Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of March 16, 2015 on DAYS

Stefano was back as CEO at DiMera. Clint drugged Brady and took a sample of his blood. Theresa had no idea that Clint was a danger to her. Paige told Eve that she wanted to give J.J. a second chance. Adrienne had it out with Justin. Serena made good on her mission to get the contents of the statue.

Stefano blindsides Kate

Monday, March 16, 2015

by Mike

Jennifer laughed off Eve's suspicion that J.J. had somehow arranged for his musical showcase to coincide with Paige's, but she was also quick to point out that it didn't really matter either way because Eve was powerless to stop him from doing whatever he could to get back together with Paige. Eve understood but refused to like the situation.

Jennifer tried to forbid Eve from attending the showcase because she didn't want Eve to ever be in the same room with J.J. again, but Eve pointed out that if, for the sake of argument, he ever did manage to get back together with Paige, he would have to be in the same room with Eve eventually, since she was Paige's mother.

Jennifer conceded the point but warned that Eve wasn't allowed to speak to or even look at J.J. during the showcase. "I get it -- I am Switzerland," Eve replied. Eve reasoned that she wouldn't have to lift a finger to stop J.J. and Paige from reuniting, anyway, since he would never be able to adequately explain his recent behavior to Paige without telling her the truth about his affair with Eve.

At Salem University, Theresa refused to believe J.J.'s claim that he still loved -- and would never stop loving -- Paige. J.J. insisted he had never regretted anything more than he regretted cheating on Paige, but Theresa didn't think that would stop him from repeating the mistake if given the opportunity. "You are just a worthless piece of little trash who --" Theresa started to add, but Paige interrupted and told her to shut up and leave.

After Theresa left, J.J. optimistically reasoned that Paige's intervention had to mean she didn't completely hate him, but she clarified that she had simply been trying to prevent Theresa from making a scene. J.J. still appreciated the gesture, and he wondered if he could buy Paige a cup of coffee after the showcase so they could have a serious conversation about everything. J.J. stressed that, despite what Paige might believe, he really wasn't playing games with her, and he loved her more than she could possibly know. J.J. begged for just five minutes to plead his case, but Paige had no desire to hear more of his lies for any length of time.

Paige started to leave, and when J.J. reminded her that the showcase would be starting soon, she explained that she had asked her professor to let her perform at the next showcase instead. J.J. couldn't believe Paige was really willing to go through that much trouble just to avoid being in the same room with him. J.J. tried to explain that cheating on Paige had been a huge mistake, but she countered that believing he could play her again had been an even bigger one. J.J. insisted he was being completely sincere, but Paige maintained that even if that were true, it didn't matter because she was still done with him for good.

After Paige stormed off, J.J. started going over his sheet music for the showcase. When Jennifer arrived, J.J. sadly informed her that his earlier encounter with Paige hadn't gone very well. Meanwhile, Eve spotted J.J. and started thinking about one of the times they'd had sex in her apartment. After staring at J.J. for a few moments, Eve introduced herself to Paige's professor, who revealed that Paige had asked for her showcase to be postponed. After the professor walked away, Jennifer approached Eve and got a few more jabs in before going to claim a seat.

Eve started to leave before changing her mind and deciding to stay to watch J.J.'s performance. Eve smiled as J.J. played his guitar. Meanwhile, Paige returned and fondly recalled the first time she had heard the tune, which J.J. had said he had written with her in mind. When J.J. concluded the song, Paige rushed off so he wouldn't know she had been watching him.

As Jennifer was congratulating J.J., all the lights in the building went off, and the professor soon revealed that the remainder of the showcase would have to be rescheduled because some nearby campus construction had caused a power outage. Jennifer tried to talk J.J. into helping her make some doughnuts, but he wanted some time alone, so she returned home without him. Later, as J.J. was gathering his belongings, Eve approached and praised his beautiful performance.

When Theresa returned to her apartment, she was shocked to find Clint standing in the hallway. Theresa was upset about how Clint had dumped her and left town a few weeks earlier, but he was quite eager to make it up to her in the bedroom -- or any other room she felt like getting reacquainted with him in. Theresa responded to Clint's kiss but eventually pushed him away and insisted he had a lot of explaining to do first.

Clint claimed he had left Salem to protect Theresa because he had borrowed money from the wrong people and had subsequently found himself in a pretty dicey situation. Clint assured Theresa that he had since settled his debt -- and had returned to Salem immediately afterward because he had been unable to stop thinking about her. Clint also explained that Dr. Mandrake was just an old buddy who was willing to hook him up with high-quality pharmaceuticals from time to time.

Clint got on his knees and begged for Theresa's forgiveness, and she accepted his apology with just a hint of hesitation. Theresa started fooling around with Clint on the couch but received a text message from Anne before managing to shed any articles of clothing. Clint urged Theresa to ignore it, but she had already taken an extended break and didn't want to push Anne too far, so she excused herself so she could get back to work. Clint wasn't terribly upset, since he had something else to take care of, anyway.

Melanie and Brady met at the Salem Inn for dinner but ended up fooling around instead. Later, Melanie shared some stories about her time in Europe, since it had occurred to Brady that he knew practically nothing about what her life had been like there. Melanie had gotten a tattoo on the left side of her ribcage -- "Meant To Be" -- while in Paris because being reunited with her biological parents had made her believe in fate. She had also bonded with Carly and made some new friends, including Serena, but had not had any serious romantic relationships, primarily due to finding it difficult to trust men after what Nick, Andrew, and Chad had each done to her.

Melanie lost track of time and ended up being late for a shift she was supposed to be covering for someone. "You have sex hair," Theresa knowingly observed when Melanie arrived at the hospital. Theresa bragged that she had also spent the evening having sex with someone, reasoning that if she didn't volunteer such information, Melanie would just take it upon herself to dig it up, anyway. Meanwhile, Clint discreetly followed Brady on a jog through the town square. Brady paused in a secluded area to change the music on his MP3 player. Clint retrieved a gun from his jacket pocket, but before he could properly aim it, Brady started jogging again.

Hope took Ciara to the Kiriakis mansion to see Victor and Maggie. As Ciara presented Victor with a gift from Alcatraz -- an Al Capone bobblehead figure -- Maggie quietly told Hope about the depressed, reclusive state Victor had entered after Sonny's stabbing. Ciara eventually interrupted to ask for some of Maggie's freshly made lemon bars, and when they left the room, Hope stayed behind to talk to Victor.

Ciara had reported that Hope hadn't stopped smiling since the trip to Puget Sound with Aiden, so Victor was quick to ask about it. Hope admitted it had been a nice trip that had given her the opportunity to get to know Aiden better. Hope started to add that Aiden was a great guy, but she quickly stopped herself and apologized. Victor assured Hope there was no need to feel guilty about moving on, since she deserved to be happy.

Changing the subject, Hope promised Victor she would make it her personal mission to identify and apprehend Sonny's attacker. Victor remained silent, prompting Hope to wonder if he was okay -- especially since he also looked a bit pale to her. Victor laughed off the observation, guessing that Maggie had talked to Hope about him earlier. Hope took the hint and agreed to drop the subject, although her next move involved a not-so-subtle attempt to coax him out of the mansion with an invitation to attend Ciara's ice-skating performance the following week.

Before Victor could respond to the invitation, Hope received a phone call from Abe, who wanted to talk to her about Stefano. Maggie and Ciara reentered the room as Hope incredulously wondered why Judge Pearce had suddenly decided to grant a stay on the pending tax evasion case that had been hanging over Stefano's head for months. After arranging to meet Abe at Club TBD, Hope ended the call and rushed off with Ciara.

After Hope and Ciara left, Maggie asked Victor to tell her what was going on. Victor feigned ignorance, but Maggie was certain he had shot her a look earlier to stop her from telling Hope about his close friendship with Pearce. Victor dismissively stated that his relationship with Pearce hadn't been worth mentioning to Hope because it couldn't possibly be relevant to what she was working on. Unconvinced, Maggie wondered if Victor was somehow involved in Stefano's tax evasion case. Victor scoffed and assured Maggie that he would never lift a finger to help Stefano. Victor left to take a walk before Maggie could say anything else.

After dropping Ciara off at the pub, Hope went to Club TBD, where Abe told her he had just learned that Stefano's lawyer had successfully argued that, in light of E.J.'s death, Stefano deserved to be given the opportunity to separate himself from the old tax evasion case and make monetary amends where necessary. Pointing out that Stefano could have made that move months earlier, Hope guessed he had to have some special reason for suddenly wanting to return to Salem.

Hope contacted Melinda Trask, who promised to try to convince Pearce to reinstate the charges. After ending the call, Hope worriedly predicted that Stefano might already be on his way back to Salem. Abe wanted to know exactly what Stefano was up to, so he and Hope headed off to try to figure out the answer to that question.

Kate was shocked to see Stefano but tried to remain calm, forcing a smile and stating that it was nice to have him in attendance at the board meeting. Stefano cheerfully declared that it was good to be back in Salem. Kate reminded Stefano that there were tax evasion charges pending against him that could send him to prison for ten to fifteen years, but he dismissed them as nothing more than a minor misunderstanding.

Kate was skeptical but diplomatically conceded that Stefano probably knew what he was doing. Meanwhile, a woman entered the room, and Stefano whispered something in her ear before she took a seat next to him. Kate took the opportunity to ask Chad if he had known Stefano would be attending the meeting. Chad insisted he hadn't. Kate had no idea what Stefano was up to, but she assured Chad that she was still the one in control. Chad didn't even bother to try stifling his laugh of disbelief.

As the meeting began, one of the board members indicated that he was quite pleased with the increase in overseas profits DiMera Enterprises had seen during the previous quarter as well as the continued growth that part of the company was expected to experience over the course of the following fiscal year. Stefano praised Chad for the fine work, but Kate was quick to remind Stefano that she and Chad were co-CEOs. Kate reasoned that it would obviously be best for the company to stick with the leadership that was already in place, but Stefano disagreed, declaring that, while Kate and Chad had done well, he nevertheless believed it was time for a change.

Kate started to point out that Stefano wasn't in a position to be making such decisions, but he stopped her and nodded at the woman, who instructed everyone to check their respective email accounts for a proposal Stefano had just had her send out a few minutes earlier. Kate wasn't impressed with the proposal, but everyone else -- including Chad -- thought Stefano's more aggressive approach to increasing the company's profits was inspired. One board member, however, was concerned about the lack of focus on the company's telecommunications division, which he believed was their biggest growth opportunity -- the jewel in their crown.

Kate quickly agreed with the board member and proudly announced that she had actually already taken steps to capitalize on that strength. Bragging that the mark of a truly brilliant CEO was an ability to anticipate what a company would need ten, fifteen, or even twenty years down the road, Kate added that she had been keeping her eye on a small telecommunications company, Glendora Technologies -- one of the best-kept secrets in the industry. Explaining that Glendora had developed a patent she believed would revolutionize Internet commerce, Kate revealed that she had preemptively purchased a majority interest in the company earlier that morning.

"So it was a hostile takeover?" Stefano concluded. Kate shrugged and unapologetically replied that she had done what had needed to be done. One of the board members started to say something about Shin, but Kate dismissively assured the man that Shin would support her decision. "Is this a joke, or is she trying to destroy us all?" another board member asked Stefano.

Kate wondered what the board member was talking about. "This is a disaster. Is there anything we can do to fix this now?" a third board member asked Stefano. Stefano assured everyone there was no need to panic because he knew exactly what needed to be done to resolve the matter. Still confused, Kate started to protest that everyone needed to be thanking her for having the foresight to make such a bold move, but Stefano interrupted and informed her that she had made a fatal miscalculation. "No one here will be thanking you -- least of all Mr. Shin," Stefano added.

Kate still didn't understand what was going on, so one of the board members explained that Glendora was Shin's company. Kate refused to believe that, knowing the company's owner was someone named Janice Austin. Chad pulled up the woman's profile on his tablet computer and informed Kate that Janice was Shin's wife. Chad guessed that Shin was probably furious about the development.

Stunned, Kate pointed an accusatory finger at Stefano and protested that he had been planning to purchase Glendora himself -- a claim he confirmed with a wicked grin. "You son of a bitch! You set me up! He set me up!" Kate shouted as she leaped to her feet.

Stefano executes a coup

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

by Spalding

In the park, Cole and Paige talked about their upcoming date. Cole eagerly told Paige that he had made a dinner reservation. When Cole asked Paige if she wanted to listen to music after dinner, Paige gasped and told Cole that she needed to run an errand.

At the student center, Eve told J.J. that she had heard him perform and that she thought the song was beautiful. When Eve said she wanted to talk about Paige, J.J. asked Eve to leave. J.J. explained that he wanted to forget what had happened. Eve warned J.J. that even if she stayed out of his relationship with Paige, Paige would never take J.J. back. Eve argued that Paige would always believe J.J. was untrustworthy because he had pushed Paige away too many times.

Paige interrupted, and Eve and J.J. glanced away nervously. Paige told Eve that she had returned to the student center because she had forgotten to tell Eve that the showcase had been canceled. When Paige asked Eve why she was still at the student center, Eve said she had been talking to J.J. Suspicious, Paige asked Eve if she had been trashing J.J. Eve shook her head. Nodding, Paige asked Eve to let her talk to J.J. alone.

J.J. thanked Eve for the compliments. With a knowing stare, J.J. told Eve that he was glad he and Eve had reached a new understanding. Eve agreed then left hesitantly. Once Eve was gone, Paige told J.J. that his song had been beautiful. Confused, J.J. asked Paige how she knew that. With a nervous smile, Paige explained that she had stayed out of curiosity. Paige told J.J. it was obvious J.J. had put his heart and soul into the song. With a sad smile, J.J. said he had thought of Paige when he had been performing his song. Flustered, Paige asked J.J. to leave her alone.

J.J. pleaded with Paige to stay so he could tell her the truth. Incensed, Paige asked J.J. if he was still lying to her. J.J. clarified that he had been lying when he had told Paige he had moved on. With a sigh, J.J. said he had made a mistake and had felt so guilty about sleeping with another woman that he had felt like he did not deserve Paige. J.J. continued that he still felt that way, but he realized he could not live without Paige.

"You're it for me, Paige," J.J. said, voice quavering. Paige stared silently, taking in J.J.'s plea. J.J. begged Paige to meet him later at the bench near the fountain. Unsure, Paige said she had a date. J.J. urged Paige to cancel her date and meet with him instead so that they could talk. Paige walked away. "She didn't say no," J.J. said to himself.

At Club TBD, Eve saw Cole sitting at a table and went over to talk to him. Eve told Cole that she owed him an apology for judging him. With a smirk, Eve added that she had a bit of a rap sheet from her youth. Eve told Cole she was okay with him dating her daughter, but if he hurt Paige, Eve would hurt him. Leaning forward, Eve informed Cole that one of her past indiscretions had been running someone over with a car.

At the hospital, Melanie left a voicemail on Brady's phone to inform him that she would be able to leave work early. Theresa overheard Melanie's message and teased her. Melanie warned Theresa to stop eavesdropping. Theresa countered that she wanted Melanie to butt out of her life first. With narrowed eyes, Melanie accused Theresa of being jealous of her relationship with Brady.

Theresa asked Melanie if she believed Brady would stay sober for her. Shaking her head, Melanie said Brady would stay sober for himself. Melanie leaned closer to Theresa and said that even if she was not in the picture, Brady would not be interested in Theresa. As the conversation grew more heated, Daniel intervened. Theresa stalked off, and Daniel reminded Melanie to steer clear of Theresa. When Daniel asked Melanie why she had investigated Theresa, Melanie argued that she needed to leave to meet Brady. Daniel noted that he had to talk to Maggie and said they could talk in the car.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady returned from his jog through the park. As Brady stared at his MP3 player, Clint crept in through the patio door and fired a dart from a gun into Brady's neck. Brady fell to the ground, unconscious. Clint quickly took the money from Brady's wallet then extracted a vial of blood from Brady's arm.

After stealing Brady's blood, Clint went over to Theresa's apartment. While Theresa changed into lingerie in her bedroom, Clint removed a fresh needle and a vial of liquid. Muttering to himself, Clint said, "At least I don't need a gun this time." Theresa and Clint adjourned to the bedroom and began to make out. As Clint kissed Theresa, his arm crept over the side of the bed, and he pulled the needle out of his bag.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Melanie and Daniel stood in the foyer, and she updated Daniel on her investigation into Dr. Mandrake. Melanie stressed that she no longer was interested in Theresa and that the investigation had been a waste of time. As Melanie and Daniel walked into the living room, they were startled to see Brady passed out on the floor. Daniel checked Brady's vital signs while Melanie called for an ambulance. When a groggy Brady finally woke up, Daniel asked him how far he had run.

Brady said he had only run two miles. Melanie and Daniel agreed that dehydration was likely not the culprit. As Melanie and Daniel stepped aside to talk quietly, Daniel wondered why Brady was loopy. When Daniel reminded Melanie that Brady had scored drugs in the park, Melanie shushed Daniel and said that she did not believe that Brady would take drugs.

Brady was rushed to the hospital. Brady dozed after the hospital ran tests, and Melanie reiterated to Daniel that she did not believe Brady had taken any drugs. Brady startled awake. Daniel asked Brady what he remembered. After a moment's thought, Brady explained that he had run through the park then headed home. Brady said he had eaten and had had water earlier in the day. When Daniel asked about drugs, Brady swore he had not taken anything. Daniel was paged away to check on Brady's tests.

Brady promised Melanie he was clean, and Melanie said she believed him. When Brady wondered aloud what could have happened, Melanie sighed. Melanie theorized aloud that it was because of Theresa.

Since a judge had placed a stay on Stefano's arrest warrant, Hope and Abe went to the DiMera mansion, hoping they could detain Stefano until his arrest warrant could be reinstated with the judge. While at the mansion, Hope snooped around the office while Abe cautioned that their actions skirted the edge of legality. Harold entered the room, and he was alarmed to find Hope looking at the contents of the computer on the desk.

A smiling Abe explained that he had stopped by the house to drop off a present for Chad from Theo. When Harold offered to give the present to Chad, Hope jumped in and said that Theo had asked Abe to hand-deliver the present to Chad. Hope asked Harold where she could find Chad. With a scowl, Harold asked Hope to call Chad's cell phone on her way out of the house. As Abe and Hope left, Hope whispered to him that she thought she had an idea where to find Stefano.

Abe and Hope walked through the town square, and Hope called her contacts in order to figure out where the DiMera board meeting was being held. As Abe reminded Hope that Stefano was on borrowed time, Victor said hello. Seeing the look on Hope's face, Victor asked what was wrong. Hope responded that she was working on police business. Talk turned to Victor's mood, and Victor said he was glad he had taken Maggie's advice and left the house for a walk.

With a raised eyebrow, Hope asked Victor if he was still friends with Judge Pearce. Victor said yes. Hope explained that Judge Pearce had been the one to place a stay on Stefano's arrest warrant. When Victor offered to talk to the judge, Hope demurred and noted that she could not ask Victor to help with the case.

At the DiMera Enterprises board meeting, Kate accused Stefano of setting her up. Kate added that Stefano had used Victor to play her. Stefano laughed. Alarmed, board members asked Kate if she had taken cues from a sworn enemy of the company. Kate swore that she had not conspired with Victor but that he had tipped her off that Stefano wanted her to steer clear of the communications business. When a board member asked Kate if Victor had manipulated her instead, Kate narrowed her eyes.

Board member Gordon objected, noting that the company belonged to fellow board member Mr. Shin. Another board member, Valdez, told Kate that she was no bystander or victim. Gordon stated that Shin had threatened to leave the board because he considered Kate's buyout to be a hostile takeover. When Valdez added that the SEC would need to investigate the issue, Kate chuckled ruefully.

While the board members talked in the corner, Kate warned Chad to back her. The board members returned to the table, and Kate offered to turn back the deal, talk to Mr. Shin, and work things out with the SEC. A woman board member noted that the company stock was falling, and an angry Kate argued that the stock was only falling because someone in the room had leaked the information about the bad deal. The woman countered that anyone could have done the basic research Kate had failed to do and seen that the deal had been a terrible one.

Gordon moved to have Stefano reinstated as the CEO. When Kate noted that a 2/3 majority was needed for the vote, Gordon stated that Mr. Shin had given him his proxy. With a quorum established, the board voted and reinstated Stefano as CEO. The last vote cast for Stefano was Chad's. Kate grumbled that she had been the one to make record profits for the company and that Stefano had manipulated the board. Gordon called security and had Kate escorted from the building, citing her collusion with the enemy.

"You all are going to get exactly what you deserve. All of you," Kate said as she left. Chad welcomed Stefano back and said that he looked forward to sharing the reins. Stefano corrected Chad, noting that Stefano would be the sole CEO of the company. After the meeting ended, Chad talked to Stefano alone.

Stefano said he would have warned Chad of his surprise, but he did not trust him. Stefano advised Chad to earn his trust. With a shrug, Chad said he was relieved that Stefano was taking the job because he did not want the responsibility. "You are my son. That is a full-time job," Stefano said. Stefano urged Chad to pay attention and learn the job. By the time Hope and Abe arrived to arrest Stefano, Stefano was gone, and they only found a smiling Chad.

In the town square, Kate ran into Victor, and she told Victor that Stefano had used him to lay a trap for her. "It hasn't been my week," Victor lamented. When Kate noted that Victor seemed calm despite her news, Victor shrugged and apologized. Victor said he had been looking for an easy win and had not given the situation much thought. When Victor asked Kate about her plans for the future, she shrugged. Victor said he knew Kate would not want to shove Lucas aside at Mad World. As Kate raised an eyebrow, Victor noted that he had a phone call and walked off.

Once around the corner in the park, Victor answered a phone call from Stefano. Stefano informed Victor that everything had gone according to plan. "That must have been a thing of beauty," Victor said with a chuckle. When Stefano confirmed that his plane was in the air, Victor noted that Stefano had escaped in the nick of time. Victor explained that his friend, Judge Pearce, had only been able to secure a brief stay on Stefano's warrant. Stefano told Victor that he owed him and that he would not forget Victor's help.

Did Tori meet Paul's father in Salem?

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

by ChickenGrrl

Outside Club TBD, Adrienne left a voicemail for her son, assuring him that she'd gotten T to take care of the payroll problem they'd discussed. She acknowledged that Sonny needed time alone but urged him to call her back. As Adrienne hung up, Justin appeared and informed his wife that he needed to finish the deal in Dubai. Clearly furious and disappointed, Adrienne mentioned the other things their son had been going through besides the stabbing, but she stopped herself before going any further.

Justin wanted to know if it had anything to do with the problems Sonny and Will had been having. "I'm not going to talk to you about our son's marital problems! Not until you talk to me about ours," Adrienne snapped. Justin tried to make promises about what he would do as soon as he was finished in Dubai, but Adrienne angrily cut him off. "Justin, I don't feel like being the good little wife, waiting for you at home to be finished with your deal -- and Elsa," Adrienne contended. Justin began, "The situation with Elsa --" But again, Adrienne interrupted.

"Is that what you call sleeping with her? A situation?" Adrienne demanded incredulously. Justin softly maintained that he'd never intended for that to happen, and he apologized for making "a mistake," but he reminded Adrienne that he still had a professional obligation to fulfill. Unleashing her fury, Adrienne slapped him. Justin accepted responsibility for what he'd done, but he emphasized that he had to return to Dubai. Adrienne wanted to know if Justin had ended things with Elsa.

Justin maintained that he couldn't risk upsetting Elsa, or the whole deal could fall apart. "You have to continue bedding her to make sure the deal doesn't get blown? Is that what you call being a good lawyer, Justin -- or a whore?" Adrienne demanded incredulously. As she tried to storm off, Justin grabbed her by the arm, but she jerked away from him. "We can't just leave things like this," Justin protested. Adrienne heatedly wondered exactly how she was supposed to handle the situation while he returned to his lover in Dubai.

"I can't leave you like this," Justin whispered. Adrienne countered, "Be honest. You left me a long time ago." Sobbing, Adrienne admitted that she'd known in her heart for months that Justin had been unfaithful because she'd dealt with his infidelity before. "I'll be in touch," Justin said with a sigh as he left.

Paul was in his hotel room, packing to leave town, when his mom called to say she was on her way to pick him up. John stopped by at Paul's invitation and was surprised to find out that Paul was leaving town. John encouraged Paul to stick around at least until the Little League charity event. He showed Paul the flyer they'd made to promote the fundraiser, which John explained was intended to raise of money not just for Little League but also for other programs to help underprivileged kids -- and Paul's presence would guarantee it generated a lot of cash.

Tori arrived and eavesdropped outside the door. She heard Paul happily concede that he could stay in Salem for a few more days. A thrilled John asked if Paul could be at a promotional photo shoot in Horton Square later that day, and Paul agreed. When Tori heard John leaving, she ducked around the corner and hid until he'd gone. She entered her son's room and demanded, "Why are you doing this, Paul?"

Paul explained that he'd made a commitment to help the kids, and if Tori had been listening, then she knew the event was about more than just baseball. "That man is using you!" Tori asserted. Paul just chuckled, pointing out that it was only for a few more days, during which they could stay in the hotel so he didn't run into Sonny or Will. Tori's adamant reaction and insistence that they had to leave that day surprised Paul, who was sure that his mom didn't want to let the kids down any more than he did. Despite Tori's protests, Paul left for the photo shoot.

Will was on the phone with his editor when Lucas arrived at the apartment. Pointing out that he would only be doing national articles from then on, Will declared that the follow-up to his article about Paul Narita would be even better than that one had been. After Will ended the call, Lucas questioned his son about it. Will confidently pointed out that he was getting offers from other magazines, which his contract with Sonix allowed him to take. A dubious Lucas asked how that would help Will and Sonny's marriage.

Will reminded Lucas that Tori had promised to get Paul out of town by the time Sonny got home. Lucas asked about the follow-up piece, but before Will could answer, Roman showed up at Will's behest. Explaining that he was doing research for a new article on the history of Salem's residents, Will inquired about the DiMera properties around the lake years earlier. Roman explained that the DiMeras had owned all the lake property but had used armed guards to keep it private. When Will asked, Roman said that in those days, Stefano, Kristen, and Peter had inhabited the DiMera mansion.

After Roman had to leave, Lucas asked why Will hadn't shown the photo of Mrs. Narita at the lake to Roman. Will insisted that he didn't want many people to know the details because his research was still in the preliminary stages. Lucas urged Will to stop trying to find out why Mrs. Narita had lied to Paul about being in Salem previously, especially since she'd agreed to get Paul to leave town. "Dad, this could be huge!" Will pointed out. Lucas was skeptical that Will's research could possibly be more important than Will and Sonny's marriage.

"The only reason I agreed to help you was so you could have a chance of working on your marriage. It wasn't so you could further your damn career," Lucas declared sternly. Will acknowledged that he should let it go, but before he could defend his reasons for pursuing the photo of Tori, John dropped by unannounced. Arianna started crying in the bedroom, so Lucas went to check on her. John produced the flyer for the charity and asked if Will could get Sonix to promote the benefit on the magazine's website.

Will was dismayed when he reviewed the flyer and realized that Paul's presence at the event meant the former ballplayer was still in Salem. After promising John that Sonix would post something on the website, Will claimed he'd suddenly remembered something he had to do. Lucas emerged from he bedroom with Arianna just then. Will repeated his claim about having to take care of something and asked if Lucas could look after Arianna for a little while. Lucas agreed, so Will hurried out.

After John and Lucas had played with Arianna for a bit, John announced that he had to leave for a photo shoot and showed Lucas the flyer for the fundraiser. Once John had gone, Lucas muttered to Arianna, "Well, I guess now we know why your daddy tore out of here so quick, right?"

Will showed up at Paul's hotel room and banged on the door until Tori let him in. She informed Will that Paul wasn't there. "We had an agreement that you would get him out of her by today," Will reminded Tori. Tori explained about the fundraiser and promised that she and Paul would leave as soon as it was over. Will contended that Paul was just using the event as an excuse to stay in Salem until Sonny returned. Tori reassured Will that Paul had promised not to leave the room except for the charity function.

Will hotly pointed out that as soon as Sonny returned, Sonny would see the flyers with Paul's picture plastered all over town. Tori imploringly pointed out that Will couldn't expect Paul to abandon the children, but Will argued that the charity would raise plenty of money without Paul. Will ordered Tori to try harder to get Paul to leave town. "Unless you want your son to know why you never wanted him to come to Salem in the first place," Will threatened. "My being in Salem all those years ago had absolutely nothing to do with Paul!" Tori insisted. "Please. It had everything to do with Paul. This is where you met his father," Will alleged.

The photographer was ready, and John was entertaining three of the kids, whose parents were hovering nearby, when Paul arrived in Horton Square. Paul talked about baseball with the two kids who played, and he praised the other little boy for his scholastic talents. Paul began autographing baseballs for the kids and their parents. "I'm really glad I agreed to stay," a beaming Paul told John. As the photographer was getting some shots of Paul with the kids piled in his lap, Sonny appeared in the square.

After Daniel left Brady's hospital room to get the preliminary results on Brady's blood work, Brady firmly assured Melanie that he had not taken drugs. Melanie said she believed him. She voiced her suspicions that Theresa was to blame for what had happened to Brady. Before Melanie could explain, Nurse Maria entered to record Brady's vital signs before she went off duty. Melanie kissed Brady on the forehead, told him that she would be back after she ran an errand, and hurried out.

An anxious Maggie rushed into Daniel's office and asked what had happened to Brady. "Did he have a slip?" she asked worriedly when she saw the toxicology report on Daniel's desk. Daniel reminded her that without Brady's okay, he couldn't discuss Brady's condition with her; Daniel had contacted her because she was Brady's A.A. sponsor. Daniel urged Maggie to go visit Brady.

Brady was dozing when Maggie and Daniel entered his room. Confused and groggy, Brady asked where Melanie had gone. Daniel returned after asking around and repeated what Melanie had told Brady: she had left to run an errand. Brady asked if the results of his drug test were back. Daniel stressed that he couldn't discuss it in front of Maggie without Brady's permission. Asserting that Maggie was family, as well as his sponsor, Brady swore that he had not intentionally taken anything.

Daniel explained that the lab tests had shown the presence of a powerful tranquilizer, and after conducting a second physical exam, they had found a puncture wound on Brady's neck. Brady insisted he hadn't injected himself with anything. Daniel said he'd called the police, and Abe had a team examining the room where Brady had been found. Daniel continued that they'd surmised from a needle mark on each of Brady's inner elbows that someone had also drawn blood from Brady.

"Why would anybody want to take my blood?" Brady wondered. Daniel had no explanation but said he would follow up with Maria when she returned the next day to make sure she hadn't needed to switch arms while drawing blood due to her relative inexperience. Abe arrived and informed the others that the team at the mansion had found Brady's wallet, from which all the cash had been removed, so the crime appeared to have been a carefully planned robbery.

As Abe and Daniel stepped outside, Maggie informed Brady that Victor didn't know what had happened yet. Brady asked her not to say anything to Victor or John, at least until Brady was a little less dazed. Maggie noted that the most important thing was that Brady had been sober, even though something terrible had happened to him. Brady agreed to attend some meetings with Maggie and expressed his gratitude to her for being a great sponsor. Maggie was just relieved that Brady was all right.

Daniel and Abe returned a little later, and Brady theorized that perhaps one of his old drug dealers had seen him out running and followed him home, although he admitted he hadn't seen anyone out of the ordinary. "Unfortunately, the security camera at the door where you entered was corrupted, probably by your assailant," Abe said. Brady asked Abe to keep the news quiet so as not to worry John or Victor. Maggie left with Abe so she could call Henderson to warn him not to say anything to Victor.

Daniel apologized for the assumptions he'd made about what had happened. Brady acknowledged that it could have appeared as if he'd been using again, and he knew that Daniel had probably been worried about how it could have affected Melanie. Daniel admitted he was a little overprotective of his daughter. Brady realized he was about to fall asleep and asked Daniel to reassure Melanie that he was going to be all right.

Theresa and Clint were in her bed, about to have sex. Clint reached into his backpack to retrieve a syringe, but Theresa caught him. Quickly replacing the syringe in his hand with a condom and showing it to Theresa, Clint joked, "I should suit up, right? Unless you want to be some baby's mom." Theresa laughed at that idea and assured Clint she did not want to be anyone's mother.

Insistent pounding on Theresa's front door soon interrupted, so Theresa reluctantly got out of bed, clad only in her lingerie, to get rid of the offender. "You disgusting little bitch! How dare you!" Melanie spat indignantly when Theresa opened the door. Melanie charged into the apartment and demanded to know how Theresa could have done something like that to Brady. Annoyed, Theresa pointed out that she'd made a point to stay away from both Brady and Melanie.

While Theresa was accusing Melanie of being a stalker, Melanie was demanding, "How could you hurt Brady like that?" Concerned and surprised, Theresa stopped mid-rant and asked, "Wait, wait, wait. Did something happen to Brady?" Melanie didn't buy Theresa's act for a second. A shirtless Clint suddenly appeared in the doorway. Startled, Melanie pointed out that Theresa had claimed she was seeing a new guy. Pawing Clint lasciviously, Theresa purred, "Whatever happened to Brady, you can't blame me because I was here with Clint."

Clint offered to "handle" Melanie for Theresa. Climbing over the couch and end table to get to the door and away from the half-naked duo even more quickly, Melanie announced that she was returning to the hospital. Theresa's coquettishness immediately changed to worry when she heard that Brady was in the hospital. Melanie ignored Theresa's questions and left.

While Theresa poured some wine for herself and Clint, she complained about how Melanie always blamed her for everything, especially where Brady Black was concerned. Clint seemed ready to get amorous again, but Theresa claimed she was hungry and asked him to go out and get some sandwiches for the two of them. Clint happily complied.

As soon as Clint closed the door behind himself, Theresa grabbed her phone to call the hospital but was unable to find out anything about Brady's condition, since she wasn't a family member. Frustrated, Theresa tried to convince herself that she no longer cared about Brady.

Maggie was phoning Henderson from Daniel's office when Melanie returned. Maggie filled Melanie in about Brady's theory that someone had followed him home and robbed him. With some reluctance, Maggie added, "Whoever robbed and drugged Brady, they may also have taken some of his blood."

After picking up the sandwiches, Clint stopped in the park to call Dr. Mandrake. "I got what you wanted from Brady Black. It's on ice. And odds are -- he's in the hospital, meaning they already know he got a big dose of the tranquilizer," Clint related. He added that he might try something different with Theresa, but he would still get her blood the next day, and she would never know what hit her. "All I have to do is keep her distracted till it's time. Then we'll have everything we need," Clint said.

Sonny discovers something upon returning home

Thursday, March 19, 2015

by Mike

At the hospital, Abigail questioned Daniel after hearing from Jennifer that Brady had been admitted earlier. Daniel assured Abigail that Brady was okay and would likely be released the following morning. Daniel wanted to know how Jennifer and J.J. were doing, so Abigail reported that J.J. had been acting really strange lately -- depressed one day and ecstatic the next, for reasons she couldn't explain in either case.

At the Horton house, Jennifer observed that J.J. looked really handsome in the dress clothes he was wearing. J.J. couldn't recall ever feeling more nervous, and he worried that Paige might choose not to forgive him after their talk later that night -- or might not even show up at all. Jennifer optimistically reasoned that Paige would have just refused J.J.'s invitation to talk things out in the park if she hadn't been at least a bit interested.

Jennifer received a phone call from Daniel but chose to ignore it -- and warned J.J. to do the same if Daniel tried to contact him. Jennifer also advised J.J. to be prepared to somehow change the subject if Daniel ever ran into him and started asking questions. Jennifer knew Daniel meant well, but she was worried that letting more people in on what had happened between J.J. and Eve would increase the chances of that information getting back to Paige, so she didn't even want J.J. to confide in Abigail -- at least not yet. J.J. understood and admitted he would have found it difficult to talk to Abigail about the situation, anyway.

After J.J. left, Abigail returned home and told Jennifer about her earlier conversation with Daniel -- including her concerns about J.J.'s recent behavior. Jennifer explained that J.J. and Paige could possibly reconcile soon, and Abigail accepted that as the reason for J.J.'s sudden mood swings. Jennifer stressed that the best way for Abigail to help J.J. would be to refrain from asking him questions he'd be embarrassed to answer or telling anyone he and Paige were talking to each other again.

J.J. went to the park to wait for Paige at their special spot, but as time passed, he eventually accepted that she wasn't going to show up. With a heavy sigh, J.J. stood to leave -- just as Paige finally arrived. Paige stressed that, while she had been unable to stay away, that didn't necessarily mean anything. "It means the world to me," J.J. insisted.

J.J. apologized for hurting Paige and swore he would never do that again. Paige wondered if J.J. had once promised Roxanne the same thing. Paige suggested a conversation with Roxanne might be necessary in order to make sense of J.J.'s seemingly abrupt decision to dump Roxanne and start pursuing Paige again. Taken aback, J.J. protested that it wouldn't be a good idea to do that, but Paige countered that it wasn't his call to make.

"Seriously, J.J., if I knew why you dumped her for me, maybe I'd understand. Unless there's, you know, some reason that you don't want me to talk to her," Paige added. J.J. relented and retrieved his cell phone so Paige could get Roxanne's number off it, but Paige quickly changed her mind and conceded that it would be a bad idea to contact Roxanne and ask her a bunch of nosy questions about her breakup with J.J.

J.J. assured Paige he hadn't hurt Roxanne, but Paige found that hard to believe because she didn't know how a woman could be sexually involved with a man and not feel hurt when he dumped her. "Okay, but see, right from the start, any time she was with me, she always knew that the only woman that I loved was you, Paige," J.J. explained.

J.J. acknowledged he had made a mistake -- the worst mistake of his entire life -- and he admitted that, while he had tried more than once, he had never been able to figure out how he could have done such a stupid thing. Paige tearfully replied that she had never understood how J.J. could have loved her one day and stopped loving her the next. J.J. stressed that he had never stopped loving Paige.

"I stayed away 'cause I didn't feel like I was good enough for you. And I still think that, but just -- lately...I -- I have realized that what I think doesn't matter. It's all about what you think and what you want. And all I can do is just hope -- hope that you want me. Paige, I know I should say 'just take your time and think about it,' but I can't. I can't wait -- not one minute longer. I've gotta know -- can you forgive me?" J.J. asked.

At Eric's request, Marlena went to his apartment so they could talk about his concern that Serena might be leaving Salem soon. Marlena assured Eric that, while she would miss him terribly if he decided to accompany Serena out of town, she would understand completely.

Serena ran into Nicole outside Club TBD and feigned ignorance when Nicole recalled seeing two elephant statues in Daniel's apartment instead of one. Serena tried to deflect with a series of snide remarks about Nicole before abruptly excusing herself so she could meet Eric for their date. Nicole remained convinced she had seen two statues, but she decided she had better things to do than continue to dwell on the discrepancy.

Nicole went to see Daniel, unaware that he had sent her a text message earlier to let her know he would have to cancel their tie-shopping date because of an emergency at the hospital. Nicole tried to find out if Daniel had treated someone she knew, but he reminded her he couldn't divulge such information. Although it was too late to shop for ties, Nicole quickly figured out another way to help Daniel prepare for his presentation.

Daniel eventually agreed to the idea, and Nicole rushed off to the bathroom and soon emerged with a bunch of shaving supplies. Daniel stripped off his shirt and settled into a chair to allow Nicole to lather and shave his face. Nicole had trouble getting the last spot under his lower lip, so she straddled his left knee and leaned in close to get a better angle.

When Serena arrived at Edge of the Square, she was stunned to find Eric conversing with Navidad, the woman she had been talking to about the elephant statue. Eric explained that he and Navidad had started talking after she had accidentally bumped into him earlier. Serena and Navidad pretended not to know each other, and Navidad abruptly excused herself so Serena and Eric could start their date.

Eric observed that Serena seemed a bit unsettled, but she assured him she was fine. Serena sent Eric off to order her a drink from the bar, and after he left, she tried to contact Navidad to find out what kind of stunt the woman was trying to pull. The call went to voicemail, so when Eric returned, Serena apologetically excused herself, claiming she had just been called in to work.

Later, Marlena found Eric alone at the club and wondered what had happened to his plan to spend the evening with Serena. "That's a good question," Eric replied. Meanwhile, Serena received a shock when she entered her hotel room.

At the Horton Town Square, John wondered if Sonny had met Paul Narita before. Paul confirmed he knew Sonny, and John admonished himself for being silly enough to think otherwise, considering the fact that Will had written an article about Paul. John was surprised Will hadn't mentioned anything to him earlier about Sonny returning home that day. "He doesn't know yet," Sonny explained as he locked eyes with Paul. John assumed Sonny simply wanted to surprise Will.

The kids from the little league team called out to John, so he excused himself so he could see what they wanted. Sonny said he hadn't been sure Paul would still be in Salem when he returned from Phoenix. Paul explained that he was just sticking around for a few more days to help with John's fundraiser. Paul assured Sonny he'd leave immediately afterward, acknowledging that Sonny and Will didn't need him around while they were trying to work things out.

"If Will and I are gonna work things out, it can't be just 'cause you're not in Salem. What happened between you and Will happened because there's something wrong in our marriage," Sonny replied. Paul wasn't sure Will saw the situation that way, but Sonny reasoned that if Paul was right, Will needed to rethink his attitude, especially since he was the one who had acknowledged they had a lot of work to do in the first place -- and had even suggested marriage counseling. Paul thought that sounded like a good idea -- if Sonny was willing to cut Will some slack.

Paul pointed out that he was only the second guy Will had ever been with, and he suggested that Will's inexperience might have been precisely why their one-night stand had happened in the first place. Sonny thought Paul was trying to make excuses for Will, but Paul agreed there was no excuse for what had happened. Paul decided to drop the subject, reasoning that it was probably best for him and Sonny to avoid talking about it with each other -- or interacting with each other at all. Paul maintained that Sonny and Will needed to talk things out and find a way to get past what had happened.

Sonny thanked Paul for offering to stay away. "Yeah, well, you made it clear that's what you want. And all I want is for you to be happy. A lot's happened the last few months. A lot's changed. But not that. That'll never change, Sonny," Paul replied. Paul rejoined the kids, and Sonny watched him interact with them for a few seconds before walking away.

In Paul's hotel room, Tori tried to deny Will's accusation that she had met Paul's father in Salem, but Will pointed out that the picture of her standing near the Salem lake had a date embedded in it that proved it had been taken nine months before Paul had been born. Tori begged Will not to say anything to Paul, and Will assured her he didn't want to -- and wouldn't, as long as she kept up her end of the deal.

Tori promised she and Paul would leave immediately after the little league fundraiser -- and he would stay away from Will and Sonny in the meantime -- but she insisted that was the best she could do. Will agreed to trust Tori to make sure Paul stayed out of the way and left town as soon as possible. "[But] if Paul does not leave town after that fundraiser -- if he should decide to come between me and my husband -- I won't just tell Paul who his real father is. I will write a cover story for Sonix magazine, and I will tell the whole world. That's a promise," Will warned.

Tori insisted Will had no idea who Paul's father was, but Will assured her she was wrong. "Don't tempt me. Believe me, I understand why you don't want anyone knowing that your son's father was a man named DiMera," Will added before leaving. Later, Paul returned and told Tori the photo shoot had gone well. Tori wanted Paul to reassure her they would leave Salem as soon as the fundraiser concluded -- and hopefully before Sonny returned home -- but Paul reported that it was already too late for that, since he had just seen Sonny earlier.

Paul assured Tori that his encounter with Sonny had been purely coincidental. Tori got upset when Paul admitted he had talked to Sonny. Tori insisted Paul needed to stay away from Sonny, but Paul assured her that Sonny had made it pretty clear he had returned to Salem to work things out with Will. Paul smiled as he promised Tori he would stay away from Sonny and give him and Will all the time they needed to make things work. Paul told Tori to relax, stressing that she had absolutely nothing to worry about.

Will ran into John in the town square and got stuck listening to him sing Paul's praises for a few minutes before managing to get away. As Will arrived home a short time later, he received an email from John that included pictures from the photo shoot that John wanted to see displayed on the Sonix website. Will got upset when he saw Paul in the first image, grumbling that the former athlete should have been gone already.

When Will entered the apartment, he was pleasantly surprised to find Sonny waiting for him. Will tossed his open tablet computer on the couch and embraced Sonny, who glanced at it and saw the picture Will had been looking at. "I have missed you. My God, you have no idea," Will said as he pulled away from Sonny.

Will asked about Lucas and Arianna, and Sonny reported that they had gone for a walk sometime before Sonny had returned home. Will was glad to hear that, since it meant he and Sonny would have some time alone together. Will said he and Sonny had a lot to talk about, and Sonny agreed as he gestured to the pile of material on Paul that Will had left out on the desk earlier.

"Let's begin with this. What the hell is all this? First you sleep with Paul, now you're obsessed with him?" Sonny asked.

Serena scrambles to retrieve the statue

Friday, March 20, 2015

by Spalding

Will returned home and found Sonny standing in their apartment, surrounded by Will's research about Paul. When Sonny asked Will why he was obsessed with Paul, Will confessed that he needed to know what he was "up against." Sonny cringed and reminded Will that he was not in a contest. Will begged Sonny to say that Will was acting paranoid about Paul.

Lucas returned home with Arianna, and Sonny rushed to greet his daughter. While Sonny took his daughter into her room to get her ready for bed, Lucas and Will talked in the living room. Will told Lucas that his reunion with Sonny had not gone well so far because Sonny has seen Will's notes about Paul. Excited, Will sputtered out that Paul had no idea who his father was.

Will showed the picture of Tori to Lucas, and he explained that Paul had been born nine months after the photo of Tori had been taken on the DiMera property. Will added that he had confronted Tori. When Will mentioned his theory that either Stefano or Peter DiMera was Paul's father, Lucas advised Will to stop. Confused, Will argued that Paul's paternity was a major scoop.

"I don't give a damn what it is!" Lucas barked. Lucas advised Will to drop the story, and he asked whether the story was more important than Will's marriage to Sonny. When Will protested that he needed to help Paul learn the truth, Lucas countered that Will was more interested in punishing Paul than helping him. Sonny returned to the living room, and Lucas left in order to give them privacy. With a sigh, Sonny admitted that he had already seen Paul since he had returned to Salem.

In the town square, Jennifer talked to Maggie while Parker played on the bench between them. Eve interrupted and cheerfully said hello to Parker. With a devious smile, Eve recalled how cute Paige had been at Parker's age. Eve then mentioned how Paige had grown into a young woman who was out on a date with a new beau. When Eve announced what a tremendous catch Cole was, Maggie excused herself and left with Parker.

Jennifer scowled. Advancing toward Eve, Jennifer stressed that J.J. and Paige belonged together. Eve insisted that Paige wanted nothing to do with J.J. and that Jennifer's blackmail was all for naught. Jennifer countered that Paige was still in love with J.J. and that she would be happy with Jennifer's son. Leaning close, Eve growled that Paige had never stopped J.J. from having sex with Eve.

Serena returned to her hotel room and found it trashed. When Serena spotted her elephant broken on the floor, she gasped. Navidad called Serena. Serena argued that she could be trusted. "He doesn't trust you, and he is tired of waiting," Navidad said. Navidad added that Serena was out of time. After Serena hung up the phone, she muttered to herself that she could not risk failure. As Serena stared at the floor, Eric called her and asked if she was meeting Melanie. Serena confidently said she was absolutely going to see Melanie.

Outside the club at the edge of the square, Melanie left a voicemail for Brady, wishing him well. As Melanie hung up the phone, she spotted Eric walking toward the club. Melanie hurriedly told Eric that she planned to convince Serena to stay in Salem. Eric was grateful for the assistance. As Eric talked about Serena, Melanie commented that Eric seemed to love Serena. With a smile, Eric said, "With Serena, what you see is what you get."

In Daniel's apartment, Nicole finished shaving Daniel, and she leaned toward him for a kiss. Daniel turned his face away. Daniel explained that what he was feeling was very different from how he thought he should proceed with Nicole. Daniel gently lifted Nicole off his lap then hesitated inches from her face. Worried, Nicole asked Daniel if he was mad at her. Daniel calmly explained that his son was on the way home and that he was not ready to jump into a sexual relationship with Nicole again.

"I want to see the real you," Daniel said. "Eric?" Nicole asked incredulous. Daniel said he did not want to talk, and he went into his room to change. When Daniel returned dressed in scrubs, Nicole was still waiting in the living room. Daniel explained that the hospital had called him in to work. Nicole was disappointed that she would not get to spend more time with Daniel. Daniel suggested they meet for coffee in the morning. Nicole agreed. When Maggie arrived with Parker, Nicole left.

At the club at the edge of the square, Nicole bought a drink and sullenly sat at a table alone. Eric walked into the club, and Nicole groaned. When Eric asked Nicole if she wanted company, Nicole blurted out, "Not yours." Nicole quickly apologized and explained that she was bitchy because her actions with Serena had damaged her relationship with Daniel. With a smile, Nicole told Eric that she was grateful he had been more open with her recently. Nicole asked Eric to sit and catch up with her. When Nicole asked if Serena would be joining them, Eric explained that Serena was spending the evening with a friend.

Nicole admitted that her relationship with Serena was strained. With a chuckle, Nicole told Eric about when she had startled Serena in Daniel's apartment, causing her to knock over an elephant statue. Eric groaned. Eric explained that the statue had been his and that Serena had been obsessed with it recently. When Nicole asked why, Eric explained that he and Serena had both bought the same elephant in Africa. "So there were two statues!" Nicole exclaimed.

When Melanie arrived at Daniel's to babysit Parker, Daniel gave a brief rundown on his evening with Nicole. Daniel said that his and Nicole's ideas of taking things slowly were drastically different. After Daniel left, Serena arrived and hugged Melanie as she stared across the room at Parker playing with the elephant statue. Melanie took Parker into his room to put him to bed, and Serena rushed over to the statue. As Serena worked to open the base of the statue, Maggie knocked on the door.

Serena let Maggie in to the apartment. With a nervous smile, Maggie explained that she had left her wallet in Parker's backpack. Serena introduced herself. Once Maggie had retrieved her wallet, she headed for the front door. Melanie returned to the living room and begged Maggie to stay for a "redhead girls night." Over tea, the women chatted, and Melanie told Serena that Brady had been attacked. Maggie assured Melanie that Brady would be fine. A sponsoree from A.A. texted Maggie, asking for help, and Maggie left to tend to her friend.

While Melanie hugged Maggie goodbye, Serena furiously texted someone on her phone. After Maggie left, Melanie asked Serena to talk to her about Eric. When Serena shrugged, Melanie urged Serena not to leave Salem. Serena said it was too soon to know if she would have to leave Salem or not, but she hoped things would work out with Eric. The front desk of the apartment called, and Melanie went downstairs to get a package. Alone in the apartment, Serena opened the base of the elephant statue and pulled out a bag of diamonds.

In the park, J.J. asked Paige to forgive him. Paige said she wanted to forgive J.J., but she needed to know the whole truth. Hesitantly, J.J said he had told Paige everything. J.J. promised to be the best boyfriend in the history of boyfriends. J.J. begged Paige not to give up on their relationship. With a nod, Paige threw herself into J.J.'s arms and kissed him. As J.J. kissed Paige passionately, she pulled away.

Paige explained that she wanted to live her life honestly, and that meant telling Cole the reason she had canceled her date with him. With a nod, J.J. let go of Paige. J.J. asked Paige not to let anyone talk her out of their relationship. Paige said she was willing to give their relationship another shot because she still loved J.J.

In her apartment, Eve paced nervously and wondered aloud whether she should call Paige to ask about the date. Paige returned home and told Eve that she forgave Eve for lying about Shane's illness. When Paige asked to start over, Eve hugged her and excitedly chirped about Cole's effect on Paige. Paige pulled away from her mother's embrace. With a nervous glance away, Paige admitted that she had not gone on a date with Cole. Paige said that she and J.J. had met to talk about getting back together. Paige said she wanted to be honest, and she believed that things would work out.

At the Horton residence, Daniel dropped by to talk to Jennifer. When Daniel mentioned that Jennifer had been ducking his calls, Jennifer explained that she should not have asked Daniel for help. Jennifer asked Daniel to let the matter go. With a sad smile, Jennifer told Daniel that she was grateful for his help but that she needed him to stop asking her about the situation.

A cheerful J.J. returned home as Daniel was leaving. When Daniel asked what the good news was, J.J. said he needed to talk to his mother. Daniel turned to leave, but J.J. stopped him and thanked him for being a good friend and saving his life. After Daniel left, J.J excitedly told Jennifer that everything was working out. On the front porch, Daniel mumbled to himself that if J.J. was happy then he did not need to worry.