Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of July 13, 2015 on DAYS

Abigail tried to deal with being pregnant. Serena tried to get the goods on Xander. Eric told Nicole he was still in love with her. Theresa's scheming paid off. Eve put drugs in Jennifer's drink. Stefano told Chad that new money was why he wanted his son to be with Abigail. Clyde learned Chad was still in love with Abigail.

J.J. sees Paige with Kyle

Monday, July 13, 2015

by Mike

At the Horton Town Square, Eric insisted he didn't deserve Daniel's gratitude because he was the reason Nicole's life had been put in danger in the first place. Eric admonished himself for refusing to take Nicole's concerns about Serena seriously in the beginning, admitting he had let his hatred blind him. Daniel pointed out that he hadn't exactly listened to Nicole at first, either.

Daniel halted the conversation when he spotted Victor passing through the town square. Victor tried to apologize to Eric for Xander's behavior, but Eric insisted Xander wasn't Victor's responsibility. Daniel wanted Victor to help dig up some information the police could use to put Xander behind bars for good, but Victor said he had already done everything he could possibly do to help, including disowning Xander.

Daniel hinted that he wanted to talk to Victor privately. After Eric left, Daniel gave Victor another chance to help, but Victor maintained that there was nothing more he could do. Victor advised Daniel to press Serena Mason for information instead. Meanwhile, Roman approached and revealed that he was planning to try looking into Xander's business dealings to see if they had really just been fronts for more illicit activities.

After Roman left, Daniel wondered if Victor had somehow been involved in Xander's crimes. Victor swore he was innocent. "I fervently hope that's true. You know how much my mother loves you; how much I love you. Xander tried to murder the woman I love and a very dear friend, and the idea of anyone protecting him is a betrayal I cannot abide," Daniel stressed.

Nicole barged into Serena's hotel room and started lashing out at her for endangering Eric's life through her involvement with Xander. Nicole warned that she had the power to destroy Serena's life -- and would do just that if Serena ever tried to worm her way back into Eric's life. "What superpower do you have, Nicole -- an Olympic gold medal in cat-fighting?" Serena guessed with a sigh of exasperation.

Nicole clarified that she had the public airwaves at her disposal, adding that she had the highest Q rating in the Salem market and was therefore a more legitimate journalist than Serena was. "You are to journalists what Kim Kardashian is to thespians," Serena countered. Serena argued that the ordeal with Xander could have been avoided if Nicole had heeded her warning about the threat Xander posed to anyone who dared to cross him.

"If you knew the first thing about being an investigative journalist, then you would have listened to me. But no, you had to ignore me, and you had to do it your way, even though I was trying to save you, you stupid bitch," Serena added. Serena assumed Nicole had just been determined to go after her because Nicole hadn't been able to stand the thought of Eric moving on with another woman. Nicole clarified that she had actually known Serena and Xander had been up to no good all along because she had overheard Serena's end of a tense phone conversation with Xander a few months earlier.

"So, you see, Serena, the one who actually brought you down is none other than...you," Nicole noted with amusement. Nicole added that she had realized at that point that she would have to do whatever it took to save Eric from Serena. "Oh, my God. You don't understand, do you? You put your life and Eric's life in mortal danger, and there's only one reason that you would do that -- because you still love him," Serena argued.

Nicole confirmed that she did indeed still love Eric -- as a friend. Serena argued that Nicole's past treatment of Eric had proven Nicole definitely wasn't a friend of his. Serena started talking about how Nicole had destroyed Eric's life, and she offered to recount all the nasty things Eric had said to her about Nicole over the past few months. Nicole warned Serena to shut up. "Make me, bitch," Serena countered, shoving Nicole.

Nicole shoved Serena back, warning her to stay away from Eric. Serena issued the same warning to Nicole as they began fighting. Eric soon rushed in and intervened, pulling Nicole away from Serena and into the hallway. Closing the door behind him, Eric wondered if Nicole was all right. Nicole said she would be fine once she knocked Serena's teeth out.

Eric advised Nicole to ignore Serena, insisting he wouldn't be able to stand it if anything else happened to Nicole. Eric added that he couldn't just stop protecting Nicole or feeling what he felt about her -- not after everything that had happened between them. Nicole replied that what had happened was that she and Eric had survived. "Nicole, I'm not talking about surviving! You know what I'm talking about," Eric snapped -- just as Serena joined him and Nicole in the hallway.

Chad ran into Kayla in the town square and revealed that he was hoping to expand the scholarship program Lexie had established years earlier for inner-city students. Chad wanted to know if he could count on Kayla to support the idea at the next hospital board meeting. Kayla wanted to read over the proposal first but confirmed that she would probably be willing to support it.

"Listen, I hope you understand that, unlike other people in this town, I don't hold your name against you. But what I will always hold against you is what you did to Abigail," Kayla stressed. Chad said he wasn't going to forget what he had done, either, adding that Abigail knew just how much he regretted it. Kayla admitted that Stefano's return to Salem had left everyone -- including her -- feeling a bit on edge.

"Because I'm the last person he has left to corrupt? Afraid that he's already worked his black magic?" Chad guessed. Kayla promised to reserve judgment, adding that Lexie had been a dear friend of hers and had been able to resist Stefano's influence in the end. Kayla hoped Chad would be able to do the same. "Likewise," Chad replied.

In Ben's apartment, Abigail started to panic about the positive home pregnancy test she was holding in her hand. When Will tried to assure Abigail that she would make a great mother and that Ben would probably be thrilled about the pregnancy once he got accustomed to the idea, she insisted Ben couldn't know about it. Abigail quickly added that she needed to be completely sure about the pregnancy first, arguing that she might be one of the few women who received a false positive on a home pregnancy test.

Assuming Abigail might be considering not going through with the pregnancy, Will advised that, while he wasn't judging her, Ben had a right to know what was going on. "This isn't about Ben!" Abigail insisted. Will started to point out that Ben bore half of the responsibility for the pregnancy, but Abigail clarified that she had meant she wasn't concerned about how Ben would react to the news. Abigail explained that she simply wanted to be completely certain about the pregnancy before she turned everyone's lives upside-down.

Will suggested Abigail could get Kayla to do a pregnancy test at the hospital. Abigail thought that was a great idea, but she declined Will's offer to accompany her there. Abigail thanked Will for his help, and he assured her everything would be okay either way. Abigail was worried about Ben seeing the box the home pregnancy test had been packaged in. Will offered to dispose of it for Abigail, but she didn't want to ask him to do that, so she decided to just stuff it down to the bottom of the trash bag, assuring herself Ben would never see it there.

Abigail went to Kayla's office and hesitantly explained that she needed to confirm the results of a home pregnancy test. Kayla started to offer Abigail assurances that everything would be okay either way, but Abigail interrupted and impatiently asked Kayla to just go ahead and perform the test. Kayla soon returned with the results and confirmed that Abigail was indeed pregnant.

As Abigail started to panic again, Kayla tried to offer more assurances that everything would be fine. "Just please stop making it seem like everything's gonna be okay, all right? I am scared to death right now, and I have every right to be!" Abigail tearfully snapped. After taking a few deep breaths, Abigail calmed down a bit and asked Kayla to perform another test.

Kayla gently replied that she could run a hundred more pregnancy tests, and the result would still be the same each time. Abigail clarified that she was talking about a different kind of test -- and that she needed it to be completely confidential. "What I need is...I need you to run a paternity test," Abigail reluctantly explained. Before Kayla could respond, Chad entered the room to drop off some information about his proposal.

At Club TBD, Sonny winced while trying to lift a box. J.J., who was going through training with Sonny, wondered what was wrong. Sonny explained that, since being stabbed, he had been suffering occasional twinges of pain in his shoulder. J.J. wondered if the police had ever managed to catch Sonny's attacker. Sonny shook his head and explained that the police believed it had been a random, drug-related attack. Sonny added that there had been a lot of crime in the area lately, and he warned J.J. to be careful, especially at night.

Sonny started wondering if anything could be done to stop the greedy drug dealers in the city, but he stopped himself and apologized when he remembered who he was talking to. J.J. assured Sonny that it was okay, adding that he hated knowing he had once been a part of that scene -- and that he had no plans to ever get involved in it again. Changing the subject, Sonny wondered how J.J. had been holding up since his recent breakup with Paige. J.J. said he and Paige were simply wrong for each other, adding that he was doing well and had already started seeing someone else.

Sonny excused himself for a moment, and after he left, Roman approached J.J. and said they needed to talk about what had happened the previous night. Roman apologized for giving J.J. a scare, and he admitted he believed J.J.'s decision to turn down the DEA's request for help had been the right call to make, since Kyle and Kyle's boss were both dangerous. Roman promised he would find some other way to get the drug dealers off the streets.

After Roman left, Sonny returned and wondered what Roman and J.J. had been talking about. J.J. claimed it hadn't been anything important, adding that some things were best left in the past. Assuming J.J. was referring to Paige, Sonny advised that if J.J. and Paige had unfinished stuff between them, it would be best to finish it, because there was a good chance it wouldn't stay in the past for long if they didn't.

J.J. appreciated the advice but insisted he and Paige were about as done with each other as two people could possibly be. J.J. added that he had recently realized it was pointless for him to stick his neck out and take a risk because it wouldn't make a difference; Paige would always see him a certain way, and there was nothing he could say or do to change that. J.J. promised, however, that he wouldn't let the breakup affect his job performance.

J.J. added that he knew things had been rough between Sonny and Will lately, and he confidently predicted they would work things out. Sonny confirmed that he and Will were doing their best and that, while some days were harder than others, that was basically true for all relationships, not just theirs. Sonny wondered if J.J. believed Paige was worth fighting for. "She is. I'm not," J.J. replied.

Sonny tried to protest, but J.J. stopped him and insisted that was where their conversation had to end. Sonny nodded and told J.J. to go ahead and take the rest of the day off because there wasn't anything else Sonny needed help with at that time. After J.J. left, Will arrived and wondered what Sonny and Adrienne had talked about earlier. Sonny reluctantly revealed that Adrienne and Justin were getting a divorce.

At the park, Paige bragged to Daphne about how Eve had reacted to the news that Paige would be donating Eve's money to Jennifer's favorite charity. Daphne was worried about how J.J.'s betrayal had changed Paige, but Paige insisted it had been a positive change, arguing that trying to be the good girl all the time had gotten her absolutely nowhere.

Paige was pleased to know she had finally made it clear that she didn't need or want Eve in her life -- and that she would make Eve regret any future attempts to try to interfere in her life. "[But] she'll still never know what it feels like to hurt the way she hurt me. God, I wish J.J. could know what it feels like," Paige muttered. Daphne doubted Paige would be able to get any money out of J.J. Paige said money had been Eve's obsession, anyway. "J.J. doesn't care about that. Who knows what he cares about," Paige added.

Paige believed J.J.'s actions had proven that she had never really meant anything to him. Daphne wondered why J.J. would have wanted to get back together with Paige in the first place if that had been true. Paige shrugged and admitted she didn't understand why J.J. was bothering to act like he regretted his actions. Paige added that it almost seemed like J.J. was trying to make her crazy, especially when he behaved the way he had at the party the previous night, where he had gotten into a fight with some drunk guy.

Daphne excused herself after receiving a phone call from her mother. As Daphne was leaving, Kyle arrived and greeted Paige. After doing a bit of flirting with Paige, Kyle suggested they could hang out together sometime. Paige warned that she had recently broken up with someone and wasn't the best company at that time. "I think you're great company. I bet we could have a lot of fun together," Kyle replied, brushing a strand of hair away from Paige's face before lowering his hand to stroke her bare arm. J.J. passed through the park in time to witness the interaction from behind some nearby trees.

Eric tells Nicole how he feels

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

by Spalding

In the park, J.J. watched from the bushes as Paige flirted with Kyle, the drug dealer. Kyle gave Paige his phone number, and Paige said she was unsure because she had recently broken up with a "big loser." Kyle promised only "non-skeevy fun." Paige smiled and said she would talk to him soon. Kyle's phone rang. When Paige inquired about his job, Kyle avoided the subject.

After Kyle left to take care of business, Paige called out to J.J. to exit the bushes. J.J. warned Paige that Kyle was trouble and a drug dealer. J.J. told Paige that she might hate him, but she needed to heed his warning. Still furious, Paige told J.J. not to tell her what was best for her. J.J. told Paige not to settle for someone that did not deserve her. Narrowing her eyes, Paige argued that she could not do any worse than J.J. After Paige walked away, J.J. called Agent Watts and said he had reconsidered his offer to be an informant.

Outside Serena's hotel room, Eric asked Nicole to talk about the night they had almost died in the heated crawlspace. Eric noted that they had been emotional, and Nicole interrupted to stress that they had acted out of survival. "You know what this is about," Eric said. Serena poked her head into the hallway and asked what they were arguing about. Nicole warned Serena to leave Eric alone then Nicole stormed off.

Serena pulled Eric into her hotel room to talk. When Serena started to badmouth Nicole, Eric grew defensive and warned Serena not to judge Nicole for her past mistakes. Eric asked Serena if she had information about Xander, but Serena said she did not want to talk about Xander. Furious, Eric yelled that Serena had wasted his time. Serena pleaded for forgiveness, but Eric refused. "We're done," Eric said as he left. Serena swore to herself that she would help Eric.

In the park, Serena pressed record on an audio recorder and slipped it into her purse. At Serena's request, Xander arrived for a meeting with her by the bench. Serena explained that her relationship with Eric was over and that she was leaving town. When Xander asked what Serena wanted, Serena explained that there was money in her account for the article Xander had commissioned, but there was no contract for the work. Serena suggested that Xander draw up a contract to explain why Xander had given Serena a large chunk of money.

"Nice try," Xander said. Xander grabbed Serena and fished the recorder out of her purse. "I warned you," Xander growled. Serena's eyes went wide with fear.

In the town square, Nicole talked to Abe about Xander. Abe promised there was a police tail on Xander, but the police did not have enough information to arrest him. When Nicole suggested that the police should shake down Serena for information, Abe said he did not have probable cause to detain Serena. Nicole begged Abe to reconsider. With a nod, Abe said he would think about the possibilities.

In Kayla's office at the hospital, Abigail asked Kayla to conduct a paternity test on her baby. Before Kayla could answer, Chad entered the office to meet with Kayla. Seeing that Abigail was crying, Chad apologized for interrupting Kayla with a patient. Sniffling, Abigail said she was not a patient. Chad nodded and reluctantly left.

Kayla explained that she had forgotten her appointment with Chad. Noting the look on Abigail's face, Kayla asked if Chad could be the father of Abigail's child. Kayla advised Abigail to talk to someone. Shaking her head, Abigail said that she needed to know who was the father before she talked to anyone about the pregnancy. Kayla hugged Abigail, who broke down and cried.

Abigail explained that she had made a mistake and that Chad had pursued her romantically in order to seek revenge on her. When Kayla warned Abigail not to draw any conclusions, Abigail countered that Chad had explicitly told her that he had seduced her for revenge and nothing more. Abigail asked to take the test immediately. With a shrug, Kayla explained that Abigail would need to be at least eight weeks along in her pregnancy before she could undergo a paternity test.

Kayla added that she was unsure whether it was ethical to use Chad's medical records to determine if he was the father of Abigail's child. Abigail pleaded with Kayla, and she added that if she asked Chad for help, he would tell everyone about the pregnancy. Kayla asked Abigail to give her time to think about what to do. With a nod, Abigail thanked Kayla for her help.

Kayla reminded Abigail of their recent conversation about how Abigail had said that she was falling in love with someone that was bad for her. When Kayla asked Abigail if she had been talking about Chad, Abigail lied and said that she had been referring to Ben. Abigail stressed that she loved Ben. Unsure, Kayla nodded sympathetically.

At Club TBD, Sonny and Will talked about Justin and Adrianne's divorce and whether Adrianne would marry Lucas. Sonny was confused by his mother's relationship with Will's father, and Will advised Sonny to remain neutral in the divorce. Will offered Sonny advice on how to deal with the divorce of his parents. With a raised eyebrow, Sonny asked Will if Will's parents' divorce had motivated Will's desperation to save his marriage to Sonny.

Will said he was not desperate, but that he did want to fight for his marriage. As Sonny pointed out that Will had gone to extremes to save the marriage, Chad interrupted to talk to Sonny about business. Chad mentioned that he had seen Abigail at the hospital and that she had been upset. Will asked Chad if Abigail had been okay. Chad shrugged. Chad said that Abigail had been talking to Kayla. Will said that Abigail had likely been talking about work with Kayla, and Sonny wondered aloud if Abigail was upset about J.J. After Will left, Sonny told Chad he would check on Abigail.

After purchasing some housewarming gifts, Jennifer and Hope stopped by Ben and Abigail's apartment to surprise them. Ben arrived home just as Jennifer knocked on the door, and he let them inside. Ben was confused to find that Abigail was not home. While Jennifer and Hope unpacked the bags, Ben fetched two cups of tea from the kitchen. On the way back into the living room, Ben tripped over the trash can, spilling the contents onto the floor, including the pregnancy test. Hope volunteered to clean up the mess while Ben talked to Jennifer.

When Hope rejoined the conversation, she noted that the name on the mailbox said Weston and not Rogers. With a grin, Ben admitted that he had taken his father's name and was happy to have reconciled with Clyde. Ben said that Abigail had encouraged him to give his father a chance, and he was happy he had listened. When Hope asked about Clyde's business, Ben explained that Clyde had expanded his trucking business to Salem. All three needed to leave, so Ben left a note for Abigail, and the group went their separate ways.

As Hope walked through the town square with Jennifer, they discussed how Ben was a good match for Abigail. Hope smiled and nodded. After Jennifer said goodbye and walked away, Hope reached into her purse and pulled out the pregnancy test box that had been in Abigail's trash can.

At Will and Sonny's apartment, Abigail informed Will that Kayla had confirmed that Abigail was pregnant. When Will urged Abigail to talk to Ben, a near hysterical Abigail said that she could not talk to Ben yet. Abigail explained that she needed to take another test first. Concerned, Will asked Abigail if she was okay. Abigail said she was fine. Comprehension dawned on Will's face, and he asked if Abigail needed a paternity test.

Will mentioned that he had spoken to Chad. Will added that Chad had been worried about Abigail because he had seen her crying. Gently reaching for Abigail's shoulder, Will asked her if Chad was the father of the baby. Crying, Abigail hugged Will and broke down in his arms.

At the hospital, Chad met with Kayla to discuss the memorial scholarship in Lexie's name. After discussing the particulars, Chad stressed that the PR department of the hospital needed to cover the scholarship. Chad mentioned that Abigail should be the spokesperson. When Kayla agreed, Chad asked if Abigail had been upset earlier. Kayla said that Abigail had been upset about a personal matter.

After the meeting, Chad walked into the hallway and sighed. "She's with Ben now. It's not your problem," Chad muttered to himself. With a furrowed brow, Chad walked away.

At Daniel's apartment, Eric stopped by to talk to Nicole. Eric saw the boxes of Nicole's belongings, and he asked her if she was moving in with Daniel. Smiling, Nicole confirmed that she was moving in. Eric begged Nicole to talk to him first. Nicole stressed that what had happened between them in the crawlspace had been a goodbye between two friends. Nicole added that she wanted to leave that night in the past. "Nicole, I love you! I'm still in love with you," Eric cried out.

Serena overhears Eric and Nicole's conversation

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

by ChickenGrrl

Eve sat at the bar in Club TBD and read aloud the package insert that she'd gotten along with a bottle of prescription medication for anxiety: "'Overdose can cause extreme exhaustion and/or hallucinations.' Well. Isn't that nice?"

While Paige was working at the yogurt shop in Horton Square, Jennifer arrived and ordered a smoothie, which Paige made in silence. Another employee showed up and said they had gotten their schedules confused, because she was supposed to be working instead of Paige. Paige removed her apron and started to walk away, but Jennifer stopped her. Jennifer apologized sincerely and asked if Paige were all right. "I understand if you don't want to talk to me, but the truth is -- I miss you, sweetie," Jennifer said.

Paige's eyes filled with tears, and Jennifer reached over and gently stroked Paige's hair. Just then, Eve arrived and spotted them across the way, but she did not make her presence known. Jennifer took Paige's hand and led her to a table outside the yogurt shop, while Eve watched from afar. Paige clarified that she wasn't necessarily forgiving Jennifer, but Paige also understood that Jennifer would do anything to protect her kids. "A lot of times I wish I could go back and...not know things," Paige admitted. Jennifer took Paige's hand, and Eve scowled.

Jennifer got a phone call and stepped away to answer it, leaving her bag and smoothie on the table. Eve immediately hurried over and plopped down in Jennifer's chair. "So you can forgive her and not me?" Eve demanded incredulously. Paige pointed out that what Jennifer had done was wrong, but it had been for a good reason. Eve argued that Jennifer was a "lying witch," and Eve didn't understand why Paige couldn't see that. "You've hated her forever... The truth is -- is that you hate her more than you ever loved me," Paige hissed.

Eve insisted that pawning the ring her dad had given her to buy Paige out of trouble had proven how much she loved Paige. Paige guessed that Eve had already returned to the pawnshop. Eve admitted that she'd tried, but the ring had already been sold. "Good. That'll keep it fresh, what it feels like to lose something precious and never be able to get it back," Paige said as she got up and walked away.

After making sure Jennifer was still on the phone across the square, Eve took the pill bottle out of her purse, opened a couple of the capsules, dumped the contents into Jennifer's smoothie, and stirred it with the straw. Eve slipped away moments before Jennifer returned. Disappointed that Paige had gone, Jennifer sat back down and picked up her smoothie, while Eve watched from behind the flower vendor's cart.

J.J. called Agent Watts from the park and informed him, "I've been thinking about what you wanted me to do, and if it involved taking down Kyle Southern, I'm in." As J.J. was hanging up, Rory appeared and asked why J.J. had been talking about Kyle. Rory excitedly asked if J.J. were going to start dealing again. J.J. maintained that he wasn't going to start doing drugs or dealing again. Rory acknowledged that it was probably good not to get involved with Kyle, who dealt all kinds of drugs -- and although Kyle seemed nice, he could be very scary if crossed.

Rory asked why J.J. wanted to know about Kyle, and J.J. explained that Kyle had been hitting on Paige. Rory couldn't believe that J.J. still seemed to want to get back together with Paige. J.J. insisted that he only wanted to keep Paige from hooking up with Kyle. Rory pointed out that if J.J. became Kyle's customer, Kyle wouldn't want to upset J.J. by going out with his ex-girlfriend. J.J. didn't want to do that, but he thought he could put Kyle in touch with J.J.'s former buyers, and Kyle would have to back off to stay on J.J.'s good side. As Rory headed for the lake, he directed J.J. to where Kyle usually hung out.

Kyle had just completed a sale when J.J. arrived. J.J. offered to sell his list of former customers to Kyle -- on the condition that Kyle promised not to sell to or even hang out with Paige Larson. "J.J., what's your problem, man? Why is who Paige hangs out with any of your business?" Kyle asked. Paige's voice rang out from behind the guys: "Yeah, J.J. Why would that be any of your business?"

At Hope's request, Brady arrived at the police station and found Victor waiting in Hope's office, as well. Hope explained that she'd wanted to update the men about Xander's case. She said the police had double- and triple-checked Xander's alibis, and they had all held up. She added that the D.A. was worried that Nicole and Eric's testimony would get "shredded" on the witness stand -- but the police were hopeful that they would turn up something in the investigation they'd begun of Xander's business and charities and that they would be able to take down Xander and whoever he'd been working with.

Hope cautioned Brady and Victor that their discussion had to remain classified then she got a phone call and had to rush out. A worried Brady asked if Victor were still involved in Xander's business dealings. "I wouldn't trust that bastard to give me the time of day. He's a snake, but he's smart, and I have very little confidence that the Salem P.D. is going to win this one," Victor said, adding that perhaps he should take care of it on his own. Brady urged Victor not to revert to that kind of thing, reminding Victor that he had a new great-grandson -- whom Brady wanted to go home and check on.

At the hospital, Anne and Theresa watched a doctored nanny-cam video on Theresa's phone of Hayley, Tate's nanny. "Told you -- my tech guy's a genius!" Anne declared. Theresa was impressed that Anne's guy had managed to turn thirty seconds of video that showed Hayley out of the nursery into what looked like two hours, even adding a corresponding time stamp.

A few minutes later, Theresa arrived at the Kiriakis mansion, where Henderson informed her that Brady and Victor were at a meeting, and Hayley had taken baby Tate to the park. After Theresa dismissed Henderson, Theresa called Hayley and asked her to wait because Theresa would meet Hayley and the baby there in half an hour. Hayley protested that she had class soon, but Theresa had already hung up.

Theresa let Anne and the tech guy in through the front door. While Anne stood guard in the foyer, Theresa led the guy upstairs to the nursery. He explained that the red light on the smoke detector indicated that the camera was disabled, and the green light meant it was on. The guy stepped into the closet while Theresa prepared to act out the final piece for the edited video.

Downstairs, Anne heard Henderson approaching, so she pretended to be entering through the front door in search of Theresa. On cue, Theresa descended the stairs, and Anne ordered her to get back to the hospital. On her way out, Theresa instructed Henderson to call Hayley and have her take Tate back to the house.

Theresa hid in the bushes near the front door until Hayley returned to the mansion. She waited until Hayley had gone inside then sent a quick text message that said, "She's back. Do your thing." Later, Theresa crept in the front door and ran into Hayley in the foyer. Theresa apologized for being late, but Hayley complained that Theresa had made her miss a class. Theresa pointed out that Hayley's job was to take care of Tate. Hayley almost snapped at Theresa but stopped herself, instead asking Theresa to give her a little more notice the next time.

Hayley started to go upstairs to give Tate a bottle, but Theresa grabbed the bottle out of her hand. "You can leave, because Tate's mommy is here now, and he'll be fine," Theresa said. Hayley scoffed and left without another word. "Oh, and P.S., there won't be a next time," Theresa said before heading upstairs.

Tate was crying in his crib, and the nanny cam was off, when Theresa entered the nursery. She unfolded a fresh diaper, emptied the formula bottle into it, then balled it up and threw it in the diaper pail. After sending a text to the tech to start recording, Theresa rushed over to the crib as if she'd just entered the room and picked up her son. She held him and bounced him gently until he quieted down. After she settled Tate back in his crib, Theresa called the tech and verified that he'd edited her into the video. She thanked him profusely and headed downstairs.

In the park outside Horton Square, Xander held the recording device he'd confiscated from Serena's purse and growled menacingly, "I warned you. You should've known way better than to mess with me... If you were to disappear now, who would care?" Serena trembled visibly. She tried to insist that it wasn't what it looked like, but Xander didn't buy it. He tossed the recorder aside, and Serena quickly retrieved it.

While Xander was gripping Serena by the hair from behind and hissing threats in her ear, Daniel suddenly showed up. "Get your hands off her!" Daniel ordered. Xander calmly asserted that he and Serena had just been having a "little disagreement." Daniel wanted to call the police, but Serena stopped him, insisting that she and Xander had just been arguing about business. Xander explained that he'd hired Serena to write an article about a drug his company was working on, but she hadn't actually done the work -- and their business dealings would be finished as soon as she returned the money he'd paid her.

After Xander left, Serena muttered, "Well, I tried." Daniel asked what she'd been doing. He strongly urged Serena to testify against Xander about the diamonds instead of going after him on her own. Serena reminded Daniel that Xander had somehow manufactured an airtight alibi. Daniel criticized Serena for getting Xander to Salem in the first place, which had nearly gotten Eric and Nicole killed. "What happened to [Nicole] and Eric -- that is her own damn fault!" Serena spat.

Daniel was incredulous that somehow Serena had found a way to blame Nicole for everything. Serena argued that Nicole had hated the idea of Eric being with Serena, so Nicole had refused to stop trying to dig up dirt on Serena and had manipulated a "scary son of a bitch" like Xander in an effort to get information. As Daniel was angrily warning Serena to never say another word against Nicole, Hope arrived, looking for Serena so she could answer some questions.

"No. If you want to haul me in, you can call my lawyer. You know her number," Serena replied before walking away. Hope asked Daniel if he had time to go over some things in his statement. Daniel agreed as long as they could do it at his apartment -- since Nicole was moving in with him. Daniel beamed, but as soon as his back was turned, Hope made a surprised and slightly horrified face.

In Daniel's apartment, surrounded by numerous boxes of Nicole's belongings that she'd just begun to unpack, Eric professed his love for Nicole. Nicole tried to convince Eric that his feelings weren't real because they were based on how they'd felt while they'd thought they were going to die because everything had been so heightened. Eric believed it was more than that. Nicole emphasized that when they'd been near death, it had been only natural for their previous feelings of love to return because they'd thought they'd been saying their final goodbyes.

Eric insisted that he'd meant every word he'd said. Nicole tearfully stated, "It breaks my heart if this hurts you, because I never wanted to hurt you again, but the man who saved us is your closest friend and also the man that I love." Eric reminded Nicole that her feelings for him had already caused problems in her relationship with Daniel, and Eric didn't think it was possible for Nicole and Daniel to be happy because of what had happened in the crawlspace.

"Daniel never has to hear about it! If you want me to be happy, then let it go. Let me be happy with Daniel!" Nicole implored. She added that she was moving in to start a new life with Daniel -- one that she hoped would last forever. Eric said it was difficult to hide his feelings from Daniel, who kept thanking Eric for saving Nicole's life. Nicole urged Eric to find a way to forgive himself and forget what had happened.

Brady and Victor showed up just then to invite Daniel -- as well as Nicole and Eric, since they were there -- to a party they were having for Tate. Nicole promised to tell Daniel about it as soon as he got home. "And why will you still be here?" Victor demanded suspiciously. Nicole took great pleasure in informing Victor that she was moving in with Daniel. Before Victor could even begin to freak out, Brady interceded and escorted his grandfather out.

Nicole didn't think Eric should still be there when Daniel got home, but Eric wasn't finished talking, so Nicole suggested they take the conversation elsewhere.

Daniel's apartment was empty -- except that even more of Nicole's boxes had arrived -- when Daniel and Hope entered. Daniel acknowledged that Hope wasn't Nicole's biggest fan, but Hope insisted that she was happy if Daniel was. "I am. It's finally clear to me about what I want. And the best part is Nicole wants the same thing," Daniel declared. As Daniel started moving some of Nicole's boxes into the appropriate rooms, he accidentally knocked a couple of the shopping bags he'd taken home onto the floor. Hope retrieved all the items that had fallen out -- including a velvet ring box containing an engagement ring.

Nicole and Eric headed to the park outside the square to finish their conversation. Nicole guessed that Eric's feelings for her were "a rebound thing" after Serena had betrayed him. "Nicole, this isn't about Serena... I get it; you don't have the same feelings for me -- but I'm not going to spend the rest of my life pretending that nothing happened," Eric declared.

Nicole said if Eric really cared about her, he would accept that she loved Daniel. "But whether you do or you don't, I just need to know for sure. Can I count on you to keep this to yourself, or are you going to tell Daniel what happened between us?" Nicole asked -- as Serena eavesdropped from the other side of the gate.

At Club TBD, Xander sipped a whiskey while he talked on the phone. "There's no way they're going to arrest me. They've got zero on me. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to stay down, stay patient, and, when the time's right, everyone who tried to hurt me is going to pay a very nasty price," Xander declared.

Brady and Victor had just gotten home when Theresa returned from the nursery. Theresa complained to them that when she'd gotten home, Tate had been all alone in the nursery, and Hayley had been downstairs, fuming about having to miss class. Theresa continued, "I went upstairs, and Tate was sitting there in a sopping-wet diaper, just screaming bloody murder, crying his eyes out -- I mean, she didn't even bother to check on him!" She reassured Brady that she'd gotten Tate settled down and back to sleep. Victor clearly didn't think the situation was a very big deal.

Brady was dubious that Hayley would have left the baby in a wet diaper for very long. "You trying to make her look bad or something?" Brady asked. Theresa irritably encouraged him to check the diaper pail if he didn't believe her, and she insisted that Hayley had neglected Tate. Brady promised to talk to the nanny the next day. Victor told Brady not to insult Hayley with bogus charges when Theresa was lying -- and he could prove it. "I installed a nanny cam in the nursery," Victor explained. Theresa's shock and outrage was feigned, but Brady's was real.

Victor led Brady and Theresa into the living room to show them the footage on the computer. Afterwards, Theresa pointed out that the video proved the nanny had left Tate alone for over an hour. Brady returned from the nursery and confirmed that Tate's diaper had been drenched. Brady added that he would fire Hayley and call the agency to set up some interviews. Theresa asked if she could participate, although she noted that it might delay her apartment search a little. Brady agreed.

J.J. makes a risky move

Thursday, July 16, 2015

by Mike

In Daniel's apartment, Hope stammered as she tried to return the engagement ring to Daniel, assuring him she hadn't been snooping. Grateful for a female's perspective, Daniel wondered if Hope liked the ring. "What is there not to like?" Hope replied, admiring the stone and the setting. Daniel wondered if it was too big. "You're hilarious. 'Is it too big?' Diamonds are never too big, Daniel," Hope replied with a laugh.

Hope started to give Daniel some advice to help him properly set the scene, noting that he seemed to have forgotten important things like flowers, candles, and Champagne. Daniel clarified that he wasn't planning to propose just yet, explaining that he wanted to give Nicole a chance to get settled first. Looking around the apartment, Hope suggested that could take months, given the number of boxes already waiting to be unpacked.

Hope started talking about ways Daniel could maximize the living space, prompting him to guess she wasn't exactly thrilled about his plan to propose to Nicole. Hope protested that she hadn't said that, but Daniel pointed out that she was making small talk, and that wasn't like her. Daniel assumed Hope believed he was making a mistake. Hope clarified that she simply thought the whole thing seemed a bit rushed.

Daniel disagreed, explaining that he didn't want to waste any more time because he had almost lost Nicole once already. Hope admitted it was obvious that being with Nicole made Daniel happy. Hope stressed that she was happy for Daniel and was looking forward to dancing at his and Nicole's wedding ceremony. "If Nicole messes this up, she's a complete idiot," Hope added.

As Serena eavesdropped on Eric and Nicole's conversation, Eric stressed that he would never do anything to hurt Nicole. Nicole pointed out that Eric hadn't exactly answered her question, but he dodged it again, abruptly excusing himself so he could get back to work. Serena revealed herself after Eric left, prompting Nicole to observe that Serena seemed to be everywhere lately -- or, at least, everywhere Nicole was.

Serena accused Nicole of being paranoid, innocently pointing out that they were in a public place. Nicole responded with a barrage of insults. "You should watch what you say to me," Serena warned. Meanwhile, Aiden arrived and wondered if everything was all right. Serena confirmed that everything was fine, but Nicole disagreed. Nicole informed Aiden that she was considering filing a civil suit against Serena and Xander to drain them of the money they had gained from smuggling blood diamonds out of Africa. Aiden pulled Nicole aside and warned that she would have to learn when to keep her mouth shut if she wanted to have a chance of winning the case.

After Aiden left, Serena insisted she wasn't afraid of Nicole -- and she wasn't responsible for what Xander had tried to do to Nicole and Eric, either. "That is bull! You brought Eric into your mess with that animal. Look, if you bring a sociopath and a semi-automatic to a party, and he uses it to kill someone, you can't say you had nothing to do with it!" Nicole protested. "Your analogies are lamer than your reporting," Serena countered.

Nicole warned that she wasn't just planning to file a civil suit against Serena. "Everybody loves stories about lying, hypocritical skanks," Nicole added. "So, you're writing your autobiography?" Serena guessed. Nicole admitted she was indeed a bad girl herself, but she added that she had never hooked up with someone like Xander and helped him smuggle blood diamonds. "You know who's blood that refers to? Children's blood. You and Xander deal with warlords who make children kill. That is where that money comes from, and there aren't enough degrees of separation to wash that blood off your hands!" Nicole added.

Nicole warned that her boss seemed to think that would be a great story to tell. Serena pointed out that Nicole had no way of proving such allegations. "Even if I can't prove it in court, I can prove it in the court of public opinion. I can prove you're a medical journalist just like Paris Hilton is an actress. Journalists do not use an innocent man to smuggle blood diamonds into the country, and then sleep with him to try and get them back. That job has a different title," Nicole replied. Serena dismissed Nicole's story idea as nothing more than tabloid garbage.

Nicole left after vowing to get Eric to realize just how disgusting Serena really was. "Wonder what would happen if Daniel were to find out whatever it is that Nicole so desperately doesn't want him to know," Serena muttered while recalling what she had overheard earlier. Meanwhile, Nicole returned to Daniel's apartment and began unpacking her things. Nicole started to put something in the drawer Daniel had chosen to hide her engagement ring in, but he quickly stopped her and admitted there was something inside that she wasn't allowed to see just yet.

At the Salem Inn, Aiden surprised Hope with a romantic, candlelit suite. Aiden was wearing a tuxedo, and he and Hope drank Champagne as they reminisced about the rocky start of their relationship. Aiden wondered if Hope knew the significance of the date, and when she admitted she didn't, he presented her with a garment bag as a way of reminding her. When Hope emerged from the bathroom after slipping into the dress, classical music was playing, and she realized it was the anniversary of the day she and Aiden had shared their first dance together. Hope and Aiden waltzed around the room as they continued reminiscing about their romance.

At the Horton Town Square, Jennifer grimaced as she took a sip of her smoothie. Returning the smoothie to the yogurt shop, Jennifer politely complained that it didn't taste right. Jennifer declined to accept a fresh one, admitting she had lost her taste for it. "Ugh. Leave it to Ms. Horton to have a refined smoothie palate," Eve muttered with a groan of disgust as she watched Jennifer walk away.

Eve ran into Eric as she headed off in the opposite direction. Eve began a friendly conversation with Eric, but Jennifer soon interrupted to strike up her own conversation with him, completely ignoring Eve's presence. Eve excused herself to make a quick phone call, and after Jennifer's conversation with Eric ended, Eve returned to finish her own conversation with him. Eve was interested in purchasing one of the photographs she had seen on Eric's website, so she offered to treat him to dinner at the Brady Pub so they could talk about it. Eric wasn't able to do that because he was expecting a phone call back at his place, but he invited Eve to join him there.

Eve found some leftovers in Eric's refrigerator and heated them up while he was looking for the photograph she wanted. Eric continued the search after he and Eve finished eating. Meanwhile, Eve noticed a photograph of Serena, and as she started admiring it, she quickly realized she was hitting a nerve. Eric admitted that the woman in the photograph had betrayed him -- and had also committed worse crimes than simply breaking his heart. "People delude themselves into thinking they can get away with the horrible things that they do, but ultimately, if you commit a crime, there are consequences," Eric mused.

Eve started admiring another photograph, recognizing it as the one Eric had used as the header for his website. Eric said that had been Jennifer's idea, and he started praising her great instincts. "Ugh. Is there nothing that that woman can't do? What, is she gonna win a Nobel Peace Prize next?" Eve muttered with a sigh of exasperation. Eric gently warned that, while he liked Eve and would always consider her welcome in his home, she couldn't talk about Jennifer that way while visiting. "Wow, I feel like I'm five now," Eve admitted. Eric apologized and suggested he and Eve could just change the subject, but she assured him she appreciated his directness.

"Feelings are weird. There's a part of me -- I mean, a very detached part of me -- who knows that the way I feel about Jennifer is really screwed up, and it has been for a really long time. But it doesn't help that everybody in this town -- I mean, absolutely everybody -- thinks that she walks on water and that everything is just my fault, has to be all my fault. Well, it's not my fault; it's not all my fault, anyway. I'll never forgive or forget what her son did to my daughter, what he put her through. You know, Jennifer's not blameless, either, here," Eve insisted.

"Okay, you know, here I go; I start, and -- I start, and I just can't stop. But I gotta stop. I gotta stop, 'cause it just takes me to a bad place, and I can't go there, 'cause my daughter needs me," Eve admitted. Eric praised Eve for being brave enough to say such things to him. "That's not brave -- talking. Changing how you think and what you do -- that's brave," Eve countered. Eve thanked Eric, admitting he had really helped her out because he had made her realize she needed to start thinking less about herself and more about her daughter.

Eve excused herself so she could spend some time thinking things through. Eric promised to keep looking for the photograph Eve wanted. Eve acknowledged that being upset with J.J. and Jennifer was easier than facing what she had done. Eric reassuringly pointed out that everyone made mistakes. Eve agreed that everyone had secrets, adding that they had a way of surfacing eventually, regardless of how hard people tried to keep them hidden away. After Eve left, Eric thought about the secret he shared with Nicole.

At the park, Paige told J.J. to stay out of her life. Kyle wondered if there was some sort of problem between Paige and J.J. Paige explained that J.J. was the loser ex-boyfriend she had told Kyle about earlier. Paige advised Kyle to ignore whatever J.J. had been telling him, warning that everything J.J. said was a lie. Kyle excused himself, pointing out that whatever was going on between Paige and J.J. obviously didn't involve him. J.J. advised Kyle to keep walking and never look back.

After Kyle left, J.J. tried to warn Paige that Kyle was bad news, but she insisted that was for her to decide, not J.J. Paige reiterated that she wanted J.J. to stay out of her life. "Get a brain, Paige! For someone supposed to be so smart, you are so stupid!" J.J. observed, prompting Paige to slap him. J.J. patiently stressed that he wasn't trying to worm his way back into Paige's life, since he knew that was never going to happen because she had made her feelings about him abundantly clear. J.J. explained that he was simply trying to get her to see that Kyle wasn't the kind of guy she needed to get involved with.

"Be mad at me. Try to ruin my life, not yours. I can't just walk away when I see you making a huge mistake, one that might really hurt you," J.J. added. Paige replied that J.J. was right -- worming his way back into her life was something he would never be able to do. J.J. gave up and sadly walked away. "Say hi to my mom for me," Paige called out to J.J. Later, Kyle returned, and Paige vented to him about J.J. for a few minutes before excusing herself so she could get back to her dorm room. Paige promised to call Kyle sometime soon, admitting she was interested in getting to know him better.

J.J. entered the Horton house and stormed past Jennifer as she tried to say hello to him. Jennifer stopped J.J. and urged him to talk to her about whatever it was that was bothering him. J.J. explained that he had seen Paige earlier and was worried about her because she was hanging out with some bad people and wouldn't listen to his advice about staying away from them. Jennifer advised that J.J. needed to let Paige go because there was nothing he could say to stop Paige from making the wrong choices. "You're right -- there is nothing I can say. But maybe there's something I can do," J.J. muttered after Jennifer left the room.

J.J. contacted Kyle, who admitted he hadn't expected to hear from J.J. again after the earlier scene with J.J.'s girlfriend. J.J. clarified that Paige wasn't his girlfriend, prompting Kyle to wonder why J.J. had gone out of his way to warn Kyle to stay away from her. J.J. told Kyle to forget about that, explaining that he and Paige had talked after Kyle had left, and the conversation had made him remember just what a pain she was.

"If you want her, you can have her," J.J. added. Kyle chuckled and wondered if J.J. had contacted him simply to give him permission to see Paige. J.J. clarified that he had contacted Kyle to talk about the other thing they had in common. "You mean business," Kyle guessed. "Yeah, well, I've been doing some thinking. Maybe I can help you. Maybe it might be exactly what I need," J.J. replied, staring at the DEA agent's business card.

Stefano admits his true motives about Abigail

Friday, July 17, 2015

by ChickenGrrl

Paul was sipping iced tea at Club TBD when Kate joined him for their prearranged meeting, although Justin was also supposed to be there but had not arrived yet. After Justin sent Kate a message to cancel, she handed Paul the schedule of events where the company needed him to appear. Paul strongly disapproved of the name of the cologne he would be promoting: Vanquish. Kate informed him that she'd named the product. Paul conceded that he would simply advertise the cologne as he'd agreed.

Kate noted that E! News had turned down the company's request to interview Paul. Paul offered to call a reporter he'd dated at E! Kate wondered if Paul had dated the nameless reporter while he'd still been "playing it straight" and living his life as a lie. Offended, Paul took his contract and rose to leave. "If you're the one who's giving Will advice on how to hold onto his marriage, you're doing a damn poor job of it," Paul declared on his way out.

Justin closed his briefcase and was about to depart from the Kiriakis mansion when Adrienne stopped him. She held a copy of their divorce papers and informed Justin that she'd signed them. Adrienne became annoyed when, instead of having a conversation with her, Justin got out his phone, but he explained that he had to cancel a meeting. Justin was surprised that Adrienne actually wanted the divorce, as well. "I want the marriage I thought I had, Justin," Adrienne countered sadly.

Justin admitted that what he'd said about Adrienne's affair with Lucas being worse than what Justin had done with Elsa had been ridiculous and mean. "I really don't understand how I could cause so much pain for someone I love so much," Justin added remorsefully. When the doorbell rang, Justin went to answer it, since Henderson was out. Meanwhile, Adrienne reminisced about her relationship with Justin when they'd first gotten together, and about their wedding and remarriage.

Adrienne was crying when Justin returned. He wondered how they'd gotten to where they were, and Adrienne guessed they had gotten off-course a little at a time. Pointing out that they had gotten through a lot together in the past, Justin stammered something that seemed to express optimism that they could possibly work things out again. Justin blamed himself for the state of their marriage. Changing the subject, Adrienne guessed that Victor would want her out of the house quickly, but Justin urged her to take her time.

Justin apologized for everything that had happened, but Adrienne tearfully pointed out that they'd both known something had been missing for a long time, long before they'd been able to admit it. "I hope you know I love you," Justin said. Adrienne admitted that she still loved Justin, as well -- but what they were doing was the right thing for both of them.

When Kate returned to the mansion later, Justin was alone in the living room, gazing a bit numbly at his divorce papers. Kate rattled on, complaining about Paul, before she observed that something was obviously bothering Justin.

In a corner booth at the Brady Pub, Will confessed to Marlena what he'd done at the picnic and how it had backfired. Although Marlena was disappointed in her grandson, she noted that it showed good progress, since it was the first time he'd been so up-front about something he'd done. Marlena suggested Will try to get to know Paul as a person -- instead of the enemy -- because Paul wasn't leaving town anytime soon.

Marlena confided that she'd also learned about Paul's friend, Derrick, from John, who had questioned Paul a bit heavy-handedly about the guy in an attempt to get to know his newfound son better. Failing to see the humor in the story, Will admitted that Paul had accused him of not being able to tell that Derrick and Paul were just friends because Will and Sonny didn't have any gay friends. Will added that though it was true, it hadn't been intentional -- but he and Sonny had a very different lifestyle from the gay casual acquaintances they did have.

Marlena wondered if Will were afraid of making new gay friends. After denying it, Will wondered, "What if Sonny meets someone new?" Marlena urged Will to have more faith in himself and to stop trying to control every aspect of his relationship with Sonny.

While Rafe was visiting Arianna at Sonny and Will's, Sonny informed him that Marlena planned to take Arianna to see Gabi. Rafe inquired about the state of Will and Sonny's marriage. Sonny admitted that he and Will were still trying to deal with everything that had happened. Rafe acknowledged that, since he'd been married to Will's mother, he understood what it was like to have an unfaithful spouse. Rafe hoped that Will and Sonny could work things out, because Arianna's whole world depended on them.

Later, Adrienne showed up at Will and Sonny's, anxious to talk to her son. When the door opened, she was taken aback. "What are you doing here?" Adrienne asked.

Will was in Horton Square when he spotted Sonny and Paul across the way, smiling as they went their separate ways. Will told himself to let it go, but a moment later, he headed off after Paul. When Will caught up with Paul, Paul snapped that Will could save his breath if he was going to tell Paul to stay away from Sonny. "I can't keep doing this, Will. Even if Sonny was available -- and I know he's not -- but if he was, I'm not ready for that kind of commitment. I'm not after your husband. Okay?" Paul asked, turning to leave. "Stop right there, Paul," Will ordered.

Using his Bluetooth headphone in the park outside Horton Square, Clyde eavesdropped via the bug he'd planted in the DiMera study on a conversation between Stefano and Chad. Stefano said that if Chad would answer his questions honestly, Chad could ask Stefano anything he wished. "Are you in love with Abigail Deveraux?" Stefano asked. Chad grudgingly admitted that he was in love with Abigail -- but what he really wanted to know was why Stefano was so set on Chad and Abigail being together.

Stefano asserted that not only did he want Chad to be with the woman he loved, but Abigail could also be the "key to maintaining the DiMera dynasty." Stefano explained to a skeptical Chad that Abigail would soon receive a sizable inheritance -- a very valuable piece of land in Ireland, from a woman who'd taken care of Abigail as a child when Jennifer and Abigail had lived there. Stefano clarified, "Neither Abigail nor the old woman know what that land sits on. That's what makes it so valuable." The woman did not want to sell the land if the buyer intended to develop it in any way.

"So your plan is to use the woman I love to get around some old lady's dying wish? Nice," Chad remarked wryly. Stefano said there were ways to get what they wanted and leave the land pristine. Accusing Stefano of just wanting the money, Chad grumbled, "The world would be a much better place without a bunch of stinkin' rich DiMeras running around." Stefano countered that if Chad believed that, he had obviously not been paying attention.

Handing Chad a portfolio of DiMera charities, Stefano pointed out that Abigail's inheritance would allow the family to continue making a difference -- and after Stefano was gone, Chad and the woman he loved could run the family together. Chad argued that Abigail wanted nothing to do with him after the way he'd treated her. "And when she finds out that you only treated her that way to protect her from me, how will she feel then?" Stefano wondered.

Chad pointed out that Abigail was already living with Ben, but Stefano argued that Abigail was wasting her time on Ben because Chad had rebuffed her. Chad believed that because he'd hurt Abigail so much, it was too late for the two of them. "Not if you truly love her," Stefano said.

Stefano was on the grounds of the DiMera estate later when Rafe approached, out for a run before a pick-up basketball game. Accusing Rafe of trespassing, Stefano threatened to have his nearby goon take care of Rafe. Rafe indicated a boulder-sized rock nearby and reminded Stefano that it marked the edge of the property line. Even though Rafe purposely stayed on the other side of the rock, the goon hovered menacingly, his hand on the pistol in his holster.

Stefano guessed that Rafe was spying for Victor, but Rafe said he wasn't on the clock. "You must have a lot more time on your hands these days -- I mean, now that two women have left you, and you cannot play policeman," Stefano noted with amusement. "Yeah, I also don't have any of those restraints that I had when I was a cop. I was so happy to hear that you were coming back to town. Honestly, it made my day," Rafe declared, grinning as he jogged away.

Hope and Aiden awakened in their hotel room and reveled in the time they were getting to spend together. As they ate breakfast in bed, Aiden began daydreaming about their next anniversary and the other breakfasts in bed they could share on that trip. When Aiden got a phone call, Hope playfully seized the opportunity to snatch his last piece of bacon before hurrying into the bathroom to shower.

When Abigail woke up in bed next to Ben, she checked to make sure he was still sleeping then she crept out of bed and tiptoed over to the wastebasket, where she'd buried the box from her home pregnancy test. Before Abigail could retrieve the box, Ben stirred and asked what she was doing. As he got up and pulled on some clothes, Ben teased Abigail about her compulsive neatness. He headed for the shower, and Abigail began to dig frantically through the trash for the telltale box. When she couldn't find it, she exclaimed, "Oh, my God, he knows!"

Ben exited the bathroom, but before Abigail could take her shower, Ben asked her, "When were you going to tell me?" Before Abigail could ask what Ben had meant, Hope called her, so Ben headed back into the bathroom to get dressed. Hope remarked that Abigail sounded a little "discombobulated."

Hope added that when she'd been at the apartment the previous day, the wastebasket had gotten knocked over -- but she reassured Abigail that she had cleaned it up, and Ben hadn't seen anything. Sensing Abigail's escalating tension, and once she learned that Ben would be heading out soon, Hope offered to drop by in a few minutes.

When Ben returned, he informed Abigail that while her mom and aunt had been there the day before, Jennifer had told him that Abigail had called her grandfather to tell him she'd moved in with Ben. Ben declared that it meant a lot to him.

Hope arrived just then, so Ben headed out to meet his dad. Hope explained that after the wastebasket had gotten knocked over, Ben had been about to clean it up, but she'd spotted the pregnancy test and jumped in to take care of it before Ben or Jennifer could see it. Abigail was very grateful. Hope gently asked if Abigail were pregnant. Abigail admitted that a test at the hospital had confirmed the positive results of her home pregnancy test. She pleaded with Hope not to tell anyone else, and Hope agreed. Embracing her cousin, Hope promised she would always be there if Abigail ever needed to talk.

When Ben showed up in the park to meet his dad, a startled Clyde quickly removed his earpiece. Ben handed Clyde the bill for his next semester's tuition and thanked Clyde for paying it. Ben confided that Abigail had been acting a little "jumpy" that morning, and he had no idea what had been bothering her. Guessing that Abigail wished Chad would just leave her alone, Ben explained about how Chad had shown up to return Ben's watch, instead of leaving it at the club for Ben.

Clyde was concerned about Abigail's trustworthiness, but Ben insisted he truly trusted Abigail, especially since she'd just told her uncle about them moving in together. Ben got a text message from his building's superintendent, letting Ben know that he'd be unable to fix their clogged sink until the next day. As Ben headed off for his basketball game, Clyde muttered, "There's more going on than you know, son. A whole lot more."

Chad was walking through Horton Square when he spotted Ben and said they needed to talk. Ben asked what it was about. "What do you think? Abigail," Chad replied.

Abigail told Hope that she needed a little time to process everything before she told Ben. When there was a knock at the door, Abigail assumed the super had arrived to fix the sink. Hope went into the kitchen to get something to drink while Abigail wiped her eyes and answered the door -- and Abigail was startled when she found Clyde on the doorstep. Seeing Abigail's tears, Clyde gently asked what was wrong.