danielle. He's sure Jeremy is dirty, though. He says his superiors have set up an inquisition, "I think they are going to flatten me."

"Does Andre work for the ISA, too," asks Abe.

Stephanie asks if this is any way to treat a friend. Nick says he isn't Stephanie's friend so he is the one person she should listen to.

Chelsea says she can't accept the money. She thinks Kate is trying to buy her forgiveness. Kate doesn't want Chelsea to end up like her. Chelsea wonders what she means by that. Kate is one of the most successful women in Salem. She has successfully flushed more companies down the toilet than the Enron boys. Kate says she has had to do a lot she wasn't proud of to get where she is. Chelsea doesn't know when she can pay her back if she takes the money. Kate says Chelsea getting her degree and becoming successful will be payback enough.

"Why do I need a degree if I have fifty thousand dollars," asks Chelsea.

Kate tells her, "You are a Brady and a Roberts, and that is one hell of a combination. And I know you can succeed in spite of it."

The brat says Kate doesn't realize how much this means to her. It shows Kate actually cares. It shows you can buy love. She didn't even know she was adopted when she was with the Bensons, and she made Bo and Billie regret they found her. Kate insists they didn't regret it. Chelsea knows they love her, but it still feels like she doesn't belong, "But this I will never forget." She goes over to the other side of the booth and hugs Kate.

Nick says he has nothing against Jeremy, but something weird happened in Vegas. He says he was sitting at a bar and a couple of guys asked questions. They turned out to be cops, "They implied Jeremy is involved in something illegal."

Abe wonders how Jett can be surprised the top brass is irritated with him. Jett says Abe is the reason he became a police officer, "I didn't have superheroes when I was growing up. I had you. He talks about how important he knew Abe's job was, "But if you don't have someone you love to come home to, then you might as well not come home at all."

Abe says, "My job is all I have, outside of my son."

It breaks Celeste's heart to see Lexie cutting herself off. Lexie wonders what she should do, "Ask Abe for a third chance? He's better off without me."

Jett suggests Abe call Lexie. Abe says she doesn't want to see him. Jett can't believe that. Abe says, "The last time I saw her I told her I wanted her gone for all the Days Of Our Lives."

Lexie says if Abe wanted to see her nothing would keep him away. Celeste thinks maybe he's afraid of getting his heart broken.

Chelsea wishes there were some way to show her appreciation. "Actually there is," says Kate, "Don't you think it's time you forgave your mother?"

Nick says he has told the police nothing yet. If Stephanie's involved, she could be in trouble too. He says she can't tell Jeremy about this. Stephanie asks why not.

Nick says because the cops said he would be in trouble if he said anything. He wants Stephanie to tell him if there is anything about Jeremy's actions that seems illegal. Stephanie says she doesn't know of anything. Nick says he is just trying to help. She says he was wrong earlier. He is her friend and may be the only one she has right now.

Kate says Billie made a mistake. She loves Chelsea a lot. Chelsea says she loves her too. "She slipped up," says Kate, "What is even worse is having your child hate yourself for it."

"Are we still talking about my mom?"

"Yes," sighs Kate. Chelsea says she just can't get past it. Kate says once she forgives Billie she will get over it quickly.

Kate tells her, "Nick is a good guy. You don't want to lose him."

Celeste says she knows all about shame and not feeling loved. Lexie thinks that is because of her father and all she put Celeste through. Lexie runs thorough a litany of her sins.

On the outskirts of Salem, a car sits upside down in a ditch. Tek groans, "Lexie? Are you still here?"

Jett asks what Abe would do if he saw Lexie. Abe says part of him would just simply wish her well and send her on her way. The other part would grab her and never let her go and forgive her. He would tell her he loves her and nothing has been the same without her. Another part of him would keel over and faint once he got a whiff of her in that wool cloak in the 100° heat.

Jett asks, "Which part is going to win out?"

"I honestly don't know."

Jeremy meets Stephanie at the pier. She tells him about the police. He wants to know who told her. She says she can't say. Jeremy blows up. He tells her to let him handle this.

Stephanie whines, "What are you telling me?"

Jett has to go to the inquisition. Abe stops him and tells him he was wrong before, "Sometimes you have to go with your heart, and what is right." Jett hopes Abe goes with his heart, too.

Nick comes into the pub. Chelsea bounces up to him and shows him the check. He thinks it's great. She says she didn't want to take it at first. Nick is glad she did. Chelsea talks about everything that has happened in such a short time period including the news about Jeremy's illegal activities and the fact that she and Nick are over.

The lost puppy whines, "Do you still think we're over?"

Lexie says it's different with Celeste. She did what she had to do to protect Lexie. Celeste says the DiMeras controlled Lexie. She wasn't the only one. Celeste runs thought a list of people the DiMeras have controlled. She encourages Lexie not to let the DiMeras control her future.

Kate comes in to see Roman. She sits beside him and pours her heart out.

DOOL Rule #11: If you are pouring your heart out to someone and WANT them to hear what you are saying, they have fallen asleep or are unconscious. If you are pouring your heart out to someone and DON'T want them to hear what you are saying, and think they are unconscious, they are awake.

Kate rambles, "If you were awake you'd probably be wondering what I am doing here. Actually I would like you to know it's not like I knew Sami was raped. Roman, I just wish that I could let you know that I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even Sami." She tells him about talking to Chelsea and talking about mistakes they regret, "I think I made a big mistake. I don't know why I'm telling you this. Probably because you're unconscious, or because I thought of you as my conscience during the five seconds we were married. I slept with someone over money. I slept with Stefano DiMera."

Roman opens his eyes and asks, "You did what?"

Suddenly the fabric on Kate's chair turns brown., "You're awake!" He stops her from going for a doctor. He begs her to tell him he imagined what she just said. Kate is silent. Roman is judgmental, "Katie, Katie, Katie."

She tries to change the subject. He asks why she did it. She doesn't know, but she did save Myth-Ick. "You're selling yourself again," says Roman, "Take it from someone in a hospital bed, life is too damn short to go backwards. You are not that woman any more, Kate. You're older. My God, I can see it. Why can't you?"

Celeste tells Lexie to open her eyes. They are caught in the middle of the Brady DiMera war along with Theo, "The DiMeras turned Elvis Banks into a rapist and a murderer and you shouldn't want that to happen to Theo. Come out of the dark before it is too late, before that wool cloak you are wearing smells any worse."

Chelsea says they just agreed to take things slow. Nick tells her about talking to Stephanie. He thinks she doesn't have a clue about what Jeremy is up to, but will be keeping her eyes and ears open from now on. He didn't blow Jett's cover. She says, "My grandmother was right – you are a good guy."

"Caroline said that?"

"No," she says, "Kate said it."

Jeremy denies everything. He doesn't know why they are investigating him. He thinks Patch went to the cops. Stephanie says it wasn't him. She turns to walk away, "I need to calm down."

Jeremy grabs her and yanks her, "NO! You're not going anywhere!"

Kate says Roman always saw the good in her even when it wasn't there. Roman says, "You've come along way since..."

Kate interrupts, "Since I was Stefano's whore?"

"Right," says Roman, "You've come a long way since this morning."

Kate says she still has her self-respect. She also says he self-respect standards are a lot lower than everyone else's., "And I got what I wanted. Stefano doesn't control me. I used him and he doesn't even know it. You know what I've always said, I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints." The sinners would rather laugh alone.

"Your choice," says Roman.

"My choice," repeats Kate. She smooches him and leaves. Outside, she tells a doctor Roman is awake.

Abe overhears. He asks Kate how Roman is doing. "He's the same wise guy he always was," says Kate.

Abe asks, "It's that bad, huh?" He goes to the pub to spread the good news. Kate sighs.

Stephanie screams and jerks, "Get you hands off of me!" She tells him it was Nick who told her about the cops being onto him, "He's worried about you."

Jeremy asks, "Then why didn't he come to me directly?" Jeremy bounds up the steps. She asks where he is going. "I'm gonna find out what's going on," he says.

Chelse kisses Nick's cheek and says he is a hero. She suggests they meet at the beach in an hour and talk. She leaves. Nick gives the Tiger Woods hand pump, "Yeah!" He walks out of the pub. China turns and watches.

Lexie removes her hood and walks away. Abe sees her. Staredown. Lexie sweats. FF.


Previews
========

Belle says to Shawn, "This time I want the truth did you go to Indianapolis that day?"

Abe tells Lexie, "You're not a DiMera, dammit. You're a Carver."

China looks down at Nick and Chelsea. She says, "And you... tsk... tsk... tsk... Not even married a month, and you're cheating on me."

Billie holds a file and says, "I got it. It's a baby. Tyler Kiriakis." Phillip lets out a sigh. Shawn and Belle look on.

Colleen loses control, grabs Santo, rips his clothes off and wrestles him to the ground. Just as we are about to pan down into the glowing embers, Colleen says, "Wait! Mr. Dimeeeeera. We can na do this! We must stop and leave right away!" Santo looks over at the pile of rags that was once his clothing and says, "Buta my closa are-a ripped to shredsa." She scolds, "Well, Mr. Dimeeeeera, ye shouldna been so farwerd."