Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of March 11, 2013 on DAYS

John tired to outmaneuver Kristen to stay close to Brady. Chloe, Nancy, and Anne's scheming drove a wedge between Jennifer and Daniel, at least for the time being. Nick and Gabi married the same day that Vargas was released from prison. Kristen taunted Marlena with the news that she, Brady, and John planned to have dinner together without her.

Monday, March 11, 2013

by Mike

In Daniel's hotel room, Daniel pulled away from Chloe's kiss and said that, while she was beautiful, he no longer wanted to be with her. Chloe innocently apologized for misreading the situation. Chloe offered to stay so that she could take care of Daniel, who was still quite drunk, but he insisted that he wanted her to leave.

After Chloe left, Daniel cautiously sipped the hangover remedy that she had concocted earlier. Daniel groaned and placed the glass back on the desk, unwilling to finish the drink. Daniel tried to call Jennifer, but the call went straight to voicemail. Daniel's speech slurred as he tried to stammer out a coherent message, but he eventually gave up and ended the call. After choking down another sip of the hangover remedy, Daniel stumbled out of the room, leaving the door ajar.

At the Brady Pub, Hope thanked Jennifer for agreeing to let Nick and Gabi use the Horton house for their wedding the following day. Looking around the room, Hope noted that it seemed like she had missed a great party, but Jennifer's response suggested that she wasn't in a very festive mood.

After hearing a recap of everything that had happened earlier that night, Hope said that, while she understood why Jennifer was upset, she didn't understand why Jennifer was upset with Daniel. Hope believed that it had been perfectly reasonable for Daniel to enlist Nancy's help, but Jennifer disagreed.

Maxine interrupted and warned that if Jennifer didn't track Daniel down right away, a nasty surprise would be waiting on Jennifer's desk the following day. Realizing that Maxine was being serious, Jennifer finally agreed to talk to Daniel. Jennifer retrieved her phone from her purse and noticed that she had missed a call earlier. After Jennifer and Hope listened to Daniel's message, Jennifer grew more determined to talk to him.

In Daniel's apartment, Chloe admitted that she should have listened to Nancy's earlier advice. Nancy optimistically pointed out that Daniel probably wouldn't remember anything the following day, since he had been drunk at the time that Chloe had kissed him. As Chloe and Nancy complained about Jennifer, Chloe received a phone call from Anne, who reported that Jennifer was planning to talk to Daniel right away.

Chloe begged Anne to stop Jennifer, trying to sound nice so that Anne wouldn't feel like she was being ordered around again. After promising to handle the situation, Anne ended the call. With a sudden burst of inspiration, Chloe grabbed Nancy's sleeping pills and rushed out of the apartment, ignoring Nancy's warnings about making things worse.

When Chloe returned to Daniel's hotel room, the door was still ajar. As Chloe searched the place, she heard Daniel's voice in the hallway, asking a hotel employee for an ice bucket. Conveniently, Nancy's sleeping pills were capsules, so Chloe quickly dumped the contents of two of the capsules into the hangover remedy that she had made for Daniel earlier.

Chloe grabbed her purse and rushed into the bathroom, unaware that she had accidentally dropped Nancy's prescription pill bottle on the floor next to the bed. Daniel entered the room and slipped an ice cube into the hangover remedy, forcing himself to take a big gulp of the drink.

Outside the Brady Pub, Anne blocked Jennifer's path. Already in a bad mood, Jennifer warned that she would be more than happy to fight with Anne if that was what Anne wanted to do. Anne feigned terror, and Jennifer impatiently asked Anne to step aside. Anne shoved herself into Jennifer's side, innocently claiming that she had assumed that she would be able to squeeze past Jennifer and reenter the pub.

Jennifer shook her head in disbelief and warned Anne to refrain from driving that night, since Anne was obviously drunk. After Jennifer left, Anne called Chloe and reported that Jennifer would soon reach Daniel's hotel room. When Jennifer arrived a short time later, Chloe opened the door and feigned shock. Jennifer glanced past Chloe and spotted Daniel, who was lying in his bed, seemingly naked.

At the DiMera mansion, Brady told Kristen that he appreciated the fact that John had gone to the trouble of acquiring the gondola memento for Brady. "Yeah...I mean, if he did. No, I mean, it doesn't really matter where it came from, right? I mean, if it actually came from that same forty-year-old gondola?" Kristen innocently mused.

Brady wondered if Kristen believed that John had made the whole thing up. Kristen evasively stated that she was simply trying to say that John loved Brady and would do anything to make him happy. Brady hoped that John's earlier visit was an indication that they would soon be able to repair their relationship. Changing the subject, Brady excused himself so that he could retrieve the housewarming gift that he had purchased for Kristen.

After Brady left, Kristen muttered that John's attempt to ingratiate himself with Brady wasn't going to work. Later, Kristen heard footsteps approaching. Kristen turned to face the doorway, expecting to see Brady, but she found herself staring at Stefano instead. Kristen greeted Stefano with a hug, reporting that Harold and Mary had been working hard to ensure that the mansion would be ready for his return.

"Ah, yes, I -- I see they, uh, took care of the bullet holes," Stefano joked as he approached the terrace doors. Kristen laughed and assured Stefano that the rest of the mansion still looked the same way that it had looked the last time that he had lived there. Kristen suggested that it might be time to give the mansion a facelift, but Stefano said that he was happy with his home's existing appearance.

Referring to Brady as Kristen's boy toy, Stefano pointed out that she had already added something new to the mansion. Stefano sighed and noted that the place was too quiet. Kristen offered to invite E.J. and Chad to join her and Stefano for dinner. Kristen said that Mary was eager to start cooking for Stefano again, adding that Mary was convinced that he had been living on a diet of pastries and espressos in Italy.

Stefano laughed and wondered if he was still supposed to be pretending that he was deathly ill. Kristen shook her head and noted that Stefano seemed slightly cranky. Kristen guessed that Stefano had been expecting a warmer reception, and she urged him to let E.J. and Chad approach him on their own terms.

Changing the subject, Kristen informed Stefano that John had visited her and Brady earlier that night. "And he came armed. I'm sure you caught him off-guard with the news about Brady when you were in Europe, but he's back on his game...and he's damned good," Kristen added. Kristen grudgingly recalled the calm demeanor that John had displayed during his visit, complaining that he had refused to take the bait that she had dangled in front of him.

"He had a present for Brady...from some stupid canoe that his mother supposedly rode around in. John probably had the thing made up, but the point is, he didn't make any noise about me. He didn't ask for anything. He just handed Brady this sweet little thing that's supposed to have a precious connection to his mother," Kristen mockingly stated as she showed Stefano the plaque. Stefano laughed and admitted that John was a smart man.

"Well, I guess he won this round...but it's a marathon, not a sprint, and I've got the legs for it," Kristen bragged as she grabbed her jacket. Kristen told Stefano that she was going to search for John, and she suggested that Stefano could get reacquainted with Brady while she was gone. Stefano sarcastically agreed that Kristen's idea sounded like a fun way to spend the evening.

After Kristen left, Stefano noticed that his chess pieces had been scattered on the floor. "I won't even ask," Stefano muttered with a sigh of exasperation. A short time later, Brady entered the room, expecting to find Kristen. Eyeing the gift box that Brady was carrying, Stefano smiled and jokingly stated that Brady shouldn't have purchased a gift to welcome Stefano back to Salem.

Stefano claimed that Kristen was running an errand for him. After an awkward attempt at small talk, Brady declared that he loved Kristen, adding that he had agreed to move into the mansion because he wanted to make her happy. Brady bluntly admitted that, despite his feelings for Kristen, he would probably never trust Stefano. Brady started to leave, but Stefano stopped him.

"I lost Kristen once, and I'm not gonna let it happen again. You say that you love her, but now you have to prove it, because if I get the slightest hint that you, in any way whatsoever, try to hurt her --" Stefano started to say, but Brady interrupted and insisted that he would never hurt Kristen. Stefano seemed unmoved. "If you hurt her in any way -- any way at all -- you will have to deal with me," Stefano warned before walking away.

At Common Grounds, John interrupted a private moment between Marlena and Roman, observing that they obviously hadn't been expecting John to return to Salem any time soon. Noting the accusatory tone in John's voice, Roman insisted that Marlena had simply been talking to an old friend about John's absence. John clarified that Roman was one of Marlena's ex-husbands.

Marlena felt insulted, but John shrugged and said that he no longer knew what to expect from her. Roman countered that John would have known what to expect if John had stayed in Salem instead of abandoning Marlena. John forced a smile and pointedly asked to talk to his wife privately. Before walking away, Roman scoffed and stated, somewhat sarcastically, that he had enjoyed seeing John again.

After Roman left, Marlena chastised John for treating Roman rudely, insisting that John should have known that what he had witnessed had been completely innocent. Marlena added that, despite John's earlier behavior, she was still extremely pleased to see him. Marlena recalled that John had referred to her as his wife, and she wondered if the fact that the reference had filled her with hope meant that she was a fool.

John matter-of-factly stated that Marlena was his wife, but he added that nothing had changed. John explained that he had returned to Salem because Stefano had gleefully revealed that Brady had decided to move into the DiMera mansion. Marlena offered to help John save Brady from Kristen and Stefano, but John insisted that he could handle the situation on his own. Marlena wondered how John planned to handle their situation. "One thing at a time," John noncommittally replied before abruptly excusing himself.

Later, at the Horton Town Square, Kristen tossed Brady's plaque onto John's table as she took a seat next to him. Kristen applauded John's earlier tale, admitting that she had actually been tempted to believe the tragic gondola saga. John insisted that he had been telling the truth, but Kristen wasn't convinced. Kristen believed that the story had been nothing more than a stupid gimmick, and she assured him that it wasn't going to work.

John warned that Brady was going to notice that the plaque had disappeared, but Kristen claimed that Brady had tossed the item aside without giving it a second thought. Kristen described John's gift as one of those things that inevitably ends up in the back of a drawer, nestled next to expired passports and foreign coins. John replied that if Kristen truly believed that, she didn't know Brady at all.

John said that the plaque was a connection to Brady's mother. "That is a connection to you. That's your plan, right? Brady belongs to me now. You're not gonna get him back with cheap gimmicks," Kristen assured John. John shrugged and dryly stated that he could afford expensive gimmicks, too. "Nothing you can do, sweetie. I've taken what you love most, and I'm Not. Giving. It. Back." Kristen vowed.

Surprised that Kristen had willingly revealed her cards, John wondered why she had really gone to see him. "I'm here to save Brady from a lot of pain. You know, it hurts him -- it really does -- every time you force him to push you away, but he will keep pushing you away...as long as you refuse to accept us, so you can keep your presents to yourself, John. Unless, of course, they're for me," Kristen whispered, kissing John's neck before walking away.

Elsewhere, Rafe greeted Lucas and asked if Will was all right. Incredulous, Lucas started to react negatively to the question, but Sami, who was standing behind Rafe on the opposite end of the town square, caught Lucas' attention and managed to send a silent warning to him. Misinterpreting Lucas' response, Rafe guessed that Will was still worried about Gabi and the baby, since Gabi had recently gone into premature labor.

Changing the subject, Rafe informed Lucas that Nick and Gabi were planning to get married the following day. Rafe wasn't thrilled about the idea, but he reasoned that it wasn't his place to try to stop the wedding. Predicting that Sami would freak out when she learned the news, Rafe asked Lucas to try to keep her calm -- and, more importantly, to keep her away from Gabi.

After Rafe left, Sami approached Lucas, who summarized that Rafe wasn't aware that Nick had blackmailed Will into giving up the rights to Will's daughter. Sami guessed that Gabi was also unaware of Nick's recent actions, but she was certain that Gabi would figure out the truth eventually. Sami insisted that she wasn't going to let Will convince Gabi that he no longer cared about his daughter.

Sami cryptically stated that she had a plan, prompting Lucas to declare that those were the scariest words in Sami's vocabulary. Ignoring Lucas' protests, Sami whispered that Nick had two pieces of evidence that he was using to blackmail Will -- the recording of Lucas and Will's conversation, and the evidence that the police had recovered from the cabin.

Sami summarized that if those two pieces of evidence disappeared, Nick would no longer be able to threaten Will. Sami admitted that she and E.J. had devised a plan to get rid of the evidence. Sami revealed that E.J. was already working on eliminating the recording from the equation, and she insisted that she and Lucas needed to remove the evidence from the police station right away.

Lucas sarcastically wondered if Sami was planning to take the Salem Police Department's property clerk hostage. Sami urged Lucas to lower his voice, and she told him to stop being melodramatic. "I have this whole thing figured out. Yes, they normally keep the evidence in the evidence room, but I found out that because of budget cuts, they had to put all the old files and the dead cases in a storage room...with key card access," Sami explained.

Sami informed Lucas that they knew several of the people who possessed the appropriate key cards. Sami reasoned that she and Lucas would be finished with their task before anyone would even notice that a key card was missing. Sami added that it wasn't like she and Lucas were going to be stealing real evidence that the police needed to convict real criminals.

Lucas pointed out that destroying the evidence would not change the fact that Will had already signed away the rights to Will's daughter. "Like two minutes ago! Besides, the baby's not even born yet. Any judge in his right mind would toss that out, and Nick wouldn't be able to do a damn thing about it," Sami asserted. Lucas was reluctant to commit a crime that could get him sent back to prison, but he agreed to help Sami.

Later, at the police station, Sami and Lucas crept into Hope's office. Sami told Lucas to guard the door while she searched the room. "Yeah, all right. But we should have, like, a code, you know, in case somebody's coming. Like a code word, like...'We're going to jail,'" Lucas jokingly suggested, faking a coughing fit as he said the code phrase.

After Lucas left, Sami started to search Hope's desk. Meanwhile, in the hallway, Roman greeted Lucas and wondered what he was doing at the police station. As Lucas explained that he was looking for Hope, Sami quickly hid in an adjacent room. Lucas and Roman entered Hope's office, and Roman theorized that, since her office door had been left unlocked, she might be returning to the office later that night.

Lucas casually observed that Roman was working late that night. Roman explained that he was working on an interrogation that could take at least two more hours to complete. Lucas asked if he could leave a note for Hope. Roman nodded and left the room. Sami sighed with relief as she emerged from her hiding place, grateful that Roman obviously trusted Lucas far more than Roman trusted her.

Lucas nervously insisted that it was time to abort the mission, but Sami was undeterred. Sami reminded Lucas that Roman was going to be in an interrogation for at least two hours, and she excitedly stated that she knew exactly where her father stored his key card. "Oh, great -- we get to break into two detectives' offices in one day. Perfect," Lucas sarcastically replied as he and Sami exited the room.

Later, Sami and Lucas entered the storage room. Sami offered Lucas a pair of gloves, pointing out that the Salem Police Department already had their fingerprints on file. Meanwhile, in another section of the police station, Rafe received a phone call about a new development in a cold case. Excited about the possibility of finally closing the case, Rafe rushed off to retrieve the box of evidence that had previously been collected.

As Lucas and Sami searched the storage room, they stumbled across a number of familiar old cases -- notably, the Salem Stalker, John's shooting, and Trent Robbins' murder. Sami found a whole shelving unit that was devoted to cases that had involved the DiMeras, including a box that, according to its label, pertained to the DiMera shooting. "Well, you've got to be a little more specific," Lucas jokingly stated, and Sami replied that the box was labeled with the correct year.

Before Sami and Lucas could grab the box, they heard a noise in the hallway. Lucas and Sami quickly hid as Rafe opened the door. After locating the box of evidence that he had been looking for, Rafe seemed to notice that something was wrong, but he ignored his instincts and left the room. Sami and Lucas breathed a sigh of relief and resumed their mission.

In Hope's office, Hope tried to discuss Nick and Gabi's wedding with Rafe, but she could tell that something was distracting him. Rafe suspiciously noted that he had recognized the smell that had been lingering in the storage room earlier. Meanwhile, in the storage room, Lucas groaned as he tried to push Sami up to the top shelf, wondering when she had gained weight. Sami joked that she had gained weight around the same time that Lucas had stopped working out.

Sami managed to reach the box of evidence that she and Lucas were interested in, and she assured him that they would soon be home free.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

by Spalding

In the DiMera mansion living room, Kristen asked Brady about his conversation with Stefano. Brady explained that he and Stefano had reached an understanding with one another. When Brady asked what errand Stefano had sent Kristen out to handle, she noted that she had been dispatched to deliver a message. Stefano entered the living room, and the threesome made awkward small talk about the garden.

Shaking her head, Kristen took Stefano and Brady by the hand and sat them down next to her. Kristen thanked Brady and Stefano for getting along. Both Stefano and Brady stressed that they were only being civil because they loved Kristen. E.J. entered the room and jokingly took a picture to commemorate the peaceful scene. Kristen took Brady by the hand and led him upstairs so that Stefano and E.J. could spend time alone with one another.

Stefano and E.J. both commented on how strange it was to be back in the mansion. When Stefano expressed the hope that he and E.J. could move past their problems, E.J. reminded him that he was not ready to forget that his father had betrayed him for a gold coin. E.J. noted that he was unsure whether he was ready to reconcile with Stefano but that he was glad to work with him again.

Stefano asked E.J. to move into the mansion. E.J. firmly declined the offer and added that he did not want to ask Sami to move into the mansion either. When Stefano asked E.J. if he was living with Sami, E.J. answered that he was happy and that he did not want Stefano to interfere in his relationship. E.J. stressed that his relationship with Sami was made of honesty and trust.

After E.J. left, Stefano swore that he would not let Sami interfere in his relationship with E.J.

In Daniel's hotel room, Jennifer was shocked when Chloe answered the door. Jennifer peeked around Chloe's shoulder and saw a naked and sleeping Daniel in his bed. "This isn't what it looks like," Chloe protested. "You make me sick," Jennifer barked as she marched away.

After Jennifer left, Chloe looked at Daniel as he muttered Jennifer's name in his sleep. Chloe was worried that she had given Daniel too much medication in his drink. Chloe placed Daniel's phone by his hand then ducked into the hallway and called him. A groggy Daniel woke and answered his phone. Chloe was relieved that Daniel was alert enough to answer his phone.

When Chloe apologized for the kiss, Daniel countered that he should not have said what he had to Chloe. Daniel asked to talk to Chloe. When Chloe offered to meet him at the hotel, Daniel said he wanted fresh air and that he would meet Chloe at the apartment. Chloe rushed home to meet Daniel.

At the apartment, Chloe informed Nancy that Daniel was on the way. When Nancy asked about Jennifer, Chloe called Jennifer in order to do damage control. Furious, Jennifer called Chloe a witch and then hung up the phone. Chloe hugged Nancy, and Nancy went into the bedroom to provide privacy for Chloe and Daniel. When Daniel arrived, he asked Chloe to take a walk with him.

At the Horton house, an angry Jennifer paced the living room and muttered that she was angry that Daniel had slept with Chloe. There was a knock at the front door, and when Jennifer answered it, Maggie gave Jennifer a book of recipes for Abigail. Noting the pained look on Jennifer's face, Maggie pressed her for details. Jennifer reluctantly informed Maggie that her relationship with Daniel was over because he had crossed an unforgivable line.

Maggie suggested that Jennifer had misunderstood the situation. When Maggie asked Jennifer if she had confronted Daniel, Jennifer blurted out that Daniel had been asleep at the time. Maggie urged Jennifer to allow Daniel to explain what had happened. When Jennifer shook her head, Maggie told Jennifer to confront Daniel. Reluctantly, Jennifer agreed, but she noted that any discussion with Daniel would not change her mind. Maggie told Jennifer that Daniel might surprise her.

In the park, Chloe explained to Daniel that she was surprised that she had kissed him. Daniel apologized that he had spoken harshly to Chloe, but he stressed that he still meant what he had said. Daniel explained that Chloe could never kiss him again because he loved Jennifer. Daniel warned Chloe that if she did not curtail her romantic advances that he would cut off contact with her and they would pass their son through an intermediary.

Chloe nodded and promised to move on. When Chloe noted that she had information about Jennifer, Daniel's face darkened. Chloe said that her comments could wait, and she walked away. As Chloe rounded the corner, Jennifer walked into the clearing and saw Daniel. Chloe saw Jennifer out of the corner of her eye and hid in a nearby walkway to eavesdrop. Daniel told Jennifer that he had been thinking of her all night. Furious, Jennifer slapped Daniel and yelled, "How dare you!"

In the evidence room of the police station, Lucas lifted Sami up so that she could reach the box of evidence from E.J.'s shooting off of the top shelf. As Sami's fingertips brushed the sides of the box, Rafe returned to the room. Sami and Lucas hid behind some boxes. Rafe turned on the lights and sniffed the air. Rafe started to leave, then he noticed Lucas in the corner.

Lucas stammered out an explanation that he had wandered through the open door into the storage room to collect his thoughts. Not buying it, Rafe asked Lucas where his accomplice was. When Lucas remained silent, Rafe called out Sami's name. Sami remained in hiding, but when Rafe threatened to call Roman, Sami popped up into view. Rafe explained that he had smelled Sami's perfume in the room.

When Rafe demanded a truthful explanation of why they were in the evidence room, Lucas said that he could not tell Rafe. Sami agreed. Nodding, Rafe theorized that since Lucas and Sami agreed on something, the scheme had to be about Will. Rafe said that he believed Lucas and Sami were looking for evidence to hurt Nick. Rafe promised Sami that he had reviewed all the police files and evidence about Nick to make sure that he was worthy to marry his sister.

Rafe assured Sami that he would not hurt Will. When Rafe asked Sami and Lucas if they had any evidence on them, Sami and Lucas turned out their pockets. Rafe set them free but warned Sami and Lucas that he would arrest them if they broke into the evidence room again. Rafe told Sami and Lucas not to tell anyone about the evidence room because he did not want to upset Gabi. Smiling, Rafe said that Gabi had informed him that all was well with Nick and Will.

After leaving the police station, a frustrated Sami and Lucas journeyed to the coffeehouse to talk. Sami wanted to break into the evidence room again, but Lucas refused. E.J. overheard Sami and Lucas arguing when he entered the coffeehouse. Sami informed E.J. that Rafe had caught her and Lucas in the evidence room. Sami explained that Rafe had believed that they were there for evidence to use against Nick.

Lucas argued that stealing the evidence from E.J.'s shooting was more trouble than it was worth. Lucas urged E.J. to talk sense into Sami. Sami thanked Lucas for helping her, and with a nod, Lucas left. E.J. cautioned Sami to be careful because if Nick learned about the breaking and entering in the evidence room, Nick might tell everyone the truth about the shooting.

When Sami wondered aloud if she should tell Rafe why she had broken into the evidence room, E.J. sternly warned Sami not to trust Rafe. Nodding, Sami agreed that she did not believe she could trust Rafe to protect Will. E.J. promised Sami that he would find a way to help Will.

In their bedroom at the DiMera mansion, Kristen and Brady made love. Afterward, Brady lamented that they had not been able to christen every room in the mansion. His expression darkening, Brady noted to Kristen, "I don't want to lose you." Brady gave Kristen a box. Kristen opened the box and found a silver key ring with the engraving, "Forever begins today." Brady asked Kristen about the errand she had run earlier, and Kristen initiated another round of sex.

After Brady fell asleep, Kristen sat in bed, awake, and studied the silver key chain. Furrowing her brow, Kristen slipped out of bed and went to the living room. As Kristen stood thinking, Stefano entered the room and noted that he could not sleep. Kristen told Stefano about her meting with John and that she had told John that he still had a chance with her. Stefano was upset by Kristen's report.

Kristen clarified that John did not have a place in her heart and that she had said that so that John would think she was a fool. Kristen said that she would handle John, and she promised Stefano that she would never be as vulnerable and trusting as she had been with John in her youth.

Brady awoke in the bedroom and wandered downstairs, looking for Kristen. As Brady descended the staircase, Kristen hugged Stefano in the living room. "All is going just perfectly. Exactly according to my plan for John's total destruction, which is so brilliant, you are going to love the end game," Kristen purred as Brady stood behind her in the doorway.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

by Mike

In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Jennifer angrily stated that she never wanted to talk to Daniel again, and she stormed off before he could respond. Chloe, who was lurking nearby, grinned triumphantly.

Hope approached Daniel and asked about Jennifer, who had ignored Hope's attempt to talk to her. "She went straight Fight Club and slapped me," Daniel revealed, adding that, despite Jennifer's size, she was quite strong. Confused, Hope wondered what had angered Jennifer, who had been willing to work things out with Daniel earlier.

Daniel conceded that he had consumed too much alcohol earlier that night, but he insisted that he hadn't done anything that would have warranted a slap. Daniel knew that Jennifer would ignore his phone calls, so he decided to go to the Horton house so that he could talk to her in person. Daniel stumbled as he rose from his seat, and Hope caught him, insisting that he was in no condition to talk to Jennifer.

Hope offered to call a taxi for Daniel so that he could return to his hotel room and get some rest. Hope promised to talk to Jennifer and find out what was going on. After Hope and Daniel left, Chloe quickly exited the town square.

In Daniel's apartment, Chloe told Nancy about everything that had happened earlier. Chloe conceded that Daniel and Jennifer's misunderstanding could easily be cleared up with one conversation, but she believed that she had figured out a way to cover her tracks and take advantage of the situation. Nancy was pleased to hear about Chloe's victory, but she was also tired, so she asked Chloe to return the sleeping pills.

Chloe panicked when she realized that she had left the sleeping pills in Daniel's hotel room. Chloe knew that if Daniel found the pills, he would realize that she had drugged him. Chloe insisted that she couldn't return to Daniel's hotel room to retrieve the pills herself, since he was upset with her for kissing him earlier. After criticizing Chloe's sloppiness, Nancy abruptly exited the apartment.

Later, Anne arrived at the apartment, stating with annoyance that it was late and some people actually had to work the following day. Chloe apologized and explained that she needed Anne to watch Parker for a while. After hearing that Chloe was planning to make Jennifer's night even more miserable than it had already been, Anne eagerly agreed to help, since it was for a good cause.

At the Horton house, Hope tried to get Jennifer to talk about what had happened earlier, but Jennifer wasn't ready to do so yet. Hope reluctantly agreed to leave, but a short time later, Jennifer received another visitor -- Chloe, who quickly blurted out that she and Daniel had not slept together that night.

"Nothing happened. I went there to give Daniel his hospital badge; he left it at the apartment. But when I showed up, he was drunk and angry about something, so I left. But when I was driving home, I realized I left my cell phone there, so I went back, and the door was open a little bit, so I just peeked in. He was passed out, so I snuck in, grabbed my cell phone, and as I was leaving, that's when you showed up. So that was it -- it's all innocent," Chloe summarized.

Countering that there was nothing innocent about Chloe, Jennifer wondered what had really prompted Chloe's confession. Chloe said that she cared about Daniel and was simply trying to do the right thing so that he wouldn't have to suffer because of a misunderstanding. Jennifer laughed and shook her head in disbelief, certain that Chloe was lying, and she ordered Chloe to leave.

After Chloe left, Jennifer glanced at a photograph of Alice, wondering if Alice would have believed Chloe's story. Jennifer muttered that Chloe's version of events fit the description of the man whom Jennifer believed that Daniel was, but she added that she was also certain that Chloe was playing some sort of mind game with Jennifer.

In Daniel's hotel room, Daniel was preparing to go to sleep when someone started to insistently knock on his door. When Daniel opened the door, Nancy barged in and apologized for Chloe's earlier behavior. As Nancy paced around the room, subtly trying to locate the pill bottle, she innocently added that she had been unaware that Jennifer still harbored resentment over what had happened between Mike, Nancy, and Craig years earlier.

Feigning concern, Nancy hoped that her return to Salem hadn't caused any problems for Daniel and Jennifer. Daniel muttered that Nancy had no idea, and he started to ask her to leave, but she interrupted him with a fake coughing fit. Meanwhile, Daniel received a phone call from Hope. After giving Nancy permission to get a glass of water, Daniel stepped into the hallway so that he could answer the call.

Quickly locating the pill bottle, Nancy dropped to the floor so that she could pick it up. Meanwhile, Daniel reentered the room and demanded to know what Nancy was doing. Nancy stuffed the bottle into her purse, claiming that her blood pressure medication had slipped out of her hand and rolled under the bed. Nancy abruptly excused herself. Later, Daniel received a phone call from Jennifer, but he was already sleeping soundly.

At the DiMera mansion, Brady eavesdropped as Kristen stated that he was an essential part of her plan. Stefano asked Kristen to elaborate. "I mean that Brady is essential to my life. He gives my life meaning, Father. Without him, it -- it just doesn't mean anything," Kristen, who had obviously spotted Brady when she had pulled away from Stefano's embrace, claimed.

Stefano believed that Kristen was being melodramatic. "No, it's love, okay? I love him. If he's not in my life, I won't be happy, so I need you to accept him. Do you understand me? I need to know that you're with me on this, and that you're not going to let me down," Kristen said, using facial expressions to subtly convey a different message to Stefano.

Playing along, Stefano stated that he had never been able to refuse one of Kristen's requests, and he promised that he would not disappoint her. Brady entered the room and apologized for interrupting, and Stefano quickly walked away. Brady admitted that he had overheard Kristen and Stefano's earlier conversation. Brady hoped that he would be able to live up to the task of being essential to Kristen's happiness.

Kristen said that she had never intended for Brady to hear her earlier statement. Kristen added that she had used strong language for Stefano's sake, since it was sometimes necessary to do so in order to convince him to do things that he was reluctant to do, such as accepting her relationship with Brady. Brady promised that no one would ever be able to change the fact that he loved Kristen -- not even Stefano.

Later, as Kristen and Brady lounged on the living room couch and sipped champagne, she asked if he was ready to admit that living at the mansion wasn't as bad as he had originally expected it to be. Brady jokingly replied that, aside from being worried about running into Sonny Corleone in the hallway, he had been enjoying his new home. Kristen hoped that Brady was comfortable with the living arrangements.

"I -- I -- I kind of am. I am. I could get used to mansion life, I think. Yeah. No, Victor's -- Victor's house is quite spacious, but this place is ridiculous. I mean, your backyard could be a national park. Your library could serve a small college. I mean, that -- that piano? That's concert-level over there," Brady said as he gestured toward the piano. Kristen recalled that Brady had previously mentioned that he could play the piano.

Taking the hint, Brady asked Kristen to name her favorite song. "The theme song of The Godfather," Kristen jokingly suggested, adding that she didn't think that she actually had a favorite song. Brady insisted that everyone had a favorite song, and after some coaxing, Kristen suggested Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer."

When Brady finished playing the song, he realized that Kristen was crying. Kristen shook her head and insisted that she never cried, but Brady wasn't convinced. Kristen sighed and stated with annoyance that she had never understood how a silly song could make a person emotional. Brady observed that Kristen seemed to hate letting people realize that she had real feelings, and he noted that he still had a lot to learn about her.

After receiving a business call, Brady reluctantly excused himself so that he could go to his office and discuss something with an overseas associate. "There's so much you don't know about me, Brady...like how it's breaking my heart that I have to break yours," Kristen sadly muttered after Brady left.

Later, Stefano entered the living room and wondered how Kristen had known that Brady, whom Stefano referred to as Billy Joel, had been eavesdropping earlier. Kristen said that she had seen Brady's reflection in the foyer mirror. Since Brady wasn't around, Stefano and Kristen resumed their earlier conversation about her plan for revenge.

Kristen still planned to dump Brady at the altar after convincing him to marry her, but she added that she needed to make sure that her actions wouldn't send John and Marlena back into each other's arms. Stefano admitted that he had also been concerned about that possibility. "That's because you don't know about the rest of the plan -- the best part," Kristen cryptically stated.

After hearing Kristen's plan, Stefano laughed and proudly declared that it was brilliant. "You know, if you can pull it off, John and Marlena are going to be miserable for the rest of their lives," Stefano happily predicted. Kristen nodded and said that was exactly what Marlena and John deserved. Beaming with pride, Stefano stated that Kristen was a true DiMera.

At the Horton Town Square, John interrupted his jog for a moment to catch his breath, and he silently recalled his earlier encounter with Kristen. Later, as John iced his knee, Brady approached his father and wondered what had happened. John blamed overexertion and insisted that he would be fine. Brady said that the plaque had meant a lot to him, and he eagerly accepted John's offer to spend some time together in the near future.

Brady added that things could only be the way that they had been before on one condition. John admitted that it wasn't going to be easy for him to accept Brady's relationship with Kristen, but he claimed that he was willing to try. Brady was pleased to hear that, and he made arrangements to join John for breakfast the following day so that they could discuss the matter further.

At Common Grounds, Will was determined to tell Gabi the truth about Nick, even if that meant that Will would also have to tell her that he had shot E.J. years earlier. Sonny tried to get Will to reconsider, knowingly predicting that Nick would retaliate. Will insisted that he didn't care, since he didn't want Nick to be able to raise Will's daughter. "No matter what, I'm gonna stop Gabi from marrying him," Will vowed.

Hoping to ease Sonny's mind, Will promised to ask Gabi to refrain from telling Nick the real reason for canceling the engagement. "Well, good luck with that. Have you not noticed how crazy in love she is with this guy? And what if she doesn't believe you? What if she tells Nick everything? You know he's gonna lie. She's gonna believe him, and then you're gonna go to prison, and then she and that piece of -- I'm sorry. I just get really worked up when I talk about precious Gabi and that homophobe man of her dreams," Sonny said, clearly frustrated.

Will nodded, stating that he was aware that Sonny didn't like Gabi. Sonny clarified that he didn't trust Gabi. "And you know what? You're not telling me why, so...I do trust her. I have to," Will replied. Sonny pointed out that if Will did manage to convince Gabi to dump Nick without revealing why she had chosen to do so, Nick would eventually figure everything out, which would probably lead Nick to reveal Will's secret as a way of exacting revenge on Will.

As Sonny added that Nick was not a sane person, Will started to laugh, prompting Sonny to wonder why Will seemed to find the situation humorous. "I -- it's not. I -- I'm just -- in this -- in this huge mess, it's just nice to have somebody who cares so much," Will said. Meanwhile, Marlena entered the coffeehouse and greeted Will and Sonny. Sonny excused himself so that he could get back to work, urging Will to give their conversation some thought.

Guessing that something was wrong, Marlena wondered if Will wanted to talk to her about the matter. "Just looking back on some decisions that I made that I really wish I hadn't, you know? I wish I could undo them, but you can't, can you? No. So you've just got to, you know, bite the bullet -- own up to what you did, right?" Will mused. Marlena agreed, possibly finding parallels to her own situation in Will's statement.

Marlena's agreement was enough for Will, who said goodbye to her and abruptly excused himself. Sonny stopped Will and begged him to reconsider, but Will insisted that he had to take responsibility for his actions. Sonny pointed out that Will's choice could impact the lives of other people as well. "I know, but it's mainly about me...and my daughter. Love you," Will said, giving Sonny a quick kiss before exiting the coffeehouse.

At the Brady Pub, Gabi assured Rafe that she was staying well-rested and hydrated, adding that she was working on her third liter of water for the day. Rafe was still concerned, but he changed the subject, asking if Gabi was excited about her pending nuptials. Gabi said that she would be more excited if she knew that Rafe was definitely going to be in attendance.

Rafe still had some reservations about the wedding, but he hesitantly confirmed that he would be there. Later, after Rafe left, Will greeted Gabi, who informed him that she was going to marry Nick the following day. Will sighed heavily and said that there was something that Gabi needed to know, but before he could continue, Hope entered the pub, greeting them before walking over to the bar to place an order.

Will silently recalled Sonny's earlier comment about the impact that Will's choice could have on the lives of other people. Gabi wondered what Will had been trying to tell her earlier. "Um...nothing. Yeah, it's -- I mean, it's not important, especially not the night before your wedding. Anyway, um, I -- I really hope that, uh, everything is just the way you want it to be, you know, and I want you and Nick to be really happy together. I do. Okay, that's it. I'll see you," Will said before quickly exiting the pub, leaving Gabi puzzled.

Later, Gabi was thrilled to learn that Hope wanted the wedding to take place at the Horton house. Taking the offer as a clear sign that everything was going to be perfect, Gabi excitedly stated that she couldn't wait to tell Nick the good news.

At Common Grounds, Rafe asked Sonny about Will, whom Rafe hadn't had a chance to talk to recently. Sonny vaguely stated that, given the circumstances, Will was all right. Rafe hoped that Gabi would slow down after she married Nick the following day. "Seems a little quick, in my opinion, but it doesn't appear as though anything's gonna stop 'em," Rafe added, sighing as Sonny silently absorbed the news.

Later, after Rafe left, Will returned to the coffeehouse, sighing as he took a seat next to Sonny. "I didn't do it. I couldn't tell her about Nick. I was about to, and then Hope walked in, and -- and then it hit me that you were right, of course. You know, it's not just about me, and it's not even just about my dad, or my granddad, or Hope. You know, it involves Ciara; it involves Allie," Will said.

Sonny asked if Gabi had mentioned that she was getting married the following day. Will nodded and wondered how Sonny had heard about the wedding. Sonny dryly stated that he hadn't received an invitation, adding that Rafe had revealed the news earlier.

"She's so happy...and she has no idea what Nick is like, man. Now he's gonna raise my kid, and there is nothing I can do about it," Will defeatedly stated.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

by Mike

At the DiMera mansion, Brady entered the living room and greeted Kristen, who invited him to join her and Stefano for breakfast. Brady declined the offer, revealing that he was planning to have breakfast with John.

Kristen followed Brady to the foyer, where he told her about his earlier conversation with John. Kristen offered to accompany Brady for moral support, but he knowingly summarized that she just wanted to join him so that she could stop John from convincing Brady to end his relationship with her.

Brady assured Kristen that no one would ever be able to make him leave her. Brady suggested that Kristen could meet him at Common Grounds later, theorizing that presenting a united front after his private conversation with John could be beneficial.

After Brady left, Stefano observed that John was trying to outmaneuver Kristen. Kristen confidently assured Stefano that John's attempts to gain the upper hand would never be successful. Seemingly skeptical, Stefano warned that Kristen needed to make sure that Brady cared about her more than he cared about John.

Kristen was upset, but her mood improved when she received an unexpected visit from Chad, who said that he had given their earlier conversation some serious thought. Chad still wasn't sure if he wanted to move back into the mansion, but he had decided that he did want to welcome Stefano home. Kristen considered that to be a step in the right direction, but Chad warned her to refrain from getting her hopes up yet.

Later, Stefano apologized for being absent while Chad had been struggling to get over the pain of losing Melanie. Chad shrugged and bluntly replied that it wasn't like Stefano had ever been there for Chad at any other time in Chad's life. Chad's bitter comment prompted Stefano to wonder why Chad had decided to visit Stefano in the first place.

"'Cause Kristen wouldn't stop bugging me about it. And because some of what she said got through to me, and it made me decide that I could maybe...give the family another chance," Chad replied. Stefano was pleased to hear that Chad had decided to keep an open mind, but Chad clarified that it would be more accurate to say that he had decided to turn a blind eye to certain things.

At Common Grounds, John greeted Brady, who admitted that he was skeptical about John's sudden decision to try to accept Brady and Kristen's relationship. Brady pointed out that John was a former ISA operative, which meant that John knew how to trick people into believing what he wanted them to believe.

Recalling some of the nasty things that John had said about Kristen on New Year's Eve, Brady wondered if John had been lying at that time, or if he had been lying the previous night. Brady summarized that John couldn't have been telling the truth on both occasions. John explained that he had been at his wit's end on New Year's Eve, and he conceded that he might have been overreacting at that time.

Brady wondered why John had blatantly lied about Kristen during one of their earlier conversations, referring to the day that John had told Brady that she had admitted that she had been using Brady all along. Before John could respond, Kristen entered the coffeehouse, and Brady stepped outside to answer a business call. "I guess I didn't make myself clear last night. I'll try again. The only way to Brady is through me. Think you can handle that?" Kristen asked as she gently stroked John's hand.

In Gabi's room above the Brady Pub, Nick happily informed Gabi that in a matter of hours, she would be Mrs. Fallon, and the baby would be Arianna Grace Fallon. Gabi said that Will had visited her the previous night, and she admitted that she had felt guilty about not inviting him to the wedding. Suspicious, Nick probed Gabi for additional information about Will's visit.

After answering Nick's questions, Gabi reached for her cell phone so that she could make sure that Will was all right. Nick quickly stopped Gabi, dismissively stating that Will could deal with his own problems for one day. Conceding Nick's point, Gabi excused herself so that she could take a shower.

In Rafe's apartment, Rafe ended a phone call and informed Kate that Stefano had returned to Salem. Surprised, Kate admitted that she had started to believe that Stefano would remain in Europe permanently. "I couldn't care less. I don't give a damn about Stefano. He could be in Timbuktu for all I care. But, you know, he's here; he's not in Timbuktu. Maybe we should think about ending this," Kate quietly suggested.

Kate insisted that she and Stefano no longer wanted to have anything to do with each other, but she knowingly predicted that he also wouldn't want to see her with anyone else. Kate's concern touched Rafe, who assured her that he wasn't afraid of Stefano. Kate marveled that Rafe was either the bravest man or the most foolish man whom she had ever met. Rafe shrugged and suggested that he might be a bit of both.

In Will's dorm room, Will received a phone call from Sami, who was surprised that he had actually accepted her call. "I was asleep. I wasn't thinking clearly," Will dryly stated. Will confirmed that he had received Sami's messages, adding that he simply hadn't been in the mood to talk recently. Will assured Sami that he was no longer upset with her, since he only had himself to blame for losing the rights to his daughter.

Sami asserted that, while Will was responsible for Gabi's pregnancy, everything that had happened afterward had been Nick's fault. Sami promised to take care of everything, insisting that she wasn't going to let Nick keep Will away from Will's daughter. Will begged Sami to refrain from getting involved, but she ignored his request and abruptly ended the call.

Sonny emerged from the shower and took a seat on the edge of the bed, wondering what Sami had said to Will. Will predicted that Sami was going to make a bad situation worse. Sonny encouraged Will to call Sami back, but Will knowingly stated that it would be pointless to do so, since she was simply going to do what she wanted to do anyway.

Conceding Will's point, Sonny changed the subject. "People are going to start asking questions about why you signed your rights away as the father, and since you can't tell them that Nick's blackmailing you, I was thinking that maybe you should have some kind of a cover story," Sonny suggested. Will struggled to think of an effective way to convince people -- especially Gabi -- that he no longer wanted to be in his daughter's life.

Knowing that Will was undoubtedly going to be criticized for seemingly abandoning his daughter, Sonny said that he was really sorry. Will hoped that people wouldn't mistakenly assume that he had abandoned his daughter so that he could be with Sonny, since that could cause everyone to blame Sonny for the decision.

"Well, you know, even if they do, I know the truth. You know, Nick is trying to destroy your life because of some stupid thing you did when you were a kid, and he would have taken down your dad, your grandfather, [and] your Aunt Hope, and I know you did the only thing you could do," Sonny summarized. Admitting that he should have accepted responsibility from the very beginning, Will said that he wasn't as noble as Sonny had suggested.

"If you need any proof that what goes around comes around...just look at me," Will regretfully added. Will decided that it would probably be best to claim that he had determined that it would be in his daughter's best interest to revert to the original plan, allowing Nick and Gabi to raise Will's daughter so that the child could have stability.

Sonny wondered what Will was going to tell Kate and Marlena, who were definitely going to have additional questions for Will. Sonny added that things were different than they had been before, since the entire town knew that Will was the baby's father. Sonny guessed that people would want to know what Will was planning to tell Will's daughter when she inevitably asked him to explain why he had chosen to give up his rights to her.

Frustrated, Will replied that he'd tell everyone the truth -- that he didn't know what he was going to say. Before Sonny could respond, Will received a message from Nick, who wanted to see Will right away. Sonny wondered why Nick, who was getting married later that day, wanted to meet with Will. Will shrugged unknowingly, noting that he had already given Nick everything that Nick had wanted.

Will wondered if Sonny believed that Gabi could have told Nick about her conversation with Will the previous night. Will theorized that the information might have prompted Nick to tell Gabi the truth about what he had done to Will. Sonny conceded that anything was possible. "Right? And then Gabi wouldn't stand for it, and then maybe -- I don't know, maybe Nick has to back down," Will optimistically suggested.

"I just wouldn't get your hopes up. Even if he had to tell Gabi, he would spin it. You know, he would say it's about your mom. He would never tell her it's about you being gay. And then he would make her believe it by saying, 'I'm doing this to protect you,' and she would buy it. I think you should just tell him to take this meeting and shove it," Sonny advised Will. Believing that there was a chance that Nick had changed his mind, Will said that he had to attend the meeting.

At the Horton Town Square, Sami sadly informed E.J. that Will had given up. Sami insisted that she and E.J. needed to find a way to get Nick out of the picture. After agreeing with Sami, E.J. changed the subject, confessing that Stefano had returned to Salem the previous day.

E.J. assured Sami that their relationship would not be impacted, stressing that he had hated the influence that Stefano had once had over E.J.'s life even more than she had hated it. "You hated it so much that you can't tell me the one man who could help my son was coming back to town?" Sami asked incredulously.

Surprised, E.J. hoped that Sami wasn't seriously thinking about enlisting Stefano's help. Sami insisted that she would do anything to help Will -- even deal with Stefano DiMera. Sami quietly assured E.J. that she wasn't going to ask Stefano to put a hit out on Nick.

"My dad and my uncle are always complaining about the fact that they know Stefano has someone on the inside at the Salem Police Department, right? So that guy could go and get the evidence that Lucas and I were trying to get out of that storage room, and then we're home free," Sami mused. E.J. insisted that Sami hadn't given the matter enough thought, but she countered that there was no time to do so.

Ignoring E.J.'s protests, Sami rushed off, insisting that she needed to talk to Stefano right away. E.J. managed to catch up to Sami in a secluded section of the town square, and he wondered if time had completely eroded her memory of Stefano. E.J. reminded Sami that Stefano had once blackmailed Will, but she dismissed that incident as a completely different set of circumstances.

Sami sighed and admitted that, while she hated Stefano, her desperation was causing her to think of him as Will's savior. E.J. warned that Stefano would gleefully take advantage of Sami's desperation. E.J. added that, while Sami's happiness meant everything to him, he couldn't allow himself to get sucked back into Stefano's world again.

"If you're with me, then Stefano will want to help us, and I can make sure that you don't get sucked back in. I promise. I think if we're together, it'll totally work. Stefano will listen...unless you think there's another reason he won't help me -- because he hates me, and he hates that we're together," Sami guessed. E.J. said that Stefano had claimed that he had accepted E.J. and Sami's relationship.

E.J. warned that if Stefano agreed to help Sami, it would be a quid pro quo situation. Confused, Sami asked for a translation. "It -- it just means, if you want something from him, that he's going to want something from you, and you have to ask yourself whether or not you're willing to pay that price," E.J. explained. Sami assured E.J. that she was acutely aware of that fact.

Sami said that, while the thought of being in Stefano's debt made her feel physically ill, she would do anything for Will, including selling her soul to Stefano. Sami knowingly added that E.J. would do the same thing for Johnny. Conceding Sami's point, E.J. agreed to ask Stefano for help if all of their other options failed to yield results.

Sami believed that every other option had already been exhausted, but E.J. revealed that he had asked some lawyers to carefully assess all of the possible legal avenues, adding that there was still time to think of a solution to the problem before the baby was due to be born. Sami reminded E.J. that once Gabi placed Nick's name on the birth certificate -- something that Gabi would be willing to do in order to make Nick happy -- Will would be out of luck.

Despite her concerns, Sami reluctantly agreed to accept E.J.'s terms. "Unless Will's back is against the wall, and then I won't hesitate -- I will go to Stefano and ask him for a favor," Sami vowed. E.J. remained silent, and Sami wondered why he had suddenly stopped arguing with her. E.J. hesitantly revealed that there might be another way to ensure that Stefano would agree to help Will if necessary.

Sami excitedly stated that she would be willing to do anything, but E.J. warned that she might not feel that way after hearing what he was about to say. "I'm thinking that you...and I, and the children...we move into the mansion...together," E.J. hesitantly suggested.

Elsewhere, Nick demanded to know what Will had been planning to tell Gabi the previous night. "I was gonna tell her that her fianc is a son of a bitch, and that marrying you would be the worst decision she would ever make," Will matter-of-factly stated. Nick said that if Will really expected Gabi to believe a single negative thing that Will tried to tell her about Nick, Will was even dumber than Nick had originally assumed.

"I have known Gabi for a long time -- a lot longer than you. We've been friends since high school. So if I tell her that she's marrying a lying, blackmailing, homophobic idiot, I'm pretty sure she's gonna have a big problem with that," Will confidently stated. Nick warned that Will would have an even bigger problem, along with everyone else who had helped Will cover up his crime.

Nick claimed that he had nothing against gay people, adding that he simply believed that they should never be allowed to have anything to do with children. Will scoffed and sarcastically praised Nick's open-mindedness. Annoyed, Nick impatiently stated that he didn't want to argue with Will. "I came here to give you a warning -- do not ever try to turn Gabi against me. Not only will it not work, but I will use everything that I have against you," Nick vowed.

Nick claimed that if it weren't for the fact that he was getting married later that day, he would have already turned Will in to the police as a way of punishing Will for trying to tell Gabi the truth the previous night. Nick added that since he and Gabi were bound to run into Will occasionally, he didn't want those encounters to be unpleasant. Will sarcastically stated that he would try to turn his inability to see his daughter into a fun thing.

Completely serious, Nick agreed that it would be best for Will to adopt that attitude. "You know, if it's all for the best, though, then why can't Gabi know about it?" Will pointedly asked. Nick claimed that he had decided to hide the truth from Gabi for Will's sake, since she might otherwise reveal the truth to Rafe. Nick said that he didn't want Will to get sent to prison, since they were cousins. Will shook his head in disbelief as Nick walked away.

At the Brady Pub, Kate presented Gabi with a pair of dark blue earrings so that Gabi would have something blue to wear during the wedding. Kate predicted that the earrings would complement Gabi's dark eyes, and she suggested that Gabi's daughter might eventually get to wear them, as well. Rafe smiled, clearly impressed with Kate's generosity.

Later, Kate started to think about Stefano, and she quietly slipped away without saying goodbye to Rafe. Meanwhile, Gabi sneered as she wondered why Rafe and Kate had accompanied each other to the pub. As Rafe started to respond, Nick interrupted and told Gabi that it was time to get ready for the wedding. After Gabi and Nick left, Rafe sighed heavily, still clearly worried about the pending nuptials.

At the Horton Town Square, Sonny greeted Will, who admitted that the meeting with Nick had not gone well. Will realized that it had been a mistake to treat Nick like he was still the same person whom he had been before he had gone crazy and been sent to prison.

"You know, he honestly believes that everything he's doing is right. You know, cutting me out of my daughter's life because I'm gay does not bother him at all. You know, here I am, trying to be reasonable, and it's a complete and utter waste of time. I don't know. He obviously -- I mean, he doesn't care what I want. Doesn't care what, you know, my baby girl might want when she's older. I don't even think he cares what Gabi wants. The only thing he cares about is what he wants, and that's what makes this such a losing battle," Will defeatedly stated as Sonny hugged him tightly.

Friday, March 15, 2013

by ChickenGrrl

Brady was on the phone outside Common Grounds when Marlena arrived. Brady deterred his stepmother from entering by telling her that John was inside and the two men needed some time alone to try to mend their relationship. Marlena understood. After asking about Brady's first night at the DiMera mansion, she left.

Meanwhile, inside the coffeehouse, Kristen was caressing John's hand suggestively. She pointed out that John would have to go through her if he wanted his son back. John said that he could deal with that. As Brady walked back in, John was encouraging a skeptical Kristen to let him show her how serious he was. John declared that he would like to start all over after his negative reaction to learning that Brady and Kristen were together, and he suggested the three of them have dinner together as a first step. Kristen accepted, so John called his assistant to make some reservations.

After Kristen left, she stopped outside and wondered aloud what was going on with John. "I know you'd rather stick needles in your eyes than accept me in Brady's life. What are you up to?" she said to herself, then added, "This is going to be so much fun!"

John recounted to Brady how he'd visited every town in Italy that he'd been to with Brady's mother, and it had reminded him how much he had loved Isabella -- and Brady. It had made John realize that he might lose his last living link to Isabella if he didn't figure things out. Brady didn't believe that John's feelings about Kristen had changed and pointed out that John still hadn't explained what he'd said on New Year's Eve. John claimed that he had been so upset that he'd simply misspoken.

"So you lied to me about what you said about Kristen to get what you want?" Brady demanded. John apologized and explained that Kristen had upset Marlena so much that Marlena didn't think she could talk to John about Kristen, much less tell him about Brady and Kristen. So John had been completely unprepared when he'd walked in on Kristen and Brady on New Year's Eve -- and he regretted what he had said afterward. Brady left without responding but assured John that he would be there for dinner.

Kristen arrived at the hospital, where Marlena was looking through some files behind the nurses' station. Although Marlena tried to walk away, Kristen reassured her foe that Brady had made it through the previous night without being consumed by Satan. Marlena informed Kristen that Brady had joined his father for breakfast that morning. Kristen divulged that she had been there, as well.

Kristen added that John had decided to accept her as the woman Brady loved -- and the three of them were having dinner together that night. Marlena didn't buy it and declared that she wouldn't let Kristen get her riled up. Just then, Kristen got a text message from John's assistant with the details about the dinner reservation and gleefully showed it to Marlena.

Marlena was flabbergasted. Kristen taunted Marlena that being in Europe had allowed John to think clearly, and he'd obviously decided that he'd been wrong about Kristen because he was eager to "reel Brady back in." Undaunted, Marlena said that she would just confirm everything with John. Kristen pointed out that John wasn't talking to Marlena. "I guess you're just going to have to face the facts: John is back, apparently not for you. Ouch," Kristen added as she walked away.

Later, Kristen met Brady in the park. Kristen asked how things had gone with John after she'd left, but Brady was noncommittal. He would only say that John had always been bad at hiding his true feelings. With fake concern, Kristen said that John missed Brady and was worried about him. Brady asserted his suspicions about why John had reacted so badly when he'd found out about Kristen and Brady: "He talks a good game, but I don't think he's ever gotten you out of his system."

John was sitting alone in the Brady Pub when Marlena arrived. She approached her husband tentatively and asked if she could join him. John consented. After Marlena sat down, she said, "It's really good to see you." John was silent, so Marlena mentioned that she'd seen Kristen, who'd informed Marlena that John was taking Brady and Kristen to dinner. Again, John said nothing. A realization dawned on Marlena. "Oh, I get it. I know what you're doing. You came back to town to nail her. John, you're going to destroy her, aren't you?" Marlena asked.

Nick, wearing a dove-gray suit and tie, entered Gabi's room and found his fiance dressed and ready for their wedding. Gabi objected to Nick seeing her before the ceremony, but he declared that he wasn't superstitious. "I just want to be with you on the first of the best days of our life together," Nick said before kissing Gabi.

When Nick and Gabi went downstairs, Caroline presented Gabi with a small Bible. Caroline explained that she had carried the Bible, which had belonged to her grandmother, when she had married Shawn. Caroline thought that it could be Gabi's "something old." Honored, Gabi embraced Caroline.

Nick pointed out that he and Gabi would never have met if Caroline hadn't hired him. Eyes twinkling, Caroline cautioned the young couple, "Marriage is tough, especially in the beginning. So -- don't blow it." As Caroline walked off, Gabi gushed about how nice Will's family was being, and she thought it was because they all knew that Nick, Gabi, and Will wanted to give the baby a great life. Gabi and Nick left for the Horton house.

In the park, Sami reacted with disbelief when E.J. suggested that the two of them -- and the children -- move into the DiMera mansion. When E.J. emphasized that he wanted them to move in together, not just to get Stefano's help with Will's situation but so they could live together, Sami was touched. She kissed E.J. passionately, and Rafe arrived just in time to witness the buss. Rafe explained that he was just passing through on his way to Gabi's wedding. Sami asked Rafe to congratulate them.

When Rafe expressed his hopes that Nick, Gabi, and Will could work together to give the baby a great life. Unable to stand it any longer, Sami urgently declared to Rafe, "You have to know what Nick has done." E.J. intervened and covered for Sami by explaining that Nick had been saying nasty things about Sami ever since Gabi's hospital stay. Rafe nonchalantly justified Nick's behavior as merely being worried about the baby.

After Rafe had gone, Sami asserted that Rafe deserved to know that his sister was marrying a horrible person. E.J. pointed out that Nick would then tell Rafe everything he knew about Will. E.J. urged Sami to consider moving into the mansion with him. Sami reminded E.J. of all the terrible things his father had done to him and asked how E.J. could consider moving back in.

As Sami and E.J. strolled through the square, E.J. assured Sami that he would not move into the mansion unless she and the children did, too. Sami was worried that Stefano would start working on E.J., but E.J. believed that Stefano only wanted to spend time with his grandchildren. Sami was incredulous when E.J. informed her that Kristen had also moved back in -- with Brady. When E.J. convinced her that it was true, Sami declared that she couldn't live with the woman who had tried to kill her mother.

E.J. reminded Sami that if they did move into the mansion, it would be for Will. Sami made E.J. promise that if she didn't move in, neither would he -- even if his father ordered him. E.J. asserted that he didn't take orders from Stefano. E.J. added that in order to secure Stefano's help, Will would have to visit Stefano to make peace. E.J. got a reminder that he was supposed to attend a meeting. As he left, he stressed to Sami that he would go along with whatever she decided about moving.

Sami envisioned what sharing space in the DiMera mansion with Kristen might be like. In her imagination, Kristen was bossing Sami around and forcing her to play bartender. Kristen complained that she couldn't find any decent shoes in Salem, so she was considering a trip to Paris, but she didn't like to leave her father alone. Sami offered to stay with Stefano, and had to bite her tongue instead of telling Kristen how she really felt. Imaginary Kristen found Sami's obedience delightful. She warned Sami that she could return Nick any time she wanted to steal Will's baby back.

As Sami snapped back to reality, she told herself that she could put up with anything for the sake of her son. But then Sami imagined herself back in the DiMera mansion, where she heard her mother's voice emanating from the basement, urging Sami to run for her life. Kristen nonchalantly said that she'd been meaning to have the basement soundproofed. "You're holding her hostage again?" imaginary Sami demanded.

Daydream Kristen pointed out that it hadn't bothered Sami to get rid of Nick when he was in her way; Marlena was in Kristen's way -- it was just the way DiMeras solved problems. After Kristen issued another order, Sami tossed a drink in her face. As the vision faded away, Sami told herself, "Who am I kidding? I can't do this."

In his prison cell, after Vargas did some pushups, he marked the date off of the calendar. "Lucky me: today's the first day of the rest of my life," he declared. Vargas told himself that the day had arrived when he would get payback for what Nick had done to keep Vargas in prison for an additional three years. Later, Vargas got dressed in street clothes. Afterwards, a guard asked if Vargas had any plans since he was a free man. "As a matter of fact, I do," Vargas replied with a sly smile.

Nicole entered Eric's office in time to overhear Eric and Father Matt discussing Vargas' release from prison and upcoming stay in the priests' quarters. After Father Matt had gone, Nicole said that she couldn't believe Eric was going to let a "jailbird" move in after a drug addict had nearly killed the two of them. Eric pointed out that he had become a priest so that he could help people who wanted to be helped. Nicole fretted, "Please do not let this guy move in here! What if he hurts you?"

Eric assured Nicole that he had faith that nothing bad would happen, and he thought she was just borrowing trouble. Nicole asserted that not only did she know what ex-cons were like, but she had also been in prison. Eric replied that he had thought Nicole's time in prison would have made her more compassionate. Nicole countered that she did not share Eric's faith that the ex-con really had the desire to change.

"I just can't risk losing you again," Nicole added imploringly. Eric had to leave then for the prison, so he left without any further discussion. As she watched Eric leave, Nicole said to herself, "It's time I appealed to a higher power."

Nicole returned a bit later, muttering to herself, "That is the last time I ask you for a favor, Father Matt. Come on -- think, Nicole. Eric's gonna get hurt." Caroline arrived just then and overheard. "No one is going to hurt Eric," Caroline declared. Nicole said that Eric was making a big mistake but expressed skepticism that Caroline would believe her. "I believe that you care about my grandson. So what is this about, Chloe?" Caroline asked.

Nicole corrected Caroline that she was Nicole, not Chloe. Caroline brushed it off and asked what was going on with Eric. Nicole explained about the prison outreach program and the ex-con who would be living at St. Luke's. She asked Caroline to talk to Eric. Caroline refused, declaring that she trusted her grandson's judgment -- and so should Nicole.

Vargas was finishing his release paperwork when Eric arrived. "He's all yours, Father," the guard declared. As the guard left, Vargas expressed his gratitude to Father Eric for the opportunity. "I think Salem's gonna be the perfect fit for me," Vargas added.

As Hope and Jennifer were readying the Horton house for Nick and Gabi's wedding, Hope urged her cousin to talk to Daniel about what had -- or hadn't -- happened with Chloe. An upset Jennifer didn't want to discuss Daniel.

When Rafe arrived, Hope observed that he was doing a good job of pretending that he was happy about Gabi marrying Nick. Rafe maintained that he loved his sister, who loved Nick, and if he didn't support their marriage then he would lose the only sister he had left. He added, "I'm here to convince myself...that this nagging feeling I have will go away once I see my sister happy, getting what she wants."

Before Rafe could explain what the feeling was about, Nick and Gabi arrived. Gabi hugged her brother and told him that she was very happy he was there. Nick asked if he could have a word with Rafe in private before the ceremony.

After Hope took Gabi into the living room to see the flowers, Nick noted that his parents had been married in that house, which Tom and Alice had built because of their love for each other and their family. "I just wanted to clear the air and let you know that you're family to me now. You're my brother," Nick declared. Rafe surprised Nick with a hug as he wished Gabi and Nick all the best. Nick promised to give Gabi a wonderful life.

In the living room, Jennifer gave Gabi a box and explained that it was her "something new." Inside was a gift from Nick's mom, Jessica. Hope then produced a small box from herself and Jennifer and gave it to Gabi. Gabi read the note attached, which said that the bracelet inside had belonged to Alice and would some day belong to Gabi. Hope explained that it was Gabi's "something borrowed."

After the justice of the peace arrived, Rafe addressed Gabi in front of Nick, Jennifer, and Hope. Rafe assured Gabi that Nick had promised to love her, and to take care of and provide for her and the baby. The justice of the peace then led Nick and Gabi through their wedding vows and the exchanging of their wedding rings. After Nick and Gabi had each said, "I do," the justice of the peace pronounced them husband and wife, and encouraged them to kiss by saying, "Go for it." As Nick and Gabi happily complied, everyone applauded.

Once Nick and Gabi were alone, Nick promised, "No one is ever going to come between you and me and our family ever again."