Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of August 20, 2018 on DAYS

Steve captured Bonnie. Kate pulled a gun on Ted. Susan returned to Salem. Hope and Ciara were at odds. Will regained his memory. Sami crashed Marlena's wedding and revealed that Susan was actually Kristen. Kristen offered to return a live E.J. to Sami if Sami shot John. Sami fired the gun.

Sonny makes a confession to Will

Monday, August 20, 2018

by Mike

Hope was horrified to learn that Ben was going to be moving in with Ciara, Claire, and Tripp -- and even more horrified to learn that Ciara was the one who had extended the invitation to Ben.

"[I did it] to protect him from you," Ciara explained to Hope. "[See], I ran into him on his way out of town, and he told me all about your little deal. You tried to use your power to run him out of town!" Ciara continued with a shake of the head. "You don't have any proof that he did something wrong, [so] why don't you just leave him alone? [I mean], you say that he's a monster [and] a threat, but you're the one that's hurting people, [and] you're the one that's using your position to punish an innocent man, so you tell me -- who's the real monster here?" Ciara concluded, stunning Hope.

Hope refused to apologize for trying to protect Ciara from Ben. "[Then] I have nothing left to say to you," Ciara replied with a shrug. Hope tried to warn that Ciara was making a "tragic" mistake, but Ciara maintained that Ben wasn't a threat to anyone anymore. Desperate, Hope turned to Tripp and Claire for backup. "I'm not okay with [Ciara's idea, but I've already] tried to talk her out of it," Tripp told Hope. "Ciara really trusts [Ben], and I'm trying to get along with her...[plus], I clobbered him over the head with a frying pan, and he didn't press charges, so I kind of owe him," Claire added.

Scoffing, Hope insisted that Claire didn't owe Ben anything. "Why don't you talk to J.J. about this? Or how about Abigail and Chad? Or, better yet, how about Paige? Oh, that's right -- you can't, because she is dead!" Hope added. "That's enough, Mom!" Ciara interjected. "No, Ciara, it is not nearly enough!" Hope countered. "[Ben's] not staying here. I'll call the landlord. I'll call every tenant in this building! Every newspaper, every news station -- I will have them down here --" Hope vowed. Interrupting, Ciara warned Hope, "If you do that, you and I are finished -- forever."

"You would cut your own mother out of your life for a known murderer?" Hope asked incredulously. "This is not about Ben. This is about you [not] trusting me. This is about you trying to control me," Ciara clarified. "Protect you!" Hope insisted. Ignoring the distinction, Ciara ordered Hope to leave. Stunned, Hope irritably guessed that Ben was loving what was happening. "I never wanted to cause you any trouble, Hope...but I am very grateful for all that Ciara has done for me. [I mean], she believed in me, and she helped me [as] you tried to lock me up for something I didn't do. She's a true friend," Ben replied.

Not yet ready to give up, Hope pointedly wondered if Ciara believed that Bo would be okay with the idea of Ben moving into the apartment. "Don't bring Dad into this," Ciara told Hope. "I asked you to leave," Ciara added. Sighing, Hope turned back to Ben and stressed through gritted teeth, "Our deal -- it's over. Yeah. I'm reopening the arson investigation." Ciara insisted that wasn't fair, but Hope didn't listen.

After Hope left, Ciara slammed the apartment door shut then went to get pillows and blankets for Ben, who would be sleeping on the couch. Tripp, standing in the kitchen with Claire, watched Ben apprehensively. "[Are you really okay with] letting American Psycho live with us?" Tripp quietly asked Claire. "What are we supposed to do? You see how important it is to Ciara that Ben stays with us. And I'm not about to get in the way of something she feels so passionate about," Claire replied with a shrug, matching Tripp's tone. Meanwhile, Ciara rejoined Ben in the living room, armed with bedding.

Ben felt guilty about having caused a rift between Ciara and Hope, but Ciara dismissed the concern, insisting that Ben wasn't the one who had caused the rift. "[My mother's] wrong about you. Everyone is," Ciara stressed before going to get Ben another pillow. As Claire retreated to the bathroom to take a shower, Tripp continued watching Ben, who eventually met Tripp's gaze and smirked.

At the police station, Bonnie flirted with Steve, hoping to use sex as a way to avoid being sent back to prison. "Are you completely out of your mind? You look exactly like my sister!" Steve pointed out. "Some people are kinky that way," Bonnie reasoned with a shrug. As Steve left the conference room in disgust, Bonnie began flirting with the police officer who was guarding the door.

Adrienne entered the police station while Steve was recording a voicemail message for Kayla -- one that made it clear that their earlier conversation about secrets would be continued eventually. After Steve ended the call, Adrienne approached and immediately began asking to be pointed in Bonnie's direction. Steve teasingly refused to provide any information until after Adrienne offered a proper greeting. Softening, Adrienne gave Steve a hug and gratefully declared, "Thank you for dropping everything [to find] that piece of trash for me!" Satisfied, Steve pointed Adrienne toward one of the conference rooms.

"What's she like?" Adrienne asked nervously. "Well, she tried to put the move on me..." Steve revealed. "Ew!" Adrienne replied, cringing. "That's what I said," Steve agreed.

Adrienne took a deep breath then went to confront Bonnie -- alone. "Look, I know you're probably really angry with me --" Bonnie began. "Why would I be angry? [I mean], it's not like you [kidnapped] me and [left] me for dead in prison," Adrienne sarcastically replied. Bonnie insisted that Anjelica and Hattie had been the true masterminds of that ugly incident.

"I'm not proud [that I helped them, but] it's ancient history, Adrienne! I mean, come on -- I'm sure you've gotten back together with that hunky Lucas by now, right?" Bonnie added, shrugging. "[Actually], I'm with Justin now," Adrienne clarified. "Huh. That's interesting. [I mean, it] seems like I did you a favor [in the end, then] -- I helped you realize who you really loved," Bonnie proudly mused. Scoffing, Adrienne incredulously wondered if Bonnie was seriously expecting gratitude.

Bonnie begged Adrienne to let bygones be bygones. "We have a lot more in common than just our killer looks here. We're both mothers [who] would do anything to protect our children. [I've] lost so much time with my babies and my grandbaby! [Just] let me go back to [them], and I will disappear like I never existed," Bonnie continued. "Not a chance in hell. You are going back to prison for the rest of your miserable life, and you can tell my friends in Statesville I said hello," Adrienne replied before storming out of the conference room and slamming the door shut. Sighing, Bonnie began trying to squirm out of her handcuffs.

After Adrienne left the police station, Hope arrived and thanked Steve for having managed to apprehend Bonnie. Steve, who had been waiting to give a formal statement, quickly changed the subject, sensing that something was bothering Hope. Steve guessed that Ben was the source of Hope's stress. Nodding, Hope insisted, "We have got to find a way to get him to leave town...before we all regret it."

Meanwhile, Bonnie contacted someone and frantically admitted, as the person tried to hang up, "I need a favor, all right? And this time, it's a really big one."

At the Evans-Black townhouse, Marlena sorted through a pile of mail that included a wrapped box. "Maybe it's an early wedding present," John suggested with a shrug.

"It's, uh...it's me," Marlena observed with a gasp, removing a look-alike doll from the box. "[And it's] wearing the gown that I wore when I married you in 1999," Marlena continued as John inspected the accompanying card. "Good luck at your wedding," John read aloud, adding that the card hadn't been signed. "Who in the world would have sent this?" Marlena nervously wondered.

John shrugged and laughed off the gift, arguing that it seemed harmless enough. "You don't find this a little bit creepy?" Marlena asked incredulously. John conceded that it was certainly unusual. Marlena soon realized that there was only one person who could have sent the gift -- Hattie. "Oh, come on, Doc -- she's in prison," John pointed out. "That hasn't stopped her before," Marlena countered.

John contacted Statesville's warden and asked to talk to Hattie, who denied having sent the gift. "If not Hattie, then who sent this?" Marlena worriedly wondered.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Sonny grasped Will's hand and explained, "Look, I know that you're with Paul, okay? But we stood by each other during this whole Leo situation, and it made me realize how important you still are to me, you know? We make a great team, Will. We've always made a great team, okay? And I'm not ready to let that go. [I mean], you need to know that I still love you, and --"

"Sonny, stop it," Will gently demanded, pressing a hand against Sonny's chest. "Please don't do this," Will added, pulling away. "I'm -- I'm sorry if -- if I've made you uncomfortable by telling you how I feel..." Sonny began to stress. "It's a little awkward," Will admitted with a slight chuckle. "But, um...I'm not gonna be mad at you for being honest with me," Will assured Sonny.

"I know this isn't easy for you -- you know, having to see Paul and me together, and living with memories that I can't share with you... And you're right -- I mean, it's true that we -- these last few weeks, it feels like something -- I mean, like we've -- we've -- we've grown closer...but...as friends," Will gently stressed. "And we'll always be Ari's parents. But...that's...all it is...that's all it is for me," Will continued.

"And you're sure?" Sonny asked sadly. Nodding, Will apologized for having given Sonny false hope -- and for having just dashed it so bluntly. Sonny dismissively insisted that honesty was always the best policy, but Will still hated hurting Sonny's feelings. "I care about you. And it's not -- it has nothing to do with our past; it's because of who you are, and who we are...together," Will told Sonny.

"But I don't love you. I love Paul. And...that's not gonna change," Will quietly concluded, looking Sonny straight in the eyes. "I, um...I know those obviously weren't the words that you were hoping to hear...[but] when I first came back to Salem, we tried, you know? We -- we really -- we tried to make it work, but it just -- you know, something didn't -- something didn't feel right," Will added as Sonny absorbed the blow.

"I didn't expect that I would just, you know, open up about how I feel, and you would just suddenly leave Paul, but..." Sonny began to explain. "You needed to say it out loud," Will concluded for Sonny. Nodding, Sonny hoped that Will wouldn't always feel awkward around him as a result of what had just been revealed. Will dismissed the concern, assuring Sonny, "It's not easy to talk about, [but] I'm glad that you feel you can be honest with me, you know?" Will put a hand on Sonny's shoulder and added, "You're a great guy, and I know that one day you're gonna find somebody who makes you as happy..." Will decided not to complete the sentence.

Will gave Sonny a tender, somewhat apologetic hug then exited the mansion. Sighing, Sonny opened a desk drawer and retrieved a framed photograph -- one that had been taken on the day that Sonny had married Will.

Sonny was still staring sadly at the picture when Adrienne burst into the mansion and excitedly revealed that Bonnie had been apprehended. "Let's celebrate!" Adrienne added before realizing that Sonny was upset about something. "I told [Will] how I felt. [And] he wasn't upset, but, uh...he doesn't feel the same way I do," Sonny explained. He fought back tears as his mother comforted him with a hug.

At the Salem Inn, Kate kept a gun aimed at Ted while explaining, "You know, I thought about paying you off...but then I decided to off you." He nervously tried to reason with her, insisting that she wasn't a killer. She hinted that he might be wrong about that -- and added that she was actually holding the same gun that had fired the bullet that had fatally wounded the last person who had tried to cross her.

"You know, this situation is really, really a lot like that one," Kate mused. "Like Viv, you're making my life a living hell, [and] you thought you could torture me and get away with it. [So], why should I give you my dead husband's money [after you] stabbed me and my grandson in the back? [See], from where I'm standing, I think there is a much cleaner solution," Kate added, pressing the barrel of the gun against Ted's chest.

Later, while drinking a glass of whiskey, Kate contacted Will and assured him, "Ted won't be bothering us anymore."

Susan crashes Marlena's party

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

by Spalding

At the penthouse, John joked to Marlena that he could help her get undressed later. Marlena chastised John for tempting fate after he had already seen her in her wedding dress. Marlena ordered John to stick to the plan to stay at the Salem Inn on the night before their wedding. Marlena's phone rang with a call from Carrie and Austin. Carrie and Austin called to tell Marlena that they could not attend the wedding because Noah was sick.

John reminded Marlena that Shawn and Belle would be at the wedding along with many of their friends. With a nod, Marlena admitted she had pre-wedding jitters. John joked that he would take the Marlena doll with him for company. Marlena groaned and commented that it was odd that the details of the doll's wedding dress matched her first wedding dress so accurately.

Paul visited Will in his room to invite him to John's bachelor party. When Paul asked Will about the situation with Kate, Will confirmed that Kate had agreed to pay Ted. Will said he was relieved that his nightmare was over. Will vowed to pay the money back to Kate. With a smile, Paul told Will that he admired his integrity.

"I love you. No one else," Will said. There was a noise in the hallway. Paul rushed to the door to see about the noise. The woman in the hallway was Susan. Will asked Susan if she had escaped. Susan presented her release papers, and she asked to talk to Will. Will ushered Susan into the room. Will asked about Roger. With a shrug, Susan said Roger had not been able to take time off of work to join her on the trip.

"It's not easy to face what I did and who I did it to. It was a bad, bad thing turning you into E.J. and I know that now. But I took really, really good care of you didn't I now?" Susan asked. Will agreed. Will stressed that he was happy now in Salem. Elated, Susan hugged Will and told him that she had only wanted him to be happy. Gently peeling Susan off of him, Will told Susan that he needed to leave for John's bachelor party. Susan asked if she could apologize to Marlena while she was in town.

"I think they would really appreciate that, but today might not be the best day," Will said. Will explained that Marlena was at her bachelorette party at Doug's Place. Susan smiled.

At the hospital, Steve caught up with Kayla. Kayla attempted to blow off Steve citing her need to get to Marlena's bachelorette party, but Steve stopped her. Steve informed Kayla that he had captured Bonnie. Kayla said she was relieved. As Kayla excused herself to leave, Steve gently grabbed her elbow. Steve begged Kayla to tell him about her secret. Kayla stared silently at her husband. Steve assured Kayla that he could not stay mad at her. Steve urged Kayla to trust him. Before Kayla could say anything, Valerie interrupted to asked Kayla if she was ready to go to the party. Kayla promised Steve that they would talk in the morning.

In Doug's Place, Eve, Jennifer, Brady, Eric, and Claire worked to prepare the room for the bachelorette party. Jennifer and Eve sniped at each other while a nervous Claire cautioned everyone to make sure every detail was perfect. As Claire rapturized about the romantic wedding, Eve cautioned Claire not to marry someone who did not love her more than anyone else in the world.

"Isn't that right, Jen?" Eve asked. Eric commented on the book Eve had given Jennifer. With a raised eyebrow, Brady took Eve aside to ask her why she had given the book about bad girls to Jennifer. Eve explained that she wanted to remind Jennifer that she was not any better than anyone else. Brady suggested that Eve return to the hotel, but Eve promised to be on her best behavior at the party. Reluctantly, Brady left Eve alone with Jennifer as he exited with Eric to walk over to the Brady Pub.

Valerie, Kayla, and Marlena arrived for the party, and the group settled down to paint. Claire announced that Hope would not be able to attend the party. Marlena admitted that Hope was unhappy with her. Claire chimed in that Hope blamed Marlena for Ben staying in Salem. Eve was alarmed at the news. Claire turned the topic back to the party and announced there would be another guest. Belle walked in. Belle explained she had arrived early as a surprise at Claire's insistence.

Belle asked Marlena about Carrie and Sami. Marlena explained that Carrie was home with Noah but she did not know why Sami could not attend the wedding. Belle shrugged. Marlena said Sami had explained that she did not want to see Hope, but Belle did not think Sami was capable of feeling shame. Marlena wondered aloud if Sami was still upset about John, but Belle was convinced that Sami had made her peace with John.

Belle sat down next to Claire and asked about her life. As Claire hesitated, Eve jumped in and encouraged Claire to tell Belle the news about the loft. Marlena jumped in and asked the group of women about the wedding doll. With a chuckle, Kayla pointed out that the doll looked just like Marlena. Marlena agreed and noted that the dress was an exact replica of her 1999 wedding dress. Susan burst into the restaurant.

"Oh you got my gift!" Susan exclaimed happily. Marlena asked Susan why she was in town. Susan said she had wanted to make a special gift for Marlena as she pointed at the doll. In a whisper, Valerie asked Kayla and Eve about Susan. Eve poured champagne in Valerie's glass. Susan told Marlena that Will had told Susan where to find her.

"I wanted to apologize for kidnapping your grandson and turning him into E.J. That was very, very wrong," Susan said. Marlena accepted Susan's apology. Susan hugged Marlena tightly and thanked her. Belle started to thank Susan for stopping by, but Susan cut her off to announce how much she liked painting. Susan asked if Sami was in the restaurant. Marlena said no. With a shrug, Susan said she wished she could go to the wedding. Marlena sighed.

While Susan milled about the room, Claire asked Marlena if John would be okay with Susan attending the wedding. Marlena told Claire that she had spoken to Susan's doctors who had cleared her for release. Susan gathered some art supplies and wedged herself between Marlena and Jennifer at a table. Eve walked over and leaned over Jennifer's should.

"A twig. I didn't know we were doing self portraits," Eve joked. Jennifer grit her teeth. Marlena walked across the room to check on Kayla. Kayla admitted that she was distracted. Marlena encouraged Kayla to talk to Steve. Kayla worried about how Steve would react. Susan overheard Kayla and she rushed over with her Tarot deck. Susan offered to do a reading for Kayla. When Kayla declined to touch the cards, Susan fanned them out and selected one.

"Looks like someone is keeping a big fat secret from her husband," Susan said. Susan added that all wives kept secrets from their husbands. "Or their fiancée," Eve whispered to Jennifer. Kayla urged Susan to do a reading for someone else. Claire volunteered. When Claire picked a card, it was the death card. Susan told Claire not to worry. Valerie interrupted to explain that the death card symbolized rebirth and renewal. Susan agreed.

Jennifer thanked Susan for the entertainment, and suggested that the ladies return to painting. Susan insisted on a reading for the bride-to-be first. With a nod, Marlena smiled and picked a card. The card was "the lovers." Susan clapped with joy.

"Bad luck is no match for true love," Marlena said with a grin. Marlena started to say her goodbyes to everyone. When Marlena hugged Kayla, she whispered to Kayla to tell Steve the truth about his eye. Marlena thanked everyone for the wonderful evening. With a smile, Marlena said she was thankful that everyone would be at the wedding tomorrow.

As Jennifer packed up her painting, Eve noted that Jennifer's photo was "picture perfect, just like [Jennifer]." Jennifer cautioned Eve to stop taking shots at her because it would undermine Eve's relationship with Brady. Eve countered that Jennifer should not threaten her because she would destroy Jennifer's relationship with Eric. Across the room, Belle asked Claire what Eve had mentioned earlier. Claire said everything was fine, and she did not mention Ben.

At the Brady Pub, John, Roman, Brady, Abe, and Eric gathered for the bachelor party. Abe told Eric and Brady that he was happy to see the men acting as brothers again. Over a game of darts, Brady and Eric joked. Will arrived and told John that Susan was in town to apologize to him and Marlena. Will explained that he had asked Susan to wait until after the wedding.

While John stepped outside the pub with Paul, a sullen Will sat alone at a table. Roman noticed Will's face and he delivered him a beer. Roman asked Will what was wrong. Will hesitantly told Roman that Sonny had confessed that he still loved him. Will said he loved Paul. With a nod, Roman said if the air was clear, there was no problem. Will admitted that he felt guilty for not telling Paul about Sonny's confession. Will added that with Paul's history, it would upset him to hear about Sonny. Roman asked Will if he was sure about his feelings for Sonny. Will nodded yes.

"Things will get better for everybody as time goes on. Trust me," Roman said.

Outside the pub, John and Paul played a game of catch. John said he was surprised at how worried Marlena had been about superstitions before the wedding. Laughing, Paul said he had not liked to play any game without his lucky socks. John asked Paul to throw a fastball. Reluctantly, Paul started to wind up the pitch. Abe called out John's name, which distracted John. Paul released the pitch and nailed John in the face. Paul rushed to his father's side as John clutched his face.

Abe and Paul escorted John back inside the pub for an examination. Steve held up two fingers, and John joked, "It's the sign for stealing second base." Paul apologized to John, but John waved it off as a bruise. Steve suggested that John could have an orbital fracture and should see a doctor. Brady added that John might have a concussion. John disagreed. Roman arrived with a frozen bag of peas for John's face. John grumbled that Marlena would kill him.

Steve escorted John back to the Salem Inn. When John got a good luck at his eye in the mirror he groaned. John complained that his eye had already turned "thirteen shades of purple." Steve argued John's eye would look better in the morning. With a grumble, John noted that he could not let Marlena see his eye before the wedding. John continued to ice his eye while Steve looked up remedies on his phone. Marlena knocked at the door. Panicked, John looked at Steve.

"I thought we weren't supposed to see each other until tomorrow," John said. Marlena said she was over her superstitions. "I just want to hold you for a while until we become husband and wife," Marlena said. There was no response from the other side of the door. Marlena called out John's name, and he slowly opened the door.

Marlena was surprised to see John sporting an eye patch. John joked that he had lost a bet and had to wear the eye patch until the morning. John asked Marlena if she felt better about the wedding. Marlena said that with all the love she and John shared, "What could go wrong?"

In the corner at Doug's Place, Susan sang "Here Comes the Bride" to the Marlena doll. Across the room, Jennifer reminded Kayla about Susan's comment regarding big secrets. Curious, Jennifer asked Kayla if she had decided whether to tell Steve her secret. Kayla said she did not know what to do. Kayla asked Jennifer if she had decided whether to talk to Eric about Nicole. Jennifer was not sure. Kayla told Jennifer that she believed Jennifer was doing doing the best thing for everyone in not telling the secret about Nicole.

Brady and Eric returned to Doug's Place to see Belle and ask about the party. Uncomfortable from Eve's stares, Jennifer asked Eric if they could go get ice cream. With a nod, Eric escorted Jennifer out. Eve raised an eyebrow at Jennifer as she left.

Susan gasped as she read her tarot cards. Kayla asked what was wrong. "This marriage is doomed," Susan stated. Kayla scowled.

John and Marlena prepare for the wedding

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

by Mike

At the Brady Pub, Roman convinced Eric to eat breakfast before heading over to the Salem Inn to join the other members of John's wedding crew.

Eric was surprised to learn that Roman was planning to skip John and Marlena's wedding ceremony. "Because you don't have a date?" Eric asked, knowing that Roman's relationship with Anna had recently ended. Chuckling, Roman insisted that wasn't the reason. "[Look], maybe it's just me, but I've always thought that [having] an ex-husband or an ex-wife at a wedding [was] kind of awkward, you know?" Roman explained with a shrug.

Eric was quick to point out that John and Marlena wanted Roman to attend the wedding ceremony, but Roman refused to reconsider. "First Sami, and now you?" Eric grumbled. "[Then again], maybe it's best that [Sami] doesn't show up, [what with] Susan Banks back in town and all... [I mean, Mom and Will] may have forgiven her, but Sami? Not a chance," Eric added with a shake of the head.

Claire was alone at home when someone began pounding on the apartment door. "Where is he?" Shawn asked in lieu of a greeting when Claire opened the door. "Where's who?" Claire replied, alarmed and confused. "Ben Weston! I want to see him -- right now!" Shawn demanded, barging into the apartment. "Oh, my God, would you take it easy? Ben is not here!" Claire insisted. "Is he forcing you to say that?" Shawn nervously whispered. "What? Oh, my... No! [Now], would you please calm down?" Claire begged. "How am I supposed to be calm when my daughter's living with a serial killer?" Shawn incredulously countered.

"How do you even know about this?" Claire asked. "From me," Belle revealed, joining Claire and Shawn in the apartment. "I knew you were hiding something last night, [but] I couldn't get it out of you, so I got it out of my mom," Belle explained with an unapologetic shrug. "I wasn't trying to hide anything --" Claire began to clarify, but Belle and Shawn were both too wound up to listen. "You're shacking up with the psychopath who tried to strangle Will!" Belle pointed out. Turning to Shawn, Belle worriedly added, "Oh, my God -- now I know why she got the Death card last night!" Groaning, Claire insisted that Belle and Shawn were both overreacting.

Claire assured Belle and Shawn that Ben was no longer a threat to anyone -- and that Marlena could confirm that. "With all due respect to Marlena, I am [still] not comfortable with my daughter...shacking up...with a convicted killer!" Shawn countered, deciding to borrow Belle's turn of phrase. "I second that," Belle agreed. "[And] I am so sorry that you feel that way, but [I'm an adult, so] it's my call," Claire replied with finality.

Frustrated and overwhelmed, Belle turned to Shawn again and sweetly asked, "Will you please talk some sense into your daughter? Because I have, like, a million things to do for this wedding." While storming out of the apartment and slamming the door shut, Belle loudly and pointedly added, "And I don't want anything to go wrong!"

Alone with Claire, Shawn conceded that barging into the apartment, guns blazing, probably hadn't been the best way to start a conversation. "[It's just]...this last year, it hasn't been easy on you, and it hasn't been easy on your mother and I, and...well, we've got so much space between us, and we live so far apart... I just...I wish that we were more connected. [I mean], I know that we text, and we Skype, but...you don't understand -- it's not the same as being here for you when you need us. [And] in my mind, I know that you are an adult -- [that] you are an independent woman who is perfectly capable of taking care of herself -- but in my heart...in my heart, you are still my little girl, and I...I don't know, I guess I'm just not ready for you to grow up," Shawn explained with a shrug. Touched, Claire hugged Shawn and stressed, "I'll always be your little girl."

Meanwhile, Belle headed to Doug's Place to help Kayla and Valerie get the club ready for the wedding reception. "Did Shawn get in okay?" Kayla asked when Belle arrived. "Uh, yeah...[but] as soon as he got off the plane, I had to tell him that his daughter was living with a serial killer, [so] he's still there, trying to talk some sense into her," Belle explained with a sigh. Belle guessed that Steve was just as upset about the recent development, since Tripp lived at the apartment, too. "I don't know. We haven't talked about it," Kayla admitted. "Thought you guys talked about everything," Belle replied, confused. Kayla forced a smile but didn't respond.

At the Salem Inn, Steve, Abe, and Brady took turns downplaying the severity of John's black eye, which looked much worse than it had the previous night. John wasn't fooled -- and insisted with a shrug that the wedding was simply going to have to be postponed for a few days. Brady protested that the wedding couldn't be postponed for a few days because that would ruin the concept of it occurring on the anniversary of John and Marlena's first wedding ceremony. "Some women like a man with only one good eye," Steve jokingly assured John. "Look, we need help -- professional help -- and I know just who to call," Abe coolly stated.

At the Evans-Black townhouse, Susan burst into John and Marlena's bedroom and shouted, "Happy weddin' day, Dr. Marlena Evans!" Marlena, who was still in bed, groggily wondered how Susan had managed to get inside the townhouse. Susan explained, while proudly modeling a gaudy outfit, "See, what happened was this -- [your housekeeper] showed up at the same time I did, and she was a little uncertain [at first] -- probably 'cause I look so fancy -- but I just told her that you and I was friends, and, uh...and that you invited me personally to your weddin', and she just let me in!" Marlena forced a smile and muttered, "I'll have to talk to her..."

As Marlena got out of bed and donned a robe, Susan sensed that something was wrong. "Are you afraid that a dress as pretty as this is gonna show up what you're wearin' [at the weddin']?" Susan asked with a laugh. "[Or] is it my hairdo and the hat? I mean, I can make myself look less glamorous..." Susan continued. Marlena kindly insisted that Susan's appearance wasn't going to be an issue at all.

"I had a dream -- oh, well, I actually had a nightmare -- about the wedding," Marlena hesitantly revealed, shuddering at the recollection.

In the nightmare, which Marlena didn't bother to describe to Susan, everyone had gathered in the Horton Town Square for the wedding ceremony. "Exactly 32 years to the day since the first time around," Steve had reminded the groom at the end of the aisle. "Yeah, but who's counting, right?" the groom had replied with a chuckle. Valerie had started to sing "Up Where We Belong" in honor of John and Marlena, noting that it was the couple's song, but Abe had quickly stopped Valerie. "You're no Marilyn McCoo -- or even Tamara Price," Abe had harshly insisted, adding that John and Marlena had requested a traditional wedding march, anyway.

As the music had begun playing, Eric and Brady had escorted the veiled bride down the aisle to the waiting groom. "If there is anyone who has any reason why these two should not be joined, please speak now or forever hold your peace," Abe had announced expectantly, but no one had bothered to take the bait. "Really, people? Come on! This is a wedding in Salem! There's always an interruption! Can I get a motorcycle? A videotape? Something?" Abe had complained, but the request had again been met with silence. Abe had heaved a sigh of disappointment and had then proceeded to lead the bride and groom through the exchanging of the traditional wedding vows. "Do you, Marlena Evans, take this man, John Black --" Abe had begun to ask. A man, wrapped in bandages from the neck up, had suddenly appeared at the back of the town square.

"Who's that?" Valerie had asked curiously. "No clue...but I knew there'd be an interruption," Abe had triumphantly replied. The man had approached the bride while slowly removing the bandages. "You can't marry this loser...[because] he's not the real John Black. I am," the man had claimed. "Roman?" the bride had asked, confused. "No, sweetheart, it's me -- the real John Black," the man had repeated. "Then who's that?" the bride had asked while pointing at the groom. "Nobody really knows...but you can call him the Pawn, or Forrest Alamain, or John Robicheaux, or Yo Ling Junior..." the man had replied, shrugging. "Don't listen to him, Doc. He's obviously had too much clam chowder," the groom had dismissively reasoned. "I'm John Black -- the love of your life, your soul mate," the groom had assured the bride.

The bride had pondered the matter for a second and had then joined the mystery man. "My soul mate!" the bride had gushed, wrapping an arm around the man. "That's Roman Brady!" the groom had insisted. "Yes, I know! Roman Brady is my soul mate! I -- I've loved him forever! I'll spend the rest of my life with him!" the bride had replied.

"I'm not that Dr. Marlena Evans person! Seriously? The one with all the children with the funny names?" the bride had continued, scoffing. "No, no, no -- I am Hattie Adams!" the bride had added while removing the veil. "And I will never let you out of my sight again," the mystery man had promised. "You better not, you sizzling slice of sirloin!" the bride had warned before giving the man a passionate kiss. "Well, looks like it's just you and me, Doc Doll," the groom had mused with a sigh while walking away with the bride's look-alike doll.

While Marlena was thinking about the nightmare, Susan insisted, "You have got nothin' to worry about! You and John go together like peanut butter and bananas! And I would never, ever try to steal him away from you like I did before! [I mean], I was wrong -- I was really, really wrong -- to pretend that I was Kristen DiMera and try to marry John, [but] she just loved him, and I just wanted to take advantage, you know, 'cause that woman is just mean, mean, mean! And I told her that [back when] she came to visit me at the hospital!" Marlena immediately forgot about the nightmare and asked Susan, "You saw Kristen?"

"You think that you saw Kristen DiMera?" Marlena continued, getting worried. "No," Susan replied. As Marlena laughed and breathed a sigh of relief, Susan added, "I know I did!" Worried again, Marlena insisted that Kristen had died in Italy -- in front of witnesses. "I know nothin' about that...[but] I know I saw Kristen! [It was] on New Year's Eve! She came to visit me at the hospital in Memphis!" Susan countered.

Marlena suggested that Susan had probably had a nightmare that had seemed quite real -- and that Susan's medication had further complicated the matter of separating fact from fiction. "Are you sayin' that you still think I'm crazy, Dr. Marlena Evans? ['Cause] you just told me that Kristen is dead, and I swear -- I swear on Elvis' grave -- that I saw her! Kristen DiMera is alive!" Susan defensively maintained -- just as Kayla and Belle arrived.

Marlena filled Kayla and Belle in on what was being discussed. "You know what? This is, uh, Marlena's wedding day, so maybe we can all agree to not talk about Kristen," Kayla helpfully suggested. Nodding, Susan changed the subject, raving that the bachelorette party had been a blast. "I could have done without you dealing my kid the Death card..." Belle grumbled. "Well, like I said, you can interpret that in many different ways," Susan replied.

"Oh, which reminds me -- um, about the Lovers card..." Susan began to add, turning to Marlena. Kayla quickly interrupted, telling Susan, "You know, Valerie had a very important job for the wedding -- she was going to, uh, take care of the centerpieces -- but she had to go because she had to take care of a patient, so I'm wondering if you could go to Doug's Place [and] make sure that those centerpieces are...centered. [I mean], I really need someone I can trust." Susan happily agreed, raving, "I just love those little hourglass centerpieces! Like sands through the hourglass, right?" Susan quietly asked Kayla, "That doesn't mean that, uh, John and Marlena's, you know, days together are numbered, [does it]?" Kayla clarified, "No, of course not. Their love is timeless and eternal. That's what the hourglass symbolizes." Susan agreed that sounded much better.

"Thank God you got rid of that weirdo," Belle said to Kayla after Susan left. "Did Val [really] have to go to the hospital?" Marlena asked. "Yeah, she did. She didn't say why, but she did," Kayla confirmed.

Brady was at Doug's Place, looking for a bag of makeup, when Susan arrived to take care of the centerpieces. "I heard you were back in town. [And] I hear that Marlena is even allowing you to come to the wedding," Brady told Susan, trying to be friendly. "Yeah, I snagged Sami Brady's seat! Can't believe she ain't comin' to her own mama's weddin'! That girl's just mean, mean, mean!" Susan replied as Brady located the bag of makeup. Brady tried to say goodbye, but Susan was already busy centering the centerpieces -- literally, with the help of measuring tape. Brady chuckled and exited the club with a shake of the head as Susan continued working.

Back at the Evans-Black townhouse, Belle mused, "[You know], it is ironic -- [I mean], Kayla gave the job of centering the centerpieces to the most off-center person on the planet!" Marlena tried to admonish Belle but couldn't help laughing at the joke. Belle soon changed the subject, presenting Marlena with something new -- a charm with the wedding date engraved on it. "It's from Dad. He told me to give it to you. I don't know why he was wearing an eye patch, but whatever..." Belle explained with a shrug. "Yeah, that's the mystery of the day..." Marlena replied.

Next, Kayla presented Marlena with one item that doubled as both something old and something borrowed -- a lace handkerchief that was special to Kayla. "Now all you need is something blue," Kayla pointed out. "Carrie was supposed to bring that, and she's not here..." Belle noted with a groan.

"The doll that Susan gave you had on a blue dress. We can just take a ribbon or a bow from that," Belle suggested. "That's a good idea," Marlena agreed. "Except...[the doll] isn't here. I just saw it at Doug's Place [earlier]," Kayla revealed. Shuddering, Marlena worriedly mused, "Susan's gonna kill me if anything happens to that doll..." Belle and Kayla both expressed concern, but Marlena insisted it had simply been a figure of speech.

Marlena assured Belle and Kayla that Kristen was definitely dead -- and that Susan was definitely harmless. Meanwhile, at the Salem Inn, Brady handed the bag of makeup to Valerie, who quickly retreated to the bathroom with John to try to conceal the damage that Paul's fastball had caused. While waiting, Brady told Steve, Abe, and Eric about what Susan was doing at Doug's Place with the centerpieces. "I just can't believe Marlena's letting [Susan] come to the wedding. [I mean], let's remember that this woman's last move was to turn Will into her dead son. Is anybody [else] the least bit concerned that this woman is...dangerous?" Brady asked worriedly.

At Doug's Place, Susan discovered Marlena's look-alike doll under one of the tables. "Unlike me, the person in charge of packin' the gifts didn't do a very good job!" Susan mused, picking up the doll. "They must've left you here by accident," Susan guessed while stroking the doll's hair. "[But] what if it wasn't an accident? What if it was on purpose?" Susan suddenly realized.

"I just went to so much trouble to make you, and you look exactly like her -- especially the hair! She should be... She should treasure you! Yes, she should! She should treasure you! And what does she do instead? She just leaves you here on the floor -- like garbage! That was just rude, rude, rude! I thought Dr. Marlena Evans cared about me! Maybe I was wrong -- maybe it was just all an act..." Susan angrily continued, eyeing the doll wildly.

At the Salem Inn, John emerged from the bathroom and showed off Valerie's handiwork, which had completely concealed the black eye. "One less thing for Marlena to worry about today," Brady mused with a sigh of relief. John was stunned to learn that Marlena had agreed to let Susan attend the wedding ceremony. Stunned, John contacted Marlena, who maintained that there was no reason to worry because Susan was harmless.

At Doug's Place, sand flowed through an upturned hourglass next to the look-alike doll -- which had a knife sticking out of its back.

John and Marlena's wedding ceremony begins

Thursday, August 23, 2018

by Mike

Susan emerged from the back office of Doug's Place, singing "Here Comes the Bride" while simultaneously straightening her clothes and accessories, and approached one of the tables. Marlena's look-alike doll was splayed out on the table, a knife still sticking out of its back. An hourglass stood next to the doll, each grain of sand settled at the bottom half. Susan wrapped a hand around the handle of the knife and removed it with a grunt.

Just then, Will entered the club and called out to Susan, whose back was turned toward him. "Are you okay?" he asked while approaching her. She slipped the knife in her purse then reached for the doll as he stopped at her side. He admitted, with a hint of confusion, that the doll bore a striking resemblance to his grandmother. "It's very...nice..." he kindly assured her, chuckling. "Are you okay?" he repeated, eyeing her curiously.

"Yeah! It's just...weddings get to everybody -- even you, Will!" Susan explained with a shrug. "Even me?" Will asked, confused again. "Yeah! You had a weddin' of your own -- to Sonny! And you can't even remember it!" Susan pointed out. "But I know how you feel -- I really do! [After] you've been gone for so long, [it's like] you come back, and everybody's just gone on, like you [were never] even there..." Susan continued, sighing.

"Um...that...wasn't really...my experience... [I mean], my family's been great, and I have Paul, and I'm really enjoying my new life, so..." Will countered, leaving Susan momentarily flustered. She quickly perked back up and told him, "Least you got a man on your arm, you know? I don't even have a plus-one!" He extended an arm and offered to escort her to the wedding ceremony, explaining that he had only stopped by the club to make sure that it was ready for the reception, anyway. She happily accepted, linking an arm with his. "I wouldn't miss this for the world!" she raved as she exited the club with him, clutching her purse tightly with her free hand.

Meanwhile, at the Horton Town Square, the wedding guests mingled with each other while waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Claire walked through the crowd with a basket, seizing each person's cell phone so there would be no interruptions. Steve, Brady, and Eric took turns teasing John for wearing makeup to the big event. Eve criticized Jennifer for messing with a floral arrangement, pointing out that Marlena might have wanted it to hang a certain way. Jennifer countered that Eve shouldn't have worn a white dress to another woman's wedding ceremony. "For your information, this is pearl," Eve clarified. "It's white," Jennifer maintained. "Maybe you should get your eyes checked! You know, you're not as young as you used to be!" Eve snapped. "I'm younger than you!" Jennifer pointed out. Eric and Brady soon intervened, separating Jennifer and Eve. Eric observed that Hope and Rafe were missing, prompting Jennifer to explain that the couple had been called away to Chicago earlier.

Will soon arrived with Susan. After collecting Will's cell phone as well as Susan's, Claire started looking for a place to hide the basket. Susan spontaneously took the basket from Claire and promised to find the perfect spot for it. Claire, needing to get ready to sing a song, gratefully accepted Susan's help. As Susan rushed off with the basket of cell phones, Paul approached Will. "Wow, you...you look great," Paul raved, eyeing Will approvingly. "So do you," Will replied before giving Paul a kiss. As Paul led Will to a pair of chairs, Claire began strumming a guitar and singing. Seconds later, Susan returned and claimed a chair directly behind Will.

Kayla soon appeared and began walking down the aisle toward Steve. "You missed your spot, baby," he whispered. "I just have to tell you something [first]. I love you, and you're right -- that means no secrets. I'll tell you everything after the wedding," she replied in an equally hushed tone before stepping over to the bride's side of the aisle.

As Claire's song ended, Marlena appeared and linked arms with Brady and Eric, who proceeded to escort her down the aisle to the tune of a traditional wedding march.

"You look incredible," John told Marlena as Brady and Eric claimed seats next to Eve and Jennifer, respectively. "[And] you look very handsome...in spite of the shiner," Marlena replied with a smile. "Can't get anything past you, can I?" John conceded, chuckling. "Don't even try," Marlena warned. Will and Paul held hands and smiled at each other as Abe began, "Dear friends, we are gathered here today for a celebration of love..."

Susan retrieved a handkerchief from her purse and loudly blew her nose. "I always cry at weddings," she explained to Will, not bothering to whisper. "Just keep goin'," she told Abe before loudly blowing her nose again.

Abe called on Will to say a few words. Paul straightened Will's bow tie then gave him a supportive pat on the back as he stood to take the stage.

"My grandmother has asked me to read a sonnet from William Shakespeare," Will explained to the crowd before beginning to read "Sonnet 116" in its entirety. Afterward, Will added, "So, obviously, I am no Shakespeare, but I would also like to speak a little bit from the heart. Until very recently, I had little to no memory of any of you. I was told that you loved me, and that I loved you, but I struggled with that -- with trying to feel the love that I just didn't remember. But now I realize that love isn't tied to the past. For as long as John and my grandmother have loved each other, what we're celebrating here today isn't, you know, the memory of that love; it's that it still exists, and it's still alive today, in the present. So...love, to me, is living every moment like a breath -- every moment as if it were a heartbeat."

Turning to Marlena, Will continued with a smile, "People told me that you and I had a very special connection, and I didn't really know what to even think of that at first -- all I knew of myself was [that] I was a bartender in Memphis -- but the first day that I met you, you gave me the courage to come here, and you gave me the courage to allow myself to be loved...and then, eventually, to love." Glancing at John, Will concluded, "So, I just want to say thank you -- thank you very much, to both of you -- for letting me be a part of this amazing celebration of love and commitment."

As Will spoke the final five words, a memory suddenly resurfaced -- a memory of Marlena calling Will and Sonny's wedding the same thing at the start of their ceremony. Will froze, stunned, as the memory continued. "Will? Is everything all right?" Marlena eventually asked, confused. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry. It's fine. Um...I...you know, it just hit me -- what a big moment this is for the two of you," Will claimed.

Assuming that Will was done, Abe called on Paul to say a few words. Before taking the stage, Paul quietly wondered what had just happened to Will. "Everyone is waiting for you," Will evasively pointed out, matching Paul's tone. "You sure you're all right?" Paul asked. "Yes, I'm -- I'm fine. I just got a little, like, dizzy. I'm gonna -- I think I'm gonna chug some water," Will claimed before starting to rush off. "Want me to go with you?" Paul offered, stopping Will. "No! With the whole wedding waiting for you? No!" Will replied while practically sprinting away. Chuckling awkwardly, Paul took the stage and cracked a joke about John's inability to catch fastballs.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Sonny stared sadly at a framed photograph -- one that had been taken on the day that Sonny had married Will. Sighing, Sonny removed the photograph and left the mansion with it.

Sonny eventually ended up at the Brady Pub. "What can I get you?" Roman asked as Sonny approached the bar and placed the photograph on it. "A shot of tequila. The good stuff, please," Sonny replied before curiously noting that Roman was missing John and Marlena's wedding ceremony. "Well, somebody's gotta hold down the fort," Roman reasoned with a shrug.

Changing the subject, Roman questioned Sonny about the photograph. "Just a memory that Will and I had. And I have to accept the fact that this picture -- and everything it means -- is in the past," Sonny sadly explained. "By knocking back tequila?" Roman asked with a hint of disapproval. "I'm saying goodbye to the love of my life. You got a better way to do that?" Sonny countered.

"For reasons I won't get into, um...I [recently] decided to tell Will how I felt -- that I never stopped loving him, and that I wanted him back... But he made it very clear that he's not interested. [See], he's just all about Paul [now]. And that's just gonna...be the way it is," Sonny continued with a sigh. Nodding, Roman retreated to the kitchen to get a bottle of top-shelf tequila for Sonny.

While waiting, Sonny wistfully recalled the custom vows he had said to Will during their wedding ceremony. Roman soon returned and apologetically informed Sonny that the top-shelf tequila was out of stock. "Just my luck," Sonny grumbled. Sonny picked out a different drink, sending Roman back to the kitchen. Alone again at the bar, Sonny took another look at the photograph and mused with a heavy sigh, "I had you, Will. I had you. No matter what happened between us, I had your heart. You wanted to get past what happened, and I...I blew it! I held on to my pride [and] my ego, and I just let you go. What the hell was I thinking?"

Roman soon returned with the drink that Sonny had requested. Roman placed the drink on the bar in front of Sonny then went back to the kitchen again so Sonny could have some privacy. Sonny gulped down the drink while wistfully recalling the custom vows Will had said to him during their wedding ceremony. Defeated, Sonny shredded the photograph several times then exited the pub with a shake of the head, leaving the remains behind.

Meanwhile, Will paced through the park as memories of his wedding ceremony continued resurfacing. "Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Remembering doesn't change anything. Remembering doesn't change anything. Remembering doesn't change anything," he tried to assure himself. He started to head back to the town square but soon froze, remembering even more of his wedding ceremony. He collapsed onto a nearby bench in a bit of a daze as tears began streaming down his face. "This is crazy..." he mused as he remembered his custom vows as well as Sonny's. "Oh, my God... Oh, my God..." he muttered, sobbing and shaking.

As John and Marlena's wedding ceremony continued, Paul quoted Johann Wolfgang von Goethe at the couple's request: "That is the true season of love -- when we believe that we alone can love, that no one else could ever have loved so before us, and that no one will love in the same way as us." After Paul left the stage, Susan clutched her purse tightly, as if steeling herself for what was about to transpire next.

Abe prompted John and Marlena to share their custom vows with each other. Marlena went first, smiling at John while beginning, "You are my life. You are my love. You are my confidant."

"You know, every time you call me Doc, it reminds me how much you understand and support the work that I do. You know, I've been doing this a very long time; I've seen a lot of relationships, a lot of love stories... But the one thing I never really, clearly understood was what makes people fall in love with each other. I mean, love is, um...mysterious. It's unpredictable. People fall in love, and they do things -- sometimes good, sometimes bad -- they would never normally do. You see, love...love doesn't have any patterns, it doesn't have any rules...it really is just a leap of faith. Maybe they call it that because we're never sure somebody's gonna be there to catch us. And yet...we leap. It is such a show of courage, of bravery..." Marlena continued, tearing up.

"I fall for you every single day. And no, it isn't always smooth sailing -- I know sometimes you make me a little crazy -- but there is no one else I would rather be crazy about...and crazy with...so I vow to you today to be with you on this crazy adventure called love for every day until I die," Marlena concluded as John gently wiped a tear from her cheek while ignoring the one that was sliding down his own.

"She did it again," John told the guests with mock annoyance, knowing it would be impossible to top Marlena's vows.

As the guests laughed, John turned to Marlena and began, "You know, it just hit me again -- how lucky I am to have you in my life. It's taken us too long to get back here -- and that's been on me, because being with me means that you have had to get used to the idea that sometimes I need to drop everything and take off in the middle of the night to some faraway place -- but I hope you know that you're always on my mind, sweetheart, and my heart is always here with you. No matter how far away I am, the place I want to be is right here by your side."

"I know that sometimes I have been so damn wrapped up in my work that I've caused you to believe that I'm not thinking of you. Well, those days are over. From now on, I am gonna spend the rest of our lives reminding you, 'Baby, you're just stuck with me, and you better get used to it.' Because what you said just before about love -- you can't explain it; it just is. And in this crazy world that we live in now, we are just so damn lucky to have found our one-of-a-kind, crazy love," John continued as Marlena started tearing up again. "No matter what lies ahead of us, I will always be mad about you. That's a fact," John concluded.

Abe recited the traditional vows for John, who responded with a firm "I do" then slipped a ring on Marlena's finger while adding, "With this ring, I thee wed..."

Meanwhile, back at the park, Will wiped away tears while musing, "Paul must think I'm passed out somewhere..." Will took a deep breath then stood to head back to the town square, but as he took the first step, another memory resurfaced -- a memory of the moment in his wedding ceremony when he had taken Sonny's hands and said, "I respect you, I admire you, and I adore you...but most of all, I love you, Sonny."

As tears welled up in Will's eyes again, Sonny passed through the park and stopped in front of him.

Meanwhile, back at the town square, Abe forged ahead, asking, "Do you, Marlena, take John to be your lawfully wedded husband -- in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse -- for as long as you both shall live?" As Marlena began to respond, Sami appeared at the back of the town square, looking crazed and disheveled, and cried out, "Don't!"

Sami ran toward Marlena but soon stumbled and collapsed to the ground, right in the middle of the aisle. "No... You can't... You can't... Mom... You can't... Mom, you can't marry him..." Sami breathlessly sputtered.

Everyone watched Sami closely -- including Susan, who clenched her jaw and reached into her purse for something.

Kristen points a gun at Marlena

Friday, August 24, 2018

by Spalding

In the park, an emotional Will thought about when he had married Sonny. With tears in his eyes, Will turned and saw Sonny standing behind him. Sonny asked what was wrong. Shaken, Will said he was fine. Will said he felt dehydrated. Concerned, Sonny followed Will as he headed to look for water.

Sonny followed Will into Doug's Place and watched as he drank a glass of water. Will urged Sonny to leave him alone. With a sigh, Sonny said he knew Will well enough to know that something was bothering Will. Sonny refused to leave until Will talked to him. Sonny held Will's hand.

"Save us both a lot of time and just tell me what happened," Sonny said. "I remembered our wedding," Will whispered. Sonny teared up. Will told Sonny that seeing Marlena at the altar had triggered his memory of when Marlena had married him and Sonny. Shaking off the thought, Will said he needed to return to the wedding. Sonny asked Will to stay and talk, but Will said no. Sonny said he was concerned that Will would lose the memory, but Will said he needed to return to the ceremony.

"You mean Paul? Paul is going to be wondering where you are," Sonny said. Will nodded yes. Sonny asked why Will had been so scared by the memory. Upset, Will blurted out that he was upset because the memory was in fragments. Sonny argued that Will was scared because he had remembered how he felt about Sonny. Sonny begged Will to talk about his memories.

"Okay. I'll tell you, but if you're asking how I feel, I feel lucky because I love Paul and Paul loves me," Will said. Sonny said he understood. Sonny added that Will's amnesia had been unfair but that Will was avoiding his past. With a sigh, Will started to explain what had happened at the wedding. Will said that he had been looking at Marlena and then had remembered Marlena as his grandmother. Will said he had remembered the love of everyone at the wedding and his love for Sonny.

"Did you remember that you didn't think you could find any kind of love, let alone the love you found with me?" Sonny asked. Will remembered more of his wedding to Sonny. "Husbands for life," Will mumbled. Sonny started to cry with joy. Sonny asked if Will remembered what had happened after that. Will frowned. Will leaned toward Sonny then turned away. Will said the memories were flooding back. Will rattled off other memories from his wedding to Sonny.

"My mom," Will whispered. Will remembered talking to Sami before the wedding. Sami had told Will that she and Lucas had been lucky to have Will as their son. Will had told Sami that family was worth fighting for. Will teared up at the memory. With a chuckle, Will said that it was hard to imagine that he had been able to forget Sami. Will remembered when he had come out to Sami. With a gasp, Will remembered Lucas. Will smiled at the thought of his father.

"I remembered blaming them my entire childhood for not being the perfect couple. All I wanted was for my parents to be together. I wanted that perfect, happy family. Now I know there really is no such thing as perfection, at least when it comes to family," Will said. With a laugh, Will noted that his parents had never been boring. Will lamented that he had behaved horribly toward Sami, but Sonny reminded Will that Sami had done terrible things too. Sonny noted that Sami had forced Ben to strangle Will a second time.

"She did it because she loves me. Fiercely. Like I love her," Will said. With a nod, Will said he needed to find everyone he knew and tell them how much he loved them. With tears in his eyes, Will recounted the first time he had held Arianna.

"I remember my daughter. I remember our daughter," Will said. With a grin, Will said he remembered his whole life. Will thought about kissing Sonny after their wedding. Standing in Doug's Place with the weight of their history between them, Sonny edged closer to Will. Will and Sonny kissed.

In the town square, Abe read Marlena's vows. Before Marlena could say "I do," Sami cried out. "You can't marry him," Sami said as she stumbled down the aisle. Disheveled and with leaves in her hair, Sami wobbled her way toward her mother. In the audience, Susan carefully pulled a gun out of her purse and clutched it to her chest. Marlena asked Sami if she was drunk. Sami mumbled unintelligibly, and everyone in the crowd looked at one another, unsure what had happened.

"She's gonna die," Sami said. Sami ranted that a woman had tied her up, but Sami had outsmarted her. Eric rushed to his sister's side to calm her down. Sami urged Marlena to leave before "she" killed Marlena. Kayla suggested that Sami go to the hospital, but Sami refused to leave her mother. Worried, John asked Sami who she was talking about. Confused, Sami looked around at the guests until she saw Susan.

"It's you! I told you that you are not going to get away with this!" Sami yelled. Eric pulled Sami off of Susan, but Sami broke free and attacked Susan. Eric intervened and pulled Sami off of Susan again. Unfazed, Sami cried out that she would not let anyone harm Marlena. Susan shrieked that she had been invited. Marlena yelled out that she had invited Susan to the wedding.

"She's not Susan at all!" Sami said. Susan stressed that she was the woman that had taken Will. At the sound of Will's name, Paul reached for his phone. Like everyone else's phone that had been collected at the start of the ceremony, Paul's phone was gone. Sami and Susan yelled at one another. Sami punched Susan, dislodging her wig. Sami pulled off Susan's top coat as Susan struggled to escape Sami's grasp. As Susan rounded on Sami, Sami punched Susan again, causing the fake teeth to fly out of Susan's mouth and into Marlena's bouquet. Aghast, everyone turned to face the intruder.

"Kristen!" Marlena growled. With a smile, Kristen announced, "Kristen DiMera is back." Eric held Sami in the corner, keeping her upright. As Sami swayed, Kristen grabbed her gun and pointed it at the crowd. Eric stepped in front of Sami, and John stepped in front of Marlena.

"Wow. I just thought to myself, a wedding. What do I bring? Something borrowed? Something lethal? And I realized that you might not welcome me as my true persona, and I remember how Salem's graying secret agent men are always ready to spring into action, so I brought this to level the playing field," Kristen said as she waggled the gun. Eric was concerned about Sami, who had difficulty standing upright. Kristen assured Eric that the drugs would wear off, and Sami would be fine.

"Jennifer? You love his birthmark or what?" Kristen said, grinning as she stared at Eric. Eric helped Sami into a seat. Belle whispered to Shawn about his phone, but Shawn reminded Belle that "Susan" had collected the phones at the start of the ceremony. Kristen yelled at Shawn to tell the crowd what he had said to Belle. With a raised eyebrow, Kristen wondered aloud if Shawn and everyone else were looking for their phones. Kristen said it was nice that no one had a way to call for backup.

Steve rushed at Kristen, and she fired a warning shot, hitting a vase. Steve stopped short and backed away as Kristen pointed the gun at him. Marlena noted that Kristen, like her father, had risen from the dead and then played mind games with everyone when she had pretended to be Susan. With a laugh, Kristen explained that the woman that Marlena had talked to had been Susan. John asked Kristen what she wanted. With a nod toward Sami, Kristen said Sami had explained what she wanted.

"Me," Marlena said. Kristen reminded Marlena that she had pushed Kristen out of the window and had left her for dead. When Kristen noted that Marlena would not be as lucky, Sami stumbled to her feet, protective of Marlena. John pointed out that Kristen was alive and should move on with her life. Abe suggested that Kristen end the standoff peacefully. Kristen growled that no one would let her go. Marlena offered to not press charges.

"How dare you? You won't press charges after you threw me to my death? You didn't give me one thought after that. You are the worst excuse for a human being that I have ever met in my entire life. It's time for payback. It's finally time you got yours. I chose this day, specifically your wedding day, to end your life," Kristen said. Kristen added that she would not let Marlena live happily ever after. Kristen pointed the gun at Marlena.

"Do you believe me now? She said she was going to kill you as soon as you were married," Sami said to Marlena. Sami stood in front of her mother. With a shrug, Kristen said she had enough bullets to go through Sami. Kristen claimed no one could stop her. Brady stepped forward. Brady walked toward Kristen and said that Kristen could stop herself.

"Brady. I hoped you'd be here," Kristen said. "You're doing that thing again, Kristen. That DiMera thing where you list all the terrible things that everybody has done to you but skip over all the things that you have done to everybody else. Like stealing someone's child," Brady said. Kristen growled, "My child." Brady said he knew Kristen better than anyone, and he knew that Kristen just wanted to be loved.

Kristen blamed Brady, but Brady countered that Kristen's thirst for revenge had spoiled their relationship. Kristen argued that their relationship had ended because Brady had changed his mind. Brady pushed Kristen to admit why he had changed his mind about Kristen.

"Because of what I did to Eric," Kristen said. Behind Kristen, Eric crept up on her slowly. Marlena gasped. Tipped off, Kristen spun around and pointed the gun at Eric. Eric slowly circled around to the front to stand with Brady in front of Sami, John, and Marlena.

"You just made a very big mistake!" Kristen said. Kristen said she had only wanted to kill Marlena, but Brady had reminded Kristen how much she hated everyone there. Kristen said there would be a bloodbath. Abe argued that there were too many witnesses. Eric counseled Kristen that it was not too late to change.

"Brady hasn't changed. You're still weak and self-serving as ever. Doing whatever it takes to get whatever you want, hmm?" Kristen said. Kristen asked Eve how Theresa was doing. Kristen muttered that Tate should have been her child. Kristen added that her enemies would not get to be happy if she did not. Sami refused to move from in front of Marlena.

"I'm not going to shoot any of you. You are," Kristen said. Kristen tossed the gun to Sami, who reflexively grabbed it and clutched it to her chest. Eric and Brady grabbed Kristen. Sami shook her head, dizzy. Sami asked Kristen what she was talking about. With a chuckle, Kristen asked Sami if she wanted to kill John. Kristen laughed as everyone stared at her in horror.

"John and I worked that out years ago. And even if we hadn't, I would never do that because my mom loves him," Sami said. "And you love E.J.," Kristen purred. Confused, Sami asked Kristen what she meant. Kristen explained that E.J. was alive. Sami stumbled toward Kristen. Kristen offered to take Sami to E.J. With a shake of her head, Sami argued that Kristen had held her captive for weeks and had never mentioned E.J. Sami refused to do Kristen's bidding.

"E.J. was shot, and my father called me to go to the hospital, and just before [E.J.] was about to die, I injected him, and you lost him," Kristen said. Kristen offered to tell Sami where to find E.J. Shaking with rage, Sami said she would not believe anything Kristen said. Kristen reminded Sami that Will had been alive. Kristen added that E.J. had also survived, just like Will.

Worried, Paul yelled out that Will had left, and Paul asked if Kristen had done something to him. Sami demanded that Kristen answer the question. Kristen claimed she did not know where to find Will. Marlena urged Sami not to listen to Kristen. Kristen continued to needle Sami, urging her to shoot John so that Sami could see the love of her life again. Marlena begged Sami not to listen to Kristen. Eric asked Sami to give her the gun. As Sami swung the gun slowly back and forth between Kristen and John, Kristen urged Sami to pull the trigger. Eric jumped for the gun, and it fired.