August 01, 2006

Steve: Hey, set me up there, dude.

Della: Hey, you were gone for quite a while. Guess you didn't find her.

Steve: No, I didn't find her.

Della: Well, it's probably for the best, nicky. I mean, you and blondie probably weren't the best --

Steve: Hey! Kayla. Her name is kayla.

Della: Okay. Kayla. You come from different worlds. I mean, look at her. I bet she's never even been in a place like this, or even been around a bar fight, but you --

Steve: Yeah, I'm a barfly just like you are. Is that supposed to be news to me?

Della: Listen -- you know she'd spend the rest of her life trying to change you -- get you all cleaned up, wearing suits, and drinking fruity cocktails instead of beers.

Steve: Never gonna happen. Nobody tells me what to do if i don't want to do it.

Della: So...you figure miss priss will want to spend the rest of her life cleaning your dirty clothes from behind the hamper like I do?

Steve: Probably not.

Della: Nick, as stubborn as you are, that woman will drive you crazy. She doesn't care about what you want. And you know what? She doesn't seem like the type who will give in until she gets her way.

Steve: Oh, really? So where is she now? She's gone.

Della: Yeah. Well...I guess she didn't fight too hard for the love of her life, who came back from the dead after how many years? If she knew you the way I did, she never would have walked out of here.

Steve: She walked out of here because I pushed her.

Della: Well, why'd you do that, hon? I mean, she's a beautiful gal. I mean, if you like that type, which apparently you did -- do.

Steve: Did, I guess. I don't even know what I like or what I liked. I don't remember anything! Let me tell you something -- she did change me, not the way you say, with the fruity cocktails and the suits. You know what she did? She turned me into a husband... and a father.

Della: Yeah, and as soon as she left here, you went back to being you. This is who you are, nick, and it wasn't good enough for her, but it's good enough for me. And you know what? She doesn't even know you. I do. She may have been you legal wife, but I probably spent more years with you than she did.

Steve: Maybe. You might be right about that.

Della: Yeah. So, forget about her anyway. Never would have worked anyway.

Kayla: When you were a little girl, pushing your food around your plate meant one of two things.

Stephanie: Mom.

Kayla: Either I had made you cauliflower or something was bothering you. And I don't see any cauliflower on that plate.

Stephanie: Weren't you and dad supposed to go to cincinnati today? How'd it go?

Kayla: Yeah, we went. I took an early flight home.

Stephanie: Where's dad?

Kayla: He stayed behind to tie up some loose ends.

Stephanie: Oh.

Kayla: So, what's bothering you?

Stephanie: You know that guy I told you and dad about? I saw him tonight.

Kayla: Was it a date?

Stephanie: No, we were just hanging out.

Kayla: Well, that's a nice way to get to know someone.

Stephanie: Yeah, well, I got to know him well enough to realize we can never be together.

Della: I'll bet if she'd give you a beer, she'd have you drinking out of a glass.

Steve: Maybe.

Della: Well, this is better. This is the real you, nick. So, show me a real smile... before I start thinking you didn't miss me as much as i missed you these past few days.

Steve: I missed you. I missed you a lot.

Della: Good. So, now, all this salem stuff is finished and you're back home where you belong.

Steve: Am I?

Della: What are you talking about? Are you starting to remember that life you once had?

Steve: I don't remember a damn thing.

Della: Listen -- you've got your place, your stuff, your woman, your friends. What more could a man want? Hmm?

Kayla: Well, you were saying you were just getting to know this guy, so why do you think that you'll never be together?

Stephanie: You wouldn't understand, okay?

Kayla: Well, maybe I would. I mean, I have been in relationships before.

Stephanie: Well, not recently.

Kayla: True. But I know what it's like, so maybe if you give me a chance to help...

Stephanie: Why?

Kayla: Because I'm your mother.

Stephanie: You know what? If you hadn't noticed, we don't exactly do mother/daughter heart-to-hearts.

Kayla: Stephanie, I love you.

Stephanie: You know what? I'm not saying you don't, but when was the last time we talked about something that really mattered?

Kayla: Yesterday.

Stephanie: No, you talked at me. I listened, but you didn't listen to what I had to say.

Kayla: Of course I did.

Stephanie: No, you're my mom, and so you think that means you're always gonna be the boss. But you haven't noticed that I've grown up.

Kayla: Believe me, I have.

Stephanie: You know, when i was little, we used to be so close. When I started having opinions, you didn't want to hear them. When I started asking questions, you didn't want to answer them. So if you think I don't open up about what's important to me, it's because I learned it from you.

Kayla: I was just trying to protect you.

Stephanie: No, in all the years growing up, not once did you let your guard down with me. You know, strong is one thing, mom, but it is not strong to pretend you don't have feelings and to just stick your head in the sand and hope they'll go away.

Kayla: That's not what I was doing.

Stephanie: No? Why else wouldn't you come home to visit salem and show me where I was born and where my dad and the rest of my family lived? That was important to me.

Kayla: I don't even know what to say. You know, stephanie...when your father died, I was a wreck. I was a total wreck, and i didn't want to frighten you. You were so young, and there was no way that you were gonna understand. It was bad enough that you had lost your papa, but I wanted you to have the sense that you weren't gonna lose your mommy and that I was gonna be there and I was gonna be strong, no matter what.

Stephanie: Well, it never changed.

Kayla: I guess it became a habit. I really -- honestly, I was just trying to protect my baby girl. But you're right. You're not a little girl anymore.

[ Sighs ] And you deserve to know the truth. You asked me how my day was. Awful. I lied to you. Your dad didn't stay in cincinnati because he was tying up loose ends. He stayed there because he's not coming back.

Stephanie: What?

Kayla: All these years, i couldn't let go of him. And tonight, he told me just to forget him...forget the life that we had together...move on with my life, 'cause he was staying in his.

Della: What's on your mind?

Steve: You know, when I first turned up here in cincinnati, didn't know who I was, I was desperate to figure it out. I hit one dead end after another, and I just decided i got to move on. I got to make a life for myself. That's what I did. You know, I just finally stopped thinking about all the rest of it, and then this brother of --

Della: And you should stop thinking about it again. Otherwise, you're gonna drive yourself nuts about something that's ancient history. I mean, whoever this steve guy was, he's not you. You're nick stockton. That's who you are, and he's a hell of a guy.

Steve: I got a mother in salem, della.

Della: So? You'll give her a mother's day card and call her every once in a while.

Steve: I got a brother who's dying.

Della: That you can't do nothing about.

Steve: I got a wife. I have a daughter.

[ Laughs ] Man, you should see her. She's so pretty. She's smart. Get this -- she drives a racecar for a living.

Della: No way.

Steve: Yeah, yeah, she does.

[ Laughs ] I missed her whole life.

Della: Well, we know one thing -- she must have learned how to drive from you. Her mother probably never went a mile over the speed limit.

Steve: You're right.

Della: Of course I'm right. She's a doctor, right? I bet that stuck-up rich bitch never even said hello --

Steve: Hey, hey, don't go there. Don't go there.

Della: You told her to leave, bud. It's because you were scared.

Steve: Scared.

Della: Yeah. Scared. You were afraid she'd reject you, so you rejected her instead.

Steve: That just doesn't make any sense, della.

Della: Oh, oh, sure it does. She's gotten to you. That's why you went after her, isn't it? You want her.

Stephanie: My, god, mom. How could this happen?

Kayla: I don't know.

Stephanie: Well, it sucks.

Kayla: [ Laughing ] Yeah. Yeah, it sure does.

Stephanie: I don't understand. You two seemed so happy yesterday.

Kayla: I thought we were.

Stephanie: I thought you guys were going to cincinnati to just figure out dad's past.

Kayla: We were, and I thought he was really excited about trying to figure out who he used to be and what happened to him. But as soon as we got back there, everything changed. It's like he realized how much he missed his old life and that that's really where he belonged.

Stephanie: I just can't believe that.

Kayla: You know, I never stopped loving him, all these years.

Stephanie: I know.

Kayla: And I think when he came back and I saw him in that church garden, I-I just had all these old memories. It's like I froze him in time. But he's not frozen. He's had a whole other life... a life without me.

Stephanie: Mom.

Kayla: I just don't know how you let go of somebody that you so desperately love, especially when they're just a phone call away.

Stephanie: I don't know. But you've got me, mom. You'll always have me.

Kayla: I love you.

Stephanie: You know, all the years I dreamed of us really talking like this and opening up, I'm sorry it had to be because of this. I'm really sorry.

Kayla: Me too. But as long as we are being so open and honest with each other, why don't you tell me about that guy you're interested in.

Steve: Listen, della, I don't want kayla. I'm happy with you, baby. Come on, I only went after her just to make sure she was okay, you know, out there in the alley.

Della: Well, why wouldn't she be okay? Besides her poor little broken heart, I mean. She's a doctor, right? You don't think she's smart enough to find her own car?

Steve: Let's stop talking about kayla. Come on, listen. You know what? I got to tell you something. You're gonna love this. Me -- nick steve johnson, nick stock-- what ever the hell my name is, you know what? I used to be a cop.

Della: [ Laughs ] You're kidding.

Steve: No, no. Seriously, that's not all, though. Listen, listen. And I was an undercover government agent.

[ Laughs ]

Della: Whoo! My own ethan hunt.

Steve: Yeah. No, I'm serious. You don't think I'm serious. Listen -- apparently I worked on some really dangerous cases. I pissed some people off, you know, made some dangerous enemies. It's true, because I think one of them staged my death and erased my memory.

Della: Yeah, well, why wouldn't they just kill you?

Steve: Oh, that's a good question. But you know, it's the only thing that makes any sense, because what I got ain't amnesia. Somebody -- zzz! -- Erased my hard drive.

Della: Why would they do that?

Steve: Well, I don't know. Maybe on one of my cases i stumbled across something i wasn't supposed to see.

Della: Maybe it wasn't the bad guys. Maybe it was the government.

Steve: Oh, you've been watching too many conspiracy movies, I think.

Della: No, I'm serious. It happens.

Steve: Well, listen, here's a question -- the question is this -- whoever did this, what happens if they find out that i know I'm steve johnson?

Della: Well, how would they find that out?

Steve: I don't know. Maybe they seen me in salem with, you know, kayla or maybe somebody else from my past.

Della: I mean, you would have noticed.

Steve: I don't know who they are. But if they still have it in for me...I got to find out what really happened to me.

Stephanie: Like I said, I saw him earlier tonight.

Kayla: Does he have a name?

Stephanie: It doesn't matter.

Kayla: I guess I wouldn't really know who he is anyway, would I? So, the two of you were hanging out.

Stephanie: And having a great time until his girlfriend showed up.

Kayla: Girlfriend?

Stephanie: I don't even know why he has one. He's this great guy, mom. And she doesn't appreciate him at all. Why would he want to be with her? What does she got that I don't have?

Kayla: Well, people see different things in different people.

Stephanie: She doesn't have anything. I mean, he and I share all these interests that she couldn't care less about. Plus, I have a successful career. She doesn't even have a job. She's been in trouble with the law. I've never even had a parking ticket. I mean, I'm fairly good-looking.

Kayla: Oh, come on. You're beautiful.

Stephanie: Well, whatever. I guess she is, too, but is that all he cares about?

Kayla: Well, if it is, then he's not the guy for you.

Stephanie: Yeah, well, he says it's not, so why would he choose her over me?

Kayla: Does he know that you even like him?

Stephanie: I don't know.

Kayla: Well, have you told him?

Stephanie: Not exactly.

Kayla: Why not?

Stephanie: Because I've been down this road way too many times before, you know? I find some great guy and all he sees me as is a friend. So I go out on a limb and tell him how I feel, and then it ends up getting so complicated that we can't even stay friends. So that's why I haven't told him, because I'm afraid if I do, I'll totally lose him. You know what? I can't let that happen, not with this guy, mom.

Kayla: Because you really like him.

Stephanie: More than I've ever liked anyone. I mean, all my girlfriends tell me what a great catch I am. So why doesn't he see it? What's wrong with me, mom?

Kayla: Oh, baby, come here. Oh.

Kayla: Well, you know, maybe you're not the one who has the problem. Maybe he does.

Stephanie: I don't think so.

Kayla: Well, you said that he's got this girlfriend who's been in trouble with the law, right?

Stephanie: Yeah, big-time.

Kayla: Well, have you asked yourself why he chooses to ignore that?

Stephanie: Because he's kind and understand and nonjudgmental like you are with dad, because he chooses to see the best in people and believes they can change, even if she hasn'T.

Kayla: You know, stephanie, i hope you don't mind me saying this, but he doesn't know that you feel this way about him, right? So maybe he has those feelings for you, but he's afraid to express them because maybe he thinks that you just want to be friends. When you really like somebody, you need to risk the consequences, just like you risked the consequences telling me that we need to communicate more.

Stephanie: This is stupid even worrying about this with all the other stuff that's going on. I mean, I guess I didn't really know my dad, but I had him in my life for like two days. And now maybe I'll never see him again.

Kayla: I know your father wouldn't want you to put your life on hold for him.

Stephanie: Okay. Okay, so what if I tell this guy and it turns out like all the other times?

Kayla: And what if it doesn't? Wouldn't it be better to know the truth than to live in a fantasy?

Stephanie: I'm not so sure.

Kayla: Do you want to just be friends?

Stephanie: No.

Kayla: Well, then, you need to be willing to take the risk. You got to put your cards on the table. That's who you are, stephanie. I know you can do this.

Stephanie: Well, that depends.

Kayla: On what?

Stephanie: Are you willing to do the same thing with dad?

Della: It's been a lot of years. You have a whole new life, one you're happy with. Why drag up all this old stuff?

Steve: Because whoever did this might have other plans now. I can't protect myself and the people around me unless I know what I'm up against.

Della: You really think you're in danger?

Steve: I don't know. But if I am, I could be putting your life in danger, too.

Della: Mine?

Steve: Yeah, yours. Listen -- if somebody can stage my death and erase my memory, that somebody's got a lot of power. They went through a lot of trouble and expense to accomplish all that. They're not gonna be too happy to find out that it's wasted because I found out I'm steve johnson and half of salem knows that I'm alive. So I have to assume...that they're coming after me again. I got to be ready.