Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of November 27, 2017 on DAYS

Sami made Ben reenact strangling Will to jolt Will into remembering his life. Will told Sami she was a monster, and he never wanted to see her again. Abe fired Hope and appointed Rafe as commissioner. When Hope admitted she did not want to marry Rafe, he broke things off. Chad blamed Andre for the shooting, but Kate confided to Andre that she was to blame. Andre agreed to keep Kate's secret. Ciara returned to Salem. Rafe and Sami kissed.

Will asks Marlena to hypnotize him

Monday, November 27, 2017

by Mike

Abe roughly shoved J.J. away from Theo's hospital bed. "[Come] to finish what you started?" Abe angrily guessed.

"I just wanted to see him -- that's all," J.J. defensively clarified. Scoffing, Abe implied that, in other words, J.J. had simply wanted to admire his handiwork. Lani tried to intervene, pointing out that it wasn't the time or the place for an argument, but Abe forged ahead, wondering, "What does it feel like to see [Theo] like that and know [that he's in a coma] because of you?" J.J. stammered that he had simply wanted to apologize to Theo, prompting Abe to counter that it was too late for J.J.'s apologies. Kayla soon stepped into Theo's room and gently demanded, "Take it outside, all right?"

Obeying Kayla's order, Abe, Lani, and J.J. resumed their conversation at the nurses' station. When Abe accused J.J. of having visited Theo for no other reason than to ease a guilty conscience, J.J. sadly clarified that his conscience would never be at ease. "Well, what do you know? We finally agree on something," Abe mused before ordering J.J. to leave and never return. "Please tell me that you have finally seen the light and will have nothing more to do with that boy," Abe asked Lani after J.J. walked away. She didn't get a chance to respond before her father reentered her brother's room.

Hope, still struggling to understand why Theo had apparently tried to break into an office building on the night of the shooting, went to see Claire and Tripp, hoping they could provide some answers. Tripp reluctantly feigned ignorance but seemed relieved to hear that a member of the Salem Police Department was trying to access Theo's cloud account to recover any crucial messages that might have been deleted from his cell phone.

Hope's conversation with the teens was cut short when she received a phone call from Abe, who angrily demanded to see her right away. Claire insisted on following Hope to the hospital, wanting to check on Theo again. Hope and Claire passed Steve outside the apartment but barely even acknowledged him. "Is everything okay?" Steve asked Tripp. "No. Actually, everything sucks," Tripp replied with a heavy sigh.

"I just -- I just need to talk to someone about this, [or] I'm just gonna go nuts," Tripp continued, prompting Steve to stress that he would always be happy to act as his son's confidant. "It's about what Kate DiMera did," Tripp began to explain. Steve, assuming that he knew where the conversation was headed, preemptively assured Tripp that although Kate had forced Kayla to identify him as the hospital's most recent anonymous donor, no one would ever be able to force her to reveal that he had committed the acts of sabotage that had put her medical license in jeopardy.

Tripp suggested that it might be best for Kayla to go ahead and reveal his secret, since she could be punished for her part in the cover-up if the truth was ever uncovered some other way, but Steve didn't think there was any reason to worry about such a thing happening. Steve added that, in any case, Kayla was willing to put her job at risk to protect Tripp because that was just the sort of thing that parents did for their kids. "Don't give Kate DiMera a second thought. Kayla's got your back," Steve assured Tripp before excusing himself. "And I've got hers," Tripp vowed after Steve left the apartment.

At the DiMera mansion, Kate paced around the living room, feeling the watchful eyes of Stefano's portrait on her at every turn. She eventually stopped in front of it and begged, "Please don't look at me like that. I didn't mean for Theo to be shot. You don't have to make me feel guilty; I'm already there. I know what I did."

"What is it you did?" Chad asked curiously, joining Kate in the living room. Kate hesitantly claimed that she had simply been trying to apologize to Stefano -- or his likeness, at least -- for having failed to get DiMera Enterprises out of its financial crisis in time to stop Theo from feeling the need to intervene. Chad dismissively insisted that Kate couldn't blame herself for Theo's actions. "But I do," Kate replied with a sigh.

Hoping to cheer Kate up, Chad changed the subject, revealing, "Abby and I went out this morning...to see your grandson." Kate was stunned when Chad elaborated that Will was alive -- and, in fact, was in Salem at that very moment. As the news began to sink in, Kate grew excited about reuniting with Will, but Chad was quick to warn her about her grandson's substantial memory loss.

Kate's first instinct was to fly to Memphis at once to give Susan a piece of her mind, but Chad managed to convince her that it would be pointless to do such a thing. Chad also convinced Kate that it would probably be best to keep Lucas in the dark about Will's return for the time being, reasoning, "Think about Will. When Abby and I saw him, it was like he'd never seen us before. How's he gonna deal with a drunk father he can't remember?" Chad assured Kate that Marlena was going to do everything in her power to make sure that Will eventually recovered his lost memories.

Lani went to the Martin mansion to see J.J., who was clutching the shredded remains of his bloodstained clothes when she joined him in his room. He apologized for what had happened earlier, acknowledging that he shouldn't have gone near her brother while the internal investigation into the shooting was still ongoing. "But I didn't shoot some stranger; I shot a kid I've known since he was born," he pointed out, adding that he had needed to apologize for his actions, regardless of the additional consequences he might have to face for defying a direct order to stay away from the hospital.

Lani assured J.J. that she believed that the shooting had simply been a tragic accident. He wasn't surprised to hear that she hadn't been able to convince her father to see the incident that way yet, but he appreciated her efforts nevertheless. "It means the world to me that you don't hate me," he admitted, prompting her to stress that she loved him. He returned the sentiment but reluctantly added, "Lani...I can't see you anymore."

At the hospital, Hope followed Abe to one of the break rooms so they could talk privately, leaving Claire behind in Theo's room. Hope informed Abe that Theo had received phone calls from Andre in the hours leading up to the shooting; she added, however, that when she had questioned Andre, he had claimed to have no explanation for Theo's apparent attempt to break into an office building. "What did you think he was going to say? Make him take a lie detector test!" Abe tiredly demanded.

Hope carefully changed the subject, pointing out that when Abe had summoned her to the hospital earlier, he had mentioned that he needed to talk to her about something J.J. had done. Abe angrily explained that he had caught J.J. in Theo's room earlier. Taken aback, Hope apologized and assured Abe that she would once again make it clear to J.J. that he needed to stay away from Theo for the time being. "No, that's not good enough. He disobeyed [your] direct order, [so] I want him fired -- today," Abe demanded.

Hope reminded Abe that he had chosen her to be the police commissioner because he trusted her judgment. Hope added that she had done everything by the book thus far, but Abe argued that J.J. had made it clear that he didn't respect the police department's procedures and protocols. Nevertheless, Hope refused to fire J.J., prompting Abe to suggest that she was giving a relative special treatment. Hope insisted that wasn't the case but maintained that she wasn't going to fire J.J. "[Then] you're fired," Abe declared. Hope tried to protest, unable to believe that Abe truly meant what he was saying, but he refused to change his mind.

Meanwhile, Kate watched from the nurses' station as Kayla entered Theo's room and began chatting with Claire. When Claire followed Kayla out of Theo's room moments later, Kate seized the opportunity to sneak in and apologize to him, tearfully stressing, "I wish I was in that bed [instead of you]. I didn't tell you enough, but I love you so much. Please open your eyes -- please wake up -- so I can tell you now."

At the Evans-Black townhouse, Will tentatively knelt beside Arianna and greeted her. She wasn't willing to talk to him at first, but he assured her that he understood. "We haven't seen each other in quite a while. But you know what? As soon as I saw you, um...I -- I felt really, really happy inside," he added, prompting her to run into his arms and give him a hug. "I missed you, Daddy!" she said as she squeezed him tightly.

Gabi prompted Arianna to show Will a few items of significance, including a toy he had given her years earlier, but it was obvious that he didn't remember them -- or his daughter. After a brief visit, Gabi suggested to Arianna that it would be best to give Will some time alone with Marlena, who had also missed him terribly. Will accepted another hug from Gabi and assured Arianna that he would see her again soon.

"That poor kid. I can't... Can you imagine, like, being her age, and not having your own father recognize you?" Will asked Marlena once the coast was clear. "Susan shouldn't have done this to all of you!" Will added with a sigh of frustration. "She shouldn't have done this to you," Marlena pointed out.

Marlena assured Will that Gabi and Sonny would help Arianna deal with the reality of the situation, but Will wanted Marlena to do everything she could to help him recover his lost memories as soon as possible. Nodding, Marlena informed Will that she planned to have some tests performed on him at the hospital in the near future to rule out physiological reasons for his memory loss. "What if the tests say I'm fine?" Will asked. "Then we could try hypnosis," Marlena replied. Intrigued, Will convinced Marlena to try hypnotizing him right away.

The session seemed to be going well at first, with Will clearly recalling a Thanksgiving he had shared with people whose descriptions matched actual family members, but Marlena eventually realized that he was actually remembering a Thanksgiving he had shared with Susan and Roger at a church, where a bunch of strangers had also been in attendance.

When Marlena ended the session and told Will about what had happened, he got frustrated, complaining, "I need this to work, and [it seems like] nothing's gonna work! I mean, I can't remember my -- I can't remember my daughter, I can't remember my husband, I can't remember my best friend... I -- I can't even remember my mom!" Marlena assured Will that they would continue trying to recover his lost memories until they managed to do so. "This means a lot to you, doesn't it?" Will realized. "This means everything to me," Marlena confirmed. Nodding, Will promised Marlena that he wouldn't give up hope yet.

Meanwhile, Gabi joined Sonny and Sami at the Horton Town Square and told them about what had happened. After Sami took Arianna to get some ice cream, Sonny worriedly asked Gabi, "If Ari can't break through, then who can?"

Later, Sami went to see Marlena, who explained that Will had gone for a walk to get some air. Gesturing toward a stack of books on memory loss, Marlena assured Sami that she was doing everything she could to figure out a way to help Will recover his lost memories. "Please -- please -- slow this down and be patient, okay? We'll get him back," Marlena added before excusing herself, explaining that she had patients to see at the hospital. "Patience. Right," Sami grumbled after Marlena left.

While passing through the town square, Will paused at Tom and Alice's memorial and smiled as he traced its letters with his hand. Meanwhile, Kate took a seat on a bench in a more secluded area, still crying as a result of her earlier visit to the hospital. Kate was shocked when Will approached and handed her a handkerchief.

Alone at the Evans-Black townhouse, Sami began reading Marlena's books on memory loss -- and eventually got a sudden burst of inspiration. She quickly contacted someone and told the person, "I have a job for you."

Sami enacts a plan to help Will

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

by Spalding

J.J. broke up with Lani as they sat on the bed in his apartment. Surprised, Lani asked why J.J. had made the decision to split up without consulting her first. J.J. asked Lani how Abe felt about them continuing a relationship. Lani was reluctant to answer the question, but J.J. forced her to admit that Abe did not want her to date J.J. With a nod, J.J. said that the only thing he could do to help lessen Abe's anguish was to break things off. When Lani asked if they had a future if Theo woke up from his coma, J.J. avoided the question.

At the hospital, Kayla talked to Abe about Theo's health. Abe growled about J.J. and the fact that he had not been fired. Kayla advised Abe to let the police handle the matter. Abe admitted that he had fired Hope for not firing J.J. Kayla reminded Abe that Theo was a tough kid like his father.

At the police station, Hope told Rafe about Abe's order to fire J.J. With a sigh, Hope said that after she had failed to carry out Abe's order, he had fired her. Rafe was furious. Rafe wanted to talk to Abe, but Hope begged him to back off and give Abe space. Rafe insisted, and he asked Hope not to clean out her office until he returned.

When Rafe arrived at the hospital, he asked Abe about Theo's condition. Abe noted that Theo's status had not changed. Seeing the look on Rafe's face, Abe preemptively asked Rafe if they could talk later. Rafe asked for a few minutes to state his case. With a nod, Abe reluctantly agreed to listen. Rafe argued that Hope had gone by the book, and he asked Abe to reconsider her position. Abe countered that as mayor, he needed to prove to the public that the police would be held accountable if they shot an unarmed person.

When Rafe noted that the victim was Abe's son, Abe grew angry. Abe yelled that J.J. had broken the rules when he had defied an order to stay away from Theo's room at the hospital. Softly, Rafe suggested that Abe had reacted as a grieving father rather than as the mayor. Rafe urged Abe to separate the two roles.

"What if I can't?" Abe asked. Shaking off his emotions, Abe thanked Rafe for visiting. As a last-ditch effort, Rafe said he was there not only on Hope's behalf but also in an effort to protect Abe's reputation. Rafe urged Abe to let Internal Affairs (IA) investigate J.J. rather than fire him outright. Abe agreed but only on one condition.

After he had talked to Abe, Rafe returned to the police station to update Hope. Hope was relieved when Rafe informed her that J.J. would not be fired outright. Rafe explained that Abe had agreed to let IA investigate J.J.'s part in the shooting. With a sigh, Rafe said that he had not been able to change Abe's mind about his decision to fire Hope. When Hope asked who would be appointed as commissioner, Rafe explained that Abe had appointed him as Hope's replacement.

In the park, Kate and Will talked. Kate told Will that his father, Lucas, had fallen off the wagon. When Will expressed guilt, Kate assured Will that he was not to blame for Lucas' drinking. Kate told Will that Lucas had started drinking again after a terrible breakup. Kate showed Will pictures of him with Lucas. When Kate commented on a Christmas picture that was Will's first Christmas with his father, Will's brow knitted together. Will pointed out that he was not a baby in the photo.

Hesitantly, Kate explained that Sami had lied about Will's parentage for the first three years of his life. With a groan, Will remarked that none of the stories he had heard about his mother had painted her in a good light. Shaking his head, Will added that Susan had been right and that Sami was a monster. Kate corrected Will by noting that Sami was a complicated person. Kate assured Will that Sami had matured since her wilder days.

With a sad smile, Kate told Will that she envied his amnesia because it meant he had no emotional baggage. Kate told Will to take the opportunity to get a fresh start on life. With a smile, Kate encouraged Will to take his time and ease back into his old life when he was ready. Kate gave Will her phone number and urged him to call her if he needed anything.

In the town square, a drunken Lucas sat on the bench in front of the plaque for Tom and Alice Horton. Lucas asked the visage of his grandparents if he was the biggest disappointment in the Horton family. Lucas grumbled that he had nothing left to live for and that he would "go out big." After drinking himself to near unconsciousness, Lucas curled up on the bench with his bottle and fell asleep. As Will exited the park, he spotted Lucas asleep on the bench. Concerned, Will asked Lucas if he was okay. Will gently reached for the bottle, and Lucas' eyes flew open. At the sight of his dead son, Lucas gasped then smiled.

At the DiMera mansion, Chad accused Andre of involving Theo in a dangerous situation at work. Eli arrived to question Chad and Andre about their contact with Theo on the night of the shooting. Confronted, Andre protested his innocence. Eli played a voicemail from Andre that had been on Theo's phone. Andre said that Theo had never returned his call. When Eli countered that Theo had called the house, Andre said Theo had not called him. Chad said he had not spoken to Theo either. After Eli left, Chad yelled at Andre that he was sick of him. Kate returned home as Chad told Andre that he was no longer welcome in the house.

At the hospital, Eli updated Abe on his investigation. Eli told Abe about the voicemail from Andre on Theo's phone. When Abe asked about the status on an arrest, Eli said he did not have enough evidence to arrest Andre for anything yet.

At the penthouse, Sami made suspicious arrangements on the phone. Eric overheard her and urged her to open up to him about her plans. Sami was reluctant to admit anything. When Eric pushed, Sami said she believed that Marlena was coddling Will and that it would take too long to restore Will's memory if they followed Marlena's plan. Eric asked Sami to trust Marlena's judgment, but Sami said she could not watch Will lose any more moments of happiness in his life. Sami stressed that she would risk alienating herself from her son if it meant she could help him remember his life. Knowing that there was no way to change Sami's mind, Eric warned her to be careful.

After Sami left the penthouse, she went to a hotel to meet up with two hired goons. Sami asked the men if they had retrieved the person she had requested. The men parted to reveal Ben Weston, tied to a chair. As Ben glared at Sami, she claimed that Ben was the only one that could restore Will's memories.

Sami puts a desperate plan in motion

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

by Mike

At the police station, Hope struggled to absorb the news that Rafe had been offered her old job -- and had actually agreed to take it.

"Think about it, okay? If I hadn't said yes, Abe would have appointed someone else, right? Someone -- someone who maybe doesn't have J.J.'s back," Rafe reasoned. Confused, Hope wondered why she couldn't just go back to being the police commissioner herself, since she had only lost the job because she had refused to fire someone she never should have been ordered to fire in the first place, and Rafe had since managed to convince Abe to rescind that order. "[Abe] said that he didn't feel that you could lead an impartial investigation because of your familial ties with J.J.," Rafe explained.

"Does Abe think he's being impartial here?" Hope asked incredulously. "He's the victim's father, for God's sake! Does he seriously think that he was being impartial when he demanded to go outside the chain of command and fire J.J., just like that, without a complete and honest investigation? The only thing I am -- the only thing I am guilty of is trying to protect J.J. from being railroaded! And you know who else I was trying to protect? Abe -- from appearing to the public like he's on a vendetta!" Hope continued, clearly outraged.

Rafe tried to assure Hope that he had said the same things to the mayor in her defense, but she found that hard to believe because she knew that he had been interested in a promotion to police commissioner from the very beginning -- and, as she bitterly pointed out, her loss had been his gain. Sighing, he tiredly argued that, given the circumstances of the situation the police department was facing, she shouldn't need anyone to explain to her exactly why it was in everyone's best interest for her to be recused for the time being. "I wasn't recused; I was fired. There is a difference," she countered, matching his condescending tone.

Rafe tried to get Hope to view the development as nothing more than a temporary change, suggesting that she could reclaim the role of police commissioner as soon as the dust settled, but she doubted that she would be given that opportunity. "I will talk to Abe," Rafe promised. "Please don't," Hope begged, knowing how much damage Rafe's last conversation with Abe had caused. Scoffing, Rafe reminded Hope that she had previously stated that she appreciated his willingness to talk to Abe on her behalf. "[But] you didn't appreciate it; you resented it," Rafe concluded.

Hope insisted that wasn't true. "But you know what I did resent? As soon as I became your boss, you challenged every decision I made; you questioned my judgment every step of the way," she added. "Your ego really took a hit [when] Abe chose me over you, [didn't it]? You think you'd probably do this job a lot better than me, don't you?" she concluded.

Rafe denied the accusation at first but eventually admitted, "Okay, maybe I do." Nodding, Hope thanked him for finally confirming what she had known all along. He defensively argued that she probably believed, deep down, that she was the better person for the job, so all that really meant was that they were both confident individuals. He added that he loved her more than he loved the idea of getting a promotion -- and would therefore turn down the offer to prevent the matter from causing a rift in their relationship. "Look at us! It already has," she pointed out.

Annoyed, Rafe complained that he was in a no-win situation, prompting Hope to counter that they weren't in the middle of a game. "Trust me, I'm painfully aware of that," he grumbled as she began assembling a stack of case files to hand over to him. "Make sure that you read them very carefully...since, when the shooting went down, you were out of town -- without notice or permission -- with your ex-wife," she advised, leading him to conclude, based on her wording, that she was still bitter about his trip to Memphis -- even though she knew that it had been for a good cause.

"Why is it that you can question my decisions, but I can't question yours?" Hope wondered. "[I just don't understand] why. Why didn't you tell me -- or anyone -- that you were leaving town -- [not just] 'town' [but] the state -- [and] for how long? I mean, I'm your fiance. Don't you think I deserved to know that you were going to drop everything to leave town with Sami -- who is your ex-wife?" she continued.

"You've been my 'fiance' for a long time now," Rafe grumbled, prompting Hope to observe that he didn't sound particularly happy about that fact. "Just thought by now you'd be my wife," he explained with a sigh. She reminded him that they had agreed to a long engagement, but he argued that, in fact, she had presented that as the only option -- for reasons that still weren't exactly clear to him. "I told you -- [I just didn't] want to jinx anything, because everything's been so wonderful, and... Why can't we just enjoy everything the way it is?" she reiterated. "Yeah, I mean, we're enjoying stuff so much right now, aren't we?" he sarcastically countered.

"Why don't you just admit that you don't want to get married?" Rafe demanded. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I don't want to get married," Hope admitted with a shrug.

At the DiMera mansion, Chad explained to Kate -- and Abigail, who soon joined the conversation -- that Andre was no longer welcome because he couldn't be trusted. Andre maintained his innocence, but Chad couldn't shake the feeling that the voicemail message Eli had played earlier was proof that Andre had roped Theo into doing something illegal -- something that had ultimately put the teen in harm's way. "His blood is on your hands, you understand me? And I will never forgive you for that. Never!" Chad spat at Andre as Kate listened uncomfortably.

Abigail tried to defend Andre, pointing out that he could have had a perfectly innocent reason for contacting his nephew -- who also happened to be his employee -- but Chad skeptically argued that Andre wasn't exactly known for his history of "innocent" acts. Chad somewhat bitterly added that if he hadn't been quite as trusting of Andre in the past, Abigail's brother might not have had an opportunity to put Theo in a coma. Abigail started to react to the comment, but Andre quickly intervened, insisting that he didn't want the situation to cause a rift between the recently remarried couple.

"I don't want to stay where I'm not wanted -- even though this home has been mine [since] long before this one came along," Andre added, gesturing toward Chad derisively. Abigail looked at Kate expectantly, assuming they would be allies in the battle to change Chad's mind, but Kate remained silent, struggling to maintain her composure. When Chad asked Kate to explain why she was crying, she claimed that she was overwhelmed because of everything that had happened lately -- not just with Theo but also with Will and Lucas. "You wouldn't be crying [about Theo] if it weren't for him," Chad spat, glaring at Andre.

Abigail argued that she deserved a say in the matter because she was Chad's wife, and the DiMera mansion was her home, too. Abigail added that Theo wouldn't want Chad and Andre to be at odds with each other because of him, and Stefano wouldn't want to see the brothers fighting, either. Unmoved, Chad stood his ground and shoved past Abigail to tell Andre, "Pack your bags [and] get the hell out of my house."

After Chad headed upstairs, Abigail apologized to Andre on her husband's behalf, concluding that he simply wasn't himself at that time. "Well, it's a trying time for all of us," Andre diplomatically conceded. Abigail started to excuse herself, still hopeful that she could talk some sense into Chad, but Andre reiterated that he didn't want the couple to fight because of him. "This is not the first time I've been thrown out of this place," Andre pointed out with a chuckle, adding that he would land on his own two feet, as he always did. "I know you will, but [this is still] not right," Abigail insisted before following Chad upstairs.

Alone with Kate, Andre admitted that although he had been kicked out of the DiMera mansion in the past, none of his previous evictions had hurt as much as his latest one did. "Chad is not like [Father]; he doesn't [just] have a flash of anger or a burst of Italian temperament. I looked in his face [and] saw those eyes -- they were cold. Stone cold," Andre continued, shaking his head in disbelief.

Kate assured Andre that she believed that he wasn't responsible for the events that had led to the shooting. He appreciated her faith in him but was confused when she insisted that she didn't deserve his gratitude. "I know that you're not guilty...because I am," she tearfully admitted, stunning him.

At the Evans-Black townhouse, Marlena filled John in on her latest attempts to jog Will's memory -- attempts that, ultimately, had proven to have no effect on her grandson. John assured Marlena that Will probably just needed more time to remember his past. Nodding, Marlena admitted that she was concerned that Sami wouldn't be able to just sit back and wait for that to happen naturally. "I keep asking myself, at different points in time, 'What is Sami going to do next?'" Marlena continued with a sigh.

Meanwhile, Sami praised the DiMera goons for having completed their assignment quickly and smoothly. "I've waited a very long time to look this sack of human waste in the eye," she admitted, glaring at Ben.

At Sami's request, one of the goons removed Ben's gag. "Before you kill me for what I did to Will, you need to know that Will's alive," Ben informed Sami, who clarified that she was already well aware of that fact -- and had actually seen Will quite recently. "Then why are you doing this?" Ben asked. "[Because] my son is not whole. You still took his life," Sami spat.

Ben started to stress that he had never meant to hurt Will, whom he had always considered a friend, but Sami stopped him with a slap and clarified that she hadn't instructed her goon to remove his gag so he could grovel like a little worm. "The only reason you are here is because I want my son back -- the way he used to be -- and you are the one person who can help me do that," she continued.

Sami warned that if Ben didn't do exactly as instructed, he would finally pay -- truly pay -- for what he had done. "As a DiMera, I think I can come up with a consequence a little more fitting than that cozy sanitarium," she pointedly added as her cell phone began ringing. She ignored the first call, but when she received a second call moments later, she reluctantly answered it, knowing that her mother wouldn't give up anytime soon. She managed to allay her mother's concerns, innocently claiming that she was going to take the rest of the night to calm down and think about things so she wouldn't make matters worse with one of the stupid and reckless schemes that were her trademark. After ending the call, she instructed her goons to begin the next phase of her plan, assuring them, as she cocked a gun, that she would be fine alone with her captive.

At the Horton Town Square, Lucas begged Will to stop visiting him, tearfully insisting, "It hurts too much every time you go!" Realizing who Lucas was, Will made it clear that he wasn't a hallucination, grasping his father's wrist and asking, "This real enough for you?" Stunned, Lucas seized a hug from Will and broke down in his arms.

Will apologetically explained that, while he was real, he unfortunately didn't have any memories of his old life -- and therefore only recognized his father because he had been shown pictures of his family. As Lucas struggled to process what he had just been told, Will decided to contact Kate to let her know that her son had been found and was all right. Before Will could make the call, one of Sami's goons grabbed him and rushed off with him, leaving the other one behind to take care of Lucas. The second goon knocked Lucas out then quickly caught up with the first one.

Meanwhile, Sami filled Ben in on her plan. "I don't think I can do that," he protested when she was finished. "Are you serious? You murdered three people in cold blood, and this is too much for you? It should be child's play!" she countered. "I'm trying to change," he explained with a shrug, adding that what she was asking him to do was horrible.

Sami countered, "What you did to Will and those other people was horrible! Now I'm giving you a chance to make it right. Will is alive, but he's not himself; he doesn't remember me, his daughter, his life -- he doesn't remember the people who love him. And you can give that back to him. You want your shot at redemption? This is it. Bring him back -- all the way back."

After giving the matter some thought, Ben agreed to go along with Sami's plan.

Chloe soon stumbled upon Lucas but didn't believe him when he tried to explain that Will had just been kidnapped. Frustrated, Lucas rushed off to find someone who would believe his story and help him find his son.

Meanwhile, at the Evans-Black townhouse, Marlena agreed with John's conclusion that she probably hadn't truly managed to get through to Sami earlier. John assured Marlena that even if Will never remembered his old life, it would still be possible for him to carve out a happy and fulfilling new life for himself, without ever regaining his lost memories. Marlena smiled, knowing that John was speaking from experience.

John soon noticed one of Marlena's books on memory loss, which had been left on the coffee table and was still open, revealing a section that detailed the theory that the reenactment of the trauma that had caused a patient's memory loss could cause the lost memories to suddenly return. "I'm not even sure that would work in Will's case because, you know, his trauma was that, um, Ben had strangled him -- and even if we could reenact it, I'm not sure that Will could tolerate that," Marlena explained. Marlena curiously added that she couldn't remember leaving the book open to that section on the coffee table.

Meanwhile, Sami -- who had actually been in Ben's old apartment all along -- watched from the bathroom as Will regained consciousness and found himself face-to-face with Ben, who immediately began reenacting Will's attack in its entirety, slamming him against the refrigerator then proceeding to strangle him while repeating exact phrases that had been uttered on that fateful night. As Will fought for his life again, he began remembering the first time Ben had attacked him. Sami struggled to maintain her composure as she kept watch, prepared to shoot Ben if he deviated from her plan.

Meanwhile, as Marlena started to get worried about Will, who had not yet returned from his walk, Lucas arrived at the Evans-Black townhouse and worriedly revealed, "Somebody's kidnapped Will!"

Sami's plan plays out with disastrous results

Thursday, November 30, 2017

by Mike

At the police station, Rafe, stunned that Hope had just admitted that she might not truly want to marry him, grudgingly conceded, "Guess that's what I get for asking."

Hope expressed concerns about jumping into marriage too quickly, pointing out that things had ended disastrously the last time she had done that; however, when Rafe defensively argued that he wasn't Aiden, she clarified that she wasn't trying to compare the two men. "[I just] think maybe there's something wrong with me -- [something] that has made me so afraid to ever completely trust anyone ever again," she continued.

Finding that hard to believe, Rafe impatiently countered, "Why don't you just be honest with me, Hope? Be straight with me! It's not that you don't trust anyone; it's that I'll never be Bo!" Taken aback, Hope insisted that wasn't true, adding that, in any case, Rafe had been in other relationships before, too -- and probably still had feelings for his exes, since, after all, he had secretly rushed off to Memphis with Sami just a few days earlier. "You're really gonna do this right now? You're gonna try and turn this around on me?" Rafe asked incredulously.

"Okay, I have feelings for Sami! Okay! We were married! [But then] we got divorced, and I moved on, Hope -- I moved on! I moved on! I am not in love with Sami; I am in love with you! I want to marry you! I'm not pining for Sami the way you're pining for Bo!" Rafe continued. As Hope tried to object, Rafe impatiently demanded, "Why don't you just have the guts to say it to me?"

"All right -- you're right, okay? You'll never be Bo. No one will ever be Bo," Hope admitted. "Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted to hear?" she added, shaking her head in disbelief. "Fine. Okay. All right. Here it is: Bo was my first love, he was my soul mate, he's the father of my children, [and] losing him...well, you know what it was like for me -- for the kids -- [because] you were there," she continued, getting emotional.

"[But in the midst of] all of that sadness, I found that I could love again, because I did fall -- I fell -- heart and soul in love with you. [And] I love you, Rafe, [but] will you ever be Bo? No. Will anyone ever be Bo? No," Hope concluded. Sighing, Rafe grumbled, "Okay. Well, at least we got that out in the open..." Hope tried to convince Rafe that, since they still loved each other, there was no reason that things couldn't just go back to the way they had been before, but he insisted that wasn't possible because he simply wasn't the type of guy who could be content with nothing more than a casual relationship.

"How did we go from fighting about my job to this?" Hope muttered, struggling to comprehend what was happening. "Because we needed to talk about this...and now that I know how you feel, I think it's just better if we just...we just end things," Rafe replied. She tried to change his mind, insisting that he was reading too much into everything she had just said, but he maintained that he was clearly more invested in their relationship than she was -- and he couldn't just learn to live with that fact. Sighing, she reluctantly removed her engagement ring and handed it over to him then broke down after he walked away.

At the DiMera mansion, Abigail continued trying to talk Chad out of evicting Andre, arguing that the few remaining members of the DiMera clan needed to stick together -- especially during difficult times. "I'm not asking you to let Andre off the hook completely, [but] this is his home, [so] please don't throw him out of it," she requested, adding that Thomas loved Andre and would miss him terribly if he suddenly disappeared.

"Okay, you know what? You are, um -- you are impossible to say no to...most of the time...[but] not this time. I'm not changing my mind," Chad insisted. Undeterred, Abigail fretted that Andre, who really only had his fellow members of the DiMera clan to rely on as a support system, could get himself in a lot of trouble if abandoned and left to his own devices. "Please, Chad, will you [reconsider] -- for me?" she begged.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Kate tearfully admitted to Andre that Theo had tried to break into an office building at her request. After hearing the whole story, Andre wondered why Kate hadn't asked one of DiMera Enterprises' IT experts to break into the building instead, since any one of them would have been just as capable of getting past the building's security measures -- and would have been better prepared to deal with any possible complications. Kate reluctantly explained that she hadn't been willing to trust any of them with the job because they all reported to Andre -- and, at that time, she had been convinced that he was the saboteur.

Outraged, Andre admitted to Kate that he had been under the impression that they were done being suspicious of each other. She assured him that, in the end, she had realized that he couldn't possibly be the saboteur.

"[So] I rethought sending Theo after the hackers, because I was worried that if it wasn't you, who was he gonna see in that building? Who was gonna be there? So I called him...but he didn't answer me, so I left a message, telling him to forget about going into the building. But then I didn't hear back from him, so then I was worried that he didn't get the message...and then I heard he was shot!" Kate regretfully continued.

"It's my fault. It's my fault!" Kate added between sobs. "Well, I certainly wouldn't argue with you on that," Andre replied. Kate acknowledged, while wiping away tears, that what she had done had been wrong, and she added that she had been consumed with guilt since then. "But I didn't know what [else] to do! [And] I had to tell you, but [even now], I still don't know what to do!" she continued.

"I do," Andre replied, turning to leave. "Where are you going?" Kate asked. "Upstairs -- 'cause I'm gonna tell Chad the truth," Andre explained.

"All those accusations that Chad threw at me, and you said nothing -- nothing! What were you thinking? Couldn't you just own up to it?" Andre asked incredulously. Kate tearfully admitted that she had been afraid that if she confessed, she would be arrested and sent to prison. "[I] got Theo to commit an illegal act, and Abe's out for blood, [so] if he finds out the truth, then it will be my blood," she explained.

"You'd prefer it to be mine?" Andre concluded, but Kate insisted that wasn't the case. "Well, if I keep quiet, it might be that, [especially] now that the police have a record of my calls..." he began to point out before letting his voice trail off. Confused, he asked her, "Why don't the police have a record of your calls?"

Kate admitted that she had managed to get her hands on Theo's cell phone on the night of the shooting and had seized the opportunity to delete her messages. Andre found it interesting that Kate hadn't bothered to also delete his messages, but she defensively explained that she simply hadn't thought to do that because everything had happened so quickly.

"So, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna turn me in?" Kate asked Andre -- just as Chad and Abigail descended the stairs. Andre assumed that his brother was checking to see if he had left the mansion yet, but Chad clarified that he actually wanted to apologize for what had happened earlier. "[This is] your house, too, and, uh...I -- I don't want you to leave," Chad continued, crediting Abigail for his sudden change of heart.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that," Andre admitted, clearly stunned. Kate was quick to stress that she was convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Andre wasn't the saboteur and hadn't set in motion the chain of events that had put Theo in harm's way, but her confidence made Chad wonder if she had somehow managed to identify the true culprit. Sighing, Kate hesitantly began, "Chad, the thing is --"

"We don't know who it is, but we'll figure it out," Andre concluded for Kate before quickly changing the subject, thanking Abigail for always having his back. "You've always had mine," Abigail pointed out, giving Andre a hug.

Chad and Abigail soon excused themselves, eager to go to the hospital to check on Theo. Once the coast was clear, Kate asked Andre to explain why he had decided to keep her secret. "I don't want to see you go to prison for this. Besides, you wouldn't look very good in orange," Andre replied with a shrug. Making it clear that the decision didn't mean that Kate's actions had been forgiven or forgotten, Andre added, "But, you see, I know how it feels to be the villain, [and] the bottom line is: you are still a DiMera, we have a common enemy that's trying to sabotage us, and we'd have better results in finding out who that is if we work together."

"Just so you know, I'm not sure that I would have done the same for you," Kate admitted. "I know...but thank you for your honesty," Andre replied before walking away. Fighting back tears, Kate breathed a sigh of relief and quietly thanked Andre for protecting her, even though he was already out of earshot.

At the Evans-Black townhouse, Lucas told John and Marlena about what had happened to Will -- and insisted that it hadn't simply been a drunken hallucination. "Please help me! Please! I can't lose my son again! God knows what kind of danger he's in!" Lucas fearfully added. John and Marlena were immediately suspicious of Susan, so John quickly contacted Roger.

Meanwhile, Ben continued reenacting Will's attack. Still watching from the bathroom, Sami fought back tears as Will gasped for breath and managed to choke out a few desperate pleas for his life, his face getting redder with each passing second as he clawed futilely at the necktie that was wrapped tightly around his throat.

Marlena assured Lucas that there was nothing he could have done to prevent Will's kidnapping. Meanwhile, John chatted with Roger, who reported that Susan was undergoing treatment at a psychiatric facility in Memphis and therefore couldn't have had anything to do with Will's kidnapping. After ending the call, John relayed the information to Marlena and Lucas.

Meanwhile, Will weakly tried to push Ben away one last time. Unfazed, Ben watched as Will's arms fell limply to the floor. Realizing that Will was just seconds away from death, Ben suddenly loosened his grip on the necktie. Will took a deep breath then began coughing as Ben tearfully declared, "I can't hurt you again!"

Lucas was quick to remind John and Marlena that patients had been known to break out of psychiatric facilities on occasion, but John believed Roger's claim that Susan had never been out of his sight long enough to plan and execute a kidnapping. "Well, if it wasn't Susan..." Marlena began before letting her voice trail off.

Meanwhile, Will continued coughing while fearfully attempting to distance himself from Ben, who stressed, "Will, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Listen, this wasn't my idea! I never wanted this! She put me up to it! She put me up to this!" Confused, Will managed to choke out, "She?" Ben gestured toward the bathroom while clarifying, "Your mother -- Sami Brady! This was her idea!"

Marlena picked up the book on memory loss that John had inspected earlier. Groaning, John insisted hopefully, "You can't be thinking what I'm thinking..."

Meanwhile, Sami reluctantly emerged from the bathroom and called for the DiMera goons, who had been waiting in the hallway outside Ben's apartment. The goons kept Ben secured as Sami helped Will onto the couch and assured him that he was going to be okay. "It was starting to work, wasn't it? I could tell! I could tell it was working!" Sami excitedly added as Will continued coughing and gasping for breath.

Marlena reminded John that Eric had sensed earlier that something was up. Confused, Lucas wondered who John and Marlena were talking about.

Meanwhile, Sami explained to Will, "You have to understand -- the only reason I did something this drastic is because everything else we tried wasn't working, and I knew that we were driving you crazy, trying to fill in the blanks for you, and so I just thought that if [seeing] your family [and] your little girl didn't work --" Will interrupted, weakly concluding, "You thought that getting this guy to strangle me would do the trick?"

"What is wrong with you?" Will asked incredulously, rising to his feet and distancing himself from his mother. "He could have killed me!" Will pointed out. Sami insisted that Will had never been in real danger because she'd had everything under control the whole time. As if hoping to legitimize her stunt, Sami added that she had gotten the idea to reenact Will's attack from one of Marlena's books on memory loss.

"And it was working! I could see the look in your eye! You were starting to remember! I mean, if we keep trying..." Sami excitedly continued as Will began walking away. "Where are you going?" Sami asked Will, who spun back around to face her again, his eyes filled with rage. "You think Susan was a terrible person? She never would've done this!" Will insisted.

"Look, I know you're mad right now, okay, but if you just give me a chance --" Sami began to protest. "To what? To help me remember that you're a terrible human being? I don't need a reminder for that, thank you -- and I never want to see you again as long as I breathe!" Will spat before storming off.

"You're sick! I told you this was messed up!" Ben reminded Sami as the goons held him at bay. Sami complained that Ben had "messed up" the plan. "He was thisclose to remembering!" Sami insisted. Scoffing, Ben countered, "Did you not see the look on his face? Did you see the panic? What kind of mother are you, huh?" Sami proudly declared that she was the kind of mother who would do anything for her child. "You were supposed to do your damn job and help Will remember, [but] you didn't! You wimped out before he did!" Sami angrily continued.

"Oh, so now I'm to blame for not strangling your son?" Ben incredulously summarized. Sami insisted, "If you'd kept going, he would have remembered -- he would have remembered everything, [and] we would be hugging and celebrating right now -- but no -- because of you, he thinks I'm a monster, and he doesn't want to have anything to do with me!"

"And he shouldn't! You're sick! You're sick!" Ben countered as Sami tiredly ordered her goons to get him out of her sight. Struggling with the goons, Ben told them, "Bring this bitch to the padded room!" As the goons dragged Ben away, he continued telling Sami that she was sick, adding, "And your son -- he's never gonna forgive you! Never!"

Marlena, still concerned that her suspicion was correct, decided to try to contact Sami, but before she could do so, Will stormed into the Evans-Black townhouse. Relieved, Lucas wondered if Will was all right. "No, I'm not," Will admitted with a sigh. "What the hell happened? What did they do to you?" Lucas asked worriedly. "Not 'they' -- her: that crazy bitch, Sami," Will clarified.

Marlena and John were merely disappointed that their shared fear had just been confirmed, but Lucas, who had never managed to get them to share their suspicion with him, was shocked to hear that Sami, of all people, had been behind Will's kidnapping. "According to the guy who was strangling me," Will continued, rubbing his neck. Furious, Lucas began to storm off, vowing, "I'm gonna kill her!"

Sami arrived as Lucas was on his way out of the townhouse. "Lucas! Oh, my God, have you seen --" Sami began before spotting Will. "Get away from me!" Will warned Sami, backing away as she approached him. Marlena protectively stepped in front of Will and ordered Sami to give him some space. Sami protested that she simply wanted a chance to explain her actions to Will so he could understand them.

"I understand that you had me kidnapped!" Will countered. Lucas angrily guessed that Sami had kidnapped Will in the hope of somehow brainwashing him into thinking of her as his mother again, but Will clarified, "It was worse than that! [She] had me dragged from my father [and] knocked unconscious, [and] I woke up in some strange apartment, and some crazy guy named Ben tried to strangle me with a necktie!"

"Dear God, Sami!" Marlena disapprovingly declared, prompting Sami to defensively counter that Marlena, of all people, should be able to understand the point of the stunt. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Lucas asked, incredulous. Releasing a chuckle of disbelief, Will continued, "And the best part is [that she] was watching [the whole time], and [she] did nothing!"

"It was for your own good!" Sami insisted, eliciting groans from Will, Marlena, John, and Lucas. "You want to be my mother? What kind of mother does something that sick to her son?" Will asked incredulously. Meanwhile, John, still somewhat confused, pointed out that if Will was talking about Ben Weston, that guy was supposed to be locked in a psychiatric facility. Sami admitted that she had arranged for Ben to be released for a few hours so he could help her with the reenactment to ensure that it would be as authentic as possible. Stunned, Lucas told Sami, "You are completely insane! You've lost it! You've lost your mind!"

"Look, it's not how it sounds --" Sami began to protest. "How it was, you mean!" Will interjected as Sami proceeded to repeat her earlier claim that he had never been in real danger because she'd had everything under control the whole time. Sami continued that she had gotten the idea from one of Marlena's books on memory loss. John warned Sami not to try to blame the stunt on Marlena, who added that the idea in question was meant to only be put into practice in a controlled environment, with the help of trained professionals. "But it was working! He was on the verge --" Sami began to explain.

"Of being strangled to death!" Will concluded before ordering Sami to leave, adding, once more, that he never wanted to see her again. Sami desperately looked to Lucas for support, expecting him to understand why she had gone to such extremes, but he maintained, "You are totally insane! This is the most insane thing you've ever done -- and for you, that's saying a lot! We could have lost our son again because of you!"

Lucas wanted to report Sami's stunt to the police, but Will didn't want to take legal action because that would just mean that he'd have to keep reliving the traumatic event -- and seeing Sami -- while the legal process played out. "I want this to be over as quickly as possible so I never have to look at her again," Will stressed, but Sami refused to believe that he truly meant that.

Sami reiterated that she had simply been trying to help Will regain his lost memories -- and her plan had nearly succeeded. Sami excitedly told Marlena, "Mom, you should have seen the look on his face as he was remembering! It was really gonna happen! And, in fact, I was thinking [that if you tried] the hypnosis on him [again right now], they would all come flooding back -- his memories, you know?"

"I can't do that. I won't do that. There's no way in hell I'm going to do that," Marlena insisted. Confused, Sami defensively wondered why everyone was being so accusatory and judgmental, adding that she couldn't believe that no one understood the motivation behind her actions. Marlena clarified that she did understand; she added, however, that she couldn't condone Sami's methods.

Sighing, Sami apologized to Will, explaining, "I really thought that one short moment of terror was worth it, because then you'd get all your memories back, and this whole thing could be over, and you could just move on with your life, and I really just wanted to... I never meant to hurt you." Will angrily countered, "I don't care what you meant, because what you did was beyond twisted."

"I just wanted to help. I just needed you to remember --" Sami tearfully began to explain. Interrupting, Will agreed that Sami's stunt had likely been more about her needs than his. "I don't want anything to do with you! If remembering my life means remembering that you are my mother, then I would much, much prefer to forget!" Will spat before storming off to another room, ignoring Sami's attempt to stop him.

Refusing to believe that Will truly meant what he had just said, Sami tearfully begged for five more minutes with him, but John and Lucas both insisted that it was time for her to leave, and Marlena agreed. Sighing, Sami reluctantly exited the townhouse. A short time later, while passing through Horton Town Square, Sami ran into Rafe, who was still reeling from his earlier conversation with Hope.

"Oh, Rafe. I lost him. I lost my son forever," Sami tearfully admitted, breaking down in Rafe's arms.

Rafe and Sami comfort one another

Friday, December 1, 2017

by Spalding

At the police station, Hope stared at photo of her with Rafe. As Hope clutched the photo to her chest, Jennifer walked in. Hope told Jennifer that J.J. would not be fired. Hope informed Jennifer that Abe had fired her for defending J.J. and that he had appointed Rafe. Seeing the look on Hope's face, Jennifer asked what else was wrong. Hope admitted that Rafe had broken things off with her because she had refused to set a wedding date.

Hope argued that Aiden had made her gun shy to get married, but Jennifer pointed out that Rafe was not remotely like Aiden. With a shrug, Hope agreed. Hope wondered aloud if she would ever be ready to marry again. Jennifer was adamant that Hope and Rafe would work things out, but Hope was pessimistic. Jennifer asked Hope if she did not believe that Rafe measured up to Bo. As Hope talked about how much she loved both men, she said that she was afraid of losing Rafe the way she had lost Bo. Eyes lighting up, Hope realized why she had distanced herself from Rafe. Hope said she hoped that she was not too late to tell Rafe how she felt.

After meeting in the square, Rafe escorted Sami back to her hotel room. While Sami poured drinks, she told Rafe that she had fought with Will. Rafe assured Sami that things were fine, but Sami explained that Will had told her that he hated her. Fighting tears, Sami confided that she was worried that the longer it took for Will to recover his memories, the less likely he would be able to remember anything at all. When Rafe pushed Sami to tell him about the fight, she told Rafe everything.

Surprised, Rafe noted that Sami had broken "about a million laws." Sami yelled at Rafe not to arrest her, but he waved off her anger. Rafe said he was not interested in turning Sami in to the police. Unsure, Sami asked about Rafe's "commissioner fiance." Rafe noted that Hope was neither the commissioner nor his fiance anymore. Rafe told Sami about the fight, and he noted that the breakup was for the best.

Chuckling, Sami admitted that she had been weirded out by the thought that Rafe was dating Hope. As Sami and Rafe sipped their drinks, Sami said that she understood how it felt to lose the love of one's life. Sami said that part of her had died when E.J. had passed. With a sad smile, Sami assured Rafe that he would move on with Hope but that she was done with men. Rafe laughed at the thought of Sami spending her life alone. Rafe urged Sami not to give up on love. Leaning closer, Rafe assured Sami that Will would remember his love for his mother.

Sighing, Sami complained that she had been willing to sacrifice her relationship with Will if it had meant he could remember his life, but her plan had failed. As Sami broke down in tears, Rafe pulled her into a comforting embrace. Sami pulled away and hesitated near Rafe's lips. After a moment, Sami leaned back and apologized to Rafe. Chuckling, Rafe said it was "all good."

"Hope was never gonna marry me," Rafe said sadly. Sami agreed that it hurt to have one's heart broken. Smiling, Sami told Rafe that she would always be there for him and that he would never be alone. Staring into one another eyes, Rafe and Sami leaned closer together and kissed.

At the hospital, Lani told Abe that she and J.J. had broken up. Abe was relieved. Lani said she wanted to focus on supporting him and Theo. As the two shared an emotional hug, Valerie interrupted. While Lani left for a walk, Valerie apologized to Abe for her part in Theo's coma. Abe assured Valerie that he did not blame her for what happened to his son. Overwhelmed, Valerie started to cry. Abe hugged Valerie and told her that he knew she had done her best to help Theo. Abe added that Valerie was the best thing in his life and that he loved her and needed her.

In the square, J.J. apologized to Claire and Tripp for shooting Theo. J.J. said he wished he could change what had happened that night, but he had not been able to determine how he could have avoided shooting Theo. Shaking his head, J.J. said it did not matter because he could not change the past. After J.J. walked away, Claire confided to Tripp that she felt helpless. Tripp suggested that they hold a candlelight vigil in the square to support Theo. Claire hugged Tripp and told him that she could not get through the ordeal without him.

At the police station, Gabi argued with Eli about J.J. Eli blamed J.J. for Hope losing her job. Defensive, Gabi defended J.J.'s actions. When Eli posited that J.J. had overreacted to seeing a "black kid in a hoodie," Gabi demanded to know if Eli was calling J.J. a racist. Eli explained that having a racial bias was not the same as being a racist. To support his argument, Eli pointed out the numerous news stories of shootings. Shaking her head, Gabi said that Eli did not know J.J. like she knew him. Eli countered that was true, but he was seeing it through the lens of his experiences. When Eli asked about heading out to eat, an annoyed Gabi canceled their plans.

Angry, Gabi picked up food at the caf and delivered it to J.J. at his room at the Martin house. J.J. reluctantly let Gabi in. Curious, J.J. asked Gabi why she was not with Eli. Gabi admitted that she had argued with Eli. J.J. told Gabi that he had broken things off with Lani. J.J. added that Lani had said she did not blame him for shooting her brother, but that he did not want to be a daily reminder to Lani that he had shot Theo. Gabi said she was certain that the investigation would clear J.J.'s name and that Abe would forgive him.

Hesitant to tell J.J. the news, Gabi slowly admitted that Abe had relieved Hope of duty because she had refused to fire J.J. Feeling guilty, J.J. argued that he had ruined "so many lives." Gabi reminded J.J. that he had not meant to hurt anyone. J.J. countered that unfortunately, he had hurt someone: Theo. Upset, J.J. cried in Gabi's arms.

In the square, Lani, Abe, Tripp, and Claire gathered with other friends and family for a candlelight vigil to honor and support Theo. Claire said she hoped that Theo would feel the love from the gathering and that it would give him the strength to recover. After a moment of silence, Abe spoke about his admiration for his son's determination. Abe told the story of when Theo, in an effort to make friends, had run for student council. Through sheer determination, Theo had been elected to the student council twice. Abe admitted he had been afraid that Theo would fail, but he had been elated and proud to watch his son thrive. After a long sigh, Abe said he hoped that Theo would defy the odds again.

Following Abe's speech, Claire pulled out her guitar and sang the song she had written for Theo. Emotional, the crowd wiped away their tears and left for home. As Claire thanked Tripp for helping her, a motorcycle pulled up. It was Ciara.