Nicole makes a big decision
Gabi entered the police station in time to overhear J.J. and Lani making plans to go to an arcade after work to play Skee-Ball. After listening to the conversation for a few seconds, Gabi made her presence known. Lani said goodbye to J.J. then walked away so he could talk to Gabi privately.
Gabi somewhat bitterly advised J.J. to go easy on the alcohol during his date with Lani. J.J. replied that Lani knew he respected her and planned to treat her right. "Not that it's any of your business," he added. Gabi changed the subject without acknowledging the point, wondering why J.J. had asked to see her. "My lieutenant wanted me to talk to you because he thought you might have remembered something more [about your kidnapping]. And I was thinking maybe there were things you didn't want to say to a uniformed cop you don't know," he explained.
Gabi dismissively insisted that she wasn't going to be more open with J.J. just because she'd once had a thing with him. She refused to confirm his suspicion that Deimos was responsible for the kidnapping, claiming that some random thug had thrown her and Chad in the meat locker. She suggested that the same thug was responsible for Sonny's kidnapping. She added that money had probably been the sole motivation for the kidnappings, meaning that she had simply gotten caught in the middle of a scheme that had only been intended to target the DiMera and Kiriakis families.
"Cut the crap, Gabi. Enough with the lies. Enough," Rafe insisted, joining Gabi and J.J. in the conference room they were using. Gabi denied that she was lying, but Rafe wasn't convinced, knowing that she was trying to protect their father. He informed her that he had already gleaned most of the pertinent details about the war Eduardo had been waging with the DiMera and Kiriakis families for control of the Orwell device.
"So, let me get this straight: you're gonna -- you're gonna put him away? Our father? Is that what you're doing?" Gabi asked incredulously. "I just might," Rafe replied with a shrug. "But who we really want is Deimos," J.J. stressed. Rafe warned Gabi not to do anything to risk being sent back to prison herself, reminding her that Arianna needed her. As Rafe was pressuring Gabi to tell him what she knew about Deimos' involvement in her kidnapping, Dario interrupted, observing that it seemed like Rafe needed a refresher course on the Miranda rights.
Gabi and J.J. left the conference room so Rafe and Dario could have some privacy. Dario guessed that Rafe had only been giving Gabi the third degree because there was no concrete evidence that proved his theory about Sonny's kidnappers. Rafe observed that Dario had not yet denied being involved in Sonny's kidnapping. Dario argued that if he and Eduardo had been involved, no one -- least of all Rafe -- would be able to blame them, given the fact that Gabi's life had been on the line. Sighing, Rafe fretted that he didn't want to be forced to arrest his brother and father. "Don't worry. It's never gonna come to that," Dario promised before leaving.
Elsewhere, Gabi angrily guessed that J.J. and Rafe had planned ahead of time to gang up on her during her visit to the police station. J.J. insisted that wasn't true. Changing the subject, Gabi probed for more details about J.J.'s relationship with Lani, wondering if they were trying to find out if there was more between them than just drunken sex. "Do I get to ask about you and Chad being found with no clothes on?" J.J. countered.
Gabi apologized for the cracks she had made about J.J.'s relationship with Lani; she insisted, however, that her relationship with Chad was none of J.J.'s business. J.J. disagreed, reminding Gabi that his sister was married to Chad. Gabi claimed that nothing had happened between her and Chad in the meat locker, assuring J.J. that they had only removed their clothes because skin-to-skin contact was the best way to share body heat. When J.J. expressed skepticism, Gabi snapped, "Chad went home with Abigail. She's his wife, and I respect that, [so] just back off!"
After leaving the police station, Gabi went to Club TBD to see Dario, who thanked her for keeping quiet about his involvement in Sonny's kidnapping. She made it clear that she didn't approve, pointing out, "Your guy didn't just kidnap Sonny, okay? He beat the crap out of him. And you know how much Sonny means to me and Arianna!" She complained that she felt like she didn't even know who Dario was anymore.
"Then why don't you help Papi and me clean up our act?" Dario suggested. Gabi pointed out that she was an image consultant, not a miracle worker. Dario explained that Eduardo wanted to fund the new business Gabi was trying to start. Gabi suspected that the offer was a bribe for her continued silence -- or part of a scheme to secretly use her business as a front for illegal activities. Dario assured Gabi that there would be no need for illegal activities if her business was profitable. "Oh, great, so no pressure there," Gabi sarcastically replied. Dario tried to insist that he had been joking, but Gabi wasn't amused -- or convinced.
Dario explained that Eduardo wanted to support Gabi's business because he believed in her. Gabi pointed out that she'd only had one client to date, but Dario insisted that didn't matter. He added that it wasn't like anyone else had offered to fund the business yet. Sighing, she conceded, "Well, when you're right, you're right."
Pleased that Gabi was starting to see things his way, Dario asked to hear her vision for her new business. After warning Dario not to laugh, Gabi explained that she didn't want to just help people make better fashion choices; she wanted to help them make better lifestyle choices. "Why would I laugh at that?" Dario asked. "Well, because I'm an ex-con who got knocked up by her gay best friend, so who am I to tell anybody how to live their lives?" Gabi pointed out. Dario argued that Gabi had gotten off to a bad start in life but had turned things around and was therefore perfectly qualified to help others do the same.
Gabi wanted assurance that if she accepted Eduardo's offer, neither he nor Dario would ever try to control her business. "Deal," Dario promised without hesitation, offering up a fist bump to make the agreement official. Satisfied, Gabi said goodbye to Dario then left the club. As she was passing through the town square, she spotted J.J. and Lani, who were just beginning their date. She watched from afar as they shared a kiss.
Jennifer met with Marlena at the Brady Pub to discuss Eric. Marlena was surprised to learn that Jennifer knew about Eric's parole and had even had a chance encounter with him recently. Marlena offered to reveal where Eric was living, hoping Jennifer would be able to help him deal with his lingering feelings of guilt about Daniel's death. Jennifer doubted that she would be able to get through to Eric, but Marlena disagreed, reasoning that he would listen to Jennifer because he had grown close to her before being sent to prison and likely still had feelings for her.
Jennifer didn't think that was true, given the fact that Eric had refused to see her every time she had tried to visit him in prison as well as the fact that he had ignored all her attempts to correspond with him via emails and letters. Marlena guessed that Eric had believed distancing himself from Jennifer would be in her best interest. Marlena reported that Eric had actually asked her about Jennifer all the time during his prison stint and had never forgotten about her. Marlena reasoned that because neither Eric nor Jennifer had any intention of falling off the wagon, there was no longer a need for them to avoid seeing each other.
Later that day, Jennifer went to see Eric. The front door was unlocked, so she poked her head inside the house and called out to him. He emerged from his bedroom, wearing only a pair of jeans, having just finished showering, and insisted, "Jen, you have to go. You never should have come here." When she ignored the command, he turned to grab a shirt he had left on his couch, giving her a good look at a tattoo that stretched across his upper back. She wondered if he had gotten it in prison. "It's a Native American eagle. It's supposed to represent spiritual healing, but it doesn't seem to be doing the trick," he replied.
Eric guessed that Marlena had asked Jennifer to talk to him. Jennifer confirmed that she had talked to Marlena earlier; she insisted, however, that her visit was about nothing more than wanting to see Eric and make sure that he was doing okay. He assured her that he was fine. She expressed skepticism, suspecting that he had to be lonely, but he claimed that he enjoyed his solitude because privacy was something that had been in short supply in prison. "There isn't anybody that you want to see in Salem?" she asked. "No. Especially after what happened with Hope," he replied.
Jennifer was confused at first but soon deduced that Eric was the good Samaritan who had helped Hope after the prison break. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and thanked him for saving Hope's life then pulled away when she realized she was making him uncomfortable. He reiterated that she needed to leave. "Tell my mom I'm okay," he added. "But you're not okay," she countered.
Jennifer reminded Eric that before he had left for prison, he had admitted to her that he was sorry they weren't going to have a real chance to explore their relationship. "I'm here because I'm sorry, too," she added. She stressed that she cared about him. "Well, I don't care about me -- or anyone else," he countered. He turned away from her dismissively, hoping she would take the hint and leave. Instead, she grabbed him and gave him a passionate kiss. After pulling away from him, she vowed, "I am not giving up on you, even if you've given up on yourself." As she was exiting the house, she added, "And I'm coming back -- soon."
Rafe ran into Marlena at the Brady Pub and offered to buy her a fresh cup of coffee. She declined, admitting that she had already had more than enough for one day. "I'm just -- I guess I'm avoiding going home," she explained. He guessed that she was missing John. "I heard he's not coming back for a while," he continued. Nodding, she reported that the ISA had only been willing to tell her that John was doing a job in Thailand. "You okay with that?" he wondered. "It's his job," she replied with a shrug.
Changing the subject, Rafe informed Marlena that Hope had told him about everything Eric had done to help her. Rafe wanted to thank Eric in person, but Marlena apologetically explained that Eric wasn't accepting visitors at that time. Rafe wondered if there was anything Marlena could do to change Eric's mind. Marlena reported that she had sent Jennifer to talk to Eric. "If that doesn't encourage him to come home, I'm not sure what will," she added with a sigh. Rafe said he was sorry that Eric had been through so many tough times over the past few years. Marlena appreciated that but warmly advised that Rafe needed to focus on his own life -- with Hope.
While Nicole was clearing out her office at Basic Black, she received a phone call from Brady, who asked her to meet him in the town square as soon as possible. After ending the call, she finished packing the last of her things in a box and started to carry it out of the office. Deimos appeared and blocked her path, insisting that he wasn't going to let her walk out of his life.
Deimos conceded that it had been foolish of him to try to bribe a judge. He promised, however, that he could still help Nicole regain custody of Holly. Nicole refused the offer, maintaining that she no longer wanted to have anything to do with him. "Nicole, stop! You know how much I love you!" he protested. "Really? You're so full of love that you lied to my face?" she countered, reminding him that he had sworn to her, after attempting to kill Dario and Andre, that he would never resort to violence again -- but he had conveniently left out the fact that he had already taken Chad and Gabi hostage at that time. "You will never, ever change!" she concluded.
Deimos tried to defend his actions, explaining that he had done what he'd had to do to protect his family -- a trait Nicole had once found admirable. "[That was] before I knew I had a baby of my own and a chance to have a family [of my own]. But that's gone now, Deimos, because of you!" she spat. He reminded her that he was the one who had figured out the truth about Holly, but she countered that he was also the reason Chloe had kept the truth about Holly from her in the first place. He complained that she was letting Chloe get between them. "What's come between us is you," she stressed.
Nicole continued, "You know what? I really like a guy who knows how to play dirty. I mean, I fell in love with E.J. DiMera, for God's sake! But when I found out you put two innocent people -- two people with small children -- in a meat locker, I said to myself, 'Girlfriend, it is time to draw the line!' I was done! I was done!" Deimos grabbed Nicole and insisted that she wouldn't be able to walk away from him because he was in her blood.
"I did love you...and I liked that you had a dark side. But now it just scares me -- and, worse, it just creeps me out. So, please, just let me go," Nicole tearfully replied. Deimos vowed that he would never let Nicole go. "You don't have a choice!" she insisted, pushing him away. She grabbed her things and started to leave, adding, "And if I wasn't clear before, I quit!"
After leaving Basic Black, Nicole joined Brady in the town square and apologized for keeping him waiting. He was sorry to hear about what had happened at Basic Black -- and even sorrier that he was about to make her day a lot worse. He revealed that Chloe was planning to move to New York with Holly later that night. Nicole was stunned at first, but she soon decided that she would simply follow Chloe and Holly to New York, since she needed a new job and had nothing keeping her in Salem, anyway. "You're willing to do that?" he asked incredulously. "Wouldn't you follow Tate to the ends of the earth?" she countered.
Brady tried to advise Nicole to give Chloe a bit of space. "And let her and Nancy the Clown raise my daughter while I'm a thousand miles away? No. That's not how I roll, and you know it," she countered, reminding him that it was in her nature to be proactive. Conceding the point, he gave her a hug and assured her that she didn't deserve what Chloe was doing to her. "I hope I don't," she replied.
Deimos went to the Salem Inn to tell Chloe that Nicole had dumped him. "Which means you can stop playing this game and give her [back] her daughter," he added. "And once I do that, you'll work on her and get her to forgive you," she guessed. She insisted that from that point forward, Holly would be her daughter, and Nicole would never get the child back. "Yeah, that's what you think, you crazy bitch," he grumbled after she slammed the door in his face.
Later, Deimos summoned Brady to the Kiriakis mansion. When Brady arrived, Deimos revealed, "I want your help getting Nicole back." Scoffing, Brady insisted that Deimos had blown his chance with Nicole and had no one but himself to blame. "You're in love with her, aren't you?" Deimos guessed.
Nicole went to the Salem Inn to let Chloe know that she had ended things with Deimos. "He said the same thing when he was here," Chloe reported. She guessed that Nicole had sent Deimos to see her, but Nicole insisted that wasn't true. Changing the subject, Nicole revealed that she planned to follow Chloe and Holly to New York. "Nicole, um, I'm sorry, but that's not gonna be possible," Chloe insisted, handing Nicole a restraining order.
Stunned, Nicole told Chloe, "You are off your rocker!" Chloe disagreed, insisting that she was thinking clearly for the first time in her life. Chloe's voice wavered as she tearfully continued, "And you need to read that paper carefully, because it says that you are not allowed to call me, or write to me, or come within a hundred feet of me and Holly. So, after tonight, you're never gonna see us again." Nicole broke down as she absorbed the news.
Hope went to Rafe's house to meet up with him for a date. After a tender kiss hello, Hope suggested a new Italian restaurant for dinner. Rate countered with an offer to make dinner at home. Rafe and Hope started cooking dinner, and Rafe seductively wrapped his arms around Hope to help her knead the dough for their pasta. After a little flirting, the two had a flour fight then kissed.
Now fully a mess, Rafe drew Hope a bath, poured her some wine, and massaged her shoulders while she soaked in the tub. Raising an inviting eyebrow, Hope encouraged Rafe to join her in the bath. Rafe smiled, and Hope pulled him into the water with her. After making out in the tub, the two retired to the bedroom and made love. Hope thanked Rafe for keeping his promise to not give up on her. With a kiss on Hope's forehead, Rafe promised he would never give up on her.
At the hospital, Steve surprised Kayla with a flower. When Steve waggled an eyebrow at Kayla and asked her to join him in a quiet corner of the hospital for some loving, a giggling Kayla declined, noting that she had too much work to do. Steve and Kayla made plans to meet later.
After Steve left, Kayla went into a room to check on a patient. Kayla was surprised to find Jade's father, Hal Michaels, there. Hal insisted on checking himself out of the hospital, but Kayla refused. Kayla told Hal that he was suffering from a serious condition.
In the loft, Jade was bored of studying, and she asked Joey to take her out for a drink. Joey reminded Jade that his parents were paying their rent so that they could spend their time studying. With a groan, Jade fell back onto the couch. Jade's phone rang. Seeing Kayla on the caller ID, a curious Jade answered the call on speakerphone. Kayla urged Jade to meet her at the hospital because Hal had been admitted.
When Jade arrived at the hospital with Joey, Kayla informed them that Hal had developed cirrhosis of the liver and needed a transplant. Jade asked about her mother, but Kayla noted that Jade's mother had left Hal, and their son was out of the country. As Jade stared dumbfounded, Kayla gently broke the news to Jade that she was the only family that Hal had left. Jade asked Joey for guidance. When Joey nodded at Jade in support, she took a deep breath and entered Hal's hospital room.
Hal explained to Jade that his best chance for a transplant was to find a match with a relative. As Jade stared at her father, Hal asked Jade to get tested and see if she was a match for a transplant. Furious, Jade announced she would not help Hal after what he had done to her, and she marched out of the room. Joey ran after Jade and caught up with her at the nurses' station.
Jade asked Kayla about the procedure, and Kayla told Jade what she could expect if she agreed to get tested. Confused, Jade looked at Joey. Joey reminded Jade that Hal was still her father. When Jade asked Kayla what she should do, Kayla said that Jade would need to make the decision herself. With a nod, Jade agreed to get tested.
After getting tested in the lab, Jade returned to her father's room. A grumpy Hal theorized aloud that Kayla had convinced Jade not to get tested. Defiantly raising her jaw, Jade told Hal that he did not know her very well if he thought anyone could talk her into anything she did not want to do. Jade told Hal that she had agreed to do the test and would donate a piece of her liver if she was a match. As Hal started to thank his daughter, Jade walked out. "You are the best daughter a guy could ever have," Hal finished meekly.
At Club TBD, Sonny met with Victor to talk about Deimos. Victor was dismayed to see the bruises on his grandson's face. Angry, Sonny pointed out that anyone would have expected blowback from a kidnapping, but Deimos had taken Chad and Gabi hostage anyway. Sonny argued that Deimos should no longer run Titan, and he pitched himself as the new head of the company. Victor disagreed.
Changing tactics, Sonny asked if Victor would agree to let Sonny run the company if Deimos screwed up again. Victor nodded yes. Sonny asked for Victor to put the promise in writing. When Victor asked about Justin and Brady, Sonny argued that neither of them was interested in the job. Sonny said that he was frustrated to be so powerless at Titan. Victor agreed to Sonny's request to put the offer in writing.
In the Kiriakis living room, Deimos demanded that Brady tell him whether or not he was in love with Nicole. Brady stressed that he was only friends with Nicole. Jealous, Deimos pointed out that Brady was constantly comforting Nicole. With a sigh, Brady retorted that he would not need to comfort Nicole if Deimos stopped making her miserable. Brady blamed Deimos for destroying Nicole's life and argued that Deimos could not fix things this time. Leaning in close to Deimos, Brady said that Nicole was better off without him then he left.
As Deimos paced the living room, Sonny marched in and confronted him about the kidnappings. Deimos argued that he had caught Chad and Gabi in the house, stealing the Orwell device. Furious, Sonny countered that Deimos had risked the whole company for nothing. Sonny sneered that Deimos was not fit to run Titan. With a shrug, Deimos said he did not care about Sonny's opinion, and Sonny was free to leave the company. Sonny reminded Deimos that he had more experience running Titan than Deimos did. Frustrated, Sonny left.
In the park, Sonny met up with Paul and Steve. Sonny asked the men to monitor Deimos and alert him to any wrongdoing. "That man will pay for his sins," Sonny growled. Steve readily agreed to the work then left to meet Kayla. Paul and Sonny sat on the bench to talk. Paul gave Sonny a book of poetry from a Spanish author as a get-well gift. With a grin, Paul leaned over and kissed Sonny. Paul warned Sonny not to make an enemy of Deimos, but Sonny stated that he needed to take control of Titan from Deimos.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor returned home to warn Deimos that Sonny was angry. Deimos was unconcerned. Deimos explained that Nicole was his priority. Unsure, Victor asked Deimos if Nicole was worth the effort. Deimos argued that he loved Nicole and that she might be his last chance at love. Narrowing his eyes, Deimos said that the only way to win back Nicole was to secure the return of Holly from Chloe. "She will never see me coming," Deimos growled.
At the Salem Inn, a shocked Nicole stared at the restraining order that Chloe had handed her. Nicole was devastated that Chloe felt she needed to protect Holly from her mother. Chloe argued that Nicole was unstable and violent and would return to Deimos in the end. A tearful Nicole argued that she had ended her relationship with Deimos permanently. Unswayed, Chloe asked Nicole to leave and not bother saying goodbye to Holly. As Nicole stared in shock, she started to sob and asked Chloe how she could be so cruel.
Chloe asked Nicole to stop crying. Chloe added that she did not want to hurt Nicole but that Nicole was to blame for the loss because of her connection to Deimos. Nicole pleaded with Chloe to believe her that Deimos was no longer in her life. Chloe said she did not trust Nicole. In tears, Nicole begged Chloe to reconsider because she knew that Chloe loved her because she had been willing to act as a surrogate.
"I wanted a life. A life that came from Daniel and me. And you gave it to me. You gave me everything, Chloe. And you took it away. Do you understand how wrong that is? You gave me everything and then take it away? You took my child away because you decided I might go back to someone that I said I never wanted to see again. Do you understand how cruel that is? Why? Why are you doing this to me? Why are you taking away all my happiness? Please. Please, I'm begging you from one mother to another, please, give me back my baby, please," an emotional Nicole pleaded.
Both Chloe and Nicole cried then wiped their tears away. Chloe reiterated her decision to move to New York and enforce the restraining order. Devastated, Nicole glanced across the room at her sleeping baby. Nicole slowly stumbled out of the room, and Chloe closed the door in her tear-riddled face. In the hallway, Nicole's sobs stopped, and she walked away as if in shock.
In the square, Brady saw Nicole's pale face, and he rushed to her side. Nicole told Brady about her visit with Chloe and the restraining order. Brady reminded Nicole that she would never be alone because she had him. Brady counseled Nicole to live day by day and wait for Chloe to realize that Holly needed to be with Nicole. Shaking her head no, Nicole said she did not believe that Chloe would change her mind. Brady told Nicole that soon, she would be a great mom. With a tired smile, Nicole asked Brady why he was such a good friend to her. Brady said that he would always be Nicole's friend.
Chad ran into Dario in the Horton Town Square and took the opportunity to thank him for the part he had played in preventing the kidnapping ordeal from ending in tragedy. Chad was also quick to try proposing a truce between DiMera Enterprises and GDR Corp, but Dario thought it was naïve of Chad to believe that such a thing could ever be possible. Dario insisted that because GDR Corp, DiMera Enterprises, and Titan were direct competitors, the Hernandez, DiMera, and Kiriakis families would always be in separate corners. "Truer words were never spoken," Deimos agreed, making his presence known.
Dario lunged toward Deimos, threatening to tear him apart as payback for what he had done to Gabi, but Chad intervened. Unfazed, Deimos thoughtfully mused that he had somehow forgotten to devise a plan to make the Hernandez and DiMera families pay for what had been done to Sonny. Shrugging, Deimos assured Dario and Chad, "Eh, don't worry -- I'll come up with something."
After Deimos walked away, Dario told Chad, "We could kill him. One shot, [and] our problems [would be] gone forever." Chad argued that killing Deimos would only cause a new set of problems. Chad also stressed that he didn't want to give the Kiriakis clan even more reasons to go after his family or Gabi. Dario questioned Chad's concern for Gabi, suggesting that he might be leading her on. "I would hate for you to hurt her -- or Abigail, for that matter," Dario continued. Chad insisted that Gabi was just a friend. "[And] since when did you start worrying so much about my wife?" Chad curiously added.
Dario explained that going through the kidnapping ordeal with Abigail had given him a better understanding of just how much she loved Chad. "I would hate to see her get hurt, so if you have any feelings towards my sister --" Dario began to add. Chad interrupted, insisting, "You know what? Yeah, I do care about Gabi; I care about her like I care about all of my friends. But Abigail is my wife. [And] I sure as hell don't need to sit here and explain myself to you." Chad stormed off without waiting for a response.
Abigail summoned Gabi to Club TBD so they could discuss what had happened in the meat locker. "Look, I -- I don't know what Chad told you, but --" Gabi began. Abigail interrupted, revealing with a matter-of-fact shrug, "He told me the truth -- that you guys kissed." Gabi started to remind Abigail that hypothermia could cause confusion, but Abigail interrupted, assuring Gabi that she wasn't upset; in fact, she was glad that Chad hadn't gone through the kidnapping ordeal alone because he could have died if he hadn't had someone with him in the meat locker to help him retain body heat.
Gabi stressed that she respected Abigail's marriage to Chad and would never intentionally stand in the way of the couple's happiness. Abigail assured Gabi that she knew that. Abigail then changed the subject, revealing that she had signed herself and Gabi up for belly-dancing classes because she thought it looked like something fun that they could do together. Gabi was skeptical, but Abigail eventually managed to talk her into the idea.
After sharing a meal and a few drinks with Abigail, Gabi returned to the Hernandez house and retrieved a pint of ice cream from the freezer. Dario arrived a short time later and found Gabi sitting alone at the kitchen table, eating the ice cream straight out of the container. He immediately guessed that something was bothering her, and her chosen flavor of ice cream -- rocky road -- only served to reinforce his deduction.
"This wouldn't happen to be about Chad, would it?" Dario asked. Sighing, Gabi replied, "It's stupid, right? I mean, he's married to Abigail, [and] he loves her. I want them to be happy -- I do -- but..." Dario nodded sympathetically, concluding that Gabi was in love with Chad. "I totally get it," he said as he grabbed a spoon and took the container of ice cream away from her.
Realizing that Dario was dealing with his own case of unrequited love, Gabi curiously probed for more details. Dario tried to claim that he had been talking about someone he'd had a crush on in middle school, but when he failed to fool Gabi with that story, he reluctantly admitted that he had actually been talking about Abigail. "Look, don't go running your mouth, okay, [Gabi]? But like I said, I get it, all right? It totally sucks when you have feelings for someone, and they don't feel the same way," he continued, sighing as he dug another spoonful of ice cream out of the container.
At the DiMera mansion, Abigail entered the living room in time to overhear the end of a heated phone conversation Chad was having with someone. When she wondered what was wrong, he explained that his publicist had just quit. "According to him, the DiMera name is too tarnished to rehabilitate," he continued, handing over his tablet computer so she could see what had caused the publicist's concern -- a series of negative stories that popped up on the front page of every search engine when his surname was entered.
Abigail assured Chad that she could fix the problem, explaining, "There's a web company that specializes in keeping bad press from showing up on Internet search engines, and, um, you know, I kind of worked with them when I was doing the P.R. thing." She added that he needed positive stories to counteract the negative ones -- and she could help with that, too. She contacted a friend who worked at the Chicago Tribune and quickly arranged for an article to be written about the charitable foundation Chad had created in her name the previous year. Impressed, he wondered if she would like a full-time gig as his new publicist.
Jennifer went to see Eric again, armed with a written job offer she hoped would convince him to return to Salem. He maintained that he would never do that -- not even for a job counseling people at the Horton Center. She protested, "What are you gonna gain by isolating yourself out here [and] wallowing in pain and guilt? You think that's what Daniel would want? You think that he would want you to act all cowardly? I'm sorry, but that is the only word for this. But that's the point -- you're not a coward. You are so kind, and brave, and strong, and you have this incredible opportunity now to help other people -- and in turn, Eric, it's gonna help you."
Eric conceded that he deserved to be called cowardly. He tearfully insisted that he could never face Nicole again, but Jennifer argued, "You can. You can face her with dignity and with courage. You have to forgive yourself. You can't let other people's feelings dictate how you feel. You're the one who taught me that. [And] if you want to make peace with your family -- and with Daniel's family -- then you have to stop this sadness and this self-loathing, and you have to do something to make a difference." After a moment of hesitation, he nodded and promised to at least give the job offer some thought.
After Jennifer left, Eric finished writing a letter he had started earlier that day. He signed it and tucked it in an envelope that was addressed to Nicole -- then opened the hinged lid of a small wooden box and added it to a stack of identical letters he had never mailed.
As Brady was passing through Horton Town Square with Nicole, he tried to suggest activities they could do together that night, hoping to keep her distracted for a while. She appreciated the gesture but wasn't in the mood to do anything. He urged her to stay positive, pointing out that the custody battle wasn't over for good yet. She countered that it was highly unlikely that any judge would ever rule in her favor. He hugged her tightly as she fretted about all the special moments in Holly's life that she was going to miss out on.
Knowing that Nicole was going to hear the news sooner or later, Brady hesitantly revealed that Eric had been paroled. "He was released from prison? How is that even possible? He should be in there for life! He killed a man! He took Daniel away from me! He took everything away from me!" Nicole protested. Brady reminded her that Daniel's death had been an accident. "I know you've been through hell since it happened, but Eric has, too," he added.
Nicole angrily countered, "Eric should go through hell for the rest of his life! Eric drank himself into a stupor, and he got behind the wheel of a lethal weapon! He was bombed when his foot hit that gas pedal, and he didn't even care if anyone might have gotten hurt or killed, and you think that's forgivable? Really?" Brady conceded that Eric had used horrible judgment that had resulted in a tragic accident; he added, however, that he didn't think Eric deserved to suffer forever for what had happened.
Nicole argued, "Because of Eric's 'horrible' decisions, Daniel is gone, robbed of so many years of joy -- and [furthermore], if Daniel were still here, I would have a husband and a daughter instead of this wrecked life [and] a broken heart that is never gonna heal. And that is why I pray -- I pray to God that I never have to see Eric's face again." Brady reported that Eric was living alone on a farm near Statesville and had no intention of returning to Salem. "Good. Sounds like purgatory. I hope he stays there," Nicole spat. Brady predicted that Nicole wouldn't feel that way forever -- and might even forgive Eric eventually.
Nicole forced a smile and requested a new topic of conversation. Nodding, Brady spontaneously suggested that she could join him for dinner at the Brady Pub later that night. She accepted the offer, and they quickly settled on a time to meet at the pub. Before they parted ways, she gave him a hug and thanked him for always being such a good friend to her. He dismissed the praise, pointing out that she was always a good friend to him, too.
Anne went to the Salem Inn to say goodbye to Chloe, having heard about her planned move to New York. "Boy, I'll tell you, you lucked out, huh? With that judge giving you custody over Nicole Walker? I mean, it's kind of crazy when you think about it, right?" Anne mused as she took a peek at Holly, who was sleeping in her crib. Confused, Chloe wondered why Anne thought it was crazy that the judge had chosen her to be Holly's mother instead of Nicole. "[Because], Chloe, you're not her mother. Nicole is," Anne pointed out.
Chloe started to ask Anne to leave, assuming that yet another person was about to criticize her for taking Holly away from Nicole, but Anne clarified that she couldn't care less about Nicole and had simply been making conversation. Anne admitted, however, that there was an ulterior motive for visiting Chloe. She explained that she wanted to do something nice for Lucas to repay him for everything he had done to help her land a job at the Spectator, and she needed ideas from someone who knew things like his favorite sports team, his favorite movie, and whether he wore boxers or briefs.
"You want to buy him underwear?" Chloe asked with obvious confusion. Scoffing, Anne protested, "No! Cut it out!" However, after a brief pause, she admitted, "I mean, I'm a little curious, though, about the underwear." Chloe teasingly concluded that Anne "had the hots for" Lucas. Anne stammered as she tried to deny the accusation, but she eventually gave up, conceding, "Good lord, I'm so hot for him."
Laughing, Chloe admitted that she probably wasn't the best person to ask for advice about Lucas' interests, since her relationship with him hadn't exactly ended on a high note. "Well, yeah, sure, 'cause you cheated on him, right?" Anne helpfully concluded. Chloe shook her head in disbelief, observing that Anne obviously didn't have any sort of filter. Anne apologetically explained that she had a tendency to blurt out things when distracted with thoughts of Lucas. Chloe forgave Anne's bluntness and advised her to buy Lucas a box of oatmeal raisin cookies from his favorite bakery near the pier.
Anne thanked Chloe for the help then tried to revisit the earlier conversation about Lucas' preferred type of underwear. Chloe reminded Anne that Lucas was engaged to her boss. "I know that, but whatever; it's not like they're married or anything. I mean, I just -- I want to [do] something nice for a guy who is nice to me. You know the last time a guy who wasn't a total loser did something nice for me? You know, it was, like, the fifth of never," Anne explained. Chloe conceded that it was kind of sweet that Anne wanted to do something nice for Lucas; she warned, however, that Anne could end up getting hurt if she tried to push things with him.
After leaving the Salem Inn, Anne contacted Lucas and asked him to meet her at Club TBD. She sprayed perfume on herself before entering the club then joined him at his table and began awkwardly flirting with him while explaining that she had arranged the meeting so she could thank him for helping her get a job at the Spectator. She handed over a package of oatmeal raisin cookies as a token of her gratitude and feigned shock when he revealed that they were his favorite kind. Claiming that they were her favorite kind, too, she curiously wondered how many other things they had in common.
Lucas informed Anne that he was into extreme sports like bungee jumping, snowboarding, and skydiving. She claimed that she loved skydiving, prompting him to wonder how many dives she had under her belt. Stammering, she admitted, "Okay, none, but not -- but not because I -- not because I never wanted to. I want to -- I want to -- I want to dive; I just -- I haven't had the chance." She started dropping hints that she would only go skydiving if someone went with her, and when he took the bait and offered to take her sometime, she quickly accepted. She then left her chair, slid onto his lap, and gave him a kiss.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lucas asked as he pushed Anne away. She apologized and shoved herself back off his lap, hurting him in the process. As she returned to her chair, she explained that imagining her body strapped against his during a dive had caused her to get a bit carried away. Chuckling awkwardly, she conceded that she had probably been reading too many romance novels lately.
Lucas hoped he hadn't sent Anne the wrong signals. She dismissed the concern, assuring him that she knew he was in love with Adrienne. Satisfied, he went to the bar to get a refill. Once the coast was clear, she sighed and muttered to herself, "Great job. Real smooth, Anne. That boy is not ready for you -- not yet, anyway."
At the Kiriakis mansion, Deimos informed Brady that he was going out of town for a few days to take care of some business matters. After Brady headed off to the Brady Pub to have dinner with Nicole, Deimos contacted someone and instructed the person to proceed with the plan to kidnap Holly. Meanwhile, someone sneaked into Chloe's hotel room, grabbed Chloe from behind, and knocked her out using a cloth doused with chloroform.
"My sweet darling baby. Mommy will never let us be apart again," Nicole promised as she rushed off with Holly.
At the DiMera mansion, Chad was in the living room, thinking about the time he had spent with Gabi in the meat locker, when Abigail joined him on the couch and reported that Thomas was asleep. She could tell that something was distracting Chad, and because his closed laptop was on the coffee table, she assumed that it was somehow connected. He allowed her to open it, admitting that he had been tracking Deimos' holdings earlier. "He thinks he won the war between the families, so I'm trying to strike back before he makes his next move," he explained.
Abigail complained that she was sick of the war, which could claim Thomas as its next victim at any moment. Chad insisted that nothing was going to happen to Thomas, but Abigail argued that Chad couldn't guarantee that. "Did you forget what we just went through? Because it feels like you're just trying to start this whole thing up again," she continued. "No, I'm trying to be realistic and not forget that I've made an enemy out of Deimos Kiriakis, [who] developed his damn business model in a Greek prison," he clarified.
Abigail wondered if Chad really wanted to sink to Deimos' level. Chad insisted that he wasn't trying to best Deimos; he was simply anticipating a retaliation and looking for a way to disarm Deimos before it could occur, thereby putting an end to the war for good. "Then you need to find his Achilles' heel," Abigail advised. Chad immediately thought of something that could qualify: Titan's involvement in the trafficking of stolen antiquities, which he had been aware of for years but had never been able to prove.
Abigail mused that Chad could gain a bit of leverage over Deimos if he could find a way to prove Titan's involvement in an illegal activity. Chad explained that Deimos had photographs of antiquities stored in a safe at the Kiriakis mansion that could provide the needed link. Chad hesitantly continued, however, that he hadn't gotten a very good look at the photographs when he had seen the contents of the safe, so he would need to enlist the help of someone who had -- Gabi.
Abigail assured Chad that she didn't have a problem with that. He tried to thank her for being so understanding, but she insisted, "You don't have to thank me. Look, [Gabi's] your friend. [And] my friend. [And] I'm Arianna's godmother. Our lives are very, very much connected, and I'm glad they are." Nevertheless, he felt the need to stress again that he was sorry about what had happened in the meat locker. "Why? I mean, it's not like you guys ran off to a motel or anything," she reasoned with a shrug. She proposed a permanent moratorium on discussions about the meat locker.
Later, while Chad was preparing a bowl of popcorn in the kitchen, Abigail began jotting down notes on a piece of paper. When he rejoined her in the living room with their snack and wondered what she was working on, she explained that she was brainstorming more ways to give the DiMera name positive press. He agreed, at her suggestion, to donate books to a book drive that was being held in the town square the following day.
Changing the subject, Abigail thanked Chad for being honest with her about everything, including Gabi, and trusting that she was strong enough to handle discussions about uncomfortable topics. She mused that a lot of guys would probably try to avoid such conversations, prompting him to stress, with mock machismo, that he wasn't most guys; he was her husband, and he loved her. Chuckling, she reached for the bowl of popcorn and wondered which movie he wanted to watch. He suggestively replied that he had decided there were more important things they could spend their time doing.
At the Horton Town Square, Gabi watched from afar as J.J. and Lani engaged in a flirtatious arm-wrestling match as a follow-up to their earlier Skee-Ball competition. After besting J.J., Lani stepped aside to take a phone call. Meanwhile, J.J. spotted Gabi, who forced a smile as she observed that it seemed like he was having a good time on his date. He confirmed that he was.
Changing the subject, J.J. asked if Gabi had fully recovered from the aftereffects of hypothermia yet. She assured him that she was fine. He bluntly admitted that he thought she was a fool for refusing to expose Deimos as her kidnapper. She claimed that she didn't know what he was talking about. Unconvinced, he wondered what was going to stop Deimos from going after her again at some point.
"Look, J.J., I think you need to stop worrying about me, okay? We both have moved on," Gabi replied. When J.J. observed that the hypothermia had apparently left her a bit chilly, she admitted that it was hard for her to accept the fact that he was dating Lani, of all people. "Why do you even care?" he asked. She explained that she simply thought things were moving pretty fast, especially since he had once told her that Lani meant nothing to him. "She didn't mean anything to me -- at the time," he replied with a shrug.
Gabi bitterly wondered if J.J.'s feelings for Lani had changed before or after their one-night stand. Confused, J.J. asked, "Why the hell are we even talking about this? As you pointed out, we've both moved on." Conceding the point, Gabi claimed that she was happy for J.J. and Lani. "[She] seems like a wonderful person...even if you both were wasted when you hit the sheets together," Gabi continued.
J.J. shook his head and tiredly asked Gabi to stop the wisecracks. She apologized, admitting that she was still a bit angry about his one-night stand with Lani. "But like you said, it's all in the past. I'm really happy for you, J.J.," she repeated with a forced smile. As Lani ended her phone call, J.J. curiously wondered if Gabi's claim that she had moved on meant that she was seeing someone. She insisted that was none of his business.
"Really? So you can cross-examine me about Lani and jump to conclusions about her and me, but I don't even get to ask you if you're seeing someone?" J.J. asked incredulously. "Yeah, you don't," Gabi curtly replied. He argued that it was only fair for him to get a chance to tell her how he felt about the matter, whether she wanted to hear his feedback or not, since he'd had to listen to her opinions about his love life.
Sighing, Gabi impatiently encouraged J.J. to share his thoughts. "If [the person you've moved on with] is my sister's husband --" he began. She quickly interrupted, reminding him that they'd already had a conversation about that. He assured her that he remembered. "So...what, you think I'm lying?" she asked defensively. "No, I don't think you're lying. It's just, I think --" he tried to clarify. She interrupted him again, insisting, "I just don't care what you think anymore, okay?" Lani, who had been listening to the conversation from afar, watched as Gabi stormed off without giving J.J. a chance to respond.
Sonny entered the Brady Pub and approached Brady, who was waiting for Nicole to show up. "I could really use your help," Sonny admitted, revealing that he was planning to fight Deimos for control of Titan. Brady warned Sonny to be careful, pointing out that Deimos could be just as ruthless when dealing with family members as he was when dealing with enemies. "You're making my argument for me, Brady. I cannot stand by and watch as Deimos destroys this family [and] destroys Titan," Sonny insisted.
Sonny continued, "And I'm not naïve. I know that Uncle Vic wasn't an altar boy, but he didn't issue death threats, kidnap, and poison people." Brady clarified that Victor had, in fact, been willing to resort to those same underhanded tactics at one point. Sonny countered that his concerns about Deimos would extend to Victor if Victor were still doing such things -- but he wasn't, and things that had happened in the distant past weren't relevant to the matter at hand.
"I do not want my last name synonymous with moral corruption. I mean, do you really want Tate growing up in a family that's headed by a well-dressed, well-spoken animal?" Sonny continued. Ignoring the question, Brady wondered if Sonny had shared his concerns with Victor yet. "He's not ready to do anything," Sonny dismissively replied. "But you are?" Brady asked skeptically.
Sonny explained that it had already been established that he would be next in line to run Titan. "[And] I am not waiting for Deimos to step down. I want this now!" Sonny stressed. He was quick to add, however, that he wasn't trying to shove Brady out of the way. Brady said he understood and was actually in agreement with Sonny about Deimos being out of control. "[But] what you're suggesting is an all-out mutiny," Brady continued, pointing out that Victor had put Deimos in charge of Titan and wouldn't take kindly to Sonny challenging that decision. "I know. But this needs to be done," Sonny maintained.
Sonny wondered if he could count on Brady's support. "I need to think about it, Sonny, all right?" Brady replied. "Well, you need to think fast," Sonny insisted, but Brady wasn't listening, having turned his attention to his cell phone. He abruptly excused himself, explaining that it had been an hour since he had last heard from Nicole. He guessed that she had gone to see Chloe. "And that's not good," he fretted before rushing off.
Later, Paul entered the pub and quickly realized that Sonny was in a bad mood. Sonny explained that he had just finished talking to Brady about taking down Deimos. "He said he has to think about it. I mean, what's there to think about? The man's gotta go!" Sonny insisted. Paul guessed that Brady simply wanted to weigh the risks before agreeing to anything, since it was dangerous to lock horns with Deimos.
"Do I need to remind you again [about] the things that this man has done?" Sonny asked defensively. Paul agreed that Deimos needed to be dealt with; he added, however, that he was concerned about how Sonny was planning to handle the task. Paul started to launch into a story about an opponent he had clashed with during his baseball career, but Sonny quickly interrupted, insisting that he wasn't in the mood for one of Paul's baseball analogies. "This isn't about baseball; this is about you," Paul clarified before continuing that Sonny had advised him to stay calm when facing the opponent on the baseball field because lashing out at him and getting thrown out of the game wouldn't solve anything. "I think you should take your own advice," Paul suggested.
"Okay, I agree -- a pitcher throwing a fastball at your head is the same as Deimos kidnapping two people and putting them in a meat locker. So you know what I'm gonna do, Paul? I am gonna stay calm, and I'm gonna put Deimos away with four pitches. Thank you for the advice," Sonny sarcastically replied. Paul maintained that Sonny and Deimos weren't evenly matched. Offended, Sonny thanked Paul for the vote of confidence.
Paul clarified, "I'm just saying that [Deimos is] amoral, he's ruthless, he's cruel, he's violent, [and] you are none of those things, which puts you at a complete disadvantage when dealing with that monster. The second he finds out what you are up to, he's going to come at you, and it's not gonna mean a damn thing that you're family." Sonny wondered why that was Paul's business. Paul explained that he cared about Sonny and didn't want to see Sonny get hurt. Sonny dismissively insisted that he was going to be fine.
Later, after Paul left, Gabi entered the pub and greeted Sonny. He gave her a hug and asked her, "Don't you just hate being kidnapped?" Chuckling, she complained that she hated being caught in the middle of a family war. "I am sick and tired of standing on the sidelines, holding my breath and begging these grownups to play nice," he agreed. She argued that Andre, Deimos, and Dario didn't really qualify as grownups. "Maybe they shouldn't be calling the shots," he suggested. She curiously wondered what he was considering doing. "Whatever it takes to end this war for good," he replied.
Gabi warned that Sonny might be taking on more than he could handle. Annoyed, he countered, "I love how everyone has so much faith in me. Everyone thinks that I should...what, just sit back with my hands folded? Am I too nice of a guy to fight back?" She stressed that he was a nice guy -- and she loved that about him.
Sonny abruptly changed the subject, insisting that he didn't want to talk about himself anymore; instead, he wanted to talk to Gabi about what had happened with Chad in the meat locker. He explained that he had heard that the pair had been found in each other's arms without any clothes on. "Almost frozen to death. Unconscious," Gabi added defensively. He clarified that he hadn't been trying to accuse her of anything; he was simply concerned because he wanted things to work out between Chad and Abigail.
"Okay, Sonny, let me remind you that Chad and I were victims," Gabi stressed. Sonny apologized, conceding that he shouldn't have even started the conversation in the first place. "But I'm not only worried about Abigail; I'm worried about you, too. I don't want you to get hurt," he continued. "Yeah, well, maybe it's a little too late for that," she replied with a shrug.
As Paul was passing through the town square, he spotted J.J. and Lani. He spontaneously decided to tell J.J. about Sonny's plan to take Deimos down. "I tried talking him out of it, but I got nowhere. Maybe you can try?" Paul suggested. "Let me see what I can do," J.J. replied with a nod.
After Paul left, J.J. informed Lani, who had won their earlier arm-wrestling match, that he wanted a rematch before she left for Miami. She assured him that there would be plenty of time for a rematch because she had decided to accept Roman's job offer. She explained that she had realized there were many good reasons to stay in Salem. "Many good reasons. I mean, your dad, your brother, the amazing free coffee at the station..." J.J. agreed. "All of those...and more," she replied before giving him a kiss.
Deimos found Chloe passed out in her hotel room and quickly deduced that Nicole had taken Holly. He tried to contact Nicole, but his call went straight to voicemail. Brady soon arrived and concluded that Deimos had kidnapped Holly. Deimos tried to play along, but when one of his goons entered the hotel room and informed him that a car was waiting outside to whisk him away as soon as he grabbed the baby, Brady realized that Nicole was the real kidnapper. Before Brady could demand an explanation, Chloe began to regain consciousness. Brady chased Deimos off, insisting that Chloe couldn't know he was involved.
Shortly after Deimos left the hotel room, Chloe awoke and realized that Holly was gone. She guessed that Nicole had taken Holly, and she assumed that Deimos had probably helped with the kidnapping. She started to contact the police, but Brady stopped her, reasoning that she needed to let him handle the matter because Deimos had the means to make Holly disappear forever, and he could do just that if he learned that the police had been alerted of the kidnapping. Conceding the point, Chloe claimed that she wouldn't get the police involved, but as soon as Brady left the hotel room, she dialed 9-1-1.
J.J. and Lani arrived a short time later and quickly determined, with the help of surveillance footage, that Nicole was indeed the person who had kidnapped Holly. Meanwhile, at the Kiriakis mansion, Brady realized, after hearing an AMBER Alert, that Chloe had lied about being willing to keep the police in the dark about Holly's kidnapping. Deimos fretted that if the police managed to find and arrest Nicole, she would never see Holly again.
Nicole, who had been hiding out at a hotel in an undisclosed location, rushed off with Holly after hearing the AMBER Alert. She promised the child that they would find another place to hide -- a place where no one would ever find them.
In Horton Square, Gabi met with Kate to talk to her about her idea for a lifestyle consulting business. Kate was impressed by Gabi's plan. When Kate suggested that Chad would be interested in investing, Gabi balked at the offer. Kate advised Gabi not to repress her feelings for Chad because they would never fully go away. Gabi looked over Kate's shoulder at Eduardo and said, "Practice what you preach."
Gabi thanked Kate for her advice and left. While Kate shifted nervously in her chair, Eduardo sat down in Gabi's vacated seat. Eduardo told Kate that he regretted doing things to hurt her trust. Eduardo added that his actions with the Orwell were not indicative of what it was like to be in a relationship with him. Leaning closer, Eduardo asked Kate to spend the day with him. Kate declined. With a nod, Eduardo told Kate that he would be at Club TBD, and he hoped she would join him later.
In the DiMera living room, Abigail started the first day of her new job at DiMera Enterprises by coordinating financial support for the Horton Center Reading Challenge at the book fair. As Chad thanked Abigail for her work to help rehabilitate the DiMera name, Hope stopped by to say hello. Abigail was thrilled to see Hope and hugged her tightly. Chad asked if Hope was there in an official capacity to question him about the kidnapping.
After noting that she had not been reinstated to the police force yet, Hope told Chad that although she had not murdered Stefano, she deeply regretted shooting him. Chad said he did not want to wallow in the past but instead move on to the future. Pleased, Hope thanked Chad. Changing the subject, Hope warned Abigail and Chad to be careful because she believed the war between the families was heating up. Chad said he had been pushing for peace.
After Hope left, Abigail told Chad that she felt like a part of the DiMera family since she worked for the company. Kate and Andre arrived, and the two grumbled about the fact that Hope had stopped by the mansion. Chad said he forgave Hope for what had happened with Stefano, but Andre continued to mutter to himself in annoyance. Kate argued that Hope should not visit the house because she was both a cop and an attempted murderer.
Narrowing her eyes, Abigail asserted that the house belonged to her and Chad and that they would invite whomever they wanted to visit. Chad added that he was the head of the family. As Andre continued to stew, Chad invited him to move back into the mansion. Overcome with joy, Andre smiled wide and thanked Chad for the offer. Andre excitedly agreed to move in.
Kate asked the group to talk about the focus of their business, and she suggested that they ignore their rivals. Andre disagreed. Chad agreed with Andre and argued that they needed to go after Deimos, since Deimos had already sworn payback. As Andre nodded, Chad stressed that he did not want to do anything violent. Chad suggested that they steal artifacts from the Kiriakis family. Chad explained that he had seen photos of the artifacts in the Kiriakis safe and that he could talk to Gabi to see if they could remember what items were in the pictures.
At the police station, Hope stopped by to deliver coffee and muffins to Rafe. While Hope and Rafe chatted, Roman walked over and informed Hope that she was officially reinstated as a police detective. As Hope celebrated by hugging Roman, Raines interrupted to inform Hope that she would be on desk duty. Hope argued that only the commissioner had the ability to assign her to desk duty.
With a sigh, Roman explained that he was retiring as commissioner. Roman ushered Hope into the interrogation room to talk privately. When Hope asked Roman if he was resigning because of his involvement in the Stefano murder cover-up, Roman explained that was only a small part of it. Roman said that the main reason he wanted to retire was because he had never fully dealt with the emotions of losing his brother, Bo. Roman said he wanted to live life for a while.
At the book fair in the town square, Chad informed Andre that Abigail was the new P.R. director. As Andre congratulated Abigail, Arianna ran up to Chad, screaming out his name with delight. Chad scooped up Arianna into his arms as Gabi raced up behind her daughter. Chad asked Gabi if they could talk. Abigail offered to take Arianna over to the coloring table, and she left with Thomas and Arianna. After Chad gave a look to Andre, Andre slunk away.
Gabi hurriedly attempted to cut Chad off by saying that Abigail had already told her that she knew about their kiss. Chad apologized for not warning Gabi sooner, but he said he wanted to talk about something else. Chad asked Gabi if she remembered the pictures they had found in the Kiriakis safe. With a nod, Gabi said she remembered seeing photos of coins, a horse sculpture, and items with hieroglyphs. Chad reasoned aloud that the photos were likely of items that Deimos had stolen. With a grin, Chad said he wanted to steal something from Deimos. Gabi agreed to help.
After dropping Arianna off at the coloring station, Abigail pushed Thomas' stroller over to her memorial in the park. Andre joined Abigail. With a smile, Andre said how pleased he was to see Abigail reunited with her husband. Andre warned Abigail that she would need to fight for her man. Abigail said she was not worried about Gabi. Chuckling, Andre said it was obvious that Abigail was only pretending to be okay with Gabi talking to Chad alone. Abigail explained that Gabi had promised to step aside and not pursue Chad. Andre was suspicious.
When Abigail and Andre returned to the square, Abigail escorted Arianna back to her mother. Abigail urged Chad to address the crowd. As Chad took the stage, a photographer took pictures. Chad started to talk when Arianna cried out, "Read to me, Chad!" Gabi attempted to quiet her exuberant daughter, but a smiling Chad said he would be happy to do a reading.
Arianna joined Chad on the stage, and she sat on his lap while Gabi stood behind him. As Chad cracked open a book, the photographer took photos of a smiling Chad, Gabi, and Arianna. Across the square, Abigail looked uneasy. Andre whispered in Abigail's ear that she needed to keep Gabi and Chad apart.
At Club TBD, a fidgeting Eduardo repeatedly looked at his phone and then the door to the club. With a sigh, Eduardo stared at his phone as Kate walked in. Kate stared longingly at Eduardo then left. When Eduardo looked up, Kate was already gone.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady left a voicemail on Nicole's phone, pleading for her to call him back. A jealous Deimos overheard and warned Brady to back off. Brady cautioned Deimos not to make the situation worse. Frustrated, Deimos said he would not stand by while Brady acted like a hero to save Nicole. Deimos vowed to either get the police to ease up on Nicole or help Nicole hide somewhere in the world. Brady reminded Deimos that he was the reason that Nicole would likely never see her daughter again. Shaking his head, Deimos swore to rain down fire if he did not win back Nicole.
Worried, Brady went over to the police station to talk to Rafe. Brady swore that he did not know where to find Nicole. Rafe and Brady agreed that they both wanted to find Nicole and convince her to quietly give up the child quickly. When Rafe asked about Deimos, Brady explained that Deimos was in the dark, so it was likely that Nicole was low on resources. Brady promised to call Rafe if he heard from Nicole.
After Brady left, Raines approached Rafe and informed him that he would not work on Holly's kidnapping. When Rafe asked why, Raines noted it was because Rafe was friends with Nicole and could not be trusted after how he had behaved to protect Hope. As Hope joined them in the bullpen, Raines stressed that Rafe would work on a stolen artifacts case, alone. Rafe agreed.
In a dark alley, Nicole met up with an old informant from her days as a journalist. The informant, Russ Cramer, provided Nicole with a key to a motel room to use as a safe house. Grateful, Nicole thanked him for the key and carried baby Holly over to the Dew Drop Inn. Once in the room, Nicole listened to a voicemail from Deimos. Upset, Nicole growled that Deimos was to blame for her losing Holly in court. A fussy Holly wiggled in Nicole's arms. Nicole apologized to Holly for their rough start together. Nicole attempted to feed Holly, but Holly would not accept the bottle.
Out of options, Nicole walked back to the alley so that the call she placed would not be traced to her motel room. Nicole reached Dr. Lee at Salem Hospital, and he asked about Nicole's baby and the surrogate. Dr. Lee said he had spoken to Chloe about lactation medication. Citing a need for discretion, Nicole asked Dr. Lee for advice on how to get Holly to bottle-feed. Dr. Lee said he was happy to help.
After getting advice, Nicole returned to the motel room and fed Holly. As Holly fell asleep, Nicole studied her phone. Nicole glanced across the room at the microwave. With a sigh, Nicole walked over, put her phone in the microwave, and turned it on. After destroying her phone, Nicole curled up for a nap with Holly, but she was awakened by gunfire and breaking glass outside. Nicole pulled Holly closer.
At Salem Hospital, Brady stopped by to talk to Maggie. Neither had any news about Nicole. As Brady noted that Nicole needed to return Holly on her own before someone got hurt, Dr. Lee overheard. Alarmed, Dr. Lee turned away, unsure of what to do.
