Ben and Ciara, still at their campsite, continued discussing the idea of forgoing all birth control methods in an effort to conceive a child. "Why do you look so...uncomfortable?" Ciara wondered. "I'm just...surprised," Ben stammered.
"[I mean, we just got] married about a week ago, and we're still on our honeymoon, [so] I thought that maybe we would wait until we at least got back to reality in Salem --" Ben elaborated. "[And] I probably would have wanted to wait...if it had actually been a week since we got married -- but, Ben, in every way that counts, you and I have been married since last July," Ciara countered.
Ben conceded Ciara's point but argued that there was still no need to rush into parenthood right away. "A baby is a huge responsibility and costs a lot of money, [and] I'm not exactly getting rich at the garage," Ben noted. "We don't have to be rich to have a baby," Ciara insisted.
"[And] maybe I can work for Grandpa Victor again at Titan," Ciara suggested. "But do you even really want to do that? The only reason why you even took that job in the first place was to prove that Victor was framing me for Jordan's murder. [And] would he even want you back at the company?" Ben objected. "Being 'dead' for a year kind of has its perks -- Grandpa Victor was so happy to have me back that he forgave me for everything," Ciara bragged. "Until he decides to use it against you one day..." Ben warned. "No, I'm pretty sure he's gonna [stay] fully on Team Ciara -- especially once he finds out that I'd be carrying his great-grandchild," Ciara predicted.
"Okay, so, say we're both working -- who's gonna take care of the kid?" Ben challenged Ciara. "I...will...work remotely sometimes, and we can arrange our hours, and we can even hire a nanny --" Ciara answered. "So...we're both gonna be working like crazy in order to earn enough to then hire somebody else to watch our baby while we're working," Ben dryly summarized. "Yeah, well, I didn't say we wouldn't have to make sacrifices...but, baby, people do it all the time -- we can manage," Ciara dismissively reasoned. "Is that where we set the bar for parenting -- 'managing'?" Ben protested.
"You are arguing every single point that I make -- am I missing something here, or...do you just not want to have a baby with me?" Ciara challenged Ben. "I want to have a baby with you -- I really do -- just...not right now. [Look], I'm just worried about skipping steps -- [I mean], being with you like this on our honeymoon, riding on the back of your bike, letting the road take us wherever it may...this is the happiest I have ever been in my entire life, [and] you can call me selfish, but I'm not ready to give that up yet," Ben explained while showering Ciara with kisses. "So...you don't want to have the baby conversation at all?" Ciara grumbled. "Would it be all right with you if maybe we just postponed talk for now?" Ben requested while continuing to shower Ciara with kisses. "Of course..." Ciara muttered. "On to our next adventure!" Ben declared before rushing off to the nearby motorcycle, and Ciara followed with a sigh.
At the Salem Inn, Bonnie crawled under Xander's bed as E.J. continued knocking insistently on the hotel room door. Xander eventually emerged from the bathroom, wearing only a towel, and opened the hotel room door -- then advised E.J. that there was no need for such forceful knocks. "You're practically rattling the bed..." Xander grumbled. "You weren't answering," E.J. reasoned.
Changing the subject, E.J. produced Xander's employment contract and handed it over. "Any surprises in here?" Xander suspiciously challenged E.J. while examining the document. "I assure you [that it's] on the up and up...[but] you're welcome to take as long as you need [to read it]," E.J. coolly encouraged Xander, drawing a shake of the head from Bonnie -- whose cell phone started vibrating just then.
Xander and E.J. immediately checked their respective cell phones then shrugged at each other. "Must have been in one of the rooms next door -- these walls have always been paper-thin..." E.J. declared before handing a pen to Xander, who happily signed the employment contract. "Mind if I open [this briefcase] to make sure the million's all there?" E.J. challenged Xander after pocketing the document and the pen. "Be my guest," Xander agreed before stepping aside to give E.J. access to the briefcase, prompting Bonnie to brace for the worst-case scenario -- then respond to a text message that had just arrived, since there was nothing else to do at that particular moment.
E.J. checked a ringing cell phone with one hand while reaching for the briefcase with the other -- then complained to Xander about the interruption. "I have to take this outside -- it's a time-sensitive deal for DiMera... Just know that if there's a penny missing from this briefcase, I'll be back for my pound of flesh," E.J. warned Xander before answering the call then exiting the hotel room with the briefcase. Xander, who had been in the process of shaving before E.J.'s arrival, stepped back into the bathroom to finish the job -- and Bonnie rushed off while the coast was clear.
At the Brady-Johnson townhouse, Justin thanked Kayla -- the person who had been blowing up Bonnie's cell phone -- for having solved the mystery of the missing bride. "Sorry I made this a thing -- guess I'm a little paranoid..." Justin sheepishly muttered. "I don't think there's anything to worry about -- [Bonnie's] just beautifying her hands [at] the nail salon," Kayla soothingly reiterated.
"It's not her hands that I'm worried about..." Justin clarified, drawing a scoff from Kayla, who insisted that there was absolutely no danger of Bonnie getting cold feet. "Last night, she went on and on about how much she loves you -- and I have the hangover to prove it," Kayla stressed. "So, she wasn't concerned at all?" Justin wondered. "About you? No!" Kayla assured Justin before elaborating that Bonnie had been worried about only one thing the previous night -- and, while the exact details of that thing had never actually been provided, it had always been abundantly clear that Calista was somehow involved.
"Do you think I should talk to Bonnie about this before the wedding?" Justin asked. "Well, it's your call...[but, again], I don't think there's anything to worry about -- I mean, the only thing that matters is that she is completely and totally in love with you," Kayla replied. "The feeling's mutual -- [you know], I never saw her coming, and now...I can't imagine my life without her," Justin gushed before thanking Kayla for being supportive of the relationship. "I know she puts a smile on your face, [and] I think that she has completely changed -- and so does Steve," Kayla declared. "I'm glad that you think that...[because, you know], it would definitely be a little challenging, invoking spousal privilege or acting as Bonnie's attorney as well as her husband..." Justin joked. Kayla agreed with a laugh then guessed that Adrienne also approved of Justin's relationship with Bonnie -- and might have even had an otherworldly hand in its development.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Calista continued hitting on Steve. "I'm married --" Steve stressed. "I won't tell if you won't," Calista countered.
Calista joined Steve on the couch and tried to seize a kiss -- but Bonnie entered the study just then and demanded to know what was going on. "Ask your sister-in-law!" Steve snapped while backing away from Calista. "Steve and I here were just...getting a little better acquainted," Calista explained to Bonnie with a shameless wink.
Steve scoffed at Calista then pointed out that Bonnie was supposed to be getting ready for the wedding with Kayla at that moment. "Yeah, but I got hung up at the manicurist -- I cracked a nail, can you believe it? On my wedding day! Anyhow, I never made it to your place, and so I just figured it'd just be faster to get dressed here, so..." Bonnie claimed. "Okay... Well, you forgot your makeup bag this morning, and Justin's on his way over to take it to you, [so] I better call --" Steve responded while producing a cell phone. "Just ask him to bring my makeup bag back with him when he comes back, [and] Calista can help me get dressed..." Bonnie stammered while dragging Calista off to another room.
At the Horton house, Jack interrupted Gwen's confession to take a phone call from Julie. "I'm sorry -- we'll continue this conversation later," Jack said to Gwen after ending the call. "She's locked in the freezer at Julie's Place!" Jack clarified for Gwen before rushing out of the house. Gwen scoffed then headed over to the Salem Inn to tell Xander about what had just happened -- and they couldn't help laughing about Julie's predicament.
Meanwhile, at Julie's Place, Julie shivered uncontrollably while telling Jack about what had happened earlier. "[Doug and I] were setting up for the dinner crowd, [and I told him], 'I'm just gonna go back to the freezer [and] pick up a couple of extra rib eye steaks.' [And I] put the doorstop under the door, as I always do, and the next thing I know, the door slams shut -- [so] I banged on the door, and Doug walked up to the door, and he looked through the little window, [and] we made eye contact...[and] then he walked away...[so] I thought, 'Oh, it must really be stuck -- he's just gone for help...' [But] he never came back!" Julie explained, stunning Jack.
"Maybe he was just playing a prank?" Jack suggested. "There's nothing funny about this -- [and] the Doug I know would never lock me in the freezer! And now I don't know where he is, [and] I think something is terribly wrong!" Julie responded. "Don't worry -- we'll find him," Jack assured Julie.
E.J. returned to the Salem Inn during Xander's conversation with Gwen, having discovered that there wasn't any money in the briefcase. "I know for a fact the money was in there this morning -- [and that briefcase has] been with me the whole time --" Xander insisted. "What about your friend here -- did you leave her alone with it?" E.J. challenged Xander while eyeing Gwen suspiciously. "Oy -- you don't even know me!" Gwen objected. "Leave her out of this -- she just got here," Xander stressed. "Well, if you're not lying to me --" E.J. began to argue. "Which I'm not," Xander promised. "Then someone stole it -- a million dollars doesn't just walk away on its own!" E.J. concluded.
"There must be a reasonable explanation --" Xander assured E.J. "Let me know when you find out what that is -- in the meantime, I'm getting the ball rolling on sending you to prison...and you can forget about that job!" E.J. spat before tearing Xander's employment contract in half then storming out of the hotel room and slamming the door shut.
"Did you scam him?" Gwen challenged Xander. "Course not -- I wasn't lying to E.J.; I told him the truth!" Xander answered. "Is it possible he's lying, then?" Gwen wondered. "Did that look like he was lying?" Xander responded. "Well, I don't know, [then]... Did you let anyone else in here -- a housekeeper, maid, or...just...anyone?" Gwen prodded Xander, who scowled after giving the matter a bit more thought.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Steve contacted Kayla, who was still with Justin at the Brady-Johnson townhouse, and reported that Bonnie had decided to get ready for the wedding with Calista instead. "I gotta tell you, baby -- I didn't get a great vibe [from Calista]," Steve admitted to Kayla.
Meanwhile, Bonnie finished complaining to Calista about how difficult it had been to steal Xander's money without getting caught. "Well, don't take it out on me," Calista snapped at Bonnie before starting to rush off with the money. "You're not going anywhere 'til you give me that gun," Bonnie warned, blocking Calista's path. "Fine..." Calista conceded before producing the gun and holding it in front of Bonnie. "Okay, you did the first part -- now hand it over," Bonnie impatiently prodded Calista. "Sorry, Bon-Bon, but you're not getting the gun -- you are getting the bullet," Calista responded, aiming the gun at Bonnie's chest.
At Julie's Place, a worried Jack insisted on taking Julie to the ER after her ordeal in the freezer. "I'm not going anywhere until we find Doug!" Julie countered. Julie guessed that Doug had locked her in the freezer to protect her from a robber. "Why would anyone kidnap Doug?" Jack asked. "For ransom! My poor Doug!" Julie said. Julie wanted to call the police, but Jack wanted to discuss other possibilities first.
"Is it possible that maybe you and Doug had a fight?" Jack asked. After a moment, Julie admitted she had fought with Doug. "Is it possible that Doug just needed to take a moment?" Jack asked. "I guess it's possible. Where would he go?" Julie said. Upset, Julie ran out of the restaurant to find Doug.
At the Brady Pub, Roman placed a plate of food in front of Doug at the bar. "I've never seen you or Julie in here alone," Roman said. Doug joked that Julie was busy "watching my cholesterol." Roman chuckled, and he promised not to tell Julie about the burger and fries. "I won't tell her about this, either," Roman said as he placed a beer down on the counter.
"Well, that's awfully nice of you, John. Thanks," Doug said. "You're welcome, but the name is Roman," Roman said. Doug nodded. "Of course, it is," Doug said. Roman noted it was not the first time someone had called him by the name John. "After all, John went by my name for a better part of a decade," Roman said.
"Those were wild days, weren't they? When everybody thought you were dead and that John got back together with Vivian," Doug said. "You mean Marlena," Roman corrected. "Who else? What did I say?" Doug asked. When Roman told Doug that he had said Vivian, Doug laughed. "How in the world could I ever mix up Marlena with Vivian? I must be losing it, John," Doug said with a chuckle. Roman called Julie on the phone, and she asked him to send Doug back to Julie's Place. "I think it would be a better idea if you came here," Roman said.
When Julie and Jack arrived at the pub, a relieved Julie said, "Thank God that you're all right!" Doug said he was fine. When Doug said he had needed a burger, Julie said she did not care about the food. With a shrug, Doug ordered a round of beers. Jack and Julie exchanged a surprised glance.
"I didn't come here to drink, although it might do me some good. My blood is still needing to be thawed out after you locked me in the freezer, and then you walked away and left me with my rear end frozen off," Julie said. "I would never do that!" Doug objected. Julie told Doug that he had locked her in, looked at her through the window, and then walked away. Doug told Julie that he was glad that she was safe but that she was confused.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Doug asked. Julie stared with her mouth open. Jack suggested that they head home, and Roman offered to wrap up Doug's food. After Jack, Julie, and Doug returned home, Doug went upstairs to nap. Julie told Jack that she was sure that Doug was tired because he had not slept the night before. As Julie nervously rambled, Jack interrupted to tell her that Roman had told him about his conversation with Doug.
"I mean, nobody wants to think about this, but I really think that Doug should see a doctor," Jack said. "Don't even say that. He's just tired," Julie said. Julie insisted that Doug would be fine, but her smile appeared forced. Jack told Julie that he understood that she did not want to think about a medical issue, but if Doug had one, it might be treatable.
"Or it could be nothing at all," Julie said. "Or it could be nothing at all! In which case, why don't we get it checked out, and then we will have peace of mind," Jack said. As Julie rubbed her arms, Jack suggested that Julie should get checked out by a doctor, as well. "I'm not going anywhere, and neither is my husband," Julie said.
In his room at the Salem Inn, Xander told Gwen that the only other person that had been in his room with the briefcase of money had been Bonnie. "She and Justin are getting married today. She invited me to the wedding," Xander said. When Xander told Gwen that Bonnie had asked him there, since Victor and everyone else in the family had declined to attend, Gwen noted that it was an odd request.
"I thought so, too. It actually reminded me that she did volunteer at the last second to be Sarah's maid of honor," Xander murmured. "Do you think that it was all pretense so she could just come in here and steal the one million dollars from your briefcase?" Gwen asked. Xander agreed, but he noted that he had not seen Bonnie leave with the money.
"Maybe the cash has been gone longer than you think," Gwen said. Xander said he had checked on the money at least once an hour since he had freed it from the police. "So, what happened?" Gwen asked. Xander thought about Bonnie's visit. "She was trying to get rid of me," Xander growled. Xander glanced around the room, and he saw his key card was on a different table.
"That isn't where I left it," Xander said. Xander theorized aloud that Bonnie had swiped the card and reentered while he had been in the shower. "That cheeky bitch," Gwen said. Furious, Xander grumbled, "Bonnie Lockhart will rue the day she crossed me." Gwen asked Xander to calm down and think about why Bonnie would steal from Xander on the day she planned to marry a multimillionaire. When Xander announced he would get the information out of Bonnie, Gwen groaned.
"You confessed to a crime that I committed. And now you're all tangled up with this bloody E.J. person. You owe him a million dollars, which is gone. Along with the promise of a job. You did all this because you were trying to protect me," Gwen said. "It was my choice, Gwen. Remember? But there is one thing you can do for me in return," Xander said. Xander asked Gwen not to tell Jack the truth about the miscarriage.
"If you do that, everything I've done will be for naught," Xander said. Gwen argued that she had already told Jack that she had lied. "I can't exactly go back on that, can I?" Gwen said. Xander advised Gwen to lie. Gwen resisted, but Xander warned her that if she told Jack the truth, he likely would not forgive her for the destruction the lie had caused to Abigail. "I'm his daughter, too," Gwen said. "And I'm his best mate. You saw the hatchet job he did on me," Xander said. Gwen argued that Jack had been protective.
"And if he blames you for hurting his other daughter, imagine how that will turn out. You've spent your whole life wanting a relationship with your father, and you finally got it. Do you really want to throw that away for the sake of my reputation? Which has always hovered between less than stellar and abysmal. And will remain there, regardless of what you do," Xander said. "You don't deserve this," Gwen whispered. Xander assured Gwen that he would be fine.
"Nobody's ever done this for me before. Sacrificed so much," Gwen said. "What can I say? You're worth it," Xander countered. Xander asked Gwen what she planned to say to Jack, but she did not know. "One positive from this, though. Jack won't think you're a drug runner anymore. So that means he won't get in the way of us potentially seeing one another," Gwen said. Xander asked Gwen if that was what she wanted. Gwen shrugged. Gwen told Xander to go after his money while she thought about what to say to Jack. Xander kissed Gwen for luck.
When Gwen arrived home at the Horton house, Jack was sitting on the couch with Julie. "Julie, I hope you're doing okay," Gwen said. "Please, Gwen. I'm sure you were probably praying I'd turn into a popsicle," Julie said. Julie left to check on Doug. "What's wrong with Doug?" Gwen asked. Jack explained that he was not sure. but Julie was in denial.
"I know that Julie and I aren't pals, but Doug? He and I shared a few midnight pints together. He is good people," Gwen said. "He is. But on the subject of not so good people, what were you going to tell me before Julie called about Snyder?" Jack asked. Gwen suggested that they talk later, and she claimed she had an errand to run. Gwen ran out.
In the Kiriakis living room, Steve called Kayla and updated Kayla and Justin on Bonnie's return home. Kayla promised that she and Justin would head over to the mansion. Steve escorted the officiant, Mr. Riggins, into the empty living room. Riggins spotted the wedding photos of Justin and Adrienne. "Remarriages tend to be quieter affairs," Riggins said. "This is no remarriage. This is Justin and Bonnie's first trip to the altar," Steve said. Steve explained that the woman in the photo was Justin's first wife.
"Mr. Kiriakis fell in love with her twin?" Riggins asked. "In a manner of speaking," Steve said. Steve mentioned Calista and Harrison, and Riggins noted that the names sounded familiar. With a glance around, Riggins asked if there was food he could eat. Steve directed Riggins to the caterer in the kitchen. After Riggins left, Justin arrived with Kayla. Kayla headed upstairs to help Bonnie.
Justin paced the living room, and Steve offered to pour him a drink for his nerves. "I'm not nervous. I'm worried about Bonnie. She has been really jittery ever since Calista showed up," Justin said. Justin listed examples of Bonnie's strange behavior. "Whatever it is, I can attest to the fact that Calista is quite the character," Steve said. Steve told Justin about his interaction with Calista.
"Do you know much about [Calista]?" Steve asked. "No. Bonnie never mentioned her before she just showed up out of the blue. And I'm just hoping that she will just disappear to where she came from once this wedding is over," Justin said. Justin looked at a photo of Adrienne on the mantel, and he admitted that he could not believe he was getting married. With a smirk, Justin admitted that he had been attracted to Bonnie at first because of her resemblance to Adrienne.
"But right now, I'm not looking for another Adrienne. I just want to be able to live and laugh again," Justin said. 'Of course, you do," Steve said. Justin stressed that if he was not confident that Bonnie had changed, he would not have gotten past what Bonnie had done to Adrienne. "I know that," Steve said.
"I just want you to know that I know it took a lot for you to agree to be my best man, and I appreciate your support," Justin said. "All I ask in return is that you be happy," Steve said. "That's the plan," Justin said. Steve poured a couple drinks, and he raised his glass in a toast. "To the light that is back in your eyes, and the woman who put it there," Steve said. Riggins returned to the living room with a plate of food. "I told him he could help himself," Steve whispered to Justin. Riggins noted that he had another engagement, and he asked if they were almost ready to start the wedding. "I sure hope so," Justin whispered.
Upstairs in Bonnie's room, Bonnie handed the money to Calista, and she demanded the gun in return. "Fine," Calista said. Calista pulled the gun out of her purse and leveled it at Bonnie. "You're not getting the gun. You are getting the bullet," Calista said. Calista argued that Bonnie had stolen Harrison's money and his life. "And now you're going to pay with yours," Calista said. Bonnie begged Calista not to shoot her.
"You don't know the whole story!" Bonnie cried out. When Bonnie attempted to explain what had happened, Calista yelled at her to stop talking about Harrison. Frantic, Bonnie stammered out that she had gotten the money that Calista had asked for in payment. "What more do you want?" Bonnie asked. "Eye for an eye," Calista said. Bonnie begged Calista to think about the repercussions.
"What about when Xander comes after you?" Bonnie said. Calista countered that Xander would blame Bonnie. When Bonnie said she would tell Xander the truth, Calista reminded Bonnie that she would be dead. "What about E.J. DiMera?" Bonnie said. Bonnie told Calista that the money belonged to the mob, and Calista should flee.
"This won't take but a minute," Calista said as she pointed the gun at Bonnie with emphasis. Bonnie told Calista that Justin's uncle was an old school mobster. "You lay one hand on me, and he will --" Bonnie started. "Thank me? C'mon the old goat won't even come to your wedding," Calista said. Bonnie changed tactics. Bonnie told Calista that Steve was in law enforcement, and he would hear the gunshot.
"You lose the money, you go to Statesville, and you don't even have me around to give you tips on how to get ciggies from the guards in cell block H," Bonnie said. Calista grabbed a pillow to use as a silencer. "No one will know what happened, and no one will care," Calista said. Bonnie grabbed Calista, and they struggled. The gun fired. Calista pulled the pillow away, looked at her bloody chest, and fell onto the bed.
As Bonnie checked for a pulse on Calista, Kayla knocked on the door. "This can't be happening," Bonnie whimpered. Bonnie yelled that she was not decent. Kayla offered to help Bonnie get ready, but Bonnie insisted she was fine. "I have your makeup bag here," Kayla said. Bonnie shoved the bag of money into a drawer. Kayla yelled that it was her job as the matron of honor to help Bonnie get ready.
Bonnie quickly pulled the quilt over Calista as Kayla walked in. "What happened?" Kayla asked as she looked at the feathers on the floor. With a nervous chuckle, Bonnie said the pillow had exploded when she had fluffed it. "And Calista?" Kayla asked. Bonnie lied and said that Calista had fallen over. "I'll examine her," Kayla said. "You can't," Bonnie said. Bonnie explained that Calista was drunk, and she did not want to wake Calista and get her started again.
"I can relate. I felt a bit rough this morning myself," Kayla said. Kayla looked over at Calista, and she noted that it was a shame that Calista had visited for the wedding and would miss it. "Are you okay?" Kayla asked. "I'm marrying the man of my dreams!" Bonnie said. "You're shaking. And what happened to your nail?" Kayla asked as she took Bonnie's hand. Bonnie stammered that she probably lost it when she had caught Calista when she had collapsed.
"After all that time at the manicurist," Kayla said. "Nothing is going the right way! Nothing is going the way I planned it!" Bonnie said through tears. Kayla comforted Bonnie. "It's just a nail," Kayla said. Bonnie nodded in agreement. "Are you sure you're all right?" Kayla asked. "Justin is the best thing that ever happened to me. I just want to marry him before something else goes wrong, okay?" Bonnie said. When Kayla mentioned wedding rituals, Bonnie grabbed Harrison's handkerchief from the ground.
"It's borrowed, blue, some old tears, and some new stains," Bonnie said as she noticed a drop of blood on the fabric. Bonnie balled up the handkerchief and put it in the desk drawer. "Why don't we get you into your dress and get you married?" Kayla said. Bonnie nodded through her tears.
In the living room, an anxious Steve offered to check on the bride. As Steve turned to go upstairs, Kayla walked in with Bonnie. "Bonnie, you look absolutely stunning," Justin said. Steve whispered to Kayla about Calista. "Indisposed," Kayla whispered back. Riggins started the ceremony. "If any person here objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace," Riggins said. "I have an objection!" Calista cried out. A bloody Calista stumbled into the room, clutching her chest. "The bride just tried to kill me!" Calista screamed.
Fortunately, it was a daydream in Bonnie's head. "Is something wrong?" Justin asked. "What could be wrong? I'm marrying a dreamboat like you," Bonnie said. Riggins continued the ceremony. "If any person here objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace," Riggins said. "I have an objection," Xander announced. "What the hell are you doing here?" Justin asked. Justin said that Bonnie had stolen his money.
"Why would Bonnie be in your room?" Justin asked. "I can think of one million reasons. Why don't you ask her?" Xander said. Justin asked Bonnie if she had gone to Xander's room. Bonnie admitted she had gone to invite Xander to the wedding as a surprise. "Xander seems to have a newfound habit of crashing private parties and making scandalous claims," Kayla said. Xander pointed out that he had stated facts at Nicole's party. "My scandalous claim was true. Just as it is in this case. Isn't that right, Bonnie?" Xander asked.
At the Brady Pub, Belle received a phone call from Chloe while discussing menu options with Shawn. "Philip did what?" Belle sputtered during the conversation with Chloe, drawing a shake of the head and an eye roll from Shawn. "No, I totally understand -- you have every right to feel that way," Belle declared. "Yeah, I'll talk to him," Belle agreed. "Right now?" Belle repeated, drawing a silent protest from Shawn. "Yeah, I can go right now..." Belle conceded. "What? Why?" Shawn whispered. "No, no, no -- Chloe, everything's gonna be okay," Belle predicted before ending the call.
"I thought we were having dinner!" Shawn objected. "We are -- I'm just gonna go over to Titan for...two seconds," Belle responded. "To see Philip..." Shawn grumbled. "Chloe asked me to talk to him about this boneheaded move he just made," Belle explained. "Oh? What 'boneheaded move' now?" Shawn wondered. "Ugh -- well, for starters, he completely ignored my advice, got on the Titan jet, and then flew --" Belle tried to clarify. "Never mind, I take it back -- I don't want to hear about it; unless it involves a crime and I get to go over and happily arrest him, I don't want to hear it," Shawn decided. "Well, there's no crime -- well, there's a crime of the heart, I guess..." Belle summarized.
"Can't Chloe just handle her own relationship issues?" Shawn argued. "She can...but she asked me to go -- and, well, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't have her back? Listen, it's only gonna be a few minutes!" Belle countered before choosing a meal for Shawn to order then rushing out of the pub. "'Crime of the heart,' my ass..." Shawn muttered with a sigh.
Belle arrived at Titan a short time later -- and found Philip in the CEO's office, composing an email to send to Brady. "I'm kind of busy --" Philip protested. "You're kind of an idiot!" Belle spat while slamming Philip's laptop shut. "What --" Philip tried to respond. "I just hung up the phone with Chloe," Belle explained, drawing a nod of understanding from Philip.
"[Chloe and Brady were] in bed together, [and] they were spooning, Belle -- if I hadn't gotten there when I did, God knows what would have happened...although it's not too hard to guess..." Philip fretted. "Oh, please... [Look], Chloe is with you -- [even though, at the moment], she's pretty ticked off that you don't trust her --" Belle stressed. "I don't know how many times I have to say this -- of course I trust Chloe...but there's not a chance in hell that I trust Brady, especially after this latest stunt!" Philip clarified before reopening the laptop and continuing to compose an email to send to Brady -- and Belle silently read it as it was being drafted.
Dear Mr. Black, per this document, I respectfully request that you cease and desist...from trying to seduce Chloe when you know she's in a relationship with me! You're a pathetic, piece-of-slime son of a bitch who will pay the price if you don't keep your damn hands off my woman! I've warned you to stay away from Chloe more than once -- if you're not gonna listen, you better start looking over your shoulder, because I will come after you, and I will hurt you, and I will keep hurting you until you get it through your head that Chloe's mine...and if you decide you want Chloe more than life itself, that can be arranged!
Belle watched with a shake of the head as Philip continued typing furiously -- and Gabi and Jake, who were at the Hernandez house, also saw the email take shape, thanks to the spyware that had been installed on Philip's laptop. "If I ever catch you near a bed with Chloe again, I'm gonna cut off your..." Jake read aloud before shuddering and refusing to finish the sentence that Philip had just written.
Belle waited until Philip was finished with the email -- then advised against sending it to Brady. "I know that you just needed to vent, and that's why you would write such hateful and ugly threats...but now that you've gotten it out of your system, you need to delete the email; [otherwise], there'll be an electronic trail of potentially prosecutable threats, and that'll play right into Brady's hands," Belle reasoned. "You're right -- it is 'ugly' and 'hateful,' and I probably shouldn't send it... But I'm gonna," Philip countered. Belle watched helplessly as Philip pressed a key on the laptop to send the email to Brady -- but nothing happened.
Philip pressed the key a few more times -- then tried some of the other keys, growing more frustrated with each attempt -- and Belle stifled a laugh while watching the spectacle. "It froze again -- what the hell is going on with my computer?" Philip grumbled. "The Fates have finally intervened to save you from yourself!" Belle raved.
Philip took the laptop to the IT department then rejoined Belle in the CEO's office. Belle hoped that the people in the IT department would declare Philip's laptop irreparable. "Since when are you against freedom of expression?" Philip wondered. "Since it could land you in a world of trouble," Belle responded. "I know what I'm doing!" Philip insisted. "Oh, please -- you are running on rage right now, and that is not going to end well. You really need to listen to me and just cool off, or you are gonna lose Chloe -- and everything [else] that's important to you," Belle countered before exiting the office with a shake of the head -- just as Philip received a phone call from someone in the IT department.
Belle rejoined Shawn at the Brady Pub a short time later -- just as their food arrived. "So, how did things go with Philip?" Shawn wondered. "Well, he was just as stubborn and irrational as usual, which just makes me so --" Belle tried to respond. "Never mind -- actually, I don't want to hear it," Shawn decided again. "You're right -- you shouldn't care. And I'm really, really sorry that I left you like that," Belle stressed.
"It's okay...'cause I just finished a nice, long video chat with our daughter," Shawn teased. "Aw -- I hate that I missed that; I really, really need to catch up with her," Belle fretted. "Well, you will have a lot of time to do that...when we're in Jo'burg," Shawn announced. "What?" Belle sputtered. "The other way I passed the time while you were gone is...you know, I just, you know...booked us a couple of round-trip tickets to go see her -- [and] I even splurged on business class," Shawn clarified, earning a hug from Belle, who was giddy with excitement.
At the Hernandez house, Gabi complained to Jake about Philip's inability to finish things after starting them, seeing that the email hadn't been sent yet but also hadn't been altered recently. "We just have to get Philip to act on [this] anger -- see, once he's proven that he's this jealous maniac that might even resort to violence, Victor will fire him...and then I can take over!" Gabi declared. "Or me..." Jake argued.
Gabi continued talking, ignoring what Jake had just said. "So...what, you're saying [we should] trigger Philip to go off on Brady?" Jake eventually summarized. "It'll be a cinch!" Gabi confidently predicted. "Maybe...but if we're not careful, someone could get killed," Jake gravely countered. "Do you really think that Philip has the guts to murder Brady?" Gabi incredulously objected.
Gabi dismissively assured Jake that exploiting Philip's insecurities about Brady's relationship with Chloe at just the right time would simply result in a loud public confrontation between the rivals -- and, at worst, maybe a punch or two would be thrown, but only if luck was on the side of the secret saboteurs. Gabi matter-of-factly insisted that the confrontation would be enough to get Philip ousted from Titan, even if Brady emerged from it without a black eye or a busted lip, because there would be no way to justify it as a heat-of-the-moment thing once the incriminating email was factored into the equation -- and, according to internal Titan documents that the spyware had revealed, that wouldn't even be the first scandal of the year for a company that had just removed itself from a money-laundering operation a few months earlier. Gabi excitedly concluded that Victor surely wouldn't give Philip a third chance to mature into the type of leader Titan needed at its helm.
"Let's find a way to push Philip to the brink of that edge," Jake agreed after some thought, drawing a squeal of delight from Gabi -- who soon started complaining again about Philip's unsent and unaltered email. "Maybe he took a break -- [and] maybe you should take a break, [too]; maybe you could spend a little less time with your software and a little more time with my --" Jake suggested, and Gabi conceded the point with a kiss instead of waiting to hear the rest of the sentence -- but they failed to reach their bedroom before someone started pounding on the front door. "Why the hell are you spying on me?" Philip demanded to know when Gabi opened the front door.
Paulina spontaneously invited Lani and Eli over to the Price condominium for dinner, ignoring Abe's hints that it might not be the best night for such a gathering -- and when Eli and Lani arrived with the twins a short time later, they confirmed one of the concerns Abe had voiced to Paulina, explaining that they had been unable to enlist the services of their newly hired nanny on such short notice. Paulina shamelessly admitted that had been one of the goals of the impromptu dinner all along.
While waiting for their meal to finish cooking, Eli, Lani, Abe, and Paulina vaguely discussed the "wonderful" and "eventful" Labor Day weekend they had just spent together. Eli eventually proposed a toast to the end of Lani's first day back at work -- and although Abe was quick to join the celebration, Paulina argued that it wasn't a good thing. "I know you love your job, [and] I'm proud of you for being so good at it, [but] being a cop is dangerous, [and] you've got those little beauties to think about [now] --" Paulina reasoned. "You are starting to sound like my mom," Lani grumbled before dismissing the concern.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Xander finished telling everyone why Bonnie was the prime suspect in the case of the stolen cash. "Is any of what Xander's saying true?" Justin challenged Bonnie. "Who are you gonna believe -- Xander Cook, a common criminal...or the woman you love and are about to marry?" Bonnie challenged Justin.
"I'm not surprised that you'd resort to name-calling, Bonnie...but, for your information, I'm not the criminal here, and any crimes I allegedly committed could never be called 'common'... And it's a bit risky, isn't it -- invoking my reputation when you have quite the reputation yourself --" Xander argued. "Bonnie is not that person anymore -- she's changed --" Justin insisted. "[And, Xander], you haven't -- I know for a fact that you've been running drugs," Steve added. "Oh, you're late to the party, pal -- those charges have all been dismissed; D.A. had no proof," Xander clarified. "And you have no proof of these absurd allegations against Bonnie -- so get the hell out of here now!" Justin snapped.
Xander refused to leave without first searching Justin and Bonnie's bedroom for the money. Bonnie tried to protest that someone was passed out in that particular room and was not to be disturbed, but Xander waved a hand dismissively then continued heading toward the bedroom while promising to be very quiet during the search.
Xander rushed off, and Bonnie and Justin followed. "Sorry to intrude -- just a quick look around, then I'll let you rest in peace..." Xander whispered to Calista after entering Justin and Bonnie's bedroom. "No!" Bonnie shouted while bursting into the bedroom a few seconds later -- but Xander had already located the money by then. "Think this through, Bonnie -- you're about to marry the man you love, the man who's much too good for you... So, let this go -- let me take what is mine, and we'll both have our happily ever afters, and we'll never mention this again," Xander advised Bonnie while they both had a hand on the purse that contained the money.
Bonnie conceded Xander's point and let go of the purse -- but a few stacks of cash fell to the floor in the process, along with a gun. "What are you doing with a gun?" Xander challenged Bonnie -- and Justin entered the bedroom just then and asked the same question. "She was gonna use that gun at the Salem Inn to rob me!" Xander fretted to Justin after a moment of thought -- and Bonnie tried to deny the accusation but was ignored.
Justin, unlike Xander, was willing to listen to Bonnie's side of the story -- but kept impatiently demanding it, speaking loudly each time. "Can we just go somewhere else [and] let Calista sleep?" Bonnie begged Justin, drawing a dismissive scoff from Xander. "Your sister-in-law sleeps like the dead -- all this ruckus and she hasn't even moved a hair," Xander assured Bonnie before saying goodbye to Justin then rushing off with the money.
Justin decided to check on Calista, ignoring Bonnie's objections. Meanwhile, Xander returned to the study, where Steve and Kayla were in the process of fretting about how terrible it would be if Justin suffered heartbreak during a wedding yet again. Xander showed off the money to prove to Kayla and Steve that Bonnie was the one who had been lying earlier -- then bragged about having gotten the police involved in the matter. "You have your money -- why did you call the police?" Kayla asked. "The woman had a gun -- she could have shot me!" Xander replied.
Eli and Lani arrived while Bonnie was struggling to explain everything to Justin, and they all headed off to the study to avoid further disturbance to the crime scene. "I'm sorry!" Bonnie said to Justin between sobs while being placed under arrest.
At the Price condominium, Paulina chatted with the twins in the living room while Abe was doing dishes in the kitchen. "Everybody in town thinks of me as your Great-Auntie Paulina...but you can call me 'Grandma' -- just don't forget, it's our little secret," Paulina whispered to the twins, unaware that Abe was back in the living room.
At the Price condominium, Paulina finished talking to the twins then sensed Abe's presence. "I didn't hear you come in..." Paulina nervously admitted. "I know," Abe suspiciously responded.
"I heard you call yourself 'Grandma'!" Abe challenged Paulina. "I did?" Paulina stammered. "You did," Abe insisted. "Well...I guess I did..." Paulina backpedaled, prompting Abe to demand an explanation.
Paulina gulped down a full glass of wine as Abe watched with obvious confusion. "Liquid courage... [Anyway], the reason that I wanted the babies to call me 'Grandma' is because...of tonight's dinner -- [see], spending time with our shared family, it just felt so comfortable [and] so right, and it got me thinking about the future and...how you and I might get married someday, [and then] I'd be their grandmother...by marriage, of course... [And, well], you know me -- always jumping the gun..." Paulina claimed. "Married?" Abe sputtered. "Oh, I should never have told you -- now I've scared you off..." Paulina fretted.
"No, you haven't -- the idea has crossed my mind, [too]..." Abe clarified. "You want to marry me? [I mean], I knew you'd been married before, and I wasn't sure if you ever wanted to do it again..." Paulina responded. "Well, I'm not saying that we should get married tomorrow, but... [Look], it's been ten years since I lost Lexie, and I still miss her -- [and] I told myself that if I ever got married again, it would have to be to someone very special --" Abe stressed. "And that doesn't rule me out?" Paulina interjected, drawing a laugh from Abe.
"We've had some rocky moments...but I feel the same way you feel about tonight -- it just felt right -- and, well, if things keep going in this direction, I could see getting married [to you]," Abe confirmed. "Well, we'll take it nice and easy... How 'bout a week from Thursday?" Paulina suggested before forcing a laugh to give Abe the impression that the idea was only a joke. "You are worth waiting for... How 'bout a week from Friday?" Paulina added before forcing another laugh to keep Abe comfortable. "I love you," Abe declared. "I love you, too," Paulina responded before giving Abe a hug -- and using the embrace as an opportunity to secretly breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate the results of the cover story.
At the police station, Eli joined Rafe in the commissioner's office and reported that Bonnie had just been taken to a holding cell. "Man, that woman is a piece of work -- I mean, did she really think that she could hide a dead body in her fiancé's bed and no one would find out?" Eli mused. "You can't use the words 'think' and 'Bonnie' in the same sentence," Rafe responded, and Eli conceded the point. "Well, at least it all blew up before the ceremony -- Justin dodged a bullet," Eli stressed. "I guess the sister-in-law can't say the same thing, huh?" Rafe joked, prompting Eli to drum out a rim shot on an edge of the desk -- right next to Rafe's cell phone.
"Nice picture," Eli observed after noticing that the device was displaying an image of Rafe and Nicole. "I was looking for a photo for the Myers case, and [that one] just...kind of...popped up," Rafe explained. "Right..." Eli teased. "Don't you have some paperwork to do?" Rafe snapped. "No -- my desk is clear..." Eli insisted before wondering if Rafe was still having conversations with a teddy bear. "I am deeply sorry that I ever shared that with you," Rafe grumbled, drawing a laugh from Eli, who continued probing for an update on the situation -- and was eventually given one.
Ava entered Julie's Place and noticed that Nicole was sitting at the bar. "You look like you lost your best friend," Ava observed before offering to buy Nicole a drink -- then hinting at the possibility of being able to provide free drinks in the near future as an employee of the restaurant. "I thought you wanted me to hire you at Basic Black," Nicole admitted. "I did...but I just think it would be awkward, given the circumstances, [so now] I'm hoping that Julie will hire me as her new chef," Ava explained.
"You're using 'circumstances' as a euphemism -- [really], what you think might be 'awkward' is working for a woman who you thought tried to steal your man," Nicole translated. "I never thought that you set out to get him -- just that the two of you turned into more than just friends," Ava clarified. "Look, Ava, I was nuts -- I probably still am -- and, yes, I leaned on Rafe way too much, and that wasn't fair to you, but Rafe was just being a friend to me, that's all --" Nicole insisted. "No, it wasn't," Ava objected. "Damn it -- look, Rafe had no interest in me romantically; that was all in your head --" Nicole maintained. "No, it isn't," Ava protested.
"Suddenly, I'm not very thirsty..." Nicole snapped at Ava before starting to storm out of the restaurant. "It's true -- Rafe told me himself," Ava revealed, stopping Nicole. "I didn't know..." Nicole conceded after Ava elaborated. "Yeah -- it's the one time in my life that I wished I had been wrong and that it was actually all in my head," Ava grumbled. "I'm so sorry --" Nicole began. "It's okay," Ava declared.
Ava reasoned that it was impossible to see the situation as a bad thing because it had led to an open and honest conversation with Rafe -- and would hopefully lead to an open and honest conversation with Nicole, as well. "What do you mean?" Nicole wondered. "I need to know -- how do you feel? [I mean], you and Rafe, you were so close, and I just need to know where I stand," Ava clarified. "You don't have to worry about me at all -- [seriously], I don't feel that way about Rafe," Nicole insisted. "Okay -- I appreciate that, [because] I do think it'll be best, for the time being, for the two of you just not to see each other...[but] I'm so sorry about that --" Ava responded. "Oh, please, don't be -- not seeing Rafe is not a problem for me," Nicole assured Ava -- just as Rafe entered the restaurant.
Rafe had guessed that Ava might have gone to the restaurant to drop off a résumé -- but had not anticipated Nicole's presence. Rafe made a point of greeting Ava with a kiss before acknowledging Nicole with a slight nod. "This is a surprise," Ava admitted. "I thought I'd stop by and [see if] maybe we could have dinner...but if I'm interrupting --" Rafe responded. "No, you're not -- actually, I was just leaving," Nicole claimed.
Nicole exited the restaurant after saying goodbye to Ava, who soon headed off to the bathroom to freshen up -- and Rafe produced a cell phone as soon as the coast was clear then sighed while staring at the image that had popped up on it earlier.
At the Hernandez house, Gabi innocently laughed off Philip's accusation then gave Jake a shrug of confusion. "I know it was you!" Philip maintained before telling Gabi about the spyware that the IT department had found -- then guessing that Jake was probably a co-conspirator. "You're both fired!" Philip spat as Gabi and Jake exchanged nervous glances.
"I have no idea who put that...'keylogger' thing...on your computer -- I don't even know what it is!" Gabi claimed. "Too high-tech for you? You put an app on your phone so you could remote-control Julie's pacemaker -- a keylogger's a piece of cake for you!" Philip argued. "Why would I do this?" Gabi wondered. "To control the company -- my mother called it; she said that's what you two were up to! [And] I practically caught you red-handed -- [see], the first time my laptop froze up was right after I caught you [using it] in my office!" Philip responded. "You and I are friends -- in fact, we were almost more --" Gabi declared. "Oh, hey, thanks for the reminder..." Jake interjected. "[And] I would never betray you --" Gabi promised. "You see something you want, you'd run over your own grandmother with a tractor to get it -- [but] it's over!" Philip spat before seizing Gabi's laptop -- which belonged to Titan -- then starting to storm out of the house.
Jake stopped Philip and suggested that Gabi's laptop might also be infected with spyware -- which would mean that someone else was responsible. "Call IT -- I'm sure they can check it out remotely. [After all], Gabi's computer was acting up, [too] -- that's why she had to use your computer [in the first place]," Jake reasoned. "So she says..." Philip conceded. "But what if the hacker was just trying to target Philip --" Gabi protested. "Gabi, we've already lost our jobs -- we've got nothing left to lose," Jake argued. "This isn't gonna work -- you can't just bluff your way out of this like a poker game!" Gabi snapped at Jake after Philip stepped aside to make the phone call.
"You were right -- they found a keylogger on her laptop, too!" Philip said to Jake after ending the call, drawing a gasp from Gabi. "Chad and E.J. are pissed I switched teams," Jake concluded, and Philip agreed that the spyware had probably been developed at DiMera Enterprises -- but Gabi argued, after recovering from the shock of the turn of events, that the men were onto something but hadn't quite solved the mystery yet. "If [someone at DiMera] hacked Gabi Chic, it could be [a member of] Basic Black...but I guess I don't see Nicole doing something like this..." Gabi mused. "Brady!" Philip decided before storming out of the house.
"My nerves are shot -- I thought we were done for!" Gabi admitted to Jake while reaching for a bottle of wine. "Oh, ye of little faith..." Jake teased. "You put that spyware on my laptop!" Gabi realized. "Remember all the time we spent at the mansion?" Jake wondered. "Vividly..." Gabi grumbled. "Well, I finally figured out why the old man taught all the kids chess -- he was teaching them to think of the move after the move after the present move," Jake explained. "Or...you like having the means to check up on me..." Gabi suggested. "Oh, Gabi -- you have a suspicious mind..." Jake muttered. "I would have done the same thing," Gabi conceded.
"[But] you're lucky that I used a website to access the keylogger program -- or else IT would have found out that I'm the hacker when they checked my laptop," Gabi noted. "What, you think I didn't know that?" Jake responded with a dismissive scoff before bragging that Gabi was dealing with a genius. "If you do say so yourself..." Gabi teased. "I do -- [and], in fact, [this is] the move the future CEO of Titan would make, don't you think?" Jake argued. "I am not gonna have this discussion with you again -- I am the future CEO of Titan; I planned this from the beginning!" Gabi snapped. "And if not for me, that plan would have gotten us fired," Jake countered.
"You know what's 'genius'? Me shifting blame so Philip thinks it's Brady!" Gabi bragged. "That was not a half bad pivot..." Jake conceded. "It was brilliant!" Gabi insisted. "[Philip] looked mad enough to kill..." Jake mused. "We have to keep pushing Philip to go after Brady -- he's gonna take it too far, and then that's when Victor's gonna fire him," Gabi stressed. "And we'll be right there, ready to take over..." Jake agreed.
Brady and Chloe headed over to the Kiriakis mansion together, having just returned from their business trip, and found the place swarming with cops. "Typical Salem wedding..." Lani summarized with a shrug after explaining what had happened.
"I cannot believe that a woman was murdered down the hall from my bedroom!" Chloe fretted to Brady after Lani exited the mansion. "Which is exactly why you are gonna come home with me tonight," Brady responded. "I don't really think that [Bonnie] would make bail and then come hunt me down and shoot me because...what, I didn't get along with Mimi in high school?" Chloe argued. "Forget about the physical danger -- what about emotional? My God -- I mean, you're gonna try to sleep here tonight, really? Knowing that a murder happened a couple doors down from you? It's traumatic, don't you think?" Brady countered.
"Brady, you're right -- thank you so much for being concerned with my mental health; I'm sure that it's just a coincidence that the remedy proposed would keep me away from Philip," Chloe declared. "Can't blame a guy for trying..." Brady reasoned. "Yeah, actually, I can! Listen to me, Brady -- I don't like being a rope in this tug-of-war between you and Philip; it stopped being funny about two decades ago!" Chloe snapped.
"Chloe, I would love to stop fighting with Philip -- I really would -- and I'm sure that's gonna happen very soon -- as soon as the guy grows up..." Brady joked. "Oh, you mean like you have?" Chloe translated. "I'm young at heart," Brady bragged. "Ugh, another one-liner -- [so], everything's just a joke to you, [then]? Especially my relationship with Philip?" Chloe concluded. "You said it, not me..." Brady teased.
"I don't think you see -- or maybe you just don't care -- that you are laughing at me, not with me!" Chloe stressed. "That was not my intention --" Brady insisted. "Yes, it was -- you cooked up this whole business trip just to get me away from Philip and alone with you; you used my job to make me --" Chloe argued. "It was a legitimate meeting -- one which we crushed, by the way, thank you; we're a wonderful team --" Brady countered. "When you're the owner, the coach, and the quarterback..." Chloe grumbled.
"Listen, you may think that this is some sort of a romantic comedy, but this is my life that you are messing with -- and my career -- and it is not funny!" Chloe snapped before turning away from Brady. "That should have been your cue to just say 'I'm sorry' and go home," Chloe clarified when Brady didn't immediately react.
Brady hesitantly apologized to Chloe then promised to leave after checking on Victor. "Make it quick, 'cause I don't want [another] nightmare scenario like what happened at Wilkes-Barre," Chloe begged. "[When Philip] barged in like some outraged husband in some French farce?" Brady summarized, earning a glare from Chloe. "Sorry -- old habit," Brady backpedaled. "Yeah -- very, very old..." Chloe grumbled.
Brady slinked out of the study -- then returned a short time later and informed Chloe that Victor was hiding from the police. "He said that watching Bonnie being taken out of this house in handcuffs was 'as beautiful as the Winged Victory' -- [and] he was afraid that they would arrest him for 'excessive celebration' --" Brady explained. "Aw -- the old sweetie..." Chloe joked.
Brady hoped that Justin was all right -- and Chloe agreed, musing that a groom and a bride were supposed to be happy on their wedding day. Brady seized the opportunity to remind Chloe of their upcoming anniversary then stressed that they had been happy on their wedding day -- as well as their wedding night. "Brady..." Chloe protested. "Remember?" Brady wondered. "Of course..." Chloe conceded.
Philip entered the mansion just then and called out for Chloe -- then checked the study and froze at the sight of Brady. "You son of a bitch -- I know what you did, and you're not gonna get away with it --" Philip spat while lunging at Brady -- but Chloe quickly intervened. "Brady just gave me a lift home --" Chloe began to explain. "I'm not talking about him stalking you -- I'm talking about him trying to take away my company!" Philip clarified before elaborating.
"My lawyers are looking into it, Brady -- and once we have the proof, I'm gonna put your ass in prison for corporate espionage!" Philip warned. "You're not gonna find any proof -- because I didn't do it," Brady insisted. "Don't deny it -- you've been trying to undermine me --'" Philip maintained. "You're doing that all on your own," Brady argued before recommending a psychiatrist then exiting the mansion.
"You have to stop working for him -- now!" Philip demanded. "I don't think he did it -- [and] I'm not quitting until you can prove it," Chloe protested. "Up to you --" Philip conceded. "Nice of you to acknowledge that..." Chloe grumbled. "When it turns out that I'm right, I want you to leave that job -- and Brady -- for good," Philip stressed. "Okay -- but if you are wrong, I don't want to hear a word about Brady ever again," Chloe countered.
Nicole was in the town square, seeking comfort in a bowl of frozen yogurt, when Brady approached and asked to join the pity party.
In the Horton living room, Jack asked about Julie and Doug's health. Julie dismissively said they were fine. As Julie turned toward the kitchen, Jack reminded her of Doug's memory lapse. Jack told Julie that he had made an appointment with Kayla for Doug.
"Cancel it. We don't need to see anybody," Julie said. Julie insisted that Doug had not meant to lock her in the freezer. "It was a misunderstanding," Julie stressed. "Where he confused Roman with John!" Jack interjected. "Who doesn't?" Julie said. Jack added that Doug had also confused Marlena and Vivian.
"I saw how frightened you were when I unlocked that freezer. How scared you were when he didn't pick up the phone and answer it. And what if he never made it to the pub?" Jack said. "You're blowing this out of proportion!" Julie objected. Jack argued that he had been miserable when he had suffered from amnesia, and he did not want Doug to feel the same pain.
"For God's sake! [Doug] had a little confusion yesterday," Julie said. Jack urged Julie to take Doug in for an exam. Frustrated, Julie said that Doug could wait for his next doctor's appointment. "[Doug] is my husband! I know him. I know him better than anybody in the world. And he does not have dementia!" Julie yelled. "You got that right," Doug said as he walked into the room.
"Good morning, Doug! We were just talking about what happened yesterday," Jack said. "You mean when I found Julie locked in the freezer and didn't let her out?" Doug asked. Surprised, Jack said, "You remember?" Doug said he did not know how he had done such a thing. Doug asked Julie to forgive her. "Nothing to forgive. The important thing is I'm fine and so are you," Julie said.
When Jack noted that the freezer incident was not the only issue, Doug nodded and said that he remembered he had been wrong about a number of things. "My doctor says that lots of us have minor memory issues when we get older," Doug said. "I told [Jack] it was very common, but he won't let it go," Julie said. Doug blamed his lack of sleep.
Doug reminded Julie that they needed to go to the opening of Sweet Bits bakery. "I didn't remember that," Julie said as she looked at Jack. When Julie suggested they head over to the bakery, Jack asked if they were sure they did not want to talk to Kayla first. "Jack took it upon himself to make an appointment to get you checked over, but obviously, that is not necessary," Julie said.
Tripp visited Allie at the opening of the bakery. Tripp tasted the fresh batch of doughnuts. "Amazing. You guys are going to kill it," Tripp said. "Thank you. I needed to hear that," Allie said. Tripp noted that he and Allie had not spoken since the disastrous double date with Chanel and Johnny.
"I've just been preoccupied," Allie said. "With the opening or with Chanel and Johnny?" Tripp countered. Tripp reminded Allie that she had raced out on him to talk to Johnny, and she had not reached out to Tripp since. Allie asked to talk later, since she was busy.
"Of course. I have to get to work, anyway. I'll be thinking of you," Tripp said. Tripp told Allie to believe in herself and that he believed in her. "This is the start of something incredible, okay?" Tripp said. "I hope so," Allie said with a grin. Tripp kissed Allie goodbye. Nearby, Chanel watched.
After Johnny left, Chanel put more samples on the table. "The oatmeal cookies are going," Allie said. "Those are Tripp's favorite, right?" Chanel said bitterly. Allie said Tripp had stopped by to wish them luck. When Allie attempted to help Chanel, she almost knocked over the tray. "What is up with you, Horton? You've been stressed out since the moment you showed up," Chanel observed.
"I don't know. I'm just a nervous wreck about this opening," Allie said. "You sure it's about the opening?" Chanel asked. Chanel suggested that she and Allie clear the air about Johnny. Chanel stressed that she could take care of herself. "I know. I just wanted to warn you about my brother," Allie said.
"So you crashed our date, and trashed him right in front of me?" Chanel said. Allie argued that she had done Chanel a huge favor. With a shake of her head, Chanel said she had known plenty of sleazy guys, but she had not felt that vibe from Johnny.
"Johnny is my twin, and I love him, but he definitely does not have the best track record with women," Allie said. Chanel told Allie that she had not spoken with Johnny because she had been focused on the bakery opening. "I just thought he would have texted you," Allie said.
"You told me to stay away from him. Isn't this what you wanted?" Chanel asked. Allie apologized. "I really should have talked with [Johnny] about it privately, but when Tripp said that you and Johnny almost slept together, I just reacted," Allie said. Allie told Chanel about her friend Katie. Allie explained that she cared about Chanel too much to watch her get hurt.
"Can you please forgive me?" Allie asked. "Of course, I can forgive you. I know you were just looking out for me," Chanel said. Chanel asked Allie if there was more to the situation. "When I got with your brother, you lost your mind. So, is it possible that this is a 'you don't want me, but you don't want Johnny to have me, either' type sitch?" Chanel asked. "I couldn't let him use you," Allie argued. Chanel asked Allie what had happened after Chanel had left the mansion. Allie told Chanel that Johnny had yelled at her and stormed out.
"And then I went home, and I had a long talk with Nicole about everything. She told me that I had to be honest," Allie said. "About what?" Chanel asked. "About why it bothered me so much that my brother was involved with my best friend," Allie said. Allie admitted that she had been jealous. Before Chanel could respond, Doug and Julie interrupted. While Chanel ran inside to take croissants out of the oven, Doug picked up a doughnut.
Julie said she was thrilled that the family doughnut recipe would be enjoyed by the whole town. "These doughnuts taste remarkably like Alice's!" Julie said. A confused look crossed Doug's face. "I'm sorry, darling. Who the heck is Alice?" Doug asked. The smile fell away from Julie's face.
In the DiMera living room, E.J. left a voicemail for Xander. "I still don't have my money. You better get it to me, or I'll do exactly what I warned I would do. Don't you even think about crossing me. You will regret it," E.J. growled. As E.J. ended his call, he noticed Johnny enter the room.
"That's the kind of work you're dying to get me to do. Threatening people?" Johnny said. "What you heard was just business," E.J. said. E.J. argued that he would not let anyone cheat him out of money that was rightfully his property. "I don't want to work in a business where it is routine to threaten people," Johnny said.
"Well, you don't want to work at all. You want to make silly little movies on your phone," E.J. sneered. E.J. told Johnny to find another relative to invest in the movie. "You can take your damn job and shove it," Johnny said. Johnny stormed out past Chad as he entered the living room. "Doing a little father-son bonding?" Chad asked.
At the Salem Inn, Xander listened to E.J.'s voicemail. Gwen stopped by the room. "I heard Bonnie Lockhart got arrested," Gwen said. Gwen asked Xander if the police had returned his money. Xander told Gwen what had happened at the Kiriakis mansion with Bonnie.
"Before I could get out the door, the police found Bonnie's sister-in-law shot to death. They seized the cash as evidence," Xander explained. Gwen worried aloud that E.J. would send Xander to prison. "I'm aware. I just got a lovely voicemail from him reminding me the clock is ticking," Xander said.
Xander called E.J., and he reported that Bonnie had stolen the money. When Xander noted that the police had confiscated the money from the murder scene, E.J. argued it was not his problem. Xander said the police had promised to return the money after Bonnie's arraignment. "See that you do [return it]. Or you'll be very sorry," E.J. said.
At the DiMera mansion, Chad noted to E.J. that he had seen tension between E.J. and Johnny. "No thanks to you!" E.J. snapped. Confused, Chad asked why he was to blame. Chad reminded E.J. that E.J. had not offered anything in return for Chad's help with Johnny.
"Instead, you told Johnny to follow his passion," E.J. said. Chad argued that he had followed his passion through several ventures before he had started at the family business. "So, why don't you just let your son explore a little bit?" Chad asked. "Out of the question. The boy needs to be put on the proper path," E.J. said. "You mean a leash," Chad quipped. "At least my son is still living under this roof, which is more than can be said about your wife," E.J. countered. Defensive, Chad argued that Abigail was busy with family matters. When E.J. asked if Chad had taken the kids to see Abigail, Chad said no.
"She doesn't want to see her own children?" E.J. asked. "Of course, she does," Chad said. E.J. sighed with understanding. "She doesn't want to see you. I'm sorry," E.J. said. Chad laughed in frustration. When E.J. pushed the issue, Chad asked E.J. what he expected.
"If you had any sense, you'd be in Boston right now, telling Abigail her place is here with you and your children," E.J. said. Chad scoffed. "I don't know what century you're living in, but I don't tell my wife what to do," Chad said. Chad told E.J. to chase down his own wife.
"I don't want to see that duplicitous whore ever again. Even if I did, I don't know where she is," E.J. said. "I find that very hard to believe," Chad said. Chad reminded E.J. that E.J. had been the only one that had kept tabs on Kristen's location. "I bet you a million dollars that you know where [Sami] is or you are very close to finding out," Chad said. "And you'd lose that bet. Samantha could fall off the face of the earth, as far as I'm concerned," E.J. said.
In Xander's room at the inn, Xander assured Gwen that everything would work out. "I'm more concerned about you and Jack," Xander said. Gwen told Xander that she had not spoken to Jack about the miscarriage yet. "[Jack] is gonna want an answer soon," Xander said. Gwen noted that she had time because Jack was preoccupied with Julie and Doug. Gwen told Xander that Doug had locked Julie in the freezer.
"I've been tempted to take her out myself," Xander said with a laugh. "Right? I would settle for cryogenic preservation. That would shut her up for a bit, wouldn't it?" Gwen said. With a laugh, Xander listed off ridiculous ways that Doug might attempt to kill Julie. "You're horrible!" Gwen said with a laugh. After a moment, Xander grabbed Gwen and kissed her.
After Xander and Gwen had sex, she swore that it had not been the reason she'd stopped by the inn. "We just got caught up in the moment, didn't we?" Gwen said. "Exactly. Neither of us intended to end up back here again, did we?" Xander said. Gwen noted that Jack would die if he found her in bed with Xander.
"Yeah, he still hates my guts," Xander said. "If he finds out about my miscarriage, he's going to hate my guts, too," Gwen whispered. When Gwen said she knew how much Xander's friendship with Jack had meant to him, Xander said it was not the same as a father-daughter relationship.
"If Jack finds out that you let Abigail think it was her fault that you lost your baby when, in reality, you already had, I don't think he'll ever forgive you," Xander said. "[Jack] has loved Abigail her whole life. I'm his daughter just come lately," Gwen whispered. Xander stressed that Gwen was every bit as much Jack's daughter as Abigail. Gwen nodded in agreement. When Xander wondered aloud what to tell Jack, Gwen admitted that she had not been able to think of anything.
After a moment, Xander noted that the lie had to be something believable on the surface, because Jack was an investigative reporter. "It has to be something where I'm scared enough that I don't want it to come out, but not so bad that he won't turn his back on me," Gwen said. "Two highly skilled liars are better than one. Let's put our heads together, see what we can come up with," Xander said.
While brainstorming, Xander suggested that Gwen tell Jack that she had been a hooker, and Snyder had been a client. "How do you expect me to say that and not throw up afterwards?" Gwen said. Xander spun a tale that Gwen could tell her father. "It's not happening," Gwen said. "Well, you told me to come up with a story, and I can't think of a better one," Xander said.
"I can. I tell him the truth, and I let the chips fall where they may," Gwen said. As Gwen jumped out of bed and got dressed, Xander pleaded with her to think before she confessed everything to Jack. "I want to tell Jack the truth. This is going to be such a huge weight off my shoulders," Gwen said. "But it could also be the end of your relationship with him," Xander countered. Gwen said she could not live with the lie anymore. When Gwen noted that Jack might stop hating Xander, Xander disagreed.
"I've known the real story about your miscarriage for months. I didn't say a word. He might just end up hating both of us," Xander said. After a moment, Xander noted that there was a bright side. Gwen raised a questioning eyebrow. Xander asked Gwen if she was interested in having a relationship with him. Gwen playfully avoided the question, and she gave Xander a goodbye kiss on the cheek.
After Gwen left, Xander got dressed. E.J. visited. "Bonnie Lockhart was arraigned over an hour ago. Where's my money?" E.J. asked. "I was just about to get it," Xander said. E.J. said he did not believe Xander. Suspicious, Xander asked E.J. why he was so interested in the money. "I told you, it's the principle," E.J. said. E.J. pulled his phone out, and he announced that he was calling the judge. "I just said I was going to get the money!" Xander objected. "The only place you're going, my friend, is jail," E.J. said.
When Gwen arrived home, Jack was in the living room. Jack confirmed that Doug and Julie appeared to be better, and they were out of the house. Jack suggested that he and Gwen finish their conversation. "I think it's time that you knew the truth about Dr. Snyder and what he was holding over me," Gwen said.
At the hospital, Tripp spotted Johnny exit the elevator. Tripp asked Johnny what had happened with Allie. "You mean when your girlfriend, a.k.a. my sister, barged in on me and Chanel like a total lunatic?" Johnny said. Tripp stressed that he had not meant to cause trouble. Johnny yelled that Allie had badmouthed him to Chanel.
"I'm sorry. I knew [Allie would] be upset, but I didn't know she'd go ballistic," Tripp said. Frustrated, Johnny told Tripp to open his eyes. "It's obvious Allie doesn't want me with Chanel because she wants her for herself," Johnny said. Tripp disagreed.
"Yet she's doing anything she can to keep us apart," Johnny argued. Tripp reminded Johnny that Chanel could make up her own mind. Johnny told Tripp that Chanel had ghosted him, and he blamed Allie.
"I get why you're pissed, but Allie and Chanel were just friends," Tripp said. Tripp said that Allie had told him that she wanted to be with Tripp. "Then why is [Allie] so determined to mess things up with me and Chanel? Why does she even care what happens between us?" Johnny asked. Tripp stressed that Allie wanted to be a good friend.
Johnny argued that he was not a saint, but he did not want to use Chanel, either. "I like her. A lot. And I thought that she liked me, too. But now I have no idea if I'll ever hear from her again," Johnny said. With a sigh, Johnny asked Tripp to tell Allie to stay out of his business.
In Boston, Chad entered Jennifer's home. "Abigail?" Chad called out. Abigail exited the bathroom. "I'm right here," Abigail said. Chad stared at his wife, unable to speak.
