Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of May 11, 2015 on DAYS

J.J. decided to have it out with Eve. Stefano wanted Marlena to die in the same way he thought she had murdered Kristen. Chad saved Marlena's life. Chad kissed Abigail. Will sensed bad vibes during his trip to Poplar Bluff. Daniel caught Serena in a lie. Nicole played up to Xander to find out his and Serena's secret.

Marlena finds herself in danger

Monday, May 11, 2015

by Mike

After ordering a martini at Club TBD, Kate turned away from the bar and saw Lucas talking to someone she seemed to recognize. Kate demanded to know what was going on, so Lucas asked his companion, Audra, to give him a few minutes alone with Ms. Roberts.

"Seriously? 'Ms. Roberts' -- that's who I am to you?" Kate asked Lucas after Audra walked away. Lucas confirmed the suspicion and wondered why Kate was giving him attitude when it wasn't her place to say who he could and couldn't have coffee with. Kate pointed out that Lucas had been having coffee with her lead designer -- despite the fact that he no longer worked at Mad World. Lucas clarified that Audra no longer worked there, either.

"I just took over Countess Wilhelmina. Your DiMera competition is me," Lucas revealed, adding that Audra would be joining him there. Kate said she was happy to hear that Lucas had managed to find a new job, although it was too bad he'd had to go to Stefano on bended knee to get it. Lucas clarified that Chad had approached him with the offer to run the company.

Lucas said he had already obtained Billie's blessing to take over the company she had founded. "Family sticks by family, right? Oh, wait, I forgot -- you don't believe in that, do you?" Lucas added. Ignoring the snide remark, Kate wished Lucas luck and said she'd offer him help if not for the fact that they were competitors. Kate insisted, however, that Audra still worked for her due to an ironclad five-year contract.

Lucas knew all about Audra's contract, since he had negotiated it for her -- and had included an out, just in case she ever decided she didn't like the person she was being forced to report to. Lucas advised that Kate should have treated her employees better when she had barged in and taken over Mad World. After adding that Audra's resignation had already been delivered to Kate's office, Lucas wished "Ms. Roberts" a good day and started to leave.

Kate grabbed Lucas' arm to stop him, but he yanked it away and warned her not to touch him again. Kate tried to offer Lucas her version of an apology, acknowledging that she had handled things the wrong way, but he wasn't interested in hearing what she had to say. "I don't want to talk to you about anything anymore. We're done, all right? You're out of my life," Lucas spat, and Kate wiped a tear from her cheek as she watched him walk away.

At the Brady Pub, Theresa complained about how Kristen had robbed her of many precious moments in her son's life, from the pregnancy itself to his birth and everything that had happened afterward. Theresa feared she wouldn't be able to care for her son properly, since she hadn't had any time to prepare for motherhood, but Eve assured her that loving and caring for a child was the most natural thing in the world.

Still worried, Theresa pointed out that her son could end up hating her the way she hated her own mother. Eve insisted that wouldn't happen, and she advised Theresa to stop worrying about the future and to just take things one day at a time. Eve tried to convince Theresa to contact Shane and Kim, but Theresa still wasn't ready for their interference. Theresa stressed that she appreciated Eve's help and support but didn't want her -- or anyone else -- to butt in and try to take over. Theresa wanted to be free to deal with things on her own, although she said Brady would also get to be involved, of course.

Eve suspected Theresa was already making plans to win Brady back, but Theresa insisted she was focused solely on her child -- although she said that while staring at herself in the mirror of her compact, applying some lip gloss and checking her teeth for stains in preparation for her return to the hospital. Eve expressed skepticism, so Theresa admitted there was a part of her that did wonder if things would have been different with Brady if Kristen hadn't deprived her of the opportunity to carry their child to term -- and bond with Brady in the process.

At the hospital, Brady filled John in on everything while a doctor was running another round of tests on Christopher. Brady couldn't believe how close Kristen had been to making sure he never knew his own son existed. John nodded and revealed that he had his own story to share with Brady, although it could wait until after Brady was sure Christopher was all right. Meanwhile, Paul arrived and questioned a nurse, who explained that John was talking to his son, Brady.

Brady smiled as he hugged John and said the news was a lot to take in. "Sounds like you told him," Paul guessed as he approached and started to introduce himself to Brady, who interrupted and said he already knew who Paul was. Brady added that Paul needed to leave because he was intruding on a private conversation. Paul wanted to know what he had done to deserve Brady's attitude, so Brady explained that he didn't like what Paul had done to Will and Sonny, who were good friends of Brady's.

John kept trying to intervene but was unable to get more than a few words in at a time. Theresa soon arrived and inserted herself into the exchange, telling Paul to go find an elevator and pretend it was a closet. Theresa complained that Paul was interrupting a family crisis, and before he could explain that he happened to be family, she asked if he remembered who she was. Paul confirmed that he did, but Theresa went ahead and elaborated anyway, summarizing that he had once tried to get her to be his beard -- and had then gone on to seduce her cousin, Will.

Paul tried to defend himself, but Theresa interrupted, arguing that whatever he was about to say would just be a lie, anyway. "Damn it, Theresa, would you shut up? Paul is my son!" John finally blurted out. Stunned, Brady and Theresa remained silent as John explained that Paul was Brady's half-brother -- and that was the news John had wanted to share with Brady earlier. "It was great meeting you, bro," Paul muttered before walking away in disappointment. Meanwhile, a nurse approached Brady and Theresa and announced that the doctor had finished running tests and was ready to talk to them.

Brady had questions for John, but John said they could talk later, since they both had other pressing matters to attend to first. John tracked Paul down in a break room and said he was really sorry about how Paul's first meeting with Brady had gone. "Don't be. Don't be. You know, I got a real clear picture of how much I'm gonna enjoy being a part of your family," Paul added before walking away, ignoring John's attempts to stop him. Meanwhile, Theresa hugged Brady as he assured her the round of tests that had just been conducted on Christopher had been routine.

Abigail arrived home just as Roman was explaining to J.J., Jennifer, and Paige that the police had received an anonymous tip about J.J. dealing drugs in the park the previous morning. Jennifer insisted the tip had to be a lie because J.J. had been in class at that time, but he admitted he had overslept and missed that class -- and no one could vouch for his whereabouts because he had been alone at the time in question. J.J. stressed, however, that he hadn't been dealing drugs, and he invited Roman to go ahead and search his bedroom -- or even the whole house -- because he had nothing to hide.

J.J. held out his backpack and said Roman could start the search with it, but Roman explained that he had no probable cause to do a search based only on an anonymous tip. Roman said he was just there out of concern because he had known J.J. for years. Jennifer insisted J.J. no longer dealt drugs, but Roman pointed out that J.J. certainly wouldn't be the first person to go back to old habits after supposedly turning his life around. Jennifer maintained that there wasn't a doubt in her mind about J.J.'s innocence, and Abigail agreed, stating that J.J. was focused solely on school, family, and Paige.

Roman still had concerns, and he warned against taking the matter lightly, but Jennifer refused to let him sway her opinion of J.J. After reminding Roman that J.J.'s record had been expunged when he had turned eighteen, Jennifer dismissively showed Roman the door, although she didn't let the tension stop her from advising Roman that he needed to check in with Theresa and Marlena, who each had some news to share with him. Roman apologized for having to be the bad guy, and Jennifer assured him she understood.

After Roman left, J.J. thanked Jennifer and Abigail for having his back. Abigail warned J.J. that someone was obviously trying to cause trouble for him. J.J. suspected it might have been a hoax -- or someone's attempt to get back at him for something, since he hadn't met a lot of nice people when he had been dealing. Jennifer and Abigail excused themselves so they could run an errand, and after they left, Paige wondered if J.J. thought Eve might somehow be responsible for the anonymous tip. J.J. assured Paige that Eve probably wouldn't do something that drastic.

After Paige left to find out what was going on with Theresa, J.J. wondered if Eve really could have been behind the whole thing. J.J. struggled to understand what was really going on, since the anonymous tip seemed random and pointless from his perspective because the police hadn't been able to do anything about it and Paige hadn't turned against him as a result of it. J.J. tried to convince himself that the anonymous tip had just been some random dude's way of trying to cause trouble, but when he rummaged through his backpack for some schoolwork, he was surprised to find a bag of marijuana inside.

Eve was shocked when Cole showed up at her apartment with a massive grin on his face. Eve quickly pulled Cole into the living room and closed the door, reminding him that they had agreed not to meet in person anymore. Eve handed Cole a disposable cell phone she had purchased earlier, but he insisted it wouldn't be needed because he had already handled everything. Cole proudly told Eve about what he had done, and he predicted that J.J. had probably already been arrested.

Outraged, Eve informed Cole that an anonymous tip couldn't be used as evidence, and she fretted that Cole had just ruined everything because he had alerted J.J. that someone was out to get him. "What you did was a serious crime, buddy, and you could go to jail," Eve warned Cole. "Don't you mean we could go to jail?" Cole countered. Annoyed, Eve grabbed Cole and started to throw him out, but when she opened the apartment door, she was horrified to find Paige standing in the hallway.

At the Horton Town Square, Jennifer and Abigail talked about the surprise party they were helping J.J. throw for Paige. Jennifer thought it would be best to schedule the event for the day before Paige's birthday, and she noted that Paige and J.J. would conveniently be finished with finals at that point. Changing the subject, Jennifer informed Abigail that Kristen had died recently. "Oh, my God -- Chad," Abigail muttered.

At the DiMera mansion, Chad was in the study, staring at a framed photograph of Kristen, when Marlena entered and wondered if he wanted to know what had happened to his sister. Chad summarized that Kristen had died, and he insisted he didn't need to talk to a shrink about the matter. Marlena said Johnny was worried about Chad and had told her Kristen's death had left Chad all alone. Marlena noted that Chad had lost a lot since learning he was a DiMera, and she explained that she thought she owed it to Chad to let him know she had been with Kristen at the time of Kristen's death.

Marlena explained that she was willing to tell Chad the unvarnished truth about what had happened to Kristen so he could judge for himself but would at least have all the facts, as opposed to the spin Stefano might try to put on the matter. After Marlena was finished with her summary, Chad tried to wrap his head around what he had just learned -- particularly the part about how Kristen had stolen Theresa's child. Marlena explained that Kristen's inability to have children had been a very deep issue for her and had left her feeling incomplete -- a feeling that had made her do strange things.

"We are quite the screwed-up family, aren't we?" Chad muttered. Marlena reminded Chad that she had known his mother, who had been a beautiful, intelligent woman. "She was a whore. And you know what my father is. So...what do you think, Dr. Evans? What are the odds I will turn out any differently?" Chad wondered. Marlena advised that Chad was in charge of his own destiny and had a right to live a life he could be proud of.

Chad wondered if there was any other reason for Marlena's visit. Marlena reiterated that she had just wanted to check on Chad and make sure he knew the truth about what had happened to Kristen. "It was an accident. It was -- it was self-defense. And if anybody is responsible, that person would be me -- nobody else. I'm sorry for your loss," Marlena added before showing herself out. Later, while staring again at the photograph of Kristen and muttering that she had never really stood a chance, Chad received a phone call from Stefano.

Marlena bumped into someone on her way through the park. Marlena apologized and tried to sidestep the man, but he mimicked her movement, so she turned and started walking in the opposite direction. A second man emerged and blocked her path, and when she tried to dodge him, she found a third man standing in her way. Marlena eyed the men nervously as they closed in on her.

J.J. vows to stop Eve for good

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

by Mike

Maggie entered Daniel's apartment while Melanie was on the phone with Carly, telling her about what had happened in Italy and assuring her that everything was fine. After Melanie ended the call, Maggie asserted that everything was not fine because Melanie wasn't where she belonged -- with Brady. Melanie didn't want to intrude on Brady's time with his son, but Maggie soon convinced her that she needed to be at Brady's side.

At the hospital, Daniel interrupted Brady and Theresa's embrace to let them know he had been monitoring Christopher's vitals and had seen no reason not to go ahead with the bone marrow transplant the following day. Theresa objected to Daniel's involvement in her child's healthcare, so he diplomatically offered to recommend a different surgeon to handle the procedure. Brady started to insist that wouldn't be necessary, but Theresa interrupted and asked for a moment alone with Daniel.

In Daniel's office, Theresa clarified that the hug had just been her and Brady's way of comforting each other. Theresa added that she didn't want Daniel anywhere near her or her baby because she didn't want his ridiculous suspicions about her to get back to Melanie and cause Melanie to get the wrong idea about what had happened. Knowing Daniel hated her, Theresa assumed he doubted the sincerity of the kind things she had said to Melanie in front of everyone earlier. Daniel said his feelings didn't matter, but as Theresa started to agree, he added that Melanie's feelings did matter -- a lot.

Elsewhere, Brady greeted Melanie and Maggie and gave them an update on Christopher's condition. Caroline interrupted and asked about her granddaughter and great-grandson. After explaining that Theresa was talking to Daniel, Brady introduced Caroline to Christopher. Theresa soon arrived and made a point of telling Caroline that Melanie deserved all the credit for reuniting Theresa and Brady with their child. Daniel wasn't far behind Theresa, and she asked him to get Brady up to speed on what they had discussed so she could spend some time with her son and grandmother.

Daniel took Brady, Melanie, and Maggie to his office and told them about Theresa's desire to have another surgeon perform the bone marrow transplant the following morning. Maggie asked for a moment alone with Brady, and after they left, Melanie guessed Theresa had wanted Daniel off the case so he wouldn't be able to keep Melanie in the loop about what was going on with Christopher. Daniel admitted he didn't know what Theresa was thinking -- but he didn't trust a word she said, either. Daniel doubted Theresa had learned anything from her ordeal, but Melanie hoped being responsible for another person would have a positive effect on Theresa.

Daniel and Melanie rejoined Maggie and Brady in the waiting area just as Theresa was saying goodbye to Caroline. Brady wanted to talk to Melanie privately, so Daniel invited them to use his office because he was headed home for the evening. Maggie went with Daniel, and Theresa followed Brady and Melanie so she could eavesdrop. Brady wanted Melanie to know he loved her and appreciated everything she had done to reunite him with his son. Theresa's jaw dropped when she heard Brady add that, while he would be spending the night at the hospital with Theresa and their child, Melanie was in his heart -- and always would be.

At the Horton Town Square, Jennifer stopped Abigail from going to check on Chad, suggesting that might not be a good idea -- at least not without backup from someone like Will or Sonny. Abigail insisted she could handle being alone with Chad because she knew how to deal with him. Abigail added that she was no longer the nave person she had once been -- and she would never be that person again. Jennifer acquiesced but warned Abigail not to confuse the grief-stricken Chad she would be seeing that day with the man he really was. Abigail assured Jennifer she would just be offering her sympathy to someone she had once been close to.

In the park, Marlena asked the three men to get out of her way, but one replied that they couldn't do that. The man flashed an ISA badge and identified himself as Agent Carson before explaining that he and the other men had some questions to ask Marlena about the recent incident in Italy. Marlena started to reach for her cell phone so she could contact her attorney, but Carson grabbed her arm and told her there wasn't time for that.

The men escorted Marlena to a plane, and Carson told her they would be taking a quick trip. Marlena reiterated that she had a right to have an attorney present during the questioning, but Carson insisted that wouldn't be necessary. Carson added that if Marlena chose not to cooperate, he and the other men could round up everyone else that had been involved in the incident as well, including the baby. Marlena didn't want that to happen, so she agreed to answer Carson's questions. Satisfied, Carson contacted the pilot and said they were ready for takeoff. Afterward, Carson put a cup of tea in front of Marlena and watched as she sipped it apprehensively.

At the DiMera mansion, Chad answered Stefano's phone call and revealed that he already knew about what had happened to Kristen because he had talked to Marlena earlier. Chad said it sounded like Kristen had really lost it. "Ah, yeah -- according to Marlena," Stefano muttered. Chad pointed out that Marlena's story was all he had to go on, since he had never heard a word about the whole thing from Stefano. "I'll be in touch," Stefano dismissively replied before abruptly ending the call. Later, Stefano listened to sorrowful opera music and scowled as he stared at the shattered remains of the window Kristen had fallen through.

Abigail arrived at the DiMera mansion to offer her condolences to Chad, and she quickly realized he had known about Kristen's death at the time of their previous conversation, when he had been upset about something but hadn't been willing to talk to Abigail about it. Abigail wished Chad had confided in her so she could have been a friend to him.

Abigail reminded Chad that he did have friends, adding that Sonny had wanted to accompany her to the mansion but had been unable to because Arianna was sick and Will was out of town. Chad sarcastically thanked Abigail for taking it upon herself to tell Sonny about Kristen's death. Abigail pointed out that people were going to find out one way or another -- and they were going to want to be there for Chad when they did.

"You're right -- I do need my friends, considering the family that I've got -- or, actually, that would be past tense, right? The family that -- that I had. Like my brother, E.J. -- responsible for God knows how many ruined lives -- [who apparently] hired a hit man to kill your cousin. And then there's my beautiful, late sister, Kristen -- obviously certifiable. But the guy who turned my two siblings into the fine, upstanding citizens that they were is very much alive and kicking, and now that his favorite two marks are gone, he has all of the time in the world to focus all of that magic into me now," Chad replied, his voice wavering a bit as he spoke.

Abigail hugged Chad and assured him he wasn't like the rest of the members of his family -- and he didn't have to worry about turning out like them in the end because he was a good man who was capable of fighting his father's influence. Chad kissed Abigail, and she responded to the kiss, but as they started to undress each other, she stopped and insisted they couldn't continue. Chad tried to kiss Abigail again, but she kept him at bay, stressing that what they had just done had been wrong. Abigail reminded herself that she had intended to visit Chad solely as a friend, and she rushed off after apologizing and stating that the whole thing had been her fault.

At the Horton house, J.J. stared in disbelief at the bag of marijuana, amazed at the lengths Eve was willing to go to in order to ruin his life. Someone knocked, so J.J. stuffed the bag back in his backpack before opening the front door to greet the visitor -- Rory, who observed that J.J. looked like he had just seen a ghost. J.J. pulled Rory into the foyer, closed the front door, and explained what was going on.

Rory was disappointed to learn that J.J. planned to toss the marijuana in the river as soon as possible, since that seemed like a waste, but he understood that J.J. needed to dispose of the evidence to protect himself. "It's one thing calling in a fake tip to embarrass me with my family, but to plant drugs in my backpack -- she is psycho. She is psycho!" J.J. complained. "Wait -- 'she'? I was thinking it had to be Cole," Rory replied. After pointing out that Cole had a thing for Paige and could easily get his hands on drugs, Rory conceded that J.J.'s hot friend from boarding school, Roxanne, might also have an axe to grind with J.J.

Eager to get rid of the marijuana right away, J.J. started to show Rory out -- but as Rory observed that J.J. was a mess and needed to relax a bit, Jennifer arrived and wondered if something else had happened. J.J. claimed he had just been talking to Rory about Roman's earlier visit, and Rory left so Jennifer could talk to J.J. privately. Jennifer told J.J. she had been trying to figure out who had called in the anonymous tip to the police. Jennifer didn't think Eve would make such a desperate move, especially since J.J. didn't actually have drugs in his possession. J.J. appreciated Jennifer's desire to help but assured her he could handle the matter himself.

Paige wondered if Cole's presence in Eve's apartment had something to do with J.J. Cole said he hadn't been able to download the notes Paige had emailed him to get him up to speed on the class he had missed, and he wondered why she had suspected his visit had somehow involved J.J. Paige explained that someone had tried to cause trouble for J.J. earlier, but it had just been a prank that hadn't really gone anywhere.

Cole left after Paige resent the notes from her cell phone. Paige asked Eve how Cole had seemed when he had arrived. Eve said she couldn't answer that because she barely knew Cole. Eve added that she had something very important to tell Paige. After Paige wrapped her head around what had happened to Theresa, she started asking about Cole again, wondering if he had really just wanted to get her notes. Eve suggested Cole might have just used that as a convenient excuse to see Paige, since he was obviously smitten with her, but Paige didn't understand why Cole would have tried looking for her at Eve's place instead of the dorm.

Eve shrugged and tried to excuse herself so she could pick up some things for Theresa, but Paige pointed out that she still hadn't told Eve about what had happened to J.J. earlier. Eve wasn't particularly interested, since Paige had already said that everything had worked out in the end. Paige started ranting about the incident, but Eve interrupted and reiterated that she needed to do some shopping. Eve rushed Paige out of the apartment so Paige could get back to studying for finals, excitedly noting that the day after finals would be Paige's birthday.

"Cole -- what an idiot! I have to do everything! This has to be taken care of. It has to be taken care of now," Eve muttered as she retrieved the disposable cell phone she had purchased for herself earlier. Eve went to a secluded section of the town square and contacted Cole, who was at Club TBD. Cole wondered what Paige had been talking about when she had mentioned a prank earlier.

Eve carefully explained that the package Cole had sent apparently hadn't arrived at its proper destination. "Are you serious? They didn't find the drugs? I put them right inside --" Cole started to respond, but Eve interrupted and told him to shut up. Ignoring the advice, Cole assured Eve he had been extremely careful and hadn't left his fingerprints on anything. Eve hoped that was true -- for Cole's sake. "And not for yours?" Cole countered.

"You listen to me, you little twerp -- don't ever think about ratting me out, okay? Because I have phone records, and I logged every single minute that we've been together, and I can cover myself, and I have enough details to get you even more prison time, so do not even think about messing with me, you hear me?" Eve warned Cole. Cole started to protest, but Eve interrupted and told him they were done -- and he was never to contact her again. Eve ended the call, wiped her fingerprints off the disposable cell phone, and tossed it in a nearby trashcan.

When Eve turned around, she found Jennifer standing behind her. Jennifer wondered if Eve knew about what had happened to J.J. earlier. Eve confirmed that Paige had mentioned something about a prank, although she added that she hadn't taken the time to learn all the details because she was focused on Theresa and the baby at the moment. Jennifer nodded and started to walk away, but Eve added that she had decided, in light of the second chance Theresa had been given, to try to find it in her heart to give J.J. a second chance, too -- as long as he and Jennifer were willing to extend her the same courtesy.

J.J. sent Paige a text message to let her know he wanted her to meet him at the park. "Mom can't stop Eve. No matter what she says or does to try to reach her, Eve will just keep lying and scheming. This has to be on me. I'm gonna put an end to this myself," J.J. muttered as he left the Horton house. J.J. went to the park and disposed of the marijuana shortly before Paige arrived. J.J. told Paige about what had happened, and he explained that he had thrown the evidence away because with his record, it would most likely be viewed as evidence against him, not the person who had tried to set him up.

Paige was certain Cole was behind the whole thing, since he had known she and J.J. had made plans to see a movie together. Paige guessed Cole had sneaked into the Horton house to hide the marijuana somewhere and had knocked over the potted plant in his haste to escape when she and J.J. had returned sooner than expected. Paige was also still suspicious about Cole's earlier visit to Eve's apartment, especially since he had seemed particularly interested in hearing about the prank someone had pulled on J.J.

Paige wanted to confront Cole, but J.J. insisted she couldn't do that. J.J. said he wanted to forget about the whole thing and didn't even want Jennifer and Abigail to know how serious it had truly been. Paige feared Cole might try something else, but J.J. said he'd be ready in that case but thought it was more likely that Cole would just drop the whole thing instead of taking another risk. Paige didn't want Cole to get away with what he had done, but J.J. reminded her that they had more important things to focus on -- like finals, her birthday, and their future together in California -- so she reluctantly agreed to let it go.

Paige went to Club TBD to meet with Daphne so they could study for finals, but she found herself still thinking about everything that had happened -- and wondering why J.J. was determined not to confront Cole. Meanwhile, J.J. returned to the Horton house. "Eve got Cole to help her frame me -- I know it. But there's no way I'm gonna confront that loser and let Paige get suspicious of her mother's involvement, because then the truth might come out. But that doesn't mean that Eve didn't screw up big time, because she gave me exactly what I need to put an end to this sick game she's been playing -- once and for all," J.J. muttered.

Stefano has Marlena kidnapped

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

by ChickenGrrl

At Club TBD, Hope thanked Rafe for helping with one of his former cases. Rafe urged Hope not to let Clyde Weston make trouble for her and Aiden. Ciara arrived just then and declared that her mom had blown things with Aiden. Rafe handed Ciara some cash and asked her to buy a pastry for him, and Ciara happily complied. Rafe asked Hope if what Ciara had said before had anything to do with Clyde Weston.

Hope admitted that she didn't understand why Aiden didn't seem to be able to see through Clyde's "good old boy" act. Rafe urged Hope not to let Clyde ruin something that had made her so happy, especially since she didn't even have a case against Clyde. Ciara returned and agreed with Rafe that her mom needed to "suck it up" and fix things with Aiden. As Rafe left so Hope could take Ciara to school, Hope promised that she and Rafe would finish their conversation later. Hope promised Ciara that she would talk to Aiden.

Clyde went to Aiden's office to review some things about his case -- but first, Aiden wanted to talk to Clyde about something. Clyde interrupted to inquire about Aiden's son, Chase, and how old Aiden had been when his mother had died. When Aiden said Chase had been five, Clyde acknowledged that Ben had been about the same age when his mother had been killed.

Ben arrived just then and announced that he wanted to go back to using the last name Weston. "This boy's gonna do me proud. He's gonna make people sit up and take notice of the Weston name," an emotional Clyde declared. After the Weston men had gone, Aiden got a picture via text message from Chase of Hope, Ciara, Aiden, and Chase.

Hope arrived at Aiden's office and apologized for what had happened the night before. She explained that she was driving to Chicago to complete a case and didn't feel she could leave things the way they had been. Aiden pointed out that Clyde Weston likely wouldn't be the last "person of interest" to the police that he would represent. "You're right, so if it's going to be like this, maybe you and I are better off as just friends," Hope said. Aiden admitted that he'd been thinking the same thing.

Aiden expressed hope that they could still be friends. As Hope headed for the door, she shook Aiden's hand and wished him luck. "Ah, the hell am I kidding?" Aiden murmured, grabbing Hope and pulling her into an ardent kiss. The ringing telephone on Aiden's desk interrupted them. After answering it, Aiden apologetically explained that his next appointment had arrived. "No more of this craziness, okay?" Hope said as she grabbed her purse to head out for her trip to Chicago. Aiden concurred.

Kate went to the DiMera mansion to see Chad. She confessed that she didn't want to see Lucas used as the opening shot in a war between Stefano and Victor. She also expressed her sympathy about Kristen's death. Chad insisted he'd gotten all the sympathy he needed, plus he wasn't really alone because he still had his dad. "That's the biggest tragedy of all," Kate asserted. Chad believed that Kate was trying to alienate him from his father, but Kate insisted she couldn't care less about Stefano. "I'm here because I care about you," Kate maintained.

Chad angrily reminded Kate that he wasn't her son. She reminded him that she'd been married to Stefano when Chad had found out he was Stefano's son and had helped Chad navigate his way into the family. Kate asserted that the bond between her and Chad was what kept her from having resentful feelings toward him -- and it was the reason she would always be there for him. On her way out, Kate lightly promised to get Chad back for making her son her competition.

When Melanie met Abigail in Horton Square, the women talked about how strange it was that Brady and Theresa were parents. Abigail confided that something she'd learned about Ben's past had thrown her. She added that she'd visited Chad to offer her condolences about Kristen, but before she'd realized what had been happening, they'd ended up kissing, although Abigail had quickly stopped it. Abigail wanted to change the subject, so Melanie suggested they should do some shopping for Brady's son, as well as Arianna's second birthday.

Will called Sonny from Poplar Bluff and reported that things there were "boring." Paul showed up at Will and Sonny's apartment just then, so Sonny made an excuse to hang up. Will promised to check in as soon as he knew when he would be back in Salem. As soon as Sonny hung up, Arianna woke up and began fussing. Sonny hurried into the bedroom to check on her and returned with the tot in his arms. Paul asked to hold Arianna, so Sonny handed the little one off. Sonny explained that Will had left before Sonny had gotten a chance tell him that Paul was back in town.

As Paul was bouncing Arianna in his arms, she spilled her chocolate milk all over the front of his shirt. Sonny helpfully offered to run some water over the shirt before it stained, so Paul peeled off his t-shirt. Sonny emphasized that he was committed to Will, and Sonny hadn't known about his dad's trip to San Francisco to encourage Paul to return to Salem. Paul maintained that all he'd ever wanted was for Sonny to be happy.

After rinsing the chocolate milk out of Paul's shirt, Sonny returned with the wet shirt in a plastic bag, plus one of Will's shirts for Paul to wear. Paul asked about Will's latest story. Sonny confessed that he wished Will would stop writing about local people, because it only seemed to stir things up. As Paul was lifting Arianna out of her high char, someone knocked on the door, so Sonny went to answer it. Abigail and Melanie entered and assumed, seeing a man's back in Will's shirt, that it was Will in this kitchen. They were taken aback when they saw that it was Paul instead.

Abigail expressed surprise that Paul was back in town. Although Sonny tried to dodge the subject, Paul explained that he'd just learned that his father -- John Black -- lived in Salem. Stunned, Melanie noted that meant Paul's half-brother was Brady Black. Paul admitted that neither Brady nor his girlfriend had taken the news well. Indicating Melanie, Abigail clarified, "This is his girlfriend -- Melanie Jonas." Recognizing the name, Paul realized that Melanie's dad had been his doctor.

Melanie diplomatically acknowledged that the entire situation was difficult for anyone to understand. She filled in Paul about Brady's newfound son, and Paul was a bit stunned at the news that he had both a brother and a nephew about whom he'd never known. "No wonder Brady couldn't handle hearing about me," Paul remarked. He wanted to return to the hospital, but Melanie suggested that it would be better for Paul to wait until after the baby's bone marrow transplant.

Melanie got a text message just then and told the others that there was something she had to take care of. On her way out, Melanie urged Paul to give Brady another chance. Paul headed out a moment later, leaving Sonny and Abigail alone with Arianna. "So -- Paul's back," Abigail remarked mischievously to Sonny. Sonny insisted that nothing had been going on, although Will was out of town doing research and didn't know yet that Paul had returned.

Abigail acknowledged that Will and Sonny were committed, but she pointed out, "I saw the way [Paul] looked at you." Sonny admitted that every time he thought things were getting better between him and Will, Will did something that drove Sonny crazy. "Will and I will figure out a way to make it work," Sonny asserted.

Summoned by Chad, Melanie arrived at the DiMera mansion, and Chad apologized if he were taking Melanie away from Brady and the baby. Melanie expressed her condolences to Chad about Kristen and said that she had been at the castle when Kristen had died. Chad explained that he'd asked Melanie there because he'd gotten part of the story from Marlena -- but he wanted Melanie to tell him everything that had happened.

Will asked a waitress at the diner in Poplar Bluff if she had time to answer some questions for a magazine article -- a cover story -- he was writing. After he seemed to have gained the waitress' trust, Will asked what the local residents thought of Clyde Weston. The waitress' smile fell, and she excused herself to return to work.

Will was working on his laptop later when Jeremiah entered the diner, on the phone with Clyde. "I'm looking at him right now, boss. ... Oh, yeah, I know just what to do," Jeremiah quietly assured Clyde.

Kate met Clyde in the park just as he hung up with Jeremiah. After Kate kissed him, Clyde declared that it was a special day because he'd gotten his son back. Clyde was excited to pass the family torch on to his son. "I'm going to do everything that I can to make sure that his life is everything he wants it to be," Clyde added.

Jeremiah approached Will and asked if he were the writer. Will insisted that he was a journalist, writing a story about Clyde Weston with Clyde's blessing, although Jeremiah already seemed to know all that. "I think you need to come with me -- right now," Jeremiah declared.

Ben was at a table in Horton Square, filling out a new W-2 form with his new legal name, when Rafe greeted him. Rafe was a bit taken aback when he saw that Ben had changed his last name to Weston. Ben got defensive, but Rafe pointed out that it was Ben's life. "I'm just curious, though. What's Jordan think of this?" Rafe asked. Ben said he intended to tell Jordan; he just hadn't gotten around to it yet.

Marlena dozed off aboard the DiMera jet after an ISA agent, who was also apparently a DiMera henchman, drugged her tea. Marlena started awake when the plane landed, and she demanded to know where they were. Agent Carson explained that Marlena would have to answer some questions about her role in Kristen DiMera's death.

Marlena was incensed when Agent Carson led her through the doors of the DiMera villa in Italy. "Your superiors at the ISA are going to hear about this!" she threatened. Unconcerned, Carson ordered her to stay put as he headed into another part of the house. Marlena couldn't help but peer around the police tape out the window through which Kristen had fallen to her presumed death. A door slammed behind her, and she turned to find an angry Stefano standing in the doorway with his hands on his hips.

"I should have known you were behind this," Marlena said. Stefano remarked that he had grown up not far from there. Marlena acknowledged that Kristen's death had to be difficult for Stefano, occurring so soon after E.J.'s. Stefano admitted that with those deaths and Lexie's, it had been a difficult few years. Marlena guessed the Italian authorities had briefed Stefano about what had happened to Kristen, and Stefano confirmed it. Marlena reminded Stefano that she understood because she, too, had lost a child. Stefano replied, "That was years ago. Maybe, just maybe, I need to refresh your memory."

A livid Marlena demanded to know if Stefano were really threatening her children. She insisted that what had happened with Kristen had been an accident, and she reminded Stefano that Sami was the mother of his grandchildren. "That is true, and that is why I will not do anything to harm her. You, on the other hand -- those children don't need you, do they?" Stefano countered. Marlena pointed out that if Stefano wanted revenge, he could have killed her in Salem.

"But in Salem, you would not die seeing everything my daughter saw before you pushed her out that window," Stefano growled. "Stefano, stop this. This is insane," Marlena argued as calmly as possible. "It's justice!" Give me one reason -- one reason why I should not kill you the same way you killed my Kristen," Stefano demanded.

Stefano orders his goons to kill Marlena

Thursday, May 14, 2015

by Mike

While cutting food with a knife in the Horton Town Square, Serena fantasized about plunging a much larger knife into Xander's chest after seducing him into a vulnerable position. "If only it were as simple as putting a knife through Xander's heart. For one, he doesn't have a heart. I have got to stop running scared. He needs to know that I am not afraid of him anymore," Serena muttered before rushing off.

At the hospital, Xander received a phone call from Nicole. After telling Nicole he was busy, Xander ended the call and approached Daniel to ask -- ostensibly on Victor's behalf -- about the bone marrow transplant that was scheduled to take place that day. Daniel said the procedure hadn't started yet because Theresa was still being prepped, and he added that he had promised to keep Victor informed and still planned to do just that.

Changing the subject, Xander said he still felt bad about how he had asked Nicole out before learning she was involved with Daniel. Xander hoped he hadn't caused problems for the couple. Dismissing the concern, Daniel said he and Nicole were both fine. Daniel excused himself so he could head to Club TBD for a real cup of coffee instead of settling for the hospital's version. Xander asked to tag along, so Daniel said that would be okay.

Shortly after the men reached their destination, Serena entered the club and overheard Xander talking about how Victor had been close to Daniel's biological father -- much closer than he had been to Xander's father, despite the fact that Victor was actually related to the latter man. Serena asked to join the men, stating that she would love to hear more about Xander's childhood, since they had somehow skipped such discussions during the time they had spent together in Africa. Xander forced a smile to hide his discomfort as Serena talked about how he had been focused on charity work in Africa and had never been willing to say much about his past.

When Daniel excused himself so he could get back to the hospital, Serena said she wanted to get together with him and Melanie for dinner sometime soon, after Melanie's life calmed down a bit. Serena suggested Xander could attend the gathering as well, since he was great at cheering people up. Daniel was okay with the idea, but after he left, Xander made it clear that he wasn't.

Nicole was in her office at the television station, complaining to herself about how Xander had dodged her phone call, when Eric arrived and wondered why she wanted to talk to Xander. Nicole claimed she was working on a completely positive -- and, of course, fake -- story about what had happened in Italy because her boss was forcing her to cover the incident. Nicole said she didn't want to bother Brady but had no qualms about trying to get information from Xander. Eric told Nicole she could have gone to him for help instead, but she said going to Xander had been easier.

When Eric expressed skepticism, Nicole demanded to know why he always assumed she was lying about everything. Eric insisted he didn't always assume that, but he added that he knew Nicole well and could tell when she was acting really defensive. Nicole said she was acting that way because Eric was grilling her. Eric told Nicole she was a lousy liar, but she maintained that she wasn't lying, so he relented -- although he remained convinced that something was going on with Xander that had nothing to do with the story about what had happened in Italy.

Nicole considered telling Eric the truth but changed her mind after imagining his worst-case scenario reaction to her essentially baseless hunch that Serena was involved in something shady with Xander. Instead, Nicole admitted there might have been more to her recent interactions with Xander -- perhaps, on some level, she had been flirting with him to make Daniel jealous, or perhaps she had just wanted to have some fun with a handsome guy. Nicole added, however, that Xander was not only Victor's nephew but also someone who thought of Daniel as family, meaning she was off-limits to him -- at least as far as he was concerned.

Eric wondered why Nicole was still trying to get to know Xander better if there was no way the relationship could ever go anywhere. Nicole sarcastically conceded the point, acknowledging that she never seemed to learn her lesson, and she apologized for failing to live up to the lofty standards of people of unfailing integrity, such as Eric and Daniel. Changing the subject, Nicole wondered why Eric had tracked her down at the television station in the first place. Eric explained that he had wanted to confirm that Nicole wasn't going to do a story about Brady's recent ordeal. Nicole dismissively pointed out that Eric had gotten his answer, so he took the hint and left.

"Now I need to find the proof so I can finally tell you the truth," Nicole muttered with a sigh. Later, Nicole ran into Daniel in the town square. Nicole said she had heard about what had happened in Italy, and she apologized for going off on Daniel during their last conversation instead of letting him explain everything to her himself. Daniel started to offer his own apology, but Nicole insisted that wasn't necessary -- which was exactly the same opinion he had about her apology. Daniel and Nicole went back and forth about the matter for a few seconds before stopping themselves, realizing they were about to get into a silly argument about who was sorrier.

Daniel wondered if he could convince Nicole to have dinner with him sometime soon. Nicole said she wanted to talk to Daniel about everything but was too busy to do so at that time. Nicole promised to call Daniel after things calmed down for both of them. After Daniel left, Nicole tried to assure herself that what she was doing would be worth it in the end -- and that she and Daniel would eventually be together again.

After Daniel returned to his apartment, he received a visit from Eric, who had just finished getting some photographs of Parker developed. Eric asked for an update on the bone marrow transplant, so Daniel reported that things seemed to be going smoothly, based on what he had heard. When Daniel casually mentioned Serena's dinner idea, Eric noted that it was odd that she wanted to include Xander, since she didn't like the guy -- at all.

Xander dragged Serena to his hotel room so he could privately confront her about the stunt she had pulled at Club TBD. Serena explained that she had simply been having a bit of fun with Xander, who insisted it hadn't been funny at all. "It was to me. And also very revealing. You forget just how well I know you, and when you're sickeningly nice to a woman, it's because you want to manipulate her -- if you're lucky, get her into your bed -- but when you're sickeningly nice to a man, it's because you can't stand him. And you're really nice to Daniel, so why do you hate him?" Serena wondered.

Xander said he was nice to Daniel because Daniel was practically family. When Serena suggested there was more to the story than that, Xander said she didn't know what she was talking about, and he angrily ordered her to shut up. Serena observed that she had apparently hit a nerve, but Xander warned that, while she seemed to think she was clever, she would be foolish to believe she could play at his level. Xander retreated to the bathroom after telling Serena to stay out of his sight in the future. When Serena tried to leave, she found Nicole standing in the hallway, preparing to knock on Xander's door.

At the DiMera mansion, Melanie acknowledged that Kristen might still be alive if Melanie hadn't been obsessed with finding out the truth about Mandrake. Chad agreed but pointed out that Brady and Theresa still wouldn't know they had a son out there in that case. Chad wondered if Melanie regretted what she had done. Melanie said she regretted the way things had turned out for Kristen, but Chad thought Melanie needed to be concerned about how things might turn out for her, too, since Brady and Theresa's son would bond them forever, and that bond could impact Melanie's relationship with Brady.

Melanie insisted she didn't regret that part because Brady and Theresa had deserved to know the truth about their child. Chad agreed but argued that he likewise deserved to know the truth about what had happened to Kristen. Chad begged Melanie to tell him everything, knowing no one else ever would. "Kristen had us all locked up in a castle -- Marlena, Theresa, Brady, myself -- and she was planning on killing us. This wasn't Marlena's fault, okay? They struggled, and...she would have pushed Marlena out the window had she not fallen herself. Kristen fell, and if she hadn't, she would have killed all of us," Melanie reluctantly revealed.

Melanie was quick to stress that Chad was nothing like the rest of his family. Noting that Melanie was the third person who had felt the need to tell him that recently, Chad proceeded to list his own misdeeds in an effort to prove that he was a DiMera through and through. Melanie countered that she had made some pretty big mistakes in her life as well, and she wondered if that made her a DiMera. Melanie argued that Chad had done nothing that could put him even close to being in the same league as Stefano, E.J., or Kristen. "Yet," Chad stressed.

Melanie pointed out that Chad wouldn't have had any reason to worry about turning out like Stefano in the first place if he hadn't learned he was Stefano's son a few years earlier. Chad insisted he had always been a screw-up, even before learning the truth about his parentage. Chad reminded Melanie that Mia hadn't even felt like she could tell him about her pregnancy -- and, as a result of that, his daughter had died before he had even known she existed. Melanie maintained that Chad's life hadn't consisted of only bad choices, and she added that she had never pegged him as the kind of person who was likely to wallow in self-pity.

Chad admitted it was indeed out of character for him to do that, and Melanie told him to cut it out and stop worrying about turning out like his father. Melanie assured Chad that he could still be the kind of man he wanted to be -- he just had to make the right choice and stick to it, and she hoped he would do just that. Melanie started to leave, but Chad stopped her and said he hadn't meant to make their meeting all about his problems. Chad knew things had been rough for Melanie lately, too, and he hoped things would work out for her and Brady because she deserved to get everything she wanted out of life.

At the police station, Roman told Abe he was worried about Marlena because he hadn't heard from her in the past twenty-four hours. While Brady, Theresa, and Melanie had each been accounted for, Marlena wasn't answering her cell phone, and she had apparently canceled all her scheduled appointments the previous day but had offered no explanation in the text message she had sent her secretary. Roman didn't want to bother John with the matter yet, just in case it turned out to be nothing, but his gut instinct was that Marlena was in trouble -- and Stefano was the most likely culprit.

Abe wasn't willing to wait around to find out if he and Roman had enough evidence to obtain a warrant, so he rushed off to the DiMera mansion to question Chad. After offering his condolences and promising to visit again with Theo in the near future, Abe explained that he was trying to track down Stefano because he was worried that Stefano might have kidnapped Marlena. Chad said he had talked to Stefano recently but had no idea where Stefano was. Chad admitted, however, that Stefano had seemed much calmer during that conversation than he had during any other conversation they'd had since Kristen's death.

Abe urged Chad to get in touch with Stefano right away. Chad didn't think that would do any good, but Abe was hopeful that Chad would be able to get through to Stefano, since Chad was all Stefano had left. Abe pointed out that Stefano had never gotten revenge for E.J.'s murder because the junkie who had killed E.J. had died before Stefano had been able to make a move, and he added that Stefano wasn't likely to ever view Kristen's death as the tragic accident it had been. Abe predicted that Stefano was going to take out his anger on Marlena and make her pay for both deaths unless Chad intervened.

At the DiMera compound in Italy, Marlena wondered if Stefano really wanted to end their decades-long feud in such an abrupt way. "You killed my daughter. How would you have it end, Marlena?" Stefano asked as he went to the bar to pour himself a drink. Marlena said she knew Stefano better than anyone else did, and she believed his power play was actually about her, not Kristen. Marlena theorized that Stefano had finally found the perfect excuse to rid himself of her -- and his obsession with her -- for good. Fed up with Marlena's psychoanalysis, Stefano suggested they could take a trip down memory lane instead, and he wondered where to begin.

Marlena accused Stefano of just wanting to happily recall all the times he had tormented her and her family over the years -- from the very first time he had kidnapped her and taken her to Ridgecrest. Marlena warned Stefano that the difference between that place and the DiMera compound in Italy was that people already knew about the existence of the latter, so they would know exactly where to find her. Stefano pointed out that no one would have known about the compound in Italy if Marlena hadn't interfered. Stefano vowed that he wouldn't let Marlena get away with killing his daughter but would have no problem getting away with killing her.

"How many times have I heard that threat from you? And you know what? I'm still here," Marlena countered. Marlena reminded Stefano that, following her escape from Ridgecrest, he had developed what she believed was a textbook example of obsession, with her as the object of his interest. Marlena recalled how Stefano had held her captive at Maison Blanche and, after she had escaped from there as well, had started sneaking into her penthouse each night to whisk her off to a dream world, all in an effort to make her fall in love with him.

"Thank you, Dr. Evans, for your brilliant diagnosis, you know? Now it's my turn. You've canonized yourself Saint Marlena -- ever-kind and patient face frozen in a perpetual smile. Liar! Funny, but I've been called a murderer, hmm? Yet look -- my hands, all clean. What about yours?" Stefano countered. Stefano recalled how Marlena had once shot him, sending him plummeting to his presumed death; had once seduced him to get him to lower his guard and consume a drink she had drugged; had once gleefully put him in a paralytic state; and had even once pushed him out a window, putting him in a wheelchair and causing him to lose his memory.

Marlena protested that she hadn't been in her right mind at the time of the final incident Stefano had mentioned. "Oh, that's right -- the devil made you do it, huh? But the truth is, you, Marlena, are the devil," Stefano insisted. Marlena wondered if being willing to do anything to protect her loved ones made her the devil in Stefano's mind. Marlena argued that she and Stefano actually had that much in common with each other, and she pointed out that, while they had never been able to pretend to be one big, happy family after E.J. and Sami had gotten involved with each other, they had never had to pretend to love Johnny and Sydney.

Marlena reminded Stefano that they were each a part of their shared grandchildren -- and yet she wouldn't change a thing about them, and she assumed Stefano felt the same way. Marlena said she knew what Stefano was going through because she had lost a child herself. Marlena started to add that she knew Stefano was feeling unbearable pain, but he interrupted and warned her not to make the mistake of assuming she knew how he felt. Marlena wondered if Stefano thought killing her would make him feel better. "Yes, I do. You tried to kill me precisely this way. You succeeded in killing my daughter this way. Now...it is my turn," Stefano replied.

Marlena protested that what had happened to Kristen had been an accident, while what Stefano was threatening to do to her would be cold-blooded, premeditated murder. "Look, you said that these grandchildren don't need me. Do you think they need you? How do you think they're going to feel when they find out that their precious nonno took their grandmother away from them forever?" Marlena wondered.

"You are right -- my grandchildren would never forgive me...if they knew about it. But they will never know," Stefano replied before calling his goons back into the room. "Make your peace, Marlena, because now...you die," Stefano said through gritted teeth as he scowled at Marlena. The men dragged Marlena over to the window, and Stefano watched with a smile as she screamed in fear and struggled to free herself.

At the DiMera mansion, Chad shook his head apologetically after his second failed attempt to contact Stefano. "My father wouldn't hurt her, Abe," Chad insisted.

Chad provides invaluable help to Abe and Roman

Friday, May 15, 2015

by ChickenGrrl

In Poplar Bluff, Jeremiah and Will returned to the diner after Jeremiah had given Will a tour of the town. Will seemed prepared to begin writing his article about Clyde Weston, but Jeremiah asserted that Will needed to speak to the people who lived there in order to get a complete picture of the man Clyde really was. Will pointed out that everyone in Poplar Bluff seemed to think very highly of Mr. Weston, but Jeremiah maintained that everyone was just too scared to tell Will the truth. Jeremiah asked if Will really wanted to know the truth about Clyde.

"You might have to change your language for your magazine, but the truth is Clyde Weston was one son of a bitch. He put his kids through hell after their mama died, and put her through hell before she died. He was a real mean drunk -- and he liked to drink. A lot," Jeremiah explained. He urged Will not to run away from who Clyde really was and instead tell the world the truth. Jeremiah got up and left without another word. "But I can't," Will said to himself, looking at a photo on his phone of his grinning husband and daughter.

Later, Jeremiah eavesdropped from outside the diner while Will tried to book a flight home that night.

As Serena was leaving Xander's hotel room on his orders, Nicole showed up. Each woman wondered what the other was doing there. Nicole maintained that she was gathering quotes from family members about what Kristen had done to Brady and his son. Serena was skeptical, since Brady and Xander were cousins who hadn't seen one another since childhood.

When Xander returned from the bathroom, he was a bit irked to find that Serena hadn't left yet. Serena started mumbling excuses then she got a text message from Daniel asking if they could talk. As Serena hastily made her way out, Xander led her to the door and hissed, "Don't forget what we discussed."

Xander admitted to Nicole that he didn't particularly like surprises. Nicole promised that she would remember not to just drop by in the future. After a brief, somewhat tense discussion about Serena, the subject changed to Xander and Nicole's potential relationship. Xander admitted that he'd witnessed the "fireworks" between Daniel and Nicole at the Kiriakis mansion. Nicole pointed out that if Xander had seen that, then he knew things were over between her and Daniel.

Xander wasn't so sure about that -- or that he and Nicole had anything further to say other than "goodbye." Nicole admitted that perhaps she did still have feelings for Daniel, but it was clear to her that things between them would never work out. She added that she'd hoped to be able to have some fun with Xander, although she wasn't sure she remembered how. "I thought you were a nice guy, but now I'm not so sure anymore... It's time I stop hanging out with impossible men," Nicole declared irritably, heading for the door.

Xander stopped Nicole and said as long as she could keep things between them quiet and her relationship with Daniel really was over, he liked the idea of having fun with her. When Nicole agreed to stick around, Xander called room service and ordered a bottle of their most expensive Champagne. Nicole flirtatiously declared that more poetic words had never been spoken -- but she fretted about Serena keeping her mouth shut. Xander promised to make sure Serena didn't blab that he and Nicole were seeing each other.

Nicole noted that they needed to be discreet about how they kept in touch -- for example, Xander couldn't keep a picture on his phone. Turning on the seductive charm, Nicole offered to take a picture of Xander to place with her phone number, which would remind him of that moment whenever she called. Xander agreed that was a good idea. He handed Nicole his phone, and she snapped a few pictures of him. As she crossed the room to show him the shots she'd taken, she pretended to trip and twist her ankle.

Xander offered to retrieve some ice from the machine down the hall. Meanwhile, Nicole searched through Xander's phone, although she admitted to herself that she didn't really know exactly what she was looking for. Suddenly, she stumbled across a photo of one of the elephant statues and exclaimed, "Oh, my God!"

As Melanie arrived at her dad's apartment, Daniel suggested that she should accompany him to the hospital to check on how the baby's bone marrow transplant had gone. Melanie hadn't planned to visit because Brady and Theresa had seemed pretty serious about not wanting family and friends hovering around. Daniel argued that Melanie's status was much higher than that, plus she was the one who'd found Brady and Theresa's baby. "I don't want to do the wrong thing," Melanie admitted quietly. Daniel understood but urged Melanie to think about visiting.

After the transplant procedure, Theresa awakened in her hospital room and found Brady waiting for her, and their son sleeping in a bassinette nearby. Brady promised Theresa that from that moment forward, he would do whatever it took to keep the baby safe. Brady filled Theresa in that the doctors believed the transplant had gone well, but the baby would have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days. Theresa's only concern truly seemed to be for her son's well-being.

With a sly grin and a bit of wonder, Theresa noted that she had done something for someone else without any sort of payment for it. "Brady, I know that you would have done the same thing, but I'm glad that I was the match. I helped someone that I love -- and it's not a bad feeling," Theresa admitted. With a bit of anxiety, Theresa asked if Brady would stay with her until they let her hold the baby.

Brady agreed to stay, but first he wanted to find out when they could hold their son again. When Brady left Theresa's room, he found Daniel near the nurses' station. As the guys were talking, Melanie arrived. Daniel headed to his office to give Melanie and Brady some privacy. After Brady greeted Melanie with a kiss and told her how much he'd missed her, she produced a gift for the baby. She indicated that she was about to leave again, but Brady reassured her that he wanted her to stay. Melanie was still a little reluctant, but Brady convinced her that it was all right to go with him to look in on the baby.

When Melanie and Brady entered Theresa's room, Theresa greeted Melanie warmly. Theresa said she and Brady had discussed it, and while they would have liked to name the baby after Melanie, that simply wouldn't do for a boy's name. Brady continued that they'd decided the baby should have his own name without family connotations -- so they had decided on "Tate." Theresa explained that the name meant "cheerful" and "happiness," and they wanted to name him that to honor Melanie for bestowing those qualities on their lives by returning the baby to them.

Brady walked Melanie to the elevator and asked if they could spend some time together later because he had some things he wanted to talk to her about. He assured her that it was "all good." Melanie thanked Brady for letting her see his beautiful son. After Melanie boarded the elevator, Brady removed a small velvet pouch from his pocket, took out a pear-cut diamond ring, and smiled.

Back in her room, a gloved, masked, and gowned Theresa finally held baby Tate in her arms. "Don't you worry; Daddy will be right back. And you and I are never going to be separated from him ever again once we leave this hospital. Not for one single night," Theresa said softly.

Serena went to Daniel's office and asked why he'd wanted to see her. Daniel quickly corrected Serena's assumptions that it had anything to do with Melanie or Eric; instead, Daniel wanted to talk to her about Xander. Daniel explained that although Serena had made it seem as if she and Xander had been friends for a long time, Daniel had just learned from Eric that Serena didn't like Xander at all.

Laughing it off, Serena claimed that she simply didn't like Xander as much as Eric did. Daniel pointed out that when they'd been at his apartment, it had seemed as if Serena hadn't appeared comfortable with Xander -- and Daniel wanted to know if Serena had an issue with Xander. Puzzled as to why Daniel was questioning her, Serena snapped that she didn't want to talk about it. She quickly apologized. Daniel said he merely wanted to get to know his old friend better, and he wanted to know what Serena wasn't saying about Xander. "Why don't you talk to Nicole? Because she's the one who's with him right now," Serena declared.

At the DiMera villa in Italy, while Stefano's men dragged Marlena over to the window through which Kristen had tumbled to her death, Chad tried to reach his father by phone. Stefano tossed his phone aside so he could witness Marlena's fall to her own death. Back at the DiMera mansion in Salem, Abe urged Chad to try again, but again, Stefano didn't answer. Chad was clearly worried about what his father might try to do to Marlena.

Roman showed up with a warrant to search the mansion and emphasized that Marlena could die at Stefano's hands. While Abe and Roman left to search Stefano's room, Chad sent a text message to his father that read, "Emergency -- calling now."

Meanwhile, at the window, Marlena struggled, shrieked, and pleaded with Stefano to order the men to stop. When the phone rang again, Stefano saw the message from his son and answered the call. "Stop him! He's going to kill me!" Chad heard Marlena shout in the background, but Stefano insisted that it had been the television. "It's been muted," Stefano maintained as one of his thugs clamped a hand over Marlena's mouth. "I know you have Marlena... You cannot hurt her," Chad declared. Stefano argued that what he was doing was about family.

Chad reminded his father that Kristen -- who had also been family -- had intended to murder four people in cold blood in order to hold on to a baby she'd stolen from his family. Chad urged Stefano to be careful in using the word "family" to justify another murder. Stefano became angry, but Chad pointed out that Stefano would rather blame Marlena than face the truth about what Kristen really was. Chad threatened that he would be as dead to Stefano as Lexie, E.J., and Kristen, unless Chad saw Marlena in Salem, safe and sound.

Chad vowed that otherwise, he would ensure the DiMera name had no honor by making sure the world knew what Stefano had done. Stefano protested, but Chad argued, "I loved Kristen, and I despised what she did. She was insane. You are not. I will hold you responsible for what you do -- and you, and only you, will be responsible for the end of the DiMera family." Changing his tone from angrily belligerent to something more nonchalant, Stefano theorized that Marlena had simply gone on a well-deserved vacation. Chad said he hoped Stefano was right.

Claiming that he had a meeting, Chad instructed the cops to let themselves out, but in the hallway, Chad muttered breathlessly, "I have to get out of this damn house!"

After Stefano hung up, he instructed his thugs to let Marlena go, and the men complied. Later, Marlena called Roman from the DiMera jet and told him that she would be home soon. Before she could answer any of Roman's questions, Stefano grabbed the phone from her and instructed the pilot to take off. Stefano reminded Marlena of the last time they'd been on a plane together, and she recalled that he'd hidden under a veil and pretended to be Rachel.

Marlena told Stefano that he was doing the right thing, but he maintained, "The right thing would be to leave your twisted, broken body at the bottom of that cliff for the coyotes." Ignoring DiMera's vitriol, Marlena wondered what Chad had said to Stefano. Stefano would only say that Marlena owed her life to his son.

In the park, Abigail got a text message that read, "See you soon -- Ben Weston." Ben appeared at that moment and greeted Abigail with a kiss. Abigail expressed surprise that Ben actually intended to go through with changing his last name back to his father's, although she acknowledged that it was none of her business. Ben pointed out that when he'd mentioned it before, she hadn't objected. Abigail insisted that she still didn't; she was just a little surprised that he'd done it without telling her when they were supposed to be in a relationship.

"Are you embarrassed to be with someone named Weston? I mean, come on, it's not like I'm changing my name to DiMera," Ben pointed out. Abigail resented Ben's cheap shot about what had happened with E.J. She suggested they should talk later -- before one of them said something they regretted. Frustrated and confused, Ben left.

Abigail was still in the park when Chad arrived a little later, and she could immediately tell that he was upset. "You were right when you left the other night. If you were smart, you would stay as far away from me as possible, because the truth is...you deserve so much better than me," Chad declared. Ben returned just then and spied on Chad and Abigail from the bushes. Chad gently brushed the hair from Abigail's face then he left without another word. Ben vanished then, as well.