Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

EJ and Nicole are in her curtained-off room in the Salem Hospital trauma center. EJ watches as they wheel out dead body after dead body. He huffs and complains about the doctor taking his time. Nicole wonders if there is somewhere else he would rather be, like with Sami. EJ wonders if there is somewhere else he would rather be, like a tropical island without either of them. Lexie comes in and asks why Nicole is there. Nicole announces, "I tripped over the mayor."

Lexie understandably wonders how that happened. "You didn't hear," asks Nicole, "He was murdered and I fell over his body."

Chelsea rummages through her purse at the Java Café. No money. Daniel comes up and offers to help, "You want some coffee, little girl?"

Max and Melanie are behind them, seated over in a corner. She apologizes for putting him in such a difficult position. Max insists she didn't kill Trent.

Meanwhile, Stephanie sits with Bo and Hope at the pub and sings like a canary, "I think Melanie killed her dad."

Max tells Melanie he told Stephanie. Melanie has a total meltdown. She lectures Max for telling someone who hates her, "She's probably talking to your brother and his wife now!"

Good call. Stephanie continues to tattle. She tells Bo and Hope Max would be furious if he knew she was there, "He'd do anything to protect her."

Lexie is stunned. Nicole says, "I was at the DiMera mansion. Someone murdered the mayor on the doorstep and I tripped over his dead body."

Lexie gasps, "MURDERED! How did it happen?"

"I walked straight into him, tripped and fell."

Lexie flashes back to her conversation with Stefano. She panics and runs out. Nicole whines, "Lexie, what about meeeeeeeee?"

Dr. Dan brings Chelsea a latte. He is carrying a carton full of coffees and tells her he's doing a coffee run for the gang at the hospital, "So I have some time. How about having a cup of coffee with me, so this coffee I already bought can get ice cold? " Chelsea sees Nick come in and she declines.

Dan leaves and Chelsea rushes over to Nick, "I have a favor to ask."

Max rationalizes, "I know I promised not to tell, but that didn't include Stephanie. We have a pact. I tell her everything and she doesn't cut me off."

Hope asks Stephanie to start at the beginning. Stephanie runs through Melanie's blackout scenario, "This girl is a very troubled person." Three words run through Bo's mind... pot... kettle... black... Stephanie insists Melanie did it and Bo and Hope have to arrest her before she hurts someone else.

Needy, insecure Chelsea asks Nick to have dinner with her... as friends. Nick is a little reluctant but agrees. Chelsea suggests a sushi restaurant. Suddenly, Nick sees Melanie stand up and run out the door.

Max sits alone at his table and flashes back to their conversation from 2 seconds ago.

Bo and Hope tell Stool Pigeon Stephanie she did the right thing. "We're going to have a little chat with Melanie," says Bo.

Lexie rushes into the DiMera mansion and lectures Stefano for killing the mayor. Stefano remains calm, "The mayor... Yes... There was a little incident and it created quite a mess on my doorstep. But I certainly hope you don't think I had anything to do with that. All I did with Mayor Moron-o was to pull my financial support." Lexie accuses him of killing the mayor.

Daniel comes in to see Nicole. She tells him about the accident, "I'll spare you the details but I had a nasty fall." Dr. Dan has EJ wait outside and asks Nicole exactly what happened.

"Let's just put it this way," says Nicole, "When Mayor Moron-o says 'over my dead body,' he means it."

Daniel examines her, Any cramps, backaches, bumps, bruises, lacerations?"

"No," says Nicole, "Nothing. I'm having twinges."

"Could be baby flutters," says Daniel.

Nicole reminds him the baby is a miracle, "I know what you're thinking. That I'm using this accident to get closer to EJ. Maybe I am, but I'm not making up these twinges. If there is something wrong you have to help me."

Chelsea finds Max and sits with him. She asks if there is anything new going on with Trent's case. "No," says Max, "There are a couple of suspects but Melanie didn't do it. Have you seen Stephanie?"

Stephanie takes the cue and waltzes up to the table, "Here I am." Max asks where she has been. Stephanie says she was at the pub talking to Bo and Hope.

Melanie walks into the pub. Bo and Hope call her over. They want the whole story.

Stefano thinks Lexie is short-changing him. He gestures, postures, struts and stomps around the room insisting he had nothing to do with the mayor's death. He chides her for her insolence and lack of gratitude, "Gimme, gimme, gimme... that's the way you are. You think you are always entitled!"

Lexie comes back at him for his life of crime. Stefano continues to insist he had nothing to do with the murder, "All I did was withdraw my financial backing. It wasn't pleasant but I did it for you. Has it ever occurred to you I am being set up? Use your brain! Do you think I am that stupid enough to have him killed on my doorstep?" Stefano reminds her the mayor had many enemies including Abe. He asks what reason he would have to kill a lowly ineffectual mayor. Lexie agrees he has better things to do. Stefano smooches her and tells her not to worry because she isn't responsible. Stefano forgives her for her accusations. He admonishes her to live and be happy, "Live in the moment."

"So," says Lexie, "I see you've been hitting the self help books, eh?"

"Just the Guy Manual," says Stefano, "I've been thinking about my own life. When you're closer to the end than the beginning you become more aware of the beauty and less willing to squander time on pettiness. So I stopped watching DOOL." He asks her to join him for dinner. She says she has to go pick up Theo. Stefano tells her to give him a big hug and she leaves.

Stefano sits. Lexie hesitates at the Mayor Moron-o Memorial Threshold.

Chelsea takes off. Stephanie sits. Max broods, "What did you tell them?"

Stephanie stares, "Everything. They know Melanie murdered your father."

Bo and Hope tell Melanie they know about her confession. Bo says, "You can explain things here or at the station."

Daniel looks at Nicole's insta-test results and tells her she and the baby are in excellent health. Nicole says she didn't mean to panic. Daniel suggests she just take it easy. Nicole says she will, "But with Sami popping up it won't be easy." She asks Daniel not to tell EJ what she said about the baby and how emotional she got about the pregnancy. Daniel says he won't say a word. He leaves. Nicole breaks down.

Outside, Daniel tells EJ Nicole is fine and just needs to relax and not get upset, "Women tend to worry about things too much. Babies in utero are pretty resilient." EJ goes in to see Nicole.

Stephanie insists she had no choice but to blab. Max is not pleased, "You sandbagged Melanie and you betrayed me!"

Bo and Hope want the truth. Melanie accuses them of harassment. She goes into a rage and says Stephanie hates her guts and is trying to frame her. She insists she never saw her father the night he was murdered, "Go ask Max and he will back up my story. Let me mourn my father's death in peace." She stomps out leaving Bo and Hope with their jaws on the floor.

EJ and Nicole arrive back at the DiMera mansion. They take the side entrance to avoid any bodies. Inside, he makes her get on the couch and take things easy. He dotes. Nicole eats it up, but her reverie is short-lived. "Next time," says EJ, "just say something. I know you took a spill, but you did this to get me away from Samantha."

So much for taking it easy. Nicole flies off the handle. EJ backpedals and sneaks a peek at the Guy Manual. He reads a few paragraphs and says, "You don't need to use our child to get my attention. You are the mother of my child and, unlike Samantha, I believe we have a future together. You mean the world to me." Smooch.

Nick finds Melanie outside the pub and says he got her message. She asks him to go for a bite to eat. They decide on Chez Rouge. Melanie runs to get ready. No sooner has she left than Chelsea walks up. DOH! Nick tells Chelsea he has to cancel, "Something came up."

Chelsea snorts, "Could that something be Melanie?" Nick suggests another time and beats a hasty retreat.

Max accuses Stephanie of betraying him. Stephanie whines, "Max, I want you to trust me. Like, for example, when you tell me something in confidence, you have to trust I won't go running to the cops. "

"You hate Melanie and always have," says Max.

"I don't trust her," says Stephanie.

"And now I can't trust you," says Max, "That's a deal-breaker. Without that we don't have anything."

Nick calls Maggie and reserves a table for two, "I'll be with Max' sister Melanie." Chelsea walks up behind him and soaks it in.

Stefano makes a call, "It's about time you answered the phone. What the hell have you done?"

EJ continues to spout passages from the Guy Manual, "I want a real family and I want to have it with you."

Nicole is giddy. "Damn," thinks EJ, "That Guy Manual really works. It's a lot more effective than that last book I read, 'How To Handle Women by Max Brady.'"

Nicole is higher than John Black after scoring a bag-o-pills at the docks, "I'm so happy I could eat a gallon of ice cream. I want rocky road!" Oh, the metaphor! EJ goes for the ice cream.

Once she's alone, Nicole doubles over in pain.

Bo tells Hope, "She is lying about something and it's up to us to figure out what."

Nick texts. Melanie stares and flashes back to that night at the cemetery. She lies on the ground, regains consciousness and watches as Trent staggers around like a Colts quarterback on his opponent's one yard line trying to figure out which direction the goal line is. Trent slumps in the bushes and looks like an overgrown Chia Pet. Melanie gathers her things and rushes off. Once she is out on the street she starts walking slowly and calmly.

Melanie pops back to (ahem) reality. She comes up to Nick and they leave the pub.

Max lectures Stephanie, "I love you, but I can't forgive you. You betrayed me."

"I did it for you," blubbers Stephanie, "I love you so much. We can get through this."

Cold-hearted Uncle Max spews, "There is no more we. I'm sorry." He leaves. Stephanie bawls.

Previews
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