His Black Heart

Bo and Chelsea are preparing for Hope's big surprise. Bo is nervous. Chelsea says, "You just need to relax... decompress a little bit. Everything is going to go perfectly. Hope is gonna love this."

Maggie, Julie, Kayla and Patch arrive. Apparently Doug is out somewhere trying to revive his singing career. Kayla and Maggie talk about Stefano's brain activity. Bo wants to change the subject.

"If we talked about your brain activity," says Maggie, "we wouldn't have a conversation." Hope arrives and wants to know what's going on.

John asks about Stefano, "So how is the bastard?" EJ fills him in. John feels a need to visit him again, but EJ stops him and says he got a message that Ava has jumped bail. John tells him she left a note. John is sooo glad he wasted his money giving that hefty donation to Judge Fitzpatrick's campaign only to have her removed from the case. EJ reminds him there will be other cases – for example, his own case. He tells John Ava will get the maximum sentence when they find her. "She's a Vitali," says John, "They know how to disappear."

A gal in the audience stands up and shouts, "Then what took her so long?"

Tony and Lexie are with Stefano. Tony says he has a strange feeling Stefano is just biding his time waiting to make a move. Lexie says, "But when he wakes up, he won't be able to do much. He's been out a long time and his muscles have atrophied."

"His gut certainly hasn't," says Tony. Lexie goes to run some rounds. Patients cower. Tony stays with Stefano.

Stefano mumbles, "Annntthhoonnyy... You must not tell anyone that I am awake. Do this for me and all will be forgiven."

Maggie tells Hope there is a surprise. Julie tells her to close her eyes. The ladies send Bo and the gents packing and say they will take care of everything. Hope continues to ask what's going on.

Bo asks Patch if Hope was surprised. Bo can't believe he almost called this off but says he told Hope about taking the evidence in the Hollingsworth case, "The thing is, someone else knows I tampered with the evidence."

Patch asks, "Who?"

"Whoever made Paul disappear. I'm thinking it's John Black and Ava's goons. Plus, there was an anonymous email."

"An anonymous email," says Patch, "Who sent it?"

Bo explains that ordinarily they wouldn't know but after some crack detective work they figure Ava sent it. Patch says Bo is safe if his name wasn't on the email. Bo vows to find and arrest whoever is responsible.

John wonders how the DA found out Ava left town. EJ says he doesn’t know. John is glad Ava got away when she did. EJ wants his word he won't do something stupid.

"I won't unless the old John comes back," he says. EJ doesn't want any surprises. John says he doesn't know where Ava went but wouldn't tell if he did.

EJ asks, "Did you have genuine feelings for her?"

"As much as I am capable," says John, "but I believe she genuinely cared for me. Doesn't matter. She's gone."

EJ advises John to focus on his trial. John says he has every intention of winning. He thinks it's likely Stefano will regain consciousness and want to resume his position as head of the family, "The time is near when you will have to make a choice."

EJ says, "If I have to choose between you and my father, I choose me."

The girls have a giggle session. "Cluck, giggle, cluck, giggle." The hairdresser arrives. She says she only makes house calls for emergencies, and trying to make Hope look presentable falls in that category.

Hope gets nasty and threatens Chelsea, "If you don't tell me what's going on, I won't loan you any of my stuff any more, including my Kirsten Alfonso Fleur de Leis earrings, pendant, or any of my Kirsten Alfonso collection which just happens to be on sale right now over on HSC." Hope would elaborate, but she doesn't believe in product placement.

Chelsea stands her ground and Maggie congratulates her.

Tony asks, "You've been conscious the entire time?"

"I don't think so," says Stefano, "I was either unconscious or watching DOOL. It's hard to tell the difference. Promise me you will tell no one I am awake."

Tony insists Stefano will need medical attention. Stefano says, "If I am to live, the person who did this must not know I am awake."

Tony gasps, "Who did this to you?"

Anna comes in and hears Tony talking, "OMG! I don't believe it!"

Bo is on the phone with Caroline. He thanks her and says he thinks that's amazing. He and Hope will be honored to have something of OMB's. Chelsea rushes in and giggles about all the excitementicipation.

"Cackle, giggle, cluck." Five minutes after she arrived, the hairdresser presents Hope in her new hair-do. Hope announces she thinks she knows Bo has planned a fabulous dinner. The ladies are silent, "Aw, come on," says Hope, "Give me just one little clue."

"You wouldn't know what to do with a clue if you had one," says Kayla.

Tony says he was speaking to Stefano because the doctors said that might help him. Anna is carrying a cross. Tony asks her what it is for. "I brought it to stab him in his black heart," says Anna.

Tony rushes her out, "There is something I have to tell you,"

John is on the phone, "Call me, Blondie. We need to talk."

"Cackle, giggle, cluck." The conversation stops as the stunning bride to be comes down the steps. Hope comes downstairs, too. She tells the women she heard them talking about crawfish and gumbo and flashes back to being in New Orleans with Bo. Hope says that trip was special because that was where they were first married, "It wasn't legal, but what have we ever done that was legal? " More flashback. Suddenly Hope has an epiphany, "Waitaminute! I'm getting married today, right?" The clucking stops.

EJ comes into Stefano's room. He tells Stefano it's hard to see him like this. EJ says he always felt Stefano was indestructible. He apologizes for sending Stefano away. He hopes someday Stefano will be able to forgive him. "Your grandson takes after his old man's old man." EJ walks away.

Stefano moans, "Eellvviiss..."

Patch comes back into the kitchen. He tells Bo Doug and Mickey are setting up outside there. Bo starts to go into the other room to see Hope but Patch blocks his way, "I'm under strict orders to keep you away from the bride."

"I'm really glad I gave you those orders, too," says Bo. Patch thinks what Bo is doing is pretty cool.

"She stood by me when most people wouldn't," says Bo, "and nagged and nagged and nagged."

Tony takes out a megaphone and tells Anna, "STEFANO IS AWAKE... REPEAT... STEFANO IS AWAKE! He heard everything you said."

Lexie walks up and gasps, "Stefano is awake?"

People pop their heads out of doors all the way down the hospital hallways, "Stefano is awake?"

Lexie asks, "Is it true?"

Stefano stops EJ from getting a nurse. "At least let me get Lexie," begs EJ.

"NO," says Stefano, "She will want to treat me. I want to stay out of the coma for a while." Stefano says he feels rested and invigorated. EJ wonders if Stefano heard what he said earlier. Stefano repeats what EJ said. He wants to know if Elvis would have said the same things if he knew Stefano could hear. EJ says he would have. Stefano again stops him from getting Lexie, "No one must know. There are things for you to find out and things I need to do."

"What?"

"All in good time," says Stefano. He forces EJ to promise he will keep the secret.

Hope can't believe it. She tears up. Maggie gives her the Brady handkerchief.

"Couldn't you have had it laundered first," asks Hope.

"It's something old," says Maggie, "Even though it was unnecessary, given the age of the bride." Kayla gives her a new bracelet. Julie lends her something of Addie's – A pendant, Also on special on HSC.

That gal in the audience stands up and shouts, "You still need something blue. How about if Chelsea holds her breath for about ten minutes?"

Instead, Chelsea gives her a blue garter.

Tony denies Stefano is awake. He says he was just speculating. John goes in for a look and Lexie chases.

Tony tells Anna he promised Stefano he wouldn't tell his secret. Anna hates this because Stefano never wanted them to be together, "I feel like something is about to happen."

"Impossible," says Tony, "This is DOOL."

The girls send Hope off to her bridegroom.

Later, in Stefano's room, John suggests giving Stefano anti-psychotic drugs and sending him back to the state hospital. Lexie comes in with her implements of torture to test Stefano.

Tony asks, "Is this really necessary?"

EJ thinks there must be another way. Lexie applies the leaches. No response. Lexie calls for her bamboo chutes and rams them up his fingernails.

Stefano's eyes go wide-open.

"I knew the bastard was awake," says John.

A horse drawn carriage comes up the expansive lawn at the Brady household. Bo and Hope share smoochies. He picks her up and Hope gushes, which causes a flashback to the horse-drawn carriage in New Orleans. Bo tosses her in for a ride. "This is perfect," says Hope.

"You haven't seen anything yet," says Bo. We ride... And ride... And ride...

"What is your prognosis," asks EJ.

"He's currently non-responsive," says Lexie.

"But he opened his eyes and screamed while you were torturing him," says John.

"That was a muscle spasm," quacks Lexie, "Only a trained miracle worker like myself can recognize the difference between a muscle spasm and someone truly screaming in pain from torture." She and the boys step outside. Stefano stares.

Out in the hall, Lexie suggests other options, "I know it's radical, but I think electrotherapy is our next step."

EJ gasps, "I know he's hairy but do we have to go to those lengths?"

"I say shock the bastard," says John. He gets a call and excuses himself.

The DiMera kids discuss what to do. Lexie asks, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Marlena is on the phone with Sami. She tells her they should talk later since she has to go check on Stefano. Marlena goes into another room. A masked figure opens her front door and comes in.

Stefano lies in bed, "MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"

Previews
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