Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of July 20, 2015 on DAYS

Clyde learned Abigail was pregnant and that Chad might be the father. Daniel asked Nicole to marry him. J.J. told Jennifer that he was working undercover as a drug dealer. Eric told Brady he was still in love with Nicole. Serena learned Eric and Nicole had almost made love. Marlena helped Chad sort out his feelings.

Clyde makes a discovery

Monday, July 20, 2015

by Mike

Adrienne was surprised to see Lucas at Will and Sonny's place, since she had been under the impression that they had gotten a babysitter to watch Arianna for the day. Lucas explained that he had pulled a muscle at the gym and had therefore decided to take it easy and watch Arianna himself instead of joining the guys for a game of basketball.

Lucas could tell something was wrong, so Adrienne reluctantly revealed that she had just signed the divorce papers and delivered them to Justin. Adrienne admitted it had been a difficult decision to make, since she and Justin shared a lot of history together, but they had both realized it needed to be done. "And there's no going back," Adrienne concluded. Lucas wondered if Adrienne would go back if she could. "Oh, you're damn right I would," Adrienne confirmed without hesitation. Adrienne's answer surprised Lucas, but when she asked if he would really pass up an opportunity to go back and make things work with Sami, he conceded that he wouldn't.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Kate started complaining to Justin about Paul's attitude toward Mad World's new product line. Justin dismissively told Kate to either suck it up and learn to work with Paul or find a different place to work. Kate assured Justin she knew how to handle divas like Paul, adding that her main concern was that she and Justin needed to learn how to work together. Justin warned that he wasn't in the mood for an argument, but Kate thought that meant it was the perfect time for such a conversation, since she wasn't in the mood for an argument, either.

Kate informed Justin that she had gotten a department store to flip and give Mad World the space in the store's cosmetics department that had previously been promised to Countess Wilhelmina. Justin was impressed, admitting he was glad Kate was on Mad World's side, since there weren't many people who would be willing to throw a son under the bus the way Kate had. Kate stressed that Lucas understood that hadn't been personal. Kate was also quick to point out that Mad World benefited when Justin agreed to just sit back and let her do her job instead of interfering in everything.

Justin conceded the point and apologized for what he had said to Kate earlier, explaining that he'd had a rough morning. Kate guessed that Justin's marital problems were weighing on his mind, and he confirmed that he and Adrienne had signed the divorce papers earlier. Kate wondered if Justin and Adrienne were sure they really wanted to end their marriage, observing that Justin wasn't acting like a man who wanted to get a divorce.

Kate suggested Justin and Adrienne might need to consider fighting to save their marriage instead, but Justin suspected Kate was just saying that because she wanted to see Lucas and Adrienne apart. "I try to never see Lucas and Adrienne together," Kate replied. "Me, too," Justin agreed. Justin advised Kate to stay out of the matter, prompting her to complain that he sounded just like Lucas, who seemed to believe she was constantly interfering in his life. "You know, I strongly object to the use of the word constantly. Yes, I do give advice, but doesn't every parent to their children?" Kate wondered with a shrug.

Justin said no, prompting Kate to point out that he'd had his own ulterior motive for offering Paul a job in Salem. "I...created a possibility. And then I just left it alone, and whatever happens will happen," Justin clarified. Nodding skeptically, Kate suggested she and Justin could create a possibility that would keep Lucas and Adrienne apart. Justin admitted he couldn't really blame Lucas for the failure of his marriage. "There comes a time when you decide to either work on your marriage or punt, and I punted," Justin summarized with a shrug. Kate tried to put a positive spin on the matter, but Justin said he didn't want to feel good about what had happened.

Kate nodded and told Justin he would move on. Justin agreed that would happen eventually, but Kate stressed that it needed to happen soon, since she had plans and needed him to be at the top of his game. Justin assured Kate he could handle business, adding that it was probably the only thing he would be able to handle for a while. As Kate started to leave, Justin stopped her. "Oh. You're going to thank me for being kind and insightful? I do have my moments," Kate noted. Justin asked Kate to promise she would look out for herself. Guessing Justin was talking about her association with Clyde, Kate assured Justin she could take care of herself.

Outside Ben's apartment, Clyde observed that it seemed like something was bothering Abigail. Hope revealed herself and explained that she and Abigail had just been discussing a family matter. Clyde argued that Abigail was a part of his family due to her relationship with his son, and he wondered if he could do anything to help her. Abigail shook her head and claimed that the matter wasn't important.

Clyde invited himself in to fix the kitchen sink, explaining that the superintendent wouldn't be able to handle the problem until at least the following day. As Clyde went to work on the sink, Abigail and Hope kept their backs turned toward him, speaking in hushed voices about Abigail's secret. Abigail insisted Jennifer and Ben couldn't know about it yet, but she assured Hope she would tell them eventually.

Hope helped Abigail get rid of Clyde so Abigail could take a shower and get ready for work. Clyde reported that a valve needed to be replaced, and he offered to go purchase the necessary part and return later that day to fix the problem. After Clyde left, Hope tactfully wondered if Abigail was considering terminating the pregnancy. Abigail stressed that she wasn't, adding that she simply wanted to make sure she had all the answers before she started letting other people get involved. Hope hugged Abigail and assured her that she didn't need to have all the answers because she had people like Hope, Jennifer, and Ben to turn to for help.

After Hope left, Clyde emerged from his hiding place in an adjacent hallway. Clyde lurked outside the apartment until he heard Abigail start the shower, at which point he entered and began snooping around. Clyde didn't find anything important on Abigail's cell phone, but he did notice a piece of paper sticking out of her purse. After using his cell phone to take a picture of the document, Clyde exited the apartment again, leaving tape on the door latch so it wouldn't lock. Clyde met Kate in the town square and canceled their lunch plans then rushed off to do some research, ultimately concluding that the document was a prescription for prenatal vitamins.

At the Horton Town Square, Chad asked Ben if Abigail was okay. Ben confirmed that Abigail was fine, and he wondered why Chad had suspected she might not be. Chad pointed out that Abigail had gotten sick during their recent outing at the lake, but Ben reminded him that she had attributed that to motion sickness from playing with Theo on the inner tube. Chad nodded and abruptly excused himself.

Elsewhere, Will revealed that he had talked to his grandmother about Paul earlier. Paul didn't want to hear anything else, since he already knew exactly how Kate felt about him, but Will clarified that he was talking about his other grandmother, Marlena. Will assured Paul that Marlena liked him well enough, although he added that she didn't really have much of a choice in the matter, since Paul was John's son. Paul countered that Will, on the other hand, did have a choice -- and had made his decision quite clear. Paul walked away after promising to steer clear of Will and Sonny in the future.

At the basketball court, Sonny informed Rafe and Ben that T was busy with girlfriend maintenance and wouldn't be able to join them. Sonny added, however, that he had recruited Chad to cover for T. A short time later, Will arrived and told everyone that Lucas was injured and had decided to back out of the game. Like Sonny, Will had also found a replacement -- Paul. The guys formed teams -- Will, Rafe, and Ben against Paul, Chad, and Sonny -- and as the others got ready for the game, Sonny pulled Paul aside to find out how he had gotten involved. Paul explained that Will had invited him, and Sonny found that encouraging.

After playing for a while, the guys took a quick break to rehydrate. Sonny privately suggested Ben had been kind of hard on Chad out on the court, but Ben insisted he had simply been playing the game. Meanwhile, Chad privately questioned Will's decision to invite Paul to join the game. Will shrugged and pointed out that it was just a friendly game of basketball. "Like hell. You're keeping your friends close and your enemies closer," Chad guessed.

After the second half, Rafe offered Ben some extra shifts at the club, assuming he might need the money because college classes would be resuming soon. Ben declined, explaining that Clyde was helping him pay for college. Rafe suggested Ben might not want to owe Clyde anything, but Ben insisted Clyde had changed. Rafe wondered how Jordan felt about Ben's new opinion of Clyde. "We don't talk about that. Look, anybody who has a closed mind about him? There's no point," Ben replied with a shrug.

Will asked Paul to help him carry some stuff back to the club, and Sonny and Paul shared a quick, silent exchange of optimism in response to the gesture as Will walked away. Later, at Club TBD, Paul told Sonny about his earlier encounter with Will, during which Will had actually been pretty nice to Paul, even after Paul had acted like a jerk to Will. "This is good. It's, like, normal and healthy, you know?" Sonny mused. Will laughed as he joined Sonny and Paul, asking Sonny not to sound so surprised about that. Will said he simply wanted the three of them to get along with each other, and Sonny agreed that he wanted the same thing.

Will informed Sonny that Adrienne had just arrived, and after Sonny left the office, Paul tried to apologize for the way he had treated Will earlier. Will insisted that wasn't necessary, and he suggested Paul and Derrick could hang out with him and Sonny sometime, even though Paul and Derrick weren't a couple. Paul excused himself after confirming he would be interested in taking Will up on that offer.

As Paul was exiting the club, he spotted Sonny and Adrienne in the middle of an embrace. Adrienne left after assuring Sonny that everything was going to be okay. Paul approached Sonny to find out how Adrienne was doing. Sonny reported that Adrienne was kind of shell-shocked -- but also seemed all right, weirdly enough. Sonny admitted he wasn't sure why he was surprised about Adrienne and Justin's decision to get a divorce, since he had seen all the signs that had indicated his parents had been headed down that path.

As Sonny leaned against the bar and started shaking his head in disbelief, Paul saw Will emerging from the office. "I think your husband needs you right now," Paul whispered to Will before walking away. Will put a comforting hand on Sonny's shoulder, and after Sonny turned to face him, they shared a hug as Sonny admitted he couldn't believe his parents' marriage had just ended.

Outside, Rafe informed Hope that a contact at the FBI had revealed that they had taken an interest in Salem lately because there had been a twenty-five percent increase in drug sales there over the past year. Hope suggested the FBI might be able to help the Salem Police Department out, but Rafe assured her that the FBI would have already done something about the matter if it had been within their power to do so. Rafe added that he and Hope didn't need the FBI's help to figure out the source of the increase, since it was obvious that Clyde was responsible.

"What do you really know about Ben?" Hope wondered. Rafe shrugged and reported that Ben had once despised Clyde but had apparently managed to work things out with Clyde recently. Rafe added that Clyde was supporting Ben financially -- to some extent, at least -- and they had been hanging out together more often lately. Rafe wondered why Hope was suddenly curious about Ben.

Ben ran into Kate in the town square and wondered why she wasn't with Clyde. Kate explained with a sigh that Clyde had canceled their lunch plans. Ben assured Kate that Clyde was crazy about her and wouldn't have bailed without a very good reason. Nodding skeptically, Kate advised Ben to never take Abigail for granted. "Men who do usually are in for a very unpleasant surprise," Kate warned before walking away.

Lucas decided to take Arianna for a walk near the basketball court so they could try to catch a glimpse of Will and Sonny playing the game, but Chad was the only one who was still around. While Chad was telling Lucas about how Will had chosen Paul as Lucas' replacement for the game, Lucas received a phone call from someone who had just heard about the move Kate had made to steal Countess Wilhelmina's space at a department store. Chad volunteered to watch Arianna so Lucas could handle the matter, making a quick call to Will to confirm it would be okay.

After Lucas left, Chad started telling Arianna about how she had gotten her middle name from the daughter he had lost a few years earlier -- a daughter he had never really known to begin with. Abigail, who had made a detour on her way to work so she could give Ben the watch he had forgotten to wear that day, stumbled upon Chad and Arianna in time to witness the interaction.

Daniel proposes to Nicole

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

by Spalding

At Eric's apartment, Marlena stopped by to talk to Eric as he packed up items from his home. When Marlena asked him what he was doing, Eric said he wanted a fresh start. Marlena suggested that Eric take time to get over his heartache until he was ready to move on with someone new. Eric thought about kissing Nicole in the crawlspace, and he told Marlena, "No, that's not happening."

When Marlena encouraged Eric to talk to her, Eric thought about when Nicole had told him that she wanted to spend her life with Daniel. Eric declined Marlena's offer. Marlena said it was understandable for Eric to have trust issues, but Eric stressed that his problems with moving on were not about trust. Marlena told Eric that she wanted him to be happy then she opened the front door to leave.

In the doorway was Serena. Eric told Marlena she could leave him alone with Serena. Marlena reluctantly left. Serena informed Eric that she was giving the photo he had given to her to an art sale because she felt like Eric would not want her to have it. Serena then placed the African sculpture that Eric had given her on the table. When Serena asked about the packing, Eric explained that he was getting rid of everything from Africa and anything that reminded him of Serena.

Upset, Serena told Eric that it troubled her to see Eric give up so many things from his life because of her. Annoyed, Eric ordered Serena to leave. When Serena hesitated, Eric said that whatever Nicole had said to Serena, he agreed with. Serena walked to the door and paused. Working up her nerve, Serena asked Eric what had happened between him and Nicole in the crawlspace.

Nicole returned home to her and Daniel's apartment, and she called out to him. When there was no answer, Nicole eyeballed the drawer that Daniel had been so desperate to keep from Nicole's prying eyes. With a shrug, Nicole opened the drawer and pulled out a drawing from Parker, welcoming her to the apartment. Daniel emerged from the bedroom, dressed in a suit. Nicole told Daniel she was touched by the drawing. With a raised eyebrow, Nicole noted that the drawing was not what Daniel had been hiding in the drawer. Daniel smiled, and he said he was not going to tell Nicole.

Daniel escorted Nicole to a fancy restaurant for lunch. When Daniel pushed a bread basket toward Nicole, she held her breath as she slowly unwrapped the napkin around the bread. Inside was a loaf of bread. Nicole nibbled on a piece of bread in confusion.

Shaking his head, a stern-faced Daniel said he did not want to torture Nicole and that they could "not go on like this." As Nicole stared at Daniel with concern, he pulled the ring box out of his coat pocket and dropped to one knee. "Nicole, will you marry me?" he asked. Nicole gasped.

At the Club TBD office, Sonny was upset about his parents' divorce. "Divorce, it's just how some marriages end. It could even be us," Will counseled Sonny. When Sonny's mouth dropped open, Will stressed that he wanted to save their marriage and that divorce was unlikely. Will added that therapy had taught him to accept the unacceptable things he had done. As Sonny sighed in relief, Will said that he had a lot of self-improvement work left to do.

"Paul was right," Will said. When Will added that he wished he had been more respectful to Paul, Sonny was shocked. Will explained that he had been lucky to have Sonny in his life when he had emerged from the closet but that Paul was not only alone but out in the public eye. When Will mentioned that he wished things had happened more slowly, Sonny wondered aloud if Will was regretting his decision to marry so young.

Shaking his head, Will said that marrying Sonny had been the happiest day of his life. Will explained that no one could know what the future held, and he did not think that good intentions were protection against all the ills of the world. Sonny and Will agreed to take their relationship day by day, together.

At the park near the basketball courts, Chad cradled Arianna in his arms, and he told her about his daughter, Grace. Nearby, Abigail listened as Chad said, "I would have been a great dad. I just never really had the chance." Abigail wiped away a tear, and she stumbled as she turned to sneak away. Chad called out to Abigail. Abigail explained that she was looking for Ben. Chad informed Abigail about the basketball game, and Abigail was surprised to hear that Chad and Ben had played basketball together.

When Chad asked Abigail if she was okay, Abigail insisted she was fine. Abigail added that her problems were none of Chad's business. With a shrug, Chad said that Kayla had told him the same thing, in the same tone. Chad handed Arianna to Abigail, and he awkwardly brushed against Abigail's arm. When Chad asked Abigail what she was thinking about, Abigail told Chad that she had overheard him talk about Grace.

Suspicious, Chad again asked Abigail if she was okay. Abigail said that Chad could not take back what he had said to her and pretend that nothing was wrong between them. Frustrated, Chad muttered, "No way you can know the truth." Alarmed, Abigail asked Chad to tell her what "truth" he was talking about. Chad shook his head then Will interrupted the conversation to pick up Arianna. Chad excused himself and left hurriedly. Will insisted that Abigail talk to him privately at his apartment.

Outside Club TBD, Rafe and Hope talked about Ben. Aiden interrupted their conversation to inform Hope that he needed to work. Rafe asked Aiden if he could take Chase to the baseball game to watch Ciara umpire. Smiling, Aiden thanked Rafe for taking Chase to the game. When Aiden asked Hope if she had been able to find Abigail, Hope said yes and changed the subject. Aiden kissed Hope goodbye, and he ran off to work.

With a suspicious glance, Rafe asked Hope why she had been so anxious to see Abigail. Hope stressed that her discussion with Abigail had been about a confidential family matter. Worried, Rafe pressed Hope for details about the situation with Abigail, but she refused. Rafe nodded. When Rafe pointed out that he had been suspicious about Abigail and Aiden had not, Rafe noted that it was because he knew Hope better than Aiden. Hope fidgeted with annoyance.

"I'm sorry, what I said about Aiden. You two, you're obviously crazy about each other. You can see that," Rafe said. "Yeah, but you feel that if he knew me the way you do," Hope started. Rafe interrupted to finish, "Then he'd be even crazier about you."

At Club TBD, Chad stopped by the office to talk to Sonny about work. When Chad thanked Sonny for the invite to the basketball game, a suspicious Sonny asked Chad what was going on with him. Chad avoided answering the question, so Sonny asked if Chad was upset about Abigail. Chad mumbled that he had ruined things with Abigail. When Sonny asked for details, Chad wouldn't explain. Sonny argued that he had seen how Chad looked at Abigail, and he did not believe that Chad did not care about her.

Chad admitted that he had been a jerk to Abigail and that he deserved whatever happened to him. When Sonny asked why, Chad noted it was because he was a DiMera. Sonny remarked that Chad was as much a DiMera as he was a Kiriakis. Chad admitted that he had hurt Abigail because he could but also because he had had to hurt her.

When Will and Abigail arrived at Will and Sonny's apartment, Will asked about Chad. Abigail informed Will that Chad had mentioned a "truth that she didn't know." Abigail added that she had not told Chad about the pregnancy, but if she learned that Chad was the father, she intended to move to Europe. As Will's mouth dropped open, Abigail continued. Abigail noted that she had told Hope about the pregnancy but not about the paternity issue. Will warned Abigail that Hope would tell Jennifer about the pregnancy if Abigail ran off to Europe.

Fighting tears, Abigail said that Ben would never forgive her for what she had done. Abigail cried out that she was incapable of loyalty in her romantic relationships. Abigail hoped aloud that Ben was the father of the baby so that she could move on and put her mistakes behind her. Will asked Abigail if her plan to run away was because of Chad or because of how Abigail felt about Chad. Abigail avoided the question.

Will advised Abigail not to run away because it would be difficult with a child. With a sigh, Will added that it would also be a bad decision because Chad had already lost his daughter, Grace. Will told Abigail that it would be a terrible decision to not tell Chad about his child. "Are you in love with Chad?" Will asked Abigail. Abigail yelled that Chad treated her terribly then Abigail ran out of the apartment.

At the park bench, Clyde looked up the medication that had been listed on the prescription in Abigail's purse. Clyde was surprised to learn that the medication was for prenatal care. As Clyde pondered the information, Ben jogged around the corner and asked what was wrong. Clyde said he was preoccupied with work. Ben told Clyde about the basketball game with Chad. When Clyde asked about Ben and Abigail's relationship, Ben insisted that everything was fine with Abigail and that Chad was out of the picture. Ben said he never wanted to hear about Chad again, and he jogged off.

Clyde mumbled to himself that it was clear that Ben had no idea that Abigail was pregnant. When Clyde asked himself why Abigail would want to keep the news a secret, Clyde answered himself noting that Abigail was unsure who was the father of the baby. Clyde researched paternity tests and learned that the earliest the test could be conducted would be eight weeks into the pregnancy. Clyde muttered that he would not let the property in Ireland slip through Ben's fingers even if Ben's girlfriend was a "DiMera whore."

A thrilled Nicole accepts Daniel's proposal

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

by ChickenGrrl

In Horton Square, Hope left a message urging Abigail to call her, especially if Abigail needed someone to talk to about her unplanned pregnancy. As Hope hung up and turned around, Aiden was waiting to surprise her with a bouquet of flowers. A minute later, the two bumped into Kayla, who invited Aiden and Hope over for dinner the following Sunday. Recalling how she'd been against Hope dating Aiden at first, Kayla sheepishly admitted that she was very glad she'd been wrong about Aiden.

Hope and Aiden accepted Kayla's dinner invitation and promised to show up with wine and dessert. Aiden kissed Hope as he left for the courthouse. Before Kayla could head to the hospital, Hope asked, "How are you? What's happening? What's new in your life?" Kayla excitedly showed Hope a file containing a flyer for the upcoming Salem bicentennial celebration in November. Kayla explained that she was on the committee, and Hope said she would be more than happy to help out.

At Club TBD, Paige said she was thinking about calling Kyle Southern. Daphne scoffed that everyone thought Kyle was a drug dealer, and she suspected that Paige was only going after him because it would infuriate J.J. Paige insisted that she tried not to even think about J.J., much less about how he would react to anything she did. "I just want him to leave me alone forever!" Paige declared. "Can you say that again and mean it?" Daphne countered. Paige conceded that perhaps she should let go of "this whole thing."

J.J. met Roman and Agent Watts in Roman's office at the police station to tell them that he would work undercover for the DEA -- and, to that end, he'd already set up a meeting for later in the day with Kyle Southern. Roman admonished J.J. for acting before talking to Roman or Watts. Watts reminded J.J. that no one else, even within the police department, could know about their operation. Roman was curious as to what had made J.J. change his mind.

J.J. admitted that, with his history, he just wanted to do his part. Watts cautioned J.J. that he would have to be patient and spend time getting Kyle to trust him. J.J. understood, but he added that he would not participate unless he could tell his mom what he was doing, because he knew it would break her heart if she ever found out that he was dealing again. Watts reluctantly agreed, as long as Jennifer was sworn to secrecy. Watts left after promising to get in touch with J.J. about his training. Roman cautioned J.J. not to do anything but talk when he met with Kyle.

In the park, Kyle spoke with Clyde by phone about his potential new dealer. As soon as Clyde hung up, he removed the SIM card from his phone, stuffed the card in his pocket, and threw the phone in the trash. Kyle, meanwhile, stuck his own phone in his backpack next to a handgun and zipped the pack shut.

When J.J. showed up, he shook Kyle's hand and immediately asked, "You have the stuff?" Laughing, Kyle said, "You ever hear of foreplay, J.J.? Relax, man. What's your rush?" Kyle maintained his friendly demeanor as he forced J.J. to submit to a frisking. Afterwards, Kyle checked J.J.'s phone, as well, noting, "You can't ever be too careful. You should know that." J.J. expressed admiration for Kyle's thoroughness.

As Kyle was telling J.J. that the two of them had a lot to discuss, Paige showed up. She hid in the bushes and spied on the guys while they talked quietly. After a moment, Paige hurried away. Kyle emphasized that he had to trust J.J., but Kyle admitted that he was suspicious of J.J. because of Paige. Kyle reminded J.J. that he'd refused to work for Kyle unless Kyle stayed away from Paige -- but after a spat with Paige, J.J. had suddenly changed his mind. "What's your point?" J.J. asked. Kyle slid his hand inside his backpack and put his finger on the trigger of the pistol as he urged J.J. to be honest with him.

On his phone outside Club TBD, Clyde was saying, "Well, that's very nice of you. I look forward to that tour, you know, because I'm considering making another donation to the hospital... Yes, sir, I will." Clyde hung up and mused to himself with a smile, "Well, since Abigail's auntie's the chief of staff, the one who gave her that prescription, I'll bet she's the one gonna be doing the paternity test -- and I'll soon find out if I'm gonna be a granddaddy, or if she's carrying a DiMera bastard inside of her."

At the hospital, Jennifer complained to Maxine that despite numerous interviews she'd still been unable to fill a surgical clerk job -- for which Paige Larson was really the only qualified candidate, but Paige had turned down the job offer. Jennifer believed that she was the reason Paige had refused the job as well as the internships she'd been offered at the hospital.

Maxine had heard about that and wanted to know why Paige was so angry with Jennifer. Jennifer admitted that she'd done "a terrible thing," but Maxine refused to believe it. Jennifer sadly explained that she had hurt Paige and would do anything to make up for it.

Paige was heading into the park outside Horton Square when she ran into Jennifer. Jennifer gently pointed out that there were a lot of jobs that paid more than the yogurt shop, and she hoped Paige hadn't turned them down because of Abigail and Jennifer. "Honey, I know that you're having a rough time. I am so worried about you," Jennifer added. "You're worried about me? What a joke -- because I am so not the one you need to be worried about," Paige scoffed, adding, "If I were you, I'd be dead-straight worried about J.J. and his new friend, the drug dealer."

Doug and Julie, fresh from one of their many cruises, caught up with John and Marlena over lunch at the Brady Pub. The Williamses were eager to hear if the rumors about Marlena and John getting back together were true. John and Marlena laughed uncomfortably, and John admitted that he and "Doc" were finding their way back to each other. Doug and Julie were thrilled for them. Marlena said she and John felt blessed to have such great family and friends. Julie insisted on taking a picture of John and Marlena kissing, so they happily obliged her.

After John had to leave, Marlena said she still had a few minutes before she had to meet with a patient. Noting that John had a newfound son and a new grandson, Doug and Julie asked how Marlena was dealing with all the changes in John's life -- especially since they believed that John's focus should be on Marlena. Marlena assured Doug and Julie that John had made sure she was involved in everything that had to do with Tate and Paul. Julie and Doug looked forward to getting to know Paul.

Marlena described how similar Paul and John were. Doug lamented Paul's career-ending shoulder injury, but Marlena pointed out that if it hadn't happened, Paul and John might never have found each other.

Maggie was cradling a sleeping Tate in her arms when Brady took Paul to the Kiriakis mansion to see Brady's son. Little Tate stirred a bit when Maggie transferred him to Paul, who gently bounced his new nephew. Maggie complimented Paul on his natural ability. Brady admitted that fatherhood had changed everything for him -- for the better.

Paul was alone with the baby, murmuring to Tate about teaching him how to throw a fastball, when John arrived and grinned at finding the two of them together. John remarked that it had been a miracle that he and Brady had both found sons they'd never known about -- and John hoped Paul would also experience the miracle of fatherhood one day. Paul said he would like to have children someday.

John asked how things had been going for Paul. Paul said he'd been doing some work with Kate -- which had been challenging -- and he'd recently played basketball with some guys, including Will and Sonny. Paul was optimistic that he, Sonny, and Will might eventually become friends. John reassured Paul that he would find someone to care about as much as he'd loved Sonny. "If there's one thing that I've learned in my dotage, it's that sometimes that person you're meant to be with could be on the other side of the world, and other times, they could be right there with you all along," John said.

At Eric's apartment, Serena demanded to know what had happened between Nicole and Eric in the crawl space. Eric angrily reminded Serena that she knew exactly what had happened: Xander had tried to kill Nicole and Eric. Serena noted that the last time she'd been alone with Nicole, it had seemed as if there were more to the story than that. Watching Eric's reaction, Serena acknowledged that it was none of her business. Eric agreed, adding irritably that they had nothing left to talk about.

Serena answered when there was a knock at the door just then and found Brady in the hallway. "What the hell are you doing here?" Brady demanded. Serena said she had just stopped by to return something of Eric's, but she was leaving for the hospital. Eric couldn't believe that Serena still worked there. She explained that the police wouldn't let her leave town, so she'd taken another project. After Brady slammed the door behind Serena, she wondered what Eric and Nicole were hiding.

Brady asked what was going on with Eric, since it was obvious that Eric wasn't himself. Eric snapped at Brady and returned to furiously cramming things into boxes. Brady pressed on about the possible reasons Serena had really stayed in Salem, until finally Eric bellowed, "Listen, Brady, forget it! Just let it go!" Eric tried to change the subject to how things were going with Brady having to share a house with Theresa, but Brady expressed concern for Eric and whatever was going on with him.

"Eric, you need to talk to me about what really happened when you and Nicole were trapped and you almost died, because I think something else happened, something that I don't know about. I don't know if it was with Xander or Nicole or what," Brady said to Eric's turned back, pleading with Eric to talk to him. Eric insisted he was fine and there was nothing he needed to tell Brady. Brady gave up and left. Eric stared pensively at his phone for a moment before grabbing his keys and hurrying out.

During their lunch date at a new restaurant, Daniel proposed to Nicole. Initially speechless and overcome, Nicole's eyes filled with joyful tears and she let out a surprised laugh. Finally, she replied enthusiastically, "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Daniel Jonas, I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much!" Daniel kissed her and declared that he was very grateful that he'd found Nicole. As Daniel slipped the ring on Nicole's finger, he told her how much it meant to him that the two of them could trust each other after everything they'd gone through to get there.

Nicole guiltily flashed back to kissing Eric in the crawl space then she changed the subject and asked if Daniel had told Parker about the proposal. Daniel said he planned to tell his son when he returned from Chloe's. Nicole seemed nervous about wearing the ring before they had a chance to announce their engagement, but Daniel didn't think there was any reason to hide it. Nicole wanted to know if Daniel were really sure about marrying her.

Declaring that he wouldn't have given her a ring if he weren't sure, Daniel asked what was bothering Nicole. She tearfully noted that although she was grateful to Daniel for believing in her when no one else had, she had also nearly died, and she was worried that had affected his judgment and one day he would realize she wasn't what he really wanted. "I just need you to think about it right now. Are you absolutely sure you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" Nicole asked.

An emotional Daniel asserted that everything that had happened up until that moment had only made him love Nicole more and appreciate the honesty and love they shared. "So, yes, I am sure I want to marry you. I am very, very, very, very sure!" Daniel declared, kissing Nicole as she chuckled through her tears. Nicole agreed that the past was behind them.

Daniel pointed out that they had to set a date, although that would have to wait until they'd told Parker. Nicole grabbed her purse and started to leave, but Daniel reminded her that they hadn't even had dinner yet. "Who can eat? Honey, I'm going home to our place to calm down and make lists -- and be happier than I've ever been," Nicole declared before kissing Daniel and hurrying out.

Brady tracked Daniel down at the hospital and informed him that Serena had taken on a new project there -- something he'd learned when he'd seen her earlier at Eric's. Just then, Serena got off the elevator and eavesdropped on the men's conversation. "What in the hell was Serena doing at Eric's?" Daniel demanded. Brady said he didn't know, and Eric had refused to divulge anything. When Daniel left to check on a patient, Brady turned around and found Serena standing there, arms folded defiantly, waiting to confront him.

Nicole entered Daniel's apartment with an armload of bridal magazines and let out an exultant shriek and stamped her feet happily before plopping down on the sofa and giddily admiring her ring. She giggled as she began flipping through one of the magazines until a knock at the door interrupted her. Assuming it was Daniel, Nicole rushed over and opened it, but instead, Eric was on the doorstep. He quickly realized he'd made a mistake in showing up, but Nicole asked him to stay because she needed to tell him something. Eric said, "Let me go first. It's about Serena. I think she knows...about us."

J.J. starts his undercover operation

Thursday, July 23, 2015

by Mike

At the DiMera mansion, Chad found Stefano in the study, staring at a framed photograph of E.J. and Sami. Stefano admitted he missed E.J. terribly, and he sighed as he added that Sami didn't even want him to see his grandchildren. Chad wondered if Stefano could really blame Sami for making such a decision. Stefano reasoned that Sami simply wasn't in her right mind at that time because she was still bereft without E.J.

"Listen, she and Elvis fought like tigers, you know? But in the end? Ha-ha. They couldn't live without each other. In that way, they were like you and Abigail," Stefano mused. Chad impatiently told Stefano to stop harping on that particular subject. Stefano protested that he had simply been speaking the truth, but Chad insisted the truth was that Abigail hated his guts.

"You know, Samantha felt the same way about Elvis, okay? That kind of passionate hatred -- it's often a cover for a whole other kind of passion," Stefano argued. Chad maintained that it was too late for Stefano to play Cupid, since Abigail was living with another man. "And Samantha was married to Rafael Hernandez. You know, she and Elvis caused each other so much pain, and by the time that they finally accepted it -- ha-ha-ha, that they were meant for each other, you understand? Their time ran out. Is that what you want for yourself, huh? Huh? And Abigail? Hmm?" Stefano countered.

Chad said he would be more choked up about Stefano's concern for his and Abigail's happiness if he didn't know it was really all about Stefano wanting the land Abigail was about to inherit. "You're wrong, son. It is about wanting you to be with the woman that you love. And I will do everything -- everything -- to help you make that happen," Stefano vowed.

At the hospital, Kayla tracked Abigail down and wondered how she was doing. Abigail sarcastically replied that, aside from not knowing if the child she was carrying belonged to the man she loved or the man she despised, everything was great. Abigail quickly apologized for snapping at Kayla, but Kayla thought it was good for Abigail to voice such feelings, since Abigail had a big decision to make soon.

Kayla wondered if Abigail would be happy if the baby turned out to be Ben's. Abigail thought that was a silly question, but Kayla stressed that she simply wanted Abigail to be honest with herself. Kayla suspected Abigail's feelings for Chad were unresolved, but Abigail maintained that she despised Chad. Kayla gently warned that Abigail needed to be prepared for the possibility that the child could be Chad's.

Clyde met with Anne at the hospital to discuss his interest in touring the place and possibly making another donation to it. Clyde pointed out that he'd had a personal interest in the other charity he had helped the hospital start, since it had been his daughter's idea. Anne nodded and tried to start singing Jordan's praises, although she had trouble doing so because she couldn't even remember Jordan's name.

Anne assured Clyde that she had been personally handling Jordan's charity to ensure that it continued to do a lot of good for a lot of needy people. "I mean, eh...Jordan's partner on the project, Abigail Deveraux? Not exactly the brightest bulb in the circuit, you know?" Anne added with a laugh. Clyde stopped Anne and informed her that Abigail was actually living with his son and might one day be his daughter-in-law. Anne laughed nervously as she clarified that she hadn't been trying to suggest Abigail was stupid. Anne added that Abigail was simply young and inexperienced but had nevertheless proven to be a very capable right-hand woman.

Changing the subject, Clyde revealed that he had been thinking about turning his attention to another department at the hospital -- prenatal care. Clyde explained that his late wife had been pregnant at the time of her accidental death, and his unborn child had died with her. Clyde added that his late wife had been on her way to the hospital to take one of those tests pregnant women took to make sure the baby was okay. "Oh, yeah, must have been an amniocentesis," Anne guessed. Clyde shrugged and said he was thinking about donating money to the hospital to help women who couldn't afford to pay for the test on their own.

After giving Clyde a tour of the relevant department, Anne took him to the waiting area, where they continued discussing everything they had just seen. Clyde casually started praising the genius of the person who was in charge of that part of the hospital, prompting Anne to reveal that the man's name was Martin. Clyde abruptly ended the conversation when he spotted Abigail rounding a corner. Clyde went to apologize to Abigail for the way he had barged into her and Ben's apartment during her earlier conversation with Hope. Abigail insisted that wasn't necessary and that she was grateful for Clyde's offer to fix the sink.

Clyde stressed that he would do anything for Abigail because she made Ben very happy. Abigail confirmed that Ben made her very happy, too. Meanwhile, Kayla interrupted to talk to Clyde about the tour he had just taken, which Anne had just finished bragging to her about in the break room. Abigail excused herself, and after she left, Clyde told Kayla the hospital could basically count on receiving another sizable donation from him in the near future. Kayla excused herself after receiving a phone call. As Clyde started to walk away, he overheard Chad asking someone at the nurses' station about Abigail. Chad went to Abigail's office to talk to her about something.

Elsewhere, Serena told Brady she had overheard the conversation he and Daniel had been having about Eric -- and she, too, had noticed that something had been bothering Eric lately. Brady guessed Eric probably just found it bothersome that Xander was still walking around Salem as a free man after his recent attempt to kill Eric and Nicole. Serena insisted she had already done everything she could possibly do to help the police nail Xander. Serena added that she still cared about Eric. "Serena, find someone else to care about, and stay away from my brother," Brady advised.

Serena pointed out that she was a journalist -- and journalists never gave up easily. Brady wondered if it was true that Serena had another job lined up in Salem. Serena clarified that she actually had a grant lined up. Brady vowed to step in, as a member of the hospital board, and make sure Serena never received that grant, but she informed him that he wouldn't be able to do anything about it because the university was responsible for the grant, not the hospital. "Don't be too sure. I'm a Kiriakis; there's always something I can do," Brady warned.

Serena wished she could get Brady to believe she still loved Eric and simply wanted what was best for him. Serena insisted she was worried about Eric because something was clearly troubling him. Brady suggested Serena could actually be the very thing that was troubling Eric, but she reminded him that Eric had dumped her and wanted nothing to do with her. "Whatever's bothering him, it's recent. It's somebody else's doing," Serena guessed before walking away.

In Daniel's apartment, Nicole discreetly turned her bridal magazines facedown as she insisted Serena couldn't possibly know anything about what had almost happened in the crawlspace. Nicole suspected Serena had simply been fishing for information, hoping Eric would slip up and say something she could use to stop Nicole from doing an expos on her. "Oh, Eric. You didn't do that, did you?" Nicole worriedly asked.

Eric assured Nicole he was positive he hadn't said anything Serena could have latched onto. Nicole remained convinced Serena had simply been bluffing in an attempt to trick either her or Eric into saying something that could be used against them. As Eric started to point out that Serena wouldn't be able to get anything on him and Nicole as long as they stuck together, he noticed Nicole's engagement ring.

Nicole confirmed that she had gotten engaged to Daniel earlier that day, adding that she had been planning to tell Eric the news before he left. Nicole confirmed that she was happy about the engagement, and she gently reiterated that what had almost happened in the crawlspace had meant something different to her than it had to Eric. "I should have married you when I had the chance," Eric muttered regretfully.

Nicole joked that a marriage between her and Eric never would have worked out because she wasn't his type. Eric disagreed but stressed that he was happy for Nicole and Daniel. Eric hoped Serena wouldn't do anything to ruin the whole thing. "Nothing is gonna ruin this. And if Serena tries, I swear to God, I will destroy that bitch," Nicole vowed.

After Eric left, Nicole went to the Salem Inn to make it clear that Serena's plan to neutralize her with incriminating information wasn't going to work. Nicole offered to drop her idea to do an expos on Serena in exchange for Serena's promise to leave Salem and stay far, far away from Eric and everyone else in his life. "Whoa. You are scared to death, aren't you? Whatcha so afraid of, Nicole?" Serena asked with great interest.

Brady paid Eric a visit and admitted he was really worried because something was clearly bothering Eric, and Eric was refusing to talk to anyone about it. Brady insisted he wanted to be there for Eric, the same way Eric had tried to be there for him during his own struggles. Eric pointed out that Brady had never taken him up on his offer to help out during that difficult time in Brady's life, but Brady argued that he had been an idiot and that Eric, on the other hand, was supposed to be the rational, wise brother. After swearing Brady to secrecy, Eric reluctantly confirmed that something was bothering him. "It's Nicole. I've fallen in love with her again," Eric admitted.

At the park, J.J. started to walk away from Kyle, complaining that he was done trying to prove he could be trusted. Kyle stopped J.J. and laughed off the matter, pointing out that it simply paid to be careful in their line of work. J.J. told Kyle to stop testing him so they could get down to business.

Kyle asked J.J. to deliver a package to his brother for him because he was going to be too busy that day to handle the task himself. "You didn't tell me I was gonna be an errand boy," J.J. protested. Kyle preferred to think of the request as a favor -- a mutual showing of good faith that would prove J.J. really was ready to go back to work immediately. J.J. nodded and left with the package.

At the Horton Town Square, Paige warned Jennifer that J.J. had recently started hanging out with a drug dealer. Jennifer assumed Paige was talking about Rory, but Paige clarified that the guy she was talking about made Rory look like an amateur. Paige declined to provide more details, insisting the matter was none of her business. Jennifer stressed that she appreciated how, even after everything that had happened, Paige had still been willing to help her look out for J.J.

Later, Bev overheard Paige talking to Kyle on the phone, agreeing to meet him at Club TBD for coffee. "What kind of game are you playing?" Bev asked, struggling to understand why Paige had just agreed to a coffee date with a guy who obviously wasn't her type. Paige insisted Bev knew nothing about her. "But I know something about you," Paige teasingly added.

Paige encouraged Bev to go after J.J., knowing Bev had always had a thing for him. "I have your permission? Wow, thank you!" Bev sarcastically replied. Paige warned that, while Bev probably had a real shot with J.J. because he had always liked her, he would probably end up breaking Bev's heart -- assuming Bev had one. Paige started to suggest Bev might deserve that kind of treatment, but she quickly changed her mind, concluding that no one did.

"You can stuff your warnings. I know who J.J. is, and so did you. How could you not? You're a straight-A student. He was your little rebellion, and you knew exactly what you were getting into. So go cry about it to somebody else," Bev replied. Paige countered that she had been wrong earlier -- Bev and J.J. did deserve each other, after all. "But I'm gonna give you another warning, and you shouldn't ignore it -- don't let J.J. meet your mother," Paige added before heading off to Club TBD to see Kyle.

After delivering the package to Kyle's supposed brother and getting an envelope filled with drug money in return, J.J. headed back to the Horton house and contacted Watts to give him an update. Watts instructed J.J. to deliver the money to Kyle as promised, and he agreed to meet with J.J. soon to provide further instructions. After J.J. ended the call, he started to stuff the envelope in his backpack -- and realized Jennifer was standing behind him. "J.J., what have you gotten yourself into now?" Jennifer worriedly asked.

J.J. led Jennifer over to the couch and explained everything to her. Jennifer was grateful that J.J. had insisted on being allowed to fill her in on his undercover operation, and she was proud of him for agreeing to help with such an important matter, but she admitted she was really worried about the possibility of something happening to him as a result. J.J. assured Jennifer he would be given training so he would know how to handle himself. J.J. stressed that he wanted to -- and had to -- help the DEA solve Salem's drug problem.

"Mom, it's especially important to me 'cause I sold drugs. I hurt people; I hurt them badly. You know that. And maybe if I do this, it'll make up for all the bad stuff that I did," J.J. explained. Jennifer guessed J.J. was talking about the things he had done to Paige -- and that he wanted to help the DEA as some sort of penance for those mistakes. "What if I do?" J.J. replied with a shrug. Jennifer pointed out that helping the DEA wouldn't change things between J.J. and Paige, adding that Paige had already made it clear that she wanted to start a new life for herself.

"And that scum that I saw today? That dealer? That's the one she's making her new life with," J.J. revealed. Jennifer found it hard to believe that Paige would get involved with a drug dealer, but J.J. explained that, thanks to him, Paige had started acting recklessly. Jennifer insisted that, while it was horrible that Paige was exhibiting self-destructive behavior, that was something for Eve to be concerned about, not J.J. "Okay, so I'm just supposed to sit back and do nothing while she hangs out with a guy that can get her hooked on drugs -- or worse? I'm just supposed to say, 'Hey, it's not my problem'?" J.J. asked incredulously.

Jennifer assured J.J. that Paige would eventually regain her senses and realize the guy she was hanging out with was dangerous. "Eventually isn't good enough, Mom! And what if she doesn't?" J.J. worriedly countered. Jennifer stressed that, while she understood that J.J. was trying to undo the damage he had caused, he had to agree to help the DEA for the right reasons, not because he wanted to try to make things up to Paige. Before J.J. could respond, he received a text message from Kyle, who wanted to know if J.J. had seen his brother yet.

Friday, July 24, 2015

by ChickenGrrl

Chad got off the elevator at the hospital and inquired at the nurses' station where Abigail Deveraux was. Clyde watched furtively as a nurse informed Chad that Abigail had been working in her office all day. Clyde started to follow when Chad headed in that direction, but Marlena stopped Clyde to ask why he'd missed his last two therapy appointments and hadn't rescheduled. Clyde apologized for his thoughtlessness and promised that he was going to call Marlena's office to reschedule. As Clyde walked away, Marlena muttered skeptically, "Sure you are."

Chad entered Abigail's office and told her that they needed to talk because he needed to clear the air and tell her the truth. Abigail said they had nothing to talk about. Chad explained that he'd thought they'd made progress because of the time they'd spent with Arianna. Abigail countered that she would never have gotten into an argument with Chad or shown her true feelings about him in front of Arianna. "So you still hate me," Chad surmised.

With a derisive laugh, Abigail asked, "Can you blame me, after all of the horrible things that you said to me that night at your place?" Chad admitted that he'd been a jerk -- but Abigail needed to know that none of what he'd said that night had been true. Abigail sarcastically retorted that his admission made everything fine, so they could be best friends. Chad understood that Abigail was still angry. "Did you or did you not come back to Salem to get revenge on me for sleeping with your brother?" Abigail demanded.

Chad admitted that had been the case when he'd first returned, and Abigail recounted how Chad had also gotten Rafe fired to keep him away from Jordan. Abigail declared that, although Chad kept saying he was nothing like his brother, Chad charmed people to get what he wanted before reverting to the real Chad, who was conniving and devious. "I thought you cared about me, Chad! God, I thought that you loved me! You were so, so unbelievably cruel to me that night," Abigail cried.

While Chad was trying to tell Abigail what his true feelings were, Clyde rapped on Abigail's open door and apologized for interrupting. He asked if everything were all right. Abigail quickly composed herself and told Clyde that she and Chad were finished with their conversation. After Chad left, a concerned Clyde asked if Chad had done something to hurt Abigail. Abigail claimed that she and Chad had just been having a disagreement about hospital matters.

An obviously agitated Chad had just pushed the button for the elevator when Marlena spotted him and advised him that her offer to listen was still good. Chad declined, so Marlena invited him to join her for lunch -- and some of Caroline's "healing chowder -- at the Brady Pub. Chad somewhat reluctantly accepted.

Clyde explained to Abigail that he'd dropped by because they had some "unfinished business" -- namely, her kitchen sink, which Clyde would be happy to finish repairing since he'd picked up the new part it needed. As a grateful Abigail fished her house key out of her purse, she said she would be at work for a while, and Ben had already left for his job, so Clyde would have the place to himself. "Great, no one will hear me swearing," Clyde joked. He asked again if Abigail were really all right, and she assured him that she'd never been better. Clyde took the key and headed out. "You lying little slut," Clyde muttered as he left.

As she worked alone in her office later, Abigail pressed her hand on her belly and sighed, struggling to fight back tears.

In a corner booth at the Brady Pub, Chad didn't seem to have much appetite for the chowder. Marlena guessed that something was going on with him and that he had no one to talk to about it. Chad admitted that Marlena was right, but he would only agree to talk to her if they had doctor-patient confidentiality. He slid a hundred-dollar bill across the table to her. After Marlena stated that they had officially begun a session, Chad asked, "How do you walk away from somebody that you love?"

Marlena asked why Chad would want to do that. Chad explained that "she" hated him because he'd been terrible to her, but he'd done it for her own good. "So...you decided to make the decision for both of you. It didn't matter what she wanted or what she thought," Marlena concluded. She asked why Chad had wanted to push the woman away. "To protect her," Chad replied. Realization dawned on Marlena, who asked, "Does your father have something to do with all this?" She urged Chad, "Don't let him destroy your life... Tell this girl that you love her before it's too late."

At the Horton house, an anxious Jennifer expressed her fears to J.J. about him going undercover for the DEA to work with dangerous drug dealers, even though she admitted she was proud of him for doing that. J.J. reassured his mom that Roman and Agent Watts would protect him. J.J. paused to send a text message. Jennifer warned J.J. that even if he got Kyle put away, Paige would not love J.J. for it. J.J. insisted that he wasn't trying to get Paige back; he was trying to keep her -- and a lot of other kids -- from getting killed.

Jennifer argued that J.J. could get killed in the process. J.J. asserted that he was trying to do the right thing, which was something she had taught him. Jennifer surprised J.J. by admitting that Paige had been the one who'd told her that J.J. was hanging out with a drug dealer. J.J. wondered if Paige was hanging out with Kyle just to bug J.J. Jennifer urged J.J. not to hound Paige about Kyle lest J.J. drive her to keep seeing Kyle out of spite. Jennifer made J.J. promise to follow Roman's guidelines and not try to overreach. Nodding, J.J. kissed his mom on the cheek and headed out.

Roman arrived a little later at Jennifer's request. "Roman, I am very proud of [J.J.], but I want assurance from you that my son is going to be protected," Jennifer demanded. She admitted that she was afraid for J.J. Roman reassured Jennifer that he and Agent Watts would train J.J. and watch his back. "J.J. will be fine. He will be safe. I promise you that. You have my word," Roman vowed.

When Kyle met Paige at Club TBD, he apologized for having to take time away from her to send a text message to J.J. Deveraux. A moment later, Kyle read J.J.'s reply, which said, "Saw your bro... Talk later." Kyle tucked his phone in his pocket. Paige admitted that she wasn't sure how she felt about Kyle being friends with her "loser ex." Kyle claimed that he was only being nice to J.J. because J.J. was Bev's friend. Changing the subject, Paige said she'd like to get to know Kyle better, since she knew almost nothing about him.

Paige asked Kyle about his family, where he was from, and what he did for a living. Lowering his voice conspiratorially, Kyle informed Paige that he was a secret-agent spy and superhero. Laughing, Paige played along -- but her smile faded when Kyle asked what J.J. had done to mess things up with Paige. Paige wouldn't reveal any details except that it had been unforgivable. She assured Kyle that J.J. meant nothing to her -- but she was taken aback, though she covered, when Kyle informed her that J.J. had said the same thing about her.

Kyle told Paige that he wanted to take her to the Edge of the Square that night. Paige accepted but reminded Kyle that she wasn't old enough to drink. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it," Kyle assured her. He admitted that he'd never dated a "good-girl type" before, but he found her intriguing. J.J. walked in just as Kyle leaned over to give Paige a goodbye kiss on the cheek. Before the others saw him, J.J. stormed out.

Kyle was gone a few minutes later when J.J. went back inside. Paige accused him of stalking her. "Get over yourself, okay? I work here, remember?" J.J. snapped. Acknowledging that Paige would never listen to him, J.J. warned her that she could be ruining her life by going out with Kyle. As J.J. headed for the office, Paige shouted after him, "You're the one who ruined my life!" She followed him into the back -- and walked in on him just as he'd removed his shirt to change into work clothes.

At Eric's apartment, Eric admitted to Brady that he'd fallen in love with Nicole again, but Nicole didn't return his love; she loved Daniel. Before Brady had much time to react, Daniel showed up. Daniel explained that he just wanted to check on Eric, who Nicole had said was a little shaken up after a run-in with Serena. Eric insisted he was fine. He simultaneously congratulated Daniel and filled in Brady about Daniel and Nicole's engagement.

As Eric shook Daniel's hand, his well wishes for Nicole and Daniel's happiness seemed very sincere. Brady gave Daniel a hearty embrace of congratulations. Before Eric could break out the celebratory beer and club soda, Daniel got a message that Chloe had arrived sooner than expected with Parker. Daniel asked the guys not to tell anyone about his engagement until he'd had a chance to tell Maggie and Victor. "Make sure Victor has his heart pills," Brady deadpanned.

After Daniel left, Brady praised Eric for being "classy" with Daniel. Brady suggested they open the club soda and beer and celebrate without Daniel, but Eric said he had something he needed to do that he thought would help keep him from feeling "so damn lost."

A woman approached Xander, who was having a drink by himself in Horton Square, and said she recognized him from the story about what he'd tried to do to the reporter and the ex-priest. Xander claimed he'd been unfairly accused and offered to tell the woman his side of the story. She pulled up a chair to listen.

In Serena's hotel room, Nicole insisted she wasn't afraid of anything, especially not Serena. Noting that Nicole had suddenly dropped the story about what a terrible person Serena was, in exchange for Serena leaving town, Serena theorized that Eric was the real reason behind that decision. Nicole pointed out that Eric was a truly good person, a concept Serena couldn't possibly understand, and although Nicole would enjoy telling the world about Serena, it would only hurt Eric by making him relive everything.

Serena didn't buy that Nicole would ever do anything that selfless. Showing off her new engagement ring, Nicole confessed that she would much rather be planning her wedding than toiling on a story about Serena. Nicole added firmly that she needed Serena's decision right away. Without giving Nicole an answer, Serena asked her to leave. Nicole gladly marched out the door, but in the hallway, she murmured to herself, "I hope I got through to her -- for everyone's sake." Meanwhile, Serena muttered, "One thing's for sure: that bitch is hiding something, and it has to do with Eric. What is it?"

Daniel met Nicole at the door of their apartment before she could enter and told her that Parker had arrived and had a surprise for Nicole. Daniel covered Nicole's eyes as he led her inside, removing them when Parker yelled, "Surprise!" to reveal the little boy standing in front of the fireplace, where he'd hung a handmade sign covered in glitter stars and feathers that read "Welcome Home" in crayon. Hugging Parker, Nicole thanked him and declared that she loved the sign.

Later, as Nicole, Daniel, and Parker were sitting on the floor, eating cupcakes, Nicole proposed that they set up a tent and camp out in the living room that night. An excited Parker announced that he had another surprise for Nicole and ran into the bedroom to retrieve it. Nicole declared that she was as crazy about Parker as he was about her, and she was thrilled to be living with Daniel and Parker. Acknowledging that Nicole loved kids, Daniel asked if she missed Sydney. Nicole admitted that she did, but she loved getting to be a family with Parker and Daniel.

While Parker was still in the bedroom, Nicole and Daniel made out on the living room floor. Nicole pulled away, worried that Parker would walk in on them. "He's just going to have to get used to that sight, because I plan on kissing you as often as I can for the rest of our lives," Daniel declared softly, kissing Nicole again.

Eric headed to Horton Square, where Father Louis had a table set up to collect donations for St. Luke's art fair. As Eric contributed a box of his things from Africa, he explained that it was time to leave some memories in the past. Serena arrived and spied on Eric from across the square. She eavesdropped as Father Louis agreed to meet Eric at St. Luke's later to hear Eric's confession. Eric sort of froze when he spotted Xander leaving the square with the woman he'd just met. "That's the man, isn't it?" Father Louis asked. Eric confirmed it, but he wouldn't say more until he and the priest could speak privately.

On the bench in the park outside Horton Square, Xander was regaling his new female friend with stories of the Greek islands. Xander said he'd love to show them to the woman. Brady arrived just then and remarked that it would be difficult for Xander to do that from behind bars. "Okay, this just stopped being fun. I'll see you," the woman said, grabbing her purse and leaving.

Xander reminded Brady that things weren't always what they appeared to be. Xander maintained that he'd never done anything to hurt anyone. Brady vowed to do everything he could to make sure Xander didn't get away with what he'd done to Eric and Nicole. A defiant Xander complained that everyone else in the family had gotten everything handed to them, but no one more than Brady, the drunken drug-addict, whom Victor had made CEO -- while Xander had been forced to fight for everything he'd ever gotten.

Brady pointed out that getting a raw deal didn't give Xander the right to kill people. "I'm sorry -- try to kill people, because you screwed it up, didn't you? Much like you screw everything else up that you do," Brady remarked. "I should've known you wouldn't even try to understand. You're spoiled and entitled and arrogant. You can rot in hell for all I care," Xander spat as he stormed off.

In the confessional at St. Luke's, Eric told Father Louis about his ordeal in the crawl space with Nicole. The priest asked if Eric had experienced a crisis of faith, but Eric said he'd been at peace with his own death, but he hadn't been able to bear the thought of letting Nicole die. Father Louis asked what Eric thought was a matter for confession.

Eric explained that thinking they were about to die had made everything very clear. Father Louis thought it was good that Eric had found comfort while facing death. "Father, there's more. I love her. She loved me. Time was -- time was running out, and we started to make love," Eric confessed.

Meanwhile, Serena was listening in via a bug planted beneath the seat in the confessional -- recording Eric and Father Louis' conversation.