Episode #10,511
Tape date 1/26/07
Director - Phil Sogard

Steve leaves Kayla, despite her best efforts to stop him, Shawn figures out a way to escape, while Lucas tries his best to shore up a distraught Sami.(Is this really Sweeps month? Yawwnnnnn)

In their apt., Lucas and Sami kiss as he keeps telling her things are going to be fine, nothing is going to happen, all is well. He shows her a gift he bought for their baby, a little necklace for their baby girl, who is going to know from her lst breath, that Lucas is her daddy. What if it is a boy. Well, he will jazz it up with a football or something. They both proclaim their love for each other a few times, and then knock, knock. Of course it is the eternally pesky neighbor from across the hall, EJ. He has come to offer his congratulations, Kate gave him the good news, and he is so happy for them, yada, yada. He asks for the date, so he can mark his calendar (Oh, puleeze, this is sooooo forced!). Both Sami & Lucas are not saying much, and EJ finally comments that he is talking about their upcoming wedding. It is all Kate can talk about. Sami leaves the room for a minute, as EJ then tells Lucas he has talked to Kate and asked her to lay off. Lucas admits working with his old lady is not something he is happy about. Sami returns, and now EJ is offering Lucas a month off, with pay for the honeymoon, plus his private jet to take them anywhere. Lucas says, no thanks, but EJ is rather insistent. Sami is silent. He finally leaves, grabbing her bag of trash by the door (awful small bag, if you ask me). Sami protests, but EJ says no trouble, he will be glad to take it out. In the hall, he looks into the bag, talking of a treasure hunt to learn Sami’s secrets. (Is this stupid or what?)

Inside, Sami comments that she thought at first EJ was talking about her pregnancy. Lucas wonders why she is so adamant about no one knowing, especially EJ. She says it is not a secret, just something private between two people. Lucas rightly replies that her dad, his mom, Will and Billie all know. And that the way his mom and Billie both yap, it is going to get out. He asks her what the doctor said at her last checkup…..(ahh, so she HAS seen a doctor, GOOD!) and Sami tells him that her blood pressure is a bit high, so they will be keeping an eye on that. And she should avoid stress. Lucas wants to tell everyone, but Sami does not. They argue about it. Lucas agrees to keep mum for now, and they kiss.

On board the ship, Belle is worried about losing Claire, as Shawn repeats his promise that no one will take Claire from them. The ship docks tomorrow at dawn in Australia, so they do not have much time. He had found a raft, and there is a group of islands not far off. (oh, for cryin out loud, are we going back to Temptation Island?) Belle takes Claire (wearing that infernal headband again) to change her, then calls Shawn to tell him there is a loose air vent cover in the bathroom. Shawn checks it out, figures there is enough space for him to crawl thru, and he will be back in an hour. He tells Belle to pack some clothes, food, water and diapers, and leaves. As she is packing, Chief Officer Stratton knocks at the door. She hides the luggage, throws on a robe, turns on the shower, and tells him to come in. He wants to talk to them both, but she explains Shawn is in the shower. He will wait. Finally he tells her of a newpaper article the Canadian authorities faxed to them, accusing Shawn & Belle of being kidnappers. Belle protests, saying she is the child’s mother, and that court order is no good outside the U.S. Stratton tells her he intends to throw Shawn in the brig until they dock. Belle now says she has to personally feed Claire, and needs some privacy. He leaves, promising to return in a few minutes.
Meanwhile, Philip is at the rail, looking out to sea, as Willow saunters out in her brand new dress, fresh from the gaming tables, and bragging how much money she had won from those “mid-life crisis” men who are only too eager to get away from their wives and lose their money to her. Philip tells her to remember the only reason they are on the ship is to get his daughter back. She asks him, and then what. Take her to Belgium among strangers. She will have me, Philip retorts, and I will give her everything she needs. Oh, yeah, she says, and be raised by foreigners. She offers to help him out, and be the nanny. Now they argue, with Willow reminding him she can go to the judge, tell him how Victor paid her 10 grand to lie on the stand, and his court order will disappear. Philip grabs her, and dangles her over the railing, (shades of Michael Jackson!) with her screaming to let her go. He finally puts her back on the deck, she goes back to the tables and he leaves. And just 2 seconds later, out comes Shawn from the vent. He manages somehow to find a ship’s officer uniform, keys to the cabins, and even a child’s life vest. He returns to the cabin, just as Stratton is leaving and hides. He then enters with his key. Belle tells him about Stratton wanting to put him in the brig. They are about ready to leave when they hear Philip in the passageway.

In their room, Kayla is trying to stop Steve packing. Nope, he is going. They argue continually, as Kayla attempts to reason with him. He has to, look at the marks on her neck, DiMera has done something to him, and he has no control over it. He will not put her in danger. She pulls his clothes out of the bag, throwing them around the room, refusing to let him go. She pleads with him, to no avail. Steve has to leave in order to protect her. Kayla will have none of that. She tells him to strangle her right now, as she does not want to live without him. He tries packing again, but she will not let him, and keeps pulling his clothes out of the bag. Finally, he grabs his jacket, leaving without his luggage. Kayla runs after him, knocking him to the ground, and straddles him, as she cries, and flails at him with her fists. He cannot leave her. What happened to their vows…:”for better or worse, in sickness and in health”. Steve leaves.

EJ arrives at the warehouse sick room, with Sami’s bag of trash, telling the patient how they will now embark on a treasure hunt. He rummages around in the bag, and finds a letter from Dr. David Lieberman, Obstectric and Gynecology (Sami needs to get a shredder!). He smiles, telling his father that he just might have been successful in planting the DiMera seed. The hand closes into a fist, sort of like the victory clench. Now EJ says how grateful he is to his father for how he raised him to be the man he now has become, and that he will do everything possible to make his father well. The hand reaches out for EJ’s hand and squeezes it.

We hear the sliding door, and lookee here. It is Steve! Now how did he know where EJ was? He tells EJ that he has won, that he will do whatever he wants, but not to hurt Kayla. EJ turns around, Steve grabs EJ around the throat, whips out a knife,holding it to EJ’s throat. Alas, EJ just pulls out that ol tarot card and Steve sinks to his knees, defeated before EJ even gets a scratch. Too bad. He asks what he is supposed to do, and EJ tells him that he is "one of us" and it is something easy.... bring John Black to him. Just that. Bring John Black. Steve repeats…bring John Black.
Kayla walks around the room, picking up their wedding picture. She clasps it to her, sits down on the bed, and picks up the cell phone. She punches in a number, and when the person answers, just says “It’s me. I need you right away. It’s a matter of life and death.”
And the previews roll.

Chelsea to Dr. Rebert as Nick overhears: I’m really anxious to show you what I can do. I promise to make you happy.

Mimi: My mom’s hiding something.
Max: What?
Mimi: We have to figure it out before it is too late

Willow: Are you looking for Shawn, Belle & Claire? Cuz they all just left
Philip: Why didn’t you stop them? What the hell is wrong with you?

Shawn to Belle, holding Claire: We’ve got to jump


BARB