Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of July 22, 2013 on DAYS

Sami's arrest caused major chaos at the reception for the new school. Justin and Sonny fought with Adrienne over her actions. Brady and Kristen considered getting back together. J.J. ignored Jennifer's house rules and continued to lie to her. Rafe became distressed when he found out the Sami had killed Bernardi.

Monday, July 22, 2013

by Mike

Adrienne knocked on Will and Sonny's apartment door, muttering that Sami had left her with no other option. Will opened the door and offered a terse greeting to Adrienne before announcing her presence to Sonny, who was in another room.

Sonny told Will to tell Adrienne that they were already running late for the St. Luke's Academy reception and didn't have time to deal with her. Adrienne barged into the apartment and insisted that Sonny needed to make time for her, stressing that they had something very important that they needed to discuss right away. Will excused himself so Sonny and Adrienne could have some privacy.

Sonny impatiently noted that Adrienne seemed to have a gift for bad timing. Adrienne said she was trying to protect Sonny, who insisted that he didn't need to be protected from Sami or Will. Adrienne started to object, but Sonny interrupted and observed that she was like a broken record. Annoyed, Sonny told Will, who was in another room, that he was ready to leave.

As he waited for Will, Sonny told Adrienne that he wasn't going to let her ruin Will's family's big day with her paranoid accusations. Before Adrienne could explain that she had seen the video of Sami's argument with Bernardi, Will entered the living room and informed Sonny that they were going to have to make a quick trip to the park to deliver one of Arianna's favorite toys to Gabi, since the infant didn't like to sleep without it.

Sonny was eager to leave, but Adrienne stopped him and insisted that she wasn't going to let Sami ruin his life. "Okay, for the last time, I am done listening to your poison. The only person who's hurting me is you. I am sick and tired of your lack of support, your constant negativity, and your refusal to let me be happy. Do you know how much that hurts me?" Sonny angrily asked Adrienne.

Without waiting for a response, Sonny exited the apartment with Will, reminding Adrienne to lock the door when she left. Adrienne struggled to contain her emotions as she watched the video of Sami's argument with Bernardi. Convinced that the truth would eventually be revealed, Adrienne tearfully muttered that she wasn't going to let Sonny get dragged down with Sami.

Adrienne went to the police station, where she informed Abe that she had obtained some evidence that could shed new light on a very important case. A short time later, the special prosecutor, Melinda, arrived and impatiently demanded to know why Abe had arranged an impromptu meeting with her. Abe introduced Melinda to Adrienne Kiriakis, prompting Melinda to quickly deduce that Adrienne was Justin's wife.

Adrienne explained that she had some evidence that she wanted to share with Abe and Melinda, but she stressed that she would only do so after receiving full immunity from obstruction of justice charges. Melinda pointed out that Adrienne couldn't be charged with obstructing justice, since she was the person who would be supplying the police with the evidence, but Adrienne clarified that she wanted immunity for someone else.

Melinda refused to make a deal based solely on Adrienne's vague statements. Melinda started to leave, prompting Adrienne to matter-of-factly state that Melinda was walking away from a career-defining case. Intrigued, Melinda took the bait and agreed to give Justin full immunity. "I want it in writing. And it's not for my husband -- it's for my son," Adrienne replied.

Later, after reviewing the immunity document and ensuring that everything was in order, Adrienne showed Melinda and Abe the incriminating video. Melinda quickly placed a call to the judge to request a warrant for Sami's arrest. After ending the call, Melinda gloated about the turn of events, but Abe didn't share her enthusiasm.

Melinda guessed that Sami would be elbowing her way into pictures with Eric at the St. Luke's Academy reception, so she told Abe that they needed to head over to the school right away. Abe protested that the school wasn't the appropriate place to make the arrest, but Melinda refused to let Sami have one more moment of freedom. "Now who is elbowing whose way into the picture?" Abe asked with clear disapproval.

Melinda snapped that if Abe were too sensitive to do his job, she would find another cop who wasn't afraid to arrest a cop killer. After Abe and Melinda left, a police officer thanked Adrienne for doing her part to get justice for Bernardi. The officer assured Adrienne that she was doing the right thing. "Oh, boy. I just pray my family feels the same way. I hope I'm doing the right thing," Adrienne tearfully muttered after the officer left.

At St. Luke's Academy, Sami assured two late arrivals, Roman and Caroline, that they hadn't missed anything, explaining that Kristen had delayed the bishop for some unknown reason. Roman wondered what Kristen was doing at the reception, prompting Marlena to knowingly guess that Kristen was causing trouble. Elsewhere, Nicole nervously warned Eric that Kristen was up to something. Hope agreed with Nicole, and Eric admitted that their assessment of the situation was probably accurate.

Meanwhile, Bishop White pointed out that everyone was watching him and Kristen, and he reminded her that confession was supposed to be a private matter. Kristen said that, while she hadn't anticipated such a large audience, it would probably be best to let everyone hear what she had to say, since her announcement was going to have a profound impact on all of them.

Before Kristen could continue, Victor interrupted and joked that the bishop was a reprobate who had only attended the reception to take advantage of the free drinks. Amused, Bishop White thanked Victor for his generous donation, jokingly observing that Victor was still trying to buy his way into heaven. Bishop White assured Maggie that he knew that living with Victor, whom the bishop referred to as a lout, had to be incredibly straining.

As Kristen tried to regain the bishop's attention, Brady approached her and convinced her to follow him to the school's outdoor garden, where he finally managed to inform her that John had confirmed her story earlier. Brady said that, while he believed that Kristen's feelings for him were sincere, he couldn't just forget about the things she had tried to do to his loved ones.

Brady knew that he and Kristen would never be able to go back to the way things had been before, but he suggested that they might be able to start over. Kristen replied that it was too late for her and Brady to start over. Kristen wondered why Brady had chosen to talk to her about the situation in the middle of the reception.

"In a crazy way, this school kind of brought us together. I never would have joined the board if I wasn't trying to keep my father away from you, and that's when I was falling in love with you. And I'm standing in front of you right now, and I'm still in love with you. Can't forget you. I don't think I'll ever be able to. And that's why I feel like there's still a chance. That's why I'm here," Brady explained. Kristen remained silent for a moment before tearfully excusing herself, unable to deal with the sudden turn of events.

Inside, everyone congratulated Eric, who had just given an incredible speech. Marlena pulled Sami aside and said that she hoped she hadn't upset Sami during their earlier discussion about Sami's impending nuptials. Marlena explained that things that were related to the DiMeras had been making her uncomfortable lately, prompting Sami to wonder when Marlena had ever been comfortable about things that were related to the DiMeras.

"Oh. Yes, well, I misspoke when I said 'lately.' Things are ever thus," Marlena admitted. Marlena tried to state that she wasn't judging Sami for loving E.J., but she choked on the "loving E.J." part of her sentence. Marlena was still worried about Sami's decision to marry E.J., but she acknowledged that it was ultimately Sami's choice to make. Marlena promised to support Sami's decision, stressing that she simply wanted Sami to be happy. Touched, Sami returned the sentiment as she hugged Marlena.

Elsewhere, Nicole lashed out at E.J. for spreading lies about her feelings for Eric. E.J. took Nicole's reaction as confirmation that he was right about Eric, whom he referred to as her flavor of the month. "You have a tendency to pursue men without any real sense of boundaries. In fact, I'm not even sure that, um, these vows that Eric's taken don't rather make the chase all the more exciting," E.J. crassly suggested.

Resisting the urge to slap E.J., Nicole pointed out that his accusations could cause her to lose her job. Nicole's desire to keep a job that wasn't particularly exciting simply reinforced E.J.'s belief that she really was in love with Eric, whom E.J. referred to as Father Forbidden Fruit. Nicole told E.J. to mind his own business, and E.J. agreed to do so, predicting that she would eventually self-destruct on her own, as usual.

Meanwhile, Will and Sonny arrived and greeted Sami. Will told Sami he was sorry that he and Sonny had missed Eric's speech, explaining that they had been forced to make a detour so they could deliver a toy to Arianna at the park. Sonny contradicted Will's story, explaining that Will was just trying to be nice and that Adrienne was the real reason they had missed the start of the reception.

Sami tried to apologize for causing a rift in Sonny's relationship with Adrienne, but he insisted that his mother was the person who had caused the rift. Sonny assured Sami and Will that there was no reason to worry about Adrienne, who was all talk and no action. A short time later, Will greeted Marlena and informed her that he had recently received a gift for Arianna from John.

Will admitted that he hadn't contacted John about the gift yet, since he didn't know what to say to John. Marlena suggested that thanking John for the gift would be a good place to begin. Marlena said that her marital problems had nothing to do with John's feelings for Will, Sami, or Eric, but Will insisted that the situation had completely changed the way he felt about John. Marlena smiled and referred to Will as her protector.

Marlena assured Will that she would be fine and urged him to rejoin Sonny so they could enjoy the reception together. "Okay, okay. Seriously, though, John is acting like a bad word," Will said before walking away. After Will left, Sami approached Marlena and asked if she had managed to find Brady yet. Guessing that Brady was still talking to Kristen, Marlena said it was a good thing that John had decided not to attend the reception.

Sami rejoined E.J. and informed him that she had decided not to announce their wedding date that day, since she didn't want to steal Eric's spotlight. "And now everyone's paying attention to him and not me, and I hate that," Sami jokingly whined. E.J. encouraged Sami to go ahead and share the news with everyone, reasoning that she no longer had to worry about upstaging Eric, who had already delivered his speech and taken his bow.

A short time later, Sami and E.J. announced their wedding date to Will, Sonny, Roman, Caroline, Hope, and Ciara. Will hesitantly congratulated Sami and E.J., hoping they would be happy together. Sami wondered if everyone else could at least pretend to be happy for her. Roman assured Sami that he simply wanted her to be happy and safe, making sure that E.J. was paying attention to the latter part of the statement.

Hope echoed Roman's sentiment, also stressing the part about Sami's safety. E.J. promised to keep Sami safer and happier than she had ever been before. "I love weddings. When I grow up, can I get married as many times as Sami?" Ciara asked Hope, prompting everyone to stifle their laughter.

Elsewhere, Nicole was surprised when Victor kindly agreed with some nice things the monsignor had said about her. After the monsignor left, Nicole told Victor that she was starting to feel disoriented. "I mean, I know Eric had Maggie ask you to be civil to me. I thought you might try it. I didn't think you'd actually be able to keep it up," Nicole admitted.

"Said the actress to the archbishop," Victor dryly replied. Victor said he was focusing on what he and Nicole had in common -- their mutual disdain for the DiMera family. Nicole recalled that she and Victor had been in agreement about the grand jury's decision to dismiss the charges against Sami in the Bernardi case. Nicole mused that Sami always seemed to get away with murder -- sometimes quite literally -- and Victor agreed that he had been shocked when he had heard the news.

Meanwhile, Marlena jokingly chastised Eric, who had neglected to allot some time for her to cook him a pot roast at her place because he had apparently been too concerned about helping the children of Salem lately. When Marlena asked about Eric's health, he assured her that he was fine, leaving out the part about Daniel's theory that someone had intentionally poisoned him.

Elsewhere, Sonny thanked Victor and Caroline for the advice they had each given him about obtaining a liquor license. Victor jokingly pointed out that Sonny was establishing direct competition for the Brady Pub, but Caroline dismissed the concern, knowingly predicting that Sonny would be catering to a slightly different clientele. Sonny raved about Brent's plans for the renovation as Will, who was seated next to Sonny, quietly listened.

Bishop White spotted Kristen as she reentered the building, and he wondered if she would like to resume their earlier conversation. Kristen hesitated for a moment, prompting the bishop to assume that she had changed her mind, but she assured him that she hadn't. Kristen approached the podium and asked for everyone's attention.

Kristen explained that something had been weighing heavily on her heart, and giving something to the bishop would be the only way to relieve that burden. Kristen rummaged through her purse for a moment before feigning embarrassment and informing the bishop that she had apparently lost his gift.

"It was a check for the disadvantaged youth of our community. I -- I know Father Eric's been upset -- and the whole school's been upset, actually -- by a lack of funds. So many kids want to attend the school, [and] there's not enough money. I was hit hard the other day by a beautiful little underprivileged boy named Jaime, who was visiting Father Eric, and I heard how him coming to this school is going to change his life. And that's why I now vow to support ten more scholarship students," Kristen announced.

As everyone applauded, Ciara told Hope that Kristen was awesome. Hope forced a smile and agreed with Ciara, muttering to Roman that the check was probably in the mail. Nearby, Sami suggested that E.J. could also write a check. E.J. pointed out that he had already written a check earlier, but he agreed to write another one to humor Sami. Without a hint of irony, Sami criticized Kristen for always insisting on making such a big scene about everything.

Bishop White appreciated Kristen's generosity, but he admitted that he was confused, since she had previously seemed eager to confess to some sort of sin that involved her and Eric. Kristen claimed that she had sinned because she had allowed petty differences between her and Eric's family to distract her from doing what was necessary to help the needy children.

Bishop White failed to understand how Kristen's lack of charity could have possibly ruined the school, as she had previously implied. Kristen wondered if Bishop White was proud of the fact that the public perception was that the school was catering only to privileged children, prompting him to concede her point.

"The bishop may buy your song and dance about charity and a troubled conscience, but I don't. It doesn't ring true to me, because I know you don't have a conscience. So tell me...what are you up to?" Marlena asked Kristen after the bishop left. Kristen said that Marlena was being paranoid, innocently claiming that she simply wanted to help the needy children. Marlena countered that Kristen simply wanted to further her own sick agenda.

Marlena said that Kristen was selfish and evil, and no amount of goodwill with the bishop was ever going to change those facts. "You know what? You should be nice to me, because I could have destroyed your entire little world with a snap of a finger," Kristen cryptically informed Marlena, snapping her fingers to emphasize her point.

Marlena laughed and said that Kristen's threats were empty, prompting Kristen to wonder if Marlena would like to place a wager on that assumption. Before Marlena could respond, Hope interrupted and announced that the bishop was posing for a photograph with some big donors and wanted to include Kristen, despite the fact that, as Hope pointed out, he had not yet received Kristen's promised donation.

After stating that Marlena had dodged a bullet, Kristen walked away. Recalling that she had recently warned Sami and E.J. about underestimating Stefano, Marlena told Hope that it would also be foolish to underestimate Kristen. Hope agreed, but she assured Marlena that Kristen was no longer fooling anyone. "I know, except that -- well, just now, she seemed armed...and ready," Marlena noted, her suspicions clearly aroused.

As Bishop White and Eric lined up with the most noteworthy donors -- Kristen, E.J., and Sami -- so the photographers could take some pictures, the bishop invited Brady to join them. Brady tried to decline the offer, but the bishop insisted, placing Brady right next to Kristen. Brady tried to stand a few inches away from Kristen, but one of the photographers asked him to move closer to her.

After posing for the photographs, Eric gained everyone's attention and started to give another speech. Meanwhile, Abe and Melinda entered the building with a police officer. Abe wanted to wait until Eric finished the speech, but Melinda refused to do so, threatening to instruct the officer to handle the task if Abe was too scared to do it.

Abe reluctantly approached Sami and asked her to follow him. Sami shushed Abe, pointing out that Eric was in the middle of a speech. Abe reiterated his request in a more forceful tone, prompting Eric to wonder if something was wrong. Sami insisted that everything was fine and urged Eric to continue, but Melinda once again threatened to instruct the officer to do Abe's job.

"I am sorry, Sami. Samantha Brady, you are under arrest for the murder of Detective Joseph Bernardi," Abe regretfully announced, stunning everyone who was in attendance.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

by Spalding

At the dedication of the school, Abe arrested Sami at the urging of the District Attorney, Melinda. Abe showed the warrant to E.J. Sami was confused by the arrest and asked what new information was available. When Nicole noted to Eric that they were charging Sami with murder, the bishop overheard. Bishop White asked Eric about the murder, and Eric stressed that Sami had not been indicted.

Abe urged Sami to go quietly to the police station. The officers placed handcuffs on Sami as Abe read Sami her Miranda rights. E.J. called Justin while Roman defended Sami to Melinda. Abe urged Roman to back down. Sami was upset that her arrest had been during her brother's ceremony. Sami apologized for ruining Eric's big day, and she asked everyone to remember that Eric had worked hard to open the school.

Sami took Eric aside and whispered to him that he needed to focus on the school and forget her. "I'm proud of you," Sami said, fighting tears. Overcome, Sami walked out of the school with the officers, and E.J. ran close behind. Eric apologized to Bishop White and excused himself to follow his sister to the police station. Eric talked in the corner with Brady, Marlena, Will, and Sonny. Eric wanted to leave for the police station, but Brady asked if Eric was sure that he wanted to miss the consecration of the school.

Eric vehemently said that he needed to support his sister. Mr. Deluca, a donor to the school, asked for his donation to be returned because he did not want to fund a school that was associated with a cop killer. The mayor called Roman and ordered him to keep away from the police station. Roman suggested to Marlena, Brady, Eric, Sonny, and Will that they avoid the station as well.

Bishop White called Eric over to talk to him about the consecration. Eric thanked the bishop for his patience, and Eric asked everyone to enter the chapel for the consecration of the school and the mass. As the crowd filed into the chapel, Nicole approached Eric and asked him how he was doing. Worried, Eric left.

Sonny and Will slipped down the hallway and ducked into a classroom to talk. Sonny suggested that the police might have arrested Sami to prove to the public that they were not letting Sami walk away from shooting a police officer. Roman and Marlena joined Sonny and Will in the classroom, and Roman disagreed with Sonny's theory. Roman said that he believed the D.A. had new evidence in the case, based on the D.A.'s behavior.

Worried about Sami's kids, Marlena and Roman returned to the DiMera mansion to check on them. Alone, Will asked Sonny if the new evidence could be the video of Sami attacking Bernardi. Sonny argued that neither Abigail nor Chad would hand the video over to the police. Sonny reminded Will that the video had been deleted. Concerned, Will insisted that he needed to go to the police station to support his mother.

In the entrance foyer of the school, Nicole prepared for the reception after the mass. When Kristen entered the room and made small talk, Nicole said that she would have believed that any trouble with the school dedication would have been caused by Kristen.

"You would've been right," Kristen said with a grin. Nicole asked Kristen why she had attended the school dedication, since she had not been invited. Kristen explained that she had attended the dedication because she was a donor. Nicole asked Kristen why she had sneaked off with Brady, but Kristen changed the subject and left.

Outside the school, Kristen joined Brady. When Kristen asked Brady why he had not left for the station, Brady explained that Roman had urged the family to stay at the school. Uncomfortable, Kristen turned to leave. Brady grabbed Kristen's wrist and stopped her. Brady explained that he had felt betrayed and angry when he had learned about Kristen's plan. Brady added that John had told him that Kristen had been the one to stop her plan for revenge.

With a sigh, Brady said that he had wondered whether Kristen had developed feelings for him. He said he missed her. Narrowing her eyes, Kristen asked Brady if he was setting her up. When Brady asked why, Kristen explained that she deserved it. Brady asked Kristen if she believed he would pick the church as the site to enact revenge on her. Turning her head away and visibly uncomfortable, Kristen noted that stranger things had happened.

Kristen reasoned aloud that after all she had done to Brady, it was not out of the realm of possibilities that Brady might want to lash out at her. Brady agreed. Brady assured Kristen that he did not have a plan to get revenge on her. Shaking his head, Brady admitted that he did not know if he could move on with his life. As Kristen looked away, Brady asked Kristen if she had moved on with someone else. Kristen thought about her night in bed with Eric. As Kristen remained silent, Brady begged Kristen to answer his question.

Eric returned to the entrance foyer of the school and informed Nicole that he would not attend the reception. Eric explained that he did not want to answer any questions about his sister. Upset, Nicole argued that Sami would want Eric to accept the accolades for getting the school up and running. As Eric shook his head, Nicole asked him why he had acted like he was the one that had been disgraced instead of Sami.

"What happens to my sister happens to me," Eric explained. Eric said that the bishop was upset about Sami's situation and that Eric blamed himself because he had been too wrapped up in his own life. Nicole reminded Eric that Sami had shot the officer, but Eric argued that he had been preoccupied with the school opening and had not been there for his sister.

"She was what Sami always is; she's a selfish bitch," Nicole said. Angry, Eric ordered Nicole to stop. Eric reminded Nicole that Sami was his sister, and he asked Nicole why her only concern was how Sami had hurt him. Fighting tears, Nicole admitted that she did not want anyone to hurt Eric. "Stop, because we're done," Eric said.

At the Brady Pub, Maggie and Victor escorted Caroline and Ciara to a table to sit. Ciara said she was worried about Sami going to prison. Maggie promised Ciara that Sami would be fine. While Maggie took Ciara to the back to get ice cream, Victor consoled Caroline. Caroline was confused as to why Sami had been arrested. When Victor shifted his eyes away, Caroline asked Victor if he believed Sami had murdered Joe Bernardi.

Victor reasoned that Sami could be capable of anything as long as she was involved with E.J. DiMera. Victor worried aloud about Justin's involvement in Sami's case and Justin's involvement in ousting Stefano from his business.

In the commander's office at the police station, Adrienne paced in an office. When Marge arrived, she asked Adrienne what was going on. Marge lamented that Sami had had a run of luck preventing her from paying for shooting Marge's husband, Joe Bernardi. When Marge wondered aloud what the new evidence was, Adrienne shifted uncomfortably. Marge argued that Adrienne was on Sami's side, and Adrienne apologized for upsetting Marge with her presence.

As Marge wondered aloud if anyone in Salem was interested in protecting her husband, Joe, Adrienne grabbed the immunity agreement for Sonny from her purse, and she clutched it tight. After placing the immunity agreement back in her purse, Adrienne talked to Marge about her son. Crying, Marge admitted that she did not know what to say to her son. An officer entered and asked Marge and Adrienne to accompany him down the hall.

Justin met with Sami and E.J. as they arrived at the police station. When Melinda arrived, Justin asked her for an explanation. Melinda explained that there were discrepancies in the case and that she needed to ask Sami more questions. Eager to return to the school, Sami agreed to answer questions. Justin was nervous and urged Sami to remain quiet. Sami argued that she had nothing to hide.

Melinda questioned Sami about her statement. Sami reiterated her statement. When Melinda asked about Sami's familiarity with Bernardi, Sami said that she had not seen Bernardi's face the night she had shot him and that she had not known Bernardi before the shooting. Melinda asked Hope to confirm Sami's statement, and Hope did. With a smile on her face, Melinda pulled out her laptop computer and played the video of Sami attacking Bernardi in the park.

Justin asked to speak to his client alone. In the corner, Justin, E.J., and Sami talked about the video. Sami explained that she had been set up. Justin was upset that Sami had lied to him, the police, and the grand jury. E.J. asked Justin to file a motion to exclude the video from evidence. Shaking his head, Justin argued that he would not be able to keep the video under wraps.

Melinda interrupted Justin, Sami, and E.J. to note that the video provided a motive for Sami to kill Bernardi. Sonny and Will walked into the interrogation room and frowned as they saw the video of Sami and Bernardi paused on the computer laptop. Melinda informed everyone that she planned to take the video to the grand jury in order to obtain an indictment for first-degree murder.

E.J. assured Sami that he would help her. "Have I not proven to you that there is no problem that is insurmountable? Do you remember how I would handle things in the past? That's how I'm going to handle them now," E.J. promised. Hope gently led Sami to the door, and Sami was taken aback as Will walked over to Sami and hugged her. Sami assured Will that she would be fine. Hope walked Sami out as Justin, E.J., Will, and Sonny stared at the floor, stunned.

Hope escorted Sami to a cell. Sami told Hope that although she had lied about knowing Bernardi, she had not known that the assailant in Rafe's room was Bernardi when she'd shot him. Nodding, Hope promised to look after Sami while she was in the jail. "I'm so sorry," Hope said sadly.

In the commander's office at the police station, Sonny and Will whispered to one another and wondered how the D.A. had obtained the video. Across the room, Justin asked Melinda to explain how she had obtained the evidence. When Justin demanded to question the person that had provided the video, Melinda grinned wickedly and said, "Be careful what you wish for."

Marge and Adrienne entered the room. Melinda explained to Marge that there was a break in the case. Melinda then turned to Adrienne and thanked her for her assistance. After Melinda left with Marge to make a statement to the press, a furious Sonny asked Adrienne if she had provided the video to the police.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

by ChickenGrrl

Jennifer was in her office at the hospital, mooning over a picture of Daniel on her phone. She put the phone down just as Theresa entered the office. Jennifer was ready to get started on some hospital press releases, but Theresa guessed that Jennifer was having "man troubles" and encouraged her boss to talk about them. "If there's one thing I know how to do, it's how to get men to do what I want," Theresa asserted proudly.

"Oh, I believe that. Tell me what you get boys to do," Jennifer said. Theresa pointed out that she'd said "men," adding, "I mean, really, Jennifer. I couldn't care less about your son." Jennifer tartly reminded Theresa that Theresa was there to work. She handed Theresa a stack of press releases to file before Jennifer returned. After Jennifer left, Theresa muttered, "Wow, does she need a man."

At the police station, Sonny angrily demanded to know if Adrienne was the one who had given the video of Sami and Bernardi to the cops. "Do you have any idea what you've done to my mom's case?" an incredulous Will asked. "I did what I had to do," Adrienne asserted. Enraged, E.J. charged toward Adrienne, growling accusations, while Will and Sonny demanded to know why Adrienne would do such a thing.

Shouting to make himself heard above the din, Justin instructed everyone to calm down. After ordering Sonny and Will to go home, Justin demanded that Adrienne stay behind. Abe appeared in the doorway as Adrienne tried to tell Justin her side of the story. He barked at her not to say another word then escorted her out.

E.J. accused Abe of allowing Sami to be ambushed at the school. "That was not my doing," Abe stressed, adding, "I didn't set her up by concealing evidence, E.J. You're a lawyer. How the hell could you be so damn stupid?" E.J. insisted that the video was not evidence; it was a red herring, because Sami had killed a corrupt police officer who had been about to kill Rafe.

Abe pointed out that there was no proof, plus Bernardi's record had been spotless. E.J. countered that it was what had made Bernardi the perfect inside man. Abe asserted, "If Bernardi was on the take, then he was Stefano's man. Now, you bring us evidence of that..." Abe began, but E.J. said he couldn't do that. Abe couldn't believe that E.J. would let Sami go to prison to protect Stefano.

E.J. swore that if it were a choice between his father and Samantha, Stefano would be behind bars. Abe asked why Sami had been attacking Bernardi on the video. When E.J. couldn't answer, Abe guessed that it was because E.J. didn't want to have to keep his lies straight. E.J. implored Abe to personally make sure that Sami was safe. "Everybody hates her," E.J. said. "No. Not everybody," Abe assured him.

Brent met Chad at the Brady Pub to go over the designs for the coffeehouse. As Brent laid out some blueprints, he explained that he also had 3-D models on his tablet. Chad said they should wait for Sonny to arrive.

When Sonny and Will arrived a little later, Brent began to tell Sonny about the new designs. Sonny had completely forgotten about their meeting. He apologetically told Brent that they would have to do it another time. Brent urged Sonny to have a quick look before making that call, but Will cut Brent off and curtly reiterated that the meeting wasn't happening.

Chad asked Will what had happened, so Will explained that his mom had been arrested again. He apologized and walked away. Brent assured Sonny that he understood. Brent left the plans with Chad then expressed his genuine sympathy to Will before he left. Will apologized to Sonny for being a jerk.

Chad was surprised when he learned that the police had the video of Sami and Bernardi, because they had deleted all the copies. Sonny explained that his mom had somehow managed to get a copy of the video, although he didn't think the cops knew that Chad and Abigail knew about it. Chad stepped away to call Abigail.

J.J. entered the Horton house and immediately headed upstairs, ignoring Abigail in the living room. When she asked if he was avoiding her, J.J. reluctantly trudged into the living room. Abigail informed J.J. that she had met his "stoner girlfriend," Theresa, at the hospital, and Abigail wondered how the two of them had met. J.J. wondered why Abigail would care.

"She reeked of weed, J.J.!" Abigail declared. J.J. begged Abigail not to tell their mom, or he would be guilty by association. Abigail didn't understand why, so J.J. explained that he had invited Theresa over when she'd first arrived in town, and Jennifer had freaked out. Appalled, Abigail pointed out that Theresa was about a decade older than J.J.

Ignoring her, J.J. continued that he didn't want their mom to think that he smoked weed, too, because it wasn't true. Abigail was skeptical. She said that she had asked around about Rory, but before she could divulge what she'd heard, J.J. snapped, "Damn it, Abigail, back off! I don't need another mom!" He quickly apologized.

Jennifer returned home just then and explained, "I thought that my assistant and I would get more work done if we were in separate ZIP codes, so I settled for different buildings." J.J. announced that he had to watch the news for a school assignment. Jennifer asked if he could watch in the den, so J.J. headed upstairs. Jennifer asked Abigail to please have patience with her brother, who had been through a rough time.

Abigail started to protest but backpedaled to ask her mom why she seemed upset. Pulling a couple of pillows into her lap and clutching them to her as she sat down, Jennifer admitted, "My new assistant is wearing me out, honey." Before she could explain, J.J. bounded back down the stairs and informed his mom and sister that Sami Brady had just been arrested for murder. As Jennifer was asking J.J. what the news report had said, Chad called Abigail and told her that the police had the video. She agreed to meet him at the town square in a few minutes.

Jennifer said that she needed to see Kayla at the hospital as well as check on Caroline because the situation might be stressful and confusing for the Brady matriarch. J.J. said that he needed to study but offered to accompany his mom if she thought seeing him, too, would help his Aunt Kayla. Jennifer urged him to stay there and study. Once he was alone in the house, J.J. smirked, noting to himself with a chuckle, "Thank you, Sami Brady. Thank you, Salem P.D." He grabbed his keys and left.

J.J. went to Jennifer's office and informed Theresa that his mom was helping the Bradys. Theresa nonchalantly acknowledged that she had heard about Sami's arrest as she continued what she was doing. J.J. was incredulous that Theresa was shopping online for shoes when her cousin was in jail on murder charges. "She's your family, Theresa," he noted. "Why do people say that like it's supposed to mean something?" Theresa snapped.

Theresa admitted, "Look, it's not like I hate my cousin Sami or anything, okay? But they don't care about me, so why should I care about them?" J.J. confided that his family sometimes drove him crazy, as well. Theresa declared crossly that everyone in her family -- except her Grandma Caroline -- smothered her with expectations that she could never meet.

"Doesn't [your mom] drive you crazy with all of her rules and her regulations and judgments? And that sister of yours is a total bitch on wheels," Theresa pronounced. J.J. ordered her to shut up because she didn't know his mom or his sister. Stung, Theresa stared at the desktop. J.J. confessed, "They're not perfect. It's different since my dad died." He added unconvincingly that it would get better.

Sensing J.J.'s pain, Theresa moved out from behind her desk and patted J.J. on the leg, reassuring him that things would improve. "We can make it better right now, yeah? I mean, we know how," she said encouragingly. Theresa asked if J.J. had gotten the coke. J.J. said, "I made the call, but it didn't come through." Theresa encouraged him to try again, noting, "I'm ready to have a good time. Aren't you?" J.J. assured her that he was. "Well, come through, and we will have a very, very good time," Theresa promised.

Outside St. Luke's school, Brady asked if Kristen had moved on with someone else. She assured him that there hadn't been anyone else. Brady admitted that he had been with Nicole, and he wanted to make sure that Kristen knew there was no double standard. "I just want you to feel free to confess. It's the perfect time," Brady pointed out. Kristen swore that she had nothing to say. They heard voices approaching and realized that the reception would soon move outside.

Brady and Kristen agreed to head somewhere more private, but first, Brady asked Kristen if she wanted to look for the check she'd planned to give to the school. Kristen hedged that she would just put a stop on that check and write a new one. "Unless, of course, you want to stay here for some reason?" Kristen wondered. "You really think I'm playing you or something?" Brady countered. Seemingly satisfied, a smiling Kristen took Brady by the hand and led him away.

Back at the DiMera mansion, Kristen informed Brady that they had the house to themselves. Brady reminded her about writing another check, so she got out her checkbook. As Brady sat next to her on the couch, Kristen claimed that she couldn't remember whom she'd made out the previous check to. Putting her purse aside, she turned to Brady and said, "I don't want to be doing this right now." He pulled her into a kiss.

After a few moments of making out, Brady pulled away and pointed out, "This isn't why I came over. This part always works." He reminded Kristen that they had a lot of issues to work out. As Kristen seemed to be agreeing, Brady's phone rang. He took the call because it was from Marlena, presumably calling about Sami.

After Brady hung up, he said that he had to leave. Kristen noted that they needed to figure out what they were going to say to people, but Brady didn't think there was anything to say yet. Just then, the doorbell rang. Brady followed Kristen into the foyer as she answered it and found Jennifer on the doorstep. Jennifer explained that she had spotted Kristen's car in the driveway on her way to the hospital. "I was wondering if you heard..." Jennifer began, but she paused when she saw Brady.

Brady admitted that they had been there when Sami had been arrested. Eyebrows raised, Jennifer asked if she were interrupting something. "Do you want to take this one?" Kristen asked Brady. Brady explained that he was just leaving to check on Sami. There was a moment of awkwardness at the door as Brady said goodbye, because neither he nor Kristen seemed to know whether they should kiss or not.

After Brady had gone, Jennifer voiced her surprise at seeing Brady and Kristen together. Kristen explained how that had happened, adding that they were trying to figure things out. Jennifer was excited for her friend, but Kristen was worried that Brady might be playing her. Jennifer asked why Kristen thought that, and Kristen said that he felt that she'd burned him. Jennifer urged Kristen not to question things to death lest she ruin her chances with Brady.

After Jennifer had left to check on the Bradys, Kristen muttered wryly to herself, "'Don't question it to death.' How I'd love to live in your bubblegum world, Jennifer." Kristen wondered if she could give up on getting revenge against Marlena if it meant getting Brady back. "Yes, I can -- and if Brady ends up playing me, I can always go back to Plan A. It's a win-win."

In the park, Justin angrily confronted his wife for providing motive in Sami's case -- and sandbagging him. Adrienne accused Justin of throwing a family member under the bus in order to defend his client. Justin demanded to know why Adrienne had gone to the police without telling him about the video first. She contended that she had tried to tell him at the pub when he'd been looking over E.J.'s offer.

"I'm pretty sure that if you'd told me, 'I have a video of Sami and Bernardi,' that would've gotten my attention," Justin pointed out. He asserted that Adrienne hadn't wanted him to know about it before she'd gone to the police and asked why. "I went to Sami first. She stonewalled me. So maybe I just thought it was the company line," Adrienne maintained, adding, "Somebody needed to protect our family."

Disgusted, Justin complained that Adrienne would do anything to keep their son from being with Will -- and that included railroading an innocent woman. Adrienne hotly argued that Sami was not innocent. "I was trying to keep our son out of prison, Justin! Why weren't you?" Adrienne demanded. Justin was stunned when he learned that his wife had gotten transactional immunity for Sonny.

Adrienne irritably explained that if the police asked her where she'd gotten the video, she could tell the truth, and so could Sonny if he were called to the stand. Justin swore that he would never have compromised their son in that way. Adrienne realized that Justin hadn't known about the video until he'd seen it at the police station, and she couldn't believe that Sami and E.J. hadn't told Justin about it.

Justin reminded Adrienne that he couldn't talk to her about his clients. "Justin, they were willing to put our son at risk," Adrienne pointed out. "Sami is the only one at risk here -- and that's entirely thanks to you," Justin stated coldly before walking away without further explanation.

At the pub, Sonny got a text message from his dad, asking to meet Will and Sonny at their apartment right away. Will noted that they would have some privacy because Gabi would be in class.

E.J. ran into Justin in Horton Square and declared that they needed to discuss strategy. E.J. asserted that there had to be a chain of custody issue with the videotape, plus Adrienne was clearly biased against Sami. Justin interrupted to order E.J. to never talk to Adrienne again the way he had at the station. He reproached E.J. for letting Justin get blindsided and demanded to know why E.J. hadn't been forthcoming about the video.

"Because far too many people would have been compromised," E.J. replied, but Justin contended, "You didn't tell me because you didn't want me sidetracked from the DiMera takeover. So you were willing to take a chance with my son and your own fiance to stick it to the old man." Despite E.J.'s reassurances that it wasn't the case, Justin declared, "Find yourself another lawyer."

In the park near Horton Square, Abigail asked Chad how the police could have gotten the video of Sami attacking Bernardi when they had deleted every copy. Chad admitted that he didn't know, but he urged Abigail to forget she had ever seen the video. "It's obstruction of justice, and you will never, ever have to face that charge. I promise you that," Chad vowed.

Chad reminded Abigail that she had wanted to tell the cops before they had bullied her out of it. She assured him that wasn't the case. "You give me a chance to be around you, and look what happens... You were right last winter, okay? I'm a train wreck, and I'd only screw up your life. I don't want to do that to you," he said.

As Adrienne arrived outside the Kiriakis mansion, she dropped her keys. She was bending over to pick them up when E.J. suddenly appeared. Hands in his pockets, he moved closer to Adrienne menacingly. She backed up into a shrub, quaking. "Hello, Adrienne. How are you?" E.J. asked. "Fine. You?" Adrienne replied, her breathing ragged. "Oh, I'm well, thank you. Do you feel safe?" E.J. asked cryptically before walking off. Panicking, Adrienne dropped her keys again but quickly snatched them up. She clumsily unlocked the door and hurried inside.

As Will and Sonny arrived at their apartment, a horrified Sonny suddenly realized, "It was me. I gave the video to my mom." He became emotional as he explained that he had tried to show a video of Will and Arianna to his mom, but Sonny had forgotten about Chad putting a video on his phone. Voice breaking, Sonny guessed that he had accidentally sent both videos to Adrienne. "It's all my fault!" Sonny exclaimed. Will pulled Sonny into an embrace and reassured him that it was all right.

Justin arrived and demanded that Sonny explain every last detail about the video. Will summed it up frankly and succinctly, "I am the problem. Everyone was keeping quiet about the video because they didn't want me to go to jail." Although Sonny tried to talk him out of it, Will told Justin the whole story about how he, not Lucas, had shot E.J., and Bernardi had stolen the evidence for Stefano, who wanted to keep it to hold over Will's head. The video had been of Sami trying to retrieve the evidence from Bernardi.

"Dad confessed and he went to jail, and I went to Switzerland. And now Mom is in jail, and pretty much everything that's happening right now is my fault. So I'm begging you -- can you please help me stop this?" Will implored Justin. Justin summarized that Sami and E.J. had suppressed the video because it proved Sami had had motive to shoot Bernardi.

Will asserted that his mom wouldn't care about going to jail if it were just her -- and the same was true for him -- but he knew that he would take his dad, his grandfather, his Aunt Hope, and other people down, as well. "I can't add Mom to the list of people who have paid for my crimes," Will said. Sonny blamed himself -- and his mom. He asked Justin why Adrienne had taken the video to the cops.

"To protect you. She only did it if they promised to give you immunity, so now they can't charge you for obstruction," Justin explained. He asked if anyone else knew about the video. Sonny lied that they were the only ones. Will asked Justin if he thought he could get Sami out, but Justin said that he was still trying to wrap his head around everything. Justin instructed Sonny and Will to each pay him a dollar, making Justin their attorney and their conversation privileged. He urged the guys not to tell anyone else.

After Justin had gone, Will wanted to know why Sonny had covered for Chad and Abigail. Sonny explained that there was no point in dragging Abigail and Chad into it. "My mom just sold everyone out for my immunity, so let's run with it. Let's hang the whole thing on me," Sonny suggested. He apologized to Will, who ordered him to stop apologizing. "It's going to be okay," Will declared.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

by Mike

In Jennifer's office at the hospital, Jennifer handed Maxine a press release and asked her to get Daniel's approval on it. "'Salem Style Magazine -- Top Ten Docs.' It's about time Dr. Jonas made the list," Maxine said as she read the press release. Maxine was initially happy to help, but her suspicions were quickly aroused, and she wondered why Jennifer was trying to avoid delivering the document to Daniel herself.

Jennifer revealed that she and Daniel were taking a break, unaware that J.J. was standing in the office doorway. Jennifer introduced J.J. to Maxine, who observed that he was even more handsome in person than the photograph on Jennifer's desk had suggested. After Maxine left, J.J. produced a file that Jennifer had left at the Horton house that morning, explaining that he had assumed she might need it.

After praising J.J.'s thoughtfulness, Jennifer wondered if he had heard what she had said to Maxine about taking a break from Daniel. J.J. nodded and admitted that he had already heard the news from Abigail earlier. J.J. said he hadn't mentioned anything to Jennifer because he had assumed that she wouldn't want to talk to him about the situation.

J.J. quickly changed the subject, informing Jennifer that his calculus teacher had noticed an improvement in his recent work. "Mom, now that I'm getting myself together, if -- if there's anything that I can do to help you, I -- I hope you know that you can count on me. I just hope this whole thing with Daniel -- I hope it's not about me," J.J. innocently stated. Jennifer vaguely replied that a lot of things had influenced her decision to take a break from Daniel.

As J.J. optimistically assured Jennifer that things would eventually get better, Theresa rushed into the office. J.J. casually greeted Theresa before excusing himself so he wouldn't be late for his first class of the day. After J.J. left, Theresa started to apologize for her tardiness, but Jennifer interrupted and impatiently summarized the list of tasks that Theresa had not yet completed.

Feigning regret, Theresa blamed her poor job performance on Sami's arrest, which had been really hard on the entire Brady family. Theresa claimed that her attempts to comfort her family members had distracted her from doing her job, but she could tell that Jennifer didn't believe her. Clearly amused, Jennifer revealed that she had dined with Caroline, Kayla, and Hope the previous night, and all three had expressed concerns about Theresa because they hadn't heard from her recently.

Jennifer wondered if it would kill Theresa to express the same level of concern for the Bradys that they had expressed for Theresa. Theresa warned Jennifer to refrain from making assumptions about how much Theresa cared about the Bradys. Jennifer countered that Theresa needed to stop using the Bradys as an excuse for her behavior. Jennifer observed that, while the Bradys wanted Theresa to get a fresh start in Salem, Theresa's recent behavior had indicated that it might already be too late for that.

Jennifer said that, while she had been happy to help Kayla and Roman when they had asked her to give Theresa a job, part of the deal had been that Theresa would actually be required to do the job. Theresa innocently stated that she occasionally had questions about the job that Jennifer, who often worked from home and set her own hours, was unavailable to answer.

Theresa quickly added that she understood that Jennifer's ability to set her own hours was a perk that only applied to Jennifer, since she wasn't a new employee like Theresa was. Theresa wondered if Jennifer was really going to fire her without any warning whatsoever. Jennifer shook her head and explained that Kayla had asked for a job evaluation. Jennifer warned that she wasn't going to lie on the evaluation.

After urging Theresa to quickly decide if she really wanted the job or not, Jennifer slammed a stack of documents down on Theresa's desk and abruptly exited the office. Theresa pushed the documents off the edge of the desk and watched them fall into a trashcan. "Here's your filing, bitch. I will quit, and I don't care if I've got nowhere to go. Nowhere is better than here," Theresa muttered before leaving the room.

At the high school, J.J. overheard Rory making arrangements to sell drugs to someone in a secluded section of the school grounds later that day. J.J. disapproved, reminding Rory that the cops were actively investigating the recent string of drug deals that had occurred at the school. J.J. insisted that it wasn't worth the risk, since he and Rory already had enough cash to cover their expenses for a while.

J.J. told Rory that they would resume their business as soon as Jennifer lifted the restrictions she had placed on J.J.'s social life, since that would give them the freedom to do drug deals elsewhere. J.J. hoped he wouldn't have to wait much longer for Jennifer to end his punishment, since Daniel was no longer going to be around to tell her that J.J. was a useless, lying delinquent.

As Bev approached J.J. and Rory, J.J. announced that he needed a favor from Rory. "I need you to score me some coke," J.J. told Rory, who laughed and pointed out that J.J. had just said they couldn't continue their drug deals because the cops were watching the school. J.J. reasoned that buying drugs was a lot easier and safer than selling them, prompting Rory to observe that J.J. didn't seem very eager to purchase the drugs himself.

J.J. said he couldn't purchase the drugs himself because Jennifer was still carefully monitoring his activities. Rory wondered if J.J. was at least planning to share the cocaine with Rory. J.J. shook his head and explained that the cocaine was for a friend, prompting Rory to quickly deduce that J.J. was talking about Theresa. J.J. started to say he would just ask someone else to handle the task, but Rory interrupted and promised to get the cocaine for J.J. later that night. Later, J.J. left a voicemail message for Theresa to inform her that he would soon have what she was looking for.

In Rafe's room, Gabi helped Rafe eat some breakfast. Rafe was eager to meet Arianna, but Gabi said they needed to wait for Cameron's approval. Rafe assured Cameron that he understood that Sami hadn't really shot him. Cameron stressed that no one had shot Rafe, adding that the man who had attacked Rafe was no longer a threat to anyone.

Rafe wanted more information about his assailant, but Cameron was reluctant to grant the request, since Rafe had gotten extremely agitated the last time he had tried to talk to someone about the attack. After cautioning Rafe about overexertion, Cameron excused himself to check on another patient. Ignoring Gabi's attempt to convince him to eat some more food, Rafe wondered why he had not yet received a visit from Kate.

At the Horton Town Square, Kate was staring at her cell phone, resisting the urge to call the hospital to check on Rafe, when she received a call from Gabi. Gabi revealed that Rafe had asked to see Kate. Meanwhile, back at the hospital, an orderly entered Rafe's room to dispose of Rafe's barely eaten breakfast. Rafe asked the orderly for a newspaper.

Later, Kate entered the hospital waiting area, where Cameron was reminding Gabi to take care of herself. "You listen to Dr. Davis. I'm telling you, I was so sleep-deprived when Lucas was a baby, one day I found myself driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Kind of the story of my life, actually," Kate dryly stated. After Cameron left, Kate wondered if Rafe had really asked to see her, and Gabi confirmed that he had.

In Rafe's room, Rafe tried to push his bed table away, but he was too weak to accomplish the task. Kate entered the room and apologized for taking such a long time to visit Rafe. Kate explained that she had assumed that Rafe might not want to see her or that he might have completely forgotten about their recent involvement with each other. Rafe found it hard to imagine the possibility of forgetting about his relationship with Kate.

Rafe placed his hand next to Kate's hand and told her that he was glad to see her. Rafe guessed that Stefano had arranged for someone to attack him, but Kate assured him that Stefano wasn't responsible. Rafe jokingly asked if Sami was the person who had attacked him. "No, because if that was true, she would have taken me out first. Actually, everyone knows about us now, and I'm still standing," Kate revealed.

Rafe wished that he could forget about the dream that had involved Sami shooting him. Rafe admitted that the dream had been incredibly realistic, adding that he could still hear the gunshot ringing in his ears. "So...is that what it took? Two months in a coma for you to come back to me?" Rafe asked. Kate shrugged and simply stated that walking away from Rafe had been an idiotic decision.

Rafe suggested that Kate could get him a chocolate milkshake to make up for her idiotic decision. After Kate left, the orderly returned with the newspaper that Rafe had requested earlier. A story about Sami's arrest was on the front page of the newspaper. When Kate returned with Rafe's milkshake, he wondered why Sami had killed Bernardi.

At St. Luke's, Daniel announced that he had figured out a new way to solve Eric's medical mystery. Eric had some time to spare, so he agreed to indulge Daniel. Daniel asked Eric to follow him, promising to explain everything on the way to their destination, but before they could leave, Nicole entered the office. Nicole was surprised to see Eric, who had previously expressed an interest in taking the day off.

After an awkward silence, Nicole started to ask Daniel about Jennifer, but she quickly stopped herself and conceded that their relationship was none of her business. Eric wanted to talk to Nicole privately, so he asked Daniel to wait for him outside. After Daniel left, Nicole guessed that Eric was upset about what she had said about Sami earlier. Nicole insisted that she had simply been trying to protect Eric, but he wasn't convinced.

"Oh, great. You're reacting this way because of what E.J. said. Come on, you know he was just stirring the pot. He loves to make me look bad to other people. Or does this have anything to do with how Johnny commented once about us getting married? I mean, he's a kid. That's what kids do. Kids want everyone to get married and live happily ever after, right? So it's just ridiculous that anyone would think that I have a single feeling towards you other than -- than friendship. And quite frankly, the fact that you brought it up again -- well, it's just -- it's upsetting me, and I -- oh," Nicole blurted out, stopping only when Eric interrupted to point out that he hadn't mentioned either subject.

"I was talking about my loyalty towards my sister being in conflict, to put it mildly, with your mass hatred towards my sister, which sometimes makes it difficult for us to work together so closely," Eric clarified. Nicole chastised herself for making Eric feel uncomfortable, and she wondered if he would be able to forgive her.

Eric said that it wasn't a matter of forgiveness, cryptically adding that he simply believed that some changes needed to be made. Nicole assumed that Eric was firing her, but he assured her that she had misinterpreted his previous statement. Instead of providing further clarification, Eric abruptly excused himself, stating that he and Nicole would have to continue their conversation later.

Later, at the Brady Pub, Daniel introduced Eric to Mason, a forensics detective with whom Daniel had attended college. Mason believed that he might be able to find some clues about Eric's mysterious illness in the hotel room that Eric had stayed in at the state capitol. Daniel explained that the hotel staff had temporarily stopped assigning the room to visitors, possibly because they had been worried about infecting others with the same illness that Eric had developed.

The hotel staff had already agreed to cooperate with Mason's investigation, so Eric reluctantly approved the idea. After Mason left, Eric admitted that he was feeling conflicted about the entire situation, since there was a part of him that didn't want to know what had really happened that night. "I've taken a long road to get to where I am today. You know, I don't like to think of myself as someone who's alienated a whole lot of people. But if you're right, and somebody deliberately tried to poison me, I need to face the fact that I've made an enemy out there -- someone who's really trying to hurt me," Eric explained.

At the DiMera mansion, Brady presented Kristen with a bouquet of daffodils, which were supposed to signify new beginnings. After some small talk, Brady asked Kristen to tell him about everything she had been doing lately. "I've been pretty busy," Kristen coyly stated as she silently recalled drugging and seducing Eric. Brady offered to take Kristen somewhere for breakfast, assuring her that he was no longer concerned about being seen in public with her.

Later, at the Horton Town Square, Kristen wished that she could do something to help Sami. Brady found that hard to believe, but Kristen assured him that she was being sincere, pointing out that the two men whom she loved -- Brady and E.J. -- both loved Sami. "But I think I should go on record as saying [that] the reason I haven't visited her in jail is because I don't want her to be charged with yet another murder," Kristen joked.

As Brady laughed at Kristen's joke, Nicole approached their table and demanded to know what was going on. Brady pulled Nicole aside and informed her that he and Kristen were thinking about getting back together. "You just got your brain back. What, did she suck it out of you again?" Nicole wondered. Brady told Nicole about his earlier conversation with John, but Nicole wasn't impressed.

Nicole insisted that one act of decency didn't make up for all of the horrible things that Kristen had done to Brady and his family, prompting him to pointedly remind Nicole that she had once kidnapped a baby. Brady reasoned that he simply couldn't get Kristen out of his system, just like Nicole couldn't get Eric out of her system. Brady said that the difference was that his relationship with Kristen could actually go somewhere.

"Hello? Do you remember me and E.J.? Remember how that turned out? Oh, God, can't I just find one guy who's not a complete idiot? Don't expect me to pick up the million pieces of your heart this time," Nicole said before walking away. Brady sighed as he rejoined Kristen, who wondered if Nicole had really expected Nicole's fling with Brady to turn into something more serious.

Brady insisted that Nicole had never wanted their recent fling to be anything more than a casual thing. Brady apologized for sleeping with Nicole, believing that Kristen had remained faithful to him during their break from each other. Kristen remained silent, prompting Brady to wonder if he had jumped to the wrong conclusion. "You are the only man that I made love to, and that's the God's honest truth," Kristen assured Brady.

Kristen blamed her earlier silence on her insecurities about her relationship with Brady. Kristen explained that she had heard Brady tell Nicole that he was thinking about getting back together with Kristen. Kristen understood Brady's hesitation, but she admitted that she would like to eventually get some assurances about their relationship so she wouldn't have to worry about getting her heart broken again. Without offering an explanation, Brady grabbed Kristen's hand and told her to follow him.

At the Brady Pub, Jennifer and Nicole bumped into each other. "You're standing between me and my next martini. You might want to make way," Nicole dryly muttered. Jennifer clarified that she might want to join Nicole, prompting Nicole to joke that the world really was going to end soon. In an effort to continue the seemingly civil conversation, Nicole wondered if Jennifer had read their latest book club selection yet.

Jennifer admitted that she had not, and Nicole laughed as she revealed that she had also neglected to read the book. Nicole dismissively stated that Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was supposed to be a children's book, prompting Jennifer to defend the book as one that adults could also enjoy. Jennifer suggested that the book might be a good change of pace for Nicole.

"Are you kidding? I live in a convent. I'm O.D.ing on 'wholesome' right now," Nicole dryly stated. Nicole admitted that she missed her old job as a reporter, and she guessed that Jennifer's head was spinning due to Sami's recent arrest. Nicole marveled at the number of lives that Sami could ruin from behind bars.

Changing the subject, Nicole explained that she had seen Daniel earlier, and she guessed that Sami was the least of Jennifer's worries. Nicole said that she wanted Daniel to be happy, and she wondered why Jennifer had repeatedly tried to push him away. Nicole reasoned that Jennifer and Daniel's relationship had already survived interference from both Nicole and Chloe, which meant that it could survive anything.

Jennifer insisted that she didn't want to talk about the situation with Nicole. "You're not talking about it. I'm talking about it right now, and I know of what I speak. And if you keep throwing Daniel away, one of these days, he's not gonna come back," Nicole warned before walking away. Meanwhile, in Jennifer's office at the hospital, Theresa smiled with interest as she spied on Daniel, who was writing a note for Jennifer about the press release.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Henderson told Brady that Victor and Maggie had left earlier, foiling Brady's plan to tell them about his reunion with Kristen. Meanwhile, Kristen received a phone call from E.J., so she excused herself and went into the living room to take the call. After Kristen left, Eric arrived at the mansion and proceeded to tell Brady about Daniel's latest plan to figure out what had happened to Eric.

"This detective's gonna sweep the hotel room, looking for fingerprints and DNA. He said if someone was there to poison me, he said there's a good chance that they could have left behind evidence, and if there is, he's going to find it," Eric explained to Brady. In the living room, Kristen dropped a glass on the floor when she heard what Eric and Brady were talking about, drawing their attention when it shattered on impact.

Friday, July 26, 2013

by ChickenGrrl

In Horton Square, Jennifer visited the plaque dedicated to her grandparents. Running her hand across their image, she murmured, "I miss you both so much, especially now. Oh, Gram, why is everything so wrong right now?" When Abigail arrived and spied her mom under the tree, she greeted Jennifer curiously. Jennifer confessed that sometimes, she really wished she could talk to her grandparents.

Abigail guessed that Jennifer missed Daniel. Jennifer admitted that it was true, but she knew that she needed to be away from Daniel for a little while so she could focus on J.J. Abigail pointed out, "If all J.J. ever does is think about himself, then how's he going to learn how to deal?" Jennifer countered that J.J. was angry and confused and needed her attention -- and his improved behavior over the previous few days had proven that she'd been right.

When Jennifer said that she needed to get back to work, Abigail stated that she'd met Jennifer's new assistant, Theresa. Abigail struggled with whether to tell her mom about Theresa getting high but decided against it. Jennifer admitted that she wanted to do whatever she could to help the Bradys, but Theresa wasn't making that easy. After hearing more about Theresa's exploits, an incredulous but amused Abigail declared, "This chick has to go!" Abigail spotted her mom's library card on the pavement after her mom left.

In Jennifer's office, Daniel tried to compose a note for Jennifer about the press release. The first one read, "This looks good. I've been thinking about you. I miss you so much!" Daniel deemed it "too personal" and pitched it in the wastebasket. Just then, Theresa entered, introduced herself, and asked if there were something she could help Daniel with. Daniel declined but introduced himself as Dr. Jonas. Theresa appreciatively eyed him up and down as his back was turned so he could respond to a text message.

As Theresa asked Daniel questions about what kind of doctor he was, he suddenly realized that she was Kayla's niece. He welcomed Theresa to the hospital and wished her luck with the new job. After Daniel left, Theresa's cell phone rang with a call from her friend Jade. Theresa sat behind Jennifer's desk and put her feet up. She was gabbing away, complaining about her family and her job, when she suddenly looked up and saw Kayla in the doorway.

Startled, Theresa yanked her feet down, and Kayla admonished her niece. "If you can't keep this job when you had connections to get it, how do you really expect to make it anywhere else?" Kayla asked. She assured her niece that everyone wanted Theresa to be happy there. Kayla left after encouraging Theresa to focus on the job above everything else. Picking up Daniel's press release and admiring his picture, Theresa noted to herself, "Maybe it is time to focus."

Abigail went to the hospital and stopped Daniel near the nurses' station to talk to him about the break he and Jennifer were taking. Abigail implored him not to give up, and Daniel assured her that he wasn't. "My mom's been really sad," Abigail persisted. " Abigail, I love your mother as much as I ever did, but there is nothing I can do." Abigail said that she wished there were something she could do. Daniel snapped, "Cupid couldn't fix this. It is up to your mother."

When Jennifer entered her office, she was surprised to learn that Theresa had completed all the tasks she'd been given. Theresa explained that even though they had gotten off to a bad start, she really wanted to make things work. Jennifer seemed disappointed when she found the press release on her desk and read Daniel's note, which said simply, "This is fine."

When Abigail arrived, Theresa was remarking that Daniel probably made a lot of money as a surgeon. Abigail explained that Jennifer's library card had fallen out of her purse in Horton Square. A grateful Jennifer said that was strange because the card should have been in her wallet.

After Theresa left to take some files to H.R., Jennifer marveled to Abigail about how Theresa had actually completed the tasks that Jennifer had assigned. Abigail was skeptical that Theresa would keep up the good work, but Jennifer pointed out, "The upside to this is that if she is focusing on this job, she is not focusing on J.J."

Jennifer noted that Abigail could have taken the library card back to the house. Jennifer was dismayed when Abigail admitted that she had also wanted to talk to Daniel. Abigail declared, "He's in love with you, Mom, and you are pushing him away -- and if you keep waiting for everything to be perfect with J.J., you could be waiting for the rest of your life. And Daniel won't."

Theresa listened to her message from J.J. telling her that he hoped to have the stuff she'd wanted later that day. She called J.J. back and left a message instructing him to call her when he got the "good stuff." Eyeing an oblivious Dr. Jonas as he passed by, Theresa continued, "But until you do, don't bother calling me. I think I'm going to be really, really busy."

Gabi and Will took baby Arianna to the hospital, where Kayla gushed that the infant had really grown. Gabi noted that her brother was probably the only person in town who hadn't met Arianna.

When Kate entered Rafe's room, he was looking at the headline in the Salem Spectator, which read, "Commissioner's Daughter Arrested for Murder." "Why would Sami kill Joe?" Rafe demanded, still speaking slowly and with much effort after his coma. Peeved that someone had given Rafe a newspaper, Kate took the document from Rafe's hands and fretted about Rafe getting upset. "I'm going to get a hell of a lot more upset if someone doesn't tell me what is going on!" Rafe declared.

Kate tried to keep Rafe calm while avoiding his question, but Rafe was insistent. Before he could become too much more agitated, Gabi and Will entered with the baby. Rafe's face broke into a grin in spite of his frustration. Gabi sat on the edge of Rafe's bed and held the baby close to him so he could get a good look at his new niece, whom he pronounced beautiful. When Rafe mentioned Nick, Gabi reluctantly informed her brother that she and Nick were no longer together.

Gabi filled Rafe in on the kidnapping, Will's shooting, Arianna's birth, and the annulment of her marriage to Nick. Gabi blamed herself and her pregnancy cravings for Jensen's attack on Rafe, but everyone else assured her that it hadn't been her fault. Rafe chuckled when Will informed him that Gabi was living with Sonny and Will.

Daniel arrived and asked for a few minutes alone with his patient. As everyone filed out, Rafe made Gabi promise to return the next day with Arianna -- and he asked Kate to return as soon as Daniel had gone.

Outside, Kate confessed to Will and Gabi that she was worried about how difficult rehab would be for Rafe, who had been very active before the attack and subsequent coma.

Once Rafe and Daniel were alone, Rafe revealed that Gabi had told him about a lot of things that had happened. Daniel informed Rafe that a physical therapist had performed passive exercises on Rafe during the coma to ensure that he didn't lose muscle mass, and Daniel was confident that although it might be rough, Rafe would get through the next few months of rehab with flying colors.

"Be honest with me: is there something you're not telling me?" Rafe asked. Daniel asserted that as Rafe's doctor, his number-one priority was making sure that Rafe got back on his feet. "Rest. Rest your mind, don't rush anything, don't force anything -- just let it come to you," Daniel advised. Kate entered just as Daniel was leaving.

Rafe thanked Kate for being the only person who was telling him the truth. Kate wondered how Rafe had been able to shut down his anger when Gabi and Will had arrived with Arianna. Rafe said that he hadn't wanted to upset Gabi or the baby. "Just because I'm lying in a bed doesn't mean I can't handle the truth," Rafe maintained. Kate explained that the doctors wanted Rafe to get the truth in small doses. Rafe calmly repeated his earlier question about why Sami had shot Joe Bernardi. Kate reluctantly informed Rafe, "She did it to save your life."

Back at the apartment, Will reassured Gabi that Rafe would be back on his feet in no time. Will asked how Gabi felt about everything that had happened with Nick. Gabi confided that although things hadn't gone the way she'd expected, she was still very happy, thanks in part to Will and Sonny. Will asked if Gabi would change anything if she could. "No way. I would never even think about that, because that would mean that we wouldn't have Arianna," Gabi asserted.

In the foyer of the Kiriakis mansion, Eric informed Brady that a forensics detective was going to sweep his hotel room to look for DNA and fingerprints. In the living room, Kristen dropped a glass, which shattered. Brady rushed in to make sure she was all right -- and a stunned Eric demanded to know why Kristen was there. Brady explained that he and Kristen were on a date, although they were not back together.

Kristen added that they hadn't been planning for anyone to find out about them yet. Eric admitted that he was having a hard time processing the news. Feigning concern for Eric's health, Kristen asked about what she'd overheard. Brady explained that Daniel had asked an expert to investigate what had happened to Eric at the hotel. Eric asked Brady to drop it.

As Kristen was leaving so the men could catch up, she privately suggested to Brady that they not tell Maggie and Victor yet. He agreed. Brady then explained to Eric that John had confirmed everything that Kristen had claimed about calling off the plan because she was in love with Brady. Eric reminded Brady that Kristen had been trying to destroy Marlena for decades, but Brady insisted that Kristen had changed.

Eric maintained that Brady's attraction to Kristen was like that of a moth to a flame. He urged Brady to be careful and take things slowly. Brady insisted that his eyes were wide open, and he asked Eric not to judge Kristen based on her past. Before Eric left, Brady asked him to please not tell anyone else about Kristen and Brady. Although he pointed out that it sounded like Brady knew getting back together with Kristen was the wrong thing to do, Eric agreed because the family had enough to worry about.

On his way out, Eric said that he would pray for Brady. "You know, we may only be steps, but in a lot of ways, we're even closer than blood brothers... One of my constant prayers is going to be that Kristen will never come between us," Eric declared.

A frustrated Sister Bernadette was working on Nicole's computer when Kristen arrived on the pretense of looking for Father Eric. Sister Bernadette admitted that Father Eric was out for a while, so Kristen gave her check to the sister. Sister Bernadette praised Kristen for her kind words about the children. When Kristen learned that the nun was having trouble with the computer, she offered to help.

A grateful Sister Bernadette accepted then left to put the check away for safekeeping. Kristen sat down at the computer and began looking for Eric's personal files to find the name of the investigator Daniel had hired. After a few minutes' work, Kristen found the name Mason Ventura. She jotted down the man's name and address and hurried out.

Back at the DiMera mansion, Kristen fretted that since Mason Ventura was a forensic expert, she would have her work cut out for her. "I've got to find out whatever he finds out -- but I can't be seen," Kristen remarked. Taking the wig and glasses that she'd worn to the hotel the first time, she wondered if she could get away with the same disguise. She decided that was too risky and tried to think of another solution.

As she paced in the living room, Kristen remembered how she had once fooled Stefano into believing that she was Susan. "No, I couldn't be Susan again...could I?" Kristen wondered, gazing at her reflection in the mirror. A little later, Kristen dug through a box filled with clothes and things, amazed that she had saved so much. She found the false front teeth that she'd worn as Susan and held them up to her mouth in front of the mirror. "Could this actually work? I might not have any choice."