Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of April 8, 2013 on DAYS

With Rafe and Nicole's help, Daniel learned the extent of Chloe's deception and realized that she had used Parker to force Jennifer to break up with him. Sy continued to annoy Kristen. Vargas' presence in Salem continued to make Nick feel uneasy.

Monday, April 8, 2013

by Mike

In Daniel's apartment, Chloe and Nancy surprised Daniel with a visit from Parker. Daniel tried to ask Parker about his trip to New York City, but Chloe quickly deflected the question, stating that there would be plenty of time to talk about the trip later. Feigning concern, Nancy wondered if Daniel was all right. After claiming that he was fine, Daniel turned his attention back to Parker, but Nancy wasn't satisfied with that answer.

Nancy started to complain about Jennifer and the rest of the Hortons, but Daniel impatiently interrupted and stated that he was going to take Parker for a walk. Daniel said that he didn't want to get in Chloe's way while she was packing, and he hoped that Nancy's assistance would speed up the process so that the two women would be able to leave before he returned to the apartment.

After Daniel left, Nancy noted that he was in a bad mood, but Chloe dismissively stated that he would get over it eventually. Nancy expressed some concerns about Chloe's decision to blackmail Jennifer, but Chloe was confident that Daniel would never learn why his relationship with Jennifer had really ended. Ignoring Nancy's advice -- and Daniel's earlier wishes -- Chloe excused herself so that she could find him and Parker.

At the Horton house, Lucas greeted Jennifer with a big hug. "There she is. Look at you -- the woman of the hour. The woman of the year! I can't believe it. Oh, I'm so happy! You did it -- you got the message, and you dumped Daniel. I mean, you've got to be feeling fantastic about yourself, right?" Lucas cheerfully asked as he entered the foyer.

A short time later, Lucas emerged from the kitchen with two glasses of orange juice so that he and Jennifer could celebrate the occasion with a non-alcoholic toast. After promising to refrain from gloating about the fact that he had been right about Daniel all along, Lucas offered to arrange for Jennifer to go on a date with Rafe, who was a great guy who was also, as far as Lucas was aware, single.

The idea seemed to annoy Jennifer, whom Lucas assumed simply wasn't ready to start dating again yet. "I understand. I know. I mean, sometimes, when you do the right thing, it still hurts. But you did it, Jennifer -- you did it. You cut Daniel Jonas to the bone, and you left him to bleed on the street," Lucas proudly stated as he pressed his glass against Jennifer's glass, which she dropped on the floor.

As Jennifer cleaned the spill, Lucas wondered if she was all right. Jennifer claimed that she was fine, using Lucas' earlier observation about the pain of doing the right thing as an explanation for her clumsiness. Jennifer theorized that she had simply been fooling herself into believing that her relationship with Daniel could actually work. Lucas said that the important thing was that Jennifer had eventually realized the truth about Daniel.

Lucas started to say something else about Daniel, but Jennifer interrupted and asked Lucas to refrain from spending the entire day bashing Daniel. Jennifer admitted that she had been extremely cruel to Daniel earlier, and she insisted that he wasn't a bad man, adding that he was simply the wrong man for her. Lucas disagreed with Jennifer's assessment of Daniel's character, but he agreed to respect her wishes.

Changing the subject, Lucas offered to take Jennifer to see a movie at the local theater, but she declined the offer, reasoning that jogging would be a better way to clear her head. After Lucas left, Jennifer jogged into the town square, where she spotted Daniel, Chloe, and Parker sitting on a nearby bench. Jennifer left before Daniel or Chloe could see her.

Daniel realized that he had inadvertently left his cell phone at his apartment earlier, and he excused himself so that he could retrieve it. After Daniel left, Chloe coached Parker on telling people that he had taken a trip to New York. Meanwhile, Daniel entered his apartment, sighing with irritation as he tried to drown out the song that Nancy was singing in the shower. As Daniel started to search for his phone, he noticed a passport that had been left on the table. Curious, Daniel opened the passport and stared at one of the pages in disbelief.

Outside the Brady Pub, Jennifer placed a phone call to J.J. Jennifer offered to take a trip to J.J.'s location so that they could spend some time together. When J.J. declined the offer, Jennifer said that she understood that he was busy, and she claimed that she was also busy with her own life. After assuring J.J. that she was fine, Jennifer ended the call with a heavy sigh and quickly called someone else, whom she tearfully asked to meet with right away.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Henderson greeted Victor, who handed Henderson an overnight bag before storming into the living room. "What happened? I go away for one night, and everything comes tumbling down like Jericho! What's going on with Daniel? What the hell did that woman do to him?" Victor demanded to know. Maggie tearfully told Victor about Jennifer's earlier tirade at the hospital, stating that it had been vicious and wrong.

"You're damn right it was, and you know who's partly to blame? Me. I encouraged him every chance that I got. I stood right here in this room and told him he could trust that bitch, how she was gonna make him so happy. Unbelievable! What the hell is wrong with that woman?" Victor wondered. Maggie explained that Jennifer had apparently realized that she would never be able to love Daniel the same way that she had loved Jack.

Victor angrily stated that Jennifer should have told Daniel that from the very beginning. Victor started to launch into another rant about Jennifer's behavior, but he stopped himself when he noticed that Maggie was quietly sobbing. Victor apologized and comforted Maggie, who cried on his shoulder as he acknowledged that Jennifer had broken Daniel and Maggie's hearts.

"It was just so hard, Victor. What I saw wasn't Jennifer. It wasn't the woman I've known all these years. I mean, the cruelty was so unlike -- unless I've never -- I never really knew her. Is that possible? Could I have been that wrong?" Maggie tearfully asked. Ignoring Maggie's question, Victor said that they simply needed to concentrate on ensuring that Daniel knew that he could always count on them. Victor added that Maggie could always count on him, and he wished that he could do something to ease her pain. Maggie tearfully asked Victor to hold her.

At St. Luke's, Vargas eavesdropped as Nicole talked to Abe, who was gathering information about Vargas for a follow-up report on the outreach program. Abe wondered how Nicole felt about the fact that she was living and working with someone whom Abe referred to as a hardcore ex-convict. Nicole reminded Abe that she was also an ex-convict, but Abe clarified that the difference was that Vargas had spent ten hard years behind bars.

"Well, where was I? In a country club?" Nicole dryly asked before agreeing to answer Abe's question. Nicole explained that she had initially been concerned about the outreach program, and she admitted that, as usual, she had been wrong and Eric had been right. Smiling, Vargas continued to listen as Nicole added that he seemed determined to put the past behind him and move on with his life.

Deciding that it would be best to let Vargas speak for himself, Nicole excused herself so that she could find him. Nicole returned a short time later to announce that she had been unable to locate Vargas, unaware that he was already talking to Abe. Vargas suggested that he had somehow managed to miss Nicole on his way to the office, and she assumed that he was right.

After Abe left, Vargas wondered if Eric had received E.J.'s earlier message. The mention of E.J.'s name seemed to annoy Nicole. Feigning ignorance, Vargas asked if Nicole knew who E.J. was. "Know him? I was married to him -- twice," Nicole regretfully admitted. Vargas struggled to wrap his head around Nicole's revelation, stating that the DiMera name carried about as much weight at Statesville as God's name carried at St. Luke's.

Outraged, Nicole said that Vargas was lucky that Eric hadn't heard that analogy. Nicole quickly calmed down and apologized for snapping at Vargas, explaining that she simply wasn't accustomed to talking about her past marriages with someone who didn't already know practically everything that could possibly be known about her life. Vargas wondered why Nicole had married E.J. again after their first marriage had failed.

Nicole said that her actions had made sense to her at the time. "You know the definition of insanity, right? When you repeat things over and over again, hoping for a different result? Yep, that's me -- insane," Nicole summarized, but Vargas disagreed, stating that she seemed like a very sane person. Vargas started to excuse himself, but Nicole stopped him and said that it was her turn to ask him a question.

"How come you're so easy to talk to?" Nicole wondered. The question surprised Vargas, who had never thought of himself as the kind of person who was easy to talk to. Vargas reasoned that the skill had been honed during the ten years that he had spent in prison, where talking and listening had been two of his most common activities. Vargas tried to change the subject, guessing that Nicole wasn't interested in hearing another prison sob story.

Nicole wondered if Vargas believed that she had been giving him some sort of marriage sob story earlier. "No, I -- it sounded to me like you were just being honest, okay? I don't take you for the kind that, uh, is all about self-pity. You know, some people, they like to sit around and whine about how lousy their lives are, and some of them -- some people just like to get up and go after it, like you," Vargas replied.

Nicole doubted Vargas' assessment of her character, reasoning that she was working at the church because she had chosen to settle for the first opportunity that had crossed her path. "Oh, come on! Okay, look -- you're regrouping, right? You got burned, you stepped back, and now you're figuring out your next move, which is smart. You're a smart girl, Nicole," Vargas insisted. Vargas excused himself so that he could get back to figuring out his next move, and Nicole smiled as he walked away.

At the DiMera mansion, Brady received a phone call from Dr. Ellis, who informed Brady that the results of the MRI had revealed that Brady had not suffered any residual damage as a result of the mugging that had occurred a few months earlier. Before Kristen and Brady could celebrate, someone rang the doorbell. When Kristen opened the door, she found Hope standing outside.

"I've got some good news. We may have caught one of the muggers who put Brady in the hospital," Hope announced as she entered the mansion. Hope explained that the mugger, whom the cops had apprehended when he had attempted to mug someone the previous night in the vicinity of the area where Brady's mugging had occurred, matched the general description of one of the men who had mugged Brady.

Hope added that the mugger had exhibited signs of desperation when the cops had questioned him about previous muggings. As Kristen tried to hide her nervousness, Brady eagerly agreed to go to the police station to see if he could positively identify the man. After Hope left, Kristen told Brady that she would meet him at the police station, claiming that she wanted to take her own car so that she could go straight to her office after they were finished helping Hope with the investigation.

Brady reminded Kristen that, due to some construction near the police station, the traffic in that area had been horrific lately. Brady insisted on driving Kristen to the police station himself, promising to drop her off at her office afterward. Unable to think of a reasonable protest, Kristen reluctantly followed Brady out of the mansion.

Later, at the police station, Hope stepped out of her office for a moment. When Hope returned, she found Kristen rummaging through the files on Hope's desk. Startled, Kristen explained that Brady was looking for a parking space. Kristen innocently added that her overwhelming excitement had compelled her to search Hope's desk for a photograph of the mugger whom the police had arrested.

After reminding Kristen that it wasn't appropriate for her to search a police detective's desk, Hope invited Kristen to take a seat so that they could wait for Brady to arrive. A short time later, a cop entered Hope's office and handed her a file that contained information about the mugger, including a mug shot. Hope showed the photograph to Kristen, who breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that the cops had not arrested Sy.

Kristen claimed that the man in the photograph was definitely one of the men who had mugged Brady, but when Brady entered the office a short time later, he insisted that he didn't recognize the man whom the police had apprehended. Kristen pointed out that Brady had been attacked from behind, and she asserted that she was the only person who had managed to get a good look at the muggers.

Confused, Hope noted that in Kristen's original statement, Kristen had claimed that she had never gotten a good look at either of the two muggers. Kristen feigned ignorance and theorized that she had probably been in shock at that time. With a shrug, Kristen apologetically stated that she wished that she and Brady could have been more helpful, and she and Brady started to leave.

"Hey, hold on a second, guys. Uh, we just did a major update on our mug books last week. Since you're here, why don't you take a look? Who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky," Hope suggested. Later, as Kristen and Brady flipped through the book of mug shots, she shook her head and impatiently insisted that the search was pointless. Meanwhile, Brady turned to a new page and instantly recognized Sy's face in one of the photographs.

In an undisclosed location, Sy counted the money that Kristen had given him earlier. Sy sighed as he realized that the money wasn't going to be enough to cover his expenses. Sy placed a phone call to someone, muttering that he didn't have any other options left.

"I've got some information I think you'll want to have. It's about your grandson, Brady, and that woman he's with -- Kristen DiMera," Sy told Victor.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

by ChickenGrrl

At the police station, Kristen blanched when Brady identified Sy Miller as one of the guys who had mugged him. "I wouldn't forget that face; I punched it," Brady emphasized when Hope asked if he were sure. Hope started to put out an APB for Miller, but Kristen insisted he wasn't the mugger. Brady declared that he was certain. Kristen fretted that perhaps the assailant was no longer in town, since the mugging had happened a few months prior.

Hope explained that Miller's picture had been placed in the mug book because he'd been spotted in Salem recently. Although Brady was eager for the police to pick up the guy, Kirsten wasn't so sure. Hope pointed out that the attackers had nearly killed Brady. "Well, they weren't supposed to," Kristen blurted without thinking. Puzzled, Hope asked, "What were the muggers supposed to do?"

Kristen covered that if she had given her money to the men without a fight, they would have been long gone by the time Brady had gotten there. Hope pointed out that the assailants had escalated their crime from robbery-assault to attempted murder, and she urged Kristen to let the police do their job.

"That's always a good idea," Roman chimed in as he entered. Hope quickly filled him in then left to place the APB. Roman asked to speak to Brady in private. Brady replied, "Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of her." Roman demanded, "Let's talk about how you're screwing your dad's life up... John and Marlena are going through hell because of what you're doing." Brady pointed out that John and Marlena wouldn't admit they had been wrong. Before Brady and Roman's discussion could escalate, Hope returned. Brady escorted Kristen out.

Hope asked Roman what he'd said to Brady. Roman asserted, "My God, Hope, he thinks that bitch really has changed."

As Brady and Kristen walked in the front door of the DiMera mansion, Brady said that his grandfather needed to get his input about an art project for Titan. Brady suggested that Kristen help him, partly because Victor had said that he wanted to give Brady and Kristen a chance, and as a way to let Victor see that Kristen had changed. Kristen declined, pointing out that Victor wouldn't want a DiMera sitting in on Titan purchases. Brady pressed, so Kristen reluctantly agreed to join him after he'd taken the first meeting.

Brady observed that Kristen hadn't seemed like herself since they'd returned from the police station. He asked if seeing the mugger's picture had upset her, but she claimed that it had been seeing Roman. She guessed that Roman believed she was using Brady to break up John and Marlena the same way she'd used Roman to do the same thing years before. Brady reminded Kristen that she wasn't doing that. "Of course I'm not. I love you," Kristen said softly, kissing Brady to demonstrate.

Brady joked that he owed Sy Miller a "thank you" for putting Kristen and Brady in each other's orbits. After Brady left to meet with Victor, Kristen muttered under her breath that Sy had better not still be in town.

On the phone, Sy told Victor, "I've got some information I think you'll want to have... It's about your grandson, Brady, and that woman he's with, Kristen DiMera." Victor asked what the information was, but first Sy wanted to be sure that he was protected -- and compensated. Victor reluctantly agreed. As Victor was demanding that Sy divulge what information he had on Kristen, Maggie walked in to the Kiriakis living room and asked whom Victor was talking to. Sy heard Maggie's voice and asked Victor the same question. "It's my wife," Victor explained. Sy abruptly hung up.

Maggie demanded to know if the person on the phone had been someone Victor had hired to spy on Kristen. Victor insisted that he would never do something like that, but he wasn't about to turn down someone who called out of the blue to offer information. "Victor, have you lost your mind?" Maggie demanded. Referring to Kristen as a "belly-crawling snake," Victor asserted that he didn't care where he got damning information against her.

Victor tried to call Sy back but found that the number had been blocked. After pointing out that the whole world knew a Kiriakis had moved in with a DiMera, Maggie asked how much money the man had demanded for information about Kristen. Victor realized that Maggie had a point -- and that Kristen could have even set up the phone call to make it look like he was soliciting dirt on the woman Brady loved. "From then on, my name is poison. Can't explain it -- he's out of my life forever," Victor concluded.

A little later, Maggie announced that she needed to run some errands. Victor suspected that she was going to see Daniel, but Maggie insisted that she intended to give her son his space. As soon as Maggie had gone, Sy called Victor again and offered to pick up where they had left off if Victor wanted. Victor declared, "I've thought about it, and I'm not about to get down in the mud with you or anybody else. Don't call me again." Sy urged Victor to take a look at what Sy had. Victor agreed, but only if Sy emailed it to him.

After he hung up, a disgruntled Sy muttered that he didn't want to leave a trail by using email. As he looked at an online article about Victor with the headline, "Titan Industries Acquiring New Art Works," Sy got an idea. Kristen called Sy and informed him that the police had put out an APB on him because Brady had identified Sy's mug shot. "So I just hope you're spending that money I gave you in Jamaica, or better yet, how about Outer Mongolia?" Kristen barked. Sy retorted that he wouldn't bother Kristen any longer.

After he hung up, Sy put the photos of his meeting with Kristen into an envelope addressed to "Titan Industries / Titan Art Proposal."

When Brady arrived at the Kiriakis mansion, Victor stunned him with the story of how Jennifer had dumped Daniel. "There's no way. She's not that kind of person," Brady insisted incredulously. Victor confided that Maggie was devastated because Daniel's heart had been broken. Victor suggested that they get to work on the art proposals for Titan to take their mind off things.

Hope ran into Maggie at Common Grounds. After the women exchanged a warm greeting, Maggie started to leave to avoid discussing Jennifer with Hope. Hope pushed, so Maggie declared firmly that what Jennifer had done was unconscionable. "Dear God, she's just not the person I thought she was," Maggie began, but Hope stopped her. "I honestly believe in my heart that we don't know the whole story. I'm telling you, something is missing here," Hope asserted.

At Rafe's after having sex, Kate jokingly wondered why they always ended up in bed. Rafe theorized that it was because he couldn't keep his hands off Kate when they were alone -- and they were alone a lot because she didn't want them to be seen together. Kate insisted that she wasn't ashamed; she was only worried about what Stefano would do to Rafe if he found out. Rafe suggested that perhaps what Kate was really worried about was that Stefano didn't care what she did.

Kate maintained that she wasn't interested in anything to do with Stefano because she despised him. Rafe lightly urged her to stop worrying about Stefano. When Rafe got up to take a shower, Kate recalled Sonny's warning that Will was going to lose his child forever if things kept on the way they'd been going. Kate called someone named Leon and asked him to draw up some legal papers for her.

Later, Kate went to the Brady Pub, where she found Gabi taking a break. Kate made small talk about how she and Gabi had both worked until late in their pregnancies. Gabi said that she couldn't wait for the baby to be born, and Kate noted that Gabi, Nick, and Will would be even more excited once the little girl arrived. Gabi acknowledged that Kate had treated her and Nick very well, but added somewhat hesitantly that she had something to tell Kate.

Kate confessed that she already knew about Will signing away his custody rights. Gabi maintained that she and Nick merely wanted to make sure that Sami wasn't involved in any way. Kate was skeptical, but Gabi insisted that she would never keep Will away from his daughter. Although she was relieved, Kate worried that Nick wouldn't be on board with that. Gabi assured Kate that Nick knew Will would be a part of his baby's life.

"So tell me: whose name, then, is going to be on the birth certificate as the father?" Kate asked. Gabi replied that she wouldn't fight Will if he wanted his name on the birth certificate. Kate wondered aloud if Nick would be so agreeable. "Which made me decide to stop at my lawyer's on the way here to have these papers drawn up for you to sign," Kate said, pulling a legal document out of her purse and handing it to Gabi.

Nicole delivered flowers to the nurses' station at the hospital for one of Eric's parishioners. After Nicole asked Maxine to make sure that the patient knew they were from Father Eric, a couple of nurses nearby began talking about the scene Jennifer had made when she'd "stuck it" to Dr. Jonas. Maxine ordered the nurses to stop gossiping. After the nurses got back to work, a curious Nicole asked Maxine what had happened, but Maxine firmly maintained that it was none of Nicole's business.

When Maxine left, Nicole sidled up to one of the nurses, Emily, at the coffee pot. Nicole asked what had happened between Jennifer and Dr. Jonas. "Who are you, lady? I mean, you just walk up and expect me to tell you stuff?" Emily scoffed. Nicole gave up and approached the other nurse, Carla, who was happy to blab, "[Jennifer] dumped that poor doctor like so much garbage right in front of everyone." Completely floored, Nicole asked for more details.

Carla described what had happened. When Emily heard them discussing it, she chimed in with more details. Nicole noted that the behavior sounded completely out of character for Jennifer. The nurses both agreed that Jennifer had always seemed very sweet. "Guess deep down, she's a grade-A bitch," Carla concluded. Maxine returned and demanded to know what was going on. Nicole hissed, "You'd better rein these two in because they keep gossiping. Shameful. Shameful!" She stormed out, leaving the nurses chastened and Maxine suspicious.

Nicole returned to St. Luke's and mused, "Jennifer would never treat Daniel that way." Fingering a rosary, she reminded herself that it wasn't her business, but asked God whether it really was.

A stunned Daniel picked up Nancy's passport and visa from the dresser in his living room and stared at them with disbelief. When Nancy emerged from the bedroom, Daniel surreptitiously put the passport back on the dresser without her seeing as he explained that he'd just returned to get his phone. Nancy panicked when Daniel moved away from the dresser and she spotted her passport there. She quickly stashed the document in her purse.

Daniel thanked Nancy for cutting her trip to New York with Parker short, but she insisted that she'd been happy to take him back when Chloe had called. After expressing her sympathy about Daniel's breakup with Jennifer, Nancy began to badmouth Jennifer, but stopped herself when she realized that it displeased Daniel. "Some day you're going to look at this as just all for the best," Nancy assured Daniel.

Daniel announced that he needed to get back to Parker in the square, but first he asked if Nancy had any pictures of Parker in Central Park on her phone. Nancy claimed that she'd forgotten her phone that day. "I'm a bad grandma!" she insisted apologetically. On his way out, Daniel extracted a promise from Nancy to show him pictures of Parker in other places in New York. As the door closed, Nancy muttered, "Yeah, that's gonna happen as soon as I get good at Photoshop."

Outside, Daniel made a phone call and asked someone to meet him in the town square.

In Horton Square, Chloe tried to get Parker to answer "New York" whenever anyone asked where he'd been. "Brazil," Parker replied. Anne walked up in time to overhear, and she warned Chloe, "Parker keeps saying that, and Mommy's going to be in big trouble." Anne tested Parker by asking where he and his Granny had gone on the airplane. "New York," Parker replied, to Chloe and Anne's utter relief.

Chloe confided that she'd hated sending Parker so far away, but it had been the only way she could be sure that Jennifer would break up with Daniel for good. Anne declared that it had been the best day of her life when Jennifer had quit her job after the public scene she'd made at the hospital. Chloe was just happy that she, Daniel, and Parker were going to be a family again.

Daniel returned to the square and found Parker playing a game on his tablet while Chloe watched. Chloe suggested that the three of them get a bite to eat together, but Daniel asserted that he still wanted some alone time with Parker. As Chloe left to help Nancy finish packing, she acknowledged that Daniel was going through a rough time, and reassured him that she would be there for him if he needed anything.

Daniel asked Parker if he'd had a good time while visiting his grandpa and Joy in New York. "New York," Parker replied. Rafe arrived just then. Before revealing why he'd called Rafe, Daniel quickly filled him in about his breakup with Jennifer. Rafe expressed his sympathy. Daniel explained that he'd called Rafe because Chloe's mother claimed that she'd taken Parker to New York to visit Chloe's father and sister, but Daniel had found Nancy's passport with a visa sticking out of it earlier. "Why the hell would you need a passport with a visa to fly inside the U.S.?" Daniel asked.

Daniel added that Nancy hadn't taken any pictures of Parker's very first trip to Central Park, either. "Rafe, I'm telling you, man, something is wrong here," Daniel said. He asked Rafe if there were a way to find out where Nancy had flown with Parker, although he acknowledged that he was asking Rafe to bend a lot of rules. Rafe agreed to see what he could do, adding that he owed Daniel a favor for keeping Rafe's relationship with Kate a secret.

When Chloe returned to the apartment, Nancy revealed that she'd nearly had a heart attack when Daniel had retrieved his cell phone from the table where her passport had been sitting out. Nancy assured Chloe that Daniel hadn't seen it.

Just then, Nicole knocked on the door and demanded to speak to Chloe alone. Chloe grudgingly asked Nancy to wait in the bedroom. After Nancy had gone, Nicole revealed that she had heard about Jennifer's ugly, public breakup with Daniel -- and Nicole had immediately thought of Chloe, who had admitted that she'd been trying to get Daniel back. Chloe ordered Nicole to leave, but Nicole refused. She accused Chloe of using one of her tricks to cause Daniel and Jennifer's breakup, and ordered Chloe to admit it.

Daniel and Parker were still playing when Rafe returned to the square a little later. Rafe informed Daniel, "You were right to be suspicious: Nancy and Parker weren't in New York... Homeland Security has them flying to and from Brazil."

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

by ChickenGrrl

At Daniel's apartment, Nicole demanded that Chloe admit she'd caused Jennifer and Daniel's breakup, but Chloe insisted that she'd had nothing to do with it. Nicole asserted that Jennifer loved Daniel and would never give up on him. Chloe accused Nicole of still being in love with Daniel and of being jealous that Chloe was going to get back together with him. Nicole pointed out that even if that were the case, Chloe had still made Daniel miserable by breaking up him and Jennifer.

"Well, he won't be miserable after he has his own little family -- something you can never give him," Chloe said cruelly. Her eyes filling with tears, a hurt Nicole couldn't believe that Chloe would sink so low. Chloe told Nicole to leave. "So what are you going to do if this thing with Daniel doesn't work out? Are you going to trade Parker in for a used car or something useful? Because all you're doing is exploiting him -- and that is not how a mother acts," Nicole asserted quietly.

Chloe angrily suggested that if Nicole wanted to wait around for Daniel to get home, she was welcome to share her "little theory" with him, but Chloe believed that Daniel would only see that Nicole was still obsessed with him. Shaking her head sadly, Nicole merely said, "Have a nice life, Chloe." With a pat on Chloe's arm, Nicole left.

Afterwards, Chloe reported to Nancy that she'd learned from Anne that Jennifer had left town. Chloe thought that it was a great opportunity to spend some time with Daniel and Parker. Nancy urged Chloe to let Daniel have some alone time with his son, as he'd requested twice. "Don't be so pushy! Honey, you are so close to getting everything you wanted. Please don't blow it now," Nancy cautioned. After calling Nancy a "worrywart," Chloe left.

In Horton Square, Rafe informed Daniel that Nancy had taken Parker not to New York but to Brazil. Rafe produced a fax from the FBI of Nancy's Brazilian visa as proof. "She flat-out lied to me. Why? What the hell is going on?" a furious Daniel said through clenched teeth. Rafe was also surprised that Chloe would take Parker out of the country without telling Daniel. Daniel explained that Philip might still be Parker's legal father, for all Daniel knew.

Daniel fretted that there was nothing he could do because Chloe hadn't broken any laws -- and besides, he knew if he asked her about it, she would just lie. Daniel thanked Rafe for his help but admitted that he didn't even know where to start to find out why Chloe and Nancy had lied about taking Parker to New York. Rafe asked Daniel to keep quiet about the fax, since Rafe had broken a bunch of rules to get it. After urging Daniel to hang in there, Rafe left.

Daniel joined Parker on the bench and stroked his son's hair. "So how was Rio? Good?" Daniel asked, and Parker nodded. Just then, Daniel got a call from Nicole, who said that she urgently needed to talk to him about Chloe.

Daniel met Nicole at St. Luke's. After dropping Parker off with Sister Annabel, Daniel asked Nicole what was going on. Nicole stated how sorry she was about Daniel and Jennifer's breakup because she could see that Daniel and Jennifer belonged together. Nicole pointed out that it seemed completely out of character for Jennifer to have dumped Daniel so publicly. Growing impatient, Daniel urged Nicole to get to the point.

Nicole continued that she hadn't told Daniel about Chloe admitting that she would never give up on him. "I got the distinct feeling that she had some kind of plan." She explained that alarm bells had gone off when she'd heard how Jennifer had broken up with Daniel. Nicole had confronted Chloe, and although she couldn't prove it, Nicole was sure that Chloe had made Jennifer do it. "Underneath all that denial, there was a little smirk," Nicole added.

Nicole had to leave to sign for a package, so Daniel waited in Eric's office for her. Forcing himself to calm down, Daniel tried to figure out what Chloe had done. "What could she do to get Jennifer to go along with her? What could she use?" he wondered aloud. Just then, Sister Annabel returned with Parker. "Oh, my God. She used him. She used my son," a horrified Daniel whispered as he grabbed Parker in a hug.

Sister Annabel had gone when Nicole returned with Eric's package. As Daniel picked up Parker to leave, Nicole acknowledged that what she'd said surely sounded crazy. "You know what, Nicole? It's not crazy. It's the truth," Daniel replied somewhat grimly, adding, "I really, really appreciate you looking out for me -- both of us." Nicole asked what Daniel was going to do next.

As Chloe returned to the apartment, she called out to her mom, "Has Daniel called you? I tried calling him but he's not picking up." When Daniel emerged from the bedroom just then, a worried Chloe said that she'd been looking all over for him and Parker. "Oh, I'm sorry. That must have been awful, thinking your son was safe and taken care of, and then finding out that he wasn't," Daniel remarked. Chloe asked Daniel if something were wrong, but Daniel said that everything was fine.

Daniel added that he'd asked Nancy to give them some time alone. "I didn't think you'd mind. I think you've actually been hoping we could, you know, have some time alone for a while now," Daniel said. He explained for a puzzled Chloe that they'd both been so busy that they hadn't had time to have a nice, long talk where they laid their cards on the table. "Talk about what?" Chloe asked nervously. Daniel replied, "I don't know -- where we've been. I think, more to the point, just where you and I go from here."

Outside of Salem, Jennifer visited her mother, Laura. Jennifer apologized for barging in on Laura out of the blue, but Laura was touched that her daughter had gone to her. When Laura asked why Jennifer was there, Jennifer admitted that it hurt too much to be in Salem right then, and she just needed to sort some things out. Laura guessed, "Is it this doctor you've been seeing? Did the two you have a fight?" Jennifer acknowledged that it had been even worse than a fight -- and her heart was breaking.

Laura didn't understand why Jennifer would have broken up with Daniel when Abigail had reported that he'd made Jennifer very happy. Jennifer explained that she hadn't wanted to break up with Daniel, but she'd had to. Laura deduced that Jennifer had done so because she felt as if she were betraying Jack, and Jennifer confirmed it. Laura reminded her daughter that Jack was gone, but Jennifer maintained that Daniel could never replace Jack.

Laura asserted that Jack would never have wanted Jennifer to spend the rest of her life mourning him or to use him as an excuse to not be happy. Jennifer agreed but said that she couldn't talk about it. After Laura went in the kitchen to get some more tea, Jennifer admitted tearfully, "I did use Jack as an excuse, but not the way you think. God, I used him to hurt Daniel, and I hate that I did that."

When Laura returned, Jennifer confessed, "You're right about Jack; you're right about everything. And I can't do this anymore." She picked up the phone and began to call Daniel.

At the Brady Pub, Kate produced legal papers for Gabi to sign that would give Will time with his daughter -- something Gabi had already promised. Gabi thought she should have a lawyer look at the document before she signed it, but Kate assured her that it would only ensure that Gabi put Will's name on the baby's birth certificate. A confused Gabi asked what the rest of the document was about. Kate explained that it only stated that Gabi had the right to keep Sami from the baby.

Just as Kate was gently pressuring Gabi to sign the papers, Nick arrived and demanded to know what was going on. As Gabi filled him in, Nick scanned the document and discovered that they also stated that Will would get the baby every other holiday. Kate claimed that she didn't remember seeing that in the papers. Nick demanded, "Okay. Well, then, one has to ask the question: who put you up to this -- was it Will or his mother?"

Kate insisted that no one had put her up to it; she was merely trying to look out for Will's best interests. A peeved Gabi vented her anger about Kate trying to slip something that important past her. Kate said that they could simply strike that paragraph; she just wanted to make sure that Gabi held up her end of the bargain and allowed Will to spend time with his child. Gabi complained that she had thought she could trust Kate, but she wasn't so sure any longer -- and it seemed like Kate didn't trust Gabi.

Kate replied, "I do trust you, and I think you intend to do the right thing. The one I'm worried about is Nick, whether your husband's going to allow that." Rafe arrived just then and overheard. "Allow what?" he wanted to know. Kate claimed that they had just been talking about what a positive thing it would be, not only for Will but for Nick and Gabi, as well, for Will to have a relationship with the baby. Kate pointed out that Nick and Gabi would be able to leave the baby with Sonny and Will and finally take a honeymoon.

Nick declared that he was completely behind whatever custody decisions Gabi made -- but Kate was trying to force Gabi to sign legal papers about it. Nick gave the document to Rafe, who became furious as he read it that Kate had gone behind his back. Kate suggested that they should continue the discussion privately, and Nick agreed because Gabi was clearly upset. Kate apologized if she'd upset Gabi, but no one else bought her apology. Rafe escorted Kate out.

A distressed Gabi admitted that she had thought that she could trust Kate. Nick asserted that he was the only person Gabi could trust. Gabi asked if Nick were really okay with her decision to let Will be a part of the baby's life. Nick replied, "That's your decision... But aren't you tired, Gabi, of all of them pushing and pushing and pushing you? I mean, Will and his mom couldn't get you to put his name on the birth certificate, so they sent in Kate." Nick asserted that Gabi caving in and putting Will's name on the birth certificate was the first step toward getting Will full custody of the baby.

In the park, Rafe lit into Kate for not telling Gabi what she was about to sign. "Your precious sister is married to a sociopath who wants to keep my grandson away from his own baby!" Kate retorted. Rafe wasn't convinced, so Kate reminded him of how Nick had "looked after" Melanie. Kate emphasized that Gabi needed to sign the papers. Rafe argued that no one was trying to keep Will from his baby, but Nick had obviously felt the need to do something after Sami had sent Gabi to the hospital.

Kate declared that even she knew Sami would never try to hurt the baby. Kate suspected that Rafe was resentful of Sami because she'd dumped him and gone back to E.J. Stung, Rafe calmly stated that for the sake of their ever having a conversation again, he was going to consider the conversation over. He tossed the legal papers in the trash and left.

Sonny went to the DiMera mansion to talk to E.J. Although surprised because he knew Sonny was surely uncomfortable being there, E.J. was glad they could continue the conversation they'd started a few days before. Sonny reminded E.J., "In that conversation, you did talk about helping Will, but you also talked about squashing Nick Fallon like a bug." Sonny added that he had never detested anyone the way he detested Nick. E.J. replied that he didn't need convincing after the blackmail stunt that Nick had pulled at the hospital.

E.J. guessed that Sonny wanted to help Will while also being worried that his motivation was to get back at Nick. Sonny said that he didn't think it was right to enjoy hurting someone. E.J. assured Sonny, "Whatever happens to Nick Fallon is what he deserves. Now, I gave him fair warning. All you're trying to do is help somebody you love -- and I know you love William very much. How can that possibly not be a good thing?

Sonny explained that Nick and Gabi were staying at the Kiriakis mansion, somewhere E.J. couldn't just pop by -- but Sonny could. "I want to go in Nick's room and check it out. I do want to help squash him like a bug," Sonny concluded determinedly.

As Sami and Will walked in the park, Sami reported that she thought she was making progress with Stefano. Will was grateful to his mom for what she'd sacrificed for him by living in the DiMera mansion. Just then, Nick showed up. When he saw Sami and Will, Nick kept walking, but Sami stopped him to thank him. She explained, "Will told me that you and Gabi talked to him about making sure he'll able to see his daughter after she's born." Sami acknowledged that she had messed up and thanked Nick for not holding it against Will.

After a somewhat bemused Nick left, Will asked why his mom had done that. "I just want Nick to feel like he's in control, so when we come after him, he won't see it coming," Sami explained. As Will and Sami had coffee at Common Grounds later, Will wondered whether E.J. had an ulterior motive for moving Sami into the mansion and helping Will. "Like what?" Sami asked.

Will replied, "Well, we are talking about E.J.... I don't know what he's up to, but I do think that he's up to something." He explained that he could draw on personal history to back up his suspicions. Sami maintained that she and E.J. had both changed, but Will wondered if E.J. were just trying to make Sami think that he'd changed. Sami acknowledged that Will had made a good point. Will described a strange look he'd seen on E.J.'s face in Stefano's presence, which had caused Will to suspect that there was something more going on.

Will was just leaving the coffeehouse when Sonny arrived. When Will asked why he wasn't already at work, Sonny admitted that he'd gone to talk to E.J. Groaning, Will said, "I would really rather you not get involved in this." When Sonny argued that Will would do the same, Will worried about what Sonny's parents would do if they found out he was doing something that involved a DiMera. Sonny countered that he wouldn't tell his parents -- and if they found out, he would simply explain that he was doing it because he loved Will.

After Sami returned home, E.J. informed her that Gabi had moved into the Kiriakis mansion with Nick -- and Sonny had offered to help. Sami wondered if E.J. had given Sonny the idea, but E.J. maintained that he had merely had a conversation with Sonny about what Nick had been doing to Will. "You are so good at getting people to do what you want them to do and making them think it's their idea," Sami noted, then asked, "E.J., what is the real reason that you wanted us to move back here?"

Sami pointed out that she had moved in mainly to get Stefano's help with Will -- but she wondered if E.J. had done so because he had actually, without informing Sami, forgiven his father in spite of everything Stefano had done to E.J.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

by Mike

At Laura's house, Jennifer changed her mind about calling Daniel, since doing so could ruin his life. Laura urged Jennifer to reconsider, but Jennifer walked away, dismissively stating that she was done talking about the matter.

Jennifer returned a short time later, noting that she probably would have accused Abigail of being a drama queen if Abigail had stormed out of a room in a similar manner. Laura smiled and kindly stated that she wouldn't have necessarily said that Jennifer had stormed out of the room. Jennifer tearfully admitted that it was killing her to pretend that she wasn't upset about everything that had happened.

Jennifer stressed that Laura couldn't tell Hope, Julie, Maggie, or anyone else about the things that Jennifer was about to reveal, and Laura promised that their conversation would remain confidential. Jennifer said that she had always tried to be a good person. Jennifer added that some people were convinced that she wasn't a good person, and she admitted that she was starting to believe that they were right.

Jennifer told Laura about the brutal way that she had ended her relationship with Daniel, revealing that Chloe had blackmailed her into doing so. Summarizing that Jennifer was putting someone else's happiness ahead of her own, Laura insisted that Jennifer was not only a good person, she was also a heroic person. Jennifer refused to believe that she was a hero, but she cryptically added that she did know what her next move needed to be.

Jennifer announced that she was thinking about leaving Salem so that she could be closer to J.J., whom she missed terribly. Jennifer added that she was going to invite Abigail to accompany her. Laura advised Jennifer to give the matter a lot of thought before making a final decision, but Jennifer insisted that she had already done that. Jennifer tearfully stated that she would never be able to return to Salem.

In Daniel's apartment, Daniel suggested that Jennifer's decision to end their relationship might have been a blessing in disguise, since it had given him a chance to really get to know Chloe again. Daniel hoped that he and Chloe could finally be completely honest with each other, and she happily agreed.

Daniel recalled that he had previously informed Chloe that they would never be more than just friends, and he guessed that, despite her claims to the contrary, she had never really accepted that answer. Chloe insisted that she had always wanted what was best for Daniel, and he returned the sentiment, but he theorized that they each had completely different opinions about what that actually meant.

Chloe was confused, so Daniel finally revealed that he knew that Nancy and Parker had never really been in New York. Chloe innocently wondered where Daniel had gotten that idea from, so he angrily produced a document that proved that Nancy had taken Parker out of the country. Chloe feigned outrage, stating that she couldn't believe that Nancy had lied about the travel plans, but Daniel wasn't convinced.

Chloe insisted that she was just as upset as Daniel was, and she wondered why he was blaming her for something that Nancy had done. When Daniel angrily instructed Chloe to stop lying, she decided to try a different approach, suggesting that Nicole had fabricated the document to turn him against Chloe. Daniel still didn't believe Chloe, so she finally dropped the innocent act, informing him that he didn't have any rights to Parker.

Chloe produced the new birth certificate that she had recently received, but Daniel pointed out that he could simply get a paternity test done. Daniel insisted that Chloe would never be able to keep him and Jennifer apart. "Yeah? Well, I'll take Parker away from you. And I can do it legally. And we'll go somewhere you can never find us, and there's nothing you, Jennifer, or anyone else can do to stop me," Chloe defiantly stated.

"You look me in the eye, and you tell me that you can wake up, put your son in a car, and drive him away from a father who loves him. You tell me that you can take him someplace that he has never been and let him grow up without a father. You tell me that you can take my son -- a child who I love -- away from his father. You tell me it means nothing if you don't get what you want. Tell me that!" Daniel angrily replied.

In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Cameron handed Maguire, the man whom Cameron was indebted to, an envelope that was filled with cash. Maguire counted the money and confirmed that it was all there, noting that Cameron had also made the payment on time. Cameron pointed out that he had included an extra one hundred dollars. "That goes against what I still owe you, which means two more payments and I'm done with this -- and you," Cameron added.

At Common Grounds, Abigail wondered if Chad had seen Cameron recently. "Um, I've seen more of Cameron than I ever wanted to," Chad dryly replied. Unamused, Abigail clarified that she had been hoping to bump into Cameron at the coffeehouse, where he usually went after finishing a shift at the hospital. "I'm guessing he's bumping somewhere else," Chad joked.

Annoyed, Abigail told Chad to stop joking about the matter, adding that Cameron had started ignoring her phone calls. Abigail wished that she and Chad had never found out about what Cameron had been doing. Meanwhile, Anne, who was doing some paperwork at a nearby table, eavesdropped on Abigail and Chad's conversation.

Abigail chastised Chad for laughing in Cameron's face earlier, insisting that the situation wasn't funny. "He's a doctor. He can't have anyone knowing that he works at this place," Abigail said, holding up a card that had the name of the strip club printed on it. Chad went to clean an empty table, and Abigail followed him, leaving the card on the bar. Anne quickly grabbed the card and dashed out of the coffeehouse before Abigail or Chad could see her.

Chad explained that guys didn't like to feel embarrassed, adding that he and Abigail had caught Cameron doing something that Cameron had not wanted anyone to know about. Chad assured Abigail that Cameron would eventually get over it. Unconvinced, Abigail said that she knew Cameron better than Chad did. "Yeah, well, I know a hell of a lot more about him now," Chad dryly replied.

Chad tried to ease Abigail's guilt, reasoning that she had simply been worried about Cameron, but she refused to accept Chad's logic. Frustrated, Chad dismissively stated that he was done talking about the situation. Meanwhile, Stefano entered the coffeehouse and greeted Chad and Abigail. Abigail quickly excused herself, and Stefano wondered if Chad was trying to get back together with her.

Chad said that he and Abigail were just friends, and Stefano knowingly observed that Chad didn't seem very happy about that fact. Changing the subject, Stefano looked around the coffeehouse and wondered if it was actually profitable. Chad vaguely stated that the business was all right, prompting Stefano to point out that Chad wouldn't have to worry about money as much if he weren't renting an apartment.

Chad laughed as he suddenly realized the real reason for Stefano's visit. Stefano happily reported that E.J., Sami, Johnny, and Sydney had already moved back into the mansion. "Wow, okay. So the house of Usher is rising again," Chad jokingly observed. Chad started to say something else, using Stefano's name to begin the comment, but Stefano interrupted him.

"Uh-uh, uh-uh -- 'Father,' hmm? Call me Father. After all, that's what I am, huh? I am your father, and I want my son back," Stefano said. Chad said that he had already promised Kristen that he would consider moving into the mansion, and he warned that he couldn't be pressured into making the decision that Stefano wanted him to make. Meanwhile, Cameron entered the coffeehouse, and Abigail begged him to talk to her.

Stefano reported that spring had arrived at the DiMera mansion, where the flowers were blooming and the trees were growing. Stefano urged Chad to take Abigail for a walk around the mansion, but when Stefano turned to look for her, he noticed that she was talking to Cameron. Stefano pointedly mused that Abigail might have already made other plans.

Chad interrupted Abigail and Cameron's conversation so that he could introduce Cameron and Stefano to each other. Stefano said that he already knew who Cameron was, and he extended a hand as he introduced himself as Stefano DiMera -- Lexie's father. Stefano thanked Cameron for providing Lexie with comfort during her final weeks, and Cameron replied that it had actually felt like she had been comforting him, prompting Chad to agree.

Stefano urged Cameron to contact him via Chad if Cameron ever needed anything, or if he ever wanted to talk to Stefano about Lexie. After Stefano left, Chad and Abigail tried to talk to Cameron about what had happened at the strip club earlier, but Cameron dismissively stated that they had already said everything that needed to be said. Abigail tried to stop Cameron from leaving, but Chad told her to let Cameron go.

Abigail insisted that she couldn't do that, since Cameron was her friend. Chad guessed that Cameron was more than just Abigail's friend. Chad pointed out that Cameron was probably going to be working later that night, and he sneered as he wondered if Abigail was going to go to the strip club to see Cameron's show.

"No, I'm not gonna go see his show, okay? Don't be ridiculous. I just -- I just -- my life pretty much sucks right now, okay? And I just want one thing to go right for me -- just one thing. And I would like Cameron to know that I am not judging him or laughing at him, okay? Is that too much to ask?" Abigail tearfully replied before exiting the coffeehouse. After asking one of his employees to close the coffeehouse for him, Chad chased after Abigail.

At the DiMera mansion, Sami was anxious to know if E.J. had decided to forgive Stefano. "Well, don't let me shut you up, 'Eej.' I'd love to hear the answer to that one myself," Kristen said as she entered the living room. Kristen poured herself a glass of champagne, refusing to let E.J. kick her out before she had heard his answer to Sami's earlier question about forgiveness.

"You know, [E.J.'s] forgiven you, Sami...and next to you, Father looks like Mother Teresa," Kristen dryly stated. E.J. observed that Kristen seemed to be in the mood to cause trouble, and Sami muttered that Kristen was always in that kind of mood. Kristen said that she simply found it amusing that E.J. and Sami, who had spent years at each other's throats, were having a serious conversation about the nature of forgiveness.

Kristen implied that Sami had only reunited with E.J. because the alternative -- being alone -- was unacceptable, pointedly asking if Sami had spent one full day alone after her relationship with Rafe had ended, or if she had actually managed to last for an entire day and a half. After noting that Kristen wasn't owed any sort of explanation, E.J. added that he and Sami had made a conscious decision to stop dwelling on the past so that they could focus on building a future together instead.

Sami agreed, adding that her change of heart had not had anything to do with an unwillingness to be alone. Sami said that she had simply realized that she loved and couldn't live without E.J. Clearly skeptical, Kristen wondered why the idea of E.J. forgiving Stefano was such a big deal. "Are you really gonna sit there and tell me that you've forgiven him for what he did to you?" Sami countered.

Kristen wondered if the fact that she was living at the DiMera mansion was enough to answer Sami's question. Sami shook her head in disbelief and started to recap the list of horrible things that Stefano had done to Kristen in the past, but E.J. interrupted her. "Oh, it's okay. I was asking Sami questions. What's sauce for the goose...well, is...sauce for the other goose. And, you know, when Father first approached me, I said the same things that you just said. Then I saw him face-to-face, and I realized that time actually does heal old wounds, Sami," Kristen matter-of-factly stated.

Sami found it hard to believe that Kristen had never questioned Stefano's sincerity. "Of course I did. But I did what he said, and I'm glad. You know why? Eh, my life was a little isolated before, and now I've got my Brady, I've got my brothers, I've mended some fences -- or, at least, I've attempted to -- and my father can never take that away from me," Kristen confidently declared.

Sami laughed and warned that it would not be wise to underestimate Stefano, but Kristen seemed unfazed. Kristen excused herself so that E.J. and Sami could have their privacy, closing the doors as she exited the living room. After Kristen left, Sami groaned with frustration and warned that it would not be wise for E.J. to trust Stefano.

E.J. pointedly reminded Sami that things weren't always as black and white as people wanted them to be. "What you see as forgiveness, I see as moving on," E.J. added. Sami sighed, summarizing that E.J. wasn't going to tell her what was really going on between him and Stefano. E.J. replied that the answer to Sami's question was that he and Stefano were moving on, but she still seemed skeptical.

Refusing to go back to the way that things had once been, Sami warned that if E.J. ever tried to align himself with Stefano again, she would immediately move herself, E.J., and the children out of the mansion. E.J. assured Sami that she had nothing to worry about, and he wondered where her sudden concern had originated. Sami told E.J. about her earlier encounter with Nick.

Sami pointed out that Will was no closer to regaining custody of his child than he had been on the day that she and E.J. had moved into the mansion. E.J. assured Sami that they were making progress, confidently adding that they would eventually be in a position to ask Stefano for help. Sami said that she would be grateful to Stefano for the rest of her life if he agreed to help Will.

With a sigh, Sami conceded that Stefano had always treated Johnny and Sydney really well, adding that it was clear that Stefano loved his family. E.J. agreed, but he noted that Stefano usually loved his family only when it was convenient for him to do so. Sami wondered if E.J. was trying to tell her something. Claiming to be unaware of the details, E.J. cryptically stated that Stefano had simply been distracted lately.

Sami suggested that it might be a good idea for E.J. to offer to handle more of the responsibilities at DiMera Enterprises, stressing that she was only encouraging him to get more involved in the legitimate side of the company. After kissing E.J., Sami excused herself so that she could check on the kids. "You know, I think she's right -- I should take on a little bit more responsibility. What do you think, hmm?" E.J. asked Stefano's portrait after Sami left.

Meanwhile, Stefano entered the foyer and greeted Kristen, whom he told about his earlier encounters with Chad and Cameron. Stefano said that the latter encounter had made him miss Lexie even more than he had previously missed her. "I mean, he -- he knew Alexandra for only a short time, and yet...I don't know. He seemed so much like her," Stefano mused.

At the hospital, Anne cancelled the plans that she and a coworker had previously made, vaguely stating that she needed to take care of something that could be good for her career. When the coworker asked for more information, Anne silently recalled the threats that Cameron had previously made. Anne smiled as she replied that she was hoping that she would soon be able to put a certain someone in his place.

Later, at the strip club, Abigail and Chad told the bouncer that they wanted to talk to Apollo. Recognizing Chad and Abigail from their earlier visit, the bouncer granted them access to the club, sarcastically stating that money was the only language that Apollo spoke. Inside, Abigail gasped when she spotted Anne. "Hey, you know what? I know her. Yeah, decaf soy macchiato, extra hot. She can be a real bitch," Chad dryly stated. Abigail informed Chad that if Anne learned Cameron's secret, Cameron's career would be ruined.

Friday, April 12, 2013

by Spalding

In his apartment, Daniel asked Chloe if she was capable of taking Parker away from his father. Chloe warned Daniel that he had passed on the chance to be a family and that she intended to take Parker away because she was Parker's only legal parent. Daniel blocked Chloe's path toward Parker. When Chloe threatened to call the police, Daniel called her bluff and handed her a phone.

"I really feel sorry for you right now, I do, because I am going to go and take my son and leave. And you are going to end up with nothing," Chloe said. Chloe asked Daniel why he had forgiven everyone but her. Daniel noted that he might forgive Chloe in time but that he would not let her use Parker as a bargaining chip. When Chloe reminded Daniel that he had forgiven Nicole, Daniel countered that he had forgiven Nicole because she had stopped pursuing him, unlike Chloe.

When a teary-eyed Chloe noted that Daniel saw Jennifer as a saint despite how Jennifer had publicly humiliated him, Daniel argued that Jennifer had only hurt him at Chloe's direction. Daniel and Chloe rehashed the end of their marriage and her affair with Philip. When Chloe said that her life had been ripped away from her, Daniel argued that Chloe had ruined her own life and then chosen to ruin his.

"There's no second chances for me. No, none of that famous forgiveness of yours," Chloe said. Daniel blamed Chloe for his missing out on watching Parker grow up. Wiping away tears, Chloe nodded. Chloe said that she understood that Daniel did not want to talk to her again but that she knew that her actions derived from a place of love. Chloe swore that she would not let anyone turn Parker against her.

"I'm gonna go take my son now, and I would advise you to step out of my way because I don't have a problem destroying anyone who comes between me and my child," Chloe said. "The only thing that we share is Parker," Daniel said sadly. Chloe asked Daniel why they could not work things out for the sake of their son. Daniel explained that he loved Jennifer and that he did not want to live a lie or lie to his son.

Daniel stressed that Parker would always need his mother. Staring into the distance, Chloe said that if she took Parker away from Daniel that Parker would forgive her. "But I won't. I won't rob him of your love because I can't have it too," Chloe whispered. Chloe dabbed the tears from her eyes. Chloe admitted that she had been wrong to use Parker to break up Daniel and Jennifer.

"What is wrong with me? I wanted you so bad that I stopped being a good mother, and I was a good mother," Chloe said. "You can be again," Daniel said. Chloe agreed, noting, "Now I know what I really want." Chloe explained that she would dedicate her life to her son. Daniel countered that he would not let Parker out of his sight. Nodding, Chloe asked Daniel if they could continue their conversation in the morning.

Daniel nodded and added that he would contact Justin to start the process of claiming paternity over Parker. Chloe nodded. When Daniel offered to let Chloe kiss Parker goodnight, she declined, noting that she could not bear to look at her son after what she had done.

After Chloe left, Daniel played with Parker in the living room. "You know what? Your daddy has a lot to say to your friend Jennifer," Daniel said as he reached for his cell phone. Daniel called Jennifer, but when he reached her voicemail, he hung up. Daniel noted that he did not want to leave a message and that he wanted to talk to Jennifer in person.

In Horton Town Square, Chloe looked through the photos on her phone and wept. "I know what I need to do know," Chloe said quietly.

In the strip club, Abigail was shocked to see Anne in the audience. Abigail fretted that Anne would see Cameron perform. When Abigail wondered aloud why Anne was at the club, Chad informed Abigail that Anne had been at the coffeehouse when Abigail talked about Cameron's secret. Abigail asked the bouncer to stop Cameron from taking the stage. When the bouncer raised an eyebrow, Chad stepped in and bribed the bouncer to warn Cameron not to take the stage.

When the bouncer walked away with the money, Chad pursued him to make sure Cameron received the message. As Abigail crossed the room, she ran into Caroline Brady, who was there with a friend to see the show. "This can not get any worse," Abigail muttered to herself. Chad returned to the main room and informed Abigail that Cameron would have to take the stage because he was the main performer.

Abigail approached Anne. Smiling, Anne talked about Jennifer's dismissal from the hospital. Frustrated, Abigail returned to Chad and pleaded with the bouncer to let her go backstage to talk to Cameron. Abigail grabbed money out of her wallet and ran to the stage. When the dancer took the money, Abigail attempted to jump on the stage and run into the back.

The dancer grabbed Abigail by the waist and danced with her as she helplessly looked back at Chad. Rolling his eyes, Chad marched over to Anne and stood in front of her. Chad offered to buy Anne a drink, and he sat down at her table. Chad ordered multiple drinks and encouraged Anne to chug them quickly.

When the dancer on stage spun Abigail around, she slipped behind the curtain. Backstage, Cameron stretched and prepared to perform. Abigail grabbed Cameron's arm to stop him from taking the stage, but he shook her off.

Abigail returned to the crowd and found Chad at Anne's table. Anne was passed out on Chad's shoulder. Smiling, Chad explained that he had paid the bartender to strengthen Anne's drinks. From the stage, Cameron saw Anne at the back of the room, and he bolted off the stage. Chad informed Cameron that Anne had passed out before Cameron had taken the stage.

When Cameron asked why Anne was at the club, Abigail explained that Anne had overheard Abigail and Chad talking about Cameron at the coffeehouse. Cameron was furious, but Chad stressed that they had not mentioned that Cameron worked at the club. Chad promised to drive Anne home and ushered her to her car. When Abigail started to leave, Cameron asked her to stay and talk.

Frustrated, Abigail warned Cameron not to complain about her and Chad's interference because it had saved Cameron's job at the hospital. Abigail reminded Cameron that she and Chad had intervened because they cared about Cameron and that Cameron should have trusted her with the truth about his second job. Abigail cautioned Cameron to blame himself for his situation and not her, and then she marched out of the club.

At the coffeehouse, Will and Sonny were talking when Nick walked in and apologized to Sonny. When Nick asked Sonny if they "were good," Sonny gruffly said yes. Nick turned to Will and informed him that Will's family was pestering Gabi.

"So that's the real reason you came over here?" Will asked. Nick explained that Kate had asked Gabi to sign legal papers granting Will visitation with his baby. Nick overtly threatened to sever ties between the baby and Will if Will did not make his family back off of Gabi.

Outside the coffeehouse, Sami and E.J. looked through the window and saw Nick talking to Will. In mama bear mode, Sami started to march in and give Nick a piece of her mind, but E.J. stopped her. E.J. advised Sami to keep calm and continue to let Nick think that he was in control of the situation. E.J. reminded Sami that Will could handle himself.

When Sami saw that Nick was leaving the coffeehouse, she and E.J. acted casual outside. Nick approached them and informed them that he had talked to Will. After Nick walked away, Sami and E.J. rushed into the coffeehouse. Will updated E.J. and Sami about his conversation with Nick. E.J. suggested that Will drop by the house and work on his relationship with Stefano.

Sonny asked E.J. if Stefano would hold Will to a debt. E.J. explained that Will was part of the family and that Stefano had different rules for family. Will reminded Sonny that he knew what he was doing, but Sonny was worried that E.J. and Sami would split up and that it would upset Stefano.

"I'm desperate, and at this point, I would do anything to be with my daughter," Will said. E.J. stressed that he did not want to antagonize Gabi because it could affect the baby. E.J. added that he planned to make his relationship with Sami work and hoped to marry her. When Sami asked Sonny if he was still interested in snooping in Nick and Gabi's room, Sonny nodded. Sami noted that they would hold off on the spy work for the moment and that she hoped Sonny would continue to support Will in the meantime.

"You know what we all need to really focus on is making sure that Nick does not find out how angry we all are. This could work out for the best if he doesn't see it coming," Sami said. After Sami and E.J. left, Will worked on his computer, and Sonny poured him a cup of coffee. Smiling, Will high-fived Sonny.

In the rectory, Vargas wanted to celebrate his first paycheck by buying Eric a drink. When Nicole informed Vargas that Eric was out of town, Vargas invited Nicole instead. Nicole reluctantly agreed, and the two went to the Brady Pub. Nicole introduced Vargas to Gabi, and as the two shook hands, Nick walked into the pub. Horrified by the scene, Nick walked over to Gabi.

"Small world," Vargas said. Gabi looked at Nick, and Vargas explained that he had met Nick in prison. Nicole explained that Vargas worked at St. Luke's. When Gabi went to the bar, Vargas told Nick that Nick's marriage and baby were an inspiration to Vargas as a newly released prisoner. After Nick walked to the bar, Nicole asked Vargas why he had not mentioned Nick. Vargas explained that the prison was large and that he did not know Nick very well.

At the bar, Gabi asked Nick how well he knew Vargas. Nick was noncommittal. Gabi noted that she had seen Vargas with Eric and that Vargas had to be a decent person if Eric had vouched for him. Gabi crossed to the table and gave Vargas the check. When Vargas took the check to the bar, Nicole apologized to Gabi for not keeping in touch.

At the bar, Vargas asked Nick if he had thought about how to make Vargas' money grow. Nick warned Vargas to steer clear of Gabi. Vargas assured Nick that if Nick did what he had promised to do then nothing would happen to Nick or his family.

Sami and E.J. returned to the DiMera mansion. Smiling, Sami asked E.J. about his marriage comment at the coffeehouse. When Sami asked E.J. if he was interested in marrying her to help Will, E.J. assured Sami that he wanted to marry Sami because he loved her.

At the rectory, Vargas thanked Nicole for accompanying him to the Brady Pub. Vargas offered Nicole a dessert he had picked up at the pub, and she accidentally dropped the box when Vargas handed it to her. Both Nicole and Vargas stooped to grab the box, and they gazed into one another's eyes. Nicole thanked Vargas for the gift, and he left. Nicole opened the box and nibbled at the smashed cake inside as she smiled. Down the hallway, Vargas thought about Nicole and smiled.