Episode: 10,234
Tape date - 1/2/06
Director - Herb Stein

Summary: Austin and John find out some bitter truths, as Shawn, Roman, Hope and Kate have lots of questions.

Austin is on the phone discussing his plans to dismantle Highstyle. He tells Sami that he loves this type of work: the challenge of taking something that is failing and making it a success. He has to do the hard work in order to make it work properly; like breaking some eggs to make an omelet. He is disappointed that Carrie lost her company, though. He tells Sami that Carrie will want to go back to LA, and since he now has business there to take care of, he is going to go with her. Sami wants him to stay and work on the business, but he would like to do it from there. CEO probably won’t want to work with him. He still thinks he did her a favour and saved her product line. Sami gives in and offers to postpone his appointments for him and rattles a whole list of them. He wants to be there for Carrie. Sami tells him to go tell Carrie about his business deal and explain why he can’t go with her. He doesn’t think she’ll want to hear it, but Sami insists. Austin’s company is going to be a big part of their future. Carrie may have lost her company, but he still has his. He thanks her for her support and apologizes for thinking she would try to come between them again. As he goes to leave, he realizes that he doesn’t even know the name of Carrie’s company. As he goes online to find out, Sami tells him that Carrie gave her a business card. She gets it from her address book (where she says she put it without looking at it) and tells him she is so sorry, she doesn’t know what to say. He takes the card and the light bulb finally goes off – Carrie is the CEO of Hightstye and the person whose life he just destroyed. How could he not know that Carrie was the CEO? He wanted to talk to her, and tried, but he didn’t have time. If he had known it was Carrie, he would done things a lot differently. He ends up yelling at Sami. He is going to try to go talk to Carrie. He will make sure that he takes all the blame, and not Sami. It will be the hardest thing he has ever had to do.


Kate tells Shawn that she is sorry about his brother. He was a special little boy. She knew that another family would have to face tragedy for Claire to survive, but she is glad Claire is doing well. Mimi had gone home to sleep and Belle and Phillip were resting. They won’t go home until Claire does. Shawn starts questioning Kate’s motives behind her generous offer. She tells him it is good business, and besides, she wants to thank them for everything they did for Belle, Phillip and Claire. He reminds her that Basic Black was supposed to pay for Sami and Lucas’ extravagant wedding, but that offer was to keep Sami from knowing that Kate was plotting behind her back. She doesn’t even like him, or Mimi. He tried to kill her son with his motorcycle and break up his marriage, and Mimi wasn’t good enough for Rex. She counters that she believes Shawn has matured and will never break up Belle and Phillip now. He finally tells her that he will think about it and discuss it with Mimi, but he is going to find his parents. He says thank you for her caring, but as he leaves she comments that the only thing she cares about is Phillip’s happiness. The sooner they are married, the sooner Phillip’s marriage is safe.


Up on the roof, Marlena tries to tell John that it wasn’t Alex who tried to throw her off the roof – it was Lois. He doubts her story and asks if she is sure. She says it was Lois and tells him what happened. Lois tries to lie, but finally admits it and tries to run. Of course the door is stuck again, and Marlena grabs her and they struggle on the roof. John finally grabs her and holds her as Alex verbally attacks John. Lois confesses to trying to kill Marlena for a while, but everytime she got close, someone came running to her rescue. How many men does she need? She deserves to die and stay dead! A security guard responds to John’s call and Kate arrives with him and wants to know what is happening. They explain it to her. Alex doesn’t want Lois in jail, he wants her in a psychiatric facility. Neither Alex or Marlena will press charges. John reminds her that she tried to kill her – but Marlena counters that he tried to kill Alex, maybe he should go to jail, too. John tells the guard to take her to a secure room until Lexie can see her. Kate asks more questions and Marlena explains to her the rest of what happened. Alex tells them that he could have been killed, too. He tells her that he is tired and wants to go back to his room, and Marlena goes with him. Kate tells him that, like it or not, they are going to be closer now. He still will not rest until he gets her away from him.

Roman is at the hospital and apologizes for not being there sooner. He tells Hope he is sorry and hugs her. Hope wants Roman to make sure Billie gets punished. She is sure that Billie is trying to destroy her family. Roman assures her that Billie will be punished to the full extent of the law, but it was an accident. She didn’t know she hit Zack. Hope reminds him that Billie stole Bo’s car and committed a hit and run, if it wasn’t murder, what was it then? Shawn is in with Bo and Hope and apparently has been told about the latest developments. He wants explanations, too. Bo tells him to stay with his mom and takes Roman out in the lobby to talk to him as brother, not a cop. He tells Roman everything…how it was Chelsea, and how Hope was so upset he couldn’t tell her, and Billie wouldn’t let him get a word in edge-wise. Roman wants to know what Bo wants him to do to help. Bo tells him the rest – about Chelsea’s license and lending her the car. He tells Roman that when Hope finds out the truth, she is going to turn her back on him, and he can’t let her go through it alone. Chelsea has a history of reckless driving, it will ruin her life. Billie has a clean driving record. Roman tells him to stop rationalizing. Bo admits he is scared. Roman tells him he has to tell the truth, and no matter what happens, when the truth comes out, and it will, he will have to worry about his marriage.


Hope asks Shawn about Claire’s transplant and he tells her that is was a success and Zack was a perfect match. She tells him that she prayed so hard that there would be a donor, she just never imagined it would be her baby. We see a flashback of them at Zack’s Christening as she says she is afraid to close her eyes because she may forget his voice. She says she doesn’t want to face tomorrow as it will be the first full day without him, and then it will be his birthday and Christmas and then New Year’s again. She misses him. Another flashback. Shawn reminds her that Zack was happy every single day he was with him and more importantly, so were they. Maybe God wanted him home. She doesn’t understand why.Shawn and Hope talk about missing Zack. They love each other and they will get through it. She just wants her baby back, as she cries on Shawn’s shoulder.

At Lucas’ place, Carrie is feeling helpless and needs to get back to LA to reassure her employees that she isn’t hiding, and to try to find a way to save her company. Lucas offers to go with her and help her, if he can. Carrie can’t accept his very generous offer, for various reasons. He will leave the room while she talks to the employees and offers Titan resources to invest cash and halt the takeover. She still wants to do it herself. She still wants to know who raided her company. Lucas goes on about how “HE” is heartless and only cares about the bottom line. Carrie knows he was hoping they could be more than friends, and is disappointed that she reconnected with Austin. She says he is a good friend – she chose Austin, and he is still willing to help. She was using the company to redefine who she was. Austin had a point, though, she was too busy making them love her to make sure they still had jobs. Becky calls and Carrie tells Lucas that he doesn’t need to go to LA with her, her company is gone and she can’t save it. What kind of heartless person would do this to her employees? Carrie reads some emails from her very disgruntled ex-employees. She tells Lucas it was her fault for not protecting her company. Lucas tells her that the guy was heartless - could have talked it out with her and not fired all of her employees without warning. Carrie tells Becky to close out all the accounts and give the capital to the employees. Lucas tells her she can’t or she will go bankrupt. Carrie doesn’t care. The doorbell rings and Lucas opens the door to Austin. Sami follows him in the door. Austin asks her how she is. She says lousy and tells him that she just found out there is nothing she can do and about the scathing emails. She wants to get her hands on the monster who did it. Sami and Lucas smirk in the background. He tells her that he is the monster.
Fade to black and white on Carrie’s face, and the previews:

Carrie to Austin (with Nicole in the background) Your trip to Los Angeles. You were there scoping out my company, that’s why you were there, wasn’t it? And she slaps him across the cheek.

Jen: Listen, I think I need to be honest with you.
Frankie: About what?
Jen: My feelings for you.

Patrick (to a very uncomfortable Chelsea): For some reason Billie is taking the fall. Why would she lie and say she killed an innocent little boy?

Hope (to Bo): I hate her for taking away my baby (as Billie’s face appears)

And on to the credits…

Sandra