Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of September 19, 2016 on DAYS

The Kiriakis men joined forces to protect their loved ones. Orpheus, Clyde, and Xander kidnapped Joey to get revenge on Steve. Aiden had a plan to win back Hope. Chad and Gabi bonded while trapped in the panic room. Theo had a meltdown. Eve left town. Kate agreed to help Philip prove that he, not Deimos, was the father of Chloe's child.

Chad fights Clyde

Monday, September 19, 2016

by Mike

At the Salem Inn, Chloe called Nancy to see how Parker was doing. Chloe was delighted to hear that Nancy had made plans to take Parker to a Broadway show later, but she got annoyed when Nancy started asking questions about the paternity of the unborn child, a topic they had clearly discussed more than once already. Chloe insisted that she could never let the real father know that the child was his because he was a very bad man.

Deimos met with Dario in a secluded section of the town square and handed over an envelope filled with cash, explaining that he was increasing Dario's salary, and in exchange, he wanted Dario to start taking a more proactive approach to uncovering Chloe's secrets. "I have reason to believe that Chloe is carrying my baby, not Philip's," Deimos continued. Nodding, Dario promised to take care of the matter right away.

Claire delivered Chloe's breakfast to the Salem Inn then excused herself so she could finish running errands. Before leaving, Claire mentioned that she had downloaded a bunch of songs to Chloe's tablet computer so Chloe could listen to them and decide which ones to record. Chloe checked the device right away and noticed that Claire had left a YouTube page loaded. Acting like she hadn't meant to do that, Claire tried to close the page, but Chloe was intrigued and wanted to check it out first.

Meanwhile, a news alert popped up, giving an update on the escaped convicts. Chloe said that Philip had told her about what had happened at the Kiriakis mansion. Claire reported that John was fine. "But when my mom and dad found out about it, it took everything I had to keep them from flying back from Hong Kong," she added. Chloe wasn't surprised to hear that, guessing that everyone was on high alert at the moment. Chloe wondered if John and Marlena were aware that Claire was with her. "Oh, sure. Yeah," Claire replied.

John and Marlena kept their guard up when someone knocked on their townhouse door unexpectedly, but when Eduardo announced himself, John breathed a sigh of relief and let him in. "Listen, I made a hell of a mistake, and I need your help," Eduardo told John. After Marlena left the room, Eduardo explained that he had returned to Salem after he had gotten a lead on the person who had been sending threatening messages to him. "He was the father of a man I was, uh, ordered to eliminate some years ago. Turns out [he's] been in Dixon Correctional for a while; he's been running a big operation from inside the place," Eduardo continued.

John quickly deduced that Eduardo had attacked the prisoner during a scheduled transfer to another facility, leading to the crash that had allowed Orpheus, Clyde, and Xander to escape. Meanwhile, Marlena burst into the room and worriedly informed John that Claire was missing. John explained to Eduardo that Claire had been warned not to leave the townhouse because of the situation with the escaped convicts. John calmly urged Marlena not to panic just yet, adding that he had taken the liberty of secretly installing a tracking device on Claire's cell phone.

After watching the videos on Claire's YouTube channel, Chloe admitted that she was impressed because Claire had much more stage presence than she'd had at Claire's age. Chloe stressed that Claire could talk to her if she ever needed help with anything, knowing that in the music business, it was particularly important to have someone to lean on for support. As Claire was pointing out that Chloe had Philip to lean on, Marlena arrived and insisted that Claire had to leave with her right away. Claire tried to protest, but Marlena made it clear that the matter wasn't up for discussion.

As Claire stormed through the town square, she complained that she was never going to forgive Marlena for humiliating her in front of Chloe. Marlena pointed out that Claire had promised not to leave the townhouse without first telling someone where she was going, but Claire argued that she had made that promise the previous night and hadn't expected to be held to it forever. Marlena made it clear that one of the escaped convicts had a vendetta against her and John and would love to use their family members to hurt them. Marlena thought it might be best to send Claire to Hong Kong for the time being, but Claire insisted, "No way in hell am I leaving."

Claire said she understood that the escaped convicts were dangerous. "No, they're more than that. They're evil. They are pure evil," Marlena stressed. Claire reasoned that if Marlena wasn't afraid to leave the townhouse, there was no need for her to live in fear, either. Marlena conceded that she didn't want Claire to live in fear, but she added that there was a difference between living in fear and being smart. "If you live with John and me, you are going to have to follow the rules, because the rules were put in place to keep you safe," Marlena stressed. Claire promised to do so. Satisfied, Marlena hoped that Claire would never run into Orpheus.

Eduardo made it clear that he never would have attacked the prisoner who had threatened his family if he had known just how dangerous the other convicts were. John understood and promised to do what he could to make the crash of the transport van seem like nothing more than dumb luck, knowing that the medical examiner would probably rule that the accident had caused the death of the prisoner Eduardo had attacked. Eduardo tried to express his gratitude, but John encouraged him to spend some time with the Hernandez clan instead of worrying about ways to repay the favor.

After spotting Chloe in the town square, Dario seized the opportunity to sneak into her hotel room and snoop around. When he checked her tablet computer, he learned that she had recently scheduled an appointment with her doctor. Dario used his cell phone to take a picture of the details. Meanwhile, Chloe returned, but Dario managed to stay hidden until she entered the bathroom, at which point he rushed off.

While dining with Rafe at the Brady Pub, Gabi tried to get information out of him about the search for the escaped convicts. "J.J. hasn't kept you up to speed?" Rafe asked. Gabi explained that J.J. didn't really seem that interested in talking about the case. Rafe guessed that J.J. simply didn't want to worry Gabi. "Well, I mean, Rafe, I am worried, okay? Clyde Weston went to prison because J.J. went undercover and nailed him, okay? If [J.J.'s] not careful, I don't even...I don't even want to say it, but he could end up dead," Gabi fretted.

Rafe tried to assure Gabi that J.J. had been properly trained and knew how to take care of himself, but she was still worried, so he promised to make sure that J.J. always had someone watching his back. Rafe wondered if J.J. knew how serious Gabi was about him -- and, more importantly, if he was just as serious about her. Gabi confirmed that she and J.J. had declared their love for each other, but she admitted that they had not yet had time to talk about where their relationship was headed because they had both been busy lately. Rafe wondered if Gabi was okay with that. "I guess we're fine the way we are right now," Gabi replied with a shrug.

"I feel you. I mean, why talk about it if you don't have to?" Rafe reasoned. Gabi agreed then changed the subject, thanking Rafe for taking time to meet with her and act as a sounding board, even when in the middle of a big manhunt. Rafe warned Gabi to be careful, guessing that Orpheus probably wouldn't hesitate to use her or Arianna to get to John and Marlena if necessary. As Gabi promised to keep her guard up, Eduardo arrived and greeted her and Rafe, who were both happy to hear that he was no longer concerned about the threat to their safety and, as a result, he planned to stick around for the foreseeable future.

"So, that's it? Nobody wants to kill you anymore, so everything's back to normal?" Dario asked incredulously, interrupting the happy reunion. Gabi asked Dario to stop, and Rafe wondered why Dario had skipped out on having breakfast with his siblings. Dario vaguely replied that he had been busy with work, and he ignored Rafe's attempt to get more details. "You want to know something, Pops? I don't care if you think that the threat out there doesn't exist anymore. You are the real threat to this family; you always have been, [and] you always will be," Dario spat before storming off.

Eduardo excused himself and went after Dario. As Dario was passing through the town square, he received a phone call from Deimos, who wanted to know if Dario had learned anything useful about Chloe yet. Dario confirmed that he had, and he promised to send the information to Deimos' cell phone right away. Deimos thanked Dario for the good work. "No problem, Mr. Kiriakis," Dario replied before ending the call, unaware that Eduardo was within earshot.

Philip went to the hospital to check on Maggie and was thrilled to see that she was walking through the halls on crutches. "I get an hour on these twice a day until I can build up my strength on the bars," she explained. She added that Philip had just missed Victor, who had gone to get the car. Philip thought that was probably for the best, but Maggie disagreed, and she encouraged him to visit her at the Kiriakis mansion later so they could figure out ways to repair his relationship with Victor, who would be spending the day at the office.

Later, at the mansion, Philip admitted that he was still shocked that Victor and Maggie had agreed to move in with Deimos. Maggie said she was still somewhat skeptical of Deimos but was glad to be back at the mansion, especially with Orpheus, Xander, and Clyde on the loose. Philip said he would never trust Deimos. "He's the reason Dad kicked me out of his life," Philip added.

"Yes, I am," Deimos conceded as he joined Philip and Maggie in the living room. Hoping to help Philip make things right with Victor, Deimos invited him to move into the mansion. Philip was stunned to learn that Deimos had recently extended the same offer to Brady and Theresa -- and they had actually accepted it. Deimos explained that he wanted to keep his family together and safe until the escaped convicts were apprehended. "You can say whatever you want about me, but [Xander] is a complete psychopath. He literally dreams about killing every member of this family. So move in here -- and do it today," Deimos urged Philip.

Philip refused the offer and started to excuse himself, but Deimos stopped him. Guessing that Philip suspected that he had some sort of hidden agenda, Deimos admitted that he did want Chloe to move into the mansion, as well. "In fact, I insist on it. What can I say? I have my...deep concerns about her pregnancy," Deimos continued. Philip maintained that he was the father of Chloe's baby, but Deimos remained skeptical, and he warned that he would eventually uncover the truth. "[But] that aside, in the meantime, all I want to be able to do is make amends for what I did to you," Deimos added.

Deimos stressed that he wasn't expecting Philip to forgive him. "But if Victor and I can forgive each other, there's no reason why the two of you can't. He's not getting any younger. The man should be surrounded by his family -- we both know that. And anger...anger can be so destructive. We all need to make sure that Victor sees that. A father should never be separated from their child. That's why I want Chloe to move in here, too," Deimos continued. Philip insisted that Chloe would never agree to move into the mansion -- and he wouldn't, either.

Later, after Deimos left the room, Maggie tried to get Philip to reconsider, believing that Deimos' heart was in the right place. "You bought all that garbage?" Philip asked incredulously. Maggie confirmed that she thought Deimos sincerely wanted to reunite the family. "Now, Victor won't admit it, but he wants you back in his life. And these criminals on the loose -- they're just a constant threat to everyone, and it's got Victor terribly rattled. Could you maybe take that as an opportunity to reconcile?" she suggested.

Philip wondered why the matter was important to Maggie. "Because I love my husband, and I love his only living son. Plus, I'm selfish; I'd love for Chloe to have Parker in this house so I could see my grandson anytime that I want," she replied. Philip insisted that Deimos wasn't interested in Parker, but Maggie didn't think that was important. "You, Chloe, Parker, this unborn baby -- [you would all] be safer here. Would you at least try to talk to Chloe?" she requested.

Later, Philip went to see Chloe, and when he revealed that he wanted her to move into the Kiriakis mansion, she wondered if he was drunk. Philip pointed out that living with Deimos would be the perfect way to keep an eye on him. Philip added that the escaped convicts posed a real threat to the Kiriakis clan as well as everyone who was in any way related to them, including Chloe and her unborn baby. "You should see the security at the mansion. You'd think the president lived there," he continued.

Chloe guessed that Philip really just wanted to move into the mansion to reconcile with Victor. Philip admitted that was indeed on his mind, since he might never get another chance to do so. "Chloe, I didn't want to play this card, but...I really turned my life upside down to help you. Don't I get some payback?" he wondered.

John contacted the ISA and managed to convince someone there to give him access to the agency's most advanced tracking technology to make the search for the escaped convicts a bit easier. Paul soon arrived at the townhouse with food and offered to help John look for clues. "Those three bastards aren't gonna quit hurting people until they're either back in their cages or in their coffins," John worriedly predicted.

At the escaped convicts' hideout, Xander handed over a heavy duffel bag he had grudgingly agreed to retrieve for Orpheus, who explained that it contained various items they could use to disguise themselves while wreaking havoc. Orpheus added that Clyde was procuring weapons and ammunition at that moment, and he wondered what Xander had done to help the cause, other than working on his abs. Insisting that he wasn't as dumb as he looked, Xander handed Orpheus an untraceable burner phone, adding that he had purchased extras for himself and Clyde.

Xander was anxious to start getting revenge right away, but Orpheus insisted that Xander needed to be patient. "We're gonna plan, pick a target, and then make our move...and watch people beg for mercy," Orpheus added.

The Kiriakis men band together

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

by Spalding

In Chloe's hotel room, she thought about when Deimos had told her that he knew about her pregnancy. Chloe then thought about Philip's offer to move into the Kiriakis mansion. Shaking off the memories, Chloe returned to packing. Nicole stopped by, and she was upset to learn that Chloe was moving into the mansion with Victor and Deimos. Chloe stressed that she wanted to help Philip reconcile with Victor. Chloe admitted that she was terrified that Deimos would be able to read her and ferret out the truth about the baby.

With a sigh, Chloe noted that if she did not move into the mansion, Deimos would doubt that her romantic relationship with Philip was real. Nicole promised to back Chloe. Seeing an opening, Chloe asked Nicole to reconsider moving into the mansion. Chloe added that Nicole would be able to spend more time with Parker. Nicole refused. Nicole explained that she needed to keep Deimos at an emotional distance so she could sort out her feelings. As Chloe grabbed her suitcase, the baby kicked. Emotional, Nicole said that she was happy for Chloe.

In the town square, Eduardo overheard Dario talking to Deimos on the phone. When Dario hung up, Eduardo asked him why he was working for Deimos. Dario avoided the question. When Eduardo warned Dario that he was out of Deimos' league, Dario countered that Eduardo was jealous that Deimos had stolen Kate's heart. Shaking his head, Eduardo advised Dario not to be anyone's errand boy. Eduardo offered Dario a job, but he declined to share the details. Eduardo told Dario he would be in touch about the job then he left.

Across the square, Chloe and Nicole walked past the caf. Dario ducked behind a cart and eavesdropped on the women's conversation. Nicole told Chloe that Roman had not been able to trace Xander's call, and there was no information on where the three convicts could be hiding. After they said their goodbyes, Chloe headed for the mansion. Dario approached Nicole and warned her not to walk around alone.

Nicole noted that she had a security detail nearby. With a nod, Dario offered to help Nicole if she needed him. Dario reminded Nicole of their friendship, and he promised to be there for her if she needed him. Nicole thanked Dario, but she added that she did not want help. Dario reiterated his offer should Nicole ever change her mind.

At the Martin house, Andre surprised Kate, and she pulled a gun on him. Kate sighed in relief when she realized that the man that had startled her was Andre. When pressed, Kate admitted that she was nervous after her encounter with Clyde. Kate explained what had happened and what Clyde had said about the paternity test. Kate said she was worried about Chad and Thomas. Shaking her head, Kate lamented that Chad had not killed Clyde when he had had the chance. Andre asked Kate to join him for lunch, for their mutual protection.

At the Brady Pub, Andre and Kate had cheeseburgers and martinis. Kate talked more about her concern for Chad. Andre was surprised that Kate was so close with his brother. When Andre asked Kate if she could trust him, Kate encouraged Andre to be more like Tony. Kate added that Andre had not been good to Chad, and that worried her. Andre countered that he wanted to be a family with Chad just as Tony would have wanted to be a family with Chad.

Outside the pub, Eduardo talked to John on the phone. Eduardo fretted that if the three convicts killed anyone, there would be blood on his hands for helping them escape. After his phone call, Eduardo went into the pub and introduced himself to Andre. Eduardo asked Kate about her confrontation with Clyde, and he apologized to Kate. Suspicious, Kate asked Eduardo why he felt responsible. As Andre walked over to the bar, Eduardo told Kate that he always felt responsible for the people he cared about.

At the bar, Andre eavesdropped on Kate and Eduardo's conversation. Kate asked Eduardo about Adrianna, and Eduardo admitted that she had left town. When Kate said she was sorry, Eduardo asked Kate if she meant that. Kate reminded Eduardo that she was a straight shooter. Eduardo confirmed that he would be staying in Salem because his family was all that he had left. As Eduardo rose to leave, he told Kate that he would be there for her if she needed him.

Once Eduardo was gone, Andre returned to the table to tease Kate. With a raised eyebrow, Kate noted that Eduardo had said he felt responsible. Kate vowed to find out what secret Eduardo was hiding.

In the Kiriakis living room, Brady, Deimos, Victor, Sonny, and Justin chatted about the escaped convicts and expressed their frustration with the police. Deimos invited Sonny and Justin to move into the mansion, but Sonny said he valued his privacy and had no interest in living in the mansion. Sonny added that he did not trust Deimos. Victor urged Sonny to move in, but Sonny refused. Frustrated, Victor blurted out that Clyde had been the one behind Sonny's stabbing.

"I hate that you always get what you want," Sonny growled. Justin was outraged that Victor had kept that information from him and Sonny. When Victor commented that he wanted the whole family under one roof, Philip chimed in to ask Victor if that included him. Victor bristled at the question. Deimos informed Victor that Chloe and Philip were moving into the mansion. Victor was furious.

Justin argued that Philip was family and that he, Chloe, and Parker needed protection. Justin added that Maggie wanted Parker and Chloe in the house. When Deimos reminded Victor that Philip was a guest in his house, Victor yelled back that it was his house, not Deimos'. As the room fell into a screaming match, Brady yelled out, "Shut up!"

With the room quiet, Brady reasoned aloud that the family needed to remain a united front. Brady argued that if Sonny or Parker strayed from the group, the convicts would pick them off one by one. Brady urged Victor not to be stubborn and to remember that the safety of the family was their top priority. With a shrug, Brady said that he hated Deimos, and if he could live with Deimos, then Victor could live with Philip and Chloe. Sonny agreed with Brady.

Sonny and Justin slipped into the foyer to talk privately. With a sigh, Sonny told his father that he would move into the mansion. Angry, Sonny said he refused to hide from the man that had ordered his stabbing and whose son had killed his husband. Sonny said that the family needed to work together to fight the three escaped convicts.

In the living room, Brady and Philip talked in the corner. Brady noted that the Kiriakis men needed to hold their tempers and get along. With a nod, Philip said he could not completely tone down his demeanor with Victor or else Victor would not respect him. Philip said he needed time to make inroads with Victor.

Nearby, Deimos told Victor that he wanted Philip and Chloe in the house so that he could keep an eye on them. Deimos revealed that he might be the father of Chloe's baby. Victor was disgusted. When Chloe arrived at the house, Philip rushed past Deimos and Victor to greet her.

In the foyer, Chloe kissed Philip passionately when she saw Deimos watching them. Victor curtly but politely welcomed Chloe into the mansion. Claiming exhaustion, Chloe asked Philip to escort her to their room. When Philip returned downstairs, the Kiriakis men agreed to fight together. Raising glasses of Champagne, the men toasted to their family.

The escaped convicts plan their next move.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

by Mike

As the escaped convicts donned disguises in preparation for a night of havoc, Xander complained that Orpheus and Clyde were wasting time talking about what they planned to do instead of just doing it. "You're gonna have to learn how to spell 'patience,' son," Orpheus countered, pointing out that when he and the other two men had each tried to go after a target on their own without a solid plan in place, they had each narrowly avoided being apprehended as a result. Clyde agreed that it was better to have a solid plan in place before making a move, and he was certain that the one he and the other two men had devised would go like clockwork.

"We're all gonna get a chance to do everything we want to every single person on [our] list. The only question we have to answer now is 'who's first?'" Orpheus continued. Orpheus reminded the others to stick to the plan, declaring himself the only one who was allowed to 'call an audible' at any time during the execution phase. Clyde wasn't pleased with Orpheus' attempt to make himself the boss of the operation, pointing out that it hinged on the use of bombs and weaponry he had procured. "And we're very grateful, Clyde, but the plan is still the plan," Orpheus tiredly maintained.

As Gabi was passing through the town square with Arianna, she ran into J.J., who urged her to head home soon, lock all the windows and doors, and stay inside for the rest of the night. Gabi said she had to drop off some clothes at the DiMera mansion first. J.J. wasn't thrilled with the idea of Gabi going to a place that was probably at the top of Clyde's hit list, but Gabi countered that she wasn't thrilled with the idea of J.J. being on patrol while Clyde was on the loose and likely gunning for him.

Realizing that he had reached a stalemate with Gabi, J.J. wondered if she would at least let him drive her to the DiMera mansion. "Could we play the siren?" Gabi asked with a grin. J.J. confirmed that he could allow that, but he pointed out that it would probably disturb Arianna's slumber, and Gabi conceded that he was probably right. J.J. suggested that he and Gabi could instead make a pact to spend a day together with Arianna -- perhaps at the Chicago aquarium -- after the escaped convicts were apprehended, and Gabi happily agreed. "I just hope [those] guys get caught before anybody else gets hurt," she added.

At the DiMera mansion, Chad tried to assure Adrienne that Clyde and the other escaped convicts wouldn't be able to get past his security team. "[They're] covering all the access points. They're in the tunnels, on the roof --" he began to add. Interrupting, Adrienne argued that each criminal was clearly out for blood. "[And] when somebody wants something that badly, nothing is gonna stop them," she fretted.

Later, while Adrienne was giving Thomas a bath, Chad and Lucas discussed DiMera Enterprises. Chad reported that Belle had managed to convince Shin to support the plan to completely legitimize the company. Other board members were still resisting the idea, but Chad insisted that he wasn't going to back down. Meanwhile, Gabi arrived with what she believed to be the perfect power suit for Chad to wear during an important business meeting he had scheduled for later that night. Chad hesitantly admitted that he had canceled that meeting because of all the recent chaos with the escaped convicts but had forgotten to inform Gabi.

"So, you're telling me that I risked my life [in] the name of fashion all day for nothing?" Gabi asked incredulously as Lucas ducked out of the room with Arianna. Feigning anger, Gabi proceeded to tell Chad about how difficult her day had been, stressing that she'd had to shop while also keeping an eye on Arianna because she hadn't been able to find a babysitter. Chad apologized and wondered if there was any way to earn forgiveness for having wasted Gabi's time. "Hey, I mean, I'm gonna get paid either way," Gabi conceded, dropping the act.

Relieved that he had been let off the hook, Chad changed the subject, revealing that he had decided to start a charitable foundation in Abigail's honor but had not yet been able to settle on a cause for it to support. When Chad asked for ideas, stressing that he wanted to choose something that had been important to Abigail, Gabi reminded him that Abigail had battled aplastic anemia as a child and had once feared that Thomas had developed the same disease. "So maybe something that helps find a cure for that, or, um, you know, finding matches for bone marrow transplants -- something like that," Gabi suggested.

Chad agreed and thanked Gabi for the idea with a hug that lasted perhaps a bit longer than it should have, observing that they clearly made a great team. When he pulled away from her, he stammered that he was going to get his legal team to draw up the necessary paperwork right away. Meanwhile, Theo arrived and thanked Chad for agreeing to let him spend the night at the mansion, reporting that doing so had given Abe one less thing to worry about while the escaped convicts were on the loose.

Pointing out that he had plenty of room for guests, Chad suggested that Gabi and Arianna could also spend the night at his place. Theo agreed that the mansion was probably one of the safest places in Salem, but Gabi said he didn't need to worry about her because her boyfriend was a cop. "Or I guess you could call Rafe," Chad conceded with an awkward laugh. Gabi nodded and excused herself so she could go find Arianna.

After Gabi left the room, Chad gave Theo a warm embrace and wondered how he was doing. Theo reported that he was excited to be back in the familiar routine of student life. When Chad asked about Ciara, Theo hesitantly replied that she was fine but missed Chad. "I mean, you and the baby," Theo quickly added. Chad started to say something about how Ciara was better off in school, but Theo interrupted and abruptly changed the subject, revealing that he had been hanging out with Claire a lot lately. When Theo tried to show off Claire's YouTube channel, he noted, with a mixture of confusion and concern, that she hadn't posted anything recently.

At the Horton house, Jennifer and Julie tried to convince Ciara and Claire that being stuck inside with them all night could be fun. "We'll play charades! We'll paint each other's fingernails! It'll be a blast!" Julie insisted. Hope warned Ciara and Claire to behave then excused herself so she could run a few errands before heading over to the police station.

Jennifer followed Hope out to the foyer and asked for an update on the situation with the escaped convicts. Hope reported that, given the number of roadblocks that had been put in place, it was highly likely that all three men were still in Salem. Jennifer admitted that she was worried about J.J. because Clyde had a score to settle with him and was a vicious man. "Yeah, well, he's not the only one, cuz," Hope replied.

Later, Joey arrived to give Ciara a textbook she had left behind at Club TBD earlier. Julie and Jennifer invited Joey to stay for dinner and round two of charades then rushed back into the kitchen to finish cooking. Joey told Ciara he couldn't stay for dinner but could hang out with her and Claire for a while if they wanted him to. Meanwhile, Claire demanded Joey's cell phone, and when he handed it over, she complained that it, too, had a weak signal inside the Horton house. Ciara was pretty confident that Claire's YouTube fans could survive for one whole night without hearing from her, but Claire insisted that Ciara knew nothing about how social media worked.

When Jennifer and Julie returned and began the second round of charades, one of the clues was A Star is Born. The teens had never heard of the film before, but the plot resonated with Claire, who suggested that she might soon enjoy more fame than Chloe ever had. "Wow. Confident much?" Joey muttered skeptically. Meanwhile, a taxi driver arrived and beeped the horn. Joey eagerly excused himself and told the women to stay safe.

Julie went to check on Doug, who was nursing a sore throat upstairs, and Jennifer went to the kitchen to set the table for dinner. Ciara seized the opportunity to try to warn Claire about the dangers of getting ahead of oneself. "You have a lot of talent, but so do a lot of people, and only a few of them make it to the top," Ciara pointed out. Claire insisted that she was going to be one of those success stories because she was going to work hard at promoting herself. "Which is why being stuck here all night is ruining everything!" she complained with a dramatic sigh.

Later, J.J. returned home and told Jennifer about his day. J.J. wished he could have spent more time with Gabi, since they never seemed to have enough time for each other. As Jennifer started to ask if Gabi felt the same way, Julie passed through the foyer and seized the opportunity to once again advise J.J. to dump Gabi right away. "Good to see you, Julie," J.J. dismissively replied before excusing himself so he could go upstairs and take a power nap before returning to work.

Hope went to the Johnson house to deliver a bouquet of flowers to Kayla, and Steve seized the opportunity to go to the town square to pick up a prescription for Kayla. As he was passing the Brady Pub, he ran into Aiden, who was recording a memo on his cell phone about arranging a meeting with Hope to discuss Stefano's murder case. Steve insisted that the taxpayers didn't want their money wasted on closed cases, but Aiden argued that the taxpayers found it comforting to know they had a district attorney who was willing to do everything he could to make sure that the right people were paying for crimes.

Steve knew that Aiden had only taken the job to get close to Hope, and although Aiden denied the accusation, Steve insisted that it was delusional of Aiden to believe that Hope would ever give him another chance. Steve advised Aiden to back off and leave Salem. "You've got no future here -- especially with Hope," Steve added. Aiden countered that as the town's district attorney, his future was looking quite bright.

After picking up an order of clam chowder for Kayla, Steve went to the town square to get her prescription from the pharmacy. A short time later, as he was passing through the town square again, he spotted a maintenance worker who seemed vaguely familiar. Steve followed the man to the pier but lost him there and decided not to give his suspicions any further thought. As Steve walked away, Orpheus met up with Clyde and Xander nearby and bragged that he had just passed Steve in the town square and hadn't been recognized. "Nice. Salem's not gonna have a clue what hit 'em tonight," Clyde predicted.

While Kayla was talking to Hope about Steve, they heard a loud noise outside the Johnson house. Hope pulled out her gun and cautiously crept outside to investigate, but there was no one out there. There was, however, a potted cactus sitting on the doorstep. Hope took it inside and handed it to Kayla, who explained, after reading the attached card, that it was from Kimberly. Hope couldn't believe that Kimberly had sent Kayla a cactus, of all things. "Well, you know, she lives in Southern California. Drought-tolerant," Kayla pointed out. Hope reasoned that, if nothing else, it would at least be hard to kill the cactus.

Joey arrived home a short time later, while Hope was complaining to Kayla about Aiden. Hope decided to leave Kayla in Joey's capable hands and head over to the police station. After Hope left, Joey asked about Steve, and Kayla explained that he was out running an errand for her. "It's nice having him back, huh?" Joey said. When Kayla failed to respond right away, Joey insisted, "It's where he belongs." Kayla warned Joey that Steve's presence at the house was just a temporary thing. "Still, it's nice, right? All of us together again?" Joey maintained, and Kayla conceded that it was.

Later, Joey received a text message from Jade: "Grandma lots better. Miss U SO MUCH! SEE U SOON!" Kayla admitted that she had started to suspect that Joey might have broken up with Jade because he hadn't talked about her at all lately. Joey explained that he had simply been avoiding talking about Jade around Kayla because he was aware that Kayla didn't approve of the relationship, and he didn't want to argue with her about it. Joey insisted that Kayla needed to focus on staying relaxed, anyway.

"Yeah, relaxed," Kayla sarcastically agreed, pointing out that it would be hard to stay relaxed while three escaped convicts were on the loose, especially since one of them was Orpheus. Joey urged Kayla to give it a try, and he soon had her curled up on the couch, napping peacefully. With his thoughts still on Jade, Joey stepped outside to contact her.

On her way to the police station, Hope stopped at the Brady Pub to check on Caroline. Aiden followed Hope inside and said he was glad to see her because he needed to talk to her about something. Hope insisted that there was nothing left for her and Aiden to talk about. She started to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and stressed, "It's important."

When J.J. awoke from his power nap, he went downstairs and found Julie and Jennifer in the living room, working on a puzzle. Julie explained to J.J. that she and Jennifer were trying to demonstrate how teens had entertained themselves before the invention of cell phones. Meanwhile, Ciara went to the kitchen to get some cookies. She soon returned and announced that Claire, who had volunteered to do the dishes after dinner, had ducked out of the house. Ciara guessed that Claire had gone in search of a stronger signal so she could access her social media accounts.

At the DiMera mansion, Gabi found Arianna then left her with Adrienne and followed Lucas to the panic room in search of Chad so she could ask him a question. Theo soon joined Adrienne and Arianna in the study, and Adrienne asked him to watch Arianna for a minute so she could go heat up a bottle for Thomas. As Gabi entered the panic room and started to ask Chad something, the lights went out and the door swung shut. Gabi nervously wondered what was going on. "Um...the power's out, so...we're trapped," Chad revealed. Meanwhile, in the study, Theo turned on his cell phone's flashlight and assured Arianna that everything was going to be okay.

The DiMera mansion wasn't the only place that was without electricity, though; Hope and Aiden were still at the Brady Pub when the power went out there, and Claire was passing through the town square as it lost power, and the Horton house lost power while everyone there was searching for her. Meanwhile, at the Johnson house, which was also without electricity, Orpheus and Clyde crept into the living room and hovered over Kayla, who was alone and still asleep.

Steve finds his family in danger

Thursday, September 22, 2016

by Mike

As Rafe was passing through the town square, he contacted Roman to see if there was an explanation for the blackout. When Roman reported that there had been an explosion somewhere nearby, Rafe concluded that it couldn't just be a coincidence that it had occurred while Orpheus, Clyde, and Xander were on the loose.

A short time later, Rafe heard a scream nearby. When he went to investigate, he ran into J.J., who was with an angry Claire. She explained that she had screamed because J.J. had grabbed her from behind in the darkness. J.J. clarified that he had been searching for Claire because she had defied orders to stay at the Horton house. "Sorry I was trying to prevent you from getting killed," he grumbled at her.

Changing the subject, Rafe asked about Gabi, and J.J. reported that he hadn't heard from her since before the blackout. Rafe told Claire to stay with J.J. and follow his orders. "Whatever's going on, it is not a joke," Rafe added before walking away. Meanwhile, J.J. received a text message from someone. "Wait, hold up -- you have service?" Claire asked excitedly. J.J. ignored Claire as he read the message, which was from Gabi and revealed that she was trapped in the DiMera mansion's panic room. J.J. rushed off, dragging Claire along. "I live in a police state," she complained.

At the Brady Pub, Hope told Aiden to leave then rushed off to check on Caroline. Aiden slammed his hand down on a nearby table in frustration, unable to see the glass that was sitting on it. He winced in pain as the glass shattered and sliced his palm, leaving a deep cut. Hope returned as he was wrapping a towel around the wound, and although he claimed that he was fine, she insisted on cleaning and bandaging it.

As Hope was fishing items out of a first-aid kit, she reported that she had been able to tell, from the vantage point of an upstairs window, that the blackout had hit the entire town. Hope guessed that Orpheus and the other escaped convicts had taken out the central power plant. "He's always loved blowing things up," she explained with a sigh.

Aiden winced in pain again when Hope started cleaning his cut, and when she instinctively apologized, he took her kindness as a good sign and seized the opportunity to try to offer his own apology for the way he had grabbed her earlier. Hope quickly stopped Aiden and reiterated that they had nothing left to talk about. "After I get you patched up, you're on your own," she added.

Aiden forged ahead, revealing that he had sent Chase back to Portland. "I thought maybe Ciara would want to know [that] he's gone," Aiden continued. Hope promised to deliver the news to Ciara. Hope wondered if Aiden would be joining Chase in Portland, and he confirmed that he would -- eventually. "[There are] some loose ends I need to tie up here [first]," he added.

As Aiden started to assure Hope that he had changed, Rafe arrived and wondered if she was okay. Hope confirmed that she was, and when Rafe demanded to know what Aiden was doing at the Brady Pub, she explained that Aiden had suffered an injury as a result of the blackout. "But what was he doing here in the first place? Shouldn't this place be off-limits to him?" Rafe wondered. Aiden pointed out that he was still in the room, prompting Rafe to counter, "Hopefully not for long."

Shifting his attention to Hope, Rafe filled her in on what he had learned from Roman earlier. "Seems like Orpheus hasn't changed a bit," Hope mused after Rafe confirmed her suspicion that an explosion had caused the blackout. Rafe soon focused on Aiden again, accusing him of stalking Hope. Aiden clarified that he had spotted Hope entering the Brady Pub and had simply seized the opportunity to let her know that he had sent Chase to Portland. Aiden claimed that he had hoped the news would ease Ciara's mind, but Rafe wasn't convinced.

"I'm onto you. I don't buy your fake concern, and I don't buy the 'new man' routine. The only thing that I do buy is [that] you're a bag of crap in an expensive suit," Rafe spat. Hope intervened, pulled Rafe aside, and asked him not to make the situation any worse than it already was, stressing that she could handle Aiden on her own. Rafe promised to back off.

Satisfied, Hope turned her attention to Aiden, thanking him for letting her know that Chase was no longer in Salem. Hope dismissively added that she and Rafe needed to get back to work. Nodding, Aiden thanked Hope for tending to his wound, prompting her to advise him to get a doctor to look at it right away. "You do care," Aiden happily observed. "Nope. She doesn't," Rafe muttered. Aiden hesitantly left the Brady Pub then took a seat on a nearby bench, opened his briefcase, and stared at the case file for Stefano's murder.

At the DiMera mansion, Chad told Gabi that the door to the panic room had an electromagnetic lock that couldn't be disabled during a power outage. Gabi started to freak out, fearing for Arianna's safety, but Chad assured her that Arianna and Thomas would both be fine because they were with Adrienne and Lucas, who would take good care of them.

Chad tried to unlock the door using an override switch, but it didn't do anything. Groaning, he explained that the panic room was a new addition to the mansion and wasn't in full working order yet. Gabi thought it seemed like the room was getting hotter, but as she began hyperventilating, Chad assured her that suffocation wasn't a concern. "Just pretend [you're in] a sauna and hope that J.J. got your text," he advised.

Meanwhile, Theo stepped into the hallway and quietly called out for Adrienne and Lucas. When something clattered somewhere in the darkness, Theo rushed back into the study and locked the door. "It's okay -- we're safe now," Theo assured Arianna, who didn't seem particularly fazed. Theo went to check on Thomas and begged him to stop crying. "Why didn't [Adrienne] come back? Something's wrong. Something's...something's really wrong," Theo worriedly muttered. Someone soon began rattling the doorknob and pounding on the door, sending Theo into a panic.

Theo curled up on the floor, covered his ears, and began rocking back and forth as Lucas and Adrienne stood in the hallway, begging him to open the door. After a few minutes, Theo managed to regain his composure, remembering that he had promised Adrienne earlier that he would take care of Arianna and Thomas while she was gone. Theo hesitantly approached the door and opened it. As Adrienne and Lucas rushed inside to check on Thomas and Arianna, Theo insisted, "I took care of them. I took care of them."

As Gabi stripped off some of her clothes in an effort to stay comfortable in the heat of the panic room, she joked, "What they say is true: nothing good can come from being around a DiMera." She quickly apologized to Chad, realizing that her comment had been insensitive and stupid. Chad unbuttoned his shirt as he assured Gabi that she didn't need to worry about his feelings, but she insisted on making it clear that she hadn't meant to put him down. "I mean, yes, the DiMeras have a reputation, but you're...different, Chad. You're not like them. You're kind, and caring, and compassionate -- nothing like them," she continued.

Chad argued that, genetically speaking, he had to be at least a bit like the other DiMeras. "I have DiMera tendencies, but the difference is [that] I fight them. I spend my life fighting them. My love for Abby motivated me to be a better person, and now that she's gone, I have to do that for my son so someday, hopefully, he can be proud of his father, so when he grows up to be a man, even when people make very 'funny' jokes, like you just did, he can be proud to be a DiMera," he continued.

Gabi predicted that Thomas would grow up being proud of the DiMera name because of the example that Chad was trying to set for him. "I hope so. But what you said about [how] nothing good can come from having anything to do with a DiMera -- even though I know you meant it as a joke, it's, uh -- it's unfortunately very true," Chad admitted. Gabi apologized again, realizing that her attempt at humor had caused Chad to think about Abigail. Chad clarified that he didn't need bad jokes to make him think about Abigail because she was always in his thoughts. "In the end, she just -- she got hurt, like everyone else who's fallen for a DiMera," he added.

Gabi argued that it was egocentric of Chad to blame himself for what had happened to Abigail. "She didn't pay because she fell for you; it was because she got involved with a homicidal maniac, and then everything went wrong," Gabi pointed out. Chad confirmed that he knew, deep down, that Gabi was right. Realizing that Chad still felt responsible regardless, Gabi insisted that he needed to give himself a break and accept that Abigail's heartbreaking and tragic death hadn't had anything to do with him. Chad thanked Gabi for the kind words and promised to do his best to heed her advice.

"But that does not save you from being to blame for this current predicament that we are in," Gabi stressed. Chad sarcastically agreed that he should have shoved Gabi out of the panic room the moment she had tried to set foot in it, because it was his panic room, and she had no business being in it. As Chad and Gabi finished stripping down to their underwear, they talked about their kids and reminisced about their high school days.

Meanwhile, J.J. arrived at the mansion with Claire and found Lucas, Adrienne, Theo, and the kids in the study. J.J. asked Lucas to lead him to the panic room then asked Adrienne to keep an eye on Claire, warning, "She can't be trusted." Claire started to tell Theo about what she had been doing when the power outage had occurred, but he just stared blankly at the wall while she was speaking.

When Claire realized that Theo seemed upset about something, she wondered what was wrong. Theo followed Claire into the hallway and told her about what had happened earlier, admitting that he felt stupid because of the way he had reacted to the situation. Claire assured Theo that the blackout had scared everyone, not just him. Claire insisted that Theo had done a great job of looking out for the kids, and he thanked her with a hug.

Chad and Gabi started putting their clothes back on as they asked Lucas and J.J. about Thomas and Arianna. Lucas reported that the kids were with Adrienne and were fine. Chad rushed off with Lucas while still only half-dressed, and J.J. stayed behind with Gabi, observing that it looked like things had gotten pretty hot in the panic room. Gabi thanked J.J. for rescuing her then excused herself so she could get some air.

When Joey reentered the Johnson house after ending his phone conversation with Jade, he was shocked to see that Kayla was bound to a chair and gagged, and someone was holding a knife to her throat. As Joey lunged forward in an effort to protect Kayla, Xander grabbed him from behind and held him back. Orpheus stressed that it was in Kayla's best interest for Joey to remain very quiet, and Joey confirmed that he understood. "What now?" Xander asked. "Now we have some fun," Orpheus replied.

Steve soon returned home, having realized after the blackout that his earlier suspicions about the maintenance worker he had encountered in the town square might not have been unfounded, after all. The living room was empty, so Steve called out for Kayla while searching for something in a drawer near the front door. "Looking for this?" Orpheus guessed as he emerged from the kitchen, holding a coffee cup in one hand and Steve's gun in the other. Taking a seat in the living room, Orpheus mused that prison had a way of teaching people to appreciate the little things, like a fresh cup of coffee and a comfortable armchair.

"Although it is difficult to make a good cup of coffee during a power outage. My bad -- the power outage, I mean. It's wonderful what you can do with just a little C4. Ka-boom! So, Steve...where were you when the lights went out?" Orpheus asked. Steve angrily demanded to know where his family was. "Cue the family!" Orpheus called out, prompting Clyde and Xander to emerge from a bedroom with Kayla and Joey, who were both bound and gagged. "Seems like old times, doesn't it?" Orpheus mused between sips of coffee.

Joey tried to lunge forward again, but Steve stopped him and insisted on handling the matter himself. "The way you handled it so long ago on my yacht?" Orpheus countered. Clyde impatiently urged Orpheus to hurry up and kill the Johnsons so they could move on to their next target, warning that even the Salem Police Department might be able to do the math and realize that when a power plant suddenly exploded while three escaped convicts were on the loose, it probably meant that they were up to something. "[I'm] the brains of this operation, Clyde, so concentrate on being a silent partner," Orpheus dismissively replied.

Xander agreed that Orpheus was taking too long to exact revenge. Amused, Steve observed that the escaped convicts seemed to be getting on each other's nerves already. Orpheus insisted that Steve was in no position to make jokes. "No? Well, uh, I seem to be dealing with Larry, Curly, and Moe here," Steve replied with a laugh.

Turning his attention to Xander, Steve asked, "Are you starting to wonder if partnering up with [Orpheus] was the stupidest thing you've ever done?" Without waiting for a response, Steve moved on to Clyde, guessing that he was starting to realize that, thanks to Orpheus, he could soon be facing the death penalty. "You're not just a petty drug lord anymore; now you're a domestic terrorist, and that is playing so well these days," Steve continued.

Orpheus hit Steve in the face with the butt of the gun and angrily ordered him to shut up. Steve quickly cracked another joke. Orpheus told Xander to gag Steve, but as Xander was readying a handkerchief to stuff in Steve's mouth, Steve insisted on telling one last joke. "Did you ever ask yourselves why you met this master criminal in prison? Because he's a lousy master criminal!" Steve warned Xander and Clyde.

"I told you to shut him up!" Orpheus shouted at Xander as Steve laughed tauntingly. Taking advantage of the distraction, Steve shoved his elbow into Xander's stomach then lunged toward Orpheus and tried to seize the gun from him. During the ensuing struggle, a shot was fired, and Kayla screamed in terror as she and Joey tried to free themselves from Clyde's grip.

When Steve regained consciousness a short time later, he found Kayla sobbing on his chest. Kayla was relieved to see that Steve was okay, but she was a bit confused until he opened his jacket and revealed that he had been wearing a bulletproof vest all along. "Orpheus said he was just gonna leave me here with your corpse, like with him and his wife," Kayla tearfully explained as she showered Steve with kisses.

Steve untied Kayla and assured her that everything was going to be okay. As he looked around the living room, however, he realized that Joey was nowhere to be found. "They took him," Kayla revealed before breaking down in Steve's arms.

Philip and Chloe resort to drastic measures

Friday, September 23, 2016

by Mike

Nicole met with Brady in the town square and assured him that she had been fine on her own the previous night -- and she hadn't really been alone, anyway, because Deimos had hired a security guard for her and had instructed the guy to stick to her like glue. "Gotta hand it to Xander and his friends -- they don't do anything halfway, do they?" Brady muttered.

Nicole agreed that blowing up the central power plant had sent a clear message that the escaped convicts were the ones who were calling the shots. Nicole hoped that at least one of the nearby restaurants had a generator, since she really wasn't looking forward to trying to get through the day without coffee. Brady pointed out that there was plenty of hot coffee at the Kiriakis mansion, and the place was really safe, too; in fact, it was hard to move two whole feet without running into a security guard there. "Is that your cute little way of trying to get me to move in?" Nicole guessed.

Nicole insisted that she couldn't do that, explaining that although she was worried about the escaped convicts, she was also worried about Deimos. "If I move into that house, then I'm sending him a message that I'm not ready to send," she continued. Brady argued that he was more concerned about Nicole's safety. Nicole admitted that she knew she was in Xander's crosshairs because he had recently contacted her. The news made Brady even more determined to convince Nicole to move into the Kiriakis mansion, but she maintained that she couldn't let a new man into her life for the wrong reasons because that wouldn't be fair to Daniel's memory.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Theresa and Eve nervously discussed the escaped convicts' latest move. Theresa tried to take comfort in Brady's earlier assurance that the criminals couldn't hurt Joey because they needed him alive and well so they could use him as a bargaining chip. Eve was reluctant to head back to New York in the midst of all the chaos, but she was scheduled to teach a class there in just a few days' time. "[Why don't you] just pack your bags [and Tate's] and come back to New York with me?" Eve suggested.

Theresa insisted that she couldn't leave Salem at that time because she had a company to worry about -- a company that was practically on life support already because she had put it on the back burner when Tate had been abducted. Eve argued that Theresa and Tate's safety was far more important than any company. Theresa agreed but felt confident that she and Tate were safe at the Kiriakis mansion.

Meanwhile, Justin found Deimos in the living room, having a heated phone conversation with someone. After making a few threats, Deimos ended the call and complained to Justin that no one knew when the mansion's security system would be fully functional again. Justin offered to put a few more guards on duty to compensate, but Deimos said he had already handled that.

"But there is something else I need you to do," Deimos added. Justin wondered if it was something he would want to do. "Probably not, but under the circumstances, you don't have much of a choice," Deimos answered. Justin pointed out that the last time he had done a side job for Deimos, it had ultimately cost him his real job. "Yes, but now your job is working [for] the family business," Deimos replied. Justin argued that Deimos' request had nothing to do with business, and Deimos agreed but countered that it had everything to do with family.

When Theresa and Eve entered the foyer a short time later, Deimos informed them that the security system wasn't back up and running yet. "Are you telling me the only thing protecting my little sister and my nephew is the lock on that front door?" Eve asked incredulously. Deimos stressed that there were plenty of guards patrolling the property, and more would be arriving shortly. Realizing that Philip and Chloe also needed to be warned that the security system was down, Justin wondered if Theresa had seen them lately. "They went out," Theresa reported. "Damn it!" Deimos snapped before rushing off.

While pacing a doctor's office, Philip asked Chloe, "Why do you come so far to see an obstetrician?" Chloe reasoned that since she was lying about her child's paternity, it was in her best interest to choose a doctor who didn't work in Salem. "It is the paternity-test-switching capital of the world," Philip conceded. As Chloe winced in pain and rubbed her temples in an effort to relieve one of many headaches she had suffered lately, Philip assured her that Deimos hadn't seen them sneaking out of the Kiriakis mansion that morning because he had been too busy yelling at people on the phone.

Meanwhile, Chloe's doctor entered the office and apologized for the wait. Chloe introduced Philip to Dr. Wright, who noted that her blood pressure was a bit high. "Yeah, things have been...a bit stressful...back at home in Salem," Chloe explained with a nervous laugh. Wright asked Chloe to change into a hospital gown, lie down on the examination table, and try to relax then he left the room to give her some privacy.

"How am I gonna relax? If Deimos finds out that this baby's his, my life is over," Chloe fretted once the coast was clear. Philip assured Chloe that Deimos would never learn the truth, but she didn't share his confidence. "These things have a way of coming out. We ought to know," Chloe pointed out. While on the subject, Chloe admitted that she found it hard to understand why Philip was still willing to put up with her in spite of everything she had put him through over the years. "I never meant to hurt you, and it just seems like I keep doing that over and over again. And I'm sorry [for that]," she added.

Philip dismissed Chloe's concerns, insisting that he was simply grateful to have Parker back in his life, and he had her to thank for that. Philip assured Chloe that he was committed to being a father to her unborn child for life if that was still what she wanted. Chloe confirmed that it was. Smiling, she mused that Philip was still the same nice guy he had always been, even back when they had first met in high school. Chloe said she would never forget her and Philip's prom night, and he said he wouldn't, either. "Maybe that's always been our problem -- maybe we've just never gotten each other out of our systems," Chloe suggested.

Philip realized that Chloe was talking about their recent kiss. Nodding, Chloe insisted that couldn't happen again because things were already complicated enough. Philip assured Chloe that although he had enjoyed the kiss, he would respect her wishes. "I'm all for keeping it simple," he added as she started to change into her hospital gown.

A short time later, while Chloe and Philip were waiting for the doctor to return, she informed him that they might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat that day. Philip wondered if Chloe would like to know the baby's gender if the doctor was able to determine it. Chloe admitted that she had a gut feeling that the baby was a boy, but Philip thought that a girl would be cool, too. "[But] if it's a boy, I'm thinking Mookie Kiriakis," he joked. Laughing, Chloe countered that she had been considering the name Plcido in honor of Spanish tenor Plcido Domingo. "No son of mine is gonna be a tenor!" Philip insisted.

"Okay, how about Philip Junior? Yeah, Philip Junior -- that would serve Deimos right," Chloe suggested. Meanwhile, someone knocked on the door. "Ah, finally," Chloe grumbled before inviting the doctor in, but when the door swung open, Deimos entered the room instead. Chloe guessed that Deimos had hired someone to tail her and Philip, and Deimos innocently confirmed that he had gotten worried about them when they had disappeared from the Kiriakis mansion. "Imagine my surprise when I came to learn that you snuck out for a doctor's appointment -- in another town, no less," he continued.

Philip denied that he and Chloe had sneaked out of the mansion, and he explained that they were visiting an out-of-town doctor because Chloe's pregnancy was high-risk, and she felt most comfortable in the care of a specialist. "What's high-risk about it?" Deimos wondered, but Philip refused to provide any further details. Philip insisted that Deimos needed to leave because he had no right to be at the appointment, but Deimos disagreed, summoning Justin into the room to present a court order that gave Deimos the legal right to demand a paternity test. "And I'm exercising that right -- today," Deimos stressed.

Philip wasn't surprised that Deimos had been able to obtain a court order, since the Kiriakis family always seemed to have a judge or two in its debt, but he was disappointed to see that Justin was doing Deimos' bidding. Philip refused to allow Deimos to endanger the welfare of an unborn child or put Chloe under any further stress, but Deimos assured him that the test wasn't a big deal. "Unless, of course, as I suspect, you're afraid of needles, Philip," Deimos added, explaining that his and Philip's respective blood samples could be compared to Chloe's to establish the baby's paternity because its DNA was already coursing through her system.

When Wright returned and learned what was going on, he agreed to comply with the court order but refused to allow Deimos to be present for Chloe's examination because Philip was still the father on record. Deimos wondered when the test results would be ready. "They should be in later today," Wright replied. Satisfied, Deimos left with Justin, and Wright followed them out of the room so he could order the necessary blood work. Struggling to maintain her composure, Chloe fretted that Deimos was just hours away from learning the truth. "Don't worry. The test is gonna say I'm the father," Philip promised, vowing to do whatever it took to ensure that.

While Kate was talking to Billie on the phone, trying to assure her that there was no reason to worry about Clyde and the other escaped convicts, the front door of the Martin mansion swung open. "My God, he's back," Kate said with a gasp, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her visitor was Andre, not Clyde. Kate's reaction reignited Billie's fears, but Kate maintained that everything was okay, and she promised to call Billie every single day to reassure her that there was nothing to worry about.

"You just scared the hell out of me!" Kate shouted at Andre after ending the call. "I do have that effect on people," Andre conceded. Andre suggested that Kate might feel safer at the Kiriakis mansion, which was reportedly being guarded as tightly as Fort Knox. "Or how about Lucas? I'm sure he'd take you in," Andre continued. Kate informed Andre that Lucas was staying at the DiMera mansion -- with Adrienne, whom she couldn't stand. Kate added that Chloe was living with Philip at the Kiriakis mansion, and she couldn't stand her, either. "You don't seem to approve of anyone of the female persuasion," Andre observed.

"No, that's not true. I just don't approve of most of the women that my sons choose to be with," Kate clarified. Later, after Kate ended a phone call, Andre observed that she seemed alarmingly pleased with herself. Kate explained that she had just convinced Theresa's last remaining investor to back out of D.J. Wear, leaving DiMera Enterprises with one less competitor to worry about. Andre thanked Kate for being such a good steward to the DiMera family in his absence. Sensing a segue, Kate preemptively stressed that she hadn't made up her mind about talking to Chad on Andre's behalf yet and didn't want Andre to mention it again.

After Andre left, Philip arrived with Chloe, who reluctantly admitted to Kate that the baby's father was Deimos. Knowing that Kate had manipulated paternity tests in the past, Philip asked her to help him and Chloe keep the truth from Deimos. "That would mean shackling you to this creature and her whelp for the rest of your life and passing off the kid as my grandchild," Kate pointed out. Although she admitted that she did like the idea of hitting Deimos where it hurt, Kate insisted that she couldn't go along with the plan.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady regretfully informed Theresa that D.J. Wear had just lost its last remaining investor. Brady suspected that Kate was responsible, and he offered to fight her on the matter, but Theresa insisted that it would be best to just let the company die. "I can be a designer at any time, all right? But Tate's only gonna be a baby once," she reasoned.

Later, Deimos returned home and contacted Dario, who admitted that he had failed to mention that Chloe had changed the date of her doctor's appointment because that information hadn't seemed worth mentioning. "You do that again, and you're fired!" Deimos warned before ending the call. Brady joined Deimos in the living room and wondered who he had just threatened. Deimos claimed that he had been trying to convince the head of his security team to start actively searching for the escaped convicts because the police were taking too long to find them. Brady didn't like that idea, but Deimos insisted that he didn't need Brady's approval.

Eve ran into Justin in the town square and informed him that she would be returning to New York later that day. Justin was sorry to hear that, admitting that he missed spending time with her. She returned the sentiment but added that she had been around long enough to know when a guy was still in love with his ex-wife.

Justin reminded Eve that his ex-wife was about to marry another man. "Is anybody taking bets on whether that's gonna happen or not?" Eve asked skeptically, hoping to get in on the action. Justin assured Eve that the wedding was going to happen. "I'm just sorry that you and I didn't get the chance to find out what might have been for us," he added.

Deimos took Nicole to the Brady Pub for lunch, and when Kate arrived to pick up an order, he asked Nicole to go powder her nose for a few minutes so he could talk to Kate privately. After Nicole left, Deimos approached Kate and started bragging about how much happier he was with Nicole. "You know, she and I were just talking about how much fun it might be to go after you and DiMera Enterprises," he casually added.

Kate reminded Deimos that she had incriminating information that she could use against him if he tried to play dirty with her, but he countered that she couldn't use that information because doing so would leave him with no reason to continue keeping her involvement in Tate's abduction a secret. "Be safe out there," he added with a smile as she walked away.

Nicole soon returned and observed that Deimos seemed pretty happy. Deimos confirmed that it felt like things were finally starting to go his way. When Nicole asked about his day, Deimos admitted that he had gone to Chloe's doctor's appointment and had forced her to agree to a paternity test. "We'll have the results later today," he added.

At the Salem Inn, Philip assured Chloe that there were still other ways to prevent Deimos from learning the truth about the baby's paternity. "I could find out if Caroline Brady's kept her computer skills up," Philip joked, but Chloe wasn't amused. Philip promised to find a way to get into the lab and change the test results himself, but Chloe doubted that he could pull that off on such short notice. "Deimos wins. It's over," she fretted.

As Philip was trying to convince Chloe not to give up, he received a phone call from Kate, who told him, "I had a change of heart. I'm totally looking forward to being a grandmother again."