Nicole's sentencing hearing begins
While eating breakfast with Steve at the Brady Pub, Kayla revealed that Tripp was going to start shadowing her later that day.
Steve curiously observed that Kayla suddenly seemed concerned about mentoring Tripp. Kayla clarified that she was actually concerned about the fact that Jade was living with Tripp. "You know as well as I do that the only thing Jade wants is to get back with Joey, and she will use Tripp to that end. It scares me to death that she knows that Joey killed Ava," Kayla quietly added.
Not yet convinced that Tripp's friendship with Jade was a bad thing, Steve joked that it felt odd to be the voice of reason for once. Kayla admitted, "I can't be reasonable about this. There is just something about [that] girl..."
Tripp treated Jade to breakfast in the Horton Town Square, insisting that it was the least he could do to repay her for helping him figure out who had really killed his mother. She assured him that she was going to get a job soon so she wouldn't have to mooch off him forever. He stressed that he didn't think of her as a moocher -- and, in any case, he had plenty of money and was happy to share it with a friend.
Jade wondered why Tripp always treated her with such kindness. "For most of my life, I've been kind of...lost. Just trying to figure out where I fit in. And I feel like you and I have that in common," he explained with a shrug. Adding that he simply liked hanging out with her, he continued, "So, I was wondering...I, uh -- I guess this is kind of backward, since we already live together, but...what if you and I went out sometime?"
Taken aback, Jade asked Tripp, "Like...on a date?" He observed with a hint of disappointment that she didn't seem particularly psyched about the idea. "It's just..." she began. "You're still in love with Joey," he guessed.
Nodding, Jade apologized to Tripp then explained, "You said earlier that we've both spent our lives trying to figure out where we fit in. I found where I fit in. When I was with Joey, everything felt right; everything made sense. I can't give that up." Tripp gently pointed out that Joey had repeatedly insisted that he wasn't interested in being with Jade. "[He] doesn't know what he wants. But he'll figure it out," Jade confidently predicted.
Jade was relieved when Tripp assured her that he still wanted to be her friend and roommate, despite the fact that she wasn't interested in dating him. "And if you change your mind, you know where I live," he joked.
Back at the pub, Steve told Kayla that Adrienne was putting on a brave face but was clearly quite concerned about Sonny and the other people who had been aboard the Kiriakis jet when it had vanished. Kayla pointed out that Adrienne also had Sebastian Howard to deal with at the moment. Steve was hopeful that he would soon know more about the mystery mogul, since one of his contacts was working on a promising lead in New York.
After Kayla headed off to the hospital, Steve arranged a meeting with Jade, hoping to get her to understand that Kayla's decision to cut her off hadn't been personal. "The truth is, [Kayla and I simply] thought it would be good for you to have to stand on your own two feet," Steve explained. Forcing a smile, Jade assured Steve that she was already making an effort to do just that, adding that she had every intention of getting a job so she could help Tripp pay for their expenses. Steve took that to mean that Jade and Tripp were getting along with each other. "I'd say so. He asked me out," Jade casually revealed, shocking Steve.
"Don't worry. I have no interest in dating [Tripp]. I still love Joey. I always will," Jade quickly added. Sighing, Steve advised Jade to stop obsessing about Joey and move on with her life, adding that he had seen firsthand just how harmful such obsessions could be. "What are you saying? That I'm like Ava?" Jade asked defensively. Steve assured Jade that he thought of her as a good person. Jade countered that Ava had once been a good person, too. Steve told Jade not to compare herself to other people, but she dismissed the advice and soon made another comparison, arguing, "Joey and I belong together, just like you and Kayla belong together."
Steve gently suggested that Jade wasn't ready for a real relationship yet because she was still a lost soul who was trying to find her place in the world. "What if Joey can help me?" Jade asked. "That's not how it works," Steve insisted. Jade got defensive again when Steve advised her to seek counseling. Steve admitted that he, too, had resisted the idea of counseling for a long time; he added, however, that there was no shame in seeking professional help -- and, in fact, it could make a real difference. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm a survivor. I'll be fine," Jade assured Steve before rushing off, ignoring his attempt to stop her.
At the hospital, Tripp followed Kayla as she checked in on each of her patients -- including Brady, who was eager to be discharged because Eric had informed him earlier that Nicole was still facing charges and was, in fact, planning to plead guilty to them during a sentencing hearing later that day. Kayla apologetically insisted that it was too soon for Brady to be released. Tripp advised Brady to listen to Kayla, who was simply trying to help him avoid a relapse. Nodding, Brady told Tripp, "You know, you're pretty lucky to have found this family."
"Something wrong with yours?" Tripp asked. Chuckling, Brady revealed that he was only in the hospital because one of his cousins had shot and nearly killed him. "I've been around [the Johnsons] for most of my life, and they're always there for each other; they always have each other's backs, no matter what," Brady stressed. "Yeah, I'm, uh -- I'm starting to see that for myself," Tripp replied.
Later, Tripp watched as Kayla entered information into Brady's digital chart using her tablet computer. "You have a lot to keep track of...[and] you have to move fast, too," he observed with interest. Nodding, she admitted that was one of the most difficult parts of her job, adding, "Being a doctor is a tremendous responsibility. People trust you to get things right. Without [that] trust, you have nothing."
Later, Steve delivered a cup of coffee to Kayla and gave her a goodbye kiss, explaining that he was off to New York to hopefully confront Sebastian Howard. Kayla promised to look after Joey and Tripp while Steve was gone, adding that Tripp seemed to be enjoying shadowing her.
Meanwhile, Tripp spotted Jade in the town square, staring wistfully at a picture of Joey that was stored on her cell phone. Tripp masked his disappointment with a cheerful greeting then flashed a wicked grin and told Jade, "I know exactly how to make Kayla pay for killing my mom."
At the police station, Justin assured Nicole that Brady was expected to make a full recovery. Justin soon received a phone call from Brady, who asked to talk to Nicole. Nicole was upset that Eric had told Brady about the sentencing hearing, but Brady insisted that he was strong enough to handle the truth. Sighing, Nicole reluctantly admitted that she was worried about losing her freedom -- and losing Holly and Brady in the process. Brady assured Nicole that everything was going to be okay, believing that she would find a way to beat the charges because she was the toughest woman he knew.
Later, after Justin went to see if the judge was ready to begin the sentencing hearing, Deimos arrived and greeted Nicole, who lashed out at him for all the trouble he had caused. "If I wasn't about to go before a judge, I'd kill you right here and now," Nicole spat. Deimos refused to take responsibility for any of the things that had happened, including the disappearance of the Kiriakis jet, which Justin had told Nicole about earlier. "The truth is, none of this would have happened if you would have just listened to me from the beginning," Deimos reasoned. Scoffing, Nicole insisted that Deimos was insane.
Ignoring the insult, Deimos offered Nicole one last chance to take him back, promising that if she did, he would whisk her and her child away to a safe location so they would never have to spend another day apart. "Get the hell away from me, you sick son of a bitch. I would rather rot in a cell for the rest of my life than spend another minute with you," Nicole insisted.
Deimos predicted that Nicole would start regretting her decision after a few days behind bars. Nicole countered that Deimos would soon be behind bars himself. Deimos dismissively insisted that the police had no evidence against him, and when Nicole accused him of murdering the man who had been planning to supply that evidence, he feigned innocence and told her that Guy had simply been in a tough line of work where such things often happened. "Hopefully someday it'll happen to you," Nicole spat.
Justin soon returned and chased Deimos off. Before leaving, Deimos taunted Nicole one last time, knowing that she had learned earlier that the judge who had ruled against her in the custody hearing was also going to be handling her sentencing hearing. Suggesting that Nicole's fate had therefore already been sealed, Deimos hoped that Brady would at least visit her in prison from time to time.
Later, in a secluded section of the town square, Deimos contacted someone and told the person, "Make sure that my nephew understands that he is to take full responsibility for all the charges leveled against him. I will use all of my influence to make sure that he gets the minimum sentence, [and] after he gets out, I will generously compensate him for his suffering and reward him for all his loyalty."
A drug dealer soon arrived to talk to Deimos about the increased demand for Halo on the streets. No longer able to use the Kiriakis fortune to fund production of the drug, Deimos vowed to find another way to continue building his secret empire. "And once I do, I'm gonna be more powerful than all my enemies ever imagined, and I'm gonna wipe them out -- each of them, one by one by one," Deimos continued.
Eric went to see Chloe, who tiredly guessed that he was planning to plead Nicole's case one last time. "You're wasting your time," Chloe insisted, adding that Maggie had already tried to talk her into making an appearance at Nicole's sentencing hearing. Eric pointed out that whether Chloe liked it or not, the fact of the matter was that Nicole was Holly's biological mother and would therefore always be connected to the child.
"And whether you like it or not, [Nicole] loves [Holly] as much as you do," Eric continued. Chloe argued that if Nicole had truly cared about Holly's best interests, she never would have kidnapped the child and put her in harm's way. "What would you have done if somebody tried to take Parker away from you? How far would you have gone?" Eric asked before showing himself out.
Justin was surprised when Nicole told the judge that she wasn't the least bit sorry about kidnapping Holly and fleeing the country with her. Justin tried to intervene, but Nicole stopped him and forged ahead, tearfully explaining, "My choice was to defy the court or defy the love I have for my daughter." The judge waited until Nicole was finished then immediately began to issue her ruling.
Chloe suddenly barged into the judge's chambers with Holly and insisted that she deserved a chance to speak as the child's legal guardian. The judge agreed to hear Chloe out despite Justin's objections. "Nicole is a good person. If I didn't think that, I would never have agreed to carry a child for her and Daniel. She was my best friend -- at times, it seemed like she was my only friend -- and I loved her like a sister," Chloe began, shocking Nicole.
Chloe continued, "Nicole did what she did because she was crazed with grief, and the thought of losing Holly was devastating. And as a mother who has been kept from her child, I know what that feeling's like. It's like having your heart ripped out of you, and you can still feel it beating, even though it's not there. And you can't breathe because you miss her so much. Now, I've seen my friend suffer so many losses and so many tragic disappointments, and I just don't have it in me to blame her for what she did, [so] I urge the court to look at her as I do -- not as a criminal but as a mother who loves her child with all her heart and would do anything for her."
Eric rejoined Brady at the hospital and told him, "I did everything I could [for Nicole]. I just hope it was enough." Meanwhile, back at the courthouse, the judge prepared to issue her ruling.
At the loft, a sullen Claire complained about the lack of traffic on the posting for her last music video. Claire wondered aloud if Jade was right about the sex tape. "How desperate am I?" Claire said. Hope stopped by to pick up some clothes for Ciara. Claire said she missed Ciara, and she missed her advice. Claire said her career was stalled. Hope advised Claire to pay her dues with a summer job. With a shrug, Claire said she was bored and wanted to be a superstar. Hope noted that Claire was talking about fame, not her music.
"Fame will leave you feeling empty. Alone," Hope said. Hope asked Claire if she would be happy playing music if she never had a successful music career. Claire said she would be happy writing and singing, even if it did not lead to fame. Smiling, Hope urged Claire to work hard on her music and hope for the best. Ciara agreed that Hope was right, and she promised not to worry about the fame.
After Hope left, Claire played her guitar and sang a song. When she finished, Claire announced that Hope was right and that she needed to keep writing songs. Claire picked up the camera and deleted the video file of her sex tape.
At the police station, Theo asked Abe about Chad and Lani. Abe had no new information, but he said he was hopeful that the search would find the two. Talk turned to Ciara. Theo blamed himself for Ciara's exit. When Abe asked why, Theo told Abe about Wyatt. Abe assured Theo that Ciara would forgive Theo in time. Averting his eyes, Theo noted that the real problem was that Ciara was still in love with him. Abe asked Theo if he loved Ciara too. Theo said he loved Ciara as a friend and was in love with Claire.
With a nod, Abe cautioned Theo not to get too serious. Theo said things were already serious with Claire, and he did not think anything would change their relationship. When Theo returned home to the loft, Claire asked him about the search for Lani. Theo said there was no news. When Theo asked about Claire's music, Claire said Hope had helped her refocus her attention on her music instead of her fame. Claire apologized to Theo for being preoccupied.
Once Theo left the room, Claire called Jade and told her that she had deleted the sex tape. Claire asked Jade if that was the only copy. Claire's face went pale. Jade reminded Claire to empty the trash files to permanently delete the files. Furious, Claire told Jade that she was still mad at her. After the phone call, Claire asked to borrow Theo's laptop. Theo said he had left his laptop with his father.
At the DiMera mansion, a frustrated Kate called out to Andre. When Andre arrived downstairs, he noticed Kate pouring a splash of whiskey into her morning coffee. Kate was in no mood for Andre's jokes, and she demanded to know if Andre wanted to marry her or not. Andre groaned that he was not anxious for a lifetime of Kate yelling at him in the morning. Andre said he was too worried about Chad to think. Kate argued that they needed to take control of the company before the board broke it up.
Andre was furious that Mr. Shin had questioned Andre's mental capacities. Kate said that Shin's smear campaign had successfully turned the board against Andre. Frustrated, Kate told Andre that the best option to save the company was to marry her because they trusted her. Andre agreed, and Kate made arrangements for a ceremony. Andre handed a prenuptial agreement to Kate. With a scowl, Kate reviewed the documents. Andre noted that there was a stack of prenuptial agreements in the closet.
"Father married almost as many times as he died," Andre quipped. Kate said that they would not have sex or share a bed. With a shrug, Andre countered that Kate could not nag him or bother him before his morning coffee. Kate said she did not plan to talk to Andre at all once they were married. Kate rang for Harold, and she asked him to witness their wedding. "I hope I catch the bouquet," Harold said dryly.
In Judge Rose Duncan's chambers at the courthouse, Rose announced that Nicole needed to pay for her crimes but that she did not need to go to jail. The judge sentenced Nicole with time served, and she ordered Nicole to pay a $250,000 fine. Rose added that Nicole was sentenced to 300 hours of community service. Overcome with joy, Nicole hugged Chloe and thanked her for testifying.
Justin pulled Nicole away from Chloe and urged her not to push her luck. When Justin warned Nicole not to ask Chloe about visitation rights, Nicole said she wanted custody. Groaning, Justin told Nicole to back off of Chloe for the moment. Justin urged Nicole not to make Chloe regret helping her. With a nod, Nicole went over and thanked Chloe again for her help. Nicole asked Chloe why she had decided to speak to the judge. Chloe admitted that Eric had changed her mind. Chloe said that Eric had begged her to think about Holly.
"I started thinking that I didn't want you to go to prison. You were my best friend. My only friend. I've hated these last few months, being enemies, when all along our real enemy was Deimos," Chloe said. Nicole agreed. When Nicole asked to look at Holly, Justin urged Nicole to sign the papers. Nicole asked Chloe again, and Chloe agreed. When Nicole said she wanted to ask a question, Chloe said she needed to leave. After Chloe left, Nicole cried in Justin's arms.
In Brady's hospital room, Eric told Brady that there was no news from court. Brady asked Eric what he had done to help Nicole. Eric told Brady about his plea to Chloe. A frustrated Brady yelled that it should be Deimos in jail, not Nicole. "She's not," Nicole said as she walked into the room. Nicole rushed into Brady's arms. Eric congratulated Nicole. Nicole thanked Eric for convincing Chloe to talk to the judge on her behalf. Nicole added that it did not change anything between them.
Brady pleaded with Nicole to reconsider, but Eric said he understood. Eric left. Brady knitted his brow. Brady asked Nicole to reconsider her view of Eric after all he had done to help her and Holly. Nicole said she could not be friends with Eric again. Brady noted that everyone made mistakes, but Nicole changed the subject. Nicole said she wanted to be happy and think about her future with Brady. "We are going to be so happy together, I know it," Nicole said.
At the courthouse, Kate, Andre, and Harold walked into Judge Rose Duncan's office. When Kate asked Rose to marry her and Andre, the judge asked Kate what had happened with Eduardo. Dodging the subject, Kate said she and Andre had realized that they loved one another after working side by side. Rose offered to marry Kate within a couple weeks, but Kate asked Rose to marry her and Andre immediately. Rose asked Kate to speak privately, but Kate said there were no secrets between her and Andre.
Rose asked about a prenuptial. Kate said they had signed one already. Seeing the look of suspicion on Rose's face, Kate asked Andre to convince Rose that they were not taking the decision to marry lightly. Kate pulled Rose aside and said that she would like to discuss Rose's campaign funding after the honeymoon. Rose married Kate and Andre. While Harold scowled in the corner, Kate asked him to sign the papers as a witness. Andre moved in to kiss Kate, and she shoved her hand onto his lips.
Once Rose handed the marriage license to Andre, he and Kate rushed out to get to the board meeting. After the board meeting, Andre and Kate retired to the town square to toast to Kate's new position as the CEO of DiMera Enterprises. Andre checked his phone for updates on Chad, but there was no new information. Kate urged Andre to stay positive because DiMera men had nine lives. Andre and Kate toasted to the start of a good business relationship. With a smirk, Andre said he hoped their arrangement would last longer than her other marriages.
At the Salem Inn, Nancy stopped by Chloe's room with Parker. Parker eagerly greeted his little sister, Holly, and he asked when Holly was going back to Nicole. Nancy urged Chloe to reconsider her decision, since Deimos was out of the picture. "Please do the right thing. Give Holly back to Nicole," Nancy said. Chloe disagreed. When Chloe said Nicole would understand, Nancy argued that Nicole would never give up on Holly.
At the police station, Abe was looking at family photos on the laptop when Hope stopped by to talk. Abe invited Hope to take a look at an old picture of her with Ciara. As Abe clicked on the photo, he accidentally deleted the picture. Hope suggested that Abe check the trash folder. When Abe clicked on the folder, he accidentally clicked on the sex tape video. Astonished, Hope pointed out that the people in the video were Theo and Claire. Abe sighed.
Joey was sitting on a bench in the Horton Town Square, fiddling with his cell phone, when Jade emerged from the nearby Day & Night Yogurt and headed toward him, grumbling, "This sucks! Everything sucks!" He watched in confusion as she discarded an uneaten cup of frozen yogurt. "I hate frozen yogurt! And I hate my life! Why can't anything ever go right for me?" she complained.
"What's with the pity party?" Joey asked. Jade explained that the manager of the frozen yogurt store had just blown her off during her job interview, sending her on her way with nothing more than a conciliatory cup of frozen yogurt and a vague explanation about the lofty expectations of the store's clientele. "What kind of loser am I [if] I can't even get a job at a stupid yogurt place with a stupid name?" Jade fretted.
Joey rushed off after assuring Jade that he would be right back. He returned a short time later with a sundae from her favorite ice cream store, knowing that was a surefire way to calm her down anytime she was on the verge of a total meltdown. While she was eating, he told her that he was proud of her for making an effort to secure a job instead of being content with taking advantage of his brother's generosity for as long as possible. He advised her to keep filling out applications, certain that her persistence would eventually pay off.
Jade tried to convince Joey to talk to Roman about giving her a job at the Brady Pub, but Joey didn't like the idea of having Jade as a coworker. Jade suggested that Joey was only concerned because he knew that if he spent enough time with her, he would eventually have to admit to himself that he was still in love with her. Joey insisted that wasn't the case, stressing yet again that he wanted nothing more than a friendship with Jade. "Joey, we belong together!" Jade protested. "Okay, Jade. Whatever you say," Joey dismissively replied.
Claire started panicking when she realized that Abe had Theo's laptop. Confused, Theo wondered why that was a problem. Claire claimed that she needed Theo's laptop right away so she could compare it to hers, which was running slowly. Theo ran a few quick scans on Claire's laptop and concluded that it was fine. Claire insisted that she still wanted to do some comparisons, just to be safe. Theo didn't have any objections, but he wasn't sure when his father would be returning his laptop. Sighing, Claire nervously assured herself that there was nothing to worry about.
As if on cue, Hope and Abe barged into the apartment and announced that they had seen the "home movie" Theo and Claire had recorded. Theo insisted that he didn't know what Hope and Abe were talking about. Claire tried to make the same claim, but when she realized that Hope wasn't buying it, she reluctantly admitted, "Okay, I knew about it -- but I did not do it, I swear!"
"Didn't do what?" Theo asked, still confused. He was shocked when his father clarified what was being discussed. Claire tried to offer him an explanation, but she only managed to get a few words out before he rushed out of the apartment, angry and embarrassed, and slammed the door shut.
Abe chased after Theo, who maintained that he had known nothing about the sex tape. Abe said that he believed Theo. When Abe hesitantly added that he had been surprised to learn that Theo was sexually active, Theo apologetically explained, "I couldn't tell you [because] it's just -- it's...weird...to talk to your dad about that kind of stuff." Abe assured Theo that he understood.
Meanwhile, Hope accused Claire of making the sex tape with the intention of posting it on social media as a way of launching her music career. Insisting that she would never do such a thing, Claire explained that the sex tape had been Jade's doing. Hope was skeptical at first but eventually decided that Claire was telling the truth. Worried about what would happen if her parents saw the sex tape, Claire asked Hope to get one of the police department's experts to verify that the file was gone for good. Hope agreed to do so then went to check on Theo.
Having just finished telling Abe that Claire had probably made the sex tape in a desperate attempt to build her fan base, Theo stepped back into the apartment to confront her. Abe and Hope comforted each other with a hug then took Theo's laptop back to the police station so they could finish getting rid of the sex tape for good. Hope shared Claire's story with Abe and admitted that she believed it was the truth.
Theo found it difficult to believe Claire's story because he knew how badly she wanted to be a famous singer. She insisted that she didn't want fame that badly. "You sure?" he asked skeptically. "Yes, I'm sure!" she maintained. "Well, I'm not, Claire. All I know is that to me, at least -- to me -- what we had was really good. It was better than good; it was -- it was great. And you ruined that -- forever," he sadly replied.
Meanwhile, Jade entered the apartment with Joey and wondered why Claire had been sending her urgent text messages for the past few hours. "Tell Theo the truth, Jade -- right now!" Claire demanded.
Steve went to the Salem Inn to see Adrienne, who was disturbed to learn that the Kiriakis jet was still missing. Adrienne broke down in Steve's arms, fearing that she would never see Sonny again. Steve offered Adrienne some words of comfort, and after she regained her composure and asked him to change the subject so she could enjoy a few minutes of distraction, he revealed that his relationship with Tripp was improving. Adrienne was happy to hear that, and she was also happy to hear that Steve had gotten a lead on Sebastian Howard's whereabouts. "When I get back [from New York], Sonny will be here, too," Steve assured Adrienne.
Later, Steve arrived in New York and tried to enter the building that housed Sebastian Howard's office, but a security guard stopped him and escorted him off the premises. "Well, front door's not an option anymore, but...like any building anywhere in the world, there's always another way in," Steve muttered to himself once the coast was clear.
Steve eventually managed to break into Sebastian Howard's office. While searching the room, Steve curiously observed that Sebastian Howard didn't have any pictures on display. "Looking for something...Steve Johnson?" a woman suddenly asked. "Anjelica. Deveraux," Steve muttered, staring at the woman in disbelief.
While helping Sonny search for Paul, J.J. again warned that extreme measures might need to be taken if Paul had another violent outburst. "No way in hell!" Sonny snapped before storming off to look for Paul on his own.
Elsewhere, Chad and Gabi took a break from the search to rest and rehydrate. Agreeing that they needed to have a serious conversation about where their relationship was headed, they admitted that they loved each other and were ready to officially rekindle their romance, despite all the ways that things could end badly. They sealed the deal with a passionate kiss.
J.J. soon interrupted, revealing that Sonny had ditched him. Chad rushed off to search for Sonny, trusting J.J. to look after Gabi. When J.J. commented on what he had walked in on, Gabi confirmed that she was back with Chad. "[Abigail's] made it pretty clear that she's moving on, so...yeah, I think that Chad and I should take our chances. I mean, the universe keeps pulling us towards each other anyway, so..." Gabi reasoned with a shrug.
J.J. assured Gabi that he understood. "I just hope that this is what you really want," he added. "It is," she replied.
Sonny eventually managed to locate Paul, who raised a knife and warned him to stay back. Doubting that Paul would actually hurt him, Sonny continued advancing toward Paul while trying to calm him down. When Sonny got too close, Paul put him in a headlock and pressed the knife to his throat. As Sonny was trying to get through to Paul, Chad arrived and raised his gun. Chad ordered Paul to release Sonny, but Paul ignored the command. J.J. soon burst onto the scene with his own gun drawn, and Gabi wasn't far behind him. "Put the guns down! Or I'll kill him, I swear!" Paul snarled.
Sonny told Chad, Gabi, and J.J. to leave, still convinced that he could get through to Paul if left to handle the situation on his own. "I said put the guns down! Now!" Paul impatiently repeated. Chad and J.J. reluctantly complied then advanced toward Paul in an effort to wrest Sonny away from him. Paul threw Sonny to the ground in preparation for a fight. Gabi screamed in horror as Sonny hit his head on a rock and lost consciousness. Unfazed, Paul lunged toward Chad and J.J. with a savage growl, thrusting his knife at them.
Joey was shocked to hear the accusations that Claire was leveling at Jade, who eventually admitted, at Joey's urging, that they were all true.
Jade stressed that she had never meant to upset Claire or Theo; she had simply been trying to do a good thing. "What, you thought that Theo and I would be happy and grateful? You thought that we would throw you a parade?" Claire asked incredulously. Turning to Joey, Claire wondered how he had failed to realize right from the start that Jade was "one sick puppy" -- and why he had made the mistake of letting her into their lives in the first place. Joey started to protest that Claire was being a bit too harsh, but when she wondered how he would feel if someone secretly recorded him having sex, he admitted that he would be upset, too.
"Right? Your head would explode, like mine is about to do right now!" Claire guessed. Jade maintained that she had simply been trying to prove that she was a good friend and that she cared about Claire, who was desperate for fame but hadn't been able to attain it through more conventional methods. "Really? You did it because you care? Because you want to be my friend? No wonder you don't have any," Claire spat.
Jade admitted that she had been under the impression that Claire was her friend. Scoffing, Claire clarified, "I never liked you. And I like you even less now. No, I'm sorry, I take that back -- I hate you with every cell of my being. The sight of you makes me sick!" Jade started crying as she stressed that she was sorry for what she had done. Annoyed that Jade was acting like she was the victim, Claire continued lashing out at her, mockingly suggesting that her tears were a manipulative attempt to get people to feel sorry for her because she was a "terrible, stupid, insensitive human being" that nobody wanted to be around.
Theo suddenly intervened, believing that Claire had said enough. Jade again stressed that she hadn't been trying to hurt anyone, adding, "I guess I just didn't think sex was that big a deal." Joey, Claire, and Theo stared at Jade in disbelief, prompting her to clarify, "Okay, I take that back. I know sex is a big deal. If anyone knows, it's me; I mean, I got pregnant, and making a baby is very serious and important and amazing. But...I guess I just didn't think that sex had to be that...private."
Claire posed the same question to Jade that she had previously posed to Joey, forcing Jade to concede that she probably wouldn't be happy if someone secretly recorded her having sex. Jade added, however, that her other friends sent her pictures of themselves in bed with their respective boyfriends all the time, and they were often scantily clad in the pictures. "It's just their way of showing that they're having a good time -- that they have a boyfriend, and they're in love," Jade reasoned with a shrug.
"That's what love is to you? That's just sad," Theo declared. "Maybe it is. Maybe I just don't know what love is," Jade conceded before rushing out of the apartment.
Joey chased after Jade and caught up with her in a secluded section of Horton Town Square. When he offered her a handkerchief so she could dry her eyes, she insisted that she didn't deserve his sympathy because she was a pathetic, messed-up person who only had herself to blame for the situation that she was in.
Joey advised Jade to forgive herself, pointedly stressing, "We've all done things that we would take back in a heartbeat if we could -- much worse things." He apologetically acknowledged that he was at least partially responsible for the way she viewed sex, since he had acted annoyed when she had fallen in love with him after they had slept together, perhaps giving her the impression that sex was meaningless.
Jade wondered why Joey was being nice to her. He reminded her that he had said all along that he wanted to be her friend. "Yeah, but...I don't think that's possible. Joey, I still love you. I can't just shut that off. Even now, just being here with you...all I want is for you to hold me in your arms," she admitted.
Joey assured Jade that he understood, adding, "Maybe we'll have to be friends from a distance for a while." He joked that either way, it would probably be best for her to run future schemes past him before setting them in motion. "Not that I have the greatest judgment, but..." he continued. "I'll take all the help I can get," she replied with a weak laugh.
Meanwhile, Theo tried to apologize for having initially thought the worst of Claire, but she refused to accept his apology, hurt that he had been unable to believe her story about what had really happened. He explained that he'd had trouble believing it because it had sounded crazy. She agreed, "Yes, I know the story sounded crazy -- because I was the one telling it, and you don't trust me, Theo; you don't think that I am a decent person with morals and values, someone who would never, ever sink to the level of making a sex tape with someone she loves. Loved -- past tense."
"Claire, it wasn't even about you!" Theo protested. "Wrong. It was about me. Because if I were Ciara, you never would have doubted me for a second," Claire countered. She insisted that she wasn't desperate to be famous; she simply wanted her music to be heard. "I want to touch people's lives. I want to let them hear what I think love means. I thought it was this -- us. I thought that we had something special, and I thought that you thought I was special. Now I know I was wrong," she sadly added before retreating to her bedroom and slamming the door shut.
Lani found Eli sitting alone on the beach. Relieved, she admitted that she had been worried about him. He apologetically explained that he had simply needed some time to himself. She assumed that she and the others were starting to get on his nerves, but he assured her that wasn't the case. "[I just] feel like the odd man out in this merry little band," he continued, pointing out that he was the only single person on the island.
Lani wondered if Eli was beginning to regret his decision to walk away from Gabi. Eli said he was confident that he had made the right choice, adding that it was obvious that Gabi and Chad were in love with each other. Lani wished that she could feel just as confident about her own love life. Confused, Eli protested that Lani and J.J. were a great couple. "That's what I thought, but...now I'm not so sure," Lani admitted.
Lani explained that J.J. was always talking about taking things slowly and living in the moment. "Which is code for 'not ready to commit,'" Eli summarized. Nodding in agreement, Lani continued that even being stranded on an island and facing the possibility of death had failed to provide J.J. with the sense of urgency he needed to move things along. "He enjoys being with me, [and] we have good chemistry, you know? But...that's all it is for him, so I gotta protect myself -- my heart," she concluded with a sigh.
Unable to think of any other explanation, Eli decided that the sun had fried J.J.'s brain, and that was why he couldn't recognize just how lucky he was to have Lani in his life. Chuckling, Lani reminded Eli that he had hated her at first. Eli clarified that he hadn't hated Lani; he had simply found her intimidating. After singing Lani's praises, Eli concluded, "If [J.J.] doesn't see what he has in you, then forget him; he's not worth it. Any guy in his right mind would be lucky to have you."
Elsewhere, Chad and J.J. managed to tackle Paul to the ground. Chad held Paul's legs while J.J. twisted Paul's arm, forcing him to drop his knife. Paul initially struggled to free himself from Chad and J.J.'s clutches but soon passed out unexpectedly. Chad tried to revive Paul but was unable to do so. J.J. checked Paul's pulse and announced that it was strong; he added, however, that Paul was burning up.
Meanwhile, Gabi managed to revive Sonny, who was disturbed to see that Paul was unconscious. "He's better like this; he's not gonna hurt anybody," Chad pointed out. J.J. suggested that it would be best to seize the opportunity to take Paul back to the campsite and get him restrained, and Chad agreed. As J.J. and Chad picked Paul up and started dragging him away, Sonny worriedly shouted, "Don't hurt him!"
By the time Gabi and Sonny arrived at the campsite, Paul was restrained -- and awake. Chad noted that Paul's fever was breaking. Sonny poured some water into Paul's mouth while assuring him that everything was going to be all right. "What have I done?" Paul muttered, suddenly recalling everything that had happened since he had contracted jungle madness. "How will anyone forgive me? I mean, how will you forgive me?" Paul asked Sonny, who quickly dismissed the concern and insisted that Paul just needed to focus on getting better.
When Paul winced in pain, Sonny noticed that the rope that was wrapped around Paul's ankles was digging into his skin. Sonny started to loosen the rope, but Paul stopped him, knowing that he needed to remain restrained. Sonny disagreed, believing that Paul had already made it through the worst part of jungle madness, but Paul insisted that the disease was still inside him.
Gabi, who had been watching from afar with Chad, fretted that Paul's jungle madness would probably resurface if help didn't arrive soon. Chad assured Gabi that they were going to survive being stranded, just as they had survived all the other near-death experiences they'd had to endure. Gabi managed a smile, realizing that Chad was right.
Meanwhile, J.J. stumbled upon Lani and Eli, both of whom he had started searching for shortly after helping Chad restrain Paul. Eli had just finished assuring Lani that J.J. was a good man who was smart enough to know that he had something great with her. J.J., having arrived in time to hear the comment, confirmed that he did, in fact, know that.
After learning that Paul had been found and restrained, Eli excused himself so J.J. and Lani could talk privately. "Is there something we need to talk about?" J.J. asked Lani after Eli left. Nodding, Lani explained that she had confided in Eli earlier but had since realized that J.J. was the person who really needed to hear her concerns. "I feel like you are distancing yourself from me," Lani told J.J., adding that she had been able to handle that sort of treatment from him at first but could no longer do so because she was starting to develop deeper feelings for him.
J.J. admitted that he was distancing himself from Lani because he was worried about what might happen if he allowed himself to get too close to her. "I seem to hurt everyone I care about," he explained with a sigh. She wondered if there was more to the story than that. He said he had told her the whole story. Satisfied, she hugged him and assured him that she wasn't the least bit worried that he might hurt her -- and she didn't want him to worry about that possibility, either. "Are we good?" she asked after giving him a tender kiss. "Yeah. We're good," he confirmed.
Anjelica greeted Steve and noted that it had been quite a while since they had last seen each other, prompting him to counter that their reunion was occurring too soon for his taste. Steve admitted that everything was suddenly starting to make sense, since Adrienne didn't have a single enemy in the world -- except Anjelica, of course. "Baffling, isn't it? I mean, just because she stole the man I loved -- and our child," Anjelica mused.
"You're a lot of things, Anjelica, but I didn't think 'delusional' was one of them. Justin Kiriakis was nothing but a boy toy to you, and Alexander was a side benefit you threw away," Steve countered. Anjelica protested that Alexander had been "my life," prompting Steve to point out that Alexander wasn't even on speaking terms with Anjelica. "Adrienne poisoned him against me -- and that's why now she is gonna pay," Anjelica insisted.
Steve pointed out that Adrienne had married Justin decades earlier and had since divorced him and moved on with Lucas Horton. "Why the hell would you want to go after her now?" Steve asked. "Oh, Patch, haven't you ever heard? Revenge is a dish best served cold," Anjelica replied. Scoffing, Steve vowed to tell Sebastian Howard that he was working with a real "nut job." When Steve wondered when "the dude" would be returning to the office, Anjelica informed him that there was no dude. "Why didn't I guess? You're Sebastian Howard," Steve realized.
Steve mocked Anjelica for having to hide behind an alias so Adrienne couldn't even put up a fair fight. "If she wants life to be fair, I think she needs to reevaluate," Anjelica suggested, prompting Steve to counter that Adrienne knew better than practically everyone else in the world that life wasn't fair. Anjelica tiredly ordered Steve to leave, insisting that she didn't have time to argue with him because she had several big deals to close that day, but he refused to budge. "Being as busy as you are, rolling around in your piles of money, why do you care about the Spectator -- a modest paper barely turning a profit?" Steve asked.
"I don't want to see it fail. See, you think of it as Adrienne and Jennifer's little hobby, but it was my stepson's legacy, too," Anjelica explained, adding that she, more than anyone else, deserved credit for Jack's development because she had been a part of his life for longer than anyone else had been. "So this hostile takeover is about my brother? Not Adrienne, or Jennifer, or Justin, or Alexander?" Steve asked skeptically.
"Oh, Patch, it is all-encompassing! It's about my rights!" Anjelica clarified. "And revenge," Steve added. "Which I will have -- whatever it takes," Anjelica vowed.
Steve summarized that Anjelica was essentially declaring war on everyone who had ever wronged her. Confirming the suspicion, Anjelica warned that each of her enemies needed to start gearing up for a major battle. Steve shook his head in disbelief and mused, "I'm looking at someone who married a serial killer, [and yet] she's just now making the biggest mistake of her life."
"Yeah, well, we'll see about that, won't we?" Anjelica countered as she watched Steve walk away.
Brady and Nicole returned home to the Kiriakis mansion. Brady was relieved that both he and Nicole would not be headed to jail. Smiling, Nicole said she was excited to see their little boy. Brady said he was sorry Holly was not with them, and he told Nicole he missed their girl. Nicole's eyes welled up with tears.
At the Salem Inn, a frustrated Chloe struggled to calm a wailing Holly. Nancy offered to hold Holly, but Chloe argued that Nancy was upsetting her and Holly both. Nancy suggested that Holly might miss Nicole. Chloe argued that babies cried, and Holly was no different. When Nancy persisted, Chloe dug in deeper and said that Holly would re-bond with her in time.
When Holly finally quieted down, Chloe accused Nancy of calling her a bad mother. Nancy stressed that she believed Chloe was a wonderful mother, but she believed Holly was attached to Nicole. Nancy argued that Nicole would not be able to let go of her daughter because Holly was her flesh and blood. Chloe said Nicole had no choice. Chloe growled that Holly was her child, not Nicole's.
Nancy reminded Chloe that Chloe would continue to run into Nicole while Chloe was living in Salem. Annoyed, Chloe said she did not want to hear anything negative. Chloe said she was confident that things would work out.
In the town square, Hope talked to Jennifer about J.J. and Abigail. Jennifer worried aloud that Abigail was acting recklessly. With a quick hug, Hope promised to call Jennifer with any news about the plane. As Hope walked away, Eric approached Jennifer. Eric offered to take Jennifer to dinner at TBD, and Jennifer said she would meet him there. Eric gently kissed Jennifer's cheek, and he left.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady told Nicole that he was anxious for them to find a new place to live. Brady asked Nicole to move into the mansion so that she was not living in Daniel's apartment. Nicole was unsure, but she said she never wanted to be apart from Brady again. Brady promised that they would not live in the mansion for long. Staring into Nicole's eyes, Brady remarked that he did not want to be apart from Nicole again either. Nicole said she was happy to be with her best friend.
As Nicole and Brady kissed in the living room, Eric walked in. Brady told Eric that the court had given him a fine and community service for his part in the kidnapping. Eric offered Brady help if he needed it, angering Nicole. Nicole growled that if Brady needed anything, he could ask her. Nicole added that she was thankful for Eric's help, but she could not forgive him. Eric said he understood, and he left. Nicole looked at Brady, and he shook his head in disappointment.
Brady said he had hoped that Nicole would be able to forgive Eric. Nicole said she understood that Eric wanted to make amends with her, but she could not forgive a mistake that had led to Daniel's death. In tears, Nicole said Brady was going to have to understand that she would not be able to forgive Eric. While Nicole stormed out of the room, Brady answered the phone. The caller asked about Nicole. Brady took a message, and he barked, "No! That can't happen!"
When Nicole returned to the living room, she and Brady apologized to one another. Brady said he respected Nicole's right to feel however she wanted to feel about Eric. Nicole smiled and asked about the phone call. With a frown, Brady informed Nicole that her community service assignment was at the Horton Center. Nicole was assigned to work for Eric.
In Abigail's room at the Martin house, Dario insisted on accompanying Abigail to the Dominican Republic to secure her divorce. Abigail said she was fine, but Dario did not want Abigail to face that hurdle on her own. Dario added that he knew that Abigail was upset about the missing plane. Abigail countered that Dario could not leave the country and should not take that kind of risk. With a shrug, Dario suggested that they follow up her quickie divorce with a quickie marriage while they were out of the country.
Abigail said she did not want to marry until the plane was found. Suspicious, Dario asked Abigail if she wanted to wait for everyone to return home or if she wanted to wait because she still hoped to be with Chad. Abigail stressed that her marriage was over. Dario apologized. Dario said he would drive Abigail to the airport, and he would not push Abigail. Dario said he would wait as long as Abigail needed.
Jennifer knocked on the open hotel door and walked in. Abigail asked about J.J., and Jennifer said there was no news. After Dario left, Abigail asked Jennifer to watch Thomas while she was in the Dominican Republic, getting a divorce. A shocked Jennifer argued that Chad was still missing. Abigail countered that Jennifer was off base in assuming that she did not care about Chad. Abigail said that her last conversation with Chad had been so awful that she was crazed with worry that she would never get to see him again. Groaning, Abigail yelled that she needed to act quickly for Dario's sake, even though the plane was missing.
"This is not just about his life. This decision will affect your life, too, so I'm just asking you, can you at least just wait? Wait until Chad comes home?" Jennifer asked. Abigail said that if she continued to wait, Dario might be deported. The two women bickered until Abigail screamed at Jennifer to stop.
"I am so sick and tired! You talk about Chad's needs! Dario talks about what he wants! What about me? Does anybody care about me? I am one person!" Abigail yelled. Abigail asked Jennifer to be on her side and stop lecturing her. Frustrated, Abigail said she was fed up with people telling her what to do.
When Abigail returned from the bathroom, Jennifer apologized. Both Jennifer and Abigail admitted that they were scared. Jennifer said she was happy to cancel her dinner plans and watch Thomas, but Abigail assured Jennifer that Julie was watching Thomas overnight for her. Laughing, Jennifer said Julie would be thrilled to watch Thomas. Abigail smiled. Jennifer told her daughter that she loved her, and she knew Abigail would make the right decision.
At TBD, Hope approached Myron at the bar. When Hope said hello, Myron closed the windows on his computer. Hope asked Myron who had hired him to work at TBD. Myron refused to answer the question then he left. When Hope walked out of the club, she ran into Dario. Dario told Hope that he knew she had harassed Myron. Hope asked Dario if he and Myron were involved in illegal activities.
Dario accused Hope of looking for dirt on him in order to scare Abigail back into Chad's arms. Hope scoffed at the idea. Dario stressed that Abigail was going to divorce Chad, no matter what Hope wanted. Sighing, Hope said she was not at the club to talk about Abigail's relationships. Hope warned Dario to clean up his business because she would have her eye on him.
Dario went inside the club and told Myron not to worry about Hope. Worried, Myron asked if he should back off their hacking project, but Dario said the job was too important to abandon. Dario said he needed the money to prove to Abigail that he could take care of her. With a shrug, Myron went back to his work.
As Dario left the club, he ran into Jennifer. Jennifer said she was concerned that Abigail would get hurt. Dario blurted out that he did not want Abigail to get hurt because he loved her. Embarrassed, Dario walked away. Jennifer went into the club and met up with Eric. Eric told Jennifer that he was praying for everyone. With a nod, Jennifer asked Eric if something was bothering him. Eric quietly said he had talked to Brady and Nicole.
Jennifer took Eric's hand, and she thanked him. Jenifer said she needed to be alone. As Eric nodded, Jennifer said she wanted to reschedule their dinner for another night. Eric offered to take Jennifer home, but she insisted on taking a cab. With a smile, Jennifer left.
In her room at the Martin house, Abigail stared at her wedding ring. Dario returned. Dario announced that his lawyer had advised him not to leave the country. Confused, Abigail asked Dario why he had called his lawyer. Dario said he had called in case Abigail had changed her mind about the elopement.
With a nod, Abigail said she was not comfortable with a quickie marriage or divorce. Abigail said she did not want to divorce Chad before she spoke to him first. Dario asked Abigail why she had changed her mind. Abigail said she did not feel right marrying anyone until she saw Chad again.
On the island, in the clearing around the corner from the campfire, Chad stroked the flare gun and stared into the sky. Gabi joined him. Chad said he was waiting for the right moment to shoot off the last flare. Gabi worried that the flare would be their last chance for rescue. Grinning, Chad said that whether they were rescued or not, they would be together. Gabi agreed. With a grin, Chad raised the gun and shot off the flare.
Gabi talked about Arianna and Thomas. With a sigh, Gabi said she was thankful to have Chad. Chad hugged Gabi and promised her that he would stand by her. Chad and Gabi said, "I love you," then they started to make love.
