Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of February 22, 2021 on DAYS

Claire recorded Charlie's confession, but he deleted it. Kristen and Susan switched places at the prison. Tripp accepted Allie's apology. Philip made a deal with Gabi. Kate agreed to work with Jake. Maggie left town to care for Summer. Xander agreed to marry Sarah in the Kiriakis mansion. Ben and Ciara shared another dream. Evan protested Orpheus' plan to ransom Ciara. Multiple people threatened to kill Charlie, and someone murdered him. Rafe found Sami with Charlie's body. Marlena ran tests on John after he had a rage blackout. Lani was suspicious of "Kristen." "Susan" refused to help Ben find Ciara. Ava admitted she was glad that Charlie was dead.

Claire sets a trap for Charlie

Monday, February 22, 2021

by Mike

At the Evans-Black townhouse, Susan entered the living room and watched with a scowl as Chloe helped Brady get settled in a desk chair. "You're spoiling me!" Brady halfheartedly protested. "That's what I'm here for," Chloe dismissively countered. "Hmm..." Susan suspiciously interjected, startling Chloe and Brady.

"Chloe..." Susan spat. "Hi?" Chloe replied, clearly confused. "Here again..." Susan observed. "Oh -- yeah, well, Brady can't come to the office, so I figured I'd bring the office to him," Chloe explained with a shrug. "Oh -- well, isn't that just sweet of you..." Susan grumbled.

Chloe decided to change the subject instead of trying to figure out exactly what had prompted Susan's obvious hostility. "Did you do something different [to] your hair? It looks a little...bouffant..." Chloe curiously challenged Susan, who nervously claimed to have visited a beauty parlor the previous day.

Just then, Susan's cell phone started ringing. "Oh!" Susan exclaimed after taking a look at the device. "You know what? I...am...gonna go down to the pub -- yep, that's what I'm gonna do -- and I'm gonna get me some chowder, and then I'm gonna do a little shoppin', and then..." Susan announced before giving Chloe one more scowl then exiting the townhouse.

"Did you do what I asked?" Kristen began when Susan finally answered the call. "Yes, I did -- [although] it darn near broke my heart to lose my signature sassy 'do!" Susan responded while removing a wig, as if Kristen would be able to see the blonde hair that the wig had been hiding. "And you know what Chloe did? She told me that my hair looked like a 'bouffant' -- and she said it like it was a bad thing!" Susan continued. "Chloe is there?" Kristen repeated. "Oh, yes, she is -- and she is fussin' all over Brady like a Florence Nightingale, spoilin' him!" Susan revealed. "His words!" Susan stressed. "That bitch!" Kristen spat.

"We need to do this right now -- trade places before that damn Kewpie doll seduces Brady!" Kristen urged Susan. "Just hold your horses -- the calvary is comin'!" Susan assured Kristen, who cringed at the mistake. After ending the call, Kristen realized that Vivian had been eavesdropping. Vivian, who had already figured out what Kristen was planning to do, promised to stay quiet about the matter -- but only if Kristen agreed to put a stop to Kate's relationship with Jake while on the outside. Kristen grudgingly accepted Vivian's terms then asked for help executing the switch.

Meanwhile, Chloe told Brady that Susan had just acted even stranger than usual. "In what way?" Brady wondered. "Well, ever since you moved in here, she's always hovering around right at your elbow [and] peeking around corners -- [but] she just flew out that door like she couldn't get out of here fast enough," Chloe explained. "Well, hey, cheers to that!" Brady raved, raising a coffee mug.

At the Walker-Brady apartment, Allie quietly exited a bedroom then released a sigh of relief -- which turned into a gasp of concern when someone loudly knocked on the front door just a second later.

Allie quickly opened the front door -- and found Tripp standing on the other side of it. "You seem surprised," Tripp observed. "I am," Allie admitted. "When you apologized to me the other day, you caught me off guard...and, in the moment, it was just really hard to say, 'You know, no problem -- it's all good,'" Tripp explained. "Well, yeah -- why wouldn't it be..." Allie conceded. "[But] I forgive you," Tripp stressed.

Henry soon woke up and started fussing. "He's teething right now," Allie explained to Tripp while rushing off to a bedroom to get Henry. "Want me to hold him?" Tripp offered when Allie returned and started trying to prepare a bottle while simultaneously rocking Henry. "And just so you know, if Nicole's ever busy or whatever, you can always ask me to help -- I'd be happy to," Tripp stressed after taking Henry from Allie.

After honeymooning at an undisclosed location, Steve and Kayla returned to Salem and headed straight over to the Brady Pub to place a takeout order. "I honestly cannot believe that you are hungry after that lavish brunch in the honeymoon suite," Kayla admitted. "Well, as I recall, we were a little distracted from the meal," Steve reasoned. "You are distracting..." Kayla conceded. "[And] besides, I didn't say I was hungry -- I just wanted to come here and pick up some takeout so we don't have to bother with making dinner; [we] have better things to do, if you know what I mean," Steve clarified before giving Kayla a kiss.

"Get a room!" Roman teasingly admonished Steve and Kayla while entering the pub. "Welcome back!" Kayla exclaimed while giving Roman a hug. "How were Carrie and Austin?" Kayla wondered. "Great -- back together, and I'm very happy about that," Roman reported. "Wonderful news!" Kayla raved. "And, by the looks of [your] smiling faces, I would guess that the surprise Valentine's Day wedding was a big success," Roman observed, and Kayla and Steve both confirmed the suspicion. "I was really sorry to hear about Laura's death -- how's Jen holding up?" Roman asked. "As well as can be expected," Kayla replied.

Roman eventually started talking to Steve and Kayla about Tripp and Charlie. Roman felt guilty for having treated Tripp so harshly before the truth about Allie's rape had been revealed. Roman was furious that Charlie was going to get away with the crime. "This is the kind of thing that makes people want to take matters into their own hands," Roman declared. Steve agreed, but Kayla insisted that vigilante justice was wrong.

Charlie rushed over to the Brady house to see Claire, eager to find out what had changed since the last time they had seen each other. "I'm just gonna silence my phone so we don't get disturbed..." Claire told Charlie before placing the device on the living room desk and launching its recording app. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you -- about what happened, about what you said -- and I've realized that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks; it only matters what I think," Claire explained. "[And] you believe me?" Charlie assumed. "I don't...[but] I think I can get past it," Claire clarified.

"What you did to Allie was terrible...but I've done terrible things, too -- [and] you knew all of that, and you never judged me, so how can I judge you?" Claire reasoned. "In spite of everything that happened, Charlie, I still love you, [so]...I want to give our relationship another try...[but] we need to take this slowly [and] rebuild trust," Claire elaborated. "I love you, too -- [and] however you want to build trust, yes, I'm in!" Charlie excitedly responded.

"Okay...then let's start with being honest with each other about everything -- like I was when I told you every single awful thing I've done. It was hard for me to do that, Charlie, but I wanted you to know everything about me -- I wanted everything out on the table -- [and] now I need you to be that honest with me, [to] trust me with the truth," Claire demanded. "You mean..." Charlie realized. "Yes," Claire confirmed.

"If it means having a future with you, then...I'll tell you everything," Charlie agreed after some thought before starting to tell Claire about what had really happened with Allie.

At Statesville, Vivian faked a heart attack to give Kristen and Susan an opportunity to change places without getting caught. Susan, who had arrived at the prison wearing dentures and contact lenses that Kristen had provided, was apprehensive about being locked up with a "vampire" -- Vivian -- but reasoned that the ruse was only going to last for a month.

At the Evans-Black townhouse, Brady informed Chloe that Philip had acquired Gabi Chic and was therefore the latest competitor that the Basic Black team would have the pleasure of destroying. "You really don't like Philip," Chloe observed. "[And] you defend him whenever you get the chance -- I mean, you always do, no matter what he does -- and I don't understand it, 'cause the guy just plays mind games with you...[like when], out of the blue, he accused you of having feelings for me," Brady countered. "Well, it wasn't exactly 'out of the blue' -- [he] only said that to me after he kissed me," Chloe admitted.

"That's so like him -- [I mean], his fragile ego [just] can't accept the fact that you don't want him back, so he assumes that there's someone else in the way, [and] why not me? It's crazy!" Brady declared. "Absurd...because we're ancient history, and you're crazy in love with Kristen..." Chloe agreed with a hint of disappointment.

A short time later, Kristen burst into the townhouse, disguised as Susan -- and was horrified to see that Chloe was cleaning a shirtless Brady's gunshot wound.

Charlie tells Claire she betrayed him

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

by Spalding

At the Kiriakis mansion, Sarah told Xander that Maggie had left town to visit her sister, Summer, in Las Vegas. "Summer's little visit is what set off a series of events that are very hard to think about," Sarah said as she fought back tears. Xander apologized again for Sarah's loss of Mickey. "I'm grateful that you not just forgave me, but agreed to be my wife. I'm lucky," Xander said. Sarah said she was thankful that she and Xander had found their way back to one another.

"But you're obviously worried about your sister," Xander said. "I'm worried about my mom and how this is affecting her. From what I understand, Summer basically begged her to come. Told her that she is dying and doesn't want to be alone," Sarah said. Xander asked if they should put off their wedding. Sarah said no.

Concerned, Xander asked if Maggie's feelings would be hurt if they got married without Maggie there. Sarah laughed. Sarah said that Maggie had told her that her feelings would be hurt if they postponed. Xander noted that he would call and thank Maggie.

"Also, [Maggie] did mention that she would really like it if we had the wedding here," Sarah said. When Xander asked why, Sarah explained that Maggie wanted Victor to be a part of the wedding. Xander said that because of what Victor and Philip had done, he did not want either of them involved.

"So, you're not okay with getting married here?" Sarah asked. "After the way Uncle Vic championed Philip over me, can you blame me?" Xander asked. Sarah agreed. Sarah noted that Maggie was stuck in the middle. Xander said he respected that Maggie's first allegiance was to Victor. With a groan, Sarah noted that she was also in the middle because she did not want to disappoint her mother, and she wanted Xander to be happy.

"As long as I'm sharing my life with you, I am deliriously happy," Xander said as he pulled Sarah into his arms. "Same here," Sarah agreed. Sarah pointed out that they did not need to make wedding plans yet. When Sarah noted that it was Maggie's dream for them to marry at the mansion, Xander interrupted to ask if Maggie had used those words.

"You know my mom. She plans out everything in her head," Sarah said. Xander noted that Maggie was a kind, forgiving person, and if having the wedding at the house meant that much to her, they would wed at the mansion. With a grin, Sarah said she wanted to show Xander how grateful she was to him.

Kristen arrived at Marlena's penthouse, disguised as Susan. When "Susan" entered the penthouse, Brady was shirtless in a chair with Chloe on her knees in front of him. "Susan" shrieked. "I was changing Brady's dressing, why are you freaking out?" Chloe asked. Brady echoed Chloe's question. "Susan" said she was concerned because it was hazardous for Chloe to seduce Brady in his medical condition.

"And for you, [Chloe], to be going after another woman's man? That's just plain nasty," "Susan" said. Chloe and Brady exchanged confused glances. "There is nothing going on here," Brady said. "Not unless you think tending to his wound is nasty," Chloe added. "Susan" noted that, unlike Chloe, she had volunteer training in a hospital. "Susan" shoved Chloe aside. Brady gently blocked "Susan" from touching his wound.

"I appreciate that you want to help. I really do, but I'm fine with Chloe taking care of my bandage. Actually, I'd prefer it," Brady said. "Oh, I'm sure you do," "Susan" shot back. Brady noted that Chloe had changed his dressing before. "We were married before. It's not like I haven't been close to him," Chloe added. "Susan" argued that Chloe and Brady's breakup had been bad because Chloe had put Brady in danger. Brady asked "Susan" to let Chloe change the dressings.

As Chloe kneeled back down and worked on replacing the bandage, "Susan" said that Chloe was the reason the mob had shot Brady. "That's not true," Brady said. When "Susan" talked about the shooting, Brady asked her how she knew so many details about the event. "Susan" explained that she had heard the information from Marlena. With a sigh, Brady stressed that he did not blame Chloe for the shooting.

"You're just such a forgiving man, aren't you, Brady," "Susan" said with a chuckle. "Susan" reminded Brady that if he had been killed, Rachel would be alone while "her poor, poor mama was stuck behind bars." With a suspicious eyebrow raised, Chloe asked "Susan" when she had started to care about Kristen. "Susan" said she felt for Kristen as a mother.

"It's killing Kristen to be away from Rachel," Brady agreed. "I know how she feels," "Susan" said. With a nervous smile, "Susan" asked about Rachel. Brady confirmed that Rachel was with Marlena and John. "Since [Rachel] is coming home, shouldn't Chloe be going?" "Susan" said. "Why?" Chloe asked. "Susan" noted that Rachel needed her routine. Chloe agreed, and she offered to help Brady.

"Rachel and I get along really well," Chloe added. "Rachel loves Chloe," Brady said. "Susan" fidgeted, and she told Chloe that the family did not need her help. "I think it is a good time for you to go home," "Susan" said. Chloe noted that she and Brady still had some work to do first. "Susan" argued that Chloe should not work Brady too hard, and reluctantly, Brady admitted he was tired.

"Let's call it a night then," Chloe said. Brady thanked Chloe for her help, and she left. "We are alone at last," "Susan" said. Brady raised an eyebrow. "Susan" cooked a grilled cheese dinner for Brady. "How the heck did you know how I like my grilled cheese sandwiches?" Brady asked. "Susan" lied and said Marlena had mentioned it.

Philip invited Gabi to his Titan office. "Welcome to the team," Philip said. "You have made a very wise decision, Mr. CEO," Gabi said. Gabi added that they would crush the competition. When Gabi remarked that Jake would curse the fact that he had let her go, Philip wondered aloud if his professional relationship with Gabi would work out. Confused, Gabi asked what was wrong. Philip noted that he was concerned about Gabi's obsession with Jake.

"I'm not obsessed with Jake," Gabi said. "It sounds like it is less about working with Titan, and more about getting revenge against [Jake]," Philip countered. Gabi admitted that she did not like to be rejected in business or in her personal life. Philip asked Gabi not to make him a pawn in her revenge plot. Gabi argued that her motivation would be good for business. Suspicious, Gabi asked if Philip's concerns were because of Kate. Philip noted that his mother's love life was not his business.

"It's not like it is going to last, anyway," Gabi said. "That's what I'm talking about. What exactly is your goal, Gabi?" Philip asked. When Gabi stressed that she had told Philip her goal, he asked her if she wanted to destroy Jake or make Jake take her back. Gabi rattled off a list of reasons why she believed Jake would grow tired of Kate. Concerned, Philip asked Gabi if she had genuinely given up on Jake.

"[Jake] called me desperate," Gabi said. Philip said he knew what it felt like to be rejected. "Fresh wounds?" Gabi asked. Philip nodded yes. Gabi asked Philip for details. Philip admitted that Chloe had rejected him.

"[Chloe] is such a phony, and kind of dumb," Gabi said. Philip smirked. "Tell me how you really feel about her," Philip joked. Gabi called Chloe a fool. "I think [Chloe] has her sights set on Brady," Philip said. Philip noted that Chloe had denied she was in love with Brady, but he knew that Chloe was still attracted to Brady. Gabi suggested that Philip use his frustration to crush the competition.

"Let me put it to you this way: if we run DiMera to the ground, that means that Basic Black will be collateral damage. Chloe and Brady, they're not going to be working together anymore," Gabi said. "I do like that," Philip agreed. Gabi asked Philip if he wanted to be the one to finally end the battle between Titan and DiMera. Philip nodded yes. Gabi argued that with her at Philip's side, the company would thrive.

"Nothing would make [Victor] happier than crushing the DiMeras," Philip said. "So, it looks like we have a deal," Gabi countered. Philip reached out and shook Gabi's hand. "This is the start of a very rewarding partnership," Gabi said.

In the DiMera mansion, Kate paced in the study as she gulped a drink. Jake returned home. "You know you're supposed to sip a drink like that," Jake said. "Not tonight," Kate said. Kate told Jake that Charlie had claimed that there had been consensual sex between him and Allie.

"Right now, [Charlie] is walking around free. You know, I have half a mind to just get my gun and make him accountable all by myself," Kate said. Jake urged Kate to take a breath. "Don't do anything crazy," Jake said. "Like you really care? You've been so wrapped up, pining over Gabi," Kate said. Jake asked Kate why she had changed the subject to Gabi. Kate said she had seen Jake staring longingly at the Gabi Chic storefront.

"So, were you second-guessing the business decision to let her go or the personal one?" Kate asked. When Jake suggested that he might have been thinking about getting a present for Kate from Gabi Chic, Kate reminded Jake that it was an abandoned storefront. Kate added that she did not want any "trash," anyway. With a sigh, Jake noted that he had run into Gabi. "I don't understand what the big deal is," Jake said. Kate asked Jake why he had lied to her.

"I didn't want to upset you because it didn't mean anything," Jake said. Kate told Jake that she did not want him to protect her feelings. "I need you to be honest with me," Kate said. Jake told Kate that Gabi had come on to him. Jake told Kate about his encounter with Gabi, and when Kate probed Jake with questions, he joked that he and Gabi had had sex in the square.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Kate asked. "It's supposed to show you how ridiculous this whole thing is," Jake countered. Jake said he had rejected Gabi again. "How did that go?" Kate asked. Jake said he had told Gabi that she was desperate and that he wanted to be with Kate. "You weren't tempted at all?" Kate asked. "I'm done having this conversation, so either you trust me and get over it, or we're done," Jake said.

"You still weren't honest with me," Kate said. "What is it going to take for me to convince you that I don't want to be with Gabi, that you are the only woman I want?" Jake asked. Kate shrugged. Jake grabbed Kate by the wrist, and he escorted her upstairs. After Jake and Kate made love in her bedroom, Jake asked Kate if she still wanted to talk about Gabi.

"Gabi who?" Kate said. "That's what I'm talking about!" Jake yelled with delight. Jake changed the subject to DiMera. "I already have a job," Kate said. Jake argued that Kate's talents were wasted on the mayor. "I like working with Abe," Kate said. "And I like working on bikes. Something tells me that you don't want to work with me because your sonny boy is now the head of Titan," Jake said. Kate laughed. Jake said he would understand if Kate did not want to compete with her son.

"Philip can actually take care of himself," Kate said. With a grin, Kate added that Philip would have to compete with "the big girls and boys." Jake gasped. "Girls? Wait a minute, does that mean it is a yes?" Jake asked. Kate said Abe would need a new press person. Concerned, Kate asked Jake if he believed they could work together. "I need you now more than ever. Especially after what Gabi said after I sent her packing," Jake said. Kate groaned. When Jake said that Gabi wanted to run DiMera into the ground, Kate said, "Let her try."

After Kate went into the bathroom, Jake's phone beeped with a text from Gabi. "Philip and I just made a deal! IT'S WAR!" the text read. Gabi then sent a kissing emoji. Jake frowned.

In the town square, Belle talked on the phone to Shawn, and he suggested that they have dinner at the pub together. "Why don't I call Claire, and I'll see if she can meet us," Belle said.

At the Horton house, Claire attempted to draw a confession out of Charlie while she secretly recorded their conversation. "So, you had sex with [Allie]. Against her will. Meaning you raped her," Claire said. "Yeah. I did," Charlie said. Claire thanked Charlie for his honesty. Concerned, Charlie asked Claire if she thought less of him. Claire reconfirmed that she was in no position to judge him after what she had done to Ciara.

"That's amazing. I thought your family would have turned you against me," Charlie said. "After what you've shared here today, I think it's only brought us closer," Claire said. Relieved, Charlie said he felt the same way. Claire suggested that Charlie should go home. "I'm not going anywhere," Charlie countered. Uneasy, Claire stressed that she was exhausted.

"I want to be with you," Charlie said. As Charlie stroked Claire's hands, he reminded her of when they had almost made love. "It would have happened, too, if Ben wouldn't have dragged you away," Charlie grumbled. When Claire remarked that her grandmother had been in the house that day, too, Charlie's face darkened. "That was the day they started poisoning you against me, claiming that I'd raped Allie," Charlie said. After a moment, Charlie added that he admitted that her family had been right about the rape.

"But [they were not right], not about who I am. Now that I know you can get past that, there is nothing stopping us from being together," Charlie said. Charlie leaned in to kiss Claire, and she reflexively shoved him away. "What's wrong?" Charlie asked. Claire laughed. "I want to be with you, too, it's just my parents, they could be home at any minute," Claire said. Suspicious, Charlie asked Claire why she had invited him over if her parents were expected. Claire noted that she had been keeping her eye on the time. "You really should go," Claire said.

"We're going to have to deal with your family at some point, but I guess it can wait," Charlie said. Claire thanked Charlie for understanding. "Oh! Why don't you come over to my place?" Charlie asked. Claire glanced over her shoulder toward her phone, and she stammered that she wanted to freshen up. Claire told Charlie that she would meet him after her shower.

"Or you can come with me, and we could shower together," Charlie suggested. Claire's phone rang. "I thought you silenced your phone so that we wouldn't be interrupted?" Charlie asked. Claire grabbed her phone and announced she would turn it off. Charlie reached around her to grab her phone, and he saw that the phone was on record. "It's been recording for the last 20 minutes. What the hell?" Charlie asked. Claire stammered that it was a mistake.

"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't an accident?" Charlie asked. Charlie played back his confession. "You were recording this whole time," Charlie said. Charlie asked Claire why she had set him up. "I was so desperate not to lose you, I couldn't see what you were doing!" Charlie yelled. Claire protested that their conversation had been an honest one.

"All you wanted was a confession out of me. You betrayed me," Charlie said. Claire asked Charlie to leave. "That's not going to happen. You started this, Claire. Now I'm going to finish it," Charlie said. Charlie threw Claire's phone aside. Scared, Claire grabbed a box and threatened to hit Charlie if he did not stay away. "You can't stop me, "Charlie said. Charlie grabbed the box from Claire. "Help!" Claire cried out. Belle rushed into the house.

"You stay the hell away from my daughter!" Belle yelled. Belle jumped in front of her daughter. Charlie backed up. "What the hell are you doing?" Belle said. Charlie calmly said that Claire had invited him over. "Liar," Belle whispered. "It's true, Mom!" Claire yelled. Belle asked Claire what she meant.

"I had a plan, and it worked," Claire said. "Your daughter thought she'd be clever and try to set me up," Charlie said. "You said a confession would put him away. Well, I got it," Claire explained. When Claire pointed at her phone on the couch, Belle and Charlie both dove to grab it. Charlie got there first. "Give it to me!" Belle shouted. "The hell I will," Charlie said. Charlie held Belle at arm's length with one hand, and he deleted the recording off of the phone with his other hand.

"You son of a bitch," Claire said. "I got to hand it to you, Claire. It was a nice attempt," Charlie said. Claire argued that she could testify to what Charlie had confessed to her. "Hearsay," Charlie countered. Charlie added that it was his word against Claire's, just like it had been his word against Allie. "I hate you," Claire said. Belle ordered Charlie to leave, and she promised to kill him if he approached her daughter again. "Go ahead and try. I dare you," Charlie said. Charlie dropped Claire's phone on the table, and he walked out. Belle grabbed her daughter and hugged her tight.

Charlie's life is threatened

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

by Mike

At the Brady house, Claire paced around the living room as Belle recorded an urgent voicemail message for Shawn. "Oh, my God, Claire -- if I hadn't have gotten here when I did, Charlie might have --" Belle began to fret after ending the call. "I know -- but, Mom, you really lost it; you said you were gonna kill him!" Claire responded. "Yeah, well, I meant it -- that monster doesn't deserve to live!" Belle spat.

"If you got in trouble for a decision that I made, I would never be able to forgive myself, [so] you can't hurt Charlie!" Claire protested, but Belle didn't make any promises.

At the Walker-Brady apartment, Allie received a visit from Marlena, who was armed with chocolate cheesecake. "John and I were taking Rachel out for supper, so I thought I better just bring you a little treat," Marlena reasoned with a shrug. "But you're really here to check up on me," Allie knowingly concluded, and Marlena shamelessly confirmed the suspicion.

"John would have liked to see you himself, but he had to get back and work on a case," Marlena explained to Allie.

While passing through the park, John ran into Charlie, who just kept walking in an effort to avoid another lecture. "Stay away from Claire and Allie!" John warned, grabbing Charlie by the arms. "How 'bout you tell Claire to stay away from me!" Charlie countered, pulling away from John. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" John wondered.

"Claire called me earlier and invited me over to her place [to tell me that] she wanted to give our relationship another shot...but it was all a lie -- she was just trying to trick me into confessing to a crime that I didn't commit; [she] gave me all this bull about how she wants to be with me [but] can't unless I'm 'honest'...[or], in other words, unless I admit that I'm a rapist, [which] I'm not! And I couldn't figure out why Claire was just so determined to get me to say that I was...[but], turns out, she had her phone recording the entire time! Thank God I noticed, or else she would have gotten me thrown back in jail -- [I mean], it was close, [but] I stopped her [before] she could have ruined my life --" Charlie explained. "'Stopped her'? What did you do to my granddaughter?" John snapped, grabbing Charlie again. "Nothing!" Charlie insisted, pulling away from John again.

"[I just told her] I was in love with her -- which I was, until she stabbed me in the back -- [and] not to mess with me ever again...[and now] I'm telling you the same thing!" Charlie spat. "You really want to get busted in half, don't you, punk?" John countered. "What I want to do is go home!" Charlie stressed.

"If you so much as think about going near either one of my granddaughters, you're a dead man!" John warned. "Might want to get a handle on that temper, old man -- [you know, maybe] look into some anger management or something -- 'cause [it seems to me like] you're thisclose to having a stroke," Charlie observed before walking away.

At the Walker-Brady apartment, Allie told Marlena about Tripp's earlier visit. "I'm glad to hear that he was so forgiving, [and that] the two of you made peace," Marlena declared. "Me, too -- [and especially because] my son has so many strong women in his life [already, but] I think it would be nice to add a guy into the mix...and Tripp is a really good guy," Allie responded.

At the Horton Town Square, Steve finished eating dinner with Tripp, who apologized -- apparently not for the first time -- for having shown up late for the planned meal. "It's okay -- I'm just happy I got to grab a meal with my son -- [but]...you never said what held you up," Steve responded, prompting Tripp to explain what had happened with Allie and Henry earlier that day.

"As soon as [Allie] handed [Henry] to me, I just felt this...connection, you know?" Tripp recalled. "Well, you are his uncle," Steve pointed out. "Yeah...[and] I didn't know what a good father [looked like] until I met you, [but] every kid deserves that, [and] Henry's father belongs in prison, so I'd like to be there for him -- I really think that he's gonna need me in his life," Tripp reasoned -- unaware that Charlie was passing through the area and was close enough to hear everything that was being said. "You will never be a part of my son's life!" Charlie snapped while storming toward Tripp.

"Since when do you care about Henry? You've never shown any interest in him at all --" Tripp argued. "Well, I'm showing it now! Besides, what do you know about what I care about? You don't know a damn thing about me!" Charlie countered. "I know you belong in prison," Tripp declared. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Yeah, you want me to just go away! But that's not gonna happen, so you can keep being the little golden son, [and] you can have Ava, but Henry is mine -- he is the one thing in this godforsaken world that belongs to me, and you're not coming near him, I can promise you that!" Charlie spat.

At the Hernandez house, Nicole thanked Rafe for having agreed to provide temporary shelter for Ava, who was getting settled in the guest bedroom. "I'm only doing this because of you," Rafe bluntly stressed, surprising Nicole, who had apparently expected to be politely assured that thanks weren't necessary because taking Ava in wasn't a big deal.

"I know I put you on the spot, [and] I'm really sorry about that," Nicole offered. "No, you're not," Rafe knowingly countered, and Nicole shamelessly confirmed the suspicion. "I'm really lucky to have you as a friend -- [and] not just because you took Ava in but [also] because you listen to me talk [and] cry [and] vent [about] Eric," Nicole acknowledged.

"I'm here for you, okay? Whenever you need me," Rafe assured Nicole. "I'm here for you, too," Nicole responded before grasping Rafe's hands -- then quickly pulling away as Ava joined them in the kitchen. "I'm so sorry -- I didn't mean to interrupt..." Ava began. "You didn't," Nicole insisted, and Rafe agreed -- but Ava seemed skeptical.

Shawn rushed over to the Brady house after listening to Belle's voicemail message. "I'm gonna go find that scum, and I'm gonna arrest him!" Shawn declared after Belle explained what had happened earlier. "No, you can't do that -- listen, I want that animal in a cage just as much as you do, but he never actually touched Claire," Belle clarified, stopping Shawn.

"[But] I can go to the courthouse tomorrow [and] file a restraining order," Belle assured Shawn, who admitted that was better than doing nothing.

Marlena rushed over to the park after receiving a text message from John. "What happened?" Marlena asked. "I ran into Charlie -- [and] it took everything I had to keep from breaking his face!" John replied.

Nicole went to the Vitali apartment to pick up a few things that Ava needed -- then ran into Charlie on the way back to the Hernandez house. "I need to see my mother," Charlie demanded. "So you can kidnap her again?" Nicole assumed. "Oh, my God, you freakin' people -- why can't you leave me alone?" Charlie grumbled. "Because you're guilty!" Nicole reasoned.

"[And] living on borrowed time," Nicole warned. "Okay, cool, yeah, great, fine, awesome -- [now], where's my mother?" Charlie countered. "She's not here -- and I wouldn't tell you even if she was!" Nicole declared. "FYI, Ava is not the victim here -- in fact, everything that's happened is her fault; [after all], I wouldn't have met Allie if Ava hadn't sent me to London to spy on Tripp! She sent me overseas to follow him around like a dog -- do you have any idea how humiliating that was, how much damage that did? Ava's obsession with Tripp has ruined my life!" Charlie snapped.

"She's crazy -- she's always been crazy; why else would she choose Tripp over me? I'm the devoted son, I'm the caring son, I'm the son that spent his entire life trying to make her proud -- [but] Tripp got everything, and I got nothing! [He] stole my mother's love from me, and now he wants to steal my son -- [but] that's not gonna happen!" Charlie continued. "What?" Nicole interjected. "I heard him say that Henry 'needed' him -- as if I'm not enough! I am enough! I would rather see Tripp dead than anywhere near my son! You know what? That's not a bad idea! [After all], with Tripp out of the picture, maybe Ava would finally have enough love for me! Huh..." Charlie concluded before walking away, leaving Nicole speechless.

At the Horton Town Square, Steve tried to assure Tripp that Charlie didn't really want to be a part of Henry's life. "I don't know, Dad -- I mean, given how much he hates all of us, I wouldn't be surprised if he just sued for custody out of spite," Tripp fretted. "They don't grant custody to rapists," Steve argued. "Yes, but he got off because he told the cops that Allie lied," Tripp countered.

"What's to stop him from telling a judge the same thing? [And] his lawyer could argue that Allie was an irresponsible party girl who went after Charlie when she was drunk, got pregnant, and then cried 'rape' because she was embarrassed -- and then she tried to give Henry up [but] got stuck with him, so she moved in with Nicole and [now] lets her do all the work. [And], for all those reasons, he's the better parent --" Tripp reasoned.

"No judge would ever buy it," Steve predicted. "I'm not taking that chance -- not with an innocent baby," Tripp insisted. "What can you do?" Steve asked. "I don't know...but I'm gonna figure something out -- and fast," Tripp replied.

John and Marlena went to the Brady house to check on Claire -- but found Belle and Shawn first. "I wish I was the one that had walked in [here while Charlie was threatening Claire] -- I would have strangled the life out of him with my bare --" John spat after Belle explained everything, prompting a concerned Marlena to cut the visit short.

At the Walker-Brady apartment, Allie received a visit from Claire, who explained what had happened earlier. "I had him, Allie -- I could have nailed Charlie to the wall and finally got you the justice you deserve -- but I blew it, and I'm just so sorry --" Claire fretted. "You don't have to be -- [look], you tried, [and] that was really brave of you, [and] I am so grateful," Allie stressed.

"Remember what I did to Tripp when I thought he was the one who assaulted me? [And], thankfully, Tripp's mom stopped me, because it turns out he was innocent...[but] maybe it's time that I stop relying on everyone else to take Charlie down...and I just deal with him myself," Allie suggested. "[Then] Henry won't have a mother, and you won't have a future -- your life would be over!" Claire protested. "Not if I get away with it," Allie countered.

At the Evans-Black townhouse, Marlena finished checking John's blood pressure and declared that it was too high. Marlena stepped into the kitchen to make some tea, hoping it would help John relax. As soon as the coast was clear, John rushed back out of the townhouse, still seething with rage. Meanwhile, at the Brady house, Belle and Shawn realized that Claire, who was supposed to be sleeping, was actually gone.

Nicole returned to the Hernandez house and started to tell Ava and Rafe about what had just happened with Charlie -- but Rafe received a phone call from Shawn before the end of the story. After Rafe stepped into another room to take the call, Nicole reluctantly admitted to Ava that Charlie had threatened to kill Tripp.

"Let the police handle it --" Nicole advised. "No -- I'm sorry, but I'm gonna handle it; [see], I brought Charlie into this world, [and] maybe [now], I need to take him out," Ava declared.

Later that night, while Charlie was pacing around the Dale apartment in anger as a result of everything that had happened earlier, someone knocked on the front door. "Don't shoot!" Charlie begged the visitor, raising both hands submissively.

Rafe makes a shocking discovery at Charlie's apartment

Thursday, February 25, 2021

by Mike

Ciara and Ben each awoke with a start after a shared dream in which they had reunited at Vincent's lair.

Later that morning, Evan slid a bowl of gruel into Ciara's chamber. "I'm not hungry," Ciara snapped. "Oh, come on -- you must like it; there's a five-pound bag in the kitchen," Evan argued. "I don't," Ciara insisted. "Bet you'd like it the way I make it -- a little maple syrup, some brown sugar..." Evan advised. "Spit..." Ciara guessed.

"What is your problem?" Evan wondered. "You!" Ciara answered. "I'm trying to be civil --" Evan stressed. "You want me dead!" Ciara countered. "[But] it's not gonna happen -- because Ben is going to rescue me," Ciara bragged, drawing a scoff from Evan. "Is that a fairytale you cry yourself to sleep with -- [that] your knight in shining armor is going to sweep you onto his trusty steed and carry you off into the sunset?" Evan assumed. "I had a dream -- and it was real," Ciara clarified. "A 'real' dream? Wow!" Evan skeptically responded. "It was more of a...harbinger," Ciara elaborated.

"Only one problem with that, toots -- Ben thinks you're dead," Evan warned. "Like hell he does," Ciara countered before telling Evan about having recently managed to steal Rhodes's cell phone and place a phone call to Ben. Evan dismissively pointed out that Ben would need more than just confirmation that Ciara was alive in order to have any hope of ever locating Vincent's lair. Ciara confidently assured Evan that underestimating Ben would be a big mistake. "He's looking for me right now -- I know he is," Ciara insisted. "[And he's] gonna find you...how, with the power of that 'epic love' of yours?" Evan mockingly guessed.

"You know, I wouldn't even expect you to understand, since you don't know what real love is --" Ciara declared. "Shut your mouth!" Evan snapped before turning away from Ciara to take a phone call from Orpheus.

"Bring me up to speed on our little project," Orpheus, who was using a burner phone so the call could not be monitored, began. "So far...exactly as planned," Evan summarized. "[Then] I need you to take some photos of our guest and text them to me [for] proof of life -- [and] if you can get a copy of today's paper in the shot, that's all the better," Orpheus requested. "Why?" Evan asked. "Victor Kiriakis -- if he ever wants to see his precious granddaughter again, he's gonna have to facilitate my release from this hellhole...[but] I can't very well ransom the girl to her granddaddy if he thinks she's dead, now, can I?" Orpheus replied.

"That's the plan? I didn't think --" Evan protested. "Well, that's the beauty of it -- you don't have to think; I'm doing that for both of us," Orpheus countered. "What do I get out of it?" Evan wondered. "Once I get out of this pigsty, you and I can go anywhere we want [for] some quality time --" Orpheus offered, drawing a scoff from Evan, who saw that only as another way in which the plan benefited Orpheus.

"My whole life, you've told me I wasn't man enough, that I'd never be a leader, [that] all I was good for was taking orders -- your orders... Maybe I don't want to do that anymore," Evan declared. "You're not thinking clearly, son --" Orpheus argued. "I'm thinking real clear -- Ciara blew my life to hell, and now I got her right where I want her, [so] maybe I want to play with her a bit [to] make her pay," Evan reasoned. "You're upset because I want to take away your plaything?" Orpheus incredulously summarized. "Oh, I'm not upset at all...'cause, for the first time in my life, I'm in charge -- I'm in control -- and it feels good," Evan proudly countered. "I can't have you challenging me --" Orpheus stressed. "What are you gonna do about it?" Evan wondered. "Now, you listen to me, you ungrateful little miscreant --" Orpheus spat. "Gotta go!" Evan said.

After Evan ended the call, Ciara advised that Orpheus' plan could yield a huge payout from Victor. "You should totally do it," Ciara insisted. "Some things are more important than money," Evan countered with a scowl. "[Like] revenge? [Well], if you hate me so damn much, why don't you just do it -- just shoot me [and] get it over with!" Ciara challenged Evan, who just walked away instead.

Meanwhile, at Statesville, Clyde approached Orpheus in the visitors' lounge. "You called whoever you were talkin' to an 'ungrateful miscreant' -- which reminded me of the way that I used to talk to my son, although I probably would've called him a 'snot-nosed punk' or somethin' like that... But you were talkin' to your son, weren't you? What did he do? Did he sass you? Did he refuse to listen to his daddy?" Clyde mockingly challenged Orpheus. "What does it matter to you?" Orpheus snapped. "Oh, you know me -- I'm a curious fella...and I'm wonderin' if it has somethin' to do with Ciara," Clyde explained.

"Mind your own business," Orpheus advised. "This is my business -- [and] I intend to get to the bottom of it," Clyde countered before walking away.

At the Brady house, Claire continued a phone conversation with Shawn. "I'm sorry -- I didn't mean to freak you out last night," Claire said. "I know that I shouldn't have just taken off like that -- it's just that I needed to speak to Allie, and I knew that you wouldn't let me go because of what happened with Charlie," Claire said. "No -- I'm home, I'm perfectly safe... No one can hurt me," Claire said -- just as one of the doors in the house slammed shut.

"Who's there?" Claire fearfully demanded to know -- and, seconds later, Ben sheepishly entered the living room. "Don't worry, Dad -- it's just Ben," Claire reported with a sigh of relief before saying goodbye to Shawn then ending the call. "I did not mean to scare you -- I was knocking, and nobody answered, and I remembered I still had Ciara's keys, so..." Ben explained. "It's fine," Claire insisted.

"I had the strangest dream..." Ben admitted before telling Claire everything. "Obviously, it wasn't real -- I mean, how could it have been, [right]? It was just what my mind came up with after hearing Susan's visions," Ben reasoned at the end of the tale. "Or maybe you and Ciara were sharing the same dream again," Claire countered. "That's what I want to believe," Ben stressed.

Claire was confused when Ben started talking about Rhodes. "Didn't your dad tell you?" Ben asked. "Actually...there was a lot going on last night..." Claire replied.

"You're a real badass!" Ben raved after Claire elaborated. "No -- [but] I'm pretty sure Charlie Dale isn't gonna come anywhere near me again..." Claire responded.

Changing the subject, Claire insisted that Ben needed to take Rhodes's belongings to Susan for a psychic reading right away. Ben and Claire headed over to the Weston apartment to collect Rhodes's belongings -- including a numbered limited-edition copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. "I had this book when I was a kid...[and] the sequel, too -- Through the Looking Glass --" Claire recalled, surprising Ben. "In my dream, Ciara was reading Through the Looking Glass -- [and] it looked exactly like this [book]; it had the same font, the same cover art... Wherever Ciara is, she has Rhodes's books!" Ben realized.

At the Evans-Black townhouse, John entered the living room and cautiously greeted Marlena, who was clearly upset about something. "I made you a pot of tea," Marlena revealed. "A fresh pot," Marlena stressed. "I threw out the pot I made for you last night," Marlena explained. "After you left," Marlena clarified. "Doc --" John tried to respond. "Doc?" Marlena snapped.

"Your blood pressure was high, so I brought you home to rest. You left without a word. I called you, I texted you -- nothing! [So], I was frantic -- I was afraid that you might have had another aneurysm while you were driving... I nearly called the police! [But] then you strolled in here like there was nothing wrong, like nothing had happened -- and then you walked past me [and] went to bed without saying a word. I don't know -- I guess you didn't want to talk about it. Guess what -- now we're going to talk about what happened," Marlena concluded.

"I'm sorry I walked out the way I did," John stressed. "Okay -- an apology is a good start..." Marlena responded before prodding John for answers. "I just couldn't stop thinking about that damn run-in I had with that Charlie kid -- I'm telling you, Doc, he was so damn smug, telling me that Claire was the one that hurt him... I mean, come on -- after the way he scared her, and after what he did to Allie, then for him to throw that kind of trash out there, like he's the victim... I just couldn't get it out of my head -- it was like my brain just went on autopilot -- and the next thing I knew, I'm behind the wheel of the car, and I'm just driving...[and] I didn't stop until I ended up..." John explained, seething with rage all over again. "Where?" Marlena wondered. "At Charlie Dale's," John admitted, alarming Marlena.

"I was so angry -- I could just feel the rage just boiling inside of me -- and just as I was about to get out of the car, I was slammed by this blinding pain in my head --" John recalled. "That was what I was afraid of!" Marlena fretted. "[And] I think that's when I blacked out --" John continued. "How long?" Marlena wondered. "Not sure," John answered.

"Something woke me up, though -- I don't know if it was a notification on my phone, but something did -- and then I saw all of your messages, and I knew that you had to be worried sick, so I just tried to shake it off, and I figured if I could just get myself home and get a little bit of sleep, maybe I'd feel better in the morning," John concluded. "Why didn't you tell me this last night?" Marlena asked. "You would have drug me off to the hospital, and I wasn't in the mood to be poked and prodded," John replied. "[Well], now we have to go," Marlena insisted.

John reluctantly followed Marlena to the hospital, where they were shown to one of the available patient rooms and warned that they might have a long wait ahead of them. Marlena eventually decided to investigate the cause of the delay, and John promised to stay put in the meantime. When Marlena exited the room, the sound of the door slamming shut registered as a gunshot to John.

At the Hernandez house, Rafe entered the kitchen and greeted Ava, who was in the process of preparing breakfast. "Doesn't really make us even, but I am grateful," Ava stressed. "Scrambled eggs?" Rafe observed. "Actually, these are uova strapazzate alla fontina," Ava clarified. "Whoa -- quite the cook, huh?" Rafe concluded. "Eh, I'm Italian," Ava reminded Rafe, waving a hand dismissively.

"Was your bed comfortable?" Rafe asked. "Very," Ava replied. "How come you didn't sleep in it, then?" Rafe wondered. "I got up early to get the eggs -- but if you have a problem with your houseguests making their bed, then I won't do it again," Ava answered. "Sorry," Rafe backpedaled. "Must be a cop thing -- the suspicion," Ava guessed. "Just a question --" Rafe explained. "You thought you already had the answer to," Ava countered.

"Where did you think I was?" Ava wondered. "I thought you went to see Charlie, [since] you were worried because he had threatened Tripp," Rafe admitted. "You told me that you stationed two cops outside Tripp's place [so] he would be perfectly safe," Ava recalled. "But you're Ava Vitali, so...you can understand why I was worried that you may have taken matters into your own hands," Rafe argued.

"[Well, I do] feel somewhat responsible for the horrible things that Charlie has done, [because] he grew up without love...at least from me, I mean," Ava admitted. "I lost Steve, and [then] my father took Tripp away from me, and then I just...lost myself..." Ava explained. "[And] what was my father's solution to that? [To] find me a new man!" Ava recalled.

"Enter Jimmy Giacomo -- yeah, he was one of my dad's guys from his crew, [a] sweet guy who was always trying to cheer me up; he brought me presents, he wined and dined me, and...one thing led to another, and I ended up pregnant. [Then] my dad thought, 'Well, hey, everything's great now, right? New man, new baby -- she's gonna be good as new!' [But] not so much, [because] I was just still really numb -- you know, from losing Tripp and Patch -- [so] I basically sleepwalked through my entire pregnancy, [and] when they put Charlie into my arms, I didn't feel a thing, [and] all I could think is, 'What the hell is wrong with me? What kind of a mother doesn't love her own child?' [But] I suppose the new baby -- Charlie -- was just a reminder of what I'd lost -- I mean, he was my son, of course, but he wasn't Tripp, [and] his father wasn't the man that I loved," Ava continued.

"I could barely look at him -- and I certainly couldn't take care of him, so my father arranged for Jimmy to raise him. [And when] Jimmy brought him by sometimes, [then] I acted like what I thought a mother should act like, but Charlie could just see right through it, of course -- God, I was so cold [and] dismissive... [And] the saddest part about the whole thing [is that the] poor kid thought it was his fault -- like if he just made himself into the perfect little boy, then I'd respond to him [and] be the mommy that he wanted -- [so] he never stopped trying to please me, and he was always trying to make me laugh, and he would make me little presents [and] birthday cards, but...I don't know, I just could never give him the love that he so desperately tried to give to me. [And still], even as an adult, he did anything that I asked --" Ava continued.

"Like when you sent him to check up on Tripp," Rafe interjected. "Exactly...which is why it is my fault -- [you know], what Charlie has become, [I mean]. I gave him nothing [and] treated him like he was less than nothing, and all he wanted was love. I am the reason that [he] turned into a monster," Ava responded.

Rafe optimistically suggested that Ava and Charlie might one day be able to repair their relationship. "I think it's a little too late for that," Ava argued. "Why?" Rafe wondered. "Because...I just don't think that Charlie is ever gonna forgive me for how I screwed up his life. [And] if his anger and his bitterness continue, he's just gonna lash out at everyone -- [and] 'lash out at everyone' [is] quite a euphemistic way of saying that he's just gonna continue to commit horrible, violent crimes," Ava explained. "Maybe if he got help -- [a] shrink, meds --" Rafe reasoned. "Yeah, right -- 'cause that's gonna turn a sociopath into an upstanding citizen," Ava countered.

"You don't think someone can turn their life around?" Rafe asked. "I do -- I mean, come on, look at me; I'm trying to do that myself -- [but Charlie] has no motivation or reason to turn his life around," Ava replied. "So...what, you just give up on him?" Rafe protested. "I'm just facing the reality that the damage that was done to him is too deep -- and I would really like to believe that it could be reversed, but I don't think it's possible with Charlie," Ava explained -- and Rafe received a phone call just then, interrupting the conversation.

"Anonymous call -- someone thought they heard a gunshot at..." Rafe hesitantly began to explain to Ava after ending the call. "Tripp's?" Ava worriedly assumed. "Charlie's," Rafe clarified. "Oh, my God, what if... I wonder if he..." Ava fretted. "No -- I shouldn't even say it..." Ava decided, but Rafe disagreed. "I wonder if he killed himself," Ava admitted. "Why would you say that?" Rafe asked. "Because he's lost everything that he's known in the past few days -- I mean, Claire doesn't want to have anything to do with him, [and] he's gonna go to prison for kidnapping me, and everything that he thought about his future is gone," Ava replied.

"I'll call you [and] let you know how it turns out," Rafe promised before rushing off. Once the coast was clear, Ava produced a photograph that had been taken of Charlie as newborn -- then stared at it sadly.

When Rafe arrived at the Dale apartment, Charlie's motionless body was sprawled out on the floor of the living room, sporting a gunshot wound in the chest -- and a gun was nearby. "Damn," Rafe muttered after checking Charlie's pulse. Sighing, Rafe started to place a phone call to someone -- and, just then, Sami emerged from another room of the apartment, carrying a towel to avoid leaving fingerprints behind.

Rafe finds Sami with Charlie's body

Friday, February 26, 2021

by Spalding

Eli and Lani sat in their kitchen and discussed plans for the christening. Eli told Lani that Julie had asked if Jules could wear a family christening gown. "I kind of forgot to tell her that you had already bought her one," Eli said. With a shrug, Lani said she was happy to dress Jules in the family gown. Eli announced that he intended to drop the kids off for daycare on the way in to work, but Lani explained that she was still too anxious to let anyone else look after their kids.

"I know how hard this has been, okay? But both Ivan and Vivian are in prison. There is nothing to be afraid of," Eli assured Lani. "I know that in my head. My heart? Letting them out of my sight is another matter," Lani said. Eli reminded Lani that she had planned to visit Kristen at the prison and that she could not take the twins. Eli assured Lani that everything would be fine. With a nod, Lani told Eli that she trusted him. "And it will be great to see Kristen," Lani said.

At the penthouse, Kristen continued to pretend to be Susan. "Susan" talked to Marlena on the phone. Marlena told "Susan" that she had admitted John at the hospital for tests. "Susan" assured Marlena that she would take care of Brady and Rachel in her absence. After Kristen ended the call, she stared in the mirror at her disguise.

"Oh, Brady. If you only knew what I was going through for the love of you," Kristen said. Susan called Kristen from Statesville. "You're not supposed to call me here. And you're not supposed to call yourself Susan. If anyone hears you, the jig will be up," Kristen said. "It already is," Susan countered. Confused, Kristen asked what was wrong.

"You brought me here under false pretenses! There is no sundae bar, and my bed is as hard as Elvis' pelvis. And my cellmate, she's got breath that could kill a vampire. And speaking of vampires, I have to deal with Vivian," Susan complained. "It's a prison," Kristen said. Susan continued to rattle off the inconveniences of prison life.

"I promise you, you are perfectly safe. You are doing God's work. You are saving Brady from Chloe, and you are saving Dr. Marlena and John from losing their son to that witch," Kristen said. Kristen asked Susan not to give up yet. When Susan sighed, Kristen lied and said that John was in the hospital because Chloe had upset him. Kristen argued that John and Marlena's health depended on Susan staying in the prison the full month. There was a knock at the penthouse door, so Kristen ended the call from Susan. It was Ben and Claire at the door.

"We need to talk to you," Ben said. "I'm really busy right now," "Susan" said. Ben argued that Susan was the only person that could help them. Reluctantly, "Susan" let Ben and Claire into the penthouse. Ben told "Susan" that they had identified the man that likely had kidnapped Ciara. "And you're not going to believe this -- he has a shark tattoo," Claire added. When "Susan" raised an eyebrow, Claire said, "Like in your vision." "Susan" pretended to remember the psychic reading. Ben told "Susan" that he had dreamed that Ciara was in a glass box just like the one Susan had envisioned.

"Look at that! You're psychic, too," "Susan" said. Ben told "Susan" that in his dream, Ciara had been reading the sequel to the book he had found in Rhodes's belongings. "The police are at a dead end, and Rhodes has moved from his last known address," Claire said. Ben told "Susan" that she was their last hope to find Ciara. Ben handed Rhodes's book to "Susan" and asked her for another reading. "Susan" pushed the book away.

"I'm not feeling my powers very strongly right now. In this moment," "Susan" said. Frustrated, Ben forced the book under "Susan's" arm, and he noted that the kidnapper had held the book. "Fine. I will try," "Susan" said. "Susan" wiggled and rubbed the book against her chest. As "Susan" hummed, Ben and Claire exchanged glances. "I'm not getting anything," "Susan" said. "But that's not how you did it last time," Claire pointed out. Annoyed, "Susan" snapped at Claire.

"Did you just say bite me?" Claire asked. "Susan" laughed. "That's not right, is it? Eat me. It's in the book, right? It's when Alice finds the cake," "Susan" said as she handed the book to Claire. "We're going to try again. And this time, you tell us anything, no matter how small or unimportant it may seem," Ben said. "I just did," "Susan" said sternly. "Susan" added that she was too busy to help, and she asked Ben and Claire to leave.

When Claire offered to help with Brady so that "Susan" could continue to work with Ben, "Susan" said no. Frustrated, "Susan" complained that she could not turn on her visions on command. Ben thanked "Susan" for her help, and he left with Claire. Once alone, Kristen groaned. "Ciara is being held hostage? Yeah, you're not the only one that is having problems in this world," Kristen muttered.

At the prison, a disappointed Susan stared at her cup of gelatin. After taking a bite, Susan spit it back out into the cup. "Kristen," Lani said as she entered the rec room behind Susan. "Kristen" stammered that no one had told her that she had a visitor. Lani asked if something was wrong.

"I'm not quite myself these days," "Kristen" said. "I know this must all be so hard. Try not to worry about Brady. You know that he is being taken care of. How about this afternoon I go by and check on him?" Lani said. "No!" "Kristen" barked. Suspicious, Lani asked what was wrong. "Kristen" said that she did not want to talk about her problems. "I want to talk about you and what's been going on," "Kristen" said.

"Kristen" and Lani sat down and talked about the twins. "As crazy as that whole thing was, it seems that Ivan and Vivian really did take care of them," Lani said. "Vivian Alamain?" "Kristen" asked. Lani confirmed that Vivian had been behind the kidnapping. "I hate her even more now," "Kristen" grumbled. When "Kristen" noted that prison was not enough punishment for Vivian, Lani warned "Kristen" not to do anything to jeopardize her sentence.

"I'm here only for a month," "Kristen" said. "What are you talking about?" Lani asked. "Kristen" realized her mistake, and she explained that for her own sanity, she had been thinking about her sentence in smaller chunks. "It's the only way I can stand it here," "Kristen" said with a chuckle. "Kristen" asked to see pictures of the twins. With a grin, Lani handed "Kristen" an envelope of pictures.

"I'm going to put these on the wall next to my bed," "Kristen" said. "I really did want to ask you to be their godmother," Lani said. "Kristen" gasped and smiled. As "Kristen" shuffled through the pictures, she sniffled back tears. "I'm sorry, Kristen. I bring pictures of my babies when you're missing yours," Lani said. "It's not your fault that my baby is so far away. I mean Rome, Italy, for land's sake," "Kristen" said. Lani was taken aback. "Rachel is in Salem," Lani said.

Rafe arrived at Charlie's apartment to investigate the reported gunfire. When Rafe opened the front door, he saw Charlie lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to the chest. Rafe dropped to his knees next to Charlie, and he felt for a pulse. "Damn," Rafe whispered. The bathroom door opened, and Sami stumbled out with a towel in her hand. Rafe spun around and pointed his gun at Sami.

"Sami? My God. What have you done now?" Rafe asked. "For God's sake. You scared me," Sami said nonchalantly as she tossed the towel on the desk. "I scared you? You're alone with a guy with a bullet wound, and I scared you?" Rafe countered. Sami asked Rafe to put the gun down, but he refused. "I'm going to treat you like any other suspect," Rafe said. Rafe asked Sami if she had shot Charlie.

"That piece of garbage got exactly what he deserved," Sami said. "So, you shot him?" Rafe asked. "I didn't say that," Sami corrected. Sami asked Rafe not to badger her. "Classic Sami Brady. The best defense is a good offense. What are you even doing here?" Rafe asked. Sami refused to answer any questions. With a sigh, Rafe called the station to report Charlie's possible murder.

At the Hernandez house, Ava stared at a photo of her holding Charlie as a baby. Ava thought about her conversation with Nicole. "I brought Charlie into this world. Maybe I need to take him out," Ava had said. Ava shook off the memory. "Oh, Charlie," Ava whispered. Tripp knocked at the front door. Ava opened the door and gave her son a bear hug.

"Thank God you're here. I have been so worried," Ava said. "And vice versa. Are you okay?" Tripp asked. Ava told Tripp she was fine. "You said that Charlie threatened me. I want to know exactly what Charlie said," Tripp requested. "He said he'd be my favorite son if you were dead," Ava told Tripp. Tripp stressed that he could take care of himself.

"There is nothing [Charlie] can do to hurt me now," Tripp added. "You're right. Charlie can't hurt you anymore," Ava agreed. Ava told Tripp about the police call to Rafe about gunfire at Charlie's apartment. "What?" Tripp asked. Ava said she had no news yet. Eli knocked on the door. "Rafe told me that your mom would be here. I'm glad you're here, too," Eli said. Ava asked what had happened.

"I'm sorry, but your son Charlie Dale is dead," Eli said. Tripp asked for details. Before Eli could answer, Ava said, "We know what happened. He took his own life." Eli noted that it was an ongoing investigation. Ava disagreed, but Eli confirmed that the police had focused on a person of interest. When Tripp and Ava asked about the suspect, Eli refused to give them any more information.

"Was Charlie murdered?" Tripp asked. "That hasn't been determined yet, but for now, I need both of you to account for your whereabouts last night," Eli said. "You said you had somebody in custody," Tripp stammered. Eli disagreed. "So, you're saying we're suspects," Tripp said. Eli said no, and he noted that because of their relationship with Charlie, Eli needed to confirm their alibis. Ava said she had been in Rafe's house. Tripp said he had been alone at Ava's apartment until the morning.

"Can anyone corroborate that?" Eli asked. "Just the two cops Salem PD had posted outside the door," Tripp said. Eli thanked Ava and Tripp for their cooperation. "I'm sorry for your loss," Eli said before he left. Ava sat at the table and stared at her photo of baby Charlie. Tripp poured Ava a glass of water and asked her if she was okay. With a nod, Ava said she was fine.

"You were looking at that picture when I came in," Tripp noted. "I was thinking, what a monster I created," Ava said. Tripp told Ava that Charlie's actions were not her fault. "[Charlie] was still your son. So, you must be feeling something," Tripp said. "I'm glad he is dead," Ava admitted. Tripp told Ava that he understood. "[Charlie] was sick. He hurt people, and he was going to go on hurting people. I just can't help but think that we are all better off without him," Ava said.

After Eli left Rafe's house, he went to Belle and Shawn's house to talk to Claire. "Your dad told me that your mom went to the courthouse to get a restraining order against Charlie Dale. It was granted," Eli said. Claire sighed in relief. "There has been a development. Charlie Dale is dead," Eli said. "What happened?" Claire asked. When Eli said that Charlie had died from a gunshot wound, Claire thought about her conversation with Allie when Allie had expressed her desire to shoot Charlie. Eli asked what was wrong. Claire shook her head and said, "It's nothing. It's just a shock."

After Rafe escorted Sami down to the police station, he talked to her alone in the interrogation room. "Why don't we just start at the beginning," Rafe prompted. Sami explained that she had returned to Salem because Lucas had called and told her about Charlie. Sami asked Rafe if he knew about Allie's hypnosis. Rafe nodded yes.

"[Allie] had to relive that entire ordeal, and [Charlie] still didn't pay for what he did," Sami said. "I'm not sure I'd call getting killed getting away with it," Rafe countered. Sami shrugged. "As I said, he got what was coming to him," Sami said. With a sigh, Rafe recounted Sami's story back to her. "You always find a way to put things in the worst possible light," Sami noted. Rafe asked Sami if she had planned to tell anyone that she had been in Salem.

"You really think I did it, don't you?" Sami asked. Rafe shrugged. "I know you, okay. If you felt like you were being railroaded, you'd be screaming at the top of your lungs, and, well, you're eerily silent. So, unless you can give me a very good reason as to why you were in Charlie's apartment, yeah, I think you did it," Rafe said. Rafe pleaded with Sami to talk to him.

"You think I'm just going to confess to you, of all people? I'm not stupid, you know," Sami said. "I know you know the drill because you've done it enough times. But CSI is already in Charlie's apartment, ballistics has the gun, and if your fingerprints are on it, they are going to find them. We are going to find out exactly what happened," Rafe said. Sami shrugged. Rafe warned Sami to talk to him so that he could help her.

"It would be for your own good if you tell me the truth," Rafe said. "Do you really think I should just trust you?" Sami asked. Rafe noted that he had a long history of watching Sami's back. "We are on opposite sides of the law," Sami stressed. Rafe whispered that he wanted to help Sami, but she asked for her lawyer.

"You can never just come to town and visit, can you, Sami?" Rafe asked. Sami smirked, but she did not say a word. After Rafe left, Sami thought about when she had been in Charlie's apartment. Sami had been holding a gun as she'd stared at Charlie's body. "You got just what you deserved," Sami had muttered.

As Nicole sat on the couch in her living room, a sleepy-eyed Allie wandered out of the bedroom. "Where's Henry?" Allie asked. Nicole explained that she had already bathed and fed Henry and put him down for his nap. Allie looked at her phone and gasped. Allie apologized for waking up so late. Worried, Nicole asked Allie if she felt okay.

"I'm fine. I just didn't get much sleep last night," Allie said. Nicole asked why. Allie told Nicole about Claire's visit and Charlie's confession. "I couldn't live with myself if [Charlie] hurt [Claire]," Allie said. Nicole stressed that Allie was not responsible for Claire or Charlie's actions.

"I know, but after Claire left last night, I couldn't stop thinking about what he might have done to her. She was trying to help me," Allie said. Nicole reminded Allie that kidnapping charges against Charlie were still pending. Allie said it was not enough. "I had to go do something that would just get this horrible feeling out of my stomach that I'd been carrying around," Allie said. Nicole asked Allie what she had done. With a shake of her head, Allie said she had vowed to move past Charlie.

"I will forget about [Charlie]. Like he never existed," Allie said. "I admire your attitude, I really do, but Charlie Dale is living in Salem. It's not going to be so easy for you to pretend that he doesn't exist," Nicole counseled. When Nicole mentioned Henry, Allie refused to think about Charlie when she looked in her son's face. Allie told Nicole about her conversation with Tripp. "[Tripp] was totally understanding. He even offered to help with Henry," Allie said. With a smile, Allie said she wanted to focus on the good things in her life.

"So, as far as I'm concerned, Charlie Dale is dead to me," Allie said. Nicole said she understood. As Nicole offered to make breakfast, Rafe knocked on the front door. Rafe told Nicole and Allie that Charlie was dead. "He was shot, and we have someone in custody," Rafe said. When Allie asked who, Rafe noted, "It's your mom."