Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of March 15, 2021 on DAYS

Kristen held Sarah captive and used a Sarah mask to break up with Xander. Sarah found a syringe in her room and attempted to inject Kristen with it. Sami told Lucas that she had lied to the police to protect Allie. Allie refused to tell Claire that she had not shot Charlie. Rafe confirmed the murder weapon was Kate's gun. Ciara awoke from surgery with no memories from after the motorcycle accident, before she had met Ben. Kate heard Jake say Gabi's name in his sleep. Gabi moved back into the DiMera mansion. Ava lost her apartment. Jack asked Gwen to give Abigail a second chance. Chad begged Abigail to give up on her vendetta.

Ben waits for an update on Ciara's condition

Monday, March 15, 2021

by Mike

Xander woke up on the living room couch at the Horton house, clearly hungover and wearing only a pair of boxer briefs, and stood to stretch while thinking about the bachelor party that had begun the previous night as a pub crawl with Jack. "Oh, God -- please tell me we didn't get hookers..." Xander muttered -- but Jack wasn't there to answer the question.

Julie entered the living room seconds later -- and screamed at the sight of Xander. "Geez, woman -- my head... Just keep it down a little..." Xander begged while trying to get dressed, but Julie just kept screaming -- and Jack eventually emerged from an upstairs bedroom and rushed downstairs to find out what was wrong. "Oh..." Jack whispered after realizing why Julie was upset.

"What is this nude Neanderthal doing [here, Jack]?" Julie demanded to know. "It's my wedding day!" Xander bragged. "That explains nothing -- [and] I'm not talking to you!" Julie snapped. "Last night was his bachelor party -- which may or may not have gotten somewhat out of hand... [Anyway], I wanted to make sure that he makes it to his wedding on time --" Jack clarified. "How gentlemanly of you, Jack...[but] why did you deposit him on my sofa?" Julie protested. "Because he's my best man!" Xander revealed before asking Jack to fetch more alcohol. "Shower first," Jack advised, and Xander agreed.

Jack stepped into another room to take a phone call -- and Xander, who still hadn't managed to put on any additional articles of clothing due to impaired hand-eye coordination, started to head off to an upstairs bedroom to shower then suddenly glanced back at Julie. "Got ya," Xander said with a smirk, having confirmed that Julie had been admiring the view. "I might as well burn this!" Julie, who was clearly embarrassed about having been caught but was trying to pretend otherwise, snapped while holding up the blanket that Xander had used the previous night. "You're not much of a morning person, are you?" Xander observed before continuing to walk away.

Jack soon rejoined Julie in the living room. "I don't believe it --" Jack stammered. "[I know -- and on] Grandma Alice's antique sofa... I may as well just trash [it] and buy a comfortable one..." Julie grumbled. "No, it's not the sofa -- it's the newsroom; they just called..." Jack clarified before elaborating that Ciara was alive and was being treated for internal injuries at the hospital at that moment.

"I told the newsroom to hold off on publishing the story until the family could be informed --" Jack tried to continue. "Thank you, Jack -- [I mean], it wouldn't be right if the public knew all about it before her own mother did --" Julie interjected. "Yeah...[but] I also think it would be a good idea if we waited to share this news with Doug --" Jack tried to conclude. "Until we're sure Ciara is all right," Julie realized, and Jack nodded in response then optimistically pointed out that Ciara was in good hands with Kayla.

Julie thanked Jack for the words of comfort then rushed out of the house -- and, a short time later, Xander returned to the living room, wearing a robe that belonged to Jennifer. "I just didn't want to get Julie all excited again..." Xander explained to Jack with an apologetic shrug. "Where is she, anyway? I should probably apologize..." Xander added. "She's on her way to the hospital," Jack revealed. "It's not her heart, is it?" Xander wondered. "No, it's nothing like that," Jack insisted with a chuckle.

Xander picked up a pair of pants and removed a cell phone from one of the pockets. "Weird..." Xander muttered after checking the device for missed calls and text messages. "I called Sarah last night, and she never called me back..." Xander elaborated before asking Jack if it was considered bad luck for a couple to speak right before their wedding ceremony.

At the DiMera mansion, Kristen entered the wine cellar with two cups of coffee and greeted Sarah, who had just woken up seconds earlier and was tied to a chair. "I really didn't have a choice," Kristen reasoned with a shrug after Sarah realized what was going on. "See, this is exactly what I was talking about -- poor impulse controls!" Sarah snapped at Kristen.

"All right, look -- just untie me, [and] I will forget that any of this ever happened," Sarah begged. "The thing is, I can't trust that -- [I mean], unfortunately for me, you have too many scruples," Kristen argued. "Scruples -- they're overrated; I can give up a few," Sarah insisted, but Kristen still wasn't convinced.

"Are you gonna kill me?" Sarah wondered. "Killing you is certainly a more elegant solution than keeping you locked up here for all eternity...but, honestly, I am not a killer," Kristen answered. "Well, I'm sure that Haley Chen would disagree..." Sarah argued. "Again, that was an accident -- and I've regretted it every day since!" Kristen countered.

"Well, if you're not gonna kill me -- thank you, by the way -- and you're not letting me go...what are you gonna do with me?" Sarah asked. "That lunk of a fianc of yours will definitely come looking for you, so the further away you are, the better... There is a deserted island that Stefano was very fond of using for people who knew too much, [and] there's a supply plane that makes its rounds [there] every few weeks -- it's really quite idyllic..." Kristen replied. "You're being serious!" Sarah realized with a gasp of horror.

"My family means everything to me, and I am going to do whatever it takes to have a future with them," Kristen declared. "Fine, stick me on an island somewhere, I guess...[but] you're gonna be sorry [because] Xander's never gonna stop looking for me, and he will find out the truth -- and we both know [that] when he does, he's gonna make your life a living hell," Sarah argued. "Hmm... Yeah, but Xander wouldn't look for you if you brutally, viciously broke his heart and dumped him...would he?" Kristen countered before easily unlocking Sarah's cell phone -- the disadvantage of having a facial-recognition security feature enabled during a kidnapping situation -- and composing a farewell text message to send to Xander.

Sarah's cell phone started ringing before Kristen could send the text message. "Odd..." Xander, who had finally decided to believe Jack's many assurances that it wasn't considered bad luck for a couple to speak right before their wedding ceremony unless they were speaking face to face, muttered after the call was sent to voicemail. "I'm sure Sarah's just busy getting ready," Jack reasoned, but Xander still seemed concerned.

Meanwhile, Sarah tried to reason with Kristen, who was still planning to send the text message. "I know how much you love Brady and Rachel, [but] this isn't the way... [I mean], how long are you gonna pretend to be Susan Banks -- to be so close to the two people that you love more than anything on this entire earth, [and] all you can do is watch... I know you don't want to go back to prison, [and] I don't blame you, [but] the longer this goes on, the worse it's gonna be -- the worse the consequences are gonna be -- [so]...just end it right now [so] the authorities [will] go easy on you, [and then] I will speak on your behalf [and] do anything I can to help you," Sarah begged. "I'm sorry -- I can't let you go," Kristen maintained after some thought.

"Fine -- just send the damn text, [then -- but] Xander's not gonna believe it [because], just like you and Brady, Xander and I have been through far, far too much together for him to ever doubt my love for him, [so] there is no way in hell he would think that I would ever break up with him -- not unless I was standing right in front of him [and] looking him in the eye [while] telling him it was over...and even then, honestly, he probably wouldn't," Sarah argued. "You just gave me a scathingly brilliant idea..." Kristen countered with a wicked grin.

At the hospital, Claire continued a phone conversation with Victor. "Ciara's still in surgery," Claire said. "I know -- it's been a really long time," Claire said. "Yeah, of course -- I'll let you know as soon as we know more," Claire said before ending the call -- just as Theo exited a nearby elevator.

"I am so happy to see you...but I didn't know that you were in town..." Claire admitted after greeting Theo with a hug. "I came for Jules and Carver's christening -- I had to meet my little niece and nephew. And...not to brag, but...you're looking at Jules's godfather," Theo responded. "Well, she is a very lucky little girl," Claire declared.

"I heard about Ciara -- is it true?" Theo asked hopefully, and Claire excitedly confirmed that it was -- then shared the whole story. "You could have been killed --" Theo began to fret at the end of the tale. "But I wasn't," Claire dismissively countered before changing the subject, wondering if Theo still had a girlfriend. "We broke up," Theo revealed. "I'm so sorry --" Claire stressed. "Don't be -- obviously, it wasn't meant to be," Theo reasoned. "I mean, she was fun and smart, but...in the end, she just wasn't --" Theo tried to explain. "Ciara," Claire guessed, and Theo didn't confirm or deny the suspicion.

"What about you? Last time I was here, you'd met that guy Charlie -- the guy you'd spilled your smoothie on -- [and] you were really into him, but you were afraid that you'd screw it up, so you didn't even want to go on a date with him... [So], did you take my advice?" Theo asked. "You told me to take a chance on love... [Well, turns out], I fell in love with a total sociopath," Claire replied.

"I'm sorry I even gave you that advice," Theo fretted after Claire finished elaborating. "No, Theo -- it is not your fault," Claire insisted. "So, do you think your Aunt Sami killed him? I mean, it sounds like Charlie made a lot of enemies -- are there any other suspects?" Theo wondered. "You know what? We haven't had an update on Ciara's surgery in a while, [so] I'm just gonna see what I can find out," Claire responded before stepping over to the nearby nurses' station, leaving Theo clearly confused.

Marlena went to the chapel to see if Ben wanted some company -- and the offer was gratefully accepted. "[Ciara has been in surgery for] hours -- what's taking so long?" Ben fretted. "Well, I don't know...[but], in my experience [with] these kind of cases, no news is good news," Marlena responded -- just as Ben suffered a sudden coughing fit.

"My goodness -- you should get checked out," Marlena advised after Ben recovered. "I did -- last night... It was just all the smoke and dust..." Ben explained. "You know, I didn't hear a lot about what happened, but...from what I did hear...you are a hero," Marlena raved -- but Ben dismissed the praise with a scoff. "I'm no hero," Ben insisted.

Ben filled Marlena in on everything that had happened since their previous conversation. "Kayla warned me that Ciara had been seriously hurt and that I should prepare myself in case..." Ben admitted at the end of the tale, fighting back tears. "How am I supposed to 'prepare myself,' Dr. Evans, hmm? I can't... I won't... [But] there is this knot in my stomach..." Ben fretted, fearing the worst. "I know that knot -- it's the same knot that I will have until John is well again, until he's fine... You know, it doesn't matter whether I'm at his bedside or a thousand miles away -- if he's in trouble, I can feel it, [because] we have this...connection...through which we communicate, the same as you and Ciara do, and that's what I call...well, 'love'... [So], I know she's feeling that right now from you, [and] I know she will come back to you," Marlena assured Ben.

Ben appreciated the words of comfort but knew that there were other people who probably needed Marlena just as much at that moment -- including Shawn. "Is he doing okay?" Ben wondered. "Shawn's gonna be fine -- [and] he told me that Evan is in custody... [Look], I'm so sorry -- I never should have gotten him released from Bayview --" Marlena answered. "You didn't have a choice -- Orpheus forced you to do that," Ben reminded Marlena before suffering another sudden coughing fit. "I still feel responsible --" Marlena began to fret when Ben recovered -- but yet another coughing fit struck just then.

"I think you should get this checked out again," Marlena advised. "The doctor said I was fine," Ben maintained between coughs. "And I'm not going anywhere until Ciara's out of surgery," Ben insisted, still coughing. "I understand that," Marlena conceded as Ben finally started to recover once again.

"Thank you again for being here -- you always have this way of making me believe that everything's gonna be okay...or at least reminding me that I'm strong enough for whatever the hell is next -- [but] I'm good now, [so] go be with Shawn," Ben encouraged Marlena. "Well, in fact, Shawn is with Belle right now, and I think they're trying to figure out where Hope is," Marlena countered, and Ben didn't try to argue again, still grateful for the company.

Claire eventually burst into the chapel and informed Marlena and Ben that Ciara was out of surgery.

Sami tells Lucas the truth

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

by Spalding

At Nicole's apartment, Allie checked her phone and told Nicole that Sami had refused to talk to the cops about Charlie's murder. "I've known Sami for a very long time, and this is the first time I've ever heard of her exercising her right to remain silent," Nicole said. Allie said she was frustrated that she had not been able to talk to Sami about why Sami had been at the murder scene. Concerned, Nicole offered to run interference with Rafe so that Allie could talk to her mother.

At the police station, Sami stewed in the interrogation room. Rafe joined her, and Sami refused to talk. "In most cases, fewer words from you is something that I would welcome, but I didn't come here to speak. I came here to tell you that you have a visitor," Rafe said. Sami grumbled about Belle's decision to drop Sami as a client, and she asked if the visitor was her new lawyer. Lucas walked in. "Try again. The loving ex-husband," Lucas said. Once Rafe left, Lucas demanded to know the truth.

"I have exercised my right to remain silent," Sami said. "I'm not a cop. It doesn't matter," Lucas countered. Sami still refused to talk. "Okay, good, you can listen, and I get to talk for a change," Lucas said with a grin. Sami smiled.

"You hopped on a plane from Italy to Salem directly, and you got off that plane, and you went to [Charlie's] apartment and blew a hole in his chest? Really? Did I leave anything out?" Lucas asked. Sami shrugged. "Charlie Dale got exactly what he deserved. I hope he rots in hell," Sami added. Lucas stressed that he did not judge Sami's actions, but he wanted to help her.

"Obviously, you're not helping yourself," Lucas said. Sami objected that Belle had bailed on her, and Lucas offered to help secure a criminal attorney for Sami. "And you think I need it, because you think I'm guilty," Sami said. Lucas shrugged, and he noted that there was evidence. When Sami argued that the evidence was circumstantial, Lucas reminded Sami that Trask would have no problem convincing a jury because of Sami's track record.

"The D.A. does have one big problem with their case," Sami said. "What's that?" Lucas asked. "I'm innocent," Sami said quietly. Lucas recounted the evidence. "Tell me everything. Tell me exactly what happened the night Charlie Dale was murdered," Lucas said. With a sigh, Sami said that she would tell Lucas the truth if he swore never to speak a word to anyone.

"Whatever happened that night at the apartment, I will stick by your side," Lucas promised. Satisfied, Sami recounted that after Lucas had called and told her that the police had dropped the charges against Charlie, she had hopped on a plane. "For ten hours, I just kept getting angrier and angrier," Sami said. Sami explained that she had gone directly to Charlie's apartment with the intent to hurt him.

"I just started knocking on the door, just banging on it, but there was no answer. So, I thought I would just let myself in, wait for him inside," Sami said. Lucas asked Sami how she had broken into the apartment. Sami explained that she had checked the door, and it had been unlocked.

"But it was so quiet inside. The curtains were drawn. The lights were out, but I knew immediately that something was very wrong. I knew that I wasn't alone in the dark, and that's when my anger and my rage got replaced by something else. Fear," Sami said. Sami said the fear had reminded her of Alan Harris. "I was scared. I was in the apartment of a rapist. No one knew that I was there, and no one would know if he hurt me," Sami said. Sami said her rage had returned.

When Sami noted that she had wanted to make Charlie pay the way she had made Alan Harris pay, Lucas asked Sami if she had had a gun. "No. The strangest thing happened. I looked down at my feet and there was a gun. Right there on the floor. Right there next to me, like I had wished for it to happen," Sami said. Sami said she had looked across the room and seen Charlie on the ground.

"Charlie Dale was already dead," Sami said. Confused, Lucas asked what had happened. Sami said she had attempted to check Charlie's pulse, but had recoiled at the thought of touching her daughter's rapist. Sami admitted that she had felt robbed of her revenge against Charlie. "So, I picked up the gun, and I shot him myself. Through his cold, black heart," Sami confessed. Sami said she had dropped the gun and had run into the bathroom. "When I came back out, Rafe was standing there, and now, here we are," Sami said.

"You shot Charlie's dead body?" Lucas asked. Sami shrugged. Lucas asked Sami why she had lied to Rafe and Belle. Sami explained that at first, she had panicked, and then she had thought about who might have shot Charlie. "Don't look at me like that, it wasn't me," Lucas said. "What crossed my mind is who had been hurt by Charlie the most," Sami said. Lucas gasped. "You think Allie did this," Lucas said.

"If I told Rafe everything, if I swore to him that I didn't do it, he might start going out there, trying to find out who did do it, and that might lead him straight to our daughter," Sami said. Lucas asked Sami if she was willing to go to prison. "You went to prison for Will. If it comes to it, I am willing to do that for our daughter," Sami said. Lucas reminded Sami that they did not know if Allie was guilty.

"I'm not willing to risk it. Are you?" Sami asked. "If [Allie] is innocent, that means you are protecting somebody else," Lucas said. Sami asked Lucas not to tell anyone what she had said, including Allie. "Swear to me that you will keep my secret, and together we can keep our daughter safe," Sami said. "I swear," Lucas promised.

In the bullpen of the precinct, Rafe was working at a desk when Nicole and Allie marched in. "Allie is here to see her mother, and we're not going to take no for an answer," Nicole said. "I just want to see my mom," Allie pleaded. "You can, soon, but first I have some great news for you. Ciara is alive," Rafe said. Rafe told Nicole and Allie that Ben had rescued Ciara. When Rafe encouraged Allie to go out and celebrate, she requested to speak to Sami first. Rafe explained that Lucas was with Sami and that Sami planned to meet her lawyer after that.

"Do you promise to call Allie as soon as Sami is available for a visit?" Nicole asked. Rafe promised. Reluctantly, Allie left. While Allie went on to the hospital, Nicole walked around the square with Rafe. "I think you're up to something. Is it my imagination, or are you trying to purposely keep Allie away from her mother?" Nicole asked. "Guilty as charged," Rafe admitted. Rafe said he did not want Allie to carry the burden of Sami's actions.

"And you're just trying to protect her?" Nicole said. "I got to try," Rafe said. Nicole asked Rafe if he was sure that Sami had killed Charlie. Rafe said he was waiting on the autopsy report. "When have you ever known Sami to be quiet whenever she feels like someone wronged her?" Rafe asked. As Rafe and Nicole said goodbye, forensics called Rafe with an update. "Maybe Sami isn't the one who shot Charlie Dale, after all," Rafe told Nicole.

Belle visited Shawn at the hospital, and she overheard the tail end of his conversation with the district attorney. "I need to know that you're gonna prosecute Maddox and his father Orpheus to the fullest extent of the law. They deserve to be in prison for the rest of their lives," Shawn said. As Shawn ended his call, Belle asked Shawn if he was using work to avoid worrying about Ciara. Shawn admitted he was worried. "[Ciara] will be okay. I believe that," Belle said. Marlena walked in and confirmed that Ciara was out of surgery.

At the nurses' station, Ben continued to cough from his bout of smoke inhalation. "The nurse said [Kayla] would meet us here to give us an update," Claire told Ben. When Ben coughed again, a worried Claire asked if he was okay. Ben said he was fine, but Claire suggested he get checked out. With a nod yes, Ben said he would get examined after he learned that Ciara was okay.

Kayla joined Ben and Claire, but before she could speak, Shawn hobbled over on crutches. "You should not be up on that leg," Kayla warned Shawn. "That's what crutches are for," Shawn said. Shawn asked about Ciara. Kayla informed the group that the surgeons had been able to repair most of the internal damage, but they needed to wait to determine the extent of damage from the head trauma.

"The scans all look good, and all indications are that she will make a full recovery," Kayla confirmed. Ben coughed as he asked if he could visit Ciara. With a nod, Kayla noted only one visitor at a time could go in the room. "I think we all know who Ciara would want to see first. No offense, Dad," Claire said as she put her arm around Shawn.

"You think that I'm going to argue with the man that saved my sister's life?" Shawn joked. Ben stifled another cough, and he thanked Shawn. As Ben started to walk toward Ciara's room, a coughing fit stopped him in his tracks, and he grabbed his chest. Worried, Kayla asked Ben if he was okay.

Back in Shawn's hospital room, Marlena called John on her cell phone to update him on Ciara's surgery. "Kayla's feeling very optimistic," Marlena said. After Marlena left the voicemail and ended the call, Belle said that she hoped Ciara would be okay. "That would be a miracle wouldn't it?" Marlena said. Belle agreed. Marlena noted that their family was blessed, and then she pushed on and asked Belle, "Why are you throwing Sami to the wolves?"

Belle refused to reconsider her decision to drop Sami as a client. "But if Sami was uncooperative with you, you can imagine the grief she will shower on somebody else," Marlena said. Belle complained that she had made an effort, despite Sami's hand in Jan's return to Salem. With a nod, Marlena said that Sami had truly believed that she had been protecting her family. "I know. She had her reason, right? She always has an excuse, and just like always, she shoots first and then refuses to answer questions later," Belle said. Marlena frowned.

"I made it very clear to Sami that I cannot represent someone that consistently lies to me," Belle said. "Even if it's your sister?" Marlena asked. Belle argued that Sami was incapable of honesty. "Sami needs to understand that if she is convicted of murder, it will cost her her life," Belle said. Marlena said she hoped Belle would "be in Sami's corner," and Belle confirmed that she would be there for her sister.

"In spite of everything, I do believe that Sami is innocent. I don't think she killed Charlie," Marlena said. "Do you think she's not capable after what that sick bastard did to her daughter?" Belle asked. Marlena noted that Sami was smart, and she did not understand why Sami had lied. "Especially since her story could be so easily checked," Marlena said. With a shrug, Belle noted that all the evidence pointed to Sami's guilt. "It doesn't make any sense that [Sami] would lie about it," Marlena said. Belle asked Marlena to convince Sami to help herself.

As Ciara slept in her hospital room, Ben walked in. Ben thought about when he had found Ciara in the rubble after the explosion. Ben sat next to Ciara, and he held her hand. "Ciara, I'm right here. I'm here," Ben whispered. Ciara's eyes fluttered open. "But that last time I saw you," Ciara said. "Was in our dreams?" Ben added. "This is real?" Ciara asked. Ben confirmed he was really there. "I knew you would come for me," Ciara whispered. "Always. And now that we are back together, I am never going to leave your side again," Ben said. Ben kissed Ciara.

Ben startled awake on a hospital bed with an oxygen mask on his face. "Ciara?" Ben said. Claire assured Ben he was fine, and she told him that he had passed out. "Kayla said your lungs are still weak from all the smoke inhalation, and you need oxygen," Claire said. Ben was anxious to see Ciara, but Claire pushed Ben back onto his bed and told him that Shawn was with Ciara. When Kayla returned to check on Ben, she declined his request to visit Ciara.

"Your blood oxygen level is still so low, and I'm gonna need you to put this mask back on," Kayla said as she adjusted Ben's oxygen mask. Ben argued that he had passed out because he had been overly excited to see his wife, but Kayla insisted that Ben rest. Kayla assured Ben that he would be fine as long as he waited for his oxygen levels to rise to normal.

When Kayla left the room, Ben started to get up, and Claire pushed him back on the bed. "Do not even think about it. I may not be as big as you, but I am pretty tough," Claire said. Claire argued that it would be pointless for Ben to risk his life over a few extra minutes. "You and Ciara have your whole lives together," Claire reminded Ben. Frustrated, Ben refused to wait, despite Claire's protestations.

"I need to see my wife," Ben said. "There is nothing I could say or do that is going to stop you," Claire said. "Nope," Ben said as he pulled his oxygen off and threw it to the side. Ben walked out with Claire in pursuit.

In Ciara's hospital room, Shawn sat at his sister's bedside, and he held her hand. Ciara's eyes fluttered open. "It's okay, all right? You're safe now," Shawn said. Confused, Ciara asked what had happened to her. "You were in an accident, but the good news is, you're going to be fine," Shawn said. Ciara said she had no memory of an accident. "Do you know who I am?" Shawn asked. Ciara pretended to be confused to tease Shawn, and they laughed as she recounted old inside jokes.

"You know what today is? St. Patrick's Day," Shawn said. Ciara asked about her mother, and Shawn promised Ciara that he would track down Hope. "Until then, I'm sure you already know there is somebody who is dying to see you," Shawn said.

In the hospital hallway, Claire helped an unsteady Ben walk over to Ciara's room. Allie ran off of the elevator, and she asked if the news about Ciara was true. Ben confirmed Ciara was alive. "Have you seen her yet?" Allie asked. "Ben is just about to go in. My dad is in there now," Claire confirmed. Shawn hobbled out of Ciara's room, and he confirmed that Ciara was "definitely the Ciara we all know and love." Excited, Ben ran into Ciara's room.

Allie and Claire sat in the waiting area and talked about Ciara. "It's funny, it really wasn't that long ago that me and Ciara hated each other, and now, I just can't wait to see her," Claire said. "I'm glad you could work things out," Allie said. Claire asked about Sami.

"[Sami's] been officially charged with Charlie's murder. It's so unfair, Claire," Allie said. Allie blamed herself for Sami's predicament. When Claire asked why, Allie remained silent. Claire asked Allie if she had killed Charlie.

Shawn returned to his hospital room, and he told Belle and Marlena that Ciara was awake. With a chuckle, Shawn said Ciara had teased him. "It was like nothing had changed," Shawn said. "Was Ben able to see her?" Marlena asked. Shawn told Marlena about Ben's fainting, and that Kayla had given Ben oxygen. When Shawn mentioned that Ben was back on his feet, Claire noted, "I guess nobody can keep that guy away from the woman he loves." Shawn said he was happy that Ben and Ciara were reunited.

In Ciara's hospital room, Ben stared at his sleeping wife. Ben sat next to Ciara's bed, and he held her hand. "Ciara? It's me. I'm right here," Ben whispered. Ciara opened her eyes. With a relieved smile, Ben said he had never stopped hoping that Ciara was alive. As Ben kissed Ciara's hand, she pulled it away.

"Get the hell away from me," Ciara said. "Baby, it's okay. It's me," Ben said. "I know who you are. You're Ben Weston. You're the Necktie Killer," Ciara stammered.

Rafe pursues a new lead in Charlie's murder case

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

by Mike

Tripp went to the Hernandez house to see Ava, armed with a box of books from the Vitali apartment. "I was thinking you might want them," Tripp explained. "Thanks...but, you know, you don't have to keep making excuses to come see me -- I'm okay," Ava stressed. "Yeah, you look good," Tripp conceded.

"How 'bout you -- you holding up?" Ava asked. "Yeah -- it's a relief that Sami Brady was formally charged with murder," Tripp replied. "Why do you say that?" Ava wondered. "Well, I mean, I know we both have...complicated feelings about what happened to my brother -- I mean, he kidnapped you, and he threatened both of our lives -- [so] I imagine that when he was murdered, we were both at the top of the suspect list...[but] now that Allie's mom has been charged, we can...you know, go back to our lives and just try to move on," Tripp explained. "I, unfortunately, can't do that -- not yet," Ava insisted.

"There's something very important that I need to tell you --" Ava hesitantly admitted to Tripp -- but Gabi joined them in the kitchen before anything else could be said. "You're standing between me and my morning coffee!" Gabi snapped at Ava. "It's afternoon..." Ava clarified while stepping away from the coffeemaker that Gabi was trying to access. "Hi," Tripp politely said to Gabi, who ignored the greeting. "Who ate the last bagel?" Gabi demanded to know after opening a breadbox. "I'm sorry -- I didn't realize it was spoken for," Ava explained. "What, I'm supposed to put my name on every carb?" Gabi incredulously protested.

"I have patiently put up with you hogging the hot water, I didn't say anything when you made the entire house smell like garlic with your cooking, and I haven't said anything about the country music --" Gabi claimed. "You kinda did..." Ava argued. "[Charlie] is no longer a threat, [so] why the hell are you still eating my bagels?" Gabi wondered. "Your brother told me I could stay here as long as I need to," Ava reasoned. "[And] this is, [after all], his house," Tripp stressed. "[And besides, I couldn't leave right now], even if I wanted to, [because...Tripp], I didn't want you to find out like this, but...I'm behind on the rent, and the landlord is kicking us out at the end of the month," Ava admitted. "Oh, are you kidding me? This is just an excuse for you to stay forever!" Gabi declared.

"[Rafe] came in and saved the day [because] that's what he does -- and, usually, it attracts the crazies --" Gabi began to argue. "I'm sorry -- you're calling me 'crazy'?" Ava interjected. "[But he's] the police commissioner, [so] he doesn't need to be involved with a mafia princess who, I'd bet anything, killed her own kid in cold blood --" Gabi continued. "That is enough!" Tripp snapped.

Tripp reminded Gabi that all of the evidence suggested that Sami was the person who had murdered Charlie. "Like that means anything -- [after all, Tripp], we both know that innocent people have been accused of crimes just based on circumstantial evidence. [I mean], no offense to my big brother, but the Salem P.D. never gets it right. Plus, I have a key piece of information that he doesn't have -- [see], the night that Charlie was killed, I came down here for a glass of water, [and] I saw [your mother] slipping out through the back door...[but] the morning after, she told Rafe that she had been here all night," Gabi countered.

"[So], why'd you lie? [I mean], unless you had something to hide..." Gabi challenged Ava. "My mom has nothing to hide -- [and] if you find it so upsetting living in the same house as her, why don't you move out?" Tripp snapped at Gabi. "I will!" Gabi decided before storming off to another room. "It was an 'everything' [bagel]!" Ava explained once the coast was clear, and Tripp agreed that those were impossible to resist.

"As far as I'm concerned, you did Rafe a favor [by driving Gabi away] -- I mean, all that stuff she was spewing about Charlie, like she has a right to judge anyone... [She's] unhinged," Tripp declared. "Well, she was right about one thing..." Ava admitted. "No -- not that... My God, Mom -- was it about you killing Charlie? Is that what she was right about?" Tripp wondered with a groan.

"No -- [she] was right when she accused me of being a mafia princess. [See], you asked me, when you first moved into the apartment, if [it] was paid for with mob money, [and] I said no, but the truth is...when I left Nashville, I was basically running the Vitali crime family. [But] I swear to you, I have left that life -- Nicole made me see that I needed to cut ties with that [and] wash my hands of the blood money; otherwise, I was gonna lose you. [And] that's why I can't pay the rent. And I'm so sorry about the apartment --" Ava stressed. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Mom -- I'm proud of you," Tripp insisted.

"Was this the confession you were gonna make when Gabi walked in -- that I was gonna have to find a new place to live?" Tripp wondered. "Yeah, that's exactly what I was gonna say," Ava answered after a brief silence.

At the Horton Town Square, Nicole tried to figure out why Rafe suddenly believed that Sami might not be the person who had murdered Charlie. "There's new evidence that points to another suspect...[but] I can't tell you [anything else because this is] an ongoing investigation -- [in fact], I shouldn't have said anything at all," Rafe explained to Nicole, who grudgingly accepted the vague answer.

At the hospital, Claire continued trying to figure out why Allie felt responsible for not just Charlie's death but also Sami's arrest. Claire couldn't help thinking about the fact that Allie, who had already stolen Kate's gun once and had then threatened to shoot Tripp with it, had recently entertained the possibility of stealing Kate's gun again and then doing more than just threatening to shoot Charlie with it -- and had, in fact, also bragged about being able to get away with the crime. "You can trust me --" Claire stressed. "Do you really think that I would let my mom rot in jail if I was the one who killed Charlie?" Allie defensively protested. "I'm just asking -- [and] it's kind of freaking me out that you're not answering [my question directly] right now," Claire calmly countered. "It seems like you've already decided that I'm guilty!" Allie snapped.

Allie received a text message from Henry's babysitter just then and gratefully seized the opportunity to cut the conversation short, ignoring Claire's objections. Later, at the Walker-Brady apartment, Allie assured Nicole that Ciara was apparently going to be just fine -- and was probably having a romantic reunion with Ben at that moment, despite being confined to a hospital bed for the time being.

Ciara cried out for help and frantically pressed the hospital bed's call button while begging for Ben to stay away. "Did you break out of Bayview to come kill me?" Ciara wondered. "I would never hurt you -- [in fact], I love you, and you love me!" Ben answered. "What are you talking about, you sick son of a bitch?" Ciara spat before throwing a pillow at Ben -- just as Kayla finally arrived.

Ciara calmed down a bit after Kayla chased Ben away. "Why was he after me?" Ciara wondered. "He wasn't 'after' you...[but] we can talk about it later --" Kayla answered. "Tell me what's going on!" Ciara demanded. "You have been through a series of traumatic events, and it seems that your memory has been affected..." Kayla explained. "What, exactly, do I not remember?" Ciara prodded Kayla, who dodged the question.

Meanwhile, Ben told Claire about what had just happened with Ciara. "She looked at me like I was the devil -- it's like...as much as she loved me before, that's how much she hates me right now," Ben fretted at the end of the tale, fighting back tears. Claire guessed that Ciara would remember Ben in time -- and Kayla soon approached and agreed with that assumption.

Claire went to see Ciara. "Remember me?" Claire asked. "Of course I remember you -- you're that bitch who slept with my boyfriend, Tripp!" Ciara replied.

At the DiMera mansion, Kate entered the living room and roused Jake, who had fallen asleep on the couch. "I was doing some work -- I must have drifted off for a minute," Jake groggily explained. "I think it was more than a minute -- you were dreaming," Kate matter-of-factly countered. "How do you know that?" Jake wondered. "Because you said Gabi's name in your sleep," Kate answered.

"Are you sure?" Jake asked. "Quite sure," Kate replied. "Okay, so...I had a dream about Gabi, just like I have dreams about a lot of people in my life -- everybody does it; can't control it," Jake reasoned with a shrug, despite knowing that the dream had actually been about one of Gabi's many recent attempts at seduction -- and that it had been seconds away from perhaps getting a lot steamier.

"Lately, we've been talking about Gabi an awful lot --" Kate began to point out. "[And] I'm done!" Jake snapped. "Okay -- does that mean that we're breaking this off?" Kate wondered. "[No -- it means that] I'm done being put on the spot about Gabi!" Jake clarified. "[But] it just seems like she's been pursuing you so hard --" Kate tried to argue. "Yes -- she is pursuing me! And it's driving me batty, okay? But I told her that she's wasting her time because she's chasing a man who's in love with another woman -- and I think I finally got through to her, [so] I don't think she's gonna try to come between us any longer," Jake stressed. "[Then]...you were saying her name in your sleep because...?" Kate asked. "I don't know -- maybe my subconscious was trying to perform an exorcism," Jake replied.

Jake began kissing Kate passionately in an effort to end the conversation -- but Rafe entered the mansion before things could progress any further. "What the hell are you doing here?" Kate snapped. "Forensics IDed the murder weapon in the Charlie Dale case," Rafe explained. "Okay -- why the hell are you telling us?" Kate wondered. "Come on, Kate -- like you don't already know," Rafe answered -- but Kate just shrugged in response. "Forensics was able to match the serial number -- the gun belongs to you, Kate," Rafe clarified. "That's impossible because my gun is upstairs, as it always is, locked in a box," Kate insisted before fetching the lockbox.

Kate gave Rafe the combination to the lockbox, ignoring Jake's advice about getting a lawyer involved. "See?" Kate triumphantly began as Rafe opened the lockbox -- but there was only a foam liner inside. "I don't see a gun..." Rafe countered. "It was stolen!" Kate insisted. "Who knew you had a gun in your room?" Rafe wondered. "I don't know -- I mean, look how many people are living here now!" Kate answered. "[But], as far as I know, [none of them] have any reason to kill Charlie," Rafe argued. "Yes, I despise the man, but I did not murder him in cold blood!" Kate declared before finally refusing to say anything else without a lawyer present.

Rafe left with the lockbox, intending to have it dusted for fingerprints -- and as soon as the coast was clear, Jake pointed out that Kate actually had threatened to murder Charlie recently. "But I didn't do it," Kate insisted. "I'd protect you if you did," Jake stressed. "Well, that means more to me than I can say...[but] I'm not keeping any secrets from you -- I would tell you if I did it," Kate maintained. "All right -- I believe you," Jake decided.

"We gotta figure out who stole your gun," Jake said to Kate -- who, like Rafe, was already thinking that Allie was the most likely culprit. Meanwhile, at the Walker-Brady apartment, Nicole told Allie that Rafe had new evidence that might exonerate Sami -- and Allie started squirming in response while thinking about having stolen Kate's gun at some point.

Kristen plots to break up Sarah and Xander

Thursday, March 18, 2021

by Mike

At the hospital, Ben fretted to Kayla about what had happened earlier with Ciara. "I know how hard this is for you...[but] it's not personal -- Ciara has been injured, and she needs time to heal," Kayla stressed. "How much time?" Ben wondered. "I wish I could tell you that...but I can't," Kayla answered.

Meanwhile, Ciara continued lashing out at Claire for having slept with -- or, at the very least, having almost slept with -- Tripp. "I walked in on you guys at the loft -- I saw you two practically naked on the couch! You just couldn't wait to jump his bones!" Ciara snapped as Claire listened in stunned silence.

"Remember?" Ciara prodded Claire. "I do... It's just --" Claire began to respond. "You know what? I don't even give a damn, Claire! I don't care -- you can have him; he's all yours, [and] you can marry him, for all I care!" Ciara spat. "Ciara, I think you're confused --" Claire tried to clarify. "About you? No, Claire -- I know exactly who you are; you are a jealous, insecure little bitch, [and that's why] every time a guy is into me, you try to make it all about you, [and] every time I want something, you do something to take it away!" Ciara countered. "No!" Claire protested, fighting back tears.

"You have to listen to me, Ciara -- I love you...and so does Ben!" Claire stressed. "Ben Weston? Oh, my God -- [did you, like], hire him so that he could come in here and kill me or something?" Ciara asked incredulously. "No! Ciara, please, I can explain --" Claire defensively replied.

"Leave -- now! [And] I never want to see you ever again, okay? You're a sick little freak!" Ciara shouted at Claire, who reluctantly agreed to leave -- then tracked down Kayla and Ben, the latter of whom was in the midst of yet another coughing fit but was still refusing treatment, and told them about what had just happened. "I think that Ciara needs her space from you two -- [at least] until I can figure out what's going on," Kayla advised Ben and Claire, neither of whom particularly liked that idea. Claire and Ben comforted each other with a hug after Kayla rushed off to check on Ciara.

"How are you doing?" Kayla began after entering Ciara's room. "Better...now that Claire's gone," Ciara spat. "You're angry with her because...?" Kayla wondered. "Remember how I told you that Tripp and I were planning on taking things to the next level in our relationship, [but] every time we'd start, I would pull away because of what happened with Chase --" Ciara began to explain. "And I encouraged you to be honest with Tripp [because] I thought that it would bring you closer together," Kayla recalled. "[Yeah, well], that's what I did -- I went over to the loft to talk to him and to tell him the truth about why I broke things off -- [but] when I got there, he and Claire were on the couch...together..." Ciara continued. "I understand," Kayla stressed.

"What is the last thing that you remember?" Kayla wondered. "About...Tripp and Claire?" Ciara assumed. "Just...in general," Kayla clarified. "The accident," Ciara decided. "What 'accident'?" Kayla asked. "When I crashed my bike. That's...why I'm here...right?" Ciara replied. "So...the last thing you remember is crashing --" Kayla began to summarize. "Not the actual crash -- [just that I told] Claire and Tripp that I hated them, and then I left the loft and got on my bike, and I ended up way out on Route 17, [and] I didn't know the road, and I was going way too fast, and I hit this really sharp turn [and] lost control," Ciara backpedaled before managing to laugh about how spectacular the resulting crash had apparently been.

"Is there anything -- anything at all -- you remember after the crash?" Kayla wondered. "No... Should I?" Ciara answered. "No," Kayla claimed before urging Ciara to get some rest -- then tracking down Ben and Claire, who were still comforting each other, and explaining what had just happened.

"That [motorcycle accident] was years ago! [And] she doesn't remember anything after that -- [I mean], she doesn't remember that we're together, or that we're married, or what made us fall in love?" Ben incredulously summarized, fighting back tears. "Not really," Kayla apologetically confirmed.

At Basic Black, Chloe stressed that Brady was still recovering from a gunshot wound and was therefore free to take a break from work at any time. "I'm good," Brady insisted, finding it preferable to take a break from Susan.

Chloe soon started debating whether to confess to having feelings for Brady -- but Rex arrived before a decision could be made. "I'm just here to see my dad...and he told me you were working here, so I thought I'd take you to lunch," Rex explained to Brady and Chloe. "Oh, that is so sweet -- and, ugh, I wish that we could, but...honestly, we are knee-deep in work right now," Chloe responded, and Brady nodded in agreement.

"Okay -- it's all good," Rex conceded with a shrug of defeat before saying goodbye to Chloe and Brady then starting to rush off. "Everything okay, man? [Because you] seem a little down..." Brady called out, stopping Rex -- and Chloe agreed with the observation. "A lot down, actually..." Rex admitted with a sigh before asking if Brady and Chloe were aware that Sarah was planning to marry Xander, of all people, later that day.

"We actually saw Xander at the pub last night -- he was having the lamest bachelor party on the face of the earth," Brady revealed. "I saw him there last night, too -- he was rubbing his wedding in my face and reminding me of how badly I screwed up with Sarah...and insisting that he's gonna make her happier than I ever could," Rex grumbled. "Oh, please --" Chloe tried to object, but Rex was quick to stress that Xander had gotten at least one thing right. "I did screw up with Sarah -- big time," Rex regretfully acknowledged.

"Honestly, I don't think I ever got over her -- I still think about her all the time," Rex confessed. "[Then] tell her -- before it's too late," Brady advised. "I destroyed that relationship -- I mean, I took her for granted, [and] I lied to her, [and] I cheated on her...more than once -- so I don't think she's gonna take a chance on me again," Rex predicted, but Brady maintained that there was no harm in at least giving Sarah that option -- and Chloe distractedly nodded in agreement, thinking about applying the advice to another situation.

At the Horton house, Xander fretted to Jack that Sarah still wasn't responding to phone calls or text messages -- and that Bonnie wasn't, either. "Like I told you before, they're both probably really busy getting ready for the wedding," Jack maintained, but Xander still wasn't convinced.

A short time later, Xander received a phone call from Bonnie. "Finally!" Xander began with a sigh of relief after answering the call. "Sorry -- I forgot to put my phone on charge last night," Bonnie explained. "Just put Sarah on!" Xander demanded. "Wish I could, but...Sarah's not here," Bonnie responded before elaborating that Sarah had gone to Basic Black the previous night to pick up a wedding dress and hadn't been seen or heard from since then. "I'm afraid [Sarah's] in trouble," Xander fretted to Jack after ending the call.

Xander rushed over to Basic Black, where Chloe and Brady were in the process of entertaining each other with fantasies in which Rex succeeded in winning Sarah back. "I would love to see the look on that bastard [Xander's] face!" Brady admitted to Chloe with a chuckle -- just as Xander approached. "What did you do?" Xander snapped. "That was fast..." Brady said to Chloe. "Where's Sarah?" Xander wondered. "Runaway bride? Good for her!" Brady declared. "This is serious, Brady -- no one's seen or heard from her since last night, when she told them she was coming here to pick up her dress!" Xander explained. "Well, she's not here...and neither is the dress, so..." Chloe revealed with a shrug. "Maybe the reason that she can't be found is because she doesn't want to be found -- [at least not] by you," Brady suggested.

"All right, I get that you both hate me, [but]... Wait -- is this, like, your revenge or something? Did you put your little bird brains together and come up with a plan to turn Sarah against me?" Xander guessed. "If Sarah came to her senses, it's not our fault," Chloe insisted. "Well, you did tell her not to marry me [recently]..." Xander argued. "I sure did -- but last night, when I talked to her, it was just about her dress," Chloe countered. "What about you, [Brady] -- when was the last time you heard from her?" Xander asked. "She did call me last night...but I answered, and the line went dead," Brady replied. "And then she disappeared..." Xander concluded before begging Chloe and Brady for help with the search for Sarah. "I don't think that's what Sarah would want [us] to do," Brady reasoned, and Chloe agreed.

At the DiMera mansion, Kristen rejoined Sarah in the wine cellar, wearing a wedding dress. "How do I look?" Kristen began with a laugh while showing off the dress. "Why are you wearing my dress?" Sarah snapped. "You're the one who gave me the idea..." Kristen reasoned with a shrug before producing a mask and a wig that, together, created an exact replica of Sarah's head.

"I made it myself -- spending time with Rolf does have its benefits..." Kristen bragged. "You are insane! This isn't gonna work --" Sarah protested. "Why not? [Remember], I walked around as Nicole for months, and Brady had no clue -- not even in bed! So, if I can fool Brady, it'll be a piece of cake with a moron like Xander!" Kristen argued.

Kristen planned to attend the wedding ceremony, disguised as Sarah, and dump Xander at the altar with a tearful confession about being unable to truly get over what had happened with Mackenzie. Kristen delighted in giving Sarah a dramatic preview of the breakup speech that would be delivered to Xander with the help of a voice-altering device. Sarah insisted that Xander would figure out what was going on and expose Kristen as an impostor. "[Your plan] will fail, Kristen -- I am as sure of that as I am anything in my life," Sarah declared. "I learned at the knee of Stefano DiMera -- I don't think so," Kristen countered.

Kristen picked up Sarah's cell phone and prepared to send Xander a text message to clarify that everything was okay and that the wedding was still on -- but the device started ringing just then. "Xander?" Sarah guessed. "Your ex-husband," Kristen clarified. "What does he want?" Sarah wondered. "Let's find out -- I need to test this [voice-altering device] out, anyway..." Kristen decided.

Kristen exited the wine cellar -- then reentered it a short time later and bragged to Sarah about having just agreed to meet Rex at the Brady Pub for lunch. "[He's] still carrying a torch for you -- [in fact, he wants] to talk you out of marrying Xander. And I agreed to let him try," Kristen elaborated. "Please don't do this -- I will not say a word to anyone --" Sarah begged. "I really wish I could take that chance...but I can't," Kristen maintained while seizing Sarah's engagement ring. "I'm gonna need to give [this] back to Xander after I break his heart at the altar," Kristen reasoned before giving Sarah a somewhat apologetic goodbye kiss on the cheek then exiting the wine cellar and getting into character for the big performance.

A short time later, at the Brady Pub, Rex begged for another chance -- and Kristen granted the request while posing as Sarah then suggested that it would better to continue the conversation in a more private location. Rex, who was staying in the pub's upstairs bedroom, rushed off to get the place ready, pleasantly surprised about the quick turn of events -- and once the coast was clear, Kristen contacted Xander and posed as Susan while reporting that Sarah was at the Brady Pub and seemed to be on the verge of doing something with Rex that was just "wrong, wrong, wrong" for an engaged woman to do with an ex.

Xander rushed over to the Brady Pub and found "Sarah" and Rex together in the upstairs bedroom, both half-naked -- and Xander, like Rex, assumed that Kristen was Sarah. Meanwhile, at the DiMera mansion, Sarah remained tied to a chair in the wine cellar -- but eventually managed to escape from the bindings.

Kristen poses as Sarah and dumps Xander

Friday, March 19, 2021

by Spalding

In a sitting room of the DiMera mansion, Abigail told Chad that she had been at the police station. Chad asked Abigail what she had said to Rafe about Gwen. "I denied it," Abigail said. "You lied to the police," Chad said. With a shrug, Abigail said that was fair, since Gwen had lied about Laura's death. "I'm worried about what kind of trouble you might be in," Chad said. When Abigail noted that it was her word against Gwen's, Chad reminded Abigail that Gabi had been a witness.

"Gabi is a really smart woman who knows if she even opens her mouth, she is going to be incriminating herself," Abigail countered. Abigail vowed to stop Gwen from hurting her family. When Chad argued that Abigail did not need to stop Gwen, Abigail refused to let Gwen go. "This obsession with revenge, you could go to prison for what you did," Chad said. Abigail disagreed.

"This anger is turning you into something I don't recognize. It makes me afraid for our children," Chad admitted. Abigail was stunned. Chad clarified that Abigail was a wonderful mother, but her actions could send her to prison, which would hurt the children.

"I'm not gonna go to prison. I reached out to Justin," Abigail said. When Chad questioned whether a lawyer was enough, a defensive Abigail asked Chad why he wanted to make her the bad guy. "Gwen is the person who almost destroyed our family, and guess what -- she probably is not done," Abigail said.

"I think you need to talk to someone about your anger," Chad said. Abigail countered that Gwen had killed her therapist. "You don't know that," Chad said. "I do know that. Gwen said she would kill whoever deprived her of her father, and then my grandma Laura ends up dead where? In Gwen's room," Abigail argued. When Chad reminded Abigail that Gwen had said it was an accident, Abigail groaned.

"You believe her, which reminds me of a whole host of other things that you chose to believe her about that never happened," Abigail said. "It's not the same," Chad countered. Frustrated, Abigail argued that Chad was supposed to be on his wife's side. Chad stressed that he was on Abigail's side but that he was worried that her obsession would destroy their family. Chad told Abigail that if she retaliated against Gwen, it put her on Gwen's level.

"You are better than that," Chad said. "I want to be able to let my anger toward Gwen go, but I don't know how," Abigail whispered. Chad pulled Abigail into an embrace. Relieved, Chad promised to stand by Abigail as she worked through her anger. "You and I have something that [Gwen] will never understand. The power of love," Chad said. Abigail laughed. "You and me together, we are pretty damn formidable," Chad added with a grin.

Chad suggested that they start couples therapy, and Abigail agreed. "If we repair the damage to our marriage, then Gwen won't have won, and it'll just frustrate the hell out of her," Abigail said. "We can't go to couples therapy so you can deny Gwen a win. It's got to be because you want to work on our marriage," Chad said. Abigail agreed. "From this moment forward, it's just about you and me," Abigail said. Chad thanked Abigail for giving him hope that their marriage would survive. "We will. I promise," Abigail said.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Bonnie and Jack talked about how strange it was that Sarah had disappeared. "[Sarah] had been so excited about getting married. Over the moon, really," Bonnie said. "I'm sure there is a logical explanation," Jack said. Gwen walked into the living room. "Damn," Bonnie said. Jack explained that they had expected Gwen to be the missing bride and groom for the wedding.

"That's strange," Gwen admitted. Confused, Jack asked Gwen why she was there. "Your office told me where to find you," Gwen explained. When Gwen asked to talk, Jack noted that he was the best man for Xander's wedding. "We're just having an unexpected delay," Jack explained. Bonnie announced that she was going to talk to Justin, and she walked out of the room.

"Is this about Laura? Did the D.A. bring charges?" Jack asked. "This is about attempted murder, Jack. Mine," Gwen said. Gwen told Jack about how Abigail had kidnapped her and threatened to poison her. "That's impossible. Abigail would never do something like that," Jack objected. "I just told you she did, Jack. Do you not believe me?" Gwen asked. Gwen informed Jack that Abigail had threatened to use Rolf's serum.

"Unlike Abigail, you're fine. So, obviously, she didn't inject you," Jack said. "So, as it's only attempted murder, then she is still your little angel, is she?" Gwen said. Gwen told Jack that Gabi had stopped Abigail. "How is [Gabi] involved?" Jack asked. Gwen explained that Abigail hated her so much that she had joined up with her sworn enemy, Gabi.

"Even Gabi Hernandez knew that was inhumane, and she stopped her. She knew it was wrong, and she set me free," Gwen said. Dumbfounded, Jack stared in silence. Gwen told Jack to talk to Gabi. "I'm sorry that Abigail did this to you," Jack said. Gwen reminded Jack that she had agreed to drop her vendetta. Jack asked Gwen what she wanted.

Gwen asked Jack to apply the same rule to Abigail that he had applied to her. Jack asked Gwen if she wanted him to cut Abigail out of his life. "I'm only asking you to play by the same rules that you set for Abigail as you did for me. I dropped the vendetta against her, didn't I? That was not easy, Jack," Gwen said.

"Before I would ever distance myself from Abigail, I need to give her the same chance that I gave you to end the vengeance," Jack said. "And if she doesn't agree to that?" Gwen asked. Jack said he knew that Abigail was capable of forgiveness. "I wish I could be as sure of that as you are," Gwen said. "I'll sort this out somehow. I can't have my daughters hating each other, now, can I?" Jack said. With a nod, Gwen agreed to talk soon. Jack hugged Gwen. "Soon," he whispered.

In the wine cellar at the DiMera mansion, Sarah managed to free herself from her ropes. Sarah ran for the door, but it was locked. Frantic, Sarah banged on the door. "Kristen DiMera has taken my place, and she is trying to ruin my wedding!" Sarah screamed. Sarah thought about what Kristen had said about Rex. "I have got to get out of here before she breaks Xander's heart," Sarah whispered. Sarah looked around the room, and she found a crowbar on top of a crate.

After a few moments using the crowbar, Sarah gave up and started screaming for help again. When Sarah tired, she fantasized that Xander kicked open the door, dressed in his kilt and holding her wedding dress. Sarah ran into Xander's arms. "Kristen has your face and your voice, but she doesn't have your heart. I knew in an instant she wasn't you," Xander said. With a grin, Xander handed Sarah her dress. "We have a wedding to get to," Xander said.

As Sarah shook off the fantasy, she stared longingly at the door. With a sigh, Sarah fantasized that she and Xander were taking their wedding vows. "Thank you for forgiving me. For loving me. For taking a chance on an imperfect man, who's gonna do his damnedest to be the husband you deserve," Xander said. Sarah countered that despite Kristen's scheme, they had found one another. "We are proof that true love always wins. And I don't think that there's a truer love than ours," Sarah said. Xander kissed Sarah, and she woke from the fantasy.

"I can't give up on Xander," Sarah whispered. Sarah started to work on the door again. "I will marry Xander today," Sarah grumbled as she strained to pry open the door. Sarah looked around the room, and she found the syringe that Abigail had left behind. "I have no idea what this is. Maybe it's my ticket to get out of here," Sarah said.

Above the Brady Pub, Kristen, disguised in one of Rolf's masks as Sarah, made out with Rex. "Sarah" and Rex undressed one another, and they fell onto the bed. Xander burst through the door. "What the hell is going on?" Xander asked. Xander grabbed Rex and threw him against the wall. "What did he do to you?" Xander asked "Sarah." Rex insisted that "Sarah" was there because she wanted to be with Rex. In disbelief, Xander noted that "Sarah" loved him. "We're getting married!" Xander yelled. "I'm sorry, Xander. Rex is right. This was my choice," "Sarah" said. "That's impossible," Xander whispered.

As Rex started to talk, Xander pulled back his fist to hit Rex, and "Sarah" rushed in between them. "What are you doing here? How did you find us?" "Sarah" asked. Xander told "Sarah" about his phone call from Susan. Rex said he had invited "Sarah" over in an effort to convince her not to marry Xander. "It didn't take much convincing," Rex added. "Sarah" asked Rex to leave so that she could speak to Xander alone.

Once Rex was gone, Xander asked, "What the hell happened to you? Because there is no way in hell I'll ever believe that you were going to sleep with Rex Brady on our wedding day." With her back toward Xander, "Sarah" smiled as Xander argued that Rex had lured "Sarah" up to his room. "I asked Rex to bring me up here," "Sarah" said. Xander asked why. "Sarah" said that she had realized that her feelings for Rex were unresolved.

"But you don't love Rex -- you love me!" Xander yelped. "If that were true, then why would I agree to meet Rex here today?" "Sarah" asked. Confused, Xander asked "Sarah" where she had been all night if she had not met up with Rex until that day. "Sarah" stammered for an answer, and she said she had been out walking.

"It was the dress. It brought back all these memories from our last wedding. It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, and it ended up being the worst day of my life because of you. Because of your lies. You knew that my baby was dead, and you never said a word to me," "Sarah" said. Xander said he regretted what he had done, and he reminded "Sarah" that they had moved on from that.

"I thought that I had forgiven you, but I realized that I was lying to myself. I could never really, truly trust you again, and what kind of basis for a marriage is that? So, we're through, Xander. For good," "Sarah" said. Xander looked at the dress on the floor, and he asked "Sarah" why she had shown up at Rex's place in her wedding dress if she had doubts about the wedding. "Sarah" explained that she had planned to go through with the wedding, despite her doubts.

"I didn't want to break my mother's heart. She was so happy for us. Now, are we done here?" "Sarah" said. Suspicious, Xander said he did not believe her. "Sarah" said she believed in signs, and when she had wondered whether she should marry Xander, Rex had called. "I realized that I'm still in love with [Rex]," "Sarah" said. Confused, Xander reminded "Sarah" that Rex had cheated on her twice.

"Sorry, Xander. I've made my decision. We're done," "Sarah" said. Xander grabbed "Sarah" and kissed her passionately. "Sarah" shoved Xander away. "I love Rex more than I ever loved you," "Sarah" said. Xander raised a suspicious eyebrow. "The man who cheated on you? Lied to you?" Xander said. "Sarah" reminded Xander that he had lied to her, and he had lied to Kristen.

"Who cares about Kristen, after all the terrible things she's done? She got what she deserved, the heartless bitch," Xander said. "How dare you call her that?" "Sarah" yelled. Xander stared at "Sarah," and he looked her up and down. "Sarah" yelled that Kristen had feelings like any person. "Why are we arguing about Kristen?" Xander asked. "Sarah" ordered Xander to leave.

"This doesn't make any sense. You proposed to me. You love me. You can't just pretend the last several months haven't happened," Xander said. "I was deluding myself and you," "Sarah" said. As Rex returned to the room, "Sarah" told Xander that Rex was her future. "Sarah" shoved her engagement ring into Xander's coat pocket. "I'm not going to change my mind," "Sarah" said. Xander walked out.

"Did you mean what you said? That your future is with me?" Rex asked. "Every word," "Sarah" said. With a grin, Rex leaned in to kiss "Sarah," and she stopped him. "Sarah" asked Rex to take her far away from Salem. "I'm gonna meet you back here," "Sarah" said. "I still can't believe this is happening," Rex said with a goofy grin. Rex attempted to kiss "Sarah," and she avoided him and walked out.

Jake was startled when he found Gabi unpacking in a room at the DiMera mansion. "You're not moving back in, are you?" Jake demanded. "How else could I come between you and great-grandma Kate? See, if I live here, I can easily sneak into your bedroom in the middle of the night," Gabi said. As Jake scowled, Gabi admitted that she had been joking.

"I'm not here to seduce you. Much to your disappointment, I'm sure," Gabi said. Gabi explained that she had been forced to move out of the Hernandez home because of Ava. "And in case you've forgotten, this is my house. Your brother left it to me. So, if you have a problem with me living here, you can just leave," Gabi said. As Jake turned to go, Gabi noted that she was not the kind of woman that chased after a man that did not want her.

"Glad to hear you finally get it," Jake said. "I totally get it. And Jake, honey, it is so your loss," Gabi said. With a chuckle, Jake asked Gabi if she was after a new guy. "What do you care?" Gabi asked. "I don't," Jake snapped. With a nod, Gabi asked Jake to leave so that she could take a bath. Jake refused.

"I'm not finished," Jake objected. "Yeah, well I am," Gabi said as she disrobed. Kate walked in and saw a naked Gabi in front of Jake. "Hey," Kate said. Panicked, Jake grabbed Gabi's robe and threw it on top of her. "What the hell!" Jake exclaimed. Jake stressed that the situation was not what it looked like.

"It certainly looks like what it looks like," Kate said. Jake noted that he had asked Gabi to explain why she had moved back into the mansion. With a smirk, Kate noted to Gabi, "You just don't know when to quit." Gabi told Kate about the conversation that had taken place prior to Kate's arrival.

"I told him to leave, but he just didn't want to go," Gabi said. As Jake's mouth dropped open, Gabi smiled innocently at him. Kate noted that Gabi was unable to accept that Jake had chosen her over Gabi. With a sigh, Gabi said that she had been desperate for a bath since Ava had used all the hot water. "I'm going to let Jake catch you up on the rest of our conversation," Gabi said. As Gabi walked into the bathroom, she asked Jake and Kate to leave before she returned.

"Gabi insists that she has accepted that you and I are committed to one another, and she is moving on," Jake said. "That is interesting. Did she say with whom?" Kate asked. Jake shrugged and said he did not care. "Let's get out of here. Get a place, just you and me?" Jake said. Kate was unsure. Jake said the place was unimportant, as long as he was living with Kate.

"I feel the same way," Kate said. After a kiss, Kate told Jake that she did not think they should move. Kate argued that if Jake moved out of the house, Shin would see it as a sign of weakness. "Besides that, if we both move out, it looks like Gabi chased us out, and there is no way that I want her to have the satisfaction of thinking that we left because we saw her as a threat to our relationship," Kate said. "Because she's not," Jake agreed. Jake kissed Kate, but they were interrupted by a text from Rex. Jake promised to pick up where they left off when Kate returned.

When Gabi finished her bath, she returned to her room and found Jake with her luggage. "I was just saving Harold the trip," Jake said. "I hope that Kate is packing, and you'll be out by dinner?" Gabi asked. "We decided to stay," Jake said. Gabi asked Jake to leave so that she could get dressed. After Jake left, Gabi smiled to herself.

At the Brady Pub, Kate hugged Rex hello. "Why didn't you tell me that you were coming to town?" Kate asked. "This is hello and goodbye," Rex said. Rex told Kate that he and Sarah were back together. "And we're going to leave town," Rex said.

At the Kiriakis mansion, a glum Xander wandered into the living room. "You didn't find Sarah?" Jack asked. "I found her, all right. In bed with someone else," Xander said.

Kristen returned to the wine cellar, and her smile fell away when she saw that Sarah was no longer tied to the chair. As Kristen rushed into the room, Sarah ran out from behind the door with the syringe in her hand. Kristen grabbed Sarah's wrist, and the two women struggled for control.