Austin, don’t you dare take back one single thing,” Sami said, holding up the sleeve of the new dress he had bought her. “I love them. I love all of them. ”
“Okay, okay,” Austin said, laughing.
“I was only trying to be practical. ”
She tilted her head and looked past him, up at the night sky. “Have you ever seen so many stars? You don’t get to see stars when you’re on death row.
”
“That’s all over, Sami. ”
“But I’ll never forget it,” she said quietly. “And I’ll never forgive whoever sent me there. ”
Over at the Wesleys’ house, Craig walked in wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt, a lei around his neck.
Ali stared at him like he had lost his mind. “What’s this? ” she asked. “The Wesleys go Hawaiian?
”
“Craig had a few days off,” Nancy said, beaming. “He took me to Honolulu. We had fun in the sun. ”
“Actually,” Craig said, “we had more fun in the shade.
” He handed Ali a small flower lei. “Here, sweetheart, this is for you. So, have you heard anything yet about the lawsuit? ”
Ali frowned.
“I spoke to Mike, but he still doesn’t get it. He thinks I’m suing him for money. ”
“Well, duh, Ali,” Nancy said. “What else would you be suing him for?
”
Ali looked at her mother with a strange calm. “Love. ”
Carrie could barely keep her voice down. “You want me not to see you anymore?
”
Mike glanced down the hospital corridor. “Carrie, pretty soon every nurse, doctor, and orderly in this building is going to know about us. ”
“But I thought you wanted them to know. ”
“I changed my mind.
”
“Why? What happened? ”
“Please,” he said. “Just trust me on this.
”
“Even if I wanted to, how could we avoid seeing each other? ”
He hesitated. “There’s one way. You could quit your job.
”
At the mansion, Ivan looked over the trays of champagne being carried past him and shook his head. “Who throws a party when they’re dying, Nicholas? It’s ghoulish. I hate the whole idea.
”
“Oh, come on,” Nicholas said. “You know Aunt Vivian. She wants to go out in style. Think of this as her farewell performance.
”
Upstairs, Vivian studied herself in the mirror while Celeste touched up her makeup. “If I didn’t know better,” Vivian said, “I’d send for a priest. ”
“It’s only makeup, darling. ”
“The sight of me, so near the end, is going to melt Victor’s heart.
Feel my pulse. This is what happens when I think of him. ”
“Thinking of you makes the man’s blood run cold,” Celeste said dryly. “I wouldn’t get my hopes up.
”
“My hopes are very high, Celeste. By the end of this evening, Victor will realize that I am the woman meant to be his better half. And Kate Roberts will be long gone and forgotten. ”
Kate paced in the limousine as it rolled toward the mansion.
“I can’t believe you talked me into this. A party for Vivian? Why should I honor her with my presence? Why should you?
”
“Because if we help Bo,” Victor said, “there’s some justice in it. We can help Bo and Hope get back together again. ”
“I still think it’s a bad idea. ”
“A lot of people thought what you did for Lucas was a bad idea, but he’s your son.
Bo is my son. We’re going to this party. ”
At Bo’s house, Hope studied the seascape she had just finished copying. She tucked it away carefully, grateful the work was done, though she wished she had reproduced the original better.
Lili came in carrying two glasses. “Gina, there’s a television special on Menotti tonight. We’ll make a pitcher of Bellinis, and it’ll be like we’re back on the continent. ”
Gina smiled.
“Oh, Lili, just being with you makes me feel like my old self again. ”
Greta tried to coax Bo into a smile. “Come on, smile. Hope’s going to get suspicious.
”
He forced a grin. “That’s much better. ”
“Thank you. You’re not ready.
Vivian’s party — we’re here to pick you up. ”
Gina shook her head. “I’m not going. ”
At the DiMera estate, Stefano waved a hand at Rolf.
“Oh, the hell with it. A mournful farewell party — it’s ridiculous. Who needs it? My mind should be on more pressing matters.
”
Rolf nodded. “John Black. ”
“John Black, that’s right. And we cannot waste any time returning him to his former incarnation as one of my most valuable pawns.
”
Deep inside his own mind, John was trapped in a soldier’s memory, rigid and cold. “To die is honorable, sir. Without hesitation, I will take my own life. ”
He repeated it like a litany.
Marlena came through the door. “Honey, I’m home. John, where are you? ”
She saw him standing on the balcony railing, high above the ground.
“Oh my God. John, no! ”
“Stay back. ”
“What are you doing?
”
“What I have to do. ”
“John, no! ”
He stood there, swaying, his eyes distant, caught in Stefano’s planted command. Downstairs at the party, Ivan accepted a glass of champagne.
“What are you going to do? ” he muttered. He looked over at Celeste. “How is she doing?
Is she all right? I know it’s a stupid question. A dying woman’s hardly going to be all right. No one embraced life more than she did, Celeste.
No one. ”
“Please, Ivan, don’t drink too much. Vivian may need your help tonight. ”
Vivian spoke softly, almost to herself.
“Whose presence does she hunger for in her dying days? Victor Kiriakis. The man hates her with passion. ”
“Well, you know Vivian,” Celeste said.
“She never gives up. ”
“Celeste, perhaps you think I’ve given up on you,” Ivan said. “The truth is the nights we spent were so passionate that I need a little time to recover. I’m just so worried about Vivian.
”
“Well, darling, perhaps there will be a miracle, and she’ll recover. Why don’t we go see about the guests? ”
The guests began to arrive. Celeste greeted them warmly.
“Welcome, everyone. Vivian will be down shortly. ”
Lexie admired Celeste’s gown. “Oh, you look beautiful.
”
Victor made his way over. “You’re looking radiant, Celeste. ”
“Thank you very much. ”
Ivan stepped forward.
“Mr. Kiriakis, I’m pleased to see you’re doing so well. ”
“I still have a long way to go, Ivan. My condolences to you in advance.
I know how much you’re going to miss Vivian. ”
Vivian waited upstairs with Nicholas, her face bright with anticipation. “I can’t wait to see Stefano’s face when I give away those paintings tonight. I get all tingly thinking about what he’ll do.
”
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Aunt Viv,” Nicholas said, “because if Stefano finds out that you and Bo Brady set him up…”
“Oh, Nicholas, don’t bring me down. I’ve waited all this time to get Victor back in my life, and now the moment’s come. I want to revel in it. ”
“From your description of Ms.
Roberts, she’s not likely to hand her man over without a fight. ”
“She can wage all-out war for all I care. She’s no match for me. By the end of this evening, Victor will be mine.
And if giving away my paintings helps Bo get Hope back in his life, I’m happy to be of assistance. ”
At Bo’s house, he pressed Hope again. “I need you to go with us. ”
“Why is it so important?
It’s just a party. ”
“It’s Vivian’s farewell. ”
“Say goodbye for me. ”
Lili frowned.
“Where’s Vivian going? ”
“She’s not well,” Gina said. “She’s dying, Lili. ”
“You never mentioned this to me.
”
Bo looked at Lili. “You know Vivian? ”
“We traveled in the same circles in Europe. She was always considered rather odd back then.
”
“Well, nothing’s much changed in that department, except that she is dying. It’s not too much to ask for her friends and family to show up at this party. ”
“But I’m neither,” Gina said. “I’m sure she won’t mind if I skip it.
”
Greta noticed something on Gina’s arm. “Hope, you have something on your arm. ”
Bo looked closely. “Looks like paint.
”
Gina yanked her arm away. “Cerulean blue. It’s one of my favorite colors. Could you let go of my arm, please?
”
“So it is paint. ”
“Yes. Now that John has given up the search into his past, I thought I should explore any possibilities that could jog my own memory. Painting seemed natural.
”
“Is it helping? ”
Gina’s voice turned bitter. “No. I feel really lost right now, and I’m having a difficult time forgiving John for abandoning me.
”
“Why don’t you give the guy a break? He’s concentrating on his life with Marlena. ”
“Yes, I know. He told me.
Doc and the kids, doc and the kids — it’s always doc and the kids. ”
“Why does that upset you so much? ”
“Because he’s making a huge mistake. ”
Back at the penthouse, Marlena had pulled John back from the railing.
He collapsed onto the floor, clutching his head. “Oh, Doc, my head. The pain is leveling me. ”
“I’ll call the hospital.
”
“No, please don’t. Don’t call the hospital. ”
“This is the hypnosis, I’m telling you. Stefano’s planted something horrible in your subconscious.
”
“Listen, whatever the bastard did to me, it’s in the past. It’s okay. The man he once controlled is dead. Forget about it.
”
“No. He’s not. John, why were you on the railing? ”
Stefano stood in his study, speaking to Rolf.
“And when her fiancé is nowhere to be found, Marlena will be desolate, just as she was when she came to me, begging me to save her daughter. I must admit, it breaks my heart, but few things are as moving as Marlena’s suffering. All things seem to be looking up. ”
“Gina will be happy to have the old John back,” Rolf said.
“Yes, Gina does seem attached to him as a crime partner. Get busy, Rolf. Make preparations for the return of the old John Black, while I go play husband to my dying wife. ”
Upstairs, Nicholas questioned his aunt.
“Aunt Viv, why does Stefano care so much about a handful of paintings? ”
“Can I tell you a secret, Nicky? I don’t give a flying fig. My only goal tonight is to win back Victor’s trust while destroying Kate.
”
“I’ve never known you to hate anybody so much. ”
“Well, she almost destroyed me. ”
“Well, she can’t do that to you. ”
“That’s true, but she came very close.
”
“I’m curious to see this woman. ”
“Don’t look too closely. She could hurt your eyes. ” Vivian took her cane and smiled at Nicholas.
“Come on. Time for festivities. ”
Downstairs, Kate tried to keep her composure. “Are you sure this isn’t going to be too much for you?
”
“Kate, relax. Have a drink. ”
“I just can’t be that blasé about it. Not only is Sami free to make my life a nightmare, but you’ve forced me to attend the party of a woman I loathe.
”
“It’s just for the evening. ”
“Maybe she’ll die in the next thirty minutes so we can get out of this tacky place. ” She turned toward the bar. “I’m going to get a drink.
”
Vivian made her grand entrance, leaning on Nicholas’s arm. “Hello, Abe. Ivan, my loyal Ivan. Oh, Victor.
” She reached out to him. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am to you for coming to say farewell to me. ”
Nicholas slipped away. “See to Aunt Viv,” he told Ivan.
“I’m suddenly very thirsty. ”
At the bar, Nicholas ordered a drink and noticed Kate. “So,” he said, “you’re the reason for Mr. Kiriakis’s recovery.
You must be the most beautiful nurse I have ever seen. ”
“Actually —”
“And from what I hear, he’s entitled, since his wife is such a nightmare. ”
“Oh, really? ”
“I was actually looking forward to seeing the witch with my own eyes, but all the women here seem very attractive.
I guess she decided not to show her face. ”
“Well, there is a witch here tonight. Her name is Vivian. ”
“I should have guessed you’d be loyal.
You do work for Victor and Kate. ”
“Actually, I am Kate. Kate Roberts. ”
Nicholas’s face changed.
“You are nothing like my aunt’s description of you. ”
“Your aunt? ”
“Vivian. I’m Nicholas Alamain.
”
“From the way Vivian’s described you, I would have expected a little boy in short pants. ”
“Well, she hasn’t seen me in many years. ”
“Obviously. ”
“I’m very sorry for being so insulting.
I do hope you’ll allow me to make it up to you. ”
The bartender set down their drinks. “I should get back to Mr. Kiriakis,” Kate said, “before your aunt turns me into a gargoyle.
”
Vivian had maneuvered Victor into a quiet corner. “Victor, here I am at the end of my life. I’m so full of remorse. My heart is full of that and so many wonderful memories.
I know it’s no defense, but your happiness has always been foremost in my thoughts. Here we are. I’m about to shuffle off this mortal coil, and I just hope you’ll forgive me my transgressions. ”
Kate walked up and laughed sharply.
“What a crock. ”
“Oh, for God’s sake! I’m dying. Don’t you have any compassion?
”
“Then what’s taking you so bloody long? Why don’t you just croak and get it over with? ”
Nancy and Craig had taken Ali out to dinner to calm her down. “Okay, Ali,” Craig said, “let’s try to separate fantasy from reality.
Where did you leave it with Mike? Were you tough? Did you stand your ground? ”
“Better than that.
I told him I was going to drag him and his whore girlfriend through the mud. I scared him good. He’s probably with Carrie right now, breaking up with her. ” Ali brightened.
“Oh, there’s a peekaboo lingerie sale at the mall right now. I don’t think it’s too soon for me to shop for my trousseau, do you? ” She touched the lei around her neck. “Thank you for the lei, by the way.
”
Nancy waited until Ali was gone. “Craig, she’s deranged. We have pinned our entire future on a fruitcake. ”
“Yeah, but she’s our fruitcake.
And if I stand a chance of becoming chief of staff, Ali is our best shot. Okay? ”
Sami met Austin for dinner, but she couldn’t stop thinking about his wife. “Austin, I love our time together, but what about Carrie?
Don’t you miss her? ”
“Yeah, yeah. ”
“Well, then let’s cancel our plans for tonight and do it some other time. You go be with your wife.
”
“Look, I don’t want you to worry about Carrie. She didn’t just get out of jail. She doesn’t need a night on the town the way you do. ”
“Are you sure?
”
“Yes. Look, I have something I have to take care of, so why don’t you go do whatever a woman does to get ready to go out, and I’ll meet you at Tuscany, okay? ”
After he left, Sami smiled to herself. “Yes, I’m definitely going to do it.
I’ll surprise Austin and invite Carrie to have dinner with us. ”
At the hospital, Mike tried again to reason with Carrie. “I’m sorry, Carrie. I can’t explain.
You have to trust me. Please, just trust me. ”
John refused to let Marlena cancel their plans. “Doc, I know the only way to defeat Stefano’s evil is through love.
Once we get married, all this head stuff is going to go away. I’m sure of it. Come on. You and I have got a party to go to.
”
“No. We’re not going anywhere. ”
“I promised Vivian and Bo. In fact, he’s got a lot riding on this gathering.
I’m going to go change. You will tie my tie for me, right? ”
She sighed. “Yeah.
I’ll be right up. ”
At his house, Bo pressed Gina once more. “I’m helping you examine the past. ”
“Yeah, by going after Stefano, which is completely useless.
”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. ”
“What do you mean? ”
“I’m working on something. But right now it’s time to get to the party.
I told Vivian I was bringing you. John will be there. ”
“John’s expecting me? ”
“Yep.
”
Gina hesitated. “A couple of hours. It should be okay. But please, can Lili come as well?
”
Lili smiled. “It should be intriguing to renew my acquaintance with Vivian. Put the past to rest, perhaps. ”
“That’s the attitude, Lili.
”
Greta pulled Bo aside. “You didn’t tell Hope you were suspicious about the paintings. ”
“No. I want to see her honest reaction when Vivian starts giving them away.
Maybe that will help us clarify her relationship with DiMera. ”
Nicholas cornered Ivan in the hallway. “Aunt Vivian told me outright lies about Kate Roberts. ”
“Because as enemies, they are well matched.
But now that madame is so ill, a fight with Kate could be fatal to her. ”
Vivian had cornered Kate again. “I wasn’t going to bring this up, but why take the high road with a snake? Are you aware of the fact that Titan is on the brink of total disaster?
”
“That’s preposterous. ”
“Well, just one look at the books will tell Victor the truth. But never mind. I’m perfectly happy to fill the vacuum Kate has left with her mismanagement.
”
“Over my dead body. No, wait a minute. Over your dead body, because you won’t be running a company from the grave, especially when you don’t own a single share of Titan stock. ”
“News flash, Kate.
Stefano has given me forty-nine percent of Titan as a gift to his dying wife. All I have to do is get my hands on another tiny two percent, and you’ll be out and I’ll be in. ”
Stefano stepped into the room. “Good evening, everyone.
”
Nancy sat across from Craig, her voice low. “We knew Ali was a loose cannon when we started this. But what if this loose cannon turns around and starts blasting away at us? ”
“It won’t happen.
Ali’s mother will not let her drop this lawsuit. She wants the money too much. ”
“We traveled across country with Ali. We shared our bed with her.
We did it all so that you could become chief of staff. But what if Ali becomes so looney tunes that even mommie dearest can’t control her? ”
“Then we’ll come up with a backup plan. Sweetheart, nobody’s going to take our dream away from us, you understand?
”
“You’re right. The ball has been in Ali’s court way too long. We’re taking it back now. ”
Mike finally pushed Carrie to the edge.
“I’ve told you my reasons. You have to leave. ”
“You’re making me leave for my own good? ”
“That’s right.
”
“Mike, don’t do this. ”
Later, Craig and Nancy ran into Mike in the hospital lobby. “Hey, kids. How was the second honeymoon?
”
“Absolutely wonderful, thank you. ”
“It was very romantic, but it wasn’t our second. ”
“No. Actually, it was more like our twenty-second.
The two of us just love to celebrate our marriage, isn’t that right? ”
“Mike, we did bring you back a lei, though. Aloha. ”
“Thank you.
I’ll wear it in O. R. ”
“Mike, just out of curiosity, did we miss anything while we were away, like any surgical breakthroughs, elopements, divorces? ”
“It’s been quiet.
Nice shirt. ”
After Mike walked off, Craig shook his head. “Nice shirt. Nice cover.
He’s acting like everything’s so copacetic. ”
“But he’s got to be a basket case inside. I wonder, sweetheart, what we could do to help him get in touch with his real feelings. ”
“Well, sweetheart, I think one well-timed turn of the screw ought to help Mike lose his cool.
Not to mention his career as chief of staff. ”
Back in her office, Carrie put her pen to paper. “I submit my resignation as director of public relations, effective immediately. ”
A knock came at the door.
Sami walked in. “Hey, don’t P. R. directors ever get to go home?
Carrie, what’s the matter? ”
Austin had been holding a folded note in his hand all evening. He read it again: “A concerned friend. ” Someone had wanted him to know about Mike and Carrie long before he found out.
Ali found him standing alone. “Bet I know what you’re thinking about. Mike and Carrie, right? ”
“What?
”
“Don’t worry, I’m not psychic. I’m just good at reading people with broken hearts. Why don’t you tell me about it? ”
“It’s kind of personal.
”
“I’m not being nosy. I’m a concerned friend. ”
Downstairs, Vivian turned to greet her husband. “Stefano.
”
“Ah, Vivian. I hope you’re not overtiring yourself. ”
“On the contrary. I feel a sudden rush of energy.
”
“Isn’t that wonderful? Hello, Victor. Good to see you out and about again. I’m sure having such a beautiful wife helps one’s health improve, eh, Kate?
” He leaned close to her. “You seem very overheated, Kate. I would not let Vivian provoke me if I were you. ”
“No?
Not even after she tells me that you have given her your forty-nine percent of Titan, which you swore to me up and down you would never do? ”
Bo arrived with Marlena and John. He spotted Lili across the room. “Hey, Lili.
If everything goes according to plan, I may have a surprise for you tonight. ”
“What surprise? Oh, come on, don’t be mysterious. Tell me.
”
“All right. But you’ve got to keep this to yourself. We may find out who stole your art collection. ”
John slipped his hand into Marlena’s.
“As long as I have you by my side, I can handle just about anything. ”
