Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of February 21, 2022 on DAYS

Xander gave Gwen a ring, and Jack gave her his congratulations. E.J.'s new cellmate was Clyde. Tony helped Chad track down Abigail's pilot. On the island, Sarah escaped her room and found Steve and Kayla. Kristen told Abigail that thanks to the serum Abigail had left in the tunnels, Sarah believed she was Renee DuMonde. Eli threatened T.R. Nicole told Ava about the affair, and she accused Ava of having framed Rafe. Marlena counseled Nancy. Craig asked Chloe to meet his boyfriend. Allie learned of Tripp's planned proposal. Ciara believed that Johnny was possessed by the devil.

Kristen's captives start fighting back

Monday, February 21, 2022

by Mike

At the Salem Inn, Xander and Gwen continued celebrating their engagement. "I think we should think about getting out of bed --" Xander eventually advised. "What?" Gwen incredulously protested.

Gwen wondered if there was any other place in the world that Xander would rather be at that moment. "In fact..." Xander teasingly confirmed. "Where?" Gwen curiously responded.

Xander was reluctant to ruin the surprise but ultimately agreed to at least give Gwen a hint. "It rhymes with 'sing'..." Xander revealed. "Bling?" Gwen guessed. "I mean, you're on the right track..." Xander admitted. "You're gonna get me an engagement ring!" Gwen translated. "Well, to be precise, I'm gonna begin the process of window-shopping for an engagement ring," Xander clarified.

Xander offered Gwen an opportunity to put in requests. "We don't have any money for a really nice ring, [so...look], I swear I don't need anything fancy --" Gwen stressed. "But you deserve it -- you deserve the fanciest ring on the planet," Xander insisted. "Okay -- I won't fight you on that," Gwen joked. "I won't be long -- try and stay out of trouble while I'm gone," Xander warned.

Xander showered and dressed then rushed off -- and Gwen produced Abigail's cell phone as soon as the coast was clear, having heard it chime earlier. "Kristen -- or whoever you are -- I know you have my wife, and you've disabled tracking on her phone..." Gwen started reading aloud from the text message that Chad had sent. "I'll do anything you want -- just please let her come home to her family," Gwen continued reading aloud while squirming.

Gwen sighed then sent Chad a response. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you," Chad read aloud from the DiMera mansion. "That's it?" Chad incredulously shouted before sending another text message to Abigail's cell phone. "Whoever you are, if you harm one hair on my wife's head, I will find you, and I will kill you -- I do not care if you are family," Gwen silently read with a shudder before starting to smash Abigail's cell phone with a paperweight.

Shawn entered the DiMera mansion while Chad's cell phone was flying through the air. Shawn dodged the device then wondered what it had done to anger Chad. "You should have let the police be the ones to reach out to Abigail's kidnappers -- [I mean], we've been trained to handle situations like this, [and] we could have worked out a strategy --" Shawn argued after Chad finished venting about what had just happened.

"Okay -- tell me what your 'strategy' is," Chad challenged Shawn. "I went back to the airstrip [and] interviewed all personnel that were working yesterday -- and I also tried to get a look at the security footage, [but] it's gone --" Shawn reported. "Why am I not surprised..." Chad grumbled. "[And] I left a message for my Uncle Steve -- Brady hired him to track down Kristen, hoping that maybe she'll have some information on Philip's disappearance -- [but] I'm still waiting to hear back from him," Shawn concluded. "So, then...what do we do now -- besides 'wait'?" Chad wondered. "Well...can you think of anyone else who might know where to find Kristen?" Shawn responded. "Actually..." Chad realized.

Xander paused outside a jewelry store. "Stop being so sentimental -- Sarah is never coming back to you, and the only way you can afford to buy Gwen an engagement ring is to sell this one," Xander muttered while staring wistfully at a diamond ring. Meanwhile, Maggie went to the Salem Inn to check on Xander -- and arrived while Gwen was still smashing Abigail's cell phone with a paperweight. Gwen hid the remains of the device then let Maggie into the hotel room and claimed to have simply been taking out some frustration on a desk phone that never seemed to work properly. Maggie was stunned to learn that Xander had just rushed off in search of an engagement ring for Gwen.

Xander returned while Maggie was in the process of fretting to Gwen that Sarah had been acting like a different person lately. Maggie forced a smile and congratulated Xander and Gwen on their engagement then rushed off. "Something tells me she did not mean that..." Gwen muttered once the coast was clear, drawing a shrug from Xander, who produced an engagement ring as a way of changing the subject.

Gwen was surprised to learn how Xander had managed to afford the engagement ring. "I love it -- [and] I love you," Gwen raved after Xander proposed again.

Belle headed over to Statesville to see E.J., who had just arrived earlier that day and was in the midst of being processed. "Ironic, isn't it, that of all the crimes I've committed in my life, here I am, about to be locked up for the one I did not," E.J. grumbled to Belle when they finally met up with each other in the visitors' lounge.

Belle assured E.J. that their appeal had already been filed -- then warned that it could be a while before an opportunity arose for them to try to get Chad back on their side. "He's got a lot going on with Abigail right now..." Belle began to explain. "Abigail is a DiMera, [so] Kristen won't hurt her -- [I mean], we may stab one another in the back figuratively, but never literally..." E.J. declared after hearing the whole story. "Never?" Belle skeptically repeated. "Well...there was that one time with poor Benjy...and Renee...but both those incidents were Andre's fault," E.J. hesitantly backpedaled.

Chad soon arrived and challenged E.J. to reveal Kristen's whereabouts. E.J. claimed to have recently lost track of Kristen, but Chad doubted that was true. Chad hurled insults at E.J. then stormed out of the visitors' lounge and contacted Shawn to share the result of the conversation. "I guess we're back to square one," Chad grumbled. "Not necessarily -- I may have a lead," Shawn responded.

E.J. joked to Belle that the conversation with Chad had gone well. Belle wrapped up the meeting then rushed off, prompting a guard to lead E.J. to a cell that already housed one inmate -- Clyde.

Steve and Kayla were sleeping on a bed in the bunker on DiMera Island when Kristen decided to pay them a visit. Kristen stepped into the bunker then exited it a few seconds later and slammed its door shut, rousing Kayla and Steve. "I shouldn't have dozed off," Steve fretted. "It's understandable -- you were clobbered on the head [and] drugged," Kayla noted.

Steve and Kayla soon noticed a tray of food and a few other things that hadn't been in the bunker before, leading them to conclude that Kristen was the reason that their slumber had been cut short. Steve's eye patch and driver's license were among the new items, as was Kayla's driver's license, but neither person's cell phone had been returned. "Probably wouldn't have cell service here, anyway," Kayla guessed, and Steve conceded the point.

Steve warned that the food might have been poisoned, but Kayla was too hungry to worry about that possibility. While Kayla was eating, Steve found two flare guns hidden in an air duct. "Now, if we could just get that door open..." Kayla mused between bites of food, drawing a nod from Steve. After a moment of thought, Steve snatched the fork that Kayla had been using. Kayla was still hungry -- and was therefore upset about the theft of the utensil -- but Steve reasoned that they could treat themselves to a much better meal once they escaped. Steve started trying to pry open the bunker door with the fork, ignoring Kayla's warnings about how sharp the object was -- and eventually suffered a hand wound.

"I'm not gonna say 'I told you so' --" Kayla began. "You just did," Steve grumbled.

Meanwhile, Kristen returned to the dilapidated mansion and started listening to a voicemail message from Shawn that had just arrived on Steve's cell phone. "Damn it..." Kristen grumbled while the voicemail message was playing through the device's speakerphone setting. "Told you they'd be looking for me," Abigail bragged, joining Kristen in the living room. "My house has plenty of rooms," Kristen countered.

"Is that really what you want -- [you know], a houseful of kidnapping victims?" Abigail wondered. "I want to be left alone! I mean, if people would just mind their own damn business, none of this would be happening!" Kristen responded. "You can't keep us here forever, you know," Abigail argued. "I wouldn't be so sure about that..." Kristen teased while locking Steve's cell phone in a safe, having noticed that Abigail had been eyeing the device.

"I know you pride yourself on being a non-homicidal type of criminal, [but] if I starve to death, that's on your head..." Abigail warned, prompting Kristen to take a few bites of cereal and a few sips of a smoothie to prove that meals weren't being drugged. "I found some old sleeping pills in a medicine cabinet, and I am very happy to see they're not expired... [Now], I wouldn't slip a foreign substance into just anyone's drink, given my own personal unfortunate circumstance...but you, I felt, deserved a little taste of your own medicine, so to speak... [And, you know], I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to get you to consume, so I put enough in there to tranquilize a horse -- quite frankly, I'm surprised you're still upright..." Abigail revealed after the sleeping pills started kicking in -- and, right on cue, Kristen collapsed just then.

Meanwhile, Sarah finished reading a romance novel. "Oh, my God -- the most romantic thing I've ever read... [Now], why can't the man I love whisk me away on the back of a stallion -- or at least a raft... [Well], no one's coming to rescue me -- if I want to get out of here, I have to do it myself..." Sarah muttered after setting aside the romance novel.

Abigail stole Kristen's keys then rushed off to see what was behind one of the mansion's locked doors -- but it was no longer locked, or even closed. "This is Sarah's room," Abigail guessed -- just as Kristen arrived, having managed to fight off the effects of the sleeping pills. "Where is she?" Abigail challenged Kristen, who was wondering the same thing.

Kayla was in the process of bandaging Steve's hand wound when Sarah suddenly entered the bunker.

Sarah is not what she seems

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

by Spalding

E.J. learned that his new cellmate in prison was Clyde. "Long time no see," Clyde said. Clyde said he had read about E.J.'s case. "I'm innocent," E.J. said. Clyde smirked and stressed that E.J. could trust him. E.J. told Clyde that he regretted that he had been mixed up in the drug trade with Clyde, especially since it had led to his "death."

"Yet here you are, alive and well," Clyde said. "One of my biggest regrets is that I never got to confront the son of a bitch who shot me," E.J. said. Clyde thought about when he had witnessed E.J.'s shooting in the park. Clyde asked E.J. how much he remembered about the night of E.J.'s shooting. "I actually don't remember anything about the night I was shot. I can't even recall why I was even in the park," E.J. said. E.J. asked if Clyde knew why he had been in the park. With a shrug, Clyde lied and said no.

"You really don't remember anything?" Clyde asked. "Unfortunately, one of the side effects of the drugs that saved my life is that it erased a great deal of my memory," E.J. said. E.J. added that Sami had told him that a random addict had shot E.J. before the shooter had overdosed. With a scowl, E.J. noted that he had lost years of his life because of the shooter.

"I swear, if he wasn't already dead, I'd kill him myself," E.J. whispered. E.J. asked Clyde how long he had been in prison. "Eight long years, though I did get a few unofficial breaks here and there," Clyde said. E.J. asked if Clyde would help him navigate prison. "The least I can do for an old boss," Clyde said.

As E.J. settled in, Clyde thought to himself that he could not believe that E.J. did not remember that Clyde had double-crossed E.J. "I hope it stays that way. For his sake," Clyde thought. Clyde advised E.J. not to talk about his life back in Salem. "I do hope I can trust you, Clyde. Because I'm going to need someone to have my back around here," E.J. said. "You got no idea," Clyde said.

At the Salem Inn, Gwen gushed over the ring that Xander had given her. Jack knocked on the door. "Dad? What are you doing here?" Gwen asked. "I need you to be straight with me. What do you know about Abigail's disappearance?" Jack asked. Gwen played dumb, and she asked Jack what he meant.

"Abigail is missing," Jack said. "Still? Chad came by the other day, looking for her. I just assumed they got their wires crossed or something," Xander said. "This is the first time I'm hearing about it. I had no idea that Abigail was missing," Gwen lied. Jack asked Gwen if she was sure. Jack explained that Chad had told him that Abigail had gone missing during her search for Sarah.

"What does that have to do with Gwen?" Xander asked. Jack explained that Abigail had suspected that Gwen had posed as Sarah. Xander informed Jack that when Abigail had confronted Sarah in the square, Gwen had interrupted the argument. "Abigail had this really strong grip on Sarah. She was trying to rip off a mask. Apparently, she was trying to expose me," Gwen said. Gwen noted that Abigail had apologized to Sarah and had walked away.

"Abigail clearly had it wrong. Jack, I'm sorry Abigail is missing, but whatever happened to her, it had nothing to do with Gwen," Xander said. Gwen asked if there were any clues to Abigail's disappearance. "All I know for sure is that whoever is responsible has her phone," Jack said. Jack told Gwen and Xander about Chad's text conversation with the kidnapper.

"How awful," Gwen murmured. Gwen thought about when she had used Abigail's phone to answer Chad's text. Jack noticed the strange look on Gwen's face, and he apologized for upsetting her. "It's all right," Gwen said. Jack apologized for having accused Gwen of playing a part in Abigail's disappearance. "I'm just out of my mind with worry," Jack said. "Of course, you are! I know, and given my history with my sister, I don't blame you for being suspicious, but honestly, I have no idea where Abigail might be," Gwen said.

Xander assured Jack that Abigail would return home soon. As Jack started to talk about missing persons cases, Gwen cautioned Jack not to worry. "Abigail is tough. I know that better than anyone. I have no doubt that she will come back to us," Gwen said. "I just feel so damn helpless," Jack admitted. Gwen encouraged Jack to have faith. "If you need someone to lean on, I'm here. You've always got me," Gwen said. Relieved, Jack hugged Gwen and thanked her.

As Gwen returned to Xander's arms, Jack noticed her engagement ring. "We are engaged," Gwen said with a grin. Gwen mentioned that Xander had given her the ring before Jack had arrived. "And I put a big damper on the whole celebration. I'm so sorry!" Jack said. "No worries," Xander said. Jack said he was happy for Xander and Gwen because it was clear that they were in love.

"And I'm glad that my daughter has you to look after her," Jack told Xander. Xander hugged Jack and thanked him. "Does this mean I get to call you 'Dad'?" Xander asked. "No," Jack said. Xander told Jack that he hoped that Jack, Jennifer, and Abigail would be at the wedding. "No doubt in my mind that Abigail will be found by then, mate," Xander said. Jack agreed, and he promised to update Gwen and Xander on the search.

"I do hope that you find Abigail soon," Gwen said. "We will. And when I find out who did this, I swear to you, I swear to God, I will make them pay," Jack said.

In the DiMera living room, Chad talked to Shawn on the phone about a lead. "This is the key to finding my wife," Chad said. As Chad ended his call, Kate walked in and asked if Chad had news about Abigail. Chad told Kate that Shawn had learned that the pilot Abigail had tracked down had flown out of the private airfield on the night that Abigail had disappeared.

"I think Abigail stumbled onto something with the whole Sarah mystery. I think that pilot helped get rid of her," Chad said. Kate asked about the flight's destination. "We have no record of where he could have gone," Chad said. Chad added that all the camera footage at the airfield had been erased.

Kate changed the subject to E.J. Frustrated, Chad asked Kate why she continued to defend E.J. "Why don't you go to the police and tell them that the real kidnapper is your son Lucas," Chad said. Kate argued that Chad would protect his own son at all costs. Chad countered that his children would not act like Lucas, but Kate noted that all children made mistakes.

When Kate asked Chad to leave Lucas out of Chad's confession, Chad told Kate that he would not admit that he had planted evidence. "There is no way in hell I'm going to implicate myself to save E.J. after he forced himself on my wife," Chad added. Kate argued that it was wrong to make E.J. languish in prison. Chad told Kate to concentrate on Lucas' freedom.

"You're right. If it were my son, I would protect him in the exact same way you are protecting yours," Chad said. Kate thanked Chad. With a sigh, Kate noted that Roman would never forgive her if he learned that Kate had let Sami leave town with her kidnapper.

"You're just going to have to live with it," Chad said. "Live with what?" Tony asked as he entered the room. Kate said that they had been talking about E.J.'s situation. With a shrug, Chad said there was nothing they could do to help E.J. "And frankly, he's getting what he deserves," Chad grumbled. When Tony noted that E.J. had claimed he was innocent, Chad countered that E.J. had also sworn he had not attacked Abigail.

"And I saw that with my own eyes," Chad growled. Tony said he did not understand why E.J. would have forced himself on Abigail when E.J. had depended on Chad to save him from prison. "Because he's an arrogant jerk who thinks he can do what he wants and take what he wants and get away with it!" Chad yelled. "He's still our brother," Tony said. Frustrated, Chad said he did not want to talk about E.J. when he was worried about Abigail.

"How are you holding up?" Tony asked. Chad admitted that he was struggling. Chad told Tony that he had talked to the kidnapper via text on Abigail's phone. "Whoever is behind this is completely heartless," Chad said. Tony hugged his brother, and he reminded Chad that Abigail had always found a way back to Chad.

"It all hinges on finding this pilot, Ned Granger," Chad said. Tony looked taken aback. "I might be able to help with that," Tony said. Tony explained that he had been friendly with Ned, and he had dined at Ned's house in Key West once. "You and I need to go down to Key West as soon as possible," Chad said. Kate warned Chad to call Shawn. With a grumble, Chad said he would update Shawn, but he would not wait for the cops to save Abigail.

"You can't just go off and confront this man. He could be dangerous," Kate said. Chad refused to wait for police protocol. Tony agreed, and he said he believed he could convince Ned to cooperate. "And if Tony can't convince him, I will," Chad said.

On DiMera Island, a drugged and wobbly Kristen caught up with Abigail in Sarah's vacant room. "Abigail, you have been very naughty," Kristen said. "This is Sarah's room, isn't it? Where is she?" Abigail asked. Kristen glanced around the room. "That is what I would like to know," Kristen said. Kristen muttered that Sarah could not have gotten far on the island.

"So, you admit that you've been holding my cousin prisoner here on this island the whole time?" Abigail asked. Kristen laughed. Kristen complained that Abigail had drugged her. "In all the time Sarah has been here, she's never tried to drug me," Kristen said. Kristen told Abigail that Sarah had willingly accompanied Kristen to the island.

"Why the hell would she do that?" Abigail asked. Kristen promised to tell Abigail the story if Abigail returned Kristen's keys. When Abigail did not respond, Kristen pulled out her gun and pointed it at Abigail. Abigail gave Kristen the keys. With a deep sigh, Kristen told Abigail that Sarah had seen Kristen without her Susan disguise.

"I knocked [Sarah] out, and then I stuck her in the secret room in the DiMera tunnels," Kristen said. Kristen explained that she had made a Sarah mask and seduced Rex as a means to dump Xander. "Breaking that big ape's heart was immensely satisfying," Kristen said. "Then what happened?" Abigail asked. Kristen said that when she had returned to the tunnels, Sarah had attacked her with a syringe. Kristen explained that she had turned the tables and injected Sarah.

"It was her fault, really," Kristen said. "But how did Sarah even get her hands on a syringe in the first place?" Abigail asked. With a shrug, Kristen said that Sarah had claimed she had found the syringe in the room. "I don't know what was in it or how it got there, but all I know is that it completely warped [Sarah's] mind. And she has not been the same since," Kristen said.

"Oh, no," Abigail whispered. Abigail thought about when she had held Gwen captive in the DiMera tunnels and had threatened to inject Gwen with the mind-altering drug Gwen had previously given Abigail. "What happened to Sarah is my fault," Abigail said. Kristen asked how. Abigail explained that she had left the syringe in the tunnel room. "What were you doing with it?" Kristen asked. "I was trying to scare Gwen," Abigail admitted. Kristen chuckled.

"You kidnapped Gwen," Kristen said. "No. I was trying to relocate her. I didn't have a choice at the time. I needed to know if she killed my grandmother, and for whatever reason, threatening to inject her just felt like the only way to get to the truth," Abigail said. Kristen told Abigail that she was impressed. "Obviously, you chickened out," Kristen said. Abigail noted that Gabi had stopped her, and she was relieved that Gabi had stopped her.

Kristen asked about the drug. Abigail told Kristen that it had been the same serum that Rolf had concocted to dose Abigail. "Totally scrambled my brain. I spent months in a Florida clinic, getting treatment for it," Abigail said. "That explains why Sarah is the way she is," Kristen murmured. "You said it warped her mind. How bad is she?" Abigail asked. Kristen noted that when she had first injected Sarah, Sarah had been so high that she had believed that Kristen had been Xander.

"That happened to me, too. My mind kept mixing people up," Abigail said. Kristen said that when Sarah had thought Kristen was Xander, Kristen had convinced Sarah that they were going to get married on a deserted island. "So, that's what you meant when you said that she went willingly," Abigail said. Kristen nodded yes. Abigail told Kristen that if Sarah had not received treatment, she could be very ill.

"Actually, she is doing quite well now," Kristen said. Abigail asked Kristen if Sarah believed she was married to Xander. "Sarah has moved past that phase," Kristen said.

Down the hallway, Steve and Kayla kissed in the storage room where Kristen had locked them up. Sarah opened the door. "Oh, my God! I didn't know anyone was in here!" Sarah said. Sarah and Kayla hugged as Sarah asked how Kayla had arrived on the island. "It is a long story. But don't you worry. Everything is going to be all right. We're going to help you," Kayla assured Sarah. When Kayla asked if Kristen had hurt Sarah, a look of confusion crossed Sarah's face.

"No," Sarah said. Steve suggested that they leave before Kristen returned. "And who might you be?" Sarah asked. "You don't know who I am?" Steve asked. Sarah said no. When Steve noted that he was Kayla's husband, Sarah smiled. "You two are married?" Sarah asked. "Yes," Kayla said. Sarah asked Kayla when she had married. Kayla said that Sarah had been her maid of honor at their most recent wedding.

"No, I wasn't," Sarah said. "It's true. You were in our wedding," Steve said. With a chuckle, Sarah noted that she would remember if she had been in Kayla's wedding. Kayla told Sarah that Abe had officiated the wedding on Valentine's Day. When Kayla mentioned that Tripp had attended the wedding at the pub, Sarah was confused again.

"What pub? And who is Tripp?" Sarah asked. Kayla and Steve exchanged a worried look. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Sarah asked. Kayla asked Sarah if she had suffered any head trauma. "No. Why?" Sarah asked. Kayla noted that Sarah appeared to have suffered memory loss, but Sarah disagreed.

"But Sarah," Kayla started. "Who's Sarah?" Sarah asked. Steve and Kayla shared another worried look. "You're Sarah Horton," Steve said. "Horton? As in Tom and Alice Horton?" Sarah asked. When Kayla noted that Maggie was Sarah's mother, Sarah scoffed at the idea. "I hardly know the woman," Sarah said. "Who exactly do you think you are?" Steve asked. With a chuckle, Sarah told Steve that Kayla could tell him.

Sarah asked Steve and Kayla if they would like to kayak with her. "Maybe we can find a nearby island," Steve said. "I don't want to disappoint you, but the only thing that's around here is water and more water," Sarah said. Steve noted that they could attempt to flag down a passing ship. "I've always been too scared to go too far out in the ocean," Sarah said. Steve explained that he had been in the Merchant Marines and could help. Excited, Sarah said she would go look for the paddles and life vests, and she ran off.

"What the hell is going on?" Steve whispered. "Obviously, she has had some sort of mental break, and she's suffering from some sort of selective amnesia," Kayla said. Steve noted that a return to Salem might help Sarah remember her life. "We just need to get off this island prison," Kayla muttered.

When Sarah returned, she said she was eager to get back to "the man that I love." "Well, he has been worried about you, too," Kayla said. "You've seen him?" Sarah asked. Steve told Sarah that her man had attempted to hire Steve's detective agency to find Sarah. "So, he hasn't forgotten me?" Sarah asked. "Of course not," Steve said. Through tears, Sarah said she could not stop thinking about her love. "Well, you're clearly still in love with Xander," Kayla said. Confused, Sarah asked, "Who's Xander?"

"Xander is your fianc," Steve said. Sarah said she had never been engaged to someone named Xander. "I was talking about Tony," Sarah said. "You're in love with Tony?" Steve asked. "DiMera?" Kayla added. "Is there another?" Sarah asked. Sarah noted that Tony was the love of her life.

"Maybe she thinks she is Anna," Steve whispered to Kayla. "Anna Fredericks? How could you possibly confuse me with that scheming bitch?" Sarah said. "Then who are you?" Kayla asked. "I am the one and only Renee DuMonde," Sarah said.

Paulina begs Abe for help with T.R.

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

by Mike

At the dilapidated mansion on DiMera Island, Kristen continued giving Abigail cryptic hints about what was going on with Sarah.

"All right, I'll play your little game here..." Abigail grumbled before starting the process of trying to guess the identity of Sarah's new love interest. "You probably pumped Sarah so full of drugs [that] her new heartthrob could be Harry Truman --" Abigail tiredly concluded after Kristen dismissed more obvious candidates. "I wouldn't have shot her full of anything if someone hadn't left a full syringe in the DiMera dungeon --" Kristen pointedly reminded Abigail. "Unlike you, who has no conscience, I already feel terrible enough about [that] without you continuously waving it in my face!" Abigail defensively stressed before taking a deep breath then getting back to the matter of trying to solve Kristen's riddle.

"If it's not Rex, and it's not Eric, then who... It's Chad, isn't it? You saw to it that Sarah is fixated on my husband!" Abigail decided. "No, it's even better than that -- I've seen to it that she is fixated on a DiMera of seniority," Kristen clarified. "Tony?" Abigail translated. "Go to the head of the class -- I'm gonna give you a blue ribbon and another night here in almost-paradise!" Kristen raved. "She barely knows him!" Abigail protested. "She knows him intimately now..." Kristen insisted. "Did you put on a Tony mask and romance her?" Abigail guessed. "Don't you think that's a little far-fetched?" Kristen objected. "Not for you! [And besides], how else is Sarah gonna fall for Tony?" Abigail argued. "Well...I mean, Sarah didn't, actually, fall for Tony -- Renee did," Kristen stressed. "Oh, God, I give up... Who the hell is 'Renee'?" Abigail wondered.

Meanwhile, at the bunker, Steve and Kayla struggled to process what Sarah had just revealed.

"You cannot be Renee -- [I mean, that's simply] not possible, because Renee DuMonde is dead!" Kayla informed Sarah. "If you don't know the difference between the living and the dead, you might want to rethink that nursing career..." Sarah advised Kayla as Renee. "Kayla is a doctor -- and so are you," Steve clarified for Sarah. "No, I don't like the sight of blood," Sarah protested as Renee.

"I'll leave that to Neil Curtis, thank you," Sarah added as Renee. "Your father," Kayla elaborated for Sarah. "Okay, I think that she needs some rest; a few minutes ago, she was saying I was Mickey and Maggie Horton's daughter, [even though she and I] both know that Sarah is a toddler, and now I'm Neil's child?" Sarah whispered to Steve as Renee. "It's complicated," Kayla summarized for Sarah. "Not to me -- you don't know what you're talking about," Sarah countered as Renee before suddenly going back to the task of searching the bunker for kayak paddles and life jackets. "Sweetness, could you bring me up to speed on who this 'Renee DuMonde' character is?" Steve begged. "Yeah, I think I better -- looks like we're stuck with her..." Kayla responded.

"You've got Sarah believing she is Stefano's dead, illegitimate daughter who was in love with Tony and murdered by a serial killer," Abigail incredulously repeated at the end of Kristen's history lesson. "Andre DiMera," Steve hesitantly translated at the end of Kayla's history lesson. "The Salem Slasher," Kayla confirmed for Steve. "How did you do it?" Abigail prodded Kristen. "Well, it wasn't really hard -- when she first got here, she had lost her grip, [but she was still] a bit of a challenge, 'cause one minute, she thought I was Xander, and the next, a coconut, [so] I thought if I kept her focused [and] out of my hair, it would work out, so I just gave her a bunch of books to read, [and] one of those books just happened to be the diary of my late sister Renee, and Sarah pored over that tortured memoir at warp speed, and then, once she was finished...voil!" Kristen explained to Abigail.

"[Then] things became a lot easier for the both of us -- I mean, she was so obsessed with the details of her life [as Renee that] it made her docile, [so] then I could come and go as I wanted... I mean, for a while, at least -- [but] now all she thinks about is getting back to her beloved Tony... [You know], she's probably out building a boat out of banana leaves or something equally as asinine [right now]..." Kristen added before directing Abigail's attention to Renee's diary then rushing off in search of Sarah. Abigail shrugged then started reading the diary, unable to resist a good page-turner.

Steve and Kayla watched as "Renee" located kayak paddles and life jackets. "We have to make sure that we look [the kayak] over thoroughly, just in case anyone drilled a hole in it below the water line," Sarah advised Kayla and Steve as Renee. "Why would you say that?" Steve wondered. "Because that's what I did to the boat that Anna was on!" Sarah bragged as Renee.

"[Of course], I didn't know that Tony was on it, too... He could have drowned... But, luckily, David got there just in time --" Sarah continued as Renee. "David Banning -- Julie's son; Eli's father," Kayla clarified for Steve. "Unfortunately, the baby that Anna was carrying wasn't as lucky... [Anyway], Tony has always been my one true love -- tragically, we were forced apart when I found out that Stefano was my birth father, but then we found out that Stefano wasn't Tony's birth father...so, you see, we really are meant to be together --" Sarah continued as Renee. "There's a problem with that, though -- Tony's already married," Kayla informed Sarah. "To who?" Sarah snapped as Renee. "You're not gonna like this -- it's Anna," Steve elaborated for Sarah. "Again? Get me off of this island so I can tear her limb from limb!" Sarah demanded as Renee.

"Well, Tony will just have to annul his sham of a marriage, and then we can have an enormous wedding at St. Luke's and a reception at the DiMera estate..." Sarah reasoned as Renee after calming down a bit. "Kayla and I want to get back to Salem just as bad as you do, but we have to deal with Kristen first --" Steve advised Sarah. "Kristen's never gonna let me leave -- she said there's a serial killer in Salem!" Sarah fretted as Renee. "Wouldn't be the first time..." Kayla muttered. "You're telling me! The Salem Strangler tried to kill me more than once -- I still can't believe that poor Jake Kositchek was killing all those women!" Sarah noted as Renee. "Later," Kayla promised when Steve begged for clarification.

Steve and Kayla followed "Renee" to the dilapidated mansion and found Kristen in the living room. "I see you met Renee -- isn't she special?" Kristen began, ignoring the fact that Steve and Kayla were each wielding a flare gun. "What did you give Sarah? Why is she acting like this? [I mean], did you brainwash her, [or] deprive her until she dissociated, [or]...?" Kayla challenged Kristen. "Back to the 'Sarah' business again?" Sarah protested as Renee. "Answer her!" Steve ordered Kristen. "Wow... You two have always been so pushy... And your niece is exactly like you..." Kristen responded. "Abigail?" Steve translated. "What have you done with her?" Kayla wondered. "Well, at the moment, she's curled up with a good book..." Kristen answered.

At the Price condominium, Paulina continued a phone conversation with the landlord of one of Salem's apartment complexes. "I know my name is not on the lease, but your tenants Eli and Lani Grant, they're members of my family, [and] all I'm asking is that you make sure that a man named T.R. Coates doesn't get into that building again!" Paulina explained to the landlord. "Well, let's talk money -- how much do you want?" Paulina offered after the landlord refused to cooperate.

The landlord hung up on Paulina, who barely had time to process the act of disrespect before someone rang the doorbell. Paulina excitedly opened the condominium door -- then nervously tried to slam it shut after realizing that the visitor wasn't Lani. "I just want to talk to you!" T.R. stressed while struggling with Paulina for control of the condominium door. "I know -- [and then] I'll end up with a black eye or a big lip...or worse!" Paulina fretted. "I've changed! [Now], do you really want your neighbors to be hearing all our business?" T.R. countered. Paulina gave the matter some thought then sighed and let T.R. into the condominium.

"I want to talk about Lani --" T.R. tried to explain. "Keep my daughter's name out of your mouth!" Paulina snapped. "She's my daughter, too, [and] I have a right to know my daughter -- and my grandchildren!" T.R. argued. "Get out of here right now -- before I call the cops!" Paulina demanded. "Okay, I'll go -- but we will be seeing each other again," T.R. warned.

T.R. exited the condominium -- and Paulina contacted Abe as soon as the coast was clear. "I need to see you right away -- it's an emergency," Paulina explained to Abe, who rushed over to the condominium to find out what was going on. "I'm gonna go check on Lani," Abe decided at the end of Paulina's tale. "It'll do her good to be with you," Paulina guessed. "You gonna be okay here?" Abe wondered. "You know us Price women -- we're survivors," Paulina responded while producing a baseball bat.

Lani was in the process of reading online articles about T.R. when Eli entered the Price-Grant apartment. "You made really good time getting here from the airport," Lani noted before greeting Eli with a hug and a kiss. "I am glad to be back home," Eli declared. "You have no idea how glad I am to have you home," Lani stressed before revealing what Eli had missed.

"You should have called me -- I would have cut my trip short," Eli insisted at the end of Lani's story. "I didn't want to break it to you over the phone," Lani explained to Eli before starting to fret about what might happen next. Abe arrived while Eli was assuring Lani that there was no reason to worry about T.R.'s mean streak being passed along to Jules and Carver because the twins were going to be raised to treat people with respect. Eli rushed off to check on Doug and Julie after reporting that Valerie was doing well, giving Abe a chance to talk to Lani privately.

"If you want to know more about Mr. Coates, I understand -- but I am not crazy about the idea, given what he did to Paulina, so...just be careful, okay?" Abe advised Lani. "I may be curious about Ray, but that's all it is -- you are my dad, and you always will be," Lani claimed before giving Abe a hug -- and staring at the online article about T.R. during the embrace.

At the DiMera mansion, Tony finished telling Anna about the plan to head to Key West with Chad to question Ned Grainger about Abigail's disappearance. Anna wanted to tag along, but Tony insisted that wasn't a good idea. Tony packed for the trip then said goodbye and rushed off -- just as T.R. arrived to talk to Johnny about their movie.

Anna informed T.R. that Johnny wasn't around -- then started lobbying for a role in the movie. "Who better than Tony's real wife to play Tony's reel wife?" Anna argued. "I actually have another actress in mind for the part, [but] I will keep you in mind for some of my other projects -- [see], I produce two or three films a year," T.R. responded.

"[Then], once you wrap Possessed, you could do a sequel about the epic romance between Tony and me -- you could call it Bewitched: The Anna DiMera Story... It's got everything -- passion, action, more than one presumed death, and the best movie villain since Darth Vader --" Anna suggested. "Stefano DiMera?" T.R. translated. "Oh, no -- I was thinking more of his psychotic, baby-killing bitch of a bastard daughter, Renee DuMonde, [who] tried to ruin my life!" Anna clarified. "Sounds like an interesting story... [Look], why don't you write me up a treatment, and then we'll talk..." T.R. advised Anna before trying to rush off.

"Good idea -- I can start with when I first came to Salem; it was just me and my little girl..." Anna responded, finally piquing T.R.'s interest. "You didn't mention you had a daughter," T.R. noted. "Do you have any children?" Anna wondered. "Actually, I just found out that I have a daughter...[but] her mother's done everything she can to keep us apart..." T.R. grumbled. "Oh, you can't stand for that -- you need to fight like a tiger to be in your daughter's life! [You know], I'm ashamed to admit it, but I kept my daughter a secret from her father for the first four years of her life, and it's one of my biggest regrets, [but now it's] like they were never apart, [because] he wouldn't let me or anyone else keep him from being a father to Carrie," Anna advised.

T.R. thanked Anna for the advice then rushed off. "I don't know what a 'treatment' is, except when doctors do it..." Anna realized before shrugging and starting to write a full screenplay for T.R. "Wonder what I should wear to the Oscars..." Anna mused.

T.R. entered the Salem Inn while thinking about Anna's advice. Eli soon knocked on T.R.'s hotel room door and called out a greeting as a member of the Salem Police Department. T.R. assumed that Paulina had made good on the threat to contact the police -- then realized that Eli was actually Lani's husband. "Planning to help Paulina poison my daughter against me?" T.R. guessed. "Lani is a strong, smart woman, and a damn good cop -- she doesn't need me or her mother to tell her how to feel. I just wanted to come by and let you know I have her back. [But if] you mess with any other Price woman, you'll have to answer to me," Eli responded before rushing off.

Nancy talks to Marlena about Craig

Thursday, February 24, 2022

by Mike

At the hospital, Marlena received a phone call from John. "Did you find my surprise?" John began. "Which one?" Marlena responded. "I know -- a little over the top," John -- who had sent a bouquet of red and pink roses, three heart-shaped balloons, two heart-shaped boxes of assorted chocolates, and a wrapped gift box to Marlena's office for Valentine's Day -- conceded with a laugh.

"But let me tell you something -- there is not enough flowers [or] candy in the world to show you how much I love you," John stressed. "Well, you certainly have cornered the market on all those things, so it makes it hard to compete, but...if you will go check between the cushions on the sofa..." Marlena advised, knowing that John was at the townhouse at that moment. "Spa day for two? Yes!" John raved after locating the tickets that Marlena had hidden earlier. "No!" John added after a moment of thought. "Damn -- Steve's out of town on a case... Hmm -- I guess I'll just have to ask somebody else..." John fretted. "Okay -- how 'bout if I clear my schedule, and we go for the weekend," Marlena offered. "Eh...yeah, I guess that'll work..." John grumbled. "No -- I know that'll work, because you look so much better in a towel than Steve does," John backpedaled.

"First day back in the office -- how's that feel?" John wondered. "I finally feel like myself again! It's so nice to put all that terrible time with the possession behind us --" Marlena raved -- and Nancy burst into the office before anything else could be said. "I don't have an appointment, [but] I was just passing by, [and] I realized that I needed to talk to somebody badly, [so] I just hope you have a few minutes right now --" Nancy began between sobs. "I actually have an hour," Marlena confirmed before explaining to John that someone had just arrived. "I picked up on that," John joked before promising to talk to Marlena again later that day.

Marlena ended the call then urged Nancy to continue. "I can't even say it..." Nancy spat before managing to reveal that Craig was gay. "I see... Did you just find this out?" Marlena responded. "Can you imagine? After all these years! I mean, I feel like such a fool -- how did I not know? What is wrong with me? [Or] is it him? I mean, is there some way I can just convert my husband back to the man that I love?" Nancy fretted.

"When you say 'convert' Craig... I wonder if you have heard of 'conversion therapy' -- it's an outmoded, debunked practice of trying to 'fix' someone's sexual orientation, [and] the thing is that gay people aren't broken," Marlena protested. "I know that, Marlena, [but] I'm thinking that maybe Craig is going through a midlife crisis... [Look], maybe I shouldn't have used the word 'convert,' but maybe Craig is not gay -- maybe he's just going through a phase --" Nancy reasoned. "Craig isn't here -- you are -- [so] why don't we talk about how you can deal with this," Marlena countered.

"[Now], when you first came in here, you talked a lot about Craig, and then you said, 'What's wrong with me?' [But] your husband is gay -- that isn't your fault. [And] his sexual orientation isn't really a choice. But he made a choice to keep that from you, and that's what I think is causing you so much pain. [Look], the breakup of a marriage, it's a loss, [so] you're grieving, and there's no pill that I can give you [or] easy fix here -- it's just going to take time," Marlena advised, drawing a sigh from Nancy, who had been dreading that sort of response. "Craig used to do things like that for me on Valentine's Day... I guess not this year..." Nancy grumbled while eyeing Marlena's gifts.

Nancy thanked Marlena then rushed off, still crying -- and John arrived a short time later. "I had an interesting conversation with Brady [just now] -- Craig Wesley's in town, and he has left Nancy for a man --" John began to explain. "I know -- Nancy was the person who came in when I was talking to you on the phone," Marlena revealed. "So, how is she doing?" John wondered. "Well, I can't really talk about it, but you can imagine -- she's having a very hard time," Marlena answered.

Craig was sitting alone at a table, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a tablet computer in the other, when the demonic presence entered the town square while jogging then paused to stretch. "What the hell are you looking at?" the demonic presence snapped as Johnny after catching Craig ogling its host's naked, sweaty torso. "It's...the middle of February, and...you're running with no shirt on..." Craig explained. "Oh, don't worry about me -- I'm always hot, Mister...?" the demonic presence declared as Johnny while extending a hand. "Doctor," Craig clarified before finishing the introduction.

"You're Sami Brady's son? Wow -- you've...certainly grown up..." Craig observed with an awkward laugh after the demonic presence provided its own introduction of sorts. "It happens," the demonic presence responded as Johnny. "Yeah, right... Well, anyway, I've gotta get back to these emails here..." Craig muttered while desperately trying to stay focused on the tablet computer. "Actually, I'm glad I ran into you, Doc -- I was lifting earlier, [and] I think I might have torn one of my pectorals... You mind taking a look?" the demonic presence begged as Johnny. "I think you should go see your own physician --" Craig advised. "Aw, come on, Doc -- save me the trip [and just] check me out right now!" the demonic presence insisted as Johnny.

The demonic presence grabbed Craig's right hand and forced the inspection -- just as Chloe exited the Salem Inn. "Dad!" Chloe snapped, prompting the demonic presence to let go of Craig's right hand. "Well, hope to see you around, Doc..." the demonic presence declared as Johnny before rushing off. "First you dump Mom, and now you're flirting with some young guy in the middle of the Horton Town Square? What the hell is wrong with you?" Chloe challenged Craig once the coast was clear. "That young man was Johnny DiMera, [and] he thought he tore a muscle in his chest, [so] he wanted me to take a look..." Craig began to explain.

"[But] even if I was looking at him the way you thought I was, I need you to understand something -- I have spent my entire life pretending to not be interested in men because I thought the way I felt made me a bad person...and [because I knew that] if I ever acted out on those feelings, I would hurt the people I love... [And] that constant feeling of pretending to be happy and fulfilled -- and I was at times; please believe me, I love being a father, [and] your mother and I, we have had some great times together -- [but] the lie that I told you all and myself... I won't live that anymore -- I can't," Craig concluded.

Chloe apologized and acknowledged that Craig deserved to be truly happy. "So, you said you're in love..." Chloe added as a way of changing the subject, and Craig smiled and nodded in response. "I want you to meet him, if that's not too hard for you -- [see], he's coming to Salem tonight --" Craig began to explain. "You just said that you were worried about hurting Mom, but you're gonna bring your new boyfriend to Salem?" Chloe snapped. "I didn't know he was coming 'til this morning -- look, we spoke last night, [and] after we hung up, he booked a flight... He doesn't want any drama -- he just wants to support me," Craig clarified.

Chloe promised to give Craig's request some thought -- then rushed off to the Evans-Black townhouse to talk to Brady about the matter. "There's a part of me that feels like I'm betraying my mom, but at the same time, I want to be there for my dad, [so]...I was hoping maybe it would be easier if you agreed to come with me..." Chloe begged before starting to withdraw the request, realizing that Brady might have a better way to spend Valentine's Day. "I don't," Brady admitted before agreeing to accompany Chloe to the meeting. "What are friends for, right?" Brady reasoned with a shrug. Meanwhile, Nancy ran into Craig outside the Brady Pub -- and vowed to file for divorce right away.

At the Hernandez house, Jake started brushing the petals of a long-stemmed red rose across Gabi's skin. "Happy Valentine's Day," Jake began when the tickling sensation finally roused Gabi. "Chocolate-covered cherry?" Jake offered before trying to feed Gabi the treat. "Get that thing away from me!" Gabi snapped before smacking the treat out of Jake's right hand. "I'm allergic to cherries -- one bite, and it'll close my throat up," Gabi claimed after remembering the plan to be nice to Jake for the time being. "I'm so sorry -- I had no idea!" Jake fretted. "Guess we don't know each other as well as we thought..." Gabi muttered.

Jake tried to kiss Gabi, who recoiled then rushed off to take a shower, claiming to be running late for the opening day of Rafe's trial. Seconds later, Gabi's cell phone started chiming. Jake couldn't resist taking a peek at the device -- and was annoyed to see that a text message from "Johnny" had triggered the alert. "Be my Valentine? Hope I see you today so you can give me your answer!" Jake read aloud with a scowl.

Nicole went to the police station to see Rafe, armed with goodies from Sweet Bits. "You didn't have to come!" Rafe protested. "First day of your trial? Course I did," Nicole countered. "Well, thanks...[but it's] kind of hard to eat when your future's on the line..." Rafe fretted. "These charges are false -- you have done nothing wrong --" Nicole stressed. "You sure about that?" Rafe interjected. "Nothing criminal," Nicole backpedaled before getting back to the matter of trying to assure Rafe that everything was going to be okay. "I hope to God you're right, [but] if Trask has her way, it's gonna be a St. Valentine's Day massacre..." Rafe grumbled.

Nicole made a point of alerting Rafe to the fact that they were alone together in a conference room -- and that Ava was nowhere to be found. "If that doesn't prove she's the one setting you up, I don't know what does --" Nicole argued -- and, as if on cue, Ava burst into the conference room just then, armed with homemade goodies, and greeted Rafe with a passionate kiss.

"I am so sorry that I stayed away so long -- it's just...I didn't think my hanging around would be a good look for you, considering my former life... But then I woke up, and I thought, 'No one deserves to be alone on Valentine's Day -- especially not the man in my life!' So, I baked some cookies, and I got over here as fast as I could..." Ava began to explain to Rafe.

"Turns out you weren't alone, after all..." Ava continued with a forced smile, finally acknowledging Nicole's presence. "[Anyway], it's so horrible -- I mean, that these men are claiming that you're a dirty cop... [Seriously], you are one of the most honorable men in this town, [so] what possible reason could anyone have to want to hurt such a great guy --" Ava tried to conclude.

"Oh, drop the act, Ava -- it is so obvious that you found out Rafe and I made love, and you wanted revenge --" Nicole blurted out, ignoring Rafe's objections -- but Ava pretended to be hearing the information for the first time. Ava demanded the whole story then lashed out at Rafe and Nicole -- but claimed to have had nothing to do with the frame-up.

Ava stormed off -- and Jake joined Rafe and Nicole in the conference room a short time later, expecting Gabi to be with them. Jake was surprised to learn that neither Rafe nor Nicole had seen Gabi that day.

Gabi stormed into the DiMera mansion and started venting to "Johnny" about what had happened with Jake earlier. "He was so sweet and romantic... I don't know -- is it possible that I somehow misunderstood when he was talking to Maggie about cutting me out of the deal?" Gabi suggested. "I wish that were true, Gabriella, because I can see how much you love my uncle, [but] I am sorry to say that I have found some indisputable proof that Jake is planning to betray you..." the demonic presence responded as Johnny before producing a document.

"When you came to me with what you heard between Maggie and Jake, I realized I couldn't trust my Uncle Jake, [so] I reached out to a contact that I have in the DiMera legal department, [and] she shared this with me -- [it's] a formal petition to transfer Stefan O. DiMera's shares --" the demonic presence continued as Johnny. "My shares!" Gabi stressed. "To Jake, [who] makes the argument that you're not blood-related and that, as Stefan's twin, he's the rightful heir," the demonic presence concluded as Johnny before handing the document to Gabi -- who saw Jake's signature on it, even though no one had actually signed it. "That bastard!" Gabi spat.

The demonic presence fed Gabi a chocolate-covered cherry while promising, as Johnny, to help make Jake pay for the betrayal.

Julie talks about possession

Friday, February 25, 2022

by Spalding

At the courthouse, Nicole stopped Trask in the hallway. "Let me guess -- your friend Commissioner Hernandez is innocent?" Trask said. Trask noted that Abe and Shawn had already said the same thing. Nicole argued that the three witnesses were connected to Ava Vitali. Trask was reluctant to believe that Ava had spent months framing Rafe.

"Rafe and I think [Ava] knew about us awhile ago, and she was just biding her time," Nicole said. "You don't happen to have any actual evidence, do you? Whereas I have plenty," Trask said. Trask told Nicole to let her know if she found any evidence to support her theory.

Nicole ducked into the witness holding room to speak to Mr. Hutchins. "Who are you?" Hutchins asked. "Jennifer Deveraux from the Spectator. Mind if I ask you a few questions?" Nicole said. Hutchins told Nicole that he recognized her from the TV. "I've been in this business a long time," Nicole said. Nicole told Hutchins that she had uncovered evidence that someone had framed Rafe.

"The three people that made accusations against [Rafe] are lying," Nicole said. "I'm one of those people," Hutchins said. Nicole told Hutchins that she knew Ava had "put you up to it." "And I can prove it," Nicole said. Nicole explained that if Hutchins did not make a deal with the D.A., Ava would take Hutchins down with her.

"Are you going to walk into that courtroom and perjure yourself, or are you going to take advantage of your last chance to save yourself and admit that Ava Vitali put you up to this?" Nicole asked. "The last time a former associate of Miss Vitali crossed her, he wound up dead with a steak knife in his chest," Hutchins said.

"Are you saying you're a former associate of Miss Vitali?" Nicole asked. "I never said that!" Hutchins corrected. Trask walked into the room to speak with Hutchins. "What the hell is going on here?" Trask asked. Trask called Nicole a witness tamperer. "I suggest you call a lawyer, unless you want to join your boyfriend in Statesville," Trask said.

In the square, Ava cried on a bench as Allie approached her. Allie asked what was wrong. Ava told Allie that Rafe had cheated on her with Nicole. "Are you sure?" Allie asked. "They just admitted it. Admitted it and rubbed my nose in it," Ava said. Ava added that Rafe and Nicole had accused her of framing Rafe as a dirty cop. "Why would they think that?" Allie asked.

"Because they've got it in their head that I knew all along, and I'm out for revenge," Ava said. "Were you?" Allie asked. With a sigh, Ava asked, "Is that what you think of me?" Allie explained that she was desperate because Rafe had been a good stepfather to her. "I care about him a lot. And I know that he did not do what he has been accused of doing," Allie said. "Maybe not. Doesn't mean I set him up," Ava said. Allie apologized.

Ava said she was upset about the situation and that she blamed Nicole. "I think [Nicole] had her eyes set on him from the very beginning," Ava muttered. Allie interrupted to remind Ava that Nicole had been a huge help to Allie. "I can't sit here and listen to you trash her," Allie said. With a nod yes, Ava noted that her wounds were fresh.

"But come on. Think about it. I just found out today, so there is no reason for me to frame Rafe, and I didn't," Ava said. Ava thought about Charlie's grave. "I swear on my son's life," Ava said. "I know you wouldn't swear on Tripp's life if you didn't mean it," Allie said. Ava told Allie that she did not want Allie to think ill of her. "Especially not tonight when he is about to..." Ava said. "About to what?" Allie asked. Ava stammered to Allie not to worry.

"Oh, my God. Is Tripp going to propose?" Allie asked. "That's quite a leap," Ava said. With a shake of her head, Allie said she had seen Tripp at the pub with Roman. "Tripp is so old fashioned, I bet he was asking for my hand in marriage because my parents aren't around," Allie said. Allie pushed Ava to talk, and she reluctantly admitted that Allie was right. Ava begged Allie not to tell Tripp that Allie knew.

"It would just kill me if you said no because of me," Ava said. Allie noted that she liked Ava, but no matter her feelings for Ava, she would not let it affect her relationship with Tripp. Ava sighed with relief. "Please act surprised," Ava said. "No worries there," Allie said.

At the hospital, Tripp looked at the engagement ring he had secured from his mother. When Tripp saw Chanel walk toward him, he pocketed the ring box. Chanel asked Tripp if he could testify that Johnny had been happy about the marriage on New Year's Eve.

"[Johnny] acted like he was head over heels in love with you. He actually said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you," Tripp said. Tripp agreed to testify. With a shake of his head, Tripp said he had never trusted Johnny, but he had believed Johnny when he had said he'd wanted to spend his life with Chanel. "I think he did love me until out of the blue he didn't," Chanel countered.

Chanel asked Tripp if he and Allie were "getting serious." Tripp smiled. Tripp took out the ring box, and he asked Chanel if she thought Allie would like it. "Are you proposing to her?" Chanel asked. "Tonight," Tripp said. Tripp explained he had been saving money for a ring, but his mother had given him a family ring for the proposal. With a smile, Chanel told Tripp that Allie would love the ring.

"I really want it to be special. She deserves that. I've never met anyone like her. Not only is she beautiful, but she's funny, honest. I'm telling you what you already know," Tripp said with a chuckle. After a moment, Tripp said he had not meant to rub his relationship in Chanel's face. "No. I know how much you love Allie, and it's not your fault her brother was an ass," Chanel said. Chanel assured Tripp that Allie wanted to be with him.

When Tripp mentioned that he planned to put the ring in a glass of Champagne, Chanel gave Tripp a Cosmo recipe instead. "You're the best. And whatever I can do to help you in court, you can count on me," Tripp said. Chanel suggested that Tripp talk to Allie before he agreed to testify, but Tripp noted that Allie felt the same way he did. "[Allie] has even taken to calling him the evil twin," Tripp said.

After Chanel left the hospital, she spotted Allie sitting in the caf in the square. "You look like you are contemplating the meaning of life," Chanel said. "I kind of am. I just found out from Tripp's mom that he is going to propose to me tonight," Allie said. With a grin, Chanel said Tripp had told her. "Only because he wanted my opinion of the ring. You'll love it," Chanel said. Chanel asked Allie what she planned to say to Tripp.

At the police station, a confused Jake called Gabi's voicemail and asked her to call back. "Where the hell are you?" Jake wondered aloud. Jake thought about Johnny's Valentine text message he had seen on Gabi's phone. "I know exactly where you are," Jake whispered.

At the DiMera mansion, Johnny offered Gabi a chocolate cherry. "Something tells me it's your favorite," Johnny said. Gabi took a bite, and she noted that she still wanted to kill Jake for his betrayal. "You and I together are going to royally screw him. And then after we have everything we want from him, after he is disgraced, penniless, and out on the curb with the rest of the recyclables, then you can kill him," Johnny said.

"I can't believe that Jake used the DiMera legal department to take my shares," Gabi complained. "Tried to take your shares," Johnny interjected. Johnny escorted Gabi to the couch and sat her down. "Remember that very soon, you and I will be the ones doing all the screwing," Johnny whispered. Gabi admitted that she was reluctant to believe that Jake had betrayed her.

"What more does it take to convince you?" Johnny asked. "You're right. I just don't want to believe it," Gabi said. Gabi agreed that there could not be another explanation for Jake's actions. "I still want to cut [Jake's] head off, and other body parts, but I'll take him to the cleaners first," Gabi said. With a groan, Gabi said she could not believe that Jake had attempted to sleep with her that morning.

"Some Valentine's Day this has turned out to be," Gabi said. "Maybe we can do something to rectify that," Johnny whispered. Johnny pulled Gabi in for a kiss, but Jake interrupted. "You said you were going to see Rafe. Why did you lie to me?" Jake asked. Furious, Gabi jumped to her feet. "You have a lot of nerve!" Gabi shouted. Jake demanded to know why Gabi had lied. Johnny explained that he had called Gabi while she had been on her way to see Rafe, and Johnny had asked Gabi to stop by the mansion first. Jake glanced over at the box of chocolates.

"Chocolate-covered emergency?" Jake asked. Johnny told Jake that he had a plan to take over the company while Tony and Chad were out of town. "I propose we call a board meeting while they are MIA and make a motion to put Victor on the board," Johnny said. Johnny noted that they could install Jake as the head of DiMera. "And Gabi as head of Titan," Jake added.

"That was part of the deal, wasn't it?" Johnny asked. "The deal we all agreed to," Gabi added. A confused look crossed Jake's face. Jake asked Johnny if he wanted the CEO job for himself. Johnny admitted that he wanted to be CEO someday but that Gabi had convinced him that Jake was the right person for the job at that moment.

"[Gabi] can be very persuasive, you know?" Johnny whispered. Jake stared daggers at Johnny. Gabi noted that Jake was familiar with the job and would be up to speed on day one. "[Also], Shin has always been on your side," Gabi added. Johnny noted that his producer had locked him into the film, so he was unable to fill the role of CEO. "That's funny, Johnny. I thought you were dying to do this movie," Jake said. With a shrug, Johnny said, "I'm just feeling like I'm in a deal with the devil to tell the devil's story."

After a moment, Jake said, "I say we strike while the iron is hot." While Johnny stepped out of the room to call Shin, Jake confronted Gabi about her coziness with Johnny. "We need his votes to get what we want. Would you at least trust me?" Gabi asked. In the foyer, devil Johnny texted Jake. Gabi saw the message on Jake's phone.

"Funny. Maggie Kiriakis wants to see you," Gabi said. Jake furrowed his brow. "I have no idea what Maggie wants," Jake said. Jake's phone beeped with another text. "It's gotta have something to do with Victor and the Titan stuff," Jake said. Jake promised to update Gabi later. Gabi smiled, and she kissed Jake as if nothing was wrong. From the hallway, devil Johnny stared at Jake until Jake winced and pulled away from Gabi.

"What's wrong?" Gabi asked. "I don't know. I had a weird shock feeling," Jake said. Jake shook off the pain, and he assured Gabi he was fine. With a grin, Jake told Gabi that he had a surprise for her when he returned home from Maggie's house. After Jake walked out, Gabi complained that Jake was still plotting against her. "You've got an even bigger surprise for him," Johnny said.

Ben and Ciara decorated their new apartment on Valentine's Day. As Ben kissed Ciara, the baby kicked hard. Ben and Ciara joked about their future soccer star. Julie stopped by for a visit. As Julie looked around the room, she scowled. "Is something wrong?" Ciara asked. "I just noticed that the cross I sent is not hanging outside," Julie said. Ben confirmed that Johnny had dropped off the cross.

"It was wonderful; it's just there is a little, tiny problem with it," Ciara said. Ciara told Julie that they had hung up the cross outside, but it had repeatedly flipped upside down. "It felt wrong to leave it there upside down," Ciara said. Shaken, Julie sat down on the couch. "I made you a gift of that cross to protect your unborn baby, and now you tell me there is no way you could get the cross to stay upright?" Julie asked. Julie argued that an upside-down cross was a sign of the devil.

"Perhaps it is coincidence, but the devil did come to Salem to claim your unborn baby," Julie noted. Ciara promised to find a way to affix the cross outside. "Marlena is not possessed by the devil anymore," Ben said. Julie suggested that the devil might have passed into someone else and remained in Salem. When Ciara wondered where the devil could be, Julie told Ben and Ciara about the mysterious stove fire at her house.

"The fire broke out just as I was leaving to bring you that cross," Julie said. "Yes, and Johnny brought it over," Ciara said. Julie complained that Johnny had been at the house to ask her about the devil movie. "This cannot be happening again," Julie muttered. Ciara asked Julie if Doug had been acting strangely, but Julie confirmed that Doug was his normal self.

"Doug was not at that exorcism, so there is no way the devil could have gone back to possess him," Julie said. With a sigh, Julie apologized for the intrusion. After Julie left, Ben asked Ciara if it was possible that the devil had jumped into another person after it had left Marlena. Ciara and Ben recounted who had attended the exorcism. When Ciara mentioned Johnny's name, Ben's eyes went wide. Ciara gasped. "Johnny. The one who brought us the cross," Ciara said.