It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

Murderess Chelsea tells Murderess Stephanie Nick is coming over and she plans to spill the beans about Ford. Stephanie thinks that is a reallyreallyreally bad idea and they argue. When the doorbell rings, Chelsea tells Stephanie to scram. Stephanie sulks off.

Unfortunately when the brat opens the door she finds Nick has brought company in the form of Max. Chelsea is gracious, "Uh... umm... this is a private party." Nicks eyes light up and he tells Max to scram. Max thanks Nick for throwing him under the bus and wonders what he will do with the extra time he now has on his hands.

No problem. Scramee A comes up and tells Scramee B, Stephanie says, "Uh, Max, I could use a little company... I mean if you don't mind hanging out with me."

Hope is just ecstatic. Well, I mean it's not like she has just dug up another piece of juicy gossip to spread all over town, so I guess we should say Hope is happy. She bounces around the room singing about how proud she is of her little boy going off to the Police Academy. Shawn is mortified, "Mmooommmm... It's not my first day of kindergarten..."

"I know," says Hope, "But if you work hard and are successful maybe someday you can make it into kindergarten." She takes snapshots while Shawn tells "Claire Bear" how proud of him he wants her to be. Bo suggests they stop for a donut or two on the way. Yes he really said that.

Belle thanks Phillip for coming right away. HA! He probably redefined the speed of light getting over there. She tells him Marlena has gone off to meet the mystery woman, but they don't know where. Phillip says, "Be careful. If this is the same woman who tried to nab you and Claire, she's dangerous." She tells Phillip Shawn is at the police academy so Phillip jumps in and takes Claire. Belle leaves.

Sami is at the police station trying to see Lucas. The officer in charge tells her visiting hours are over and rules are rules. Sultry Sami asks him to bend them.

Meanwhile, chaos reigns back in the only jail cell in Salem. Carmine feels a little cramped in the cell and is depressed he cant run around town as his Godzilla persona crushing buildings to let of steam. So he crushes EJ instead. Lucas assists EJ by standing as far away from the fracas as he can and screaming for help at the top of his lungs.

Sami hears the screams, "That's Lucas!"

Marlena tells they mystery figure to stop or she will shoot.

Hope makes a total nuisance of herself taking pictures. Bo and Hope give Shawn a little present to commemorate his first day in the Academy. It's a St. Michael medal. As we all know St. Michael is the patron saint of morons. "St. Michael will protect you," says Bo, "Your grandma got Roman and I one of those for our first day on our jobs and we've had them ever since."

Shawn contemplates the stellar careers of Bo and Roman, "I didn't realize St. Michael was such a klutz." As Shawn leaves, Hope tells him she is soooo sorry she didn't tell him about Belle and Phillip. She's even more sorry about the gossip shortage now plaguing Salem.

Phillip has asked Chloe to meet him. He tells her he's concerned once Shawn's ego heals he'll forgive Belle. Chloe doubts it, "Do you really think that Shawn would take Belle back?"

Phillip says, "Your job is to give him a reason not to."

Marlena continues to warn the mystery zombie, who is brandishing a knife. He continues to approach. Just as Marlena is ready to blow him to kingdom come, he reaches out and clears her windshield wiper so it will work. He's a full-service creep. Roman yells for Marlena in the background and Mr. Zombie man becomes Scramee C in today's episode. Belle and Roman run up to Marlena and she explains what happened. Roman listens attentively and then offers advice, "You should have those wipers checked at least annually." The three stooges head out on their quest to meet up with Crystal.

The SPD has quelled the riot in cellblock 11. Carmine spits a series of threats at Lucas and EJ as the cops haul him off to what is sometimes called the "rubber hose room."

Sami asks, "How did that guy get in the cell with you?"

"I don't know," says Lucas, "With buns that size he barely fit in there alone. Lucas thinks EJ had something to do with it, but EJ claims he knows nothing (that shouldn't be too hard to prove).

"You knew he was in here to kill me," growls Lucas.

"Yes I did," says EJ, "And lucky for you I was here." The cops decide to haul EJ to the rubber hose room and find out what he knew about this. As they start to pull him away EJ says, "I saved your life, man."

"Oh, yeah," says Lucas, "It's the other way around. If I wouldn't have cowered in the corner screaming like a little girl, you'd be a piece of compacted trash right now." Lucas claims EJ is a part of the setup and thinks he's a coward.

EJ says, "If your idea of courage is shooting another man in the back and then lying about it for weeks, then congratulations. You're a braver man than me." The referee awards EJ two points for a reversal as they drag him off.

"Happy trails," says Lucas.

Stephanie yammers and babbles and offers to get Max a drink. "You can't stay still for two seconds, can you," asks Max.

Stephanie apologizes and sits down, "Are my two seconds up?" Max wants her to talk to him.

They run through some small talk, but Stephanie tells him they can't pretend their lives are normal. "What is normal," asks Max.

"For starters," says Stephanie, "Most people don't have a dead body sitting on the curb in a water heater on trash day." Max presses. Stephanie bobs and weaves and ducks his questions. He says he thinks she's been acting "different" lately. Finally she tells him it all started when he was dating Morgan. She saw them making out one night and that put her over the top. She thought if she found someone new it would help. Max asks if she found someone. Silence.

"OK," says Max, "Do I know him?"

"It was Ford."

Chelsea stammers and whines, "We promised we wouldn't keep any more secrets, right? Well, I have a whopper."

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"No."

"Darn."

Chelsea struggles, "I have to tell you what actually happened the night Ford Decker disappeared."

Bo and Hope have breakfast and decide Shawn will be a great cop. Hope wishes he could find a woman who will fight for him. Bo thinks maybe he already has. When Hope finally stops laughing uncontrollably, Bo says, "It ain't over 'til it's over. If he can forgive her, can you?"

"Are you kidding," asks Hope, "If they could end up as happy as you and I..."

"I wouldn't wish that on anybody," says Bo, "You know what would make me happy right now," says Bo.

"Not in public," says Hope. Bo goes to powder his nose.

Crystal is on the phone telling her cohort Marlena never showed up. She doesn't know what happened, but will check in when she talks to her. Hope butts in, "Excuse me, but I heard your conversation."

"How could you," asks Crystal, "You were clear across the room."

"It's a skill I have developed," says Hope, "I can hear something that's none of my business miles away." She asks about Marlena, "Waitasec, you're that psychic."

"I'm... an acquaintance of Marlena's." Hope asks why she told Marlena John is alive. Crystal answers, "Give Marlena a message. She's in danger."

Stefano and Rolf come upon the abandoned scene of the windshield wiper caper. Rolf surveys the scene and announces Frankenguest was there, "He is a powerful specimen. I gave him the maximum dosage of drugs. He should be in a passive state." Stefano lectures Rolf for failing him. He gives Rolf one more chance, or else. Rolf gulps, "Or else what?"

"I'll make you go out with Marlena." Rolf would rather die.

Speaking of people who would rather die, Lucas is with Sami. She beats him up for telling Will about the shooting. Lucas claims he didn't tell him, but Will figured it out himself. Sami describes their bleak future as Lucas will try to be a father to Will and the twins with his weekly letters from the State Penitentiary. "I will not fail them," insists Lucas, "I'll write two letters a week."

Sami rips out his heart and has it for lunch, "You already have failed them."

Bo asks, "Are you sure it's the same woman?" Hope is sure it was the same woman and tells him she said Marlena is in danger. A call from Abe interrupts. Abe tells Bo about the riot in cellblock 11 and how EJ saved Lucas' life. Bo hangs up and gives Hope the details. Now that the trouble is over, Bo has to get down to the police station.

Sami tells Lucas they can't fix this. She walks off. Lucas stares at his big lonely cell and remembers the tender moments he shared with Carmine.

Hope, Belle, Roman and Marlena talk about what Crystal said. It's not particularly juicy, but Hope is happy just to have anything to spread around town. In that vein, Hope also tells them about the attempt on Lucas' life. Now that the trouble is over, Roman has to get down to the police station. Marlena decides she has to go with him. Roman tries to talk her out of it. Marlena won't have it, "I'm no longer playing the victim. Come on, let's go."

Nick doesn't care if Ford Decker ever comes back. "Wellllll," says Chelsea, "He's definitely not coming back. The last time he was here, he didn't really show up drunk. We invited him over."

Stephanie tells Max she went up to Ford's room. Max says he won't judge her, "Just tell me. We are still friends. What happened that night with Ford?"

Lucas weaves his own version of the incident. He tells Marlena he's the guy who pulled Carmine off EJ, not the other way around. He says Sami told him they are through. Marlena doesn't think that could be true. "Try telling Sami that," says Lucas.

"I will," says Marlena.

Bo is skeptical that EJ had himself thrown in jail to save Lucas. EJ claims he's drawn a line with Stefano and said no to violence. "That's sweet of you," says Bo. Sami butts in and says she is scared for Lucas. She's afraid someone will kill him and she will lose the opportunity to make his life miserable. Bo turns to EJ and threatens, "If your old man sends someone else for Lucas, we'll go after your old man."

EJ trembles, "You mean like you've been going after him unsuccessfully for the past twenty years?" EJ rants. He says violence is no way to solve things. He also says when his father finds out he saved Lucas' life, he will feel betrayed.

Marlena walks in on the rampage, "I know exactly how Stefano feels."

Bo, Roman and Abe discuss how they will get Lucas away from Stefano. "My daughter doesn't need to be a widow with three kids."

Belle and Sami meet up and get in a huge fight over who is more depressed and who has the crummiest life. The answer, of course is anyone who knows either of these basket cases. Sami is really steamed at Lucas. Belle insists he's a good husband. "Then why did he shoot EJ," asks Sami.

"I don't know," says Belle, "Maybe he ran out of practical jokes." Sami just can't believe Lucas kept this big important secret from her after all the times he's lectured her about being open and honest, "How can I ever forgive him for this."

Roman barges in and tells Sami to suck it up and forgive him, "He's forgiven you a lot of times."

"Dad, I am thinking about our children and what he is putting them through."

Roman asks, "Where are the twins now?"

Meanwhile, out on the streets of Salem, Johnny, Ali and Ciara wander around looking for trouble. "Too bad Claire grew up so fast," says Ciara, "She's missing all the fun."

Roman orders Ethel and Lucy to go across to the diner and have something to eat, "Do what sisters do."

"How can we," they ask, "Neither of us owns a habit.

Chelsea tells Nick about spiking Ford's drink.

Stephanie cries, "He slipped something into my drink."

Chelsea tells Nick Ford pulled the double switcheroo and spiked her drink also. She tells him Ford did a dying swan off the staircase, literally, "We sat there staring at him for what seemed like hours."

"It probably seemed like longer than that to the viewers."

Stephanie breaks down and tells Max that Ford ripped her clothes off and raped her.

Nick asks, "What happened after Ford woke up."

"He didn't," says Chelsea, "He was dead."

Abe thinks the three of them should talk strategy. Bev, the DA's rep shows up and the guys tell her they would like to plead down the charges. Bev tells them to make their pitch. The guys give it their best shot. Bev promptly cuts them off at the knees. "So Lucas stays in jail," asks Bo.

"My guess is for a very long time," says Bev.

EJ tells Marlena he won't have his son grow up afraid of him the way he is afraid of Stefano. Marlena asks him to prove it by giving Roman something that will stick so they can put Stefano away for good.

Rolf and Stefano continue to search Salem in vain. Rolf tells Stefano there are things beyond his control, "He is a person, not a machine."

Stefano threatens, "You'd better find him or I'll turn you into a machine."
Someone grabs Rolf. He chokes and gasps, "Help me."

Stephanie says she wanted Ford to feel the way she did, ashamed, humiliated and used.

Chelsea tells Nick the other girls were there when Ford died. She tells him about burying the body and that Max helped. Nick can't believe they didn't tell the cops. Chelsea insists it was an accident.

Abe, Bo and Roman try again to convince Bev. "NO DEAL," yells cold-hearted Bev. She storms out.

"That went well," says Bo.

Belle and Sami find Marlena. They have brought her food, but Marlena isn't hungry. Marlena tells them EJ tried to persuade her he's a changed man. But Marlena knows Lucas is a good man who loves Sami. Sami is indifferent. Marlena says Lucas is a member of the family and they will do all they can to help him.

Chloe meets Shawn on his way back from orientation. She tells him Phillip has Claire and he can pick her up from Marlena's.

Chelsea asks if Nick would be happier if Ford had raped her instead. Nick says of course not, but Ford's family still thinks he might show up. "Not unless they need a used water heater," she says, "I feel awful."

"But not awful enough to tell the truth," he says, "A man is dead. I can't be part of it."

Stephanie reminds Max he can go to jail for helping them. He says he can take care of himself. He's concerned about her. He wants her to get some sleep. He will stay with her and be there when she wakes up.

Crystal tells her compatriot they are running out of time. People are getting suspicious and they will have to take Belle and Claire by force.

As the Three Amigos discuss their next move, Marlena busts in and demands to know what they are going to do to keep the family safe. They say they will do whatever they have to within the limits of the law. Marlena has lost faith in the law.

Stefano praises Rolf's captor.


Previews
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