Days of Our Lives Update
Update written by Joseph
Marlena finds Kayla at the hospital and says that Steve just called to update her on Stephanie. Marlena says she’s been so worried about Stephanie and now she’s worried about Kayla too as she’s so sorry for what they are going through. Kayla thanks her and says she’s just trying to stay hopeful that Stephanie will just turn back up. Marlena assures that she will, but thinks Kayla would be more comfortable at home. Marlena offers to go with her and wait there. Kayla thanks her, but says she’s not going anywhere.
Alex and Brady talk in the town square about Titan offering a reward for finding Stephanie. Alex remarks that Titan can’t afford to lose their best selling author Anastasia Sands while Brady encourages that Philip genuinely cares about Stephanie as they all do. Alex complains that it just seems it’s always about the bottom line with their family, even for himself as it’s why they are in this situation now and he wishes he never published Stephanie’s book.
Leo is in bed while Dimitri sleeps on the floor in Alamainia. Leo dreams about his last conversation with Dimitri, where he said if they can’t prove his innocence, he’d be stuck there with him. Leo then wakes up as Dimitri crawls in to the bed and wraps his arms around Leo while seemingly still asleep.
At the police station, Jada finishes a call with JJ and informs Steve that there was no sign of Stephanie or Jeremy at the Horton Cabin on Smith Island and that it looked like no one had been there for months. Steve complains that was their only real lead. Steve then asks why Jeremy would take Stephanie there since he would assume they would search it. Jada says it was worth a try, but now they regroup and broaden the search. Steve declares that they won’t stop until they find his daughter because they will and they have to.
Stephanie struggles with being tied up, wondering where she is and why it’s so cold in there now. Stephanie prays for help and tells herself that she has to get out before Jeremy comes back as she tries to escape from being tied to the chair.
Brady encourages that Alex helped Stephanie become a best selling author and she loved it, so there’s no way they could’ve seen this happening. Alex says he just can’t seem to forgive himself because Stephanie was worried about the pages in her book that were inspired by Jeremy. Alex adds that he asked Kate to edit them out and he should’ve followed up on that but he didn’t, so because of his negligence, Jeremy came back to town thinking Stephanie still had feelings for him. Brady suggests that Jeremy could’ve still come back to be a teacher and all of this could’ve happened with or without the book. Alex argues that why Jeremy came back to town is moot now. Alex brings up how they had an entire sting operation to end this nightmare and explains to Brady that he and Stephanie’s eloping was supposed to be a trap to lure Jeremy in, but since they got the marriage license for a fake wedding, Stephanie surprised him by taking him to Chicago on Valentine’s Day to elope for real. Brady is shocked to learn that Alex and Stephanie are married. Alex says yesterday was the best day of his life while now today is the worst.
Kayla tells Marlena that she can’t leave the hospital since it was the last place Stephanie was seen, so she believes that if Stephanie is going to come back, it will be here. Kayla adds that if Stephanie is hurt and they bring her in to the hospital, she wants to be there. Marlena wishes she could find the right words to comfort her and says she will stay here all night with her, waiting until Stephanie comes home.
Stephanie continues struggling with being tied up and breaks down crying as she imagines Steve’s voice telling her to stay calm and assess the situation along with Kayla’s voice encouraging her to be strong. Stephanie then thinks back to Alex’s wedding vows as she continues trying to break free.
Leo tries to escape from Dimitri’s arms while Dimitri says aloud in his sleep that he’s here for Leo and won’t let anyone hurt him.
Jada checks the tip line and sees quite a few coming in about Stephanie’s disappearance. Steve notices that some of them are sharing the plot from Stephanie’s books. Jada notes that they have to go through them all. Steve agrees because if even one of them is real, it could lead them to Stephanie. Steve reads someone claiming they spotted Stephanie in Chicago at 7:01 PM while someone else says they saw her in Honolulu at 7:02. Jada sees a tip from Susan that her teeth are chattering, so she wonders if it’s possible that Stephanie could be held outdoors. Steve reads further that Susan predicted on Halloween that Stephanie would disappear, just like the author in the plot of her book Right Out.
Dimitri suddenly wakes up and tells Leo that he was having a nightmare that Vivian was coming after him. Leo says that none of that explains what he’s doing in his bed. Dimitri apologizes and claims it wasn’t intentional, but part of his dream. Leo tells Dimitri that he can go back to his cozy spot on the floor now, so he does. Leo then stacks the pillows on the side of the bed in hopes of keeping Dimitri out.
Kayla tells Marlena that she’s trying to be optimistic but worries the more time passes without any leads. Marlena knows it’s hard to stay hopeful as she’s been there and talks about staying strong when John was missing. Marlena encourages Kayla to try and distract herself. Marlena says Kayla has always been there for her, so she’d like to do the same for her. Marlena suggests they go to the lounge for a snack which Kayla agrees to.
Stephanie manages to free one of her hands and removes the gag from her mouth, then starts working on the other tie but the door opens.
Brady asks Alex if he’s not worried about his own safety, reminding that his life was on the line. Alex asks why Jeremy would risk it now that there’s a manhunt for him. Alex adds that Jeremy only came after him to get to Stephanie. Brady then notices a woman looking at the missing persons flyers and goes to ask if she’s seen Stephanie or Jeremy. She responds that she actually has.
Leo complains about being unable to get back to sleep and decides to check in on Salem on his phone. Leo is shocked by what he finds out and declares he has to get back to Salem right away.
Steve tells Jada that in Right Out, the kidnapper was the author’s sister which doesn’t fit the case here. Jada thinks it’s still worth it to go through the books for possible clues. Alex and Brady then arrive, announcing they have something.
Kayla tells Marlena that she spoke with Joey and Tripp earlier today and they are both so worried about Stephanie. Kayla gets a call from Roman and asks Marlena to answer for her. Marlena takes the call and tells Kayla that Roman said to let her know that they are working very hard trying to track down every lead and that they will do their best to find Stephanie. Kayla worries about the worst case scenario of Jeremy hurting Stephanie. Marlena brings up that Kayla told her that Jeremy was obsessed with Stephanie, so she doesn’t believe he would do anything to harm her.
Jeremy enters the room to face Stephanie.
Alex and Brady tell Steve and Jada about the witness that said she saw Jeremy lurking outside the Brady Pub around 4 PM. Jada points out that Stephanie was already kidnapped by then. Alex feels there’s no way Jeremy would let Stephanie out of his sight. Steve questions why he was out alone then.
Leo tells Dimitri about Stephanie being kidnapped while he’s not in Salem, doing his reporting. Leo worries about whether or not Chad knows and worries that everyone in Salem must be shell shocked. Dimitri encourages that Leo could just report from Alamainia and questions how going back now is going to help. Leo responds that he doesn’t know if it will help, but Stephanie is his friend so he needs to be there for her.
Marlena tells Kayla that Jeremy doesn’t fit the typical profile of someone who would do something like this. Kayla questions if Marlena is saying that she doesn’t think Jeremy is capable of this.
Stephanie pleads with Jeremy to let her go while Jeremy tells her that she’s got it wrong and that he did not put her here.
Dimitri understands that Stephanie is important to Leo and he wants to be there for her as a friend, but asks what makes that him. Leo argues that Dimitri is a trained super spy, who always reminds him that he’s not qualified so he doesn’t need him. Dimitri argues that he wouldn’t be here if not for Leo and points out that Leo took a huge risk for him, otherwise he’d likely have been arrested for kidnapping instead of having an opportunity to prove his innocence. Dimitri tells Leo that he can leave whenever he wants, but he would be stuck here indefinitely. Dimitri then asks if that’s what Leo wanted all along.
Jada argues that they still don’t know if Jeremy had anything to do with Stephanie and she doesn’t think he would hurt her as based on the online messages, he loves in her a sick and twisted way. Alex argues that Jeremy wants him dead. Brady intervenes to say he doesn’t think they should rule out any reason why Jeremy would be out and about without Stephanie as maybe he’s not the kidnapper.
Marlena tells Kayla that if Jeremy kidnapped Stephanie, she knows he would not harm her. Kayla questions Marlena not thinking he’s capable even with all the evidence. Marlena talks about Jeremy being Rachel’s teacher and they’ve had long conversations about therapy and turning his life around. Kayla questions if Marlena thinks Jeremy is now a wonderful guy and upstanding citizen. Marlena believes that Jeremy is deeply remorseful for hurting Stephanie and everybody. Kayla questions her thinking he’s not capable of being the stalker. Marlena insists that her instinct is that Jeremy would not hurt Stephanie. Kayla tells Marlena that Jeremy stalked Stephanie, kidnapped her, and has a history of fraud, violence, and manipulation. Kayla adds that she is not buying that Jeremy has changed.
Stephanie questions how Jeremy knew where she was if he didn’t do this. Jeremy says he’ll explain later and unties her. Jeremy tells her to come with him but Stephanie yells that she’s not going anywhere with him. Jeremy tells her that he doesn’t know who the guy is, but he knows they are coming back as he insists that he’s trying to save her life, so she needs to come with him now.
Dimitri guesses Leo can go home to Salem tomorrow and says he’ll arrange for the family jet to pick him up. Leo says now that he’s calmed down, he realizes if he does go home to Salem, he will likely be arrested. Dimitri offers to reach out to Rafe to make it perfectly clear that he forced him to flee to Alamainia with him. Dimitri guesses he’ll be out of sight, out of mind but Leo calls it impossible to get him out of his head, even if they are thousands of miles away. Dimitri calls that kind of nice to hear. Leo says that he’s often in his thoughts in an unpleasant way since he complicated his life at a time where it was finally becoming uncomplicated. Leo states that he may just be a coward, but he wasn’t expecting all of this when he signed up for this adventure. Leo talks about the danger including Ivan wanting to poison them. Dimitri says he cares more about Leo’s safety than his own, so it is best for him to go home. Dimitri repeats that he will arrange for the jet but Leo stops him and says he doesn’t want to leave him there. Leo says he is the only one who believes in his innocence, so he can’t and won’t leave him here alone. Dimitri responds that he’ll be fine and that this is his country. Leo still doesn’t want him to face this on his own. Leo adds that everybody in Salem must be looking for Stephanie, so they will find her and bring her home. Leo asks who will bring Dimitri home if he leaves him here.
Marlena apologizes to Kayla for upsetting her. Kayla says she’s the one who is sorry as she’s obviously on edge but she does respect her opinion and knows she’s working on creating a profile for Jeremy and knows him more than she does. Marlena mentions trying to contact Jeremy’s therapist. Marlena offers to get Kayla a room so she can get some sleep but Kayla says she couldn’t possibly sleep. Marlena hopes she can get some rest and says she will stay right there with her as Kayla thanks her.
Steve admits there’s a slim possibility that Jeremy is innocent but the evidence against him is overwhelming. Jada talks about the drug used on the officer guarding Stephanie and how they haven’t been able to trace it. Alex questions how Jeremy could’ve gotten a drug that’s not even on the market. Brady points out that he’s a science teacher and could’ve made it himself. Steve points out that there were no chemicals found at Julie’s or in Jeremy’s classroom, unless he had it stored somewhere. Steve says there’s obviously a lot about Jeremy they still don’t know. Jada states that what they do know is that Jeremy was on foot, so Steve agrees that it’s likely he’s still somewhere in Salem.
Stephanie tries to run but Jeremy says it’s not safe for her to go out there alone. Stephanie argues that she wouldn’t be any safer with him. Jeremy says he’ll call 911 then and step away as he just wants her to get out of here. The real stalker then arrives and says it’s too late for that as he is revealed to be Owen Kent, who had kidnapped Stephanie many years ago in the past, leaving Stephanie in shock.
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