Article: Genevieve Terblanche from tvplus

It's been less than a year since the Stalker first started terrorising Salem in Days. The town is full of people who’ve lost their loved ones in the most horrific ways.

Lexie lost Abe on the day of their son’s christening. Kate became a widow before she could be a wife when the stalker choked Roman with the bride and groom from the top of their wedding cake. Shortly after they were remarried, Jen was forced to "kill" Jack when she had to decide to take him off life support after the Stalker’s attack.

But life goes on and people get on with living it. New Salem's evil mastermind has made sure the Stalker's victims (and us poor Days fans) have a front row seat to watching their loved ones go about getting over them in the coming months. So let’s look in on three couples.

Don't hate Kate
Stefano's pawn and his ex-hooker – now there's a match made in Salem. The interesting thing is that with Kate handling her own grief over Roman, she's not out hunting for someone new.

She's just there for John because she knows what he’s going through. She’s probably the most honest she’s ever been right now (while still being out to get Sami). She even came right out and told John about her past as Stefano’s hooker and, for once, she has a relationship with a guy in which there’s nothing hanging over her head.

Well, that’s new. Lauren Koslow (Kate) told Soap Opera Digest, "John and Kate are so different and yet they have a lot in common: They’re both extremely independent, very powerful people who have been up and down and all over and have dark pasts that are pretty similar. They’ve both been through hell and survived."

Being with Roman has also prepared Kate for being the right kind of person for John to speak to. Roman showed her what it was like to have someone stand up for her and support her, and now she’s passing that gift on to John.

From John’s side, Kate makes him feel that he can still be strong and offer her support. Even though he’s lost the love of his life and is absolutely devastated, he knows he’s not the only one suffering.

It’s not just about him and his broken heart. Lauren Koslow (Kate) explained part of the attraction to Soap Opera Weekly. "Even though Kate may be manipulative or devious, with this man she’s not. It’s a very sincere thing. She wants to help John and cares for him. She’s definitely attracted to him but she’s honouring his commitment (to Marlena) and her commitment (to Roman)."

It sounds innocent enough, but the mounting tension between the two and the almost-kisses prove there’s a lot more between this couple than holding hands and mopping up tears.

Lauren’s co-star Drake Hogestyn (John) pointed out to her that Kate and Roman aren't strangers, either. They have a history together. "They do work together. Sometimes Drake reminds me that it goes back even further than that. Before I played the part, Kate and John had a relationship.

"Not romantically, but they were friends. He helped her with her business. There's a lot of history between them that I didn’t know. Drake remembers it all," said Lauren. Remember when Victor tossed Kate out of the mansion and she was wearing (shudder) polyester and working as a waitress? John never sneered at her.

He was the one who offered her a job at Basic Black and helped her get back on her feet (and get those feet back into decent shoes).

Drake bravely (we know John and Marlena fans can be fierce) added his opinion in an Entertainment Tonight interview. "John and Kate might not be the most obvious couple but there is some passion going on there. It has been really, really fun to play. I got an earful yesterday from all these websites and campaigns that are springing up for what they call Jate – John and Kate."

He told fans what they could look forward to in Soap Opera Digest: "It's a very slow build over a long period of time. I think there's a romantic feeling there that spawns out of a couple of different things.

"She has not turned her back on him and he has been putting her through hell, and the other part is that misery loves company, which is what got them to this point. They're just trying to bury themselves in each other and forget about what they have lost. That’s a human emotion."

Fast fact
When Marlena and John and Kate and Roman were eventually reunited, John and Kate fans were left out in the cold. They stood up for the romance they had come to believe in.

Then Marlena got hysterical amnesia and Roman divorced Kate, so the fans sent Drake and Lauren and Days' producer Ken Corday wrist watches along with the message, "There's no time like the present to reunite John and Kate."

Tek and Lexie
Should Tek hook up with his former commander and mentor's wife? Um... how about no? At least that's what Abe's thinking.

He sent Lexie a special parcel – fated to arrive after his death – containing a letter in which he wished, always, for her happiness. Right now he knows that means finding a new daddy for Theo and a new love for Lexie.

And there's a guy waiting in the wings, ready to slip his feet under the table. He meant it at the time but now that's he’s not actually dead, Abe’s desperate to get back before his wife checks out Tek.

It's a while to go still but Renee's description of what happens is so funny we thought we'd share. Looking back on the storyline, Renee Jones told www.daysofourlives.com: "Luckily, people tend to forget this, but Lexie did start this whole thing with Tek when she thought Abe was dead.

"Tek just got the juices flowing and when Abe came back, he was such a jerk, always pushing Lexie away. The more I tried to get close to him, the more he pushed me away. Anything I’d say to him, I'd just say 'Let's have dinner.' 'No. I'm impotent!' 'Do you want a cup of coffee?' 'You know I'm impotent!'

"Because of that, and Tek always saying, 'I'm here for you, I love you. You deserve to be listened to and needed and held.' How can you resist that? When Abe came back, I told Tek it had to be over. But then, I didn’t know that Abe would be acting the way that he’s acting. I push Tek away a lot even still. But the flesh is only so strong!"

James Reynolds reveals there's a reason for Abe's coldness when he gets back to Salem. He told www.soapdom.com, "It was too much to bear and exploding was the only option he had. The anger is now cold, as opposed to hot. And, he sees no way to reconcile with Lexie.

"This was not the first time she cheated on him and it made it much more difficult. He questioned her love and commitment for him. To get back with her would be a real struggle."

While Abe isn't going to take Lexie’s infidelity lying down (he can't – he's impotent) don’t expect him to become Big Bad Abe. James told SoapNet, "I think that much like John Black and Bo, you won't see Abe turn to the dark side.

"All those guys have this very tough side to them so I think you’ll certainly see that as you do periodically anyway. I think Abe has too much character to turn to the dark side."

Jen and Jack
Kate, John, Tek and Lexie are moving on, but not everyone in Salem is. Jack died shortly after Abe but while Abe’s sitting back in New Salem, Jack’s out exploring the jungle trying to find a way back to Jen.

As for Jen, Days' exec producer Ken Corday told Soap Opera Weekly, "It's been six months. For her to just be wringing her hands with Lexie, day in and day out . . . she has to move on." So he brought in sexy, shirtless Patrick Lockhart.

He’s supposed to be one of the bad guys but he’s developed a protective streak for the woman he was supposed to set up. Could there be a more pitiable object than the sweet faced pregnant widow who’s come to his rescue?

But Jen’s so wound up in her baby and believing Jack’s still alive that she isn’t giving Patrick a second thought. And Patrick’s so busy evil-henchmanning and putting up shelves for the helpless widow, he hasn’t much time for seducing.

"Deep down in his heart, Patrick could be in love with Jennifer if there was no Jack in the picture," Brody Hutzler (Patrick) told TV Guide. The only time he gets to kiss her, is when she's in labour and delirious and thinks he's Jack!

So is that the secret behind staying true in Salem – stay focussed, pregnant and in denial about death? Sounds about right. Poor Patrick never gets a look in and moves on to the other woman of Salem – starting with Billie and moving on to... Hope. Look out, Bo!