Will was cleaning when Marlena arrived to see him. Quickly bouncing from one subject to the next, Will offered to make Marlena some coffee after mentioning that the babysitter had taken Arianna for a while so he could get the apartment ready for Sonny's return from the hospital.
Marlena declined and gently told Will to calm down a bit. Will nodded and took a deep breath as Marlena wondered how his earlier talk with Sonny had gone. "Bad. Worse than bad. I'm not sure that he's ever gonna forgive me," Will admitted. Marlena optimistically suggested that Sonny just needed more time, but Will didn't think that would help.
Will scrubbed the desk harder and harder as he fretted that he hadn't just cheated on Sonny -- he had unwittingly done so with Sonny's ex, which had made the betrayal even worse. Will eventually cursed and lashed out at the stubborn stain, sending a framed photograph of him and Sonny flying across the room in the process. Devastated, Will picked up the shattered frame and muttered that he was going to have to get a replacement right away.
"What you should do right now is sit down and talk to me," Marlena firmly instructed. After Will complied, Marlena confidently assured him that, while the situation was complicated, it was something he and Sonny could talk through together. Will said that hadn't worked when he and Sonny had tried it the previous night, adding that Sonny was still too angry -- and had even refused Will's offer to pick him up from the hospital later that day.
Marlena advised that Will needed to give Sonny more space if that was what Sonny wanted at that time. Marlena reminded Will that anger never just subsided overnight, and she reiterated that the situation was complicated -- especially for Sonny, who had issues of pride, love, self-confidence, and trust to work through as a result of Will's betrayal.
Will stressed that he understood he was at fault, although he added that he had been unable to sleep the previous night because he had been consumed with thoughts about how Paul had talked about the ex who had since been identified as Sonny. "Sonny asked [Paul] to marry him. That's huge. Why is that something that -- that Sonny would keep a secret from me?" Will wondered.
Marlena wondered if Will had asked Sonny that question yet. Will nodded and explained that Sonny had promised to keep Paul's secret to avoid jeopardizing Paul's baseball career. "But before we got married, he could have told me that he proposed to someone else and the guy said no, right? I deserved that much at least, right?" Will reasoned.
Agreeing that Will had a very valid point, Marlena wondered why he thought Sonny had chosen to keep that information from him. "Because...he married me...because he was desperate to get married," Will guessed. Will pointed out that Sonny couldn't have just fallen out of love with Paul the moment Paul had refused to marry Sonny, since love didn't work that way. Will added that Sonny had only walked away from Paul because Sonny had been unwilling to keep living a lie. Marlena assumed that Will was feeling threatened because Paul was not only back in Sonny's life but also no longer closeted, but Will assured her he wasn't jealous.
"I feel kind of used," Will admitted, reasoning that Sonny had only jumped into a relationship with him because Sonny had been unable to have Paul. Marlena reminded Will that he and Sonny had known each other for a year before getting together and had then dated for another year before getting married. Will argued that two years wasn't really a long time, especially when talking about a love that had been deep enough to include a marriage proposal.
Marlena smiled and gently suggested that Will was just trying to shift the blame away from himself. "Yeah, that sounds like me," Will sheepishly agreed. Marlena waited, sensing that Will had something else to say. "I used to feel special. I used to think that I was more special to Sonny that anything else. Now, I just -- I feel like...I'm just the one that happened to say yes to him," Will sadly admitted.
Marlena advised that in such situations, it was common to feel the need to start analyzing every word, sentence, and insult, losing sight of the big picture -- that he had betrayed Sonny -- in the process. Marlena told Will he had to accept responsibility for his actions and talk to his husband because he would otherwise drive himself crazy obsessing about all the different scenarios he had started imagining.
Will promised to try, but he wasn't optimistic because of the way his last conversation with Sonny had gone. Marlena reminded Will that marriage counseling was always an option if necessary, and she assured him that she could recommend some excellent colleagues if he and Sonny ended up needing professional help. Marlena stressed that Will and Sonny would always have their family to turn to for support, as well.
While standing outside the Horton house, Adrienne started to second-guess the decision she had just made to ring the doorbell, but Lucas greeted her before she could bolt. Adrienne feigned disappointment when Lucas informed her that Jennifer wasn't there, but she soon admitted that wasn't actually news to her. Adrienne explained that she had only rung the doorbell because she had seen Lucas' car outside and had wanted to see him.
Lucas wondered why Adrienne couldn't have just said that in the first place. Adrienne admitted that she felt a bit awkward because of what had happened the last time she had seen Lucas. Despite Adrienne's protests, Lucas insisted he had crossed the line when he had kissed her. Lucas added that, while he knew he needed to refrain from getting involved -- especially since Justin was finally back in the picture -- he still couldn't help feeling protective of Adrienne. "Justin may be here physically, but he's not back," Adrienne quietly clarified.
Adrienne quickly apologized for dumping her problems on Lucas. Lucas didn't mind, since it was clear that Adrienne needed someone to talk to, but she acknowledged that it would be better for her to find someone else to act as her confidant. Lucas didn't disagree, admitting that he didn't want to complicate things between Justin and Adrienne. Lucas confidently added that it would probably just be a matter of time before Justin would remember just how lucky he was to have Adrienne. Touched, Adrienne said she hoped she would one day be able to help Lucas the way he had helped her lately.
Lucas had been working on fixing the chimney before Adrienne had arrived, so he jokingly suggested she could help him with that task. Adrienne happily agreed, and when Lucas tried to object, she assured him that she wouldn't mind helping at all, especially since she had some time to kill before picking Sonny up from the hospital, anyway. Confused, Lucas wondered why Will wasn't picking Sonny up. Adrienne shrugged and speculated that Will probably had something else to take care of that day.
Adrienne offered Lucas some advice on fixing the chimney. Lucas teasingly wondered if Adrienne had learned a few tricks from watching Henderson clean, but she countered that she hadn't been born with a silver spoon in her mouth -- and, in fact, she had once owned her own construction company. Lucas conceded the point and took the advice, which worked but left him a sooty mess. Lucas went to get cleaned up, and when he returned, he noticed that Adrienne had some soot on her face, so he grabbed a handkerchief and gently started to remove the stain.
At Club TBD, Tori tried to tell Paul about a great physical therapist she had found in San Francisco, but he wasn't interested, since he was happy with Jordan and only had a couple more physical therapy sessions left to complete, anyway. Paul wondered why Tori was pushing for him to return to California right away. Tori started to say something about Paul's grandfather being home alone, but Paul interrupted and said he had talked to his grandfather earlier that morning and knew the man was okay with him staying in Salem for as long as necessary.
Before Tori could respond, Paul received a call from Sonny, who said he needed to see Paul right away. After ending the call, Paul tried to make up an excuse about his physical therapy appointment being pushed up, but Tori asked for the truth instead. "So now it's the truth every time, every day, right? After all the years when it was better that I lived a lie?" Paul bitterly countered, although he quickly apologized for the retort.
Paul explained that his ex -- the one who had proposed to him years earlier -- was in Salem and wanted to see him. Tori started to object, but Paul warned that the matter wasn't up for debate. As Paul exited the club, he ran into John, who congratulated him on being brave enough to tell the world he was gay. Tori kept her back turned toward John as he claimed an empty booth near the entrance and started to make a few phone calls.
When a barista approached to see if Tori needed anything, she quietly asked if the club had a back entrance. The barista confirmed that it did, although he added that it was closed at that time. Tori nodded and claimed that she simply liked to know her surroundings well, just in case she ever found herself in some sort of emergency situation. Later, John went to the bar to ask the barista some questions about a person of interest, and Tori seized the opportunity to sneak out of the club while his back was turned.
Outside, Tori ran into Marlena and hastily excused herself when Marlena tried to strike up a conversation with her. Marlena joined John inside, and when he told her he had seen Paul earlier, she wondered if he had also met Paul's mother, whom she had just seen leaving the club. John shook his head and explained that Paul had been in a hurry, and Marlena mused that Paul's mother had been, too. Meanwhile, Tori peeked her head back inside the club, and the hint of a smile crept across her face as she watched Marlena and John laugh at something they were looking at on Marlena's cell phone.
At the hospital, a nurse informed Sonny that he would be free to leave as soon as Kayla signed his release papers. The nurse smiled as she asked if Sonny's handsome husband would be picking him up. Sonny shook his head, and after the nurse left, he stared sadly at his wedding band, idly twisting it around his finger. Paul entered the room a short time later and admitted that he hadn't expected to see or hear from Sonny again. "Right. You figured since you slept with my husband, I wouldn't want to chat," Sonny bitterly guessed.
Paul changed the subject, saying it was great that Sonny was going to get to go home later that day. Paul started to confidently add that Sonny would be fully healed in no time, but Sonny interrupted and snapped that he hadn't called Paul over for a pep talk. Sonny gingerly rose to his feet as he added that he simply needed to know the truth about what had happened between Paul and Will.
Paul assured Sonny that he and Will hadn't known about each other's respective connections to Sonny until after Sonny had learned about their one-night stand. Sonny found that hard to believe, since Will had spent such a long time interviewing Paul, but Paul explained that he had never mentioned his ex's name or even revealed that his ex lived in Salem. "So...this is just one big, ugly coincidence?" Sonny asked incredulously.
Paul nodded and stressed that he would never intentionally hurt Sonny, adding that neither he nor Will had set out to hurt Sonny. "You weren't. Will knew what he was doing was a complete betrayal," Sonny countered. Paul defended Will, making it clear that he had made the first move. "Look, I flirted with him like crazy -- and you know how I am when I really want something," Paul added.
Sonny argued that Will hadn't been forced into Paul's bed and could have said no at any time, but Paul maintained that the whole thing never would have happened if he hadn't pushed hard for it to happen. "Yeah, well, it did happen! Will claimed it only happened once. Is that true?" Sonny demanded to know. Paul quietly confirmed that it was.
"Even after I knew that he was with someone, I tried to make a play for a second round. He stopped me. He said it wasn't right. Your husband still loves you, Sonny. You gotta believe that," Paul added. Paul encouraged Sonny to talk to Will, but Sonny replied with a sigh that talking to Will only seemed to make things worse.
When Paul asked if it was just too soon for Sonny to be having that sort of conversation with Will, Sonny explained that Will had actually suggested that Sonny had only married him because Sonny had been unable to have Paul. "That's not true...is it?" Paul wondered. Before Sonny could respond, he realized that Will was standing in the doorway.
Paige went to the Kiriakis mansion to help Maggie with the clothing drive for St. Luke's. While Paige was going through one box of donations, Maggie found Daniel's old jacket in another box. Recalling that J.J. had once borrowed the jacket, Maggie wondered aloud if it would be a good idea to set it aside for him. Paige had her back turned toward Maggie, so she didn't see the jacket, but hearing J.J.'s name still had an obvious effect on her. Maggie quickly apologized for her thoughtless blunder, but Paige insisted it wasn't a big deal.
Jennifer decided to snoop through Eve's apartment for evidence that Eve had been manipulating the situation between J.J. and Paige, but before she could leave her office, she bumped into Abigail -- and dropped Eve's keys in the process. Abigail picked up the keys and noticed Eve's initials on the keychain. Jennifer explained that Eve had left the keys behind after a tense encounter they'd had earlier. Abigail offered to return the keys to Eve so Jennifer wouldn't have to deal with the woman twice in one day, but Jennifer declined the offer and reluctantly revealed her plan to Abigail.
Abigail was surprised to learn that Eve had lied about Shane's health a few months earlier in order to get Paige out of Salem for an indefinite period of time. Abigail pointed out that Eve still hadn't forced J.J. to cheat on Paige, but Jennifer countered that Eve had certainly manipulated the situation to achieve that result. Abigail shared Jennifer's disbelief about J.J.'s supposed relationship with Roxanne but objected to Jennifer's plan to break into Eve's apartment to look for proof that Eve and Roxanne were connected. Conceding that breaking into Eve's apartment would be a bad idea, Jennifer promised she would try to find another way to handle the situation.
Eve wanted to continue her conversation with J.J. at her apartment, so he agreed to hook up with her there after dealing with Roxanne. As Eve suppressed a satisfied reaction to the double entendre, Roxanne suddenly arrived to tell J.J. about Jennifer's interference. Roxanne got distracted when she saw Eve, and she protectively demanded to know why Eve was still harassing J.J.
"It's like you're obsessed with him," Roxanne curiously observed. Eve confirmed that she was obsessed -- with keeping J.J. away from Paige. Countering that Paige had seemed fine about an hour earlier, Roxanne warned Eve to back off. Eve started to get in Roxanne's face, but J.J. stepped between them and told Eve to leave. Eve complied but lingered around a corner so she could eavesdrop on J.J. and Roxanne's conversation.
Roxanne told J.J. about the phone call she had received from Jennifer earlier. J.J. tried to assure Roxanne that he would find a way to salvage their plan, but she insisted she wanted out because she couldn't risk the chance of her parents finding out about what they were up to. J.J. promised he wouldn't let Roxanne get in trouble, and he smoothly added that if she continued to help him, he would find some way to make it up to her in the end. Roxanne softened a bit, and J.J. spotted his opening and suggested that they could go back to her hotel room to figure out their next move.
When J.J. and Roxanne got back to her room at the Salem Inn, she agreed to keep up the ruse, and she flirtatiously suggested that it might even be a good idea for them to start fooling around for real -- or at least practice kissing each other. J.J. politely rejected Roxanne's advances, reasoning that they could just worry about that if and when the need for a public display of affection arose.
Meanwhile, someone started pounding on the door, and when Roxanne opened it, she found Eve standing in the hallway. J.J. tried to get Eve to leave, but she insisted she wasn't going anywhere until he heard what she had to say. Fed up, Roxanne grabbed her stuff and left, apologetically informing J.J. that he was on his own. J.J. followed Roxanne into the hallway but was unable to stop her from leaving.
J.J. reentered the hotel room and snapped that Eve had just ruined everything. Eve reasoned that she had done herself and J.J. a favor because Roxanne clearly wouldn't have had the strength to keep his proposed deception going for long, but he maintained that Roxanne would have done anything he had asked her to do if Eve had just stayed out of the matter. "Oh, I bet she would've," Eve muttered.
J.J. worried that Roxanne might turn on him and start telling people -- namely, Paige -- that the whole thing had been a lie, but Eve insisted she'd had to do something. Eve complained that J.J. shouldn't have been alone in a hotel room with Roxanne, and she demanded to know what he had been thinking. "Oh, my God. Oh, my -- you are jealous!" J.J. suddenly realized.
Eve tried to deny the accusation, but J.J. stuck with his gut instinct, guessing she had been concerned that he might start sleeping with Roxanne -- and consequently stop sleeping with Eve. "Congratulations, Eve -- now she's gone for good. And now it's just you and me in a hotel room," J.J. said as he stripped off his shirt. Taken aback, Eve wondered what J.J. was doing. "What does it look like? Here I am -- you've got me all to yourself," J.J. replied as he approached Eve. Protesting that J.J. was being ridiculous, Eve urged him to put his shirt back on. "Is that what you really want?" J.J. wondered.
After a split second of hesitation, Eve pushed J.J. onto the bed and started kissing him, but when she suddenly remembered where they were, she stopped and suggested it might be better to go back to her place instead. Meanwhile, at the Kiriakis mansion, Paige shared details about the special anniversary celebration she and Eve had on that particular day every year, and Maggie encouraged her to track down Eve and continue the tradition.
Paige went to Eve's apartment and checked all the rooms, but no one was there. Meanwhile, Jennifer went to the Salem Inn to talk to Roxanne. The door to Roxanne's hotel room was partially ajar, and when Jennifer peeked her head in, she saw two naked people rolling around in bed together. Jennifer's jaw dropped when she realized she was looking at J.J. and Eve.
Adrianne helped Lucas clean the chimney at the Horton house. After getting covered in soot, Lucas changed clothes then returned to the living room to talk to Adrienne. Lucas attempted to wipe soot from Adrienne's cheek. As Lucas leaned closer toward Adrienne's face, the two stared into one another's eyes. Lucas turned away and cleared his throat nervously. Feeling awkward, Adrienne attempted to leave for the hospital.
Lucas stopped Adrienne and asked her to talk to him about what had almost happened. Adrienne shifted uncomfortably and declined to discuss any hypotheticals. With a sigh, Lucas announced that he did not believe he should spend any more time alone with Adrienne. Lucas said he would back off of Adrienne because he did not want her to get hurt.
At the hospital nurses' station, Nicole asked Maxine to give Daniel a gift for her. Maxine was hostile to Nicole, and she refused to help Nicole "sink [her] claws into Daniel." Nicole scoffed at Maxine's accusation, and she told Maxine that she intended to befriend her. Maxine warned Nicole that she could not "play [her]."
While babysitting Parker at Daniel's apartment, Melanie called Serena to talk. Serena sat in Club TBD and thought about her argument with Eric. Serena told Melanie that she was busy but that she would talk to her later. Eric called Serena. Eric informed Serena that his friend had passed away. After offering her condolences, Serena apologized to Eric for their argument. Eric apologized as well. Eric said that he wanted to make things right with Serena, but he asked her never to mention the elephant statue again.
When Eric asked Serena to meet him for lunch, Serena begged off, noting that she had too many things to do. As Serena hung up her phone, Nicole approached the table and asked what was wrong. Serena scowled. With a smirk, Nicole said that she had overheard Serena's conversation. Serena accused Nicole of gloating, but Nicole shrugged and denied the charge. Nicole told Serena that she regretted hurting Eric and Serena's relationship and that she hoped she was not to blame for whatever was wrong. Upset, Serena left.
After grabbing a coffee, Nicole ran into Eric as he entered the club. When Nicole asked Eric if he had been involved in a fight with Serena, Eric shifted uncomfortably. Nicole apologized and stressed that she respected Eric's relationship with Serena. Nicole said that she hoped Eric's fight with Serena was not because of her. With a sad smile, Nicole said she wanted Eric to be happy and that she hoped that Serena was "the one." Eric thanked Nicole for her honesty. Eric started to leave then returned to Nicole and hugged her.
Serena visited Melanie at Daniel's apartment and told her about her run-in with Nicole. With a grunt, Serena said that everything was getting on her nerves and putting her on edge. As Melanie raised a questioning eyebrow, Serena explained that she could not find "something" and that it was annoying her. As Serena talked, she did not see the elephant statue on the couch behind her.
Melanie told Serena about her investigation into Dr. Mandrake. With a shrug, Serena said that there were a lot of "sketchy people" in the medical world. Melanie joked that Serena was one of them. Feeling guilty, Serena behaved defensively then apologized for her lack of humor and started to leave. Melanie laughed and asked Serena to wait so she could show her Parker's new toy. Melanie went to the couch to grab the elephant statue.
In Sonny's hospital room, Paul asked Sonny if Will was right that Sonny had only married Will because he could not have Paul. Will arrived and bristled at the sight of Paul. Sonny noted that he had asked Paul to stop by and tell him the truth. Will was upset, but Sonny said that he needed Paul to corroborate Will's story. Will nodded and started to gather Sonny's belongings. Sonny stopped Will, noting that he was not going home with Will.
Sonny said he needed time to think. Will nervously nodded as Sonny explained that he was going to visit his brother, Alex, in Phoenix. Paul asked Sonny not to leave Salem, and Will growled at Paul to stay out of their lives. Sonny countered that Will had made Paul a part of the situation when he had slept with him. Will mentioned Arianna, and Sonny warned Will that it was not fair to mention their daughter. Sonny added that if he returned home, Arianna would be able to feel the tension between them. Will asked Sonny how long he would be gone, and Sonny noted that his travel plans were open-ended.
Will asked Paul to leave. On Sonny's nod, Paul stepped into the hallway. Will begged Sonny to stay, citing Arianna. Sonny asked Will to trust him and let him leave town. Will asked Sonny to answer his question about whether Sonny had only married Will because Paul had turned him down. Before Sonny could respond, Kayla and Adrienne entered the room with Sonny's release papers. Sonny announced that he was going to visit Alex in Phoenix. When Adrienne asked Will if he was joining Sonny, Will said he hoped so. Will hugged Sonny goodbye.
Will ran down the hall after Paul. Will asked Paul if he was hopeful that Sonny was still interested in him. Will stressed that Paul should give up on Sonny because Will was not ready to lose him. In Sonny's room, Adrienne asked Sonny when he would return to Salem. Sonny said he had not decided.
In Kayla's office, Paige assisted Kayla with some files. When Kayla noted that Paige was the only intern who showed up for work on time, Paige smiled sadly and noted that she had thought she would be late because she had planned to spend time with her mother. Paige added that Eve had failed to show up for their meeting. As Paige stared sadly at a photo of J.J. and Jennifer nearby, Kayla asked Paige if she wanted a different mentor for her internship. Paige declined and noted that she barely thought about J.J. anymore.
"He is not a guy I loved but someone who led me on," Paige said. Smiling, Paige said she was moving on with her life and had a date planned. Paige stressed that she was in control of her life and would never trust love again because it had made a fool of her. With a motherly smile, Kayla told Paige that it was never foolish to love someone. Paige countered that love had made her needy and stupid and that she refused to be either again.
At the Salem Inn, Jennifer noticed the door to Roxanne's hotel room was ajar. Jennifer pushed open the door and saw her son, J.J., having sex with Eve. Jennifer cried out in horror. As J.J. scrambled to pull on some clothes, Jennifer ran across the room and attacked Eve. J.J. pulled his mother off his lover. Furious, Jennifer asked J.J. if he had left Paige because of Eve. Jennifer turned her anger back on Eve, and she asked how Eve could have betrayed her daughter. With fire in her eyes, Jennifer demanded to know if Eve was the woman J.J. had slept with while Paige had been in California. J.J. admitted it was true.
Laughing bitterly, Jennifer quoted some of the statements Eve had made to her about the man that was interested in her. Jennifer accused Eve of taunting her and taking glee in the fact that she was having an affair with Jennifer's son and her daughter's boyfriend. With fury, Jennifer said that Eve had wanted to take revenge on her so badly that she had sacrificed Paige's happiness.
"You are cruel and pathetic that you would have to do this to hurt me one more time," Jennifer spat out. J.J. interrupted and said that he had been just a much a part of the affair as Eve. Jennifer turned her anger back to her son, and she asked him why he had hurt Paige.
"Nothing he says or nothing he thinks he feels for you means anything because it doesn't change who you are or what you are. And I can't even stand to look at your face for another second," Jennifer yelled at Eve as she turned to leave. Eve ran in front of the door and begged Jennifer not to tell Paige about the affair. Eve argued that it would be cruel to tell Paige what had happened. As Eve grabbed Jennifer's arm, Jennifer slapped Eve hard across the face. Jennifer warned Eve never to touch her again. Jennifer stormed out, and J.J. chased after her.
J.J. caught up with Jennifer in the town square. Nearby, Paige overheard them and watched. Frustrated, Jennifer yelled at J.J. and asked him what he had been thinking.
At the police precinct, Abe and Hope talked while they worked. Abe asked about Hope's trip. With a wide grin, Hope admitted that she had enjoyed her vacation with Aiden. Abe said he was happy to hear that things were going well because he thought Aiden was a good man and a good dad. When Abe said he believed there was nothing Aiden would not do for his son, Hope smiled and said, "You got that right."
In the Brady Pub, Aiden talked to Roman about a case. Aiden said he hoped Roman was not uncomfortable around him. With a raised eyebrow, Roman asked Aiden if he was referring to the fact that his brother was Hope's ex. Aiden shrugged. Roman noted that Bo had made a mistake when he had left Hope. Roman added that he wanted to see Hope happy. As Aiden smiled in relief, Roman warned Aiden not to break Hope's heart, or Roman would beat him up.
Hope and Aiden met up at the university student center to wait for their kids to return from their trip. Aiden told Hope that he hoped she would be a part of his future. Aiden added that he was glad Hope understood how he felt about his son. Hope smiled and kissed Aiden tenderly. When the airport shuttle dropped Chase and Ciara off at the student center, they ran into their parents' arms. Chase and Ciara talked about their trip.
When the kids complained about the terrible food on their trip, Hope grinned. Hope offered to take Ciara, Chase, and Aiden to the Brady Pub for macaroni and cheese. Hope challenged Ciara to an eating competition, and Ciara cheerfully accepted. As Ciara and Chase ran outside to the car, Ciara advised Chase not to eat anything until they got to the pub.
In the park, Nicole thought about when Eric had hugged her at Club TBD. Nicole chastised herself, muttering, "It didn't mean anything. It can't." When Nicole wondered whether Eric was interested in her because he was on the outs with Serena, she shook her head. Nicole fantasized that she went to Daniel's apartment and told him that she was sure he was the one she wanted to be with. As Nicole awoke from her daydream, she joked, "Yeah, that's never gonna happen." Nicole announced that she would not give up on Daniel.
In Daniel's apartment, Melanie started to grab the elephant statue off the couch to show to Serena, but Daniel returned home and interrupted. Melanie took Parker into his room so Serena could talk privately with Daniel. Serena asked Daniel to meet her for coffee. When Daniel asked why, Serena explained that she wanted to be friends with Daniel, since he was friends with Eric and because he was Melanie's father. Daniel said that Eric was his friend, and Serena was his friend by extension. Daniel agreed to meet for coffee later.
After Serena left, Nicole stopped by Daniel's apartment. Melanie made an awkward exit, citing the need to head to work. Suspicious, Daniel asked Nicole if she was conspiring with Melanie against him. Nicole admitted that Melanie was in her corner, but she stressed that she had only visited in order to say hi to Daniel. As Daniel stiffened, Nicole noted that she had made a mistake and said goodbye. As Nicole turned to leave, she accidentally dropped her purse. Daniel helped Nicole pick up the items that had scattered on the floor, and their hands grabbed the same item. Daniel and Nicole leaned toward one another and almost kissed.
Daniel pulled away, and he said he could not trust himself to be alone with Nicole. Daniel asked Nicole to call him the next time she stopped by. With a big grin, Nicole said, "So you're saying there is a next time. Cool!" Daniel told Nicole he wanted to believe her and trust that her feelings about him were real, but he needed time. Nicole nodded then left. In the hallway, Nicole worried aloud whether Daniel would keep her in limbo. Nicole said she would find a way to speed up the wait.
In the town square, J.J. ran after Jennifer and stopped her. Nearby, Paige watched as Jennifer berated J.J. and asked him what he had been thinking. When Jennifer shoved J.J. in anger, J.J. turned his face away and he saw Paige watching. J.J. pointed her out to Jennifer. Paige asked if everything was okay. J.J. wanted to leave, but Jennifer resisted, noting that Paige had a right to have her question answered.
Jennifer explained that she and her son had been and fighting, but she did not want to cause Paige any more pain. Jennifer turned J.J. away, and they left for home. As Paige watched them go, she muttered to herself, "Whatever it is, I don't care."
In her apartment, Eve paced nervously, waiting for Paige to call. Theresa knocked, and Eve threw open the front door in a panic. When Theresa walked in, Eve shouted that Theresa needed to leave because she was waiting to talk to Paige. Theresa asked Eve what she had done to Paige "now." Eve stressed that she had done nothing to her daughter. Worried, Theresa urged Eve to open up and talk to her. Paige called, and Eve hurriedly answered the phone.
"I swear to you, I can explain everything, all right?" Eve blurted out. Believing that Eve was referring to how she had failed to show up for their planned meetup, Paige asked what had happened. Eve was desperate to talk, so she agreed with Paige to meet in the town square. After Eve hung up the phone, Theresa asked Eve if she had "dodged a bullet." Furious, Eve yelled at Theresa that she was not a mother and could not understand. Eve shoved Theresa out of the apartment.
In her hotel room, Serena talked to her contact on the phone about the statue. The contact warned that there would be consequences if Serena did not obtain the statue. After she ended the call, Serena fretted, "You need to come through, Daniel. For Eric's sake."
At the hospital, Melanie asked Theresa about a replacement badge for the temporary one she had lost. Theresa copped an attitude. Annoyed, Melanie demanded that Theresa make her badge by the end of the day. When Theresa said she would get Melanie a badge in a month, Melanie grabbed Theresa's badge and shoved it down her shirt. Theresa fumed, but she skittered off when Nicole arrived at the hospital and said hello.
Melanie asked Nicole how things had gone with Daniel. Nicole waved off the question and offered to buy Melanie a drink. Laughing, Melanie joked about how much Theresa hated them. Nicole asked Melanie if she was comfortable ending the investigation into Dr. Mandrake. Melanie said she still wanted information on the doctor, but she was not interested in how it affected Theresa. Nicole left, and Theresa rushed over to Melanie. Theresa demanded to know why Melanie had lied about Dr. Mandrake.
Daniel and Parker met up with Serena at Club TBD for some hot chocolate and coffee. Serena explained that she had been in a fight with Eric, and she needed Daniel's help. Daniel refused. When Serena asked if Daniel wanted to hear what the favor was before he said no, Daniel responded that if Serena could not work the issue out with Eric, then she likely could not work out the relationship with Eric at all. Daniel urged Serena to talk to Eric. Parker interrupted to ask about his toy, and Daniel told him the toy was at home.
"It's not a toy. It's an elephant," Daniel said. Serena's eyes widened in realization. With a sheepish grin, Daniel explained that Parker was crazy about his elephant statue.
Eve rushed over to the town square to meet up with Paige at the café. When Eve offered to buy Paige a new phone with a new phone number, Paige raised her eyebrows in suspicion. Paige asked why. Eve explained that she did not want anyone bothering Paige. Reading between the lines, Paige said she had no interest in talking to J.J., especially since she had met his new girlfriend. Paige said she had no need for a new phone because it would not stop her from running into J.J.
When Paige noted that she had just run into J.J., the blood drained from Eve's face. Paige explained that J.J. had been with Jennifer and that she had never seen Jennifer so angry. Eve reached across the table and took her daughter's hand. "There is something you should know," Eve said.
Back at the Horton house, Jennifer called out to Abigail when they arrived home. Panicked, J.J. pleaded with Jennifer not to involve his sister. Jennifer growled that she was making sure that Abigail was not home to overhear their conversation. Jennifer asked J.J. how he could have slept with the woman that had ripped up Jennifer's life and had attempted to ruin Jack's wishes. Jennifer reiterated her belief that Eve had seduced J.J. in an effort to take revenge against her. J.J. said the affair was not about Jennifer but about Paige.
J.J. explained that he had been unable to tell Paige the truth about Kayla's rape. Feeling like he had not been worthy of Paige, he had gotten drunk. J.J. continued that he had then fought with Paige, she had run off, and he had gone over to Eve's apartment in the hopes of talking to Paige. With a sigh, J.J. explained that he had instead found an emotional Eve after she had learned that she would not be able to undergo the needed surgery to help her sing again. J.J. admitted that he and Eve had commiserated and that one thing had led to another.
"But why tonight? Did you think about anyone but yourself?" Jennifer asked. J.J. reminded Jennifer of his recent melancholy mood. When Jennifer rattled on about Eve's seduction, J.J. stressed that he was not a victim. Staring at his mother's face, J.J. commented that when he had been involved in drugs and stealing, she had never looked as disappointed in him as she did then. Jennifer wondered why J.J. had not talked to her.
"And say what? I hooked up with your worst enemy?" J.J. asked. J.J. said he had not wanted to disappoint Jennifer, so he had not told her about Eve. Jennifer swore that Eve had planned the seduction, but J.J. disagreed. J.J. noted that Eve had been just as upset as he had been after they had slept together the first time. J.J. explained that Eve had asked J.J. to forget what had happened. With a sigh, J.J. added that he had continued to date Paige and that Eve had learned the truth. J.J. said Eve had lied about Shane's illness so Paige would leave town in order to end the relationship once and for all.
J.J. confessed that he had slept with Eve again after she had returned from California. Dumbfounded, Jennifer asked J.J. why. J.J. said he had fought with Eve because she had sworn she would never allow Paige to date J.J. again, and his and Eve's fury had carried them into bed again. Jennifer said Eve was to blame. Shaking his head, J.J. argued that if he had been capable of hurting Paige in such a painful way, he did not deserve to be with her. Jennifer said she was furious and disappointed, but she did not believe J.J. was a bad person.
J.J. stressed that neither he nor Eve was a good person, and that was another thing they had in common. As Jennifer shook her head, J.J. explained that he had told Paige about the affair, but he had not told her about the other woman in order to protect Paige. Worried, Jennifer asked J.J. how he felt about Eve.
"Do I have feelings for Eve? Yes. Hate is a feeling, isn't it? I hate her as much as I love Paige. And Paige is everything I ever wanted, and thanks to Eve and the fact that I'm a stupid, worthless jerk, I'm never gonna have her. Now that you know what I did, you're probably facing up to what you've always tried to deny -- that I'm a worthless sack," J.J. said. J.J. said he had blown up all the good things in his life. Jennifer maintained her argument that Eve was to blame.
Upset, J.J. worried that the truth would be discovered and that Paige would learn what kind of person he had been. Jennifer promised not to tell anyone about J.J.'s affair with Eve. With a grunt, Jennifer added that she did not believe Eve would tell the truth either. "All I want is for Paige to be happy," J.J. said sadly.
At Club TBD, Serena sketched a drawing of the elephant statue on a napkin, and Parker confirmed that his looked exactly like that. As Serena informed Parker that his elephant statue was considered a good-luck charm, Eric arrived and greeted the group, wondering if he was interrupting anything. Serena cheerfully assured Eric that she was actually thrilled to see him.
Serena pulled Eric aside and told him she had just accidentally learned where his elephant statue had ended up -- and she couldn't think of a better place for it. Daniel interrupted to let Eric and Serena know he was taking Parker home, and after they said their goodbyes to each other, Serena offered to do something for Eric later that night to make up for the way she had behaved earlier. After Eric agreed, Serena headed off to work.
Nicole wandered through the town square as she thought about the argument she had just witnessed between Melanie and Theresa at the hospital. Nicole considered telling Daniel about the fight, thinking it might score her some points with him, but she quickly realized that getting him involved might alienate her ally, Melanie. Knowing that would be a bad idea, Nicole decided to instead go to Eric for help getting Theresa off Melanie's back.
Eric promised to talk to Theresa but wanted to know why Nicole cared. Nicole joked that she knew a thing or two about being a screwup -- and she also knew Eric had a way with people, even those who didn't deserve help. Eric suggested that Nicole might just care because she had a good heart, but she scoffed and denied the accusation. "Something we disagree about," Eric concluded before showing Nicole out of his apartment.
Nicole headed off to see Daniel, quietly reminding herself to stay focused on him. When Daniel let Nicole into his apartment, she explained that she was there to ask him for a favor. Reminding Daniel that he had once told her he had taken far too long to decide what he had wanted with Jennifer, Nicole asked him to try to avoid making the same mistake again. Nicole pointed out that there was no such thing as a sure thing, and she encouraged Daniel to try to act more like her when deciding whether he wanted to get involved with her again. After making her case, Nicole kissed Daniel's cheek and quickly showed herself out so he could ponder her advice.
Brady arrived at the hospital in time to witness Theresa and Melanie in the middle of another argument. As Theresa started to tell Brady that Melanie had been spying on her, Abigail approached and quietly informed the women -- particularly Theresa -- that everyone on the entire floor could hear them. Theresa shamelessly continued to make a scene, so Brady eventually carried her off to a break room to separate her from Melanie.
Once they were alone, Brady released Theresa and reminded her that she had previously promised to stay away from Melanie. Theresa complained that Melanie wasn't holding up her end of the bargain. "You tell her to stay the hell away from me, because the next time I catch her all up in my business, she's gonna need a different kind of doctor -- to fix her face," Theresa warned Brady after telling him about Melanie investigating Mandrake.
Abigail and Melanie were still at the nurses' station, talking about Theresa's earlier outburst, when Brady returned and asked Melanie to go ahead and take her break so they could talk. Meanwhile, Theresa tried to contact Mandrake, but he had changed his phone number. Theresa pondered the matter for a moment but was only able to think of one reason for Clint to be involved with Mandrake -- easy access to high-grade pharmaceuticals. Theresa couldn't think of any reason for Melanie to care, but she tried to be satisfied with the knowledge that she had likely gotten Melanie in trouble with Brady.
Brady took Melanie to the Kiriakis mansion, where she waited in the study for him to take care of something. Serena contacted Melanie to try to arrange a time for them to hang out together at Daniel's apartment, but Melanie abruptly ended the call when Brady entered the room. Keeping Nicole's name out of the conversation, Melanie admitted that she had started asking questions about Theresa's connection to a fertility specialist named Mandrake after overhearing Clint talking to Mandrake about Theresa.
Upset about Melanie's interference, Brady pointed out that he had previously told her to stay away from Theresa. Melanie stressed that she had tried to do that, but she also noted that she didn't particularly like Brady's tone, observing that he was acting like she was a little woman who had gotten out of line and had some explaining to do. Unable to believe that her first fight with Brady was going to be about Theresa, of all things, Melanie stormed off in frustration so she could get back to work.
Eric asked to see Theresa, who was quite suspicious when she arrived at his apartment. Theresa guessed that Melanie had complained to Eric about what had happened at the hospital earlier, but he clarified that he had actually heard about the incident from Nicole. Theresa blamed Melanie for starting the fight, but Eric argued that Theresa shouldn't have taken the bait because she had more to lose than Melanie.
Theresa sarcastically thanked Eric for taking her side. "Theresa, I'm on your side, and you know it. But you're doing some very self-destructive things. You need somebody who loves you -- someone who is family -- to tell you to stop doing that and grow the hell up!" Eric snapped.
Serena was shocked when she returned to her hotel room and found a woman waiting for her inside. "He's not happy with you," the woman informed Serena. Serena nervously tried to assure the woman that it was just a matter of time before everything would be over, but the woman wasn't interested. "You'll deliver soon, or you'll tell him yourself," the woman warned before leaving.
At the Horton house, J.J. expressed disbelief when Jennifer assured him that, while his actions had indeed angered and hurt her, he was still her son, and there was nothing he could ever do to make her love him any less. Jennifer added that, while she wasn't excusing what J.J. had done, he had been victimized, even if he didn't feel like he had been.
"[Eve] is a predator, and you were her prey," Jennifer insisted. Jennifer thought Eve had gone after J.J. to hurt her, and she blamed herself for being neglectful and giving Eve an opportunity to use J.J. when he had been in a vulnerable position. Jennifer admitted that she should have done more to help J.J. deal with his feelings about what Jack had done to Kayla, even though it was a painful topic to discuss.
Jennifer thought she also should have done more to protect J.J. from Eve, who had returned to Salem, determined to hurt their family. J.J. insisted Jennifer wasn't at fault, but she maintained that she had failed him not only as the adult in the situation but also as his mother. J.J. hugged Jennifer and thanked her for not hating him, although it was clear he still found it hard to believe she didn't.
J.J. assured Jennifer that he would never talk to Eve again, even if she tried to contact him to find out whether Jennifer was planning to tell Paige about their affair. J.J. reminded Jennifer that she had promised not to say anything, and she reassured him that she would keep that promise, although she added that Eve deserved to feel scared about the repercussions of her actions.
J.J. said there was a part of him that believed Paige deserved to know the truth. J.J. knew the information would devastate Paige, but he admitted that the real reason he didn't want her to know was that he didn't want her to hate him even more than she already did. "Not like it matters, because I'm already dead to Paige, and I've -- I've kind of been dead to myself, too, ever since we broke up," J.J. added.
Jennifer hated hearing J.J. talk like that, but he insisted he would never love anyone else. "What I did with Eve -- I was trying to stop feeling the hurt, to stop feeling anything. But I have to face the truth -- it doesn't matter if Paige finds out, because she's already gone from my life, and she's never coming back," J.J. concluded, his voice wavering a bit as he spoke.
Jennifer acknowledged that it was hard to lose a loved one, recalling that her kids were all that had kept her going after Jack's death. J.J. pointed out that, unlike in his situation, Jennifer had lost Jack through no fault of her own, and their relationship hadn't been strained at the time of his death. Conceding the point, Jennifer instead used her failed relationship with Daniel as an example of how it was sometimes necessary to let certain things go and move on with life. J.J. said he had just made everything worse when he had tried to do that.
"I don't think I'll ever be happy again. And after all that -- that I -- that I've done, I'm pretty sure I don't deserve to be happy," J.J. quietly stated. J.J. didn't want to hurt Jennifer anymore, but she insisted he would be doing exactly that if he threw in the towel and gave up on happiness. Jennifer started to stress that nothing mattered more to a mother than her children's happiness, but her voice trailed off as she suddenly got an idea.
Jennifer started to share her thoughts with J.J. before changing her mind and deciding it would be best to think things through a bit more first. Jennifer excused herself so she could go for a walk to clear her head and give J.J. some time alone. Before leaving, Jennifer encouraged J.J. to confide in Abigail about what had happened if he wished to do so. Jennifer knew Abigail wouldn't judge J.J., although she suggested it might be best for him to wait until things were a bit less raw before striking up such a conversation. J.J. agreed and hugged Jennifer as she assured him they would get through the situation together.
J.J. was strumming his guitar when Abigail returned home later that day. Abigail listened to the tune for a minute before asking J.J. if it was something he had written for his music composition class. When J.J. turned toward Abigail to confirm the suspicion, she observed that he looked miserable. When Abigail wondered what was wrong, J.J. dismissively replied that it wasn't a big deal. Abigail ignored J.J.'s attempt to change the subject, seizing his guitar and setting it aside as she asked if his mood had anything to do with his earlier attempt to convince people he was in a relationship with Roxanne -- something that had seemed a bit off to Abigail all along.
"It was. But it's over. It's all over," J.J. sadly replied. When Abigail tried to probe for more details, J.J. asked if they could talk about the matter later instead. Abigail agreed and excused herself so she could get back to work. "Hang in there, brother. Whatever it is that's wrong, you will find a way to make it right. I know you," Abigail assured J.J., who accepted a hug from her but seemed doubtful about her prediction.
At the Horton Town Square, Eve admitted that Jennifer was not only upset with J.J. but also with her, and she warned Paige to steer clear of both of them. Paige argued that Jennifer had never been anything other than nice to her, but Eve maintained that Jennifer was dangerous. Eve innocently revealed that Jennifer had picked several fights with her lately and had even stolen her keys, although she had ultimately returned them.
Concluding that she needed to get Paige out of harm's way, Eve insisted they had to leave Salem immediately. Paige understood and supported Eve's decision to move but refused to accompany her. When Eve tried to press the issue, Paige got annoyed and walked off to get some air, ignoring Eve's protests. Meanwhile, Eve received a call from Jennifer, who demanded to know where Eve was.
When Jennifer arrived a short time later, Eve warned that Paige could return at any moment. "Well, then, you better shut up and listen, because if you ever want your daughter to speak to you again, I am your only hope," Jennifer replied. Jennifer started to instruct Eve to never go near J.J. or touch him again, and when Eve nervously pointed out that they were in a public place, Jennifer vowed to raise her voice if Eve interrupted her again.
Jennifer mused that in her and Eve's long -- and, in Eve's case, disgusting -- history, Eve had always had a clear advantage -- she had been able to go after Jennifer's loved ones with no real fear of repercussions because, unlike Jennifer, she had only ever cared about herself. "But that isn't true now, is it? Because you love your daughter. At least, I think you love your daughter -- I mean, that really remains to be seen, but if that's true, the tables have turned in spades, and I am the one with the ammunition to blow you and your little girl right out of the water," Jennifer added.
Eve protested that Jennifer couldn't do that because it would be cruel and wrong, but Jennifer countered that Eve hadn't seemed to care about that when she had been threatening to do the same thing to J.J. "That's how you got him into bed with you the second time, and that led to all the other times, but you know what, let's just skip through how completely sick and depraved that is and get right to the point -- in this situation, you have nothing. You are on your knees, and you are defenseless, and if you love Paige, you are at my mercy. And if you don't, she deserves to know exactly the kind of woman that you are," Jennifer concluded.
Jennifer savored the moment as Eve resisted the urge to hurl insults at her. "It's sinking in, isn't it? You can't afford to call me names anymore. You can't poke me in the eye anymore. You are on the ground, and my heel is on your throat, after all these years," Jennifer mused. Eve quietly begged for Jennifer's assurance that Paige would never learn the truth. Jennifer admitted that, while she had made that promise to J.J. earlier, she hadn't exactly been truthful about it, since her decision to either tell Paige or keep quiet actually depended entirely on Eve.
Jennifer reasoned that J.J. had only slept with Eve because losing Paige had sent him that far off track -- and that was a testament to just how much he truly loved Paige, since he wouldn't have been nearly as devastated about the loss otherwise. Jennifer confidently added that Paige still loved J.J., too, despite everything Eve had done to tear them apart. Refusing to believe that, Eve started to walk away, but she stopped as soon as Jennifer threatened to make a scene.
Gritting her teeth, Eve confirmed Jennifer's suspicion that Theresa -- who wasn't exactly the most predictable and trustworthy person in the world -- didn't know about what had happened between J.J. and Eve. Satisfied, Jennifer summarized that only she, J.J., and Eve knew the truth, and she told Eve they might be able to keep it that way. Eve impatiently wondered what Jennifer wanted in exchange for her silence. "I want what is right for J.J. and Paige. I want to give them back the chance that you took away from them -- the chance for them to be together again," Jennifer replied.
Eve refused to cooperate, but Jennifer urged her to give the matter some more thought. "J.J.'s young, and he's resilient, and he is great-looking. He will get another girl. Will you get another daughter? 'Cause you'll end up losing the only one you've got," Jennifer warned. Eve maintained that she would never give her blessing for J.J. to win back Paige.
Jennifer shrugged and conceded that it was ultimately Eve's call to make. "Well, look who's here! Shall we tell her together?" Jennifer cheerfully added as she turned her attention to Paige, who had just returned.
At the Horton house, J.J. sulked as he reflected on how Jennifer had discovered his affair with Eve. Rory arrived and started complaining about a class he was failing until he noticed that J.J. was in an even worse mood. Rory asked why J.J. hadn't been in class. When J.J. claimed that he'd just been really busy, the dirty-minded Rory guessed that his buddy had been busy with the same girl Rory had seen J.J. with in the student union. J.J. glumly stated that he didn't want to talk about Roxanne.
J.J. explained that Roxanne had gone back to Chicago because the two of them were over. Rory was eager to go back out "on the prowl" with J.J., but J.J. wasn't interested in looking for other women. Rory didn't understand why J.J. was still so bummed out about Paige when J.J. was the one who'd broken up with her. "Man up! Live with it! And stop bringing everybody else down," Rory commanded irritably as he headed back out.
In Horton Square, Jennifer threatened to tell Paige about Eve's affair with J.J. unless Eve allowed Paige and J.J. the chance to try to work things out and see each other again. Eve snarled an icy refusal and started to walk away -- just as Paige showed up. "Shall we tell her together?" Jennifer asked Eve brightly. Through gritted teeth, Eve declared that she had nothing to say. When it appeared Jennifer was about to spill the beans, Eve claimed she and Jennifer had reached an agreement. Paige was skeptical.
Jennifer explained that although they didn't agree on all the details, she and Eve concurred about what was best for everyone involved -- but she suggested that Eve clarify things for Paige. Eve sweetly asked her daughter for a moment to speak privately with Jennifer. Once the women were alone, Eve lit into Jennifer for nearly telling Paige everything. Jennifer argued that the kids had to be able to decide whether to get back together and not have Eve make the decision for them.
Eve predicted that J.J. would only last a month with Paige before he started looking around for someone else. Jennifer snapped that she didn't want to perpetuate a lie -- because she believed Paige deserved the truth no matter how much it hurt. "You don't care about hurting my daughter! All you care about is acting holier-than-thou," Eve hissed. "You slept with your daughter's boyfriend! Jennifer reminded Eve, adding that Eve had stolen all of Jennifer's boyfriends when they'd been younger.
"If you don't give those kids a second chance, I am going to tell Paige everything," Jennifer vowed, pointing out that there was really only one choice that would keep Paige from finding out what a "despicable, lying monster" her mother was.
J.J. was gloomily slumped down in Alice's wing chair when Jennifer returned home a little later. Sitting on the ottoman, Jennifer cautioned J.J. that she had done something that had surprised even her, but it had changed everything. A panicked J.J. guessed that either his mom or Eve had told Paige everything, but Jennifer reassured him that hadn't happened -- and Eve would never say anything, no matter what anyone said or did, including J.J.
Jennifer cautioned J.J. that keeping secrets never turned out the way one hoped and nearly always hurt everyone involved. Jennifer referenced how her grandfather had kept a secret about her brother Mike's paternity for years because he had loved Mike -- but people in loving relationships often gave the secret-keeper another chance. J.J. inferred that meant Eve would allow him to see Paige, and Jennifer confirmed that Eve would not say anything.
Jennifer voiced her opinion that J.J. should be honest with Paige, but he said that he couldn't do that. Jennifer cautioned him that if Paige ever did find out what had happened between J.J. and Eve, he likely wouldn't get a second chance. All J.J. wanted to do was go to Paige and try to fix things, because he didn't believe the truth would ever get out. Although J.J. was excited and optimistic, Jennifer warned him to consider all the possibilities.
Paige returned with coffees for herself and Eve and asked what had happened with Jennifer and Eve. Eve admitted that she and Jennifer had argued. After a great deal of stammering on Eve's part, the anxiety evident in her voice, she finally said she'd decided something "really big" about J.J. Eve explained that Jennifer blamed J.J. and Paige's breakup on Eve's lie about Shane's illness.
Paige surprised her mom by admitting she had been the one who had told Jennifer about that. Eve said she had decided not to leave Salem, adding tearfully, "I will always, always be there for you. And I just hope someday you will forgive me for what I did." Paige had to leave to study for an exam, but as she walked away, she informed her grateful mom, "You should know that I'm still really mad at you, but I don't hate you. I could never hate you."
Abigail was working at the hospital when Chad stopped by to see her. He informed Abigail that he had just spent an hour with the district attorney, attempting to drop the charges against Ben and reiterating his intention to force her to call him as a hostile witness -- but once again, the D.A. had refused to listen. Abigail was just grateful that Chad had kept his word. Chad admitted that it had meant a lot to him to hear Abigail say she still cared about him.
When Ben found Jordan in a break room at the hospital, she showed him a letter she'd gotten. Ben excitedly read that it was a job offer from a humanitarian organization in New York, one she'd always dreamed of working for. Jordan said she couldn't take the job and leave Ben in Salem. Ben argued that Jordan had spent more than half her life protecting him, and he wasn't going to let her pass up an opportunity like that.
Ben reassured his sister that he would never fully trust Clyde, plus Ben's lawyer was optimistic that he could get the charges against Ben dropped. Ben wondered if Jordan still had feelings for Chad. Jordan insisted it had nothing to do with Chad; she didn't want to leave because they had built lives in Salem. Ben asserted that the job offer was the opportunity of a lifetime to help a great number of people -- so she should take it. Moved, Jordan embraced her brother.
As Jordan and Ben wandered past the nurses' station, she encouraged him to stick with his college education. When Abigail walked up, Ben grabbed the letter out of Jordan's hand and showed it to Abigail. As she read the letter, Abigail excitedly noted that she and Jordan had modeled their outreach program after the organization that had just offered Jordan a job. Abigail was thrilled about her friend's opportunity.
Jordan spotted Chad and followed him into a waiting room. She thanked him for trying to get the charges against Ben dropped, but Chad cautioned her that the D.A. was taking kind of a hard line about it. Jordan revealed that she was leaving Salem. Once Chad heard the details, he enthusiastically congratulated Jordan, although he expressed regret that it hadn't happened before he'd put her through "all the craziness." Jordan noted that there was no point in looking back. As she headed out the door, she paused to tell Chad, "I really did care about you, Chad... You know, if you had a little more respect for yourself, you probably wouldn't go around always hurting people."
Ben admitted to Abigail that he would miss his sister, but it was time for her to do something for herself after worrying about him for most of her life -- and it was a great opportunity for her. Ben added that he knew Jordan would be glad to leave the bad memories behind, especially since Clyde was there. Ben got a call from Aiden just then. When he hung up, a grateful and relieved Ben announced, "It's over. The D.A. is dropping the charges!" Thrilled, Abigail embraced him.
As Lucas was babysitting Arianna at Will and Sonny's apartment, he called Adrienne to ask if she knew what was going on, since he hadn't been able to get a straight answer from Will. Justin arrived outside the door to the Kiriakis living room, where Adrienne was on the phone, and eavesdropped on her conversation, just as she offered to help Lucas watch Arianna. Lucas declined, but he did want to know why Sonny had left town immediately after being discharged from the hospital.
Adrienne guessed that Sonny had gone to Phoenix simply because he needed some time to recuperate. Lucas pointed out that Sonny hadn't even said goodbye to Arianna before leaving town, and Lucas suspected something else was going on. Adrienne predicted everything would be fine, but Lucas noted that even she didn't sound convinced. Adrienne theorized that her son had been through a very traumatic experience and just needed some time to himself, away from Salem, to heal.
Lowering her voice a bit, Adrienne admitted, "I'm jealous, you know. I wish I could be there with you, holding that baby. It'd be nice to see a friendly face." Concerned, Lucas asked if Adrienne was all right, and she assured him that she was. Lucas looked puzzled after Adrienne hung up a bit abruptly.
When Justin entered the living room, Adrienne announced that she was going out for a little while. Justin asked if they could talk, but Adrienne responded with sarcasm about Elsa, his flirtatious coworker in Dubai. Justin insisted things with Elsa were all about business, but Adrienne didn't buy it because he had been on the phone with Elsa constantly since he'd returned.
"Sonny's going to be fine. You've made your appearance, Dad. What's keeping you here?" Adrienne wondered snidely. When Justin's cell phone rang, Adrienne irritably implied that she was less important to him than Elsa. Adrienne stormed out. Justin looked at his phone, slipped it back in his pocket, and followed his wife out.
A bit later, Justin showed up on Will and Sonny's doorstep, looking for his wife. After informing Justin that Adrienne wasn't there, Lucas suggested that Justin should have asked where she had been going. Justin maintained that he'd tried talking to Adrienne, but she hadn't been interested in listening to him. "Maybe she's tired of hearing the same old, same old," Lucas suggested. "Or maybe she has someone trying to convince her that I'm not worth listening to," Justin countered.
Will showed up at Paul's hotel room and demanded to know why Paul was still in Salem. Annoyed, Paul mentioned that he was about to have lunch with his mom -- and Will conjectured that Paul had invited his mother to Salem because he didn't want to leave town. Will complained that his grandmothers and Sonny all knew that Paul wanted Sonny back -- but Will would not lose his husband to Paul or anyone else.
Paul noted that the previously confident Will had suddenly become insecure. Will accused Paul of seducing him, but Paul reminded Will that Will hadn't even worn his wedding ring while interviewing -- and flirting with -- Paul. "Nothing was going to stop you from getting that article," Paul summed up. Will tried to deny it, but Paul guessed Will had known Paul was gay from the minute they'd met. Will insisted he didn't remember when he'd realized it.
"I think you do, Will. I think you remember every. little. detail," Paul said, his voice barely above a whisper as he encroached on Will's personal space, never taking his eyes off Will's. Will tried to accuse Paul of twisting things around, but Paul recounted the sequence of events. Paul pointed out that Will hadn't stopped it when Paul had kissed him, Paul had not forced Will to have sex with him -- and Paul had not cheated on anyone. Will interjected, "You stop it! I wish to hell that I had never met you!"
Will accused Paul of trying to wreck Sonny and Will's marriage, but Paul calmly insisted that wasn't the case. Will demanded to know why Paul refused to leave Salem. Paul explained that he still had a few therapy sessions to finish, and, curious, he asked what Sonny had said to Will after Paul had left. Will snapped that it was none of Paul's business. "I think maybe it is, otherwise you wouldn't be here," Paul posited softly.
"Paul, get this into your head, will you? You have no chance at getting Sonny back. Zero," Will proclaimed. The guys began arguing about the article, and Paul noted incredulously that he'd thought the two of them were friends. "We were -- until I found out Sonny proposed to you...and before I found out that you wanted him back!" Will shouted. Paul apologized, but Will demanded, "Then say it. Say that you don't still love Sonny. Say that you don't want him back."
Indicating that he and Sonny wouldn't be able to work things out if Paul were still around, Will pointed out that he and Sonny were married and shared a daughter and a life. "Haven't you done enough damage?" Will asked. Paul countered that Will needed to accept responsibility for his own actions. "If I were married to Sonny, I never would have cheated on him. Never," Paul declared before ordering Will to leave. As Paul opened the door, he startled Adrienne, who'd been poised to knock.
