Bo & Hope #52 October 18, 2002 - January 3, 2003:: 8 hour original edit

DVD #52A 10/15 The mystery man has kidnapped Hope and Zack. They were being driven through the night by a "knucklecracking" kidnapper who said to little Zack, "Your mother's more beautiful now than when I first knew her."

10/18 The masked kidnapper took Hope and Zack to dark room. When Hope regained consciousness, she managed to get her hands and feet untied and her blindfold off. She checked on Zack who was crying but not harmed. Hope remembered receiving the cell phone call and surmised that Tony and Lexi were behind her abduction. Hope looked around the room and found a cupboard stocked with all Zack's favorite foods, which she interpreted as more evidence of DiMera involvement as well as their plan to keep her and Zack for a long time. With no suitable weapon available, Hope planned an escape.

Hope faked still being tied up when the kidnapper came to check on them. She tried to overtake the kidnapper from behind. The two struggled and Hope managed to get the kidnapper's mask off. She is shocked at his identity and murmurs "Oh...it can't be....It can't be."

10/22 Somewhere in a locked room, Hope revived after unsuccessfully trying to overcome her kidnapper now revealed as Larry Welch. In discussing their past relationship and marriage, Hope reminded him that kidnapping her would only add to the 20 years he'd already spent in prison for killing Megan. But he assured her that incriminating evidence had already been planted on someone else.

Lexie found Hope's wallet beneath her car seat, while Abe and Bo arrived on the scene. Abe, suspicious of Lexie, questioned her, as she passed the concealed wallet to Brandon who himself escaped being questioned until later. Lexie was concerned that someone was setting her up.

Curious about her fate and Welch's motives, Hope asked why Larry would kidnap Zack. He suggested that this child might have been theirs. Telling Hope she now repulsed him, and is a "liar" and "destroyer of dreams”. Then he ominously announced, "It's payback time."

10/23 Bo and Abe are frustrated when they are unable to find any clues regarding Hope and Zack's disappearance in the secret computer room at the mansion. When they question Tony relentlessly about Rolf, he asks them to leave causing Bo to explode in anger. Abe sends him home where he finds Alice waiting to urge him to have faith that Hope will return safely with their son.

10/24 Billie interrupts Bo as he is praying for God to watch over his wife and son. He yells at her for barging in. She explains that though she isn't on the search committee and she wants to help. Bo goes crazy for a few minutes and pushes over tables and lamps, Billie eventually calms him down. Caroline and Doug show up bringing chicken noodle soup, but Bo isn't hungry. Doug is visibly upset when he finds a shattered picture of Hope and Zack.

Bo suggests to Caroline to take him out for fresh air. She volunteers they passed out flyers in Salem Place. Bo tells them that he will be at the station. As they leave, Billie tells them goodbye and that she has to make a phone call. We see it is to Larry Welch. He tells her he is too busy to talk. Billie tells him she can't do this to Bo anymore. She wants out.

10/25 Lexie confides in Celeste about finding Hope’s wallet and being afraid that someone was setting her up to look responsible for kidnapping Hope and Isaac. Lexie discovered Hope's travel itinerary in her purse.

Billie suggested to Bo that he is barking up the wrong tree suspecting the DiMeras. He asks her if she knows who kidnapped them and she knows where they are hiding? She asks him to think about if he is wrong and the DiMeras aren’t responsible then he is on the wrong track. He declares that Hope is the sweetest, kindest, most generous person and everyone loves her, that is except for the DiMeras. She points out that could be someone with a grudge against him, like a perp he has arrested.

They agreed to search old arrest records for possible ex-cons who might be seeking revenge on Bo or Hope. Shawn arrived and was suspicious that Billie was helping solve the kidnapping. Shawn questions whether Billie really wants his mom to come home? He doesn’t trust her. Bo told Shawn they should accept assistance from anyone willing to help.

Later, Bo discovered Billie with Hope's itinerary and questioned her about it. Billie received a phone call from Larry, summoning her to the pier to meet with him. Larry explained to Billie that if she backed out of her involvement now, she'd never see Bo again. Hope feared that Larry may have left her and Zack to die. Larry looked through the door and whispered to himself that Hope should cherish the time she has with Zack, because it won't last long.

10/28 Bo catches Billie as she handles Hope's itinerary and accuses her of being involved in Hope's disappearance. Roman orders her to back off and to stick to her assigned cases. Then he suggests that Bo use Billie so he can keep an eye on her.

Abe returns to the station house and tells Bo and Roman that he will take care of investigating his wife, especially after Bo threatens to strangle confession out of her. Billie later calls Larry about the close call at the station.

10/31 Lexie tells Abe that the wallet was found in the backseat of her car and Hope’s itinerary in her purse. She swears to Abe that she has no idea where they came from or where Hope and Zack are. She is confused as to why someone would try to frame her. Abe replies that she is, of course a DiMera but believes she is telling the truth. He takes the evidence back to the PD and Bo.

We see Larry injecting a syringe into a juice box, telling Hope its time for her treat. When Hope awakes, groggy and apparently drugged, she finds Zack is gone. Meanwhile, Larry is pushing a costumed Zack around Salem Place. He laughs at how he can get away with murder.

11/1 Hope was beside herself when Zack was gone. Larry, in costume, had Zack out trick-or-treating and was nearly discovered by Jack and Doug and Julie.

Bo and Abe had words over Abe's belief in Lexie's innocence. Bo thought the wallet and itinerary were more than enough proof. When Shawn showed up, Bo told him about the new discoveries. Shawn was furious because Abe won't arrest Lexie for his mom and brother's kidnapping.

Later at Salem Place, Lexie heard Zack's voice calling out to her. Lexie followed the voice into a storage room. Larry had been luring her with a tape recorder. Lexie found Zack alone and eagerly picked him up assuring him that everything is going to be okay.

Hope was hiding behind the door when Larry came back. She grabbed him from behind and demanded to know where Zack was. As Larry and Hope struggled, Larry pushed Hope against the wall causing her to fall to the floor...unconscious.

11/5 Just as Lexie has picked up Zach, there is a pounding at the door and Abe and Bo scream at her to open the door. They broke the door down and found Lexie holding Zack and assumed she was the kidnapper. Bo screams at her wanting to know what she has done with Hope! He scares the baby who starts crying. He immediately calms his tone to reassure the baby. Lexie insists she had nothing to do with this, that she has been framed. Lexie misread Abe's taking her hands as a supportive gesture. But instead, he handcuffed and arrested her. Abe calls Roman and fills him in and orders an immediate sweep of the area.

At the Police Station, Roman yells at Billie for being missing in action and not responding to her page. She claims that her battery died. On seeing Zack, Billie asked about Hope. Roman walks in as Billie is talking to Larry as she reported Lexie's arrest to him, though she covered as she notices Roman, he is looking at her with increasing suspicion. Next, Billie takes Lexie to booking and to her cell. Abe accuses Lexie of having blood on her hands while Lexie demanded a lie detector test.

11/6 Shawn rushes to the hospital with Belle and is thrilled to be reunited with Zack. He promises to catch him up on the Halloween activities he missed and when the tot is forced to spend the night at the hospital, Shawn offers to stay with him.

When Roman and Bo stop by, Shawn quickly thanks Bo for keeping his promise about returning Zack. Bo assures him that he will find Hope too. Roman catches Billie snooping in a nearby alley and blasts her for being there but she comes up with a story. She later removes a black bag from a nearby dumpster. She's sickened to see what's inside.

Cameron argues with Bo and reveals that she's obtained a restraining order to keep him away from Lexie. Billie arrives with Hope's bloody sweater and Bo identifies it as his wife's. In her cell, a dazed and bloody Hope wakes and learns from Larry that Zack is back with Bo and Lexie's been arrested. He then forces her to write a letter which will blame Lexie for her death. She smiles after Larry leaves with her letter, wonder what clue she left for Bo in it?

11/7 Bo and the others discover that the blood on the sweater matches Hopes blood type, Bo is not satisfied saying that her BT isn't that unusual. They request a DNA and hair sample from the lab. John and Marlena drop by to bring Bo breakfast. John tells Bo that he will be leaving on a mission to end the DiMeras and he is leaving today.

Abe has Lexie taken to the lab to get her DNA and hair samples. She agrees so that it will prove she hasn't done anything with Hope. Roman gets a phone call and takes off, he returns a while later wishing to speak with Bo in private. He explains that there was a break in at the Final Rest Cemetery in the crematorium. The police scoured the area and found a note addressed to Bo. When Bo opens it, he reads, "Dear Brady: This is goodbye”.

11/8 John, with his gun drawn, approaches an intruder through his secret entrance. He lowers the weapon when he sees that is Shane Donovan! Shane asks if the room is secure? John says he would stake his life on it. Shane responds he may have too as he has some shocking information for John. John realizes his arrival must have to do with had news for John from the ISA. John suggests that DiMera maybe holding Hope on one of their islands like they did with Marlena.

Hope secretly prayed that Bo would understand the hidden clues she put in the note that Larry forced her to write. Outside the room where she is being held, Larry talked (to himself) about Hope learning to be a "lifetime prisoner." Hope decided she needs to figure out where she is being held and tried to open the sliding "peep hole" in the door. Larry talked about moving Hope to a deserted island.

Bo read Hope's note just as Jennifer arrived at the police station to find out news about Hope. Bo confirmed that the note was in Hope's handwriting. Jennifer doesn't believe Hope is dead. Abe let Jennifer read the note from Hope. Jennifer realized that Hope was not asking Bo to rescue her, but telling him goodbye. Bo told Jennifer that there is some kind of message in the letter, or that it is a set-up to make them think Hope is dead. No clues in the letter that I can figure out, but Bo is a pretty sharp guy!

When Abe comes back from the lab, he told Roman that the lab had confirmed the handwriting and the fingerprints on the letter are Hope's.

Billie sent her partner for coffee and donuts so she could talk to Larry. Billie told Larry that "this has to end right now." Hope continued trying to open the slide in the door. When she finally opened it, she saw Billie talking to Larry.

11/11 Hope is outraged to learn that Billie is in cahoots with Larry. Bo is certain that he could get the truth out of Lexie if given a moment alone with her, even if he has to choke it out of her, but Roman prevents it. Bo goes home and tells Shawn that it appears that Hope could be dead, but Shawn refuses to accept it.

Back at the station, Roman grills Billie about her interest with this case and rattles her with his assumption that someone else may be involved with Hope's disappearance. Meanwhile, Larry barges in and tells Hope that it looks like Bo has bought the letter/crematorium break-in, threatening that Hope will eventually wish she were dead.

11/12 Billie sensed Roman's suspicion about her connection to the kidnapping but Roman thought it was an emotional attachment and left a grateful Billie on the case. Billie waited on the pier for Larry Welch to discuss her concern about too much obvious evidence being planted. As Welch approached, so did Shane. Lexie's third visitor in jail was Tony who told her everything was in place for her escape. While Roman was listening to their conversation, Tony assured her that soon she would be free.

11/13 Bo showed Victor the note that Hope left. Victor suggested that Bo use his "persuasive tactics" to get information from Lexie. Victor and Tony exchanged threats. While Victor talked to Abe, Roman and Tony, Bo paid Lexie a visit, violating the restraining order against him. He entered Lexie's cell and began choking her. He threatened to kill her if she didn't tell him where Hope was. A guard pulled the alarm while Bo was attacking Lexie. Roman and Abe pulled Bo off Lexie and took him away in handcuffs.

Tony vowed to have Bo's badge over this incident. After Bo cooled down, they uncuffed him. Victor gave Bo jewelry that his private detective found in a pawn shop. Bo confirmed it was Hope's. Victor said the pawn shop owner told Nico that the jewelry came from a dead woman. Bo does not believe that Hope is dead. Lexie was hysterical after the incident with Bo. She made Tony promise to get her out of jail. Tony said, "It's done.”

Billie was waiting for someone at the pier when Shane Donovan showed up. Billie wanted to know why she wasn't informed that Shane would be at the meeting about her "ISA assignment." Shane insisted that Billie did not have an ISA assignment. Billie told Shane about her contact with ISA agent Martin Ross. Billie said that Ross had contacted her back in Paris asking her to help Bo.

Ross instructed her to go to the police academy in Boston, then get herself assigned to the Salem PD in Bo's precinct. She was told her mission was to evaluate Bo's competence to handle an ISA assignment on the DiMera task force. Shane told Billie that Agent Ross' body had been found a few months ago; he had been dead for at least two years. Shane and Billie tried to figure out who her phony "ISA contact" is and what he wants with Bo. As they left the pier to go to ISA headquarters, Billie is shot.

11/14 Tony and Lexie have a whispered final conversation, he explains that she will be fine and he must leave town, it wouldn't be good if he were around when she escaped. They bid a "until we meet again" and Tony leaves. She waits until he walks out of sight and then faints, prompting the guard to call for assistance.

At the PD, Bo banging on the desk announcing that no one will get away with this. Abe takes an emergency phone call (from Shane about Billie being shot) and the trio head to the hospital. Upon arrival they learn the seriousness of Billie's condition. The nurse is checking Billie's identification for organ donation and Craig is requesting a second opinion from a neurologist. Bo needs to call the family meeting. While sitting at a table, Jennifer gets a phone call from Bo. She tells him that they are already at the pub and will let his parents know he is on his way.

Eventually the entire family shows up at the pub: Doug, Julie, Mickey, Maggie, Zack, Shawn, Belle, Mrs. H, Jennifer, Caroline, Pop-Shawn, and Victor. Bo, Shane, and Roman arrive. Shane gets a bittersweet welcome. Bo thanks everyone for coming; he doesn't think he could give the announcement twice. Stunned faces all around as he says that he has some bad news about Hope.

11/15 Jennifer, Bo, Sean, Belle, Caroline and Shane are all at the Brady pub trying to come to grips with Hope's death. Sean states he will never believe that his mother is dead. The all look at Sean with worried and concerned looks. Hope is staring out of a prison cell and quickly hurries away when she sees Larry coming. Larry states that he had a problem but he took care of it and shows Hope his gun. He states a bullet to the head took away his problem.

Abe arrives at the Brady pub and tells everyone that Lexie collapsed and that she was rushed to the hospital. Bo knows that this is a trap and that Lexie is going to try to escape. Abe tells Bo that the police captain is not happy that he violated his restraining order by attacking Lexie. Bo is suspended. Abe orders him to stay here. Sean lashes out at Abe and tells him he should be the one taken off the case. Abe talks to Caroline and tells him to keep Bo here. Bo talks to Sean and tells him he needs to accept that Hope is gone. Sean states it's too hard. Bo tells everyone he is going upstairs to check on his other son but goes out through the window.

Reporters come into the Brady bar and ask questions about Hope’s disappearance. Shawn steps in and blasts the reporters for imposing on this sad time and proceeds to give a warm tribute to his mother with tears in his eyes he asked them to report that to their readers. Everyone is proud of Sean.

Larry boasts about how everyone thinks that Lexie kidnapped and killed Hope and how she will probably get life. He plans on taking Hope away and keeping her locked up forever. As he puts on his jacket, he drops a bullet. Hope sees it but Larry doesn't. Hope fakes a faint and quickly grabs the bullet without Larry seeing. He doesn't show any concern and tells Hope he will be back when she wakes up. She wakes up and starts writing a message on the wall behind her bed.

Roman, Shane and Abe arrived at the hospital. One of the nurses announced that Lexie escaped the started searching the hospital for her. Lexie and the nurses that helped her escape are in the stairwell heading to the roof. Bo arrives at the hospital and is also on his way to the roof.

Caroline realizes that Bo is gone and Sean informs his family that Bo probably went after Lexie. Bo reaches the roof just as the helicopters are arriving. Roman, Shane, and Abe break down the door to the roof to find Bo choking Lexie. He drops her just as they come thru, and Roman yells out to Bo. They radio for EMT's but Bo announces it's too late she already dead!

11/18 Craig pronounces Lexie dead as Abe, Roman, Shane and Bo look on; Abe is devastated and lashes out at Bo for taking the law into his own hands. He insists on putting his wife on the gurney himself, but breaks down in tears over her corpse.

Shawn arrives at the trauma center with Belle at the same time as Jack and Jennifer; Celeste crosses in just as Roman announces to everybody that Lexie is dead and Bo is the one who killed her. The cops finally bring Bo down from the roof and Roman arranges for him to have a moment to speak with Shawn. He tells his son to take care of Zack and be both a father figure and brother to him.

Celeste attacks Bo for murdering her daughter and Roman and Shawn have to pull her away from him. Celeste cries over Lexie's body as it comes through on the way to the morgue; she and Abe go to the chapel to say a prayer for Lexie. Bo is read his rights and taken to be booked, then put behind bars.

11/20 Bo tells Roman and Caroline that he has nothing to live for without Hope and plans to plead guilty for killing Lexie; Mickey begs Bo to reconsider and Caroline reminds Bo that he has two sons that need their father. When they arrive at the arraignment, Bo allows Mickey to plead not guilty for him. The DA is ruthless and Mickey asks that the charge be lessened to second-degree murder with a reasonable bail. Shawn shows up with Jack and Jennifer in time to hear the judge rule that the first-degree charge stands and Bo will be sent to jail without bail.

Hope's devastated when Larry comes in with news that Bo has been arrested for Lexie's murder and Billie is practically brain dead. Larry taunts her further by telling her that everyone thinks she's dead, too; worried that Billie could wake up and disclose his location, Larry struggles to force Hope out of the warehouse and discovers her inscription on the wall, indicating that she's being taken away by boat. Larry is furious and scratches out the message, leaving Hope fearful that her possible rescue has been foiled.

11/22 Hope is alone in an abandoned meat locker, reeling from everything she's read in the newspaper about Bo killing Lexie. Hope prays for help as she doesn’t want to see anyone else die. Meanwhile, Shane visits Bo as family and tries to offer comfort as he brings word from Kayla and Kimberly. Shane tells Bo that Shawn has not been able to accept what has happened to Bo and his mother.

Larry disguises himself to find out about Billie's condition as she is his only loose end and plans on eliminating her today. Kate, Lucas and Philip are devastated as Roman announces to the press that Billie is brain dead and the family is taking her off life support. Satisfied that Billie is not a loose end, Larry leaves.

Larry returns from the hospital and takes great pride in confirming that Bo has been charged with Lexie’s murder and denied bail, Lexie is dead, Billie will be dead soon, and everyone thinks Hope is dead, so they won't come looking for her and the coast is clear. She tells him they aren’t going anywhere and pulls a knife on him, though he pulls out his gun and disarms her. She tells him to go to hell, he says he will be happy to take here there. He gloats that she will never see her family again, she won’t see Shawn graduate college or get married. He continues that it will be easier for Zach as he won’t remember her. Hope warns him that he is underestimating her husband.

Larry laughs as Bo is in jail and will never get out, he won’t be able to pull off a big daring rescue this time. He points out there is no trail of evidence leading back to Larry. As he tries to shuttle her out, Hope whispers a desperate prayer for Bo to save her. Meanwhile, Bo is in jail and saying his own prayers. Bo feels his connection with Hope and in when Roman arrives, Bo pleads that Hope needs him and she needs him now! In a huge moment, Roman helps Bo escape. He tells Bo, “Do what you have to do!” as he gives him a gun and lets him go free.

Dvd #52B 11/25 Larry, armed with a gun, brings Hope to the pier and they're both shocked when Bo appears, also with a gun, demanding Larry let Hope go. Larry threatens to shoot Hope, forcing Bo to drop his weapon. Since the boat is late, Larry has Bo start up the Fancy Face then backhands him, causing Bo to fall into the water. Larry takes Hope out on the river, but Bo bursts out of the water and lunges for Larry.

They wrestle and Bo manages to get Larry's gun, shoot him in the chest, and see him fall overboard. Bo and Hope share an emotional reunion. Bo and Hope share a tender moment as Bo puts her wedding ring back on her finger, promising he'll never lose her again. Shane goes to visit a patient at the hospital and it's Billie, sitting up in her bed, alert with just a bandage on her head, very much alive.

11/26 Abe tells a very alive Lexie that she was exonerated of all charges. This is just brilliant!

At University Hospital, The Bradys, Hortons and Williams families are all party to a secret plot to SAVE Hope, they arrived to see Hope. Jack and Jen arrive to see Billie, and she immediately apologizes to Jack for the ruse. Billie’s story was that the "brain dead" ruse was to protect her and Hope from Welch. She was actually shot by Larry when he figured that she was onto him. She returned to Salem on what she thought was an undercover assignment from the ISA.

Billie fills in Jack and Jenn that she Identified Larry Welch from a mug shot as the ISA agent she thought she was working with. They found evidence at the warehouse where Billie had seen Welch, and this led police to the docks. Billie also admitted she was instrumental in Hope's disappearance.

Roman also visited Billie, and accused her of lying and teaming up with Welch to get Hope out of the way, and that criminal charges would be filed against her. However, despite evidence against Billie, Bo told Hope he was hesitant to jump to conclusions about her after rushing to judgment about Lexie. Bo recaps to Hope about reading her letter, struggling to find a hidden message in her farewell letter, until he found her repetition of the words, "How we”. He picked up on the reference to the 'Howie' Hoffstedder scam of Larry Welch years ago, and Bo connected Welch to the kidnapping.

Further, Bo found a date Hope scribbled on a wall where she was held, a date important to Bo and her. Learning that Welch had been released on parole without public notification, Bo traced calls to Cedar Rapids where Hope disappeared. Shane didn't believe Billie's story about Welch, but once she was shot, Bo decided to put the phony plot to kill Lexie into action in order to trick Welch. Reunited with her husband and sons, Hope was shocked to hear Lexie was alive.

Just as Bo is filling her in one Lexie’s role in helping out, Lexie stops to see her. Hope tells her that she is so sorry for what Larry did to her, and Lexie is sorry for everything that happened to Hope. Lexie fills Hope in on the plot via flashback. Lexie admits that she had already planned on escaping jail, Abe overheard her and they plotted for her to proceed with the escape as planned.

She shares that believing Bo was capable of murdering her wasn’t that much of a stretch given he tried to strangle her earlier in the day. She continues that she had to do everything she could for Hope and Zach. Hope felt uncomfortable by Lexie's remark that Zack needed his mother until Lexie added, "he needed you with him." Bo filled her in on the whole plan, Lexie was tailed for the suspected kidnapping until she came forward with Hope's planted itinerary and wallet.

Gathering the family at the Brady Pub, Bo had warned that Hope's life depended on their silence. Jen had found evidence meant to convince them of Hope's death and to frame Lexie for it, but that Bo declared Lexie was innocent and Welch was holding Hope. The plan: Make was to make the outside world believe that Hope was gone and mourn privately together, in order to bring her home. While Bo was assuring Hope that Larry was gone and never coming back, Welch was scratching his way up onto a sandy beach.

11/27 The Bradys and Hortons celebrated a private Thanksgiving dinner at Tuscany courtesy of Maggie. When Colin showed up, several people were uncomfortable. Hope broke the silence by welcoming Colin to the dinner. Philip stopped by to tell Hope how glad he was that she was okay. Bo assured Hope that Larry was dead, even though his body has not been found.

Shane told John he would check DNA to see if Tony really is John's brother. They told Roman that it was likely that some of the fingerprints found on the island belonged to Roman and Marlena from the time they were held by DiMera on an island. John and Shane kept Roman in the dark about the note Marlena found. Colin made a suspicious exit just as the dinner was about to begin.

12/2 Hope and Bo get home from Thanksgiving dinner and are finally alone, but Hope has a hard time shaking off memories of Larry and what he did to her. Bo tries to help her focus on the holidays and their future together. Meanwhile, Larry is hiding out at the Horton Cabin and reveals his bulletproof vest that saved him from the bullet. He has an envelope with a Phoenix seal, which will ensure his victory against Hope and Bo.

12/3 At the Brady House, Hope insisted that Billie was involved with Welch, and told Bo she wanted the Billie issue resolved for good. While assuring her safety, Bo seemed concerned after having falsely arrested Lexie. Later, Hope & Jen discussed Jack. Despite Hope's optimism, Jen felt it was over between them.

At Salem PD, Abe & Roman discussed the possibility of Welch's body being carried out with the water's current and the difficulty of substantiating Billie's story without him. Similar, to Hope, Roman was not interested in giving Billie any more chances. With Jack there, supporting her as an innocent victim, Billie defended her actions.

Bo challenged her, advising that she get a lawyer fast. At Abe's request, Billie handed in her gun and badge, and Roman gave her fifteen minutes to leave. As Billie was leaving Salem PD, she was faced by a defiant Hope who declared she wasn't going anywhere until Hope was through with her.

12/4 Bo bumped into Colin at the hospital. Colin told Bo how happy he was that Hope was home safely, but he didn't understand why Bo didn't include him in the secret plot to nab Larry. Bo assured him that, as long as he rubs elbows with the DiMera family, the Brady family would never trust him.

Hope ran into Billie as she was leaving the police station and vowed to make Billie pay for what she did to her. Billie tried to convince Hope that she wasn't in on her kidnapping, but Hope didn't buy it. Billie apologized for the pain that Hope went through. Billie brought up the child of hers and Bo's that had died. Incensed that Billie would use that tragedy to gain sympathy, Hope shoved Billie's box of belongings and told her to get out. Billie shoved back and Hope fell, just as Bo walked in the office. Bo showed Billie the door.

Larry marveled at the irony of his refuge in the Horton cabin. While looking at a Swiss bank account statement, he declared that he was a rich and powerful man and with Stefano DiMera's help, nothing can stop him. Larry revealed that although Colin thought he had been working for the DiMera's, Larry has been calling the shots. Larry called Colin at the hospital to introduce himself.

12/6 The Blue Note is the place to be as Bo & Hope, Jennifer & Colin, and Jack & Billie all converge there, much to each other's' chagrin. Bo confronts Billie and tells her that her presence is making Hope uncomfortable. Billie asks Jack if they can leave and go somewhere else. He says yes, he just needs to talk to Jennifer for a moment, leaving Billie alone with Bo and Hope. She apologizes again and tells them she had no idea that she was working with Larry Welch and no idea that he would hurt her. Hope responds that no one in Salem will ever believe another word she says.

Bo and Hope continue their romantic evening and he gives her a beautiful piece of jewelry he had originally planned to give her when she flew home from Iowa. As Kelly Moneymaker takes the stage for a live performance, Bo and Hope dance, engrossed in each other's arms.

12/9 Bo and Hope come home and almost interrupt Shawn and Belle who are making out on the couch. They hear his parents arriving home, and quickly separate and act like they are just hanging out watching TV.

12/12 Bo, Hope and Zack begin to prepare the Christmas tree for decorating. When Zack is asleep Bo and Hope have a few intimate moments on the couch. Hope goes to the basement to get an extension cord, and sees a vision of Larry standing in front of her. She screams and Bo comes running, Hope lies and says she saw an old mouse toy of Shawn's and thought it was real. Later, as they hug, Hope "sees" Larry outside the front door.

12/13 Bo and Hope kiss under the mistletoe, still enjoying their reunion, while Shawn and Belle arrive; Bo teases Shawn a bit, but tells him they trust him and to be careful. Hope breaks down about her kidnapping, but Bo and Shawn reassure her that Larry is dead.

Colin shows up, making Bo suspicious. Bo gets on Colin about his DiMera association, but Colin circumvents and digs for information, confirming that Bo plans to be at Victor's wedding. Colin tries to duck out just after Shawn, but Bo stops him, warning him not to interfere with Victor and Nicole's wedding. Colin agrees and goes, leaving Bo skeptical about his cousin and unaware that he is Colin's ultimate target.

12/16 Jack drags Billie to the pub so he can see Abby, while Billie waits outside. Bo, Hope, and Zack arrive and chew her out for even coming near the pub. Roman comes up and takes Zack inside, allowing Hope to cut further into Billie. They leave her feeling at her lowest and she takes off.

Inside the pub, Hope confides in Jennifer that she's still having nightmares of Larry, but Jennifer assures her that Larry's dead. Bo tells Roman that Colin is up to something and he's going to find out what it is.

12/17 At Raymond Grant's office, a disguised Larry Welch was unconvincing as a DiMera messenger. When Grant caught on, Welch said he had been DiMera's courier in Europe ensuring delivery of Stefano's bequeathed items. But Grant was stunned to learn that the instructions to kill Bo Brady did not come from Stefano but Welch himself, as well as the attempted hit on Victor as payback for Welch's jail sentence.

At gunpoint, Grant pleaded for his life offering to reinstate Welch in the DiMera organization or get him a new identity, but Welch shot him twice. Leaving with papers and a file from Grant's desk, Welch mused that the Salem PD should get out the 'body bags'.

Roman tells Bo he is concerned about Kate getting in over her head with Tony when he spots them together. After Roman gets a call notifying him of Grant's murder, he and Bo stop by their table. Suspicious of either Tony or Kate's implication, Roman reminded them that impounding Grant's files could implicate them. As the Salem PD investigated the crime scene, Roman and Bo speculated what evidence they might find connecting others to DiMera, including Colin.

12/18 Colin meets up with a disguised Larry, who blackmails him because he has Colin's dossier from Grant's office. Larry says he knows Colin was working with Grant behind Tony's back and now Larry insists that Colin will work for him.

12/19 Larry tells Colin that he works for him now and he will kill Bo for free, not for the $2 million Colin recently thought he was getting. If Colin doesn't the safety deposit box will not be paid and the unsavory files will go to Tony, Shane, and Bo. Colin reluctantly agrees and Larry tells him he will contact him later.

12/20 Jennifer tells Jack and Bo what she overheard in Colin's room, but Bo's afraid it's not enough to take action yet. She decides she can use her relationship with Colin to bring him down, and Bo offers support and promises to wire her and have backup ready. Colin finds Larry and agrees to kill Bo in exchange for the dossier.

Bo passes through and nearly misses Larry in his disguise, but he does see Colin, who tells his cousin his plans to leave Salem. Bo realizes Colin is about to make his move; Colin vows to get $5 million from Nicole, leave town with Jennifer, and dispose of anyone who gets in his way.

12/23 Billie took a lie detector test to prove that Larry had set her up, and she passed with flying colors. Roman and Kate were pleased that Billie was telling the truth, while Abe learned that Larry had access to codes and information that would have made him look legitimate to Billie. She was exonerated, and Abe assured her that she would probably get her badge back. Bo and Hope were upset over it, and Hope thought that even if Billie was telling the truth about Larry, she still had residual feelings for Bo.

12/24 At the Hortons', Lucas and Will joined Maggie and Mickey; Doug and Julie; Bo, Hope and Zack; and Sami and Brandon. Abby got her wish as Jennifer extended her hand to Jack as an invitation to place their ornaments on the tree together. Upon completing the family decorating tradition, Alice remarked to her deceased husband, "Well, Tom, we're all still here and so blessed."

12/25 Bo, Hope, and Shawn celebrated Christmas Day big for Zack because it was his first Christmas as a Brady. Belle joined them, and Shawn gave her a gift: a night planned for New Year's Eve at the Salem Inn, where they planned to make love for the first time. Meanwhile, Abe and Lexie shared a romantic Christmas together and exchanged gifts involving the arrival of their first child.

Bo, Hope, Shawn, Belle, and Zack all headed over to the Brady Pub to be with the family, and Abe and Lexie showed up with a gift for Zack. Lexie waited outside, but Hope insisted Lexie go in and give the present to Zack herself. It was a huge moment of forgiveness as Hope allowed Lexie to see Zack then Lexie made the big announcement that she was pregnant.

Mickey had laryngitis and couldn't read the Christmas story, so Alice stopped Chloe on her way out with Brady and her parents and asked her to read it to all the sick children. Jack, Jennifer, and Abby arrived at the party after spending the morning together, and later, Colin told Jennifer that he was thinking about moving back to Ireland. After Chloe and Brady took Nancy home, they made love, while Nancy still had trouble dealing with the fact that she had given up Craig's baby.

12/26 Bo and Hope shared a quiet evening at home as well. Bo gives Hope a music box with “Celebrate My Love”, complete with flashbacks to the first music box he gave her. They danced to their song. Hope thought she saw Larry in the window. Bo went to look and found no one. She told him maybe it had been the neighbor, never revealing she'd thought it had been Larry. They reminisced about their first Christmas as a married couple and the year Bo had given Hope the music box. Bo carried Hope upstairs, where their evening ended in bed as they make love.

12/30 Bo surprises Hope with a living room full of balloons for her birthday. She pops the balloons to discover her present: a day at the Salem Inn spa and a romantic night in a Salem Inn suite. Suddenly, she sees Larry's face threatening Shawn on one of the balloons, leaving her fearful and short with Bo.

Meanwhile, Shawn takes Belle to the Horton Cabin for some alone time, unaware that Larry is hiding out there. Larry slips into the mud room and Shawn/Belle discover the fireplace has been used and wonder if someone has been there. They go to get wood and Larry aims his gun at them, but Belle knocks on Larry and he falls unconscious. As Shawn builds a fire, he sees Belle shivering and thinks they should go home. On the way out, he spots Larry's Santa suit and wonders if someone broke in. Larry emerges from the mud room and is glad he didn't shoot the kids because it would've compromised his plan to kill Bo.

In the meantime, Bo and Hope go to the Salem Inn, where Hope talks Bo into getting a massage too. In the corridor, Hope has another vision of Larry and covers with Bo. Bo pays Colin a visit, while Jennifer hides in the bathroom. Colin says he's alone and Bo buys it and leaves. (Note Jennifer has slept with Colin in order to convince him of her love for him and to protect Jack).

12/31 Bo accepted Victor's invitation to act as his Best Man and then headed to the Horton cabin to follow up on a possible break-in there. A call from Larry Welch brought orders Colin to kill Bo immediately or Colin himself would be killed or just wish he was dead. Colin now demanded the file Welch had taken from Grant's office. We see Colin holding a bullet with Bo’s name on it.

1/2/03 Bo and Hope go to the pub and run into Roman; Hope has more visions of Larry, while Bo and Roman discuss the possible break-in at the Horton Cabin. Jennifer’ privately tries to tell Bo about Colin's threat toward Jack, but Colin enters and she aborts the idea. Bo, Hope, and Shawn arrive at the mansion, where Hope sees Larry and tries to exorcise the image from her mind. Bo senses something is wrong with Hope, but she covers when Colin arrives. Jennifer corners Bo and finally tells him about Colin's threat toward Jack and painfully admits she thinks she neutralized Colin by sleeping with him. Hope steps out onto the terrace for some air and overhears Colin on the phone, saying he intends to kill Bo.

1/3 Hope turns after hearing Colin say he plans to kill Bo and sees him morph into Larry standing there, gun in hand. She goes back into the mansion and stumbles into Shawn, covering her emotional distress though her son looks after her concerned. Bo assures Jennifer he'll bring Colin down for threatening Jack's life. Jennifer cries on Hope's shoulder (after her confrontation with Jack after Colin told him they slept together) and then she runs off into the night as well. Hope has another memory of Larry and disappears from the wedding.

Bo interrupts Victor, looking for Colin, and confides in Victor that Colin's been stirring up trouble. Victor tells Bo he'll handle Colin, but Bo is just as determined and warns him that dealing with Colin is Bo’s responsibility. Victor calls Nico and tells him to take care of Colin that night. Bo's frustrated when he can't find Colin and has to take his place next to Victor as the wedding begins, unaware that Colin is taking aim at him outside. Bo realizes Hope isn't in the room and sends Shawn to search for her. Colin mutters to himself because he's lost the perfect shot on Bo and suddenly realizes that someone is watching him.

**The End**