Chad rushes to Abigail's rescue
At the Horton Town Square, Steve gulped down some aspirin and pushed away a seemingly untouched plate of food. "You look like crap," Joey observed as he took a seat at Steve's table and proceeded to help himself to one of Steve's fries.
Recognizing the signs of a hangover, Joey guessed that a fight with Kayla had prompted Steve to get "hammered." Steve tried to deny the suspicion but wasn't able to fool Joey, who had seen the note that Steve had left for Kayla in the living room of the Johnson house, next to a bouquet of flowers and Kayla's engagement ring. Steve protested that the note had been private, but Joey countered that it had been left face-up on the coffee table. "Why is Mom giving up [on you]?" Joey asked.
Before Steve could respond, Jade approached and apologized for keeping Joey waiting. As Jade helped herself to one of Steve's fries, he wondered what she and Joey were planning to do that night. Jade said she was hoping that Joey would finally give her a ride on his motorcycle, prompting Joey to admit that he hadn't earned the right to drive it yet.
"You see, I abused alcohol, which is a very serious offense. Trying to drown your troubles in booze shows a real lack of maturity," Joey pointedly explained. "Don't be a smartass," Steve warned. Agreeing that no one liked a smartass, Jade teasingly added that Joey needed to be more like Steve, who, from what she had heard from various sources, had always been very respectful and obedient when he was their age. Steve observed, with the slightest hint of a grin, that Jade had spunk, but she just shrugged off the compliment and asked Joey to take her to the Brady Pub, where the fries were much better.
Later, while Joey and Jade were eating at the pub, Jade tried to talk Joey into spending the week of spring break with her in Chicago, where one of their favorite bands would be playing. Joey was sure that tickets to the concert were no longer available, but Jade explained that one of her ex-boyfriends was a roadie and could get them in for free. "One of them? How many are there?" Joey wondered. Dodging the question, Jade added that she had a girlfriend who would let them crash at her place for the whole week.
Although the trip sounded fun to Joey, he was reluctant to leave Salem while his parents were fighting. Showing no concerns about being overheard, Jade recapped what had happened the last time Joey had tried to help his parents get back together. "You know, if you were just a little louder, I think my grandma in the kitchen could hear I killed someone," Joey quietly countered. Jade apologized and started to pout a bit, prompting Joey to concede that his parents might not need his help, after all.
Kayla awoke in the hospital and found Fynn sitting at her bedside. Fynn explained that Kayla had collapsed earlier, and a subsequent CT scan had revealed that she had a subdural hematoma. Kayla knew that she could suffer an aneurysm -- or worse -- if the subdural hematoma didn't go away on its own, but she wasn't ready to commit to having surgery yet, so Fynn reluctantly agreed to prescribe her some medication and monitor her condition for a week before making a final decision.
Kayla didn't want her family to know about her condition, but Fynn apologetically admitted that he had already alerted Steve, who soon arrived to find out what had happened. Kayla insisted that it was none of Steve's business and that he needed to give her some space, but he said it wouldn't be physically possible for him to leave the hospital until he knew what was wrong with her, so she reluctantly answered his questions.
Steve was devastated to learn that the subdural hematoma had developed after Ava had knocked Kayla unconscious a few months earlier, meaning that he was indirectly responsible for it. Kayla didn't blame Steve but agreed that she wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed -- and Joey wouldn't be struggling to live with the guilt of having murdered someone -- if Steve hadn't let Ava into their lives in the first place. Nodding, Steve reluctantly agreed to leave. Later, after being released from the hospital, Kayla returned home and found the note that Steve had left for her.
At the DiMera mansion, Abigail toyed with Ben, delighting in watching him squirm as she lit match after match while talking about how he had turned her into the kind of person who could douse him in lighter fluid and enjoy seeing him go down in flames. Ben doubted that Abigail's conscience would allow her to carry out her plan, but she reasoned that killing him would be no different than putting down a rabid dog and would therefore not burden her conscience at all.
After lighting another match and watching it burn for a moment, Abigail casually flicked it onto the bed. "I love you, Abigail. So much!" Ben cried out as his legs began to burn. Meanwhile, Chad burst into the room, pushed Abigail aside, and began snuffing out the fire with a blanket. "Stop! He needs to die! No, no! He deserves it! You're ruining everything!" Abigail shouted as she struggled with Chad, who ignored her protests and stayed focused on the flames until they had been completely extinguished.
Tossing the blanket aside, Chad turned his attention to Abigail, wondering if Ben had hurt her in any way. "You stopped me. Why did you... Why did you stop me? He needs to die!" Abigail spat before storming off. After taking a long look at the state that Abigail had left Ben in, Chad chased after her and found her in the living room, rocking Thomas in her arms while quietly singing to him. Chad slowly approached Abigail and put a hand on her shoulder, but she recoiled and warned him not to touch her.
"You let him live. Why did you do that?" Abigail wondered. Chad explained that he had done that for Abigail's sake, knowing that if she had succeeded in killing Ben, she would have regretted that decision for the rest of her life. "At least I'd have a life!" Abigail countered. Abigail was certain that Ben would eventually kill her unless someone killed him first. Chad assured Abigail that he and J.J. would never let that happen, but she insisted that they couldn't stop Ben. "That fire would have stopped him, but you put that out, so when he kills me now, it'll be your fault," Abigail matter-of-factly added before turning her attention back to Thomas.
Chad stepped into the foyer and contacted J.J. to let him know about what had happened. When Chad returned to the living room and told Abigail that the police would be arriving shortly, she tried to hand Thomas off to him. "We don't have a lot of time. I need to kill [Ben] now," Abigail casually explained while waiting for Chad to take Thomas. Abigail started to get impatient when Chad refused to cooperate, but she finally broke down after he pointed out that if she chose to follow through with her plan to murder Ben, she would never get to sing another song to Thomas because she would be behind bars for the rest of her life.
Chad asked Abigail to quickly tell him about what had happened so he would know what he could and couldn't share with the police. Abigail hesitantly complied, and when she admitted that she had seduced Ben, Chad assured her that he wasn't upset about that. Chad reasoned that Abigail had been acting in self-defense and had simply done what she had needed to do to protect Thomas. "It was not self-defense! I wanted to kill him!" Abigail protested, but Chad insisted that the police could never know that.
As Chad and Abigail continued to talk, Ben slowly crept down the stairs, having managed to free himself. With great effort, Ben made his way to the foyer, but before he could reach the front door, Chad approached him from behind and knocked him out. When the police and paramedics arrived a short time later, J.J. insisted on having both of Ben's hands cuffed to the stretcher, despite one paramedic's protests that Ben was in shock. J.J. told one police officer to ride with Ben in the ambulance and told another police officer to follow behind in a squad car. "At least one of you is with him at all times. And if he makes a move, shoot him," J.J. added.
"Arrest her," Ben choked out, but Lani couldn't understand what he was trying to say. "He's a psycho. It doesn't matter what he says," J.J. dismissively reasoned before rushing the paramedics off with Ben. "Set fire...bitch...flaming fire," Ben muttered as he was wheeled outside, but J.J. hurriedly closed the front door before he could say anything else.
Chad told J.J. and Lani that, in addition to the second- or third-degree burns the paramedics had already observed, they were also going to find a wound near Ben's left shoulder, where Abigail had stabbed him with a pair of scissors in self-defense. Chad added that Abigail had then thrown a kerosene lamp at Ben's feet when he had tried to chase after her. Lani wanted to hear that directly from Abigail, but Chad insisted that he wasn't going to allow the police to talk to Abigail until after a doctor checked her out. Chad warned that if the police tried to fight him, he would throw a team of lawyers at them and make sure every major newspaper heard about how Abigail had been forced to bravely defend herself against Ben because the police had been too incompetent to apprehend him themselves.
J.J. stepped into the living room to assure Abigail that he loved her and that everything was going to be okay, but she didn't acknowledge his presence a single time while he was talking to her. J.J. finally gave up and exited the mansion, leaving Chad and Abigail alone inside. Chad assured Abigail that the police had bought his story about her acting in self-defense, adding that he had cleaned the bedroom to ensure that it wouldn't contradict that claim. "It's all over now," Chad concluded.
"Damn you, Chad. Damn you! Damn you, Chad! Because of you, I am never gonna be free now, ever. How could you do this to me? How?" Abigail demanded to know before turning her attention back to Thomas and beginning to sob.
At the Brady Pub, Roman informed Eric that he had pulled some strings to make sure that Eric would be held in a wing of the prison with non-violent offenders. Eric objected to the special treatment, but Roman argued that as the son of a police commissioner, Eric needed to take extra precautions to keep safe.
With a nod, Eric changed the subject to his sobriety. Eric said that he had not had a drink in three days. Beaming, Roman said he was proud of Eric. Roman asked Eric to visit Marlena before he left for prison in the morning. Eric admitted he was scared to talk to his mother. When the police department called Roman in to work, Eric hugged his father goodbye.
After leaving the pub, Eric went to talk to Marlena at the penthouse. Emotional, Marlena and Eric hugged while John ducked into the kitchen to give them some privacy. Eric told Marlena that he wanted to say goodbye, but Marlena refused to accept that she would not see Eric soon. Eric asked Marlena not to visit him in prison. Eric apologized for letting his mother down. Shaking her head no, Marlena hugged her son.
Eric confided that he had dreamed about Daniel, and in his dreams, Daniel had forgiven him. As Marlena nodded, Eric added that he had not had any alcohol in three days. Proud, Marlena hugged her son and told him that he was a good man. After they said their goodbyes, Eric left. John returned to the living room, and Marlena collapsed in tears into John's arms.
Chad found Abigail in the living room of the DiMera mansion, sitting on the couch, cooing over Thomas. When Chad attempted to talk to Abigail, he realized that she had no memory of her ordeal with Ben in the mansion. Chad gently told Abigail that Ben had been arrested at the house.
Confused, Abigail cocked her head and quietly noted that she had had a bad dream. Chad asked Abigail about the dream, and she furrowed her brow. Abigail demanded to know why Chad was asking about her dream. Shaking his head, Chad changed the subject. With a nod, Abigail curled up with Thomas against Chad's shoulder.
At the Horton house, Lucas confronted Jennifer about her addiction to pain pills. Jennifer grew defensive. When Lucas argued that Jennifer was behaving like a junkie, she denied the accusation. Lucas pleaded with Jennifer to admit that she had a problem. As Jennifer grew angrier, J.J. rushed into the house.
J.J. informed Jennifer and Lucas that Ben had broken into the DiMera mansion and had attacked Abigail. J.J. added that Chad was worried that Abigail's fight with Ben had made her mentally unstable. Jennifer was horrified. Lucas offered to drive Jennifer over to the mansion, but she ordered Lucas to leave instead. Jennifer said she would get a ride with J.J.
When J.J. and Jennifer arrived at the DiMera mansion, Abigail was asleep on the couch. Worried, Jennifer pushed Chad for details. Chad told Jennifer the same lie he had told the police about the kerosene lamp. While Jennifer was peeking in on Abigail, J.J. urged Chad to make sure that he kept the details of his story straight. Stone-faced, Chad said he had told the cops what Abigail had told him. After confirming that Abigail was safe and sleeping, Jennifer left with J.J.
At the Horton house, J.J. dropped his mother off at the house, and he headed out to the hospital. No sooner had her son left than Jennifer poured a glass of wine and popped a pain pill. As Jennifer sat on the couch, there was a knock at the door. It was Eric. With a pained look on his face, Eric asked Jennifer if he could hide out with her. Jennifer let Eric into the house and she offered him a glass of wine.
While Jennifer sipped her glass of wine on the couch, Eric poured and drank glass after glass of wine from the decanter. Jennifer and Eric chuckled over the fact that they were both hiding from Lucas. With a sigh, Eric reminded Jennifer that he was headed to prison in the morning. Jennifer turned toward Eric then kissed him.
Eric and Jennifer passionately kissed on the couch. With a look of determination, Jennifer stood up, grabbed her coat and Eric's wrist, and she dragged him toward the front door. Eric asked Jennifer what she wanted, and Jennifer said that she wanted Eric to take her anywhere. With a nod, Eric took Jennifer by the hand, and they ran out of the house.
At the hospital, J.J. stopped by Ben's room to see him. Unconscious from the pain medication, Ben lay in bed, unaware of J.J. With a growl, J.J. promised that he would make sure that Ben paid for all the people he had killed and hurt.
At the DiMera mansion, Abigail slept restlessly on the couch. In her dreams, Abigail remembered her ordeal with Ben and how she had set him on fire.
In the town square, Eduardo ran into his ex-wife Adriana. Eduardo wanted to explain why he had left her. Adriana was resistant to listen, but she relented out of courtesy. When Adriana asked why Eduardo has chosen to be an assassin, Eduardo argued that he had been trained as a boy to be an assassin and that he had had no choice. Angry, Adriana asked Eduardo why he had allowed her to fall in love with him when he'd known that he would not be able to stay. Eduardo said he was happy that they had conceived so many wonderful children.
Adriana agreed that the children had been worth the heartache. With a sigh, Eduardo said that he had believed that he was going to leave the Alliance and had hoped that he could live a quiet life with Adriana. Eduardo swore that he had been happy with Adriana up until the moment he had been forced to leave her. Eduardo added that if the Alliance had not made him leave, he would still be happy with Adriana.
When Adriana asked why Eduardo had not told her the truth all those years before, Eduardo said that the Alliance had threatened to kill her and the children and that he had not wanted to take that risk with them. With a sad sigh, Eduardo said he had had to destroy all the photos of his family then he proceeded to describe in detail all the photos that had been in his wallet. Adriana grew teary eyed.
"They had to believe that you'd meant nothing to me, or walking away wouldn't have kept you safe," Eduardo said. Eduardo begged Adriana to understand that he had always loved his family. Eduardo said he would do anything to have his family back. With tears in her eyes, Adriana clasped her hand in Eduardo's. As Dario walked by, he was alarmed to see his mother crying. Dario demanded to know what Eduardo had done.
At the Brady Pub, Caroline clutched her Bible to her heart. When Hope arrived, Caroline noted that Eric had returned the Bible Caroline had given him. Caroline said she was worried that Eric would lose his faith. Hope assured Caroline that Eric would be ready to accept the love and support of his family eventually.
Hope informed Caroline that Victor and Maggie were both doing well at the hospital. Caroline blamed Deimos. When Hope asked why, Caroline said that Deimos was evil. Caroline said that she had experienced a vision showing her that Deimos was to blame for Victor's heart attack. Caroline added that she still believed that Deimos had been responsible for Bo's torture and imprisonment. Hope grew pale. When Caroline asked what was wrong, Hope walked to the door and placed the closed sign in the window.
Hope confided to Caroline that she had killed Stefano and that she was not sorry for what she had done. Hope explained that she had murdered Stefano because she had believed that he had been to blame for Bo's torture. With a nod, Caroline commended Hope on what she had done. Caroline added that her only regret was that she had not shot Stefano herself. When Hope raised her eyebrows in surprise, Caroline stressed that Stefano had been a monster.
Hope told Caroline that an anonymous person had called Hope and told her that she had killed the wrong man. Fighting tears, Hope said she did not know if Deimos was to blame or not. Upset, Caroline told Hope that she had experienced a vision of Deimos with Dr. Malcolm but that Victor had dismissed her vision at the time. Caroline swore that if Deimos had been responsible for Bo's death, he would pay.
When Rafe and Roman arrived at the pub, they were worried when they saw the closed sign in the window. Hope escorted the men inside and assured them that everything was fine. Hope admitted that she had told Caroline that she had killed Stefano. Rafe groaned then asked what had prompted the confession. Hope said that she and Caroline were worried that Deimos was the real person to blame for Bo's imprisonment. Roman asked for proof, but Caroline did not have anything. With a shrug, Caroline blamed Deimos for Maggie's fall as well.
Both Hope and Roman were concerned, and they noted that Victor had not said anything. Caroline had no proof of Deimos' involvement with Maggie's fall, so she stressed that they needed to keep an eye on Deimos.
After their chat with Caroline, Hope and Rafe walked through the town square. Hope asked Rafe if he was mad at her for confessing to Caroline, but Rafe shook his head no. Hope noted that Caroline's mind was sharp and that she would not talk to anyone about Stefano's murder. With a tired smile, Hope thanked Rafe for letting her lean on him. Rafe promised that he would be there for her always.
When Rafe asked about Ciara, Hope noted that Ciara was at the DiMera mansion, babysitting Thomas. Rafe glanced across the square and saw Dario arguing with Eduardo. When Rafe sighed, Hope suggested they talk to Rafe's family. Rafe said that every effort to play peacekeeper only seemed to upset Dario more. Rafe reasoned that Eduardo and Dario could work things out themselves then he escorted Hope out of the square.
Across the square, a worried Dario asked Adriana if she wanted to let Eduardo back into their lives. Adriana suggested that the family had lived with the pain for too long. Upset, Dario said he did not want to forgive Eduardo. Adriana reminded Dario that no one was free from sin. Adrianna said she would continue to pray. With a nod, Eduardo said, "That's all I can ask."
Adriana asked Dario to walk her home. Confused, Dario nodded. Eduardo asked Adriana if they could continue their conversation over breakfast the next day. Though Dario huffed in anger, Adriana agreed to talk more with Eduardo.
At the Horton house, Hope confided to Rafe that she did not want to know if she had killed the wrong man. As Rafe nodded, Hope added that if Deimos had been the man to blame for Bo's torture and imprisonment, she could not let that go either. Rafe agreed. Rafe offered to take over the investigation into Maggie's fall and snoop around for information on Deimos. Shaking her head, Hope reminded Rafe that he had too many cases already. Rafe said he was worried about the anonymous phone call.
Touched, Hope thanked Rafe for helping her. Rafe stressed that he and Hope were in the situation together. Hope thanked Rafe for making her feel safe. Hope escorted Rafe to the door, but he stopped in the doorway and sighed. "I'm sick of playing it safe," Rafe said before grabbing Hope's face in his hands and kissing her. Hope kissed him back.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Deimos wiped the dust off of a bottle of wine as he ordered movers to send all of Victor's belongings to storage. Nicole arrived and joked about Deimos not wasting time. Deimos asked Nicole to join him for a toast. "Getting what we want and what we deserve," Deimos said. Deimos handed Nicole a glass of wine.
"I can't toast. I haven't gotten what I want yet," Nicole said. When Deimos asked Nicole what she wanted, Nicole noted that Deimos had seemed upset that she had called 9-1-1 when Victor had suffered his heart attack. Deimos shrugged. With a chuckle, Nicole said she had once attempted to kill Victor herself. With a wide grin, Deimos joked that he knew he had liked her. When Deimos asked Nicole why she had helped Victor, Nicole said that she wanted to be a better person. Deimos raised his glass in a toast to Nicole.
Hesitant, Nicole said that Deimos did not seem to have the same desire that she did. Nicole said she had seen a photo of Helena, and she asked Deimos if she should be worried about him. Deimos explained the he had not killed Helena but that Victor had done the crime. Shaking her head, Nicole noted that Victor had never mentioned her resemblance to Helena. Deimos countered that he was sure that Victor had married Nicole because she looked like Helena. Uneasy, Nicole turned away from Deimos. Nicole said that Deimos' gaze made her uncomfortable.
Apologizing, Deimos said Nicole's resemblance to Helena was uncanny. Deimos added that he was not interested in the past. The two both admitted that they had researched one another. When Nicole asked how Deimos had secured the mansion, Deimos smiled. Nicole asked Deimos what he wanted. Deimos said he wanted to settle his score against Victor and live his life. Curious, Deimos asked Nicole why she cared about Victor.
Nicole explained that she cared about Maggie. When Deimos asked why, Nicole told Deimos that she had been engaged to Maggie's son Daniel but that he had died. "If you are a threat to her in any way, I am a threat to you," Nicole growled as her face darkened. "Please know that I hold no ill will towards Maggie whatsoever. She was an innocent victim, and I pray for her speedy recovery," Deimos said. Deimos noted that he had won his fight with Victor and that Nicole did not need to worry about him.
Deimos asked Nicole to listen to his side of the story over dinner. Nicole politely declined. With a nod, Deimos handed Nicole his business card. Nicole noted that the card said that Deimos was the CEO of Titan Industries. With a smile, Deimos said that his plan had been years in the making. Deimos added that he was a patient man and that he would be waiting to hear from Nicole. As Nicole turned to leave, she asked Deimos if she was like Helena.
"She was one of a kind. And so are you. I can see that already. So I guess time will tell," Deimos said. Nicole nodded and started to leave. In the doorway, blocking her path, was a chagrined Kate. After the women traded their usual barbs, Kate picked up Nicole's glass of wine and examined it. When Kate asked Nicole why she was there, Nicole countered that she did not know that Kate had moved in.
Kate reiterated her question to Nicole. With a smirk, Nicole said that she had stopped by the mansion to deliver a warning to Kate's "charming lover boy." Kate joked that Nicole was threatening to bury Titan with a new line of heinous clothing. Shaking off the comment, Nicole said that she had warned Deimos not to go near Victor or Maggie again. Deimos assured Nicole that he had no intention of interacting with Victor or Maggie. Kate curtly suggested that Nicole should leave. Leaning over Kate's shoulder, Nicole stared at Deimos and said with a smile, "I hope you know you can do better."
After Nicole left, Kate asked Deimos what was going on. Deimos poured a drink for Kate. Kate stressed that any friend of Nicole was an enemy of Kate. When Deimos asked for details, Kate said she had no interest in games. Kate added that if Deimos was playing her against Nicole, she was not interested. Deimos smiled. "You're irresistible when you're feisty. Which is to say you're always irresistible. Nicole who?" Deimos said. Deimos kissed Kate then told her that he wanted to make love to her in every room of his new home.
In the town square, Nicole ran into Dario. Dario offered to buy Nicole a drink. With a grin, Nicole said that Dario had been the second guy to offer her that. Dario joked that Nicole had obviously ditched the guy to be with him instead. Nicole begged off, noting that she had to go to sleep early because of a meeting early the next day. When Dario asked for a rain check, Nicole fidgeted. Dario assured Nicole that he did not want anything serious. Nicole said she would think about his offer.
At Brady and Theresa's townhouse, Brady approved the budget proposal for Theresa and Nicole's new company without any reservations, declaring it doable and rational. Brady added that he was sure the company would begin turning a profit before the end of its first fiscal year.
Delighted, Theresa wondered how she could ever thank Brady for having such faith in her. "I'll take dinner. I just want dinner," Brady replied, prompting Theresa to realize just how late it was. Tate was with his babysitter because Theresa had been working on designs, so Brady suggested that he and Theresa could do something they had never done before: go on a date together. Theresa protested that she and Brady had been on dates before, "back in the day," so Brady clarified that he wanted to take her on a date in which neither of them was wasted.
When Brady and Theresa arrived at Edge of the Square later that night, the hostess offered them a table near the bar, where Summer was seated. Hoping to avoid Summer, whom Brady had not yet spotted, Theresa requested something more private, prompting the hostess to lead her and Brady to a corner table at the opposite end of the club. As an additional precaution, Theresa took the seat facing the bar.
While Brady and Theresa were deciding what to order, Summer asked the bartender to point her toward the restrooms. The bartender complied, and as Summer stumbled toward the back of the club, she spotted Theresa and Brady. Theresa forced a smile and offered a barely perceptible wave before turning her attention back to her menu. Missing the hint, Summer approached and greeted Brady and Theresa.
Brady assumed that Dario had accompanied Summer to the club, but she dismissively clarified that she had forgotten all about Dario and was flying solo. Summer tried to pretend that she was having fun on her own, but Brady could tell that she had actually been drowning her sorrows, so he invited her to join him and Theresa for dinner. Summer declined and returned to the bar after assuring Brady that she was fine.
Theresa urged Brady to let the matter go, but he apologetically insisted that he couldn't do that because something was clearly wrong. Brady approached Summer and tried to get her to open up to him, but she maintained that he didn't need to worry about her because she was fine. Brady said he couldn't help worrying about Summer because he was the one who had convinced her to move to Salem in the first place, and he felt like doing so had just made things worse for her. Summer assured Brady that he had nothing to feel guilty about but continued to dismiss his attempts to help her, so he took the hint and rejoined Theresa.
Brady tried to focus on his date with Theresa but couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Summer. Brady apologized for being distracted, and Theresa assured him that she understood. Theresa added, however, that Summer was a grown woman who needed to learn how to deal with her problems on her own. Brady conceded the point and changed the subject, inviting Theresa to dance with him.
At the Salem Inn, Summer raided the minibar in her hotel room while staring at the sobriety chip and charm she had stolen from Brady and Maggie, respectively. Summer angrily tossed the charm in the trashcan but soon reconsidered and fished it out. When Brady and Theresa returned home later that night, having salvaged their date, they couldn't keep their hands off each other -- until Brady noticed, to Theresa's dismay, that Summer was sitting outside their townhouse. "I couldn't stay in my room anymore, and I didn't know where to go," Summer tearfully explained, prompting Brady to assure her that she could stay with him and Theresa that night.
At the Horton house, Hope pulled away from Rafe, who guessed that it would probably be best for him to leave. "You could do that...or you could stay and have a drink," Hope suggested. Rafe happily accepted the invitation, and although things were awkward between him and Hope at first, she eventually laughed off their earlier kiss, insisting that it hadn't been a big deal.
Hope admitted that the kiss had been "kind of incredible," and Rafe agreed. Hope continued, however, that it couldn't happen again, and she breathed a sigh of relief when Rafe pretended that they were once again in agreement. Hope reasoned that she and Rafe had too much on their respective plates to even think about adding the complications of dating to the mix at that time. Hope added that she didn't want to do anything to jeopardize her friendship with Rafe because it meant a lot to her.
No longer willing to pretend that he was on the same page as Hope, Rafe argued that they were already more than just friends, and that was precisely why the kiss had happened in the first place. Ignoring a phone call, Rafe continued that, while he would be able to handle knowing that Hope didn't feel the same way if that was indeed the case, the fact of the matter was that he loved her and could no longer pretend otherwise.
Before Hope could respond, Rafe received an urgent text message from Chad, who wanted to see him right away. "To be continued," Rafe said before excusing himself. Rafe headed to the town square to meet with Chad, who wanted Rafe to guarantee that Ben wouldn't be sent back to the mental institution from which he had already managed to escape once. Rafe said that was up to a judge to decide but added that the district attorney would surely argue that Ben's actions had proven that he was actually quite competent. Chad wasn't satisfied with that answer, but Rafe convinced him to go be with his family and let him deal with Ben.
Later, Rafe dialed Hope's cell phone number and was pleasantly surprised when she answered the call. Rafe admitted that he had been concerned that he might have scared Hope off with his earlier confession. Hope assured Rafe that what he had said had been sweet and romantic, prompting him to stress that he had meant every word. Hope quickly ended the call but promised Rafe that they would talk more the following day.
At the DiMera mansion, Abigail awoke and saw someone hovering over Thomas' crib. "No! Don't touch him! Don't touch my baby!" Abigail protested before realizing that she was yelling at Ciara. Abigail apologetically admitted that she had mistaken Ciara for Ben. Abigail wanted to know why Ciara was at the mansion at such a late hour, so Ciara explained that Chad had asked her to keep an eye on Thomas for a while so Abigail could get some rest. "I guess I kind of blew it," Ciara muttered.
Abigail dismissed the concern and took Thomas from Ciara, who had managed to get him to stop crying. Thomas soon began crying again, even harder than before, and Ciara watched uncomfortably as Abigail made halfhearted attempts to calm him down while searching for her cell phone so she could contact Chad and find out when he would be returning home.
Ciara eventually suggested that Thomas might be picking up on Abigail's tension, recalling that when she had asked Hope for advice about caring for babies, Hope had told her that they soaked up the feelings of those around them like sponges. "Why don't you let me take him? Trying to calm him down would be really good practice for me," Ciara offered, and Abigail hesitantly complied.
Thomas quickly stopped crying, prompting a stunned Abigail to wonder why she had failed to achieve the same result. Pointing out that Abigail had proven herself capable of comforting Thomas numerous times in the past, Ciara reasoned that Abigail was simply too upset at that moment because of what had happened with Ben. Recalling that she had set Ben on fire earlier, Abigail put a hand over her mouth and rushed out of the living room.
When Chad returned home a short time later, Ciara told him about what had happened while he had been gone. Chad tried to brush Abigail's sudden bout of nausea off as a sign that she had caught a virus of some sort, but Ciara thought there was another explanation. "It sucks to feel like a victim. You try to push it out of your head, but one idea just keeps coming back: that if you would have been stronger, or smarter, or fought back harder --" Ciara continued until Chad interrupted to stress that, like Abigail, she couldn't blame herself for what had happened to her. Ciara said she couldn't help doing so occasionally, and she guessed that Abigail couldn't, either.
Chad said he was really glad that Ciara had been there for Abigail earlier. At Chad's request, Ciara agreed to spend some time at the mansion after school the following day, even though she wasn't scheduled to babysit then. Abigail soon returned and seized a hug from Chad -- then seized Thomas from Ciara, apologizing again for yelling at her earlier. Thomas immediately began crying again, but when Ciara offered to take him back, Abigail insisted that she had things under control.
Chad uncomfortably showed Ciara out then offered to take Thomas from Abigail, who defensively maintained that she didn't need anyone to help her take care of her own son. Chad waited another minute or so but eventually intervened, unable to stand seeing Thomas in distress any longer. Thomas immediately calmed down when Chad took him from Abigail, who broke down and rushed out of the living room, once again stunned at her own inability to comfort her child.
Maggie was asleep when Brady stopped by her hospital room to check on her. In hushed tones, the nurse informed Brady that it was too soon to tell what Maggie's prognosis would be. Concerned about Maggie's mental state but not wanting to disturb her restless sleep, Brady tiptoed over to the bed to leave Maggie's a bag of her favorite muffins. As Brady was leaving, Maggie murmured, "Victor?" She smiled when she saw Brady. Brady was optimistic that Maggie would get good news later. He informed her that Victor was doing better -- and Victor was very grumpy, which was a good sign.
Maggie was worried about Summer. Brady admitted that Summer had been having a rough night, so she'd stayed with him and Theresa. Brady asked if Maggie knew what had been bothering Summer, but Maggie said she was tired and didn't want to talk about it. Brady kissed her tenderly on the forehead and left. Maggie dreamed of giving birth and refusing to hold her baby. "Summer!" an agonized Maggie cried out.
When Fynn entered Victor's hospital room, he found Philip at his sleeping father's bedside. Philip explained that he'd gotten there early because he wanted to leave again before Victor woke up. Fynn informed Philip that Victor was getting stronger, but Maggie was in a "wait-and-see situation." As Fynn left, Victor opened his eyes and was quite displeased to see Philip. Philip explained that he'd just wanted to see how Victor was doing.
"Peachy. Now get the hell out," Victor croaked. Philip said he had been racking his brain, trying to figure out a way to make up for what he'd done. Victor pointed out that if Philip hadn't returned to Salem, Maggie might not have ended up in a hospital bed, potentially unable to walk again.
Alone in his room, Victor contemplated the box of Helena's things that Deimos had sent him. Victor flashed back to the fateful night of Helena's death. Victor had excoriated her for having sex with Deimos. "Whore!" he'd viciously spat in Greek. Helena had tried to apologize, but Victor had grabbed her around the neck then shoved her away. Helena had sneered that Deimos loved her more than Victor did. A seething Victor had thrown her to the ground, where her head had smashed into a large rock, knocking her unconscious. Victor had rushed to her side, but Helena had never awakened again.
Philip returned a little later after trying unsuccessfully to see Maggie. It exasperated Victor that the doctors didn't seem to know what they were doing. After ordering Philip to leave, Victor stopped him and said, "If you want me to forgive you, destroy Deimos. Then we'll consider forgiving you. Not before then." As soon as Philip had gone, Victor removed his pulse oximeter from his finger, took off the nasal cannula, and unwrapped the blood pressure cuff from his arm.
With a robe on over his hospital gown, Victor shuffled into Maggie's room. He sat next to the bed and took her hand, which gently awakened her. Knowing it wouldn't have any effect, Maggie ordered him to get back to bed. Feigning cheerfulness, Maggie reassured Victor that she was going to be just fine, but he didn't buy it.
When Fynn arrived with a nurse to check on Maggie's progress, he chided Victor for being out of bed. "Take care of my wife," Victor ordered as he headed out, but he waited just outside the door to listen in. Fynn tested Maggie's feet and legs to see if any sensation had returned. "No, I feel nothing! The surgery didn't work, and I'm never going to walk again," Maggie cried.
Summer was asleep on Theresa and Brady's couch when an annoyed Theresa walked in. Theresa loudly dropped a book and threw the curtains open, flooding the room with blinding sunlight. Summer sat up, squinting her eyes shut against the sudden glare. Theresa immediately began carping about Summer's mere presence in Brady and Theresa's place. Summer tried to apologize, but Theresa refused to buy Summer's wounded act, pointing out that Summer had shown up there the night before, even though she'd known that Brady and Theresa had been out on a date.
"What do you want from us? And, more to the point, what do you want from Brady?" Theresa demanded. Summer maintained that she didn't want anything from Brady; she was only grateful to him. An irked Theresa was utterly skeptical, asserting that Summer was "a self-destructive waif in need of a savior." Summer imploringly insisted that she'd been upset and hadn't known where else to turn. "Well, next time you don't know where to turn, just remember: not here!" Theresa spat.
Theresa pointed out that she knew firsthand about lying and being manipulative. Summer insisted that, despite what she'd done in the past, she'd never manipulated or lied to Brady. Again, Theresa was dubious. Summer's innocent façade briefly faded as she accused Theresa of being afraid of being unable to hang on to Brady. Summer assured Theresa that she was not after Brady; she just wanted Brady's help in figuring out what to do next.
Summer became increasingly upset as she continued, "I took a chance to come out here to find my dear, devoted mother, and it blew up in my face! And now -- now I am so scared that I am going to go back to a life that I hated living and being a person that I hated being -- all because of one woman! All because of Maggie Kiriakis!"
As soon as Brady walked in the door of the townhouse, he asked Theresa where Summer was. That irritated Theresa, since Brady hadn't greeted her or even asked about Tate. Summer emerged from the bathroom after a shower and apologized for the previous night. Brady just wanted to know what Maggie had done to upset Summer so much. Recalling Maggie's confession that she'd made the decision to give Summer away, Summer quietly stated, "She didn't want me, and she doesn't want me now." Theresa rolled her eyes but clearly felt a little uneasy.
Summer apologized for divulging Maggie's secret. Brady tried to reassure Summer that Maggie really did want to get to know her, but Summer anxiously fretted that she was just a painful reminder of the worst thing that had ever happened to Maggie. Theresa accused Summer of making the situation all about herself, reminding Summer that both Maggie and Victor were in the hospital. Theresa accused Summer of being a con artist and manipulating Brady into being even more concerned about her than he had been.
"You know what? There are two of us who know what's going on here, sweetheart: you and me," Theresa asserted directly to Summer. Brady snapped at Theresa to stop. Summer's distress intensified as she apologized for everything she'd done since arriving in Salem -- making Maggie miserable and threatening Brady and Theresa's happy family. She grabbed her purse and rushed toward the door, and Brady chased after her. Theresa grabbed his arm and pleaded with him not to do so. "You're going to follow up that staggering lack of compassion with an order to me?" Brady demanded.
Theresa maintained that Brady was too good a person to see what Summer was really like -- but Theresa could because she and Summer were so similar. Theresa pointed out that Brady should show compassion to Maggie, who had a long road ahead of her. "Do you really think she needs Summer in her life? Does Summer need her?" Theresa wondered, adding that it was time for Summer to go home. Brady reminded Theresa how distraught Summer had been the night before. Theresa maintained that she hadn't seen the same person Brady had seen.
"I saw someone whose default mode is to make people feel sorry for her, and then you're right there, handing her your handkerchief," Theresa declared. Brady accused Theresa of being unattractively jealous and insecure, and Theresa countered that Brady was obsessed with Summer. Brady asserted that his problem was not with Summer but with Theresa.
In a hotel room littered with liquor bottles, Eric groggily awakened in the rumpled bed, with Jennifer passed out in the bed next to him. As he snuggled up to her and nuzzled the back of her neck, he noticed the clock and realized he was running late for his sentencing. He climbed out of bed and left Jennifer asleep.
Eric was gone when Jennifer woke up later with a horrible hangover. Blurry, hazy images of the night before swam through Jennifer's brain. She saw herself drinking, making out, and having sex with Eric. Dismayed, Jennifer took her phone from the nightstand and saw that she'd missed a great many calls from J.J. She found Eric's buzzing phone on the floor next to the bed and gasped when she saw that the phone call was from Roman.
Roman, John, Marlena, and Belle paced at the police station as they waited for Eric to show up for his sentencing. Roman was frustrated and worried because if Eric were late, the judge could impose a harsher sentence. Just as Roman was about to send squad cars to look for Eric, Eric showed up, unshaven and reeking of alcohol, dressed in the same clothes he'd been wearing the night before. Roman upbraided his son for his appearance and tardiness. "What the hell were you thinking?" Roman demanded. "I was thinking it was my last night as a free man... So get off my back," a surly Eric spat. Marlena cried silently as Eric stalked across the room.
Eric and Roman were still arguing as Roman strong-armed Eric into Roman's office to put on a clean shirt. Belle was worried because she knew that Eric had to appear sincerely sorry, not defiant, in front of the judge. Just then, Jennifer rushed in. Her hair was mussed, and she was trying to smooth her rumpled clothes. "What are you doing here?" Marlena demanded. An anxious Jennifer just wanted to know if she was too late. She handed Eric's cell phone to Marlena, and Marlena demanded to know why Jennifer had it.
Jennifer stammered and couldn't answer, and Marlena quickly inferred that Eric and Jennifer had spent the night together. Marlena grabbed Jennifer by the wrist and forcefully dragged her into the interrogation room. Marlena railed at Jennifer for letting Eric get drunk the night before his sentencing for drunk driving. "Looks like you tied one on, as well. Or was yours just painkillers?" Marlena asked pointedly. Jennifer was horrified when she learned that Eric had told Marlena about Jennifer's dependence on pain medication and had asked Marlena to keep an eye on her when he went to prison. Unable to face Marlena, Jennifer turned around, fighting back tears.
"He was trying to be a friend to you, and this is how you repay him? You're a fine friend, aren't you? You're really a fine person, Jennifer," Marlena said derisively. The self-pity in Jennifer's expression dwindled away as she acknowledged, "I know you're in a lot of pain, and I know what it feels like when you're worried about one of your kids." Turning and leveling her gaze at Marlena, Jennifer asked tautly, "Why don't you think about why I ever took a painkiller in the first place?"
Eric emerged from Roman's office, wearing the promised clean shirt, his hair combed, and spotted Marlena and Jennifer in the interrogation room. He rushed in and urged his mother to be mad at him, not Jennifer. Jennifer apologized for being a terrible friend to Eric. Belle interrupted to caution Eric that they were about to be late. Back in the squad room, Eric told the group that he thought they should say their goodbyes there, because there probably wouldn't be time or privacy later. "This is the last time we're going to be alone together in a long, long time," he pointed out.
John agreed with Eric's assessment. Eric shook John's hand and thanked him for always looking out for Marlena. John wordlessly embraced Eric. Eric turned to Jennifer and encouraged her to get off the pills and focus on loving her family. Caressing Jennifer's face, Eric tenderly kissed her. "I can only imagine what we would have had, what we could have been," Eric whispered as Jennifer gazed longingly into his eyes.
Next, Eric apologized to Roman for not being a better son. "I'm going to try like hell [to get] back to being the man you raised, a man you can be proud of," Eric vowed. Roman stated firmly that Eric was a good man of whom Roman was very proud. "I love you very much," Roman said, hugging Eric tightly. Eric got a private moment to speak with his mother. He maintained that what had happened the night before had been his fault, not Jennifer's. Eric added that he knew he'd let his family and friends down.
Tears filled Marlena's eyes as she professed her love for her son. She wept as she embraced him for a long moment. Eric's face was wet with tears as he announced that he was ready. Belle escorted him into the courtroom, leaving a miserable group in the squad room.
A little later, a devastated Roman hung up the phone and informed the others, "The judge sentence Eric to five years." Marlena stifled a plaintive wail before wailing inconsolably in John's arms. A miserable Jennifer wept ruefully in a corner.
Outside the courthouse, a corrections officer stood guard at the door of a bus from the department of corrections while the driver waited behind the wheel. Shackled at his wrists and ankles, Eric sat on a bench with three similarly chained inmates. A guard chained the men together at the ankles and end anchored each prisoner to the floor. The corrections officer closed the door and took a seat, and the driver put the bus into gear and pulled away from the curb.
