Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of May 25, 2020 on DAYS

Steve saved John from Orpheus. Hope saved John and Marlena from a bomb that Orpheus had planted. Hope let Zoey escape so that she could track down her son. Steve stopped Justin from shooting Orpheus. Abigail left town for Florida. Jack and Jake both confronted Gabi. Eli and Lani got engaged, and Lani struggled with the realization that she was pregnant. The two goons attacked Ben again. Will asked Sonny about having a second child. Steve decided to tell Kayla he wanted to be with her, but Justin proposed before Steve got a chance. Brady planned to destroy Titan.

Marlena and Steve try to rescue John

Monday, May 25, 2020

by Mike

At Julie's Place, Eric removed a jewelry box from a pocket of a suit jacket and checked the enclosed diamond ring -- just as Abe approached from behind.

"Big plans tonight?" Abe guessed. "Yeah -- I'm planning on proposing to Nicole at dinner. You know, I planned on doing it a few months ago, but...as you know, life got a little complicated," Eric explained. "[Yeah]... I'm sorry to hear about Rachel -- I know, from personal experience, how painful it is to give up a child you've raised as your own," Abe stressed.

Eric seized the opportunity to ask Abe -- who, of course, was like family to Nicole -- to officiate the eventual wedding ceremony. "It would be my honor to marry you [to] Nicole," Abe replied -- just as Kate arrived. "You're marrying Nicole? Honey, you are making a huge mistake," Kate said to Eric, adding that Abe certainly couldn't officiate the event. "None of this is your business," Eric said to Kate. "That's not exactly true," Kate countered before bragging that the mayor had a new director of communications. "Seriously?" Eric said to Abe. "Seriously," Abe confirmed.

Abe pulled Kate aside and made it clear that the director of communications was going to be expected to defer to the mayor on all professional matters. Abe also insisted that Eric was owed an immediate apology, but Kate didn't bother to offer one. "I was just being protective of a good friend's son..." Kate explained to Abe with a dismissive shrug. "Because Eric seems to have forgotten his soon-to-be fiance's past, [including] the fact that she kept him away from his daughter -- or, at least, the child he thought was his daughter," Kate continued, turning to face Eric again.

"You deserve better --" Kate continued. "Stop!" Eric snapped -- just as Nicole arrived. "What's going on here?" Nicole wondered. "I was just giving Eric some friendly advice -- which he took totally the wrong way," Kate explained. "He asked Abe to host the Horton Center fundraiser, and Abe is totally booked, so I suggested to Eric that if he had something like that [for] Abe to do in the future, [then] he should run it by me at least six months in advance -- [because, you see], I'm the mayor's new director of communications," Kate elaborated when Nicole probed for more information.

"You hired her? Oh, that was a big mistake..." Nicole said to Abe with a cringe. "[No -- it] was a brilliant move," Kate insisted. "To hire the undeniable queen of blackmail, forgery, double-dealing --" Nicole countered. "Okay, Nicole -- this is Abe's decision, [so] let's respect it," Eric interjected, and Abe chose to end the conversation there.

"I shouldn't have said anything," Nicole admitted to Eric as Abe and Kate claimed a table. "[But] that woman always lands on her feet, [and] it's just so infuriating!" Nicole explained while following Eric to a table on the opposite side of the restaurant. "[But] let's just forget that happened [and] enjoy the rest of our evening," Nicole decided, and Eric agreed.

"So, why did you want to dress up for dinner?" Nicole, who was wearing a black dress, wondered. "No occasion -- just wanted a night out with the woman that I love," Eric claimed.

Meanwhile, Kate showed Abe a draft of a speech that was to be given at a press conference the following day -- a press conference that Kate had scheduled, without Abe's knowledge, in the hope that Orpheus would be in police custody by then. "But [even if he isn't], you need to assure your constituents that they're safe, so..." Kate reasoned while Abe was reviewing the speech. "You know, I have to say, Kate...I'm impressed -- you've only been on the job for a few days, and you're already proving to be a real asset," Abe admitted after finishing the review -- praise that Kate seemed to have been expecting to hear sooner or later.

"[So], Eric and Nicole's opinion of me [didn't] cause you to rethink your decision to hire me," Kate assumed. "No...[but] if we are going to continue to have a decent working relationship, I need you to stop offering your opinions about other people's lives," Abe stressed. "Well...I mean, I can try..." Kate promised with a wink between sips of a martini. "I still say, though, [that] he's making the worst mistake of his life," Kate reiterated -- just as Eric proposed to Nicole, who happily accepted. "Well, there's no turning back now -- that guy is doomed," Kate declared with a shrug.

Kate followed Abe over to Eric and Nicole's table. "Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to congratulate you -- I'm just...just happy for both of you," Abe stressed. "What he said," Kate muttered. "Wow, Kate -- not only...beautiful words...but so...heartfelt, [too]," Nicole sarcastically mused, and Kate shamelessly nodded in agreement.

Eric quickly changed the subject, informing Nicole that Abe was willing to officiate the eventual wedding ceremony. "You knew?" Nicole realized, playfully smacking Abe's right arm. "Maybe..." Abe replied, chuckling. "Well, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have do the honors --" Nicole stressed. "If the mayor doesn't have any prior engagements --" Kate warned. "I will clear my calendar -- you two [just] tell me when and where," Abe assured Nicole and Eric. "Well, I can't speak for Eric, but this wedding can't come fast enough for me -- uh, I've been waiting half my life to marry this man," Nicole admitted while lovingly caressing Eric's cheeks.

"Well, I don't blame you for wanting to lock that down -- I mean, who knows what could split you up in this town, right?" Kate mused. "Kate..." Abe grumbled. "What? I mean, I'm just saying that 'the course of true love never did run smooth' -- and Shakespeare said that, not me," Kate reasoned with a shrug before walking away.

After Abe followed Kate back to their table, Eric and Nicole rushed off to share their good news with Marlena and John, unaware of what was happening with Orpheus.

At the hospital, Steve and Marlena both refused to let Justin tag along on the mission to rescue John from Orpheus, arguing that involving yet another person would be too risky -- and Kayla agreed. "Fine," Justin grudgingly conceded after some thought. "Be careful!" Kayla worriedly called out as Steve and Marlena were rushing off together. "Both of you," Kayla quickly clarified when Steve looked back with obvious surprise -- but the palpable concern in the warning had clearly surprised Justin, too. "Please be careful..." Kayla said again, this time in a whisper that Justin was a bit too far away to hear, after Steve disappeared from view.

Rafe and Hope followed Zoey to Orpheus' hideout but were too far behind to sneak inside the warehouse before the door closed and locked.

Rafe contacted the Salem Police Department's resident tech expert, hoping that there was a way to disable the warehouse's electronic lock.

Meanwhile, at the park, Steve and Marlena met with Orpheus, who was holding John at gunpoint. Orpheus was annoyed to see Steve but conceded that it wasn't surprising that Marlena had wanted some sort of protection at the meeting. "I'll let it slide this time...but now we do [things] my way...or John dies," Orpheus warned before demanding the ransom money, which Steve promptly transferred on Marlena's behalf via cell phone.

"Nice doin' business with you. Have a nice life -- I know I will," Orpheus said to the trio before starting to walk away -- then suddenly collapsing to the ground. "Fry, you bastard!" Steve spat.

"What the hell did you do to him?" John wondered. "Taser -- [see], Shane hooked me up with a high-tech phone from the ISA, [and] once it interfaced with Orpheus' phone [when the ransom money was transferred], I was able to transmit an electric shock," Steve explained while kneeling beside Orpheus' motionless body and checking for a pulse. "Still breathin', huh? Well, it's a start... Someday, I'm gonna make you pay for killin' my sister," Steve vowed before asking John and Marlena to help drag Orpheus to the police station. "We'll be with you in a second, partner," John replied before kissing Marlena passionately, oblivious to Steve's discomfort.

John and Marlena eventually ended their reunion kiss and helped Steve drag Orpheus to the police station. John gave a police officer David's location then explained to Marlena and Steve that Zoey was watching the child but seemed to be an unwilling accomplice to Orpheus' kidnapping scheme. After John and Marlena left the police station, Steve tried to contact Rafe and provide an update, but the call went to voicemail.

Meanwhile, Rafe and Hope finally managed to get inside the warehouse and locate Zoey -- who pulled a gun on them. "You were just playing me all along," Rafe decided. "No -- I swear [I wasn't...but my father] has my son -- [he] kidnapped him from my ex-husband [and] sent me a picture [earlier as proof] -- and if I don't do what he says, I might not ever see my little boy again," Zoey clarified. "I'll get your son back, [but] you gotta let me help you," Rafe offered. "I can't -- I know my father, and if I betray him again, he's gonna make good on his promise," Zoey fretted.

"I tried to keep my son away from Orpheus for years, and the only reason I came to Salem was to help my brother, and [now] that's all gone to hell... [Look], I adore my nephew, but I have to think about my son... [But] I will figure out where [my father] is going [with David], and I will tell you -- as soon as he gives my son back," Zoey continued.

Unwilling to leave without David, Rafe kept Zoey talking long enough for Hope to find an opportunity to try to grab the gun -- which went off during the ensuing struggle.

Kayla and Justin joined Steve at the police station. After pretending to step outside to contact the district attorney, Justin sneaked into the conference room in which Orpheus was being held. "Do you know who I am?" Justin wondered. "Victor Kiriakis' ineffectual nephew," Orpheus recalled. "Ineffectual?" Justin repeated while producing a gun. "You killed my wife...and I'm here to return the favor," Justin continued, aiming the gun at Orpheus.

At the Evans-Black townhouse, John admitted to Marlena that it was odd that Orpheus hadn't tried to pull some sort of stunt during the ransom exchange. Marlena guessed that Orpheus simply hadn't gotten a chance to do so because Steve's stunt had happened first. John remained concerned that there was another phase to Orpheus' plan, but Marlena insisted that, if so, it couldn't possibly be executed from a holding cell.

Neither Marlena nor John realized that an active bomb was hidden under their living room couch, with less than 40 minutes left on its timer.

A bomb counts down

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

by Spalding

In the Kiriakis mansion living room, Will told Sonny that the police had captured Oprheus. Will noted that everyone was safe. "What about David? Did they find him?" Sonny asked. Will said Rafe had the location, and David should be safe soon.

Sonny told Will about his meeting with Christian. "I pushed him until he admitted that he and his father caused the accident," Sonny said. Will asked Sonny how he had secured the confession. "I made him see that this is his chance to do one good thing in his life for the sake of his child," Sonny said. Sonny added that the confession had been formalized and sent to the court. Will said he was relieved that the people responsible for the accident would face justice.

"[Justin] is not going to rest until Orpheus pays for his crimes," Sonny said. Will asked Sonny if he was thinking about his mother. "It's great that her killer will finally be brought to justice," Sonny said. "But your mom is still gone," Will whispered. Sonny sighed and suggested that they concentrate on good news. "Unfortunately, I have some bad news, too," Will said. Will told Sonny about Gabi's arrest. Sonny asked about Arianna. Will confirmed that he had not told Arianna the news yet.

"How are we going to do this again? Ari barely forgave Gabi the last time she went away," Sonny said. Will countered that this time, Arianna had both her dads. "We will always be there for her," Sonny said. Will agreed. With Arianna asleep, Will and Sonny retired to their room and made love. After, Will told Sonny that he felt safe with Sonny. Sonny looked over Will's shoulder and saw a photo of them with Adrienne.

"She looks so happy," Sonny said. "She was happy, because she knew that her son had someone that would love him forever," Will whispered. Sonny said he could rest easy knowing that Will and Maggie were in the clear. "I hope that you and everyone else that was hurt by Orpheus can finally find some peace," Will said.

In the police station bullpen, Steve admitted to Kayla that it had taken all his energy not to kill Orpheus in the park. "I'm glad it all worked out," Kayla said. "It's strange, though. I mean, I know Justin, in his profession, he has to hold it together, no matter how angry he gets, but for him to just walk out of here and go see the D.A. after Orpheus killed his wife? I mean, how does he do that?" Steve asked.

"Maybe Justin doesn't show the outside world how he is really feeling on the inside," Kayla suggested. "Seemed pretty collected to me," Steve said. Kayla argued that Justin was a very passionate man. When Kayla noted that Justin had suffered a roller coaster of emotions since Adrienne's death, Steve asked how Justin's anger would manifest.

"Is [the anger] just going to come pouring out?" Steve asked. "That's what I'm afraid of," Kayla admitted. Kayla said that Justin had held his anger in check for so long that she was worried that it would explode. Steve promised Kayla that Orpheus would pay for his crimes this time because of the mountain of evidence against him. As Steve reached for the box of evidence, he noticed that the gun was gone. "I'm afraid Justin didn't go to see the D.A.," Steve said.

In the interrogation room, Justin pointed a gun at Orpheus. "Your brother-in-law let you in here with a gun so you can kill me?" Orpheus asked. Justin admitted that Steve did not know Justin was there. With a raised eyebrow, Orpheus asked Justin how he had obtained his gun. "I saw it in the evidence bag," Justin explained. Justin vowed to make Orpheus pay for taking Adrienne's life.

"I have watched you skate on the most heinous crimes, time and time again. You could be sitting in the electric chair, and I would still expect you to find a way out," Justin grumbled. Orpheus chuckled. Justin told Orpheus that he was not invincible. "You're not going to get away with this because this time you are going to face justice at the hands of the man whose wife you killed," Justin said. Orpheus told Justin to shoot him. Justin's hand trembled.

"Do it. Shoot me," Orpheus said. When Justin failed to act, Orpheus called Justin "a man of reason, not action." Orpheus noted that Steve would take action. With a smirk, Orpheus said that Kayla wanted and needed a man "that could take the enemy out if they actually deserved it." Orpheus told Justin that he knew Justin wanted to kill him, but he also knew that Justin did not have the guts to shoot him. Justin cocked the gun.

"That's where you're wrong," Justin whispered. Justin talked about Adrienne and how she had been Justin's whole life. "You took her, and you can't be allowed to get away with that. Someone should have done this a long time ago," Justin said as his voice shook. Justin asked Orpheus if he had any last words. "You know what? I don't give a damn," Justin said.

"Justin, no!" Kayla shouted as she walked into the room with Steve. Justin ordered Steve and Kayla to leave. "He's not worth it," Kayla pleaded. Justin yelled that Orpheus had ruined his life when he had killed Adrienne. "You going to let him shoot me in cold blood?" Orpheus asked. Justin told Steve that because of ISA interference, it was the only way to make sure that Orpheus faced justice.

"It's up to me to make sure that he gets what he deserves," Justin said. "I am not going to let you throw everything away for revenge. Think of Sonny and Ari and me," Kayla said. "He has to pay!" Justin yelled. "But you don't. If you shoot this man in the middle of the police station, you will go to prison, and you will lose everything. I will lose everything because I will lose you," Kayla pleaded. Kayla told Justin that she loved him. Steve asked for the gun.

"You're right. Orpheus has to die, but you don't have to kill him. Let me do it. Let me handle this," Steve said. Justin's hands shook. Steve told Justin that he wanted Orpheus to pay. "I can do it!" Justin protested. "I know, but you shouldn't have to. You have too much to lose," Steve said. When Justin argued that he had not asked Steve for help, Steve leaned in close to Orpheus. "I can see by the look on your face that you know I mean what I say," Steve said with a grin.

"Unlike Justin, I've killed before. Bad people. All of them deserved it a lot less than you do," Steve said. Steve begged Justin not to pull the trigger and throw away his life. "My life? I'm dead to the world. But I came back. Maybe I came back for a reason. Justin, you have too much to lose. When I lost my life, when it was taken from me, I didn't have a choice, but you do," Steve said. Steve held out his hand and asked for the gun. Justin placed the gun on the table. Steve grabbed the gun and held it against Orpheus' head.

"You may be a killer, Steve, but you're not a murderer. You don't want to do this," Orpheus said. "It would give me great pleasure to blow your brains right out of your head," Steve countered. Steve pulled the gun away. "I'm not going to do it," Steve said. As Orpheus sighed in relief, Steve hit Orpheus on the back of the head and knocked him out. Steve removed the clip from the gun.

"Why didn't you kill the bastard?" Justin yelled. Hurt, Justin added, "I trusted you to do the right thing." Justin yelled that it was not right that Orpheus was alive. Kayla grabbed Justin and hugged him to calm him. Kayla mouthed "thank you" to Steve across the room.

At the penthouse, Marlena cleaned the wound on John's head. John worried aloud whether Orpheus had any more surprises for them. "Well, I don't think he was planning on being outsmarted by Steve. And there is nothing he can do to us now," Marlena assured John. Marlena curled up next to John on the couch, unaware that a timer on a bomb under the couch continued to count down.

"Something about the way that Orpheus went down. It was the way he looked at me when they took him away. I just got this feeling that he had one last card to play," John said. Under the couch, the timer dropped below 39 minutes. When John said that Orpheus would never give up, Marlena agreed that Orpheus would still seek out his grandson. Marlena suggested that they stop talking about Orpheus.

"Let the police handle this," Marlena said. "Well, they might need me," John objected. Marlena reminded John that she had feared for his life and that she needed to spend a quiet evening at home with John in her arms. With a grin, John kissed Marlena. Someone knocked on the front door. "Wow. There's some bad timing," Marlena said with a laugh.

John opened the door and found Eric and Nicole on his doorstep. "We have some good news that we wanted to share with you in person," Eric said. Nicole held up her ring finger. John and Marlena whooped with delight and congratulated the newly engaged couple. "You were always each other's first love, and now, here you are," Marlena said. Nicole said that she and Eric hoped to emulate Marlena and John's marriage.

"It's just love and patience," Marlena said. "And gratitude," John added. Eric said that Nicole was already his family, but the marriage would make it legal. "I'm happy to report that Holly officially called Eric daddy," Nicole said. "As you could imagine, it melted my heart," Eric said with a chuckle. John hugged Nicole and welcomed her to the family. Nicole noticed the drinks on the table, and she asked if they were interrupting.

"We kind of had an eventful day of our own," John said. While Marlena fetched Champagne from the kitchen, John told Eric and Nicole about both Maggie's aborted kidnapping and John's actual one as they sat on the couch. Underneath them, the clock counted down to 20 minutes left on the bomb. John said that Steve was the reason Orpheus was in custody. The group toasted "to a bright future."

In the warehouse, Rafe attempted to reason with Zoey and get her to drop the gun. When Zoey hesitated, Hope lunged for the gun. As Hope and Zoey wrestled for control, Rafe pleaded with Zoey to drop the gun before anyone got hurt. The gun fired. Rafe collapsed on the ground, clutching at his chest. "Rafe!" Hope cried out. Hope punched Zoey, grabbed the gun, and ran over to Rafe and begged him to open his eyes.

"Is he?" Zoey asked. Rafe groaned. As Rafe sat up, he reached in his pocket and pulled out his detective shield. "The bullet hit me in the badge, thank God," Rafe said. Rafe asked about David. Hope pointed the gun at Zoey while Rafe ran into the back to find David. "I'm glad he is okay," Zoey said. "Are you? Because you could have killed him," Hope growled. Zoey insisted that she had not meant to shoot Rafe and that she had only held them at gunpoint because Orpheus had forced her to do his bidding.

"My father has my son! I have to obey what he says," Zoey argued. Zoey added that Orpheus had told her that he would "get his revenge, no matter what happened to David." Zoey's phone rang. Hope told Zoey to check the phone. Worried, Zoey noted that the call was from an employee of Orpheus. Hope let Zoey answer the call.

"I can get the money. I can get it in cash. Please just keep my son safe," Zoey pleaded. After the call ended, Zoey informed Hope that the police had arrested Orpheus, which meant Orpheus could not pay the men that were holding her son hostage. "They say he's safe?" Hope asked. "Yes, but I have to go now," Zoey confirmed. Hope told Zoey she could not leave because she had been involved in the shooting of an officer.

"I don't care about anything else. I just want to get my son back safe," Zoey said. Zoey pleaded with Hope as a mother. Zoey announced that she would walk out of the room, and she asked Hope not to stop her. When Rafe returned to the room with David, Zoey was gone. Hope told Rafe about Zoey's phone call.

"You let her go?" Rafe asked. "I couldn't keep her from her child," Hope admitted. Rafe told Hope that David had asked about John and that David had said that John had played games with David. "It's really over," Hope said. "I'm not so sure about that," Rafe worried aloud. Rafe told Hope that before Orpheus had left Zoey, Orpheus had told her and David that he had one last game to play with John.

After Rafe called the station and asked an officer to locate Zoey and keep an eye on her, Hope told him that he had done the right thing, letting Zoey find her son. "I hope you're right," Rafe said. Hope told Rafe to take David home while she went to check on John and Marlena. "Thank you. You kind of saved my life," Rafe said. "Any time," Hope said with a grin.

When Hope arrived at the penthouse, she told John, Marlena, Nicole, and Eric that Rafe had been reunited with David. "More good news to celebrate," Eric said. Hope looked at the Champagne and asked if the group had been toasting to Orpheus' capture. "They were until Nicole and I showed up and announced our engagement," Eric said. When Nicole raised her hand to show off the ring, Hope joked, "How did I miss that?"

While Marlena chatted playfully with Nicole and Eric about wedding details, Hope noticed the preoccupied look on John's face. "Everything okay?" Hope asked. John said he was feeling uneasy. "I can't help but feel that Orpheus is still playing [a game]," John explained. Hope told John what David had said to Rafe about Orpheus' plan to play his favorite game one last time with John.

"What's Orpheus' favorite game?" Hope wondered aloud. "Explosives expert," John whispered. John asked Hope whether it was possible that Orpheus had set up a bomb before he had been caught. Hope and John started to look around the room. Concerned, Marlena asked what was wrong.

"Are you looking for something?" Nicole asked. "Maybe," John whispered as he checked the fireplace. Hope got on her knees and looked under the couch. "John!" Hope called out. John ran over and looked. The bomb was counting down, and it only had one minute left on the timer. John yelled that there was no time to defuse the bomb. While John yelled at everyone to leave, Hope slid the bomb out from under the couch, and she ran out of the apartment and down the hallway. John and Eric chased after her.

With precious little time left before the explosion, Hope raced ahead and threw the bomb into a Dumpster. John and Eric caught up with Hope outside, and John yelled at Hope for the risk she had taken. When Marlena and Nicole joined the group outside, Hope assured everyone that she was fine. "I can't believe you did that," Nicole said. "Yeah. Really stupid," Hope said. "It was brave," Eric corrected. Marlena thanked Hope for saving them.

Chad and Abigail prepare to leave Salem

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

by Mike

At the auto repair shop, Jake awoke with a start after a nightmare in which Gabi had returned with the syringe and had managed to administer its questionable contents -- which had quickly triggered negative side effects.

At the Salem Inn, Ciara showed Ben their printed wedding invitations. "You have to give them to anyone that you want to invite to our wedding," Ciara explained. "Clearly, you have me mistaken for some super-popular guy. Truth is, I can count on...probably one hand...who I want to invite," Ben admitted. "Maybe that's the way to go, you know? Keep it small," Ben hopefully suggested. "'Small' would be really lovely and simple," Ciara agreed. "But, baby, you're not just marrying me -- you're marrying into the Kiriakis and the Horton and the Brady families, [so] you're gonna have to get used to big crowds," Ciara warned.

"I don't think I want to share you with anybody else," Ben stressed before leaning in to kiss Ciara -- just as someone knocked on the hotel room door. "Really?" Ben grumbled before opening the door -- and finding Eli and Lani standing on the other side of it. Together, the detectives explained that they needed an official statement from Ben about the recent incident that had occurred at the auto repair shop -- the one that had involved Jake and a syringe-wielding Gabi. "That squares with what Chad told us," Eli said to Lani at the end of Ben's statement. "Yeah -- [and] that should be enough to put Gabi away for a very long time," Lani declared.

"No offense, Lani, but, um...well, I -- I think you're being a little bit biased," Ciara argued, sensing Lani's delight. "Look, I know this isn't the same -- at all -- but, uh, the man that I love was on death row for a crime that he didn't commit, and my determination to save him made me do some pretty crazy, crazy things, [so] I get how Gabi's grief drove her to do something really desperate," Ciara continued, and Lani nodded in response, apparently conceding the point. Ciara quickly changed the subject, giving Lani and Eli one of the wedding invitations. The detectives congratulated Ciara and Ben and promised to attend the big event.

While passing through the town square with David, Rafe spotted Hope and seized the opportunity to rave about what had happened the previous night. "The department should give you a commendation for what you did with the bomb," Rafe declared. "Don't be silly," Hope countered before trying to rush off. "It's over," Rafe called out, stopping Hope. "What happened, [you know], when you were Princess Gina, [it's over] -- we forgive you, I forgive you, everyone forgives you -- [so] just let it go [and] move on with your life, all right?" Rafe continued. "David's lucky to have you," Hope randomly stressed, still clearly uncomfortable. "Okay...?" Rafe replied.

"Ciara's lucky to have you," Rafe stressed, deciding to drop the other matter. "Wish her congratulations for me," Rafe requested. "I [could]...but, um, why don't you congratulate her yourself," Hope replied.

Ben entered the auto repair shop and greeted Jake, who was surprised to receive a wedding invitation. "I don't really have many friends in this town...and I also really appreciate you going out on a limb for me, helping me get this job," Ben explained. "Oh. Well...put me down for a 'maybe,'" Jake replied before resuming a repair job. "So...last time we talked, you were considering the idea that you might really be Stefan DiMera with a little amnesia. Still thinking that's possible?" Ben asked while helping Jake with the job. "I may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but I know who I am, and I know who I'm not," Jake stressed.

"And I'm not this arrogant jerk that this deranged witch doctor Rolf raised from the dead," Jake continued. "Okay... It just seemed like you were having your doubts," Ben replied. "If I was having any doubts, they were all washed away yesterday," Jake explained before telling Ben about the results of the analysis that had been done on the contents of Gabi's syringe.

"There is plenty of bad blood between Gabi and Abigail...but I don't see why Gabi would want to hurt you when she thinks you're Stefan," Ben argued at the end of the tale. "Trying to figure out the behavior of the mentally unstable is a whole brand of crazy in and of itself," Jake declared with a shrug. "I know something about 'crazy,' [and that's] not Gabi's problem," Ben stressed. "Fine -- 'sane with homicidal tendencies,' [then]," Jake backpedaled. "No, I don't think so -- not towards you, at least," Ben maintained. "It's a clich, I know, but there's a thin line between love and hate," Jake pointed out.

"Funny you say that, because before Stefan and Gabi were in love, they hated each other -- with a passion," Ben acknowledged. "I heard all about that... [And yet] you really think what they had [in the end] was real?" Jake replied. "I know it was," Ben confirmed. "[So], if Gabi truly thought you were her husband back from the grave, there's no way in hell that she knew whatever was in that syringe would hurt you," Ben maintained.

At the police station, Gabi thought about Jake while waiting for Rafe in one of the conference rooms. "The love of my life is back..." Gabi maintained, certain that Jake's true identity had been proven during their kiss. "If only he didn't hate me..." Gabi fretted -- just as Jack stormed into the room. "You ruined my daughter's life -- again -- and now you're gonna pay! You may have skated on [various] charges in the past, but this time, I'm warning you, you are gonna --" Jack snapped at Gabi -- just as Rafe entered the room.

"You're not the mayor anymore -- you have no right to come in here and harass my sister," Rafe said to Jack. "I have every right, Commissioner -- she turned my daughter's life upside down! [See], the drugs that she gave to my daughter have scrambled her brain, [so] she's leaving for Florida today to start a treatment -- a protocol -- but we don't even know if it's gonna work, and she's gonna be separated from her family [and] her children for God knows how long --" Jack countered. "I didn't know that... I -- I'm sorry..." Gabi interjected, stunned.

"A confession!" Jack assumed, but Rafe disagreed, and Gabi confirmed Rafe's suspicion. "I didn't drug Abigail -- [I just] feel sorry for her because she's being separated from her children, [and] I have been through that with my own daughter [and] wouldn't wish it on anybody!" Gabi clarified. "If the police do their job, you'll be separated from Arianna for a very long time...which could be a good thing -- maybe Will and Sonny will raise that child to be different from her mother!" Jack countered. "That's enough -- get out!" Rafe interjected.

"Cut the nepotism and do your job! You hear me? Do your job!" Jack snapped at Rafe before storming off.

"Sorry about that --" Rafe said to Gabi, who quickly interrupted, wanting to talk about David first. "He's great, and he's in my office right now [with] a steady rotation of cops watching him," Rafe reported, drawing a sigh of relief from Gabi, who immediately jumped back to the earlier topic of conversation. "Thank you for defending me --" Gabi began. "Of course...[but] was I defending a guilty woman?" Rafe replied. "What? How many times do I have to tell you? I am innocent! Rolf set me up -- he admitted it when we were alone!" Gabi maintained.

"There's one small problem with your [story] -- Rolf was already in prison when Abigail was drugged," Rafe revealed, surprising Gabi. "Then he had somebody else do it for him," Gabi decided, but Rafe remained skeptical.

After being discharged from the hospital, Abigail returned to the DiMera mansion with Chad to prepare for the temporary move to Florida -- even though Jennifer had already taken care of most of the preparations.

"I'm scared that telling [Thomas and Charlotte] that I'm leaving is gonna trigger a hallucination, and I'm gonna...you know, go crazy in front of them, and I don't want that for my kids -- I don't want [them] to see their mom like that and be afraid of their mom, you know? So...I think that, um...I think what's best is...is that I just -- you know, it's better if I just leave without seeing them, and then you can tell them what happened," Abigail said to Chad. "What? That's not -- that's not 'what's best,'" Chad argued. "We're in this together, you and me, and that's how we're gonna tell our children -- together," Chad insisted.

Abigail nodded in agreement, prompting Chad to rush off in search of Charlotte and Thomas, the latter of whom had already figured out, due to Jennifer's preparations, that something was going on. "Mommy hasn't been feeling well," Chad revealed to the kids. "So, Mommy is gonna go to Florida to see this doctor -- a very special doctor," Abigail continued for Chad. "What's wrong with you, Mommy?" Thomas wondered. "Mommy's...seeing things that aren't really there -- you know, like a dream, [but] she's not sleeping; she's awake -- [and] it's a little confusing [and] a little scary, [but she's] gonna go get help and get better," Abigail replied.

"[And] your mom [is] very strong [and] very brave, [and] that's why we love her so much -- 'cause she's like a superhero. But even superheroes need partners, and I'm your mom's partner, so I have to go with her -- I can't let her go off and work hard and get better all on her own -- [and] you're gonna stay here with Charlotte [and] Grandma and Grandpa...[but we're] gonna come back to you, okay? [Just] not right away," Chad explained to Thomas. "[And] you absolutely can come visit," Abigail promised. "Maybe we can go to Universal Studios [and see] the Wizarding World of Harry Potter," Chad suggested, delighting Thomas.

"I just read him the first book," Chad informed Abigail. "And I promise to read my grandson the rest of them," Jack, who had just arrived at the mansion, stressed while following Jennifer into the study.

Chad took Thomas and Charlotte back to their bedrooms so Abigail could have some time alone with Jack and Jennifer, who took turns exchanging tearful goodbyes with their daughter.

At the police station, Gabi received an unexpected visit from Jake. Meanwhile, Ben continued working at the auto repair shop while daydreaming about marrying Ciara.

Ciara went to the Brady Pub to share a meal with Hope and Julie, the latter of whom expressed reservations about the idea of officiating Ciara and Ben's wedding ceremony. "I'd be honored...but...I don't have a very good track record," Julie admitted, citing two unsuccessful wedding ceremonies -- Hope and Rafe's, and Gabi and Eli's -- and only one successful wedding ceremony -- Abigail and Chad's. "Or...maybe [that's] just an excuse because you don't approve of my groom," Ciara guessed. "I did not approve [at first]...but then he saved my life, [and] I found out all these wonderful things about him," Julie replied.

"So...does that mean you will marry us?" Ciara assumed. "Of course," Julie decided. "Besides, what are the odds of something going wrong [again this time]?" Julie reasoned with a laugh while hugging Ciara.

While passing through the town square with Eli, Lani raved that Ben and Ciara deserved a happy ending to their love story and were soon going to get it.

Eli agreed -- then spontaneously produced a familiar diamond ring and proposed again to Lani, who was stunned but happily accepted. "I have been carrying [that] around for weeks, [and] I've just been waiting for the right time to put [it] back on your finger," Eli explained before kissing Lani, who soon produced a cell phone and started checking its calendar app for good wedding dates.

"I'm late," Lani realized with a gasp, confusing Eli.

Hope advises Steve to fight for Kayla

Thursday, May 28, 2020

by Mike

At the Horton Town Square, Eli assumed that Lani was late for some sort of appointment. "No, Eli -- I'm late," Lani repeated while giving Eli a pointed look.

"So...you're pregnant?" Eli translated after a moment of thought. "I'm late. And I'm not usually late. [But] that doesn't necessarily mean anything -- it could be [due to our] crazy hours, [or] stress, [or] --" Lani tried to clarify with a hint of discomfort. "It could mean that you are pregnant with our baby!" Eli excitedly maintained before rushing off to a nearby drugstore in search of a home pregnancy test kit.

A few minutes later, Eli and Lani arrived at their apartment complex with a home pregnancy test kit, still arguing about whether it was even necessary. "We're not even trying, and we're always careful --" Lani reasoned. "[Except] that time at the lake...or that other time, [when] we took a really, really long lunch break..." Eli argued. "Okay, okay -- not 'always,'" Lani conceded, managing a chuckle.

Lani stepped into the bathroom with the home pregnancy test kit then rejoined Eli a short time later so they could wait for the results together. "Baby, we're having a baby!" Eli said to Lani when the wait was finally over. "Those tests can give you a false positive..." Lani warned while stiffly accepting a celebratory hug from Eli, who conceded the point and suggested an immediate visit to the hospital for confirmation.

At Hope's house, Steve sighed while reading about Orpheus' arrest in an article that had just been posted on the Spectator website. Hope soon entered the house and started telling Steve about the latest decisions that had been made in the planning of Ciara and Ben's wedding ceremony. "Glad someone's happy..." Steve grumbled, causing Hope to realize that something was wrong. "They're making us out to be heroes!" Steve complained while showing Hope the article. "The duo who saved Salem," Kate, who had just entered the house, quoted from the article.

"I knocked, [but] no one answered, so I let myself in," Kate explained to Hope and Steve with a shameless shrug. "Well, then, you can show yourself out," Hope decided. "What she said," Steve agreed. "Oh, come on, guys -- is that any way to treat your former partner in crime?" Kate protested. "You think this is funny? You want to joke about how Stefano and Rolf hijacked our lives? So, what's the punch line -- you keeping your mouth shut because it was all about what you could get out of it?" Steve snapped. "Oh, come on, now -- that's hardly fair..." Kate objected.

"Seriously, the two of you need to get over this, all right?" Kate insisted before jumping back to the earlier topic of conversation. "As the mayor's new director of communications --" Kate began to explain. "You've got to be kidding!" Hope interjected. "I encouraged Jack to give credit where credit's due [in that article...and] every single word of it [is] true," Kate continued. "That's why she's here," Hope said to Steve, assuming that Kate wanted to be thanked for the gesture. "No -- I am here because Mayor Carver wants to give each of you a key to the city," Kate clarified. "[Also] your idea," Steve guessed. "Of course!" Kate confirmed.

"We don't deserve it," Hope insisted. "[Right, because we only] saved the lives of people we nearly killed not so long ago," Steve stressed. "Why can't you just let that go?" Kate wondered. "Some of us have a thing called 'a conscience'..." Steve explained. "Oh? Well, believe me -- my conscience is doing just fine because I live in the present. [Maybe] you should try that sometime, and then you'll stop berating yourselves for things that Stefano and Gina did. [See], they're the villains, [and] you're the heroes. [So], we're going to acknowledge you in the appropriate way, and I will send details shortly," Kate declared with finality.

"Wow -- she is some piece of work..." Steve said to Hope after Kate exited the house. "Agreed...[but] maybe it is time to try to let go of our guilt," Hope replied. "You know, someone once told me that guilt is the most wasted emotion... Maybe that's reason enough to put what we did behind us," Steve conceded. "I have an even better reason -- your guilt is the only thing holding you back from trying to be with Kayla," Hope countered. "I should have come home when Kayla begged me to, [but] I didn't, [so] she made a new life with Justin, and she's happy -- she's moved on," Steve acknowledged. "[But] can you move on?" Hope asked.

"I still love Kayla...[but Justin's] the better man [for her]," Steve maintained. "When did you become such a coward? [Kayla] may be very happy with Justin, [but you still need to] tell her how you feel...[and then], for God's sake, let her make her own decision!" Hope countered. "I wouldn't blame her if she turned me down..." Steve admitted. "It would hurt like hell...[but] at least you would have tried," Hope stressed.

At the Brady Pub, Kayla tried to enjoy a coffee break with Justin, who couldn't stop complaining about what had happened at the police station the previous night. "Steve made all that noise about being the tough guy, [but instead of killing Orpheus], he did nothing! [I mean], why convince me to hand over the gun if he wasn't gonna shoot the maniac [himself]?" Justin grumbled. "Steve did what he did for you -- [because] he knows that you're not a killer, and he doesn't want you to become one," Kayla guessed. "I don't want or need Steve Johnson to save me!" Justin stressed.

"[You know], maybe Steve [just] realized that killing Orpheus would mean prison -- [and] being locked away in prison would mean he would lose any chance of reconciling with you," Justin theorized. "Come on!" Kayla protested. "[When I was alone with Orpheus, he] said I didn't have the guts -- the killer instinct -- [that] Steve [has]. Maybe you'd like a guy with killer instincts," Justin admitted. "Oh, man -- Orpheus really got in your head," Kayla realized. "I like a guy who makes me coffee every morning, [and] brings me flowers for no reason, [and] spoons me every night to sleep. I choose you, and I have no regrets," Kayla insisted.

Touched, Justin gave Kayla a kiss then apologized and agreed that Steve's intervention had actually been a gift. "A part of me just felt like I owed it to Adrienne to punish the man who killed her," Justin explained. "I think I can say with absolute certainty that Adrienne would not want you to throw everything away to avenge her death," Kayla predicted. "Adrienne always told me that Victor's way of doing things shouldn't be my way -- that I needed to embrace the law and not break it," Justin recalled. "I couldn't agree more. [Look, you just] have to believe that [Orpheus] is not gonna wiggle away this time," Kayla replied, and Justin nodded in response.

The two thugs who were after Jake returned to the auto repair shop and again found only Ben there. "We want answers," one of the thugs explained to Ben as the other thug picked up a nearby monkey wrench. "I already told you -- I'm not Jake," Ben reiterated. "We figured that out already. So, just tell us where your boss is, and we won't have a problem," the first thug replied. "I have no idea where Jake went...but I'll be happy to let him know that you guys stopped by," Ben stressed. "Either you tell us what we want to know...or we do this the hard way," the first thug warned as the second thug raised the monkey wrench threateningly and lunged forward.

"Don't you dare touch him!" Ciara snapped at the thugs from the shop's entrance. "Ciara, you need to get the hell out of here!" Ben begged. "What, so they can just beat you up again, Ben? No -- not a chance!" Ciara insisted. "You're a real spitfire," the first thug observed before grabbing Ciara. "Here's the deal -- either you start cooperating...or we're gonna have ourselves some fun with your pretty little girlfriend here," the first thug warned Ben, who couldn't get to Ciara because the second thug was in the way -- and ready to strike with the monkey wrench if necessary. "Where does [Jake] live?" the first thug demanded to know. "No clue," Ben replied.

"[Then it] looks like we're gonna have ourselves some fun, after all..." the first thug said to the second thug with a smirk while groping Ciara. "You son of a bitch! Get your hands off of her!" Ben snapped, still unable to get to Ciara because the second thug had the upper hand. "I actually really feel bad for you guys," Ciara admitted to the thugs, managing to stay relatively calm. "You have absolutely no idea who you're dealing with," Ciara continued. "A loser who's about to get his head bashed in?" the second thug summarized. "The Necktie Killer," Ciara clarified, stunning the thugs, who both dismissed the claim as a lie. "Google it," Ciara suggested.

The first thug produced a cell phone and checked the Internet for a photograph of the Necktie Killer then gave the second thug a pointed look after realizing that Ciara was telling the truth. "So, why don't you go ahead and let her go...'cause if you don't, I'll find you, and I will end this," Ben said to the first thug with a scowl after the second thug lowered the monkey wrench and stepped aside with a gulp. "We don't want trouble," the first thug stressed while shoving Ciara toward Ben. "We just need back from Jake what he took from our boss," the first thug continued. "Well, that's between you and Jake -- I'm out of it," Ben stressed while holding Ciara protectively.

"Tell Jake we'll be back...and he better give us what we want," the second thug requested before exiting the shop with the first thug.

"Are you okay?" Ben asked while hugging Ciara tightly. "I'm fine," Ciara replied, hiding a flood of tears from Ben.

"That whole 'spitfire' thing could have gotten you into a lot of trouble," Ben noted after pulling away from Ciara. "Yeah, well, I had you to protect me, so I wasn't even that worried, you know?" Ciara shakily claimed, unable to stop Ben from seeing a second flood of tears. "I hope it's okay that I outed you as the Necktie Killer," Ciara continued. "You did what you had to do...[and] it obviously worked," Ben acknowledged with a shrug, clearly not proud of the reputation. "[Yeah...but] those guys are gonna be back [for Jake eventually]," Ciara guessed. "What do you think he's hiding?" Ciara wondered, drawing another shrug from Ben, who vowed to find out.

Changing the subject, Ciara told Ben that Julie had agreed to officiate their wedding ceremony. "She was really reluctant at first, but that's only because she has such a terrible track record [and] doesn't want to jinx us," Ciara explained. "We are unjinxable," Ben insisted, and Ciara echoed the belief. "[But] what good is a diamond ring, and where is my happily ever after gonna be, if my fianc ends up dead? [So]...quit your job," Ciara advised Ben.

At the police station, Jake demanded answers from Gabi, who explained that Rolf had lied about the nature of the serum as a way of getting revenge for past slights. "Oh -- so, Rolf did it...what, in the study, with a syringe?" Jake dryly summarized. "[Or] was it Gonzo?" Jake continued after Gabi admitted that Rolf apparently had an airtight alibi for Abigail's poisoning. "If Rolf [really] set you up, then he obviously lied to you about me being your dead husband, [too...right]?" Jake hopefully concluded. "[This] doesn't mean you're not Stefan," Gabi insisted, drawing a groan from Jake.

"Well, if your lawyer can't think up a good defense, at least you can plead insanity..." Jake mused. "I know it sounds crazy, but Rolf said somebody else could have brought you back from the dead --" Gabi tried to explain. "First off, I've never been dead, so nobody could bring me back. Secondly, your husband had his heart ripped out from his chest. And, while I'm on a roll, it's not like there's a gaggle of mad scientists running around town resurrecting people," Jake countered. "When it comes to Rolf, I don't know what to believe, okay? But when I look at you, I just -- I can't lose hope that you're my husband," Gabi admitted.

"You ever thought about taking up a hobby -- I don't know, pumping all this energy into knitting or scrapbooking? All the crazy ones are doing it..." Jake advised. "What do you want? What are you doing here?" Gabi tiredly demanded to know. "I came here because it doesn't add up that you would inject me with some dangerous hallucinogen if you claim to love me," Jake explained. "Okay -- well, now you know I was framed --" Gabi stressed. "No -- there is only one thing I know for sure, Gabi, and that is that you are nothing but trouble, and I hope to God I never see you again!" Jake spat before starting to leave.

"You're wrong about me -- I'm not the terrible person everyone tells you I am," Gabi insisted, stopping Jake. "You only know one side of the story," Gabi stressed before telling Jake some of the reasons for the feud with Abigail. "I'm sorry for what you've been through..." Jake sweetly began at the end of the tale while leaning toward Gabi, as if about to seize a kiss. "But I'm not your dead husband, so leave me the hell alone!" Jake coldly concluded before shoving Gabi away and storming out of the conference room. Gabi fought back tears as Jake slammed the door shut.

Jake ran into Kate while storming out of the police station. "Wow -- I still can't get over --" Kate began. "Don't say it!" Jake warned. "I'm getting tired of hearing you and everyone [else] in this town -- especially Gabi -- say that I look like her dead husband. Well, I'm not him! I'm me, not him!" Jake stressed before continuing to exit the building.

Kate joined Gabi in the conference room and acknowledged that Jake was the spitting image of Stefan. "Because he is Stefan!" Gabi insisted. "Yeah, well...clearly, he doesn't think so," Kate countered. "Not yet...but I'm gonna prove it to him," Gabi vowed. "Honey, it looks like you have bigger problems..." Kate noted.

Jake entered the auto repair shop and greeted Ben and Ciara, who took turns explaining what had happened earlier. Jake apologized for the trouble but refused to tell Ben and Ciara anything about the thugs.

"I'm not coming back until you give me some answers on what the hell's going on between you and these goofballs," Ben warned Jake before exiting the shop with a pleasantly surprised Ciara.

After saying goodbye to Kayla at the entrance to the hospital, Justin headed off to Victor's room -- and ran into Eli on the way. Eli couldn't resist bragging to Justin that Lani might be pregnant -- and that, either way, there was definitely a wedding in their immediate future. "I realized that I've wasted too much time, waiting to spend the rest of my life with her, [and] I don't want to waste another second," Eli explained with a shrug. "You are a very wise man, Eli Grant...and now, if you'll excuse me, I realized that I have something very important to do," Justin replied with a grin before rushing back out of the hospital.

Lani eventually rejoined Eli and revealed that Kayla had confirmed the results of the home pregnancy test. "Then what's wrong?" Eli wondered. "I don't think I can have this baby," Lani admitted before rushing off.

Meanwhile, Kayla received an office visit from Steve -- just as Justin arrived at Adrienne's grave and asked for permission to marry another woman.

Justin decides to propose to Kayla

Friday, May 29, 2020

by Spalding

At the cemetery, Justin talked to Adrienne at her grave about seizing moments and making a commitment to Kayla. "Some people never find love. And others find it and hang on for a lifetime. And I've been blessed to love two, two incredible women. So, that's why I hope it's okay to ask Kayla to be my wife," Justin said. Justin smiled as he recalled a conversation he had once had with Adrienne about remarrying after her death.

"As long as she was not a lot younger than you or a redhead," Justin said with a laugh as he recalled Adrienne's demands. Justin asked for a sign from Adrienne that she was at peace with his choice to marry Kayla. When there was no wind or other signs to provide Justin with the blessing that he wanted, Justin joked that the silence reminded him of the times when Adrienne would be silent because she was furious with him. Justin asked again for a sign. Sonny walked into the clearing.

"I woke up this morning, thinking about mom. Must be finding out that Maggie didn't cause the accident. I think it would give mom peace knowing it wasn't someone she loved that was responsible," Sonny said. "Your mother probably knew that all along," Justin said. Justin told Sonny about his decision to propose to Kayla.

"Life is short, and it can change in a heartbeat," Justin said. Justin suggested that Adrienne had sent Sonny as a sign of her approval. Justin said he also valued Sonny's input. "Your approval means everything," Justin said. "I want you to be happy. And I'm sure that's what mom wants, too, and obviously Kayla makes you happy. So, you should go for it," Sonny said. Sonny hugged his relieved father.

While Will and Marlena ate lunch at the Brady Pub, Nicole and Eric walked in. Will congratulated the newly engaged couple. "I know one family member that won't be thrilled at your wedding shower," Nicole said to Eric. "Sami," Eric, Marlena, and Will said in unison. Nicole worried aloud how Sami would take the news, since they had fought about Eric the last time they had met. Nicole refused to apologize to Sami for her rocky history with Eric. The group discussed who should tell Sami about the engagement, and when Will suggested that they draw straws, Nicole groaned in exasperation and took out her phone.

Nicole called Sami. Nicole expected anger, but Sami wished her and Eric well. Nicole was pleasantly surprised, as was Eric. Eric's phone beeped with a text, and he laughed when he read it. Sami had texted, "You proposed to that bitch? Are you out of your mind?"

After Nicole and Eric left the pub, Will told Marlena that he was impressed that Nicole had stood up to Sami. Marlena said she was happy to see Sonny and Will happy, too. "Feels like it's finally smooth sailing except for Gabi's predicament," Will said. Will added that he was thankful the truth about the car crash was out. Will told Marlena that the night of the accident, he had been on his way home to tell Sonny that he wanted to have a second child with Sonny.

At the Salem Inn, Xander stomped into Brady's room, and he accused Brady of stealing his job. "How upsetting for you, being the upright and honest man that you are," Brady joked. Brady argued that he had taken the job back. Xander countered that he was more of a grandson to Victor, but Brady laughed at him.

"I think you've underestimated what you did to me and Kristen and what we've been through," Brady said. "If your little girl is so precious to you, then why did you give her up?" Xander asked. Brady argued that he had not given up his daughter; he had decided to let her mother raise her. Brady justified Kristen's attacks on Haley and Victor as natural responses to Xander and Victor's plan to make Kristen believe that her baby was dead.

"Oh? Did we drive her to put a gun to Marlena's head? Or to wear a bloody mask and pretend to be Nicole? You're absolutely right, Brady. She's mother of the year material," Xander quipped. When Brady noted that the only thing Kristen had ever wanted was a baby, Xander said, "Oh, I know. I was at the Brookville Clinic when she tried to steal Sarah's fetus."

Brady said that Xander and Victor were the reason that Brady wasn't with his daughter and Kristen. "I let her raise Rachel. It's my choice," Brady said. Xander asked why, if Brady was so devoted to Kristen, he had slept with Sarah. "You didn't," Xander guessed.

"What Sarah and I do is none of your business. Oh, by the way, she hates you so much," Brady said with a laugh. Sarah entered. Brady put his arm around Sarah, and she kissed him passionately. Sarah said that, unlike Xander, Brady was kind. "And he would never con the people he loved." Sarah mocked Xander for losing his job, and then she asked him to go. "I'm not giving up on you," Xander said before he left.

Sarah apologized to Brady for the kiss. With a chuckle, Brady said he had done the same ruse before with Nicole. Brady said it felt good to see Xander hurt, and he was anxious to make Victor pay next. Sarah asked Brady about the plan to get revenge on Victor. Brady explained that Titan was Victor's baby.

"Since he killed my baby, it just seems right that I would return the favor," Brady said. Brady explained that after he ripped the company apart, he wanted to force Victor to his knees and take everything from him.

In the town square, Eric and Nicole laughed about Sami's text. "No one, not even Sami, is going to come between us," Eric said. Xander interrupted and demanded that Eric tell Brady to "back the hell away from Sarah." When Eric asked Xander what he was talking about, Xander explained that he believed that Sarah and Brady were sleeping together. "Go do your own dirty work," Nicole said. Xander stormed off.

Eric and Nicole were confused as to why Brady would sleep with anyone, but then Nicole remembered she and Brady had pretended to sleep with one another when Kristen had first returned to Salem. Nicole suggested that Brady was doing the same thing again to hurt Xander.

John walked into Victor's hospital room. "How'd you let that poor man's Stefano get to you in the first place? You must be slipping," Victor said about the Orpheus situation. John smirked, and then he lit into Victor for his part in the baby switch. John pointed out that Victor had been wrong about Maggie's guilt, and therefore, what he had done had been pointless.

"I regret taking Brady's child," Victor admitted. Victor added that he had not wanted Kristen to be a part of the child's life. John groaned. Victor said he had fired Xander, at Brady's request, as a start to making things up to Brady.

"Thank God your daughter Isabella isn't alive to see what you have done to her son. You promised, Vic. You promised you would take care of him," John yelled. Victor's heart monitor started to beep rapidly. John scowled. John noted that he would go find help, but he slowly sauntered out of the room.

In Kayla's office, Kayla told Steve that she was grateful to him for talking Justin out of shooting Orpheus. "You saved his soul," Kayla said. Steve explained that he had saved Justin for Kayla because Justin meant a lot to her. "Otherwise, you would have just let him shoot Orpheus?" Kayla asked. Steve said he did not want to discuss Orpheus anymore. Before Steve could say what he wanted to say to Kayla, John interrupted to tell Kayla about Victor's medical emergency.

After Kayla left, John admitted that he had been yelling at Victor before Victor's health had crashed. "Guys like Victor don't die from getting upset," Steve said. John apologized to Steve for interrupting Steve's conversation with Kayla. "I was just about to tell Kayla I want her back," Steve said. John asked Steve if he was serious.

"Never been anyone for me but Kayla," Steve said. John asked about Steve's guilt over his part in Stefano's rampage. Steve said he had changed his mind about blaming himself because the Orpheus situation had convinced him and Hope to move on with their lives. Steve explained that since Stefano and Gina's actions had not been their fault, they had decided to forgive themselves.

Steve said that Hope had suggested to him that his guilt was the only reason he was not with Kayla. John noted that Justin was the bigger reason. "Doesn't really matter how they got together, the bottom line is, she is basically off the market," John counseled. Steve said that Hope had told him to let Kayla decide who she wanted rather than have Steve remove himself "from the equation." John agreed. John encouraged Steve and Hope to accept Kate's offer of keys to the city. "Hell with all that. All I want is Kayla. I'm going to get her," Steve said.

In Victor's room, Kayla diagnosed him with a panic attack, and she gave him medication for his blood pressure. Victor was eager to go home and be with Maggie. Kayla asked Victor if he was sure that Maggie wanted to stay with him after what he had done. Victor sighed.

Victor told Kayla that Justin had survived the death of Adrienne only because of her. "I think that you don't give him enough credit. He is stronger than that," Kayla said. Victor said that Kayla was better off with Justin instead of "an aging delinquent." "It's obvious how happy [Justin] makes you. You know I'm right," Victor said.

In the Kiriakis living room, Will was working at the desk when Sonny returned home. Sonny told Will about his visit with Justin at the cemetery. Sonny said he had been inspired by Justin's notion that "life is short." Sonny said he had a suggestion. "Having another baby? Let's do it," Will interrupted before Sonny could say it.

John returned to Victor's hospital room and found Marlena talking with him. "Victor was just telling me how you tried to kill him," Marlena said. "Good of you to come back and make sure I'm not dead," Victor grumbled. As Victor praised Kayla, he noted that John's friend Steve was "a loser." "Kayla is lucky to be rid of him," Victor said. "I wouldn't count my buddy out of it just yet," John countered.

Justin arrived at the hospital and greeted Kayla at the nurses' station. "What are you doing here?" Kayla asked. "This," Justin said as he pulled an engagement ring out of his pocket.

"I know this is sudden and we're in the middle of a hospital, but I just can't wait any longer. I love you, Kayla Brady. And I want to share the rest of my life with you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Justin asked. From a nearby hallway, Steve watched in horror as Justin got down on one knee.