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In Horton Square, Liam assures his new tutor Julie that he’s a hard worker; no Candy Crush on the bus for this guy! Still, he worries about what she may have heard about him from Abe. Welp, Julie knows that Liam’s made some poor choices. She’s not fussed about it, though. “When I was young and charming,” she admits, “I made so many poor choices myself.”

Based on these scenes, Doug’s widow is still hella charming when she wants to be!

It’s a Date for Liam and Ari

By and by, Julie can’t help but notice that Liam is staring — and not at her, either. Of course, Ari is sitting nearby looking all cute and twitterpated. When she approaches to wish cousin Julie a happy birthday, Liam fibs that he’s interviewing for a job at the bookstore. Seamlessly transitioning into wingman mode, Julie covers for him — “tutor/student privilege,” she calls it — but urges him to be honest with Ari if they wind up forging a “friendship.”

Once Liam and Julie’s session wraps, he chats up Ari, who — having been “sexiled” from the dorm by Holly and Tate — is reading a galley of One Rainy Night as part of her internship at DiMera. Would Ari prefer to kill some time by taking in a movie? Liam asks. In fact, she would, so off the twosome go.

More: Alison Sweeney puts co-star on the spot

And not for nothing, but weren’t their interactions a lovely reminder that a couple of characters awkwardly throwing sparks can be every bit as compelling as over-the-top plot twists? Maybe even more compelling!

Belle and Kristen Work Each Other’s Last Nerves

At Brady’s, he and Belle are discussing how Rachel is settling in since being sprung from Bayview when Kristen unexpectedly returns from Aremid. (And here we thought she was on a yacht in Lake Michigan.) She doesn’t even get to sit down before Belle suggests that they discuss the hearing. Now? Kristen balks. With Rachel in the other room?

The door is closed, and their daughter’s asleep, Brady assures his ex. So there’s no way out for Kristen, who immediately accuses Belle of having a condescending tone just because she’s “single and living with Mommy.” Um, not sure that those dots really connect, but that’s Kristen logic for ya.

More: How Deidre Hall rode to Jackee Harry’s rescue

Belle wants to make sure the loose cannon sticks to their plan at the hearing: She’s to go in, recant her testimony that she shot E.J. and, above all else, don’t antagonize Judge Dabney. By the hardest, Kristen acknowledges that she understands the assignment.

After Belle gives in to temptation — and brings up Sarah just to irk Kristen — Rachel’s mom grumpily excuses herself to read the little girl a story. “She’s asleep,” Brady reminds her. Kristen doesn’t care! Lord, Belle sighs when the human train wreck has exited. “I bet she could even make the Dalai Lama blow a fuse.”

Leo Ponders a ‘Mantel Full of Glittering Shame’

In Alamainia, Leo is still kicking himself for his disastrous misstep with Javi. “If they gave out awards for betrayal,” he rants to Dimitri, “I would have a mantel full of glittering shame!” Dimitri doesn’t see what the big deal is since Leo said he was over Javi. “I just said what I thought I wanted to hear myself say,” Leo cries, “not what I felt.” Obviously!

Given the state his partner in crime is in, Dimitri suggests that Leo sit out the next step of their plan. But he won’t hear of it. If he wasn’t up to the task of acting as lookout, he insists that he’d just stay back at the hotel and watch Eurovision (which would be a neat trick since the song contest isn’t being held until May).

Stefan DiMera… Can Ya Dig It?

Before Dimitri arrives at Vivian’s house to question the staff and retrieve his belongings, henchwoman Renata phones Salem, where hired gun Klaus informs her that Ivan is confident Dimitri and Leo won’t leave Alamainia alive. Mmkay. Just then, Leo, decked out in widow drag, positions himself to watch for Vivian and Ivan at the cemetery for their daily visit to Stefan’s grave. Though they don’t show up, at the very end of the episode, a grave digger begins unearthing Stefan’s coffin. (Further proof that Jake’s twin is alive.)

Back at Vivian’s, Dimitri tries and fails to bribe Renata, who is quick to show him the wrong side of the door. He sneaks back in, though, and later reveals to Leo what he found: the shipping label that was used to send his stuff to Alamainia — and it has a return address. So obviously, that’s where Dimitri and Leo will head next! Meanwhile, Renata is worried; not only are Vivian and Ivan not back yet from the cemetery, but he’s not answering is phone.