Dress Up, Look Hot, And Put Out

Max overhears Cordy tell Stephanie to tell someone. Cordy insists she's OK and leaves.

Max and Stephanie talk about her finding Cordy. Stephanie tells him Cordy was stressed and wanted to tell Billie about Decker, so she ran off. Max confirms Cordy didn't say anything to Billie. They hem and haw. Max asks if Stephanie will be OK.

Phillip and Kate wait for the assistant DA. Kate flashes back to Phillip trying to encourage her and telling her to be careful what she says in front of Roman. Jen, the assistant DA, comes in with best regards from the DA. She says since Kate and Phillip have agreed to cooperate the DA will offer a plea deal.

Hope is with Marlena. Marlena is cleaning out some of John's stuff. Hope comforts. Marlena reminds her she has been arrested for attempted murder. She thinks Stefano needs to be stopped. Hope asks what that means. Marlena says, "When I left Belle's wedding I went straight to Stefano. I told him one day I was going to kill him. It was a lot less boring than staying at Belle's wedding. And as God is my witness, I will do that."

God steps in, "If I am your witness, I will testify against you."

Senor Chavez is impatient. He doesn't like it when people make him stand around cooling his heels. Stefano comes in and apologizes for being a bit tardy. Senor Chavez is bombastic, "You are talking to a president! The leader of a country! You think you can treat a man of my stature with such disrespect?" Stefano reminds his old friend Alessandro the DiMeras made his family wealthy and powerful and wonders where he would be without the DiMeras. Stefano wants his gratitude, not his rage, "An old enemy has resurfaced. I want you and your army to make sure this enemy disappears."

Alessandro thinks it over, "My entire army against one person. Hmmm... at least the odds seem fair."

Stephanie tells Max her conversation with Cordy was private. Max says he overheard Cordy ask Stephanie to tell someone, but Stephanie insists it's no big deal. Since it just happened minutes ago, you probably can't remember it, so we flashback to the conversation between Cordy and Stephanie. Stephanie starts to leave but Max stops her. He presses and says he thinks there is more to this, "Where is the girl that jumped out of an airplane with me and helped with Ford Decker and danced at the Cheatin' Heart?"

"Big deal," she snaps, "We did some things together and danced and I'm supposed to fall into your arms. Sorry I didn't get a copy of your playbook." He starts to leave but she stops him and says there is more she has to tell. Isn't there always?

Phillip runs through a litany of Kate's good deeds. After that two-second scene is over, Jen says the offer is non-negotiable. The DA will drop the attempted murder charge and instead charge Kate with making terrorist threats. Kate won't do much prison time – only about eighteen months. Kate has a conniption, "I'm not going to prison! And how can you say I'm a terrorist? "

"You're helping to keep DOOL on the air, aren't you," asks Jen.

Hope tells Marlena she hopes Stefano doesn't come after her. "I hope to God he does," says Marlena.

God steps back in, "Will you please leave me out of this?" The girls get back to packing.

Stephanie and Max sit down at the bar. Stephanie says she's just been feeling on the edge, spaced out. Max takes her hand and asks if she wants to talk. She yanks her hand away. Hold hands, no. Talk, you bet. Stephanie tells him about Cordy and the pills. She thinks Cordy's OK now, though. They are interrupted as Stephanie gets a text from Cordy saying she got home safely. Max says Cordy pulled through because of Stephanie. He's proud of her. "Yeah," she says, "I'm Wonder Woman. And you're a lot of fun but, at the end of the day, you're just another guy looking to get laid."

"That's not true," says Max, "I don't see any reason to wait until the end of the day."

Kate rages. She doesn't want to go to prison. Phillip steps in as Kate apologizes for the outburst. Jen says, "With good behavior, you could be out in as little as three months."

"Good behavior," says Phillip, "So I guess she'll have to do the entire eighteen months, then." He thanks her for stopping by and says he declines the offer. Jen presses and says Kate could get at least seven years if she fights this. "Sorry," says Phillip, "No deal."

Marlena and Hope continue packing. Marlena is going to take the clothes to the Midnight Mission, "They have a plaque on the wall that bears John's name."

"What did he do to deserve that," asks Hope.

"Money talks," says Marlena, "It also buys plaques."

Marlena didn't mind the fact John had no past when he was alive, but all the time they had together seems like only five minutes now. Hope tries to comfort. Marlena says when John was in the coma he came to her in dreams. He's not in her dreams anymore.

Stefano shows Alessandro the threatening notes. He thinks the person who wrote them is hiding in Alessandro's country. Stefano wants results. He wants Alessandro to lead him to this woman.

"I am not your personal servant," huffs Alessandro.

Stefano flings his glass down to the floor and it smashes to smithereens, "You are what I say you are! If you don't cooperate I will shut down the mines and watch your people sweep you away."

Alessandro chuckles. He claims it was all a joke. For an old friend he would do anything. Stefano wants a complete dossier on the woman and wants him to find her or be prepared to suffer extreme consequences, "You can go now." President Chavez and his entourage leave.

Max asks, "Do you think that's why I came back around? To get laid?" He thinks to himself, "Damn! She can see right through me." He reminds her he committed a crime for her.

"I guess heroes expect a show of appreciation," says Stephanie. She asks if he has ever been just friends with a girl. Max says he thought they were friends. Stephanie rants about what a real hero is like, "A real hero is a better man than you or Jeremy ever will be."

Max gets on his high horse, "Don't you ever compare me to Jeremy."

Marlena talks about her grief. Hope reassures her. Marlena picks up one final bag and looks inside. She gasps.

"What is it," asks the ever-curious Hope.

"It's the rest of the leftover turkey sandwich I had right after Thanksgiving," says Marlena, "And it's also the clothes John was wearing the night of the accident." Hope says she will take care of them. Then she finds an envelope, "What's this?"

Jen snorts, "See you in court Ms. Roberts." She starts to go but Phillip asks about Marlena. Jen says she isn't at liberty to discuss that. Phillip says his lawyers have dug up emails between the DA and Roman. He shows them to her. They make it clear Roman is making a back door deal to get the charges dropped. Kate says it looks like someone isn't playing straight. Phillip threatens to leak the emails. These facts would destroy her case against Kate. He suggests she try to find some wiggle room in the plea bargain.

Max rants about Stephanie's comparison to Jeremy. Stephanie brings up the way Max plays girls, "What's wrong with us? We're supposed to dress up, look hot and put out." She talks about fixing up Cordy before her date with Ford, "Everything screamed 'come and get it' and that's exactly what Ford did."

Max claims that's not his fault or hers. He apologizes for getting her upset, "And the friends thing, if that's what you want, that's how it will be."

Suddenly, Jen is changing her tune. She says the DA might be open to an amended plea bargain, "Felony gun possession, five years probation and no prison time." That's not good enough for Phillip. He wants a misdemeanor weapons charge, "What if Ms. Roberts can offer something in return for the DA's leniency?"

Jen asks, "Such as?"

Phillip says, "Stefano DiMera."

Kate's eyes widen to the size of pizza pans.

Rolf wonders who the woman is. "A she-devil," says Stefano, "She has made my life a living hell."

"Who is she?" Inquiring minds want to know.

Stefano evades and says she has the power to ruin him. Rolf reminds him of his secret, "He is in the lab recuperating." Stefano wants to see. They head for the laboooooratory.

Max says he hasn't been the right kind of friend. He tells her he advised Nick on women tonight, so maybe he should be taking advice from Nick, "Like telling a certain woman how I feel."

Kate says giving up Stefano would be suicide. She would rather serve time than rat him out. Phillip jumps in, "She has known Stefano for years in several capacities. Eliminate the charges and she will cooperate."

Jen asks, "Would Ms. Roberts be willing to wear a wire?"

Kate grumbles, "Ms. Roberts would rather burn in hell."

"Once again, God steps into the picture, "That has already been arranged."

They enter Rolf's laboooooratory. He says it's still too early to judge his work, but it is done. Stefano stares.

The letter Hope found is addressed to John. They can't tell what the postmark says, but the stamps look Spanish. Hope, who can't resist prying into anyone's business, pulls out the contents and sees a picture of a little boy. The top half of the picture is ripped off, so the face of the woman with the boy is gone. On the back, it says, "It's a picture of you and me – mama."

Marlena gasps, "Mama!"

Max says he came there to tell Stephanie what was going on with him. He runs through his history with girls, alluding to Mimi, then talking about Abby, and how they both left town on him, "I guess I should make sure the girl I'm interested in isn't headed somewhere else. So... I'd like to ask you something... Are you planning on sticking around or headed somewhere else."

"If they find Ford's body, I'm planning a trip to Salem Penitentiary."

Kate rants, "Wear a wire, jump into a shark tank, what's the difference. No – absolutely no." Phillip encourages her to take the deal. Jen says she needs an answer. Phillip knows Jen could also offer Marlena a similar package, "Isn't that this point of this game of cat and mouse?"

Marlena and Hope speculate about the picture. Marlena decides she has to find "Mama."

Stefano asks to be alone with the patient. Rolf leaves. Stefano talks to the patient, "Every life has a purpose, and it is time for you to realize yours. The DiMera name goes back centuries. Our ancestors include kings and popes. Or it did include them, until our fall from grace, but my father restored us to greatness. I have no intention to watch us fall again and no one, especially a woman, will take it away. Do you understand?"

Stephanie gives Max both barrels, "You're hot for me one minute and drooling over Morgan the next." Max says he told Morgan tonight they aren't going anywhere. Stephanie snorts, "That would interest me – why?"

"You're not gonna cut me any slack are you," asks Max. He kisses her.

Stephanie bolts. She runs out screaming, "I can't do this!" Max vows to use more breath freshener.

Kate says she has no choice. She agrees to the deal. Jen says she will be in touch and leaves. Kate says she is worried about the position Phillip has put her in. Phillip says if they want her to wear a wire he'll make sure she's not around to cooperate. She compares him to Victor, which he considers a compliment. Kate throws in a little something extra, "I hope you can help Lucas, too."

"It's never enough is it, mother," he asks. She asks him to promise to help Lucas. He does. Kate thanks him and leaves.

Hope says it won't be easy and reminds her the woman's face next to John has been cut off. Marlena says it doesn't mater. Now she gets to find out about the John Black she never knew. She vows to find her and see what she knows about John.

Stefano continues talking to the experiment, "You will be my greatest soldier. In the name of everything sacred or profane I will destroy my enemy and anyone who tries to stop me will feel the wrath of the DiMeras!"



Previews
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