Nicole finds herself in serious trouble
In Prague, Steve awoke when he heard someone opening his hotel room door in the middle of the night. He sprang out of bed and aimed his gun at the intruder then breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was Kayla. "Surprise," she said with a sheepish grin.
After Kayla finished checking Steve's wound a few minutes later, she mused with a sigh, "Everywhere you go, there's gunshots." He admitted that his latest injury had taught him a valuable lesson about the perils of getting between Stefano and Anna. "She's had a sad life. Everything kind of fell apart after Tony died," Kayla noted, adding that it was sort of romantic that Anna carried Tony's ashes with her everywhere in an urn.
"I'll tell you what's romantic: my Sweetness dropped everything and came all the way to Prague just to nurse my wounds and make sure I was okay. Reminds me of Stockholm," Steve replied before giving Kayla a kiss. Although he was glad to see her, he was concerned that leaving Joey alone in Salem so soon after Jade's miscarriage might not have been the best idea. She told him not to worry, explaining that Joey was still heartbroken but had insisted that Prague was where she needed to be. "And here you are. Boy, I sure can get lucky sometimes, can't I?" he mused. "Yeah, you can," she suggestively confirmed as she led him to the nearby bed.
At a café, Carrie ran into Rafe, who was struggling to read a book. "It was supposed to get my mind off things. Total failure," he explained with a sigh before shoving it aside and inviting her to take a seat at his table. He soon received a phone call from Shawn, who told him about the email from Hope. Because it had been sent anonymously, Rafe questioned its authenticity, but Carrie assured him that it was probably real, reasoning that the idea of someone impersonating Hope in an email was a bit of a stretch.
Changing the subject, Rafe observed that things seemed to be going well for Carrie. Nodding, she mused, "Things work out the way they're supposed to. I'm with Austin, and you're with Hope." She wondered how he had ended up with Hope in the first place. He gave her the short version of the story, glossing over the parts about Aiden. When he started to fret that he had failed to live up to the promise he had made to Bo, she advised that he needed to forget about the past and instead concentrate on the present and the future. She noted that he was obviously doing everything he could to help Hope, but he worriedly wondered, "What if it's not enough?"
Eric returned home and was disturbed to find that Hope was unconscious and sweating profusely. After draping a wet towel over her forehead, he checked her stab wound and discovered that it was infected. Knowing that he couldn't call for an ambulance, he rushed off to a neighbor's house and returned a short time later with some antibiotics. As he was preparing a syringe, he explained to Hope, who had regained consciousness, that he had helped himself to some of the antibiotics his neighbor, a nurse, had left over from when her mother had suffered from chronic pneumonia. "The ends justify the means, right?" he reasoned with a shrug.
Hope was certain that Eric could save her life, but he warned that he wasn't anyone's savior. She understood that he felt like the mistakes he had made had left him beyond redemption. She insisted, however, that he was still a good person. She wondered why he had started drinking in the first place. "Why does anyone? A broken heart," he muttered. She weakly assured him that after he nursed her back to health, everyone would know what a fine person he still was, including Nicole. She urged him to reconsider going back to Salem, but he firmly refused, irritably advising her to mind her own business and focus on getting better.
At the hospital, Chloe tried to deny Brady's accusation that she wasn't Holly's biological mother, but he warned that he knew he was right, and he just wanted her to respect him enough to look him in the eyes and admit the truth to him. She stuck to her story for a while longer, knowing that he couldn't prove anything, but when he threatened to take the matter to court, she finally confirmed his suspicion. He insisted that her concerns about Deimos hadn't given her the right to keep Holly's true parentage a secret from Nicole. "You're gonna tell [her] the truth -- and damn it, Chloe, you're gonna do it today," he stressed.
Dario went to a secluded section of the town square to wait for confirmation that Deimos had been killed. When the hit man called to report that he had Deimos in his sights, Dario instructed the goon, "Do it fast, do it smart, and do it simple. No weapons; just snap his neck and walk away." Meanwhile, Deimos paid someone for the key that was supposed to make the Orwell device work properly.
The goon prepared to make his move after Deimos' meeting ended, but before he could do so, Justin arrived to try to talk Deimos out of starting a war with the DiMera and Hernandez families. "Relax, Justin, okay? I can handle anything that comes our way," Deimos insisted. "Really? That might be hard to do if you're dead," Justin countered.
As Deimos laughed off the warning, Justin stepped aside to answer a phone call. Once the coast was clear, the goon began creeping toward Deimos from behind. Nicole arrived at that exact moment, having tracked Deimos down with the help of his secretary. She rushed toward the goon, grabbed a knife from a nearby table, and plunged it into his side to stop him. He collapsed and lost consciousness as a pool of blood formed beneath him.
Stunned, Deimos and Justin demanded to know why Nicole had attacked the man. She didn't respond right away, but as Justin was calling for an ambulance, she managed to explain to Deimos that she'd had reason to believe his life had been in danger. The police and paramedics soon arrived, and Dario, who had heard the sirens, watched from afar as his goon was carted off to the hospital.
Although a quick check of the man had revealed that he wasn't carrying any weapons, Nicole stuck to her story when questioned at the police station, guessing that he had been wearing gloves because he had been planning to strangle Deimos or snap Deimos' neck. Justin warned that it would be difficult to prove that theory. She insisted that the police needed to be talking to Dario, not her.
Later, while Deimos and Justin were both trying to find out information about the goon, Nicole received a phone call from Dario, who said he was concerned about her because he had heard that she had stabbed someone in the town square earlier that night. "Yes, I did, and you know why -- because you sent someone there to kill Deimos. Bastard!" she spat before hanging up on him.
A short time later, Brady arrived with Chloe and Holly, having heard a bit about what had happened from Deimos. Nicole filled them in on the rest of the story. Upset that Nicole had been dragged into Deimos' world of violence and chaos, Chloe rushed off with Holly, telling Brady, "I'm sorry, I can't do what you want me to do -- not anymore. There's no way I'm gonna put Holly in danger." Brady chased after her.
Justin and Deimos soon rejoined Nicole in the conference room. Deimos reported that the man Nicole had stabbed had made it out of surgery alive. Justin hoped, for Nicole's sake, that the man would stay that way. He added that the police weren't willing to release any information about the man's criminal record -- or lack thereof -- because they were treating him as a victim at that time.
Deimos decided to go to the hospital to find out more about the man's condition. Justin followed him out of the room to answer a phone call. Brady returned a short time later and found Nicole pacing the floor. He hugged her and urged her to stay strong -- for her sake and for her baby's sake. "What do you mean, my baby?" she asked as Chloe entered the room with Holly.
In the town square, Gabi held a fussy Arianna as Chad walked over to say hello. Gabi explained that Arianna had experienced a nightmare and could not go back to sleep. Thrilled to see Chad, Arianna jumped into his arms. Chad said a few magic words to calm Arianna. "Whatever you need," Chad said as he smiled at Gabi.
Talk turned to Abigail, and Gabi said that Abigail seemed to be stronger. When Gabi mentioned a project she was working on with Abigail, Chad was curious. Chad probed for details, but Gabi avoided answering the question. Gabi attempted to settle Arianna into her stroller and head home, but Arianna was resistant to leave Chad.
While Chad and Gabi waited for Arianna to fall asleep, Chad talked about his important meeting with a chief financial officer in the morning. Chad worried aloud about what he should wear, and Gabi offered to help him as a thank you for calming Arianna. When Chad eagerly accepted the offer, Gabi ducked into a nearby store and picked out a shirt and tie for Chad's big meeting. Chad bought Gabi a cup of coffee, and he thanked her for helping him out. Gabi mentioned that Arianna had felt like a part of a family when they had lived at the mansion, and Chad invited her and Arianna to visit any time they liked. Smiling faintly, Gabi said that things were different, and both she and Chad had their own families.
In the new college loft apartment, Ciara and Theo carried heavy boxes into the kitchen as Claire took videos and selfies in the living room. Annoyed, Ciara told Claire that there were eleven more boxes of Claire's stuff downstairs that she could carry in herself. Theo ran into Ciara, almost causing her to drop a box of dishes. While Theo and Ciara awkwardly extracted their limbs from one another, Claire groused that Ciara had almost dropped their china. Ciara sarcastically snapped at Claire.
Across the room, Jade asked Joey if Ciara and Claire always bickered. With a shrug, Joey said he was related to the women but had never lived with them before. Belle and Shawn stopped by to help with the move. While Belle was downstairs with Ciara, Shawn took Claire aside and asked about the tension between her and Ciara. Claire complained that Theo always took Ciara's side instead of hers. Claire added that she and Ciara treated Theo differently. When Claire stressed that she treated Theo like a guy, Shawn's eyes went wide.
Seeing her father's face, Claire admitted that she and Theo had not had sex. Claire expressed her concern about Ciara living in the apartment. When Shawn asked if Claire's concern was about Ciara or about keeping Ciara away from Theo, Claire stressed that she was worried about Ciara. Claire explained that she believed Ciara would benefit from supervision.
While Claire was unpacking in her bedroom, Ciara and Belle returned to the apartment with more boxes. Ciara told Belle and Shawn about her concerns about Claire living with her boyfriend in the apartment. Belle said that Theo was good for Claire and that she believed that Claire and Theo would take their relationship slowly. With a shrug, Belle added that she had built a solid relationship with Shawn when they had been Claire's age. Belle said she hoped that Claire would keep Ciara and her parents in the loop about her life decisions.
When Abe arrived at the apartment with cleaning supplies, he found Claire and Theo unpacking in the kitchen alone. Abe invited Claire and Theo to dinner, but Theo noted that Jade and Joey were picking up pizza. Abe asked to talk. As Abe sat down on the couch with Theo and Claire, he explained that school was very important. Theo promised that they would not neglect their studies. Abe said he had witnessed many crazy things with college students, and he asked Theo and Claire not to "go too crazy." Claire jumped in and said that she was confident that everyone in the loft was serious about school and that they would not let Jade derail them if she got out of hand.
When the pizza arrived, Belle, Shawn, and Abe said their goodbyes. With the parents gone, the new roommates sat around the living room, eating pizza. Claire made a toast with her slice of pizza to their first night in their apartment. When Claire said she was thrilled she would no longer have to watch boring crime shows with her grandparents, Joey and Theo added that they would not miss that about living with their parents either.
Attempting to fit in, Jade chimed in that her parents watched the evening news and yelled at the TV. The room went silent, each roommate quietly nibbling on a slice of pizza. Jade shifted her eyes in embarrassment. When talk resumed, each roommate mentioned how excited they were for school to start. Claire swore that they would each have each other's backs. "No matter what. Forever," Theo added. Everyone agreed. Joey challenged Theo to a video game, and they ran into their room.
When Claire pouted because Theo had left the room without kissing her goodbye, Ciara lectured Claire about interfering with a man and his video game. Fed up, Claire asked Ciara to stop giving her advice about Theo. As Ciara walked away to her room, Claire grumbled that they needed to clean up. Hoping to make inroads, Jade offered to help clean. Claire sniped, "Forgot you were even there." Claire handed Jade a pizza box, thanked her, and walked into her room. Jade looked around at the remains of dinner and muttered to herself, "No matter what."
At the pub, Belle, Shawn, and Abe chatted over drinks and worried aloud about their children. Abe said he and Lexie had worried about Theo's life when he had first been diagnosed with autism. Smiling, Abe said he was proud of all that Theo had accomplished. Belle said she was happy Claire had Theo and that they were good for one another. Abe added that Ciara would help correct Theo when he needed guidance. The three parents agreed that there was a lot of simmering drama in the loft apartment, but that it was a normal part of growing up. Shawn added that the move would be harder on them than it would be on the kids.
In the police interrogation room, a confused Nicole asked Brady what he meant by "[her] baby." Brady looked over at Chloe holding Holly in the doorway. Brady said that Chloe should be the one to answer Nicole's question. When Chloe attempted to leave, Brady grabbed her and steered her back into a chair in the interrogation room. Reluctantly, Chloe said that Holly was Nicole's baby. Chloe explained that she had returned to the clinic for a second round of in vitro fertilization and had believed that the procedure had not resulted in a pregnancy.
Chloe stressed that she had not told Nicole about the procedure because Daniel had just died, and she had not wanted to devastate Nicole all over again. Chloe continued that until she had taken the paternity test that Deimos had demanded, she had not known that she was pregnant with Nicole's baby. Still confused, Nicole asked about the one-night stand. Chloe admitted that she had lied about that. Nicole was stunned. "Holly is your daughter," Brady said gently. Nicole gasped as she realized what Brady had said.
"I thought I'd never be able to say that: my child. All these years. All this time. All my pain and my loss and my desperation," Nicole said. Chloe added, "With Daniel." Nicole gasped at the realization. Nicole reached out for Holly, but Chloe refused to hand over the baby. When Nicole asked why, a cop entered the room, and Chloe handed the baby to the officer. As the officer carried the baby out into the bullpen, Nicole freaked out. Brady calmed Nicole down and pointed out that she could see baby Holly through the window.
Chloe told Nicole that she needed to pull herself together for Holly. When Nicole look bewildered, Chloe reminded Nicole that she had stabbed someone. Nicole asked Brady how long he had known about the baby. Brady said that he had suspected the secret for weeks after Deimos had overheard a conversation between Philip and Nancy. Furious, Nicole yelled that she finally understood why Nancy had acted so defensively around her. Brady added that Chloe had confirmed the baby's parentage earlier that day.
Brady stressed that he had not told Nicole because he had not wanted to get her hopes up without proof that the baby was Nicole's. Angry, Nicole lashed out at Chloe. Nicole reminded Chloe that they had devised a plan for Nicole to spend time with Chloe during the surrogacy so that she could be with her child during the pregnancy. "What have you done to me?" Nicole cried out as she broke down sobbing.
Quietly, Chloe explained that she had kept the news from Nicole out of love. Nicole countered that Chloe was supposed to be her friend. Chloe argued that she would have told Nicole the truth, but she had not wanted to expose Daniel's child to Deimos. Nicole reminded Chloe that it was not her choice to make. Groaning, Chloe said that Deimos inspired people to want to kill him, and Nicole had paid the price for Deimos' actions. Chloe said she wanted to protect Holly from Deimos.
"Deimos is not the monster! You're the monster! Now give me my child!" Nicole screamed. Nicole ran into the bullpen with Brady and Chloe chasing after her. As Nicole reached out to Holly, two officers grabbed Nicole by the wrist and handcuffed her. One officer announced that Nicole was under arrest for attempted murder. As the officers led Nicole away, she screamed for her child. Chloe took Holly in her arms and left as Nicole's cries echoed through the precinct.
At the police station, Roman informed Nicole that the man she had stabbed was still unconscious -- and not even close to being out of the woods yet. Fighting back tears, she fretted, "Roman, he can't die. I can't go to prison. I have a baby!" After sharing the details, she begged him to find Chloe and charge her with kidnapping. He said he couldn't do that because Chloe was listed as Holly's biological mother on the child's birth certificate.
Brady tracked Deimos down at the hospital and informed him that Nicole had finally been told the truth about Holly the previous night. Deimos was furious to learn that Chloe had taken off with Holly without even giving Nicole a chance to hold the child. He rushed off to the police station to see Nicole, who backed away when he tried to comfort her with a hug. "Don't touch me!" she warned before lashing out at him for having kept the truth about Holly to himself for such a long time. He understood her anger, especially in light of the fact that she was facing criminal charges because of him. He promised, however, that he was going to find a way to fix everything. "You're getting out of here, and you're gonna get your child back. And then Chloe is gonna be the one behind bars," he stressed.
After receiving an urgent message from Chloe, Belle went to the Salem Inn to find out what was wrong. She was surprised to learn that Chloe was planning to sue for custody of Nicole's baby. Chloe insisted that she had to, reasoning, "I can't let [Holly] be raised in a house with mobsters and murderers. If she's gonna have a good life, I have to be her mother." She begged Belle to help her achieve her goal.
Belle refused, admitting that she didn't agree with what Chloe was planning to do to Nicole. Not willing to give up without a fight, Chloe reminded Belle of all the things Nicole had put Sami through in the past. She also told Belle about how Nicole had been quick to make excuses for Deimos when he had threatened to kill someone recently. "Belle, if Nicole has it her way, my child will grow up in the middle of some turf war -- if she even grows up! I don't claim to be a good person, but I know that I'm a good mom, and I always put my son first. What Nicole is doing is not putting Holly first; it's just about what she wants, and not about Holly's needs," Chloe continued. She hoped she could count on Belle to help out, just as she'd always been able to in the past.
After giving the matter some more thought, Belle changed her mind and agreed to represent Chloe. "[But] I have to be really honest with you here: your chances are not good. Nicole is the biological mother, and that obviously holds a lot of sway in court. And your past is just as checkered as hers," Belle warned. Nodding, Chloe stressed that she was just grateful that Belle was willing to at least try to help her win the case. Belle promised to do her best, adding, "I just hope it'll be enough."
Brady soon began knocking on Chloe's hotel room door, demanding to talk to her. He was shocked when Belle let him in and informed him that she was Chloe's lawyer. Warning that he had someone watching Chloe at all times, he advised her not to try to leave Salem with Holly. He added that Nicole would be out on bail later that day and would expect Holly back at that time. Belle pointed out that, according to the birth certificate, Chloe was Holly's mother. "Because she lied about [that]. Unfortunately, she'll do anything she needs to do to get what she wants," he countered.
Chloe insisted that she simply wanted Holly to be safe. Brady started to respond, but Belle interrupted, recognizing that the conversation was getting a bit heated. She asked Chloe to step into the hallway for a minute. Once the coast was clear, Brady tried to convince Belle that she was on the wrong side of the custody battle. "Chloe's gonna lose. The baby's gonna end up with Nicole, where it should be," he stressed. "[Well, then], I guess we know where we stand," she countered before telling him to leave. When he crossed paths with Chloe in the hallway, he shot her a look of disgust but said nothing to her.
Rejoining Belle in the hotel room, Chloe fretted, "I knew this would happen. The whole Kiriakis family is gonna do whatever it takes to separate me from my baby. It's not fair! I just want to do what's right for Holly." Belle told Chloe to calm down, pointing out that they had known all along that they'd have a fight on their hands. "All we have to do is fight back," Belle added. Chloe started to apologize for having caused a rift between Belle and Brady, but Belle dismissed the concern, noting that Chloe had bigger things to worry about at that time.
Chloe soon received another visitor. When she realized it was Roman, she began to panic, fearing that he was going to take Holly away from her. Belle told Chloe to stay calm and let her handle Roman. Belle then opened the hotel room door and greeted him, explaining that she was Chloe's lawyer. "Okay. Well, counselor, we are here to tell you that we're gonna take the baby to get a paternity test," he revealed as a woman stepped into the room to take Holly from Chloe. Meanwhile, at the police station, Brady informed Nicole that Chloe had already taken the first steps to gain custody of Holly. "Holly is mine, and my so-called friend Chloe can't keep her from me. I won't let her," Nicole vowed.
Sonny requested a meeting with Chad at the Kiriakis mansion. Chad complied despite reservations, upset about being asked to meet with Sonny on his turf. Sonny explained that he had only chosen the Kiriakis mansion as the location for the meeting so they wouldn't have to worry about Dario spotting them. Chad somewhat mockingly wondered if Sonny was actually hoping that the DiMera and Kiriakis families could forge some sort of secret peace treaty. "I don't know. Can we?" Sonny asked.
Sonny argued that an alliance between the Kiriakis and DiMera families would be in Arianna and Thomas' best interest. Chad was reluctant to agree to the idea, pointing out that Sonny was talking about cutting an assassin out of the deal. "[That's] all but guaranteeing a war, Sonny! If that's what you called me for, I'm out! I'm not interested!" Chad insisted. Sonny clarified that he was trying to end things without violence, adding that he wasn't happy with the way he and Chad had left things at the end of the previous meeting. "[We're] friends. We cannot let this get out of hand," he stressed.
Chad reminded Sonny that their last attempt to negotiate had failed miserably. "And, yeah, you and I are friends, but at the end of the day, you're a Kiriakis, and I'm a DiMera. And in case you have forgotten, Andre and Deimos, they'll never be friends," he continued. Sonny optimistically suggested that he and Chad might be able to talk some sense into Deimos and Andre, respectively. Chad pointed out that even if they were able to do that, they would still have the wild card, Dario, to worry about -- and he was specifically looking for a fight. "I know. But if our families can work together, I think we can contain him. Maybe he'll see that he can't take us both out," Sonny reasoned. "Or he's gonna end up putting Gabi and Arianna in danger," Chad countered.
Gabi went to the DiMera mansion to talk to Abigail about the brewing war between the DiMera, Kiriakis, and Hernandez families. "We've gotta figure out a way to make this stop. We can't let this escalate, because [if it does], someone that we love is gonna get hurt," Abigail predicted. "Yeah, [like] Sonny. Or my brother," Gabi began. "Or Chad -- the man that we both love," Abigail concluded.
Abigail quickly apologized, realizing that she had inadvertently made things awkward when she had really just been trying to address the elephant in the room. "Look, Abigail, we've already identified the elephant in the room. And today is not about that elephant; today is about stopping our families from killing each other," Gabi pointed out. They agreed that they still wanted to be friends and could handle any potential awkwardness that went along with that.
Getting back on track, Abigail wondered if Gabi had ever heard Dario mention a guy named Myron. Gabi confirmed that she knew who Myron was. Abigail reported that, according to Chad, Myron was a genius who could potentially get the Orwell device working properly. Gabi told Abigail that Myron was a stereotypical geek who was always trying -- and failing -- to hit on women at Club TBD. Abigail suggested that Gabi could pretend to be interested in Myron so he would let his guard down and hopefully open up to her about the Orwell device, but Gabi shot down the idea, explaining that Myron already knew she wasn't interested in him. "He doesn't know you, though," she pointed out.
At Club TBD, Dario was in the back office with Myron, discussing the Orwell device. Myron assured Dario that very few people possessed the skill to create a functional Orwell device -- and, in any case, he was the only person who could actually make one without the microchips and the external hard drive, since no one else had gotten a good look at the technology before Deimos had stolen it.
Dario thought that meant he could safely rule out the DiMeras as competition, and Myron agreed, pointing out that Andre hadn't been able to get the device working properly when it had been in his possession. Myron warned, however, that things could change quickly if the DiMera clan decided to forge an alliance with the Kiriakis clan. Dario dismissed the concern, insisting that those two families had been at war for years. "I mean, yesterday, Chad and Sonny looked like they were...gonna kill each other," he slowly realized. Smiling, he mused, "Wouldn't that be nice?"
Later, while Myron was working alone in the office, Abigail entered it, wearing a tight, low-cut dress. Speaking with a Southern accent, she wondered if he would mind letting her wait with him until Dario returned. He started to deny the request, but when he looked up from his computer to face her, he quickly changed his mind. She took a seat and began flirting with him, eventually revealing that she was waiting for Dario so he could fix her cell phone. Stammering, Myron offered to take a look at the device himself. She accepted the offer then began to casually ask about his job while he was distracted.
Meanwhile, Gabi stood guard outside the office. When she spotted Dario, she sent Abigail a text message to warn her that there wasn't much time left to escape undetected. Myron, who had already given Abigail's cell phone back to her, continued to tell her about the secret project he was working on. When he vaguely admitted that all his hard work had eventually been lost, she feigned great distress. "It'll be okay. I'm working on recreating it," he assured her. He started to forge ahead with his story, but she interrupted, claiming that she needed to rush off because she had just remembered that she had left her house without turning her iron off.
Before Abigail could leave, Dario entered the office, having ignored Gabi's attempt to stall him. "What the hell is going on here?" he demanded to know. Abigail explained that she had needed help with something on her cell phone, and Gabi had advised her to ask him about it. She added that Myron had managed to fix the device himself. "Where's your accent?" Myron asked, realizing that she had dropped it the moment Dario had arrived. "What accent? I didn't have an accent. But thank you so much. I owe you. I'll see you soon," she replied before rushing off.
When Abigail returned to the main section of the club, Gabi was in the process of trying to get away from Chad, who had just arrived. Confused, he wondered why Gabi and Abigail were together at the club -- and why Abigail was all dressed up. Abigail claimed that she and Gabi had just been chatting over cups of coffee. Gabi backed up the story then rushed off.
Still confused, Chad stammered as he wondered why Abigail had gotten dressed up for a simple coffee date with Gabi. "Oh, it's not just for coffee. I mean, I did it for you, too," she seductively replied. He was pleased to hear that she and Gabi were still friends and were trying to get past everything that had happened recently. "You know, I was kind of thinking maybe we could do the same thing," she suggested.
A short time later, as Abigail was passing through the town square with Chad, he warned her that things between the DiMera, Kiriakis, and Hernandez families were still pretty tense. He stressed that he didn't want her to get hurt in the midst of the chaos, prompting her to guess, "Because you still love me, right?" He wondered if he hadn't made that obvious enough yet. Shrugging, she pointed out that he had said the words but hadn't really backed them up with any real proof. "Okay, let's go home," he suggested with a mischievous grin as he pulled her closer to him.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Sonny asked Deimos if the hit man Nicole had stabbed had been working for Dario. "You don't have to worry about that, Sonny. I'm taking care of it," Deimos replied. Sonny wanted details, but Deimos thought it would be best for him to know nothing about what was going to happen next. "You can't strike back. We need to find a way to deal with this that doesn't involve violence," Sonny insisted.
Deimos sarcastically wondered if Sonny just wanted him to have a stern talk with Dario instead. Sonny warned that innocent people could get hurt if Deimos tried to retaliate, but Deimos dismissively insisted that Dario was the only person who was going to get hurt -- and he was far from innocent. "But what about the collateral damage? The friendly fire? If you attack Dario, Eduardo will strike back -- and on, and on, and on," Sonny predicted.
Sonny explained that he had just spoken to Chad, who had agreed to talk to Andre about the possibility of a peace treaty. "That's wonderful. I'll tell you what -- you kids keep up with your shuttle diplomacy, all right? I've got some grown-up things I need to deal with," Deimos dismissively replied. Sonny insisted that some parameters needed to be set for the sake of everyone involved. "The hell with parameters! This isn't just business, Sonny -- not anymore! To me, it's personal," Deimos countered before storming out of the mansion.
Deimos went to Club TBD and stormed into Dario's office to confront him. Dario didn't bother to deny that he had ordered a hit on Deimos, stating only, "If at first you don't succeed..." Chuckling, Deimos countered, "Stupid and arrogant -- my favorite combination. You made a really big mistake, Dario. You might want to watch your back from now on."
At the Horton Town Square, Andre and Kate discussed the brewing war between the DiMera, Kiriakis, and Hernandez families. Kate admitted that she couldn't really blame Dario for wanting to kill Deimos; in fact, she was only sorry that the hit man had failed to complete his mission. "You know what's even worse? That they're both fighting about the technology that I developed! But that's gonna stop soon, 'cause we're gonna rally the troops, and we're going to recover that which is rightfully ours," Andre insisted.
When Andre and Kate arrived at the DiMera mansion a short time later, Chad and Abigail were in the study, kissing each other passionately. Making his presence known, Andre announced that he was calling a family meeting because DiMera Enterprises was in the midst of a crisis. He then walked over to the bar and began to fix drinks for himself and Kate. "By all means, make yourself at home. It's not like you're interrupting anything," Chad muttered sarcastically. Oblivious, Andre replied, "Oh, good, because we need to work out a strategy to amp up our fight game and to recover our stolen technology."
"I'd say you've amped up enough already," Chad countered, prompting Kate to wonder if Andre had been keeping something from her. "Oh, no, nothing, really," Andre coyly replied. "Oh, yeah, nothing, really -- [just] sinking a Titan ship," Chad agreed. The news stunned Kate and Abigail, the latter of whom wondered why Andre had done such a thing. Andre explained that it had been his way of teaching Deimos a lesson.
"Yeah, one that will result in a war which Sonny and I are trying desperately to avoid," Chad interjected. He warned that he would remove Andre from DiMera Enterprises if anything like that ever happened again. "There's gonna be no more violence, and that's final," he stressed. Considering the matter closed, he made it clear to Andre and Kate that he wanted to be alone with Abigail. Realizing the implication, Andre began to comply, smiling approvingly. Kate, however, insisted that there was still more to discuss. "Great. The two of you can stay here and strategize your little hearts out. My wife and I are out of here," Chad replied as he grabbed his jacket.
After Chad escorted Abigail out of the study, Andre told Kate that she couldn't have possibly been more obvious about not wanting the couple to be alone together. "What? It's just [that] Chad does not light up with Abigail the way that he does with Gabi," Kate insisted. Andre argued that Chad's enchantment with Gabi had been nothing more than a passing fancy at best. Kate disagreed, informing Andre that Chad and Gabi had shared an obvious connection since they had first worked together as young models at Countess Wilhelmina years earlier.
"Oh, give up the ghost, will you, Kate? That ship has sailed," Andre dismissively replied. He reminded Kate that Chad shared a son with Abigail, who was related to Lucas and was therefore family. Scoffing, Kate insisted, "Not my family." She wondered why Andre was suddenly so invested in Chad and Abigail as a couple. Ignoring the question, Andre guessed that Kate was only resentful of him for supporting Chad and Abigail's love story because she blamed him for the way her budding romance with Eduardo had recently nosedived. She confirmed that she believed that was all Andre's fault. "And you're not going to convince me otherwise, just like you're not going to convince me that Abigail is the right one for Chad," she added.
Chad took Abigail to the Salem Inn for some privacy. He was reminded, upon leading her into their room, of how he had carried her over the threshold of a similar room in Chicago after their wedding ceremony. "I remember that. It was the first time I felt like we were officially married. Everything was just -- just perfect, until..." she recalled before letting her voice trail off. He started to apologize for dredging up the past, but she assured him that she could handle that memory -- and a lot of other ones, too. "Look, Chad, from the beginning of our relationship, you've always just tried to protect me -- first from yourself, and then from Ben -- but you don't need to protect me anymore. And the past is just that -- it's the past. And, you know, while some things are better not to dredge up again, [there are] others [that] I never want to forget," she added.
Chad admitted that it felt like a lifetime had passed since their wedding day. Abigail warned that if that were the case, it meant that they were an old married couple. "Who shouldn't [still] feel this awkward around each other," he added. Laughing, she assured him that she was starting to feel less awkward, and he confirmed that he was, too. After declaring their love for each other, they looked at the nearby bed nervously.
Later, while Chad and Abigail were lying in bed together, they agreed that they had missed being with each other and didn't have any regrets about what had just happened. Having worked up an appetite, they ordered a plate of fries to share. As they were eating, Abigail wondered if it had been wise to leave Thomas with Andre and Kate, of all people. Chad assured her that the nanny wouldn't let Thomas anywhere near Andre and Kate.
Changing the subject, Chad warned that although he and Sonny were planning to find a way to end the brewing war peacefully, Abigail needed to be extra vigilant when she was out alone with Thomas in the meantime. She didn't think anyone would target her and Thomas, but she promised to be careful nevertheless. Meanwhile, her cell phone chimed. When she checked it, she saw a text message from Gabi, asking for details about what had happened with Myron earlier. Claiming that the message was from Jennifer, Abigail set the device aside and told Chad that she was worried about him. He assured her that he was going to be fine.
Adrienne entered the Brady Pub and found Lucas sitting alone at a table, reading the online edition of the Spectator on his tablet computer. "Anything good in that rag?" she jokingly asked. "Quite a bit, actually. But I'm not surprised; I hear the new owners are world-class," he replied. Laughing, she wondered if he would like some company. He happily accepted the offer, but when he stood to help her with her chair, she insisted that she could handle it herself. Marveling at her spirit and feistiness, he mused, "That's what I love about you. That's...why I want to marry you."
Adrienne acknowledged with a sigh that her unexpected cancer diagnosis had left Lucas and Justin in "limbo land," waiting for her to choose which of the two she wanted to be with. She admitted that she was glad she hadn't gotten a chance to announce her decision before she had been rushed to the hospital on the day she had passed out at the Salem Inn. "The truth is, I can't be with anyone right now, anyway, and there's no telling when I'm [next] gonna be physically or mentally even capable of making a life choice like that," she explained. He assured her that he understood. "You always do...which is why I want to tell you that I would have no hard feelings if either you or Justin wanted to move on and didn't want to wait. It's okay," she stressed. He insisted that she was worth the wait.
Later, Adrienne started to tell Lucas about how she was in need of help at the Spectator. As if on cue, Anne entered the pub, prompting Lucas to muse that he might know just the perfect person for the job. Adrienne wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the idea but agreed to conduct an impromptu interview with Anne, who immediately expressed interest in a marketing position. Adrienne said that position had unfortunately already been filled. She reluctantly added, however, that she was still in need of an office manager. "Office manager? Yeah, I mean, I suppose I can handle that," Anne confirmed.
"Well, I wouldn't want you to take it just to take it. If it's not a good fit, then it's not a good fit," Adrienne replied. Lucas interjected, predicting that the job would be perfect for Anne, who would make a great addition to the Spectator team. Anne smiled and nodded in agreement. Still not entirely sold on the idea, Adrienne warned that she would have to talk to Jennifer first, since Jennifer and Anne had butted heads more than once when they had worked together at the hospital. Anne downplayed the rivalry, claiming that she and Jennifer had simply had a competitive relationship with each other.
"She'd flat-out be your boss this time," Adrienne stressed. Lucas assured Adrienne that Anne wouldn't have a problem with that. "No. Uh-uh. Nope. No problem. At all," Anne stammered. Quickly recovering, she added that she had done a great job at both the hospital and D.J. Wear, and she had excellent references to prove that claim. Lucas helpfully pointed out that Anne was a smart, motivated, and focused person who knew how to get things done. He guaranteed that hiring Anne would be a decision Adrienne would never regret. Still uncertain, Adrienne forced a smile as she eyed Anne skeptically.
Later, Adrienne ran into Kate while passing through the town square. Kate was quick to comment on Adrienne's wardrobe and overall look, insisting, "For the sake of survivors with style everywhere, I have to say, you need to stop, and you need to get yourself over to Janet's Boutique and get a fashion update, girlfriend, seriously." Noting that Adrienne's nails also needed work, Kate rummaged in her purse and found a business card for her manicurist. Adrienne accepted the card and thanked Kate for the referral as well as the fashion advice.
As Kate was walking away, she received a text message from Eduardo: "Again, I'm sorry. Can we talk?" Sighing, she deleted the message without bothering to respond to it.
Steve, Kayla, Marlena, and Rafe returned to their hotel in Prague after having spent the day looking for Stefano. Paul, not yet ready to give up, was double-checking every place the group had visited, but Rafe was starting to feel defeated, knowing that the ISA would soon call off the search. When Rafe began taking his frustration out on the rest of the group, Kayla suggested that it might be a good time for her and Steve, who was bearing the brunt of Rafe's anger, to go to a nearby café for some ice cream. Marlena stayed behind with Rafe to help him calm down. He admitted that he wasn't really upset with Steve; he was just sick of running into dead ends.
At the café, Kayla suggested that Steve might want to think about cutting Rafe some slack. Steve said he understood that Rafe was under a lot of stress. "But we're all stressed," he added. Kayla guessed that Rafe was coping with his stress less effectively than everyone else was because he was in love with Hope. Steve conceded that if Kayla were the one in danger, he would probably be acting just as crazy as Rafe was.
Later, while Steve and Kayla were sharing a kiss, a woman approached them and observed, "Ah, the sweet smell of romance that begs for its future to be told." Steve started to decline the offer, but Kayla insisted that it would be fun to get an objective party's take on what the future had in store for them. The woman took a seat at Steve and Kayla's table and dramatically seized Kayla's hand for inspection.
"I see here you're deeply in love with this man," the woman noted as she studied Kayla's palm. "Congratulations are in order. There's a wedding in the not-too-distant future!" she continued, prompting Steve to guess that Kayla had set the whole thing up while he had been in the bathroom earlier. As Kayla began to deny the accusation, the woman blurted out, "This can't be good." Staring at Kayla's palm with concern, the woman revealed, "I also see darkness, danger, and deception, all surrounded by a blazing fire and..." She seemed reluctant to finish her sentence at first, but when Steve and Kayla urged her to continue, she hesitantly added, "A phoenix."
Later, Steve and Kayla rejoined Rafe and Marlena at the hotel. The men quickly settled their earlier differences. Rafe soon received a phone call from Shane, who was on his way over to the hotel to talk to the group. After ending the call, Rafe told the others that Shane hadn't managed to find Stefano yet, either. "But he says he's got one last shot at proving that [Stefano's] still alive," Rafe added.
At Eric's place, Hope continued drifting in and out of consciousness while fighting her infection. While Eric was giving her another dose of antibiotics, she weakly suggested that God had sent him to take care of her. He promised to do everything in his power to get her back on her feet again. "What do you think I should do [then]?" she asked. "It's not up to me," he replied. He added, however, that at that exact moment, rest needed to be her top priority. He advised her to hope, in the meantime, that Rafe and the others would be able to find a way to prove that Stefano was still alive.
Hope admitted that she prayed for that result every day. "Taking someone's --" she began to add before stopping herself, realizing that Eric's expression had changed. "I don't mean to be dismissive of your pain, [but] honestly, if you killed anyone, you killed a monster. I killed a saint," he reminded her. She insisted that he was a good person who had simply made a bad choice. She knew he would gladly switch places with Daniel if that were possible, but since it wasn't, she advised him to find some other way of gaining redemption. "There's always a way," she stressed before dozing off.
"You're wrong, Hope. There's no redemption for me. Ever," Eric muttered as he left the room. Later, he returned to check on Hope and was disturbed to find that her condition seemed to be worsening again. Fearing that she would die if he didn't do something else to combat her fever, he spontaneously decided to carry her to a nearby lake and dip her in it. Afterward, as he was wrapping blankets around her shivering body, she lost consciousness again.
In Prague, a restless Rafe paced the hotel lobby while Kayla, Marlena, and Steve cautioned him to be patient and wait for Shane. When Shane arrived, he informed the group that his surveillance of two homes had paid off. Shane showed surveillance photos of the man that looked like Stefano. When Shane turned on the ISA enhancement program, the software was able to confirm that the man in the picture was a match for Stefano DiMera. Rafe was eager to hunt down Stefano, but Shane ordered him to stand down and let the ISA handle the matter.
After Shane left, Rafe asked Steve, Kayla, and Marlena if they wanted to help him find Stefano. Steve agreed, but Kayla was reluctant. Marlena suggested that they lure Stefano out of hiding by using her as bait.
A panicked Victor and Maggie arrived at the hospital after Deimos sent them a text message summoning them for an emergency meeting. Deimos told Victor and Maggie that he had good news. From a side hallway, Chloe appeared with Holly and a police officer. Deimos asked the officer if Chloe had been charged with any crime. The officer said that Chloe had only been questioned. Deimos told Victor and Maggie about the DNA test. Maggie gasped in shock.
Chloe explained the story of her surrogacy. Revolted, Deimos groaned as Chloe told the tale. An angry Victor yelled that Chloe had no right to keep Holly because she was not the child's mother. Chloe argued that she had carried Holly and had a right to keep her safe from Deimos. Victor countered that Chloe was incapable of love, and Maggie begged Victor to stop. When Deimos demanded that Chloe hand over the baby, Chloe said that she was suing for full custody.
Scowling, Victor lashed out and warned Chloe that she did not have a shot at securing custody of Holly. Chloe pointed out at as the ex-wife of Daniel, the mother of Holly's half-brother, and the surrogate, she had every right to ask for custody. Dumbfounded, Deimos asked Chloe why she would go to such lengths to keep Holly from him. As the police officer turned to leave, he advised Chloe not to leave town. Deimos noted that the officer did not appear to agree that Chloe was completely innocent.
Victor urged Chloe to do the right thing. When Chloe shook her head no, Maggie asked Chloe to talk alone. Chloe agreed and followed Maggie into the lounge. Holding back tears, Maggie asked if she could hold her granddaughter. Smiling, Chloe handed Holly to Maggie. Chloe said she would give anything for Daniel to see his daughter. Nodding, Maggie said she also missed Daniel.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you keeping Holly to yourself? It doesn't make any sense to me," Maggie whispered. Chloe said that Deimos was evil, and she felt obligated to protect Holly from his influence. When Maggie said she did not believe Deimos would hurt Holly, Chloe countered that it was dangerous to be near Deimos and that he would poison Holly's mind. Maggie said that a baby should with her mother.
In the hospital hallway, Deimos muttered that Chloe was a "twisted bitch." Victor cautioned Deimos to remain calm and not act rashly. Victor added that he and Deimos had a shared goal that Holly would be raised as a Kiriakis. When Chloe returned with Maggie and Holly, Chloe told Maggie and Victor that they were welcome to visit Holly anytime. As a grumbling Victor walked away with Maggie, Deimos asked Chloe for one last chance to change her mind. Chloe reluctantly agreed.
Deimos apologized for hurting Chloe. Deimos asked Chloe to forget their past and look to their present and future. As Chloe frowned, Deimos reminded Chloe that they shared a love for Nicole. Deimos asked Chloe to remember why she had gotten pregnant. Frustrated, Deimos started to argue that Chloe did not have a chance in court and that her efforts were futile. When Deimos yelled that a judge would take the baby by force, he would be the father, and Chloe could not stop him, Chloe told him to go to hell. Chloe yelled that she would see Deimos in court.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Maggie told Victor that as happy as she was to have a part of Daniel live on, she was devastated that Daniel was not around to see his baby girl. Maggie did not understand why Chloe was so angry. Growling, Victor argued that Chloe had always been vindictive and crazy. Maggie said that she hoped Nicole and Chloe could work out the issue before anyone was hurt by the situation. Victor promised that the family would rally behind Nicole. Deimos returned home and swore that he would help return Holly to Nicole.
In the interrogation room at the police station, Justin told Nicole that he had arranged for her bail. When Nicole smiled faintly, Justin asked her what was wrong. Nicole said she was sad about her baby and the charges still pending against her for attempted murder. Justin assured Nicole that the DNA test would prove that she was Holly's mother and that Nicole would gain custody of her daughter. After Justin left to start the paperwork, Nicole put her head on the desk and fell asleep.
A vision of Daniel called out to Nicole. Nicole asked him if he knew about the baby. Daniel smiled. With a sigh, Nicole noted that Daniel had attempted to tell her about the baby when he had visited her in a dream and had said that he would always be with her. Nicole lamented that she had not known about the baby sooner. Daniel told Nicole that everything would be fine. With a shrug, Nicole worried aloud that she had reverted to her old ways.
Daniel stressed that Nicole would be a wonderful mother to Holly. Smiling, Daniel talked about what kind of person Holly would grow into. Nicole said she wished Daniel was with her all of the time and not just in her dreams. "My heart will always be with you and also with our daughter," Daniel said.
Brady woke Nicole up. As Nicole wiped the tears from her cheeks, Brady informed her that the DNA test had confirmed that Nicole was Holly's mother. Overwhelmed, Nicole sat in silence. Nicole looked up at Brady and told him that she had gotten so used to losing her chances at motherhood that she had not realized how badly she'd needed to hear concrete proof that Holly was her child. As Brady started to apologize for lying, Nicole shushed him and said that she understood.
When Nicole asked about Holly, Brady said that the baby was with Chloe. When he saw Nicole's scowl, Brady explained that Chloe was legally the mother until the birth certificate was voided. Nicole was angry that Chloe had implanted the embryo, but she was also thrilled that Holly existed. Nicole said she was desperate to be with her child. Nicole swore to fight for her baby. When Nicole marveled at her new life, Brady promised that they would have each other to lean on as parents. Nicole asked Brady if he also missed Daniel. Placing his hand over his heart, Brady said he missed Daniel "with every beat."
Maggie and Victor arrived at the police station, and they joined Nicole and Brady in the interrogation room. Maggie told Nicole that she had not been able to change Chloe's mind. Brady advised Nicole to forget about Chloe. Maggie and Victor chimed in to say that they would be there to help Nicole every step of the way. Justin returned and asked Nicole to help him fill out her paperwork for release.
After Maggie and Victor left, Brady continued to wait in the interrogation room for Nicole to return. When Justin returned alone, he was surprised to see Brady. Brady asked about Nicole, but Justin explained that Nicole had already finished her paperwork. With a sigh, Brady said he knew where to find her. At Chloe's hotel room, Nicole knocked on the door.
