Days of our Lives recap for March 7, 2025: Marlena resolves to search for John herself

Tate stopped by the Kiriakis mansion to pick Holly up for school. “Let me just get my backpack,” Holly said. “That’s good. At least Doug didn’t steal that,” Tate joked. Holly called the remark “Uncalled for.” Holly stressed that Doug had made a mistake but that he was not a thief. Holly explained that Doug had been desperate for money to pay off some thugs but that it was not a mistake he would ever make again.

“He feels awful about it. He’s trying to make it right,” Holly said. Tate told Holly that he trusted her judgment, but he did not understand why she wanted to put her neck on the line for Doug. Holly stressed that Doug was her friend and that she only wanted to explain why Doug had stolen the necklace.

“But you’re excusing it,” Tate said. Holly said no. “I’m trying to get you to see his point of view. That’s all,” Holly said. Holly noted that Doug wanted to get the necklace returned to its owner. “I mean, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Julie,” Holly said. Holly realized what she had said, and she told Tate to forget it. Tate insisted that Holly explain how Julie was involved. Reluctantly, Holy admitted that it had been Julie’s necklace. Holly explained that Doug had not known Julie or the significance of the necklace when he had taken it.

“Julie has no problem living under the same roof as some guy that stole from her?” Tate asked. “He’s not just some guy, he’s Doug’s grandson. And Julie doesn’t know he took the necklace,” Holly said. Tate gaped at Holly. “Doug still hasn’t told her?” Tate asked. Holly asked Tate not to say anything to Julie, because she was still grieving the loss of her husband. Tate admitted that it would be upsetting news for Julie, but he still felt that Julie had a right to know the truth.

“[I agree], and Doug is going to confess,” Holly said. “When?” Tate asked. Holly explained that Doug was working to track down the necklace and return it to Julie before he confessed the truth. When Tate asked about the plan, a visibly frustrated Holly noted that Tate should understand what it was like to make a mistake. “You’re talking about Sophia,” Tate said. “You’re owning up to it and moving forward, making the best out of a difficult situation. I mean, that is why you’re giving the baby up for adoption, isn’t it?” Holly said. Tate admitted that the adoption plan was in limbo and why.

“And now, I don’t even know if [Amy] is going to let the adoption happen now,” Tate said. “Great. So what does that mean?” Holly asked. With a shrug, Tate said he hoped that Amy would change her mind about the adoption. Upset, Holly announced that she intended to take the bus to school instead of riding with Tate.

At the Salem Inn, Doug knocked on Leo’s hotel room door. “I was hoping you might have some news for me about whoever bought that necklace,” Doug said. Leo noted that the woman who had purchased the necklace lived in Salem, but he did not know her name. Leo told Doug that he admired persistence in a person, but he was worried that Doug was headed for trouble.

“Why don’t you tell me a little bit about you and Holly Jonas?” Leo asked. “What does any of this have to do with her?” Doug asked. Leo pointed out that Doug had been spending time with Holly. Doug stressed that he and Holly were just friends. “[Tate and Holly] have been through some serious, serious obstacles to be together, and the last thing they need is some scruffy yet handsome bad boy coming between them,” Leo said. “I’m not trying to come between them,” Doug stressed. Leo raised a suspicious eyebrow.

“You’re going to stand there with a straight, and I do mean straight, face, and tell me that you have no interest in Holly Jonas?” Leo asked. “Where is this coming from?” Doug said. Leo noted that he saw chemistry between Doug and Holly. Reluctantly, Doug admitted that he liked Holly, but that he respected her relationship with Tate.

Leo warned Doug not to drive himself crazy over someone who was unavailable, and he told him about his doomed relationship with Sonny. “I would hate to see you get hurt like that,” Leo said. “I won’t get hurt, but I appreciate you looking out for me,” Doug said. Leo’s phone beeped with a message that confirmed the new owner of the necklace had agreed to meet with Doug.

Doug left, and he ran into Holly at the cafe in the square outside the hotel. “No school today?” Doug asked. Holly admitted that she was skipping school. “Any particular reason?” Doug asked. “Tate and I had a fight,” Holly admitted. Holly explained that the adoption was on shaky ground. “I have some positive news,” Doug said. Doug explained that he was meeting with the woman who had bought Julie’s necklace. “That would be me,” Melinda announced as she walked over and caressed the necklace around her neck.

Marlena called the ISA from her office at the hospital. When Shane was unavailable to take the call, Marlena grew frustrated. Steve dropped by. “I just heard. John is missing?” Steve said. Marena updated Steve on the details. “Shane won’t return my call. That’s a bad sign, isn’t it?” Marlena asked. Steve urged Marlena not to jump to any scary conclusions.

“But you know how the agency works. Everything cloaked in secrecy,” Steve said. “Yes. So they can deny any responsibility in case something goes badly, which, clearly, it has,” Marlena countered. Steve argued that John’s radio silence could be strategic. “You know that John can handle himself,” Steve said. With a tight smile, Marlena said, “You know what John would do if I’d gone missing? He would be scouring the planet looking for me. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Steve cautioned Marlena not to act rashly. “You don’t even know where to start looking,” Steve said. “No, I don’t. But Shane does,” Marlena said. Marlena told Steve that she planned to go to Shane and force him to help her. “And don’t try to stop me. Because if you try, you’re just wasting your time,” Marlena said. Steve insisted that he accompany Marlena and help her. “I can’t ask you to do that,” Marlena said. Marlena argued that Kayla needed Steve at her side while she dealt with the issues at the hospital.

“Kayla would never forgive me if I didn’t help you,” Steve said. Steve noted that John was his partner. “You know what that means? We always have each other’s backs. So the last thing I’m gonna do is let him twist in the wind or let you do this on your own. So if you’re going to DC, I’m going with you,” Steve said. Marlena thanked Steve and hugged him. “Marlena, we are going to get the answers we need,” Steve said. After Steve left, Marlena picked up her picture of John. “I am coming for you,” Marlena whispered.

At the penthouse, Brady called Paul to talk about John’s disappearance. “I was wondering if Andrew had heard any info from the agency,” Brady said. Paul had no new information. As Brady ended his call, Ava knocked on the door. Ava apologized for having abruptly ended her phone call to Brady on the previous day. “It’s okay. I know I’m asking a lot, you not testifying about your own kidnapping,” Brady said. Ava said she understood that Kristen had made the situation impossible.

“You really think that if it came out that Kristen and her mom kidnapped me that Child Protective Services would take Rachel?” Ava asked. “Given Kristen’s well documented history, and frankly mine, yeah, I would say there would be some strong signals that Rachel wouldn’t be in a safe environment,” Brady said. Ava noted that it was unfair, and Brady agreed. With a sigh, Ava admitted she could not live with herself if her testimony caused Brady to lose his daughter. Brady thanked Ava for understanding his point of view.

“I just hate though that it means that Kristen and her mom are gonna get away with it,” Ava said. “It’s not what I want either. If my daughter wasn’t at risk here, I would want Kristen locked up for a long time,” Brady said. Brady said he was grateful that Steve had found Ava and that she was safe at home. Ava noted that it was clear that Rachel was desperate to keep Ava out of Brady’s life.

“I love my daughter. She is not going to dictate my romantic life,” Brady said. “Well, she’s not gonna stop,” Ava countered. Brady told Ava that he wanted to be with her, not Kristen. When Ava argued that Rachel would never let it happen, Brady said that Rachel was making progress in therapy.

“And what about the other Rachel?” Ava asked. “She’s a frail old woman. What is she going to do about it?” Brady asked. Ava refused to underestimate someone as scary as Rachel Blake. “I read up on the Woman in White and what she did to Jennifer Horton. You know what, forget ancient history. She kept me trapped in that creepy old house. And she went on and on talking about the Parrot Man. She is off her rocker,” Ava argued. Ava suggested that Rachel could be more dangerous than Kristen.

“I’m sorry for what you went through. But we can’t let ourselves be intimidated by Rachel Blake or Kristen. I mean, they can’t scare us off,” Brady said. “That’s easy for you to say,” Ava muttered. Brady told Ava that he needed her in his life, especially now that he was concerned about the disappearance of his father. Taken aback, Ava asked Brady why he had not mentioned it sooner.

“Why did you let me go on and on about Kristen?” Ava said. “Because what’s going on with Kristen is important as well,” Brady said. “But not as important as what’s going on with your dad!” Ava countered. Ava asked if Tate knew. With a shake of his head no, Brady said that Tate was under enough stress with Sofia’s pregnancy. “You haven’t been dealing with this all alone, have you?” Ava asked. Brady noted that his siblings and Marlena knew the truth.

“[Marlena] must be going out of her mind,” Ava said. “She’s tough. I think she’s really trying hard to hang in there, and I don’t know how much longer she’s gonna be able to do it,” Brady said. Brady explained that not knowing if John was okay was difficult to take. Ava held Brady’s hand, and she told him to let her know if he needed anything. “There’s something I want you to do for me. Don’t give up on us,” Brady said. Ava rolled her eyes, but Brady asked Ava to get past Rachel and Kristen’s actions. “I’m going to make it right. I’m not going to let Kristen get in the way of us,” Brady said.

After Ava had left, Tate returned home early from school after Andrew called him about John. “Grandpa’s missing, is that right?” Tate asked Brady. “Yes. I’m sorry you didn’t hear it from me. I didn’t want to worry you until we knew more,” Brady said. Brady assured Tate that people were working on locating John. “We’re going to get through this as a family,” Brady said. Theresa entered the penthouse. “Does that include me?” Theresa said.

At the police station, Kristen waited in the bullpen for her mother’s release. Melinda entered, and she informed Kristen that Rachel Blake had bitten another inmate. “Is that why they’re not letting her go?” Kristen asked. Melinda assured Kristen that there would be no charges but that the guard had to finish the paperwork before they could release Rachel from jail. Melinda noted that Rachel might have some issues, and she advised Kristen to take precautions with her mother.

“It’s not like she is Hannibal Lecter. I mean, obviously, she has been under a lot of stress,” Kristen said. Melinda reminded Kristen that she was responsible for her mother, and if Rachel continued to act out, it would reflect poorly on Kristen as the CEO of DiMera Enterprises. “Make sure your mother stays out of trouble,” Melinda advised Kristen. An officer escorted Rachel into the bullpen.

“How are you feeling?” Kristen asked. Rachel said she was fine. “I’m free now, so we can go home,” Rachel said. Kristen thanked Melinda for her help, and Melinda left. “Did they tell you what happened?” Rachel asked Kristen. Kristen suggested they discuss the details in the car. “And on the way home, we’ll discuss how you’re going to get Brady back,” Rachel said. Kristen’s smile disappeared.

When Kristen arrived home with her mother, Rachel commented on the new furnishings. “A lot has changed in this family,” Kristen said. Rachel glanced over at Stefano’s portrait. “Not everything. That monster is still looming over the place,” Rachel said. Kristen told Rachel that Stefano would never be able to hurt her again. Kristen escorted Rachel to a chair and said they needed to talk.

“You need to stop trying to get me back together with Brady,” Kristen said. “I thought you loved him,” Rachel countered. Kristen argued that her feelings were irrelevant, but Rachel disagreed. “Don’t you want to be with the father of your child? It’s certainly what my granddaughter wants,” Rachel said. Kristen groaned with frustration. Kristen noted that Rachel’s scheme with Rachel Jr. had almost sent them to prison. “Don’t be so dramatic,” Rachel said dismissively.

“If I hadn’t done some quick thinking, Ava Vitali would have had us both in prison,” Kristen said. “But you did think quickly. And all is right with the world,” Rachel countered. Kristen told Rachel that she knew that her mother had meant well, but that Kristen could not implicate herself in any more crimes because of her role at DiMera Enterprises.

“So I need you to promise that you will try to stop doing any of this, please,” Kristen said. Rachel told Kristen that she wanted her to be happy and that she would behave. “So I don’t have to worry about you messing with Ava again?” Kristen asked. Rachel assured Kristen that she only wanted to spend time with her daughter and granddaughter.

After Kristen showed Rachel to her room, she called Peter to let him know that their mother was out of jail and at home. Peter wanted to talk to Rachel, but Kristen could not find her in the mansion. “That’s strange,” Kristen said. At Ava’s apartment, Rachel surprised Ava when she returned home.