At the hospital, a nurse handed Jordan a gift box that had been left at the nurses' station, courtesy of Chad. Jordan lifted the lid and read the enclosed note card -- "I am ready to talk, anytime you want -- old school" -- before retrieving from the box two shiny tin cans that were connected with a long piece of string. The nurse admitted that she didn't understand the meaning of the gift. "But I do, and he knew I would," Jordan replied with a smile, and she rushed off after confirming that Paul would be sedated for a while longer.
At Club TBD, Chad ended a phone conversation with Sonny -- who had gone to a meeting with the architects they had hired to work on the new club -- and approached Ben at the bar. Chad reported that Sonny was on board with the idea of Ben moving to the new club full-time, prompting Ben to wonder if it mattered whether he was on board with the idea. "If you don't like the plan, talk to Sonny about it," Chad advised with a shrug.
Before Ben could respond, Chad stepped outside to answer a phone call from Stefano. "We must close the noose on Katerina, eh? She has taken the bait; now it's time for the coup de grace. [...] International Energy Futures is in play. [...] Listen carefully, all right? You are to tell Katerina that I have no interest in that company, but I do not want her to know that," Stefano instructed Chad.
Chad seemed enthusiastic about the company himself, and he wondered if Stefano was planning to acquire it. "Chad, focus, huh? Focus, do your job. Do you understand what that is, huh?" Stefano irritably replied. Chad confirmed that he understood, eliciting somewhat patronizing praise from his father. Chad diplomatically added that he was simply happy to help Stefano get back to where the man deserved to be. "That's right -- on top," Stefano concluded before ending the call. "On top of somethin', anyway," Chad muttered as he walked away.
Later, Stefano poured champagne for himself and his new female companion, Simone, who wondered what they were celebrating. "The total destruction of a woman who betrayed me," Stefano replied with a gleeful laugh.
At the DiMera mansion, Kate received an unexpected visit from Clyde, who greeted her with a passionate kiss. Kate poured two glasses of whiskey, and she and Clyde flirted for a while before kissing again -- just as Chad entered the study. "Forty-five rooms, and you need to burst into this one," Kate mused with a hint of annoyance. "It's the only room you were in," Chad matter-of-factly replied.
Chad dismissively instructed Clyde to leave. Kate started to object, but Clyde assured her that it wasn't a problem, and he showed himself out after kissing her hand. Kate irritably demanded to know what was going on, and Chad replied that he had just received a phone call from Stefano. "My father's done playing around with you. It's the endgame, so you and I need to get to work," Chad added.
Chad explained that he had been instructed to make sure Kate knew that Stefano was not making a play for International Energy Futures. "And then he'll snap it up and leave it to me to explain to the board how I let the perfect acquisition just slip away. [...] I can't believe that Stefano believes I'm that stupid. [...] You can come back tomorrow. You'll see what an ass your father is. I'm gonna get on the phone, and I'm going to finalize that deal before the markets open in Europe," Kate assured Chad.
Chad admitted that Kate had played things perfectly all along, but he cryptically added that there was one thing they still hadn't covered -- and it was something they really needed to cover, for his sake and for hers. Kate knowingly assured Chad that there was no reason for him to worry, since Stefano would never know that his own son had helped her take him down. "He will absolutely know that. It'll be hard to avoid; in fact, it's kind of the point," Chad clarified as he retrieved a document from his jacket pocket and handed it to Kate. "You bastard," Kate snapped after inspecting the document.
When Jordan arrived at the club and greeted Ben, he guessed that she was more interested in seeing someone else -- Chad. Ben expected Jordan to have reservations about his new apartment, since he had only been able to rent it in the first place because he had accepted financial support from his father, but she assured him that she was genuinely happy for him -- and that he deserved all the help he could get.
"So you're on my side, and I'll be on your side about Chad DiMera -- is that the deal?" Ben suspiciously wondered. Jordan assured Ben that Chad had been really nice to her, but Ben insisted that Chad would eventually do something to hurt her. "Hate to disagree with you, son, but I think he's a solid guy -- a real good match for your sister," Clyde said as he approached Ben and Jordan's table.
Ben started to ask his father to give him and Jordan a few more minutes of privacy, but she assured him that she didn't have a problem with Clyde's desire to express an opinion. Satisfied, Ben excused himself for a moment so he could take care of a customer, and after he headed over to the bar, Jordan snapped that she would prefer for Clyde to avoid her in the future so she wouldn't have to feign politeness around him for Ben's sake. Clyde pointed out that he had taken Jordan's side, but she insisted that she didn't care about his opinion on anything, including Chad.
Jordan stormed off but accidentally left her hospital identification badge behind. Clyde pocketed the item as Ben returned and wondered if Clyde had somehow upset Jordan. Clyde innocently replied that he hadn't purposely upset Jordan, and he insisted that he simply wanted her to be happy.
Changing the subject, Ben excitedly reported that he had started the college enrollment process and was hoping to begin attending classes in January. Clyde assured his son that the tuition fees had already been taken care of. Clyde wondered if Ben had decided on a major yet, but before Ben could respond, Clyde laughed and clarified that Ben didn't need to decide right away -- and when he did decide, he didn't need to tell Clyde unless he wanted to do so, because there really were no strings attached to the financial support. "You just know that the day you get that diploma, it'll be the proudest day of my life," Clyde added before exiting the club.
At the hospital, Jordan placed a phone call to Marlena, but the call went straight to voicemail. "Dr. Evans, this is Jordan Ridgeway. Uh...I was hoping that maybe you could, uh...you know what? Uh...I don't need to bother you. This is -- I -- I can get the information I need on my own. Uh, the information, I mean -- I -- never mind. I'm sorry to bother you," Jordan stammered before ending the call with a sigh.
Knowing that Daniel had just finished a long shift at the hospital, Nicole decided to do something to help him relax, since they were finally friends again, and that was the sort of thing friends did for each other. Daniel was surprised when Nicole showed up at his apartment with yoga mats, and he objected to the idea at first, but she was persistent, so he eventually acquiesced.
Nicole demonstrated various yoga poses with ease, but Daniel quickly gave up and decided that he would prefer to toss a football around instead. Nicole protested that doing so would ruin her manicure, but Daniel promised to teach her how to avoid chipping her nails, so she eventually acquiesced and followed him to the park.
Daniel wasn't having much luck teaching Nicole how to aim her throws, and they both welcomed the break when a boy recognized him and asked for help tying a shoe. While Daniel was distracted, Nicole threw the football again, and it ricocheted off a tree and hit Daniel in the head, knocking him to the ground. Nicole thought it was funny at first, but she grew concerned when he didn't immediately respond to her voice.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor entered the living room shortly after Brady discovered a document that had been left on the desk -- a document that outlined Victor's plan to give Brady a promotion at Titan. Brady was surprised, but Victor reasoned that Brady deserved the promotion. "On what planet?" Brady asked incredulously.
Brady insisted that he was a screw-up, and when Victor tried to object, Brady revealed that he had nearly made Theresa, of all people, the mother of Victor's next great-grandchild. After Brady elaborated, Victor concluded that the situation was not proof that Brady was a screw-up, since Theresa had tried to scam Brady, and Brady had cut her off at the knees. Brady admitted that he wasn't entirely convinced that Theresa had tried to scam him. Victor reasoned that it didn't matter, since the important thing was that Theresa wasn't pregnant, and Brady was rid of her for good.
Theresa desperately needed someone to talk to, so she went to see Eve, who quickly deduced that Theresa was having a bad day. "Bad week. Bad year, even," Theresa clarified as she entered Eve's apartment and flopped down on the couch. "Well, you've certainly come to the right place -- I know the feeling," Eve admitted as she poured two glasses of wine.
Theresa was sorry to hear that vocal cord surgery was no longer an option for Eve. Theresa assumed that Paige had helped Eve cope, but when Eve clarified that Paige hadn't been present when the throat surgeon had delivered the bad news, Theresa quickly jumped to a different conclusion -- that Eve had leaned on a man for support. "What's his name?" Theresa asked with obvious interest.
Eve denied the suspicion and complained that Theresa's mind always seemed to be in the gutter. Theresa apologized and steered the conversation back to Paige, knowing that the girl's relationship with Eve had been a bit tense lately. Eve reported that her daughter had been quite supportive -- and that it seemed like they had actually turned a corner. Theresa wondered if that meant Eve no longer had a problem with Paige dating J.J. Eve replied that she didn't think J.J. was going to be an issue in the long run, and she added that he certainly wasn't going to get between her and Paige.
"That's enough about me, okay? It's my turn to pretend to be the caring sister, so why don't you tell me your drama of the day, sweetie? Just don't tell me you're late," Eve joked, eager to change the subject. Eve apologized for the remark when she realized that it had actually stung Theresa. "Oh, my God -- is that it?" Eve asked. Theresa confirmed the suspicion and proceeded to explain everything to Eve.
"I wish that you'd double-checked that home pregnancy test. It would've saved you a hell of a lot of trouble," Eve pointed out after Theresa finished the recap. Theresa insisted that the home pregnancy test had definitely been positive, but Eve reminded Theresa that home pregnancy tests weren't always reliable. Eve gently added that Theresa might have just seen what Theresa had wanted to see, since Theresa had been trying for quite a while to catch Brady. "He's not a freaking fish, Eve! So why don't you just call me a gold-digger tramp?" Theresa tearfully replied.
Eve apologized for being inadvertently harsh, conceding that she knew that Theresa truly cared about Brady. "I'm just saying [...] maybe we're not that different. We believe what we want to believe, and then we have to pay the price," Eve gently reasoned. Theresa sarcastically thanked her sister for cheering her up.
Theresa begged Eve not to tell Kim and Shane about what had happened, but Eve thought Kayla was the person Theresa really needed to worry about. Theresa argued that Kayla was a doctor and therefore couldn't talk about the matter with anyone else. "Not officially," Eve muttered. Theresa groaned and decided that she needed a real drink, and she admitted that the silver lining to her ordeal was that she could once again consume alcohol without feeling guilty about it. Theresa added that she was going to go find someone who was worth talking to.
Eve wondered who Theresa's next victim would be. Theresa snapped that her sister had no right to judge her on that score. Eve countered that Theresa was lucky to still be walking around as a free woman after everything that had happened with John. Theresa remained silent, and Eve started to show some concern when she realized that Theresa looked woozy. Eve wondered if Theresa was all right. "I don't know. I just -- just don't call me lucky, okay? That is the last thing I feel right now," Theresa quietly replied before exiting the apartment.
At the Horton house, J.J., tormented with mental images of his one-night stand with Paige's mother, insisted that, while he loved Paige, he wasn't good enough for her. Confused, Paige observed that it seemed like J.J.'s concern had cropped up out of nowhere, but he assured her that it hadn't. "Did something happen? [Did you] just do something, make some colossal mistake?" Paige asked.
Taken aback, J.J. wondered why Paige had asked such a question. Paige pointed out that everything had been fine when she had seen J.J. just a few hours earlier, and she said she couldn't think of any other explanation for his sudden concern about not being good enough for her. J.J. clarified that everything had only seemed fine earlier, and he anxiously paced the floor as Paige gently urged him to talk to her.
J.J. sighed heavily as he stared at a framed photograph of Jack. J.J. admitted that he had wanted to burn the town down when he had found out about what his father had done to his aunt, and he pointed out that he had trashed the town square. Paige assured J.J. that everyone had understood why he had reacted that way, but he wasn't convinced, arguing that they couldn't possibly have understood.
J.J. pointed out that trashing the town square hadn't been a one-time outburst -- it had simply been one of many ways he had acted out because he had been angry all the time. Paige argued that J.J. had turned his life around since then, but he disagreed. "That's what it looked like -- like it was all over -- but -- and maybe I even thought that sometimes, but I was just fooling myself," J.J. sadly concluded.
J.J. wondered if Paige remembered how he had reacted the first time she had tried to talk to him about what his father had done to his aunt. Paige quietly reasoned that J.J. had simply been surprised. "I was a lot more than that, Paige. I was angry, and I was defensive, and that doesn't just go away. I mean, that is me. I -- I'm this angry jerk of -- of a guy, and...I mean, even worse, I was -- I was that guy with you, and that will never be okay. You should not be around someone like that -- like me," J.J. painfully admitted.
Paige assured J.J. that she didn't see him that way. "Because I'm good at hiding it. I -- I look like this -- this normal guy, right? But I'm not. I am carrying around all this garbage, and it comes out. And I can't do that to you, okay? It is so not cool, and, um, I -- I -- I -- I can't be around you anymore," J.J. reiterated. Paige reminded J.J. that he had told her earlier that he loved her, and she wondered if that was still true. J.J. noncommittally replied that it wasn't about whether he loved Paige or not, but she took that as confirmation that he did love her, just like she loved him.
Paige decided that J.J. simply needed some time to sort out everything that had been dredged up recently, and she assured him that she would give him the space to do just that. J.J. started to say something, but Paige interrupted him with a kiss and said they could continue the conversation the following day if he wished to do so. "You're not alone, J.J., okay? Know that. I'm not going anywhere," Paige promised before leaving.
In the clearing of the park by the bench, Clyde talked to Jeremiah about his their business. When Jeremiah advised Clyde that profits were up, Clyde ordered him to launder the money through the trucking company and his strip mall in Branson. Noting that Clyde looked respectable, Jeremiah asked Clyde if he had found a woman in Salem.
In the clearing in the park, Nicole threw a football at Daniel when he was not ready for it. When the ball hit Daniel in the face, he was knocked to the ground, unconscious. Daniel woke up, and Nicole gently guided him to a nearby bench. Nicole apologized for hitting Daniel. Annoyed, Daniel asked to end their day out. Nicole refused, arguing that Daniel might have a concussion. Daniel stressed that he did not have a concussion. Daniel argued that Nicole had thrown the ball poorly on purpose because he had not agreed to do yoga with her.
While Daniel and Nicole argued, a little boy, Randy, ran over to them and listened to them debate about how to properly throw a football. Randy interrupted to call Nicole mean for hitting Daniel. As Nicole sighed, Randy ran over to his mother. Nicole grabbed Daniel and stole his car keys out of his pocket. After driving the grumbling doctor home, Nicole made a cup of tea and offered to stay with Daniel to make sure he stayed awake. When Nicole offered to give Daniel a massage, he declined. Nicole ordered Daniel to take of his shirt.
With a groan, Daniel stripped off his shirt and lay down on the couch. Nicole grabbed the two cups of hot tea, tripped on the rug, and managed to spill both cups on Daniel's back. Nicole apologized profusely. As Nicole rushed to get a towel, Daniel begged Nicole to leave before she did permanent damage to him. Nicole cleaned up the tea on the couch.
When Daniel returned to the living room, he advised Nicole not to work so hard to be his friend. Nicole explained that she wanted to make up for lost time. Nicole apologized for going overboard. Laughing, Daniel noted that he knew Nicole did not want to kill him. On her way out the door, Nicole told Daniel that she had had fun and that she had missed Daniel. Daniel agreed. The two hugged goodbye. As they pulled apart, they lingered and stared into one another's eyes.
Daniel's ringing cell phone interrupted the moment. Daniel noted that his son was on the phone. Nicole said goodbye and left. By the elevator, Nicole muttered to herself, "Did not see that coming." In his apartment, Daniel stared at his front door with a puzzled expression.
In the hospital sitting area by the nurses' station, Anne bugged Jordan for details about Paul Narita. When Jordan told Anne that Abigail was talking to Paul, Anne was confused. Jordan explained that the board had rehired Abigail. Anne was angry and argued that nepotism had restored Abigail to her position at the hospital. While Anne spit out colorful insults, Marlena gasped as she overheard. Marlena warned Anne not to slander a member of the staff. When Marlena threatened to file a complaint against Anne, Anne apologized and walked away muttering.
Down the hallway, Abigail talked to the VIP patient Paul in his private room. Abigail thanked Paul again for his donation and said she was sorry that he would not get any recognition for what he had done. With a grin, Abigail apologized for not recognizing Paul as a star baseball player. When Abigail joked that her boyfriend would have known who Paul was, Paul groaned.
"Boyfriend? You just set back my entire recovery," Paul joked. Abigail laughed. Anne barged into the room and interrupted. After Anne assured Paul that Daniel was a genius surgeon, Abigail urged Anne to accompany her into the hall so Paul could rest. Abigail shoved Anne into the hall. Anne pulled her arm away. With a sneer, Anne argued that Chad had forced the board to rehire Abigail, and Anne insinuated that Abigail had offered sex to Chad as payment for his help.
Abigail pulled Anne into the doctor's lounge to argue privately. When Abigail joked that she had slept with Chad to get her job, Anne sighed and thanked Abigail for her honesty. Abigail continued that she had slept with Anne's boss, Seth, and that Anne should be careful. Abigail warned Anne not to pick a fight with her.
Down the hallway, Marlena and Jordan talked. When Marlena asked Jordan if she was okay, Jordan nodded. Marlena reminded Jordan that anything she said to Marlena as a doctor would remain confidential. Across the room, Clyde listened to the conversation. After Marlena walked away, Clyde approached Jordan. When Jordan asked Clyde why he was at the hospital, Clyde told her that she had dropped her hospital badge. Clyde handed her the badge and left.
At Club TBD, Sonny told Ben that Ben would manage the new club location. Ben pushed for details, but a harried Sonny growled that he did not have any more information yet. Unfazed, Ben reminded Sonny that he needed to make school a priority and that it might be a better idea to put T in charge of the new club. Sonny said no. Frustrated, Ben asked Sonny if Chad had pushed to name Ben as the new manager at the other club. Sonny stressed that he was the one that wanted Ben to manage the new club, not Chad.
Outside Club TBD, Adrienne and Lucas talked about his visit to Los Angeles. When Adrienne asked about Will, Lucas admitted that he had not seen much of Will in L.A. Lucas explained that Will was working long hours at the studio. When Adrienne said that Will had gone to L.A. to help Sami with the kids and that it did not sound like he was doing what he had promised, Lucas narrowed his eyes and was defensive.
"You're passing judgment in the form of a question. So why don't we just leave this alone, okay?" Lucas said. With a sigh, Lucas walked into the club. As Lucas greeted Sonny, Adrienne kissed her son hello. Sonny mentioned that he and Will were both so busy that they hardly had time to talk. Adrienne muttered a snipe under her breath, and Lucas called her out. When Sonny asked what was going on between Adrienne and Lucas, Lucas shook his head and said Will missed Sonny.
Lucas handed photos of Arianna to Sonny. As Sonny stared at the photos with a goofy smile, he talked about how much he missed Arianna. When Sonny said he should fly out to L.A., Adrienne noted that Will would not have time for a visit. Lucas firmly stated that Will would make time for Sonny. Lucas said goodbye and headed out. Once Lucas was gone, Sonny pressed Adrienne to tell him what had happened.
Adrienne informed Sonny that Will was working long hours at the studio rather than spending time with Sami or the children. Sonny groaned. Sonny reminded Adrienne that the job was a big opportunity for Will. When Adrienne rolled her eyes, Sonny reminded Adrienne that Justin had been out of town for months. Sonny asked Adrienne why she was judging Will when Justin was doing the exact same thing. Sonny asked Adrienne if things were good with Justin. With a sigh, Adrienne apologized for stirring up trouble. Sonny assured Adrienne that everyone would be fine because they loved one another.
In the DiMera living room, Chad asked Kate to name him as the co-CEO of DiMera Enterprises. When Kate refused, Chad smiled smugly. Chad argued that he had earned the spot after siding with Kate against Stefano. Kate countered that it would be too much change. Chad threatened to spill the beans to Stefano if she did not name him her co-CEO. Kate asked Chad to accept a position as the head of a division so she could promote him later. Chad laughed.
When Chad reminded Kate that she had worked with Sami, Kate yelled that Sami had not been qualified to run the company. Kate argued that she had saved the company. With a serene look on his face, Chad noted that the company was called "DiMera Enterprises" and that a DiMera was not running the company because Kate had weaseled it out from under E.J. and Stefano.
"Do you want the board to be comfortable with you as CEO? You need a DiMera by your side. We've been a great team so far. You can work with this. Trust me. You'll like it a lot better than the alternative," Chad said. Chad argued that he and Kate had used one another. When Kate wondered aloud if Chad would push her out of the company in a few months, Chad countered that he did not have the experience to run the company and that he needed Kate.
When Kate asked Chad if he was ambitious, Chad said that he wanted to learn from Kate. Chad promised that by the time he was ready to take over the company, Kate would be ready to retire. When Chad reiterated his threat to call Stefano, Kate called his bluff. Kate said that if Chad called Stefano, it would hurt Chad as well. Chad argued that he had followed Stefano's plan, and if Kate refused Chad's request, Chad would tell Stefano everything in time for Stefano to stop Kate's counteroffensive.
Cornered, Kate agreed. Chad advised Kate to call Merkel from the board. Grinning, Chad handed Kate the phone. Kate called Merkel and explained her decision to appoint Chad as her co-CEO. Kate stressed that no one could learn about Chad's position until she made a formal announcement. After hanging up the phone, Kate asked Chad to remain quiet about his new position. Kate cautioned Chad to look out for Stefano. With a shrug, Chad said he did not care about Stefano.
Chad walked over to the hospital to talk to Jordan. With a grin, Jordan thanked Chad for his gift. Chad offered to walk Jordan home. Jordan smiled. Chad escorted Jordan to her apartment and asked what had cheered her up during the day. Smiling, Jordan admitted that Chad had brightened her day. The two kissed. Chad promised to call Jordan so that they could make plans.
Abigail visited Ben in his new apartment. Abigail was flustered when Ben answered the door in a towel. As Abigail offered to return later, Ben pulled her into the apartment and dropped his towel. Giggling, Abigail kissed Ben. After the two made love, they talked about his new apartment. Ben said that it felt like he had everything he wanted.
In the town square, Clyde watched Marlena as she walked around. Clyde wondered aloud if he should talk to Marlena.
Lucas visited Kate at the mansion to show her pictures of the kids from California. Smiling, Kate delighted in the pictures. Lucas assured Kate that the children were adjusting well to living in California. With a chuckle, Lucas joked that Sami would only need a couple months to take over Hollywood. Kate admitted that she missed working with Sami. Lucas' jaw dropped open. Kate added that Sami was easy to work with, unlike some people. Suspicious, Lucas asked Kate what she was up to. Kate avoided the question but admitted that she was worried about her control at DiMera Enterprises.
At Ben's apartment, Abigail awakened Ben with a cup of coffee. Ben responded by kissing Abigail passionately. After they'd had sex, Abigail admitted that she'd never spent the night with anyone before the previous evening. Ben teased her mercilessly about hogging the covers then he assured Abigail that she'd done no such thing -- and that the night had been perfect. Although neither of them wanted to leave the other's arms, they realized that they had to get up and get to their respective jobs.
Abigail started to ask if Clyde would help Ben out again if it school and work turned out to be too much. Ben insisted that he couldn't ask Clyde for anything else, noting, "Clyde came through this one time, but he's got a ways to go before I can trust that it's for real."
Clyde entered Marlena's office at the hospital for an appointment. Marlena explained that she had a full caseload, and she wasn't sure she could take Clyde on as a patient. Clyde assured her that he understood, but added that Marlena's assistant had said that Marlena might be able to find an opening for him if they were a good fit. Marlena wanted to know if Clyde had ever seen a psychiatrist before. Clyde said that when he'd lived in Poplar Bluff, he had driven nearly two hours each way to see a "shrink." He quickly apologized if he had offended Marlena.
Clyde continued that he had wanted to find a new psychiatrist because he didn't want to undo any of the progress he'd made. He explained that he had first gone to a psychiatrist because he hadn't wanted to end up like his father, "a real son of a bitch." Chuckling, Clyde admitted, "I feel a little ridiculous. A man my age, talking about his daddy issues." Marlena stated that one's relationship with his or her parents had a sizeable effect on the psyche, even as adults. When their time was up, Marlena told Clyde that she would recommend a colleague if her schedule would not permit her to treat him.
Clyde headed to Club TBD, where Ben was already behind the bar, cleaning coffee mugs. Ben informed his dad that he'd found an apartment and had already moved in. He thanked Clyde for paying his tuition so Ben could afford a place of his own. Clyde asked if Ben could cut back on his hours in order to get the most out of his education. Ben explained that Chad and Sonny wanted him to manage the new club on the south side, but Ben was hopeful that he could talk Sonny out of that. Clyde agreed that Ben's focus should be on school.
When Clyde got his wallet out to pay for his coffee, Marlena's card fell out. A surprised Ben asked, "Are you seeing a shrink?" Clyde admitted that even though he'd been to a psychiatrist in Poplar Bluff, he still had some unresolved issues, and he'd heard that Dr. Evans was good. Ben seemed impressed that Clyde was serious about getting help. "Well, you and your sister know better than anybody that I really need it -- and I want it, too, so I can be a better dad to both of you." He asked Ben not to tell anyone else, and Ben agreed.
Theresa woke from a dream filled with snippets of memories from the night she'd been abducted in the park. As she sat up in bed, panting, she wondered aloud, "What was I dreaming about?"
Meanwhile, one of her captors was in the park. Mandrake called the man for an update, and the thug promised that he was working on it. Mandrake ordered the henchman to work faster, adding, "I want you to take care of this today."
Eve showed up at Theresa's apartment after unsuccessfully trying to reach her sister by phone all morning. Theresa admitted that she'd turned her phone off the night before. Eve explained that their father had been trying to reach Theresa because he had learned that she'd lied to Brady about being pregnant. An angry Theresa assumed that Eve had told their dad, but Eve informed her that Victor had called Shane and Kimberly that morning, accusing Theresa of trying to entrap Brady. Theresa was livid.
Eve urged her sister to fill their dad in on the details when she called him. Eve started giving Theresa a hard time about the home pregnancy test. That only served to further irritate Theresa, who insisted that she never would have gone to Kayla for a blood test if she hadn't believed she'd really been pregnant. Noting that Brady probably hated Theresa even more than he had before, Eve asked, "What's your crazy plan to get your hooks back in him?" Theresa insisted that she was through with Brady because she had no desire to be with a guy who didn't want her.
Eve pointed out that had never stopped Theresa before. Theresa declared that Brady hadn't been worth all the time she'd wasted on him. Eve said that perhaps it was time that she and Theresa both accepted that some dreams didn't happen. Touching her sister's arm, Theresa stated sincerely, "Eve, I really am sorry about your singing career." About Brady, Eve cautioned Theresa, "Make sure you do not have any loose ends." Theresa asked what Eve had meant, but before Eve could reply, Theresa got a call from Anne. Eve hurried out, promising that she would take care of everything.
When Theresa answered, Anne chewed her out for being late. Anne ordered Theresa, "Get your butt in my office right now. We need to talk."
As Theresa was walking through the park on her way to the hospital a little later, Shane called her. Mandrake's thug appeared and eavesdropped on Theresa's side of the conversation. "No, Dad. Look, Victor has it all wrong!" Theresa was insisting as she hurried off with the henchman tailing her.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady had a nightmare in which he found a photograph of himself and Kristen on the mantel. When he flung it away, it turned into a picture of himself, Theresa, and their baby -- and then Theresa and the baby materialized behind him. Brady awakened with a gasp.
When Brady went downstairs, Maggie congratulated Brady on his promotion after his hard work over the previous few months. Brady acknowledged that it had only been since he'd gotten sober. Once he learned that Maggie knew about Theresa's pregnancy "scare," Brady assured Maggie that he was finished with Theresa for good. Brady added that he wanted to make amends with Maggie -- even though she reminded him that he already had -- for not listening to her warnings about Theresa even after he'd gotten clean.
Brady promised not to push Maggie or his other family members away in the future, and he emphasized his intentions to resolve things with his dad. Maggie declared that she was very proud of Brady for owning up to his mistakes. Brady apologized for the hateful things he'd said to Maggie, especially when all she had ever shown him was love and support. He asked if Maggie would be his A.A. sponsor again. She happily accepted, throwing her arms around Brady.
Brady and Maggie agreed to attend a meeting together later. As Maggie headed out, she declared, "I am so excited for you, Brady. I can't wait to see where you go from here." Brady wondered to himself, "Where do go from here?"
As Brady was leaving the house, Eve showed up on the doorstep of the Kiriakis mansion, so Brady reluctantly invited her in. Eve explained that she was there because she felt terrible about what Theresa had done to Brady, although she assured Brady that Theresa seemed to believe that she'd really been pregnant. Eve continued that she had been horrified when she'd learned that Theresa had been the one who'd put John in the coma.
Brady asserted that he didn't blame Eve for what her sister had done. Eve said that she hoped Brady didn't intend to take legal action. "I'm not going to press charges, and my father won't either," Brady assured Eve. He asked if Eve would talk to Theresa for him, explaining, "Maybe [you could] make her understand that it would be best if the two of us would just stay out of each other's lives for good." Eve promised to try but cautioned Brady that it might not do any good.
Eve remarked, "Clearly, [Theresa is] not your type. You're a mogul, and she's just not in your league." Brady insisted that wasn't at all what he'd meant. Stroking Brady's arm, Eve encouraged him to call her if he ever needed to talk about Theresa -- or anything else. As Eve left, she looked around the foyer and remarked to herself, "Sister, sister, sister, you really blew it this time. You could've had all this, and that fine specimen of a man, too."
Hope and Ciara waited at the café in Horton Square for Aiden and Chase to join them for breakfast. Ciara was impatient because the guys were late -- and she was "starving." When Chase and Aiden arrived, Aiden apologized for their tardiness. The foursome got a carafe of orange juice, and Aiden promptly spilled some. He and Hope smiled knowingly at each other as they mopped up the mess, remembering how Aiden had successfully poured champagne for Hope the same way after they'd made love.
Chase and Ciara noticed the adults' smiles, and Ciara wanted to know, "Are you guys, like, boyfriend and girlfriend, or what?" Hope explained that she and Aiden were merely dating to get to know each other -- if it were all right with the children. "As long as you two aren't going to be kissing all the time," Chase said. Aiden promised that he and Hope would try to restrain themselves. Ciara fretted, "What about Daddy? We'll still be a family, won't we?"
Hope assured Ciara that no one was asking her to forget her daddy, who would always be Ciara's daddy. "And I don't have to forget Mom?" Chase asked Aiden. "No one is forgetting anyone, okay?" Aiden reassured his son. Satisfied, Ciara announced that she was ready to order her pancakes, so Hope flagged down a server.
Later, Hope observed that Ciara had only eaten the whipped cream off the pancakes she'd insisted upon. Ciara pointed out, "Whipped cream has a lot more protein than pancakes, which are unhealthy carbs." Maggie showed up just then and greeted everyone. Aiden asked Maggie to join them, but she declined. "Did you know Aiden and Mommy are boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Ciara divulged. When Maggie said that she was on her way to the post office, Ciara asked to go along, since the post office was next door to the pet store. Hope consented, so Maggie asked Chase to join them.
After the kids had left with Maggie, Hope apologized for Ciara, "the town crier." Aiden declared that he didn't care if the whole world knew he and Hope were together. Hope admitted that she was finally ready to answer when people questioned her about Bo. "Aiden, I do really, very much enjoy being with you, and I don't care who knows about it," Hope declared.
Hope and Aiden quickly stopped smooching when Maggie returned with the kids. Ciara was excited about a puppy she'd seen. Speaking to Hope privately, Maggie declared, "It does my heart good to see you so happy." Hope admitted that she was, indeed, happy -- and she had decided to take Aiden to Thanksgiving. Since Maggie had to go by St. Luke's as she was finishing her errands, she offered to drop the kids off at school. Hope agreed, and Ciara was eager to ride in Maggie's convertible. Aiden had to decline for Chase, who was carpooling with a friend from judo class.
As Hope kissed Ciara goodbye, Aiden noticed his son watching them wistfully. He asked if Chase were all right, and Chase absently said that he was. When Aiden and Chase left to meet the carpool, Aiden asked Hope to stick around so they could say a "proper goodbye." As the guys were walking away, Hope got out her phone to check her email while she waited but noticed that her battery was about to die, so she asked to borrow Aiden's tablet. Aiden agreed.
As Aiden and Chase exited the square, Aiden asked what his son had been thinking about when he'd been looking at Hope earlier. "Just how she's like Mom," Chase explained. When Aiden asked how the women were alike, Chase clarified, "You know how, a long time ago, Ciara said her mom was rich? So was my mom."
Once Hope was alone, she took out Aiden's tablet and opened the Internet browser -- and saw the words "Hope Williams Brady money fortune" typed into the search engine.
A nurse quietly entered Paul Narita's hospital room to check the sleeping patient's vital signs. Paul awoke with a start, shouting, "No!" As he tried to catch his breath, Paul insisted to the nurse that he'd just had a bad dream.
Later, Marlena went into Paul's room to check on him. Paul reminded her that he'd told her he was fine. Marlena thought it could be helpful for him to talk to a sports psychologist or to her because of the uncertainties he was facing. "Look, I know you're just doing your job, but there's no reason to assume that I'm screwed up in the head just because I live life in the public eye," Paul insisted. Marlena asserted that she hadn't said that because that wasn't how she felt, but she assured Paul that she would be there if she could help. He maintained that he would not need her, so Marlena left.
In her office later, Marlena told her assistant that, since they no longer needed to keep a slot open for Paul Narita, there was room in her schedule for Clyde Weston. She asked the assistant to call Mr. Weston and make an appointment.
Mandrake's goon was still following Theresa, who was still on the phone with her dad, when she got to the hospital. "Either I got a false positive or I misread it, but whatever happened, I thought I was pregnant, and now I know that I wasn't," Theresa concluded. Theresa hung up, and the henchman slipped out.
Anne chided Theresa for being late and began to share some bad news with Theresa. Before Anne could reveal what it was, Abigail showed up and wished the others a very cheerful good morning. "What are you doing here?" Theresa demanded. Beaming smugly, Abigail announced that she'd gotten her job back. After Theresa got the short version of how Abigail had been reinstated, she snidely suggested that they should send a memo to the board, warning them that Abigail was "on the prowl" again.
Anne's chuckle elicited a stern look from Abigail, so Anne quickly admonished Theresa for speaking unprofessionally about coworkers. Abigail asked for Theresa's signature on the confidentiality agreement regarding Paul Narita. Theresa recognized his name, if not the correct sport he played, from the tabloid reports about all the actresses Paul had dated. Abigail warned Theresa, "Per our agreement, you are not to engage in any gossip about Mister Narita... or disclose to anyone that he is a patient at our hospital." As she signed the form, Theresa complained that Abigail was acting like the "morality police."
Unfazed, Abigail took the signed agreement from Theresa and left. Theresa wondered aloud what a celebrity like Paul Narita was doing in Salem. Anne explained sarcastically that Dr. Jonas was the only surgeon in the world who could help Paul. Theresa dreamily mused that the wealthy and "super-hot" Paul was just what she needed to get over Brady. Anne insisted that she'd seen Paul first, and he had expressed interest in her.
Confident that Paul would pick her over Anne, Theresa headed into Paul's room and offered her assistance with the cold pack he was holding on his bandaged shoulder. Since she clearly wasn't his physical therapist or a nurse, Paul asked who Theresa was. Theresa introduced herself and explained that she worked in H.R., flirtatiously noting that she was there to assist with his recovery in any way she could. As she sat on the bed and held the ice pack against Paul's shoulder, Theresa assured Paul that she knew how to be discreet.
Openly ogling her, Paul said that he appreciated that. He added that he'd had a lot of offers from the women who worked there, but Theresa was more forward than the others. Theresa said that she was a lot more fun than they were, too. As she entered her phone number into Paul's phone, Theresa told him, "I know you won't be able to go out for a while, and, of course, you don't want to attract attention, but just say the word, and I'll bring the party to you." Paul asked how it was possible that a beautiful woman like Theresa wasn't already taken. Theresa said she just hadn't met the right guy yet.
As Theresa left Paul's room, Brady arrived for some board business but didn't see her. Theresa stared after him longingly.
Mandrake's thug called and reported to his boss, "The girl's convinced that she was never pregnant." He added that it appeared Theresa had no memory of what had happened to her. "Excellent. Ms. DiMera will be very pleased," Mandrake said.
Outside Club TBD, T excitedly congratulated Chad on being named co-CEO of DiMera Enterprises. "What the hell do you think you're doing? What is it with you and the eavesdropping routine? You think you can just play spy around me and it's not gonna matter? How much do you like your job?" Chad snapped.
T defensively clarified that he hadn't been eavesdropping -- he had simply overheard the news while he had been busing tables within earshot of Chad, who had just mentioned it during a phone conversation with one of the company's board members. Chad apologized and stressed that T couldn't share the news with anyone else -- including Sonny. "[Although] I have a hunch someone else knows," Chad nervously added as his cell phone started ringing -- and identified Stefano as the caller.
"When were you planning on telling me?" Stefano asked when Chad answered the call. Chad admitted that he had been content to just sit back and let someone else break the news to Stefano. Chad explained that siding with Kate had seemed like his best way of making a power play. Chad added that, while he knew his father would probably see the move as an act of betrayal -- and even hate him for it -- he had nevertheless had to look out for himself. "Is that what you thought? Well, my son, you made a huge mistake," Stefano replied.
Chad started to say that he didn't have any regrets and that he wasn't going to let his father's threats intimidate him, but Stefano interrupted and clarified that he had called to congratulate Chad, not threaten him. "You have no idea how proud you made me. [...] You did exactly what I would have done at your age," Stefano added. Stunned, Chad pointed out that his move was going to cost Stefano a huge pile of money. "True, true, but you have restored the DiMera name, huh? People everywhere are going to know that the DiMeras are back. That's worth more than money," Stefano replied.
Still shocked, Chad confirmed his father's suspicion that Kate had not been happy about naming him co-CEO of the company, which just made Stefano even happier. "You know, I am beginning to think that you have the steel core that your brother lacked," Stefano proudly declared. Chad admitted that his conversation with his father hadn't gone the way he had expected it to go.
"My only hope is that this new position won't interfere with the, uh, relationship that you are having with that beautiful young woman -- Jor-dan, huh? In bocca al lupo, my son -- in bocca al lupo," Stefano cryptically added with a laugh before ending the call, leaving Chad looking nervous again.
At the Horton Town Square, Aiden admonished Chase for mentioning Hope's wealth, reminding the boy that such things weren't important. Elsewhere, Caroline spotted and called out to Hope. When Hope revealed that she and Ciara had just finished having breakfast with Aiden and Chase, Caroline reiterated that she was okay with the idea of Hope and Aiden seeing each other. Hope remained silent as Caroline added that Aiden seemed like a fine, honest, straightforward man.
Aiden soon returned from sending Chase off to school, and Caroline seized the opportunity to personally apologize to the lawyer for the way she had treated him when she had found out about his relationship with Hope. Aiden assured Caroline that he was simply glad to know she no longer had concerns about his relationship with Hope, and he added that he hoped he and Caroline could get to know each other better in the future. Caroline agreed and excused herself after informing the couple that they were welcome to dine at the Brady Pub anytime.
After Caroline left, Hope confronted Aiden about what she had found on his tablet computer. Hope started chastising Aiden for crassly researching her wealth -- presumably as a way of paying her back for looking into his history -- but he interrupted and assured her that he could prove there had been a misunderstanding. Aiden explained that the tablet belonged to his son, and he showed Hope the games Chase had installed on it -- as well as the folder that contained the boy's homework -- as a way of backing up the claim.
Hope apologized for jumping to the wrong conclusion, and she suddenly recalled that Aiden hadn't known about her wealth in the first place until after Ciara had blurted out something about it right before their planned trip to New Orleans -- something that had happened after Hope and Aiden had started developing feelings for each other, proving that he hadn't just been interested in her money. Aiden admitted, in the interest of full disclosure, that he had actually known about Hope's wealth before then, thanks to something Father Louis had strategically mentioned, on the night of the gala, about the generous donation she had made to the church. Aiden explained that the priest had known his competitive nature would have forced him to match Hope's donation -- and throw in an extra ten percent for good measure.
"There are many, many things that fascinate me about you, Hope Brady, but your money is not even on my radar. [But] you are," Aiden assured Hope before kissing her. Hope couldn't resist pointing out that Aiden -- who had once criticized her because he had mistakenly assumed she had been spoiling Ciara with expensive earrings -- had purchased a top-of-the-line tablet computer for Chase. Aiden conceded that he could sometimes be a hypocrite, and Hope admitted that she was guilty of the same thing.
Hope apologized again for the way she had jumped all over Aiden earlier, but he assured her that he actually enjoyed it when she did that sort of thing, because he needed someone in his life who was willing and able to challenge him once in a while. Later, Aiden tracked his son down at school so they could trade tablets, and he reiterated that a person's wealth wasn't important. Aiden added -- quietly but firmly -- that he didn't want Chase to talk about the boy's mother's wealth with Hope, Ciara, or anyone else, since it was no one else's business.
At the hospital, Theresa spotted Brady and started lashing out at him in the middle of the waiting area, furious that he'd had the nerve to show up at her place of work, especially after trashing her to Victor -- who, in turn, had trashed her to Shane and Kim. Brady quickly ushered Theresa off to an unoccupied break room before she could make more of a scene, and, after apologizing for what his grandfather had done, he reminded her that he was a member of the hospital board, and he explained that he was there for a meeting. Brady hoped Theresa could refrain from causing a scene in the future, since they were bound to run into each other from time to time.
"I know that you think I am this horrible person, and you can't wait to get rid of me, but the truth is, whether you'd like to admit it or not, I am the best thing that ever happened to you, Brady, and you blew it. [...] If all you want to do is remember the bad stuff, be my guest -- I never said I was perfect. But I made you happy, Brady. And while we're remembering, let's be clear -- you knew who I was from the very beginning. What, you called me out in front of the whole A.A. meeting, what, the second time we met? I was bad to the bone, and you loved it. You loved the excitement, and the sex, and the thrills -- the whole nine yards. And deep down, I think you still do," Theresa asserted.
Brady insisted that Theresa was delusional, and he informed her that he had already moved on. "I don't think you have. But you know what? I have. [...] And this new guy I met? He is super hot, and super rich, and he's got talents you could only dream of having. [...] And you know what the greatest thing is? He is crazy about me -- and believe me, the feeling is mutual. [...] And the best thing about him is that he earns his own money -- he's not some lame trust fund baby," Theresa countered. Brady was glad to hear Theresa had found someone who possessed the qualities she found most important in a man, and he hoped things would work out for the new couple.
After storming out of the break room, Theresa went to visit Paul, who greeted her as Tamara. Paul blamed the painkillers when Theresa corrected him, and she laughed off the blunder. Theresa began flirtatiously suggesting various activities she and Paul could do together once he started feeling better, but she paused when he said something that reminded her of Brady. Paul noted the change and apologized for inadvertently upsetting her, but she dismissed his concern, explaining that, while he had said something that had made her think of someone she had once known, she believed in focusing on present and future possibilities instead of living in the past.
When Paige returned home after class, she revealed to her mother that J.J. hadn't been in attendance, and she admitted with a sigh that she believed he was avoiding her -- or perhaps even trying to break up with her. Eve feigned shock and asked for details, so Paige explained that J.J. was struggling with the knowledge that Jack had raped Kayla years earlier.
Eve advised that it might be best to let J.J. go so he could deal with things on his own, but Paige thought that was the last thing he needed. Paige stressed that, while she had agreed to give J.J. some space -- and, in fact, hadn't tried to contact him since their last conversation -- she knew he loved her just as much as she loved him, and she wasn't going to let that end.
"It has to!" Eve protested before quickly adding, more gently, that it was never a good idea to try to hang on to a guy who wanted to be let go. Once again dismissing the advice, Paige insisted that she could take care of herself, and she refused to discuss the matter further with Eve. After Paige stormed off to meet up with Daphne, Eve groaned with frustration and cursed J.J.
In the park, Paige complained to her friend about how her mother had just advised her to give up on J.J. one day after promising to give him another chance. "No disrespect, okay? Your mom sounds kind of...not all there," Daphne observed. Paige speculated that Eve had suddenly started acting weird because of a guy. After swearing Daphne to secrecy, Paige continued that Eve had hooked up with someone after getting the bad news about the vocal cord surgery. "It's what she does when she's lost, or sad, or whatever," Paige explained with a shrug.
Daphne didn't understand how that related to Paige's relationship with J.J., so Paige explained that, while her mother had claimed that the tryst had been a one-time-only thing, she was starting to believe that wasn't true. Paige speculated that Eve might have developed feelings for the guy -- feelings that had not been returned -- and that was why she had suddenly started encouraging Paige to walk away from J.J. -- so Paige wouldn't get hurt the way Eve had. "I know her. What happened that night really messed with her head. For some reason, she really, really regrets sleeping with that guy," Paige mused.
At the Horton house, J.J. was lifting a pair of twenty-pound dumbbells in the living room -- and being plagued with thoughts of his one-night stand with Eve as well as his failed attempt to break up with Paige. J.J. set aside the weights and grabbed a nearby towel to wipe the sweat off his face. "Why wouldn't she just listen to me?" J.J. grumbled as he tossed the towel to the floor in frustration.
Abigail entered the room in time to catch her brother's outburst, and she wondered what was wrong. "Everything! Everything is wrong," J.J. admitted with a sigh. J.J. went back to lifting weights, but Abigail took them from him -- with a bit of effort -- and knowingly urged him not to let their father's past ruin his future with Paige. J.J. revealed that he had told Paige he needed some space so he could figure things out. "She, uh -- she didn't want to believe it, but...it'll sink in after a while. She'll move on," J.J. added, prompting Abigail to observe that he was making things sound pretty permanent.
Abigail wondered if J.J. still loved Paige. "Yeah, like crazy," J.J. confirmed. Abigail could tell that J.J. was holding something back, so she urged him to tell her what the real problem was. J.J. deflected, knowingly pointing out that he wasn't the only person who was holding something back. "Last night, you texted me -- 'Don't wait up' -- and then this morning, you still hadn't come home. So what's up with that?" J.J. asked curiously. Abigail blushed as she started to respond that things between her and Ben had gotten more serious lately, but J.J. stopped her when he realized where the conversation was headed.
J.J. assured Abigail that she didn't have to explain, and he added that she had no reason to be embarrassed, since Ben seemed like a good guy -- and a much better choice than either of the DiMera brothers. "I say go for it," J.J. encouraged Abigail with a shrug. Abigail asked J.J. not to blab to Jennifer about the development. "Yeah, no problem. I know how to keep a secret," J.J. quietly replied as he stared guiltily at the floor. Abigail knew that was true, since she could tell that J.J. was keeping a secret at that exact moment, and she once again pressed him to tell her what was really going on with Paige.
J.J. vaguely asserted that his father's past already had ruined his future with Paige -- and that he didn't know how they could ever possibly go back to how things had been before. Abigail refused to believe that, and she assured J.J. that she knew, better than anyone else, exactly how their father's past was affecting him, since he was struggling with the same fears she had also once struggled with. "It felt like my dad was capable of doing something so -- so horrible and disgraceful -- and I was his kid, [so] I figured that kind of thing, it just -- it got passed down to me, or something," Abigail admitted.
"Doesn't it?" J.J. worriedly replied. Abigail shook her head and insisted that what Jack had done to Kayla hadn't been about who he was as a person -- it had been about circumstances leading him down a very self-destructive path. Abigail added that, while Jack had been totally lost for a while, he had eventually done everything in his power to turn his life around, because he had sincerely regretted his actions. Abigail asserted that Jack had accomplished that goal because he'd had a good heart, and she predicted that it would have broken into a million pieces if he had known that what he had done had caused J.J. to lose faith in himself.
Abigail concluded that, more than anything else, Jack would want his children to live their lives without shame. "It's too late for that," J.J. regretfully replied, but Abigail refused to believe that. Observing that it was obvious that J.J. and Paige were totally in love with each other, Abigail advised her brother not to let his girlfriend go, since he had done nothing wrong, and he deserved to be happy.
Later, Abigail went to the Kiriakis mansion to get a recipe so she could surprise Jennifer -- who was supposed to be returning to Salem later that night -- with a nice meal. Abigail caught up with Maggie while copying the recipe. Maggie was glad to hear that the hospital had rehired Abigail, but Abigail admitted that Chad's involvement in the matter had made things a bit complicated.
Abigail added that, while she had mostly been defending Chad lately, there was still a voice in the back of her mind that kept reminding her of a warning Melanie had once given her -- that there were parts of him that no one would ever be able to truly know. Abigail admitted that Melanie had been right about that, because Chad definitely had a dark side that could be scary.
At the Horton house, someone started impatiently pounding on the front door, and when J.J. opened it, he found Eve standing outside. Eve stormed into the house as she snapped at J.J. for sending Paige all the wrong signals during their earlier conversation. J.J. explained that he had tried his best to break up with Paige, but Eve complained that he had failed -- and that Paige was positive that he still loved her.
"Well, maybe that's because I do!" J.J. snapped. Eve claimed that she understood, but she insisted that J.J. nevertheless had to break things off with her daughter -- in no uncertain terms -- because of the huge mistake they had made. J.J. reiterated that he had already tried to, and he explained that it hadn't been easy, since Paige had been extremely nice and understanding, and he hadn't been able to bear the thought of hurting her. Eve reminded J.J. that he already had hurt Paige, but he argued that Paige didn't know that -- and that everything would be okay as long as no one ever revealed the truth to her.
"I'll make her happy, and I'll be really good to her, and there will be no more mistakes, guaranteed," J.J. promised. Eve countered that making mistakes was all J.J. was capable of doing, and she ordered him to break up with Paige immediately. "You need to stop telling me what I have to do. I don't have to do anything you say!" J.J. snapped through gritted teeth. Eve maintained that J.J.'s relationship with her daughter was finished for good, and she added that there was no way they could change what had happened on the night in question, even if they really wanted to.
"What exactly happened? What night are you talking about?" Jennifer demanded to know as she entered the living room.
As Paige and Daphne sat on a park bench, Paige confided that her mom really regretted a recent one-night stand. Daphne couldn't believe that Paige's mom talked to her about that kind of thing. Paige said that she'd seen the guy's coat in the apartment that night and had reached that conclusion on her own, so her mom had felt it necessary to explain. Daphne didn't understand why Paige's mom hadn't just made up a story.
Paige said that despite her mom's flaws, Paige loved her and wouldn't let anyone put her mom down -- including Daphne. Daphne insisted she hadn't been putting Paige's mom down. Paige explained that her mom was probably a little overprotective because until Eve had been a teenager, she hadn't even known who her parents were -- but Eve had always been there for Paige. After apologizing, Daphne headed off for class.
Paige gathered her things to leave but ran into Maggie. Maggie said she'd been trying to reach J.J., but his voicemail box was full. She asked how Paige and J.J. were, and Paige hedged that everything was fine. Before Paige could hurry off, Maggie asked if J.J. had ever gotten his money clip back from Daniel. Paige was puzzled about why Dr. Jonas would have J.J.'s money clip, but Maggie got a phone call before she could explain.
After catching an earlier flight back to Salem, Jennifer returned home to the Horton house just in time to hear Eve telling J.J., "Face it, J.J.: even if we wanted to, we couldn't go back and change what happened that night." Furious to find Eve in her house, Jennifer demanded to know what her son and Eve were talking about. J.J. welcomed his mom home, and Eve tried to beat a hasty retreat, but Jennifer pressed them for an explanation.
Eve reminded Jennifer, "You know I don't approve of J.J. and Paige... And this also has something to do with me, too. I guess we better tell her everything, J.J., even if we don't want to." Eve and J.J. explained that Paige had found out about Jack and Kayla, and it had caused problems for Paige and J.J. Jennifer was sympathetic toward her son but demanded to know what part Eve had played in it. Eve pointed out that if she'd wanted her daughter to know about it, she would have told Paige much sooner.
Eve admitted that she and Kayla had been talking about the subject, and Paige had overheard them. Eve continued that she'd stopped by because she'd seen J.J. going into the house and had wanted to see how he was doing. Jennifer didn't buy any of it. Concerned, she turned to her son and asked if he and Paige had broken up because of his dad. J.J. admitted that they were taking a break. Eve told J.J. it was impossible to undo what had happened in the past or change how people felt about it. Jennifer demanded to speak to her son alone, so Eve left.
Jennifer embraced her son and asked him to talk to her. J.J. explained that it had really upset Paige to learn what his dad had done to his Aunt Kayla, whom Paige really looked up to. Jennifer offered to talk to Paige and reassure her that the man who'd done that to Kayla had not been the same man who had raised J.J. J.J. pleaded with his mom not to do that. "Paige sees me in a different way, and there's no going back. So maybe just the best thing to do is just to break up with her... I don't see how I can be with her," J.J. said.
Jennifer insisted that none of it was J.J.'s fault, and his dad would hate it if he thought that something from his past was hurting J.J. "It's not about what Dad did," J.J. clarified. Although she acknowledged that she didn't know what J.J. thought he'd done, Jennifer promised to be there for him, no matter what. She added that she loved her son, and there was nothing he could say to her that would ever change that. "I'm not sure I can tell you this, even if I want to... Man, this is really hard. Like I said, it really doesn't have to do with Dad," J.J. began.
When Paige got home, she sent a text message to J.J. to let him know that she knew he needed time, but she was thinking about him. Eve returned and informed Paige that she had gone to J.J.'s house to see how things were going with him and because she'd wanted to find out why he'd broken things off with Paige. "Mom, that was none of your business!" Paige protested. Eve explained that she'd wanted to see what was on J.J.'s mind. "I think J.J. needs some time away from you, honey," Eve concluded gently.
Eve added that she thought Paige needed to let J.J. go. "Did he say that he doesn't want to be with me anymore?" Paige demanded. Eve couldn't answer that definitively; all she could say was that she didn't want to see Paige get hurt again. "I can't handle this anymore, Mom! J.J. and I are going to be together, and there's nothing you can do about that," Paige declared as she grabbed her purse and stormed out. "Oh, yes, there is. I'm not gonna let you be with that boy. I'm gonna make sure of it," Eve muttered determinedly.
Over lunch at the Brady Pub, Eric informed Marlena that he was moving to an apartment a few blocks away. He expressed concern about not being near his grandmother anymore, but Marlena pointed out that Caroline had plenty of other family she could turn to for help. Marlena added that Eric needed to get on with his life. Eric suspected that was code for something else, but Marlena took offense at Eric's assumption that he knew what she was thinking.
Eric asserted that his reason for getting the apartment wasn't because he was ready to start dating. Marlena said that she hoped Eric hadn't given up on the idea because of what had happened with Nicole. Eric acknowledged that Nicole had been his first love, and he wasn't sure he would ever be completely over her -- but there had been other important times in his life, and Marlena was worrying for no reason. "I may not be completely over Nicole, but I know that there's no going back. On that, I am really clear," Eric declared firmly.
As Daniel was leaving a store in Horton Square, he ran into Nicole. He showed her a child's toy ball he'd just bought -- not for Parker but for her, to help improve Nicole's hand-eye coordination. Nicole protested, but Daniel playfully reminded her that she'd almost killed him with a football. He proposed a rematch with a one-on-one game of dodgeball that afternoon.
Daniel explained that he'd realized Nicole had only been doing "guy things" with him to be a good friend, adding deadpan that he couldn't afford to dump one of the few friends he had just because she'd tried to kill him. Chuckling in spite of her efforts not to, Nicole admitted that she'd missed him making jokes at her expense -- and being her friend. Nicole and Daniel agreed to meet in the park a little later, after they both had finished their errands.
Daniel called Maggie and asked her to meet him at the Kiriakis mansion -- because he wanted to talk about Jennifer. Once Daniel arrived, he explained that he'd decided he needed to see Jennifer again to clear the air about anything he might have said that had hurt her. Daniel wanted to make sure that things weren't awkward between Jennifer and Maggie just because things hadn't worked out between him and Jennifer. Maggie reassured her son that she and Jennifer were family and would always be fine.
"Good, because one thing we still have in common is how much we both still need you," Daniel said. Touched, Maggie embraced him. She made Daniel promise that he would join her and Victor for dinner at least once a week. Daniel promised that he would never take anyone he loved for granted again.
Nicole was walking past the pub just as Eric was wheeling his suitcases out. Curious, she asked if he were going on a trip or perhaps leaving town. He seemed reluctant to share anything with Nicole, but he finally informed her that he was moving. A relieved Nicole asked where the new place was, but Eric countered, "Does it really matter?" Nicole said that she just wanted to think about Eric in a nice place. With a sigh, Eric admitted that he wanted the best for Nicole, as well, but they both knew they had to go their separate ways. Nicole wished Eric luck and left.
As Eric was unpacking in his new apartment later, he found a photograph of an old church. He wiped it off lovingly and leaned it against the wall on top of a dresser. Looking around the space, Eric prayed, "Heavenly Father, I just pray that you bless this new home and bless this new start. Maybe this is the place where I'll finally figure out what you have in mind for me."
When Nicole and Daniel met up in the park, he went over the rules of dodgeball with her. Nicole told Daniel that he could go first. When she was walking away, Daniel whipped the ball at her while her back was still turned. Nicole complained that she hadn't been ready, but Daniel continued assailing her with the ball, repeatedly and with a vengeance. Nicole had no luck when it was her turn to play offense. Fed up, Nicole sat, pouting, on a bench, accusing Daniel of being a "ball hog."
Daniel threatened to take his ball and go home. Nicole jumped on his back and tried to wrest the ball away from him, playfully digging her knuckles into the top of his head, until they fell to the ground with Nicole still on Daniel's back -- seemingly knocking him out cold. Worriedly urging Daniel to wake up, Nicole turned him on his back and straddled him. She patted his cheeks firmly until she heard him breathing.
Nicole was relieved, but Daniel whacked her in the head with the ball and laughed. With mock fury, she tried to get the ball away from him. Laughing, they wrestled for it, rolling around on the ground until Daniel was on top of Nicole. As he pinned her arms down, their faces moved closer and closer together, and their laughter soon died as the sexual tension between them became apparent.
At Club TBD, Sonny tried in vain to reach Will by phone. Worried because Will hadn't been returning his text or phone messages, Sonny left a message asking Will to please call him back. When Sonny turned around, he was a little dismayed to see that Victor had been listening in from the other side of the bar. Victor believed that Sonny's marriage was in trouble. Sonny insisted that wasn't the case; Will was merely busy in L.A., writing the movie script and helping his mom and siblings deal with E.J.'s death -- and Sonny was proud of his husband for that.
Sonny pointed out that he'd also been busy, trying to get the new club open. Victor said that he'd heard Sonny had encountered numerous problems with the new club. "So it's not just my personal life I'm screwing up. It's my business, too," Sonny noted wryly. Victor only wanted to know how far in debt Sonny was to Chad. Sonny reminded his uncle that Chad was one of his best friends. Victor warned him, "There are big changes happening in your friend's life... I'll let him tell you about that -- but, no matter how he tries to spin it, don't ever forget: his name is DiMera and yours is Kiriakis, and that never goes away."
Chad called T from the DiMera study to make sure that T would keep his mouth shut about Chad's promotion. Jordan entered just as Chad was hanging up, and she admitted that, despite the butler's directions, she'd gotten lost on the way from the front door. Chad revealed that he had news to share that he wanted Jordan to hear from him, and he hoped it wouldn't cause problems for the two of them. He clarified that most people in town had a negative opinion of the DiMeras, but Jordan assured him that she would have already told him if she had a problem with him being a DiMera.
Chad divulged that he was about to become co-CEO of DiMera Enterprises. A bit taken aback, Jordan said that she appreciated Chad sharing the news with her in person. Chad asked if it changed how she felt about him. "If you thought I would be impressed because you're some big-shot now, then you've got me all wrong," Jordan said. She kissed Chad to congratulate him. Chad asked her not to tell anyone because he would be in "big, big trouble" if anyone else found out before the big announcement in a few hours.
After Jordan confirmed that the two of them were still on for dinner later, she suddenly realized with much dismay that Kate would be Chad's co-CEO. Jordan fretted that Kate would soon start badmouthing her, but Chad assured her that he could handle Kate. "That's what Rafe said, too," Jordan noted. As she headed out for work, Jordan tried a bit unconvincingly to reassure Chad that she really was happy for him.
Once Jordan got to the hospital, she called Chad to emphasize that she was truly glad for him. Marlena overheard and remarked to Jordan that Chad deserved some good news. She explained that Chad had suffered his share of misery just because he was a part of the DiMera family, but Marlena warned that the DiMeras had hurt a lot of people -- including her and her family.
Chad was just hanging up with a board member when Sonny arrived. When Sonny referred to the new club, Chad said that he trusted Sonny's judgment. Sonny demanded, "If you trust me so much, how come I don't know anything about this big change coming in your life?" Chad assumed that T had blabbed to Sonny, who was incredulous that Chad had told T before Sonny. Sonny angrily reminded Chad, "I'm your partner. I'm your best friend, and you couldn't tell me?" Chad clarified that T had overheard a phone call, and Chad wasn't supposed to tell anyone -- including Sonny -- until the announcement that Chad was co-CEO of DiMera Enterprises.
When the doorbell at the Kiriakis mansion began to ring insistently, Maggie hurried to answer it -- and found Melanie on the doorstep. "Surprise!" Melanie said, throwing her arms around her grandmother.
