Other Articles August 19, 1997 September 12, 1997 October 7, 1997 October 14, 1997 November 25, 1997 December 23, 1997 January 13, 1998 March 31, 1998 April 7, 1998 January 12, 1999 February 2, 1999 February 23, 1999

Seeing Is Believing by Stephanie Sloane A Kiss Isn't Just A Kiss Anymore When DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Austin Catches Carrie With Mike Ironically, it all begins with Carrie needing some time along to sort out her messy love life. She heads out of town and keeps her destination a secret. "Carrie goes to Green Mountain Lodge, hers and Austin's special place, to get away from everything," previews Executive Producer Tom Langan. "But in her heart, she's thinking about Austin and hoping that he'll know she's there and maybe he'll seek her out. And that's exactly what happens." But Mike figure out that she's there, too . . . "Mike goes up there to give Carrie another chance to make the move," explains his portrayer, Roark Critchlow. "He has said, 'I love you,' but she hasn't said it back, and it's breaking his heart. He's insanely in love, he's gone over the edge and can't think of anything else." So Mike is in the mood for love when he arrives at Carrie's door. "He gets there and he's thrilled that he's right and figured out where she was," smiles Critchlow. "Of course, she says to him, 'What are you doing here?' He asks where Austin is. She says he never came and that she thought they were close enough that he would know she was there. It's been going on so long, (where) Mike has been throwing his heart out and it has been stomped on by her, that he can't say, 'Yeah, but I did.' He just thinks it. She's rejected him enough times that he needs for her to come to the conclusion herself." Luckily for Mike, she does. "She finally says, 'Everything I thought about Austin, you just did. Everything I need from Austin, for him to come up her and be with me and understand me and know that I'm here, you just did it. I've been such a fool, and I finally realized how much you mean to me." After months of denying the obvious, Carrie finally declares her love for Mike, and they kiss. But what they don't know is that Austin, who has battled through an avalanche to get to his wife, is watching them through the window. "He's freezing, he has a big gash on his head, ad he gets there and sees them kissing," says Austin Peck (Austin). Needless to say, this isn't the romantic rendezvous he'd imagined. "He's angry and hurt," nods Peck. "It's not necessarily the fact that she's fooling around with another man; it's that Austin knows the man. He gave them his trust, they abused it and spit it back in his face." Before Austin has a chance to confront his wife and her lover, the cops show up in Carrie's room, looking for her fugitive husband. "Austin says, 'This is your lucky day, Mikey boy,'" laughs Peck, then returns to the cave - and Sami. It's a long way back in the car, though, as Austin comes to some realizations about his marriage. "I think it's something that he didn't expect, but once he sees it, it all makes perfect sense," notes Peck. "Now he knows exactly what the deal is and all his suspicions in the past are proven true." But this won't turn him against Carrie. "i think he's more in the 'kill Mike' phase," says Peck. "I think it's a lot easier for him to think Carrie was manipulated, rather than she went after another guy." Exec Producer Langan concurs: "The guy is devastated, but when you're in love the way Austin loves Carrie, after the anger, you start to ask yourself, 'Was I neglecting her?' She was trying to tell me that Mike was there for her, but I put Sami first.' He'll look for excuses to keep the relationship alive in his mind because he can't bear to live without her . . until he's maybe smacked in the face with something else." For the married Carrie, declaring her love for another man is definitely a turning point. "Her marriage is pretty much over," shrugs Christie Clark (Carrie). "Her husband deserted her, and if he gets caught, he's going to jail, so it's over then. But she realizes that she loves Austin, too, and she's very confused. Mike's her best friend, he's always there for her and at this point in time, she would like to be with him. That's her fantasy." Not that Austin's out of the picture for good. "When she sees him and he has a chance to explain, he can work his way back in," says Clark. "But he didn't listen to her, and he's take Sami's side so many times in the relationship. She's sick of that." Meanwhile, back at the lodge, Carrie and Mike debate whether or not their kisses should turn into something more. "She definitely wants to kiss Mike and go further, and those thoughts scare her," says Clark. Nevertheless, she asks Mike to make love to her, and they almost do, but stop before the point of no return. "They come to their senses," sighs Critchlow. "Mike feels like he's taking advantage of her and stops to think about the actual repercussions. He stops just long enough for her to say, 'Wait a second, how many people am I going to hurt?' They wind up falling asleep in each other's arms, but they don't make love because that means the world changes: divorce, mayhem..." So where do they go from here? "We're trying to do a noble love here on television, sex is the grand prize, but we need to take a long time to get there," says Critchlow. "For Mike, at least he knows he's not insane and she does love him. The magnitude of her saying that is huge." But a Carrie/Mike future is not necessarily certain. "One thing will lead to another and there will be many twists and turns along the way," promises Langan. "Will Carrie and Mike ever sleep together? Will Austin find out and break them up? Will Sami and Austin have a future? Will Sami ever get free? These are all possibilities. There will be big payoffs to these stories." Three's a Crowd Digest: What would happen if Carrie and Mike knew Austin saw them? Critchlow: Mike loves Carrie, but Austin is a hugely powerful man. The only way Mike could put him under is with an anesthesiologist! Clark: She would be heartbroken. She never wanted this to happen. Austin is her first true love and it would be sad that he saw them. Digest: Which guy should Carrie ultimately end up with? Clark: Maybe she should be with Mike for a little bit, but Austin was her first love. There's something different with each guy. Mike is the brilliant, positive guy and Austin is the sexual, goofy guy. There's more of a sexual attraction with Austin that a romantic, passionate Romeo and Juliet kind of love. With Mike, it's best friends, someone you can talk to and learn things from. Maybe she needs a new man who embodies both of them! Peck: It's up to the writers to decide if Carrie and Austin will wind up together. I'm sure they will. I just hope they're not a pathetic couple, still trying to get it together in 20 years. Round Up What actor or actress on another soap would you want to work with? Christie Clark (Carrie, DAYS) "Tony Geary's (Luke, GH) really good. I like to watch his work, he's really physical. He's just professional and really knows his dialogue. And I like Jensen Buchanan's (Vicky, AW) work, too. A lot." Days of Our Lives Recap - A Look Back Austin tells Carrie that he can't turn himself in until he hears what Eric learns from Roberto about Franco's killer. Carrie can't believe he would risk his life to help Sami. She's even more frustrated when he reveals that running away was his idea, not Sami's. If Austin truly loves her, he would turn himself in, Carrie says. He has to stay with Sami, Austin insists. Just then, the cops arrive. Austin makes a quick getaway. Mike finally makes it to dinner with Craig, Nancy, Ali, and Ali's mom, Claire. Mike tries to play it cool when Claire proposes a toast to the future Dr. and Mrs. Horton. Nancy joins in and suggests a June wedding. Mike asks Ali to dance, then demands she tell her mother the truth. Ali returns to the table, but bursts into tears before she can say anything and runs off. Craig finds her crying and tries to convince her to file a lawsuit against Mike. At the table, Mike admits to Claire that he and Ali are through. Claire slaps him. Carrie cries on Marlena's shoulder about Austin's refusal to turn himself in. She fears her marriage is over, Carrie laments. Marlena advises Carrie to steer clear of Mike during this trying time. Maybe take a few days off, Marlena suggests. Carrie heads to Green Mountain Lodge. When Mike tries to find Carrie, Marlena says she's away. Mike deduces she's at the lodge . . . Austin returns to the cave and tells Sami what he learned while he was in Salem.