Although Trish and David have their little setbacks now and then, the marriage seems to be working. David was able to overcome his feelings of jealousy when he saw Mike with Margo at Trish's opening at the club; and Trish was able to overcome her feelings of insecurities when Danny told her and David that Valerie was returning to Salem for the holidays! In fact, Trish suggested that Danny and Toni (along with Valerie) get together with her and David! And Danny and Toni seem to be another couple building a loving, steady relationship. Toni loves her work at the shelter has a darling daughter, and seems ready for a man in her life.

Another absolutely euphoric couple is Don and Marlena! They've been getting along terrifically--even better than before Sam interrupted their lives! But now, Jim Bradley, the Chairman of the Independent Progressives, wants Don to run for State Senator! Will Marlena be able to withstand the pressures of a political life so soon after her emotional strain with Samantha?

 And, Julie, how gullible can you be? Wasn't it enough that you went to Larry for help during the wildcat strike instead of Doug? And now that Doug is home, why do you continue to let Larry "help" you? Indeed, much to Robert's dismay, Julie is letting Larry look over all the club's records, files and bills! Julie even dresses up and goes to Larry's club, The Pines (decorated like a decadent Roman palace!) to have drinks, watch Jeri perform, and discuss business! Neil sees her there, and remarks that she looks like a "lady of the evening!" And now Larry, upon hearing from Julie that the Alcohol Control Board is meeting the first of the month to review Doug's case, gets one of his friends on the Board to again postpone the case!

 All this certainly isn't helping Doug! With time on his hands, he has taken several weekend singing gigs around the country--he almost got a recording contract, but that fell through (a big disappointment)--and now he's accepted a singing engagement at a ski lodge over the holidays! Julie is really upset to have him gone so much, but Doug tries to pacify her by saying it will be a vacation, as Julie and Hope can come to the lodge to be with him over the holidays!

PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS

 Although Mike has been seeing Margo steadily, there is another girl in his life--Patty Griffin! Patty is working as his assistant at the woodworking shop, and it's quite obvious she has a crush on him. But the two have developed a close friendship, so it is Mike who Patty turns to for advice when Ron wants her to "go all the way" with him!

 The love relationship between Mary and Chris really seemed to be blossoming! Without mentioning names (Neil!), Mary finally confessed that she had found it hard to truly trust Chris and let herself get involved in a relationship, because she was very ashamed and hurt from another relationship. Well, Chris was very understanding. In fact, all he wanted to do was beat up the man who hurt Mary so! Thus, Mary and Chris were really falling in love, till Neil messed things up! He told Chris that he was the man Mary had an affair with, and, worse yet, she still loves him, and only got involved with Chris on the rebound! So now Chris is avoiding Mary! Oh, won't true love ever run a steady course?

Linda, now, is tightening the matrimonial noose around Bob's neck--ready to kick the chair out from under him at any time! She'll do anything to become Mrs. Bob Anderson! After saying she never mixes business and pleasure, she turns around and "allows" Bob to seduce her! They then share a cozy breakfast together and go to work--together! But while Bob is on Cloud Nine, Linda is quite down-to-earth in her calculations--how soon will it be before she has Bob popping the question? She'd better hurry, as she and Mary have already had several confrontations, and Mary has made it quite clear that she thinks Linda is out to marry Bob for his money!

 After a time of sulking, Chris realizes that he has been acting foolishly, and decides to apologize to Mary, as he really loves her. But, when he goes to her home, he can't find her, and, concerned, drops in on Marlena, who only lives down the road, to see if perhaps Marlena had seen Mary! Well, Marlena was in a towel, straight from the shower when Chris knocked, and she only changed to a bathrobe to let him in, and that didn't look too good to Don when he stopped in for a visit!

LOVE KNOCKS!

Finally, Chris goes over to the Pines to mull his situation over with a drink. He calls Mary again, but she refuses to accept Chris' apology and hangs up on him. Finally, depressed, and at wit's end, Chris talks to Jeri, who tells Chris that if he really loves Mary, he should go right to her home, break the door down, and tell her he loves her! That certainly suits Chris' earthy style, and he does just that! But when the door opens, who should he find with Mary but Neil! Then, without waiting to hear the true story from Mary (that Neil, did, in fact, force his way in her home) Neil simply walks out! Poor Mary! Not only does Neil almost rape her before she finally gets him out of her home; but now she is at a total loss to ever patch things up with Chris!

Still, Chris stands up for Mary at work. Indeed, when Linda comes around when Mary calls in sick, and tries to usurp Mary's position, Chris adamantly puts the conniving Linda in her place. Linda backs down. Mary returns to work, having lost the love of Chris, she also seems to have lost her ambition in the business, and tells Linda she can finish her project -- even take over her department, if she likes -- and walks out! Chris is now forced to finish the project with Linda! Oh, won't Chris and Mary ever get together?

ALL FOR LOVE! 

And oh, Jeri had better watch herself! She is letting herself fall head in love with that scoundrel Larry Atwood! When Jeri, like a schoolgirl speaking of a crush, confides in Trish about her feelings for Larry, Trish tries to talk some sense but to no avail! Jeri continues to let Larry wine and dine--and-- make love to her!

Valerie is back in town, and there be trouble in store for all concerned! Not only did Valerie see David in the hospital when he was there with Trish and Timmy; but then she stopped by at the apartment when David was home--alone! But, feeling uncomfortable, she leaves.

Ron, meantime, is on the brink of "ditching" Patty because she won't "go all the way" with him! Therefore, losing Ron, Patty is seriously considering it! She goes to Mike and also to Toni for advice; but she still seems to be under the spell of Ron! What will she do?

In happier homes, the romance between Mike and Margo seems to be happily humming along! Indeed, that silly-but-sweet Margo seems to have ingratiated herself with the entire Horton clan! And Doug, realizing how much it would hurt both Julie and little Hope to have him away for the holidays, cancels his Christmas singing gig at the lodge!

Although Doug stayed home for the holidays, he left soon after Christmas for a New Year's singing engagement in Wisconsin! Poor Julie seems more disturbed than ever at his going away this time. She feels something terrible is going to happen! Does Julie feel that way because little Hope seems to be sick; or is she getting a premonition of what Larry Atwood is up to?

And just what is Larry Atwood up to? When he finds out that Doug is singing at Twin Falls, Wisconsin, he puts in a call to an old crony there, and asks him to do him a favor concerning Doug! Mickey had already told Doug that his hearing before the Alcohol Control Board has been reset for January 13th -- is Larry getting his old pal to simply postpone the hearing; or is it something much more sinister?

 Don, meantime, has announced his candidacy for State Senate! He had wanted Marlena to be with him when he made the announcement (and she wanted to be with him, also!) but, upon hearing an optimistic report from Sam's doctor, along with the recommendation that Marlena could visit Sam now, Marlena flew home to spend a few days with her family and visit Sam. The happy couple communicate by phone, and their loving relationship seems strong and secure.

 But what of Bill and Laura's marriage? Bill goes to visit Kate, and gives her a locket as a Christmas gift. He then kisses her--but tries to give her much, much more than a friendly kiss! Bill immediately apologizes, but the feelings that made him want to kiss Kate that way in the first place, are still there... Laura, meantime, tries to call Bill from work, and is quite upset to hear his service say that he is not in at the present, but can be reached at Kate Winograd's number!

 First it's Bill and Laura and Kate, and now it's David and Trish and Valerie! When will these people understand the sanctity of their marriage vows! Now that Valerie is back in town, Trish alternates between being terribly concerned for her marriage, to actually inviting Valerie (the very cause of Trish's concern for her marriage!) to have dinner with her and David! David and Valerie both seem more than a little upset at such an evening--and with good reason! When Valerie went to visit David alone at the apartment the other day, they both realized how much of a mistake it was for David to many Trish!

TROUBLE IN STORE!

Another person in much need of advice is young Patty! Afraid of losing Ron, Patty has agreed to spend the weekend with him at his house while his parents are gone! Before going, however, it's quite evident that she is till uncertain. She holds her mother's picture, and cries for the maternal guidance she now needs. Still, Patty goes to Ron's house, nervous though she is. Indeed, because of her very nervousness, she allows Ron to ply her with drinks, till, after many kisses, Ron says it's now time for them to go to bed...

Jean, meantime, tries to persuade Fred to consider Greg's suggestion of therapy, but Fred refuses. He says the hospital is trying to use his psychological state to get itself off the hook. He also says that he may have to quit work! Still, as much as Jean knows that Fred needs therapy, nothing will dissuade her from defending him to outsiders. Maggie can no longer get through to her about the kind of man Fred is, and neither can Ruth, Jean's mother, who's come to stay awhile to help while Fred is incapacitated.

FRAMED!

 Oh, Doug, if only you knew that Larry Atwood was engineering all your trouble in Wisconsin all the way from Salem! On the last night of his singing engagement, Doug calls Julie from his dressing room. While he's on the phone, a very pretty girl from the chorus line comes in. Although Doug and the girl are just friends--acquaintances, really--through the show, Julie is a little suspicious about the girl, despite Doug's assurance that there is nothing between him and the girl and he only loves Julie. Well, it turns out Julie was quite right to be suspicious, though her reasoning about an affair was quite inaccurate. It seems the showgirl is part of the sinister sounding "favor" Larry was on the phone about concerning Doug! For when Doug went on stage, the girl planted cocaine in his dressing room, and then tipped off the authorities who found the drug, and took Doug in for questioning! When Doug realized he wasn't going to make it back to Salem as planned because of this mess, he rings up Julie and makes some excuse about having to work longer since he canceled out on Christmas to be with her and Hope! But Doug, calling from the police station, sounded nervous, and wouldn't say "I love you" to Julie--and Julie sensed something was wrong and Doug wasn't being completely honest with her; but she thinks it's because of that showgirl and Doug is just staying to be with her! She cries all this on the shoulder of Robert, but the next morning Julie realizes she was wrong, and that Doug is in much worse trouble than she suspected. Somehow (Larry Atwood, of course), the news of Doug's arrest gets front page news coverage all the way in Salem! And who should come to Julie to comfort her but Larry! How can Julie be so gullible as to fall into the arms of Doug's archenemy, for consolation, and weep that now Doug may not be home for the hearing before the Alcohol Control Board? Later, however, Mickey visits Julie, and she relates all she knows (including the presence of the showgirl), and he promises to help.

CUPID CALLS... 

Mary and Chris, meantime, have finally ironed out their misunderstandings, and their love relationship has finally blossomed into something wonderful. Indeed, on their first night together, Chris, mindful of Mary's emotional scars from her affair with Neil, is both sensual and gentle. In fact, he initiates their lovemaking by slowly and lovingly brushing her long blonde hair...

The next morning, however, the two oversleep, and must contend with Linda's schoolmarm-like reprimands -- she even calls Bob (who is away on a business trip) to tell him the two were late! But nothing Linda can do can dampen these two lovers' spirit-until, of course, Mary finds out that her father has left Linda in charge of the company while he's gone!

Oh, Linda is doing wonders in getting Bob where she wants him! The night before he left on his trip, Linda gets a "wrong number" -- but, much to the caller's surprise, she uses it to her advantage; pretending that Tommy called her and she will be seeing him the week that Bob is away! After hanging up, Bob jealously speaks up against her seeing Tommy. But Linda subtly and judiciously makes it clear that, without marriage, Bob has no exclusive claims on her! At that point, Bob "claims " Linda by making fierce, passionate love to her! How long before he "claims" her with marriage?

 Another person who would like to tie the knot is Jeri--with Larry Atwood, no less! In fact, she comes right out and tells a rather uncomfortable Larry that she's fallen in love with him.

From SOD Online

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