At the Kiriakis mansion, Maggie and Brady stepped in to stop Victor from forcibly removing Theresa from the premises. Victor and Brady went to the foyer, where Brady explained that he didn't want Theresa around but was trying to do what was best for Tate.
Brady added that he wasn't in the mood to argue with Victor because he'd had a really rough night -- and he knew Victor's night had been busy, too. Victor wondered what Brady was talking about. "Oh, come -- you're clueless, right? You have no idea what happened? The all-powerful patriarch who knows whether a member of this family sneezes or not? You're gonna stand here and give me the 'what's that supposed to mean'?" Brady asked incredulously. Victor impatiently demanded to know what had happened. "Oh, not much. Xander tried to kill Eric and Nicole -- that's all," Brady replied.
Victor admitted he had known about Xander's history but had foolishly believed he could help Xander change -- until Xander had started messing with Daniel, at which point Victor had told Xander to leave town and never return. Victor conceded that he should have made sure Xander had obeyed that order. Brady wondered what Victor planned to do about Xander. "After what he did? I don't care if he rots in hell. In fact, he'd better wish the police find him before I do. One way or another, Xander will be dealt with," Victor replied.
Changing the subject, Victor demanded to know what Brady had been thinking when he had invited Theresa to move into the mansion. Brady pointed out that Theresa's parents were trying to persuade her to move to Los Angeles with Tate, and he wondered if that was what Victor would prefer. Victor sighed as he admitted it wasn't. "Well, neither would I. So this is the compromise, okay? She doesn't know squat about being a mother. Hell, she doesn't know squat about being a human being. That's why we have to make sure we take care of my son," Brady stressed.
Victor warned that Theresa was obviously playing Brady. "And, you know, it's not just her. Pretty soon, you may be dealing with her whole family. That imbecilic mother, the slatternly sister; God, it's like living in an episode of Honey Boo Boo. No, I'm gonna put my foot down -- she cannot stay here," Victor insisted. Brady conceded with a shrug that the mansion was, after all, Victor's house. "[But] if Theresa goes, then Tate goes. If Tate goes, I go. So, we'll just find somewhere else to live, and you can have all the peace and quiet that you want," Brady added.
In the living room, Maggie made it clear that Theresa wasn't exactly welcome at the Kiriakis mansion. "What, do you think we're idiots? We have amnesia? No. Tate is welcome here, and we're all gonna try to do our best for him. And that includes you. So, as long as you're here, don't ever forget -- I've got your number, Cookie," Maggie warned.
Maggie introduced Theresa to Tate's nanny, Hayley. When Hayley started to take Tate upstairs to put him down for a nap, Theresa pointed out that she had some suitcases Hayley could also take upstairs -- and unpack. Maggie said that wouldn't be necessary. "Hayley is Tate's nanny. She's not your maid," Maggie told Theresa after Hayley left the room.
Theresa sarcastically replied that Maggie was really going out of her way to be welcoming. "Oh, you want me to be sweet about this? This is Wednesday. Melanie and I had a standing lunch date on Wednesdays. She's gone, and you're here, and we both know why. Toe the line, and I'll try to be cordial. But no one in this house -- especially me -- is gonna take any attitude from you," Maggie countered.
Maggie observed that Theresa had played every card she possessed in order to get herself into the mansion -- which, arguably, hadn't exactly been the shrewdest move she could have made. "You've never had to deal with Victor in hand-to-hand combat. You think you fight dirty?" Maggie mused with a laugh. Maggie suggested that giving Brady some time and space to forget about all the things Theresa had done probably would have been the wiser move. "Oh, my goodness, I forgot -- I have to tell Henderson that we won't be needing these fireplace tools anymore," Maggie added, gesturing toward the items.
Theresa suggested that she and Brady could always find somewhere else to live if Maggie really didn't want her around. Maggie replied that, while Theresa certainly wasn't her dream boarder, she would do whatever was best for Tate, including putting up with Theresa. "That goes for me, too. Now, this'll work a lot better, Theresa, if you, uh...how should I put it? Stay the hell out of my way," Victor added, stepping back into the living room.
After Victor and Maggie left, Theresa turned to Brady and noted with surprise that she had just been given everyone's permission to stay at the mansion. Brady stressed that the arrangement was only temporary. Brady hinted that, per his custody agreement with Theresa, it was his time to be with Tate. Pointing out that Theresa had nothing to do at the mansion -- and wasn't exactly welcome there, anyway -- Brady suggested she could get some work done at the hospital while he was with Tate. Shocked that Brady actually expected her to work, Theresa insisted there was no way that was going to happen.
In the foyer, Victor received a text message from Daniel. After reading it, Victor informed Maggie that Nicole was out of the woods. "Thank God," Maggie said. "Eh, I guess," Victor replied. Maggie started to question Victor about Xander, and he told her the same thing he had told Brady earlier. Maggie wondered if there was more to the story.
"Look, I don't want to talk any more about my psychopathic nephew. Not on the day that the psychopathic mother of my great-grandson is moving into my house," Victor insisted. Maggie laughed and agreed to drop the subject. Victor was eager to check on Daniel, so Maggie left the room after warning that Daniel was going to have some tough questions to ask Victor, too.
At the police station, Abe placed Xander under arrest. Xander insisted he couldn't have hurt Eric or Nicole because he hadn't even been in Salem the previous night -- he had been at a party in Chicago, and there were at least ten people who could verify that claim. Roman said he would need the names of all those people, as well as access to Xander's car and cell phone. Xander agreed but added that Serena could confirm his alibi, too.
Serena denied the claim, but Xander reminded her that he had gone to her hotel room the previous night to say goodbye to her. Xander explained that he had left Salem because Nicole had rejected his advances. Serena reluctantly confirmed that Xander had indeed told her those things the previous night. Xander added that when the police checked his cell phone, they would find that he had sent and received many phone calls and text messages while en route to Chicago. Roman and Abe amused themselves with a quick exchange about how Xander surely hadn't sent text messages while driving, observing that he seemed like a very careful man.
Serena recalled that she had tried to call Xander a few times the previous night, and she wondered why he hadn't answered her calls. Xander claimed he simply hadn't had time to get back to Serena then. Roman pointed out that Eric and Nicole had both named Xander as the person who had tried to kill them, but Xander insisted that wasn't true, reiterating that he had witnesses who could prove it.
"No, you don't. No. What you have is a manufactured alibi," Roman guessed. Roman warned that he wouldn't rest until the person who had tried to kill Eric and Nicole paid for the crime. At Roman's request, Abe started to escort Xander to an interrogation room. Xander paused to ask if Serena had been with Eric and Nicole the previous night. Serena said she had been part of the rescue group. "But you weren't in harm's way? Oh, thank God. I couldn't bear to think of something like that happening to you," Xander replied, grinning as he followed Abe out of the room.
Roman started to chastise Serena for getting mixed up with Xander in the first place, but a woman soon entered the room and stopped the conversation, identifying herself as Serena's attorney. After Roman left, the woman advised that Serena would soon be released -- unless she made the mistake of saying another word about what had happened, in which case she might be the only person who paid for it in the end. Later, Abe returned and told Serena she was free to leave. As Serena breathed a sigh of relief, Roman escorted Xander into the room. "I'll see you soon," Xander assured Serena as she walked out.
At the hospital, Eric told Nicole they needed to talk about what had happened the previous night. Daniel interrupted and hugged Eric, praising him for saving Nicole's life. Eric uncomfortably stopped Daniel, prompting Daniel to wonder what was wrong with Eric. Nicole suggested Eric was still upset about Serena's betrayal because trust was extremely important to him. Before Eric could respond, Daniel received a text message from Abe, revealing that Xander was in police custody. Eric excused himself so he could contact Roman and find out what was happening with Serena.
After Eric left, Daniel admitted that Nicole's near-death experience had made him realize just how much he loved her and needed her in his life. "Oh, Daniel. When I [think] about what could have happened... Everything that we had together, and everything that means anything to me -- it could have been lost," Nicole fretted. Daniel assured Nicole that there was no longer anything to worry about -- and that they could put the whole ordeal behind them. Nicole agreed and predicted she and Daniel were finally going to get the fresh start they both wanted. Nicole embraced Daniel, and Eric returned to the room just in time to catch them in the middle of a kiss.
At the lake, Derrick wondered if Paul remembered him. Paul confirmed that he did, and he noted that he hadn't seen Derrick around the Salem Inn much lately. Derrick reported that he had lost that job, and he admitted he had never been very good at it, anyway.
Adding that he had read the article about Paul that had appeared in the newspaper a few months earlier, Derrick wondered if it was true that the other two guys he had met at the hotel were married. Paul said he would prefer not to talk about that. Derrick understood but couldn't resist musing that the men seemed too young to already be married and have a little girl. Paul guessed the girl hadn't exactly been planned.
"You know, I want to have a husband and a kid someday, but, I mean, not yet, obviously. What about you? You ready to settle down?" Derrick asked. Paul confirmed that he would like to settle down once he found the right person. "So the guy who asked you to marry him wasn't the one, huh? I mean, I don't know a whole lot about relationships, but I just feel like you wouldn't want to get married right after you came out. I don't feel like it would ever last," Derrick mused. Ignoring the observation, Paul excused himself so he could test the water.
In Will and Sonny's apartment, Will swore he wasn't writing an article about Dr. Meyers, adding that he had just been so impressed with the therapist's techniques that he had suggested to Zoe that they might make for an interesting feature in Sonix -- albeit one he would not be able to write personally. "No. No. You went to Zoe and wanted to write that article before our first session. That's just another lie," Sonny insisted.
Will said he wasn't lying, adding that he had learned a lot about Dr. Meyers' techniques while researching therapists online. Sonny guessed Will and Dr. Meyers had talked about Will's idea at some point, since Dr. Meyers had been fixated on discussing Will and Sonny's future instead of focusing on their past. "Maybe that's the way he works," Will suggested. "Maybe that's the way you wanted him to work," Sonny countered.
Will asked if Sonny actually believed he would ever try to influence their therapist. "I'm beginning to wonder if there's anything you wouldn't do, Will," Sonny replied. Will told Sonny he was simply trying to hang on to their marriage. Sonny wondered why Will was desperate to hang on to him. Will insisted he wasn't desperate, adding that he was just in love with Sonny. "You have a funny way of showing it," Sonny observed.
Will wanted to know what that was supposed to mean, so Sonny pointed out that Will had jumped at the chance to move to Los Angeles, leaving Sonny behind in the process. Will reminded Sonny that Sami had needed help in Los Angeles because her husband had just died, but Sonny countered that he and Will both knew that wasn't the real reason Will had left. Sonny said Will had really moved to Los Angeles to start a career as a big Hollywood screenwriter, and when that hadn't worked out, he had returned home and lied about what had happened.
Will insisted he had returned home because he had missed Sonny. "I wonder how much you would have missed me if your screenplay had been picked up," Sonny bitterly spat. Will pointed out that he had begged Sonny to move to Los Angeles with him, adding that if his screenwriting attempt had gone differently, he would have returned home to once again beg Sonny to join him in Los Angeles. Sonny insisted Will was lying to him -- and to himself. "Before you left, you told me our life together was boring. And ever since you've been back, all we've been doing is arguing. And then you slept with Paul to get a good story," Sonny added.
Will protested that, as he had explained many times before, he hadn't slept with Paul to get a story. "It just happened. I know. And it didn't mean anything, right?" Sonny skeptically guessed. Will insisted that was true. "At least I didn't ask him to marry me," Will added. Sonny wondered why Will had slept with Paul in the first place, struggling to understand how Will couldn't have seen how doing so would jeopardize the marriage he claimed to care so much about. Sonny asked if Will had assumed he would be fine with Will cheating on him.
Will said there had been no thinking involved. Will added that he had believed Paul would leave town and Sonny would never find out about the one-night stand. Sonny wondered if Will had assumed he wouldn't care about it if it had happened with someone who was no longer living in Salem. "No, Sonny, you know what? I thought about it, and I thought you would care, just like you care about all of my failings that you point out, you itemize, and you throw in my face! Nobody in this world, Sonny, knows more about my failings than you do," Will bitterly countered.
Sonny incredulously wondered if Will believed the whole thing was his fault. "How could I? How could anyone think that anything you do is your fault? You're Sonny. When you work around the clock, twenty-four-seven, that's good; that's getting ahead. It's not like me, obsessing with my writing. And you accuse me of sleeping with Paul to get a story, and that's sleazy, but you being best friends with Chad freakin' DiMera -- that's fine, that's just -- that's normal. It has nothing to do with the fact that he's rich and connected," Will replied.
Stunned, Sonny started to react, but Will interrupted. "Before you rip apart my argument, and you prove to me -- as you do every single time, so conclusively -- that everything I do is wrong, and everything you do is right, I just want to say one thing. Even though I'm emotional and off base, Sonny, do you have any idea how it feels to have a husband that thinks that I'm not at his level? It feels like crap. And you know what you do when you feel like crap? You go and --" Will began, and Sonny guessed the end of that statement was going to be that feeling like crap had led Will to sleep with Paul.
Will turned away from Sonny as he confirmed the suspicion. "Oh, my God. He wasn't the only one, was he? You slept with someone before Paul, didn't you?" Sonny guessed. Will swore that wasn't true, but Sonny suspected Will was lying again. Will insisted he loved Sonny and only cared about trying to fix their marriage. "You slept with someone in Los Angeles! I asked you point-blank in the hospital, and you swore nothing happened in L.A. That's what you meant just now; you thought you could sleep with Paul, and if he left town, I wouldn't find out, just like I wouldn't find out about Los Angeles," Sonny realized.
Will stammered as he tried to deny the accusation. Sonny started to leave, but Will grabbed him and begged him to stay. "All you talked about was how much you were working out in Los Angeles. That you didn't have time to call me. And all that time, you were screwing around?" Sonny asked. Sonny made another attempt to leave, but Will spun him back around again. "Sonny, listen to me! It only happened once," Will insisted.
Will started to say something else, but Sonny warned that he would scream if Will once again tried to claim it hadn't meant anything. Sonny shoved Will away as Will tearfully wondered what Sonny wanted him to say. Sonny replied that he didn't think he and Will needed to say anything else to each other at that time, suggesting they could instead save it for their next chat with Will's good friend, Dr. Meyers. Sonny stormed off, and Will flinched as the door slammed shut.
Sonny headed to the lake, thinking about how Will had insisted he had only cheated on Sonny once. Paul greeted Sonny and wondered how Sonny had known where to look for him. Sonny clarified that he hadn't, adding that the lake was simply a place he retreated to sometimes to think about things. Paul asked if Sonny was okay, and Sonny admitted he wasn't. Sonny claimed he was having problems at the club, but Paul expressed skepticism. Sonny rushed off, insisting he couldn't talk about the matter with Paul.
While playing with Arianna -- and with tears streaming down his face -- Will promised her he wasn't going to lose Sonny.
At the Horton house, J.J. called Bev and made plans to meet at the lake. Jennifer overheard the call, and she advised J.J. not to rebound with someone so soon after Paige. J.J. said he was interested in Bev because she was fun and liked him "as is" without wanting to change him. J.J. said that Bev understood him, which was a relief. Worried, Jennifer asked J.J. if he was comfortable using a girl to get over his feelings for Paige.
"We're kind of using each other," J.J. said quietly. Jennifer was shocked. J.J. refused to talk about his dating life any further. When J.J. yelled that he felt like he was going crazy, Jennifer harshly warned J.J. not to talk about mental problems. J.J. apologized. Jennifer explained that though his grandmother Laura had lived through a mental breakdown, the emotion of that time period still weighed heavily on Jennifer and Laura. Jennifer told J.J. that she was there to support him.
Eve stopped by the hospital to talk to Theresa about her scheme to gaslight Jennifer. Anne confirmed that Theresa had not formally quit her job yet. Marlena interrupted and asked Eve to talk privately. In the corner of the waiting area, Marlena asked Eve why she had missed her appointment. Eve explained that she had lost track of time and that she needed to complete an errand first. Once Marlena left, Eve ordered Anne to tell Theresa to text her.
In the town square, Ben excitedly talked to Abigail about moving in together. As Chad walked by, he saw the two lovers kissing. Ben spotted Chad as Chad walked away, and Ben called out to him. Chad gruffly greeted them. Ben apologized to Chad for yelling at him previously. When Ben held out his hand and asked for a truce, Chad reluctantly shook his hand and asked why Ben was so happy. Beaming, Ben announced that Abigail was moving into his apartment. Abigail kissed Ben goodbye as Chad stared stone-faced into the distance.
"Be good to her," Chad said once Abigail was out of earshot. "I plan to. For the rest of our lives," Ben said. As Chad walked away, Ben thought about the conversation he had overheard between Chad and Abigail about their affair. Shaking off the memory, Ben returned to his apartment.
In the hospital lounge, Abigail met with her mother and reported that she was moving in with Ben. Jennifer said that she understood Abigail's decision. As Abigail stammered in surprise, Jennifer asked why Abigail did not appear to be happy with her decision to move in with her boyfriend. Abigail explained that she was happy but that she had been worried that Jennifer would be unhappy with her decision to move in with Ben. Jennifer assured her daughter that she supported the decision. Jennifer handed Abigail a letter for her from Ireland then Jennifer left.
Abigail sat in a chair in the lounge and read the letter about her friend Bridget. The letter informed Abigail that her friend Bridget from Ireland had taken ill. The writer asked Abigail to pray for Bridget as she had taken a turn for the worse.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Theresa told Brady that she would not return to work. Theresa said that she wanted to be a full-time mother to Tate. Brady disagreed and noted that Theresa would never be a full-time mother because they were splitting custody. Brady warned Theresa not to interfere with his alone time with Tate. Brady urged Theresa to return to work at the hospital, but Theresa countered that her job did not pay enough money to cover her expenses.
"Working parents -- they manage to raise well-adjusted kids all the time," Brady advised Theresa. Brady added that he did not want Theresa to be financially dependent on him. Pouting, Theresa argued that everyone at the hospital hated her. "Why do you think that is?" Brady asked. Brady advised Theresa to find another job but return to the hospital in the meantime.
Brady stressed that Theresa's living situation at the mansion was temporary. As Theresa reclined in a chair, Brady said that the only thing he shared with Theresa was their love for their son. Brady promised to pay for a nanny, but he refused to give any money to Theresa directly. With a small gasp, Theresa asked Brady if he still thought of her as a gold-digger.
"Actually, Theresa, I don't think of you at all," Brady said. The nanny, Haley, interrupted to announce that Tate needed his bottle. As Theresa rushed to volunteer, Brady shut her down and said he would feed Tate. Angry, Theresa stormed out of the house. Brady fed Tate his bottle. When Haley returned to collect Tate, Brady apologized for fighting with Theresa earlier. Haley took Tate upstairs, while Brady answered a phone call from John.
A grumbling Theresa arrived for work at the hospital, and she informed Anne that Brady had refused to let her quit her job. Theresa grumbled about her hardships until Anne interrupted to tell Theresa that Eve needed to speak with her urgently. Theresa shrugged off the request. Annoyed, Anne asked Theresa how two drama queens could be born into the same family.
Eve met with Marlena in Marlena's office. Marlena asked Eve what she had meant when Eve had said she had done something unforgivable to her daughter. Eve admitted that what she had done had also affected Jennifer, and she was uncomfortable discussing the issue with Marlena because of Marlena's connection to the Hortons. When Eve casually asked if Marlena had treated Laura Horton when she had experienced a mental breakdown, Marlena refused to talk about other patients.
Marlena asked Eve to discuss her feelings rather than what had happened. With a nod, Eve said that she wanted her daughter back in her life. While Marlena rattled off a list of other therapists, Eve met each recommendation with an excuse for why she did not think they were a good fit for her. Eve asked Marlena to recommend someone compassionate. Nodding, Marlena offered to email a list of therapists to Eve to review. As Eve asked for Marlena to help her find a therapist right away, Eve's phone beeped with a text message from Theresa.
Citing concern for her daughter, Eve excused herself to take a call in the hallway. Eve rushed out of the office and down the hall to talk to Theresa. Eve asked if Theresa had quit her job. As Theresa grumbled that Brady had not let her quit, Eve waved her hand and said that she had more important things to worry about. Visibly annoyed, Theresa sarcastically commented on how helpful Eve had been to her.
Eve promised to help Theresa with Brady if Theresa would help her obtain a key from Anne's key ring. Worried, Theresa said no because she feared she would be caught. Eve swore to help Theresa if Theresa would help her in her plan to pay back Jennifer for her part in ruining Eve's life. Smiling, Theresa said she would see what she could do to help. Eve whispered that she needed the key for Marlena's office.
Theresa hustled down the hallway and returned with Anne's master set of keys. Theresa informed Eve that Marlena would be at a staff meeting. A grateful Eve said she loved her sister, and she ran down the hallway to Marlena's office. As Theresa typed on the computer, Anne returned to the nurses' station and asked Theresa why Eve had been so anxious to talk. Theresa explained that Eve had wanted something from her.
Frustrated, Anne asked if Theresa was working on the personnel evaluations. When Theresa said she was working on something confidential, Anne shoved Theresa out of the way and grumbled at the fact that Theresa had been looking at designer dresses online. Anne warned Theresa that she would not be able to seduce Brady back into her life. Anne advised Theresa to grow up.
As Theresa returned to work at the nurses' station, she saw a couple in the corner that looked upset. Theresa asked a nurse, Barb, about the couple. Barb told Theresa that the couple was worried about their child, who was getting stitches after a fall. After a briefing from the doctor, the couple smiled and hugged each other with joy. Barb informed Theresa that the couple had been in the hospital previously when their son had been sick, and they had been at one another's throats. As Barb commented that love was strange, Theresa whispered, "I guess a scare like that can really bring you closer."
Marlena was compiling a list of therapists for Eve when Eve returned to Marlena's office. Faking despair, Eve said that no one could help her because she had called her daughter, and her daughter had said that she never wanted to speak to Eve again. Marlena urged Eve to believe that she would reconcile with her daughter. As Eve choked back emotion, Marlena offered to cancel her staff meeting so Eve could talk to her. Eve urged Marlena not to change her plans. Eve asked if she could stay in Marlena's office and collect herself. Marlena nodded then left.
Once Marlena was gone, Eve closed the door, grabbed the master keys, and unlocked Marlena's filing cabinet. With a chuckle, Eve pulled out Laura Horton's medical file. As Eve grabbed her purse and walked to the door to leave, Jennifer entered and ran into Eve, spilling Laura's file onto the floor.
Back at his apartment, Ben made room for Abigail's things, and Clyde stopped by to chat. Ben informed Clyde that Abigail was moving in with him. Clyde wanted to celebrate, but he noted that Ben seemed unhappy.
"I want Abigail, and now she is going to be all mine," Ben said. Suspicious, Clyde pushed Ben to talk to him about what was wrong. Ben explained that he had followed Abigail to the DiMera mansion, and he had overheard Abigail ask Chad to promise never to tell Ben about the night she and Chad had slept together.
At the DiMera mansion, Stefano talked on the phone about convincing Abigail to reconcile with Chad. Once Stefano hung up the phone, Chad returned home. Chad asked why Stefano had returned to Salem with such urgency. Stefano said that he wanted to spend time with his only surviving son. Suspicious, Chad asked why Stefano had not felt the same way since E.J. had died. Stefano refused to answer the question again.
"Even though I want to believe you, I can't," Chad said. Chad accused Stefano of returning to Salem to interfere with Chad's relationship with Abigail.
At the lake, J.J. met up with Bev. While the two stripped down to their swimsuits, Kyle ran over to inform Bev that her friend Marta was looking for her. Bev went to talk to her friend while Kyle sat down next to J.J. and asked him about selling him his drug business. J.J. said he had given up his business long before. Nearby, someone watched J.J. from the bushes. Bev returned and noted that Marta had not been looking for her. J.J. told Bev that they should leave.
As J.J. and Bev scurried off, a man in the bushes watched them go. The man in the bushes placed a phone call informing someone that J.J. had met with a drug dealer for the second time. The man asked the person on the phone whether he should continue to follow J.J.
Bev and J.J. walked to the town square and ate lunch at the cafe. J.J. asked Bev about Kyle. With a shrug, Bev said she did not know Kyle beyond the fact that he had sold drugs to everyone. J.J. said he thought Kyle wanted something from him.
In Club TBD, Paige decided to meet with someone from an Internet dating site while Daphne sat nearby to help her if she should run into any trouble. When Paige's Internet date, Mark, arrived, Paige nervously shifted in her seat. Paige said that Mark had not mentioned his age in his profile. As Mark reached out for the chair, Paige asked him not to sit down.
"This isn't going to work out," Paige said. Mark nodded and left. Daphne rushed over to the table to talk about the date. Paige explained that Mark was not who she needed. Paige opened her tablet and logged into the dating site.
Brady entered the club and met with John at the bar. John told Brady about Xander's alibi, infuriating Brady. John changed the subject to Tate, and Brady started to grin. Brady warned John that Theresa was staying at the house with Tate. John joked that Henderson should remove all the fireplace pokers from the mansion. With a chuckle, Brady commented that Maggie had already done it.
Brady explained that he had invited Theresa to stay at the mansion on a temporary basis so he could be closer to his son. Brady promised that he would not let Theresa seduce him after all she had done. Across the room, Paige eyed Brady and said, "That could work." Incredulous, Daphne said, "Brady Black?" Paige said not Brady specifically but someone his age or John's age. Daphne shook her head. With a smirk, Daphne asked Paige if she was dating an older guy to get back at her mother.
Brady returned home and spent time with his son. As Brady cradled Tate, Brady told Tate that he was the most important person in world to him.
At Club TBD, as Paige perused the online personal ads, she realized that achieving her goal would take longer than she'd thought -- although she also couldn't just let it go. She grabbed her tablet and headed out.
Over lunch in Horton Square, J.J. remarked to Bev that he thought Kyle wanted something from him. As Bev and J.J. were leaving, Kyle returned and eagerly announced that he was having a party. Kyle asked for J.J.'s cell number so he could text the details to J.J., but J.J. declined, maintaining that he and Bev just wanted to be alone. Meanwhile, the same man who'd been watching J.J. earlier observed the interaction from across the square.
As Bev and J.J. headed into the park, J.J. explained that he couldn't hang out that night because he was starting work for Sonny the next day. He added that being with Bev had been helping improve his bad mood. While Bev and J.J. were kissing, Paige suddenly showed up. Bev spotted her and quickly pulled away from J.J. Bev started to leave, but Paige stopped her to offer a piece of advice: "Just so you don't forget and say I didn't warn you -- once a cheat, always a cheat."
After Bev left, J.J. tried to apologize to Paige, but she maintained that she didn't care what he did. Paige began derisively predicting that J.J. would get Bev into bed and then cheat on her, too. "How many other sluts, besides my mom and Roxanne, were you sleeping with the whole time we were together?" Paige demanded bitterly. J.J. finally had heard enough and angrily ordered Paige to stop it.
J.J. pointed out that he had ended things with Eve before he'd asked Paige to take him back. "It was over with her, and even though I did lie to you about what I had done, I was never unfaithful to you while we were together -- with anyone. I never cheated on you," J.J. asserted, adding that he had never even looked at another woman while he and Paige had been together. Paige sarcastically noted the huge sacrifice J.J. had made to be with her.
Paige snapped, "Who do you think you're kidding, J.J., huh? Yourself? It was never just you and me. Never! Whether you were with her or not, the whole time we were together, my mom's shadow was always right next to you." J.J. started to say that he wished Paige could just see the truth, but she cut him off, declaring that what he and her mother had done had been disgusting and very wrong. "God, I hate you both so much!" Paige spat before storming away.
J.J. was sitting on a bench, sulking, when Bev returned. Bev said she'd gotten a message from Kyle about the party, but she had declined, since she knew J.J. didn't want anything to do with Kyle's scene. "No, let's go... Let's go to the damn party," J.J. declared suddenly, much to Bev's surprise.
In Horton Square, Kyle was reassuring someone on the phone, "I'm making some inroads, and I'm working on him as a new recruit. And the best part, as you know, is that he's done this before."
Paige returned to her dorm room and logged on to the online dating site. "This will work. I know it will," she tried to convince herself, lower lip trembling. After a moment, she broke down and flung herself facedown on the bed, sobbing.
Justin was barking orders on the phone in the living room of the Kiriakis mansion when Kate arrived at his behest. Kate remarked that Justin sounded a great deal like his Uncle Victor. Justin irritably warned Kate that she'd better get her act together, or she would be out of a job. Kate believed that Justin's bad mood had to do with Adrienne and Lucas sleeping together, but Justin insisted it did not. After ordering Kate to close the deal making Paul Narita the face of the men's line, Justin stalked out of the house.
At Ben's apartment, Ben informed his dad that he'd overheard a conversation between Chad and Abigail in which they had revealed that they had slept together just a few days prior. Unable to contain his fury, Ben hurled his glass across the room, shattering it. Clyde was surprised when he learned that Abigail didn't know Ben had overheard the conversation. He wondered why Ben was still letting Abigail move in.
Ben declared that Abigail had said she loved him -- and the previous night, she had proved that she wanted him and only him. Clyde warned that it would not be easy for Ben to live with what Abigail had done. Ben asserted that the next time he'd seen Chad after that, "I made sure damn well that he knows Abigail is mine. All mine." Clyde didn't understand how Ben could forgive Abigail.
Ben said he knew Abigail was committed to him and would never make another mistake like that. Clyde was happy that Ben had felt comfortable confiding in him. Ben revealed that he'd also heard Chad yelling at Stefano to stop trying to push Chad and Abigail back together. Clyde was incredulous. Ben maintained that it didn't matter because Abigail was with him. Clyde declared that Abigail was luckier than she knew to have a forgiving man like Ben to love her.
As he was leaving, Clyde paused outside Ben's door and marveled under his breath, "Stefano DiMera's back in town, playing matchmaker."
Later, Ben placed a vase of Abigail's favorite flowers on the kitchen table and fluffed the throw pillows on the sofa. Even though he was obviously looking forward to Abigail moving in, he couldn't stop thinking about her sleeping with Chad.
Kate met Clyde at Club TBD after getting a text message from him. "Any particular reason you didn't tell me that Stefano DiMera's back in town?" Clyde demanded. Kate claimed that she'd planned to tell Clyde eventually. "Are you jealous?" Kate asked with a sly smile. "Of Stefano DiMera? You know damn well, Kate, he doesn't even bat in my league," Clyde replied, grinning. He pointed out that the best thing about being with Kate was that she was with him because she wanted to be. "And you do know what I want," Kate remarked flirtatiously. Clyde kissed her goodbye and headed out.
A little later, Kate was waiting on the bench in the park outside Horton Square. When the person she was waiting for arrived, Kate told him or her, "Thank you for meeting me. I have a proposition for you -- one you won't be able to turn down."
At the DiMera mansion, Stefano laughed at the idea that the timing of his return to Salem had anything to do with Chad and Abigail's relationship. Stefano insisted that he only wanted his son to be happy. Chad asserted that Stefano was the reason he'd ended things with Abigail, because he knew Stefano's reasons for wanting Chad and Abigail back together really had nothing to do with Chad. Stefano claimed that he only wanted Chad to be with the woman he loved. Chad asserted that if he really loved Abigail, he could never make her live "in this house of horrors."
Stefano countered that Elvis and Samantha had lived there very happily. Chad argued that Sami and Abigail were nothing alike -- where Abigail was kind, Sami had been as duplicitous and manipulative as Stefano and had been forced to become tough and mean while living under Stefano's roof. "I would never do that to Abigail, so she's out of my life, and she's back with Ben, and they're moving in together," Chad concluded. "If you love Abigail that much, how do you expect to live without her?" Stefano asked.
Chad callously said he didn't want to be tied down to one woman, and besides, he'd gotten what he'd wanted by sleeping with Abigail: revenge for her sleeping with E.J. "I used her; I dumped her; it's over. Let it go. I have," Chad added as he walked out -- but in the hallway, he wistfully recalled the night he'd spent with Abigail. Meanwhile, Stefano wondered aloud how long Chad's noble gesture of giving Abigail up could last.
Later, Clyde paid Stefano a visit. "What the hell do you want?" Stefano demanded.
As Eve was leaving Marlena's office at the hospital with Laura Horton's pilfered patient file, she ran into an entering Jennifer, sending the papers flying. Although clearly annoyed to see Eve, Jennifer started to help her retrieve the contents of the file, but Eve ordered her to stop. Eve claimed that the file contained confidential referral papers for her from Marlena. Before the exchange between the women could become too heated, Eve stormed out.
At the hospital, Abigail spoke by phone to Bridget, the woman who had cared for Abigail while Jennifer and Abigail had lived in Ireland. As Abigail hung up, she promised to visit Bridget in September. When Adrienne entered a moment later, Abigail was nearly in tears. Abigail told Adrienne about how ill Bridget was and how she planned to visit for the fall festival in the village where Bridget lived, but Abigail was worried and didn't want to wait that long. Abigail said it had just reminded her how much simpler her life had been when they'd lived in Ireland.
Adrienne noted that Abigail had a great boyfriend and a lot to look forward to, so she wondered if it were really just Bridget's illness that had Abigail so upset. Adrienne guessed that although Abigail was happy to move in with Ben, she was also under a lot of stress because she'd had to take on so much extra responsibility since Jordan had left. Abigail tearfully admitted, "I'm really happy about it... I think I'm just afraid that I'm disappointing my mom, you know, letting her down or something."
Jennifer walked in just then and reassured Abigail, "You are not letting me down! I am so happy for you and Ben." She added that she would miss having Abigail at home, but she was very happy that Abigail had found her soul mate.
Chad took Theo to the hospital so Theo could meet with his therapist. While they waited, Chad asked what had been going on between Theo and his best friend, Sawyer, after school, but Theo didn't want to talk about it. Chad urged Theo to work things out with Sawyer because friends were important. Theo agreed to try to make up with Sawyer. Theo asked if Chad would take him to the lake again. "It was fun. Abigail was there, remember?" Theo asked.
Abigail entered just then and overheard Chad concurring that it had been a lot of fun. Abigail paused in the doorway and listened while Chad promised Theo that they would have a campfire and make s'mores, and they could even invite Sawyer. Theo happily threw his arms around Chad's neck. Abigail was about to tiptoe away when Theo spotted her. He ran over and gave her an enthusiastic hug.
Maxine gave Jennifer a press release from Seth Burns about a doctor who was taking a leave of absence. Jennifer read the file and noted that the doctor was going to the Lakewood Sanitarium for treatment. Jennifer revealed that, years earlier, her mother had been admitted to Lakewood and had stayed for a long time. Maxine took Jennifer's hand sympathetically.
Adrienne got a text message from Justin, asking her to meet him at the Brady Pub. When Adrienne arrived, Justin slid an envelope across the table to her and left with barely a word. Adrienne opened the envelope and found a petition for divorce inside.
Behind the nurses' station, Theresa watched a relieved young couple bond after their child's minor accident. She seemed to be formulating a plan to make her and Brady closer when Anne arrived and demanded to know where her master keys were. Bristling at the implied accusation, Theresa lied that she had no idea what had happened to Anne's keys. Anne speculated that Theresa could have taken the keys to search for some "pertinent documents" regarding baby Tate to make her look better in Brady's eyes. Theresa was indignant that her supposed friend Anne would treat her with such suspicion.
Eve arrived back at the nurses' station just as Anne had to step away to take a phone call. Eve returned the keys to Theresa, who declared that Eve owed her big for swiping the keys. Eve was optimistic that what she'd done would pay off in a big way.
Theresa wasn't around when Anne returned to the area around the nurses' station. Anne admonished Eve to stop chit-chatting with Theresa while Theresa was on the clock. Theresa returned just then, jingling Anne's keys, and claimed she'd found them in Anne's top desk drawer. Anne swore she'd already looked there and walked away without bothering to thank Theresa.
Eve explained that what she'd taken from Marlena's office would help her take Jennifer down a peg or two. Eve advised Theresa to play things cool with Brady and not "get in his face" if she wanted to make any headway with him. Theresa revealed that she had devised a new plan to get Brady close to her again -- so at some point, she might need to call in the favor that Eve owed her.
As soon as Eve left, Anne returned and badgered Theresa to get back to work. Declaring that it was time for her to spend time with her son -- and reminding Anne that she'd found Anne's "lost" master keys -- Theresa left.
Eve curled up on the couch at her apartment with Laura's file and read that Jennifer's mother had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Eve got out her tablet and read aloud from the Internet, "Symptoms include depression, hallucination... Can be passed on genetically, and can strike at any time." Giggling to herself, Eve noted that drugs could cause all of those symptoms.
Theresa entered the living room at the Kiriakis mansion and took Tate from Hayley, the nanny. After merrily greeting her son, Theresa asked if Hayley could get her a sandwich. "Ms. Donovan, no disrespect, but my job's with the baby, not you," Hayley noted. As she sent Hayley away, Theresa coldly asked the girl, "If it's not too much trouble, could you please tell Henderson that I'm starving?"
Theresa held Tate in her lap and promised never to actually put him in harm's way -- just to lie a little to give his daddy a bit of a scare. Bouncing Tate up and down, Theresa mused that if she could scare Brady while looking like a hero, it would be perfect -- but she would have to plan it all very carefully. "And if it all works, then Melanie will be nothing but a big, bad memory. And you and me and Daddy are going to live happily ever after, and we are going to be the family that you deserve," Theresa declared, grinning and kissing Tate.
Hope ran into Rafe in the town square and reported that one of the police officers had continued watching Clyde after being told it was no longer necessary to do so -- and had just informed her that Clyde was at the DiMera mansion.
Hope doubted Clyde was working for Stefano, since Victor had never shied away from a battle with Stefano before, and partnering with Stefano didn't seem like Clyde's style, anyway. Rafe suggested the visit might be personal, since Clyde was involved with Kate. "And Stefano takes that very personally, as you know," Hope mused.
Hope wondered why Clyde would go to the DiMera mansion with a target on his back. "He knows Stefano would never kill him in his own house," Rafe guessed, adding that it was a shame there wouldn't be bloodshed at the DiMera mansion, since it would be nice if Clyde and Stefano took each other out. "Not exactly the kind of comment we issue from the Salem P.D.," Hope stressed with a laugh. "Well, not out loud," Rafe agreed.
Hope didn't really care what Stefano and Clyde did to each other but was concerned about the collateral damage to people like Chad, Abigail, and Ben. Rafe revealed that Abigail was set to move in with Ben, meaning she would soon be closer to Clyde. Hope promised to keep an eye on things -- informally, of course. Hope also resolved to casually tell Victor about Stefano and Clyde's meeting.
At the DiMera mansion, Clyde started to introduce himself to Stefano, who interrupted and said he already knew who Clyde was. Clyde was glad to hear that, since it meant he and Stefano could skip the pleasantries. Clyde suggested he and Stefano needed to reach an understanding about their mutual business. Stefano insisted he and Clyde had nothing in common with each other, but Clyde protested that, while they might have different goals, they still shared some of the same ground. Clyde warned that Stefano might not want to dismiss him before asking Victor how well that plan had worked out when he had tried it.
Chuckling, Stefano observed that Clyde was assuming a great deal about him. Ignoring the comment, Clyde suggested it would be mutually advantageous for him, Stefano, and Victor to reach a shared understanding that would ensure that no one's toes got stepped on. As Clyde continued talking, Stefano impatiently reached for his desk phone to call security. Clyde discreetly slipped a listening device under a piece of furniture while Stefano was distracted. Stefano's guard arrived as Clyde offered Stefano a chance to say his piece. "I've learned everything I have to know about you. Get out, now," Stefano replied.
At the hospital, Theo begged Abigail to accompany him and Chad to the lake. When Abigail hesitated, Theo started to get agitated, adamantly insisting that she simply had to join him and Chad. Abigail calmed Theo down and promised she wouldn't miss the outing. After Theo's occupational therapist arrived and led him off to her office, Chad told Abigail she shouldn't have lied to the boy. Abigail clarified that she hadn't lied -- and that Ben would probably like to attend the lake excursion, too. "Well, we'll just be one hell of a quartet, then," Chad dismissively stated.
Abigail shook her head and wondered how Chad was able to be sweet, compassionate, and kind when interacting with Theo but then quickly begin exhibiting cruel behavior instead. "Payback's a bitch," Chad replied with a shrug. Abigail realized Chad really had just been playing one big game with her since the moment he had returned to Salem, using her to get what he had wanted all along. Chad argued that he and Abigail had used each other and had each gotten exactly what they had wanted, but she protested that she hadn't wanted what she had gotten.
"Which time? Come on, Abby; you got one last time with a guy that can actually finish sentences -- and anything else he starts. So now you can go play house with Ben, and I can move on with...other women," Chad replied, although, when questioned, he clarified that he had actually been sticking to one woman lately. "[Zoe] is hot in ways that you will never get. You should see the things that we do in bed," Chad bragged. Abigail walked off after telling Chad he was disgusting.
Later, Chad ran into Marlena in the waiting area, and she seized the opportunity to thank him for what he had done to help her when Stefano had threatened her life. Chad warned Marlena that Stefano had returned to Salem and would be sticking around for good. Marlena wondered how Chad felt about that. "Well, he hasn't threatened to kill me lately, so I guess I'm ahead," Chad joked. Marlena laughed and assured Chad that, while she had a pretty busy schedule, she would make herself available for him if he ever wanted to talk to her confidentially. Chad seemed intrigued when Marlena reassured him that anything he told her would stay between them.
Abigail ran into Clyde while passing through the town square. As a housewarming present, Clyde handed Abigail a gift certificate from a local furniture store, joking that it would give her the opportunity to save Ben from his own taste. After a brief conversation, Clyde excused himself and began walking away. After putting some distance between himself and Abigail, Clyde turned to watch as she headed in the opposite direction. "Just stay away from Chad DiMera, little girl, and everything will be fine," Clyde muttered. Later, Clyde used his surveillance equipment to spy on Stefano, who was complaining about a recipe his cook had botched.
In a secluded section of the town square, Kate informed Lucas that she had a business proposition for him -- one she was sure he wouldn't be able to turn down because she knew he would do anything for Will. Kate stressed that she was giving Lucas a gift -- and was putting her job at risk in the process. Assuming Kate was expecting praise for being noble and decent, Lucas denied her the honor and impatiently demanded to know what she was talking about.
Kate told Lucas about the job offer Justin had forced her to present to Paul. Kate knew Countess Wilhelmina was also working on a men's line of products, because development had begun before she had been removed from the company. Kate argued that Paul would be a better fit for Countess Wilhelmina than for Mad World, since the latter would keep Paul based in Salem, while the former would place him in San Diego instead -- at least for the extent of the campaign, which would give Will and Sonny time to work on their marriage without interference from him.
"No dice," Lucas insisted. Confused, Kate wondered what was wrong with her proposal. "Well, first, you're offering it -- that's what's wrong. And even worse than that, I was actually considering it. For a second -- just for a second there -- I was starting to think just like you," Lucas replied. Kate argued that she and Lucas would simply be helping Will, but Lucas countered that they would be interfering in Will's life. "For his own good," Kate asserted. "Oh, there's my Mom that I know and love! There you are. Nice to see you again, Mom," Lucas replied.
Kate agreed that she was Lucas' mother and cared just as much about Will as she always had about Lucas. Kate argued that parents sometimes had to step up -- like when Lucas had gone to prison to protect Will years earlier. Lucas reminded Kate that Will had been a kid at that time, adding that, as a grown man, Will needed to work on his own marriage without everyone else butting in. Kate said she would be fine with that idea if not for the fact that Justin was butting in, trying to keep Paul in Salem for obvious reasons.
Lucas insisted he wasn't going to start a fight with Justin over their sons. Kate warned that Justin had no such qualms, but Lucas maintained that he wasn't going to waste his time wading in on the matter. "No...except you already waded in on Adrienne, right?" Kate pointed out. Fed up, Lucas complained that Kate always managed to cross the line eventually, and he walked away after wishing her luck with her scheme and hoping Justin wouldn't find out about it.
Adrienne followed Justin back to the Kiriakis mansion and angrily confronted him about the cavalier way in which he had just served her with divorce papers. Justin couldn't believe Adrienne was actually surprised he wanted a divorce, considering she was openly having an affair with Lucas. Adrienne reminded Justin that her actions had been the result of his, but he argued that it wasn't right to compare what he had done with Elsa to what Adrienne was doing with Lucas, since he had been thousands of miles away from family and friends, had been discreet, and had never meant for his affair to be more than that.
Adrienne was stunned, although she admitted Justin's ability to justify his actions made sense because he was a lawyer. Justin insisted he was being truthful and had never intended to humiliate Adrienne or leave her for Elsa. Adrienne reminded Justin that he had headed back to Elsa the second Sonny had been released from the hospital. Justin pointed out that Sonny had gone to Arizona for a while, but Adrienne countered that she had been in Salem the whole time. When Justin argued that Adrienne had been in Salem with Lucas, she clarified that she hadn't been with Lucas at that time.
"He was around; I could smell it. And, more to the point, he is still around. Adrienne, I'm home for good, and look where you are. You did everything but take out an ad in the newspaper. You wanted to punish me; well, you did it! You wanted to humiliate me; you got it! But you only get to do that for so long," Justin added before leaving the room.
Adrienne went to the Salem Inn to see Lucas, who was surprised to see just how upset receiving the divorce papers had made her. Lucas said he had assumed divorce would be a natural step Adrienne would have to take eventually, considering where he thought their relationship was headed. Lucas wondered if Adrienne's devastation meant she didn't really want to be with him, after all. "Oh, God. As foolish as this is gonna sound, I just...I don't know what I want," Adrienne tearfully admitted, breaking down in Lucas' arms.
Hope went to the Kiriakis mansion and told Justin about Stefano and Clyde's earlier meeting, stressing that she had learned the information as part of surveillance being done on Stefano, not Clyde. Justin promised to give Victor the news. Changing the subject, Hope told Justin she was sorry he and Adrienne were having problems. Justin admitted he and Adrienne were likely headed down the same road Hope and Bo had already traveled.
Hope assumed Adrienne had asked Justin for a divorce, but he clarified that he had gotten the ball rolling himself. Justin added, however, that Adrienne would have eventually done the same thing if he hadn't beaten her to it. "Lucas makes her happy now, and I make her miserable," Justin summarized with a shrug. Hope admitted she had always assumed Justin and Adrienne could work their way through anything. "Nobody's talking," Justin explained. Hope advised Justin not to do anything solely out of anger. "Too late for that," Justin replied.
Will received a visit from Marlena and wondered if Sonny was somehow responsible for it. Marlena assured Will that she hadn't talked to Sonny recently. When Marlena asked Will to tell her what was wrong, he admitted he had screwed up and might have lost Sonny for good as a result. Marlena pointed out that she had heard that a lot lately, prompting Will to clarify that his latest screw-up wasn't like the other ones. Will hesitantly told Marlena about the argument he'd had with Sonny earlier -- and about how, during that argument, he had accidentally blurted out something that had made Sonny realize Will had made another mistake while in Los Angeles.
"It was one guy. One time -- one stupid time. The studios, they assigned him to help me with the rewrite. We worked long hours, late nights. One night, we're at his house, and he's making fun of me because I'm already married with a kid, and I let it slip that Sonny's the only guy that I've ever been with. That was it; he was on a mission. He just kept after me. He wouldn't leave it alone," Will explained. Marlena wondered if the guy had forced himself on Will. "No. No, not like that; he just couldn't believe that someone so young and hot and talented was already married. Obviously, he was working me, and I fell for it," Will clarified.
"It was only one time, and I avoided him after that; we just worked through email. The studio fired me right afterwards. I felt so relieved -- like, 'at least this is over; it's buried,'" Will added. Marlena wondered if Will had ever considered telling Sonny about what had happened. "I mean, yeah, but I thought, 'what good would that do?' It only happened once, I regretted it two seconds afterwards, and it wasn't gonna happen again," Will replied.
Marlena pointed out that, contrary to what Will had assured himself at the time, it had happened again. "So, I'm a slut. I can't stay faithful to my husband. That's what you're saying, isn't it?" Will asked. Marlena clarified that she wasn't judging Will; she was simply stating a fact. Marlena advised that Will needed to talk to someone about his pattern of behavior. "It's not a pattern. It was a mistake both times. I know that now," Will insisted.
Paul went to Club TBD to see Sonny so they could talk about something Paul claimed was important. Sonny started to insist he wasn't going to talk to Paul about what was going on with Will, but Paul clarified that he didn't want to talk about that -- at least, not in the way Sonny was expecting. Paul explained that he had realized something after a chance encounter he'd had with Derrick earlier, and he honestly believed his epiphany could help Sonny and Will. Sonny agreed to hear Paul out, and they went outside to continue their conversation.
"[Derrick] asked me, you know, how coming out was for me, and he asked me how it was going, and then he said that he was surprised that you and Will had already settled down together. He said that he could never do that right after coming out. And I realized...he was right. I couldn't, either. And I was so surprised, because...I love you, Sonny, and I want to be with you, but I realize, even if you were free, I couldn't get married -- I mean, not yet. And I started thinking about how focused I'd been on you, and getting you back, and I asked myself why. And it's because it was easier than dealing with coming out, and everything that's about," Paul explained.
"So, you think this is true for Will, too? Like he skipped a step?" Sonny wondered. Paul stressed that he had no doubts about Will's love for Sonny. "Neither do I," Sonny agreed. "It's just, maybe -- when I'd just met Will, he talked about marrying the first guy he'd ever been with, and that sounded great, but maybe...I don't know, um...after today, really realizing how it is for me, um...I guess I kind of get Will -- not the crummy things that he's done to try to keep us apart, but what happened between him and me," Paul explained.
Paul started to add that he wasn't trying to dredge up things Sonny would rather not talk about, but Sonny interrupted and said he understood what Paul was getting at. Sonny abruptly excused himself so he could get back to work. However, as soon as Sonny reentered the club, he told one of his employees he was headed home and didn't want to be disturbed unless some sort of emergency cropped up. The employee wondered if everything was all right. "Not really," Sonny replied, walking past Kate without noticing her.
Kate sent Will a text message -- "Sweetheart, heads-up: Sonny on his way home! HE'S NOT HAPPY!!!" -- and he quickly called her. Kate explained that, after a conversation with Paul that had seemed intense, Sonny had told his staff he was headed home -- and that things weren't okay. Kate abruptly ended the call when Paul entered the club, and he approached her table and said she was just the person he wanted to see. "Really? I thought maybe you were looking for my grandson's husband," Kate replied.
Ignoring the remark, Paul informed Kate that he had decided to accept her job offer. "Oh, goodie," Kate muttered. Paul started to list his terms, and when Kate interrupted to stress that the deal wasn't open to negotiation, he countered that all deals were. Paul added that he and Kate didn't have to like each other; they just had to treat each other with respect. Kate argued that respecting her meant staying away from Will and Sonny, but Paul countered that it would be best for him and Kate to just stick to business discussions.
When Sonny returned home, Will braced himself for a conversation about Paul, explaining that a friend had told him Sonny and Paul had just been engaged in an intimate conversation at the club. Sonny protested that he and Paul hadn't been having an intimate conversation -- and that what he wanted to talk to Will about had nothing to do with Paul, anyway. Will nodded and guessed Sonny instead wanted to talk about what had happened in Los Angeles. Will promised to listen to whatever Sonny had to say. "But first, Sonny, can I please just tell you how much I love you? Even if the things I've been doing make it seem like I don't, Sonny...I love you," Will stressed.
"I believe you. I know that you love me," Sonny assured Will. Will started to point out that one of Sonny's earlier comments had suggested otherwise. "It was a mistake, all right? It was the first thing that popped out of my mouth. And I was thinking -- I mean, you were willing to go to prison for me when you thought I killed Nick. I know that you love me," Sonny replied. Will admitted he had made mistakes, and Sonny agreed, adding that Will could have handled the situation in a lot of different ways that all would have been much better than the ways in which he had actually ended up trying to handle it.
"You're not the only one, because the truth is, there's a lot of things that I could have handled better, too," Sonny added. Will started to insist that Sonny had done nothing wrong and was, in fact, perfect, but he apologized when he realized he was echoing things he had previously said about Sonny in a negative way. "Look, Paul said something to me that landed. I've known about it for a while, but I didn't want to admit it. The truth is, the things that have gone wrong with us -- a lot of it's my fault, not yours," Sonny admitted.
At Sonny and Will's apartment, Sonny admitted fault for a lot of the problems that had gone wrong in his relationship with Will. Sonny pointed out that, despite their love for each other, they were very different people -- for example, it had been a long time since Sonny had come out, and he'd traveled the world and had other relationships. Sonny continued that it had been difficult and overwhelming for Will to come out. "But, Sonny, I had you. You were always there for me," Will said. Sonny explained that he felt he had taken advantage of the situation when Will had leaned on him.
A bemused Will insisted that Sonny had taken advantage of him. Sonny clarified that he should have been more responsible when they'd first gotten together. "We started this up, and I let it fall into a relationship. And I'll admit it was incredible that I was the first man, the only man that you've ever been with," Sonny said. Will emphasized that Sonny was the only man he'd ever loved. Sonny pointed out that Will had slept with two other guys -- which indicated that Will hadn't really been ready to get married.
Will insisted that wasn't true. Sonny maintained that he hadn't considered what Will had needed before they'd gotten married -- and what he still needed. Sonny added that they needed to face their problems, or they could end up hating each other. Will suggested that Sonny choose a marriage counselor besides Dr. Meyers, but Sonny didn't want to put off dealing with their problems until a therapy session.
Sonny declared that when he'd found out that Will had slept with a guy in L.A., his first instinct had been to sleep with Paul. Will started beating himself up for giving Sonny an excuse to sleep with Paul, but Sonny insisted that he had merely wanted to hurt Will the way Will had hurt him. Sonny said he had been thinking about how quickly he and Will had gotten married, but it had really been Sonny's agenda because he'd proposed to Paul. Will insisted that he'd been ready to get married.
Sonny pointed out that Will had just been trying to deal with coming out but had jumped immediately into a committed relationship. "Wasn't it somewhat comforting to latch onto me, to feel somewhat normal?" Sonny questioned. Will declared that Sonny was wrong. Sonny pointed out that Will had jumped at the chance to go to California and explore himself. Will argued that it had just been a good writing job. "Do you remember what you said to me before you left? You said that our life was boring," Sonny reminded Will.
Sonny pointed out that he might think the same thing if he hadn't traveled the world, something that Will had never gotten the chance to do. Will excitedly suggested that the two of them have an adventure together, but Sonny said that wasn't the answer. Sonny concurred that it was a good idea for them to try a new therapist -- but he also thought Will should get a therapist to see on his own, so he could talk about things without having to worry about Sonny's reaction. "That's huge," Will admitted. Sonny said things couldn't go on the way they had been, but he believed they could get through it together.
Hope joined Aiden at a table outside Club TBD. Admitting he sounded like a hypocrite, since they'd agreed to keep their personal and professional lives separate, Aiden asked Hope for some information, "cop to lawyer." Hope immediately assumed that Aiden was referring to Clyde Weston. Aiden wondered why she'd jumped to the conclusion -- and if that meant she had new information about Weston.
Hope reminded Aiden that she'd stopped investigating Clyde, but she had recently learned that Clyde had met with Stefano DiMera. She reassured Aiden that she'd only found out because the police were always watching Stefano, not because she had someone tailing Clyde. Aiden seemed dissatisfied, so Hope encouraged him to either talk about it or drop it. When he said they couldn't discuss it, Hope said she considered it dropped.
Hope reminded Aiden that he had requested some information from her when they'd first sat down. Aiden explained that there was a lot of evidence against one of his clients, but most of it had originated with a jailhouse snitch, someone Hope had put away. Aiden wanted to know if the guy was a credible witness. "Which means I need you," Aiden pointed out, his meaning clear. Hope leaned over to kiss him.
Hope looked the convict up on her tablet and said she remembered the snitch, Martin O'Leary. She said O'Leary had been a talkative con artist who'd been willing to say almost anything to help his case. She assured Aiden that she'd been more than happy to assist him. They smooched some more and talked about how excited both their kids were for the Fourth of July. Hope declared that Aiden had made a big difference in her life and in Ciara's.
Aiden admitted that he was having a hard time getting their spat out about Clyde Weston of his head. Hope playfully covered Aiden's mouth with her hands when he said Clyde's name and made him promise that they would forget all about Clyde. While Hope and Aiden were discussing the situation, something caught Hope's attention over Aiden's shoulder. Her eyes widened, so Aiden turned to follow her gaze.
Daniel and Brady went to the Kiriakis mansion to confront Victor about Xander. Victor declared that he found Xander's actions "absolutely unforgivable." Daniel said he'd called the police station, but he hadn't heard back about whether charges had been filed against Xander. Relieved that Xander was in custody, Victor said, "The man shouldn't be walking around free."
Daniel countered, "That's why we came to talk to you -- because you're the one who freed him." Brady and Daniel explained that they were referring to the murder charges against Xander in Scotland, which Victor had gotten reduced to a misdemeanor. Victor assured them that he'd never intended to hide that information from them, but he'd only been trying to help his young nephew because Xander was family.
"If I'd known how he was going to turn out, I'd have let him rot," Victor maintained. He added that ever since then, Xander had been very good at following orders -- but when Brady and Daniel had told Victor that Xander had been up to no good in Salem, Victor had ordered his nephew to leave town. Victor reassured Daniel and Brady that he would not do anything to help Xander.
On the phone with Roman from her hotel room, Serena promised that she would not leave town. Roman hung up rather abruptly, frustrating Serena. She flung her phone down on the bed then she turned her anger on the elephant statue, savagely smashing it with a heavy knickknack and kicking it when it fell to the floor.
Escorted by Abe, a smug Xander strolled into Roman's office at the police station. Since the police still hadn't charged him with anything, Xander assumed that he would be free to go. Abe reluctantly admitted that they had checked Xander's claim that he'd been in Chicago, and they'd found eyewitnesses at the party who'd sworn Xander had been there all night, plus his cell phone and credit card records also showed usage in Chicago. Although Abe and Roman were dubious about Xander's alibi, they informed him that the D.A. had decided not to move forward with charges -- but as a person of interest in the case, Xander should not leave town.
Serena was picking up shards of elephant when Xander arrived. She was unpleasantly surprised he was out of jail, but he maintained that he'd been able to prove his alibi that he'd been in Chicago when Eric and Nicole had gotten locked in the crawl space. Serena guessed that he was there because she was a loose end he needed to tie up.
Xander said he'd seen her statement to the police, and it was just lucky that she hadn't gotten specific about his actions -- so, in the future, she should stick to the facts when she talked to the police. Xander declared that it had been really stupid for Serena to tell Eric about the diamonds, because word had spread, and it was complicating Xander's business dealings. Serena tried to argue, but Xander shouted at her to shut up.
Xander noted that there was no proof about the diamonds other than Serena's "lies." Serena swore not to say anything else. Xander vowed to go after Eric if any details about Xander's business made it into a police file. Serena begged Xander not to hurt Eric, so Xander encouraged her to keep her word to make sure Eric stayed alive. "I hope I haven't been vague," Xander said on his way out.
Back at the Kiriakis mansion, Victor was on the phone, asserting that he had to make sure there was no paper trail or any connection between him and Alexandros. Just as Victor ended that call, Xander phoned him. Xander reassured his uncle that he was on a burner phone, which would be destroyed as soon as their conversation was over. Xander said he'd been released from custody because the police had no case. "Well, stay away from me until you're absolutely sure they have nothing to go on," Victor warned.
Adding that Xander should wait to hear from him, Victor declared, "I don't want my wife or Daniel or Brady or anybody knowing that we're connected. Is that clear?" After hanging up, an unhappy Xander removed the SIM card from his phone.
Nicole was getting ready to leave the hospital when Eric entered her room. "We need to talk about what happened," Eric began, reminding Nicole that they had almost made love. Nicole admitted that what they'd been through had been complicated and overwhelming -- but they were no longer in that position and could put it behind them. Surprised, Eric said they couldn't pretend what they'd almost done had never happened.
Nicole asserted that when they'd been locked up together, she had been very grateful that all of Eric's animosity toward her had gone away. Eric reminded her that he had punished her for a long time, and he'd needed her to know that he'd been wrong. Nicole acknowledged that their feelings that night had been very raw, and just knowing that he cared about her had kept her going -- but she loved and wanted to be with Daniel. She added that she was glad for the chance to tell Eric how much he meant to her, even if she loved Daniel more than ever.
Eric asked how Nicole wanted to tell Daniel what had happened. Nicole admitted that she'd almost told Daniel, but then she'd realized that it would only hurt Daniel -- and neither she nor Eric wanted that. An incredulous Eric said he couldn't keep the truth from Daniel, especially about something so important. Eric declared that all of his old feelings for Nicole had rushed back that night, and he knew the same was true for her.
Nicole firmly reminded Eric that they had not slept together, adding, "Do we really want to hurt someone that we both love and tell him something that we didn't do?" She said the clear answer was not to tell Daniel or anyone else. Obviously upset, Eric asked, "Can you live with that? Can you take the time that we had together, what we were feeling, and just put it in a box like it was meaningless to you?"
Just then, Brady and Daniel arrived with Nicole's release papers. Nicole hastily turned away for a moment to dry her tears. Daniel and Brady could both tell that something was bothering Eric, but Nicole explained that they had been talking about how lucky they were to be alive. Eric left, claiming he wanted to get some air, and a concerned Brady followed in case Eric needed to talk about the ordeal.
Once they were alone, Daniel invited Nicole to return not to her place but to his. "Just for tonight?" Nicole asked. "I was thinking for good," Daniel clarified. He acknowledged that he had always been the one who'd wanted to take things slowly, but he had realized something clearly while he'd been searching for Nicole the previous night: "I don't want you anywhere [other] than right by my side." He continued that he'd always been careful not to let Parker get too close to women in case things didn't work out, but Parker adored Nicole.
Touched, Nicole admitted, "I love him... I love you." She embraced Daniel to demonstrate her agreement that she would move in with him. A little later, as they were headed out of the hospital, Nicole realized that she'd left her discharge papers in her room. While she was retrieving them, Roman got off the elevator, looking for Eric. "Xander's out," Roman warned Daniel, who was incredulous. Roman explained that they hadn't been able to break Xander's alibi, and while Eric and Nicole's testimony wasn't worthless, the police needed more than that to go on.
After Roman had gone, Nicole returned and found Daniel scowling near the nurses' station. Before Daniel could tell Nicole what was going on, a doctor called him away to look at the arm of an agitated patient. Daniel promised Nicole that he would be quick. While Nicole was waiting for Daniel to return, Xander exited the elevator. Grinning smugly, he began to approach a freaked-out Nicole.
Brady found Eric in the park outside Horton Square. Reminding Eric that he had survived, Brady asked, "You want to talk about what really went on in that room when you two were locked in there together?" Eric admitted that he usually knew what to do when it was time to make a choice, but he had never been more confused than he was at that moment.
Assuming that Eric was referring to Xander, Brady reassured his brother that despite his former friendship with Xander, Eric wasn't responsible for what had happened. Eric said he needed to be alone so he could think. As Brady was leaving to give Eric his space, he noted, "Just so you know -- I have a son that I want to show you, so you might want to come by the house. He's a fantastic reminder that life is really good."
Eric was pacing around the park, remembering his time trapped in the crawl space with Nicole and how they'd kissed, when Serena showed up. She started with an apology, but Eric spat angrily, "I don't want to hear how sorry you are! Or more excuses, or how much you love me!" Serena clarified, "I'm not talking about that; I'm talking about Xander."
