Bad boy Patch, Steve Johnson, first was seen when he was hired by Emma Donavon (Shane's back from the dead and very psycho wife) after she had kidnapped Andrew Donavon, the child of her not so ex-husband and his new wife Kimberly Brady. She has sleazy Patch break into Kayla's apartment, so as to get Kayla out of the way so she does not get involved. Emma does not want Kayla to discover Andrew's faux-adoption. [Patch got his nickname from a "patch" he worn which covered his poked out eye.]

Kayla returns to Salem. She had originally left town after a failed relationship with Chris Kozitcheck. Upon her return she sets up the River Front Emergency Center, which would eventually include a community center.

At the same time Patch also comes to town and he is involved in with Victor Kiriakis and Savannah Wilder, who were involved in various nefarious activities. Savannah used the cover of a record producer to hide their illegal activities. All hell broke loose when the Salem gang went to Miami to infiltrate Victor's estate -- this story occurred during the popularity of Miami Vice.

At the same time we discover that Patch also had a past connection to Bo Brady, both being in love with the same woman, a Russian agent Britta Eckland. In a fight over Britta Bo put Patch's eye out. Because of this Patch was out for revenge. Patch terrorizes Bo and Hope for some time. On one occasion he kidnapped Hope; he placed a plate allegedly filled with acid, over her head, and if she were to move the plate would spill on her face. Bo rescued her and they both discovered that it was in actuality filled with water.

During one instance Patch rescued Kayla, who was being tormented by a number of punks at the River Front Emergency Center. Gradually Patch grows close to Kayla and they eventually fall in love. Patch is reformed and becomes the local rebel without a cause hero. Some of his trademarks is his patch, of course, his harmonica, and the "Blues Mobile." Patch, because of his past and his physical appearance, is reluctant to start a relationship with Kayla. He cannot believe that anyone as lovely as she could fall in love with someone with a past like his, and someone as "deformed" as he. Kayla however has fallen in love with him and assures him he is good enough for her. She sees beyond his exterior.

Meanwhile we discover that Patch was put up for adoption, because he was from a dysfunctional family. His father was an alcoholic who abused his mother, him, and his baby brother, Billy. In attempt to protect his family young Stevie, Patch, sets a fire to get his abusive father. Patch carries several mementos with him, a newspaper clipping of the article on the fire, a photo of him and his baby brother Billy, and a toy train.

About this time a young woman comes to town, and she is befriended by Kayla. Kayla asked her new friend Adrienne to stay with her because Adrienne's place had been burglarized. Meanwhile Kayla and Patch were having troubles because of his flashbacks of his childhood. He then begins to recognize personal mementoes from his childhood in Adrienne's possession. Adrienne then admits to being his sister. Later her mother comes to town escaping, finally, from her abusive husband Duke Johnson. W At first Steve is bitter at his mother and sister (who was born after he and Billy were put up for adoption).

Jo was being beaten by Duke and this brought about Steve's reunion with his mother. Patch helped her get a restraining order against Duke. However, in a drunken rage Duke came looking for Jo, but instead he found his daughter, the virgin Adrienne, and raped her. She shot and killed him; and Patch took the rap. Patch went to trial and Kimberly hypnotized Adrienne and she came busting into the court with the news just as Patch was to be sentenced.

Shortly afterwards Adrienne starts a friendship, and eventual romance with Justin Kiriakis, Victor's playboy nephew. The jaded Justin's heart is drawn to this sad girl -- Adrienne is trying to deal with what happened to her and what she did. Though like most soap couples their relationship is not a smooth one, because of who they are, their social differences, and each's past. [Sometime later Justin has an affair with Anjelica Deveraux, who becomes pregnant.]

Early 1987 Patch pretended to be part of the mob to help Shane get Victor off his back.

Later on there was an explosion at Mike's lab where the disk ( that disk they were to search for in Greece) . Patch helped Senator Harper Deveraux to fake his death in order to better investigate the explosion. Steve posed as the assassin to get in with Victor's mob. Patch fired the gun and it was a real bullet instead of a fake one and Harper went into a coma. Patch had been set up by an Hawaiian named Kai who was working for Victor who was looking for the disk. This mystery continued and Patch came to find out that Simon Hopkins the head of the ISA the bad guy. He trapped him at the hospital, just after Harper had come out of his coma. Simon grabbed Alice but Roman shot him.

Just as things are going well for Patch, a person from Kayla's past comes to town. Jack Deveraux, whom she met at an earlier time in Hawaii, Jack had saved her life. Jack is the son of the blue-blood Senator, Harper Deveraux. Jack arrived after this mystery to see his recovering father and seek treatment for his Hodgkin's disease, which was terminal; and because of his unresolved feelings for Kayla. Kayla was eventually hired as his private nurse.

The Deveraux family included Jack, his father Harper, and step-mother Anjelica, they had connections to Victor and to Neil Curtis -- in fact for a time they stayed with Neil until they buy a home of their own..

Meanwhile at Neil's mansion Jo Johnson is working as the maid. Jack and Jo form a friendship. Surprisingly each are drawn to the other.

Jack continues to pursue Kayla, as he daily deteriorates. One day Jack shows Jo a ring that he plans to give Kayla as an engagement present; he tells her that the ring is special to him since it was a present from "his mother," who died when he was young. Immediately, Jo recognizes it as a match to the one she gave Billy. Jack Deveraux is Billy Johnson.

Also, during this time Jack tires to run for political office. He starts up a not so friendly, yet not hostile, relationship with Steve to help him win the election. Though Steve is uncertain of Jack's motives. There is always some form of tension, yet also some bond between the two.

At this time Harper discovers the truth about the Johnson family and their connection to Jack. He does not want his well concealed lie to be revealed, for it would not be politically advantageous, so he steals Jack/Billy's adoption papers from Jo.

Jo tells Steve, and Steve remembers his promise to his baby brother to take care of him. Steve is devastated that now that he found Billy, Billy is dying, and he cannot even acknowledge their relationship. Patch again feels self-conscious of his appearance and background in comparison with the well educated, rich, Jack. Because Jack is dying from Hodgkins disease Patch eventually decides to give Kayla up to Jack, so that he can marry her and live the remaining time he has happily. Patch pushes Kayla away, and does not tell her his reason.

Meanwhile Melissa Anderson becomes Jack's chief campaign worker, and she falls in love with him. Kayla agrees to marry Jack, partially out of pity and partially out hurt from being dumped by Steve. The ceremony is not a happy one for Kayla or Steve, or Melissa, but Jack got what he wished for. Jack also vows that now he has a reason to get better and to live. As time goes by Jack does in fact recover, thanks to Dr. Mike Horton.

One day Melissa discovers the adoption papers and finds out the truth about Jack. At this point Harper's true colors are being revealed more and more, he is not the noble politician that Jack believes him to be, but is in fact ruthless, evil, and even homicidal. However, Harper erroneously believes that it is Kayla who has the adoption papers -- and because he never thought that the working class daughter of people who ran a fish market was a worthy match for his son. He begins to slowly poison Kayla.

Adrienne and Justin are engaged by this point and will soon be married in Greece at Victor's estate. The whole town of Salem is preparing to go to the wedding, the wedding is also connected to a mystery of Roman's past. [At this time "Roman" -- later to be know by a plethora of names, names which change seemingly weekly -- along with Diana Colville, a reporter/owner/publisher of The Spectator are a romantic item and are pursuing the said mystery.]

Jack and Kayla have never consummated their marriage, because first Jack was ill and later because of Kayla's mysterious illness; and because she still loves Steve. Finally the two go off on their much delayed honeymoon to the Caribbean. As Jack and Kayla are going off on their honeymoon, Kayla forgets her medicine, Harper's doctored pills. During the honeymoon, without her "medicine" she starts to improve. Jack is healthy now and wants to start their marriage right, he wants to make love to Kayla. But Kala is still in love with Steve and does all she can to put Jack off. Meanwhile Steve is not too happy about the prospect, and tries to put a wedge between Jack and Kayla. Melissa, who is in love with Jack, also does not want this marriage to be successful. And then of course there is the homicidal Harper. It is at this point Matthew takes over the role.