Episode: 10,350; Directed by: Phil Sogard, Tape Date: 6/1/06

HAPPY 4th of JULY!! and our Salemites are acknowledging it and eventually gather at the park for the fireworks. Great scenes (and flashbacks) with Steve and Kayla, the Deverauxs make more memories; and ho hum scenes as the apartment dwellers deal with their current problems and Chelsea is well, Chelsea. Although not acknowledged, we meet Stephanie Johnson tomorrow.

BRADY PUB
American flags don our Irish pub’s tables in honor of the holiday. Abby tells Chelsea she should go home and spend as much time with her dad as possible before…but takes a moment to ask if Chelsea regrets turning Max down. Nope, Chelsea isn’t ready to be tied down (well at least something this girl does is logical!) and wants to enjoy Independence Day. Max joins them and is ready to help her celebrate the day. (I thought the spots on his shirt were grease spots, but Mimi had them on her top too..is that the new fashion trend?) Abby leaves them to do their thing.

THE PARK
We find Steve and Kayla walking through the park/pier where 4th of July festivities are underway. Kayla explains to Steve that usually the Hortons and Brady’s have a party, but with the big wedding the next day, aren’t this year. Have to laugh as Steve remembers his niece Carrie is marrying Dallas, er…Austin. She corrects him that no, she’s marrying Lucas..as they do the verbal Salem Tango with who’s with who and who’s their parents. Poor Steve feels this is hopeless as he eats his popsicle (yes, the Salem relationships are hard on those of us WITH our memories Patch ;-) She tells him the pier was special to them and we’re treated to another wonderful wedding flashback of them on the boat there, when he told her she taught him how to love and how she believed in him. He’s going to spend the rest of his life living up to the faith in him she has. What he does have is hers, even though it’s not that much. We also see her telling him that a romantic wedding on the water was her secret dream. He gave her that dream and made it come true. She had dreamed of being in love, but never dreamed of sharing her soul or her thoughts without words. In her coldest silence she looked and he was there. She tells him she loves him and they kiss (oh..loved that wedding!!). She thought being there might trigger something, saying that that’s where they spent their first 4th of July with Stephanie. (cue flashback of his saying her hamburger was great and mentions how great Jackson’s were..wishing he would give him his recipe). She apologizes for leaving Jack’s bbq early so early, but she wanted them to be alone. Stephanie cries as the first fireworks make noise and he picks her up and promises to be there always to protect her and her mommy. Back to present time, he tells her he got the baby to stop crying and she hugs him saying…you remembered! He only took a guess he said. She hopes that even though Stephanie is all grown up he’ll feel the connection to her. He hopes she doesn’t resent his being gone all these years if he is her daddy.

Elsewhere nearby, Chelsea and Max arrive and he goes to get them sodas. She sashays up to a guy in a tank top playing music and asks if he takes requests. His eyes bug out and he starts some music and they start “dancing” (get a room!) when Max returns.

DEVERAUX HOME
We find Jennifer and Jack lying in bed (both in red tshirts). He suggests she go celebrate the 4th, but she refuses. Frankie walks in, surprising them both, saying all three of them should go out and celebrate. Jack smiles at the thought (he looks better today too). Frankie tells Jennifer that Lexie approved as long as Jack takes his meds and takes it easy. (Jack and Frankie are funny together as they banter back and forth). We return as Frankie helps Jack out of bed and leaves as they bag up all his drugs. Jack remembers all their other 4ths as flashback of them at the end of the runway when he kissed her as she screamed when a plane took off.. Back to normal Jack is grateful for a chance to make another happy day for them to remember as a family. Abby returns and is grateful too, especially acknowledging that to Frankie after learning it was his idea. She rushes off to get some things together, including a surprise. Jack steps into the bathroom, assuring Jennifer he’s had his morphine and good to go. Jennifer thanks Frankie and knows how hard this is on him, considering it would have been their honeymoon. She kisses and hugs him, saying he’s the most incredible man. Jack walks out as they’re embracing.

The next scene we see the Deveraux’s and Frankie bumping into Kayla and Steve where they’re sitting. Abby had made Jack’s burgers (he gave her his recipe) and hopes they’re as good. He gives her permission to tell JJ the secret recipe when he’s older too. Kayla and Jennifer (and JJ) are left alone and the gals talk. Jennifer mentions celebrating Jack’s last 4th and Kayla mentions miracles do happen as Jack’s returned to her so many times ( LOL). Jennifer asks how things are going with her and Steve and knows they’ll be okay as they love each other so much.

Max almost gets into it with the guy Chelsea’s “dancing” with. Frankie arrives and pulls him away first. Chelsea reminds him she didn’t want to be exclusive and Max gets points for having the Salem brain today as he tells her he’s finished with her and walks away. Abby tells Chelsea she blew it losing a great guy like Max.


HOSPITAL
Sami finds Lexie at the hospital, determined to know why Lexie didn’t tell on her earlier. She anxiously warns her not to again and keeps after her when Lexie tries to return to work. Remembering the phone call from “the glove”, she tells Sami to just appreciate the fact she didn’t tell. Sami keeps on and Kate pops up, knowing there is something between them after all. Sami tries to cover, saying Lexie explained it last night. She tells Kate she’s grasping at straws and doesn’t have time for this and leaves. Lexie won’t tell either.

APARTMENT ROOF
Carrie tells Austin she’ll tell him the truth and we get the 40th flashback of Lexie’s telling her about the genetic marker she and Austin share that could be passed down to their child. Of course she changes her mind and says that Austin belongs to Sami and she’s marrying Lucas. She asks that he respect her decision and for them to move on before she leaves the roof to head back to her apartment. We return to Austin beating the stuffing out of his boxing bag on the roof, remembering Carrie’s telling him to leave it alone. He dreams of marrying Carrie and after they’re pronounced husband and wife, kisses her and tells her she made the right choice and won’t regret it. He heads downstairs knowing what he has to do.


BACK AT THE APARTMENT
Kate trails Sami back to the apartment, demanding to know the truth. Austin overhears and walks out of the bedroom, now dressed. He and Sami leave after he tells Kate to back off.

BACK IN THE PARK
The group sits together and chats as Abby walks over to Chelsea and again tells her she blew it with Max. (Yawn)

Max is driving his race car with helmet at full speed. He checks his rear view mirror as he shifts down and loses control…saying what the hell…..he pulls over and as the dust settles, has his helmet off as he sees another driver (in helmet) walking up. The driver takes off their helmet and a cascade of long red hair falls out. The driver turns and doesn’t seem concerned with Max’s tantrum (must be Stephanie, Kayla and Steve’s daughter and the career Kayla wasn’t happy about).

It’s now dark as Sami and Austin arrive with a blanket for the fireworks (Kate’s not far behind, vowing to expose Sami soon..get a life Kate!). Everyone else is happy to be together on the fourth.

BACK AT THE HOSPITAL…Lexie leaves Sami and finds Carrie, who breaks down crying saying this should be the happiest day of her life, but can’t stop thinking about Austin and the day Lexie told her she couldn’t have a baby with him. Carrie’s jabbering away, holding her Kleenex. She rationalizes if Lucas heard about this problem he might think that’s why she chose him over Austin (well, duh…it’s true). She wants a baby so badly and Lexie finally stops her saying there’s something she has to tell her. ANOTHER flashback of Lexie’s phone call (enough already) and she tells Carrie it’s just wedding jitters and it’s normal. She and Lucas are going to have a beautiful baby and to realize how blessed she is. Carrie smiles, thanking Lexie for always being there to tell her what she needs to hear. She hugs her in gratitude and is marrying Lucas the next day. Lexie can’t believe what she’s doing and says how can she let Carrie marry Lucas when she knows she loves Austin….

As the previews roll…

The red headed driver to Max: “There’s not much damage to your car, but as to your ego, not much I can do about that!”
MAX: “Who are you anyway?”

TEK TO LEXIE (they’re both dressed and ready to attend Carrie and Lucas’ wedding): Hard to understand, but he’s essentially telling her if it wasn’t Sami who told Abe, they should get out of there.

WILL TO LUCAS: “What if mom does something to mess this up?”
LUCAS: “Don’t worry about it. This wedding will be perfect.”

KATE TO SAMI: “The time has run out on your little secret Sami.”

As the credits roll…
Linda