T.R. tried to chase Abe away from the Price condominium, knowing that Paulina could return to the living room at any moment. "I am not leaving until I see Paulina," Abe insisted. "You really think you own the world, don't you?" T.R. snapped.
"You have been running that woman hot and cold for the last few months -- first you don't want to have anything to do with her, and now you show up and expect her to drop everything and see you... Just what is so important you need to tell Paulina right this very moment?" T.R. challenged Abe. "Well, not that it's any of your damn business, but I'm here to tell the woman I love...I want her back," Abe responded, drawing a scoff from T.R. "Paulina doesn't have time for your games --" T.R. declared. "Paulina can decide for herself if she wants to see me," Abe argued. "She already has decided," T.R. countered.
"We are back together -- matter of fact, I'm fixin' to take my woman out of town for a romantic getaway," T.R. bragged. "'Your woman'?" Abe disapprovingly repeated. "Ya snooze, ya lose, playa," T.R. shamelessly teased. "There's no way that Paulina would go away with the likes of you -- especially with her son-in-law --" Abe protested. "My son-in-law," T.R. interjected. "You really want to get into this?" Abe wondered. "You mean me being Lani's real father?" T.R. summarized. "I'm Lani's father -- in every way that matters!" Abe clarified. "Well, not every way..." T.R. objected.
"You know, this just proves how little you know about family -- that you would take Paulina away at a time like this --" Abe noted. "You know what, brother? You're starting to wear on my nerves!" T.R. spat. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that...but I'm not leaving, 'brother' --" Abe maintained. "Well, we are!" T.R. reiterated.
"A weekend away from Salem -- away from all the stress, not to mention your judgment -- is just what Paulina needs, [and] it's not like Eli's waking up anytime soon --" T.R. explained -- and, as if on cue, Tripp called Abe just then to report that Eli had just emerged from the coma and was going to make a full recovery.
After ending the call, Abe updated T.R., who feigned relief and promised to share the news with Paulina. "While you're on your way out of town with her? Like hell --" Abe argued while shoving past T.R., who sighed then attacked Abe with a baseball bat Paulina kept near the front door for protection. "Look what you made me do..." T.R. grumbled before setting aside the baseball bat then dragging Abe's motionless body behind the couch -- and Paulina returned to the living room seconds later. "I thought I heard voices..." Paulina began while looking around. "That was a religious group -- they were handing out pamphlets," T.R. claimed.
"Why do I pay to live in a building with a doorman if they're just gonna let any kind of weirdo up to my door? Ugh, I'm gonna give them a piece of my mind -- where's my phone..." Paulina declared. "We really have to get going on our trip -- we can tell the doorman when we get downstairs," T.R. advised. "What's the rush?" Paulina wondered. "I just can't wait to get you all to myself," T.R. explained. "Okay..." Paulina conceded before giving T.R. a hug and a kiss.
At the hospital, Lani laughed off the idea that T.R. was responsible for Eli's near-death experience. "Baby, I think you may be confused --" Lani gently argued. "No, I'm not confused, Lani -- I remember everything about that night," Eli firmly countered. "That can't be --" Lani tried to reiterate, but Eli interrupted and began to elaborate.
"Beth came to see me at the hospital -- she said she had something to say, but then T.R. came in, and she left..." Lani mused at the end of Eli's tale. "She wanted to tell you the truth," Eli guessed. "I should have known that she was lying -- I should have recognized that he had threatened her -- [but] I wanted, so badly, to believe..." Lani fretted.
"My so-called 'father' would have left me a widow -- would have taken away his grandchildren's father -- just to hide his dirty little secrets..." Lani realized. "We'll deal with him," Eli promised. "Yeah, you are damn right -- I am going to deal with him --" Lani stressed, prompting Eli to argue that it would be best to let another cop handle the matter. "Do you know where T.R. is?" Eli wondered. "Oh, no..." Lani muttered.
Lani, who had last seen Paulina boarding an elevator with T.R., produced a cell phone and dialed a number -- then started panicking when the call went to voicemail. Eli reiterated that it would be best to let another cop handle the matter, but Lani was certain that the other cops were all searching for the missing Weston baby at that moment. Lani said a quick goodbye to Eli then rushed off -- and ran into Julie at the nurses' station. Lani grew even more concerned after learning that Julie had just encouraged Abe to head over to the Price condominium to reconcile with Paulina. Julie could tell that something was wrong, but Lani didn't provide an explanation.
Julie shrugged then headed off to Eli's room in search of answers. Lani exited the hospital while trying again to contact Paulina, whose cell phone was in silent mode because T.R. still had it hidden. At that same time, Paulina started to exit the Price condominium with T.R. -- then paused after hearing a groan. Paulina started searching for the source of the noise, ignoring T.R.'s objections -- then screamed after discovering Abe's motionless body and a nearby pool of blood. "This is not what it looks like --" T.R. insisted. "You haven't changed at all, have you, Ray? You're still the same lying, violent dog you always were!" Paulina realized.
While T.R. was trying to stop Paulina from dialing 9-1-1, Lani arrived and took a quick look at Abe's motionless body then raised a gun. "You son of a bitch!" Lani spat while T.R. was preparing to slap Paulina. "Lani? Baby, I can explain --" T.R. began to respond while turning to face Lani -- who fired a shot before anything else could be said.
At the Horton cabin, Ciara and Ben took turns updating each other on everything that had happened since their previous conversation. Ben insisted that Ciara had no reason to feel responsible for their child's kidnapping. "The devil fooled me --" Ciara argued. "Don't blame yourself -- how could you have known?" Ben countered.
Ben stared at Ciara, awestruck in spite of their predicament. "I can't believe that you just gave birth to our baby boy..." Ben proudly mused before suddenly realizing that Ciara had probably never even gotten a chance to hold the child afterward. "The devil took that away from me!" Ciara tearfully confirmed before resignedly fretting to Ben that there might never be another opportunity to do so. "What does that demon want with our son?" Ben wondered, drawing a shrug from Ciara, who started to rush out of the cabin in search of answers -- just as Rafe arrived. Rafe insisted that Ciara needed to go to the hospital instead of trying to participate in the search -- and Ben agreed.
After some sort of excursion, Evan returned to the DiMera crypt -- and found the demonic presence there. "You said I could lie low here -- I hope that's still cool..." Evan began. "Totally," the demonic presence responded.
Evan suddenly noticed that the demonic presence was holding a baby in its arms. "Why do you look so alarmed? Never seen a proud parent before?" the demonic presence innocently teased. "Not one with glowing eyes and a creepy-as-hell voice..." Evan suspiciously countered before demanding an explanation.
"I tried to tell you at the prison, but you were just so focused on getting out... People call me all kinds of names, but you probably know me as 'the devil incarnate'..." the demonic presence revealed. "Satan? Lucifer? Beelzebub --" Evan incredulously translated. "Never was a fan of that," the demonic presence disgustedly interjected.
"I can't believe this..." Evan muttered. "Surely you knew I was back in town for my silver anniversary? I know you were in prison, but I'm kind of a big deal around these parts!" the demonic presence argued. "My father did tell me about Marlena Evans being possessed, but all the news reports said that there was an exorcism -- they called it 'The Christmas Miracle' --" Evan recalled. "Well, you really shouldn't believe everything you read online -- the Internet is a hellhole of misinformation," the demonic presence explained before sharing the rest of the story. "You trying to spend time in Marlena's whole family?" Evan sputtered. "Let's just say...the sins of the matriarch have befallen her progeny," the demonic presence clarified with a smirk.
"So, this whole thing is about getting revenge on Marlena for tossing you out 25 years ago?" Evan guessed. "You mortals and your simplistic understanding of motives... [Look], if I'd wanted revenge on Marlena, I could have snapped my fingers and wiped out her entire family line," the demonic presence responded, prompting Evan to conclude that its true motive had something to do with the baby. "You and I are supposed to be partners, [so] don't you think I deserve to know what you have in store for Ben and Ciara's brat?" Evan argued. "Hardly equal partners...but okay," the demonic presence decided, eager to brag to someone about the plan.
"After managing to temporarily possess Marlena and various members of her family to varying degrees of success, I decided that it was time for me to take residence in a more...permanent dwelling," the demonic presence revealed. "You're gonna possess the baby," Evan translated. "Well, 'possess' is not the exact word I would use for this process -- you see, when you take over a human soul, you run the risk of their true nature constantly fighting you to get back to their loved ones, [but] his soul is just as new and shiny as he is, [so] there's no time for him to form those pesky little bonds with his natural-born family that made Marlena and the others fight me so hard," the demonic presence clarified.
"Think of 'Bo' here as my earthly do-over -- he and I will get a whole lifetime together," the demonic presence added. "So, how is this going to work? If you're taking over the baby's soul, are you planning to have Ben and Ciara...like, raise you?" Evan wondered. "No, I'm afraid Ben and Ciara's part in this is over -- and, actually, that's where you come in; it's going to be a lot easier for the proper caretaker that I'm selecting if Ben and Ciara aren't constantly trying to get 'their' son back, [so] I want you to kill Ciara and Ben," the demonic presence responded with a smirk. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Ciara chased Ben off, wanting at least one of them to be helping the police search for their child.
At the Brady Pub, Roman updated Kate on the search for Bo. "No sign of Allie or the baby," Roman said. As Kate sighed, Roman told her that he had more bad news. "It seems that Sami and Lucas are missing, as well," Roman said. "What makes you think that they're missing?" Kate asked. Roman explained that no one had been able to reach Sami or Lucas.
"I wasn't worried about them at all until the ISA told me it seems like they have just simply dropped off the face of the earth," Roman said. Roman wondered aloud if the devil had done something to Sami and Lucas. "Well, now you're scaring me," Kate said. Kate reminded Roman that Sami and Lucas had left town months earlier. Roman countered that the last time Sami had disappeared for months, she had been kidnapped.
"Is it so far-fetched to say that might have happened again?" Roman asked. Kate asked Roman if he believed E.J. had kidnapped Sami and Lucas. With a shrug, Roman said they did not know who had originally kidnapped Sami, since E.J. had been exonerated. "Well, he hasn't exactly been exonerated. His conviction was overturned because of planted evidence," Kate noted. Kate argued that there was eyewitness testimony against E.J.
"That never seemed to sit quite right," Roman admitted. "Who else could have done it?" Kate asked. When Roman reminded Kate that E.J. had blamed Lucas, she argued that it was a baseless accusation. Kate argued that Lucas did not have a motive. Roman countered that they needed to be mindful of other suspects until they located Sami and Lucas.
At the DiMera mansion, Chad and E.J. talked about Allie. "Johnny must be going through hell. Sorry," Chad said. "Actually, I'm the one who should apologize to you," E.J. said. When Chad asked why, E.J. explained that he was ashamed that he had been proud of Johnny's devilish behavior.
"Needless to say, it was cause for some serious introspection," E.J. said. "It's never really been your thing," Chad joked. E.J. apologized for having taken out his anger on Chad and Johnny. "I made everything between us adversarial," E.J. said. E.J. listed the number of ways he had interfered in everyone's lives since he had returned to Salem. "And look where it's got me. A son in trouble, Gabi Hernandez running DiMera. I suppose it serves me right," E.J. said. Chad assured E.J. that Johnny would be fine.
"As far as DiMera, I don't want Gabi running it any more than you do," Chad said. "I was hoping you would say that," E.J. said with a grin. E.J. suggested that he and Chad join forces to oust Gabi from the company. E.J. explained that he could reclaim his shares from Johnny with Belle's help. "Especially now that we know that [Belle] really wasn't the one who framed me, since she herself was framed by someone else," E.J. said. Chad sipped his drink and averted eye contact.
"You think someone else framed you?" Chad asked. E.J. pointed out that Belle had not been possessed. "[Johnny] must have been the one who planted the evidence on your laptop so you would stumble across it, then turn me in to the police. Later, he copied the files onto Belle's laptop to make it look like she was the one to frame me," E.J. said. A guilt-ridden Chad thought about when he had conspired with Kate to plant evidence on Belle's laptop.
"Johnny did make a play for DiMera, so that makes sense," Chad said. "That is all in the past. Belle has drawn up the stock transfer papers to help us make things right. All Johnny has to do is sign, and all my original shares revert back to me," E.J. explained. Chad asked E.J. if Johnny was up to dealing with business yet. E.J. argued that the best way to help Allie was to regain control of the company resources.
"I hope that this is the beginning of some healing between you and I. And for our family," E.J. said. After E.J. went upstairs to talk to Johnny, Chad called Kate. "You and I need to talk about what we did to my brother," Chad said. Chad told Kate about his conversation with E.J. Kate advised Chad not to tell E.J. the truth about the frame job. "It will totally implicate Lucas," Kate stressed. Chad disagreed, but Kate was adamant.
"You want a fresh start with your brother? Well, that is all going to go all up in flames, and you are going to be covered in ashes. Is that what you want?" Kate asked. "What I want is to make things right with my brother," Chad said. Frustrated, Kate warned Chad to keep his mouth shut. When Roman returned to Kate's table at the pub, Kate ended her call. Kate lied and told Roman that she had been talking to Rafe about the search for Allie.
"I'm frustrated too, okay? But there is not a damn doubt in my mind that Rafe is doing every possible thing he can do," Roman stressed. "Well, he can do better," Kate muttered. With a sigh, Roman announced that he was going to turn in early so that he could help with the search in the morning. Kate offered to close up the pub for him. After Roman went upstairs, Kate called Lucas and left him a voicemail about Allie. Kate mentioned that people were asking questions about Lucas and Sami's disappearance. "If I don't hear from you in 24 hours, I'm telling Roman everything," Kate growled.
At the DiMera mansion, E.J. returned to the living room to inform Chad that Johnny had signed the papers to transfer E.J.'s shares back to him. "That's great," Chad said. E.J. told Chad that Johnny had no memory of having framed E.J. for Sami's kidnapping. "Which hardly surprises me, given that he doesn't remember much about what transpired during that time. So, I guess we'll never really know," E.J. said. After a moment, Chad announced that he needed to tell E.J. something.
"I'm sorry for the things that I did, as well. I contributed to our falling-out. I want to be partners again. I want to be brothers again," Chad said. E.J. looked over at Stefano's portrait, and he said that Stefano would be proud of them. When E.J. held out his hand, Chad shook it and smiled.
In Eli's hospital room, Eli told Julie that T.R. had been the person that had shot him. "And now that killer is on his way to Paulina's apartment?" Julie said. With a shake of his head, Eli lamented that he had let Lani go over to Paulina's apartment alone. "You're in no condition to stop her. You know Lani. When she gets something into her head, even you couldn't put the brakes on her," Julie said. Eli argued that T.R. was dangerous when cornered. Eli attempted to get out of bed, but Julie urged him to stay put. "If I had a gun, I'd be tempted to shoot T.R. myself!" Julie noted.
Steve returned home, and Kayla told Steve that she had dinner ready for him. Kayla explained that she was headed to the hospital to check on Ciara. "I just wish she had a doctor treating her that really knew her," Kayla said. There was a knock at the door. It was Seth Burns. After Steve dressed down Seth, he asked why Seth was there.
"Actually, I'm here to offer Kayla her job back," Seth said. Kayla invited Seth inside. While Kayla fixed Seth a cup of coffee, Steve took a panicked phone call from Julie. Julie asked Steve to go to Paulina's apartment to help Lani. "It's an emergency!" Julie said.
After Steve left, Kayla sat down with Seth to talk about his offer. "When Craig pitched himself for the job, he said he would be ready on day one. You're the only other person who fits that description," Seth said. "How flattering," Kayla muttered. Seth explained that the staff had revolted against him when they had heard that Seth had replaced Kayla "I'm here to eat crow until I choke on it and beg you, come back to University Hospital as chief of staff," Seth said. With a nod, Kayla said she would gladly accept on one condition.
"If you are still expecting me to fire Marlena, I won't do it," Kayla said. Seth confirmed that the board had changed its mind about Marlena. "Now that the devil has possessed multiple people, Dr. Evans' scandal is so yesterday," Seth explained. Seth added, "[Marlena's] popularity with the staff is only rivaled by yours." Seth said that Kayla and Marlena were two of the best doctors at the hospital. "When do you want me to start?" Kayla asked.
At the hospital, Julie assured Eli that Lani would be safe with Steve's assistance. "Abe, he didn't know what he was walking in on," Eli said. Julie groaned. "Why tonight, of all nights, did I urge Abe to go to Paulina's and say that he loves her," Julie muttered. Julie prayed to God that Steve would get to Paulina's apartment before anything bad happened.
At Paulina's apartment, T.R. raised his hand to threaten Paulina. When Paulina called him out on his behavior, Lani walked in. "You son of a bitch," Lani said. "I can explain," T.R. said. Lani shot T.R., and he crumpled to the ground. Stunned, Lani dropped her gun. "What have you done," Paulina said. Abe groaned from behind the couch, and Lani rushed to check on him.
"Thank God. He's alive," Lani said. "I'm not so sure about Ray," Paulina whispered. Paulina called 9-1-1 for an ambulance for Abe. As Lani squatted next to Ray to check his pulse, he gasped for air and opened his eyes. "Lani, I love you," T.R. whispered. "How can you say that after everything you've done?" Lani asked. Lani pushed on T.R.'s chest to stanch the bleeding from his chest wound.
"You're my daughter. My child. I love you. I forgive you," T.R. said. With a gasp, T.R. fell unconscious. Lani checked T.R.'s pulse. "He's dead," Lani confirmed. Lani asked Paulina what had happened. Paulina explained that T.R. had asked her to go away for a romantic weekend. "I left the room to pack. When I came back, I should have known something was up. I thought I heard voices, but Ray lied to me. He tried to hustle me out of here, and that's when I heard Abraham moaning," Paulina explained. Paulina told Lani that when she had attempted to call 9-1-1, Ray had grabbed her phone and threatened her.
"Then you came in," Paulina said. "Didn't you get my message?" Lani asked. When Paulina said no, Lani explained that T.R. was the one that had shot Eli. "Who told you that?" Paulina asked. Lani told Paulina that Eli was awake, and he had remembered the shooting. "Why would Ray shoot Eli?" Paulina asked. Lani confirmed that Beth had told Eli that T.R. was still a violent drug user.
"But Beth, she told us the opposite. She assured us he was a new man," Paulina said. "She lied," Lani said. Lani suggested that T.R. had threatened Beth to keep her quiet. "[T.R.] was willing to do whatever he had to do to keep us from finding out the truth," Lani said. Lani told Paulina that she had seen Paulina leave the hospital with T.R., and Lani had panicked when she had learned that T.R. had shot Eli.
"I got here as fast as I could, and then I saw my dad unconscious. And I saw Ray's hand raised to hit you. And I just, I don't know, I lost it. Why didn't I just arrest him?" Lani rambled. "It'll be all right, baby," Paulina said. Steve walked in and looked around the room. "What the hell happened here?" Steve asked. "I shot him. I shot Ray," Paulina announced. Lani asked Paulina why, but Paulina ignored her and announced that the EMTs were in transit.
"Is he dead?" Steve asked. "Yes," Lani whispered. Steve checked on Abe, and Abe started to groan again. "Why did you tell him that you shot T.R.?" Lani whispered to Paulina. Paulina warned Lani to keep quiet. "I know what I'm doing," Paulina stressed. Paulina told Lani to grab the first aid kit and tend to Abe. While Lani went to retrieve the first aid kit, Paulina picked up the gun to get her fingerprints on it, and she put the gun back down on the carpet.
The EMTs arrived. "That one's beyond help," Steve said as he pointed at T.R.'s body. The EMTs focused on Abe, and Steve went over to talk to Lani and Paulina. Paulina blamed herself for the situation, because she had left an opening for T.R. to get back into her life. "Can we go to the hospital with [Abe]? I want to be there when he wakes up," Paulina said. Steve noted that Lani could go with Abe, but Paulina would need to stay behind and talk to the police. "Go be with your father. He needs you," Paulina said. Paulina assured Lani that she could take care of herself.
At the hospital, Eli was frustrated when Julie was unable to reach Steve or anyone else on the phone. Eli started to remove all the wires and tubes from his body. "Honey, you can't get out of bed!" Julie yelled. Eli stumbled, and Julie eased him back onto the bed. Julie called out for help, and Kayla walked in. Kayla pushed Eli back into bed.
"What are you doing here?" Julie asked. Kayla explained that Seth had rehired her. "Lani is in danger," Eli said. "That's the reason that I called Steve. To check on her," Julie explained. Kayla said she had not heard from Steve since he had left for Paulina's apartment. Julie updated Kayla on the truth about T.R. The ER called Kayla and told her that a patient with a head injury was inbound from Paulina's address.
"Did they say who it was?" Eli asked. Kayla promised to update Julie and Eli when she learned more information, and she walked out. "What happened over there?" Julie wondered aloud. Julie stepped into the hallway to call Steve, and he updated her on the situation.
At Paulina's apartment, she asked Steve if they could cover T.R. with a blanket. "I know it is not pretty, but we can't disturb the crime scene," Steve advised. Paulina asked if Abe would be okay, and Steve assured Paulina that Abe was in good hands. Steve asked what had happened. "I told you. I shot him," Paulina said. Two police officers walked in. "You said you shot this man?" an officer asked. Paulina said yes but that she would not say another word without her attorney. The first officer read Paulina her Miranda rights, and he handcuffed her.
After the officers loaded Paulina into the police car, they attended to the crime scene while Steve watched. As the officers bagged the gun as evidence, Steve noted that it looked like a police-issued service weapon. "It does," the officer agreed.
At the hospital, Kayla examined a conscious Abe. Kayla confirmed that Abe had a concussion. When Abe asked why she was there, Kayla explained that she had been reinstated at the hospital. "I'm glad I'm here to help you," Kayla said. Kayla told Abe that he would need to talk to the police, but not until she cleared him medically.
Down the hallway, Lani walked into Eli's room. A relieved Eli said, "Thank God! Are you all right?" Eli asked about Abe. Lani said that Abe would be fine. "Are you sure you're okay? You're covered in blood," Eli noted. Lani sniffled. "It's Ray. He's dead," Lani whispered. Eli asked what had happened. After a moment, Lani said, "Paulina said she shot him." At the police station, the police processed and booked Paulina into jail.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor pressured Sonny for an answer on accepting Victor's offer to become the new CEO of Titan. Victor was displeased to hear that Sonny had been tending to his marriage to Will and accused Will of "always being clingy." Sonny surprised Victor when he said that Will had encouraged Sonny to accept Victor's offer. Sonny said that he and Will both missed Salem, and Victor asked if that meant Sonny would accept the offer. "I'm in," Sonny said.
Victor was thrilled with Sonny's decision and admitted that he'd missed Sonny's leadership. Victor told Sonny not to rest on his laurels because DiMera Enterprises was still intent on taking down Titan. Sonny assured Victor that he would not let his personal feelings for Gabi or anyone interfere with business.
Sonny then confided to Victor that Leo had sworn revenge against Sonny. Victor said that Leo was the last thing the company needed, and he admitted that he'd read the Intruder article on Chad. Sonny explained that the article wasn't true, and he told Victor that if Sonny returned to Titan, Victor had to promise not to believe everything he read.
Later, in Horton Town Square, Leo spotted Sonny and "congratulated" Sonny on becoming the new CEO of Titan. "Now I've got you right where I want you," Leo warned.
At Jake's place, Ava dreamed that Gwen had sneaked in with a syringe and stabbed Ava with the same drug Gwen had injected into Sarah and Abigail. Ava woke up frightened and told Jake about her nightmare. Jake assured Ava that she was safe, and he put his arm around her. Ava and Jake leaned in to share a kiss but were interrupted by a knock at the door.
Gabi walked in and scolded Jake and Ava for sharing a bed together. Ava dressed and headed out, and she made a point to kiss Jake in front of Gabi and to compliment him on being kind about her dream. With Ava gone, Gabi revealed that she was there to "un-oust" Jake from DiMera Enterprises, and she said she wanted Jake back as her employee.
Jake declined the offer and pressed Gabi several times to reveal her "angle." Gabi finally agreed and admitted that E.J. had made it known that he wanted his job back as CEO of DiMera. Gabi surmised that she and Jake had made a great team as head of the company, but Jake reminded Gabi that a lot had changed since their breakup. Gabi swore to keep her relationship with Jake platonic. Jake thought it over and agreed to Gabi's proposal. The two shared a fist-bump as Gabi welcomed Jake back.
At the Salem Police Station, Leo visited Gwen. Gwen and Leo commiserated over their failed double wedding, but Leo said he planned to cheer up Gwen. Leo said since Chad and Abigail had blown up Leo and Gwen's respective marriages, he and Gwen should "make those bitches pay."
Gwen said the only problem with Leo's idea was that she would be headed to prison. Leo encouraged Gwen to keep fighting, and he said he thought the charges Gwen faced weren't that serious. Gwen then confided that she'd told Abigail that Gwen had killed Laura on purpose. Leo asked if Gwen had really killed Laura on purpose. Gwen was set to confide the truth to Leo before Ava walked in and interrupted them. Ava pleaded with Gwen for a chance to speak her peace, and Gwen granted it.
After Leo left, Ava awkwardly tried to apologize to Gwen for turning Gwen in to the police. Gwen was incredulous that Ava would even attempt to apologize and told Ava to leave. Ava was unmoved and said she hadn't come just to apologize but to help Gwen. "I'm going to bust you out of here," Ava said confidently.
At Salem University Hospital, Sarah's condition remained the same after she'd returned from Florida. Xander arrived and was hopeful that Rolf's serum would work to bring Sarah back to her former self, but Maggie said she would not have her daughter used as a lab rat. Maggie admitted that she had enjoyed caring for Sarah over the past few weeks. Sarah suddenly grew quiet and stared off into space. Xander rushed to find Kayla.
Nearby at the hospital, Kayla had admitted to Abigail that she was thrilled to be back as chief of staff but that she hated to be indebted to an unpleasant person like Seth. Abigail shared the same concern and admitted that she was indebted to Ava because Ava had given Abigail the proof needed to take down Gwen. Kayla cautioned Abigail to remain on guard with Ava. Kayla mentioned that at least Gwen had paid for her crimes. "Not all of them," Abigail said.
Abigail confided that Gwen had said she'd killed Laura on purpose, but later, Gwen had claimed she'd only said that to hurt Abigail. Abigail didn't know what to believe and said the ultimate revenge for Gwen would be to enjoy knowing that Abigail would never know the truth about Laura's death. Abigail admitted that the one good thing Gwen had done had been to provide the antidote to help Sarah.
Just then, Xander found Kayla and sent her to Sarah's room. Xander expressed his wish that Kayla move forward and inject the serum into Sarah before more damage might occur. Kayla went to Sarah's room and returned to join Maggie, Xander, and Abigail by the nurses' station. Kayla announced that Sarah's condition had only gotten worse, and she described Sarah as being in a "fugue state." Kayla admitted that the serum was Sarah's only hope, despite Maggie's objections that the drug hadn't been fully vetted. "If we don't intervene, Sarah could end up in a permanent vegetative state," Kayla said.
Kayla said that ultimately, it was Maggie's decision, but Sarah would only worsen if they didn't try the antidote. A teary-eyed Maggie nodded and told Kayla to give Sarah the drug.
Back in Sarah's room, Kayla arrived with the dosage and injected the serum into Sarah's vein. After a few moments, Sarah's eyes began to flutter. She stared at Xander and called out his name. "Sarah! Oh, my!" Maggie gasped with joy.
At the hospital, Sarah gave Maggie and Xander a look of confusion and wondered why they were both so emotional. "Your voice -- it's normal..." Maggie observed. "It worked, Maggie!" Xander concluded.
Anna was just about to exit the DiMera mansion when Tony entered the foyer. "Where on earth are you going?" Tony began, eyeing the suitcase that Anna was carrying. "You know, darling, I was going through my closet, and I realized that I have so many beautiful clothes that I never wear, so I just thought I'd run them down to the community center," Anna responded. "In a suitcase," Tony stressed. "Is that a problem?" Anna wondered. "No...but jumping bail is," Tony answered.
"Listen, Anna, I know you're scared because your trial starts tomorrow, but that doesn't mean you're going to be convicted --" Tony argued. "Oh, the heck it doesn't, Tony! Trask is out for blood, the judge is in Victor's pocket, and Maggie is hellbent on making me pay for what I did to Sarah --" Anna countered. "But you just can't take off --" Tony maintained. "I can -- and I will! I have no choice -- I'm going on the lam, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Anna insisted.
"You were just going to leave -- without even saying goodbye," Tony realized. "To avoid implicating you, Tony -- you can't be caught aiding and abetting a criminal --" Anna explained. "Oh, you're not 'a criminal' --" Tony protested. "Tony, I have turned Sarah into...a rutabaga...[and] it's now time for me to pay the piper, [so] this is the end of the road for us...[but] I will love you forever," Anna declared with finality while fighting back tears.
Tony continued objecting as Anna started to exit the mansion again -- and Maggie approached the front door just then. "Going somewhere?" Maggie began. "I have a very important errand to run," Anna responded. "Well, I need to talk to you --" Maggie insisted. "I'm sorry, Maggie -- it'll have to wait --" Anna argued. "I really think you'll want to hear this now," Maggie countered.
Maggie started to explain what had just happened with Sarah. "If Gwen hadn't switched the vials, what you did to Sarah would have brought her back to us that very day, so what you did -- well, it wasn't terrible at all, as it turned out... [Anyway], I know your trial starts tomorrow, and I've decided to drop the charges," Maggie announced at the end of the tale -- and Anna was delighted to hear that but did make a point of apologizing for the recklessness of the act, nevertheless. Anna and Tony thanked Maggie -- then the couple started celebrating the turn of events once they were alone together again, and they also took turns apologizing to each other for everything that had happened recently.
At the police station, Ava assured Gwen that they would be able to pull off a jailbreak -- since, after all, they had already done so once before. "What's the catch?" Gwen responded. "There isn't one," Ava insisted.
"It's just...look, I know I let you down, and I'm trying to make up for it -- trying to be a friend," Ava explained. "Let's say that I did take you up on your offer -- what happens with your deal with Trask?" Gwen wondered. "Nothing -- I held up my end of the bargain; if you escape, it's not my problem," Ava answered. "Unless the cops find out that you helped me," Gwen noted. "Rafe Hernandez and his merry band of idiots? Please!" Ava countered.
"I think you need to be realistic here; [I mean], you got no lawyer, you got no fiancé, you got no family to help you -- all you got is me -- [so]...I don't see you having any better offers, [and] time's running out," Ava advised Gwen before producing a receipt and a pen. "Listen, if you decide to call me, here's my number -- it's a burner phone," Ava continued while writing the information on the back of the receipt. "But, hey, if you want to languish here in prison all alone, it's your choice," Ava concluded before exiting the conference room, leaving behind the receipt.
Jack entered the conference room a short time later, while Gwen was still pondering Ava's offer. "I'm a bit surprised to see you -- I thought you'd washed your hands of me for good," Gwen admitted. "I know I led you to believe that -- and, truthfully, I am sad, angry, and appalled when I think of what you've done in the past...and I'm sure that you know that when you hurt Abigail, you hurt me, [as well]..." Jack responded.
"But you've had a lot of pain in your life, and I believe that's the reason that you have caused a lot of pain, and I want to help you stop doing that -- because, in spite of it all, you're my daughter, [and] I care about you..." Jack continued. "Which is why I asked Justin to represent you. [Now], if you plead guilty to the lesser charges, Justin thinks he can get your sentence knocked down to five years [because] you'd be saving the city the expense of a trial -- [and that's] nowhere near what you'd be facing if a jury found you guilty," Jack concluded before producing one of Justin's business cards and handing it to Gwen, who nodded in response while fighting back tears of gratitude.
After Jack left, Xander arrived and thanked Gwen for having handed over the antidote that had made Sarah's recovery possible. Gwen wished Xander a lifetime of happiness with Sarah then repeated what Jack had just shared. Xander wondered if Gwen was going to take the plea deal. Gwen shrugged then removed her engagement ring and handed it to Xander. Gwen fought back tears while thanking Xander for everything and apologizing for having ruined their relationship.
After Xander left, Gwen contacted Ava and refused to go along with the jailbreak idea. "I have a chance to make things right, and if I take it...I don't know, I might actually have a chance of having a family again...[so], for the first time in my life, I am going to take responsibility for what I have done," Gwen explained. "Good luck," Ava responded. "Thank you -- I'm gonna need it," Gwen muttered.
Xander returned to the hospital and saw that Maggie had cut Sarah's hair. Xander praised Maggie's skills then wondered if Sarah wanted anything. "I want to see my baby!" Sarah begged, prompting Xander and Maggie to exchange looks of concern.
Tony and Anna went to the DiMera crypt to pay their respects to Renee -- and as they were leaving afterward, they found a pacifier on the floor. "This must be Ciara's baby's -- Allie must have brought him here!" Anna guessed. "But where are they now?" Tony wondered while looking around the crypt.
At the end of this episode was a dedication: "In Loving Memory of Philece Sampler, 1953 - 2021" -- to honor the actress who played Renee DuMonde.
At the police station, Lani thought about when she had shot T.R. "I was just trying to wound him. Wasn't I? Why is he dead?" Lani muttered to herself. "I just heard," Chanel said. Lani spun around, and she stared at her sister. "What did you hear?" Lani asked. Chanel told Lani that she had heard Eli was awake.
"I also heard about T.R. Is it true? Did Mama really shoot him dead?" Chanel asked. Lani said she could not talk about T.R. because it was an open case, but she confirmed that Paulina had been arrested. Chanel asked if Lani could confirm that T.R. had shot Eli. "You heard right. After Eli woke up, he remembered everything that happened," Lani said. Chanel was surprised that T.R. had fooled them.
"It makes me sick to think about that man going near my children," Lani growled. Lani confirmed that T.R. was a liar and had not changed. "And he wasn't the only one," Lani whispered. "Who else was lying?" Chanel asked. After a moment, Lani mentioned Beth. With a groan, Chanel said that she wished Beth had been honest so that Paulina would not have gotten in trouble. Chanel demanded to see Paulina, but Lani told her it was not possible.
"I can't do a damned thing to help the people I care about," Chanel lamented. "I'm guessing you're talking about Allie," Lani said. "I don't know what Allie is anymore," Chanel said. Lani reminded Chanel that she had been through a lot. "I guess, now that I know it wasn't [Johnny and Allie] doing it all, treating me so badly," Chanel said with a shrug. Lani invited Chanel to go with her to visit Eli, and Chanel agreed.
Steve and Kayla talked in their kitchen about T.R.'s shooting. "I don't know how Paulina could have gotten her hands on what looked like a police-issued weapon," Steve said. Tripp returned home from babysitting Henry. "Is there any news on Ben and Ciara's baby?" Tripp asked. Steve shook his head no. Tripp noted that Henry was desperate to see his mother.
"How are you doing?" Steve asked. Tripp said that despite Allie's betrayal, he was fine. "From one tough guy to another, you don't have to keep it inside," Steve said. Steve encouraged Tripp to open up. Tripp told Steve and Kayla that he was thankful to have them in his life. "I thought that I was going to have what you two have," Tripp admitted. Tripp said he had imagined a family life with Allie until Johnny had dashed his hopes.
"But that wasn't Johnny. That was the devil's work," Steve said. "Why does it matter why he told me? It was the truth," Tripp said. Tripp said he did not want to talk about Allie when she was going through something so horrible.
"I just wish [Allie had] been honest with me. I took care of her after she figured out what Charlie did to her. She knew how I felt about her and Henry. Why couldn't she just level with me? I wouldn't have made all those plans. That's what keeps me up at night is all those damn plans. I thought it was going to be her and I against the world," Tripp confessed. "You thought that nobody could ever hurt her again," Kayla said. Tripp nodded yes. Tripp said that no matter how he felt about Allie, he did not want anything bad to happen to her.
"The two of you never had a chance to straighten things out," Steve said. "I don't think anything will ever get straightened out," Tripp said. "Even so, you might turn out to be friends," Kayla suggested. Tripp shrugged. Kayla told Tripp that she could not help but wonder what would have happened if the devil had not interfered in Tripp and Allie's relationship. "Chanel was a happily married woman, she made her choice, Allie knew that," Steve said. "And maybe it allowed Allie to fully commit to you," Kayla added.
"It's hard to think about what might have been. Chanel and I are like friends now. I never saw that happening," Tripp admitted. "You see? Because people change, and feelings change," Kayla said. "[Allie] has had it really rough," Steve said. Kayla noted that Allie had given birth to her rapist's baby.
"Allie's life turned sour the night she crossed paths with Charlie. I thought I was going to make things right for her again. Kind of arrogant when you think about it. I mean, who am I?" Tripp said. "I think you're pretty great," Steve said. With a sigh, Tripp muttered, "Why did this have to happen to her?" Steve and Kayla agreed that a part of Tripp still loved Allie and wanted to help her.
"I'm just scared to death that she's in a place where nothing I do now is going to make a difference," Tripp said. After a moment, Tripp sighed. Tripp thanked Steve and Kayla for having pushed him to talk. "I guess you were right. I was really holding a lot of that in," Tripp said. "Thank you for opening up to us," Kayla said. Steve and Kayla assured Tripp that Allie would be saved because there were a lot of people that loved Allie. "And I'm one of those people. Even after everything that's happened. I'm still in love with her," Tripp said.
At the nurses' station at the hospital, Shawn told Ben that there was no information about Allie or the baby. Ben pointed out that Anna and Tony had found Bo's pacifier in the DiMera crypt hours before, and he asked if police had searched the crypt. "Allie was in there with my son, and God only knows where she is now," Ben said. Shawn stressed that he did not have any more information than Ben.
"Evan Frears is still out on the loose," Ben noted. "That baby is my nephew. I'm not going to rest until we get him back," Shawn assured Ben. Ben said he was reluctant to return to Ciara until he had some good news to share with her, so Shawn called Rafe.
In Ciara's hospital room, she prayed to her father for help. "Please bring my little Bo back to me," Ciara pleaded. Ciara heard a person enter the room, and she turned and saw Evan in the doorway, dressed in scrubs. "We meet again," Evan growled. When Ciara threatened to scream, Evan brandished a scalpel.
"You were helping Allie. Where is my baby?" Ciara asked. "I know what it's like not to know where your son is or if he'll be all right. I've been living that one for years now because of you," Evan grumbled. Ciara countered that Evan's predicament was his own fault. "The difference is that Ben has changed, and you have not," Ciara said. Evan argued that the baby was better off with the devil. Ciara jumped to her feet to face Evan.
"How many times have you tried to kill us and failed?" Ciara asked. "God was on your side in the past. I have my own backup now. The devil is on my team, so I'd say you and I are pretty evenly matched," Evan said. Evan lunged for Ciara, and she dodged out of the way as the scalpel fell to the floor. Evan grabbed Ciara by the throat and pushed her against the wall. As Ciara struggled to breathe, Evan tightened his hold on her neck.
Ben walked in, and when he saw Evan strangling Ciara, he rushed to save her. Ben and Evan traded punches until Evan fell to the ground. "Tell me where my kid is!" Ben shouted. Evan grabbed the scalpel he had dropped, and he lunged at Ben. Once Evan had Ben in a headlock, he held the scalpel at Ben's throat. "God is not coming to rescue you! Don't you know that by now? He doesn't dirty his hands with guys like you and me. We're both going to hell," Evan said.
While Evan was distracted by his struggle with Ben, Ciara hit Evan over the head with a metal clipboard. Evan fell to the floor, unconscious. A relieved Ben and Ciara hugged. While Shawn arrested Evan, Evan told Ben and Ciara that they could not stop the devil's plans. "By now, the devil is the proud owner of your son's immortal soul," Evan said.
In a cemetery, devil Allie held baby Bo as he cried. "It's Friday the 13th, my child. What a fitting day to fulfill my plans for you," devil Allie said. Devil Allie stood in front of Charlie Dale's grave, and she raised him from the dead.
"Well, if it isn't Allie Horton. I knew you couldn't stay away forever," undead Charlie said. "I am not Allie Horton. I'm just taking control of her body," devil Allie said. Charlie gave Allie the once over. The devil told Charlie that he had chosen Charlie to be his servant. Charlie kneeled before devil Allie. "What is it you desire of me, master?" Charlie asked.
Johnny and Susan sat in the living room of the DiMera mansion, and Susan stared at a photo of Johnny with Allie. "When you were little kids, you used to be bestest friends," Susan said. "Yeah. I know," Johnny said. Susan encouraged Johnny to think about that time of his life so that he could make a connection to Allie. Johnny held the photo, and he focused on it as Susan held his hand.
"We need to find her. We need to find your sister before that devil makes her do something that she'll never come back from," Susan said. Susan encouraged Johnny to close his eyes and send Allie his love. After a moment, Susan and Johnny tensed and screamed. Susan recited the Lord's Prayer. "What was that?" Johnny asked. "We almost reached Allie, but he broke the connection," Susan said. Susan looked at the photo, and the glass was shattered.
When Marlena arrived at the mansion, Susan jumped up to greet her. Susan told Marlena about their failed connection to Allie. "This is the dark one, and he is saying this is war," Susan said. Susan argued that Marlena was God's weapon, and she asked Marlena to help. Susan took Johnny and Marlena's hands.
"We are going to drum up all the love for Alice Caroline Horton so that we can save her soul," Susan said. "We already tried this!" Johnny complained. "And we'll try it again. Because now there's one more person here that really loves Allie," Marlena said. The three held hands and closed their eyes. When Susan asked for help, the back door flew open, and a wind blew through the room. The lights went out. "I can feel [Allie], but I can't see where she is," Johnny said. After a moment, Johnny wondered aloud if Allie was gone.
"I'm here," Allie's voice echoed through the room. "Did we all just hear that?" Johnny asked. Excited, Susan noted that Allie was with them. Marlena announced that she, Johnny, and Susan were there for Allie. "Grandma? I tried to fight him, but he is too strong," Allie's voice said. Marlena asked Allie to tell them where to find her. Allie's voice confirmed that she was at the cemetery with the baby in front of Charlie's grave. The lights flickered back on.
"I've got to get to the cemetery," Johnny announced. "Not by yourself, you're not!" Marlena objected. Johnny argued that Allie needed him, and he refused to let the devil hurt the baby. "You guys call Ben, call the cops, tell them where to go," Johnny said. Johnny walked out. Marlena called Ben's phone.
In the tussle with Evan in Ciara's hospital room, Ben had not realized that his phone had fallen to the floor. When Ben did not answer, Marlena left a voicemail to call back. "Maybe we should go help Johnny," Marlena said. Susan noted that it was Johnny's fight. "Let's let [Johnny] and the police take on the devil," Susan said.
At the hospital, Evan told Ben and Ciara, "the devil is not going to kill your son. He is going to be your son." Evan explained that Ben and Ciara's son would make the world hell on earth. Furious, Ben attacked a handcuffed Evan, but Shawn and Ciara held Ben back. Evan laughed. "Where's my baby?" Ben asked. "The ritual of transference is happening right now," Evan said with a grin. Shawn escorted Evan out of the room. Ciara broke down in Ben's arms. As Ben and Ciara stood in the quiet of the room, Ben's phone beeped. Ben located it on the ground, and he saw that Marlena had called.
When Ben called Marlena, she told him that Allie was in the cemetery. Ciara insisted on going with Ben. "You just had a baby," Ben said. "Yeah, and I'm gonna be there when we save him and save Allie," Ciara countered.
Shawn escorted Evan back to the police station to wait for the prison van to arrive from Statesville. "You'll love solitary," Shawn said. Evan told Shawn that he would spend his time in solitary, thinking about how all of Salem would go to hell.
At the cemetery, devil Allie held the baby and complained about outside interference. "This innocent newborn will be my vessel for his entire lifetime. I snatched him right from his mother's womb. He knows no other touch but mine. He doesn't have the will or the bonds of love to restrain me," devil Allie explained. Charlie asked what he could do to help. Devil Allie explained that she wanted Charlie to raise the baby after the ritual. "You will raise him as your own," devil Allie said.
Devil Allie placed the baby in the middle of a pentagram on the ground. After devil Allie lit some candles, she warned Charlie to make sure that the ritual was not disturbed. "I summon all forces of evil to this ungodly place. Let the transference begin!" devil Allie said. Devil Allie stepped into the pentagram next to baby Bo. "By the sins of his father, and the virtue of his mother, from this mortal child, I take his uncorrupted soul as my own," devil Allie said.
Devil Allie started to fidget. "I'm leaving this corporeal form," devil Allie explained. "What do you want me to do with Allie once you've left her body?" Charlie asked. Devil Allie laughed, and she told Charlie to do what he wanted. "You're not going to lay a finger on her," Johnny said as he stepped into the clearing. Johnny lunged for the baby, but he was repelled by a force. "You're not welcome in the circle," devil Allie said. Johnny warned the devil that he had underestimated the love between him and his sister.
"You don't get the family that I come from. My two grandmas can take you on," Johnny said. "Those two God-fearing harpies? Don't make me laugh," devil Allie countered. Johnny called out to Allie, and he urged her to fight. "This is the resistance I was telling you about. You know what to do," devil Allie said to Charlie. "Yes, I do," Charlie said. Johnny scowled when Charlie approached.
"I've seen your picture. You're the pig that raped my sister," Johnny growled. When Johnny took a swing, Charlie dodged the punch and spun Johnny around into his arms. Charlie restrained Johnny from behind, and he joked about how he had been working out in hell's gym. Charlie knocked Johnny unconscious. "Well done, my loyal servant," devil Allie said.
At the DiMera mansion, Marlena and Susan prayed to God to watch over Johnny and Allie. In the cemetery, devil Allie told Charlie to kill Allie and Johnny after the ritual was finished. Devil Allie kneeled by the baby. A red beam of light appeared over devil Allie and the baby, and a wind kicked up. Ben and Ciara arrived on her motorcycle. "You get the hell away from my son," Ciara growled.
