The Rustle of the Sheets . . .
Soap Opera Digest

Michelle doesn't believe Danny when he tells her he loves her," insists Joie Lenz (Michelle). "And she can't believe that Drew, the only friend she thought she could actually talk to, slept with her husband." Angry and hurt, Michelle storms out and confronts the club owner. Later, she heads over to Millennium, where she drowns her sorrows: "She's gone through so much and she figures she's just going to get smashed."

Meanwhile, Danny has a heart-to-heart with his sister. "Pilar chews Danny out for being such a pig and sleeping with Drew," says Stewart. "He has his tail between his legs, goes looking for Michelle and finds her wasted and hanging out with all of these frat guys. Danny tries to shuttle Michelle out of there." Which is no easy task. "One of the frat guys interferes, but when Michelle tells them who he is, they all quake with fear and back off. Michelle refuses to leave the club, so Danny manhandles her out of there in Neanderthal fashion."

At the Bauer home, Danny tries to convince a drunken Michelle that he does love her and that it is possible for them to make their relationship work. A stubborn Michelle insists that it's over. Eventually, her anger subsides and "she comes on to Danny," says Lenz. While it looks as though the couple may finally consummate their relationship ... they don't. "Because Danny is such an upstanding gangster, he feels uncomfortable making love with Michelle when she's in this state of mind and pulls away," says Stewart. "Michelle freaks out and says things like, isn't she as good as Drew? Why won't he sleep with her if he slept with Drew?"

Finally, Danny can't take dealing with an inebriated Michelle anymore and shoves her into a cold shower. "That pretty much is the breaking point for her," Stewart continues. "She really drops her guard and confesses how hurt she is. After Michelle calms down, she is still very reluctant and feels that all the things Danny said to her before about not having a future together because their lives are so different is true." This prompts Danny to make his biggest sacrifice yet.

"Danny doesn't want to lose Michelle again," asserts Stewart. "He declares that he will change for her. He will leave his family and take her far away from Springfield and his family if that's what it takes for them to be together." Before a stunned Michelle can respond, the phone rings. "It's Ben Warren informing Danny that shots rang out at the Santos mansion," previews the actor. "Danny drops everything and flies out of Michelle's room to be at his mother's side."

Little does he know that his maniacally minipulative mama has arranged a hit on herself in the hopes of bringing her family back together!

-- Rebecca Detken