Bada Bing!

A map of France pops onto the screen. Without it, we wouldn't know where Max is. Max still isn't sure. He chugs along on the Orient Express. The Train à Grande Vitesse whizzes by on the other track. Max opens his door and stops the conductor. He asks what time they will be arriving in Marseilles. The conductor says, "Nous devons arrêter le train. Nous devons obtenir une femme folle."

Max gives him his Mortimer Snerd smile, "Oui." The conductor leaves and Max closes the door, "Whatever you said... because I have no idea."

Max goes back over to his couch and sits down. Suddenly, Stephanie barges into the berth, "Celez vous? Is this seat taken?"

Surprised Max says, "Steph... I..." She flops on top of him. Mortimer Snerd makes another appearance, "Hi..."

Ava meets Nicole in the pub and gives her an update on her relationship with John, "Nothing happened."

Rolf comes into the pub dressed like a 1910 motorcycle racer. He meets Marlena. "You look like an extra from the Sopranos," says Marlena.

"Vell," says Rolf, "If John findz out I'm here vith you – Bada Bing! I'll be zleeping vith zee fishes."

"I doubt it" says Marlena, "It's already too crowded down there with Paul floating around."

Rolf asks, "Vhat is zis all about, Marlena?"

Marlena says, "I need your cooperation and I'm not taking no for an answer."

EJ awaits his guest. He claims this meeting will restore John's standing in the community, "You don't trust me, do you?"

John says, "That's right."

EJ says, "You will. After this night you will."

Roman tells Lucas there is a slight change of plans, "You're going someplace much worse than Statesville."

Lucas screams, "NO! NOT BACK TO SAMI!"

Ava says, "John and I kept things PG-13."

Nicole is disgusted, "What is the point of foreplay if you're not gonna play? I don't get it."

Ava sighs, "Neither did I." Ava says she isn't trying to change John like everyone else, but she doesn't think he's over Marlena.

Rolf gets a call from John. John asks him to pick up a bottle of port on the way home from his ceramics class. John says they are going to have to have a little talk when Rolf gets home.

Judge Fitzpatrick arrives at the DiMera mansion. They make small talk about a mutual acquaintance, Harry Roddinghouse, and then EJ introduces Karen to John. John doesn't remember her. He walks off. "That poor man," says the judge, "To think what he's gone through. Married to Marlena. How could any man stand that? "

Lucas tells Roman, "I'm in, even though this mission is dangerous. I don't want Sami to find out where he I'm going – maximum security."

Of course, Sami walks in, "What?"

The Orient Express chugs along. Stephanie tells Max how she got there. Max thinks Patch will kill him. Stephanie insists she talked to Patch and he's OK with this. She says she can help Max. he says she's getting off at Clermont-Ferrand.

Fitz and EJ discuss John and, of course, John's rather well-endowed checkbook. EJ thinks things will turn around for John. It seems John wants to make a small donation to her campaign. He hands her the check. The air rushes out of the room as the judge looks at the amount and gasps. She says she just can't accept.

Sami Freaks. Roman assures her Lucas will be OK and it's out of his hands. Sami turns into Lizzie Borden without the axe, "Lucas! How could you do this?"

Ava and Nicole sit and cluck about Marlena. Nicole thinks John will come around, "I hope you're having better luck with John than I am with EJ."

"What," says Ava, "Noting has happened?" Nicole gives Ava a look that tells all. Ava gasps, "YOU DIDN'T! YOU DID! WHEN?"

"It was during the blackout," says Nicole.

"Now I understand how it happened," says Ava, "EJ couldn't see you."

"It was pretty hot," says Nicole, "Totally off the charts." Ava asks if they are exclusive now. Nicole says she pushed him away. She screwed up and doesn't think she can fix it.

Marlena shows Rolf the broken disc. She wants Humpty Dummy to put it back together again.

Fitz just can't accept. EJ cajoles. He says he's heard she's not exactly a shoe-in at the next election. He doesn't think her opponent would have the same reservations about accepting a donation. He gives her the check and says whether she decides to cash it is up to her. Karen caves and takes the brib... check. She decides it's time to go. She thanks John on the way out.

EJ comes back from showing Karen out . John says he was watching the whole thing on closed circuit TV. He especially enjoyed the part where EJ told her he would throw his support to her opponent. He still doesn't trust Elvis, though.

Roman leaves Sami and Lucas alone. Sami blithers, babbles and bawls. Lucas tells her he called Will about this and Will is upset. Lucas knows he let everybody down and he has to pay the price. Sami wails, "ALLIE is the one paying the price."

"Yeah," says Lucas, "She's going to have to live with her mother the nutcase."

Sami hits him with the big one, "I wish you'd been thinking of your daughter when you decided to have sex with Chloe."

"Sami," says Lucas, "That's sick. I know it hurts – just like it hurt me when you had sex with EJ."

Sami asks, "So why did you go to Chloe instead of talking to me."

"Chloe was willing to have sex."

Max and Stephanie argue about whether or not she can tag along with him. Max defends leaving the family without notice, "I did what I thought was best."

"What's best," claims Stephanie, "is having someone to lean on. Or in my case, having someone to stomp on."

John says he doesn't trust anyone. But he was pleased how EJ handled things, "One good deed doesn't change the fact that you shot me and relieved me of a kidney."

"That was a long time ago," says EJ.

"It was so long ago I can't remember," says John. EJ claims he did it for his father. He says that should show John how far he will go to protect his family. John says they can do business if EJ proves he will be as loyal to him as he was with Stefano, "But first you have to figure out what to do with Samantha."

Lucas tells Sami he has tried to be civilized but thinks he may not be as noble as he thought he was. Sami begs him to try to beat this rap. Lucas says he can't accept her having feelings for EJ.

Sami grovels, "I'm desperate Lucas. I'll shut EJ out of my life."

Lucas reminds her, "You and EJ share a child."

Sami won't give up, "We share a bond, Lucas. We're both as nutty as fruitcakes. I can call EJ a mistake, but I want to know if Chloe was a mistake."

Before Lucas can answer, the screws appear at the door to take him back to his holding cell. Lucas vows to find a way out.

Sami whines, "So you can come back to Chloe?"

"So I can come back to Allie," says Lucas, "I don't know about anything else." They haul him off. Sami bawls. Roman comforts. He tries to tell her Lucas will be fine, but Sami won't buy it, "He – wah – won't – wah – be – wah – there – wah – to – wah – watch – wah – Allie – wah – grow – wah – upppppp..."

"Let's hope she does," says Roman, "Her mother never did." Roman opens his book of clichés and reads to Sami, "Lets just take this one day at a time and hope for the best."

Sami gives Roman a photo of Allie to give to Lucas. Roman invites her to dinner. Sami agrees, and surfs out on a wave of tears.

John knows EJ is still in love with Sami. EJ tries to deny it. John is direct, "You'd like another roll in the hay with her, wouldn't you?" EJ won't deny that. John lights a cigar, "That court order – we're both aware of your motivation."

EJ says his motivation was to protect his son. He wonders when John started to care for Sami. "Let's say she's started to grow on me," says John. EJ thinks John is just trying to score points with Blondie by acting like he cares for Sami. He wants John to admit feelings for Marlena.

Rolf thinks if the old John were to resurface he would get life without parole. Marlena says, "Not if I can get you immunity."

Ava advises Nicole to go for EJ. Nicole thinks her situation with him is complicated. Ava says she saw EJ earlier and he said he was upset about a woman, "He likes you. Call him and invite him to coffee." Nicole wishes she could but she says there is something Ava doesn't know, "Trent Robbins is in the way." She swears Ava to secrecy.

Time passes.

"OMG," says Ava, "Trust me I won't say a word. Aren't you glad you got that off your chest? Now there is nothing there."

Marlena works on Rolf. Rolf says he just can't trust her.

John tells EJ not to worry about him and Marlena. Sami storms in and chokes on the smell of John's cigar. She says she's looking for Rolf. EJ asks what happened. She tells him Lucas is heading to prison.

John drones, "One less mouth to feed."

EJ thinks it's time for Sami to move on.

Sami asks, "With you?"

"Don't flatter yourself," says EJ. Sami insists Lucas made a mistake with Chloe just like she made a mistake with EJ. Sami says she will forgive Lucas but not EJ.

Stephanie pouts and decides she should go back to Salem. Max falls for it and decides she can stay. Slurping ensues.

Marlena says if Rolf doesn't help she will find another way to get John's memory back, and Rolf will be back behind bars.

John and EJ are alone together. John suggests EJ back off on the threats. EJ says the court order is his only leverage. John says, "She loves those rugrats and what you are doing is cruel." John won't say either yes or no to their collaboration, but if it goes forward, there are a couple of things to iron out, "First, you aren't working with me, you're working for me. Second, you still haven't proven yourself." EJ is sure he can do that. John goes to the chessboard, makes a move and tips the king over, apparently signifying he just beat himself at his own game.

Lucas is back in Roman's office. Roman gives him the picture, "Remember, you're doing this for Allie."

Lucas says, "I just hope the next time she sees me it isn't at my funeral."

A gal in the audience stands up and yells, "That makes one of us."

Previews
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