In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Will asked Sonny to clarify his earlier statement about all of the things that he had put up with from Will. Sonny warned that it could take quite a while to answer the question, prompting Will to reply that it was nice to know that Sonny had been keeping a list of everything that was wrong with Will -- a list that had probably taken years to compile. Sonny shook his head and sarcastically conceded that Will was "freakin' perfect."
As Will started to clarify that he had never claimed to be perfect, E.J. arrived and interrupted the argument, observing that his original assessment of Will and Sonny's respective levels of maturity had apparently been inaccurate. E.J. chastised Will and Sonny for fighting in front of Arianna. Will conceded that E.J. was right, but Sonny asserted that witnessing a two-minute argument wasn't going to negatively impact Arianna.
E.J. wondered what had happened to Sonny and Will, who had always been such a united force in the past. "Nick is sleeping with Gabi, and genius here did not tell me about it," Will explained as he eyed Sonny accusingly. Taken aback, E.J. demanded to know why Sonny had decided to keep that information from Will after everything that Nick had done to them. "Yeah, that's me. I lie about important stuff just for the hell of it," Sonny sarcastically conceded, prompting Will to urge Sonny to reveal the reason that he had neglected to mention that Gabi had reunited with Nick.
"Because she said if I told you about her and Nick, she was gonna move out and take the baby. Now, since you two seem to know everything, what would you do in that situation?" Sonny asked. Will sighed and admitted that he was a "jackass" -- a statement that Sonny was able to agree with. Will apologized and conceded that he should have known that Sonny never would have kept anything from him unless there had been a very good reason to do so.
Will asked E.J. if Gabi could really move out of the apartment and take Arianna with her. E.J. shrugged and admitted that there wasn't a law that said that Gabi had to live with the father of her child. Will started to panic, guessing that Nick was starting to control Gabi again, but Sonny theorized that Gabi had only issued the threat because she had been scared and had been desperate to prevent Sonny from telling Will the truth.
E.J. observed that Sonny was making a very generous interpretation of Gabi's motives, and Will agreed, suspecting that Sonny's interpretation was actually too generous. Sonny explained that he was simply trying to see things from Gabi's point of view. "She is a new mom, and she's trying to finish school, and the brother she's counting on is laid up in the hospital, okay? And the two people who should be there for her -- us -- are too busy doing other things, and we're not pitching in," Sonny summarized.
Will started to dispute Sonny's suggestion that they had been too busy to help Gabi lately, but E.J. interrupted and wondered if Sonny was trying to say that Gabi was simply feeling isolated. Sonny clarified that he believed that Gabi was feeling lonely. Sonny suspected that Gabi had probably turned to Nick because Nick had turned up on her doorstep when she had been feeling nostalgic about the last time that she had cared about someone.
"The only problem with that, Sonny, is that the person that she is turning to is a nut job," Will pointed out. E.J. urged Will to contact him if Nick caused any further problems. E.J. also advised Will to listen to Sonny, confidently stating that it would be best for them to simply discuss the matter with Gabi. E.J. was pleased when Will agreed with him and Sonny, since he wanted everyone who attended his and Sami's wedding to be happy so that the atmosphere would be fun and harmonious.
Will seemed somewhat shocked to learn that E.J. and Sami were still planning to go through with the wedding, and he wondered if they had set a date yet. E.J. shook his head and reported that he was going to surprise Sami and the younger children with a trip to Chicago later that day. E.J. suspected that he and Sami might finalize some of the details of the wedding during the trip. Will and Sonny promised that they wouldn't ruin the surprise, and E.J. excused himself after urging them to stop fighting with each other.
After E.J. left, Will and Sonny hugged each other tightly as they apologized to and expressed their love for each other. "You know, I would sometime like to see that -- that list of -- of everything I've done to piss you off," Will jokingly stated. Sonny laughed and promised to think about revealing it during his next fight with Will. Will hoped that there would never be another fight, but Sonny reminded him that all couples fought occasionally.
Will disagreed, dryly stating that his parents had never fought with each other. As Sonny laughed, Will noticed that Arianna had fallen asleep. Knowing that he and Will would not be able to follow through with their original plan to take Arianna to the zoo that day, Sonny suggested that it might be best for Will to contact Gabi and ask her to meet them at the apartment so that they could discuss everything that had happened earlier.
At the hospital, Kate ran into Gabi in one of the break rooms. Gabi guessed that, like herself, Kate was waiting to see Rafe, who was in a physical therapy session with Jordan. Kate clarified that she was actually on her way to a hospital board meeting, adding that Rafe had made it clear that he didn't want her hovering over him all of the time. Gabi wondered if Kate had made her own feelings for Rafe clear to him.
Kate tried to avoid the question, but Gabi was undeterred, observing that it was obvious that Kate still cared about Rafe. Gabi recalled that Kate and Rafe had seemed happy together earlier that year. Kate clarified that she and Rafe had seemed happy together because they had truly been happy together. "Okay. Is Rafe happy with the way things are now?" Gabi asked, and Kate admitted that she didn't know the answer to that question. Gabi smiled, satisfied that she had made her point.
Elsewhere, Jordan returned Rafe to his room after their physical therapy session ended. Jordan was pleased with the progress that Rafe had made with his leg lifts, so she reported that she was going to attach ten-pound weights to his ankles during their next session. When Rafe failed to respond to her comment, Jordan started to excuse herself, but she changed her mind when she realized that he wasn't even going to say goodbye to her.
Sick of the silent treatment, Jordan urged Rafe to tell her what was bothering him. Rafe assured Jordan that he was simply tired because he had just finished a grueling physical therapy session. Jordan admitted that she had expected Rafe to be happier about the progress that he had made that day. "Happier? Okay, listen -- I used to bench press two hundred fifty pounds. You expect me to be happy because I'm lifting my leg six inches off the floor?" Rafe incredulously replied.
Jordan insisted that Rafe's ability to lift his leg six inches off of the floor was a huge achievement. Rafe noted with surprise that Jordan had never said anything truly encouraging to him before. Jordan reminded Rafe that she was a physical therapist, not a cheerleader. Jordan added that Rafe's journey back to his previous physical condition wasn't supposed to be about her at all.
"Okay. Well, then, I guess that's the mistake that I've made, because I thought you were supposed to be some sort of coach, and, uh -- well, all the coaches I had -- the good ones, anyway -- well, they always let me know what they were thinking. I don't know what you're thinking -- not at all," Rafe replied. Taken aback, Jordan stammered that she was thinking that she was really happy with the amazing job that Rafe had been doing in their physical therapy sessions. After Jordan left, Rafe muttered that she might not be a robot after all.
Later, Kate entered the room and announced that, while she could only stay for a few minutes because she had a board meeting to attend later, she had something that she wanted to talk to Rafe about. Rafe stressed that Kate never needed an excuse to visit him, and she assured him that she already knew that. Kate observed that Rafe seemed to be in a good mood, so he told her about his earlier physical therapy session and his subsequent conversation with Jordan.
After recapping everything that had happened earlier, Rafe wondered what Kate had been eager to talk to him about earlier. Kate shook her head and claimed that it wasn't important, and she abruptly excused herself so that she wouldn't be late for the board meeting. Kate encouraged Rafe to keep up the good work, adding that she was extremely happy for him. After exiting Rafe's room, Kate watched as Jordan scribbled some notes nearby.
Later, in the waiting area, Gabi tried to start a casual conversation with Jordan, noting that the hospital was the only place where she had ever encountered Jordan. After explaining that she was new to Salem and hadn't really made any friends yet, Jordan abruptly excused herself. A short time later, Gabi left after receiving a text message from Will.
Gabi returned to Will and Sonny's apartment, where she found Sonny and Will waiting for her. After apologizing for the way that he had reacted when he had caught Gabi kissing Nick earlier, Will knowingly added that, deep down, Gabi probably understood exactly why he had reacted that way. "Yeah, I get that. Yeah, that's why I was so anxious about [you] finding out. I -- I didn't -- I didn't want -- I didn't want you to go crazy, okay? And I probably didn't want to hear anything that you had to say, and I wasn't ready to answer your questions because I probably wasn't ready to even answer mine," Gabi admitted, and Sonny wondered if that was still the case.
Gabi claimed that she never would have continued to be Nick's friend after their marriage had been annulled if she had truly believed that he were still bigoted against Will and Sonny. Gabi insisted that Nick knew that what he had done to Will and Sonny had been wrong, but she added that they all knew what had made him act that way toward Sonny and Will.
Will agreed, but he asserted that Nick was still messed up, and he hoped that Gabi could understand why he didn't want Nick to be around Arianna. Sonny nodded and pointed out that Nick had also hurt Gabi, which was another one of the reasons that they were concerned about her decision to reunite with him. Conceding the point, Gabi explained that she had started sleeping with Nick again because she had been feeling lonely and had wanted to feel like she was more than just Arianna's mother.
"But I thought about it, okay? I thought about it, and it's not something I want for myself. I just have to figure out a way to tell Nick that it's not gonna happen for us. And it's -- it's not because the two of you talked me into it, okay? I needed to step back and think about it, okay? I needed to figure out what to do for myself," Gabi added. Will wished that Gabi had simply talked to him about her feelings in the first place, but she insisted that it wasn't the easiest thing in the world to talk about.
Gabi apologized for threatening to move herself and Arianna out of the apartment, and she insisted that she never would have followed through with her threat. Gabi begged Will to believe her, and he assured her that he did. Meanwhile, Arianna, who had been sleeping in another room, started to cry, so Will excused himself so that he could check on her.
After Will left, Gabi admitted that it would be nice to experience the kind of relationship that Will and Sonny had -- the kind where two people were always on the same page with each other. Sonny assured Gabi that the reality of such a relationship was much different than what she was probably envisioning in her head. Changing the subject, Sonny told Gabi about his impending Oktoberfest party at the club. Sonny extended an invitation to Gabi, who informed him that she had already agreed to go to the party with Cameron. Gabi's suspicions were aroused, and she quickly realized that Sonny was the person who had convinced Cameron to ask her out.
Sonny confirmed Gabi's suspicion, but he assured her that he hadn't made her sound like a charity case. Sonny reported that he had told Cameron that Gabi was a very nice girl who deserved a very nice guy. Touched, Gabi said that was definitely the sweetest thing that Sonny had ever said to her. Gabi and Sonny agreed that it would take some time for each of them to figure out their weird relationship, but they decided that they weren't going to start trying to do that right away.
At Club TBD, Nicole spotted Daniel standing at the bar. Nicole joked that she hoped that the situation with Jennifer and J.J. hadn't driven Daniel to start drinking during the day. Daniel assured Nicole that he was just ordering coffee, adding that he was staying out of Jennifer and J.J.'s business. Changing the subject, Nicole asked Daniel to tell her how Eric had been doing lately.
Daniel advised Nicole to ask Eric that question instead, but she insisted that she couldn't do that. Daniel mused that the Nicole he had known would have hounded Eric until all of her questions had been answered. "Right. And that same Nicole knows when to cut her losses," Nicole replied. Daniel guessed that Nicole wanted to know if Eric was all right because she was ready to move on with her life.
Nicole confirmed Daniel's suspicion and told him about the enticing job offer that she had received earlier. Nicole wondered if Daniel believed that she was deserting Eric in his hour of need. Daniel shook his head and admitted that he was, however, slightly worried about Nicole. Daniel observed that it seemed like working at St. Luke's had positively impacted Nicole's life, and he urged her to think about what she really wanted out of that life before making her final decision.
Before Nicole could respond, Daniel received an alert on his cell phone and excused himself so that he could get back to the hospital, explaining that his break had just ended. After Daniel left, Nicole muttered that thinking about what she wanted had been her problem all along.
At St. Luke's, Eric abruptly excused himself from Brady and Kristen's Pre-Cana counseling session, claiming that he had just remembered that he had forgotten to take care of something earlier. A short time later, in the hallway outside his office, Eric sighed with frustration as he realized that he had once again lost the memories that had nearly surfaced earlier.
Meanwhile, back inside Eric's office, Kristen stopped Brady from chasing after Eric, insisting that she first needed to hear what he had been about to tell Eric earlier. Kristen summarized that it had sounded like Brady had been about to suggest that all of their efforts to repair their relationship had been completely pointless. Before Brady could respond, Eric returned and apologized for his earlier behavior.
Eric claimed that he was fine, but Brady wasn't convinced, observing that Eric still looked pale. Brady urged Eric to explain what had happened earlier, but Eric remained silent, unaware that he was staring at Kristen. When an uncomfortable Kristen demanded to know why Eric was staring at her, he apologized and vaguely blamed his behavior on something that Brady had said earlier.
Kristen agreed that Brady's earlier comment had also bothered her, although she guessed that it had bothered Eric for an entirely different reason. Kristen admitted that the situation was making her -- and apparently Eric, as well -- feel uncomfortable and overwhelmed, and she apologized for wasting his time. Kristen started to leave, but Brady stopped her and convinced her to return to her seat.
Brady insisted that he and Kristen were going to continue to waste Eric's time, since they were doing so for the sake of their relationship. Brady reminded Kristen that he had previously wondered how he could get past the fact that Kristen had claimed to love him while she had been secretly plotting to stab him in the back. Kristen assured Brady that she didn't need a recap, since she had been unable to forget about what he had said earlier.
"Well, I can answer my own question. See, I really thought about it, and, uh, why would you have cared about me in the beginning? Why -- why wouldn't you use me as a pawn in your little revenge game? Because I had an agenda, too. It was a hateful one. I wanted [you] gone; I wanted [you] out of everyone's life. Then I got to know [you]. [You] made me laugh, and [you] made me feel alive again. I forgot about my agenda...because I fell in love with you, just like you did with me. I -- I think it happened to me sooner than it did for you, but the process was the same. But I was so screwed up at the time that I didn't think that [you] falling in love with me could be more important than getting even. [You] begged me for understanding. [You] opened [your] heart to me. [You] tried to tell me how [you] felt, and I wasn't about to listen. I shut you out. What I'm trying to say is, Kristen...you deserved much better," Brady admitted.
"So how do you get over the feeling of being betrayed? You have to ask yourself, 'Is the misery of the past more important than the happiness of the present?' In my humble opinion, you need to learn to let things go, 'cause that's a lot easier than trying to live life without the person you love. I will do anything -- whatever it takes -- to not lose [you]. I love you that much. I love you so much. You are my love, you are my soul mate, and I thank God for you every day," Brady concluded. Touched, Kristen tearfully wondered if Brady had really meant what he had just said, and he confirmed that he had meant every single word.
Kristen apologized for the way that she had originally responded to Brady's earlier question, and she assured him that she no longer had any doubts about his true feelings for her. Eric seized the opportunity to conclude the couple's first Pre-Cana session, and Kristen abruptly excused herself, vaguely stating that she had a very important appointment scheduled that she couldn't miss.
After Kristen left, Eric admitted that, while he had been impressed with everything that Brady had said earlier, he still wasn't ready to agree to give them his blessing. Eric pointed out that Kristen had been able to convince Brady that her feelings were genuine once before, and he guessed that it would be easy for her to do the same thing again. Brady doubted that there was anything that Kristen could do to convince Eric, but he wasn't interested in arguing about the matter, so he abruptly excused himself.
Before leaving, Brady wondered if Eric's earlier behavior had been connected to what had happened at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. Eric confirmed Brady's suspicion, and Brady urged Eric to once again try to talk to Nicole about the matter, since she had been with Eric at the hotel that night. Brady confidently added that the answers to Eric's questions were out there somewhere.
Later, Nicole entered Eric's office, and he quickly proceeded to try to convince her to talk to him about what had happened at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. Nicole said that she didn't have time to do that, since she had to leave right away.
At the hospital, Kristen ran into Daniel in one of the break rooms. Kristen informed Daniel that she had met with a fertility specialist, Dr. Alex Dunstall, based on Daniel's earlier advice. Kristen reported that she had already had her initial evaluation and was simply waiting to find out if Dunstall believed that it would be possible for her to conceive a child with Brady. A short time later, Kristen excused herself, accidentally leaving behind the appointment card for her next meeting with Dunstall. Daniel quickly noticed Kristen's mistake, but he was unable to stop her in time to return the card to her.
Later, in the waiting area, Brady overheard Daniel recording a voicemail message for Kristen. Brady tried to probe Daniel for details, but Daniel insisted that it was none of Brady's business. Brady's suspicions were aroused, and he wondered if Daniel and Kristen were sharing a secret of some sort. Recalling that he and Brady had previously talked about the difference between secrecy and privacy, Daniel asked Brady to respect Kristen's right to the latter.
Elsewhere, E.J. entered Rafe's room and loudly slammed the door behind him to rouse Rafe from his slumber. E.J. proceeded to taunt Rafe, bragging about life at the DiMera mansion with Sami and the children. E.J. reminded Rafe that Rafe's testimony at Sami's trial had nearly sent her to prison. E.J. pointed out that Rafe's testimony had also tarnished Rafe's reputation as the white knight of Salem.
E.J. wondered how Rafe had felt when he had been forced to admit, under oath, that he had helped Sami keep E.J.'s child from E.J. E.J. guessed that, while testifying at the trial had undoubtedly been humiliating for Rafe, it had probably been nothing compared to the humiliation of spending day after day stuck in a hospital bed like an impotent little child.
In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Kristen met with the woman who had edited the video of Kristen drugging and seducing Eric. Kristen reported that she no longer needed the video, and she asked the woman to permanently destroy it. "I would love to help you out. Problem is, this isn't the right flash drive," the woman replied after inspecting Kristen's flash drive.
At Sonny's club, Justin met with Adrienne to talk. As Adrienne nervously smiled at Justin, Marge marched up to their table and yelled. Marge accused Justin of destroying her family and destroying all the good memories that she had left regarding Joe. Turning her scowl toward Adrienne, Marge accused Adrienne of helping Justin and the DiMera family set Sami free.
Marge cried out that she had been forced to send her son out of town in order to protect him from the lies about his father. When Adrienne noted that she had told the truth, Marge screamed that she would expose the truth about Joe to everyone.
After the confrontation with Marge, Justin escorted Adrienne to the park in order to talk in private. Justin told Adrienne that she had not deserved Marge's wrath. Adrienne countered that she understood that Marge needed to lash out because Marge could not fathom the truth about Joe. Adrienne apologized to Justin for not telling him about the video of Sami sooner, and she explained that she should have trusted that Justin would have protected Sonny.
Shaking his head, Justin said that Adrienne had been right not to go to him because he had been repeatedly misled by E.J. and Sami during the murder trial. Justin added that he had not dropped Sami's case because he had understood that E.J. had done all he could to help Sami because E.J. had wanted to protect the woman he loved. Smiling, Justin admitted that he would have broken the rules to protect his family if he had been in E.J.'s position.
As Justin and Adrienne sat on the bench, Justin joked that the worst part of living at the country club was that they had terrible coffee. Justin remarked that Adrienne made the best coffee. With a twinkle in her eye, Adrienne asked Justin if he wanted to move back to the Kiriakis mansion for her coffee. "That and eight million other things you do better than anyone else," Justin said with a grin.
In the rectory, an emotional Nicole told Eric that she needed to leave her job at the church. When Eric asked why, Nicole explained that she had received an offer to work at the Titan television station. Nicole said that she believed she would be happy if she were no longer working at the church. When Eric's face fell, Nicole added that she was grateful for her job at the church but that she needed to move on with her life.
Eric noted that he would miss seeing Nicole every morning. Struggling with her feelings, Nicole wondered aloud if she should tell Eric the truth. Eric asked Nicole to work with him so that they could figure out how to make things right between them.
With a sigh, Nicole lied and said that her issues with Eric stemmed from his involvement with Kristen and Brady's relationship. Eric explained that he had promised to counsel Kristen and Brady in an effort to determine what was going on between Kristen and Brady. Eric added that his training told him to look for hope in the relationship. Nicole cried out that Eric's training was wrong.
"We're a team. I don't know what I would do without you," Eric said. As Nicole held back tears, a little girl named Louise interrupted to inform Eric that there was a problem with the radiator. While Eric went to attend to the radiator, Father Matt entered the rectory and asked Nicole what was wrong. Nicole informed Father Matt that she was leaving her job at the church. Father Matt expressed his disappointment and noted that Nicole had been a positive force at the church. Father Matt told her he would miss her.
"I'll miss being here too," Nicole said quietly as Father Matt left. Nicole started to pack up the items on her desk as Eric returned. When Eric asked Nicole if she had accepted the job offer at the station, Nicole said no. Eric asked Nicole to take twenty-four hours to think about the offer before she decided whether to leave the church. Nicole agreed.
As Nicole started to leave, Eric asked her if she was leaving the church because she did not want to talk about the night in the capital when Eric had been ill. Upset, Nicole stressed that she did not want to talk about that night because she did not know what had happened to Eric at the hotel. After Nicole left, Eric wondered aloud, "Then why does it get her so upset?"
Kristen met with Sara in the park to talk about the video of Kristen having sex with Eric. Kristen handed the flash drive to Sara and asked her to destroy the video. With a chuckle, Sara declined the order. As Kristen growled, Sara explained that the flash drive Kristen had handed her was not the one with the video.
Panicked, Kristen wondered what had happened to the flash drive with the sex video. Kristen remembered when Marlena had picked up Kristen's purse during the fight with Nicole. Terrified, Kristen exclaimed that Nicole and Marlena had worked together to take Kristen down.
In the Kiriakis living room, Marlena told Victor that she did not believe she would be able to get close enough to Kristen to use the encryption software on the blue flash drive in her purse. Victor urged Marlena not to give up. Marlena countered that she needed to focus on her children rather than spying on Kristen. When Victor insisted that Eric did not need his mother to help him, Marlena argued that Eric was in trouble. Victor said that someone in the family needed to be the one to destroy Kristen.
Marlena returned to her office and was surprised to find Kristen waiting for her. Marlena tossed her purse onto a desk and the blue flash drive tumbled out of the purse. When Marlena asked Kristen why she was there, Kristen explained that she wanted to take Marlena up on her offer for a truce. Kristen explained that she wanted to plan an engagement party with Marlena.
Marlena was called away to attend to a matter, but Kristen offered to wait in the office for Marlena to return. Once Marlena left, Kristen frantically searched Marlena's desk for the flash drive. Without any luck, Kristen wondered aloud where Marlena had hidden the flash drive. As Kristen sighed, she noticed the flash drive on the desk in the corner next to Marlena's purse. Kristen leaped to her feet, but Marlena returned to the office before Kristen could grab the flash drive.
Marlena shoved the items on the desk, including the flash drive, into her purse, and she told Kristen that she needed to leave. Kristen asked Marlena to call her about the party. Kristen walked to the park to meet with Sara, and Kristen stated that she would do whatever she had to do to get the flash drive back from Marlena. When Sara jokingly said that did not mean killing Marlena, Kristen raised an eyebrow.
Marlena met with Victor at the pub to tell him about her meeting with Kristen. Victor warned Marlena to be careful.
In Rafe's hospital room, E.J. sat on Rafe's bed and asked him how it felt to admit in court that he had lied about the paternity of Sami's baby. E.J. mocked Rafe's helplessness. With a chuckle, Rafe accused E.J. of feeling threatened by Rafe's bond with Sami. E.J. noted that he would be married to Sami, and he was not concerned about Rafe.
When Rafe mentioned that Sami had saved his life, E.J. informed Rafe that Joe Bernardi had not been at the hospital to kill Rafe but to put "his junk in a box." Angry, Rafe grabbed E.J.'s tie and pulled him close. Rafe argued that no one deserved to be saddled with E.J. Smirking, E.J. pulled his tie free and checked his phone when it notified him of a text message. E.J.'s face fell, and he left hurriedly.
In the hospital hallway, Marge witnessed E.J. leave Rafe's room. Angry, Marge marched into Rafe's room and accused him of taking a bribe from the DiMera family. Overcome with fury, Marge slapped Rafe and shook him. Jordan rushed into the room and pulled Marge off of Rafe.
As Jordan grabbed the phone to call security, Rafe ordered Jordan to stop. Rafe encouraged Marge to sit and calm down, but upset, Marge yelled at Rafe for failing to be a friend to Joe. After Marge left, Jordan asked Rafe if he was all right.
"Hell of a lot better than she is," Rafe lamented. Rafe explained that Marge was a good person and that her only fault was that she could not see that Joe had been a liar and a cheat. Jordan suggested that they cancel the afternoon rehabilitation session, but Rafe argued that he was more anxious than ever to recover his strength.
In the DiMera mansion, Sami was shocked to hear Stefano's voice in the living room when she arrived home. Sami screamed at Stefano and ordered him to leave. Stefano advised Sami to calm down. While Sami fumed, Harold crept into the foyer and texted E.J. Sami asked Stefano what would happen if E.J. found Stefano in the living room. With a chuckle, Stefano remarked that they would celebrate. Sami refused to celebrate with the man that had attempted to send her to prison. When Sami threatened to call E.J., Stefano called her bluff.
The color drained from Sami's face as she realized that E.J. had made a deal with Stefano. Sami argued to herself that E.J. would have told her if he had made a deal with Stefano. E.J. entered the living room, and his solemn face caused Sami to gasp. E.J. explained that he had planned to tell Sami about the deal when they were in Chicago. With a waggling eyebrow, Stefano excused himself and left.
When Sami asked E.J. why he had not told her when she had asked about the evidence clearing her of murder, E.J. responded that he had wanted to give her time with the children first. Sami explained how upsetting it was to find Stefano in the house and be surprised by his return. Hesitant, Sami asked E.J. what he had promised Stefano in return for the evidence to free her.
"Everything. I gave him back everything," E.J. said. Sami apologized, but E.J. stressed that he had happily given everything to Stefano in order to free Sami from prison. E.J. reminded Sami that she had saved Rafe and that she did not deserve to be punished for ruining Stefano's plans for revenge against Rafe. E.J. added that Stefano had ordered his men to steal and hide the razor.
With a sniffle, Sami wiped her eyes and announced that she did not need to live in the mansion. Sami suggested that they should start packing so that they could move far away from Stefano. E.J. delicately grabbed her arm and told her that she could not leave.
Abigail was reading her dad's book and crying when Chad arrived at the Horton house. Abigail rushed to Chad and wrapped her arms around him, weeping against his shirt. After she had stopped crying, she showed Chad the book and explained, "It's like I can hear him again." She thanked Chad again for the book.
Chad informed Abigail that he was heading over to the DiMera mansion to start moving in. He asked what was going on with her family. "Just drama," Abigail replied. Chad was worried that his living at the mansion would scare her off, but Abigail assured him that she wasn't going anywhere.
At Club TBD, Sonny showed Gabi a flyer for the club's Oktoberfest celebration. He joked that he intended to find a holiday every week to "promote the heck out of." When Cameron arrived, Sonny dropped some not-so-subtle hints about how much Gabi and Cameron had in common. Sonny encouraged the potential couple to practice their chicken dance for Oktoberfest. Gabi said that it was a good thing Cameron was an experienced dancer. With mock seriousness, Cameron warned Gabi that nothing could prepare one for the chicken dance.
Abigail arrived and asked Sonny how things were going at home. Sonny replied that he and Will were happy -- and it looked like Gabi might end up happy, as well. Abigail followed his gaze and spotted Cameron and Gabi chatting and laughing over coffee. Abigail's reaction caused Sonny to apologize, but she assured him that she was fine with seeing Gabi and Cameron together.
Cameron encouraged Gabi to tell as many stories about Arianna as she liked, and he suggested that the three of them hang out some time. A little later, Gabi left so she could return to Arianna, since Will had class that afternoon. As Cameron was leaving, Abigail stopped him and asked him why he'd lied to her.
Daniel was at his apartment, on the phone with a locksmith about getting his locks changed, when Parker shouted from the bedroom, so Daniel had to end the call. As Daniel played trains with his son, Parker asked about Jennifer. Daniel explained that Jennifer needed to focus on her own little boy, but it would just be for a little while. "Just because we can't see her, it doesn't mean we can't love her or miss her," Daniel assured Parker.
At the hospital, Kayla asked Jennifer if she'd heard from J.J. "Nope, not a word, but I heard he's holding court at the park. I guess that's his new home," Jennifer replied bitterly. When Anne and Theresa ambled in together, Kayla pointed out that Theresa was supposed to be catching a plane. Theresa revealed that she had a new job at the hospital, thanks to Anne. Kayla reminded Anne, "I didn't approve a new job for Theresa."
Anne explained that she had found a new position for Theresa -- in hospital security. Jennifer burst out laughing. Anne maintained that she'd thought Theresa would be perfect for the upcoming task of reissuing the ID badges for all hospital staff. Beaming angelically but with a pointed look at Jennifer, Theresa reassured Kayla, "I won't blow it this time, Aunt Kayla. I just needed to work for the right person, and now I have a chance to make things right."
Kayla cautioned Anne that Theresa had to meet the same standards as any other hospital employee. With a roll of her eyes toward Theresa, Jennifer headed to her office. Kayla warned Theresa, "This is it. I mean it -- it's your last chance. I don't want any more excuses." Theresa assured her aunt that she understood. Kayla firmly advised Theresa to stay away from Jennifer.
After Kayla had gone, Theresa asked Anne, "Why don't I get started on that special project?" To that end, Theresa went to Jennifer's office and closed the door behind her. Jennifer ordered Theresa to leave, but Theresa asserted that they had unfinished business. She pertly cautioned Jennifer, "You took your shot, but you missed, Jenny. And now you're going to find out that payback's a bitch."
Unconcerned, Jennifer pointed out that revenge required discipline, focus, and planning, but Theresa possessed none of those traits. She warned Theresa to stay away from her and J.J. -- and not to call her "Jenny." Jennifer motioned Theresa out of her office. In the hallway, Theresa smirked to herself as she muttered, "Dream on, Jenny."
As Jennifer was searching through some papers on her desk, she stumbled across a "congratulations" sign that Parker had colored for her. Tears filled her eyes as she recalled the moment that Parker and Daniel had presented her with the sign and a celebratory cupcake.
Anne showed Theresa how to fill out the forms for the employee ID badges, but assured Theresa that her only true job was to make Jennifer's life miserable. Theresa noted that the best way to get under Jennifer's skin might be through her kids. Anne chimed in with an additional suggestion: Daniel.
Daniel was reviewing some patient files at the nurses' station a little later when Theresa approached him with some forms to fill out. She pretended to be surprised that Jennifer hadn't told Daniel about Theresa's new job. Although Daniel barely looked up as he took the clipboard from Theresa, she blatantly eyeballed him while he inked in the forms.
Jennifer avoided Daniel later when she had to pass by the nurses' station. Theresa returned and spied Daniel looking at a picture of Parker on his cell phone. After confirming that the little "heartbreaker" was Daniel's son, Theresa asked to see more pictures, which Daniel was happy to show off. Jennifer glared at Theresa.
After Daniel left, Theresa taunted Jennifer, "Your ex is so nice. Hot, too. Isn't it funny how we like the same men? Lucky for me, you just throw them away. What's up with that?"
In the park, J.J. tried to persuade Bev that Daniel wouldn't tell Jennifer that J.J. had broken into his apartment, but Bev wasn't convinced. She asked J.J. where he was going to sleep, since they couldn't return to Daniel's. J.J. asked if he could crash at Bev's for the night, but she reminded him that her dad liked to hover. As if to prove her point, Bev got a text message from her dad just then, at the exact moment Kayla walked up. J.J. urged Bev to go and appease her dad.
Once J.J. and Kayla were alone, he tried to charm her by claiming that he'd been worried about his mom. J.J. admitted that he had "made a real mess of things," and he wanted to try to fix them -- perhaps with his aunt's help. He explained that he thought his mom needed a little more time, but he was worried about getting arrested for sleeping in the park. J.J. asked if he could stay with Kayla and Joey for a few nights.
Kayla reassured J.J., "Listen, we love you, which is why we're not getting in the middle of this, okay? You've got to work this out with your mother." J.J.'s demeanor hardened as he asserted, "You guys don't give a damn about me. Daniel and Mom have turned you all against me." Kayla said firmly that Daniel hadn't been involved in Jennifer's decision to take a hard line in order to get through to J.J. J.J. complained that Daniel wasn't half the man Jack had been, and his mom was "desperate and pathetic" for being with Daniel.
Kayla argued that Jennifer had not forgotten about Jack, but J.J. launched into a tirade about how Daniel was a "scummy, self-serving loser" and how Daniel wasn't even in the same league as Jack. "Your dad was no saint! I know that better than anybody!" Kayla blurted angrily. J.J. demanded to know what Kayla had meant by that.
At the DiMera mansion, E.J. gently broke the news to Sami that they couldn't move out. It took Sami a moment, but she eventually figured out that their living there was part of the deal that E.J. had made with Stefano. She understood that E.J. had been so desperate that he would have said anything to ensure her freedom, but she didn't think he could expect her to live under the same roof as the man who'd been willing to send her to prison for the rest of her life -- and she didn't know how E.J. could, either.
E.J. explained that he intended to stay there because had given Stefano his word as a DiMera. Sami reminded E.J. that he had been willing to give up his last name so they could run away with the kids. E.J. roared, "I would've done just about anything to set you free. I groveled -- for you. I got down on my hands and knees -- for you -- and I begged him to take it all back, and I offered him anything in return -- for you. I kissed that guy's ring -- for you!"
Incredulous, Sami started out the door, determined to talk to Stefano, but E.J. grabbed her by the arm and spun her around. "You will do no such thing," he growled firmly. Sami couldn't believe that E.J. was apparently giving her an order. "E.J., what is this doing to you? What will this do to our children?" she asked, the foreboding clear in her voice. "Do not make me sell this to you, because I have done enough begging to last a lifetime," E.J. warned. Sami maintained that E.J. was asking her to trade one life sentence for another.
"All I can hear is that your word means more to you than me and our children!" Sami screeched tearfully, adding more quietly, "So, what? You're going to trade it all -- me and the kids and our life and our family -- for that? Or are we out of here?" Bellowing, E.J. repeated that he had given his word. Sami pleaded with him to leave with her. E.J. started to reiterate that he couldn't because had given his word, but Sami angrily cut him off, "Don't you say that to me again! I'm going to send someone for my things." She turned and left.
When Chad arrived with his suitcases later, a grim E.J. greeted him at the door. E.J. divulged that Samantha had left because she refused to live in the house with Stefano. "Can you blame her?" Chad asked. E.J. stopped himself before blurting that Sami was the reason they had to live in the mansion, but not before Chad caught it.
Chad quickly deduced that E.J. had made a deal with Stefano, and that Stefano had been sitting on the evidence that had cleared Sami. "It was like all of a sudden, the cops busted open a piñata, and all this stuff kept falling out," Chad remarked about the razor and Bernardi's mistress and bank account. Chad understood that E.J. had been boxed in so Stefano had been able to dictate the terms of the deal, which had obviously also included getting Chad to move back in.
E.J. dourly admitted that the deal had cost him everything. He poured drinks for himself and Chad and welcomed his brother home with a clink of the glasses. Chad questioned why Sami had left when E.J. had given up so much for her. E.J. said that Sami had wanted him to leave, as well, but he had given Stefano his word as a DiMera. "Ah, the nuclear option," Chad said, acknowledging that the promise wasn't about Stefano; it was about the value of E.J.'s word. E.J. was relieved that Chad understood.
Chad wondered why E.J. had been fine with Chad's lie to Cameron. E.J. pointed out that Chad hadn't given his word when he'd taken something of Cameron's that Chad had wanted. E.J. seemed convinced that it was over with Sami. Chad asserted that it wasn't over if E.J. and Sami still loved each other, although E.J. had his work cut out for him.
"I don't beg," E.J. declared. Chad urged E.J. to go get Sami back before she really dug in her heels. E.J. was grateful that Chad cared. "No, no, don't tear up on me, okay? I don't want to live in this joint without those kids around," Chad maintained. Despite Chad's feigned indifference, E.J. hugged his brother.
Lucas arrived at the Brady Pub with Johnny, Allie, and Sydney. As Caroline greeted her great-grandchildren with hugs and kisses, Allie announced that her mom and E.J. were taking the three of them to Chicago.
When Sami arrived a little later, Johnny and Allie greeted her with enthusiastic hugs, while a sulky Sydney complained, "I want my doll." Sami apologized, since she had forgotten the doll after going home for the express purpose of retrieving it. "Did you forget Daddy, too?" Johnny asked. Caroline saved the day by suggesting the kids go to the kitchen to help make ice cream.
Sami filled Lucas and Caroline in that Stefano was back and expected E.J. and Sami to live at the DiMera mansion. Lucas pointed out that Stefano's return meant that Allie didn't have to live there anymore. When Lucas made a remark about Sami and E.J. breaking up, Sami asserted with confidence that E.J. would eventually realize that she was right -- because if he truly loved her, he would never ask her to live there with Stefano.
Lucas urged Sami not to give in to E.J.'s demands. When Lucas left the table, Sami asked for Caroline's opinion. Caroline wanted to know why E.J. was insisting on Sami living at the mansion, so Sami outlined the deal that E.J. had made with Stefano. "He gave his word as a DiMera," Sami concluded with disdain. Caroline firmly maintained that when a man gave his word, it had to mean something. Sami couldn't believe that her grandmother was taking E.J.'s side.
Reminding Sami that E.J. had sacrificed everything for her, Caroline contended that since E.J. was about to swear to love Sami and stay with her forever, for better or worse, Sami should know that he could hang in there no matter how bad things got. Sami admitted that she was worried that E.J. could get sucked back in to his former life by living in that house and that it could destroy E.J. or change him. Caroline summed up, "Then you have a choice to make." A moment after Caroline left, E.J. walked in.
Sami met E.J. in a secluded section of Horton Town Square so that they could continue their earlier discussion privately. Before Sami could say anything, E.J. launched into a rambling speech, desperately trying to convince her that they could make the new living situation at the DiMera mansion work. After several failed attempts, Sami finally managed to get E.J. to shut up and let her speak for a moment.
Sami admitted that she was embarrassed about the way that she had behaved earlier, and she assured E.J. that she wasn't going to let him live at the mansion without her. Sami told E.J. that she had simply panicked earlier because she had desperately wanted their family to finally be able to have some peace and normalcy for a change. "But the only reason I could hope for that was because of you. And you have fought so hard, for so long, to get out from under Stefano, and you did it. On your terms, you finally did it; you won. And then you just -- you gave it all up for me. How could I walk away from you when you did that for me? I'm sorry," Sami tearfully stated.
"You went to hell for me, and I'm not gonna leave you alone in it. See, E.J., what I realized is that it doesn't matter where we are, and it doesn't matter who else is there. As long as I have you and our kids, then nothing else matters to me," Sami added. E.J. kissed Sami and pointed out that there was still time for them to get the kids, who were with Lucas and Caroline at the park, and proceed with their original plan to travel to Chicago that night, but Sami reluctantly declined the offer. Sami cryptically suggested that it would be better for her and E.J. to return to the DiMera mansion and make Stefano aware of a few ground rules.
At the DiMera mansion, Stefano wondered if Chad had finished moving back in yet. Chad nodded and reported that Harold had helped him get settled in his new bedroom -- the one at the end of the north wing, which Chad had chosen because he liked being able to look out the window and see what was beyond the wall that surrounded the property. Stefano smiled and warmly welcomed Chad home.
Chad stressed that, while he was willing to try to be happy living at the mansion, he still didn't think of it as his home. Stefano wondered if Chad was starting to regret his decision to move back into the mansion, prompting Chad to clarify that, thanks to E.J., he had never had much of a choice in the matter to begin with. "Family can be very...compelling," Stefano conceded with a shrug.
Chad observed that the DiMera family, in particular, had a habit of compelling each other to do things. Stefano reasoned that the DiMeras only used compulsion against each other when it was for the greater good, but Chad thought that was an interesting way to interpret what E.J. had done to him. The comment made Stefano wonder where E.J. was, so Chad reported that E.J. had gone to locate Sami after the couple had gotten into a "minor disagreement" about their new living arrangements earlier. The news didn't seem to surprise or concern Stefano, who confidently assured Chad that E.J. and Sami would soon return.
Stefano invited Chad to play a game of chess with him. Chad declined the offer, dismissively stating that the game was too inactive for him. As Stefano tried to explain that chess was a game that exercised the brain, Chad composed a text message -- "Moved into mansion. Cryptic chess lesson. Aurgh! Wish you were here. XO" -- and sent it to Abigail.
Chad still wasn't interested in playing chess, so Stefano changed the subject and asked about Abigail. Chad reported that Abigail was fine and that they, as a couple, were also fine. Stefano wondered if Cameron was still a threat to Chad's relationship with Abigail. Chad was momentarily taken aback, but he quickly recovered and conceded that he shouldn't have been surprised to learn that Stefano knew about the former love triangle.
"Someday, I'll have to spot whoever it is you have tailing me. Now that would be a useful skill in this family, now wouldn't it?" Chad mused as Stefano chuckled. Stefano wondered if Chad needed any help dealing with Cameron. After thanking Stefano for the offer, Chad reported that Abigail was his and that Cameron had already backed off.
Stefano once again invited Chad to play a game of chess with him, but Chad still refused to take the bait. Stefano advised that Chad needed to practice and hone his skills, but Chad asserted that he didn't need the skills that Stefano was likely referring to -- the ones that DiMeras employed when they wanted to ruthlessly destroy their enemies. "Really? You eliminated your rival for Abigail, yes?" Stefano pointed out.
Chad started to clarify that he hadn't eliminated Cameron in the same manner that the DiMeras typically eliminated their opponents, but he quickly stopped himself. "No, you're right. I did it without even blinking. I am a DiMera," Chad admitted. Stefano encouraged Chad to say such things with pride and a smile, but Chad replied that it might take another day or two for him to get to that point.
Later, while Stefano was listening to Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, E.J. and Sami entered the mansion. As Stefano warmly welcomed E.J. and Sami home, she grabbed a remote control and silenced the music. "I just have a few things I want to get settled. I will live here, Stefano, but my kids and I are not gonna be showing up at the dinner table every night. They have a schedule; we have lives. And I'd like to talk about this music," Sami stated as E.J. proudly watched her confront Stefano.
Stefano turned the music back on, raising the volume considerably in the process. "This is music that I love. If you cannot learn to like it, then you will wear an earplug, hmm? You do not dictate to me," Stefano countered. Before leaving the room, Stefano added that he expected E.J., Sami, and the kids to join him for dinner later that evening.
After Stefano left, Sami silenced the music again and angrily tossed the remote control across the room. Sami insisted that she wasn't going to feed the kids at the late hour that Stefano had suggested. E.J. warned Sami that they were never going to be able to defeat Stefano in a head-on battle, but she countered that she was just getting warmed up. After allowing Sami to rant for a few more minutes, E.J. advised her to satisfy Stefano with the illusion of a real family for a while. Sami sighed with defeat and muttered that she and E.J. had nearly had it all, prompting him to assure her that they would eventually have it all again.
At Club TBD, Abigail reminded Cameron that he had previously claimed that, due to the demands of his job, he no longer had time to pursue a romantic relationship with her. Abigail assumed that Cameron had been lying when he had given her that excuse, since he had clearly managed to find the time to date Gabi. Abigail stressed that she wasn't jealous of Cameron's relationship with Gabi, adding that she was happy with Chad and that Gabi also deserved to be with a great guy.
Abigail wished that Cameron had simply been honest from the start about the fact that he hadn't felt the same way about her that she had felt about him. Cameron asserted that he couldn't have told Abigail anything like that because it wouldn't have been true. "Okay, maybe I wasn't real -- wasn't real clear, but I am putting my career first, so I felt like we could only be friends for now," Cameron clarified.
Abigail noted that Cameron had phrased the statement in a way that suggested that things could change at some point in the future. Eager to end the conversation, Cameron sighed and dismissively wondered why he and Abigail were even talking about their relationship in the first place, since she had already established that she was happy with Chad. After stressing that he was glad that Abigail and Chad were happy together, Cameron abruptly exited the club. "Ugh! How is 'men' not a four-letter word?" Abigail muttered after Cameron left.
At the Horton Town Square, Cameron ran into Chad and asked if his doctor was from Los Angeles. When Chad shook his head, Cameron curiously mused that he had done some research and learned that Los Angeles was the only place where the experimental treatment that Chad was receiving for his brain tumor was being performed. Chad shrugged and replied that Cameron's information was faulty, adding that DiMeras often received special treatment.
Cameron was surprised to learn that Chad had told the DiMeras about the brain tumor. Chad explained that E.J. had figured out the truth on his own. Chad stressed that he still didn't want anyone else to know, and Cameron assured Chad that he couldn't and wouldn't reveal Chad's secret.
At the Brady Pub, Daniel invited Maggie to join him and Parker on a family trip to Europe to visit Melanie. Maggie was excited about the idea, but when she realized that Daniel wanted to leave right away, she observed that it seemed like he was simply using the proposed vacation as a way to justify his desire to run away from his problems. Maggie suspected that Daniel didn't want to be around Jennifer during the impending holiday season.
As Anne took a seat at the bar, Daniel tried to deny Maggie's suspicion, but Maggie wasn't convinced. Maggie observed that Daniel hadn't seemed very happy lately, and she urged him to confide in her. Daniel insisted that there was nothing left to say, since his efforts to help Jennifer and J.J. always seemed to simply make the situation worse.
Maggie noted with disappointment that, while it was obvious that Daniel still loved Jennifer, it seemed like he had finally resolved to let Jennifer go for good. Daniel confirmed Maggie's suspicion, insisting that, while he didn't want to let Jennifer go, there were no other options remaining. Anne smiled and discreetly exited the pub as Daniel steered the conversation back to the family trip that he had mentioned earlier. Maggie assured Daniel that she would talk to Victor about the trip right away so that they could coordinate their schedules.
At the hospital, Theresa continued to try to get under Jennifer's skin, implying that Daniel preferred younger women. Jennifer refused to believe that Daniel would ever be interested in Theresa, reasoning without a hint of irony that he would never prey on younger women the way that Theresa had preyed on J.J. Jennifer warned Theresa to stay away from J.J., who was in a fragile state and needed time to heal.
Theresa asserted that she was exactly the kind of friend that J.J. needed at that moment, but Jennifer disagreed, reasoning that Theresa wouldn't be able to help him -- or anyone else, for that matter -- until she got her own life back on track. "You are drowning, and you grab on to anyone to try to stay afloat, but you end up dragging them down with you. And you know what? I feel sorry for you -- I really, really do -- but I will not let you pull my boy under," Jennifer added before walking away.
Jennifer returned to her office, but Theresa followed her there. Theresa insisted that Jennifer didn't know anything about her or J.J., adding that Jennifer was the last person whom he needed. Theresa revealed that J.J. had confided in her about how he had felt when Jennifer hadn't even offered to let him return to Salem after Jack's death.
Theresa reported that Jennifer had made J.J. feel small and insignificant, as if Jennifer had been more concerned with getting on with her own life than focusing on his needs. Jennifer refused to talk about her personal life with Theresa, who wasn't surprised that Jennifer wasn't willing to take the time to talk about her own son. Theresa insisted that J.J. was better off without Jennifer and that he was doing just fine on his own.
"You know, he never intended to live the way that you wanted him to. It was all an act, and he put it on for as long as he could. And he was so proud of how he fooled you. We used to laugh about it. But you know what the sad part is? Even after all that, deep down inside, he still loved you. And what he really needed was for you to love him back, but you weren't there, Jenny -- you weren't there. J.J. was heartbroken over his dad, and you weren't there," Theresa summarized, prompting Jennifer to angrily warn her to shut up.
Jennifer refused to listen to the "garbage" that Theresa was spewing, insisting that Theresa knew nothing about Jack or J.J. Theresa countered that she knew that J.J. had grown to hate Jennifer. "You stay away from him, or the trouble that you have had so far is gonna look like a vacation at the beach," Jennifer warned. Jennifer order Theresa to leave, but Theresa ignored the request and changed the subject as she picked up one of Jennifer's recent press releases about Daniel.
Jennifer once again refused to believe that Daniel would ever get involved with Theresa, who shrugged and encouraged Jennifer to believe whatever she wanted to believe. "You know, it's a great shot, but I feel like you probably should have used that surfing photo of him. You know, the one by the door? Then you could have moved it over to the sofa and done kind of a casual, at-home shoot. It's a great couch, isn't it? Plenty of room for two people to stretch out on...and oh, God, there is just nothing like the feel of soft leather on bare skin, you know?" Theresa pointedly mused as she stared at the photograph of Daniel that accompanied the press release.
Theresa added that Daniel was only human and that she, unlike Jennifer, knew how to make men happy. After a brief stunned silence, Jennifer recovered and mused that Theresa could have done some great things with her life if she had put her brain to good use instead of simply wasting everyone's time, including her own. Jennifer warned that Theresa would never be able to accomplish her goals unless she changed her behavior, but Theresa countered that they would just have to wait to see if Jennifer's theory turned out to be right or wrong.
Later, at Club TBD, Anne happily told Theresa about the conversation between Daniel and Maggie that she had overheard earlier. Theresa mused that Jennifer would be furious to learn that Daniel had been with another woman -- especially one whom Jennifer deemed unworthy of him. Anne didn't want Theresa to waste her time trying to seduce Daniel, since he had apparently stopped being a player when he had met Jennifer. "I don't need to get him in bed. I just need Jen to think that I did," Theresa mischievously reasoned.
In the park, as J.J. demanded to know what she had started to say about Jack earlier, Kayla silently recalled the night that Jack had raped her. Kayla stammered out an apology for the way that her previous statement had sounded, claiming that she was simply frustrated with J.J., who needed to return home and repair his relationship with Jennifer right away. "Aunt Kayla, this is the first time in my whole life that I've ever thought this -- you are lying to me," J.J. concluded.
J.J. guessed that Kayla had really been about to reveal something that would have made Daniel seem like a better man than Jack had been. Kayla sighed and evasively assured J.J. that she would never try to tell him how he should feel about Daniel. "So you -- you wouldn't say that Dad was always running off and leaving Mom on her own with us? He had this thing where he would take off on some adventure, and I know that Mom and Abigail resented it, but you know what? I get it, especially being around this town. It's real hard to breathe here," J.J. bitterly stated.
After urging J.J. to give Salem a chance, Kayla tried to excuse herself, but he refused to let her leave until she told him everything that she had been planning to say about Jack earlier. "J.J., I -- I -- I didn't come here to talk about your dad at all. Listen, your whole family is just worried sick about you. They don't know where you are -- if you're on the street, or even if you have a place to sleep -- so call your mom, okay? Look, I gotta go," Kayla nervously stated before rushing off.
Meanwhile, Rory arrived, preventing J.J. from chasing after Kayla. Rory triumphantly announced that he had found refuge for himself and J.J., but J.J. -- who was still pondering Kayla's earlier comment -- barely acknowledged the news. Rory was disappointed about the lack of enthusiasm that J.J. had expressed in response to Rory's achievement. J.J. apologized and claimed that everything was fine, but Rory wasn't convinced.
Later, J.J. received a visit from Abigail, who showed him Jack's novel. J.J. was excited to learn that the novel was set to be released later that week, and he insisted that he and Abigail had to buy every copy in Salem. Abigail laughed and pointed out that no one would be able to read the book if she and J.J. did that, but he proudly explained that he wanted to give copies away to all of his friends at school. Abigail understood and assured J.J. that she also wanted all of her friends to read the book.
J.J. was pleased to know that Jack would never be forgotten because Jack's words would be around for the next one hundred years or more. After reminiscing for a while about Jack's incredible storytelling abilities, J.J. tried to return the novel to Abigail, but she insisted that she wanted him to keep it. J.J. thanked Abigail for the gift, admitting that it was especially meaningful after the day that he had just had.
"I know Dad did some sketchy stuff in his life, okay? But, um, did he ever do anything that was like -- like off-the-charts bad?" J.J. asked before summarizing the conversation that he'd had with Kayla earlier. Abigail reasoned that Jack hadn't been a saint and that Kayla had only seemed jumpy because she, like everyone else in their family, was worried about J.J.
Reporting that it was supposed to rain that night, Abigail wondered where J.J. was planning to stay, but he simply assured her that she didn't need to worry about him. J.J. tried to steer the conversation back to Kayla's cryptic comment about Jack, but Abigail stopped him and urged him to think about returning home and repairing his relationship with Jennifer instead.
After Abigail left, Rory returned and elaborated that he and J.J. were going to be staying in a friend's cousin's friend's sunroom, which had a futon and a sleeping bag. Rory observed with disbelief that J.J. was reading what appeared to be a book. J.J. explained that Jack had written the novel and that it was about Jack's time in Afghanistan. Rory assumed that was why J.J. had seemed upset earlier, but J.J. clarified that he was upset because Jack had apparently done something years earlier that no one seemed to want to tell J.J. about. J.J. vowed that he would eventually uncover the truth.
At the Brady Pub, one of the employees informed Kayla that Caroline had gone to the park earlier. Kayla sighed and muttered that she definitely didn't want to return to the park anytime soon. Meanwhile, Daniel, who had just said goodbye to Maggie and Parker, observed that it seemed like Kayla had been having a rough day. Kayla offered Daniel some vague details about her earlier conversation with J.J.
Daniel hoped that Kayla hadn't tried to defend him, since that always seemed to make the situation with J.J. worse, but she firmly stated that Daniel hadn't done anything wrong. Kayla insisted that Daniel deserved to be with Jennifer and that J.J. needed to stop comparing Daniel to Jack. Daniel understood J.J.'s point of view, since J.J. understandably missed Jack and believed that no one else would ever measure up to Jack.
"But you are not a monster, and Jack -- Jack was just -- well, he's just all too human," Kayla countered. Daniel once again tried to get Kayla to tell him what was really bothering her, but she evasively excused herself, stating that she was going to be late for work.
In Jennifer's office at the hospital, Abigail warned Jennifer that J.J. had started asking a lot of questions about Jack and Kayla.
Marge Bernardi sat at her dining table, surrounded by photographs of her son and late husband, a strongbox on the table next to her. As she glared at an online newspaper article about how Sami had been cleared of Joe Bernardi's murder, Marge vowed with a sniffle, "I will not let you get away with this."
Chad had a dream that Abigail confronted him for lying about having a brain tumor so that he could sleep with her. When Chad insisted that he loved Abigail, she retorted, "I wish you really were dying." Panting, Chad bolted awake and told himself, "She can never find out."
As Sami and E.J. descended the stairs at the DiMera mansion, Sami admitted that she had not slept well the night before. E.J. expressed his sincere appreciation that she had agreed to stay at the mansion. Sami insisted that she was sorry for her actions the day before because E.J.'s sacrifice had been the right thing to do. Will arrived just then and demanded, "Have you people lost your minds?" He asked his mom why she was still living there when Stefano had returned.
Sami took Will into the living room so they could talk in private. Chad arrived downstairs just as E.J. was closing the door to the living room. After telling E.J. about his nightmare, Chad confessed that he was terrified of Abigail finding out the truth, because he knew she would never forgive him -- and he couldn't live with that because he was in love with her. E.J. pointed out that living at the mansion would help Chad continue the deception with Cameron.
A few minutes later, E.J. hung up the phone and told Chad, "It's handled. The medical records have been authenticated." He added that the records would illustrate Chad's treatment and recovery. A grateful Chad thanked his brother with a hug. He added that he didn't like the idea of lying to Abigail forever. E.J. said, "Take it from me: there is never a good time to tell your girlfriend that you lied to her ex-boyfriend about a brain tumor... Not living in truth is a small sacrifice to make sure you keep the person you love."
Will reminded Sami that Stefano had tried to have her ex-husband killed and had tried to send her to prison for the rest of her life. "Do you not think that holding a grudge here is completely appropriate?" Will asked. Sami admitted that she did not forgive Stefano for what he had done, but E.J. had made a huge sacrifice for her, giving up everything he had worked so hard for. "He made and has to fulfill a ton of promises, otherwise I would have spent the rest of my life in prison -- so you do not get to sit in judgment of him or us," Sami said firmly.
Will quickly apologized. Sami explained that living there was a necessary tradeoff that she would make again. After she swore Will to secrecy about the deal, he asked if she were really prepared to live there. She insisted that she was, and that the innocence of the younger kids would protect them from Stefano's impact. "Do you hate it as much as I do, though?" Will asked. "More. No one hates this or that man as much as I do," Sami declared.
Although he understood that E.J. had needed to make the deal, Will wondered if E.J. really had to honor his promise to Stefano. Sami would only say that they didn't have a choice. She guessed -- correctly -- that if Sonny had done the same thing for Will, Will wouldn't have walked away. "You don't have to like it, but you do have to -- at least I hope you will -- accept it. I need to be here for E.J. I love him, for better or worse," Sami said.
When E.J. entered the room then, Will thanked him for the sacrifices he'd made to keep Sami out of jail. Will extended his hand for E.J. to shake, but E.J. embraced Will instead. Will hoped that one day Stefano would pay for his crimes. After Will left, E.J. suggested to Sami that they get some fresh air.
At Sonny and Will's, Sonny was on his belly on the floor, laughing, while Gabi explained that Arianna needed "tummy time" to build muscle. After Gabi handed the baby to Sonny, she ignored a phone call from Nick. A few minutes later, she sent another call from Nick to voicemail, then got down on the floor to play with Arianna and Sonny.
In Horton Square, Nick tried to call Gabi, but got no answer, so he left an upbeat message, asking her if they could get together. He sat down at his laptop and reviewed the paragraph about Gabi that he'd written in first person, as if she were the author, to send to modeling agencies in L.A., New York, and Milan. "The further we are from Salem, the better," Nick told himself. Clicking a key, Nick declared, "Boom! Done and done. Well, now that I've basically guaranteed Gabi a job, I should probably get a job for myself. That'd be smart. Gotta pull your weight, Nick."
After Gabi ignored yet another call, she admitted to Sonny that Nick had been calling and leaving her messages. Gabi acknowledged that she couldn't avoid Nick forever, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Sonny wondered what would happen if Nick saw Gabi on a date with Cameron at Oktoberfest. After Gabi listened to Nick's voicemail, she told Sonny that Nick wanted to see her. Sonny thought Gabi seeing Nick was a good idea. "I do care about Nick. I just have to find a way to tell him that it's over...let him down easy," Gabi said.
Later, Sonny took Arianna to Club TBD in her stroller. Chad joked that the "little lady" would need to show some ID before he could serve her. When Sonny said that Will was meeting them there after he took care of something, Chad admitted that Will had just been "in Sami's face" at the mansion. Sonny was confident that Will and his mom would work things out like they always did. Sonny added that Gabi was on her way to meet Nick to give him a "dose of the truth."
Sonny confided that he would let J.J. stay on the couch at the apartment, but he didn't want to rock the boat at home. Chad concurred, "I'd let J.J. stay at the mansion, but I basically don't think anyone should stay there unless they're forced to." Chad was headed back behind the bar when Will arrived. Sonny asked if Will had found out anything from Sami. "Not really, just that she loves E.J. and will do anything for him. Which is kind of how I feel about you, I suppose," Will replied. Sonny leaned over and kissed him.
Sami and E.J. were strolling through the park when Marge suddenly appeared. "Murderer!" Marge spat, glaring hatefully at E.J. and Sami.
While Nick waited at the Brady Pub for Gabi, he fantasized about telling her that he'd lined up a modeling job for her. In the fantasy, she was so thrilled that she kissed Nick passionately and told him that she'd never stopped loving him. In reality, when Gabi arrived, Nick excitedly began to tell Gabi some news, but she stopped him. "I actually have to talk to you about something important," Gabi said.
At the hospital, Kayla recalled her conversation with J.J. the day before when he'd accused her of lying to him about his dad. Anne interrupted Kayla's thoughts by demanding to know why Jennifer wasn't at work -- again. When Anne launched into a diatribe about Jennifer's poor job performance, Kayla ignored her and walked away abruptly.
At the Horton house, Jennifer was frantic with worry about J.J., who still hadn't returned any of Abigail's messages. Abigail fretted about what would happen if J.J. continued asking questions about what had happened between Jack and Kayla until he got an answer. As the women reminisced over a photo album, Jennifer said that Kayla should arrive soon.
Jennifer added that when she and Jack had told Abigail about his attack on Kayla, they'd done so because they hadn't wanted Abigail to hear about it from the wrong people. "It was the biggest regret of your dad's life," Jennifer stated sadly. She continued, "Your dad was at his best talking about what he did at his worst." She assured Abigail that Jack had taken responsibility for his actions and had wanted to make amends to everyone he had hurt, and he had lived with the guilt of what he'd done all the time.
"Well, Aunt Kayla lives with it, too," Abigail pointed out. Jennifer explained that she and Jack had felt that their kids deserved to know the truth when they were old enough, but Jack had died before they'd gotten a chance to tell J.J. Abigail and Jennifer worried about how J.J. would deal with the truth if he found out the wrong way, while he was so angry and vulnerable. Jennifer pointed out that they had no idea what J.J. knew.
Kayla arrived just then, so Abigail volunteered to retrieve some paperwork for Jennifer for the hospital. After Abigail had gone, Jennifer asked Kayla what had happened. Kayla recounted how she had gone to the park to try to persuade J.J. to go home and work things out with his mom. Kayla admitted that when J.J. had begun badmouthing Daniel and comparing Daniel unfavorably to Jack, she had blurted that Jack had been no saint. "I don't know what came over me!" Kayla said tearfully.
Kayla guessed, "Maybe it's still alive for me." She continued that when J.J. had started questioning her, she had just left. Jennifer said J.J. had asked his sister for details, and although Abigail hadn't told J.J. anything, Jennifer knew that he wouldn't let it go. Jennifer asked Kayla, "Can we just keep this between us? Because I really need to find my son, and if today is the day that he has to find out the truth, then so be it." She added that she couldn't fail her son again.
Theresa arrived at the hospital and announced to Anne that she was ready to get to work making "Jenny" Horton's life miserable. Anne scornfully informed Theresa that Jennifer had taken yet another morning off. Theresa said that she could use the time to work on getting Daniel's attention. She added that she had really gotten under Jennifer's skin by describing Daniel's apartment décor. After telling Theresa that Daniel was in surgery, Anne noted that Dr. Jonas even looked hot in green surgical scrubs.
Anne added that it would give them time to plot their next move and asked if Theresa had any ideas on that front. Theresa inquired about whether Anne had access to the doctors' lockers. Theresa explained that there was something of interest in Daniel's locker that she would like to get her hands on while he was in surgery. After Theresa whispered what it was in Anne's ear, Anne protested that it was unethical and illegal. "But this is me we're talking about," Anne added as she headed off to get started.
Theresa showed the new ID forms to a nurse and offered a vague explanation: "I guess you just fill this in here and then take it to H.R." Puzzled, the nurse replied, "I thought you worked in H.R." Theresa waved her hand indifferently, muttering, "Yeah, whatever." Anne returned from her mission with Daniel's bracelet, which Theresa furtively slipped into her pocket. "You are a genius," Theresa whispered then headed for Jennifer's office.
Theresa was startled when she found Abigail behind Jennifer's desk. Abigail demanded to know what Theresa was doing there, and Theresa claimed that she had some H.R. forms for Jennifer. When Abigail informed her that Jennifer wasn't there, Theresa purred with faux sympathy, "I bet she's a wreck, huh, about your brother going off the rails? How is J.J. doing?" Abigail warned Theresa, "Leave my brother alone. He doesn't need you today." Theresa asked, "What's so special about today?" Abigail ignored her and left.
In a corner booth at the Brady Pub, J.J. was trying to find out the truth about his dad in the online archives of the Salem Spectator. He explained to Rory and Bev that he'd talked to his Aunt Kayla and his sister about his dad the night before, and they'd both gotten "weird," like they were hiding something. J.J. discovered with dismay that the Spectator hadn't digitized any of its older issues.
Bev suggested that J.J. go to the library and look up old issues on microfilm, but J.J. said that the library had sent all of its microfilm to the paper for digitization. Rory and Bev thought J.J. should try asking his sister or aunt again, but J.J. was sure that they would only stonewall him. Bev gently suggested that J.J. set aside his anger for a moment and ask his mom.
J.J. maintained that he couldn't trust his mom to tell him the truth, but his friends urged him to at least give her a chance. The others tried to think of another way for J.J. to get answers. J.J. suddenly got up and left, announcing on his way out that he had figured out how to find out what his dad had done.
Bev and Rory were in the park later when Jennifer arrived. "I need to see my son. Can you please tell me where he is?" Jennifer pleaded.
J.J. went to the Kiriakis mansion to talk to Adrienne, who eyed her nephew suspiciously at first, but invited him in. Adrienne cautioned J.J. that she couldn't let him stay there, although she assured him that she and the rest of the family loved him very much. J.J. claimed that he was starting to see everyone else's side of things, and he really wanted to go home -- but there was something he had to deal with first, and he hoped Adrienne could help him.
After confirming that Adrienne hadn't talked to anyone else in the family, J.J. showed her the advance copy of his dad's book. Smiling wistfully, Adrienne declared that she was proud of her brother, but she wished he'd lived to see his book published. She asked J.J. what the book had to do with what was going on with him and his mom.
J.J. explained that with the book being published, people had been talking about his dad and his past, and not just about Jack's time in Afghanistan but everything he'd done. With shaking hands, Adrienne busied herself with pouring a cup of coffee, but J.J. observed that she seemed upset. Adrienne reminded J.J. that his dad had always gone off on adventures, which had been hard on Jennifer and the kids.
J.J. clarified, "I wasn't really talking about that stuff. It's that other thing, the thing that happened with Aunt Kayla." Disconcerted, Adrienne dropped her coffee cup, and it shattered on the floor.
