Dumb

EJ deshirtifies and jumps into bed, "Now all I need is a girl. Where are you Nicole?"

Nicole is shocked. She stares at Brady and asks, "Why come here?"

"Because this is where you are," says Brady.

Sleazy Ray the caretaker looks at the photo and fingers Nick as the guy he saw in the cemetery that night. Bo gasps, "Didn't see that coming."

"Just like everything else says," Hope.

Melanie wails. She wants to take the picture of her dad with her. Nick hugs her and and has a flashback to killing Trent.

Ray confirms seeing Nick, "You will tell the DA I cooperated, won't you."

Hope gets snotty, "Yeah, after we had you dead to rights." She leaves and joins Bo across the room.

Bo snorts, "Nick's already taken a bullet for that little wench."

Hope sighs, "What's he gotten himself into this time?"

Nick comforts Melanie and trashes the memory of the dearly departed Trent. Melanie pours out her heart and tells Nick how much she loved Daddy Dearest. Nick begs her to let him protect her. Melanie bawls and mumbles, "What did I do this for? My mind won't even let me remember it."

Nick says, "We gotta get out of here."

Suddenly the electron Melanie uses for a brain flips poles and she decides she can't go, "I have to turn myself in to the police."

John finds Marlena at the cop shop. He tells her he's working with the bounty hunter to find the mayor's killer. Marlena bugs him about Brady. "I know," says John, "You thought I was rude, insensitive, unfeeling..."

Marlena helps out, "Dumb."

Brady invites himself in. Nicole walks over to the stairs and yells, "EJ... go ahead and start without me."

Impatient EJ gets up and heads out to investigate what's taking Nicole so long.

Brady wants to get a few things off his chest. Nicole has already done that. He says as a part of his treatment, he has to make amends with the people he has hurt in the past. Nicole reminds him she did horrible things to him. Brady says, "I'm ready to put the past in the past. And the future in the future. But now we need to put the present in the present because today, tomorrow is the future but tomorrow, today will be in the past. I'm here because I want to start over."

"In other words," says Nicole, "You want to erase the past."

"Yes," says Brady, "So we can go into the future."

John gasps, "DUMB? You don't use words like that."

"You may not think so," says Marlena, "But you're never around when I'm watching DOOL."

"True," says John, "I'm not as sharp as I used to be, but I haven't totally lost my mind." Marlena says when she appeals to his emotions she gets nowhere so she figured she'd try a little name calling. She thinks John is afraid Brady will evoke some emotion in him, "Pushing him away is really dumb."

John turns to go, "This is where I came in."

A gal in the back row gets up, "This is where I leave."

Marlena lectures, "You know what you have done. You ran away from Brady and now you are running from a conversation about him."

"I wasn't rude," says John, "I was detached. I won't pretend to have emotions. That would be lying."

"It's a pity you're wrong," says Marlena. She walks away.

Brady tells Nicole he thinks they could possibly even be friends.

Nicole thinks about that one, "I see, you've done that growing up thing haven't you?"

"It was tough," says Brady, "So I can't stay in Salem. No grownups allowed. "

Nicole tells him about the baby, "It's kind of a miracle. Not a virgin birth kind of miracle, though. "

"That goes without saying," says Brady. She tells him EJ is the father. Brady isn't thrilled with EJ but he's glad she's happy. Hugs. EJ comes down and walks in on the disgusting display.

Bo beats himself up for not checking out Nick thoroughly. Hope wonders if Nick saw Melanie do it, "She's playing him." The dynamic duo heads for Maggie's house.

Melanie insists she has to turn herself in. She says she hated Trent but needed him. Maybe wah if wah I wah turn wah myself wah in wah I'll wah finally wah be wah at wah peace.

"You will be," says Nick, "Right after your execution." He tells her he's a little scared, "They're gonna arrest me, too."

Roman looks up as John comes into his office, "Great. I was having a bad enough day as it was." John tells him he hired a PI. "Well," says Roman, "then let me take the rest of the day off."

"I'm not trying to one-up you."

"I know what you are doing," says Roman, "You're trying to convince Marlena you are back to your old self so she will come running back to you."

Nicole comes up for air and sees EJ, "I got waylaid. Sorry. I didn't mean it to sound like that. Every girl loves moments like these. Past meet present. I guess in this case, the past is with the present and the present is with the past. " Brady thinks it's time to go. EJ says he was just heading out and has Nicole walk him to the door.

Out in the foyer, Nicole asks if EJ is mad at her or jealous. "All I care about," says EJ, "is being in your present."

"Because the present is in the present," asks Nicole, "and the past is in the past and the future is in the future and today, tomorrow is the future but tomorrow, today will be in the past?"

"Something like that," says EJ. Nicole says she has done terrible things to Brady and he's just trying to put his life back together. Smoochies and bye-byes.

As he leaves, EJ tells Maid Mary, "Miss Walker has a guest. Keep an eye on them for me."

Melanie rants, raves and rails. Nick says he's an accomplice and they should go through this together. He says he doesn't care what happens to him but he cares about her, "We can go away and be happy. If you turn yourself in the only person you are hurting is yourself." Melanie agrees to go.

Maggie answers the door to find Bo and Hope. Maggie is SO happy to see them. Bo tells her they are not there for a social call. Maggie gasps, "Then why are you here?"

"We saw your Bat-Signal," says Hope. Maggie goes looking for Nick and Melanie, but comes up empty-handed. Bo and Hope ask to wait. Hope asks Maggie why she let Melanie move in.

"Mickey says it's because I like drama," says Maggie, "That's why I stopped watching DOOL. " She tells them Nick has been agitated and she thought it was because of the medication. Hope reminds her Jessica was on pain killers. The viewers wish they were.

Nick and Melanie arrive at their room in the No-Tell Motel. Nutso Nick says, "There is a way to make everything OK. Tomorrow we fly to Vegas and get married." Melanie stares and contemplates becoming the Bride of Nickenstein.

Roman tells John Marlena will see through this, "You helped me think about my daughter. You think about your son."

Nicole dismisses Mary, who walks away. She stands in the doorway and stares. Brady says, "Nothing prepares you for when your dad looks at you like you're a stranger."

"To most people in this town," says Nicole, "their father is a stranger, at least until the paternity test comes in."

Brady says, "Chloe told me you're friendly with the person who my dad is now. I want you to help me get through to him."

EJ is with Marlena to talk about Brady. He wants to know if he should be worried about Nicole.

Nicole and Brady argue about who John is. Nicole thinks if he gives it a chance he might just like John 2.0. "That's not gonna happen," says Brady.

John comes back into Roman's office and says, "This falls under the category of minding your own business." He leaves. On his way out, he gives a parting shot, "You have something important to do — Like finding an assassin."

Nicole and Brady talk about John. Nicole defends him. Brady wants him to change. Brady says he's happy and smooches her, "EJ is a lucky guy." He leaves.

Nicole tells herself, "Don't get involved. Yeah, like that's gonna happen." She makes a call, "Hi! It's me. Can you come over?"

EJ rambles about Nicole and Brady. Marlena thinks EJ is smitten.

Maggie panics and says she thinks she let Melanie take advantage of Nick. She's worried about the pain killers, "You think they've run away don't you."

Hope asks to use the bathroom and leaves. Maggie tells Bo she's scared. Bo assures her they will find Nick.

Nick realizes that wasn't a romantic way to ask Melanie to marry him. He says he didn't tell her everything Hope said, "Hope implied she would come after me to get to you, but husbands can't testify against their wives." Nick says he will get the tickets and then go get something to help them relax.

John arrives at the mansion. Nicole brings up Brady. She tells John Brady asked her to help the two of them connect. John won't promise but asks why she cares so much.

Marlena gives EJ some advice, "Ask Nicole how she feels about Brady."

EJ thinks it over, "Honesty... candor... bold new concept. Thank you, Marlena. And may I ask you to keep this conversation private?"

Marlena chuckles, "Oh, goodness..." Translation — be sure to look for the report on the six o'clock news. "Go home and start communicating like crazy." Marlena opens the door and finds Brady standing there like a statue. She squeals, hugs him and is so happy to see him she immediately books.

Brady thanks EJ for letting him spend time with Nicole. "No problem," says EJ, "There are a couple of things I'd like to get straight with you."

Maggie asks if Bo thinks Melanie killed her father. Before Bo can answer, Hope comes back with the big news bulletin, "Their stuff is gone. She's left town and taken Nick with her!"

Nick pours the bubbly, "I think we should take a hot bath and then go to bed." We zone in on the ice pick as Nick the Slasher chops away. Melanie flashes back to the murder. Nick toasts, "To my wife."


Previews
========

You can watch the previews later today on our PREVUZE II website. Prevuze II should be up no later than noon, Eastern Time.

If you enjoyed today's recap and haven't left a donation in a while, please consider doing that. If you aren't in a position to donate, check out some of our advertisers. And you could also consider leaving a comment. We enjoy those. Look at it this way... I've already read Prevuze. YOU are MY entertainment.