Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of October 19, 2020 on DAYS

Kayla secretly ran a DNA test on Henry. John left the hospital. Orpheus, Clyde, and Rolf escaped prison during a blackout of Salem. Rolf confronted Chad about Stefano's microchip, but Gwen helped Rolf escape before the police could arrive at the house. Clyde pleaded with Ben not to kill Vincent. Orpheus took Marlena at gunpoint. Jan visited Belle during the blackout, but Shawn intervened. Claire rescued Charlie from the office, and he asked her on a date. Sarah fought with Xander about his jealousy.

Steve and Kayla move forward with their plan

Monday, October 19, 2020

by Mike

At the Kiriakis mansion, Sarah tossed aside a stain-removal product with a groan of frustration then tried to send Xander off in search of one that was more capable of getting red wine out of white fabric. "I have a better idea," Xander declared before offering to help Sarah out of the stained dress instead. "That is not gonna work on me!" Sarah warned Xander -- but only after a few seconds of hesitation in which the tactic seemed to be working quite well. "'That' being...?" Xander asked innocently. "Oh, like you don't know!" Sarah skeptically replied.

Xander claimed to have only one agenda -- making things right with Sarah. "Fine -- [then] I want you...to go downstairs right now...and apologize to Philip," Sarah declared, leaning in and whispering the words suggestively as payback for Xander's earlier attempt at seduction. "I don't want to talk to that son of a bitch -- I don't even want to talk about him!" Xander protested. "[Then] you'll be sleeping in the guest room [tonight]," Sarah warned. "I would put up a fight...but I know how stubborn you are -- and I also know [that], whether or not you'll admit it, you're gonna miss these big caveman arms wrapped around you tonight," Xander countered. "I'm not gonna miss those big caveman arms one bit!" Sarah insisted as Xander exited their bedroom. Once the coast was clear, Sarah flopped down on the bed with a sigh of frustration and hugged one of Xander's shirts.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Philip continued a phone conversation with someone. "Aside from being a total moron, Xander is [also] a hothead. I'm telling you, I am this--" Philip whispered -- before suddenly sensing someone's presence.

Philip quickly ended the call then innocently greeted Brady. "What are you doing here?" Philip wondered. "I need to see Victor -- now," Brady explained. "My father's very busy -- it's better if you make an appointment," Philip advised. "This is a matter of life and death, so screw your 'appointment' -- where is he?" Brady countered.

"Life and death?" Philip repeated. "Kristen was arrested for stabbing Victor -- [and] she's being sentenced tomorrow, [so] if Victor doesn't do something, she's probably not gonna see her daughter for a very long time," Brady clarified. "Well, the way I see it, [my father] doesn't have to do anything -- [I mean], why would he go out on a limb for the woman who tried to murder him? I'm sure he thinks Kristen should pay for what she did -- and so do I," Philip argued. "Shocker -- [you're] still a heartless Kiriakis," Brady observed. "I'm not saying I don't feel sorry for you -- [I mean], I'm sure it was devastating to think you'd lost your child. But it was devastating for me and Maggie to think we'd lost my dad --" Philip reasoned. "So devastating for you that, uh, you didn't even bother to come see him," Brady countered.

"We're on better terms now," Philip explained. "Since you strong-armed him into putting you in charge of Titan -- [or] half in charge, [anyway]," Brady summarized. "[And] isn't that what's [really] going on [here]? You kind of have to play ball, don't you? You're not gonna do anything [to help me] because you gotta stay on Victor's good side -- [that's] the only way you're gonna get Xander fired," Brady continued. "I heard you talking on the phone when I came in -- obviously, you're in league with someone, [and] you've got something up your sleeve [that will] provoke Xander so he'll screw up [and get fired]. Who's your accomplice in this mission, huh?" Brady concluded. "I'm not 'in league with' anyone -- that was a business associate I was talking with," Philip claimed, but Brady wasn't convinced.

"This is none of your business!" Philip snapped. "Well, I could make it my business, you know -- I could go to Xander [and] give him the heads-up that you want him out [and] will do whatever you have to do to make that happen," Brady countered. "Why would you do that?" Philip wondered. "[Because] you're being a heartless bastard right now, and you're obviously not gonna lift one finger to help me keep the mother of my kid out of prison," Brady explained -- just as Xander entered the living room.

"My father's upstairs. It's getting late, so if you need to talk to him, you should go," Philip said to Brady. "Not before, uh, I say something to Xander..." Brady replied, making Philip squirm a bit. "Because of you and Victor, Kristen is going to prison --" Brady snapped at Xander. "Kristen's going to prison because she stuck a knife in Victor's chest," Xander clarified. "[But] you and Victor put the whole thing in motion," Brady maintained. "[And] I've expressed my regret for that many times," Xander stressed.

"[Well], I regret wasting time -- and that's all I'm doing [by] talking to you losers, [so] I'm gonna go talk to Vic," Brady decided before storming off, prompting Philip to breathe a sigh of relief. "Sarah kick you out of bed?" Philip asked Xander. "My relationship with Sarah is none of your damn business," Xander replied. "Sarah kind of made it my business -- see, I've become her confidant; she likes my input on your idiotic behavior," Philip countered. "You know, I really was actually considering apologizing to you...but now [that] you've reminded me what a complete and total jerk you are, why should I?" Xander mused. "Because you came at me like a rabid animal?" Philip suggested. "I'll go a lot further than that if you continue to go after my woman," Xander warned. "Oh, give me a break -- Sarah and I are friends, that's all," Philip insisted.

"And, just so you know, she apologized [to me on your behalf earlier]. You made her pretty mad," Philip revealed. "We worked it all out, and everything's fine -- and, for the record, you may think you're Sarah's friend [and] confidant, but all Sarah really feels for you is pity; that's all anybody feels for you, Philip, because you're a loser [and] an utter failure in every way," Xander countered.

"I'm not gonna take any more of your crap -- and if I catch you moving in on Sarah again, you will regret it," Xander warned. "You can't be that secure in Sarah's love if you're that threatened by my friendship with her. Guess you're starting to realize you're way out of your league..." Philip argued. "You only wish that you could ever experience the kind of love and passion Sarah and I feel for each other," Xander guessed. "There may be passion and love between you, but we both know those things can be eroded pretty quickly with anger and disgust...which is clearly how Sarah's feeling right now, [knowing] that you won't apologize for making a fool of yourself. [That's a] big mistake -- [and if you make] too many of those, you'll lose her," Philip countered. "Go to hell!" Xander spat before storming off, drawing a smirk from Philip.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Brady ran into Sarah, who could tell that something was wrong. "I ran into [Xander] downstairs, and...[well], I don't know why you even bothered getting back together with that jerk!" Brady explained. "Sometimes I ask myself the same thing..." Sarah admitted.

At the hospital, Marlena suggested to John that it might be best to avoid Steve for the time being. "Just give him some time to cool down. [And that will] maybe give you some time to cool down, too," Marlena reasoned.

Changing the subject, Marlena wondered if John was ready to head back to their townhouse. "Not yet -- we've got one stop to make first," John insisted. "You [really] don't need to go [back] to Steve's and pick [another] fight about Tripp," Marlena argued. "That's not what I intend to do," John clarified. "[Then] what do you intend to do?" Marlena asked. "Can we just get out of this damn hospital so I can show you?" John replied.

Marlena nervously followed John -- then breathed a sigh of relief when they ended up at the Brady Pub. "Hospital food really sucks -- no offense," John explained. "None taken...[but] the pub's closed," Marlena countered.

"This is [about] more than just [grabbing] a burger," Marlena realized as John struggled to stay calm. "Yeah... I just want to feel normal again, Doc -- I just want everything to go back to the way it used to be -- and I thought [that] maybe having, uh, a beer and a burger at my favorite pub, with the most beautiful woman in the world, would get me there...but I guess it just wasn't meant to be," John grumbled. "Not so fast -- I've got some clout here, [so] let me see what I can do," Marlena assured John before entering the pub and greeting Roman, who was getting ready to head off to a poker match.

After managing -- with little difficulty -- to convince Roman to stick around a bit longer and cook one more meal, Marlena signaled for John to enter the pub. "What happened?" Roman asked while eyeing John's injured hand. "I had a, uh...little disagreement [with] Steve and his son," John replied. "Had to be more than a 'little' disagreement, [so]...mind telling me what it was about?" Roman challenged John. "Oh, it's nothing -- [they] just had an argument, that's all. You know how those two get," Marlena answered for John with a dismissive laugh. "But [John] said [he] had a thing with Steve and Tripp," Roman pointed out. "Well, in that Tripp was there, that's all," Marlena clarified. "Okay... I, uh, am kind of getting that it's, uh, none of my business..." Roman acknowledged before stepping into the kitchen.

"Why wouldn't you let me tell Roman why Steve and I were fighting? [I mean, Roman] sure as hell should know -- [Allie] is his granddaughter, also!" John said to Marlena. "I understand, [but] it isn't up to us to tell him; it's up to her to tell him...if she wants to -- [and she might not want to, because] she's not just traumatized by what happened [but also] ashamed because she doesn't remember that night --" Marlena explained. "She's ashamed? What the hell does she have to be ashamed about? My God, Doc -- her life [now], because of that little bastard who raped her, will never be the same! The one person who needs to be ashamed here is Tripp Dalton!" John snapped. "Of course Allie has nothing to be ashamed of -- [look], I didn't mean to suggest that [she does]," Marlena stressed.

"She was a victim of a terrible, terrible crime --" Marlena summarized. "And everyone knows that -- well, everyone except for Steve, who flat-out refuses to see the truth [and] just insists that his punk son hasn't done anything wrong when it's crystal clear he's nothing but a lying little rapist!" John spat, pounding a fist against a table to stress the point. "All right, that's it -- we're going [home now]; I'll tell Roman [that we'll] take the food to go --" Marlena decided. "[No] -- just give me a second," John protested, struggling to calm down.

Roman soon emerged from the kitchen and announced that John's food would be ready soon. "Maybe you ought to, uh, go to the hospital and get that [hand] checked out," Roman suggested, noticing that John was in pain. "Oh, come on, Roman -- just screw the hospital, will ya? I just got out of there -- I'm not going back!" John snapped. "He's been through a lot lately --" Marlena tried to explain to Roman. "No need to explain," Roman replied. "No -- I'm sorry, and I do need to explain... See, it's this, uh...it's this brain aneurysm, Roman -- it's, uh...it's changed me," John clarified. "I'm sorry to hear that," Roman stressed. "So am I...but Doc and I, we're kind of hoping that it's temporary," John admitted. Roman nodded then stepped back into the kitchen.

Later, while preparing to leave the pub with John, Marlena received a phone call from an unknown number -- but the caller hung up without saying anything. "Maybe my assistant gave [my cell phone number] to somebody..." Marlena reasoned before starting to contact the assistant -- then reconsidering after John argued that the matter could wait until the following day.

At the Walker-Brady apartment, Kayla finished collecting a sample of Henry's DNA. "Now all we have to do is compare Henry's DNA to Tripp's -- and [then] we'll know for sure," Nicole summarized. "I already know for sure -- Tripp is my baby's father...and once these test results come back, he won't be able to deny what he did to me ever again," Allie countered.

After Kayla left, Allie wondered if Nicole could think of any explanation for Tripp's cooperation. "Well, Kayla said Steve thinks [this] will clear [Tripp] --" Nicole recalled. "Yeah, but I know it won't -- and, I mean, so does Tripp. [This is] gonna prove that he's a rapist, [so]...why would he go along with [it]?" Allie countered. "Tripp may actually believe he's telling the truth -- [I mean], I've read [about] people who tell themselves and everyone else their fake version of events [so much that] they actually start to believe their own lie. [And] if that's the case, the results of this test may be a shock to him," Nicole mused. "Maybe...but [they won't be a shock] for me -- I mean, they'll finally prove that I have been telling the truth this entire time, [and then] I won't have to live the rest of my life ashamed of something that wasn't my fault," Allie stressed.

"How long do you think it'll take before we get the results back?" Allie asked. "Hopefully, you'll have the answers you want tomorrow," Nicole replied. "Ciara's memorial is tomorrow..." Allie realized with a sigh -- just as Henry woke up and started crying. Nicole started to rush off to feed Henry, but Allie admitted to being genuinely interested in handling the task alone for once.

Meanwhile, Kayla rejoined Steve at their townhouse. "Allie let me take a sample from the baby -- [she's] so sure that this will prove that Tripp is the father of her baby..." Kayla reported. "Well, Tripp is still adamant that he's not," Steve stressed. "He's back?" Kayla assumed. "Yeah -- [but] he turned in early," Steve responded. "And you didn't tell him," Kayla guessed. "That I stole his toothbrush so we could get a sample of his DNA and run a test he explicitly said he doesn't want any part of? No, I didn't," Steve confirmed. "Maybe we should," Kayla suggested.

"We're not telling Tripp anything -- [I mean], you saw how angry he got when you [simply] suggested the DNA test, [and] I don't want to upset him any more...especially when he feels like I'm the only one who believes him," Steve insisted. "Well, how do you think he's gonna feel when he finds out what we did?" Kayla wondered. "I think that all will be forgiven when the results come back and he's vindicated," Steve predicted. "You don't know that that's what's gonna happen --" Kayla argued. "Yes, I do," Steve countered. "[And] no matter how this turns out, I do not like the deception -- it feels so wrong!" Kayla concluded.

"What's wrong?" Tripp asked while joining Steve and Kayla in the living room. "That...John and your dad are at odds," Kayla replied. "Yeah, that is wrong -- and I'm really sorry you have to deal with that, Dad --" Tripp stressed. "No, I don't want you to worry about that -- I know that John and I will work things out eventually," Steve insisted.

Changing the subject, Steve wondered why Tripp was still awake. "I couldn't find my toothbrush," Tripp explained, prompting Steve and Kayla to exchange nervous glances. "It's weird -- I mean, uh, I could have sworn it was there this morning, but it's gone now..." Tripp elaborated. "Um...uh...you know what? I was, uh, cleaning the bathroom earlier, and I, uh...I might have thrown it out. I'm sorry. [But] there's extras in the, um...in the linen closet," Kayla stammered. "Great -- thanks," Tripp replied before starting to walk away. "Wait," Kayla called out, stopping Tripp -- and making Steve nervous again.

"Did you want to say something [else]?" Tripp asked. "Um...just that...I am...um, sorry...that things are tense between us -- um, you know how much I care about you, [and] I don't want us to be on bad terms..." Kayla replied, prompting Steve to breathe a sigh of relief. "We all want things to be better, okay? But it's a lot easier said than done," Tripp stressed. "Well, maybe we could...we could talk about it a bit -- you know, clear the air --" Kayla suggested. "Look, if you're trying to push me to do the DNA test again, [then] just forget about it -- that's not going to happen," Tripp maintained. "I just want the truth to come out," Kayla explained. "It already has -- I've told you the truth over and over again. It's just...you don't believe me," Tripp countered before starting to walk away again.

"For a minute there, I thought you were gonna tell Tripp about the DNA test," Steve admitted once the coast was clear. "Well, I could tell that you didn't want me to...[and] he's obviously still very upset with me, [so] telling him would probably make things worse. [So, look], I do understand [where you're coming from...but] I just can't envision a good outcome here -- [I mean], you and Tripp both believe that he is not Henry's father, and Allie is so sure that this DNA test is gonna prove that [Henry] is his --" Kayla replied. "What do you think?" Steve asked. "I think that the real answer is right here [in my medical bag]...and I also think that, whatever the results are, we both have people we love who are gonna be devastated," Kayla summarized before preparing to take the DNA samples over to the hospital.

"I will put a rush on [this...so], hopefully, we'll get the answers tomorrow," Kayla assured Steve before exiting the townhouse.

Ciara pleads with Ben not to kill Vincent

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

by Spalding

As Gwen worked at the desk in the DiMera den, Jake walked in and poured a drink. "So, what? Doing the kids' homework as part of your nanny duties now?" Jake asked. In the hallway outside, Chad stopped outside the door to listen to Jake and Gwen talk. Gwen explained that she was helping Abigail with party planning. With a nod, Chad walked away and went upstairs.

Chad was surprised when he found Abigail in their bedroom. Chad muttered that he had intended to go to the den, but he had turned around when he had heard Jake was in the room. "So, you're not even going to try and get along?" Abigail asked. Chad corrected Abigail and told her that he had made an attempt to apologize to Jake. Chad explained that his conversation with Jake had made things worse because Jake had acted like a jerk.

"Imagine that. A DiMera male acting like a jerk. Okay, what happened?" Abigail asked. Chad told Abigail about his entry-level job offer to Jake and how Jake had rejected it and had demanded to control the company with Chad. Chad argued that Jake was not entitled to run the company simply because Stefano had slept with Jake's mother.

"Where did you get your MBA?" Abigail asked. Chad scowled. Abigail noted that Chad would not have been able to run the company if Stefano had not slept with Chad's mother. Chad argued that he had worked with Stefano and E.J. and had learned the ropes from them. With a nod, Abigail suggested that Jake was an equal, and Chad would have to find a way to work with his brother instead of "treating him like the incompetent help."

"I treat him like someone who irritates me. Someone who is arrogant. And rude," Chad said. "God forbid you should even try to see any of the good in him. Any of his attributes," Abigail countered. Chad asked Abigail for examples. Abigail pointed out that Jake had a good sense of humor and could be charming. "Why don't we agree to disagree," Chad said. Chad promised he would make an attempt at peace with Jake for Abigail's sake.

"There is so much tension here in the house, and I don't feel like I have anyone to talk to about it but you, and I end up blaming you, which isn't fair," Abigail said. Abigail acknowledged that Chad had reasons for disliking Jake. Chad thanked Abigail for her compassion. Chad suggested that he and Abigail go to Chicago for a few nights, but Abigail declined because she needed to work on the party for her parents.

In the den downstairs, Jake told Gwen that he had heard her talk to Stefano's portrait. "What the hell are you up to?" Jake asked. Gwen started to leave, but Jake noted that Gwen was not a celebration type. "You are the 'I'm going to stick it to someone' type. And I think you want an audience for that," Jake said. Gwen explained that she liked her job and the family, and she only wanted to do something nice for them. When Jake teased Gwen about their romantic past, she shoved him away.

"You hit the genetic jackpot, and you think you can just ditch me like that," Gwen barked. Gwen called Jake a "money-hungry slob" and she warned him not to look down his nose at her. Jake chuckled. "You never answered my question," Jake said. Gwen said she had answered Jake's question. Jake scoffed, and he suggested that Gwen was helping with the party to make Abigail forget that Gwen had kissed Chad.

"You know when I told [Abigail] I was doing all that to get back at you, she understood me completely," Gwen said. With a smirk, Jake asked Gwen if she was best friends with Abigail. Gwen said she and Abigail were adults, unlike him. "I think I understand exactly what's going on. I just hope Abigail does, too," Jake said.

Clyde read through the paper in the prison rec room, and he stared at a wedding photo of Ben and Ciara in it. "Such a good-looking bride and groom. Picture perfect," Clyde whispered. "You must be talking about your son and his beautiful new wife," Orpheus said as he walked up behind Clyde. Clyde asked Orpheus why he was not in maximum security. With a shrug, Orpheus said they had shut down max due to problems and sent him back to Statesville.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Clyde said. With a smirk, Orpheus noted that Clyde did not appear happy to see him. Clyde reminded Orpheus that his son had murdered Jordan and framed Ben. Clyde warned Orpheus to steer clear of him. "I've got big plans for tonight. You could call it an exit strategy. So, if you change your tone, I might just include you in the fun," Orpheus said. Clyde folded his arms and reminded Orpheus that his plans never worked out well for Clyde.

"I'd forgotten how much you whine," Orpheus joked. Orpheus pulled a phone out of his pocket and looked at it. Clyde asked why Orpheus wanted to help him. "The truth is, I need you to do one, small thing for me," Orpheus said. After Orpheus told Clyde the plan, Clyde agreed to help. "My associate is about to cause a big distraction," Orpheus said.

At the Salem Inn, Ben stared at a wedding photo of him with Ciara. With a deep breath, Ben picked up Vincent's gun and looked at it. "This gun he used to kill you is going to send him straight to hell. Right where he belongs," Ben said. Ben placed the photo on the desk, and he talked to the picture of Ciara. "You're everything to me. You still are," Ben said. Ben gripped the gun, and he shoved it inside his jacket.

As Ben walked out of his room, he ran into Marlena. Marlena said she had stopped by to see how Ben felt. "It's not really a great time," Ben said nervously. "Where are you going?" Marlena asked. Ben lied and said he was headed out for a walk. Marlena walked past Ben into the room. "I'd like to ask you a couple questions," Marlena said. Ben spotted the evidence bag that he had left on the desk after he had removed the gun from it. Ben called out to Marlena to capture her attention, and he said he wanted to be alone.

Ben rushed over to the desk, grabbed the evidence bag, and shoved it in a backpack. "This place is such a mess," Ben said. Marlena suggested that she and Ben go for a walk and a meal. Ben reiterated that he wanted to be alone. "I know you're grieving. Maybe it is not a good time to shut yourself away from the people you care about," Marlena said. "People cared about Ciara. People loved Ciara. It's my fault that she's dead," Ben said. Marlena disagreed, but Ben argued that Vincent had shot Ciara because Ben had shot Vincent's love.

"It is not your fault [Vincent] was getting revenge. That was his choice," Marlena said. "When you're left with nothing, what else is there to do but to make someone pay? Make sure he gets what he deserves?" Ben said. Marlena asked Ben what he meant. Ben lied and said he had not meant anything in particular.

Marlena invited Ben to stay the night at the penthouse so that he was not alone, but Ben declined. Marlena asked Ben to let her and John pick him up before the memorial service in the morning. "I don't want you walking in there by yourself," Marlena said. "I'm not sure I'm going," Ben said. Marlena noted that the memorial might be a comfort to him. Ben said no, and he promised that he would be fine.

"If you decide you want to talk, it doesn't matter what time it is. Call me. It doesn't matter how late," Marlena said. Ben thanked Marlena for the offer. As Marlena turned to leave, she hesitated at the doorway. Marlena asked Ben if he had called her earlier and had hung up. Ben shook his head no. "Maybe it was just a wrong number," Marlena said.

When Marlena returned to the penthouse, she stared at her phone as John watched her. "It's like you're willing him to call you," John said. "You didn't see him, John. He was so lost," Marlena said. Marlena said it was understandable that Ben had been devastated by the loss of his wife. "Who would have thought that we would develop a soft spot for Ben Weston?" John said. Marlena smiled.

"[Ben] worked so hard to get over his illness. He'd overcome so much. He was abused as a child, as a young man, and then Ciara came into his life. She gave him all the love and support he needed. I wish he had talked to me," Marlena said. Marlena said she knew she could not force Ben to open up to her. Marlena worried aloud that Ben was alone in the world without family.

"I guess I feel responsible for him, and maybe just a little maternal towards him. He just never had the parental love that he needed," Marlena said. John suggested that Marlena go back to the Salem Inn to check on Ben.

"I know what it's like to feel lost. What it's like to lose hope, to lose faith. You feel like people don't care, so it's important that Ben knows that you are not giving up on him, even though he is going to try to push you away," John said. "Another reason to love you," Marlena said with a grin. Marlena told John she was lucky to have him. "Not half as lucky as I am," John said.

At the Salem Inn, the lights in Ben's room flickered and then went dark. "What the hell?" Ben wondered aloud. A blackout spread across Salem. As Ben stood in the darkness of his room, a vision of Ciara visited him. "You're really here," Ben said. Ciara turned away from Ben when he reached for her. "You're not real. It's just like at the hospital when I talked to you there," Ben whispered.

"You need to move on because hating Vincent is looking back, and you can't do that. For me, Ben," Ciara said. Ben refused. Ciara told Ben that he could not kill Vincent because he was a different person. "I need you to stay the man that I fell in love with," Ciara pleaded. Ben countered that Vincent had been proud that he had murdered Ciara. Ciara stressed that if Ben killed Vincent, he would go back to death row.

"You love me, and that changed you, but if you kill him, it's going to be like that love never existed. Like you and I never existed," Ciara said. "We don't exist. Not anymore," Ben countered. Ben said that his life meant nothing without Ciara. "You're all alone, and you're telling me that your life doesn't mean anything, so I came back here to tell you to please have faith," Ciara said.

"Promise me you're not going to kill again, because if you do, my life will have meant nothing," Ciara said. "If you really were here, I wouldn't have to kill him. Please just let me hold you," Ben said. The vision of Ciara disappeared. As Ben opened the door to leave, he found Clyde in the hallway. "Hello, son," Clyde said.

At the DiMera mansion, Chad confirmed on the phone that the lights were out all across Salem. "Great. More bad news. Wouldn't want to break the streak," Abigail said. As Abigail attempted to cross the room, she stubbed her toe and cried out. With a chuckle, Chad confirmed that Abigail was okay. As Abigail nodded yes, Chad asked Abigail if it was a better idea to take her parents out to dinner instead of the stress of planning a party.

"I forgot to tell you. Gwen is helping me with it. And by helping, I mean she's actually doing everything. I'm just paying the bills," Abigail said. Confused, Chad asked Abigail if Gwen was both a nanny and a party planner. Abigail smiled, and she said she was looking forward to celebrating something.

"I will let Gwen know that I'm on call for anything she needs for the party. Even if it is treating Jake with the respect that he thinks he deserves," Chad said. Abigail thanked Chad. "You have the best ideas," Chad whispered. "It wasn't even my idea [to have the party]. It was Gwen's," Abigail said. Abigail explained that Gwen had wanted to repay them for their hospitality. When Chad asked how Gwen had known about Jennifer's coma, Abigail explained that she had talked about it, and Gwen had suggested that Abigail would want to celebrate Jennifer's awakening.

"Kind of like [Gwen] knows me better than I know myself," Abigail said. With a grin, Abigail said, "So we're alone in a candlelit bedroom, and what are we doing?" "We're talking about Jake and Gwen," Chad said. Abigail and Chad undressed and started to make love.

In the square, Jack talked to one of his reporters, and she confirmed that the power surge had originated at Statesville prison. "I don't like the sound of that. Could be another prison break," Jack said. Jack looked to the horizon and wondered aloud if anyone was on the run.

In the DiMera den, Gwen lit candles to brighten the room. Jake returned from checking the breakers, and he confirmed that judging by the lack of lights outside, there was likely a blackout in town. "Makes this place even creepier than usual," Gwen complained. Jake reminded Gwen that she could leave at any time. Gwen gritted her teeth, and she said that she refused to do anything that would make Jake happy.

A thump sounded in the wall. "What on earth was that?" Gwen asked. Gwen pointed at the wall and noted that the sound had come from inside it. "I hear that there are some not-so-secret tunnels back there," Jake said. Jake started to investigate, but Gwen complained. With an annoyed groan, Jake announced that he was headed to the kitchen instead. Gwen followed, and when the room was empty, Rolf crept out of the secret passageway.

After Marlena helped John into bed in the penthouse, she used the flashlight on her phone to get around the darkened apartment. As Marlena walked toward the exit, a voice behind her said, "Going somewhere?" A startled Marlena turned around. Orpheus was on her couch.

The escaped prisoners cause havoc during the blackout

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

by Mike

At the Price-Grant apartment, Eli and Lani agreed that it would be nice if the blackout ended before Ciara's memorial service the following day, since a lot of people were relying on it for closure. "I can only imagine what Ben's going through right now..." Eli mused with a shake of the head. "Yeah..." Lani muttered.

Eli guessed that the memorial service wasn't the only thing that was on Lani's mind. "I just keep thinking about [Kristen -- I mean], I still don't understand why she changed her plea," Lani explained, making Eli squirm a bit. "Look --" Eli eventually began, seemingly ready to confess everything to Lani -- but, just then, both of their cell phones chimed simultaneously, alerting them that three prisoners had escaped from Statesville.

At the DiMera mansion, Rolf sighed wistfully while eyeing Stefano's portrait, which was glowing eerily under a beam of moonlight that was shining through the window of the otherwise dark study. "How wonderful to gaze upon your face [again], my old friend...but what I'm really looking forward to is once again meeting in the flesh," Rolf said.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the mansion, Chad flipped a light switch then informed Abigail that the citywide blackout apparently hadn't ended yet. "Good thing we were able to generate our own electricity [earlier]," Abigail joked. "Enough to power half of Salem!" Chad bragged. "I think you should come back to bed so we can see about powering the other half," Abigail suggested. "I am gonna be there in...one minute? [Yeah] -- I just need to go downstairs and check on something [first]..." Chad assured Abigail before donning a robe and rushing out of their bedroom.

A short time later, Abigail received a visit from Gwen, who reported that the blackout wasn't just affecting Salem -- it was affecting the entire county. "Any word what caused it?" Abigail asked. "My phone died before I tried to look," Gwen replied. "I just hope Jake and Chad don't run into each other [while we're] in the dark..." Abigail mused. "Yeah -- that could go sideways..." Gwen agreed.

Abigail told Gwen about Chad's failed attempt to make peace with Jake. "[Jake's] so bloody suspicious [all the time]..." Gwen grumbled, empathizing with Chad. "Especially of me! Do you know that he gave me grief about planning the party for your parents? Said that I had ulterior motives!" Gwen continued. "[Anyway], I just told him that, um...I'm trying to make your life...easier..." Gwen concluded with a shrug. "Which you're doing -- and I hope you know how much I appreciate it," Abigail stressed. "Believe me, I am really enjoying this -- really... In fact, I think I'm probably looking forward to this party more than anyone else -- I love a good party!" Gwen declared before handing Abigail a menu proposal then starting to rush off.

Gwen paused in the hallway and turned to face Abigail again. "I almost forgot -- [Jake's] still on the guest list... Does, uh, that fight with Chad affect things?" Gwen asked. "Oh... um... I'm hopeful that the two of them can learn to coexist -- I mean, they are brothers, after all, whether they like it or not, so..." Abigail replied.

"They are rather different, [though -- I mean], Chad's got wealth and a proper job, and Jake [just] spent most of his life sweating in a garage," Gwen argued. "Chad didn't grow up around his biological family, either, [though]," Abigail stressed. "[But] at least he got to know his father," Gwen countered. "I'm not so sure that was a very positive thing [for Chad, though -- Stefano] just wasn't a very good person, and I think anybody who was unlucky enough to be in his orbit would agree that the world is just a better place without him in it. [And, in fact, Chad] struggled for years with Stefano's legacy of terror [and] how to get out from underneath that shadow -- [and then with] trying to take the name 'DiMera' and turn that into something [to] be proud of," Abigail revealed.

"Hmm... You know, from what I've seen, Chad is a really good lad -- he's honest, he's honorable..." Gwen acknowledged. "He's everything that Stefano wasn't," Abigail summarized. "You had something to do with that," Gwen guessed. "I would like to think that our love was one of the reasons that he had the strength to reject Stefano's legacy -- a lot of the members of his family weren't as successful," Abigail admitted.

"How did your [family] feel about you marrying Chad?" Gwen asked. "They definitely had their doubts at first...[but] they love him now," Abigail replied. "That must be so nice for [him -- to have] this amazing second family now, [and to have it be one] as loving as yours..." Gwen mused. "Well, we're not perfect, either..." Abigail insisted. "Your parents [are], like, the ideal couple!" Gwen argued. "They weren't always that way, [though -- I mean], they've never stopped loving each other, [but] they've done a lot of things over the years to hurt each other," Abigail stressed. "You are blowing my mind right now!" Gwen declared.

Meanwhile, Chad entered the study and started searching a desk drawer for a flashlight -- then suddenly sensed someone's presence. "Boo!" Rolf exclaimed from a corner of the study while lighting a candle, pleased to have managed to frighten Chad. "What the hell, Rolf? I mean, what...what are you... Get out of my house!" Chad stammered. "Not until I take back what belongs to me," Rolf insisted. "There's nothing here that belongs to you!" Chad argued. "As a matter of fact, you're in possession of the item most precious to me in the world," Rolf countered.

"I'm here for the microchip -- the one containing your father's essence. I know the police gave it to you," Rolf elaborated. "Oh... Yeah, you can't have that," Chad replied. "I am confident I can persuade you to change your mind," Rolf declared before producing a gun and aiming it at Chad. "I understand why you want [it, but] I don't have it anymore," Chad explained. "[Then] where is it? What did you do with it?" Rolf demanded to know. "I suppose you have the right to know, [since] you love my father...in your own, uh, very twisted way..." Chad conceded.

"No, no, no, no, no..." Rolf tearfully protested after learning that Chad and Tony had set fire to the chip months earlier. "I'm sorry, [but] my father is gone -- for good this time -- and, uh, not even you can bring him back, [so] there's really nothing here for you..." Chad summarized with a shrug. "You ingrate! You never appreciated your place in this family -- nor [did you ever appreciate] the greatness of the man who sired you, God rest his soul --" Rolf snapped. "I don't think God has anything to do with this -- if anything, my father is probably, um, in hell..." Chad argued. "Then I hope you're prepared to join him, [because] if Stefano is truly gone, then you're right -- there is nothing for me here...except the task of avenging his death," Rolf countered with a scowl.

At the Salem Inn, Clyde smirked while observing that Ben didn't seem particularly happy about their unexpected reunion. "Headed out somewhere?" Clyde guessed. "For a walk," Ben claimed. "In the middle of the night, durin' a blackout?" Clyde skeptically summarized. "Yeah, that's right. [And] how 'bout you? You just busted out of Statesville!" Ben evasively countered. "Yeah, well...blackout did all the hard work, you know," Clyde explained. "Convenient time for a prison break..." Ben knowingly mused. "Funny thing is, I didn't plan the escape -- [in fact], I didn't [even] learn about the breakout 'til just before the lights went out!" Clyde defensively clarified.

"What the hell are you thinking? Why in God's name would you be working with Orpheus?" Ben demanded to know after Clyde finished elaborating. "I know we've had our issues, man, but he offered me a chance at freedom -- how am I gonna say no to that, huh?" Clyde reasoned with a shrug as Ben produced a cell phone. "What the hell are you doin'? You're not callin' in on your old man, are ya?" Clyde asked. "I'm calling Dr. Evans -- [she] needs to be warned, [because] the last time Orpheus was running around free on the streets of Salem, he tried to kill her!" Ben replied.

"Why the hell do you care so much?" Clyde wondered after Ben finished recording a voicemail message for Marlena. "[Because Dr. Evans] gave me my life back -- she's the reason why I was able to be with Ciara!" Ben explained. "I'm sorry about Ciara --" Clyde stressed. "Are you? I know you didn't like her!" Ben countered. "Well, not at first, maybe -- she was a little full of herself, didn't know her place --" Clyde began to respond. "I don't want to hear this right now!" Ben protested. "[But] she won me over -- [you know], with her loyalty, [and] the way she fought for you when you were on death row... I mean, stormin' into the prison like that [and] stoppin' your execution -- she is the stuff of legend on the inside, you know!" Clyde concluded. "She's the bravest person I've ever met," Ben declared.

"I'm really sorry I can't be there for you at her memorial tomorrow, but...you know, I do kinda gotta lay low for a while..." Clyde stressed. "It's all right -- I don't think I'm gonna be going, anyway..." Ben admitted. "Why the hell not? What do you got to do that's more important than that?" Clyde wondered. "What's it matter to you? I'm sure you'll be long gone by then," Ben countered. "Maybe..." Clyde conceded.

"[Look], I'm no head-shrinker, but if Dr. Evans was here, I think she'd probably say that your guilt over not bein' able to protect your wife is cloudin' your judgment," Clyde argued. "I don't know what you're talking about," Ben claimed. "I'm talkin' about what you were headed out to do when I showed up," Clyde clarified. "I was going for a walk," Ben maintained. "Mm-hmm... [Well, then], tell me, son -- what's in your pocket?" Clyde challenged Ben. "You don't have to worry about that," Ben insisted. "Don't I? [Listen], I know the look on a man's face when he's fixin' to put a hurt on someone, and I saw it on you the minute you opened that door. [Now], if you want me to take care of that dirt bag Vincent Belman, you just say the word, ['cause] we both know that I have not been the kind of father that you deserve, but if I can stop you from doin' somethin' stupid, I'm gonna!" Clyde countered.

"Ciara came to me [earlier] -- I saw her, Dad, right here! And she begged for me not to do anything crazy -- [she wants me to just] move on, but I can't move on, because she's gone! So, yeah, I was headed out to find justice, [because] Vincent needs to pay for what he took from me -- and from Ciara!" Ben admitted -- and before Clyde could respond, Eli knocked on the hotel room door and called out a greeting.

At the Evans-Black townhouse, Orpheus apologized for having just startled Marlena. "You really should be more careful, [though] -- you never know what dangers lurk in the darkness," Orpheus advised. "John is right in the next room, so I think you should leave while you still can!" Marlena warned. "Oh, I'm not too worried about Johnny Boy -- see, I keep tabs on my favorite Salem couple, so I know that poor John is still suffering the aftereffects of an aneurysm," Orpheus countered. "He's just fine!" Marlena insisted. "Is he? Because, from what I heard, he just got home from the hospital and is [only] beginning his long road to recovery -- [so], in fact, the John Black that's in the next room, convalescing, is about as menacing as a kitten...and sound asleep, I assume; otherwise, surely, he would have heard us out here [by now]," Orpheus argued.

"John is at full strength, [and] you'd be a fool to underestimate him, [because] he could be here in a second if I called him!" Marlena stammered. "Oh? Well, why don't we let him sleep [then]...and while he's off in dreamland, you can have some alone time with me -- your worst nightmare," Orpheus whispered.

"You took advantage of the darkness to escape," Marlena guessed. "Now you're the one underestimating me -- I didn't 'take advantage of' the darkness; I caused it," Orpheus bragged. "Are you here to plant a bomb under the sofa?" Marlena asked. "Now, why would I do that?" Orpheus replied. "Because you didn't kill me the last time you tried it!" Marlena clarified. "Oh! Yeah -- got greedy, left too much time on the detonator... [You know, this is the] first time anyone's ever told me I should have had a shorter fuse... [Oh, well] -- you live, you learn..." Orpheus mused, shrugging.

"I'm not interested in blowing you up, Marlena -- well, not now, anyway..." Orpheus stressed. "But since you're taking us on a stroll down memory lane...do you remember the last time you and I played with fire?" Orpheus continued while lighting a candle. "You were sealed up in coffins -- you and Kayla Johnson... Ring a bell?" Orpheus concluded. "You tried to burn us alive," Marlena summarized, shuddering at the unpleasant memory. "Yeah... Good times!" Orpheus declared. "[So]...you blacked out the town [then] broke out of prison [just] to come here and threaten me?" Marlena asked incredulously. "No -- the threats are beside the point. [Actually], I brought the cloak of darkness down upon this town -- and, more importantly, I brought it down upon your world -- [because] I need your help," Orpheus grudgingly replied.

"Whatever you want from me, I assume it involves hurting someone, so I want no part of it," Marlena insisted. "Normally, I find your defiance oddly stimulating...but I have no more time for this cat-and-mouse game, [so] here are your two choices -- you either walk out of here with me and do what I ask...or I just walk in the next room and pay a visit to poor, sleeping, defenseless John. So, what's it gonna be?" Orpheus countered. "I'll go with you," Marlena decided after some thought -- but before Orpheus could respond, Lani knocked on the townhouse door and called out a greeting.

"Unless you want the death of that cop and her unborn twins on your head..." Orpheus quietly warned Marlena, who promised to cooperate -- then opened the door and tried to act normal as Lani offered a warning about the escaped prisoners. After Lani left, Orpheus marched Marlena out of the townhouse at gunpoint. "Please watch your step -- it's dark out here..." Orpheus whispered to Marlena with a smirk.

The police close in on the escaped prisoners

Thursday, October 22, 2020

by Mike

Lani entered the police station while Shawn was in the process of trying to not only get an estimate on how long the blackout would last but also get more police officers involved in the search for the escaped prisoners. "No rest for the acting commissioner, huh?" Lani observed when Shawn was finally free to chat for a minute. "Oh, it's nothing that official -- I'm just...I'm here until my mom gets back, so..." Shawn clarified with a shrug. "I hope that's soon," Lani stressed, and Shawn agreed.

A short time later, Shawn finally found an opportunity to warn Belle about the prison break -- but, thanks to complications that the blackout had caused, the call didn't go through. "Is there any reason to think that she's in danger?" Lani wondered. "Orpheus hates John and Marlena, and she just happens to be their daughter, so..." Shawn summarized. "Right, yeah -- say no more," Lani conceded.

At the DiMera mansion, Gwen took another look at the proposed menu for Jennifer and Jack's surprise party then suggested to Abigail that it actually might be a bad idea to serve crab cakes. "Some people could be allergic, and the last thing we want is for somebody at your parents' party to be sick..." Gwen reasoned, shuddering at the thought. "Sure, yeah -- that sounds great..." Abigail distractedly agreed.

"Worried about Chad?" Gwen guessed. "It's just taking him an awfully long time [to get back here]... I mean, what if something happened to him?" Abigail fretted. "[The power's out], and this house has a million rooms and a zillion nooks and crannies, so [he probably just got turned around]," Gwen suggested. "[Still]...it just seems like it's taking him so much longer than it should..." Abigail maintained.

"I'm gonna go look for him --" Abigail decided. "I'll go!" Gwen insisted. "In case he comes back..." Gwen reasoned, and Abigail conceded that was a good idea.

Meanwhile, in the study, Chad tried to reason with Rolf. "What would my father say if he knew you had a gun pointed at my heart [and were] ready to pull the trigger?" Chad wondered. "Stefano would applaud my actions -- he would be pleased that I've remained loyal...unlike his insolent son, who burned him to a crisp!" Rolf predicted. "It was a microchip!" Chad stressed. "[It was] the very vessel which perpetuated his existence -- [so], in essence, you killed him!" Rolf maintained. "My father is the Phoenix -- chip or no chip, he will rise again. And when that time comes -- and you know it will -- [how are you going to explain to him that you killed his] favorite son? He will never forgive you -- he will hunt you to the end of hell, and he will not stop until you're dead. [You know I'm right -- I mean], no one knows Stefano's wrath [better] than you [do -- so]...do you really want to be on the receiving end of that?" Chad countered -- before suddenly lunging at Rolf.

Gwen entered the study just as Chad was disarming Rolf. Gwen stared at Rolf in shock for a few seconds then recovered and wondered if Chad was ever going to introduce the visitor. "This is Dr. Wilhelm Rolf, an old family friend who decided to break out of prison and pay us a visit," Chad explained. "Oh, my God!" Gwen exclaimed. "The landline's down, [and] I don't have my, uh...my cell phone, [so] will you call the police?" Chad requested. "Um...I'm sorry, Chad, but my phone is dead...[and], actually, Abigail is, um, worried about you, [which is] why I'm here -- to find you for her -- and I know that she'd feel a lot better if she could see for herself that you are all right, so...go to your wife, and I will keep an eye on this 'Dr. Rolf' here," Gwen replied. "I'm not gonna ask you to do that -- that's too dangerous. [Look, just] grab some rope, [and we'll] tie him up," Chad decided. "I don't have a flashlight..." Gwen fretted. "Okay -- I'll do it," Chad conceded.

Chad handed Rolf's gun to Gwen then rushed off. A short time later, Chad returned with a rope and used it to tie Rolf to a chair, assuming that Gwen would be ready to shoot if the doctor tried anything during the process.

"So nice to see you again, Ms. Rizczech," Rolf said to Gwen after Chad rushed off again. "I wish I could say the same..." Gwen replied while placing Rolf's gun on the desk. "I see you took my advice [about playing] the long game -- [and] the game is still afoot. [I mean], obviously, you have invaded your way into the heart of this family, [because] it's easy to see that Chad trusts you. [And] your acting skills -- par excellence! Chad will never suspect that you and I [are] practically best friends [at this rate] --" Rolf observed. "We are definitely not 'best friends'!" Gwen insisted. "Well...perhaps our relationship is a bit more...transactional...but still, [it is] symbiotic, nevertheless -- you help me, I help you -- [so...either] help me escape...[or] Chad will learn all about your true feelings for his wife," Rolf concluded.

"Chad will never believe that I'm a threat," Gwen predicted. "The prison I just broke out of happens to have cameras and visitor logs -- all the necessary evidence to prove that you came to visit me while I was locked up -- [and] how are you going to explain that?" Rolf countered, prompting Gwen to suggest that it might be best to just kill the doctor to guarantee that the truth would never be revealed. "No matter what dastardly deeds you've committed [in the past], do you really think you're prepared to take a life?" Rolf challenged Gwen. "You might be surprised..." Gwen warned Rolf.

When Chad returned with Lani, Rolf was gone, and Gwen was lying on the floor, pretending to be unconscious. Gwen waited for a shake from Chad then slowly stirred and started complaining about a head injury. "I'll call an ambulance," Lani offered. "No, don't do that!" Gwen protested. "You could have a concussion -- or worse!" Chad stressed. "I don't -- [and besides], the last place I want to be in the middle of a blackout is [the] E.R.," Gwen countered. "One minute, [Rolf] was tied up, [and] the next minute, he was loose, and then he attacked me [and] ran off..." Gwen claimed.

Lani rushed off to search the rest of the property for Rolf. "I'm sorry, Chad -- you gave me one job, [and] I messed it up..." Gwen fretted. "It's my fault -- I shouldn't have left you alone with him. [It's just...well, I mean], I tied the rope myself [and] made sure it was secure, [so] I have no idea how he could have gotten out of it..." Chad replied. "With this," Gwen explained, showing Chad a letter opener. "[That] was on the desk [before -- it] wasn't anywhere near him..." Chad protested. "Well, it's bloody dark in here -- he probably palmed it before you tied him up!" Gwen reasoned. "I guess that's the only explanation..." Chad conceded. "[Wait -- are you saying] you didn't see him cutting through [the] rope?" Chad realized after a bit more thought. "In this light?" Gwen countered, scoffing nervously.

Before Chad could ponder Gwen's story any further, Abigail entered the study and wondered if the police had taken Rolf away yet. "I was afraid something like this was gonna happen..." Abigail admitted after Chad and Gwen explained what had happened. "How the hell did he palm a letter opener? How did I not see that?" Chad grumbled.

At the Salem Inn, Clyde begged Ben to get rid of Eli. "'Get rid of' him? The guy's here on a manhunt -- he's not selling Girl Scout cookies!" Ben protested. "You're a smart kid -- you'll figure it out. [Look], if you turn me in, they'll tack another decade or two onto my sentence, and I will not survive that, so, do your old man a solid, would ya?" Clyde countered.

Meanwhile, Eli continued knocking on the door to Ben's hotel room and calling out greetings. Ben eventually opened the door and apologized for the delay, claiming to have been asleep. "Damn -- [you must be one] heavy sleeper, [then]..." Eli observed, somewhat skeptically. "No -- the power was out in my room, [so it] just took me a second to gather my bearings," Ben coolly clarified. "It's actually out all over town -- [and] the source was Statesville Prison; [see], there was a break there tonight, [and] three prisoners escaped, [including] your father," Eli revealed.

"I figured the best place to look for Clyde Weston would be with his son, [so]...am I right?" Eli continued. "It's not like we were that close...but if you don't believe me, you know, feel free [to] search the place," Ben replied before stepping aside so Eli could enter the room. "I want to trust you, [so] I'm not gonna search the place -- [besides], with the charges your dad is facing, he's probably headed to parts unknown, anyway," Eli decided before offering Ben a few words of comfort about Ciara then rushing off.

Clyde emerged from the bathroom and praised Ben's performance. "I didn't out you to Eli, [but that] doesn't mean that you're safe -- you've got every cop in Salem looking for you," Ben warned. "Yeah, well, that's why I'm gettin' outta here," Clyde agreed. "Wanna come along? [I mean], what the hell ya got to stick around [here] for?" Clyde challenged Ben. "Revenge," Ben declared.

At the Evans-Black townhouse, John received an unexpected visit from Belle. "I woke you up," Belle guessed as John stifled a yawn. "[It's] fine -- I was just, you know, sleeping like a baby thanks to all the painkillers your mother force-fed me," John explained. "I couldn't get you or Mom on the phone -- and, you know, with all the power outages...[well, I just] kind of freaked out [and] wanted to make sure you were okay," Belle admitted. "[Your mother's] not even here -- [she] went over to see Ben Weston [because] she's been really worried about him; [actually, she already] saw him earlier [tonight, but] she felt that he was a little off, [so] she urged him to give [her] a call later...[and] he never did, so she decided she should go over and check him out again," John revealed. "Still...you'd think she'd answer the phone when I called her..." Belle mused. "Maybe they got involved in one of those big heart-to-heart things, [and she's just] giving him 100% attention," John reasoned.

Belle nodded then changed the subject, asking about John's injured hand. "Just a scratch," John insisted before trying to talk about Belle's problems instead -- and getting an earful about Jan, Shawn, Philip, and Claire as a result. John insisted that Belle and Shawn weren't to blame for Claire's mental illness -- and that Jan was no match for the couple.

Belle eventually said goodbye to John then headed off to Hope's house to get some rest. After realizing that the house was otherwise unoccupied, Belle tried to contact Shawn, but the call went to voicemail. "It's...spooky in here -- in the dark, all alone..." Belle mused with a shudder after ending the call. "But you're not alone!" Jan countered.

Jan threatens Belle

Friday, October 23, 2020

by Spalding

Claire was walking through the park on her way home when Charlie called her on the phone to ask for help. "I'm stuck at the office," Charlie said. Charlie explained that the door to the office was stuck, and he could not leave. "Isn't there some sort of way that you can override the system in an emergency?" Claire asked. Charlie said he did not have the passcode, and he hoped that Claire might know it, since it was her family's company.

"I don't, but Philip and Xander will. Just give them a call," Claire said. Charlie worried aloud that his bosses would think he was incompetent. Claire told Charlie not to worry. Charlie suggested that the door might open from the outside, and he asked Claire to help him.

When Claire arrived at Titan, she rattled the door, but it did not budge. Charlie told Claire to push while he pulled on the door. After a moment, the door gave way, and Claire fell into Charlie's arms. With a nervous laugh, Claire complimented their team effort.

"Good thing you had my number," Claire said. With a grin, Charlie said he had not expected to use her number to ask her to rescue him. Charlie asked Claire out to dinner, and she said yes. "Now that I have rescued you, shall we get out of here?" Claire asked. Charlie said he still needed to work a bit longer. "I'll be in touch about that dinner," Charlie said. Claire warned Charlie not to let the door close again.

Sarah wandered into the darkened Kiriakis living room, and she saw Philip on the couch. "What's with the power?" Sarah asked. Philip told Sarah about the citywide blackout. "Seems three prisoners from Statesville blew a transformer, caused a power surge, and broke out," Philip said. Philip noted that the prisoners were armed and on the run -- and that the group included Orpheus.

"The monster that drugged my mother and tried to kidnap her? He is the reason that I..." Sarah said before she stopped herself. Sarah wanted to check on Maggie, but Philip told Sarah to let Maggie sleep. Philip promised that the security detail would keep everyone safe. With a nod, Sarah agreed that it was better not to wake Maggie and scare her. Philip invited Sarah to hang out with him in the living room instead of going back to her bed alone. Sarah played dumb, but Philip noted that it was obvious that Xander and Sarah had fought earlier.

"I hope I wasn't the cause of that," Philip said. Sarah said she had fought with Xander because of his "caveman behavior." Philip agreed that there had been no reason for Xander to have been jealous. "I never would have said yes to dinner if I'd known it was going to cause so much trouble," Philip lied. Sarah agreed that Xander was the one that needed to apologize to them. Sarah added that she was disappointed that Xander had suspected her of cheating on him.

When Philip joked about Xander's face after Philip had spilled wine on Sarah, Sarah laughed. "He made such an idiot of himself, didn't he?" Sarah agreed. Xander walked in and scowled. Philip smiled at him. Philip needled Xander about the fact that Sarah had kicked him out of bed.

"You told him you kicked me out?" Xander asked. "I didn't offer up that information. He just figured it out," Sarah said with a shrug. Xander and Philip bickered, and Sarah interrupted to ask them to stop, since the blackout was stressful enough. Xander said he was hurt to have found Sarah with Philip, laughing about him.

"You threw a jealous hissy fit over nothing," Sarah said. Philip mockingly imitated Xander's behavior. "I'll tell you what is laughable. Your outrageous arrogance. You fail at everything," Xander told Philip. Xander argued that Philip would be a deadbeat if he did not have the Kiraikis name. "Xander! That's cruel, and it's unnecessary," Sarah said. Philip countered that Xander was projecting his own insecurities.

"After an embarrassing temper tantrum, he comes down here to spy on us," Philip added. Xander explained that he had returned to the living room to sleep on the couch, and he suggested that Sarah and Philip laugh in another room. "I came down here because I didn't want to sit alone in our room in the dark. And there is nothing romantic about a power outage, especially when it's caused by three escaped Statesville prisoners," Sarah said.

"The fun part is, two of them are your old friends Clyde Weston and Oprheus. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" Philip said. Xander noted that he had not heard from either convict in years. Sarah was shocked to hear that Xander knew Orpheus. "You never thought to mention this to me when he kidnapped my mother? How do you even know him?" Sarah asked. Philip explained that Xander had previously broken out of prison with Orpheus.

When Philip called Xander simple-minded, Xander warned Philip to shut his mouth, or Xander would shut it for him. Philip rose to his feet, and he urged Xander to take a shot at him. Sarah stepped between the men and asked them to dial back their testosterone. Xander asked Sarah to return to their room with him, but she told Xander to sleep on the couch while she went to bed.

"Unless you beg mine and Sarah's forgiveness for being such a horse's ass tonight," Philip interjected. Xander refused to apologize to Philip. Xander added that he refused to sleep on the couch with killers on the loose, and he insisted on staying with Sarah. "I'm exhausted, so if sleeping in our bed means you will stop making such a damn fuss, then fine," Sarah said. Xander reached for Sarah's arm, and she pulled it away. Sarah clarified that Xander could go to bed, but she intended to stay downstairs with Philip.

Xander pulled Sarah aside and whispered to her, "Why are you doing this?" Sarah noted that she was angry about a number of things. "I will not tolerate being treated like I'm someone's woman, as if I belong to you, and I can't have a friendship with another man," Sarah said. Xander countered that he was fine with male friendships, just not a friendship with Philip. Sarah dismissed Xander.

"Don't you worry about Sarah. I'll take good care of her," Philip said. "I object to you using [Sarah] like a pawn," Xander grumbled. Xander accused Philip of stirring up trouble with Sarah to force Xander out of the house and business. "So, I'm just a stupid dupe here?" Sarah asked. Frustrated, Sarah told Xander goodnight, and she turned her back to him. Philip sat on the couch next to Sarah. Reluctantly, Xander went upstairs.

At the police station, Shawn and Eli talked about the logistics of the search for the prisoners. Frustrated, Shawn wondered aloud how Rolf had escaped from the DiMera mansion. "Let's just hope that Clyde turns up at Ben's. [Ben] promised me that he would let me know," Eli said. With Rolf in town, Eli noted that it was likely that Clyde and Orpheus were also in Salem.

"I've got something," Lani said as she walked in. Lani played video footage from the DiMera mansion, and they reviewed it to follow Rolf's movements. "What the hell?" Eli said. The footage had been erased. "Back to square one," Lani muttered. Shawn's phone beeped with an alert from his front door security camera. "Jan Spears is in my house! I got to go!" Shawn shouted as he ran out of the precinct.

Lani and Eli continued to take phone calls from the tip line, but there were no useful tips. Eli asked Lani to go home and rest. "The babies are fine, and how am I supposed to go home when I don't know if my friends and family are safe?" Lani countered. Lani said she had a nagging feeling that she had overlooked something. Lani remembered Kristen had worked with Rolf, and she started to go downstairs to talk to Kristen. Eli stopped her and noted that Rolf could not reach out to Kristen in her cell.

Eli said that if Lani insisted on working, she could go through the reports from the tip line. As Lani flipped through a folder, she noted that a witness had said they had spotted Clyde near the Salem Inn. "Are you sure that Ben was telling you the truth?" Lani asked. Eli said he had not searched Ben's room. "Are you sure he wasn't playing you?" Lani asked. With a nod, Eli said he would check again.

At the Salem Inn, Clyde asked Ben to leave Salem with him. Ben declined. When Clyde asked Ben why he wanted to stay, Ben pulled out Vincent's gun. "Revenge," Ben said. Ben told Clyde that the gun had been Vincent's. "So, your idea of finding peace for Ciara's death is to kill the man that killed her, with his own weapon?" Clyde asked. Ben gripped the gun tighter. Clyde offered to kill Vincent for Ben.

"I want to look that bastard in the eye. I want to hear him say the words and beg for his life. I want to see his fear. See him feel every bit of fear that Ciara felt," Ben said. Ben argued that the gun was the only way he would find justice. When Clyde urged Ben to let the justice system handle Vincent, Ben reminded Clyde that Clyde had just offered to kill Vincent for him.

"You don't trust the justice system any more than I do," Ben said. Clyde warned Ben that killing Vincent would send Ben back to death row. When Ben said he did not care, Clyde yelled that it mattered to him. "Why do you think I bust out of prison? To be here with you!" Clyde shouted. Clyde argued that Ben was the only family he had left, and Ben was the only thing he had left in the world.

"What's left for me? Nothing," Ben said. Clyde reminded Ben that Ciara had risked everything to save Ben from death row once. Furious, Ben argued that Ciara's death was his fault because Vincent had wanted to punish him. Clyde warned Ben that revenge against Vincent would just cause Ben's own death. "Use your brain, don't add to the body count. You want to honor Ciara? You be the man she helped you to become. You live the life she'd want you to live!" Clyde said.

"If Ciara knew what you were doing, she would kick your ass. So, do the right thing. Get rid of the gun, put one foot in front of the other, and get on with your life," Clyde counseled. "You lecturing me about doing the right thing? Really?" Ben asked. Clyde said he was done with his lecture, and he needed to go. When Ben asked Clyde what crime he had planned, Clyde said that Ben did not need to know. Clyde urged Ben to sleep on it before he did something he would regret for the rest of his life. Ben agreed.

"I'll check on you in the morning," Clyde said. "You promise me?" Ben asked. Clyde promised, and then he left. Ben looked down at the gun in his hand.

Belle stood in her living room and left a voicemail for Shawn. As Belle ended her call, she turned and found Jan in the doorway. "How did you get in here?" Belle asked. Jan said the door had been unlocked, and she had not wanted to wait outside with convicts on the loose. Jan walked toward Belle. "It's the middle of the night. Go home," Belle said.

"Fine, but first, I brought you a present," Jan said as she reached into her bag. Jan pulled out a large crystal, and she held it up high. "Don't hurt me," Belle pleaded as she backed away. Belle tripped and fell. When Belle stood up, she limped toward the couch. Jan offered to help, but Belle sternly warned Jan to stay away from her.

"What did you think? That I was going to bash your head in?" Jan asked. "What else would I think?" Belle countered. Jan told Belle to relax, and Belle ordered Jan to leave. Jan said she wanted Claire to have her rose quartz healing crystal to help Claire with her grief. "Take your rock and get the hell out of my house," Belle said. Jan insisted that she would not leave until she gave the crystal to Claire.

"Claire does not want or need your gifts or your friendship," Belle said. "Claire is an adult. Shouldn't it be up to her who her friends are?" Jan said. Belle told Jan that she did not trust Jan because Jan was a psychopath. Jan countered that she was surprised that Belle would be so insensitive about mental health. "You are preying on [Claire]," Belle said. When Belle argued that Jan's friendship with Claire was inappropriate, Jan countered that Belle's friendship with Philip was inappropriate.

"[Philip] is my friend," Belle said. Jan rattled off that Philip was also Belle's ex-husband and the man she had cheated on Shawn with multiple times. "I am not having this conversation with you," Belle said firmly. With a smile, Jan noted that Belle and Shawn had not remarried, and she wondered aloud if Belle had residual feelings for Philip. Angry, Belle barked that she was not interested in Philip.

"How long have you had this sick obsession with Shawn? Like you think he is going to wake up one day and fall in love with you? The truth is, the truth that you need to face right now is that even if Shawn and I didn't work out, even if you were the last person on earth, Shawn would never want to be with you," Belle said. Jan gripped her crystal tighter. Belle called Jan pathetic to have run over during a blackout with a gift for Claire.

"It's not an excuse. I care very deeply for Claire. I've never had a friend like her," Jan objected. Belle told Jan that she did not have friends because she did not live in the real world. "Shawn does not love you. He will never love you. He doesn't even like you. After everything you have done, Shawn hates you!" Belle said. Upset, Jan yelled at Belle to shut up. Jan raised the crystal above her head in a menacing manner.

"What are you going to do?" Belle challenged Jan. Shawn arrived and rushed to Belle's side. "What the hell, Jan?" Shawn said. Jan explained that she was there to drop off a gift for Claire. "It's a healing crystal. Although I don't think healing me was what she had in mind," Belle said. "You are so hateful!" Jan shot back. Belle explained that Jan was upset because Belle had said that Shawn hated Jan.

"That surprises you?" Shawn asked. Jan said she did not believe that. Shawn ordered Jan to leave. When Jan asked to talk, Shawn warned Jan that he would throw her out. Reluctantly, Jan agreed to go.

"I guess I'll see you and Philip in court," Jan said to Belle. "Yes, you will," Belle said. With a smirk, Jan noted that Belle would fight hard because of how much Philip still meant to Belle. "Out!" Shawn barked. Jan smiled and left.

"A gift for Claire? What is it she really wants?" Shawn said. "I wish I knew," Belle whispered. Shawn helped Belle to the couch, and he sat down with his arms around her. Concerned, Shawn wondered aloud why Jan had shown up at the house so late.

In the park, Jan thought about what Belle had said about Shawn hating her. Jan imagined that she had hit Belle in the head with the crystal. "Don't you dare ever tell me I'll never be with Shawn. Don't. You. Dare," Jan muttered.