A Thorn In My Heart

Daniel and Chloe wrestle with their ongoing issue, which is the fact that they'd like to be wrestling with each other right about now. Chloe turns to leave and Daniel stops her because her zipper is unzipped in back. Daniel soaks in the view as he zips it up. The door to the room is slightly ajar and Kate soaks it all in.

Meanwhile, Lucas is still down in the kitchen and decides he is starving. He tries to raid the fridge but finds nothing, so he decides he is, after all, the producer and can have one of the deviled eggs which Kate has prepared for the show. He picks up the poisoned egg and eyes it, "Mmmmmmm..."

Ejamis in the audience chant, "Eat! Eat! Eat!" Isn't it wonderful how concerned the Ejamis are about Lucas' getting the proper nourishment?

Rafe meets up with Will and says he wants to talk. Will is your typical defensive teenager, "I think Johnny and the laughing penguin are better off at the DiMera's than with my mom."

Stefano points out that Elvis is grieving is for nothing since Grace really wasn't his daughter. "Right," says Nicole, "And she wasn't Sami's either, but Sami couldn't have loved her more."

Sami is with Phillip and Stephanie on the Kiriakis terrace. She asks Phillip and Stephanie to call the cops and rat out EJ. "I don't know how I can do it," whines Stephanie.

Sami pulls her cell phone out of her purse, "Here... this is a phone. That's how you call people. You'll get the hang of it after you use it a few times. Call uncle Bo and tell him the truth."

As Chloe leaves, she discovers the door was open, "GASP! OMG, Daniel, what if Kate would have walked in?"

Daniel reminds her they didn't do anything, "we have passed a major test."

Rafe can't believe Will just said that. Will calls Rafe on the number of lies he has told since he met Sami. Apparently, he's picking up some of Sami's hobbies.

Phillip tells Sami to back off Stephanie. He gets called off for a phone call and reluctantly leaves Stephanie in Sami's clutches. Sami goes to work on her, "This is about doing what is Right for my son. What would you do if it were L'il Joe?"

"I might not do anything," says Stephanie, "It just could be that he'd be better off at the DiMera mansion than in malaria-infested Bora Bora. But you have to believe me. I want to keep your son from EJ."

Lucas opens his mouth (something he's very experienced at) and prepares to snack on the delectable poison egg. Kate walks into the kitchen and sees him about to commit eggicide. As predicted by thousands of viewers, Kate dives across the room and slaps the egg away from him. The egg goes one way, the tray goes another and the people in the room dive for cover to avoid the shower of garbage. Lucas has a total conniption, but Kate doesn't back off. She stomps on the offending egg and grinds it under her shoe. Daniel and Chloe walk in, all properly zipped up.

Lucas explodes, "WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR, HUH? WHAT? WAS IT POISONED OR SOMETHING?"

Stefano wonders where EJ and Johnny are. Nicole says he's out working on the new custody arrangements. "What new arrangements," asks Stefano.

"Well," says Nicole, "For example, Johnny and Allie go to the same nursery school. Or is it junior high by now? Anyway, think how uncomfortable that would be when they went to pick them up. Sami just can't ignore her own son. That would be terrible to expect her to have to do that."

"Nicole," says Stefano, "I Hope you're not developing a conscience."

Rafe says he understands what Will is going through. He says he is also mad and the situation sucks. He asks Will not to be mad at Sami because she can't take it right now, "Tell her you love her."

Sami puts on a clinic for those of us who have never seen a manic-depressive in action. She flips poles like a circus tumbling act from Krakow, jumps up and down and thanks Stephanie for agreeing to do this. Unfortunately, it seems Sami has misinterpreted what Stephanie meant and Stephanie proceeds to burst her balloon, "I want to help but there is nothing I can do."

Sami's smile fades. She does another emotional 180° flip and asks, "Why not?" Stephanie responds in a manner which is very unusual for her... Silence.

Lucas rants about the egg incident. Kate pulls off the nearly impossible and shuts him up long enough to get a word in, "I'm embarrassed. Lucas was right. The eggs were poisoned. They came from the pub."

Rafe continues to counsel Will. Will continues to play the part of a brooding, morose teenager.

Stephanie contemplates her ring and repeats that there is nothing she can do. Sami suggests she lie, but Stephanie refuses. "Families like EJ's do this all the time," says Sami, "They count on people like you to do the right thing so they can get away with it. Ask your dad what he went through. Ask him about both the DiMeras and the Kiriakis." Stephanie tells her to back off and walks away.

As Sami watches Stephanie fade into the sunset she says, "Not on your life, Stephanie, not on your life."

Kate says, "I poisoned the eggs. I did it without thinking. I put mayonnaise in them and they sat under the hot TV lights."

Lucas echoes what all of us are thinking, "This is lame, Mom."

Chris pops in, "Hey, how long is this delay going to take? Some of the crew are about ready for retirement." Suddenly he sees the deviled... well, I guess now they're scrambled... eggs all over the kitchen, "WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EGGS? Oh, God, if only I worked for someone sane."

Kate gives him a look and sends him packing. She apologizes for taking Daniel's time and tells everyone she has a headache. Daniel jumps on that and wants to know how long she has had it. "Ever since Lucas was able to talk," says Kate, "Actually it's more of a pain in the neck." She and Daniel agree to meet at the Java Café.

Phillip comes back onto the terrace and asks Sami if she is proud of herself for beating up on Stephanie. Sami accuses him of using her, "She got caught between you and EJ. That's not a very safe place to be, is it?"

Kate sits alone in Maggie's kitchen and plots.

Phillip's is on the terrace with one of his goons, who gets a call, "Talk to me Kenny." He turns and gives Phillip a thumbs up. He hangs up and Phillip congratulates him, "I'll let my right hand man close the deal. Or, at least I would if I had a real right hand." Goono leaves and Stephanie comes back. Phillip tells her Sami is gone and things will be OK. Stephanie is skeptical.

Nicole hauls Sydney into the rumpus room. Stefano wants to finish their talk. He thinks Nicole is feeling guilt, which can lead to bad decisions, "You cannot feel sorry for Samantha."

"I know," says Nicole, "But you have to feel sorry for the people who know her. You're always bossing me around. You can tell me what to do, but not what to feel."

Stefano emphasizes it, "You cannot spare sympathy for Samantha."

Nicole says she knows what a woman who loses her child can do.

And the Emmy for the understatement of the year goes to...

Nicole goes on, "I think that you are underestimating what Sami is capable of doing now."

"What do you mean by that," asks Stefano, "You mean she is now capable of behaving as a mature adult? "

Sami opens her door to find Rafe. We go through a series of about a dozen camera shots looking at Rafe, then Sami, then Rafe, then Sami...

Daniel meets Kate at the Java Café. Kate has a few things to say about him and Chloe, "The two of you are like a thorn in my heart. I still am hurt that my son was betrayed by the two of you." Daniel insists there is nothing going on between them.

"Technically, no," says Kate, "but at the studio Chloe couldn't even handle a plate of appetizers. I want to know... are you still in love with her?" Daniel stares.

Lucas and Chloe arrive at the pub. He is upset because Kate keeps upsetting Chloe. He wonders if she is mad at him because he didn't shut Kate up for her. Chloe says it wasn't Lucas' fault.

Phillip tries to convince Stephanie to calm down and let him handle things.

Mature, responsible Sami cooks up a plan to kidnap Johnny and Allie. Rafe thinks perhaps Sami hasn't completely thought this one through.

Nicole insists she isn't identifying with Sami. Stefano is skeptical.

Phillip suggests taking advantage of the beautiful day and go to the beach. He leaves to get changed. Stephanie digs into her bottle-o-pills and scarfs enough of them to wipe out a herd of buffalo.

Chloe says its her fault because she screwed up the show. She asks Lucas to get along with Kate. She just wants peace. Lucas tells her the rest of the day will be a lot better. Translation: storm clouds on the horizon.

Kate says she is tired of all this. She thinks Chloe is weak.

Stephanie comes back out onto the terrace. Phillip follows. A wonderful day at the beach stands before him. Phillip takes out his Uzi and shoots the hell out of it, "I'm afraid I have to work." They go their separate ways. (A foreboding of things to come?)

Daniel implores Kate to give Lucas a chance to be happy. Kate says, "It's not about you and Chloe. It's about you and me. If the eggs were embarrassing, you can imagine how I feel right now." Daniel tells her doing the show is a big mistake.

Nicole says she loves EJ and doesn't want to change him. Stefano tells her she'd better get with the program, gives her a parting shot and leaves. Nicole walks over to Sydney's crib, "I think grandpa has threatened Mommy one too many times. So Mommy will do what she never does. The right thing."

"I'll believe it when I see it," says Sydney."

Rafe tries to talk Sami out of her kidnapping scheme, "If you take them you are playing right into EJ's hands. You may lose custody permanently."

Sami blubbers and rants about the fact that Stephanie won't testify, "Everybody is scared of the DiMeras."

"Not me," says Rafe, "I'm too dumb to be scared. I will do anything to do what it takes to get Johnny back. Just not kidnapping. I will (say it with him) be there for you."

Hilda's ghost sticks her head in, "Don't worry, kid, he was (say it with her) there for me, too."

Sami does what Sami does best. She collapses into a heap of tears. Rafe tries to comfort her. He goes to get her some water and tells her not to go anywhere. Sami wanders. She gets a call. Nicole tells her she has something to say.

Lucas tells Chloe they are about to start their new life in their new home. He picks her up and she imagines Daniel carrying her over the threshold.

Kate tells Daniel he has to do the show since she already promoted it. Daniel argues. Kate plays her trump card and reminds her of his wife. Daniel leaves.

Phillip is on the phone leaving a message for Stephanie, "I'm going to have to work later than I originally thought, so I won't be able to go with you. I'm sorry. I really am."

Stephanie comes back onto the terrace parading around in her two-piece. She starts gathering things up and suddenly stops, stares into space and hits the deck...

THUD!

Now what? Do you suppose it's the pills, or perhaps someone stuck a thorn in her heart.

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