Andre went to the hospital to see Chad, who was still in a coma. "Father's not doing well...at all. That heart attack caused him to be weaker than he lets on. Just in case you care," Andre informed Chad.
Andre shook Chad a few times before taking a seat at his bedside, satisfied that he wasn't faking the coma. "You know, those murder charges you're facing are causing -- which means that you are causing -- a great deal of stress on Father's heart. I just have to make sure that that comes to an end...soon," Andre added. Knowing Chad could likely hear him, Andre advised that being a DiMera required possessing certain traits, such as competitiveness, ambitiousness, ruthlessness, and charm. "I'm not quite sure you've got what it takes. I think an excellent decision would be for you to stay in the coma...forever. Or better still...die," Andre mused.
At the Horton Town Square, Joey pressed a button on his laptop while videoconferencing with a friend, who suddenly found himself immersed in darkness. The friend, Ricky, said he couldn't believe Joey had just turned out all the lights in the school's library. "I can't believe it, either," Kayla said as she approached Joey's table.
Joey told Kayla to relax, explaining that he had simply programmed a temporary override into the school's lighting system -- one that only affected the library. "As soon as someone hits the light switch, the program cuts off. Everything goes back to normal. No harm, no foul," Joey assured Kayla. Kayla pointed out that Joey's prank could cause someone in the library to panic, possibly resulting in an injury to that person or others. "It was just a joke! Why are you freaking out?" Joey asked.
Before Kayla could respond, Abe approached and wondered what was going on. As Kayla explained the situation, Joey showed her and Abe a text message he had just received from Ricky, confirming that the lights were back on in the library, and no one had gotten hurt while stuck in the dark. "Then you got lucky. But you still did something foolish -- and you broke the law. Do you think that's okay? Do you think the school's computer system is a toy you can play with?" Abe asked Joey.
"Wow. Another lecture. I get enough of those from my mother," Joey complained. Joey wondered if Abe was going to have him arrested for pulling the prank. Sighing, Abe replied that he planned to let Kayla handle the situation herself. Abe warned, however, that Joey needed to think twice before hijacking the school's computer system again, because if the school officials ever decided to get the police involved, he wouldn't be able to protect Joey. Abe left after wishing Kayla luck.
"See? [When] push came to shove, I walked. No harm, no foul," Joey said with a shrug. "I am looking at a complete clone of your father," Kayla replied, shaking her head in disbelief. Kayla complained that it had been selfish of Joey to pull an idiotic prank in the name of fun, without ever thinking, for even a single second, that it might be a bad idea -- just like it had been selfish of Steve to run off on another adventure in the name of fun, without ever thinking, for even a single second, that his family might need him to stick around for a change.
Kayla apologized when she realized she was making it sound like everything was Joey's fault. Conceding that he might have actually deserved the lecture, Joey stressed that he did care about his family -- a lot -- and he missed his father. "I'm scared that...this time...or next time...whenever he takes off, he'll never come back," Joey admitted. Kayla hugged Joey, who apologized for messing up. Kayla advised Joey to throw away the computer program so he wouldn't be tempted to use it again. "On one condition -- don't say I'm a clone of Dad. At least not just the bad stuff," Joey asked, and Kayla agreed.
At the police station, Abe greeted Lani, who jumped and quickly closed her laptop. After a brief conversation, Lani excused herself, claiming that Abe had caught her on her way to the vending machine. His suspicions aroused, Abe waited until Lani was gone then opened her laptop. "Well, why are you trying to get information...about me?" Abe muttered as he stared at the computer screen. When Lani returned, Abe casually offered to answer any questions she might have -- about anything at all -- but she declined, grabbing her laptop as she explained that she had a bunch of reports that needed to be filed.
At the Brady Pub, Aiden nervously sipped his wine as Julie admitted to Hope that she had encouraged Shawn to return to Salem as a surprise wedding guest. Hope introduced Aiden to Shawn, who reluctantly shook Aiden's hand as Aiden said he had heard a lot about not only Shawn but also Shawn's wife and daughter. Hope asked about Belle and Claire, and Shawn explained that they wouldn't be able to attend the wedding because Claire was still recovering from pneumonia and had been advised not to travel. Smiling, Aiden said he was glad Shawn was going to be in attendance, since he was sure that would make Hope very happy.
Unimpressed, Shawn made it clear that he didn't think the wedding was a good idea. "May I ask why?" Aiden wondered. "Yeah, 'cause you're no Bo Brady -- and you never will be," Shawn replied. Hope couldn't believe Shawn had actually said such a thing, but he insisted that he wasn't going to just pretend that everything was okay when it wasn't. Julie suggested that Shawn could at least voice his opinions in a more civil manner, and he conceded the point, admitting that he had a tendency to be too honest at times -- a trait he had gotten from Hope.
Aiden said he liked that Hope was honest and direct -- and he liked that Shawn was, too. Aiden agreed that he wasn't Bo, and he stressed that he wasn't trying to be, either. Aiden hoped, however, that Shawn could still accept him as a part of Hope's new life. Shawn said he had been trying to do that since first learning about Hope and Aiden's wedding plans, because he wanted her to be happy. "[But] when Dad left town, he was still in love with you, [and] it's not like he died, so it's really hard for me to wrap my head around this," Shawn added.
Hope understood, acknowledging that Shawn had always made his feelings about the wedding quite clear. Hope stressed, though, that while Shawn was entitled to his feelings, she was also entitled to hers. "If your idea was to come back to Salem and save this marriage -- fix this marriage -- you're one parent short, and you're way too late," Hope added. Shawn maintained that Hope needed to give Bo a bit more time and stop being overly anxious to kiss him -- and their marriage -- goodbye. Fed up, Hope rushed off in tears, and Shawn chased after her after telling Aiden to let him handle the matter himself.
Shawn caught up with Hope in the park and conceded that it had been wrong of him to question her decision, since it was her life, and it was up to her to decide how she wished to live it. "Even if you hate me for it?" Hope tearfully asked. Shawn stressed that he could never hate Hope; he just didn't think Bo would have left her and Ciara unless he'd had a really good reason for doing so.
Hope said she didn't have any answers for Shawn. Hope added that she only knew that Aiden had made her feel alive again, and he was a great guy who loved her and Ciara. Acknowledging that it would be unfair to expect Hope to put her life on hold forever, Shawn apologized for his earlier reaction, and they headed back to the pub together so he could offer Aiden the same apology -- and start getting to know him better.
Aiden asked Shawn to step outside with him so they could have a one-on-one conversation and get a few things straight. Aiden said he understood that Shawn loved Bo and would always be quick to defend him. "Till the day I die," Shawn confirmed. Nodding, Aiden stressed that he loved Hope and simply wanted to build a life with her that would make her happy. Aiden added that he was eager to get to know Shawn, Belle, and Claire better because he didn't just want to get along with them -- he wanted them to be part of his family.
When Shawn and Aiden reentered the pub, Shawn admitted that the lawyer certainly knew how to make his case. "[But] remember -- we'll be watching you, twenty-four-seven," Shawn warned as he joined Julie and Doug, who agreed. Hope complained that Shawn, Julie, and Doug needed to stop teasing Aiden, who probably thought they were being serious. "Well, we are," Julie stressed with a shrug before leaving with Doug. Aiden headed out with Doug, and Julie and walked off after thanking them for having dinner with him and Hope.
Aiden went to the DiMera mansion and informed Stefano and Andre that he planned to pay his debt to them with something much more valuable than money -- Chad's freedom. Aiden explained that he was going to kill Hope and make it look like the work of the serial killer. Stefano was pleased with that idea. Andre wondered when Aiden would be committing the murder. "Tomorrow night -- our wedding night," Aiden replied.
Andre appreciated the irony of Aiden's plan but wasn't sure Aiden would be able to go through with it. Aiden promised that he would, stressing that, while he loved Hope, his son's life was more important than hers. Aiden reminded Stefano and Andre that their end of the bargain included staying away from Chase.
Andre remained skeptical, asking Aiden to describe exactly how he planned to convince the police that Hope's death wasn't just the work of a copycat killer. Aiden explained that he knew specific details about the other murders because he had represented Chad for a while, and he had acquired a necktie that was exactly like the ones the real killer had used. Aiden assured Stefano and Andre that the police would be forced to let Chad go after Hope's death. After Aiden left, Stefano and Andre agreed that, while they still weren't convinced that Aiden would really be able to kill Hope, there were ways of making sure a man kept his word.
While Aiden was passing through a secluded section of the town square, someone approached him from behind and put a hood over his head. Meanwhile, Hope entered her house while Julie and Kayla were in the process of decorating it for her bachelorette party. "Uh...surprise?" Kayla said as Julie disappointedly deflated the balloon she had just finished filling with air.
In Mexico, Steve and Bo -- both chained to a pipe that was attached to the wall -- discussed how they had both been under the impression that the place they were being held in was an ISA safe house. While bantering with each other, Bo and Steve tugged on their chains, trying to loosen the pipe. Bo told Steve about how he had gone to the Amazon rainforest to get a bunch of exotic plants that Salinas had needed to create the experimental drug for Caroline. Bo complained about the mosquitoes and snakes he had encountered there, prompting Steve to decide that he needed to check the place off his bucket list.
When Bo started to talk about Hope and Ciara, Steve reluctantly revealed that Hope was planning to get married soon. Bo thought Steve was joking, but Steve explained that Hope had divorced Bo after receiving a Dear Jane letter that had left her heartbroken. Realizing that someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make Hope think he was never going to return home, Bo conceded that it might be best for him to stay away, since there was no reason for him to return home if he had already lost the love of his life. Steve stressed that Hope was planning to get married -- meaning the wedding hadn't happened yet, and there was still time for Bo to stop it.
Nodding, Bo began tugging at the chains with renewed determination, and Steve continued to help while deflecting questions about his own love life. Noticing that one end of the pipe was weaker than the other, Steve focused his attention on that end, but as he banged his wrists against the pipe, he slipped and broke a nearby gas line. "My bad," Steve sheepishly stated as the room began filling with toxic fumes.
In the locked room of the safe house in Mexico, Steve and Bo struggled to breathe as gas filled the room from the busted pipe. Desperate to survive, Bo and Steve pulled at their chains to free themselves from the wall. As Bo coughed and struggled to stay awake, Steve slapped his face and urged him to think of his wife and children. Bo snapped back to reality, and the two men kicked the wall until the bar they were chained to gave way. Steve and Bo pushed the door to exit, but it would not budge. With a grunt, Bo said that ISA safe houses usually had a secret passage for escape. The two men started to feel around the room for a hidden exit.
After escaping the safe house through a hidden passage in the wall, Steve and Bo ran to the jet. As Steve called out to Pete the pilot, they heard groaning. Bo and Steve checked the utility closet on the plane and found an unconscious Pete. Bo and Steve carried Pete to a chair in the main cabin. Pete woke up and explained that two men had jumped him. Steve noted that the men had disabled the control panel and the radio. Pete felt for his cellphone, and he noted that it had been taken as well.
When Bo asked if the plane could fly, Steve swore that he would get the plane working again. While Steve worked in the cockpit, Bo cleaned up Pete's head wound. Steve managed to repair everything but the radio. Anxious to leave, Pete said he was ready to fly, but it was not safe to fly without a radio. Steve reminded Pete that there were armed men nearby that could return to finish them off. Pete nodded and headed into the cockpit.
Back in Salem, a black bag was thrown over Aiden's head, and he was dragged to another location. Panicked, Aiden called out that he would fix things. When the black bag was removed, a roar of greeting surrounded Aiden from Doug, Rafe, Eric, John, and Daniel in the Brady Pub. Laughing, Doug noted that Aiden looked very pale. Aiden grabbed a shot of alcohol and downed it. The men drank a toast as a rattled Aiden thanked them for the party.
In the corner, John talked to Roman about Will's death. Roman lamented that Sami had not stayed in Salem. When Roman asked John why Sami had traveled to Switzerland, John said he believed Sami wanted to grieve. Roman expressed his fear that Sami would do something stupid.
Rafe challenged Aiden to a game of darts. Tipsy, Aiden asked Rafe to bet on the game. With a nod, Rafe grabbed some darts and started to throw. Aiden lost the game. Aiden commented that he had lost the game but had won the real prize. Holding up his glass in agreement, Roman said that the pub was full of men would hurt him if he hurt Hope. Aiden promised they did not need to worry.
"I've come to realize that you are a very decent man. You love my daughter with all your heart. I can see that, so I know that you are going to be a very devoted husband to her. Also, I have seen you with your son. You're a great dad. And from that I know that you are going to be there always for my darling Ciara, 100%," Doug said. As Doug toasted to Hope and Aiden's blissful marriage, Aiden smiled awkwardly. When Daniel mentioned the wedding day, Aiden thought about murdering Hope on their wedding night.
After the toast, Abe informed the group that he had talked to the governor about Andre's pardon. Shaking his head, Abe confirmed that the governor was in Stefano's pocket. A drunk Aiden asked how the DiMeras could get away with all their crimes. When Roman asked Aiden if he knew the DiMeras, Aiden noted that everyone knew about the family. Doug said he had witnessed Andre attempt to push Aiden's buttons. Aiden shrugged as Doug complimented Aiden's restraint in facing Andre.
Seeing Aiden continue to knock back shot after shot, Rafe suggested that Aiden should slow down on the drinking. Aiden said he wanted to celebrate. After chugging a beer, Aiden went outside to get some air. Aiden walked over to the park and thought about killing Hope. As Aiden sighed heavily, Rafe called out to him and asked if he was okay. Aiden claimed he was overwhelmed because of the alcohol, but Rafe was not convinced. Annoyed, Aiden asked Rafe if he ever took a break from acting like a police officer.
With a scowl, Rafe assured Aiden that he was concerned as a friend. Aiden suggested that Rafe wanted to make him look bad in front of Hope because Rafe wanted to "have a crack at her." Aiden said he loved Hope with all his heart and soul and that she did not deserve to get hurt. Concerned, Rafe asked Aiden what he meant. Lying, Aiden said he was talking about what Bo had done. Aiden swore he would not hurt her like Bo had done. Rafe nodded. With a stumble, Aiden said goodnight, and he walked home.
In the town square, Jennifer showed Abigail the lingerie that she had purchased for Hope's bridal shower. When Jennifer fretted over whether the gift was appropriate, Abigail assured her the gift was great, and she ushered her out of the square.
Hope walked into her living room and was surprised to find Kayla and Julie decorating for a surprise bridal shower. Kayla noted that Jennifer and Abigail were on their way, and she encouraged Hope to circle the block and pretend to be surprised when she returned. When Hope wondered if a ruse was necessary, Julie said that they all needed some cheer in their lives. With a grin, Hope agreed to return in ten minutes, and she left.
"Is it me, or does Hope not seem like she has that bride-to-be glow?" Kayla asked Julie. After Caroline, Maggie, Jennifer, and Abigail arrived, they waited in the dark for Hope. When Hope arrived, she pretended to be surprised when the ladies yelled out "Surprise!" Hope thanked everyone for the shower. Maggie informed Hope that Marlena had sent her regrets that she could not attend, but Hope understood that Marlena was not up to celebrating so soon after Will's death. Julie suggested that they could honor Will by showing each other that they appreciated one another and celebrating in each other's company.
"We're grateful for every moment we have together because they are always too brief," Julie added. Kayla informed Hope that Roman and Rafe were throwing a bachelor party at the pub. Hope joked that she was up for anything as long as they had not hired a stripper. Kayla and Abigail looked at one another guiltily. The doorbell rang. Abigail quietly walked to the door and ushered a stripper fireman, Todd, into the house. Hope blushed.
After stripping for Hope, Todd danced with Julie while Abigail informed Hope that Todd was a friend of Cameron's from the strip club in Chicago. Todd spotted Caroline and waved hello. Chuckling, Caroline joked that Todd missed her tips as she slipped some bills into his waistband. Kayla asked Caroline if she remembered Todd, and a cheerful Caroline told her daughter that the treatment was working. With an awkward laugh, Kayla looked over at Todd, who was dancing with Maggie.
After the stripper finished dancing, he went upstairs to change. Kayla toasted to Hope's second chance at love. After the ladies knocked back their drinks, Hope opened presents. Maggie was mock scandalized over Jennifer's lingerie gift. Caroline jumped in and said she would take the lingerie if Hope did not want it. Hope laughed. When a nervous Jennifer offered to provide a gift receipt, Hope said she was delighted to keep the gift.
Todd returned downstairs and said goodbye to the women. As Abigail rushed to get Todd's check, she bumped into him, causing him to drop jewelry onto the floor. Surprised, Abigail asked if Todd had taken Hope's jewelry. Todd shoved Abigail away, and while Jennifer grabbed Todd, Julie hit him over the head with a bottle of Champagne. Hope slapped handcuffs on Todd and arrested him.
After Lani left with Todd in the squad car, Abigail told Hope that Kayla had examined her and that she and the baby were fine. Maggie joked about Jennifer and Julie's quick thinking in stopping Todd. Kayla chimed in to comment that their party was far more interesting than whatever the men had planned for Aiden.
Julie asked Maggie about the mansion, and Maggie confirmed that the renovations to the mansion would be complete before the bicentennial celebration. As Maggie and Julie continued to clean, Jennifer asked Kayla if Steve would be her escort to the bicentennial gala. Kayla shrugged and said she was not sure if Steve would be in Salem. Abigail noted that the Johnson men were prone to wanderlust. Nodding, Jennifer said there were many nights that Jack had disappeared.
"It hurt terribly, and I know that's how you feel right now. But you know, what I understood is that it wasn't because he didn't love us. It was him. He felt so insecure and not worthy of us that I don't know, subconsciously, I think he felt driven to keep his distance from us. And I think maybe that's what Steve is doing," Jennifer said. Across the room, Caroline asked Hope if she had heard from Steve about the search for Bo. Caroline informed Hope that she had given Steve a solid lead on Bo from one of her dreams. As Hope raised an eyebrow, Caroline asked Hope what she would do if Bo returned home.
Hope quietly noted that Caroline's dream was not real. Caroline disagreed. Kayla interrupted and sent Caroline into the kitchen to help Julie. When Kayla asked Hope if she was okay, Hope admitted that she did not want to hear about Bo anymore. "Bo's not coming back," Hope said firmly.
Across the room, Maggie and Abigail talked about Ben. Maggie said that Victor had known that Clyde was trouble when he had arrived in town. Covering her mouth in embarrassment, Maggie apologized for her insensitivity. Abigail said that Victor had not been wrong about Clyde. After the party wrapped up, Caroline, Julie, Jennifer, and Abigail headed over to the pub to meet up with the guys. When Roman asked about the shower, a smirking Julie said the party had been uneventful.
Alone in Hope's living room, Kayla said that Hope needed to be honest with her. Kayla said she was concerned that Hope was not ready to marry Aiden based on her reaction to Caroline's comments about Bo. Hope said that she wanted to commit to Aiden. Hope added that everything was arranged and that she wanted Kayla's blessing. Kayla nodded.
After Kayla left, a drunken Aiden stopped by Hope's house. Surprised, Hope asked Aiden if their plan to spend the night apart had changed. Aiden shrugged. Worried, Hope asked Aiden what was wrong. Aiden said he could not marry her.
Eve entered the hospital room of a still comatose Chad and hissed, "Wake up, you bastard, so I can send you to hell, where you belong!" Keeping her voice low and remaining calm, Eve blamed Chad for costing Paige the amazing life that had been ahead of her. Although Eve couldn't understand why Chad had done it, she would settle for watching him suffer. She eyed Chad's I.V. bag and the monitor for his vital signs and moved toward them as if to end Chad's life, but before she could act, she heard Justin's voice behind her: "You don't want to do be like him. Don't do it, Eve, even if he does deserve it."
As Eve left the room with Justin, she explained that she'd heard that people in comas were often aware of their surroundings, so she'd wanted to tell Chad that she hoped he would suffer and "fry" when he woke up. Justin reminded Eve that she owed him a drink. "How about now?" she suggested, so the two of them left together.
A little later, Eve and Justin wandered into the park outside Horton Square, but Eve was still depressed over Paige's death. Justin tried to reassure her that even though things seemed bleak, they would eventually get better. Eve didn't understand why Chad would have done something so brutal and violent to Paige, whom he hadn't even known. Justin asserted that anyone who could do that had to be insane. Eve became really worried that Chad could claim an insanity defense, but Justin promised that would never happen.
Eve said she didn't know how she could ever thank Justin for being such a good friend. "You don't have to," Justin assured her. "But I want to," Eve declared softly, leaning in to kiss Justin.
In Chad's comatose mind, he saw visions of Abigail and Ben getting married, having their baby, and beginning their family together. Those imaginings were jumbled together with the recollections of the fight between him and Ben that had put Chad in a coma.
At Ben and Abigail's apartment, Ben was scribbling notes on a pad of paper while also using his tablet computer. Abigail returned home from Hope's bachelorette party and told Ben about Hope arresting the stripper when they'd discovered he was a thief. Ben wondered if Hope were having second thoughts about the wedding. Abigail was a bit puzzled but assured Ben that the wedding was still on. She asked what Ben was doing, and he explained that he was looking into how to invest their windfall.
Abigail indicated that she still didn't think Ben should take the money, and Ben pointed out that giving him the reward was Paige's father's way of getting justice for his daughter's killer. Abigail suggested that Ben take the money and donate it -- all of it -- to charity. Ben insisted that he'd earned the money because he'd almost died, but Abigail argued that it was wrong to profit off of someone else's tragedy.
Ben kept pushing back, and a frustrated Abigail realized that he intended to take the money no matter what she said, because he was obviously not trying to see her side of things. Ben believed that Abigail was furious that, even though she had believed in Chad's innocence, Chad was finally in custody because of Ben. Abigail quietly maintained that her not wanting Ben to take the money had nothing to do with Chad. Ben became angry as he contended that every single one of his and Abigail's arguments had been about Chad.
Abigail asserted that she didn't want Chad to be prosecuted if he were innocent. Ben irritably reminded her that all of the evidence pointed to Chad, plus he had attacked Ben. "How the hell can you still believe he's innocent?" Ben demanded. Irked, Abigail maintained that if they took the money, she would feel guilty and think about Paige, Serena, and Will every time she spent it on food or baby clothes. Ben shouted, "Fine! We won't take it!" More calmly, he asked if Abigail knew how much daycare or diapers cost.
Abigail reminded Ben that they had planned for the things they would have to buy -- and they had not expected to suddenly get an enormous amount of money. Ben irritably pointed out that it would be the last one they would get unless he managed to win the lottery -- or one of Abigail's wealthy relatives died and Ben and Abigail got the relative's fortune. "How dare you say that to me?" Abigail demanded incredulously, angry tears welling in her eyes as she declared that she sometimes felt as if she didn't know him at all.
Abigail tried to remain calm as she said she thought they should end the conversation. She walked toward the door, but suddenly Ben grabbed her by the arm, swung her around, and bellowed, "Don't you walk out on me, Abigail!" Abigail's eyes and mouth opened wide as she stared at her fiancé in horror. "Sorry," Ben said rather meekly yet unconvincingly. Abigail got her jacket and purse and headed out without another word.
After Abigail left, Ben paced around the apartment like a caged animal, banging a calculator against his palm. With a frustrated growl, he hurled the item across the room, where it smashed to bits against the door. "Oh, my God. I'm just like Clyde," Ben said as the realization struck him. Sitting on the couch and covering his face with his hands as he sobbed, Ben declared haltingly, "I hate...myself."
Abigail stepped off the elevator on Chad's floor and made a beeline for Chad's room. As if he sensed Abigail outside, Chad gasped and opened his eyes.
At the Brady house, Hope fretted over a drunk Aiden, who had been babbling nonsensically. Aiden explained that he'd imbibed a little too much at the bachelor party, but Hope wanted to know what he'd meant when he'd said, "I can't do this to you." "Are you saying you can't marry me?" Hope asked anxiously. Aiden started carrying on about how beautiful and amazing Hope was and how he couldn't imagine anyone ever hurting her. "You're too good for me," Aiden stated.
Hope insisted that wasn't true, but Aiden maintained that he was a mediocre attorney at best and obviously a lousy money manager, and he didn't understand how Hope could love him. Hope reassured Aiden that he'd merely been going through a tough time -- but she was still confused and concerned about what he'd said before, because it had sounded like he wanted to end things with her. Aiden tearfully insisted that wasn't the case, although he thought Hope should want him to disappear from her life.
"Why are you saying that?" Hope asked worriedly, reassuring Aiden that she loved him. Aiden admitted that he'd felt terrible ever since Hope had lent him the money to pay back the loan shark. "I've made a mess of everything," Aiden maintained. Hope was worried that Aiden was still in trouble, but he assured her that he wasn't -- although the financial advisor had told Aiden that it would be a long time before he was solvent again. His tone suddenly changed from dejected to anxious as he pleaded with Hope not to call off the wedding.
Hope reminded Aiden that the conversation had begun because she'd thought he wanted to call off the wedding. She reassured him that she loved him and promised to convince him that there was such a thing as "happily ever after." Aiden noted that he had messed up a lot, but Hope informed him that she had a rap sheet. Taken aback and a little impressed, Aiden said he didn't need to know the details.
Hope reminded Aiden that she'd never thought she could love another man until she'd met him, so she would not let him get cold feet. She put a pillow behind Aiden's head and helped him get comfortable on the couch before curling up next to him. Aiden promised he would never run out on Hope. She admitted that it seemed wrong to celebrate so soon after Will's murder, but that had also reminded them all that life was too short to worry about things like money.
Aboard the Kiriakis jet, Steve informed Bo that there was a major storm rolling in, and since they had no radio, they couldn't take off. Bo urgently insisted that he had to get back to Hope, no matter what it took -- plus he was worried what would happen if the goons who'd kidnapped them learned Bo and Steve had escaped. Steve tried to reassure Bo that the storm should blow over quickly, and if the plane went down, Hope would never know where Bo had been for so long.
Steve put his jacket on and announced he was going to buy them some time. On his way out, advised Bo to get cleaned up. Later, when Bo was exiting the lavatory, freshly shaven and in some of Steve's clean clothes, Steve returned. Steve announced that he'd just blown up the safe house, so anyone who found it would think the two of them had died. Bo thanked Steve for everything he'd done to find Bo.
Steve explained that he'd been certain that his old pal would never have abandoned his wife and kids, and Steve had become even more suspicious when he'd been unable to get any information out of the ISA. Bo didn't understand why the ISA would have forged a "Dear John" letter to Hope, and Steve didn't get it, either. Bo was determined to get his life back -- then get even with whoever had done that to him.
An antsy Bo watched out the windows as the rain began to pour and thunder cracked outside. Bo declined Steve's offer to play poker while they waited for the weather to clear, and Steve correctly concluded that Bo wanted to know what had been happening in his absence. Steve answered Bo's questions as well as he could: the guy Hope was about to marry was named Aiden Jennings, and he was a lawyer. Immediately deducing that Aiden was a defense attorney, Bo demanded to know if Aiden was worthy of Hope.
Steve dodged the question and informed Bo that Aiden had a son about Ciara's age, but Ciara had given both of the guys a hard time at first. "That's my girl," Bo muttered. Steve continued that the kids had grown closer, and Ciara had begun to approve of her mom's relationship with Aiden. Bo wanted to know what everyone else thought of Aiden. Without really answering the question, Steve admitted that Kayla hadn't been a fan at first, but Aiden had eventually won her over. Bo asked what Victor thought.
Steve wasn't sure what Victor thought about Aiden, but Victor didn't really believe that Bo was alive, either. Steve gently told Bo that everyone who knew and loved Hope just wanted her to move on with her life and find love again. Bo grumbled that everyone clearly loved Aiden, the "white knight." "Not everybody... I think he's bad news," Steve declared, explaining, "It's almost like he's too good to be true."
Steve fiddled around with the phone until he managed to fix it. A grateful Bo immediately took it from Steve and dialed Hope's number. Snuggled up next to Aiden on the sofa, Hope let the phone ring. Bo hung up and tried again. Realizing that it might be the station, Hope answered when the phone rang again.
"Fancy Face? It's me," Bo said when he heard Hope's voice, his own voice eager yet full of apprehension. Hope repeated, "Hello?" several times, but she only heard static on the line. When Hope hung up, Bo tried again -- but the phone had died again. Steve stopped Bo from throwing the phone and got to work on trying to repair it again.
Aiden thanked Hope for being so understanding about him making a drunken fool of himself. He wondered why no one had gotten Hope drunk at her bachelorette party. "Well, because we were busy arresting the stripper," Hope said, laughing. Aiden described how Eric and Roman had kidnapped him and forced him to drink shots. Aiden admitted that, when he'd first arrived at Hope's, he'd just been afraid of losing her. Hope kissed him and reassured him that would never happen.
As Hope started to lead Aiden into the kitchen for a midnight snack, he began mentally reviewing the details of his plan to strangle her and stage it to look like the Necktie Killer had done it. He told Hope that he wanted to stick with tradition and not spend the night before their wedding together. Hope maintained that she wasn't superstitious, but since he was in no condition to drive, he could sleep in the guest room.
Aiden declined, insisting that he would walk to the square and get a cab home, because the fresh air would do him good. "Hope, I love you more than you'll ever know," Aiden proclaimed softly and sincerely, giving Hope a tender kiss. "Good night, Mister Jennings," Hope said sweetly as Aiden left.
Steve was unable to fix the phone again. Bo admitted that he knew Hope well enough to know that she had been upset on the phone. Bo insisted that they had to take off right away so he could get home, but Steve reminded him that they were in the midst of a monsoon. "I don't care! If we have to fly into the middle of this storm, I gotta get home to my wife!" Bo declared vehemently.
Marlena returned home with a surprise for John, but he had one for her, too, regretfully informing her that the ISA had just summoned him to Washington for a mission.
"I guess I should have known. You know, I'm coming to hate the sight of that bag!" Marlena complained, glaring at the suitcase John had parked next to the couch. John assured Marlena that he would have turned down the request if it had been possible to do so -- but he had already blown off the ISA once when they had asked him to do something for them, and he couldn't just expect them to help him find out the truth about his past without asking for something in return once in a while. John promised to be careful, but that failed to ease Marlena's mind.
"I cannot lose you! I cannot lose one more person that I love!" Marlena tearfully protested. As John tried to assure Marlena that she wasn't going to lose anyone, Eric arrived and revealed that Sami might be in danger. Eric showed Marlena and John a text message he had received from Sami thirty minutes earlier -- "Picked up the package in Switzerland. I'm being followed. I'm heading home."
Marlena was stunned when Eric explained why Sami had gone to Zurich. Marlena insisted that Eric should have stopped Sami from pursuing the matter, but he reminded her that no one had ever been able to stop Sami once she had resolved to do something. John added that Marlena would have done the same thing if she had been in Sami's shoes, and Eric agreed, noting that Marlena had been trying to get revenge on Stefano for decades. Conceding the point, Marlena mused that, while she had always wanted to have more in common with Sami, that hadn't been what she'd had in mind.
Noticing the suitcase, Eric wondered if Marlena was going somewhere. Throwing the suitcase down at John's feet, Marlena angrily clarified that he was. John tried to give Marlena a hug and a kiss, but she recoiled, so he headed toward the door with a sigh, promising to make a few phone calls and see if he could find out anything about Sami. Sobbing, Marlena softened, rushing to the door to give John a hug.
After John left, Marlena regained her composure and confirmed Eric's suspicion that John was headed off on an ISA mission. Marlena complained that she hadn't wanted to take John back because of his renewed commitment to the ISA, but Eric pointed out that, like Sami, Marlena never allowed anyone to talk her into doing something she didn't want to do. "You're right. [But] that doesn't mean that I can't worry about him -- and Sami," Marlena replied.
Chad began panicking when he woke up and found himself handcuffed to a hospital bed. Daniel rushed into Chad's room, with a nurse in tow, and Abigail watched from the doorway, turning her back to hide herself every time someone glanced in her direction.
After getting Chad calmed down with the help of a sedative, Daniel offered him a sip of water and proceeded to explain that he had just emerged from a coma he had slipped into after getting in a fight with someone. Chad wanted more details, but Daniel insisted it would be best to let the memories return naturally. After Daniel left Chad's room, Abigail sneaked in, but Hope, Rafe, and Justin arrived before she could tell Chad anything.
Forced back out of the room, Abigail lingered in the doorway again, watching as Rafe reluctantly read Chad his rights. Chad was shocked to learn that Will had been murdered -- and that he was being accused of committing the crime, as well as other murders. "Will was my friend. Why would I kill him? That's insane," Chad insisted. Chad begged Abigail to confirm that he could never do such a thing, but she remained silent as Hope escorted her into the waiting area.
Justin began berating Chad, refusing to believe that his convenient memory loss was anything more than a desperate attempt at an insanity defense. Daniel reminded Justin that Chad hadn't even been conscious for an hour yet, but Justin continued to lash out at Chad, vowing to make him pay for killing three people and trying to kill two others. Justin wasn't the least bit surprised to learn that Chad supposedly couldn't remember anything that had happened after he had purchased a drink for a redhead at Club TBD. "She was your first victim," Justin disgustedly informed Chad.
Daniel refused to release Chad without first doing a thorough evaluation, but he agreed to get started right away. Justin and Rafe left the room, and Justin immediately began making phone calls, getting everyone at the police station prepared for Chad's imminent arrival. "As soon as Chad can move, we're taking him into custody," Justin informed Rafe before walking away. Elsewhere, Hope tried to calm down Abigail, who was insisting that Chad had been telling the truth earlier. Hope fretted that it wasn't good for Abigail to get so emotional about the matter.
"Yes, I'm emotional, Hope! Of course I'm emotional! I'm emotional, and I'm angry, and I'm pissed off, and, honestly, I'm sick to my stomach right now, because everybody in this damn town is so prejudiced against him because of his name! And the fact that they are just assuming -- assuming -- that he's capable of committing these heinous crimes and these senseless murders -- it's not only left everybody in Salem heartbroken, but now everybody's scared out of their minds, and they are just assuming that he did this because of who his father is, and that is so unfair!" Abigail complained.
"I know it seems that way, but that is not --" Hope began to respond. "No, Hope, it's not that it just seems that way; it is that way. It is that way. And if he were really this monster -- if that's really who Chad was -- then he would know. He would know," Abigail insisted before excusing herself, stating that she needed some time alone -- and Hope had a job to do, anyway.
Hope joined Rafe and wondered if he was buying Chad's amnesia story. "Daniel said it could happen," Rafe pointed out with a shrug. Hope admitted that she wasn't sure if Chad was lying, either. "But he's a DiMera. Although Abigail just pointed out that it's terribly unfair to assume he's lying just because of his last name, and you know what? She's right. The sins of the fathers and all that," Hope added, and Rafe agreed.
Changing the subject, Rafe joked that Hope was spending the night before her wedding in the best possible way -- working a case. Rafe hoped that Aiden was ready to have a cop as a wife, and Hope replied that Aiden knew what he was getting himself into. Hope added, however, that Rafe and the other guys had really done a number on Aiden during the bachelor party.
Surprised to learn that Aiden had contemplated calling off the wedding, Rafe assured Hope that no one had said anything during the bachelor party that would have inspired that idea. Hope explained that Aiden was just hard on himself sometimes, believing that he wasn't good enough for her. "Well, who is? I can't think of anyone," Rafe matter-of-factly stated. Hope appreciated the kind words but insisted they weren't true, adding that Aiden was good enough for her, and they were going to be great together.
Later, Daniel reported that, according to the CT scan, Chad seemed to have emerged from the coma without any permanent injuries. "Ah. Which means this so-called amnesia is bull," Justin concluded. "Well, I wouldn't say that," Daniel replied. Daniel wanted to keep Chad overnight for observation, but Justin forced him to admit that Chad didn't need any sort of special medical care that would require him to be observed in a hospital instead of in lockup. Abigail returned in time to see Rafe removing Chad's handcuffs so Chad could get dressed. Chad begged Abigail to believe that he hadn't killed anyone, but she walked away without responding.
When Abigail returned to her and Ben's apartment, Ben apologized for their earlier fight and said he had been worried about her because she hadn't answered any of his messages. Abigail explained that she had been in the middle of something when she had received Ben's messages, and when he pressed for more details, she hesitantly revealed that Chad had emerged from his coma.
That wasn't news to Ben; he had contacted the hospital earlier to see if Abigail had gone there after their fight, and while the nurse who had answered the call had said that she hadn't seen Abigail lately, she had also revealed, when Ben had asked about the chaos in the background, that Chad had just woken up. Ben didn't share that information with Abigail, though, instead acting surprised as she told him about everything that had happened earlier. Abigail claimed that she had gone to the hospital to retrieve some documents -- which she had left in her car -- but Ben didn't buy her story, guessing she had really just gone there to see Chad.
Ben accused Abigail of being obsessed with Chad. Ben complained that he and Abigail should have left Salem the first time he had suggested the idea -- or the tenth time, or the twentieth time -- prompting her to remind him that he was the one who had changed his mind about leaving. Ben said he had only changed his mind because Abigail had assured him that she was over Chad. Abigail countered that Ben had said the same thing but was clearly still jealous of Chad. Ben argued that he had a good reason to be jealous, since Abigail had rushed straight to Chad's bedside after their earlier fight.
Ben demanded to know why Abigail had gone to see Chad. "I went to see him because I don't -- I -- because he's not evil!" Abigail insisted. Ben countered that Chad had tried to kill him -- and Abigail had witnessed that with her own eyes. Abigail pointed out that she hadn't witnessed the attack, and Ben sarcastically agreed that she had only seen the undeniable aftermath. "But still, you defend him!" Ben complained. Abigail clarified that she wasn't defending Chad -- she was just trying to understand. "You know what I understand? You don't want to let go of Chad DiMera. You never did," Ben replied before storming off.
While Chad was being processed at the police station, Aiden arrived and explained to Hope that Chad had contacted him earlier and had asked for his help. Aiden assured Hope that he was up for the task, having sobered up since they had last seen each other. Once Aiden was alone with Chad, he began revealing details of the case, but nothing seemed to jog Chad's memory. Chad began panicking again, but Aiden assured him that everything would be okay -- as long as he kept his mouth shut.
Justin wasn't surprised to learn that Chad was acting like Aiden was still his lawyer, reasoning that it was just part of the amnesia act. Justin suggested that Hope might need to recuse herself, since she was about to marry Chad's lawyer, but she assured him that there wouldn't be a conflict of interest because she and Aiden never discussed cases with each other. Satisfied, Justin moved on to his next concern -- finding out if he was going to have to worry about Rafe buying into Chad's amnesia story. Rafe noncommittally stated that it wasn't his job to evaluate Chad's mental state.
Before leaving the police station, Aiden pulled Hope aside to say goodbye to her. Hope offered Aiden the chance to postpone the wedding in light of everything that had happened that night, but he smiled and assured her that he still wanted to marry her as soon as possible. Satisfied, Hope turned and walked away. A look of tension quickly stretched across Aiden's face, replacing the smile -- and while Hope missed it, Rafe definitely didn't.
Later, as a police officer dragged him off to a holding cell, Chad desperately tried to convince Hope and Rafe that they were making a mistake. Meanwhile, as Eric was leaving Marlena and John's townhouse, Justin arrived and asked for Marlena's help.
Nicole visited Daniel at his office in the hospital to give him a suit for the bicentennial. With a grin, Daniel showed Nicole that he had already picked out a suit. Nicole shrieked in disgust. With the suit hanging from the end of her fingertips, Nicole stared at the tacky 1960s leather suit that Daniel had obtained. Nicole showed Daniel the suit she had obtained, noting that Theresa had tailored the suit for Daniel. With a grin, Daniel grabbed Nicole and threw her suit aside.
At the pub, Theresa informed Brady that she had gotten a vintage suit for Brady and made improvements on it. Brady declined the gift. When Theresa asked why, Brady explained that Theresa was overstepping. Theresa countered that she wanted to help Brady, not dress him. When Theresa begged nicely, Brady agreed to look at the suit. Theresa showed Brady the suit, and he complimented it. Theresa promised she would hang the suit in Brady's closet.
Brady walked over to the hospital to meet with Daniel. Staring at the 1960s suit that Daniel had purchased, Brady cracked a disparaging joke. Daniel shrugged off the comment and asked Brady if he would be free on Valentine's Day for Daniel's wedding. Brady said yes. When Brady pointed at the suit bag in the corner and proclaimed that it looked like one that Theresa had given him, Daniel sighed. Daniel surmised that Nicole and Theresa had conspired to outfit both Daniel and Brady. Daniel and Brady agreed that it was weird to see Nicole and Theresa work together.
"Weird. Of course, so is Theresa ending up being a great mother, staying sober, having great design skills," Brady said. When Brady asked Daniel if he was going to wear the tailored suit, Daniel asked Brady if he was going to wear his tailored suit. Brady argued that it was okay for Nicole to pick out a suit for Daniel, but it was not acceptable for Theresa to do the same with Brady. With a twinkle in his eye, Daniel wondered aloud if Theresa had talked Brady into wearing the suit. Brady nodded grudgingly.
Daniel asked Brady if he and Theresa were "getting closer." Brady scoffed at the idea. Daniel countered that Brady was wearing Theresa's suit when previously he had relished hurting Theresa's feelings. With a sigh, Brady said that he and Theresa had agreed to be civil to one another. Brady stressed that he had not forgiven Theresa for the things she had done. Nodding, Daniel said he did not believe that Theresa would make the same mistakes because she had changed. Brady noted that Theresa had changed because of Tate. When Daniel suggested that Brady might be interested in Theresa, Brady argued that co-parenting was not love.
At the Brady Pub, Nicole peeked over Theresa's shoulder at the designs Theresa was drawing. After a quick compliment, Nicole commented that Theresa's designs would never be seen. Nicole explained that Kate would not let Theresa have any say in the company. Suspicious, Theresa asked Nicole why she had said that. Nicole said that Theresa had talent.
"Whether you're good doesn't matter to Kate. You are competition, and if you do not stand up to her, you will never make your dreams come true. At least at Basic Black," Nicole said. When Theresa asked for advice, Nicole told Theresa she should stand up to Kate. Kate arrived and joined them at their table. When Kate asked Theresa for coffee, Theresa smiled at Nicole. Nicole stepped outside to take a phone call. When Kate reiterated her request, Theresa told Kate to fetch the coffee herself.
Theresa argued that she was talented and had not introduced Kate as a silent partner so that she could pour coffee. Theresa said she refused to be ignored. When Kate asked if Theresa was finished, Theresa said she wanted to be an actual partner with Kate and Nicole. Kate told Theresa that she was impressed that Theresa had stood up to her. Nicole returned to the table.
"Here's the deal, Theresa. We treat you like a partner if you act like a partner. Which means no more playing Nicole and me against each other. No more schemes, no more backstabbing, which you have been known to do in the past," Kate said. Kate added that she was not sure if Theresa had a strong work ethic or not. After Kate left to get a cup of coffee, Nicole commended Theresa on her chat with Kate. Theresa grinned.
After their meeting, Kate reviewed Theresa's sketches. Kate nodded. Theresa promised new sketches would be ready soon. As Kate packed up her briefcase, she said she was looking forward to seeing the new sketches because Theresa had talent. Touched, Theresa thanked Kate. Theresa promised to incorporate Kate's suggestions into the new sketches.
Ciara and Chase prepared a breakfast for Hope and Aiden. Hope was pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful gift. When Chase noted that Aiden was expected to join them, Hope nodded and smiled. While Ciara and Chase worked in the kitchen, Shawn arrived to visit with his mom. When Shawn asked about Aiden, Hope explained that Aiden had taken on a big case. With a shrug, Hope noted that she was marrying a trial attorney.
After eating, Ciara and Chase returned to the kitchen. Shawn told Hope that he liked Chase. Hope said she was glad that Ciara and Chase were such good friends. With a chuckle, Shawn asked Hope if she was happy to have a boy around the house again. Hope said she thought about Shawn, and she thought about what Zack would have been like as a teenager. Shawn hugged his mother, and he apologized for his behavior when he had returned to town.
A somber Hope told Shawn that she would always love Bo and that Aiden understood that. Shawn smiled. Reaching into his pocket, Shawn pulled out a gift from Belle so that Hope would have something "borrowed" for the wedding. Hope opened the small bag and smiled as she saw Alice's necklace. Shawn added that the necklace was good luck and that he and Belle wanted Hope and Aiden to keep the necklace.
In the town square, Aiden sat in the café and stared at a photo of Hope on his phone. Aiden walked to the DiMera mansion and told Stefano and Andre that their deal was off. Stammering, Aiden said he could not kill Hope. Furious, Andre warned Aiden that he had wasted his chances at redemption.
"You should know by now that father and I do not like to lose," Andre said. Aiden said he had another plan. Aiden suggested that Chad should plead that he had been insane at the time of the murders. When Andre asked about the consequences of the defense, Aiden explained that Chad would spend his life in a mental institution. Outraged, Stefano vetoed the idea. Andre calmed his father, and he ordered a henchman to push Stefano's wheelchair into the other room to rest.
Once alone, Andre told Aiden that he needed to dig a grave for Hope or else Aiden would need to dig two graves to accommodate Aiden and Chase. Nodding, Aiden said he wanted assurances that, once he killed Hope, he would never hear from the DiMeras ever again. With a smirk, Andre said that Aiden could trust him every bit as much as he could trust Aiden.
After Aiden left, Andre informed Stefano that Aiden's plan to kill Hope was back on track. Andre suggested that he and Stefano should attend the bicentennial celebration. Sighing, Andre said that Stefano did not want to miss out on the last night of Tom and Alice's granddaughter's life.
At the police station, Chad waited for Aiden to arrive in the interrogation room. Justin and Rafe stared at Chad until Chad said he would not talk without his lawyer. Rafe urged Justin to join him in the other room. Out in the bullpen, Justin and Rafe met with Marlena, who provided a list of therapists to conduct Chad's psych evaluation. When Marlena asked to talk to Chad, Justin said it was not possible because Marlena had been one of the victims. Citing the need to retain Marlena as a witness, Justin declined her request.
After Justin walked away, Marlena asked Rafe about Chad. Rafe said that Chad had no memory of the murders or attacks. When Marlena wondered aloud whether Chad's lack of memory was because he was innocent, Rafe shrugged and said it did not matter what he thought. Once she was alone, Marlena slipped into the interrogation room.
Chad asked Marlena why she was visiting him. Marlena explained that she wanted to see if Chad's amnesia was real. Shaking his head, Chad said he was not capable of murder or hurting Marlena. Marlena noted that the evidence against Chad was piling up. In tears, Chad asked Marlena if she believed he was capable of killing Will. Marlena shrugged. Chad exclaimed that he had no reason to kill Serena when all she had done was reject him. When Chad asked what his motive had been to kill Paige, Marlena explained that Paige had witnessed Chad follow Serena out of the club.
"What did Will ever do to me? And why would I try to kill you?" Chad asked with tears filling his eyes. "I don't know," Marlena said. Chad begged Marlena to help him. Aiden arrived and was livid to see Marlena talking to Chad. An annoyed Rafe chimed in that Justin had warned Marlena to steer clear of Chad. Marlena said she had wanted to look into Chad's eyes to see if he was the killer.
"I don't believe this is the man you're looking for," Marlena said. Marlena and Rafe left the room so that Aiden and Chad could talk privately. Chad admitted that he had no memories since he had had a drink with Serena at Club TBD. Aiden promised Chad that he would not be convicted.
At the bicentennial Martin mansion, Caroline was overwhelmed by a vision of Bo. Julie rushed to Caroline's side and eased her onto a nearby chair. In tears, Caroline pleaded with God to protect Bo.
At Hope's house, Hope, Shawn, Chase, and Ciara had a video chat on the phone with Belle and Claire. As Shawn ducked into the kitchen to finish the call with his wife, Hope's phone rang. Aiden called to apologize for missing the brunch. Citing his need to go to the police station, Hope suggested that they handle the day traditionally and avoid seeing one another before the wedding.
When Julie and Caroline arrived at the house with the wedding gown, Julie raved about the renovations at the Martin mansion. Seeing the distant look on Caroline's face, Hope asked if she was feeling well. Caroline admitted that she had experienced more visions of Bo. Hope's face fell. Caroline said she felt like Bo was in danger. Overwhelmed, Hope covered her face in frustration, and Julie urged Caroline to calm down. Caroline wanted to call Steve. As Julie attempted to calm Caroline, Caroline grew more animated. Hope cried out for Caroline to stop.
When Hope argued that it was an emotionally difficult subject and day, Caroline nodded and said that she would return to the Martin house. Hope begged Caroline to stay, but she walked out. Worried, Hope asked Julie to follow Caroline. Julie was hesitant, but Hope promised to send Julie a photo of her in the dress. Nodding, Julie ran out the door after Caroline.
After donning her wedding dress, Hope twirled around the living room and took selfies to send to Julie. Outside, Aiden looked through the window at his bride-to-be. At the Martin house, Caroline had a vision of Bo and Steve on a crashing plane. As Caroline cried out, Julie rushed to Caroline's side.
Steve and Bo flew threw a storm on the jet back into the United States. Still without a radio, the pilot did his best to navigate the storm. When Steve suggested that they might need to land the plane, a worried Bo pleaded with Steve to keep flying to Salem. Bo said he believed that something was wrong with Hope. After some rough turbulence, the plane started to lose altitude.
