Aiden seemed determined to carry out his plan. J.J. told Paige he was still seeing someone. Sonny learned Will had been cheating on him with Paul. Someone stabbed Sonny and left him for dead. Serena was out to get what she wanted at all costs. Brady and Melanie made love.

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

by Mike

Hope admired the view from Aiden's beach house while Chase showed Ciara around the property. Hope marveled that the place was beautiful. "Yeah, yeah, it is -- it is beautiful. And you'll never know how much I hate it," Aiden replied with a sigh.

Aiden gave Hope a tour of the beach house, explaining that Meredith had insisted on purchasing it and had even picked out all the furnishings herself. "She used to really love to rub it in, you know? How she was the real provider in the family, that all our money was really hers, and... It's funny, isn't it? ... That now it's all mine," Aiden mused.

Chase and Ciara returned before Hope could respond. Chase wasn't ready to say goodbye to the beach house yet, so Aiden suggested that they could share their favorite memories of the place as a way of making their final departure easier. Later, a taxi arrived to take Hope, Ciara, and Chase to the airport, and after they left, Aiden quickly retrieved an axe and a shovel from a locked coat closet.

As Aiden started to retrieve something from a desk drawer, Hope knocked on the front door and called out to him. Aiden quickly hid the garden tools behind a curtain before letting Hope in. "I bet you didn't expect to see me again, huh?" Hope breathlessly guessed as she entered the beach house.

J.J. met with Abigail in a secluded section of Horton Town Square to get her advice. Abigail wondered why J.J. wouldn't want to talk to Paige about the possibility of reconciliation, especially since Paige was the one who had suggested the idea in the first place. J.J. shamefully reasoned that Paige might be better off without a guy like him in her life, since being in love with her hadn't stopped him from sleeping with someone else.

"I knew it. [Despite] all this talk about how you've changed, you're still the same sleazebag you always were," an eavesdropping Theresa mused. Abigail rushed to J.J.'s defense, but that just elicited snarky comments from Theresa about Abigail's affair with E.J., so J.J. quickly jumped in and asked his sister to let him fight his own fights. Abigail agreed, admitting that she might end up committing murder if she stuck around, anyway.

"Your mom must be so proud of the two of you. I thought I was good at inappropriate sex, but you two take it to a truly higher plane," Theresa mused after Abigail left. J.J. insisted that the situation was none of Theresa's business, but she disagreed, reminding him that Paige was her niece. Theresa realized that Paige had questioned her earlier to find out if she was the woman J.J. had slept with.

Theresa admitted that there had been a time, back in the day, when the idea of sleeping with J.J. had certainly crossed her mind more than once. "I don't care that you're trash -- I'm not hypocritical like your sister -- but [Paige] deserves so much better than you, and I think you know it, so, dude, why not let her be? Stick with your piece on the side, whoever she is," Theresa advised before walking away.

Elsewhere, Paige was talking to a friend on the phone about potentially reconciling with J.J. Paige abruptly ended the call when she realized that Eve was standing nearby and had overheard the conversation. Eve insisted that Paige couldn't take J.J. back after what he had done. "Mom, just say it -- he slept with some slut," Paige bitterly summarized.

Eve protested that Paige needed to focus on J.J.'s act of betrayal instead of worrying about who he had slept with. Paige agreed and reported that she had actually told J.J. earlier that she would be willing to stop trying to learn the woman's identity if they could just have a serious conversation about getting past what he had done. Paige reasoned that everyone made mistakes and that it wouldn't be impossible to forgive J.J. for his.

Eve insisted that J.J. would never agree to get back together with Paige. Confused, Paige wondered how Eve could be sure of that. Eve stammered that she simply knew J.J.'s type. Fed up, Paige groaned and walked away, ignoring Eve's attempts to stop her. Eve composed a text message to let J.J. know they needed to talk right away, but before she could send it, Theresa approached and observed that Eve looked tense.

"Who are you writing to? ... It's gotta be a guy, so...who are you banging these days, Eve?" Theresa teasingly asked. Eve indignantly claimed that the text message had just been about her book royalties, adding that Jennifer was still playing games and trying to keep her from getting what she deserved. "Speaking of the Horton clan, I just ran into J.J., and, I mean, you probably already know this, but it turns out he cheated on Paige. ... What's really interesting, though, is who he did it with. I mean, that's gotta be the final nail in his coffin, you know? Hey, we should team up, find out who it was," Theresa suggested.

Eve protested that the matter wasn't a game. "Well, it kind of is -- 'who did it with J.J. in the conservatory?'" Theresa jokingly replied. Eve claimed that she only cared about the fact that J.J. had hurt her daughter badly. Theresa reasoned that it was good that Paige had at least figured out who J.J. really was during a relatively early stage of their relationship.

"He's a dog; he always has been, he always will be. ... And I don't see him changing any time soon. I mean, he's gotta have ladies just lined up, throwing themselves at him. ... You can't deny that he's hot -- I mean, every woman with a pulse would want to tap that. ... Come on, Eve, don't pretend like you haven't noticed how he fills out a tee shirt. And, I mean, those are bedroom eyes if I've ever seen them," Theresa mused.

Eve uncomfortably ordered Theresa to shut up, pointing out that they were talking about someone who had dated Paige. "With a nice piece on the side," Theresa added. "You know what? You're -- you're hateful!" Eve declared before storming off, leaving Theresa confused.

Paige ran into J.J. at Salem University and seized the opportunity to try to continue their earlier conversation about getting back together. J.J. evasively claimed that his next class was about to start, but Paige wasn't fooled because she knew his schedule too well. "I know there's a lot to work through, but I know how to start -- we both just say how we're really feeling about each other. ... I'll go first -- I do still love you, J.J. I've told you that. And if you can say the same thing about me, then we're halfway home," Paige reasoned.

J.J. protested that it wasn't a good time for such a conversation, but Paige argued that it would be an awkward, tense conversation regardless of when -- or where -- they chose to have it. Paige acknowledged that she was partially responsible for what had happened, since she had sent J.J. mixed signals while she had been in California. J.J. insisted that Paige couldn't blame herself, and she conceded that it would be best to leave blame out of the discussion entirely. Paige insisted that she and J.J. could get past what had happened -- especially since it had only happened once -- and she dared him to give her one good reason why they couldn't.

"Because it -- it wasn't just one time. I'm still seeing her," J.J. replied. Paige refused to believe that, reasoning that J.J. would have said something earlier if he were really still with the other woman. "Okay, look, I was trying to do you a favor. I didn't want you to know, but you keep pushing, and you don't give up. First -- first you want to know who -- who it was, and then you put me on the spot about getting back together again. Look, I'm trying to help you out as much as I can, but I can only do so much, Paige. I'm -- you asked for it. I'm sorry, but you did. So now you know that there is no way we are getting back together. It's just not gonna happen," J.J. insisted.

J.J. walked away before Paige could respond, and after he rounded a corner, he paused to wipe the tears he could no longer keep at bay. Later, Paige tracked down Theresa at the hospital and asked for advice about finding out who J.J. had slept with. "It's pretty simple. I'm surprised you haven't figured it out for yourself. ... If you want to know who your boyfriend was with, just get his phone and see who he's been texting. You'll have the name in a heartbeat," Theresa advised.

J.J. stopped Eve as she was entering her apartment. "You would be proud of me, 'cause God knows I am," J.J. shamefully snapped at Eve, who placed a hand on his chest and warned that he was getting too close to her. "It's all fixed. It's all fixed. Are you happy now? ... I told Paige that I never stopped seeing the girl that I slept with. So, you know, I guess, Eve, that I told her that I was still seeing you," J.J. revealed.

Chad went to the police station to get the charges against Ben dropped, but John pointed out that the district attorney was the only person who could make that call. After talking to Melinda Trask about the matter, John reported that she had refused the request because she was suspicious about the fact that a DiMera had made it. "She thinks it might be part of a bigger agenda. It's almost like they don't trust you over there," John mused.

Chad reasoned that he could simply refuse to testify against Ben. John pointed out that he and Abe had witnessed the altercation and that Trask could always just treat Chad as a hostile witness, anyway. "Now, obviously, you've got a motive for wanting to drop this case, but it's going forward," John concluded with finality. Chad glared at John for a moment before storming off.

Ben let Jordan into his apartment while recording a voicemail message for Clyde. After ending the call, Ben admitted that he was worried about his father. Jordan hadn't heard from Clyde, either, but she thought that was a good thing, and she optimistically suggested that he might have crawled back under his rock. The comment annoyed Ben, so Jordan decided to change the subject, explaining that she had something important to tell him.

Ben was surprised to learn that Chad had decided to drop the assault charges. Jordan explained that Chad had only instigated the fight because he had wanted to get back at her for kissing Rafe. "Whoa. You were kissing Rafe? Okay, finally some good news!" Ben approvingly replied. Jordan clarified that Rafe had kissed her -- and that she hadn't wanted him to.

Ben sarcastically agreed that it made perfect sense for Jordan to reject a good guy like Rafe in favor of a creep like Chad. Jordan started to argue that Ben wasn't entirely blameless, but that just made him more certain that she was actually going to get back together with Chad. Annoyed, Jordan stormed out of the apartment after summarizing that she had just wanted to deliver the good news that Ben wouldn't be going to jail.

Later, at the hospital, Jordan told Abigail about what had happened. Jordan concluded that if she did decide to get back together with Chad, he and Ben would just have to find a way to live with each other. "Yeah. They just have to grow up. Good luck with that," Abigail skeptically replied before leaving Jordan's office.

Chad went to Ben's apartment to reveal that the district attorney wasn't willing to drop the case. "Listen, I will take the stand, okay? I will -- I will tell them that I provoked you to fight, that I physically forced you to fight me. But... Think about it. They're gonna want to know what I said. Do you really want me to stand up in court and tell them that I told you your sister was better in bed than your girlfriend?" Chad wondered. "You bastard," Abigail snapped as she entered through the partially ajar apartment door.

While going over some paperwork at Club TBD, Sonny spotted a copy of the latest issue of Sonix that someone had left on the bar. Sonny took a closer look at the magazine when he noticed a picture of Will -- along with a teaser caption, "Coming next month..." -- in the bottom left-hand corner of the cover. Meanwhile, an employee informed Sonny that someone was waiting to talk to him on the club's landline.

"Sonny, it's me... I have a favor to ask of you, and I'm not sure you're gonna like it," Paul began when Sonny answered the call. Paul revealed that he had finally informed his mother and grandfather that he would no longer be playing baseball -- news that had been particularly hard for his grandfather to hear. Sonny understood, recalling that Paul's grandfather was the person who had taught Paul how to play -- and love -- the game.

"Yeah. Anyway, uh, he kept talking about that home run -- my only home run," Paul explained. Paul felt terrible for asking Sonny to return the home-run baseball, but Sonny knew it would mean a lot to Paul's grandfather. Paul agreed and thanked Sonny for understanding. Sonny had to return home to grab a file, anyway, so he offered to pick up the baseball while there and deliver it to Paul's hotel room before returning to the club.

A short time later, Paul received a call from Will, who said he needed to go over a few things with Paul before finishing the article. "I need to word something very carefully, because I can't actually be factual about...how and why you decided to tell me that you're gay," Will hesitantly explained.

Will admitted that it hadn't exactly been ethical for him, as a journalist, to sleep with the subject of his article. Paul joked that it had, however, been a pretty good way to get confirmation that the subject was gay. Will uncomfortably agreed but reasoned that neither he nor Paul would want such a private detail to be included in the article. "Speak for yourself," Paul countered.

Will started to stammer out a nervous protest, but Paul interrupted and clarified that he had been kidding. Paul added that he wished Will would stop beating himself up about what had happened between them. Will uncomfortably changed the subject, stressing that he didn't want to turn in the final draft of the article without being certain that Paul was okay with every word of it.

Meanwhile, Sonny entered the apartment and apologized for the interruption, explaining that he just needed to grab a few things. Will closed his laptop and abruptly ended the call before replying that he had been about to wrap up the conversation, anyway. Will reported that he was almost finished with the article. Sonny eagerly admitted that he couldn't wait to read it. "All this secrecy is -- it's driving me nuts," Sonny added.

Sonny mused that it seemed like the people at Sonix thought Will's article was going to be a big deal, since they were hyping it on the cover of the latest issue. "Yeah, I just hope that it's worth it," Will muttered in response, prompting Sonny to wonder why it wouldn't be. Will laughed nervously as he joked that writers were supposed to be insecure. "You should be the exception, because you're great at it," Sonny countered as he massaged Will's shoulders.

Sonny excused himself after giving Will a quick kiss on the cheek. Will pointed out that Sonny could save himself some trips if he would just start putting copies of the club's files online. Sonny joked that he would miss seeing Will in the middle of the workday if he did that, and he vaguely added that he had needed to grab a few other things, anyway.

Sonny discreetly dug the home-run baseball out of a drawer and pocketed it as he thought about how Paul had presented it to him as a gift years earlier. Meanwhile, Will informed Sonny that Adrienne had called earlier to report that she and Arianna were having a great time together. Sonny smiled and said he was glad to hear that. "Will, it feels so much better having things back to normal. I'm really happy we worked our stuff out," Sonny added. "Me, too," Will sadly muttered after Sonny left the apartment.

Later, Will received a visit from John, who warned that Will and Sonny might soon be called to testify about the altercation they had witnessed between Ben and Chad a few months earlier. John apologetically explained that, while he knew that Will and Sonny considered both men friends of theirs, the situation was out of his hands.

After thanking John for the heads-up, Will added that he was glad that John and Marlena seemed to be working things out. "Me, too," John replied. John observed that, based on the conversation he'd had with Sonny the previous day, it seemed like Will and Sonny were over their bump in the road, too. Will remained silent, prompting John to wonder if Will and Sonny were still having trouble. "No, no. We're -- we're good. I'm sorry -- it's just...I'm under a deadline, so I've been a bit distracted. But, like I said...Sonny and I -- we're good," Will stammered in response.

Sonny arrived at Paul's hotel room while Derrick was clearing a breakfast tray from the table. Sonny tossed a Club TBD folder on the desk, and Derrick took note of it before exiting the room. Once they were alone, Sonny tossed Paul the baseball. Paul still felt bad about asking for it back, but Sonny reiterated that he didn't mind letting Paul's grandfather have it instead.

Sonny wondered how Paul's physical therapy was going. Paul reported that it would end the following week -- and that he would have no reason to stay in Salem afterward, meaning that Sonny would no longer have to worry about seeing him. "I'm not worried about seeing you; I'm worried about you, now that you and baseball are done," Sonny clarified.

"Oh. I do wish that I could pitch again, but there is one thing that I've learned through all this... Given the chance, if I could go back a few years, I'd give it all up. I'd give it all up for you," Paul admitted. Sonny started to respond, but Paul interrupted and stressed that he knew Sonny was no longer available. "I'm just talking about the past -- back when I still had a chance with you, before I blew it. You know, I still remember the day that you asked me to marry you. I just want to go back and tell that guy who said no 'not so fast' -- to make him see what it is that he was about to lose, that it wasn't too late...because it really is now," Paul regretfully added.

Sonny reasoned that he and Paul were who they were -- and that Paul still had his whole life ahead of him. "It's funny, 'cause that's almost exactly what this other guy said, word for word," Paul replied. Confused, Sonny wondered if Paul had told someone else about their past relationship. Paul confirmed that he had, but he stressed that he hadn't mentioned Sonny's name.

"But he knows that you're gay? And you were comfortable saying it?" Sonny wondered. Paul tried to protest that it would probably be best to table the conversation, but Sonny insisted that it was a big deal. Sonny guessed that it was the guy who had been in the shower when he had visited Paul's hotel room a few weeks earlier. Paul confirmed the suspicion, and Sonny enthusiastically declared that he was happy for Paul.

Sonny wondered if the guy was nice and if Paul would be seeing him again. Paul said he didn't think the relationship would go anywhere, but Sonny advised him not to give up that easily. "What if you ended up happy? What if this guy can make you happy?" Sonny pointed out. "Well, he's really sweet. Smart. Hot. ... The problem is...he's not you," Paul replied.

^ back to the top

by Spalding

Anne dropped off paperwork in Jordan's office. Looking for gossip, Anne asked about the fight between Jordan's brother and Chad, a board member at the hospital. When Jordan dismissed Anne's question, Anne reminded Jordan that she could direct the tone of the gossip around the hospital. Anne added that Jordan was lucky that she had a board member "in her pocket." Jordan disagreed. Anne advised Jordan to call a truce between Ben and Chad before anything happened to their hospital program.

Down the hallway at the nurses' station, Theresa counseled Paige to look at J.J.'s phone if Paige wanted to learn the identity of the woman that J.J. had slept with. Paige dismissed the idea and said it was a bad one. Theresa shrugged and wondered aloud how long Paige could live in the dark. Theresa added that if Paige was asking her for advice, Paige was desperate for information.

In the doorway to Eve's apartment, J.J. hissed at Eve and told her about his conversation with Paige. J.J. explained that he had told Paige he was still seeing the woman he had slept with in an effort to get Paige to see that there was no chance for reconciliation. Furious, Eve said that Paige would be more driven than ever to determine who the other woman was in J.J.'s life. J.J. said that Paige would never learn the truth unless he or Eve told Paige, which was not an option. Worried, J.J. warned Eve to keep Paige away from Cole because he was a criminal. Eve accused J.J. of jealousy, but J.J. countered that Cole was a thug. Eve said that she would handle Paige, but J.J. would need to keep his distance.

In the lounge at the college, Paige ran into Cole. Cole told Paige that he was in her debt for letting him borrow her class notes. When Cole asked what he could do to make it up to Paige, she half jokingly mentioned Theresa's idea about stealing J.J.'s phone. Shaking her head, Paige said it was a lame idea. Eve interrupted, and a mortified Paige asked Eve why she kept visiting her at school. After Cole left, Eve asked Paige why she was repeating bad behavior by taking up with Cole.

Paige stressed that she was only friends with Cole. With a puzzled look, Paige asked Eve how she knew about Cole. Eve said she had heard Paige call him Cole and that she had known about him from Marybeth. Shaking her head, Paige said she did not want Eve meddling in her life. Paige stressed that she needed to make her own mistakes in life. When Eve talked about protecting Paige, Paige lashed out and blamed Eve for ruining her relationship with J.J.

As Eve's mouth dropped open, Paige said that Eve had ruined everything when she had lied about Shane's illness. Paige explained that when she had told J.J. that she was moving to California indefinitely, it had caused him to run into the arms of someone else. Eve argued that J.J. would have cheated on Paige sooner or later. Paige groaned in exasperation.

In the town square, J.J. was leaving a message on his mother's voicemail when Theresa spotted him and walked over. Theresa asked J.J. whether he had cheated on his new girlfriend yet. Theresa pushed for information about the woman J.J. was dating, but J.J. said he did not want any lectures. With a scornful chuckle, Theresa told J.J. he had not changed and was the same selfish person he had always been. Theresa advised J.J. to be himself instead of acting like he was a good person.

While Theresa and J.J. talked, Cole watched from nearby. Theresa continued to pepper J.J. with questions about the new woman in his life. Theresa grabbed at J.J.'s phone, and he pulled it away. J.J. warned Theresa to get a life and leave him alone.

In Ben's apartment, Abigail was approaching the open front door when she overheard Chad and Ben talking in the living room. Chad asked Ben if he wanted him to have to repeat in court that he had provoked Ben by saying that Jordan was better in bed than Abigail. Shocked, Abigail marched into the room and yelled at Chad. Abigail lamented that she had ever defended Chad when he had not changed.

Ben interrupted to note that the charges against him had not been dropped. With renewed fight, Abigail tore into Chad again and argued that he had never planned to drop the charges against Ben. Chad explained that he had acted out because he had thought he had lost Jordan. Chad added that he had screwed up every romantic relationship he had been a part of and that he had spoken out of anger because he had thought he had lost Jordan too.

Ben laughed in disbelief. With a calculating glance at Chad, Abigail asked Ben to leave her alone with Chad to talk. Ben stepped into the hallway. Alone, Chad pleaded with Abigail not to tell Jordan what he had said to provoke the fight. When Abigail asked Chad why he had been so upset that he had acted out toward Ben, Chad would not say. Abigail stated that she knew about Jordan's kiss with Rafe. When Abigail asked Chad if he was making an attempt to protect Jordan, Chad shook his head.

Chad explained that Rafe had kissed Jordan and that he had made a horrible decision when he had failed to talk to Jordan about what had happened with Rafe. Chad said his behavior had been inexcusable. Chad apologized for the statement and stressed that what he had said to Ben had been cruel and untrue. With a sigh, Chad promised to do whatever it would take to help Ben. Nodding, Abigail said she had made mistakes but had been lucky enough to get a second chance. Abigail said she would not tell Jordan what Chad had said to provoke the fight.

Ben returned and ordered Chad to leave. Chad nodded and left. As Abigail started to speak, Ben cut her off and warned her not to defend Chad. Abigail agreed that Chad was a jerk, but she believed Chad had acted out because he had been hurt. Abigail added that Jordan was an adult and could make her own decisions about whom she should date.

While Jordan worked in her office, Chad stopped by with flowers. With a tired smile, Jordan accepted the flowers and thanked him. Chad sighed and informed her that the district attorney had declined to drop the charges against Ben, even though Chad had said he would not testify in court. Chad explained that the district attorney had said that Chad had to have an agenda for dropping the charges. Chad refused to give up and he promised to fix the mess he had created.

In Aiden's vacation home, Hope returned unexpectedly after she had left for the airport. With an axe and a shovel hidden behind the living room curtains, Aiden fidgeted nervously as Hope explained that she had left her passport behind in the house and that she had sent the kids along with her friend Shelly, who they had met up with on the way to the airport. Hope noted that Aiden was acting suspiciously. Aiden responded that he'd been caught off guard by the emotions from the memories in the house. Aiden sent Hope to the other room to look for her passport. Once Hope was out of sight, Aiden hurriedly rushed to the curtains to grab the hidden tools.

From the other room, a cheery Hope exclaimed that she had found her passport. Aiden quickly shoved the tools back behind the curtain as Hope returned to the living room. Aiden attempted to shuffle her out front, but Hope explained that she had sent the taxi away so that she could spend a little more time with Aiden before leaving for the airport. As Hope cuddled up next to Aiden, he repeatedly shifted his gaze across the room. Hope noted that Aiden seemed to be on edge.

As Aiden shrugged, Hope added that it was clear that Aiden was uncomfortable. Aiden said that he had owed Chase the chance to say goodbye to the house. With a smile, Hope told Aiden that he was an excellent father. Hope added that she did not think she would be able to hide her emotions as well as Aiden had managed to if she had been in the same position.

There was a knock on the front door, and they opened it and found Hope's driver on the porch. The driver explained that the bridge had been washed out and that there would be no way to get across the water until the morning. The driver handed Hope her suitcase, and he left. Aiden told Hope he was sorry that she would have to cancel her trip to Tahiti. When Hope said that she should call Shawn Douglas, Aiden suggested that Hope make the call outside, as the cell service was better there. While Hope wandered out front in an effort to get a signal on her cell phone, Aiden ran to the window and grabbed the tools from behind the curtains.

In his apartment, Will worked on his story about Paul. Unsure how to write the story and omit the part about his affair with the subject of the piece, Will repeatedly wrote and erased a paragraph. Once the article was done, Will grumbled to himself about his disappointment in the quality of the work. Will said aloud that no one would ever need to know about what had happened with Paul.

In Paul's hotel, Sonny urged Paul not to give up on the man that Paul was interested in at the moment. "The problem is that he's not you. The biggest regret I have in my life isn't that I can't play baseball anymore. It's that I can't have you," Paul said. As Sonny shifted uncomfortably, Paul added that he had been in denial about what the loss of Sonny had meant to him. Paul added that no one had understood him the way Sonny had understood him.

When Paul said he was presumptuous to think that Sonny had thought as highly of him as he had thought of Sonny, Sonny reminded Paul that he had proposed to Paul. Sonny asked why Paul had had told him all of that. Paul explained that he wanted Sonny to know the truth in case there was a chance that Sonny would be interested still. Sonny assured Paul that he would find the right man if Paul remained true to himself. Paul and Sonny hugged, and Paul told Sonny that he loved him. With a nod, Paul said he was glad that Sonny was happy.

After Sonny left, Will visited Paul in order to drop off the article for review by Paul. Will was anxious for Paul to read the article, and he reminded Paul that Zoe was chomping at the bit for the story. Will added that Zoe would be furious if she knew that Will had promised Paul the chance to approve the story before Will turned it in to the magazine. Hotel employee Derrick stopped by with a pot of green tea for Paul. As Derrick left, he stared at Will. Paul started to talk about his tea ritual with his grandfather, and Will interrupted to repeat the urgency in reviewing the article. Will admitted that he was nervous that he had written around the affair and not included it in the article. Paul urged Will to write about their affair and tell the world.

As the blood drained from Will's face, Paul said that he was joking. Paul told Will that he was jealous that Will had found love and that the love had been reciprocated. While Will stepped into the bathroom, Paul's mother, Tori, called. Tori asked about the panicked message Paul had left on her voicemail. Paul explained that there was no emergency but that he wanted to tell her about a struggle he had been having.

When Tori asked what was wrong, Paul explained that he wanted to tell her something that he had always known but had not shared with her because he was afraid he would disappoint her. Tori said she could never be disappointed with Paul. Unsure, Paul said he thought Tori probably would be disappointed. Paul added that he needed Tori to know "who I really am." In a nervous tone, Paul told Tori that he was gay.

At Club TBD, Sonny was working behind the bar when Derrick from the hotel stopped in for a drink. When Derrick commented that he did not know Sonny worked at the club, Sonny shrugged and said that he owned the place. Noting that he and Sonny had not officially met before, Derrick introduced himself. Derrick asked about Paul, but Sonny refused to talk about Paul. As Sonny fixed a cup of tea for Derrick, Derrick noticed Will's picture on the cover of Sonix.

While staring at Will's picture, Derrick said, "I bet you're having a good time about now." Sonny noticed Derrick staring at the magazine, and he asked Derrick what he had said.

^ back to the top

by ChickenGrrl

As Daniel worked in his office the hospital, he got a text message from Nicole, apologizing and pleading with him to forgive her. Aggravated, Daniel flung his phone in a desk drawer and slammed it shut. Just then, Jennifer walked in. She asked Daniel what was wrong and offered to listen, just as he had done with J.J., for which she was very grateful. After Daniel filled Jennifer in on what had happened with Nicole, Jennifer seemed sincerely sorry that Nicole had hurt him. That surprised Daniel, but Jennifer reminded him that they were friends. Daniel concurred, and the two "pinkie swore" to remain friends for life.

Nicole approached Melanie in Horton Square and asked how Daniel was doing, but Melanie hadn't yet heard what had happened. Nicole spotted Eric across the square, and Melanie followed her gaze. After a long, clearly tense look passed between Eric and Nicole, he left. "Same day, different screw-up? Let me guess: you hurt Eric and my dad. Am I warm?" Melanie asked. Nicole related how an informant had given her information on Serena, but it had turned out that the man had a history of mental illness, and Nicole had also "cut some corners."

An unsympathetic Melanie didn't want to hear any more. She guessed that her dad had finally figured out that Nicole was still obsessed with Eric, but Nicole insisted that wasn't the case. Nicole was surprised to hear Melanie say that Daniel had been "a wreck" the previous night -- but not surprised that Melanie said Nicole had broken his heart. Melanie was incredulous when Nicole wanted Melanie to smooth things over with Daniel.

Nicole pointed out that she'd helped Melanie with the casino people, but Melanie countered that she'd repaid Nicole by not telling anyone when Nicole had broken into Serena's hotel room. Nicole tearfully insisted that she'd learned her lesson and deserved another chance. As Melanie rose to leave, she maintained that Nicole had run out of chances -- and Daniel deserved much better than Nicole.

Daniel had just arrived at his apartment when Nicole showed up on his doorstep. Daniel warned Nicole that he wasn't in the mood for her "drama," but she entered anyway. "I shouldn't have gone after Serena, but I didn't do it because I'm still in love with Eric -- and that is the truth. You have to believe me," Nicole pleaded. Daniel declared that he just could not listen to Nicole's lies and half-truths any longer.

Nicole begged Daniel for another chance to prove what was in her heart, but he didn't think she really knew. "I sure as hell hope you figure it out, because what you did to Eric and to me -- I'm done. I don't want to be a part of it anymore," Daniel said firmly. On her way out, her head bowed in defeat, Nicole asserted quietly that she did know who was in her heart, and it was Daniel. In the hallway, Nicole broke down in sobs.

Later, Jennifer found a glum Nicole drinking alone at Club TBD and offered an ear if Nicole wanted to talk. When she learned that Jennifer knew what had happened, Nicole asked if she would ever be able to fix things. "I don't know, but at the very least, you have to be over Eric -- and you have to mean it," Jennifer asserted. Nicole insisted that she was over Eric, but Daniel had refused to believe her. Jennifer cautioned Nicole that Eric did not need protecting from Serena, who was not the monster Nicole believed she was.

Serena sat on her bed in her hotel room as she spoke with her contact on the phone. She pointed out that although things were taking longer than they were supposed to have, at least she had confirmation that Eric had the elephant figurine. As Serena removed an identical statue from her safe, she told the person on the phone that she and Eric had bought the carvings at the same market. "I'll switch them, he won't know, and then it'll be done," Serena assured the person. Serena's contact seemed to be pressuring her, because Serena defensively asserted that she simply hadn't gotten a chance to retrieve the original statue.

When there was a knock at the door, Serena had to hang up quickly. After stashing the figurine and the identifying photos of it back in the safe, Serena answered the door and found Eric in the hallway. With a smile, Eric declared that he'd reached a decision about the two of them. He reminded her that he'd been hesitant to get involved with anyone again after Nicole. Eric clarified that he didn't just want a fling with Serena or just to date; he wanted a committed relationship. "You're saying the right words," Serena said a bit breathlessly, and Eric kissed her.

Serena gently reminded Eric that she had given him an ultimatum, and she didn't want him to commit to her for the wrong reasons. Eric assured her that he just hadn't wanted to rush into things, but he wanted to be with her and thought the timing was finally right. "If you're free tonight, maybe we can do something special, make a night out of it -- the whole night," Eric proposed. Serena affirmed that she would love to do that, so Eric asked her to meet him at his apartment in a couple of hours.

After Eric left, Serena exclaimed, "Oh, my God, this is so perfect." While Serena packed a bag with a sheer negligée, she called her contact and said that she would be able to switch the statues that night. Serena hung up and stuffed her elephant figurine into the bag, just as Melanie stopped by. Melanie explained that she'd just heard -- from Nicole -- about what Nicole had done. Serena asserted that Nicole had actually done her a favor, because Serena and Eric were closer than ever.

Melanie was furious that Nicole had hurt Daniel. Serena surprised Melanie by observing, "Sometimes you don't mean to hurt the people you love, but you do anyway." Serena added that since she had Eric, and Nicole had ended up all alone, it didn't seem right to kick Nicole while she was down. "You have the biggest heart of anybody I know. Sometimes I think you're just too good to be true," an awed Melanie declared.

Later, Melanie went to her dad's to offer her sympathy for what had happened with Nicole. Daniel said that he should have known better than to trust Nicole, but it was over, and she was out of his life.

Serena caught Eric off guard by showing up at his place early, since she was usually late for everything. Eric informed her that he'd gotten reservations for them at the Green Mountain Lodge -- for dinner and for a room. "We can't do that," Serena said a bit anxiously. She quickly backpedaled with a hasty explanation that it was too much trouble because she was perfectly happy to stay at Eric's.

Eric said that he just wanted their first time together after so long apart to be romantic and special. "This -- this is special, right here. There's absolutely no reason for us to leave," Serena insisted. A curious Eric asked why Serena was so adamant about staying at his place.

Lucas was disappointed when he arrived at Will and Sonny's and Adrienne informed him that Arianna was sleeping. As Lucas headed toward the bedroom to look at his granddaughter, he proposed another game of cribbage so he could win back the money Adrienne had taken from him during the last game. Adrienne agreed and offered to make some hot chocolate for the two of them.

After Adrienne had beaten Lucas again, she started to share a memory about playing cards with Justin but stopped herself. Lucas grasped Adrienne's hand reassuringly. She gazed at his hand for a long moment then withdrew her hand. Lucas asked if Adrienne had any idea when Justin would be back from Dubai. A dejected Adrienne worried that her husband might never return, explaining that he had a "hot" woman law partner working on the case with him.

Lucas reassured Adrienne that Justin loved her, but Adrienne admitted that Justin hadn't exactly been monogamous before they'd gotten married. She pointed out that Justin had never even asked her to visit him in Dubai, and he barely bothered to stay in contact with her. Finally giving in to her fears and anger, Adrienne admitted that worrying about what her husband was doing and thinking was driving her insane. Lucas argued that it was Justin's problem if he didn't appreciate Adrienne, who was very sexy. Flattered, Adrienne thanked Lucas for saying that even if he didn't mean it. "I completely mean it," Lucas assured her firmly.

In Paul's hotel room, Will listened from the bathroom door while an upset Paul was on the phone with his mother, Tori, informing her that he was gay. Tori's silent response made Paul more anxious. At last, she stammered, "Paul, I -- I don't -- what am I supposed to say?" Paul explained that he hadn't wanted to reveal that over the phone, but he'd needed to tell her before the magazine interview with him -- in which he came out -- was published.

Tori was very worried about what hearing the news would do to Paul's grandfather. Paul declared that he needed to tell the truth and not keep who he really was a secret any longer. Distressed, Tori pointed out that it was unnecessary to broadcast every secret. Paul asserted with conviction that his coming out could help a lot of young people who were ashamed of who they were and afraid to come out to their families.

"If I had known one baseball player -- one openly gay player, someone I rooted for, someone I looked up to as a player, as a man -- then maybe I wouldn't have had to struggle with this so much. Maybe I wouldn't have lived in constant fear of being outed. Maybe I wouldn't have felt so damned alone!" Paul pointed out. He added that he also might have been brave enough to be honest with his mother about who he was. "Seriously, Paul, do you think that I didn't already know?" Tori asked.

A floored Paul couldn't believe that his mom had never said anything or let him know she supported him. Again, Tori remained silent. "That's it, then. You're not okay with it. What did you think? That it was just going to go away?" Paul asked. Tori explained that she had been worried about Paul's grandfather, so Paul demanded that she put his ojiichan on the phone. Tori reluctantly called the elderly man to the phone.

After Paul had told his grandfather that he was gay, Paul said he hoped his grandfather was not upset. In Japanese, the Paul's grandfather reassured his grandson, "I am not upset. I am proud. You are a brave young man. I will always love you." A relieved and touched Paul began to cry. He promised to call his family again the next day. As Paul hung up, he sank down onto the bed and wept. Will emerged from the bathroom at last and put a comforting hand on Paul's shoulder. "He said he was proud of me," Paul managed between sobs.

Once Paul was calmer, he and Will discussed his phone conversation. Will was optimistic that Paul's mother would eventually be more accepting and supportive. Paul admitted that the article wouldn't help things. Will gently asked if Paul were sure he still wanted to go through with it. Paul declared that after talking to his grandfather, he was even more certain about what he was doing. Will said that he would get the article to his editor that evening, just as soon as Paul finished reading it.

Paul was grateful to Will for pushing him to come out, because if that hadn't happened, Paul would never have had that conversation with his grandfather. "My entire life, my grandfather told me he was proud of me -- in school, in my career -- but when he said it to me tonight, that was better than all those other times combined," Paul said, happy tears welling up in his eyes. While Paul sat down to read Will's article, Will sent a text message to Sonny.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Damon informed Victor that there had been no reports of Clyde Weston's unidentified body turning up at any of the local hospitals, and Weston's people were getting "antsy" because they hadn't heard from their boss. Victor instructed Damon to find out if Clyde's drug trade had started to collapse without anyone to call the shots, and he wanted Damon to get control of the neighborhoods Clyde had expanded into.

While Damon waited for further directives, Victor got a phone call. "It is a pleasant surprise, yes... No, I didn't know that. Thank you for letting me know," Victor said before hanging up. Damon assumed the call had been about Clyde, but Victor said it had been about Sonny -- to whom Victor needed to speak right away.

Derrick sat at the bar in Club TBD, looking at an issue of Sonix. Noticing Will's photo on the cover, Derrick said, "Bet you're having a good time right about now." Behind the bar, Sonny overheard and asked what Derrick had just said. Derrick pointed to Will's picture and explained that he'd just seen the guy in Paul Narita's hotel room. Derrick recounted the other times he'd seen Will Horton there -- on New Year's Eve, when Sonny had shown up and tried to see Paul, and when Derrick and Sonny had found Paul in his bathrobe and they'd heard the shower running.

"Will Horton is Paul Narita's lover," Derrick asserted. Sonny turned his back so Derrick couldn't see his tears. After a moment, Sonny steeled himself, turned around, pointed at Will's picture, and clarified, "You said you just saw this guy at Paul's hotel?" When Derrick confirmed it -- and added that Will had been spending a lot of time in Paul's room -- Sonny charged out the door with instructions to a bartender to cover for him.

Sonny was hurrying through Horton Square when he ran into Victor. Sonny noticed that his uncle was walking with a cane and asked why. Victor explained that his back was "acting up," but he needed to talk to Sonny. An obviously upset Sonny said he didn't have time, but Victor insisted that it was important. While the Kiriakis men talked, someone was lurking behind the flower cart and watching. Victor believed that Sonny was upset because of Victor's new club. Incredulous and frustrated, Sonny insisted that he didn't care about the failure of his club or how much money Victor's new club was making.

Victor didn't buy it, believing that Sonny was worried about supporting his family. Sonny declared vehemently that the mess he was in had nothing to do with money, Victor, or the clubs; it was private, and he couldn't talk about it with Victor. As Sonny rushed off, Victor said that he wanted to help. "Trust me, Uncle Vic, there is absolutely nothing you can do for me," Sonny maintained. Sonny headed out of the square, and the person who had been watching followed.

Victor called Damon for a report. Damon assured his boss, "It won't be easy, but I think we can cut back the drug business where Clyde moved in." Victor replied, "Excellent. It'll be as if Clyde Weston never existed."

Sonny had just exited the square into the park when he got Will's message. "'Can you make sure your mom's okay with Arianna? I'm running late,'" Sonny read aloud, then muttered, "Yeah, I bet you are." Before Sonny could continue on his way to Paul's hotel, a figure clad in a dark hoodie and gloves jumped Sonny from behind, savagely stabbing him in the back.

^ back to the top

by Mike

Serena claimed that she had envisioned her and Eric's next sexual encounter taking place in his apartment, where his collection of artifacts could serve as reminders of their first time together in Africa. Serena admitted that the idea was a bit cheesy, and Eric agreed but added that it was also romantic. However, Eric wanted the night to be about creating new memories, not reliving old ones, so he still wanted to take Serena to Green Mountain Lodge instead. Serena insisted that wasn't going to happen, but she quickly apologized for the overreaction, claiming that she was just frustrated because it felt like Eric wasn't taking her feelings seriously.

Eric insisted that wasn't the case, and he led Serena to his laptop so he could show her pictures of Green Mountain Lodge in an effort to convince her that it would be the perfect place for them to spend the night. Serena gasped dramatically when she saw how much Eric had paid for their room, protesting that she wasn't going to let him spend that much money on her when he was just getting his photography business off the ground. "You are just looking for any excuse to get out of this. I don't understand any of this. I mean, what is going on? Where's the Serena I used to know?" Eric wondered.

Serena assured Eric that she was still the same person she had always been, but he countered that the Serena he'd known had always been up for an adventure -- which was why he had actually been worried that a trip to a ski lodge wouldn't be adventurous enough for her. Serena conceded the point and claimed that she had simply gotten fixated on an idea she had formed in her head of how the night would go, and she hadn't adjusted well when Eric had suddenly flipped the script on her. Serena hugged Eric and concluded that she would be happy to go to Green Mountain Lodge with him if that was what he really wanted to do.

Eric went to get his overnight bag from his bedroom. Meanwhile, Serena received a text message from someone. Serena sank to the couch and hesitantly rose to her feet again as she stared at her cell phone. When Eric returned, Serena apologetically informed him that they would have to postpone their trip because her boss had just given her an assignment that would take all night to complete. Eric briefly considered the possibility that Serena might just be making up an excuse to get out of going to Green Mountain Lodge with him, but he soon changed his mind and assured her that he believed she was telling the truth.

When Serena returned to her hotel room, she contacted the person who had sent her the text message. Serena was somewhat disappointed to learn that everything had suddenly worked itself out, since she wouldn't have bothered leaving Eric in a rush if she had known that sooner. Serena admitted, however, that it wasn't a big deal because things hadn't gone as planned that night, and she wouldn't have been able to make the switch if she had stayed, anyway. Serena confirmed that she understood she needed to make her move quickly -- and she would do whatever it took to get the job done.

Maggie approached Victor as he was ending his phone conversation with Damon. Maggie could tell that something was bothering Victor, so he told her about the argument he'd had with Sonny a few minutes earlier. Maggie encouraged Victor to track Sonny down and work things out with him. Victor assumed that Sonny had been headed home, so he and Maggie decided to check there first.

Sonny struggled to free himself for a few moments before going limp in his attacker's arms. The attacker sprawled Sonny out on the ground behind a large cement flower box and proceeded to steal his wedding band, watch, and wallet before turning him on his side and forcing some cocaine into the stab wound. The attacker started to apply more cocaine but was forced to abandon the plan after hearing people approaching.

As the attacker hastily fled the scene, Victor and Maggie approached from the opposite end of the town square but were unable to see Sonny's motionless body from their vantage point. Victor started having second thoughts about going to see Sonny, reasoning that if Sonny had indeed been upset about something involving Will, it might not be a good idea to show up uninvited at their apartment when they were in the middle of dealing with a private matter. Victor decided that he would just call Sonny the following morning -- and hope that Sonny would actually answer the call.

Victor turned to leave, but Maggie knew he wouldn't be able to get a good night's sleep with the matter unresolved, so she begged him to at least try calling Sonny right away instead of waiting until the following morning. When Victor tried to contact Sonny, a cell phone started ringing nearby, and Maggie followed the sound right to Sonny's body. Maggie gasped and rushed to check Sonny's pulse and apply pressure to his wound with her scarf. "He's alive! Call 9-1-1, Victor! Call 9-1-1!" Maggie shouted, snapping Victor out of his momentary shock.

The paramedics arrived a short time later and rushed Sonny off to the hospital, fretting that he had lost a lot of blood already. Roman and Abe tried to get details from Victor and Maggie, but they weren't able to provide much information, although Victor knew Sonny couldn't have been hurt more than ten minutes earlier, based on when their argument had taken place.

Brady went to Daniel's apartment to ask Melanie out on a date, unaware that she had already committed to spending the evening watching movies with Daniel. As Brady gave Melanie a goodbye kiss, Daniel emerged from his bedroom and uncomfortably cleared his throat. Melanie separated from Brady and wondered if Daniel had managed to get in touch with Parker. Daniel reported that he had talked to Chloe, who had informed him that Parker had gone to bed early due to a cold. Daniel added that he and Chloe had agreed that it would be best for Parker to stay with her for a bit longer instead of returning to Salem the following day as originally planned.

After Brady excused himself to answer a business call, Melanie begged Daniel not to make her feel bad for kissing her boyfriend. Daniel promised not to do that, explaining that he was simply not accustomed to the whole thing yet. After learning that Brady had just asked Melanie out on a date, Daniel encouraged her to accept the invitation, but she refused to abandon him. When Brady returned, he and Melanie were delighted to hear that Daniel was ready to give them his blessing. Daniel managed to convince Melanie to go out with Brady that evening, but before they could leave, Daniel received a phone call from Victor.

In Will and Sonny's apartment, Arianna woke up and started crying -- just as Lucas and Adrienne were seconds away from kissing. "What the hell am I thinking?" Adrienne quietly muttered after Lucas went to check on Arianna. When Lucas emerged from Arianna's bedroom a short time later to report that she had gone back to sleep already, Adrienne tried to excuse herself, claiming that she had an overdue library book to return. Lucas hoped he hadn't just done something to screw up his friendship with Adrienne, since he had really enjoyed spending time with her while watching Arianna lately.

Adrienne assured Lucas that he had nothing to worry about, stressing that she knew that he had simply been trying to make her feel better because she had been whining about her life. "I hope this doesn't make you feel any more uncomfortable, but, um, I wasn't just trying to make you feel better. I think you're an amazing woman, and I think that you deserve to hear that," Lucas replied. Before Adrienne could respond, she received a phone call from Maggie. After ending the call, Adrienne frantically searched for her keys as she informed Lucas that Sonny had just been rushed to the hospital. Lucas promised to follow after finding someone to watch Arianna.

After reading Will's article, Paul declared that it was really good. Will wondered if Paul was okay with the way the article had portrayed his decision to finally be honest about his sexuality. Paul conceded that Will's portrayal had been better than admitting the truth -- that the decision had been made as a direct result of their one-night stand.

Will remained silent, so Paul apologized, stressing that he hadn't meant to make things awkward. Will understood but believed that Paul's reasons for deciding to finally be honest about himself went way beyond what had happened between them. After Paul conceded the point, Will changed the subject, wondering if Paul was uncomfortable with any of the article's content. "I'm uncomfortable with all of it. But isn't that the point?" Paul reasoned with a nervous laugh.

Paul thought about how Sonny had spontaneously proposed to him while they had been lying in bed one day -- and how he had immediately turned down the proposal after realizing that Sonny was being serious. Paul assured Will that he was okay with that information being included in the article because it was a big part of his story. Will wondered how Paul's ex would feel about that information being made public. "He's gonna be the only person that knows it's him," Paul replied.

Satisfied, Will submitted the article to Zoe from his laptop and explained to Paul that it would probably be posted online the following morning. "Well, that's it, then -- there's no turning back now," Paul nervously mused. Paul didn't have any Champagne, so he invited Will to have a celebratory glass of red wine with him instead. Will tried to decline so he could head home, but Paul insisted, pointing out that they might never see each other again after that night. "To 'The Final Out' -- may it be the start of a bright new future...for both of us," Paul toasted after getting Will to agree to have one drink with him.

Will quickly gulped down his drink. Meanwhile, Paul predicted that Will would win lots of awards for the article and make his friends and family extremely proud -- especially his man. "He's been really supportive. I don't know what I'd do without him," Will admitted with a smile. As Will gathered his belongings and headed out, he wondered how much longer Paul would be staying in Salem. Paul shrugged and suggested that he might be around for another week or so at most. "Well, if I don't see you again, best of luck, Paul," Will said, and Paul returned the sentiment.

Will stepped into the hallway before realizing he had left his cell phone behind. After retrieving it, Will left Paul's hotel room again, promising to pass along any early feedback he received about the article. In the hallway, Will grew concerned when he noticed that he had received a lot of text and voicemail messages. Will opened a text message from Lucas -- "Get to University Hospital immediately, Will" -- and rushed off after reading it.

When the paramedics arrived at the hospital with Sonny, Kayla rushed them to an available operating room. Maxine quietly reminded Kayla that their blood supply was low because of a bus accident they had handled earlier that day. Kayla informed Maxine that Sonny's blood type was O-negative. "We don't have very much of that left," Maxine worriedly muttered.

Daniel soon arrived and rushed off to the operating room while Melanie and Brady stayed behind to comfort Victor and Maggie. Victor credited Maggie with saving Sonny's life, since they wouldn't have found him in time if she hadn't insisted on contacting him that night, and she had also stopped the bleeding while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. Abe overheard and confirmed that one of the paramedics had said the same thing about Maggie's quick thinking.

Maxine interrupted to find out if anyone's blood type was O-negative. Brady knew that was a rare blood type, and Maxine admitted that the hospital didn't have much of it left. "It would be good for Sonny if we had more...in case," Maxine gently explained, but no one seemed to be able to help replenish the supply. Meanwhile, Adrienne arrived and started sobbing when she saw Sonny's blood on Maggie's coat. Maggie filled Adrienne in on what had happened. "But he's gonna be okay, isn't he? Isn't he?" Adrienne asked as she struggled to maintain her composure.

Abe went to a break room to contact Roman, who was still at the crime scene. Abe had noticed that Sonny's watch, wallet, and wedding band were missing, and Roman reported that he hadn't seen any sign of the items yet. Abe revealed that the forensics team had analyzed Sonny's jacket and found traces of cocaine at the blade's point of entry. Roman mused that Sonny's stabbing might have been a drug-related crime -- just like what had happened to E.J. "Well, let's just hope this doesn't end the same way for Sonny," Abe replied.

Abe ended the call as Victor, Maggie, Brady, and Melanie entered the room. Victor asked for an update, so Abe revealed that traces of a white powder had been found on Sonny's jacket. Victor protested that Sonny had never touched drugs, but Abe clarified that he hadn't meant to imply that. Abe explained that the substance had been found at the blade's point of entry and had therefore likely belonged to the attacker, who might have been looking for money to purchase more drugs.

Victor stayed behind when the others left the room. "This is all on Clyde Weston. Hyping up his drug trade. I'd kill him if I hadn't had it done already," Victor grumbled. Meanwhile, Brady returned to check on Victor while Maggie and Melanie were getting cups of coffee for everyone. Victor started to complain about how some random, lowlife drug addict had put Sonny's life in grave danger, but he quickly stopped himself when he realized what he was saying -- and, more importantly, who he was saying it to. Brady assured Victor that Sonny was in good hands.

Elsewhere, Adrienne tried to contact Justin, but the call went straight to voicemail. "Justin, it's me. Um...oh, God, I wish you'd picked up. Um...I have some bad news. Sonny's in the hospital. Someone, um -- someone stabbed him. He's lost a lot of blood, and he's in surgery right now, and -- we're not sure -- just -- just call me as soon as you get this," Adrienne tearfully explained before ending the call. A short time later, Lucas arrived, and Adrienne broke down in his arms after telling him what had happened.

Will had been unable to contact his father on the way to the hospital because Lucas' cell phone battery had died earlier, so he arrived at the hospital, assuming that something was wrong with Arianna. After assuring Will that Arianna was fine and was with a babysitter, Lucas explained that Sonny had been stabbed and was undergoing surgery at that moment. Will wanted to be alone for a while, so Lucas stayed with Adrienne, who revealed that she hadn't been able to get in touch with Justin yet. "His son may not make it, he's a million miles away, and he has no idea," Adrienne fretted.

Daniel followed Kayla into the operating room as she informed him that they only had six units of O-negative blood left. "There's no way that's gonna be enough," Daniel said with a sigh. Meanwhile, Paul found Maxine in one of the examination rooms. Maxine explained that she had contacted Paul because he was the only O-negative donor she had suspected she might be able to reach at such a late hour. Paul encouraged Maxine to take as much blood as necessary but warned that he'd consumed a glass of wine earlier. Undeterred, Maxine replied that Paul's blood was still the patient's best hope of survival.

Daniel and Kayla struggled to find the source of Sonny's bleeding, and Daniel feared that Sonny wouldn't make it if they didn't get more blood right away. As the final drops of blood drained out of the last available bag of blood in the operating room, Sonny's pulse started dropping, with Daniel and Kayla seemingly no closer to stopping the bleeding. "We're losing him!" Daniel shouted.

Meanwhile, Maxine sent a nurse off to the operating room with Paul's blood. The nurse feared that it wouldn't be enough to save the patient's life, but Maxine said it would have to be because they had reached their limit on what they were allowed to take from Paul at one time. Paul insisted that he didn't care about that, and he told Maxine to draw more of his blood.

Will went to the chapel while waiting for an update on Sonny's condition. "I know that I betrayed Sonny in the worst possible way, but I still love him. I love him so much. I was all alone before he came into my life, and I don't know what I'd do without him. Our daughter needs him, too. If she's ever gonna do anything fun, like skydive or whitewater raft, it's gonna be with Sonny, 'cause I'm too afraid. But Sonny's not afraid of anything, and he promised Ari -- and, unlike me, Sonny never breaks a promise. Please, let. Him. Live. So many people love him. Help him make it through this surgery. Bring him back to us. Please don't take him away from us. Please," Will tearfully requested.

Will suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, and when he turned around, he saw Victor standing behind him.

^ back to the top

by ChickenGrrl

Ben and Abigail were enjoying some ice cream in Horton Square when Chad approached them and informed them that he'd found a lawyer to represent Ben. An incredulous Ben assumed that Chad was only doing so in order to get back together with Jordan. Chad maintained that he knew what he'd done was wrong, and he wanted to try to make things right. Ben told Chad to just leave it alone. After Ben spotted Marlena across the square and excused himself to talk to her, Chad cautioned Abigail that Ben would definitely go to jail if he didn't let Chad help.

Ben introduced himself to Marlena and asked if he could talk to her about his father, Clyde Weston. Marlena reminded Ben that she couldn't discuss a patient with him. Ben clarified that he was only trying to find his father, who had essentially disappeared. Marlena admitted that Clyde had missed his last appointment without calling to cancel, and she hadn't been able to reach him since then. Just then, Marlena got a call from Abe, who explained that Roman had asked him to let her know about Sonny.

At the hospital, a nurse rushed out of an exam room with Paul's blood donation and headed for the operating room. When Paul heard how dire the need was for his blood type, he commanded Maxine to draw some more. Maxine cautioned Paul that it wasn't recommended, but she donned another pair of gloves, remarking, "You're doing an awful lot for someone you don't even know."

When Maxine was finished, Paul tried to stand up, but he immediately got dizzy and had to sit back down. Maxine retrieved a couple of juice boxes from the refrigerator and instructed Paul to drink them and rest for a bit.

Alone in the exam room, Paul dozed. He dreamed that when Sonny had proposed, Paul had happily agreed to marry him. Awakening with a start, a frustrated Paul muttered, "I should've said that. Why didn't I?"

In the O.R., Kayla and Daniel worked desperately, along with the rest of the surgical team, to save Sonny's life. They began to worry when the last of the blood had been transfused and they still hadn't located the source of Sonny's bleeding. Kayla urged Sonny to hang on. With alarms signaling that Sonny's vital signs were weakening, Daniel took steps to buy them some time until the new blood arrived, but he knew they would lose Sonny if they didn't find the bleeder soon.

At last, Daniel discovered a laceration on Sonny's spleen. "Take it," Kayla instructed. Daniel asserted that they didn't have time, and he could fix it. The nurse hurried in with a unit of blood and informed the others that more was on the way. "Doctor, he isn't responding," a nurse announced.

Melanie was alone in a waiting room, shakily pouring herself some coffee, when Nicole entered and asked a bit hesitantly if it were true that Sonny Kiriakis had been stabbed. Nicole explained that her boss had asked her to get confirmation of which member of a prominent family had been attacked. Melanie lashed out angrily at Nicole for pursuing a tabloid story when Sonny could have been dying. Nicole gently interrupted Melanie's tirade to reassure her, "My producer sent me here, but he didn't know it was Sonny. Now that I do, I will not tell the story."

A surprised Melanie wondered why Nicole didn't want to "stick it to Victor." Nicole indicated that to do so about Sonny would be too cruel, plus she didn't want to hurt Brady or Daniel. Nicole added that she liked what she knew of Sonny, who clearly had a great heart. Melanie tearfully affirmed that was true, then she broke down and sobbed on Nicole's shoulder. After a moment, Melanie pulled away and apologized for yelling at Nicole and crying on her jacket.

"That was yelling? You're an amateur, compared to what I usually get," Nicole quipped. Melanie filled Nicole in that Maggie and Victor had found Sonny in some bushes by Horton Square, and the police thought it could have been drug-related. When Nicole learned Daniel was doing the surgery on Sonny, she reassured Melanie that Sonny was in the best hands possible.

Victor found Will in the hospital chapel and placed a hand on Will's shoulder. Will rose from the kneeling rail and threw his arms around Victor. Crying, Will fretted, "I love Sonny so much, and what if he doesn't make it?" Victor gently ordered Will not to even think that. Will asked if Sonny had said anything when Victor and Maggie had found him, but Victor said Sonny had already been unconscious. When Victor confirmed that the attack appeared to have been a drug-related mugging, Will noted that it was just like what had happened to E.J. Victor emphasized that the doctors could save Sonny -- who was a Kiriakis and a survivor.

After Will left to find out if there were any news, Victor glared at the cross above the altar and growled, "You let that boy die, you and I have a big problem." Damon slipped into the chapel and assured his boss that no one had seen him. Damon asked what Victor wanted him to do. "I want you to find out who did this to my nephew, and I want them dead," Victor declared. He informed Damon that the police had found traces of cocaine near Sonny's stab wound, and Sonny had been missing his wallet, wedding ring, and watch, the latter of which had been a Christmas gift from Victor the previous year, engraved with Sonny's initials, "J.S.K."

Damon promised to search the pawnshops until he located the items and to find the person who had attacked Sonny. Victor blamed himself for not taking Clyde out when Clyde had first started increasing his drug trade.

Lucas and Adrienne were in the waiting area near the nurses' station, anxiously awaiting news about Sonny. Lucas reassured Adrienne that Justin would call, but in the meantime, she was not alone. Adrienne thought she should call Sonny's brothers, but she dreaded breaking the news when she still didn't know if Sonny would make it. Lucas encouraged her to wait until they had more news. "Justin may never see his son again!" Adrienne exclaimed, sobbing. Lucas put his arms around her and held her while she cried.

Will returned from the chapel just then and freaked out when he saw Adrienne crying. Lucas assured his son that they hadn't heard anything yet. Will wondered why Sonny had been in the square when he was supposed to have been working.

Nearby, Brady confided to Maggie that he recognized the feeling that could have driven a guy with a knife to attack Sonny. "Every addict has a glimmer of that, the desperation. There but for the grace of God," Maggie acknowledged. Brady thanked Maggie for never giving up on him.

Brady headed into the waiting room, and when he saw that Melanie had been crying, he assumed Nicole had said something to upset her. Melanie assured him that Nicole had just been keeping her company. Noting that he'd been looking for his grandfather, Brady said, "I don't know what kind of hell he's going through right now." Melanie fretted that it had been a long time for them not to hear anything. Brady said firmly, "Don't go there. No news is no news."

Back near the nurses' station, Will worried, "He has to get through this. I have so much I have to make up to him." Adrienne gently assured Will that Sonny loved him. Just then, Marlena got off the elevator, followed closely by Abigail, Ben, and Chad. Marlena rushed to her grandson and embraced him, while Abigail hugged Adrienne. Adrienne expressed her gratitude to Ben for being there. Ben asserted, "Sonny is one of the best men I've ever met. He took a chance on me and changed my life."

When Victor returned, Maggie asked if he had been giving God a piece of his mind. "God stopped listening to me a long time ago," Victor wisecracked, adding to himself, "I hope."

Victor and Maggie went into the waiting room. As soon as Victor saw Nicole, he demanded irritably, "What the hell are you doing here?" Brady tried to defend Nicole, but she simply left rather than putting up with Victor.

Chad embraced Will and reassured his old friend that Sonny would be all right. "I was shot twice, and I'm still here. Sonny's way tougher than I am. He climbed K2," Chad reminded Will.

When Kayla and Daniel finally emerged from the operating room, Maxine told them where everyone was waiting.

Kayla headed out to the nurses' station. Everyone stopped what they were doing, rose from their chairs, and waited anxiously for Kayla to speak. "Sonny's going to be fine," Kayla assured the people in the room. Everyone let out a huge sigh of relief, and Adrienne burst into happy tears. Will grabbed his aunt and hugged her with such enthusiasm that Lucas had to warn him to let her breathe.

Kayla filled the group in about how the knife had nicked Sonny's spleen, the accident that had depleted the hospital's blood supply, and the donor with Sonny's blood type. Kayla promised to have Maxine get Will as soon as Sonny had been moved to a room, but she warned Will that Sonny would be out of it for a while. After Kayla left, Adrienne and Will shared a lengthy, overjoyed embrace.

Meanwhile, Daniel went to the waiting room to give the good news to Victor, Maggie, Brady, and Melanie. "Maybe God does still take your calls," Maggie told her husband, patting him on the back as he gratefully embraced Daniel. Nicole, who had been listening from the doorway, smiled to herself and wandered away. Melanie hugged Daniel, praising, "Good job, Dad." Victor tried to get Brady to drive Maggie home, but Maggie wanted to stay with Victor -- who she knew would not leave until he'd seen Sonny with his own eyes.

Victor offered to let his godson have the family's private Greek island, near Paros, as thanks for saving Sonny's life. Daniel humbly maintained that he hadn't done it alone: Kayla had been "a warrior" in the O.R., and Sonny would never have made it to the hospital alive if Maggie hadn't applied pressure to the wound and stopped the bleeding. Victor declared that Maggie and Daniel could share the island.

When Lucas learned that Adrienne still had not heard from Justin, he suggested that Justin had simply turned his phone off before going to bed. Adrienne said Justin never did that.

Marlena informed Will that Eric had called to send his love and prayers. Lucas walked up, holding out his phone to Will and explaining, "I got someone who wants to talk to you." Will was very happy to hear from his mom. When Will hung up, he said that Sami would have taken the kids out of school to be on the first plane to Salem, but he knew what had happened was too similar to what had happened to E.J.

Abigail and Ben sought out Maggie and Victor in the waiting room. Chuckling, Abigail recalled the "outrageous pranks" she and Sonny had pulled as kids. She described how she would always take Sonny's dares, but later he would own up to his part in things and accept his punishment. Victor turned to Ben and asked, "You're Ben, right? ... You want to work for my club?" A surprised Ben replied, "Yes, sir!"

Nicole entered and told Victor, "I'm very happy for you. Sonny's a good guy, and there won't be a tabloid story about tonight -- at least not from me." Maggie and Victor both expressed their gratitude.

Daniel informed Maxine that he was leaving because he had a shift at six the next morning. Maxine replied, "Get some rest. You've earned it." After Maxine and Daniel had departed, Nicole appeared in the hallway and looked wistfully after Daniel.

Ben and Abigail went to the Brady Pub for coffee. She asked why he'd spoken to Marlena earlier. Ben explained that he'd wanted to see if Marlena had heard from Clyde, but Clyde had missed an appointment without calling to cancel. Abigail and Ben agreed that seemed odd. "Why would my dad just disappear?" Ben wondered.

A little later, Nicole trailed Daniel into Horton Square. Although she greeted him amiably, he seemed in no mood to deal with her. Nicole commended him for saving Sonny's life, but Daniel maintained he'd just been doing his job -- as had a lot of other people. Daniel managed to thank Nicole before he turned to leave. She stopped him by asking, "When are you going to stop hating me?"

Daniel asserted that he didn't hate Nicole, and while part of him would always care about her, he couldn't trust her -- especially where Eric was concerned. Nicole insisted that she'd only been following a story lead when she'd gone after Serena -- but it had only been about Eric. "You have been with me. Did you honestly feel like there was anyone or anything between us when we were together? I was with you, Daniel. That's all I want, and I will prove it," Nicole declared.

Nicole promised to stay away from Eric and Serena. Although Daniel was happy to hear it, he said that it was "too little, too late." After Daniel left, a miserable Nicole told herself, "This can't be it. But either way, I know what I have to do."

Brady and Melanie headed back to Daniel's apartment. Melanie reminisced about how Sonny had danced with her the night of the Horton Town Square party, when she'd been alone and feeling "pathetic" after Dario had moved to Argentina. "I can't believe we almost lost him tonight," Melanie mused, noting that it had reminded her not to take anything or anyone for granted, because life was fragile. Brady concurred. "I just don't want to waste any more time," Melanie declared before she kissed Brady.

Brady and Melanie's kissing turned passionate very quickly, so he offered to leave before things got out of control. Melanie insisted she didn't want him to go, or at least she wanted to leave with him. Brady reminded her that they were supposed to be taking things slowly. Melanie pointed out that they'd decided that when they'd been worried what everyone would think -- but it was clear they both knew what they wanted. Although he wholeheartedly agreed, Brady noted that they couldn't go to his place. Melanie suggested a hotel.

Soon, Melanie and Brady had taken her suggestion and checked into a hotel. They slowly undressed one another and got into bed, where they made love for the first time.

Maxine informed Will that he could go see Sonny, who'd been moved to a room, although she cautioned him that Sonny would probably do nothing but sleep. After making sure Adrienne was okay with him going in first, Will ran off to see his husband. Remarking on Adrienne's generosity, Marlena remembered how Adrienne had been there with Will's family when he'd been shot. Adrienne pointed out that Will and Sonny's marriage had made all of them family. Justin called Adrienne just then, so she stepped away to take the call.

Adrienne's end of her conversation with Justin seemed a bit frosty. She excused her behavior by maintaining that she was just tired and anxious to see her son. When Adrienne hung up, she informed Lucas that Justin was returning to Salem. As Kayla passed by on her way to the nurses' station, Adrienne surprised her by pulling her into a bear hug. "Thank you for saving my son's life!" Adrienne gushed. Kayla maintained that the person who deserved thanks was the person who'd donated blood at the last minute.

Abe went to the waiting room to ask Maggie and Victor about finding Sonny outside the square. Victor explained that about ten minutes before he and Maggie had discovered Sonny, Victor and Sonny had argued about a business decision Victor had made. Victor had tried to apologize, but Sonny had been in a rush, although he hadn't said where he'd been headed.

As Paul was heading out of the hospital, he ran into Chad, who said his business partner and best friend had been stabbed. "That's terrible. Kate Roberts, isn't it?" Paul asked. Chad clarified that it was his partner at Club TBD, Sonny Kiriakis. Stunned, Paul had to lean against the wall for support, but he was able to cover with a truthful explanation that he was woozy from just giving blood. "Your partner, he's gonna be okay?" Paul asked. Chad said although they hadn't been sure Sonny would pull through, it looked like Sonny would be all right. Paul was relieved.

After Chad left, Paul said anxiously to himself, "I have to go see him."

Chad headed back to the waiting area and asked Marlena to tell Will that he would return the next morning. "You've been a good friend tonight," Marlena remarked thoughtfully. "Sonny and Will, they're my best friends. Are you really surprised that I would be here? There is nothing that I wouldn't do for either of them," Chad asserted. Marlena said she was glad to hear Chad say that, since Stefano had managed to stifle every good impulse in his other children.

Will entered Sonny's room and pulled up a chair next to the bed. He poured his heart out to a sleeping Sonny, expressing his relief that Sonny was going to be all right and that Sonny wasn't going to leave Will and Arianna all alone. Will declared that the world would be a worse place for everyone if Sonny weren't in it, but especially for Will because he would be lost without Sonny. Will promised never to take Sonny for granted again. "From now on, it's just you, me, and Arianna. Work comes after that. Everything comes after that. I promise, Sonny. I'll never let anything come between us again," Will vowed.

Just then, Paul arrived outside Sonny's room. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the door handle.

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