At the DiMera mansion, Chad was on the phone with Stefano, bragging about how things were progressing with Abigail. Chad also mentioned that his recent meeting with Zoe had been quite productive, and Stefano ended the call after sharing an idea for Will's next Sonix assignment.
In Ben's apartment, Aiden explained that the Florida Bureau of Investigation had taken an interest in Ben after discovering he had left the state the same day they had busted up a major gambling ring that had been operating out of a place he had worked at. Abigail thought that sounded like nothing more than a coincidence, and Aiden agreed, but Ben tensed when Aiden mentioned someone named Wollensky.
Ben admitted that, while he had never met Wollensky, there had been another guy who had frequented the place, and that guy had once mentioned Wollensky's name but had clammed up immediately afterward. Ben added that, in exchange for a relatively small amount of compensation -- less than two hundred dollars per week -- he had pointed the guy out to people who had indicated they were looking for a little gambling action.
Aiden said that made things more complicated, since Wollensky had many other business interests in addition to gambling, and the Florida Bureau of Investigation might try to tie Ben to one of them. Aiden decided it would be best for Ben to be honest with the authorities about his involvement in the gambling ring. Aiden planned to make the investigators travel to Salem to talk to Ben so they would be out of their jurisdiction, suspecting they wouldn't have enough to extradite Ben back to Florida. Ben promised to let Aiden know when he was ready to proceed, and Aiden left after warning Ben never to hide anything from him again.
Ben apologized for failing to tell Abigail the whole story earlier, insisting he would have if he had known it was going to be a big deal. Ben was scheduled to start a shift at Edge of the Square soon, but he offered to call in sick so he and Abigail could continue talking about what he had gotten mixed up with in Florida. Abigail didn't want Ben to jeopardize his job, so she excused herself so he could get ready, assuring him they would resume their conversation later. Ben asked if he and Abigail were okay, and she hesitantly replied that they were.
Later, Abigail ran into Chad at Club TBD. Abigail wondered how Chad and Zoe's date had gone. Chad clarified that it had been more of a business thing, but Abigail didn't seem entirely convinced. Abigail warned Chad to be careful around Zoe, who was a shark. Chad assured Abigail he knew the breed well.
Chad asked about Ben, and Abigail downplayed the situation with the Florida Bureau of Investigation. Chad observed that Abigail looked unhappy, but she insisted she was fine, and she abruptly excused herself. Satisfied, Chad contacted Zoe and told her he had the perfect idea for Will's next assignment -- an in-depth article about Clyde Weston.
At the Horton Town Square, Hope invited Marlena to join her for dinner sometime soon, assuming Marlena would have time to do so because John was out of town. Hope apologized when she realized Marlena was hearing the news for the first time. Marlena assured Hope that the latest conflict with John was something that could eventually be resolved. Hope wondered if a bit of breathing room could help Will and Sonny salvage their relationship, as well. "That...and a big dose of honesty. That part is crucial," Marlena replied.
Later, Aiden took Hope to the Salem Inn, where dinner was waiting in the room he had reserved. Hope was eager to skip dinner in favor of other things because she thought she wouldn't have much time to be alone with Aiden before he would have to go pick up Chase, but Aiden assured her that, like Ciara, Chase would be spending the night at a friend's house.
At Edge of the Square, Clyde apologized for keeping Kate waiting, explaining that he had been trying to take care of something for Ben. Kate noted that Ben had seen his share of problems. "Yeah. And lately, most of 'em start with Chad DiMera," Clyde replied. Clyde wondered if Kate thought Chad was still interested in Abigail. Kate said she didn't think Ben had anything to worry about, but Clyde wasn't convinced, pointing out that Abigail had a weakness for DiMera men.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Lucas tried to take the blame for what had happened with Adrienne. "Yes, I'm sure you had no trouble with Adrienne cheating on her husband. Certainly taught Will," Victor muttered. Adrienne protested that it wasn't fair for Victor to pull Will and Sonny into the matter. Victor countered that it hadn't been fair for Adrienne to cheat on Justin while Justin had been working his butt off to give his family the lifestyle they deserved.
Lucas objected that Justin had cheated on Adrienne first -- and had admitted that while in Salem recently. Victor summarized that Lucas had taken advantage of Adrienne while she had been hurting, but she insisted that sleeping with Lucas had been her decision. "How liberated of you. Shame you're a married woman, cheating on my nephew in my house," Victor dryly muttered.
Victor declared that Adrienne's affair with Lucas could not continue. Adrienne insisted that what she chose to do was her business, prompting Victor to wonder if Justin would agree. Victor warned that Adrienne had only twenty-four hours to tell Justin the truth before he would hear it from Victor instead. Adrienne started to protest, not wanting to reveal the news in a phone call, but Victor interrupted and ordered her to leave.
Lucas started to follow Adrienne, but Victor said he wasn't through with Lucas yet. Pointing out that he had already been fired, Lucas said he didn't think there was anything else Victor could do to him. "Then you haven't learned much over the years, have you?" Victor replied. Lucas wondered if Victor had known about Justin's infidelity all along. Victor admitted he'd had his suspicions, and when Lucas accused him of being a hypocrite, Victor threatened to reconsider the very generous severance package he was planning to give Lucas -- one Lucas deserved because he had actually done a very good job during his time at Mad World.
Lucas insisted that, while he might be done at Mad World, he wasn't done with Adrienne. "Oh, you think that there's mileage in that with Adrienne? She and Justin are gonna work things out. They've been through a lot worse. You're not even a footnote to them," Victor replied. Victor ordered Lucas to leave, adding that Lucas would have to call for a cab because he'd had Lucas' car towed. Lucas suspiciously noted that the car had been parked far away from the mansion and couldn't have been seen unless someone had gone looking for it.
Victor contacted Kate, who was still at Edge of the Square, and summoned her to the mansion. After Kate left, Ben arrived and told Clyde about what had happened with Aiden earlier. Clyde wondered why Ben hadn't been up-front with Aiden about everything from the beginning. Ben admitted he should have been, and Clyde asked if Ben was hiding something. Ben insisted he wasn't, but Clyde didn't seem entirely convinced.
When Kate arrived at the Kiriakis mansion, Victor informed her that Lucas really was having an affair with Adrienne. Kate insisted that couldn't possibly be true, but Victor assured her it was, and he added that he couldn't have a man like Lucas running one of his companies. Kate acted stunned when Victor offered to put her back in charge of Mad World. Victor laughed as he watched Kate work. "This is vintage you -- the shocked outrage slowly turning into reluctant acceptance. Just say yes!" Victor impatiently stated.
Kate said she would need some time to think about the offer first. "You don't want the job? After you went to all that trouble to stab your own son in the back?" Victor asked with another laugh. Victor admitted Kate had played the whole thing beautifully, and he wondered if she had done it just to regain control of Mad World or if she'd had some other reason for screwing up her son's life. Kate insisted she would never sabotage her own son, but when Victor offered to look elsewhere for Lucas' replacement so she could stay loyal to him, she quickly changed her tune.
Kate wished Victor had displayed the same sharpness when dealing with Stefano a few weeks earlier, since she wouldn't even need a job if Stefano hadn't managed to trick Victor into sabotaging her. Kate said she had known Victor would have found out about Lucas and Adrienne's affair eventually, and she had simply been trying to handle the fallout. "The only thing you wanted to handle, Kate, was your start date, which is tomorrow. Sleep tight -- if you get any sleep at all," Victor replied. Victor started to leave so Kate could have some privacy, and when she wondered what she needed privacy for, Lucas emerged from his hiding place in the hallway.
Kate tried to explain, insisting she had been doing Lucas a favor and actually had a long-term plan in place to get Lucas back into Mad World eventually. "You know, I should have learned my lesson a long time ago. I should have learned my lesson when you burnt the mansion down and you left me to die in the blaze," Lucas muttered. Kate objected to Lucas' version of events, but he ignored her.
"You know what? That's not even the worst of it. You trying to kill me doesn't even make the top ten, does it? I mean, you treated me like a chump when I was a teenager. You manipulated me into doing and being whatever you needed me to be at that moment. And you ruined my relationship with Sami," Lucas added. Kate complained that Lucas was dredging up ancient history just because he had gotten caught with his pants down, and she told him to grow up. Lucas insisted he had grown up, and he started to leave, but Kate stopped him, reminding him he needed a job. Lucas said he would find a job on his own -- one that didn't involve working for Kate.
Lucas refused to let Kate mess up his relationship with Adrienne. Kate protested that Lucas didn't have a future with Adrienne, but he insisted that wasn't for Kate to decide. Kate urged Lucas to be smart about things, adding that what had happened was just a blip. "A what? It's a what? Every time you step into my life and you butt in and you scramble my life, it's a blip! Because of all the great drama in your life, that's all I'll ever be! That's all I'll ever be, isn't it, Mom?" Lucas shouted.
Kate said she understood Lucas was upset. "You know what? Funny thing is, I'm not upset -- I'm really not. You know why? Because this means I'm free. Finally, I'm free from you! I'm free!" Lucas replied before walking away, ignoring Kate's tearful pleas for him to stay.
When Sonny entered his and Will's apartment, Will informed him that Kayla was watching Arianna for the night because of an Earth Day event she was taking all the kids to the following day. Will urged Sonny to go ahead and yell at him while they were alone. Stunned, Sonny wondered if Will really thought everything would be okay if he just gave Sonny a chance to throw a tantrum. Will clarified that he was just trying to give Sonny what he thought Sonny needed -- an opportunity to yell at him without having to worry about disturbing Arianna.
"Take your shots, Sonny -- I deserve it," Will said as he put his hands on Sonny's shoulders. Sonny pushed Will's hands away and wondered if that meant Will was finally ready to stop blaming Paul for what he had done. Will insisted Paul was after Sonny. "That doesn't justify what you did!" Sonny countered. Will explained that he wanted to save his marriage, and as Sonny started to say that wasn't the way to do it, Will added that he didn't want to lose Sonny.
"Well, if you keep this up --" Sonny began, but he didn't finish the sentence, instead stating that Will needed to be honest with him. Will insisted he was being honest. Sonny revealed that he knew what Will had told John about Paul. Taken aback, Will started to stammer out a response, but Sonny interrupted and warned him not to lie again. Sonny insisted he knew Paul never would have coerced Will into sleeping with him in exchange for an interview. "Really? There's no way? Why, because he's so perfect and honorable and honest? Come on, Sonny! No, maybe you don't know Paul as well as you think you do," Will suggested.
"The only person I don't know is you," Sonny countered. Will quietly replied that Sonny apparently had needed to yell, after all. "So now you're hurt?" Sonny impatiently asked. Will insisted Sonny did know him. Will said he was the same man Sonny had married, adding that if Sonny wanted to know more about him, he needed to talk to him, not tangle the rest of the world up in their business.
Sonny clarified that John had actually sought him out -- not the other way around -- to learn more about Paul. Will guessed Sonny had told John that Paul was a saint, but Sonny denied the suspicion, explaining that he had just told John and Paul to figure things out themselves. Will was stunned when Sonny added that John had left Salem to look for Paul. Will predicted Paul would jump at the opportunity to return to Salem with John because Paul was just looking for any excuse to stay close to Sonny. Sonny protested that Will couldn't be sure of that, but Will insisted it was true, adding that he knew Paul had recently made a move on Sonny.
Sonny said that had been a simple case of Paul misunderstanding something he had said. "And I have no reason to be paranoid? It's not because you're sending mixed signals?" Will countered. Sonny maintained that it hadn't been a big deal, while Will objected that Sonny was always willing to cut Paul all the slack in the world. Sonny's cell phone had been ringing for a while, so he finally answered it and said he was busy unless the call was about some sort of emergency. Adrienne replied that, while she understood the timing was bad, she still needed to see Sonny right away.
Sonny ended the call and started to leave, reasoning that there was no point in continuing his conversation with Will because they had just been going around in circles, anyway. Sonny added that the matter wasn't about Paul, but Will insisted it had everything to do with Paul. "Paul is a distraction. Until you see that, we have nothing to talk about," Sonny countered before exiting the apartment, ignoring Will's attempts to stop him.
Sonny met with a visibly upset Adrienne in a secluded section of the town square, and as she struggled to admit the truth, he interrupted and wondered if she was trying to tell him Justin was having an affair. Adrienne wondered how Sonny had figured that out. Sonny explained that he'd had his suspicions but hadn't been certain about them. "I know exactly how you feel," Sonny sadly muttered. Adrienne wished that weren't true.
Adrienne admitted there was more she needed to tell Sonny -- and she needed it to stay between them. Adrienne said she hadn't told Justin yet, and she added that it wasn't her place to tell Will. Confused, Sonny wondered what Will had to do with the matter. Adrienne tearfully started to talk about how life went on and how she and Lucas had grown closer lately. "Wait -- are you sleeping with Will's dad?" Sonny asked incredulously.
Adrienne confirmed the suspicion and admitted that, while she didn't know what to call her relationship with Lucas yet, she did know that it wasn't just a trivial thing. Adrienne acknowledged that Justin's betrayal hadn't justified her own, and she stressed that she didn't want Sonny to feel like he had to choose sides. Adrienne broke down as she added that she hadn't wanted Sonny to hear the news from anyone other than her. Adrienne explained that Kate and Victor also knew about the affair with Lucas. Adrienne was pretty sure Kate had told Victor, and she feared Kate might tell other people, too.
Sonny offered to talk to Victor on Adrienne's behalf after learning Victor had kicked her out of the mansion, but she insisted she didn't want Sonny to get involved, since she had already complicated things enough for him and Will. Sonny said he wanted Adrienne to take care of herself, not worry about him, and he assured her they were both going to be okay.
Marlena went to Will and Sonny's apartment to talk to Sonny, since Sonny was the last person John had talked to before leaving Salem. Will explained that Sonny had returned home just long enough to yell at him before taking off again. Will added that John had gone looking for Paul. "He's going to find Paul, bring him back here, and then all hell will break loose," Will worriedly predicted.
Marlena advised Will not to overreact, prompting him to wonder how he was supposed to stay calm when he knew Paul would soon be returning to Salem to steal Sonny away from him. Marlena insisted no one was going to steal Sonny away from Will. "Oh, Grandma -- you, of all people, should know. Two words -- Kristen DiMera," Will countered. Marlena objected that Will couldn't possibly compare Paul to Kristen.
"No, actually, Paul is worse, because he's perfect, and everyone loves and trusts him," Will replied. Marlena once again observed that Will was turning into Sami. Will irritably told Marlena to stop saying that, insisting he was simply being realistic. Will pointed out that his competition was a millionaire ballplayer who oozed charisma from every pore, and he said he had to go into that battle, armed with all the ammunition he had.
"And what is that? Lies? Manipulation? That's only gonna push Sonny farther away from you," Marlena warned. Will wondered if Marlena was suggesting he needed to just do nothing, and she admitted she wasn't advising that. Will insisted Paul would be returning to Salem and would be using John to do so. Will thought that should bother Marlena, but she didn't see it the same way he did.
"Then you need to open your eyes. I know why Paul is really coming back...and I'm gonna be ready for him," Will vowed.
At the Horton house, Ben talked to Abigail about whether she was upset with him about his work in Florida. Abigail said she was surprised about Ben's past, but she was not upset. Abigail added that she understood that Ben had taken the job in Florida in order to save money for school. Shaking his head, Ben said he'd known when he'd taken the job that it had been wrong. Abigail said she did not judge Ben for his actions. Ben said that Clyde was his only hope to get out of his legal problems.
In the park, Clyde anxiously waited for a phone call. When the phone rang, Clyde hurriedly answered the call. The caller confirmed to Clyde that the "job was done," and Clyde ordered the caller to "pay the family."
Hope and Aiden awoke in bed together. With the kids away at a sleepover, Hope and Aiden reveled in their ability to take their time getting ready for the day. Aiden called Ben and informed him that Ben would no longer be required to answer police questions in Florida because Wolensky had been murdered in prison. As Aiden hung up the phone, Hope asked about the phone call. Citing client confidentiality, Aiden declined to comment on the call. When Hope noted the suspiciousness of the timing, Aiden stressed that he needed to keep his professional life separate from Hope.
Clyde went to Ben's apartment to talk to him about the situation in Florida. When Ben informed Clyde that Wolensky had died in prison, Clyde faked surprise at the news. Clyde advised Ben to steer clear of people like Wolensky in the future. Clyde said that Ben had been lucky because if Wolensky had learned that the police wanted to question Ben, then Wolensky would have put a hit on Ben. When Ben noted that Wolensky had to have crossed the wrong guy, Clyde agreed.
At the hospital, Chad talked to Abigail about Ben. When Abigail said that Ben was no longer needed in Florida because Wolensky had died in prison, Chad chuckled. "That worked out well for Ben, didn't it?" Chad joked. Chad remarked that someone had likely paid to kill Wolensky, which ruffled Abigail. Abigail countered that a DiMera would think that way.
When Chad asked Abigail why she was casting aspersions on him, Abigail explained that E.J. had hired a hit man to murder Nick. Chad did not believe Abigail, but Abigail stressed that E.J. had confessed to her what he had done. "I am not my brother. Never forget that," Chad said.
In the park, Paul talked with his grandfather on a bench when John entered the clearing. John told Paul that he refused to let Paul walk out of his life. Though unable to speak English, Paul's grandfather told Paul that he believed John was Paul's father. Paul's grandfather went for a walk so Paul could talk privately with John.
John explained to Paul that he had never actually been a priest. Confused, Paul asked what John meant. John told Paul that all memory of his life before arriving in Salem was gone. John explained that when he had met Tori, he had been on the rebound from another relationship. John stressed that he had not known that Tori had been pregnant.
When John said he was sorry he had lost so many years with Paul over a misunderstanding, Paul shook his head in frustration. John apologized for berating Paul over his relationship with Sonny. John said he had known Will his whole life and had failed to ask enough questions about the situation with Sonny and Paul. Paul accused John of not wanting to learn the truth but instead making a snap judgment about him. Paul said John was like the people on social media who cheered him on the field but were quick to turn on him when he did something they did not like.
Paul's grandfather returned to the clearing. As Paul's grandfather left with Paul, he nodded solemnly at John.
At Club TBD, Chad woke Sonny from his slumber on the office couch. Chad noted that he had seen the texts on Sonny's phone. Sonny was annoyed by the invasion of privacy, but unfazed, Chad urged Sonny to reconcile with Will. Chad reminded Sonny that Sonny and Will still loved one another.
At Will and Sonny's apartment, Zoe stopped by to assign Will a story about Clyde. Will agreed on the condition that Zoe would forward all social media responses about the article about Paul to him. Sonny returned home after Zoe left. After Will confirmed that Arianna was at Kayla's house, Sonny asked Will to talk. Will said the affair was his fault and not Paul's. Will promised to make things right with Sonny. As Sonny smiled sadly, Will said that Marlena had accused Will of acting like Sami.
Will said the words had stung, but Marlena's accusation had convinced him that he needed to see a therapist. Will pleaded with Sonny to go to counseling with him so they could save their marriage. Sonny said he wanted to be with Will. When Will asked if Sonny could forgive him, Sonny said they needed to talk more first.
While Sonny took a shower, Will talked to Zoe on the phone about the feedback on his Paul article. When Zoe asked Will whether he was planning to do another article on Paul, Will admitted that he might. Zoe gave Will the go-ahead on the condition that he would finish his article on Clyde first. Will went to his computer and reviewed the feedback on the Paul article that Zoe had compiled.
At the hospital, Clint talked to Kristen on the phone about Theresa. Clint assured Kristen that he had the "target" in sight. Grinning, Clint looked across the waiting room at Theresa, who was dropping off some ID badges before her work shift. When Theresa turned and saw Clint smiling at her, she was not pleased. Clint told Theresa that he missed her. Theresa was quick to counter that she had not missed Clint at all. Clint apologized, and Theresa ordered him to leave.
When Theresa arrived home, Clint caught up with her at her front door. Clint handed Theresa a bracelet. Clint said he had earned a lot of money. When Theresa pointed out that Clint had never spent any money on her but instead had leeched off of her, Clint countered that he had never had any money until then. Clint explained that he had won two million dollars in the lottery. Theresa doubted Clint's story, but Clint showed her a copy of the check he had received for his winnings.
Clint suggested that Theresa leave Salem with him. When Theresa noted that she was afraid to lose her job because of her legal woes in California, Clint urged Theresa to run away with him and live off his millions. Theresa agreed that she had nothing to lose, and she ran into her bedroom to pack. Alone in the living room, Clint called Kristen and informed her that Theresa was packing for a trip. "Straight to hell. It's going to be the surprise of her life," Kristen joked.
On Brady's private jet flight into Italy, the pilot warned Brady that weather conditions for landing were not good. Brady asked the pilot to do what he could to land the plane so that he did not lose the element of surprise with Kristen. As the pilot worked to land the plane safely, Brady muttered to himself that he would never have taken such a risky chance if Melanie had been on the plane with him. The pilot promised to drop off Brady on the runway and then take off and fly to Greece for refueling.
In the storage closet, Melanie was tossed about by the turbulence. "If we die, we die together. Sort of," Melanie said to herself. As Melanie flailed about, she accidentally inflated the emergency life raft. Pinned to the wall, Melanie struggled to deflate the raft as the plane landed. While Melanie worked on the raft in the closet, Brady got off the plane. As the plane geared up for takeoff, Melanie pulled out a nail file in order to escape before the plane left.
In her Italian villa, Kristen fretted over the health of her son, but she was convinced that the best way to heal her son's illness was to give him a bone marrow transplant directly from Theresa. Kristen cooed at the baby and promised him that she would get "rid of Theresa for good" once the operation was complete.
"How lucky am I that it is Brady's son," Kristen whispered as someone knocked on the door. Kristen opened the door to a stone-faced Brady.
At the Horton house, J.J. awakened to find Eve in bed next to him -- and Paige suddenly entered the room. A furious and devastated Paige demanded to know how J.J. could have slept with both her and her mother. She ordered Eve to get out, so an upset Eve grabbed her clothes and hurried out. Horrified, Paige realized that Eve was the woman with whom J.J. had cheated on her. J.J. tried to apologize, but an enraged Paige excoriated him for making her believe his lies and breaking her heart.
Paige climbed onto the bed and began pummeling J.J. with her fists, shrieking that she hated him -- and at last J.J. woke up from the nightmare with a gasp, drenched in sweat. He tried to convince himself that Paige would never find out about him and Eve -- unless Eve were somehow planning to set him up with the coat. Paige called J.J. just then and said she needed to see him right away about something important.
Downstairs, Jennifer wondered why Eve had hung onto Daniel's jacket, the one J.J. had been wearing the night he and Eve had first slept together. Thinking aloud in the direction of J.J.'s picture, Jennifer mused, "I know you think that she's plotting against you and Paige, but what if it's something worse?" Jennifer called Eve, who was far from thrilled to hear from her foe. Jennifer demanded to see Eve immediately.
A few minutes later, Jennifer arrived at Eve's apartment. "Obviously, you know J.J. and Paige have gotten closer lately... So I just thought that we should all have dinner together, and I will cook," Jennifer proposed. She explained that she thought it was important to show the kids that their families were supportive of their relationship. Eve refused, insulting Jennifer's cooking and declaring that she couldn't tolerate the idea of watching J.J. pawing all over Paige for an evening.
Jennifer voiced her suspicions that there was a lot more to Eve's reasons than disapproval of J.J. and Paige's relationship. Playing dumb, Eve insisted that she loathed the idea of her daughter and J.J. together. "I know about the coat," Jennifer revealed, explaining that J.J. had told her all about it, including how it or one just like it had ended up in Eve's possession. "Jennifer, I -- I don't have to have to explain myself to you," Eve contended calmly.
"That's okay, because I already know the answer. So why don't you tell me? What exactly are your feelings for my son?" Jennifer demanded, her contempt for Eve apparent. Eve reminded Jennifer that she hated J.J. "If you hate him so much, why'd you have sex with him? And if you regretted it so much, why did you do it again?" Jennifer demanded. Eve refused to engage further with Jennifer and tried to throw her out.
Jennifer wouldn't budge until Eve explained herself, so Eve grabbed her purse and fled the apartment. Caught off guard, Jennifer followed after her just a moment too late. "Stay away from me, you crazy bitch!" Eve shouted as the elevator doors closed behind her.
When J.J. met Paige in the Salem University student union, she greeted him with an enthusiastic kiss and announced that she had a surprise. Paige explained that being with J.J. for the first time the previous night had been perfect. J.J. reminded her that his mom had nearly caught them, and from the look on his face, a mortified Paige deduced that Jennifer had figured out what had happened.
J.J. assured Paige that everything was "cool," but he didn't think they'd be able to have sex at his house again. "Which brings me back to my surprise," Paige said, beaming, as she held up a key card from the Salem Inn. She explained that she'd used her babysitting money to rent a room that night for the two of them so they could be together again without fear of interruptions. J.J. declared that he only wished he'd thought of such a great idea and promised that he would pay for half the cost of the room.
Paige admitted she'd been worried that the night before hadn't been as good for J.J. as it had been for her because she wasn't as experienced as he was. J.J. reassured Paige that he'd been unable to think about anything else since then. Since Paige had already checked into the room and didn't have class again for a while, she suggested they head to the hotel, so the two of them left hand in hand.
Jennifer chased Eve into Horton Square and finally caught up with her near the café. Grabbing Eve's arm, Jennifer ordered, "Answer me! What feelings do you have for my son?" Just then, Paige and J.J. arrived and spotted their squabbling moms across the square.
Still in the clothes she'd been wearing the previous night, an irritated Nicole was on the phone with her producer, Miles, as she walked through town after fruitlessly waiting all night outside a hotel for a senator and his mistress to depart together. Daniel wandered toward Nicole just as she was hanging up in frustration. After Daniel invited Nicole to join him for coffee, he explained that his patient had developed an infection, so Daniel hadn't been able to perform the kidney transplant that had been scheduled for that morning.
Nicole apologized for having to cancel her date with Daniel the night before, and Daniel suggested they try again. Realizing he meant right then, Nicole declined, since she'd been up all night and looked terrible. "You look beautiful to me," Daniel assured her. Nicole agreed to meet Daniel at the Brady Pub for lunch, after she'd had a chance to freshen up a little.
Serena called Xander from the hospital and informed him that she'd figured out a way to get into Daniel's and retrieve the diamonds. Although Xander was pleased, he hung up rather abruptly because he was waiting at Club TBD for Eric, who walked in at that moment.
While Xander and Eric caught up over coffee, Eric made a remark about Xander spending time with Nicole Walker since arriving in town. Xander apologetically explained that he never would have pursued Nicole if he'd known about her history with Eric. Eric assured Xander that it wasn't a problem but pointed out that Nicole wasn't exactly available. Xander acknowledged that Nicole was involved with Daniel Jonas. Eric was surprised to hear that Xander knew Daniel.
Eric was amazed at the coincidence when he learned that his stepbrother, Brady, was also related to Xander, especially since Xander and Eric had spent so much time together in Africa. Xander explained that he had always used his mother's maiden name, Cook, professionally. He added that he was looking forward to getting to know Brady and Daniel better.
Serena spotted Maggie and explained that Maggie might be the only one who could help Serena with a problem. Serena explained that she'd left some notes for the article she was working on -- and for which she had a deadline looming -- in a book she'd lent to Melanie, who had left town. Since Daniel was supposed to be in surgery all morning, and although Maggie was supposed to be launching a community garden project that morning, Maggie agreed to let Serena into Daniel's apartment to look for the book as long as they left right away.
When Maggie and Serena got to Daniel's apartment, Maggie headed into Melanie's room to search for the book. As soon as she was alone in the living room, Serena stuck her hand up the chimney to feel around for the diamonds, but before she could locate them, Maggie returned. Maggie explained that she'd gotten a text message about the garden project, and she had to leave to straighten out a mix-up. Leaving Serena alone to find the book, Maggie hurried out, leaving the door ajar in her wake.
Serena resumed her search of the chimney, and after a bit of a struggle, she found the plastic bag full of diamonds and liberated it from its hiding spot. The bag split open, so Serena carefully carried it to the dining table before the diamonds spilled on the floor. As Serena was gathering up the loose diamonds, Nicole walked in. "Serena? What are you doing here?" Nicole demanded.
Maggie arrived at Club TBD, dressed for gardening and carrying a flat of small basil plants. Eric spotted her and jumped up to help, but Maggie declined. She explained that they were starting a community garden next door to promote sustainability. "Lots of fresh produce for Chez Rouge," Maggie added. When Xander overheard, he realized who Maggie was and introduced himself. Maggie explained that Sonny was allowing her to store the extra basil at the club.
Eric declared that Maggie's restaurant, Chez Rouge, was the first restaurant in Salem to go green. As Eric carried the plants to the back room, Maggie said that she'd heard a lot about Xander from Daniel. She got a text message and had to return to the garden. As Maggie was heading out, she ran into Daniel. When she learned his surgery had been postponed, she asked if he'd gotten her message. Daniel hadn't, but Maggie said, "It's really nothing now."
After Maggie left, Daniel spotted Xander and said hello. Xander said he'd just met Daniel's mother. "I am really impressed with how you've turned your life around since the last time I saw you," Daniel admitted. Eric returned just then and asked, "Turned your life around? What is that supposed to mean?"
Clint called Kristen from Theresa's living room to report that Theresa was packing for their trip. Theresa returned from the bedroom with her luggage just as Clint was hanging up. "Where are we going first?" Theresa asked excitedly. Clint informed her that it would be the surprise of her life.
Once Clint and Theresa were on the plane bound for Italy, Theresa gushed that traveling to Italy was the trip for which she'd been waiting her whole life. She fantasized aloud about everything they would do once they arrived. Clint gave Theresa a hard time for tinkering with her phone during the flight. Chuckling, Theresa explained that she'd gotten sixteen angry emails from her boss, ordering Theresa to get to work or she was fired. Theresa declared that she couldn't wait to announce she'd quit -- and why.
"No, don't," Clint urged Theresa a little too emphatically. Covering, Clint joked that, knowing Anne, she would call air traffic control and find a way to make them turn the plane around. He suggested that Theresa should send her boss a "selfie" from the Colosseum instead. Clint invited Theresa to join the "mile-high club" with him, so, giggling, she slipped off to the lavatory to wait for him. As soon as Theresa had gone, Clint grabbed her phone and plugged a device into the charging port.
After they'd had sex, Clint and Theresa toasted to checking another item off her "bucket list." Theresa picked up her phone but noticed that the screen had frozen. "Don't worry, baby. We'll get it fixed when we land -- or, even better, I'll buy you a new one," Clint promised.
Melanie was on board Brady's plane, trapped in a closet by a life raft that she'd accidentally inflated. Struggling to move around in the tight quarters, Melanie managed to find a nail file in her purse and punctured the raft. As it was deflating, she let out a relieved sigh but quickly realized that the plane was already taking off again. Melanie tried to open the door -- but the handle broke off in her hand. She pounded on the door and shouted for Lee, the pilot, but he couldn't hear her from the cockpit.
Determined to get out and protect Brady, Melanie again used her nail file to unlatch the door and free herself. She rushed out to the main cabin, pressed a button on the intercom, and addressed the pilot, "Lee, it's Melanie. Hi. You need to turn this plane around and land right now. Please." Alarmed that Melanie was still on the plane, Lee informed her that his orders were to land in Greece. Melanie argued that Brady needed her help because there was no telling what the DiMeras might do to him. She threatened to parachute out of the plane, possibly to her death, if Lee didn't turn around and land it right away.
At the DiMera's Italian villa, Kristen congratulated herself on finally getting the one thing she'd always wanted more than anything else in the world: a child. "How lucky am I that it's Brady's beautiful son, who's going to be happy and healthy and mine forever!" Kristen exclaimed, pouring herself a glass of wine. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and, assuming it was the nurse she was waiting for, Kristen rushed to open it -- but she found Brady on the other side.
Kristen invited Brady in and asked why he was there. "I think you know," Brady said. With a half-smile, Kristen admitted, "Yeah, I probably do." She guessed excitedly, "You've forgiven me, haven't you? I mean, why else would you come all this way?" Playing along, Brady explained that he was working through his twelve steps, and he was taking responsibility for some of what had happened between them. He acknowledged that it had to have been difficult for Kristen to return to Salem and face him and Eric.
Brady added that he would always be grateful to Kristen for saving his father's life and for showing Brady the truth about Theresa. He admitted that he'd been very close to letting Kristen back into his life when he'd seen her with Daniel, and Brady had lashed out at her not out of betrayal but out of jealousy. Brady continued that he couldn't move forward with his life until he forgave Kristen -- and he hoped she could forgive him, too.
"Brady, I do forgive you," Kristen assured a relieved Brady. She added that she was very happy he was there because she had a lot to make up to him. "This last time I was in Salem, I did a terrible thing. And it involves Theresa and you," Kristen explained. She accepted credit for enlightening Brady about what Theresa had done to John and waking John up from his coma, although she admitted that she shouldn't have used what she'd known to try to get Brady back.
Kristen confided that it still haunted her to know that she had ruined any chance she'd had to reunite with Brady by getting in bed with Daniel. "I guess, on some level, I was trying to hurt you. I always end up hurting myself," Kristen confessed in a whisper. She added that no matter how hard she'd tried to do the right thing, she'd always ended up making mistakes that had prevented Brady from wanting to be with her. Kristen declared that she was grateful Brady was there because it had given her an opportunity to confess.
"Confess? It's interesting that you would say that. Is there something else that you want to confess?" Brady asked, trying not to appear too eager. "What else could there be?" Kristen countered with seeming innocence. Brady reminded Kristen of her last words to him before she'd left town the last time when she'd told him that she would be leaving with a part of him inside her. He asked what she'd meant. "Isn't it obvious? I'm always going to share the love that we shared inside my heart, Brady," Kristen explained, adding, "I'm always going to love you, even if you don't return that love."
Brady said it had sounded like Kristen had meant something else. Kristen claimed she had been so devastated, she hadn't known what she'd been saying. Before Brady could question Kristen further, the doorbell rang, and Kristen went to answer it and found the nurse waiting with her suitcase. In hushed tones, Kristen instructed the nurse to leave and not return until Kristen called her. As Kristen closed the door in the poor woman's face, Brady asked, "Who was that?"
Kristen maintained that she had a "medical condition," and the woman was a nurse. When Brady questioned why she had sent the nurse away, Kristen asserted that it was private. Brady countered that he thought they were done with the secrets and lies between them. Claiming that she was feeling tired, Kristen said it meant a great deal to her that Brady had gone to see her. As Kristen tried to escort Brady to the door, he bellowed at her to stop. Grabbing Kristen by the arms, he growled, "I'm not going anywhere, not until I have what you've taken from me."
Melanie wandered through the woods near the DiMeras' estate, clutching a scrap of paper in her hands and trying to navigate. She cursed herself when she realized that she'd left her phone on the plane. The nurse happened by just then, so Melanie stopped her and explained that she was looking for an address. When the nurse saw the address on the piece of paper and deduced that Melanie was looking for the DiMeras', she spat. Finally the nurse pointed and said, "There." Stunned, Melanie confirmed, "The castle all the way at the top of that mountain is where it is? Okay. Great."
Meanwhile, Kristen pretended not to know what Brady was talking about. "Stop playing games with me. You know why I'm here. Damn it, Kristen, tell me! Where is my child?" Brady demanded.
At Club TBD, Daniel went to talk to Maggie after apologizing for blabbing about Xander's troubled past. Xander explained that he had gotten into some legal trouble as a youth but had turned his life around after Victor had helped set him on the right path. "Really? Victor knows there's a right path?" Eric asked skeptically.
Maggie told Daniel about letting Serena into his apartment to look for a book. Daniel didn't mind, but when he checked his cell phone and saw that Nicole had sent him a text message earlier to let him know she would meet him at his place, he excused himself, fearing she and Serena might have run into each other there. Victor arrived as Daniel was leaving, and Xander overheard them discussing plans to go golfing together sometime soon.
Eric tensed when Victor joined Maggie and greeted him and Xander. Xander wondered if Victor had set a date for the family dinner they had recently discussed having. Victor said it had slipped his mind, and he promised Xander they'd make it happen eventually -- but probably not until after Brady returned to Salem. Eric wanted to know where Brady had gone, so Victor claimed Brady was taking care of some Titan business overseas.
Victor excused himself after checking the time and realizing it would probably be a good idea to touch base with Brady before it got much later. Victor made a point of saying goodbye to Eric and Maggie but not Xander, who nevertheless offered to walk Victor out. Outside, Xander tried to talk about the business deal he was working on that was going to net Victor a nice profit, but Victor was more interested in checking on Brady right away.
Maggie had noticed how Eric had tensed in Victor's presence, so she told Eric she hoped he would one day be able to forgive Victor for what had happened at Brady and Kristen's second wedding. Maggie assured Eric that Victor was a good man. Eric said he was sure that was true, adding that he had just heard Victor had helped Xander turn his life around.
Serena used her cover story to explain what she was doing in Daniel's apartment, but Nicole suspected there was more to it than that. Nicole grabbed the strap of Serena's purse to stop her from leaving, and in the ensuing struggle, the purse slipped off Serena's shoulder and landed on the couch, and the diamonds spilled onto the cushion. As the women continued fighting, Daniel intervened and demanded to know what was going on.
Nicole started to tell Daniel about how she had caught Serena snooping through his apartment, but Serena clarified that she had simply been looking for a book, and he informed Nicole that Maggie had confirmed that story earlier. Serena excused herself, and as Daniel pulled Nicole aside and started criticizing her behavior, Serena gathered the diamonds and exited the apartment without either of them realizing what was happening.
Daniel thought Serena's reason for being in his apartment was more legitimate than Nicole's, and he wished Nicole had just stuck to their original plan to meet at the Brady Pub for lunch. Nicole couldn't believe Daniel was yelling at her for daring to show up at his apartment, especially since she had sent him a text message to let him know she would be meeting him there. After arguing with Nicole for a while, Daniel tried to drop the matter, suggesting they could just forget about their misunderstanding and proceed with their lunch date. Nicole wasn't sure she was still interested in doing that, so she went to the bathroom to freshen up and think about it.
Serena met with Xander at the Brady Pub to hand over the diamonds. Serena assumed that would conclude her business with Xander, but he pointed out that he still needed to count the diamonds and make sure they were authentic first -- and that could take some time. Serena observed that it seemed like Xander wasn't interested in leaving Salem anytime soon. "Really can't say. Guess we'll see," Xander replied before walking away.
At the Horton Town Square, Jennifer explained to Paige and J.J. that she had been trying to convince Eve to agree to a dinner for the four of them. Paige didn't understand why Jennifer and Eve had been arguing about that, since Eve had recently mentioned the same idea. Eve said she had since decided she wasn't ready for that sort of thing because she was still having a tough time dealing with the idea of Paige and J.J. being together.
Eve suggested it might be time to talk about why she was having trouble dealing with that idea, but before she could say anything else, Paige dragged her a few feet away so they could talk privately. Paige pointed out that Eve had promised to give J.J. another chance, and Eve insisted she had tried to do just that.
Eve wondered why Paige and J.J. weren't in class, so Paige explained that their class didn't start until later that day. Paige added that she and J.J. were going to spend some time together until then. Eve made a sarcastic remark, suspecting she knew how Paige and J.J. planned to pass the time. Paige didn't understand what Eve was getting at, so Eve blurted out that she knew Paige was sleeping with J.J.
After insisting that was none of Eve's business, Paige added that she was on birth control, and she warned that she and Eve would just be at each other's throats all over again unless Eve could find a way to live with the fact that Paige was a grown woman who could make her own decisions about who to be with. Eve watched in stunned silence as Paige rejoined J.J. and Jennifer and told them why Eve was upset.
"She's always had a hard time when it comes to me and boys. She's always talking about how men never treated her right and, you know, used her and walked out on her, and she just doesn't want the same thing to happen to me," Paige explained. Jennifer nodded and encouraged J.J. and Paige to take off, promising to talk things out with Eve after they left. J.J. warned Jennifer not to turn her back on Eve.
Eve wasn't interested in going another round with Jennifer, but Jennifer insisted it was important for them to have a private conversation, so Eve reluctantly followed her back to the Horton house. Eve was shocked to realize Jennifer already knew J.J. and Paige were sleeping together. Jennifer said she could tell Eve was very upset about the development, and Eve countered that if Jennifer were any kind of mother, she'd be upset, too.
"All right, you know what, Eve? I know that you do not think that J.J. is right for Paige, but all of this anger and all of this hostility, it has nothing to do with what you want for Paige; it has everything to do with what you want for yourself, and that is my son," Jennifer insisted. Eve said Jennifer needed to make up her mind, since her previous assertion had always been that Eve was obsessed with her.
Jennifer explained that something Paige had said had made her realize things were a lot more complicated than she had initially suspected. "I know that you did not have the best time growing up, and I know that you were put in terrible situations with men when you were really young. And Eve, by the way you reacted today to J.J. and Paige, I just can't help but wonder [if] what happened in your past [is] affecting you now more than you realize. [You were] forced into prostitution when you were very young, younger than Paige is right now. And anyone would have a very hard time dealing with all of those emotions," Jennifer added.
"Long ago. Long ago and far away," Eve quietly insisted, but Jennifer doubted that because she had seen how Eve related to men, sex, and the situation with J.J. Jennifer advised that Eve could end up destroying her own life as well as Paige's life if she didn't deal with the issue for good. Jennifer tried to put a comforting hand on Eve's arm, but Eve yanked it away and told Jennifer to find someone else to psychoanalyze.
Eve insisted she had dealt with her demons years earlier, and she added that she had no feelings whatsoever for J.J. Eve claimed she had simply kept the coat as a reminder of how awful she and J.J. had been, and she stressed that she had since thrown it away. Jennifer reminded Eve they had once been friends, and she said she had just been trying to help Eve.
Eve warned Jennifer to never take such a walk down memory lane again. Eve also stressed that she didn't want Jennifer to tell Paige about anything they had discussed, and Jennifer promised she never would. "I hate you," Eve quietly muttered, holding back tears. Eve stormed out of the house and slammed the door shut.
Later, Jennifer contacted Daniel and asked to meet with him, explaining that she was at her wit's end and needed someone she could talk through some things with. Daniel agreed, and as he ended the call, Nicole emerged from the bathroom and wondered what was going on. Daniel refused to discuss the matter with Nicole, who stormed off, upset because she always had to explain everything to him.
Eve returned home and slammed her purse down on the desk with a groan of frustration, knocking over a framed photograph of Paige in the process. As Eve knelt to pick up the item, she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, and when she turned her head to see who it was, J.J. gently assured her everything was going to be okay. Eve closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she found herself alone again.
At the Salem Inn, Paige admitted J.J. had been right to assume Eve would never truly be supportive of their relationship. "Yeah, if she ends up losing it someday, I'll lose you," J.J. muttered. Paige insisted her mother couldn't say or do anything to change her feelings for J.J. Paige kissed J.J. and started to unbutton his shirt, but he pulled away, uncertain about continuing.
J.J. knocked over his backpack in the process of backing away from Paige, and some gift boxes spilled out of it. When Paige asked about the items, J.J. admitted they were for her, and he explained that he had been carrying them around for a while, looking for the right time to give them to her. The first gift box contained a bracelet, and the second contained a music box.
J.J. explained that he had gotten the gifts for her the previous Christmas but had thrown them out after their breakup, so he had recently purchased the same items again because he wanted to pretend all the bad stuff had never happened. J.J. admitted his idea had probably been really stupid, but Paige insisted it had actually been perfect. Paige kissed J.J., and they started having sex. Afterward, J.J. said he never wanted to lose Paige again, and she assured him he never would.
At the DiMera compound in Italy, Kristen feigned ignorance when Brady accused her of stealing his baby, and she incredulously wondered if he had gotten Theresa, of all people, pregnant. Unconvinced, Brady insisted he was positive Kristen had kidnapped his child, and he pointed out that she had done something similar once before. Kristen said it hurt to know Brady could accuse her of such a thing when she had wanted to give him a child more than anything in the world, and it hurt even more to know Theresa had apparently been able to get pregnant without even trying.
Brady maintained that Kristen had stolen his child, and as he started detailing what he believed she had done to pull it off, she mocked the absurdity of it all. "Okay, I have to ask -- are you doing drugs?" Kristen wondered. Brady insisted he was completely sober, and when he asked about Mandrake, Kristen once again feigned ignorance. Kristen wondered how she could have even found out about Theresa's pregnancy in the first place. "Oh, and my next question -- I hate that little bitch. Why would I ever want her baby?" Kristen asked.
Brady pointed out that the child was half his, prompting Kristen to counter that his big ego was preventing him from being able to see just how wrong he really was. Brady suggested Kristen wouldn't mind letting him look around the place in that case, and she agreed. As Kristen led Brady through the compound, Mandrake overheard them from inside the secret room where the baby was being kept. Mandrake grabbed a gun and stood guard near the entrance. Once Kristen and Brady moved on, Mandrake crept out of the secret room and made his way through the secret passage to the living room -- just as the doorbell rang.
Mandrake opened the door and greeted Melanie. Assuming she was the nurse, Mandrake told Melanie to return an hour later. Mandrake shut the door and rushed back to the secret passage after hearing Brady and Kristen approaching. Melanie, who had recognized Mandrake and had been waiting outside, opened the front door and peeked her head inside just in time to see the entrance to the secret passage swinging shut behind Mandrake.
Brady followed Kristen back to the living room, upset that he hadn't found a baby during his search of the compound. Brady admitted defeat as Kristen continued to mock the ridiculousness of his claims, wondering if he would next try to suggest aliens had abducted the supposed child. "I didn't think it was possible, but I think you've destroyed the last tiny part of me that could still love you. Now get out! And don't forget -- you promised me that when you found nothing, you would leave and never come back. Keep that promise," Kristen snapped as she ushered Brady out the door.
Once the coast was clear, Mandrake joined Kristen in the living room and questioned her about what had just happened. Kristen said Brady had put some of the pieces together but didn't have anything concrete yet. Kristen was sure Brady would be keeping an eye on the place, and she expected Victor would probably send spies in eventually, too. Mandrake suggested it would probably be a good idea to call the nurse and let her know there had been a change in plans, since he had only sent her away for an hour when she had visited earlier. Kristen said she had talked to a nurse earlier, too, and she asked Mandrake to describe the one he had seen.
Outside, Brady watched the compound with binoculars as he contacted Victor to offer an update. Brady said he hadn't found what he was looking for yet but was pretty sure he was on the right track. Victor offered to send some people to help out, but Brady declined. After ending the call, Victor contacted someone and told them to put a team in place and be ready to infiltrate a castle on a little mountain road called Via Garibaldi.
Meanwhile, Melanie sneaked into the secret room and found Christopher.
As Lucas and Will walked through Horton Square, Will expressed outrage that Victor had fired Lucas. Lucas promised to explain everything in more detail later. Will was on his way to see Sonny, so Lucas wished his son luck.
At Will and Sonny's apartment, Adrienne put Arianna to bed and rushed to answer her phone before it woke the baby. "I got your message. What's wrong? What's the emergency?" Justin asked when Adrienne answered. After she reassured Justin that it didn't have anything to do with their children, Adrienne apologized, explaining that she'd thought saying it was an emergency was the only way to get him to call her back. Justin was annoyed. Adrienne informed her husband that Victor had given her twenty-four hours to tell Justin that she was having an affair with Lucas before Victor broke the news himself.
"I'm sure you wasted no time telling him about me and Elsa," Justin guessed, peeved that his uncle knew about both Justin and Adrienne's affairs. Adrienne said Victor had already known. Justin wasn't really surprised that Adrienne had decided to pay him back by sleeping with Lucas. "I can't believe your ego! I only slept with Lucas to get back at you," Adrienne retorted ironically. Accepting some of the responsibility for what had happened, Justin said he would try to finish his work there and return home, because he knew it wasn't something they could work out over the phone.
"You're gonna try to squeeze me into your busy schedule?" Adrienne said snidely. Growing more exasperated, Justin said he didn't know what Adrienne expected him to do or say from six thousand miles away. Adrienne declared that she just hadn't wanted him to hear about her affair from Victor. Justin continued talking about how long it would take to wrap up things there, but Adrienne had already hung up.
Later, Adrienne clutched a pillow to her chest and wept as she recalled the last conversation she'd had with Justin in person, when he'd confirmed that he'd been sleeping with Elsa. When there was a knock at the door, Adrienne barely bothered to wipe away tears as she went to answer it and found Lucas waiting outside. "You talked to Justin?" Lucas asked. Adrienne nodded and threw herself into his open arms, sobbing inconsolably.
After a moment, Adrienne let go of Lucas. "Adrienne, I am so sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt like this," Lucas said. Adrienne pointed out that Lucas had also been hurt: he'd lost his job. Lucas insisted that he didn't care about the job; he only cared about Adrienne. "Maybe I shouldn't be telling you this... Despite everything that's happened and everything we've both lost, it's really been worth it for me," Lucas declared. "Me too," Adrienne concurred, beaming through her tears and kissing Lucas.
"Kate's the one who had told Victor about us," Lucas reluctantly informed Adrienne, explaining that his mother had done it because she'd wanted to take over Mad World. An incredulous Adrienne exclaimed, "Oh, my God, that woman could give Medea a run for her money! Why would she do that to her own son?"
Will arrived through the side door at Club TBD and asked Terry, the bartender, where Sonny was. Terry said Sonny was outside, talking to his uncle. Will said he would catch up with Sonny later and left the same way he'd entered.
At a table on the patio outside the club's front door, Victor complimented Sonny on a perfect cup of coffee. Sonny was skeptical that his uncle, who had two cooks on staff, was only at the club for coffee. Victor admitted that he was worried about Sonny, who assured Victor that he and Will were working things out. "Is that what you want, or do you want Paul back?" Victor questioned. Sonny nearly blew up when Victor referred to Paul as a "washed-up baseball player," but Victor asserted that Sonny's reaction indicated that he had unresolved feelings for Paul.
"Could you go do a hostile takeover or something and just leave me alone?" Sonny grumbled. Victor urged Sonny to do some soul-searching, pointing out that it had taken Will less than a year to cheat on Sonny. Will arrived around the corner and hid behind a tall shrub as Victor was reminding Sonny, "Will knew he was married; Paul didn't. He certainly didn't know he was married to you... Will cheated on you; Paul didn't." Sonny contended that none of it was Victor's business. Victor argued that when Paul had turned down Sonny's proposal, Sonny had settled for Will.
Sonny insisted that he had not "settled." Not buying it, Victor noted gently, "Sometimes -- and it's not fun -- we have to cut our losses and move on." Behind the bush, Will scowled. Sonny informed Victor that he and Will planned to go to couples therapy. Victor doubted counseling would help, since cheating was in Will's DNA, citing Sami, Lucas, and both of Will's grandmothers as examples. "Well, I think it goes back further than that. Didn't Caroline Brady have an affair with someone?" Sonny asked, pointing out Victor's hypocrisy.
Encouraging Sonny to talk to Paul, Victor revealed that he had Paul's address on his desk if Sonny wanted it. Victor added that he only wanted Sonny to be happy, and if Sonny could be happy with Will, Victor would wish them well -- but if Sonny were unsure about his feelings for Paul, it would eat away at Sonny and make him and Will miserable. He urged Sonny to at least think about it. Sonny said he would. Victor thanked Sonny for the coffee and left, and an unhappy Will slipped away.
Justin called Sonny and admitted that he had acted "like a jerk" when Adrienne had told him about her affair. Sonny understood his dad's reaction. Sonny grew a bit exasperated when Justin broached the topic of Paul's feelings for Sonny. Sonny explained that he'd just had a similar discussion with Victor, who had been very hard on Will, and Sonny had been left feeling confused.
Sonny wished he could talk to his dad about it in person because, usually, Justin actually listened. Justin said he was trying to get home, but he didn't know how long that might take. "Hey, Sonny -- how 'bout you coming over here to Hong Kong?" Justin proposed.
As Marlena sat alone in a corner booth at the Brady Pub, she called and left a message for John. "I'm curious how things are going with Paul -- and curious how things are going with us... It would be nice to talk to you. Will you call me? It would even be nicer to see you," Marlena said.
When Will joined Marlena a little later, she could immediately tell that something was wrong. Will explained, "Victor's trying to get Sonny to dump me. He's trying to get him back together with Paul... Then he said, oh-so-casually, that he had Paul's address on his desk in his study, just in case Sonny wanted to go visit him." Will believed that Sonny was thinking about visiting Paul. Will recounted the rest of Victor and Sonny's conversation for his grandmother, asserting that Victor would only worship Paul more once he learned that Paul was John's son.
Marlena stressed that Will was getting ahead of himself, but he reminded her that she knew all too well how Victor operated. When Will asked about John, Marlena admitted that John was upset because she hadn't told him that Paul was his son. Will said he and Sonny were about to do couples therapy, and Marlena understood that things could get complicated if Paul returned. Will implored his grandmother to ask John to remind Paul that Will, Sonny, and Arianna were a family. Marlena was reluctant to interfere, plus John hadn't returned any of her calls. "If I knew where he was --" Marlena began, and Will informed her, "Victor knows.
A little later, Henderson let Marlena into the Kiriakis mansion, and she went into the study to wait for Victor. Spotting the notepad on the desk with Paul's information on it, Marlena sidled over and surreptitiously snapped a photo of the address. She'd just finished when Victor walked in. Marlena acknowledged that Victor had to be upset about what had happened between Paul Narita and Will. Victor irritably reminded Marlena that he'd hosted Sonny and Will's wedding, and Will had jumped into bed with another guy just a few months later.
Marlena countered that she and Victor were hardly in a position to judge. She insisted that Will was "deeply remorseful" and only wanted a chance to make it up to Sonny. "I don't give a damn what Will wants. All I care about is what Sonny wants," Victor growled. Marlena assured Victor that she understood how he felt because she was very disappointed in Will for betraying Sonny. Victor grumbled that Will's behavior had been "appalling."
Marlena reiterated that they had no right to judge, and she believed they should let Will and Sonny work things out on their own. Victor argued that Will had needed to be set straight. Marlena asserted that Will was tormented over the terrible mistake he'd made, and he was trying to hold his family together. She reminded Victor, "It isn't just Will and Sonny. There's a child involved -- and I hope to God you respect that." Marlena left.
Will returned to Club TBD and entered through the front door. He greeted Sonny with a kiss, and Sonny said he'd just gotten off the phone with his dad. "I didn't get to see him much when he was in town... I'm actually thinking about going to see him," Sonny admitted. Will asked Sonny what he intended to do about their planned couples therapy, but Sonny maintained that there was more going on in his life than just his marriage. "You mean Paul, right?" Will concluded. Sonny replied firmly, "No. I'm going to go see my father. I won't be long."
Promising to talk more about it with Will after work, Sonny carried a tray of dirty cups behind the bar. Will muttered to himself, "Damn it, he's lying to me. I knew Victor would get to him." Will called Marlena and told her that Sonny was going to Hong Kong to visit Justin, but Will suspected Sonny was actually going to visit Paul. Marlena urged Will not to jump to conclusions, but Will was freaking out.
Marlena interjected, "Will, calm down. Against my better judgment, I've decided to help you. I know where Paul and John are, and I'm going there now." A grateful Will asked Marlena to apologize to John for the things Will had said about Paul. Marlena told her grandson that he needed to be absolutely clear about what mattered to him.
On the phone with Justin, Victor insisted, "Look, you needed to know the truth, so I made sure you did." Justin asserted that Victor had only succeeded in throwing gasoline on a fire. "You know, Justin, it's easy to be mad at me, but what you should be doing is focusing on your son and that low-rent neurotic that he's married to," Victor asserted.
At the DiMeras' Italian villa, when Dr. Mandrake described the nurse he'd sent away, an irked Kristen pronounced him an idiot.
Meanwhile, Melanie sneaked into the secret nursery hidden behind the armoire and gazed in amazement at baby Christopher. "Brady, this is your baby. This is your son. Oh, my God, we have to get you out of here," Melanie murmured. As Melanie took a blanket from the foot of the crib and prepared to pick the baby up, Kristen appeared behind her. "Well, hello there! This is a surprise," Kristen said genially.
Melanie pretended to be the nurse Kristen had hired. Kristen calmly revealed that she recognized Melanie from her pictures, which were all over Daniel's apartment and office. "So, it's you, huh? You been hittin' the sheets with Brady?" Kristen asked. When Melanie asked where Brady was, Kristen replied that he wasn't there -- and Melanie shouldn't be, either, since Italian law could be very harsh toward trespassers and probably to kidnappers, as well. Instead of calling the authorities, Kristen said she would handle the problem "in-house."
As Brady left the grounds of the DiMera property, he fretted because he hadn't heard from Melanie for a while. He sent her a text message, requesting that she respond right away. A few minutes later, Brady's phone rang, but instead of Melanie, it was his pilot, Lee. Lee informed Brady that Melanie had stowed away on the plane and forced him to land.
Just then, Brady's phone beeped, alerting him that he had another call. After Brady ended the call with Lee, he heard Kristen's voice chirping, "You're not going to believe who showed up at mia casa." Brady demanded to speak to Melanie, but Kristen said he should fetch Melanie himself. "Brady, don't come!" Melanie shouted as Kristen hung up.
Kristen guessed, "You're the one who filled Brady's head with all that craziness. It wasn't Theresa after all." Kristen insisted that Brady wasn't the baby's father, and Theresa wasn't the mother. Kristen added that she hadn't told Brady about the baby because she'd wanted to "keep things simple," but she would have to tell Brady the whole story because of Melanie. "Say hello to your new baby brother," Kristen announced, beaming as she gestured toward Christopher.
Brady returned to the villa and pounded on the door. When Mandrake answered, Brady grabbed him by the lapels and threw him up against the wall, demanding answers. Brady released the doctor when he heard Melanie's voice behind him. He grabbed her in a relieved hug, while Kristen remarked on the creepiness of Brady sleeping with the daughter of his best friend. Ignoring Kristen, Brady asked Melanie what had happened.
Kristen interrupted Melanie's stammering to announce, "I just introduced her to Christopher, my son...by Daniel." Melanie reassured a dumbstruck Brady that Kristen was lying, but Kristen insisted it was true. Kristen reminded Brady that he had even walked in on her and Daniel having sex, although she had told Brady at the time that they hadn't actually gone through with it. "I found out after I left Salem that I was, miracle upon miracles, pregnant!" Kristen continued.
Since Melanie didn't know the history, Kristen explained that, after years of feeling like God was punishing her by denying her a child, the one thing she'd wanted more than anything, she had finally gotten pregnant. "And now I have my beautiful boy! Isn't he perfect?" Kristen gushed. Melanie agreed, quietly emphasizing that Brady should look at the baby's eyes. Kristen explained that she hadn't felt compelled to share her news with Daniel because she'd never really liked him.
Laughing at the absurdity of the situation, Melanie noted sarcastically that they should just believe what Kristen was telling them because Kristen wasn't a liar. "It's not some crazy, science fiction conspiracy theory about stealing fetuses from wombs. Christopher is mine. I conceived him. I gave birth to him. End of story," Kristen declared.
A nanny delivered Christopher to the living room, and Kristen placed the infant carrier on the sofa, facing away from the others. After a moment of cooing over the baby, Kristen explained, "You'll have to excuse us. This is Mommy and Christopher time." She informed the others that the police had been notified that there was an intruder and reiterated her warning about how tough the Italian authorities could be. Kristen urged Melanie and Brady to leave before they were arrested.
"I'm not going anywhere until you let me look at him," Brady declared. He assured Kristen that he wouldn't try to take the baby or put him in any kind of danger. "Then we can carry on this conversation at another time, in another place," Brady concluded. Mandrake stepped forward, but Kristen stopped him from doing anything to Brady. "Okay, one look. One. And then you go," Kristen conceded.
Brady walked around to the end of the couch, and his eyes widened as he stared at the sleepy infant. After a long moment, Kristen remarked that Christopher had Daniel's mouth and her eyes. Brady replied, "You know what? I think maybe he does." Kristen concluded that Brady was disappointed that the baby wasn't his. "I guess I'm going to have to deal with Daniel. I didn't want to, but that's life," Kristen added lightly. She turned to Brady and declared, "Arrivederci, Brady. Don't come back."
Brady countered firmly, "Before I go, I want to have this baby tested." Kristen reminded Brady that she'd already told him who the baby's father was. "I'm not letting that baby out of my sight until we have a DNA test that determines the parentage. I want to know who the mother is, and I want to know who the father is," Brady declared with quiet determination. "Okay, well, in that case," Kristen said, calmly reaching into the baby's carrier. When she turned back around, she pointed a pistol at Brady's face. "You're not going anywhere," Kristen said, as Mandrake pulled a gun on Melanie, as well.
