The custody case reaches its conclusion
At the courthouse, the judge thanked Nicole and Chloe for their patience, acknowledging that "both mothers" had a lot riding on her ruling. "With all due respect, Your Honor, that woman is not my baby's mother; she's a surrogate, a baby oven -- nothing more," Nicole protested.
The judge conceded that the situation had obviously been very hard on Nicole. "But your continued outbursts --" the judge began to add. "'Outbursts'? Well, what do you expect? You didn't hear a word I said! Holly is my baby, my biological baby -- the child I've been waiting for my entire life, the child that I've been repeatedly denied -- so get this straight: no judge, no attorney, no backstabbing bitch of a surrogate is gonna keep my baby from me!" Nicole spat.
Justin, who had already tried once to calm Nicole down, asked the judge if he could have a moment to talk to his client. When the judge granted the request, Justin pulled Nicole aside and warned that she was at risk of alienating the judge. Meanwhile, Belle impatiently asked, "Your Honor, may we proceed?"
Nodding, the judge instructed Justin and Nicole to return to their chairs. The judge then continued, "I understand how difficult this is, not to mention unusual. After hearing both sides, I've tried to put aside all the accusations and personal baggage and focus on what really matters, which is the welfare of this child. And, to that end, I've had to assess the facts and consider which woman would best be able to provide a stable and loving environment for this little girl. I think it's abundantly clear which parent that should be. I am awarding full custody...to Chloe Lane."
As Nicole struggled to absorb what she had just heard, the judge explained that she had based her decision on Nicole's past and present criminal history. Nicole protested that she had only stabbed someone to save her fiancé's life. The judge clarified that she was aware of that; however, she was concerned about the fact that Nicole had once kidnapped a child as well as the fact that Nicole had just been caught in the middle of a scheme to control the result of the custody case. Nicole tearfully maintained that she'd had nothing to do with that scheme.
Justin assured Nicole that he would fight the ruling. Meanwhile, Chloe asked Belle, "Did we just...?" Belle confirmed, "Yes, we just won. Holly's going home with you." The social worker soon entered the judge's chambers with Holly and handed the child to Chloe. Justin held Nicole back as Chloe followed Belle and the social worker out of the room, taking Holly with her. "This is your version of justice? I don't get it!" Justin snapped at the judge as Nicole broke down in his arms. "That'll be all, counselor," the judge dismissively replied before leaving the room.
After leaving the courthouse, Belle and Chloe went to the Brady Pub for coffee. Chloe sensed that Belle disagreed with the judge's ruling. Belle insisted that she respected the judge's decision; furthermore, she was Chloe's lawyer and wouldn't have taken the case if she hadn't intended to win it. She admitted, however, that she did feel bad for Nicole. She started to point out that Nicole had basically just had a biological child taken away from her, but Chloe interrupted, protesting that she didn't need to hear that. "Fine. I'm just trying to explain why I don't feel triumphant right now," Belle replied.
"Well, you know what? I do. And I'm not sad for Nicole," Chloe countered. She stressed that she was grateful to Belle for figuring out Deimos' plan to bribe a judge into ruling in Nicole's favor. Belle admitted that even after she had learned about the scheme, she had still been concerned about Chloe's chances of winning the case. "Because I'm 'just' the surrogate? I'm sure half the town will have trouble with that," Chloe guessed with a sigh. She insisted that she had never felt like just a surrogate, and she wouldn't have been able to live with herself if she'd had to hand Holly over to a reckless woman whose life was once again a mess.
Chloe was eager to leave Salem as soon as possible, not wanting to run into Nicole again anytime soon. Belle confirmed that Chloe was free to return to Chicago as soon as they took care of some paperwork. As Chloe was thanking Belle again for helping her retain custody of Holly, Shawn entered the pub and offered his congratulations.
Chloe wondered if Shawn and Belle were planning to return to Hong Kong, since Hope's exoneration and the conclusion of the custody case had left them free to do so. Belle admitted that although she loved being back in Salem, she needed to return to Hong Kong to finish what she'd started there for DiMera Enterprises. "And I can't let her go alone, right?" Shawn reasoned with a smile. Belle added that Salem would always be home, and she and Shawn would probably be back again sooner or later. "Well, I hope so. I miss you guys, and I really appreciate your support," Chloe stressed.
After Chloe left with Holly, Shawn curiously observed that it seemed like Belle wasn't exactly thrilled about what had happened in court. Belle conceded that she probably should be thrilled. "But...to be honest, I just didn't think we would win, and now that we have, the thought of depriving Nicole of her biological child -- [a] child she wanted so desperately... I don't know. As a mom, it just makes me feel like I need to go home and take a long, hot shower," she continued. Shawn pointed out that Belle had simply done her job. She said she knew that Chloe would be a good mother to Holly. "But what's gonna happen with Nicole?" she wondered.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Paul pulled Adrienne away from Deimos, who continued to pretend that he wasn't responsible for Chad and Gabi's disappearance. "You really are the monster they say you are, aren't you? Let me tell you something: [if] you don't fix this problem, you're gonna get paid back -- and I don't mean by the legal system. I guarantee you [that] the karma coming your way is gonna be a bitch," Adrienne warned.
Deimos tiredly advised Adrienne to ask the police for help with locating Chad and Gabi. Adrienne reminded Deimos that Sonny was also missing. "Well, unfortunately, um, I don't think there's really anything that I can do to help you with that. But I'll tell you this: I believe that Sonny is a very strong young man, so wherever he may be, I'm sure he's taking very good care of himself," Deimos dismissively replied.
Adrienne lunged toward Deimos again, but Paul held her back. "I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna kill you, I swear to God!" she spat repeatedly. Brady tried to get her to calm down, but she angrily insisted, "No! He's a lying son of a bitch!" Annoyed, Deimos started to excuse himself, grumbling that he had taken enough insults for one day. Meanwhile, Nicole entered the mansion with Justin and shouted, "Deimos!"
Deimos greeted Nicole and wondered where Holly was. "Not with me, obviously," Nicole snapped, adding that she had lost the custody case because of Deimos' attempt to bribe a judge. "So I'm not the only mother you ripped a child away from today, huh?" Adrienne mused. Confused, Justin wondered what Adrienne was talking about. She quickly explained what had happened to Sonny as a result of Deimos' ongoing battle with the DiMera and Hernandez families for control of the Orwell device. "Are you proud of yourself? Is there nothing that you wouldn't stoop to?" Nicole asked Deimos incredulously.
Deimos assured Nicole that he could explain everything. He added, however, that he would prefer to speak with her privately. "You're not going anywhere until we get some answers!" Justin insisted. Deimos made it clear that Nicole was his main concern at that moment, prompting her to stress that she no longer wanted to have anything to do with him.
"Getting custody of Holly was supposed to be a slam dunk for me. She's my daughter, for God's sake -- my daughter! And if I ever get the chance -- and I highly doubt it -- to petition the court for custody again, what, you think I want you hanging around me? I don't! So I will be resigning from Basic Black, effective immediately, and in case I didn't make myself very clear before, I am through with you forever!" Nicole tearfully continued, removing her engagement ring and throwing it at Deimos.
Deimos tried to chase after Nicole as she stormed out of the mansion, but Brady stopped him, reasoning, "There's no point in following her; she's made up her mind." After advising Deimos to focus on fixing the kidnapping mess, Brady went after Nicole himself. He caught up with her in a secluded section of the town square and tried to assure her that the judge's ruling wasn't final. She fretted that the appeal process could take months, and she would be deprived of many precious moments with her child in the meantime.
Speaking from experience, Brady advised Nicole to use her pain as a tool to help her fight to get her child back. "But what if I can't get her back? What if I can never hold Holly again? What then, Brady, huh? You tell me, what then? What happens then?" she asked before breaking down in his arms.
Brady refused to let Nicole go straight to the worst-case scenario, assuring her that Justin would do everything in his power to fight the ruling. "[And] in the meantime, we know that Chloe is not gonna harm Holly in any way, okay? She's gonna be fine," Brady added. Nicole countered, "She's already harmed her, Brady, by keeping her away from her mother -- by keeping her away from me!"
Nicole predicted that Holly would eventually grow to hate Chloe just as much as she did. "And just like you said, Brady, when your little boy was taken away from you by Kristen, it was the pain that motivated you to fight like hell. And that is what is gonna motivate me, because I am telling you, I can feel a fight right now, Brady -- I can feel it, and I am gonna take my little girl away from that crazy bitch one way or another! And when I do, Chloe Lane is gonna be so sorry she did this to me and Daniel," she continued.
Brady warned Nicole that acting irrationally and impulsively would be a bad idea. He assured her that Justin would know how to help her handle the situation conservatively and responsibly. "We will find a way to get [Holly] back, I promise you," he added. Nodding, she accepted a hug from him and broke down in his arms again.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Deimos told Justin that he wasn't going to discuss Kiriakis business in front of the owner of a newspaper. Adrienne agreed to let Justin handle the matter himself. Before showing herself out, she told Deimos, "Remember what I said about karma? Looks like all your hard work is finally paying off. I hope you're happy."
Once the coast was clear, Justin angrily demanded an explanation from Deimos. Deimos told Justin that he had caught Chad and Gabi trying to steal the Orwell device. "What was I supposed to do, let 'em walk away? They were breaking and entering, stealing corporate secrets!" Deimos defensively continued.
Justin suggested that Deimos could have ended his obsession with the Orwell device the moment he had realized that people's lives were at stake. "Don't you realize that you are escalating this war? It's one thing to do business with GDR, but to double-cross them? Especially [by] stealing a device that belonged to them in the first place? You're lucky they didn't stage a home invasion and slaughter all of us in our sleep!" Justin stressed. He added that Deimos could have -- and should have -- had Chad and Gabi arrested for breaking and entering instead of kidnapping them.
Deimos unapologetically explained that he had done what he'd had to do to get the key, which either Eduardo or Andre had stolen from him. "[That] doesn't justify kidnapping people!" Justin countered. Justin demanded to know where Chad and Gabi were, but Deimos refused to reveal that information, insisting that he was going to keep them in his custody until the key was returned to him.
"And what about my son?" Justin asked. Deimos predicted that if he released Chad and Gabi unharmed -- which he had every intention of doing once the key was in his possession -- Andre and Eduardo would release Sonny unharmed, too. "You'd better pray you're right," Justin spat before storming out of the mansion.
Adrienne went to the Salem Inn to tell Jennifer about what had happened to Sonny. Drew listened with interest while continuing his work on the Titan laptop, using his headphones to hide the fact that he was eavesdropping. "We're responsible, Jen. As long as we continue to keep their 'key' under wraps, it's only gonna get worse. This is bigger than you and I; it --" Adrienne continued. Jennifer abruptly interrupted Adrienne, suddenly realizing that Drew was gone. They rushed into the hallway in search of him, but he was nowhere to be found. "He must have heard us talking. I'm afraid he's gonna give himself up," Jennifer fretted.
J.J. ran into Abigail in the town square and demanded to know why she had been ignoring his calls and text messages recently. Without giving her a chance to respond, he added that if she knew something that could help him figure out where Chad and Gabi were, she needed to tell him right away. She insisted that she wasn't keeping anything from him and would, in fact, be happy to do whatever she could to help with the search. Nodding, he asked her to try to gain access to Andre's cell phone and take a picture of his call log so they could figure out who he had been in contact with lately.
After J.J. left, Abigail arranged a meeting with Andre. When he joined her in the town square a short time later, she asked if he had determined Chad and Gabi's whereabouts yet. "Suffice to say that I'm on it," he vaguely replied, reasoning that Chad wouldn't want him to reveal anything to Abigail that could put her in danger. When she pressed for more details, he assured her that he was about to level the playing field.
A man soon approached Andre and asked to speak with him privately. Andre stepped aside with the man, leaving his cell phone behind with Abigail, who used her own cell phone to take a picture of his call log as soon as the coast was clear. His cell phone began ringing while it was still in her hand. She saw that the caller was Eduardo, but Andre returned before she could decide what to do about the call. "It's for you. Obviously," she told Andre as she placed his cell phone back on the table. She then excused herself and rushed off.
When Andre answered the phone call, Eduardo told him that it was time to arrange a trade with Deimos. Eduardo waited for Andre to join him at Club TBD then contacted Deimos and told him, "We need to meet. It seems we each have something the other one wants."
Paul went to the police station to fill J.J. in on what had happened to Sonny. "Damn it! This situation is totally out of control. And if Deimos has Gabi and Chad, which is what I believe --" J.J. began. "Then the Hernandezes or the DiMeras, they took Sonny," Paul concluded. "I'm pretty sure you're right on both counts," Abigail said as she joined J.J. and Paul.
Revealing what Andre had told her about leveling the playing field, Abigail guessed that he had kidnapped Sonny -- and that he was working with Eduardo, who had contacted him earlier. She forwarded the picture of Andre's call log to J.J.'s cell phone. J.J. rushed off to run the phone numbers through the police department's database.
Abigail guessed that Paul was really worried about Sonny. Paul confirmed that he was, especially since Sonny was all alone. "At least Gabi and Chad have each other," he pointed out before excusing himself so he could check in with Steve. While she was alone in the conference room, Abigail noticed that J.J. had left his laptop open, and a list of Titan properties was on the screen. She quickly snapped a picture of the list with her cell phone.
J.J. soon returned with Paul and announced that several of the phone calls on Andre's call log had originated from a cell phone that was presently at a hotel on the outskirts of town. Believing that was where Andre and Eduardo were holding Sonny captive, J.J. and Paul rushed off to check it out. "You guys go find Sonny. I'm gonna go find my husband and Gabi," Abigail muttered to herself before following J.J. and Paul out of the police station.
Chad and Gabi shivered uncontrollably as the temperature in the meat locker continued to drop. "We're never getting out of here, are we?" Gabi guessed fearfully. Chad tried to assure her that help was on the way, but she expressed skepticism. "Chad, if we die in here...I'm glad I'm dying with you," she admitted. "I'm glad we're together, too," he replied.
Gabi expressed regret for the mistakes she had made with Chad in the past, wishing she had held on to him in high school and convinced him that they were meant for each other. They shared a tentative kiss then began kissing each other with more conviction. "I don't feel so cold anymore," she told him between kisses. Nodding in agreement, he weakly recalled that he had once watched a documentary in which some stranded hikers had removed all their clothes and huddled against each other, skin to skin, in order to stay warm. "We need to do that," she decided.
After stripping out of their clothes, Chad and Gabi held each other tightly and began kissing again. "Chad, listen -- whatever happens, I just want you to know...I love you," she told him. "I love...you, too," he replied before giving her another kiss.
At Club TBD, Abigail met up with Dario to show him the photo she had taken at the police station of the various Kiriakis real estate holdings in town. After calling a contact at Titan, Dario learned that an old acquaintance, Timon, had been assigned to work security at an abandoned Titan warehouse that was on Abigail's list. Abigail asked Dario to do whatever he could to find her husband. With a nod, Dario promised to find Chad and Gabi, but he ordered Abigail to stay at the club.
Dario left and met up with his friend Timon in the park. Furious, Dario confronted Timon and told him that one of the hostages was his sister. Timon apologized and pleaded ignorance of that bit of information. Dario said he believed Timon, and he growled that Timon should take a long break from guarding his hostages. With a nod, Timon walked away. Nearby, Abigail watched from behind a hedge.
At a hotel, Sonny was tied to a chair in a room. While Sonny worked to loosen the ropes around his wrists, a large man stood guard nearby. While the man was distracted with his phone, Sonny broke free of his ropes and attacked his guard. The man was easily twice Sonny's weight, and he beat Sonny unconscious. After retying Sonny to the chair, the man went into the hallway of the hotel to stand guard.
While Sonny fought to open his eyes, he could hear the man outside the room, talking to someone. In the hallway, J.J. confronted the guard about a noise complaint in the hotel room. The man refused to let J.J. into the room without a search warrant. Inside the room, Paul crept in through the window and untied Sonny's ropes. A groggy Sonny realized that Paul was there to rescue him. Out in the hallway, the guard heard a noise from inside the room. The man rushed inside and found that Sonny was gone.
As J.J. asked who the man had been holding, the man rushed at J.J. J.J. pulled out his weapon, but the man disarmed him then pulled out his own gun. In a calm voice, J.J. warned the man that Andre would be displeased if he shot a police detective. Looking around, the man leaned over to close the door to the room. Paul jumped out from behind the door. As the man was taken aback in surprise, Sonny jumped out from behind him and hit him over the head with a pipe. Enraged, Sonny wanted to keep hitting the man with the pipe, but Paul intervened. J.J. handcuffed the man. Seeing the blood on Sonny's face, J.J. ordered Sonny to go to the hospital.
In the town square, Drew called his brother Shane. Although Shane was happy to hear from his brother, his delight turned to worry when Drew cryptically noted that if he turned up dead, the police should arrest Deimos. Drew hung up, worrying Shane. As Drew hurried away, Adrienne and Justin met up on the other side of the square. Adrienne was devastated when Justin said he had no news about Sonny.
Adrienne was livid that the Kiriakis and DiMera families were feuding again. Justin started to argue that Sonny understood what he had been getting into when he had accepted a job with Titan, but Adrienne did not want to hear Justin's argument. Adrienne countered that Sonny would never be safe as long as he worked in the family business. Worried about Adrienne's health, Justin begged her to go home and rest. Adrienne said, "I'm not a cancer patient today. I'm a mother that needs to find her son and bring him home."
At the Kiriakis mansion, Deimos called Nicole's phone and left a voicemail. As Deimos begged Nicole to talk to him, Andre and Eduardo ambled into the living room. Deimos narrowed his eyes. Andre offered a straight trade of family members because he wanted there to be peace between the families. Deimos insisted that Andre and Eduardo return the key first. Eduardo appealed to Deimos to remember that Gabi was an innocent girl. Scoffing, Deimos reminded Eduardo that he had assassinated plenty of innocent people in his life. Eduardo threatened to kill Deimos if he hurt Gabi. Andre quietly calmed Eduardo.
With a sigh, Eduardo argued that he would not risk his daughter if he had the key as leverage. Deimos explained that the key had been stolen from the docks. Andre argued that Deimos had been focused on the wrong suspects. Eduardo walked outside and returned with a struggling Jennifer Horton. Eduardo explained that Jennifer had been on the docks the night that the key had been stolen. Jennifer played dumb. When Deimos pressured Jennifer for answers, she threatened to write an article about the warring families.
Deimos shrugged and said he did not care what Jennifer wrote in her paper. With a scowl, Deimos yelled at Jennifer to return his key. Drew marched through the door, and Deimos smiled. Drew announced to everyone that he was the key. With a smirk, Andre noted that Drew had been the creator of the Orwell device. When Deimos asked why Drew had disappeared, Drew said he had needed time to think.
Deimos retrieved the Orwell drive from the safe and handed it to Drew. Drew sat down at the desk and plugged the device into Deimos' laptop. Deimos gloated about how nice it was to have Eduardo and Andre there to witness his triumph. As Drew started to type, the files on the laptop started to delete. Frantically, Deimos asked Drew what was going on.
"This should have happened years ago," Drew said. Smiling, Drew said he was saving the town and the world by destroying the program. Deimos ordered Drew to recreate the program, but Drew refused. As Deimos glowered at Drew, Roman and two police officers burst into the house. Roman explained that Shane had called him. Drew breathed a sigh of relief. Roman asked Eduardo, Andre, and Deimos to join him at the police station for questioning. When the men were reluctant to agree, Roman asked Eduardo and Andre if they were worried about their loved ones. The men reluctantly followed Roman out of the house.
In the meat locker freezer, a delirious Gabi and Chad huddled half-naked against one another, kissing. Barely coherent, the two kissed until Gabi fell unconscious. Chad quietly urged Gabi to wake up until he passed out on her shoulder.
At the police station, while Roman talked to Jennifer and Drew in the interrogation room, Andre, Eduardo, and Deimos bickered with one another in the bullpen. The three men agreed to say nothing to the police and dispute the existence of the Orwell device. The men also agreed to deny that there was a war between the families.
In the interrogation room, Drew told Roman that he was proud that he had destroyed the Orwell. Roman commended Drew for his actions. Roman informed Drew that the government had made arrangements for Drew to enter witness protection with his wife.
At the warehouse, Abigail opened the door to the freezer and found the scantily clad and unconscious Chad and Gabi wrapped around one another. After checking Gabi, Abigail examined Chad and realized that he had stopped breathing. Abigail pushed Chad onto his back and started CPR. Holding back tears, Abigail begged Chad to fight for his life. After a moment, Chad started to breathe. Dario found the freezer and rushed to his sister's side. Abigail noted that she had felt a weak pulse on Gabi but that Chad had stopped breathing. With a nod, Dario scooped up Gabi to get her out of the freezer.
At the police station, Roman informed Jennifer and Drew that Gabi, Chad, and Sonny had all been located. Drew felt responsible, but Jennifer countered that greed was to blame, not Drew. Roman thanked Drew again for what he had done then he left to question Eduardo, Andre, and Deimos. Drew told Jennifer that he was excited to see his wife, but he wanted to ask Jennifer for a favor before he left town.
In the bullpen, the three men stuck to their shared story and refused to admit any wrongdoing to Roman. After Roman left, Deimos vowed that the fight was not over between him and Eduardo and Andre because they had stolen his fortune. After Deimos left, Andre turned to Eduardo, told Eduardo that he had stolen from Andre's family, and vowed he would bury Eduardo.
In the freezer at the warehouse, Drew looked around to see how secure the space was. When Jennifer asked why Drew wanted to see where Chad and Gabi had been held captive, Drew explained that he needed a secure place to destroy the Orwell for good. Drew explained that even the best virus could leave behind traces of the program on the hard drive. To avoid a forensic reconstruction of the program, Drew explained that he needed to destroy the hardware completely. Drew left the hard drive in the freezer, shut the door, and set off a small explosion. With a grin, Drew said all evidence of the Orwell had been destroyed.
At the hospital, Abigail and Dario waited nervously for news about their loved ones. A doctor emerged from ICU and informed Abigail and Dario that Chad and Gabi's core temperatures had risen and that they both would be okay. Relieved, Abigail asked if she could visit Chad. The doctor said the two would be asleep for a while, but they could have visitors. As Dario eagerly turned to head into his sister's room, Abigail paused. Dario asked Abigail if she was thinking about Chad and Gabi's state of undress.
Shaking her head, Abigail said she understood that Chad and Abigail had undressed to stay warm with skin-to-skin contact, and that action had likely saved their lives. Abigail asked Dario if he thought she was naïve to think there was nothing more to what they had seen. Dario urged Abigail to visit her husband. With a nod, Abigail went into Chad's room.
Chad was still asleep, but Abigail sat by his bed and held his hand. Abigail commented on how cold Chad's hand felt. With a stressed sigh, Abigail admitted that she was mad at Chad because she had almost lost him because of his family. Abigail wondered aloud if the price of being a DiMera was too high.
Next door, Dario visited with Gabi as she slept. Dario apologized for his part in the scheme to steal the Orwell. Shaking his head in frustration, Dario blamed himself for not protecting Gabi. Dario argued that everyone would be better off if the Orwell had disappeared. After pouring out his heart, Dario went next door to check on Abigail. From the doorway to Chad's room, Dario listened as Abigail urged Chad to wake up and return home to Thomas. Abigail said she believed Chad was the only one that could end the war, and she promised to stand by Chad when he did it.
Dario cleared his throat to announce his presence. As Abigail turned to look, Dario explained that he wanted to thank Chad for helping Gabi. Wiping away tears, Abigail left to check on Gabi. After Abigail left, Chad muttered Gabi's name. When Abigail walked into Gabi's room, Gabi muttered Chad's name.
Down the hallway, a doctor checked over Sonny and released him. Adrienne and Justin arrived at the hospital and hugged Sonny tightly with joy. Sonny assured his parents that he was fine. Worried, Adrienne offered to take Sonny home. When Sonny countered that he needed to work, Paul assured Justin and Adrienne that he would take Sonny home. Relieved, Justin and Adrienne left. Sonny reiterated that he had work to do. Confused, Paul asked Sonny what he meant.
Angry, Sonny pointed at his face. Sonny yelled that he was done with Deimos and that he planned to oust Deimos from the company. Setting his jaw with determination, Sonny vowed to get his revenge.
Marlena went to see Eric, who guessed that his father had finally told her about his parole. She confirmed that Roman had told her not only about that but also about what Eric had done for Hope. Fighting back tears, she told Eric, "I'm so proud of you! I'm not surprised; I'm just always so proud of you."
Marlena tried to convince Eric to return to Salem to be with his loved ones, but he refused. When she continued pressing the matter, reasoning that he needed to stop hiding and start taking advantage of the second chance he had been given, he snapped, "Mom, I didn't ask for a second chance! I didn't ask to be pardoned! I still belong in prison!"
Marlena protested that Eric was making it sound like he had murdered Daniel when, in fact, Daniel's death had been an accident. "Mom, it was not an accident! I got drunk, and I was behind the wheel! I took a man's life; a boy lost his father!" Eric countered. Marlena urged Eric to think about his father, who needed him, just as she did. He maintained that he had no intention of returning to Salem. He thanked her for visiting him then asked her to leave. She insisted that she wasn't going anywhere without him.
Turning her attention to a Bible that was sitting on a nearby nightstand, Marlena reminded Eric that she had heard him preach in the past about God's forgiveness. "You think just because I used to be a priest, you can throw God in my face? I know God forgives, but others? Forgiveness, peace -- that's not in my reach. Ever," he countered.
Fighting back a new wave of tears, Marlena admitted that it hurt to hear Eric talk like that. "And that's why you need to go home -- back to John, back to your patients, back to your life," Eric replied. She started to try once again to change his mind, but he interrupted, insisting, "When you can tell me Daniel can come home to his family, I'll come home to mine."
Sighing, Marlena agreed to drop the matter for the time being but warned that she wasn't giving up for good. "And I will love you until you love yourself again," she added. He recoiled when she stretched out her arms to give him a hug. She took the hint and reluctantly showed herself out. "I love you, too," he muttered after she left. He reached for the Bible and began to kneel in the process, but he only managed a slight bend of his legs before changing his mind and returning to his full height.
Upon returning to Salem, Marlena contacted someone and said she needed to talk to the person face to face right away. "It's about Eric," she explained.
At the hospital, Chad awoke and found Andre sitting at his bedside. Andre filled in the blanks as Chad began to recall what had happened to him. Handing over a framed photograph of Abigail and Thomas that Abigail had asked him to give to Chad, Andre explained that she was the one who had saved Chad -- and Gabi, too. "Gabi..." Chad repeated weakly.
Chad wasn't particularly upset to hear that the Orwell device had been destroyed, since it had been nothing but trouble from the very beginning. Andre wanted to make Deimos pay for what had happened to Chad, but Chad was eager to end the war immediately. "We should want more for our family," Chad reasoned.
While on the subject of family, Andre informed Chad that Stefano had been found alive in Prague but had escaped police custody. Andre doubted that Stefano would return to Salem anytime soon, given the obvious legal ramifications of such a move. "But if you want, we can reach out to him," Andre continued. Chad shook his head, insisting, "After everything he's done to us, he may as well be dead."
Chad wondered if Hope was a free woman yet. "We'll see," Andre replied, vaguely adding that he had a special interest in a hearing that was scheduled to take place later that day. Reading between the lines, Chad told Andre that Hope had already suffered enough. Shrugging, Andre replied, "Maybe. But you're right about Father -- he's gone. We're the DiMera family now...and we need to protect ourselves."
Rafe found Hope in a secluded section of Horton Town Square, enjoying the feeling of being out in the open. He tried to assure her that she would be able to enjoy that feeling for the rest of her life, but she wasn't ready to allow herself to think that way yet, knowing that she could still be sent back to prison for other crimes if her hearing didn't go well.
Hope gave Rafe a kiss and thanked him for staying with her the previous night. Laughing awkwardly, she apologized for falling asleep early. He assured her that he didn't mind, reasoning, "When it's meant to be, it'll be, [and] it'll be worth the wait."
Later, Hope and Rafe met with Justin at the Brady Pub to go over their strategy for the hearing. Before getting down to business, Justin offered Hope his condolences, having heard about David's death. Justin wondered how Julie was doing. Hope reported that Julie was putting on a brave front.
When the group began discussing the hearing, Rafe was disappointed to learn that he would not be allowed to attend it. Justin admitted that he wasn't sure what to expect at the hearing because Melinda Trask was a tough district attorney and might be looking for a way to mitigate the embarrassment that Stefano's latest return from the dead had caused her and her office; furthermore, Andre might not be willing to let Hope off the hook yet. "You think something's gonna happen today, don't you? What do you think [Andre] has planned?" Hope asked Justin.
Before Justin could respond, Trask entered the pub -- with Andre, who helped her remove her jacket then joined her at one of the empty tables. Furious, Rafe quietly asked Justin if it was ethical for Trask to be having coffee with Andre before a hearing that involved him. "It's...a gray area," Justin admitted. He promised, however, that he would tell the judge about Trask's meeting with Andre. Hope was certain that Andre was telling Trask to file new charges, but Rafe urged her to stay positive.
Trask soon left the pub. Justin was in the middle of a phone call at the time of her departure, but as soon as he ended the call, he and Hope left the pub, too. Once the coast was clear, Andre took a seat at Rafe's table and said he was sorry he had missed his opportunity to say hello to Hope. Rafe wondered what Andre and Trask had talked about during their meeting. "Chitchat," Andre vaguely replied. Before walking away, he added, "Should be an interesting hearing today. Who knows how it's going to turn out for Hope."
At the courthouse, Trask conceded that there was enough evidence to conclude that Stefano was, in fact, still alive. She added, however, that Hope had still shot a man in cold blood and fled from a prison. Justin countered that Hope had been goaded into shooting Stefano and had not had any control over the prison break.
Trask assured Justin that she had taken his points into consideration. She added, however, that she ultimately had to do what was best for the people of Salem as well as the justice system. Justin seized the opportunity to tell the judge about Trask's earlier meeting with Andre. Trask confirmed that she'd had a very interesting conversation with Andre. Hope began to protest that Andre hated her and her family and would do anything in his power to get her sent back to prison. Justin tried to tell Hope to let him handle the matter, but she countered, "Andre got to plead his case; can't I plead mine?"
Trask interjected, "Are you done? Because I was about to say that Mr. DiMera and his family want to put this entire mess behind them." Stunned, Justin wondered if Trask was saying that Andre didn't want new charges filed against Hope. Trask confirmed, "He wants to move on, and so do the People. Time served is punishment enough; there will be no more charges against Hope Brady." Satisfied, the judge declared that Hope was free to go home to her family. "It's over? Really? Oh, my God, it's really over?" Hope asked as tears filled her eyes. She hugged Justin tightly and thanked him and the others for ending her nightmare.
At the hospital, Gabi awoke with a start and cried out for Arianna. Eduardo, who was sitting at her bedside, assured her that Arianna was fine. He filled in the blanks as she began to recall what had happened to her. "I was glad to hear that you weren't alone. You love that boy, don't you?" he guessed. She insisted that she didn't want to talk about Chad.
"I hope you understand...if you were to be with Chad, that would really --" Eduardo began. "I'm not with Chad," Gabi insisted. "Good. Because it would be a problem, I think, if you were," Eduardo concluded. Gabi turned away from Eduardo and said she wanted to get some more rest. Taking the hint, he stood to leave, promising to return later with Arianna.
As soon as the coast was clear, Gabi went to see Chad, who joked, "You look warmer than the last time I saw you." After awkwardly dancing around the subject for a while, they established that they both remembered exactly what had happened during the final moments of their ordeal in the meat locker. "So, what does that mean, Chad?" Gabi asked. "I know that [ever] since I remembered kissing you, I [haven't been able to] stop thinking about it," Chad replied.
"Oh, what the hell?" Rafe grumbled as he entered the room. He said he was glad to see that Gabi and Chad were feeling better. He then requested a moment alone with Gabi. She followed him out of the room. After giving her a hug, he told her, "Listen, I can't pretend I didn't just hear what went on in that room." She insisted that she didn't want to talk about that.
"Gabi, it's a bad idea. He's a married man," Rafe pointed out. Gabi confirmed that she was aware of that fact, adding that she and Chad hadn't been thinking clearly when they had kissed in the meat locker. "So it was the hypothermia?" Rafe asked skeptically. Shrugging, Gabi wondered what Rafe wanted her to say. "Well, do you have feelings for him?" Rafe asked. "Yes, okay? I have feelings for him," Gabi admitted.
Sighing, Rafe changed the subject, wondering if Gabi knew anything about the war Eduardo and Dario were caught up in. She claimed that she didn't, but he could tell she was lying. He guessed that she knew exactly what was going on -- and exactly who had put her and Chad in the meat locker. "I just -- I don't want to make [things] worse...for anyone," she vaguely explained. He warned that things were going to get worse unless someone put a stop to the war right away.
Later, Rafe met with Hope in a secluded section of the town square, armed with Champagne, s'mores, and other snacks. They celebrated her freedom and delighted in finally being back together for good.
When Gabi returned to Chad's hospital room, he tried to finish talking to her about what had happened between them in the meat locker. She quickly stopped him, insisting that nothing more needed to be said about the matter. "So, then, we just...what, pretend like it didn't happen?" he asked. Shrugging, she pointed out that regardless of what had happened in the meat locker, he was still married to her best friend. "But what we did --" he began to protest. "We don't have to talk about that...ever again. We were not in our right minds," she interrupted before excusing herself, ignoring his attempts to stop her.
Gabi ran into Andre on her way out of Chad's room. Sensing that he had interrupted something, Andre asked Chad if anything had happened between him and Gabi during their time together in the meat locker. Chad refused to discuss the matter with Andre. "I understand, but let me remind you what a difficult time you and Abigail had in staying together. You almost lost her, and I just hope you're not putting all of that at risk," Andre replied. Chad insisted that he knew just how lucky he was to have Abigail back in his life. Satisfied, Andre happily concluded, "Well, then, there's nothing to worry about."
Scoffing, Chad protested, "'Nothing to worry about'? What? All I've done is attack [Abigail] since she got back for not being honest with me, telling her that -- that -- that -- that she's gonna have to prove herself to me -- making her prove herself to me over and over and over again." Confused, Andre wondered what Chad was saying. "I'm saying I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't do the same. I have to be honest with her -- I have to -- and I can't pretend that nothing happened in the meat locker. I have to tell Abigail everything that happened with Gabi," Chad clarified.
Kate stormed into Club TBD and asked Eduardo, "How dare you? Did you really think that I wouldn't figure it out?" Dario, who had been talking to Eduardo about their ongoing war with the DiMera and Kiriakis families, quickly excused himself, not wanting to stick around for the fireworks.
"You pretended that we were working together to figure out our next move against Deimos, and the whole time, you were planning with Andre to kidnap Sonny," Kate angrily continued. Eduardo explained that he had kept her in the dark about the plan because he had known that she wouldn't have approved of it. Kate confirmed, "Well, you're damn right about that, because he's my family, [and] because he could have been killed."
Eduardo insisted that neither he nor Andre had ever had any intention of hurting Sonny. "They beat him to a bloody pulp!" Kate pointed out. Conceding that what had happened to Sonny had been out of line, Eduardo assured Kate that he planned to either punish or dismiss the responsible party in the near future. He said he was sorry Sonny had gotten hurt; he reasoned, however, that everything had worked out in the end because Sonny was safe and sound, as were Gabi and Chad, and no permanent damage had been done to any of them.
"You couldn't be more wrong," Kate replied, shaking her head sadly. She continued, "I knew I was right to keep you at arm's length. I just wish I hadn't started opening my heart to you...again." Eduardo argued that Kate -- who understood, better than anyone else, that some problems didn't have simple solutions -- would have done the same thing if she had been in his shoes. He stressed that he had never meant to disrespect her, and he still firmly believed that they were destined to be together. She shook her head again then stormed out of the club without saying another word to him.
Later, Dario rejoined Eduardo and wondered how things had gone with Kate. "It's not over. It's gonna be a steep climb with her, but...she is so worth it," Eduardo replied. He added that Gabi's well-being was more important than anything else -- and she was going to be okay, thanks to Dario and Abigail. Dario admitted that he wished he had been able to spare Abigail the pain of seeing Chad and Gabi in a compromising position in the meat locker. Eduardo sensed that something might be going on between Dario and Abigail, but Dario uncomfortably insisted, "She's my friend, [and] I don't want to see my friends get hurt. That's it."
At the hospital, Abe approached Valerie and observed that she was still working. She explained that Chad's doctor had asked her to examine Chad for arrhythmia. "After [the] exam, I'll turn in my badge, and my job here in Salem will officially be over," she continued. Abe wished Valerie would change her mind about moving back to Washington, DC; he stressed, however, that he was grateful for the time he had gotten to spend with her, in any case. She assured him that it had meant a lot to her, too. "Abe, you're such a great man. I hope you find someone who appreciates that," she said. "I thought I had," he sadly replied before walking away.
Abigail entered Chad's room and was delighted to see that he was awake. She rushed to his side and gave him a hug, knocking the wind out of him in the process. She apologetically admitted that his kidnapping had given her a better sense of what she had put him through when she had faked her death. She wondered if he could ever forgive her for what she had done. He assured her that he already had.
"[And] the truth is, um...I think I'm the one that needs some forgiveness," Chad began to add. Before he could continue, Valerie entered the room and introduced herself. Chad shook Valerie's hand and stated that his nephew Theo had told him a lot of nice things about her. Chad started to apologetically add that he was in the middle of something with Abigail, but Abigail quickly interrupted, introducing herself to Valerie as Chad's wife. Abigail then excused herself so Valerie could examine Chad.
When Abigail returned a short time later, Valerie assured her that Chad's heart was fine. After Valerie left the room, Chad tried to pick up where he had left off with Abigail. "You know, [Gabi and I] had to do everything we could to stay warm [in the meat locker], so when you came in, and you found us --" he began. She quickly interrupted, assuring him that she understood and just wanted to move on. "Yeah, but I don't think I can move on, um, without telling you that...I kissed her," he admitted, ignoring Abigail's attempt to stop him from finishing his sentence.
Abigail hesitantly revealed that when she had found Chad and Gabi in each other's arms in the meat locker, she had wondered just how far things had progressed before they had lost consciousness. Chad assured Abigail that nothing more than kissing had occurred. Nodding, she told him, "The doctor said that the hypothermia messes with your brain, and it makes you do things that, you know, you wouldn't normally do, so... I know that you're committed to me and to Thomas, so...I'm good, and we're good." She then excused herself so she could check on Thomas.
After leaving the hospital, Abigail passed through the town square and stopped in front of her memorial statue. "'In loving memory.' You did this so that you could move on with Gabi, didn't you, Chad? God, I'm so stupid! I don't know what I was thinking. Why did I ever let you think that I was dead? I just... How could I ever expect you to actually still love me after I was gone? I..." she tearfully mused before letting her voice trail off. Screaming in frustration, she swung her purse at the statue a few times then placed her hands on it and pushed until it fell to the ground. She collapsed next to it and began sobbing uncontrollably.
Dario soon arrived and tried to comfort Abigail, who cried in his arms for a few minutes before beginning to calm down. "I thought that I was okay, and then I saw the statue, and I just --" she began to explain. "It wasn't the statue," he guessed, knowing that it had to have been hard for her to see Chad and Gabi in each other's arms in the meat locker.
Abigail revealed that Chad and Gabi had kissed while they had been trapped together in the meat locker. When she noted that Dario didn't seem particularly surprised to hear that, he admitted, "I heard [Chad] call out Gabi's name in his sleep [at the hospital]." Chuckling mirthlessly, Abigail replied, "Funny, 'cause I heard Gabi call out Chad's."
Dario wondered if Abigail believed that her marriage was in trouble. Shrugging, she admitted that if it was, she had only herself to blame, given what she had put Chad through. Although she didn't want to end her relationship with Chad, she thought that might be the right thing to do, especially if, deep down, he wanted to be with Gabi instead of her. "I can't imagine anyone wanting to leave someone like you. And if he doesn't love you, then, well, he doesn't deserve you," Dario insisted. He added that although he didn't want to see his sister get hurt, he had a strong feeling that Chad was going to forget about her eventually.
Smiling, Abigail said that was exactly what she had needed to hear. She gave Dario a hug and thanked him for being such a good friend. She then excused herself and returned to the hospital, where she found Chad asleep in his room. When she curled up next to him on his bed, he placed a hand on her arm without waking up. Although she failed to notice -- and wouldn't have understood the significance if she had -- his other hand was clutching a lavender stalk he had pulled from a bouquet of flowers on his nightstand before he had fallen asleep.
At the police station, J.J. wondered if Lani was still planning to return to Miami soon. She reminded him that she had only been on loan to the Salem Police Department to help him with the smuggling case, which had officially ended. He casually mentioned that he had heard about a permanent position within the Salem Police Department that was hers for the taking if she wanted it.
Lani confirmed that Roman had offered her the position -- and she had declined. She wondered how J.J. had heard about the opening. "I'm the one who suggested you," he admitted. He explained that he would like her to stay in Salem because they had been working really well together, and he thought it would be nice for her to be near her family. She promised to give the idea some thought. "But that's not a yes," she stressed.
Ciara joined Claire in the kitchen of their apartment and wondered why she wasn't dressed for David's funeral yet. Claire looked up from her tablet computer and pointed out that she had never even met her second cousin. Ciara tiredly snapped, "We're not going for him; we're going for Julie, who's got to be in a lot of hell after losing her son -- not that you'd notice, because you only think about yourself!"
Hurt, Claire wondered why Ciara was being mean to her. Ciara reiterated that Julie's son had just died. She wondered why Claire couldn't understand that they needed to go to the funeral to offer their support. Claire assured Ciara that she was going to attend the funeral. "I was just venting because I think it's really weird that [we're going to someone's funeral, and] we've never even met the guy," Claire continued.
"Funerals aren't about who died, Claire; [they're] about being there for the people that are left behind," Ciara explained. Annoyed, Claire warned Ciara not to lecture her. As Ciara and Claire began shouting at each other, Theo emerged from his bedroom to find out what was going on. "She started it!" Ciara and Claire told him simultaneously.
Ciara and Claire continued arguing with each other as Theo paced around the living room, trying not to get involved. Claire eventually looked to Theo for support, prompting Ciara to wonder why Claire expected Theo to fight her battles for her. "Well, he is my boyfriend!" Claire pointed out. Fed up, Ciara excused herself so she could head over to the Brady Pub to join the rest of her family.
"Oh, my God! Ugh! I'm starting to think living with Ciara wasn't such a good idea," Claire told Theo after Ciara left. He reminded her that friends were supposed to get along with each other. When he asked her to tell him what had happened, she replied, "Whatever happened, it's Ciara's problem, not mine." She then excused herself so she could get ready for the funeral, already looking forward to taking a picture of herself in her outfit.
At the Brady Pub, Julie informed Doug and Maggie that Hope wasn't going to be at the funeral because she wasn't feeling well. "She thinks she has food poisoning," Julie continued. Julie insisted that she wasn't going to be at the funeral, either. "I don't deserve to go," she reasoned, regretfully acknowledging that she had gone years at a time without visiting her son.
"David never put down stakes long enough for anyone to visit. And every time you thought he was settled, he'd write and say he was moving [again]," Maggie pointed out. Julie suggested that David might have moved regularly to prevent her from being able to visit him. She admitted that would be understandable; after all, she had given him up for adoption.
"For God's sake, you were a teenager!" Doug pointed out. "And the baby's father had died," Maggie added. Julie insisted that none of that mattered because the bottom line was that she hadn't been around for the first years of David's life -- the years when a child needed his mother the most -- and, as a result, she had lost out on her only chance to form a meaningful bond with him.
Maggie disagreed, pointing out that she had managed to have an incredible bond with Daniel despite the fact that they had gone most of their lives without knowing about each other. "Maggie, it was different for you and Daniel [than it was] for me and David. I felt that David resented the fact I gave him up for adoption," Julie protested.
Doug reminded Julie that she'd had many happy years with David. She argued that things had never been the same after David had left Salem because she had made Doug the center of her life at that point, believing that she would always have time to reconnect with David later. "Now he's gone. How can I grieve in front of my family [and] friends [when] everybody knows that I let my son down in the worst possible way?" she fretted.
When Ciara arrived a short time later, Maggie informed her that Julie was considering skipping the funeral. Julie explained that she didn't think she had been a very good mother to David. "[Being someone's] mom doesn't mean that you're always gonna [be able to] be there for them," Ciara reasoned. She pointed out that when Hope had been unable to be there for her, Julie had been the one who had stepped in to fill the void.
Claire soon arrived and joined Ciara in trying to convince Julie to attend David's funeral. "It's not like you ever forgot about him. You were always talking about him, and every year, you would put his ornament on the Christmas tree," Claire pointed out. Julie fretted that she should have insisted on having David home for the holidays from time to time. "He knew he was welcome," Ciara argued. When Claire added that she had been counting on Julie to share stories about David at the funeral because she had never met David herself, Julie finally agreed to attend.
At St. Luke's, Valerie approached David's closed casket and placed a hand on it. With no one else around to hear her, she tearfully mused, "We fought so hard to be together. You'd think, after everything we went through -- all the times we swore our love would last, that we'd prevail against everything -- we'd [find a way to] make sure that it did...but we didn't. David, I'm so sorry. I should have told you and Eli the truth."
Abe soon arrived, with Julie, Doug, Maggie, Ciara, Claire, and Theo not far behind him. Julie gave Valerie a hug and thanked her for attending the funeral. "It would've meant the world to David. He loved you so," Julie stressed. Valerie said that she had loved David, too. "If the two of you had just stayed together, how different things might have been," Julie mused with a heavy sigh.
Julie approached David's casket and admitted, "I may not have been much of a mother. I wasn't a mother at all in the beginning. [But] whether you felt it or not then, I did love you, David; I've always loved you, David. I pray [that] somehow, in your heart, you knew that." Doug stood back at first to give Julie some privacy but eventually joined her at the casket. She told him she was glad everyone had encouraged her to attend the funeral.
Ciara thanked Claire for helping her convince Julie to attend the funeral. "Well, why wouldn't I, you know? I care about my family, just like you do," Claire pointed out. Nodding, Ciara apologized for the things she had said earlier about Claire being selfish. Claire admitted that she hadn't exactly been the nicest person earlier that day herself. "Now you guys are talking like friends," Theo observed with a sigh of relief.
When Lani arrived with J.J., Theo gave her a hug and said he was glad to see her. Theo explained that Abe could use all the support he could get that day because Valerie was planning to leave Salem after the funeral. "Too bad she can't have a life here," Lani mused. "She can. All she has to do is say yes," J.J. pointed out, exchanging a look with Lani.
While Maggie was talking to Valerie, she asked to see a picture of Eli. Taken aback, Valerie nervously claimed that she didn't keep pictures on her cell phone. She then excused herself so she could say goodbye to Theo. "Such a lovely woman. It's too bad she has to leave Salem," Maggie told Abe after Valerie walked away. "Yes. Yes, it is," he agreed with a sigh.
Later, as the funeral service was about to begin, someone walked into the church and approached Valerie. "Eli! What are you doing here?" she asked. "I came to bury my father," he replied.
At Club TBD, a reluctant Chloe met with Brady to talk about Holly. Brady stressed that he was meeting with Chloe without Nicole's knowledge. When Brady asked Chloe to reconsider custody of Holly, Chloe argued that Nicole was unstable without Daniel in her life. Brady informed Chloe that Nicole had dumped Deimos. Chloe paused as she took in the news. Shaking off the thought, Chloe argued that Nicole would go back to Deimos. When Chloe reiterated that Nicole was a mess, Brady reminded Chloe that Nicole had been a rock when Chloe had gone into labor.
"A good friend is not the same as a good mom," Chloe said. When Brady reminded Chloe that her romantic decisions were every bit as bad as Nicole's decisions, Chloe grew defensive. Brady argued that Chloe was keeping everyone who loved her at arm's length. Chloe countered that Brady was always giving Nicole the benefit of the doubt. Raising an eyebrow, Chloe asked Brady if he was falling for Nicole again. Brady stressed that he was only friends with Nicole, and he was interested in intervening because he felt a personal connection to the situation. Brady explained that Theresa had not carried their son because Tate had been taken from them.
Softening, Chloe muttered that the judge had declared her Holly's mother, not Nicole. Brady begged Chloe not to move back to Chicago. Shifting her eyes guiltily, Chloe said she was not moving to Chicago. As Brady sighed in relief, Chloe announced that she was moving to New York to live with her parents. When Chloe explained that she needed to support herself, Brady offered to support Chloe financially if she agreed to stay in Salem. Chloe said it would be easier for Nicole to move on with her life if Holly was not in Salem. As Brady stared dumbfounded at Chloe, Chloe said she wanted Nicole to be happy.
At Brady's urging, Chloe left to meet with Maggie. Brady called Nicole and ordered her to meet with him right away. After picking up Holly from home, Chloe went to the Brady Pub to meet Maggie. Chloe stressed that she wanted what was best for Holly, and she believed that meant moving to New York. Maggie grew teary-eyed. As Chloe assured Maggie that she could visit her grandchildren whenever she wanted, Maggie wiped tears off her face.
Maggie calmly noted that Chloe was cutting Nicole out of Holly's life. Chloe reminded Maggie that the judge had granted custody to her, not Nicole. With a nod, Maggie said that Chloe could contact her if she needed anything. As Chloe rose to leave, Maggie asked to hold Holly. Chloe handed the baby to Maggie, who desperately fought back tears. Maggie said goodbye to her granddaughter.
At St. Luke's, Julie's friends and family attended David's funeral. At the back of the church, a surprised Valerie confronted her son, Eli, in the vestibule. Valerie asked Eli why he was in Salem. Eli said he wanted to pay his respects to his father. As Valerie's eyes went wide, Julie joined the two and introduced herself. Valerie introduced her son as Eli Grant, and she did not mention that Eli was Julie's grandson. Narrowing her eyes, Julie noted that Eli looked familiar. Julie welcomed Eli to sit down.
When Julie returned to the pulpit, she delivered a eulogy about her son David. Julie spoke glowingly of David, but she added that David had inherited her worst traits as well. Julie admitted that she and David had loved one another but that their relationship had been strained. With a sigh, Julie said she regretted the distance between her and David. Fighting tears, Julie said that David's best traits shined brightly in his son Scotty.
After the service, Julie thanked Claire and Ciara for attending the funeral. Claire expressed her regret that she had never met David, and Julie assured her that Claire would have liked David. As Julie left to mingle with the other people at the service, Claire told Ciara that she was upset that she could not do more to help Julie. Theo joined the women as Ciara told Claire that Julie was happy that Claire had attended the service.
Across the church, Abe talked to Eli. Curious, Abe asked Eli if he was in Salem to help his mother move. Eli responded that he was there to surprise his mother. Nearby, Valerie told Julie that David had loved Julie, and he had known that his mother had loved him. Looking over at Eli, Julie told Valerie that she should treasure her son while she had him in her life.
At the hospital, Chad woke up in his bed with a sleeping Abigail curled up next to him. Abigail opened her eyes and smiled at Chad. When Chad asked if they still needed to talk, Abigail said that all was well, and she appreciated that Chad had been honest with her about Gabi. Chad said he was eager to put the incident behind them and move on with their lives. Chad cautioned Abigail to steer clear of the Kiriakis and Hernandez families, but Abigail said she would be fine.
Changing the subject, Abigail suggested that they should take a trip to Cancun. Chad started to talk about Gabi, and he stopped himself. Abigail encouraged Chad to finish his thought. With a shrug, Chad explained that Gabi had once said that Cancun was too touristy and had recommended Cozumel for a vacation. With a smile, Abigail said they would find a place to go in Cozumel instead.
Claire and Theo stopped by to visit Chad. While Abigail and Claire went to the nurses' station to fill out paperwork for Chad's release, Theo sat on Chad's bed and talked about Stefano. Though Chad was not interested in speaking to Stefano again, Theo said he still missed his grandfather.
Chad changed the subject to the feud with the Kiriakis and Hernandez families. Chad cautioned Theo to watch his back. With a shrug, Theo said he did not want to stop talking to Ciara or Claire because he loved them both, and they were both a part of the Kiriakis family. Tentatively, Theo asked Chad if it was possible to love two women "in the same way." Chad shrugged as he looked into the distance.
At the nurses' station, Claire showed Abigail her rose gold watch from Theo. Claire confided that she felt like another woman was attempting to steal her boyfriend. Abigail advised Claire not to worry about the other woman and instead concentrate on showing Theo that Claire loved him. With a nod, Claire smiled at Abigail.
After Chad checked out of the hospital, he went home with Abigail. Chad spent some time with Thomas then curled up in bed with Abigail. After telling one another that they loved each other, Abigail and Chad made love.
In the town square, J.J. and Lani talked over coffee. J.J. attempted to ask Lani out, but she shot down all his suggestions. Frustrated, J.J. pointedly said that he wanted to go on a date with Lani. Surprised, Lani said she had not realized that J.J. had been interested in her. J.J. explained that after working with her again, he had realized how much he liked Lani. With a smile, Lani agreed to go for sushi with J.J. When Lani reached into her purse to fish out her smart phone and look up the restaurant, she realized it was missing. Lani excused herself to run back to the church to retrieve her phone.
In the park, an emotional Valerie asked Eli why he believed that David was his father. Eli explained that he had been curious about his dad's family and had realized that Terrence Grant was not his biological father. Eli continued that a DNA test had proven his suspicion correct, and resources at the FBI had led him to David. When Valerie asked why Eli had not said anything until that moment, a grim-faced Eli explained that he had been waiting for Valerie to tell the truth. Eli said he had hoped that when Valerie had left for Salem, her intention had been to tell the Horton family about him.
Angry, Eli said that he had never been able to meet his father because of Valerie's lies. Valerie explained that she and David had been in love, but he had been afraid to commit to her. Valerie added that after their second breakup, she had realized that she'd been pregnant and that David would never stay with her. When Eli argued that Valerie had not given David the chance to make that decision, Valerie countered that David had already failed as a father to Scotty. With a sigh, Valerie said that when she'd met Terrence, she'd known that he would be a good father to Eli.
"I didn't want your heart broken," Valerie said. "Well it is now," Eli retorted. Eli argued that he had had a right to know the truth about David -- and so did David's family. When Valerie pleaded with Eli to understand, Eli told Valerie that his relationship with David's family was not Valerie's business. Furious, Eli marched away. Abe found Valerie crying on the bench and rushed over to comfort her. Sobbing, Valerie cried out that Eli would never forgive her.
At St. Luke's, Julie said goodbye to David, and Doug escorted her out of the church. From the shadows, Eli approached the casket. "I'm sorry I never got to know you, but now I'll never have the chance," Eli said sadly. In the vestibule, Lani walked in, looking for her phone. Lani watched Eli at the casket.
