Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of September 9, 2013 on DAYS

Sami's trial got off to a bad start. Eric decided to face his demons and find out what had happened to him the night that he had gotten sick. Marlena's plan to tap into Kristen's phone did not go as planned. J.J. and Jennifer had a terrible fight, and then he decided to move out of the house.

Monday, September 9, 2013

by Mike

At the Horton Town Square, Nicole refused to believe that Eric would ever agree to perform Brady and Kristen's wedding or give the couple his blessing. Nicole was shocked to learn that Brady was the person who had proposed the idea to Eric. Nicole begged Brady to refrain from putting Eric in a position where he would be forced to refuse the request, reminding Brady that Kristen had once tried to kill Eric's mother.

Brady once again managed to shock Nicole, revealing that Eric had actually agreed to consider the idea and that Kristen was the person who had expressed reservations about it. Brady added that Kristen had gone to St. Luke's earlier so that she could discuss her concerns with Eric in person. "Okay, well, that's a good thing, because as soon as Kristen opens her lying, hypocritical mouth, Eric will realize what a phony, selfish, destructive bitch she is," Nicole optimistically stated.

Brady sarcastically agreed that Kristen's decision to establish a scholarship fund for kids had been incredibly selfish and destructive. Nicole dismissively stated that writing a check was just Kristen's way of buying good will. Nicole urged Brady to think about what he was doing to Eric, who was a good man and didn't deserve to be put in the impossible position that Brady had put him in.

Brady said that wasn't Nicole's call to make, angrily adding that she needed to back off and mind her own business. "Yes, this is my call, because who else is gonna look out for Eric? Clearly not you. He is the most selfless, giving, caring man that I have ever met, and if you want to destroy your life and marry that lunatic, my God, why do you think God created Vegas? Just don't do this to him. He does not need the stress. He is your brother, and he is too good and too kind to say no to you," Nicole countered.

"You know what? I've tried to get through to you. I really have. I've tried to argue with you, I've tried to ignore all the vile things you say about Kristen and me, but no more. I can't do it anymore. I'm sick of listening to you. I'm sick of -- of hearing what you have to say to me. I'm tired of trying to be your friend, Nicole. You think Kristen and I are insane? Why don't you take a good look in the mirror? A deep look into a mirror. You're crazy and obsessed over my brother. Why don't you learn to let him go?" Brady snapped.

"Go to hell," Nicole softly replied before sadly walking away. After Nicole left, Brady started to think about some of the things that she had said. Brady tried to call Eric, but the call went to voicemail, so he rushed off to talk to his brother in person.

At St. Luke's, Eric was surprised to learn that Kristen wanted him to refuse Brady's earlier request for Eric to perform the couple's wedding ceremony. Eric assumed that Kristen's objections were based on religious concerns of some sort. Kristen laughed as she dismissed Eric's suspicion, vaguely clarifying that she had personal reasons for objecting to Brady's idea.

Kristen claimed that she was opposed to the idea because she knew that if she and Eric started spending more time together, it would upset Marlena. Kristen admitted that she was shocked that Eric hadn't rejected the idea the moment that Brady had suggested it. Eric confirmed that the thought had crossed his mind. Kristen encouraged Eric to go with his initial instinct, but he decided to leave the decision in her hands.

Kristen was confused, so Eric summarized that someone had asked for his help and God's blessing to get their marriage off to a holy start. Eric wondered how he was supposed to refuse that man's request. "I so hate arguing with good people," Kristen admitted. Eric reasoned that if Kristen and Brady were truly meant to be together, he wasn't going to be the person who stood in their way.

Eric added that he wasn't just talking about Kristen and Brady's future as a couple, but also their potential future as a family. Eric suggested that it might be God's will for Kristen and Brady to one day be blessed with children of their own, and he confidently predicted that Kristen would make a wonderful mother. Eric's words touched Kristen, and after asking him some questions about Pre-Cana counseling, she agreed to give the idea further consideration.

After Kristen left, Eric once again started to recall the details of his recurring sexual dream. Meanwhile, Nicole arrived and insisted that Eric needed to refuse to perform Brady and Kristen's wedding ceremony. Eric snapped that Nicole needed to mind her own business and stop trying to tell him what to do. Nicole protested that she was simply looking out for Eric. "No, you're not. You're just doing what's best for you. As usual, you don't care about anyone but yourself. Now, would you just leave me alone?" Eric demanded. Nicole shrugged and silently walked away.

Later, Brady arrived and started to apologize for putting Eric in an awkward position with his earlier request, but Eric dismissed Brady's concerns. Brady was pleasantly surprised to learn that Eric's earlier conversation with Kristen had gone well and that she had agreed to give Pre-Cana counseling further consideration.

In the park, Kristen met with Chyka, who once again assured her that Eric would never remember what she had done to him, even if they started spending more time together. After dismissively instructing Chyka to crawl back under the rock that she had found him hiding under, Kristen retrieved the incriminating flash drive from her purse.

"If I get rid of this, I get rid of my one chance of shattering Marlena's complacent little life...but if I get rid of this, maybe I can give myself a chance at a decent, happy life with Brady. Pre-Cana counseling? Maybe you do have a sense of humor," Kristen said with a smile as she turned her eyes toward the sky. As Kristen quietly mused that, with a bit of counseling, she might be able to let go of the past, Nicole approached her and wondered what she was holding in her hand.

Abigail ran into Chad outside the Brady Pub. Abigail was eager to talk to Chad about J.J.'s arrest, but before she could do so, Chad interrupted and apologetically informed her that they would have to postpone their conversation until later that day. Chad explained that he, Will, and Sonny had each been called to the courthouse to testify at Sami's trial. Chad excused himself after receiving some words of encouragement from Abigail.

After Chad left, Abigail turned and found Cameron standing behind her. Cameron, who had witnessed the final moments of Chad and Abigail's exchange, observed that Chad had seemed upset about something. Abigail reasoned that, considering everything that Chad was going through, it was perfectly normal for him to be upset. Abigail's comment prompted Cameron to assume that Chad had finally told her the truth.

Abigail assured Cameron that Chad had always been truthful with her and that she had known all along about Chad's involvement in Sami's case. Abigail warned that she didn't want to hear Cameron criticize Chad, who had done everything in his power to protect her from being tied to the case. Abigail sighed as she wondered why everything had to be screwed up all of the time.

Realizing that Abigail still didn't know about Chad's brain tumor, Cameron changed the subject and urged her to talk about whatever it was that was bothering her. Abigail reluctantly told Cameron about J.J.'s arrest, acknowledging that it would probably be a featured story in the newspaper the following day anyway.

At the courthouse, Melinda questioned Will as Sami, Sonny, Justin, and E.J. watched helplessly. Melinda forced Will to admit that he had lied about Sami's connection to Bernardi in order to protect Sami. Melinda also revealed that Will had lied to protect Sami when Sami had tried to kill E.J. three years earlier. Once Melinda had established that Will had a history of aiding and abetting Sami and obstructing justice to protect her every time that she tried to solve one of her problems with a gun, the judge ordered a guard to escort Will to a holding cell, ignoring Sami and Sonny's protests.

Will gasped as Sonny roused him from a nap. Sonny explained that Will was safe in their apartment and had simply been having a nightmare. After hearing the details of the nightmare, Sonny assured Will that it was not an indication of what was actually going to transpire at Sami's trial that day. Sonny added that he and Will were going to get through the day together and that everything was going to be all right.

Sonny's words seemed to comfort Will, who was able to joke that Sonny had probably never needed immunity from prosecution before he had met Will. Sonny sarcastically agreed that his life had been perfect until Will had entered the picture and screwed everything up. "When this is over, I'm never lying for my mom again. I'll only lie for you. I hate secrets," Will said before giving Sonny a quick kiss. Sonny sighed as he watched Will walk away.

At the courthouse, Sami's trial started with Melinda's opening statement. "I will prove that the defendant lied and continues to lie. I will prove that she had the motive, means, and opportunity to murder Detective Bernardi. Murder, ladies and gentlemen -- that is what we are talking about in this case. She murdered Marge Bernardi's husband. She murdered Timmy Bernardi's father, a decorated hero of the Salem Police Department. She took a sacred human life, and for that, she must pay," Melinda said. Meanwhile, E.J. leaned behind Sami to whisper something in Justin's ear, and she seized the opportunity to discreetly slip something in E.J.'s open briefcase.

"So, we hear the prosecutor say my client, Samantha Brady, lies, but here's what she didn't say -- that Samantha Brady is stupid. Because she's not. No, she's far from it. So if, indeed, Samantha Brady is not stupid, why in the world would she shoot a man in a hospital room, knowing there was no viable means of escape? Because she had to; she had no choice. She had to stop Bernardi right then and there. And why would she say that Bernardi was holding a razor if he wasn't? Why would she make up something like that unless she knew that it could be corroborated? Why not just say that Bernardi was choking Detective Hernandez or smothering him? I mean, why invent a fictitious weapon? She said so, ladies and gentlemen, because it's the truth, and every time you ask yourself 'why?' during the course of this trial, the only answer is that Samantha Brady is telling the truth," Justin said in his opening statement.

When Melinda called her first witness -- Chad -- Justin quietly informed Sami and E.J. that Melinda was going to call her witnesses in an order that would allow her to prevent the jury from hearing about the money that had been found in Timmy's account for as long as she possibly could. After Chad was sworn in, Melinda introduced Exhibit A -- the video of Sami's argument with Bernardi -- into evidence.

After Chad confirmed that he had filmed the video and that it involved Sami and Bernardi, Melinda played it for the jury. "Nicely done, Mr. Scorsese," Melinda praised Chad as the video finished playing. Justin objected, and the judge warned Melinda to watch her step. Melinda wondered why Chad hadn't told the police about the video when Sami had initially been arrested for killing Bernardi, pointedly reminding Chad that the immunity deal that his lawyer had secured for him would be revoked if he lied under oath.

Midway through his response, Chad stopped himself and rephrased it, stating that the video had made it clear that Sami had known Bernardi prior to the night that she had shot the officer. Unsatisfied, Melinda summarized that Chad had originally been planning to say that the video had made Sami look guilty, but Justin immediately objected, and the judge once again warned Melinda to tread carefully.

Chad continued to grudgingly answer Melinda's questions, revealing that E.J. had known about the video and that he had advised Chad to keep it hidden from the police. Melinda asked Chad to describe Sami's demeanor during her argument with Bernardi, innocently feigning concerns that the camera might have lied. Justin objected, but the judge reluctantly allowed Chad to answer the question, and Chad replied that Sami had seemed angry.

Melinda wondered why Chad had filmed the argument in the first place. Chad quietly admitted that he had found the argument amusing. Melinda pointedly asked if Bernardi's death had made Chad reconsider his initial assessment of the situation, but Justin quickly objected. Before the judge could make a ruling, Melinda withdrew the question and announced that she was done questioning Chad.

The judge dismissed Chad after Justin declined the opportunity to cross-examine him. Sami wondered why Justin had let Chad go without asking him a single question. "Because anything Chad says would only dig you in deeper," Justin quietly replied. After leaving the courthouse, Chad returned to the Brady Pub, where he overheard Cameron advising Abigail that, considering everything that she was going through, it might be best for her to refrain from getting involved with anyone right away.

When Abigail spotted Chad, she greeted him and asked about his earlier testimony before excusing herself so that she could answer a phone call. Cameron started to leave, but Chad stopped him and confronted him about what he had said to Abigail earlier. Cameron reasoned that it wasn't in Abigail's best interest for Chad to let her get even closer to a dying man that she was already quite attached to. Before Chad could respond, Cameron exited the pub. A short time later, Abigail started to confide in Chad about J.J.'s arrest, while Cameron stood outside and watched them through the window.

Outside the courtroom, Will paced nervously as Sonny flipped through a twelve-year-old fishing magazine that had been left on one of the benches, joking that it was just the thing that they needed to help them pass the time. Realizing that his joke might have seemed insensitive, Sonny clarified that he was simply trying to distract Will to keep Will from imploding. After assuring Sonny that he understood, Will admitted that he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that the entire ordeal was his fault.

"If I hadn't slept with Gabi, then she wouldn't [have gotten] pregnant, the -- the wedding wouldn't have blown up, [and] my mom wouldn't have broken up with Rafe, right? Rafe wouldn't have had sex with Grandma, and then Stefano wouldn't have come after Rafe," Will reasoned. Sonny joked that Will could probably also find a way to blame himself for "Prop 8," but Will insisted that he was being serious.

"I don't think you see that that chain of thoughts -- it's a little egocentric. All the choices that your mother, and Rafe, and Stefano, and Kate -- it doesn't matter. Just that you slept with Gabi, okay? But think about the choices we've made, and where those choices have led us. We get to go to bed every night together, and we get to wake up and take care of that beautiful baby girl. And for the record, if we could rewind, and I could go back and stop you from sleeping with Gabi, I wouldn't -- I wouldn't -- because I would lose too much that I love if that hadn't happened," Sonny assured Will.

Meanwhile, the bailiff called Sonny into the courtroom. Sonny gave Will a quick kiss on the cheek and handed him the fishing magazine, jokingly predicting that he would love the article on creels. After Sonny left, Will took a seat and started to flip through the magazine, but he soon found himself imagining what life would be like if Sami were convicted.

Will saw himself, Sonny, and Arianna -- who seemed to be at least three years old -- waiting to visit Sami at the prison. Will told Sonny that he wished that they could visit Sami more often, but Sonny assured him that they were already visiting her as often as they possibly could. When Sami entered the visiting room, Will quickly noticed bruises on her face and neck, but she brushed off his concerns and refused to explain the bruises.

Sami begged Will to promise that he would never allow himself to feel guilty about anything that happened to her. Sami's words alarmed Will, especially when she added that she couldn't spend the rest of her life in prison. Before Will could question Sami about her subtly suicidal comments, the guard announced that their visit had reached its end. Will angrily protested that Sami's visit had just started literally one minute earlier, but the guard ignored his protests and escorted her out of the room. Will sighed and shook his head as he snapped out of the nightmarish fantasy.

Inside the courtroom, Sonny was sworn in, and Melinda quickly established that, like Chad, Sonny was testifying with immunity. Melinda pointedly stated that it was a good thing that Sonny had been given immunity, since he could otherwise be facing some fairly severe charges. Before Justin could object, Sonny reminded Melinda that he had not asked for immunity, clarifying that it had instead been obtained for him without his knowledge.

Melinda scoffed and dryly stated that Sonny's immunity deal was one of the advantages of having strong ties to the legal community. "It was your office that did it, Ms. Trask, and I don't have any ties to you," Sonny replied without missing a beat, quickly shutting Melinda up. Melinda's next round of questions established that Chad -- Sonny's business partner -- had shown Sonny the video so that Sonny would know what he was getting into.

Melinda acted confused and wondered what Chad's warning had meant. Sonny explained that Sami was Will's mother and that he was Will's partner. Melinda innocently recalled that Sonny had previously said that Chad was his partner. "Chad DiMera is my business partner; Will is my life partner -- my lover," Sonny clarified as Justin subtly gauged the jury for reactions to the revelation.

Melinda proceeded to establish that E.J. had instructed Sonny to refrain from telling Will about the video -- a request that Sonny had ignored. Melinda tried to get Sonny to state that he had chosen not to tell the police about the video because he had known that it would have proven that Sami had been lying all along, but she withdrew the question when Justin objected.

Once Melinda was done questioning Sonny, Justin cross-examined him, asking him to explain why he had chosen not to tell the police about the video. Melinda objected that Justin's question was beyond the scope of the investigation, but the judge impatiently reminded her that she was the one who had opened the door to that line of questioning in the first place. "Because I knew there was no way that Will's mom could murder someone. I don't care what's on that video; I knew she was telling the truth when she said she was protecting Detective Hernandez," Sonny confidently replied.

Justin concluded his cross-examination, and the judge feigned shock when Melinda asked for permission to redirect. Melinda wondered if Sonny was saying that Sami had never lied to him or to Will, and Sonny reluctantly clarified that he wasn't saying that. After the judge dismissed Sonny, Melinda called her next witness -- Will.

Melinda wondered if Sami had asked Will to lie about Sami's connection to Bernardi. Will said that Sami had not, but when Melinda reminded him that he was under oath, he amended his answer and reluctantly confirmed that Sami had asked him to lie to protect her. Melinda announced that she had no further questions for Will, and Justin declined his opportunity to cross-examine Will.

"I don't want to hurt her, but that's what I keep doing. If she goes to jail, it's my fault," Will sadly told Sonny outside the courtroom. Sonny gave Will a quick kiss on the cheek and hugged him tightly. Meanwhile, inside the courtroom, Melinda called her next witness -- Kate.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

by ChickenGrrl

At St. Luke's, Brady marveled that he was happier than he'd been in a very long time. Eric wondered aloud if he, Brady, and Sami would ever be happy at the same time. Brady guessed that Eric had more on his mind than Sami's trial and urged his brother to talk about whatever it was. Brady reassured Eric that whatever they discussed would not leave that room. Eric confided in Brady about his recurring dream, which seemed to stem from when he'd been sick.

"Daniel is convinced that I was poisoned," Eric explained. An incredulous Brady couldn't imagine who would do something like that to Eric. Eric said that he should stop obsessing about it, especially when Daniel hadn't been able to figure out what had happened and Nicole hadn't remembered anything about the night she'd found him. Brady recommended that Eric question Nicole again about what she might have seen. Brady promised to help Eric find answers.

Nicole spied Kristen in the park, talking to herself and gazing at the flash drive. "What the hell is that?" Nicole wondered. Kristen quickly stashed the incriminating drive in her purse and coolly maintained that it was nothing, but Nicole didn't buy it for a second. Kristen snapped that she didn't owe Nicole any explanations -- and reminded Nicole about the fiasco that had ensued when Nicole had blabbed about catching Kristen and Jennifer with the pregnancy test.

Nicole pressed, so Kristen claimed that the flash drive held information about some business negotiations for a meeting that day. Nicole's disbelief didn't waver as she accused Kristen of being up to no good. As the women were arguing, Father Matt arrived. Nicole rolled her eyes as Kristen's demeanor immediately changed from aggravated to ingratiating.

After thanking Kristen for her generosity with the scholarships, Father Matt mentioned Jennifer's troubles. Nicole took a bit of glee in informing Kristen that J.J. had been arrested for dealing drugs. When Father Matt confirmed it, Kristen hurried off to find Jennifer. Father Matt asked Nicole if they could talk about Father Eric's tremendous worry about Sami and the outcome of her trial. Nicole maintained that Sami didn't care about anyone but herself, although Father Matt asserted that Sami loved her brother very much.

Changing the subject, Father Matt said, "I don't know if you're aware of this, but Eric has other things on his mind besides Sami... Eric has a number of personal problems. He feels none of them can be solved. It's very hard for a priest." Nicole acknowledged that she'd been a little hard on Eric and promised to ease up. Father Matt continued that Eric seemed obsessed with what had happened to him when he'd gotten sick. Father Matt urged Nicole to try to help Eric accept that he might never get the answers to his questions. Nicole assured Father Matt that he could count on her.

At the rectory, Eric paused when he ran across the matchbook from the Capitol Plaza Hotel. He started to put it in a drawer but his gaze lingered on the matchbook for a while. When Nicole returned, she apologized for mouthing off about Eric marrying Brady and Kristen. Eric understood that Nicole had only done it because she cared about him and Brady.

Eric wanted to ask Nicole about the night he'd gotten sick because he couldn't get it out of his mind, and it was undermining his performance at work. He explained that he wanted to go over the details again to make sure that Nicole hadn't forgotten to mention anything. Nicole gently reminded him that she had told him everything. "There's nothing new. You're just going to have to accept that," she said. Before Eric could press her to remember more, Nicole made up an excuse and hurried out. Eric wondered aloud what was going on with her.

At the hospital, Daniel cleared Rafe to leave for a little while so he could testify at Sami's trial. Jordan expressed her wish that Rafe had agreed to give closed-circuit testimony because it would be much easier on him. As Jordan left to arrange for a van to take them to the courthouse, Rafe asserted to Daniel that closed-circuit testimony wasn't as effective as having the witness there in person -- plus Rafe felt that he owed Sami for saving his life.

Daniel wondered if Rafe's sense of obligation had anything to do with E.J.'s visit, but Rafe insisted that he didn't want to see Sami taken away from her kids while he would get to watch his niece grow up because of her. Rafe added that E.J. wanted him to "remember" that Bernardi had been a dirty cop, but while Rafe acknowledged that he might have lied about the paternity of Nicole's baby, he believed that lying under oath was entirely different. Daniel asserted that if Rafe believed Sami's story, then the best thing to do was tell the truth. Rafe said that he intended to.

When Victor stopped by the hospital and asked Daniel about reuniting with Jennifer, Daniel was reluctant to talk about it. Victor advised Daniel, "No woman should have to deal with a punk son all alone." Daniel asserted that when he'd seen Jennifer at the police station earlier, she had been handling things pretty well. Victor declared, "I'd like to see you as happy as Maggie and I are. You deserve it. So does Jennifer -- and you know me; I don't say that about everyone."

Daniel was at his apartment, reviewing the results of Eric's medical tests, when Kristen arrived. Worried, she noted that Jennifer hadn't been answering the phone or returning calls. Daniel guessed that Jennifer was still at the police station with J.J. Kristen reacted with horror when Daniel divulged that J.J. would likely be charged with a felony because he'd been caught dealing drugs.

When Daniel and Kristen heard a crash from the bedroom, Daniel explained that Parker liked to announce that he was up from his nap by throwing toys across the room. Daniel left the papers on a table as he went to get Parker. When he returned, Daniel introduced Parker to Kristen, who greeted the boy affectionately and playfully. Although he was initially shy, Parker seemed to quickly warm up to Kristen.

Kristen asked Daniel about a couple of specialists she had been referred to. From the names, Daniel recognized that the doctors were fertility specialists. Grinning sheepishly, Kristen admitted that even though she'd been told that she could never get pregnant, since there had been so many medical advances, she wanted to find out for sure if she could conceive before she and Brady pursued adoption.

"I know it would take a miracle, but clearly miracles happen, right?" Kristen said optimistically. After Daniel set Parker up with a snack and a toy dinosaur at the table, he pointed out that Chloe had gotten pregnant after being told that she never could. He reassured Kristen that the specialists, Dunstall and Green, were excellent doctors. Kristen asked Daniel not to say anything to Brady because she didn't want to get her fianc's hopes up.

As he played with the dinosaur, Parker knocked Daniel's papers onto the floor. As Kristen helped Daniel pick everything up, she noticed Eric's test results among the papers. "Oh, my goodness -- is there something wrong with Father Eric?" Kristen asked, alarmed. After Daniel replaced Parker's dinosaur with a toy truck, Kristen asked if Father Eric were sick. Daniel assured Kristen that Eric was fine, but he wouldn't say more.

Kristen left to look for Jennifer. Outside, an irritated Kristen muttered, "Great. So you're back at it, huh, doctor? Still trying to figure out what happened to Eric?" She whipped the flash drive out of her purse, continuing, "Well, guess what -- the answers are right here, and nobody's going to get them unless I want them to."

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady started to tell Victor about his engagement to Kristen, but Victor had already heard. Victor surprised Brady by offering his congratulations. Brady revealed that he and Kristen would be attending Pre-Cana classes. Chuckling incredulously, Victor exclaimed, "You can't be serious... You and Kristen are seriously talking about a church wedding?"

When Victor saw that Brady was serious, he asked if Brady and Kristen intended to take Eric's counseling to heart. Brady maintained that they absolutely did, adding, "My feeling is that if he can see why Kristen and I want to be together and believe in the love that we have for one another, I think the whole town is going to follow suit sooner or later." Victor was stunned speechless.

Brady had to step into the foyer to take a call from the London office, so Victor used the opportunity to dial Marlena. "Brady has informed me that the countdown is on... A wedding -- a full-on church wedding -- at which your son has agreed to officiate. You know what that means? That means that Father Eric has lost his marbles. I thought Brady had the market cornered on lunacy, but apparently there's enough to go around both sides of the family," Victor declared. He added that he had no idea what to do -- but he and Marlena had better figure it out right away.

Jordan returned to Rafe's room and noted that it couldn't be easy for Rafe to have to testify against someone he'd been married to. Rafe maintained that he couldn't say anything to hurt Sami because he'd been unconscious when she'd shot Bernardi. Jordan admitted that she was concerned about how the stress could affect Rafe's progress.

At the courthouse, as the bailiff swore Kate in on the witness stand, Sami whispered to E.J. that Kate would love to see her put away for life. Melinda Trask held up a plastic evidence bag containing the gun that Sami had used to shoot Bernardi and asked Kate if she'd ever seen it. After Kate confirmed that she had given the gun to Sami, Trask submitted the weapon into evidence. Upon further questioning from Trask, Kate revealed that she had given the pistol to Sami as an engagement gift -- and as a bit of a joke, because Kate felt that Sami might need protection from E.J.

Trask was incredulous that Kate would find humor in giving a lethal weapon as a gift, but Kate merely admitted with a shrug that she had a dark sense of humor. Justin objected when Trask attempted to smear Sami with the DiMeras' violent reputation, so Trask asked where Kate had been the night Sami had shot Bernardi. Kate replied that she had been in Gabi Hernandez's room at the hospital. Trask asked if Sami's version of events concurred with what Kate had seen that night.

Justin objected again, pointing out that Trask was practically instructing Kate to say that Sami had lied. The judge sustained the objection, and Trask apologized. Trask asked Kate to describe the room after Bernardi had been shot. Kate stated that she and Gabi had run into the room after hearing the gun go off. As Trask asked specific questions, Kate recounted the numerous people who had been in the room, including Sami, who had still been holding the guy and who had said that she'd shot Detective Bernardi because he'd been trying to kill Rafe with a knife.

Trask asked if Kate had seen Bernardi's weapon. Kate hedged that the room had been utterly chaotic, but Trask pressed her to answer the question. Kate admitted that she hadn't seen the weapon. Once Trask had concluded her questioning, Justin asked Kate some probing questions about why she'd been at the hospital that night. She admitted that she'd been visiting Rafe because they were involved, and they had been lovers at the time of the beating that had sent him to the hospital. Kate confirmed for Justin that she had found Rafe and called 9-1-1 the night of his attack, and Justin asked who Kate believed was responsible for the assault.

When Kate stated her belief that her ex-husband, Stefano DiMera, had done it, Justin inquired about Stefano's possible motive. Trask objected on the grounds of relevance, so Justin asked the judge for the same leeway the special prosecutor had received. The judge granted it as long as Justin got to the point quickly. Kate admitted that Stefano was a very jealous man. Justin asked if Stefano had actually been behind the attack on Rafe, and Kate said that he hadn't.

Justin questioned whether Stefano had been aware of Kate's involvement with Rafe. Kate reluctantly admitted that she had accidentally clued in her ex when she'd confronted him about the attack. "How much time elapsed between the moment Stefano DiMera learned about your affair and the moment my client used the gun you gave her to shoot Joseph Bernardi in order to keep him from killing your lover?" Justin asked.

Trask interjected, "Your Honor, that is pure speculation! The jury has heard no evidence which suggests a link --" She stopped and withdrew her objection when she realized that she'd almost slipped up. The judge instructed Kate to answer Justin's question, so she stated that the night Sami had seen Bernardi in Rafe's room had been a few weeks after Stefano had learned about Kate's affair with Rafe. Justin concluded his questioning.

Sami asked E.J. what was going on. E.J. explained that Trask had been about to suggest that they hadn't established a link between Stefano and Bernardi, and that would have given them an opportunity to introduce the money in Timmy Bernardi's bank account as evidence.

In redirect, Trask asked Kate if she'd given Sami the gun because she'd known about Sami using a gun in the past. Kate replied that it was a matter of public record that Sami had shot Alan Harris years earlier. Trask wanted to know if Sami had used a gun to threaten someone more recently. Kate reluctantly admitted that she'd learned from Nick Fallon -- "a very unreliable source" -- that Sami had threatened him with a gun.

When Trask concluded questioning Kate, the judge instructed Kate to step down. After the judge announced a short recess and left the courtroom, Trask told her assistant to track down Nick Fallon in case she wanted to add him to the witness list.

An incredulous Justin turned to Sami and hissed, "You pulled a gun on Nick Fallon. Is there no limit to what you'll do?" Sami insisted that it had been "nothing." Justin asserted that the jury hadn't thought it was nothing and demanded to know how he was supposed to mount a defense when Sami and E.J. kept surprising him. Annoyed, E.J. suggested that Justin start by reminding the jury that Fallon was a convicted murderer.

After Justin stepped outside to make a phone call, Sami informed E.J. that Justin was suspicious about the origins of the money in Timmy's account. She asked E.J. if he knew anything about that. "Samantha, the only thing that matters is getting it into testimony, then letting it blow the prosecution's case apart," E.J. reassured her firmly. Realizing that E.J. had planted the money, Sami fretted about it backfiring. "The jury already hates me. They're not nuts about you, either," Sami pointed out. E.J. assured her that everything was under control.

Kate was outside the courtroom when Rafe arrived in a wheelchair that Jordan was pushing. Kate tried to speak to Rafe, but the bailiff cautioned her that witnesses weren't allowed to talk to one another. Rafe reassured her that it would be all right.

Sami was demanding answers from E.J. about the money when Jordan wheeled Rafe in. Sami and Rafe locked eyes across the courtroom. A few moments later, after Rafe's wheelchair was in position in front of the witness stand, the judge returned. As the bailiff was swearing Rafe in, he held out a Bible and instructed Rafe to raise his right hand. With great effort, Rafe managed to raise his right hand a few inches off his lap.

"That's good enough," the judge assured Rafe sympathetically. Sami appeared as if her heart were breaking as she watched. "Do you swear to tell the whole truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" the bailiff asked. "I do," Rafe affirmed.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

by Spalding

In the Brady Pub, Gabi dropped by to talk to Abigail and found her crying at the bar. Abigail informed Gabi about J.J.'s arrest for dealing drugs. Abigail confided that she was worried about what would happen to J.J. if he went to prison but that she was also scared that J.J.'s sentence would not be harsh enough for J.J. to learn a lesson. When Gabi reminded Abigail that she could lean on her friends, family, and Cameron, Abigail smiled uneasily.

Abigail explained that Cameron had decided to end things between him and Abigail. Raising an eyebrow, Gabi asked Abigail if she had settled for Chad. Abigail shook her head vigorously. Abigail said that she was happy with Chad but that she had a feeling that Cameron was hiding something from her. Abigail informed Gabi that Cameron had warned Abigail not to get serious with Chad.

In the park, Chad showed Theo how to throw a boomerang. When the boomerang failed to fly back to Chad, Theo turned his attention toward a tree that his mother had let him play in. Theo talked about his mother's tree as Cameron interrupted. Cameron distracted Theo with the boomerang, cheering Theo up as he ran after the toy. While Theo was away, Cameron urged Chad to prepare Theo and his family for Chad's passing.

Frustrated, Chad told Cameron that he had no intention of telling his family that he was dying. Overhearing the conversation, Theo asked Chad who was dying. Chad quickly lied that he was "dying to see how Theo threw the boomerang." Theo threw the boomerang, then happily chased after it. Chad ordered Cameron to back off, but Cameron swore to push Chad to fight Chad's illness. After Chad walked away, Cameron pulled out his cell phone and stared at Abigail's phone number on the screen.

Chad walked over to the Horton house with a cooler. When Abigail escorted Chad into the living room, he pulled two bottles of champagne out of the cooler, noting that he needed Abigail's opinion on whether he should order more bottles for the club. After they had tasted the champagne, Abigail and Chad kissed on the couch. Chad pulled back, explaining that he did not want to take advantage of Abigail during a weird time in her life. Abigail said that Chad was what she wanted and needed because he was honest with his emotions.

"Funny thing is I haven't even begun to show you how I really feel," Chad said. Abigail and Chad kissed more passionately and eased back onto the couch. As the kissing grew heated, Abigail's cell phone rang. Jennifer called to inform Abigail that J.J. would be held in jail overnight until the bail hearing in the morning. With Jennifer on the way home, Chad gathered up his cooler and bottles and said goodnight to Abigail. Chad urged Abigail to call him whenever she wanted to talk.

Sonny and Will were playing with Arianna and waiting for Maggie to visit when Kate knocked on their apartment door. Kate explained that after her testimony in court, she had wanted to spend some time with Arianna. When Kate informed Will and Sonny about the gun testimony and Nick's involvement, Will groaned. Will asked Kate to watch Arianna, and Kate asked to take the baby to see Rafe. Will agreed, and he and Sonny left.

In the town square, Nick worked on some papers as Maggie approached the table where Nick was sitting. Maggie saw a photo of Gabi in Nick's folder, and she asked him about it. Nick admitted that he wanted to help Gabi fulfill her dream to model again. When Maggie asked Nick why he wanted to keep the scheme a secret, Nick explained that he did not want to get Gabi's hopes up before there was any news to report. Nick swore that he did not want to control Gabi and that he only wanted to help her. Maggie promised not to tell anyone.

Kate packed up baby Arianna's supplies and had just started to leave when Maggie knocked on the door. Maggie asked Kate to stick around with Arianna for a few minutes so that she could visit. Kate barely tolerated Maggie's presence for a few minutes and then informed Maggie that she was leaving to take Arianna to visit Rafe. Kate said goodbye and carried Arianna out the door past Maggie.

Nick was sitting at a table in the town square when he saw Gabi walking toward him. When Nick asked Gabi if she needed help with schoolwork, Gabi explained that she had dropped some classes in order to take on a job. Will and Sonny approached the table and asked Gabi to give them a minute alone with Nick. Gabi nodded and walked away.

"You need to stop trying to incriminate my mom," Will said. Will asked about the incident with Sami and the gun. Nick explained that he had threatened Sami after she had stolen $30,000 from his room. When Sonny scoffed at the legality of the money, Nick explained that he had been holding the money for someone to invest. Sighing, Will lamented that Nick had told Kate the story. When Nick asked why, a process server handed Nick a subpoena.

Will reminded Nick that Sami had saved the life of Gabi's brother. "Don't make this worse," Will cautioned. After Will walked away, Sonny urged Nick to think. "He's your cousin. Your family. Do right by him for once," Sonny said.

In the courtroom, Rafe testified that he was a police detective and had worked with Joe Bernardi. When Melinda Trask asked Rafe if he had lied for Sami in the past, Rafe admitted that he had. Rafe was belligerent with Melinda, and she asked the judge to treat Rafe as a hostile witness. When the judge agreed, that gave Melinda the right to ask leading questions.

When Melinda asked if Rafe had lied under oath for Sami, Rafe answered that he had not lied under oath. Melinda asked Rafe if he had previously had any suspicions that Joe had been a dirty cop, Rafe said no. Rafe added that if Joe had been on the take that Joe would have hidden it well because the other detectives would have picked up on Joe's disloyalty. Rafe also testified that he did not believe that Sami could shoot Joe in cold blood.

Court was adjourned, and as Jordan wheeled Rafe out of the courtroom, he looked sad as he passed Sami. Sami smiled stoically at Rafe as he passed her. Jordan told Rafe that he had done what he could have done to help Sami. Once the courtroom was cleared of everyone but E.J., Sami, and her guard, E.J. assured Sami that things were always harsh at the start of a trial. Sami and E.J. chatted about the kids before her guard handcuffed her and led her away.

Rafe returned to the hospital. Frustrated by his testimony, Rafe wanted to do his rehabilitation exercises to work off steam. Jordan declined Rafe's request and ordered him to rest. Before Rafe could protest, Kate entered the hospital room with Arianna. Rafe's face lit up. Kate sat on the bed with the baby, and Rafe told Kate about his day in court.

"I have a feeling it's gonna get worse for her before it gets better," Rafe said about Sami's case. Kate advised Rafe that Sami's past could not be changed, and there was nothing Rafe could do to fix that. Gabi entered the room and added that Sami was not Rafe's problem. Gabi urged Rafe to focus on his therapy and get better.

While Sami stared at photos in her dark, lonely cell, E.J. returned to the mansion to look over his notes on Sami's case. When E.J. opened his briefcase, he found a letter from Sami. E.J. read it. Sami wrote, "I've always been good at finding the right words when I'm mad at you but when it comes to how much I love you and all the reasons why, it always come out as you're handsome, charming, good to me and the kids. But those words are so small next to what it is that I feel." E.J. fought back tears.

"You've carried me in that stubborn heart of yours for so many years. You loved me without question, no matter what I did. I can't believe that now when I finally understand what a gift that is that we've ended up apart again," Sami continued. Sami wrote about how much she loved to put her head on E.J.'s heart and listen to it beat and how she longed to wake up next to him every morning, listening to his heart.

"I honestly hurt more for you than I do for myself because now I carry you in my heart the way you've always carried me," Sami continued. Sami swore to keep fighting for their family and that she would never give on E.J.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

by Mike

At St. Luke's, Eric greeted Marlena and wondered how she was doing. Marlena revealed that she had been having nightmares lately because she was worried about Sami.

Marlena admitted that, while she understood why Justin had fought to keep Sami's trial closed to the public, being unable to attend the trial was making her feel completely helpless. Eric suggested that praying might make Marlena feel better about the situation, but she wasn't convinced that God was even listening to her prayers anymore, since Brady was planning to marry Kristen and Eric was planning to perform the wedding ceremony.

Eric assured Marlena that he would only agree to officiate the ceremony if he could do so in good faith, but she countered that Kristen didn't know the meaning of the phrase. Eric disagreed, admitting that, based on what he had seen recently, he was starting to believe that Kristen had truly changed. Marlena insisted that Eric was only seeing what Kristen wanted him to see, prompting him to express his desire to change the subject.

Marlena noticed a book of matches from the Capitol Plaza Hotel laying on Eric's desk. Marlena wished that Eric could figure out exactly what had happened to him that night. Eric admitted that he had been thinking about that night a lot lately, adding that it was starting to feel like an obsession. Marlena suggested that hypnosis might help Eric figure out what had really happened.

Eric admitted that the idea had never crossed his mind before, but he seemed reluctant to make a commitment to try it. "Oh, I see. You don't want to get shrunk by your mom," Marlena guessed. Marlena pointed out that Eric could always seek help from another psychiatrist.

At Club TBD, Nicole spotted Victor and rushed over to his table, admitting that, for once, she was actually happy to see him. Victor clearly didn't share Nicole's sentiment, but she refused to leave, insisting that they needed each other. "Shouldn't you be off electrocuting someone?" Victor dryly asked, prompting Nicole to sarcastically reply that she was going to need to be taken to the burn unit to recover from his scathing remark.

Nicole insisted that she and Victor were on the same side for once, but he countered that he didn't even want to share the same side of the Atlantic Ocean with Nicole. Undeterred, Nicole explained that she wanted to team up with Victor so that they could stop Kristen from hurting Brady. Nicole added that Marlena had failed to deliver on her promise to help Nicole.

"Nicole, all of your life, you have been one strap and a buckle short of a straitjacket. I wouldn't partner with you if my life depended on it," Victor dryly stated, adding that he had promised Brady that he would keep an open mind about Kristen. Shocked and frustrated, Nicole abruptly left the club. Victor placed a phone call to Marlena, who met him at the Kiriakis mansion later that day. Marlena regretfully informed Victor that she had failed to obtain Kristen's phone records because she had been unable to get past the password on Kristen's cell phone.

"Well, if that's the problem, I've got the answer to that right here. My people at Titan developed it for the guys at Langley. Works great for spies. You plug this into a telephone, it automatically bypasses all the passwords and automatically downloads everything on the phone. Takes about ten seconds, so if you can get your hands on Kristen's phone, we'll get everything that we need in no time," Victor explained as he handed Marlena a small device -- a device that happened to look similar, if not identical, to the incriminating flash drive that Kristen had been carrying around.

In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Stefano congratulated Kristen on her engagement to Brady. After reporting that she was thinking about doing Pre-Cana counseling with Brady, Kristen proceeded to tell Stefano about the flash drive dilemma that had been bothering her lately. Kristen hoped that the Pre-Cana counseling would make her feel secure enough to finally destroy the flash drive.

Stefano understood why Kristen was hesitant to destroy the flash drive, but he was unable to figure out why she had agreed to spend more time with Eric. Stefano pointed out that, without any warning, Eric could suddenly remember everything one day. Kristen said that she honestly believed that Eric was never going to remember what she had done to him, but she crossed her fingers as she said the words, just to be safe.

Nicole passed through the area and overheard Kristen telling Stefano about something that could threaten Kristen's relationship with Brady. Intrigued, Nicole hid nearby so that she could eavesdrop. "You see, Father, the one thing that can't happen -- absolutely not -- is that Brady can't see that the woman that he sees as his perfect soul --" Kristen started to say, but Brady arrived and interrupted her sentence.

Frustrated, Nicole reluctantly walked away. Meanwhile, Stefano excused himself. Brady -- who had just finished eating breakfast with Ciara, who had been pleased to learn that he and Kristen were engaged again -- announced that he would like to start the Pre-Cana counseling later that day, and Kristen eagerly agreed.

At St. Luke's, Eric told Nicole that they needed to talk about something. Nicole agreed, vaguely stating that there were some important things that Eric needed to know about. Eric nodded and said that was why he had called Nicole earlier. Surprised, Nicole rummaged through her purse and eventually found her cell phone, which had accidentally been turned off.

Eric summarized that he had wanted to talk to Nicole about the incident that had occurred at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. Nicole insisted that Eric needed to stop trying to figure out what had happened that night. Eric started to protest, but Nicole abruptly excused herself, claiming that she had a lot of missed calls that she needed to return.

Later, Brady arrived and announced that he and Kristen wanted to start their Pre-Cana counseling later that day. Brady sensed some hesitation from Eric, who explained that he had told Marlena about Brady's request earlier and that she hadn't taken the news well. Brady offered to talk to Father Matt instead, but Eric insisted that he had given the matter some thought and that he wanted to be the one who performed Brady and Kristen's wedding ceremony if they successfully completed their Pre-Cana counseling.

Eric promised to contact Brady if he found some time to fit Brady and Kristen in for Pre-Cana counseling that day. Changing the subject, Brady wondered if Eric had talked to Nicole about the hotel incident. Brady's suspicions were aroused when Eric revealed that Nicole had refused to talk about the matter.

At the Horton Town Square, Marlena watched as Kristen entered a nearby shop without spotting Marlena. Meanwhile, Nicole rushed over to Marlena's table and impatiently wondered when she was going to get to help Marlena with the plot to expose Kristen's lies. Nicole started to tell Marlena about the earlier conversation that she had overheard between Stefano and Kristen, but Marlena interrupted. "You know what? If you really want to help, stop talking and listen," Marlena quietly stated.

Later, Kristen emerged from the shop, and Nicole, who was feigning drunkenness, purposely bumped into her. Kristen quickly deduced that Nicole was drunk. "Well, I'm a little bit drunk, but my name's Nicole, and I've been that way all my life, thank you very much," Nicole said, slurring her speech. Nicole proceeded to start a fight with Kristen, ensuring that Kristen's purse was tossed on the ground in the process.

Marlena emerged from her hiding spot and grabbed Kristen's purse while Kristen was distracted. After locating Kristen's cell phone, Marlena struggled to open the cap on the device that Victor had given her earlier, accidentally dropping it in Kristen's purse in the process. Meanwhile, Kristen lost her patience and started to physically push Nicole away from her. Moving her argument with Nicole to a different location allowed Kristen to uncover Marlena's hiding spot. Kristen demanded to know what was going on.

In Jennifer's office at the hospital, Kayla and Theresa talked about J.J.'s arrest, which Theresa had read about online earlier. Kayla vaguely stated that the timing of J.J.'s arrest was going to make the situation even more difficult than it would have otherwise been. Theresa was saddened to learn that J.J. was spending his birthday behind bars.

Concerned, Kayla wondered if Theresa had been buying marijuana from J.J., and Theresa defensively replied that she had never done so. Kayla feared that the police might start to investigate Theresa if they somehow found out that Theresa had been spending a lot of time with J.J. Frustrated with the implications of Kayla's comment, Theresa stormed out of the office, claiming that she had work to do.

At the Horton house, Abigail placed a homemade birthday cake -- lined with eighteen candles -- on the coffee table. Tears filled Abigail's eyes as she recalled J.J.'s eighth birthday, when he had hugged her tightly and thanked her for baking a cake for him. Later, Abigail received a visit from Theresa, who handed her a folder and claimed that it contained important documents that Jennifer needed to see right away.

Theresa barged into the foyer as she started to ask about J.J., wondering if he had returned home yet. "You didn't come by to drop off a file. You came by so that you could talk to my brother. You've been buying drugs off him, and you want to make sure that he doesn't tell the cops," Abigail surmised. Theresa feigned innocence, but Abigail wasn't convinced, recalling the day that she had found Theresa sitting alone in Jennifer's office and had detected the distinct scent of marijuana on Theresa's clothes.

"You know, I got in my brother's face later that day about you, and guess what? He practically got on his knees, begging me not to tell my mom about you. He said that she would know that he was guilty by association, but now it all makes perfect sense. He was your dealer. You were the user. He was your go-to," Abigail knowingly summarized. Theresa threatened to sue Abigail for making slanderous comments, but Abigail wasn't intimidated, pointing out that she couldn't be sued for slander if she was speaking the truth.

"Maybe you don't know who you're dealing with, princess, but if I decide to get ugly with you --" Theresa started to whisper in Abigail's ear, but Abigail interrupted and ordered Theresa to leave the house and stay away from J.J. Theresa laughed and calmly left, determined to keep Abigail from seeing that she was nervous. Theresa returned to Jennifer's office, where she searched online for updates on J.J.'s arrest.

"Stupid website! No more updates. Okay, J.J.'s probably home by now; he's probably out. Unless he's blabbing away in some room. Okay, uh...now, if Abigail plays tattletale, or if J.J. makes a deal -- ugh. Okay, so, if they both rat me out, then I'm just gonna do what I always do -- deny. Yeah, just...gonna deny, okay? Oh, God," Theresa groaned as she started to rummage through her purse.

Kayla burst into the room to deliver Theresa's first paycheck to Theresa, who was thrilled -- until she opened the envelope and saw the amount of the paycheck. Theresa demanded to know where all of her money had gone, so Kayla reminded her about the various taxes and fees that were taken out of each paycheck. Theresa wondered if the paycheck covered a full month of wages.

"Well, actually, it took you so long to get down to Human Resources, it's really about six weeks, so, you know, your paycheck will probably be a...third...less than that?" Kayla guessed. Theresa protested that there was no way that she would be able to live off of that amount of money each month, but Kayla was certain that Theresa would have plenty of money to pay for her food, rent, and cell phone expenses.

Theresa argued that she wasn't going to have enough money to have an actual life, but Kayla optimistically reasoned that the fact that Theresa was actually worrying about a paycheck was a step in the right direction for Theresa. After Kayla left, Theresa got an idea and went online again. "There it is -- discretionary funds for the public relations office. Well, Jen-Jen will be too worried to notice, so I think it's time to get myself a little discretionary funding. Requesting funds in the amount of --" Theresa muttered as she started to type some information into an online form.

In a holding cell at the police station, J.J. admitted that he had never expected that he would be eating his birthday breakfast behind bars. J.J. started to complain about a foul odor that he had detected, and Rory identified it as the scent of bleach. In an effort to lift J.J.'s spirits and illustrate that the situation could be worse, Rory reported that the place had smelled like vomit the previous time that he had been arrested.

Rory added that J.J. was lucky to have Jennifer as a mother instead of Rory's mother, Lee. Rory predicted that Jennifer would get J.J. released before noon that day. "Yeah, but then what, dude? She -- she was super pissed, man. But hey, uh, there's a -- there's a way to fix all that for me, if you'll help," J.J. cryptically replied.

Elsewhere, in the main section of the police station, Jennifer thanked Justin for agreeing to take J.J.'s case. Jennifer worried that it might not be right for her to help J.J. wriggle his way out of trouble again, since he had already been arrested once before and was turning into a very good liar. Justin understood Jennifer's concern, but he pointed out that she hadn't slept well the previous night -- a fact that could affect her judgment.

"Well, here's the deal. I spoke with the judge, and she is willing to release J.J. without bail. He was a minor yesterday. I mean, if this had happened today, things might be different. And one more thing -- the D.A. said the amount of pot that J.J. was holding is actually under the limit, so he is willing to let him plea to a misdemeanor," Justin announced. Justin warned that if he didn't accept the extremely generous deal on J.J.'s behalf right away, the district attorney might decide to revoke the offer. Justin added that the district attorney might even decide to try J.J. as an adult if the plea bargain was taken off of the table.

Meanwhile, a police officer escorted J.J. and Rory into the room. After studying J.J. for a moment, Jennifer told Justin that they would accept the deal. Justin explained the plea bargain to J.J., who wondered if the same offer had been extended to Rory. Justin wasn't representing Rory, but he was still able to confirm that, despite Rory's more extensive criminal record, the district attorney had agreed to give Rory the same deal.

As J.J. and Rory thanked Justin, Lee entered the room and observed that her son, whom she referred to as a moron, had apparently gotten lucky. Justin interrupted and stressed that J.J. and Rory's punishment would be much more severe the next time that they messed up. As Jennifer skeptically watched him, J.J. nodded and extended his hand toward Justin, vowing that there wasn't going to be a next time.

"Uh, Ms. Horton? There's something you need to know about J.J. Ms. Horton, what you need to understand about J.J. is, uh, he got sucked into this, you know? Uh, see, he broke this thing that -- what, it belonged to some doctor? And he needed the money to pay him back. I -- I don't know, I guess you didn't give him enough cash or something. And J.J., he was really, really bummed about it, so that's when I said that if he sold pot with me, then he'd eventually make enough to take care of things. J.J. didn't want to at first, Ms. Horton; he said that it was wrong and that he didn't want to. Uh, but, you see, eventually, he kind of had no choice. And, you know, J.J., he's a good-looking dude, so he sold a lot for me, so I wouldn't let him quit, even when he said that he wanted to," Rory claimed as J.J. remained silent.

Lee, who had been trying to interrupt Rory, finally dragged him off, chastising him for being a stupid idiot whose claims in the middle of a police station were only going to make matters worse for himself. Meanwhile, J.J. tried to get Jennifer to assure him that she believed what Rory had told her, but she just shook her head in disbelief.

After J.J. was released, he and Jennifer returned to the Horton house. Abigail started to greet J.J., but he ignored her. Jennifer inspected the folder that Theresa had dropped off earlier and realized that it simply contained a small stack of old press releases. Confused, Jennifer muttered that Theresa was useless. Jennifer excused herself so that she could make a phone call.

Abigail approached J.J. and wondered if he was all right. "Yeah, like you care," J.J. replied. Abigail insisted that she did care and that she had been worried about J.J. since the moment that she had heard that he had been arrested. Unconvinced, J.J. shook his head and turned away from Abigail -- and toward the coffee table, where his cake was still waiting for him. J.J. was surprised to see that Abigail had made a cake for him.

"I always make you a cake, J.J. Even when you were away at school, I still made you a cake, and Mom and I celebrated," Abigail revealed. Touched, J.J. admitted that Abigail's cake had always been the best part of his birthday every year. J.J. hugged Abigail tightly and thanked her for the cake. Later, as J.J. and Abigail each enjoyed a slice of the cake, J.J. declared that it might be the best birthday cake that she had ever made.

Concerned, Abigail gently asked J.J. to explain why he had decided that dealing drugs would be a good idea. J.J. started to repeat the story that Rory had given to Jennifer at the police station earlier. "Stop lying. No one was buying that garbage at the police station, and no one is buying it now, J.J.," Jennifer said as she reentered the room. Jennifer guessed that Rory had said exactly what J.J. had told him to say.

"[Rory] is not smart enough to be a bad influence. You are the bad influence here, J.J.," Jennifer said. J.J. tried to protest, but Jennifer interrupted and told him that she could no longer believe a single word that he said. J.J. started to blame Daniel for destroying Jennifer's trust in J.J., but she stopped him and asked Abigail to give them some privacy.

After Abigail left, Jennifer told J.J. that he was the only person who was responsible for who he was and what he had done. Jennifer insisted that she never wanted to hear J.J. blame anyone else, including Daniel, for his problems again. Jennifer reminded J.J. that he was eighteen years old and that he needed to start acting his age. Jennifer warned that things were going to change, vowing that she would no longer participate in J.J.'s games or be a pushover.

Jennifer added that if J.J. got into trouble again, he would have to deal with the consequences on his own. Jennifer asked for J.J.'s cell phone, but he refused to give it to her, pointedly reminding her that, as she had noted earlier, he was eighteen and no longer had to take orders from her. Jennifer told J.J. that he would have to follow her rules for as long as he continued to live under her roof.

"Fine. Then I guess it's time to move out," J.J. replied.

Friday, September 13, 2013

by ChickenGrrl

In Horton Square, while Nicole faked being drunk and deliberately ran into Kristen, Marlena watched from behind the Horton tree. Observing Nicole's wobbliness and slurred speech, Kristen concluded that Nicole had been drinking. Laughing, Kristen noted that it was a little early in the day to be drinking. "For your information, morning time is the time you actually drink mimosas," Nicole pointed out, waving her champagne glass around for emphasis.

When Nicole got a little too close for comfort, Kristen ordered Nicole to get away from her. Nicole set her glass down and playfully grabbed Kristen by the wrist. "Let's make a deal: I will stay away from you if you stay away from Brady," Nicole proposed. Kristen became annoyed and jerked her arm away, causing her purse to fall to the pavement.

Nicole escalated the seemingly lighthearted altercation by grabbing Kristen with both arms and spinning her around so that her back was to the dropped handbag. Marlena quickly made her move, darting out from behind the tree, grabbing Kristen's purse, and carrying it back to her hiding spot. While Nicole kept the tiff with Kristen going, Marlena located Kristen's cell phone and attempted to insert the flash drive that Victor had given her -- but she couldn't remove the cap.

A crowd had gathered to watch the argument between Kristen and Nicole. Finally fed up with Nicole, Kristen grabbed her foe by the shoulders and shoved her several steps backwards. Meanwhile, although Marlena had accidentally dropped the device into Kristen's purse, she knew her time was up, so she strolled out from her hiding spot, Kristen's handbag slung casually over her arm. When Kristen turned around and spied her purse in Marlena's possession, she demanded to know what Marlena and Nicole were up to.

After Nicole cracked a joke about Marlena trying to steal Kristen's money, Marlena maintained that she had found Kristen's handbag on the ground and had been about to return it. After depositing the purse in Kristen's hands, Marlena scolded Nicole for potentially damaging St. Luke's reputation. Nicole offered the glass to Marlena and suggested it might help the shrink relax. "Why do people keep saying that to me?" Marlena wondered aloud.

Exasperated, Kristen left. A panicked Marlena turned to Nicole. "I need that handbag back! Go get her! I'll go this way," Marlena instructed, hurrying off in one direction without further explanation while directing Nicole to go another. Although confused, Nicole followed after Kristen, finally catching up with her in the park outside the square. Nicole grabbed Kristen by the arm and ordered Kristen to stay away from Brady. Kristen tossed her purse aside to free both hands in order to better fight with Nicole.

As the other women struggled and argued, Marlena crept out from behind the wall, grabbed Kristen's handbag, and dug through it until she found the flash drive. When Marlena ambled through the gate, Kristen had Nicole in a chokehold. Marlena insisted that she'd tried to keep Nicole from going after Kristen. Nicole feigned indignation.

Marlena advised Nicole to go home and sober up. "What is it with Salem? Every woman in it is either sanctimonious or a slut -- or both!" Nicole complained, looking pointedly at Kristen, who took that as her cue to leave. Marlena rushed off, as well. Puzzled and perturbed, Nicole chased after Marlena.

Nicole caught up with Marlena at the Brady Pub. Marlena chided Nicole for following her, but Nicole only wanted to know if Marlena's plan had worked. Marlena said that she didn't owe Nicole an explanation. "I though we were working together," Nicole protested, stung.

Daniel stopped by St. Luke's to suggest to Eric that they return to the hotel where Eric had gotten sick to see if Eric remembered anything else about that night. Although he admitted that the idea unsettled him, Eric agreed that it might be the only way to get answers. After they each committed to check their schedules and make plans to go to the capital, a grateful Eric thanked Daniel for trying. Daniel suggested that Eric write down anything else that occurred to him before they left.

After Daniel had gone, Eric recalled how Brady had urged him to talk to Nicole about what she remembered. Eric thought that perhaps Nicole should accompany him and Daniel to the capital.

After a dog nearly bit her in the park, an irritated Kristen called Eric to warn him about Nicole's inebriated state. Kristen also informed Eric that Nicole had just physically attacked her. "Ask your mother; she witnessed the whole thing," Kristen said. Kristen added that she only wanted Eric to help Nicole so she didn't hurt anyone, including herself.

When Kristen hung up, she tossed her phone back into her purse, but she suddenly started fretting about the flash drive since the bag had been in Marlena's hands. Kristen dug around in the bottom her purse until she found the drive, to her great relief.

Eric called Nicole, but she sent the call to voicemail so she could press Marlena about whether they were really working together or not. Marlena confessed that she had only asked for Nicole's help out of desperation. Nicole wanted to know if Marlena had at least gotten what she'd wanted, and Marlena replied curtly that she hadn't. Nicole pointed out, "We both agree that Kristen is the same evil, manipulative witch she's always been, and neither one of us want Brady to marry her. So what is the problem?"

Marlena admitted that she didn't trust Nicole. Nicole guessed that Marlena's distrust had to do with Eric. Nicole apologized for breaking Eric's heart but pointed out that he had obviously gotten over it. Marlena wondered if Nicole had gotten over it. She cautioned Nicole, "Working so closely together, the two of you, it can't end well -- for you." Nicole asked what that was supposed to mean. "Nicole, you have impulse-control issues," Marlena explained.

"And you have a superiority complex," Nicole retorted, pouting. Marlena pointed out that Nicole had been willing to jump into Marlena's plan with Kristen with almost no explanation. "I was trying to help you! Now you're mad at me?" Nicole asked, bewildered, her voice shaking. Marlena stated that she wasn't angry; she was wary. "That I'm going to screw up your plan or your son's life," Nicole guessed. "Or both," Marlena admitted. Tears filled Nicole's eyes as she looked at the floor, then turned and left.

Alone at the bar, Marlena eyed the flash drive, muttering, "What a waste." She started to toss it in the trash can but changed her mind, guessing that Victor might still be able to get some use out of it.

When Nicole arrived at St. Luke's, Eric told her about the phone call from Kristen. Nicole would only admit that she'd had a couple of mimosas and had gotten in an argument with Kristen. Eric wanted to ask Nicole about the night he'd gotten sick, but she insisted that she had nothing more to offer. Nicole urged Eric to stop obsessing about it.

Eric countered that he was still wondering if there were someone out there who'd tried to poison him -- and that was why he was going back to the hotel. Eric asked Nicole to accompany him, but she refused. When he pressed, she became upset. "I just can't. I'm sorry," Nicole said as she left in a hurry, leaving Eric perplexed.

At the Horton house, Jennifer laid down the law with J.J., firmly telling him that if he continued to live at home, he would have to abide by her rules. "Fine. Then I guess it's time to move out," J.J. said, his mouth set defiantly. Not believing his threat, Jennifer repeated her demand that he hand over his phone. J.J. refused, accusing his mom of wanting to call all of his contacts' parents. Jennifer insisted that wasn't the case; she simply wanted J.J. to have a good life, but that could never happen unless he owned his mistakes.

"Why don't you start owning your mistakes?" J.J. retorted vehemently. He complained that all he ever heard was how disappointed his mom was in him while she made up more rules. "Happy birthday to me -- I am done with this crap!" J.J. spat. "I am done with giving you chances to screw up! So if you walk out that door, don't you dare come back!" Jennifer shouted. When J.J. headed for the door, Jennifer asked if he planned to make a career as a drug dealer.

Jennifer pointed out that he would get free room and board in prison. "I'm already in prison. What's the difference?" J.J. grumbled. "Do you hear yourself? What is wrong with you?" Jennifer demanded incredulously. When Jennifer insisted that she was trying to help J.J., he bellowed that he didn't need her help and started to storm out. Jennifer stepped in front of him and pleaded, "Give me the phone." "Make me," J.J. retorted childishly.

Jennifer reached for J.J.'s hand, trying to grab the phone from him, but he backed away. Somehow Jennifer lost her balance and fell, catching herself on the coffee table -- and smashed J.J.'s birthday cake. Softening a little, J.J. tried to help his mom up, but she tearfully ordered him not to touch her because she didn't need his help. When Jennifer repeated her plea for him to turn over his phone, J.J.'s expression darkened again and he stalked out. Cake still covering her arms, Jennifer broke down in sobs.

While Jennifer was cleaning up the mess, there was a knock at the front door. Hoping that it was J.J., Jennifer rushed to answer it but instead found Daniel on the doorstep. Daniel immediately guessed that something was wrong, but when he asked where J.J. was, Jennifer dissolved into tears on Daniel's shoulder.

As Daniel helped her clean up, Jennifer admitted that he had been right about her enabling J.J. She explained that Justin had been able to get the charges against J.J. reduced to a misdemeanor, but instead of being grateful, J.J. had been defiant and unrepentant. She continued that J.J. had taken off after they'd fought. Daniel tried to reassure her that J.J. would return. He declared his love for Jennifer and urged her to let him help her.

Jennifer appreciated that Daniel wanted to help, but she didn't think he could. "Because if I'm around, it'll be that much harder to get J.J. back on track," Daniel acknowledged. When someone knocked on the door just then, Daniel offered to go out the back door -- but when Kristen called out to Jennifer, he knew he was safe to go out the front. Daniel promised to keep his distance while Jennifer dealt with J.J. but reassured her that she could call him any time.

As he left, Daniel told Kristen that Jennifer really needed a friend. Seeing the remainder of the mess in the living room, Kristen asked if Jennifer were all right. Jennifer just shook her head sadly. When Jennifer told what had happened, Kristen gently pointed out, "Oh, honey, how many times did you run away from home? I mean, really. You always came back." Sniffling, Jennifer said that she didn't even know where J.J. was. "Wherever he is, he knows there's no place like home," Kristen reassured Jennifer.

When J.J. found Rory sleeping on a bench in the park, Rory was surprised that J.J.'s mom had let him out of the house. "She didn't. But I'm eighteen, you know. She doesn't get to run my life anymore," J.J. said. When J.J. asked if he could crash at Rory's house, Rory burst out laughing. Rory pointed out that his mom was so furious that he been planning to ask if he could stay with J.J. J.J. figured that he had enough cash to stay at a hotel for a few nights.

Rory asked why J.J. couldn't just go home. "Dude, she wanted to take my cell and call all the parents of all the kids we sold drugs to," J.J. maintained. "Man, I thought you had a cool mom! What happened?" Rory asked, horrified. J.J. and Rory spotted Daniel walking through the park later, but Daniel didn't see them. J.J. declared, "He's the reason everything's so screwed up... If he thinks getting his car trashed sucked, just wait."

At the jail, Sami expressed her worry to E.J. that Nick would do everything he could to help put her away. "All because I --" Sami began but stopped. "All because you what?" E.J. demanded. Sami fretted that when Nick testified, he would never admit that he had dragged her into an alley to scare her, and that he would find a way to mention that Will had shot E.J.

E.J. reassured Sami that Nick would never mention that for fear of being sent back to prison on blackmail charges. Sami noted wryly that if Trask wanted to revisit every one of Sami's past sins, they would be in court for the rest of their lives. As E.J. was kissing Sami reassuringly through the bars, a guard arrived to take Sami to court. When the guard opened the cell door, E.J. clasped Sami's hand for a moment until the guard had to handcuff her.

When Adrienne approached Justin outside the courtroom, he cautioned her that they shouldn't be talking because she was there to testify for the prosecution. Adrienne confessed that, since she had stepped forward with evidence that could help Justin win Sami's case, she'd hoped it could be a first step toward working things out with Justin. Justin admitted that he appreciated what Adrienne had done, and he regretted that they hadn't been able to talk for a while. Adrienne assured him that she understood.

"I don't want to fight, and I don't want to live apart. It just seems so strange...and sad. I miss you," Adrienne said softly, her eyes filling with tears. Justin agreed when Adrienne said that she hoped they could start talking again when the trial was over. Justin's phone rang just then, so Adrienne wished him luck as he walked away to answer it.

In the special prosecutor's office, Nick told Melinda Trask that he was certain of the words Sami had used when she'd warned him after pulling the gun on him: "You don't think I'll pull the trigger? I've done it before." On her way out the door, Trask thanked Nick for giving her exactly what she'd needed.

While Nick was waiting, a uniformed officer led Marge Bernardi into the prosecutor's office. Correctly guessing that Nick was testifying for the prosecution, Marge thanked him and introduced herself. Nick expressed his sympathy. When Marge learned that Nick hadn't known her husband, she said that she wished more people had known the way Joe had lived, instead of only knowing him because of the way he'd died.

The officer escorted Adrienne into the office just then and announced that the special prosecutor was ready for Nick. After Nick had left, Marge confronted Adrienne. A sincere Adrienne apologized, but Marge accused her of striking up a conversation with Timmy just to get a look at his belongings. Adrienne insisted that she had only been trying to help when Timmy had dropped his backpack and passbook.

"You were only trying to help yourself worm your way back into your husband's good graces," Marge spat. Adrienne firmly maintained that she had always said she wanted justice, and she thought that was what Marge wanted, too. "My husband is dead. Dead! The only justice is if Sami Brady spends the rest of her life behind bars," Marge declared.

Before Sami arrived in the courtroom, E.J. urged Justin to try to get the money in Timmy Bernardi's bank account introduced into evidence. Justin said that until they presented their case, there was no way to do it, unless a witness opened the door. E.J. worried that by the time Justin presented the evidence of Bernardi's corruption, the jury would have already made up their minds that Sami was guilty.

E.J. cautioned Justin that Nick's testimony might be something of a "minefield" because it could prove damning to "a certain individual." Deducing that E.J. had been referring to Will, Justin assured E.J. that he would steer clear of that subject. The guard escorted Sami in and uncuffed her. E.J. filled her in on his brief conversation with Justin about Will, and Sami thanked Justin. Justin pointed out that they didn't want to do anything that would, in the jury's eyes, strengthen her motive for wanting Bernardi dead.

Once court had resumed and Nick was on the witness stand, Trask asked Nick to describe his encounter with Sami. Nick stated that he had confronted Sami because she had stolen some cash -- thirty thousand dollars -- from his room. When Trask asked why Sami would have done that, Nick looked at Sami as he replied, "I'm not sure." Upon further questioning, Nick said he knew that Sami had been lying about stealing the money because she'd later returned it.

Trask asked what had happened after that. "She pulled a gun from her purse, and she threatened to kill me," Nick attested. Trask showed Nick the gun from evidence and asked if it were the gun Sami had threatened him with. He confirmed that it was. Trask wanted to know if there had been reason for Nick to believe that Sami would follow through on the threat. "Yes, she said it wouldn't be the first time she'd shot someone," Nick replied. "And it wouldn't be the last," Trask concluded.

Justin asked if the thirty thousand dollars had been Nick's money. Nick explained that he'd been planning to invest it as a favor for a friend. Justin inquired as to where Nick had met the friend. When Nick replied, "In prison," Trask objected that it was irrelevant, but the judge overruled her. Justin asked why Nick had been in prison. Nick stated that he'd been convicted of kidnapping and murder, but he'd been released early for good behavior.

Justin questioned how Nick's friend had gotten such a large sum of money so soon after his release from prison. Nick said that he didn't know. "Do you suppose it might have something to do with his current arrest for drug possession?" Justin asked. Trask leaped out of her seat to object that it called for speculation. Before the judge could rule, Justin stated that he had no further questions.

After Nick stepped down from the stand, Trask requested a recess until the following afternoon. Justin objected, pointing out that there had been plenty of time for the prosecution to prepare. The judge agreed and asked if Trask intended to rest her case or call further witnesses. After staring at Justin for a long moment, Trask finally said, "The prosecution calls Margaret Bernardi to the stand."

Once Marge took the stand, Trask asked about Joe Bernardi's friendship with Rafe Hernandez. Marge explained that her husband had been very upset when Rafe had been attacked. She added that she had found text messages between the two men on Joe's phone -- and she knew they'd had each other's backs. Trask inquired as to whether Bernardi would have had any reason to want to harm Rafe. "Of course not," Marge insisted.

The fury rose in Marge's voice as she continued, "My husband was a hardworking man and a decorated officer -- and the idea that anyone would paint him as a dirty cop is offensive and insane! I mean, if anyone had just --" Trask interrupted, thanking Marge and stating that there were no further questions. E.J. whispered to Sami, "Thank you, Marge. She opened up the door just enough for Justin to be able go in there and prove that her husband was on the take and that your story is the honest-to-God truth."

Justin began his cross-examination by offering his condolences to Marge. He continued, "When you stated that your husband was not a dirty cop --" Trask objected, but Justin pointed out that he was merely following up on the witness' previous statement, and the judge overruled the objection. Justin asked, "What prompted you to say that?" Through gritted teeth, Marge reminded Justin, "You know very well that your client has claimed to anyone who will listen that my husband was trying to hurt Rafe Hernandez, even though there is no evidence to prove that --"

Justin interrupted, "No evidence? No evidence at all?" Marge clarified that there was no real evidence, explaining to the jury, "It was put there to make her story look legit." Justin questioned, "What was put where, Mrs. Bernardi?" Marge reluctantly admitted that someone had deposited a hundred thousand dollars into her son's bank account, but she insisted to the jury that it hadn't been her husband.

Justin noted that everything that Detective Bernardi had earned legitimately had been accounted for. "If Joseph Bernardi wasn't accepting money -- large sums of money -- from an outside source, where did that hundred thousand dollars come from?" Justin asked.