Blow Out The Carbon

Bo sits in his living room. He leans forward and talks to his computer. Hey, it's one step up from talking to himself, "OK... I think you should draw a picture of a snowman." That must be a pretty talented computer, if you ask me.

We shift the scene behind him and look at his computer screen to find Caroline, Maggie and Ciara staring at him. Bo has to cut things short as Carly comes to the door. They share a few smoochies and Carly is all excited. She tells Bo she was able to have a civil conversation with Melanie, "She's ready. I'm gonna tell her I'm her mother."

Vivian sits in the Kiriakis den and reads a little Epicurus. Hope-a-curious stands in the doorway and listens as Vivian calls Melanie and leaves a message. Vivian gets off the phone and sees Hope, "Oh, I didn't hear you waft in." Hope asks why she is so wrapped up in Melanie's life.

Melanie arrives at the nurses' station where she and Maxine trade a few barbs. Maxine wonders why she is there. Melanie tells her about hurting her hand and says she is there for a follow-up with Dr. Manning. "Dr. Manning isn't here right now," says Maxine, "But..." And guess who walks up... It's good ole Nathan on duty.

Justin meets Stephanie at the pub, "May I join you?"

"Sure," says Stephanie, "But I won't be very good company."

"That goes without saying," says Justin, "But I sense it's something more than the fact that you're just your usual repulsive self."

"Wellll...," says Stephanie, "I think I'm in love. The problem is I don't think he loves me back."

Bo advises Carly to cool it. He thinks if Carly blabs it will make it that much easier for Vivian to find out the truth.

Vivian agrees she's wrapped up in Melanie's life. Hope wants to know why. "She completes Phillip and lights up the room," says Vivian.

"Exploding swamp gas lights up a room, too," says Hope, "But that's no reason to have it around."

Bo cradles Carly's face, "We will get through this together." Bo wants to come up with a way to stop Vivian.

Carly jumps in, "Would you like to hear my elaborate plan to bury Vivian alive?"

"Burying alive has been done," says Bo, "It's not very creative." That calls for face sucking.

Vivian says she wants to be a member of the family and so does Melanie so she's sticking with her. She starts bashing Carly and says if Carly hadn't killed Lawrence she would have left well enough alone.

Hope asks, "What would you have left alone Vivian?"

Caroline and Maggie leave the kitchen. Ciara turns to the computer, hits a button and watches the Bo-Carly couch shenanigans on the screen, "This is just like what I saw on the Internet with Uncle Phillip and Miss Melanie. Only a little more gross."

Justin counsels Stephanie, "If you love a guy and he doesn't want you back he's an idiot, which means you have dodged a bullet. He's not good enough for you and has terrible eyesight."

"What if he's just hung up on someone else," asks Stephanie.

"He's a jerk," says Justin.

"It's Nathan," says Stephanie, "and you know he's not a jerk."

"True," says Justin, "But that still leaves 'idiot' on the table. Did he tell you he's into someone else?"

"Poor choice of words," says Stephanie, "He said he was but is over it. I worry that he's lying to himself."

"I'd worry more that he's lying to you."

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Dr. Nathan moves in to examine Melanie. She reels back like she just sat on a hot griddle, "Don't touch me!"

Chad brings a folder into DA daddy's office. Apparently the big cheese DA forgot to bring it to work and Chad has served as his go-fer. Chad thanks him for letting him go to the (Product Placement Alert!) Olympics. Daddy is distracted. Chad starts to leave and Dad softens. He says he just gets jumpy before a trial, "I want you to have fun at the (Product Placement Alert!) Olympics. Have the time of your lives. Blow out the carbon."

"What the hell does that mean," asks Chad.

"Well," explains Daddy, "You know, in a car, over time a carburetor can become..."

"Dad," Chad interrupts, "Cars haven't had carburetors during my lifetime. Say something relevant."

"You'd have to be on another show to hear something relevant."

"You're being pretty easy on a guy with a record," says Chad"

"That was in the past," says Daddy, "And your problems were all Mia's fault."

"Right," says Chad, "I always suspected she somehow got herself pregnant."

Kinzie, T-Man and Gabi are at the Java Café chatting about the trip to Vancouver. Kinzie takes it upon herself to paint the picture for Gabi, "It's cold up there. Chad wants to be with you in front of the fire and warm you up even more." Mia sits at the next table with NuWill, listens and stews.

Vivian admits her original intention in coming to Salem was revenge. She suddenly remembers a hair appointment, "God forbid I keep Joshua waiting."

"You haven't changed one bit," says Hope, "But I'm still curious — where does Melanie fit in?"

Ciara gets an eye-full. And an ear-full. Carly rambles about her beautiful daughter Melanie as Bo turns his attention to other things. Carly also rambles about the problems Vivian is causing.

We break for commercial as things heat up. When we return we find the computer closed and Caroline and Maggie standing there. Caroline says, "Come on, Ciara, honey, we're going to go surprise Daddy."

"You can bet on that," says Ciara, "I think there might even be a little surprise waiting for you, too. Maggie watches as they leave.

Justin offers more advice, "I think you should open up with Nathan."

Please tell me he didn't say that. Censored links are so difficult.

Stephanie asks, "Is that what you and aunt Adrienne do?"

"Not anymore." In one of those all-too-common DOOL coincidences, Justin gets a call form the aforementioned Adrienne. Stephanie takes out her cell phone.

Chad has joined the gang at the Java Café. They talk about the (Product Placement Alert!) Olympics. Skating... Curling... Private naked Twister parties in the unchaperoned ski Lodge...

Mia continues to listen. She tells NuWill she has to go check on Maggie and runs out.

Now that Bo is completely worked up for action, Carly decides she has to go. Bo accompanies her to the door. They munch on each other as Carly opens it and says, "Love you."

Caroline and Ciara stand there soaking in the shock and awe.

Carly straightens herself up, "I was just leaving." Ciara rushes daddy.

"This is a surprise," says Bo.

Caroline ain' happy, "Apparently so." Ciara goes off to draw her picture. Ma stares.

NuWill arrives at Maggie's. He says he's there to check on Mia. Maggie drops the bomb, "Mia isn't here."

Mia comes into the DA's office. He growls, "What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you about something," says Mia.

Vivian is sitting in the Java Café. She calls to cancel her hair appointment and goes through a bride's magazine looking for wedding dresses that cause fatal conditions.

Nathan wonders why Melanie pulled her hand away when he started to examine her. He tells her to go see another doctor if she's going to be that sensitive and walks off. Melanie stares. Carly watches.

Hope is at the pub. She calls Henderson to see if Vivian is there and then bumps into Justin. He says he has a bit of news from Adrian, "She said you called to ask if our marriage was over. And you begged her to give me another chance. You are prolonging the agony."

"If you and I are going to get together, you'll discover I'm delaying the agony," says Hope. She avoids the confrontation and yanks him out the door saying she needs his help with something.

Bo looks in Caroline's eyes and sees the same thing a condemned man sees as he looks at the firing squad, "I know that look. Let me have it."

Caroline is all to happy to oblige, "Do you ever think about anybody but yourself?"

Nathan and Stephanie are at the park bench. She's stepped in a puddle, so Nathan takes her shoe of and performs a medical procedure. He's thinking of specializing in puddleology. Stephanie says she is glad he called and asked her to go for a walk because she was going to call him.

"Well," says Nathan, "We'll have plenty of time to talk. I put in for a break from the hospital. I'm going to Pine Valley." Stephanie — big surprise — says she has always wanted to go there. "I'll have a great time if you come with me," says Nathan.

"That's being a bit presumptuous," says Stephanie.

"No it's not," says Nathan, "I read it on a bathroom wall... 'For a great time, call Stephanie Johnson...'"

Melanie is with Carly. Carly examines her hand and they chat about the wedding, "It's not everyday you get to say 'till death to us part," says Carly, "Are you going to write your own vows?"

"I don't know if I can do it," says Melanie, "Not everyone accuses me of being deep."

"I can tell you are a person of substance," says Carly, "In fact I stepped in some of that substance when I was walking my dog this morning."

"Maybe I can write the vows," says Melanie.

"The important part is to make them meaningful," says Carly, "And the important part of the relationship is if you want to spend the rest of your life with Phillip." Melanie thinks she is stalling to keep her there. Carly asks about Nathan.

"That's none of your business," says Melanie, "Nathan and I had a thing and I think he still has feelings for me. I'm trying to be sensitive."

"Really sensitive," says Carly, "But if you have feelings for Nathan there is nothing wrong with that." And we thought there was no way anyone could make Melanie any more screwed up than she already is. I believe we have underestimated both Melanie and Carly in that regard.

Justin and Hope are at the Kiriakis mansion wondering how long Vivian will be gone. They wonder if they have enough time for another evidence hunt. Hope takes the opportunity to give Carly the hussy a few verbal shots and she apologizes for calling Adrian. Hope and just want each other to be happy.

Hope heads upstairs. Justin zones out, "The solution could be very simple Hope."

Caroline says she came off more intensely than she meant to, "I'm not in a position to throw stones."

"You don't have to remind me about that," says the bastard, "But you always say things like that before you drag out the big guns."

"OK," says Caroline, "Here they are... Ciara hearing that at the door when we got here..."

Bo is ready for that one, "Is that any different than her hearing what Hope says to Justin? Don't forget, Hope is the one who left me."

Caroline gives him both barrels, "So that lets you off the hook? Hope is wrong? Tell that to Ciara."

NuWill tries to phone Mia with no success. Maggie says, "Maybe she bumped into friends."

"She doesn't have any friends," says NuWill, "Since Grace she isn't the same person."

"You're no one to talk about someone not being the same person," says Maggie."

"I try to understand," says NuWill, "but... I saw my mom after Grace died and I see you now that Mickey is gone... you're still you... I'm not sure I still know who Mia is."

Mia says she is there to say thank you. The DA is clueless, "Chad told me you were out of his life."

Mia asks, "He didn't tell you about..."

"About what," growls the DA, "Why are you here?"

"Chad invited me to Vancouver," says the conniving little... uh... Mia, "I just wanted to say thank you."

Stephanie is stunned, "You want me to go away with you? I didn't see that coming."

Nathan backs off, "Too soon right?"

"No," says Stephanie, "I'm always ready to throw myself at anything in a pair of pants. I can't wait. When do we go?"

"Valentines day," says Nathan.

Stephanie grabs the cross hanging around her neck and holds it out toward him, "NO!"

Melanie thinks Carly is butting in again. Carly says she thinks she's onto something, though. She suggests Melanie just be a kid and be glad she's got two good looking guys in the palm of her hand, "If you get married everything is grown up and you could end up unhappy. Or if you're like me, Phillip could wind up with a butcher knife slicing his spleen."

Melanie asks, "Are you saying I should leave Phillip and give Nathan another chance?"

Vivian arrives at the Kiriakis mansion and finds Justin in the den. He attempts to stall her. Hope comes down the stairs carrying a bag and freezes on the steps when she hears them.

Back at the Java Café, Gabi gets the 12th cup of coffee for the gang. Mia finds NuWill and he asks why she never showed up at Maggie's. She fumbles for words and says she just walked for a little while. Will says he would have come with her.

Chad is behind the counter on the phone, "WHAT! But I already asked everybody!" He hangs up and comes over to the table with bad news, "You guys will not believe this. I have to cancel the trip." Fortunately, they are all so wired on coffee it kind of blunts the pain.

"I'll die," says Kinzie, "I've already told everyone I'm going. Even the people I hate."

"I'm getting the 'you act like a child crap' from my old man," says Chad.

Mia watches and smirks. Chad apologizes to the gang and Mia comes over to gloat, "It's not the end of the world you can (Product Placement Alert!) watch the Olympics on TV. It would be really great except it's on NBC."

The kids hurl in unison, "NBC... Eeeuuuwwwww."

Stephanie reminds Nathan Valentine's Day is when Phillip and Melanie are getting married. She suggests they can head for their little rendezvous after the wedding. Smoochies.

Hope watches as Justin stammers and tries to stall Vivian. He asks Vivian to talk to Victor because Victor isn't happy with him. Right," says Vivian, "He tends to get snarky when it comes to coveting thy neighbors wife, except when he's doing the coveting." Hope comes in and Vivian leaves.

Bo defends himself. He says he just can't talk to Hope about anything these days, but he really cares about Ciara. Caroline doesn't think this situation has anything to do with Carly.

Carly advises Melanie to slow down. Melanie insists she loves Phillip and can make him happy. She thinks he can make her happy too, "We'll be happy together for all the Days Of Our Lives... or a week, whichever is shorter." What with their new found mutual admiration, Melanie asks Carly to come to the wedding, "It'll be great... There hasn't been a shooting at a wedding in Salem since Lucas plugged EJ."

Gus meets Vivian at the pub. Vivian plans dastardly deeds for Melanie's wedding day.

Bo opens a drawer to get a crayon. "While you're in there," says Ciara, "get me a crayon, too." Bo finds a family picture in the drawer and poor Ciara asks, "Did you find what I need?"

"No, baby," says Bo, "Not yet." Oh, the symbolism!

Hope and Justin try to get into the mystery box. Hope finally gets it open and pulls out a note... then another. She reads and zones out, "Damn you, Brady. Damn you!"

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