Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of October 28, 2019 on DAYS

Gabi demonstrated her ability to control Julie's pacemaker. Lani agreed to dump Eli at the altar to protect Julie. Haley confirmed that Rafe had been poisoned with cyanide. Ben and Ciara figured out that Jordan had attempted to poison Ciara. Jordan went on the run without David after Ben wrestled his nephew away from his sister. Gina pretended to be Hope. Jack and Jennifer obtained a marriage license. Xander continued to tease Eric about his jealousy. Ben had a Halloween nightmare. Eli and Lani's wedding began.

Rolf welcomes Princess Gina back to Salem

Monday, October 28, 2019

by Mike

At the hospital, Gabi and Lani watched as Eli worriedly called for a nurse to check on Julie.

Lani tried to snatch Gabi's cell phone but wasn't successful. "I know how much you miss Stefan, but [Julie's] innocent in all of this!" Lani protested. "That old bat may not be responsible for my husband's death, but she is anything but innocent, [and] torturing [her] is just icing on the cake," Gabi countered, scowling.

Satisfied that Lani had seen enough to finally understand the gravity of the situation, Gabi stabilized Julie's heart rhythm again -- just as a doctor arrived to find out what was going on. "I knew you were cruel, but you have gone way too far this time!" Lani snapped at Gabi as the doctor kicked Eli out of Julie's room. "Is Julie okay?" Gabi innocently asked after noting that Eli looked sad. "I'm not sure -- all of a sudden, her heart just started racing," Eli replied. "After I gave my husband's heart to save your grandmother's life, it'd be...a shame...if it suddenly failed..." Gabi pointedly declared while looking at Lani.

"[It was probably] just a glitch [with the pacemaker]," Eli guessed before changing the subject, raving that it was nice to see Gabi and Lani getting along again. "Thanks again for giving my fiance..." Eli began to say to Gabi before stopping abruptly. "Sorry -- uh, I didn't...I didn't mean to bring up the wedding," Eli awkwardly stressed, and Gabi dismissed the concern then seized the opportunity to fish for an invitation to the wedding. "Well, we were just trying to be sensitive of your feelings, but if you're cool with it, we'd love to have you there," Eli assured Gabi before turning to Lani for confirmation.

Before Lani could respond, the doctor called Eli back into Julie's room. "You are truly evil," Lani snapped at Gabi once the coast was clear. "I'm not the one that gunned down an innocent man in cold blood," Gabi countered. "How many times do I have to tell you [that] it was an accident?" Lani asked tiredly. "I don't know -- a million? And I still would never forgive you," Gabi coolly replied.

"You loved Eli once. How can you just hurt him like [this]?" Lani continued. "This is about hurting you; it has nothing to do with Eli," Gabi clarified. "He knows how much I love him. What, do you think he's just gonna let me walk out of his life? What am I supposed to tell him?" Lani protested. "That's not my problem; it's yours. And it better be convincing...or else Julie's a goner," Gabi stressed.

"Gabi, I truly understand your pain, and I know that you think [that] inflicting me with that same pain [will] bring you peace, but it won't. [Look], you need help -- maybe you can talk to Marlena, or Rafe..." Lani tried to advise. "I'm sure you'd love that -- [for me to] go get my head shrunk while you ride off into the sunset with Eli. You'd get this picture-perfect life, and I'd get nothing," Gabi countered. "You have your beautiful daughter. Can't you focus on your future with her?" Lani argued. "Our future was with Stefan," Gabi pointedly stressed -- just as Eli emerged from Julie's room again.

"The doctor said that her pacemaker's working just fine," Eli reported, shrugging. "[We still] don't know what happened, but she's doing better now...and she wants to speak to you," Eli told Gabi.

Gabi followed Eli and Lani into Julie's room. Julie sincerely thanked Gabi for everything and also offered condolences. Gabi offered a sweet response then feigned concern about the earlier episode with the pacemaker.

Gabi soon left Julie's room, with Lani right behind. "[Julie] thinks you're a hero, [but] she has no idea what kind of sick game you're playing," Lani pointed out. "This isn't a 'game,'" Gabi countered, scowling. "If I leave [Eli] at the altar, it will crush him," Lani warned. "That's how it has to be, [because] fair is fair -- you took my husband, [so] I'm gonna take yours," Gabi reasoned with a shrug.

At the DiMera guesthouse, Ben and Ciara raved about David -- and about Jordan's cupcakes. "[They're], like, 'next-level' good; like, 'she must have to have some kind of secret ingredient or something' [good]!" Ciara mused, and Ben shrugged in response, unable to confirm or deny the suspicion. Meanwhile, Jordan called for an ambulance after realizing that Rafe had somehow ended up eating the cupcake that had been meant for Ciara.

Rafe was unconscious by the time the ambulance arrived at the Hernandez house. "We were cleaning up after David's party, and [Rafe] just collapsed. He -- he grabbed his stomach right before..." Jordan frantically informed J.J. and another paramedic. "Do you have any idea what he ate today?" J.J. asked while checking Rafe's vital signs. "Uh...he's been running around all day, [and] he said all he had was a cupcake at David's party..." Jordan replied before suddenly blurting out that Rafe might have been poisoned. "That...seems like a leap..." J.J. argued, confused. "[But] we can pump his stomach, just to be safe," J.J. conceded.

Rafe soon regained consciousness and wondered what was going on. "We pumped your stomach because Jordan thought you may have been poisoned," J.J. revealed. "What? I've barely eaten anything today!" Rafe weakly protested. "It was just a precaution," J.J. explained. "You look better [now], and your vitals are stronger, but I think we're gonna get you to the hospital and get you checked out, [anyway]," J.J. added.

Horrified, Jordan nervously argued that it was obvious that Rafe didn't need any further medical attention. "I'd like to hear that from a doctor," J.J. maintained. "Don't be so dismissive, J.J. -- I've had medical training," Jordan pointed out. "As a physical therapist. That's not the same thing," J.J. countered before adding with finality that the matter wasn't up for debate. "It's okay," Rafe assured Jordan, who released a sigh of defeat then promised to head over to the hospital after securing a babysitter for David. Jordan forced a smile and watched anxiously as J.J. prepared Rafe for transport with the help of the other paramedic.

Marlena was standing outside the Brady Pub with John, waiting for him to finish answering an email on his cell phone, when she noticed a lipstick-stained cigarette butt on the ground. "Smoking -- what a disgusting habit! And then, to toss it on the ground... Who would do such a thing?" she grumbled with a shake of the head -- just as someone approached.

"It was Ciara's mother," Haley matter-of-factly revealed, surprising Marlena. "I'm...not sure that's right... Hope doesn't smoke," Marlena politely protested. "I didn't think so, either, [but] she was definitely here, with that cigarette in her hand. I -- I even asked her about it. [She] just gave me this confused look [and] told me [that] she doesn't smoke, [and then she] just...dropped the butt and left," Haley elaborated. "[And] you're sure it was Hope -- Hope Brady?" Marlena asked, still skeptical. "No doubt about it," Haley replied before rushing off to the hospital to resume a work shift.

"Well, that lipstick probably [means the smoker was indeed] a woman, but I don't think I ever saw Hope wear that shade before..." John curiously mused. "I can't believe she's taken up smoking!" Marlena fretted. "Well, you know, [she has] been under a lot of stress lately [because of] Julie's medical crisis, [and] she's been practically living at the hospital... [And] I wasn't gonna mention this, 'cause I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but...she told me [recently that] she was in the chapel, saying a prayer, and...she started hearing voices -- but no one was there," John replied. "That's a little concerning..." Marlena declared.

"Clearly, she's...she's overwhelmed," Marlena decided. "[Well, she's not just] worried about Julie; [she also] had a hell of a scare when Ciara almost got hit by that car," John pointed out. "[Given what happened to] Zack, she must have been terrified," Marlena agreed -- just as Ben and Ciara entered the pub. "[But] instead of Hope starting to smoke, I wish she had just come to me for some kind of support," Marlena continued, unaware of the new arrivals. "My mom's been smoking?" Ciara asked, stunned. "I saw her earlier today. If she had been smoking, I would have smelled it," Ciara argued after John repeated what Haley had shared earlier.

"How did she seem to you?" Marlena asked. "Relieved that Julie's doing better...but...well, she didn't feel great... [I mean], she just seemed really tired, and she kept getting this random pain in the back of her neck. She said that it's because of the stress [from] everything that's been happening recently, [so] I'm sure it'll pass," Ciara replied. "In the meantime, we'll keep an eye on her," John promised, and Marlena nodded in agreement.

While eating dinner with John and Marlena, Ciara gave the couple an update on Julie's condition, and Ben bragged about the progress that had been made with Jordan recently. Marlena warned Ben not to get too attached to David right away, just in case Jordan's sudden change of heart ended up being a temporary one. "Thank you for your concern, Dr. Evans, but, um...I really don't think that's gonna happen. My sister seems to have really turned a corner," Ben stressed -- just before receiving a phone call from Jordan, who fished for confirmation that Ciara was feeling better. "What the hell went wrong?" Jordan grumbled after ending the call.

Jordan, who was at the hospital, soon found Rafe's room and wondered if everything was still okay. "[The] doctor says that there are no ongoing issues," Rafe, who had been chatting with J.J., reported. "So, I can take you home now?" Jordan asked hopefully. "Not yet. They, uh...they just want to run some tests [first]," Rafe clarified. "That seems like overkill, doesn't it? You probably just ate something that didn't agree with your stomach, and it's out of your system now," Jordan argued. "To be safe, we'll let the lab do its thing," J.J. countered. "That's probably why healthcare costs are so expensive these days -- all the unnecessary tests..." Jordan mused.

"Rafe is the patient; doesn't he have the right to decline?" Jordan continued. "They already took my blood. I'm just waiting for the results," Rafe revealed, leaving Jordan even more nervous.

A short time later, while Rafe was telling J.J. about the earlier party, Haley entered the room and announced, "It looks like you were poisoned."

After returning to the DiMera guesthouse with Ciara, Ben started to head off on a routine security check of the property. "Want your coat?" Ciara asked, picking up Ben's coat. "No -- I won't be gone for too long...and it looks like the rain passed. [Which is] good news for the trick-or-treaters heading out tonight," Ben replied before leaving. When Ciara tossed Ben's coat back onto the couch, something fell out of one of the pockets -- the vial that Jordan had planted earlier. Ciara picked up the item and inspected it curiously.

Rolf, having successfully transformed Hope into Princess Gina once again, watched excitedly as the princess rose from her throne and began prancing around her makeshift palace.

"Hello, Steffy," Gina said with a grin, pausing in front of Stefano's portrait. "I...arranged...to have [that] brought here, Princess Gina. I thought you would enjoy it, since you and Stefano had such a rich history together," Rolf explained when asked. "Yes, we did -- some good, and some...not so good," Gina agreed, grinning again. "So, tell me -- how is he?" Gina continued. "Sadly, no one knows. He disappeared," Rolf reported. "Sounds about right," Gina mused with a chuckle before suddenly growing concerned. "Wait -- you do not think that...?" Gina wondered. "Heavens, no -- the Phoenix always rises," Rolf insisted.

"[His disappearance came] after he was shot by Hope Brady," Rolf elaborated. "I have not thought of her in years," Gina admitted, scowling.

"What is my dismal doppelgnger up to?" Gina wondered. "For a time, she served as police commissioner, but I believe she's currently unemployed -- and, uh, recently divorced," Rolf reported. "Penniless and alone? Hmm... Despite her resemblance, she always was a pale imitation of myself," Gina declared, and Rolf agreed.

"I still find it incredibly insulting that a commoner such as her actually thought she could take my place!" Gina complained. "Well, in fairness...Stefano did alter Hope's brain in order to make her believe she was you," Rolf pointed out. "Still -- completely absurd!" Gina maintained, waving a hand dismissively.

"There is only one Princess Gina...and the people of Salem had better brace themselves, [because] Her Royal Highness has returned," Gina declared with a flourish before retrieving a pack of cigarettes from a purse. Rolf quickly produced an ornate cigarette case but also discouraged Gina from smoking, citing the health risks. Gina reluctantly agreed to forgo the habit -- at least for the time being -- and Rolf helpfully offered a bottle of Champagne as a different sort of indulgence. Rolf filled two glasses with Champagne then handed one to Gina.

"To your everlasting reign. It's only a matter of time before you and Stefano rule Salem together," Rolf declared, raising a glass to Gina. "I would much prefer to rule Salem on my own," Gina protested. "But...you two made a formidable team!" Rolf pointed out. "Yes, and we may have worked very well together in the past...but it was the past, and this -- this is a new beginning," Gina reasoned. "But Your Highness must have a consort!" Rolf countered. "Perhaps...but I do not wish to work with Steffy -- not this time," Gina maintained.

"Now, John, [on the other hand] -- I cannot wait to see him," Gina admitted with a grin. "John is alive and well -- and living in Salem," Rolf revealed. "Then I must see him -- immediately! I have waited far too long to feel his arms around me!" Gina excitedly declared.

"Not a good idea!" Rolf protested. "How dare you stand in my way?" Gina snapped. "Your Highness...you're not only a princess but also an art thief and a forger, [and] the authorities are still pursuing you for your crimes," Rolf pointed out. "John would never turn on me!" Gina dismissively insisted. "[He is] the love of my life -- he always has been -- [and] we should have spent our lives together...but Stefano took him away from me," Gina sadly added. "Another issue -- remember, John is married to Dr. Marlena Evans," Rolf continued. "Still?" Gina asked incredulously.

"I never did understand his attraction to that commoner..." Gina admitted. "Well, there's no accounting for taste...as you well know, Your Highness," Rolf reasoned. "Why waste your precious time on John and Marlena? I have much greater plans for you!" Rolf continued. "Yes..." Gina distractedly agreed before sheepishly wondering if Rolf had just heard something. "My tummy -- it is rumbling," Gina explained. "I cannot think -- or do anything -- on an empty tummy. Get me some chocolates -- and make sure they are Belgian. [And] get me some tea, as well," Gina demanded.

After Rolf rushed off, Gina turned to Stefano's portrait again and flashed a mischievous smirk. "Like you, Steffy, Rolf thinks he is in charge...but, as you well know, I do have my own ideas..." Gina said to the portrait. "And Dr. Evans -- she will not get in my way," Gina added with fierce determination.

When Rolf returned with Belgian chocolates and tea a short time later, Gina was gone. Meanwhile, Gina approached the Evans-Black townhouse and prepared to knock on the door.

Haley finds cyanide in Rafe's blood

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

by Spalding

Jack and Jennifer walked through the town square, Jennifer called IT to ask about Rolf's flash drive, and they confirmed that they had no new information yet. Jack begged Jennifer to steer clear of Rolf. Jennifer agreed, and she wondered aloud why Rolf had not left town yet.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I have as much right to be in Salem as you do," Rolf said as he approached. Jennifer agreed, but she countered that no one wanted Rolf to stay in Salem. Jennifer urged Rolf to leave town. "You may not like me, Jennifer, but I do have my allies," Rolf said. Jennifer asked who, but Rolf refused to answer.

"Why don't you get lost?" Jack suggested. "Like my flash drive? Jennifer claimed she misplaced it, which is a lie, but it really doesn't matter," Rolf said. Rolf claimed that Jennifer would never be able to access the information on the drive. Jack warned Rolf again to stop bothering Jennifer. With a scoff, Rolf said he had more important things to do, and he walked away.

In the hallway outside John and Marlena's penthouse, Princess Gina imagined what her reunion with John would be like. In her fantasy, Gina fell into John's arms and they kissed. An incensed Marlena warned Gina to let go of her husband. John pulled away and exclaimed, "I used to love you, but I can't risk being with you any longer. You're a criminal, Gina. You're an international art thief, and I can't do it."

In the fantasy, Marlena told Gina that she would go to prison for her crimes. As Marlena dialed the police, Gina started to weep. Gina shook off the fantasy and chastised herself for leaving the loft. "What was I thinking?" Gina muttered. As Gina turned to leave, Arianna, dressed as a princess, asked Gina if she was a princess, too. When Gina asked the little girl how she knew, Arianna replied, "You have a crown."

With a smile, Gina gently corrected Arianna and noted that she had on a tiara. Gina took off the tiara and put it in her purse. As soon as the tiara was hidden, John opened the door with a bowl of candy under one arm. "Trick-or-treat!" Arianna yelled. With Gina's back to John, she allowed a swoony smile to cross her face before she turned to face him as "Hope." John called out to Marlena to look at the princess. Marlena complimented Arianna, and then she told "Hope" how nice it was to see her, too.

Sonny and Will trotted up to the door and explained that an excited Arianna had run ahead of them to collect candy. "I didn't expect to see you making the rounds," Will said to "Hope." With a grin, John joked that he had not planned on giving candy out to anyone over 13. "Hope" joked that she hoped to convince John to give her a treat.

Will noted that Arianna was already riding a sugar high from the cupcake she had eaten at David's birthday party. "Ben mentioned that he and Ciara were there. I'm glad that they included Ari, too," Marlena said. Arianna thanked John and Marlena for the candy. "You look so pretty! I love your little crown," Marlena said. "It's a tiara," Arianna corrected. Will and Sonny steered Arianna out the door and then left.

Will and Sonny walked with Arianna by the pub and ran into Rolf. Rolf complimented Arianna on her princess costume and crown. "Hope told me it's a tiara," Arianna said. Pleased, Rolf asked about Hope. Arianna confirmed that she had seen Hope at the penthouse. Creeped out by Rolf, Will and Sonny said goodnight and hustled Arianna down the sidewalk. "That was going to be my next stop, anyway," Rolf whispered to himself.

In the town square, Will, Sonny, and Arianna ran into Jack and Jennifer. Anxious to get more candy, Arianna pulled Sonny onward, but Will stayed behind to chat with Jack and Jennifer. "She's so adorable," Jennifer said. "Thank you. I love hearing that from you. From Rolf, not so much," Will said. Will told Jack and Jennifer about his interaction with Rolf outside the pub. "It was weird. Even for Rolf," Will said.

At the penthouse, "Hope" told John and Marlena that she had decided to stop by because she had been in the neighborhood. "Hope" asked if she was intruding. Marlena assured "Hope" that she was happy for the visit. "We're glad you're here. It will give me a chance to look in your purse," Marlena said. Confused, "Hope" said that she had nothing to hide. Marlena explained that Haley had seen Hope smoking, and she was concerned. "Hope" thanked Marlena for caring, and she reached into her purse and pulled out the box of cigarettes she had stolen from Kayla. "Hope" gave the cigarettes to Marlena.

"Here. There is so much to live for," "Hope" said as she smiled at John. John poured a glass of wine for "Hope," and Marlena told her that she could always turn to Marlena for support. "Hope" said, "I appreciate that. You and John seem --" "Happier than we've ever been?" John finished. "Hope" joked that John and Marlena would have opened a better vintage of wine if that were true.

"Excuse me?" Marlena asked with a chuckle. "Hope" said she was tired and walked to the door. "Don't be a stranger,"' John said. With a grin, "Hope" said she would not be. After "Hope" left, Marlena raised her eyebrows as she looked at John. In the hallway, Rolf rushed to meet Gina. "I was afraid you would be headed this way," Rolf whispered. Gina told Rolf that she had let John and Marlena believe that she was Hope.

In the penthouse, John told Marlena that he was glad Hope knew she could depend on them for support. "Did she seem a little odd to you?" Marlena asked. "No more than usual lately," John said. John added that his attention was on Ari. "It's kind of hard to compete with a princess, isn't it?" John joked. When John mentioned Arianna's trip to David's party, Marlena said she was concerned with how suddenly Jordan's attitude toward Ben had changed.

When Jack and Jennifer returned to Jack's hotel room, he surprised Jennifer with a room service dinner to celebrate their engagement. "After our romantic dinner for two at the bistro turned into a family affair. I mean, I cannot blame Adrienne for jumping in and crashing our night together. She was excited. I was excited. We were all excited," Jack said. "Tonight, I'm all yours," Jennifer countered. "Now I'm excited!" Jack joked. Jack kissed Jennifer.

Jack and Jennifer sat down to dinner and a toast. "To you. To my once and future bride. To a long, happy life together, full of adventure, laughter, and love," Jack said. After the toast, Jennifer asked if they could invite J.J. over to share the good news with him. Jack informed Jennifer that J.J. was working a shift. "You seem to have anticipated my every desire," Jennifer said. "That's because I'm making up for lost time. I'm going to take care of you. I'm gonna pamper you. I'm gonna treat you like royalty," Jack said.

After dinner, Jack wheeled the dinner table into the hallway while Jennifer checked her phone for messages from the paper. "Nothing. Shoot," Jennifer grumbled. Jack sat on the bed next to Jennifer. "I thought you said you were all mine tonight," Jack whispered as he kissed Jennifer's neck. "I am, but I'm just waiting to hear from the IT department," Jennifer said. When Jack continued to nibble at Jennifer's neck, she giggled and gave in. "I'm yours for the night!" Jennifer exclaimed.

Rolf escorted Gina back to his loft and lectured her on the importance of staying out of sight because Gina was still wanted by police. "I needed to see John!" Gina cried out. Rolf urged Gina to stay in the loft but to continue to pretend to be Hope if she went outside.

"No one can know you're Princess Gina yet," Rolf stressed. "I do not take orders from you, Rolf. Understood?" Gina asked. Rolf said he understood, but he needed to keep Gina safe. "All I want is to be with John Black," Gina said. Rolf asked Gina to be patient. "I'm not just thinking of myself. I'm thinking of John, as well. He needs me, Rolf. John Black, he is my destiny," Gina whispered.

After Ben left the DiMera guesthouse to check the grounds, Ciara found the vial of poison that Jordan had planted in Ben's jacket. "What the hell is this?" Ciara wondered aloud. Ciara sniffed the bottle and winced. When Ben returned, he commented to Ciara that he was concerned that Stefano's portrait was still missing.

Ciara held up the vial, and she noted that it had fallen out of Ben's coat pocket. Ben inspected the vial and noted that he had not seen it before. "Wonder what it is? Or was. Almost gone," Ben observed. "I wonder how it ended up in your jacket," Ciara said.

At the hospital, Haley informed Rafe, J.J., and Jordan that Rafe's blood test results had shown that Rafe had been poisoned with cyanide. "The only thing I ate today was a cupcake. A cupcake that you made me," Rafe said as he stared at Jordan. Rafe asked if anyone else had gotten sick from the cupcakes. Jordan said she felt fine.

Confused, Rafe asked Jordan how cyanide had ended up in his cupcake. J.J. suggested that a child could have accidentally put poison in the cupcake. With a shake of his head, Rafe said he had baby-proofed his house. Haley asked Rafe if he had worked on a case that involved cyanamide, but Rafe shook his head no. Worried, Rafe reminded Jordan that Ciara had left the party early because she had not felt well. Jordan confirmed that she had called Ben to check on Ciara and that they were both fine.

"I still have no idea how cyanide got into my system then," Rafe said. Rafe asked Jordan if she was worried about David. Jordan stressed that the babysitter would have called if there was anything wrong with David. "[The sitter] is not a doctor," Rafe countered. Jordan started to say that David had not really eaten his cupcake, but Rafe cut her off. Jordan said she did not want to overact.

"I do think that you should go check on your son, and if he is even acting the slightest bit off, you should bring him here right away," Rafe said. Reluctantly, Jordan wished Rafe well and left. Haley followed Jordan out of the room.

"You're awfully quiet. What's up?" Rafe asked J.J. "I was watching you with Jordan. Something's bothering you. I can tell," J.J. said. Rafe admitted, "What if Jordan poisoned the cupcake on purpose?" Rafe said he did not want to believe that Jordan had poisoned the cupcake but that Jordan had done terrible things in the past, and she had blamed them on her brother. Rafe added that Ben had been at the party.

"Jordan does not want Ben to be around David at all and then, there he was," Rafe said. "It seems fishy," J.J. agreed. Rafe asked J.J. to keep an eye on his place. J.J. offered to have a look for the cyanide, as well. With a nod, Rafe asked J.J. to call and update him with information. After J.J. left, Rafe called Ciara to check on her. Ciara said she was feeling good and that Jordan had called to ask the same thing. Ciara put the call on speakerphone, and Rafe asked Ben how Jordan had sounded when she had called.

"Fine. Thought it was nice of her to follow up with us, since we left the party early," Ben said. Rafe asked for more details. Ben said Jordan had been thankful that Ciara was feeling better. Relieved, Rafe said, "I'm glad to hear that. I'm glad no one else got poisoned." Surprised, Ciara asked Rafe if he was okay. Rafe confirmed that he had gotten ill after the party and the test results had confirmed that he had ingested cyanide.

"I cannot believe Jordan didn't tell you that when you spoke to her," Rafe said. Ben confirmed that Jordan had not said a word about Rafe. Rafe asked when Jordan had called. Ben confirmed the time, and Rafe noted that the call had been after he had been rushed to the hospital. Ciara started to tell Rafe about the vial, but Ben ended the call.

"I don't know what's going on here, I just know that it's not coincidence that Rafe was poisoned tonight, and we found this vial in your pocket," Ciara said. Ben started to protest his innocence, but Ciara assured Ben that she did not believe he had poisoned Rafe. "Maybe Jordan did," Ciara said. Ben noted that Jordan cared about Rafe, and he did not understand why Jordan would poison him.

"Maybe for the same reason she tried to kill me. She's trying to set you up, Ben," Ciara said. "No. We agreed to make a fresh start. Ciara, she invited us over to David's birthday party!" Ben argued. Ciara suggested that the invite had been a ruse to slip the vial into Ben's coat pocket. Ciara reminded Ben that Jordan had planted evidence on him before.

"I know all signs point to Jordan, but they also did when that car almost hit you. We jumped to conclusions. We jumped to judgment, and it wasn't her," Ben said. Ben suggested that they learn all the facts before they blamed anyone. With a sigh, Ben said he would go to the hospital and get the contents of the vial tested. Ben ordered Ciara to stay in the house and not answer the door for anyone until he returned.

"Except for Will and Sonny and Ari. They're bringing her to trick-or-treat," Ciara reminded Ben. Ben said that was fine, but he asked Ciara not to let Jordan into the house if she visited. With a kiss goodbye, Ben left.

At the nurses' station in the hospital, J.J. told Haley that he could not meet her on their break. "Everything good?" Haley asked. J.J. nodded yes. J.J. said he would see Haley later. While Haley returned to work, Ben arrived at the hospital and asked her if she could test the remaining contents of the vial to see if it matched the poison in Rafe's system.

"Where did you get this?" Haley asked. "I'd rather explain once I know what it is," Ben countered. Haley agreed to take the vial to the lab. Down the hall, Rafe left a voicemail for Will to inform him that he was in the hospital because he had been poisoned. "I just want to make sure you guys are okay, so please call me when you get this," Rafe said. As Rafe ended his call, Ben walked in. Rafe asked why Ben had hung up on his phone call earlier.

"I'm sorry, man. I've just really freaked out about this thing. I really don't want to believe that Jordan is involved," Ben said. "But you agree that it's suspicious that Jordan didn't tell you that I was sick when you spoke to her?" Rafe asked. Ben agreed, but he added that he did not want to jump to conclusions like he had after the car incident.

"If you're withholding information, spill," Rafe demanded. Reluctantly, Ben told Rafe about the vial Ciara had found. Ben confirmed that he had handed the vial over to Haley for testing. "You think Jordan planted it and it had cyanide in it?" Rafe asked. Ben said he wanted to give his sister the benefit of the doubt, but he suspected that Jordan was to blame.

"Jordan is still dangerous, Rafe. And she's determined to take me down," Ben said. Ben admitted he had been happy and hopeful about the breakthrough with Jordan's invite. "And now, here I am, terrified that Jordan is still sick and she is still dangerous," Ben said. Rafe informed Ben that he had asked J.J. to go by his house to check on David.

"You don't think she'd hurt her son?" Ben asked with worry. "No, I don't," Rafe said. "If Jordan is cornered, there's no telling what she might do," Ben agreed. Worried, Ben announced that he needed to find his sister. Ben wished Rafe well, and he left. Later, Haley visited Rafe with the test results. Haley confirmed that the vial had contained the same poison that had been in Rafe's blood.

In the Hernandez kitchen, Jordan furiously scrubbed the counters and told David that she was sorry that her plan to frame Ben for murder had failed. "The walls are closing in, so we have got to get out of here before they can trace any of this back to me," Jordan told David. "It was the perfect plan. Somehow, it got ruined," Jordan lamented. Jordan ran into the bedroom to pack, but she left David in his car seat in the kitchen.

When J.J. arrived at the Hernandez house, he found David asleep in the kitchen. "I'm not sure what your mama is up to, but to be safe, I'm going to get you out of here," J.J. whispered as he moved to pick up David. Jordan hit J.J. over the head until he was unconscious. "No one is taking my child away from me. I'm not the threat! Ben is! And after tonight, everyone is going to know that. Starting with Ciara," Jordan yelled. Jordan grabbed her bag and the baby, and she marched out.

When Will, Sonny, and Arianna arrived at the DiMera guesthouse, Ciara invited them in. Ciara pulled Will aside and asked if Arianna was okay. "She's fine. Why?" Will asked. Ciara told Will that Rafe had eaten a poisoned cupcake at David's birthday party. "We think that Jordan may be responsible," Ciara confirmed. Confused, Will asked why Jordan would want to hurt Rafe. Ciara shrugged. "It would be different if the cupcake were meant for me or meant for Ben," Ciara said.

"I know what happened!" Will exclaimed. Will told Ciara that Arianna had confessed that she had switched the names on the cupcakes so that the girls got more frosting. "So, the cupcake meant for me must have ended up with Rafe's name on it," Ciara noted. Will agreed.

Will invited Ciara to join them for the evening, but Ciara told Will that she had promised Ben that she would lock herself in the house. "Keep me posted," Will said. Ciara agreed. With a nod, Will ushered Sonny and Arianna out of the guesthouse. Once alone, Ciara locked the door. Ciara saw Arianna's tiara on the couch, and she grabbed it. There was a knock at the door. Believing that the knocker was Will, Ciara opened the door. It was Jordan. "What the hell are you doing here?" a nervous Ciara asked.

When Ben arrived at the Hernandez house, he banged on the door then entered when there was no answer. Ben found J.J. on the floor. "J.J., wake up!" Ben screamed as she shook J.J.

Ciara faces off with Jordan

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

by Mike

At the Hernandez house, Ben desperately tried to revive J.J., whose head wound was bleeding.

Ben breathed a sigh of relief when J.J. finally responded. Ben fetched a towel as J.J. started explaining what had happened.

After hearing the whole story, Ben rushed off to check the rest of the house, leaving J.J. in charge of applying pressure to the head wound with the help of the towel. Ben soon returned and reported that no one else was in the house. "I'm gonna get myself to the hospital. You need to go find Jordan," J.J. told Ben, who had concerns about going along with that plan, since it was usually a bad idea for someone with a head wound to be left unsupervised for any significant amount of time. "I'm a professional," J.J. coolly pointed out to stop Ben from worrying. However, as soon as Ben left, J.J. went pale and nearly passed out again.

At the hospital, Gabi overheard a nurse making another nurse aware that a previously unoccupied room had just received a new patient -- Rafe Hernandez.

Gabi burst into the room a short time later and dragged the whole story out of an irritated Rafe, who didn't really want to waste time on the recap when J.J. and David might be in danger. "You're not in [any] condition to leave the hospital right now," Haley, who had not yet exited the room, protested as Rafe tried to climb out of bed. "You can't even walk!" Gabi pointed out, agreeing with Haley's assessment. "[And] you'd need these [in order to] go anywhere -- which you obviously don't have," Haley continued, holding up Rafe's street clothes. Gabi managed to calm Rafe down after promising to send Eli to check on J.J. and David instead.

Meanwhile, Sarah approached Lani and apologized for having taken such a long time to RSVP to the wedding. "You must be so excited!" Sarah guessed. "Or...not..." Sarah curiously added when Lani didn't even manage a smile while agreeing with the earlier comment. "There's just a lot going on..." Lani vaguely explained. "Can I ask you a question about Julie? [Actually], it's about the pacemaker," Lani spontaneously added.

"What about it?" Gabi asked curiously, joining Lani and Sarah at the nurses' station. "I need to talk to you privately. It's, um...important," Gabi added without waiting for an answer, waving a cell phone at Lani pointedly.

"What the hell was that?" Gabi snapped at Lani after Sarah walked away. "I was just about to ask her a question," Lani claimed. "It looked like you were about to do something very stupid. It looked like you were gonna tell Dr. Horton what I did to Julie's pacemaker," Gabi countered. "Did you think that Dr. Horton was gonna have it removed without me finding out? That would be impossible. See, if anybody touches or tampers with that equipment, I'm gonna find out -- instantly -- [and then] I'm gonna blow Julie's heart into smithereens," Gabi warned.

"So, why don't you just keep your mouth shut -- up until tomorrow, of course, when you dump Eli at the altar. Is that clear?" Gabi continued, unaware that Eli was approaching. "What's going on?" Eli asked curiously, sensing the tension between Gabi and Lani. "I was just telling your fiance the terrible news -- Rafe's been poisoned," Gabi innocently claimed before starting to share the whole story. J.J. arrived during the recap and provided all the information that Rafe hadn't been able to give Gabi earlier. After getting all the details, Eli and Lani rushed off in search of Jordan.

J.J. and Gabi went to see Rafe, who was wrapping up a phone conversation with Will. "Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear that Ari's okay. [And], obviously, I'm really sorry -- I...I never would have [let] Jordan anywhere near Ari if I knew that she was as dangerous as she is," Rafe told Will before ending the call. "I wasn't even meant to be here. [See], Arianna evidently switched the flags on the cupcakes 'cause she wanted the girls to have more icing. [Jordan] was trying to kill Ciara -- again," Rafe told Haley with a sigh -- just as J.J. and Gabi entered the room.

After filling Rafe in on what Jordan had done earlier, J.J. went with Haley to get the head wound examined. "I was so proud of Jordan for inviting Ben and Ciara to David's birthday party, [but she] just wanted to take another shot at Ciara... How could I have been so stupid?" Rafe fretted to Gabi. "You see the best in people. You want to believe that they're good, even when there's evidence that says you should walk away. I mean, look at how you protected me [after] everything that happened with Nick, [and then] with Abigail, and [with] Stefan... [Even] when you believe that I'm so far off the rails, you still love me -- [even] when I don't deserve it," Gabi continued.

"Maybe you oughta believe in the good in you as much as I do," Rafe suggested, but Gabi just scoffed in response.

At the DiMera guesthouse, Jordan sweetly greeted Ciara. "You don't seem very happy to see me," Jordan curiously observed. "I [was expecting to see] Will, Sonny, and Ari. She, uh, left her tiara," Ciara explained, holding up the item. "[If] you came by to check up on me, then...you know, I'm all good, [so]..." Ciara added before starting to shut the front door.

"Actually..." Jordan began to clarify, holding the door open. "I just came from the hospital. [See], poor Rafe -- he was poisoned! But the problem is...the poison was meant for you," Jordan continued. "Thanks for warning me, [but] I already know [that] Ari switched the cupcakes -- [and that] the one Rafe ate was probably meant for me," Ciara replied. "So that's how it happened..." Jordan muttered. "Wait, you [didn't] know [that]? How did you know that the poison was meant for me, [then]?" Ciara asked. "Because...it was obviously Ben!" Jordan reasoned.

"Ben loves me. [He] would never do something like that," Ciara insisted. "I know all about your 'love' for Ben, and how you think he would never hurt you, [but] I'm telling you, [he's] more dangerous than he's ever been! [And] it's not just you and Rafe -- [he] went after J.J. [and] tried to take David, [too]!" Jordan countered. "Is that Ben's jacket? Maybe you should check the pockets," Jordan added after spotting Ben's jacket on the couch, and Ciara decided to play along. "Oh, wait -- there is something in here, actually..." Ciara admitted, producing a tube of lip balm.

"Check again!" Jordan demanded. "Maybe I could hold David, and, uh, you could check the pockets," Ciara suggested. "We don't have time, okay? We have to go!" Jordan insisted, reasoning that Ben could return at any moment. "Why don't we just wait for him, [and then] we can figure all this out --" Ciara began to argue. "There's nothing to figure out, okay? Your life is in danger! [And] so is my son's, [so] you have to come with us -- it's the only way to be safe!" Jordan -- who, unlike Ciara, was facing away from the windowed front door -- maintained.

"Maybe you're right..." Ciara agreed as a shadow approached the front door. Jordan was pleased -- until Ciara opened the door and revealed that Ben was standing on the other side of it. "What are you doing here?" Ben asked Jordan. "As if you don't know! I just informed Ciara how you tried to poison her!" Jordan replied. "I know about the cupcakes. I know how they got switched. Everybody does. You were the one who tried to poison Ciara," Ben countered. "You're lying!" Jordan snapped. "I'm not lying," Ben insisted. "Stay away from me!" Jordan demanded.

"I'm not trying to upset you, but this is over now --" Ben began to stress. "This is not over! I have to protect my son!" Jordan argued. "Yes, you do, because you're a good mom -- just like you were a great sister to me when I was a kid [and] needed protecting -- but, right now, you're mixed up --" Ben reasoned. "I'm not crazy!" Jordan tearfully insisted. "I didn't say you were crazy. I've been where you are, okay? I know you feel alone, but you're not alone. I'm right here with you, just like you were for me when I needed you. It's my turn [to] help you. Let me take care of you and your little boy," Ben continued.

Jordan seemed to soften a bit -- but when Ben approached, she shoved him away and rushed out of the guesthouse, still carrying her son.

"You okay?" Ben asked Ciara. "Yeah, I'm fine! Just go get Jordan!" Ciara encouraged Ben, who nodded then started chasing after Jordan and David.

Eli and Lani arrived a short time later. While Ciara was providing a recap of what had just happened, Ben returned -- with David. "I caught up with Jordan [and] managed to wrestle the [baby] carrier away from her, but while I was making sure David was okay, she took off," Ben explained with a sigh of regret. "You did the right thing -- making sure this little guy is safe," Lani insisted.

After Eli and Lani left with David, Ciara told Ben about what had happened with Jordan earlier. "I know that Jordan is still out there somewhere, but I promise you, I will never let anything bad ever happen to you again," Ben assured Ciara. "I fell right into Jordan's trap. I was so happy about her letting me be a part of David's life that I -- I didn't question her, I didn't think twice..." Ben acknowledged with another sigh of regret. "None of this is on you, so stop beating yourself up about this, please. Jordan is the only bad guy here," Ciara insisted. "She's locked on you. Maybe we shouldn't go to this wedding tomorrow -- not with Jordan still free..." Ben mused.

Nicole and Eric took Holly to the Kiriakis mansion at the end of their trick-or-treat run through Salem. "Trick-or..." Eric began in unison with Nicole and Holly when the front door swung open. "This is definitely not a treat..." Eric, who had been expecting to see Maggie on the other side of the door, grumbled after Xander appeared, wearing a barely-there Tarzan costume and holding a bowl of candy.

"Well, aren't you a little cutie! You can have as much candy as you want!" Xander encouraged Holly, who was dressed as one of the diner waitresses from Grease -- a costume that complemented Eric and Nicole's nods to the musical's main characters, Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson. "Just one," Nicole ordered Holly. "Mommy's no fun, is she?" Xander said to Holly. "We're actually here to see Grandma Maggie. Where is she?" Nicole asked, ignoring Xander's dig. "Upstairs. That's why I'm on candy duty," Xander replied. Nicole quickly led Holly upstairs in search of Maggie, leaving Eric alone with Xander.

"Why don't I take over 'candy duty' while you go get some, uh, clothes on," Eric suggested, snatching the bowl of candy from Xander. "Turning you on, am I?" Xander guessed, reclaiming the bowl. "Definitely not," Eric insisted. "Jealousy, then? I understand. I mean, it's not every man that can pull off this look," Xander continued, inspecting Eric's body critically. "'Ape Man' suits you," Eric admitted. "I prefer 'Lord of the Jungle,'" Xander clarified, choosing to take the insult as a compliment. "I'm really happy that Sarah [has left town -- at least she's] away from you," Eric stressed. "Actually...Sarah's still very much in town," Xander revealed.

"Sarah's still here?" Eric repeated, surprised. "Turns out, Maggie tugged at [Sarah's] heartstrings [and] convinced her to stay for Eli and Lani's wedding. You know how those Hortons love a big family to-do. And I'll be right in the thick of it -- [see], you're looking at Sarah's date," Xander elaborated, leaving Eric even more surprised. "How the hell did you force her into taking you?" Eric demanded to know. "I didn't 'force' Sarah into anything. [She] just felt a bit awkward about going solo, so...Xander to the rescue," Xander innocently explained. "Going it alone would be a better choice than [going] with you," Eric insisted.

"Can't beat a good wedding, though, can you? All that love in the air, the romance... Who knows -- by day's end, our sweet, sweet Dr. Horton might just take a swing on my vine," Xander crassly mused, annoying Eric. "Stay the hell away from Sarah!" Eric ordered Xander -- just as Nicole returned. "Am I interrupting?" Nicole asked. "Just Xander being his usual-ass self," Eric replied. "Nicole, darling, between you and me, I think your boyfriend's jealous," Xander loudly whispered to Nicole. "That's ridiculous!" Eric insisted. "Then why is he so upset that Sarah's my date to the wedding?" Xander argued. "How did you force her to do that?" Nicole wondered.

"Sarah's fragile, and I just don't like the fact that you're taking advantage of the situation," Eric explained. "Or...could it be [that] you still have feelings for her?" Xander countered -- just as Sarah entered the mansion.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked. "Eric and I brought Holly over to trick-or-treat and see Grandma Maggie... Unfortunately, we ran into Xander..." Nicole explained. "Holly was happy to see me!" Xander bragged. "It was the candy, Xander -- not you," Nicole countered before heading upstairs to get Holly. "Oh, would you look at that -- I just need to top up the candy bowl," Xander declared before following Nicole to the foyer.

"Leave me the hell alone," Nicole snapped at Xander. "Not until we've finished our conversation," Xander insisted. "Eric is with me, you son of a bitch, so stop trying to make me jealous about a relationship that's in the past! Right now is all that matters, and right now, Eric is mine, and I am his, and nothing you can say will make me insecure in his love for me!" Nicole stressed, but Xander wasn't convinced.

"Come on, Nicole -- you're too smart to lie to yourself. He wouldn't react that way unless he still cared deeply about her. There's obviously still a connection there -- [and], unfortunately, the chemistry between them is palpable. So, if you want to keep Eric, you really do have to stay mum about Sarah's pregnancy. I mean, you saw how protective Eric was of Sarah over a date. Can you imagine if he found out that she's carrying his baby?" Xander argued. "Enough! I don't want to hear another word!" Nicole snapped before storming upstairs in search of Holly.

Meanwhile, Eric demanded to know why Sarah had agreed to attend Eli and Lani's wedding with Xander, of all people. "He's been a good friend," Sarah explained. "Since when?" Eric skeptically countered. "He was there [for me during] a tough time," Sarah maintained. "What tough time?" Eric wondered. "Are you serious?" Sarah snapped. "Sorry -- I didn't mean to be insensitive..." Eric stressed. "Well, you don't have to worry about walking on eggshells much longer. I'm leaving the day after Eli and Lani's wedding," Sarah revealed before storming out of the living room.

After Eric and Nicole left with Holly, Xander found Sarah, who was clearly still upset about what had happened earlier. "What's wrong?" Xander asked. "I'm just feeling sorry for myself...but what's new?" Sarah replied. "You have every right to feel sorry for yourself," Xander insisted. "Maybe...[but] I don't know that I had the right to say the things that I just said to Eric," Sarah countered. "What things?" Xander wondered. "I was just giving him a hard time -- guilt-tripping him like crazy," Sarah clarified. "Good. He deserves to feel guilty," Xander argued. "'Cause he doesn't love me enough?" Sarah guessed.

"Loving someone is involuntary, Xander. It's not his fault that he loves Nicole more than me," Sarah reasoned. "It might not be his fault personally, but I'll never understand it," Xander countered. "I do. He just didn't love me -- not really. Probably thought of Nicole while he was making love to me..." Sarah admitted. "Then he is insane," Xander insisted.

Changing the subject, Xander jokingly wondered if Sarah thought it was appropriate to wear a loincloth to a wedding. "I think you might be more excited [about the wedding] than the bride," Sarah mused, recalling the earlier encounter with Lani. "Hmm... Well, [let's] hope the bride doesn't get cold feet..." Xander replied, chuckling at the seemingly ridiculous thought.

Meanwhile, Eric and Nicole returned home with Holly. "I hope you didn't buy anything that Xander said about Sarah and me. You know how he likes to stir the pot [and] doesn't like to see people [being] happy," Eric said to Nicole. "Don't worry. I was married to him, [so] I know how he thinks," Nicole replied. "You still seem troubled..." Eric observed. "Because Xander always manages to put me in a bad mood," Nicole claimed.

Eli and Lani returned to the hospital to hand David over to Rafe. While waiting for Eli to handle the task, Lani had another tense encounter with Gabi, who was quick to express excitement about what was, for Julie's sake, hopefully going to happen at the wedding the following day. "You don't have a compassionate bone in your body, do you?" Lani snapped. "Uh, yeah, I do -- just not for you," Gabi countered before walking away.

While passing through the park, Jordan struggled to stay composed. "No one takes my son away from me -- no one! I'm gonna get him back if it's the last thing I do -- and there will be hell to pay," Jordan vowed.

Jordan wreaks havoc in Salem during Halloween

Thursday, October 31, 2019

by Mike

At Bayview, Claire received a visit from a woman who was wearing a skimpy nurse costume and carrying a tray of medication.

"I can't believe you're back here! Did somebody have you committed again?" Claire began after realizing that the visitor was Jordan. "No, girl -- [I sneaked in, with the help of this costume, because] I could really use a friend [right now]. I'm busting you out of here," Jordan clarified. "But...I'm not done with my therapy..." Claire protested. "Ugh -- therapy! You don't need it -- [or] these meds! You're way more fun off your medication!" Jordan insisted, tossing the tray of medication in a trash can. "I don't know..." Claire continued to object. "Come on -- it's Halloween! Let's go cause some mischief!" Jordan begged.

At the Evans-Black townhouse, John and Marlena finished watching a horror movie together. "Okay -- how'd you like that one? Did it scare the hell out of you, or what?" John asked. "Oh, come on -- a movie about a woman who is possessed by the devil? I mean, isn't that just a little far-fetched?" Marlena dryly replied. "You're no fun!" John teasingly protested.

"I miss Claire -- she was my horror-movie buddy. [Then again], maybe I showed her too many horror movies..." John continued, sighing. "She will get better at Bayview," Marlena insisted. "Yeah, I know -- it's just...how do you live out your life, knowing what you did to Ciara, not to mention Tripp and Haley?" John replied before deciding to visit Claire the following day.

Someone knocked on the townhouse door just then, startling John and Marlena. "Kind of late for trick-or-treaters..." Marlena noted. "Why don't you scare 'em away," John suggested.

Marlena laughed off John's idea then carried a bowl of candy over to the townhouse door -- and found a hooded, masked figure standing on the other side of it, wielding a knife. Marlena gasped and started throwing candy at the person, and John rushed over to door and tried to slam it in the person's face. "It's me!" the person called out while removing the mask.

"Tony?" Marlena realized, relieved. "You just scared the living hell out of her!" John snapped, unamused. "Oh, it's just a costume!" Tony dismissively argued. "You know it's more than 'just a costume'! What are you doing, coming to our door in that getup? [Don't you remember that] when Andre drugged Marlena and turned her into the Salem Stalker, she ran around [like that] -- in a hockey mask and a hoodie?" John countered. "It was an episode of my life [that] I just wanted to lock in a drawer and never remember again!" Marlena admitted, shuddering. "And [that] was working -- until you knocked on our door!" John spat.

"I'm sorry -- I wasn't aware... Oh, but then, maybe you [don't remember that] I was stranded on an island at the time that this dark chapter took place in Salem's history," Tony explained. "Oh, my goodness -- of course! That's right -- he couldn't have known about that!" Marlena said to John, who softened at once and apologized to Tony.

"So, what are you doing [dressed like that], anyway? Were you really out there, trick-or-treating?" John asked as Tony entered the townhouse. "No -- um, Anna and I dressed up, just to celebrate All Hallows' Eve, [but] then she got a headache and had to go home, so I thought I'd come by [and] see if you two guys were wanting to have a nightcap," Tony clarified. John started to politely turn Tony away, still hoping for a night of romance, but Marlena accepted the offer at the same time. Defeated, John headed off to the kitchen to prepare some martinis, leaving Marlena alone with Tony.

"Oh, Marlena -- I'm so glad to have this private moment with you... [See], I do have a confession to make -- Anna didn't go home with a headache; as a matter of fact, she didn't go home at all. [Actually], she's six feet under, in the cemetery -- [because] I killed her!" Tony gleefully revealed. "But...you love her..." Marlena protested, confused. "Correction -- Tony loves Anna. [See], I'm not Tony; I'm Andre," Andre clarified. "And you and I -- we have so much unfinished business to take care of..." Andre excitedly continued.

"It isn't Tony -- it's Andre!" Marlena frantically revealed when John returned a short time later. Shocked, John tossed aside a tray of filled martini glasses and grabbed Andre by the shirt collar. Relieved, Marlena ducked behind John for protection. "You've been pretending to be Tony all along?" John snapped. "Oh, certainly not -- Rolf resurrected me this morning," Andre clarified.

"I've had such a busy day! [First] I had to get rid of Anna, and then Tony -- he had to go, [too]," Andre continued. "You are a monster!" Marlena spat. "Hold on -- when you were murdered, you'd convinced everybody that you turned a leaf, so...what happened?" John asked. "I guess returning from the dead has a way of honing one's killer instinct," Andre replied.

"Yeah, well, your days as the Salem Slasher are over, pal, 'cause I'm gonna run you in to the cops right now!" John declared. "I would let go of me if I were you," Andre advised. "Why? What are you gonna do? Are you gonna kill me, too?" John countered. "No -- I've already arranged that with my accomplice. [See], when you were mixing cocktails before...well, Marlena and I did more than just going through our past history. I discovered that my mind-control skills were as sharp as ever," Andre clarified. Horrified, John released Andre then turned to face Marlena, who had picked up a baseball bat.

"You've still got it!" Andre raved after Marlena used the baseball bat to kill John with one strike to the head. "The Salem Stalker lives again! Who shall we kill next?" Andre continued, offering Marlena the mask and hoodie.

At the DiMera guesthouse, Ciara stood in front of a window and watched for signs of trouble as Ben wrapped up a phone conversation with Eli.

"The cops still haven't found Jordan -- [or] a single lead. Go figure..." Ben grumbled after ending the call. "She's lost her mind again," Ciara fretted before reluctantly stepping away from the window, ready to try to get some sleep. "I never should have let you go to that birthday party -- [or] anywhere near Jordan," Ben insisted with a sigh while helping Ciara into bed -- just as something shattered outside.

Ciara watched nervously as Ben produced a gun then opened the front door with one hand while aiming the weapon at the intruder with the other hand.

"Holy crap!" Will exclaimed, raising and opening both hands in a fearful display of submission. "Will? Sorry..." Ben said, lowering the gun at once. "We thought you were Jordan," Ciara explained. "Sorry if I scared you..." Will, who was clearly still on edge, began. "I just -- I accidentally knocked this plant over, [and] I think it's history..." Will sheepishly admitted. "It's okay," Ciara insisted, waving a hand dismissively. "Uh...Ari left her crown here when we were trick-or-treating, and she was really upset about it, so I just -- I promised I'd come and get it..." Will continued.

Meanwhile, Ben received a text message from Victor, who demanded an immediate meeting. "Will, would you mind staying here? I just -- I don't want to leave Ciara alone, [and]...one of the guards has a question, [so] I need to talk to him real quick. It shouldn't take long," Ben said. "Um...yeah, sure -- sure, I'll stay," Will, who still seemed to be on edge, agreed. "Keep that door locked, [and] keep this close to you," Ben told Ciara while handing over the gun. After Ciara promised to follow those instructions, Ben thanked Will for the help then rushed off.

"I'm sorry you're going through this," Will stressed as Ciara locked the front door. "What do you think about maybe coming and staying at Victor's house, with us?" Will suggested. "Kristen lives there now... And, uh, I just honestly kind of feel safer here," Ciara replied. "Do you? Really?" Will asked. "What are you getting at?" Ciara wondered, but Will didn't immediately acknowledge the question, unable to stop staring at an item that was lying on the couch. "Ben still wears ties? I, uh -- I thought he would have given it up..." Will mused while picking up the tie and twisting it.

"Does it ever enter your mind that, one day, he could snap [and] kill you in your sleep?" Will asked. "You have every reason to be afraid of Ben...and all I can say is that I've never seen that side of him. He has a good heart, and he has so much love to give," Ciara replied. "He also has violence to give -- I know that from experience," Will countered.

Will dropped the subject after realizing that it was making Ciara uncomfortable. Ciara apologized for keeping Will away from Arianna and Sonny. "It's okay -- I mean, um, Sonny's actually, uh...he's watching a Friday the 13th marathon, and I'm not a fan; I don't know what the big deal about hockey masks is, so..." Will replied -- just as a hooded, masked Marlena approached a window. Ciara quickly grabbed Ben's gun but calmed down after Marlena removed the mask. "Sorry if I scared you," Marlena began after Will opened the front door. "I was at a Halloween party, and I heard about Jordan," Marlena continued.

Marlena insisted on waiting for Ben to return. Ciara placed the gun on a table then went to the kitchen to make Marlena a cup of tea. "Sorry I scared you," Marlena said to Will again. "It's all right -- I'm...I'm already a little nervous 'cause I...I don't like hanging out where Ben lives," Will admitted. "I've been trying to tell Ciara that Ben hasn't changed -- you know, [that] he's still capable of murder..." Will continued. "Well, you know...I think that anybody is capable of murder under the right circumstances," Marlena stressed while picking up the tie, which Will had set aside earlier.

Ciara soon returned and discovered that Marlena had strangled Will to death. Horrified, Ciara dropped the cup of tea and fled from the guesthouse, ignoring Marlena's protests.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor told Maggie about what Jordan had tried to do to Ciara during David's birthday party. "How's that for an entry into the baby book?" Victor concluded with a shake of the head.

Ben arrived a short time later and found Victor sitting alone in the living room. "I hear your sister tried to poison Ciara. She can't get away with that," Victor began. "I'm doing everything I can to assist the cops. Jordan needs help," Ben stressed. "Jordan needs to be put down, like a rabid dog," Victor countered. "I'm not gonna let you hurt her," Ben insisted. "Did you hear me asking for permission? [This is just fair] warning: my men are doing their own search for Jordan, and when they find her -- and they will find her -- I'm going to have her killed," Victor replied.

"The hell you are!" Maggie snapped, reentering the living room. "Don't worry about Victor -- I'll talk him out of this," Maggie assured Ben, who immediately rushed off, wanting to get back to Ciara right away.

"I'm in no mood for morality lectures," Victor preemptively began once the coast was clear. "I'm not gonna give you a lecture; I was just putting on a show for Ben. You should definitely have Jordan killed -- [I mean], she's a menace...[and she once] said some hateful things about my lemon bars!" Maggie complained, surprising Victor.

At the hospital, Haley joined J.J. in one of the on-call rooms, carrying the results of an MRI. "Well..." Haley began with a dramatic sigh of disappointment before cracking a smile and revealing that J.J. was free to leave. "We still have time to make it to Rory's Halloween party -- [you know], with staples in my head, all I need is a bolt in my neck, [and I can go as Frankenstein's monster]!" J.J. suggested. "You sure you're [up for a] party tonight?" Haley asked. "Totally sure," J.J. replied. "I'll go get dressed, then..." Haley said, walking away. "I could help you get undressed..." J.J. offered.

J.J. started kissing Haley while leading the way to the on-call room's cot -- but someone started knocking on the door insistently before things could progress much further.

When Haley opened the door, Claire stormed into the on-call room, wearing an exact copy of Jordan's skimpy nurse costume -- and wielding a scalpel. Jordan followed Claire into the room and stopped J.J. from rushing to Haley's aid. "You're supposed to be in Bayview!" Haley protested, backing away from Claire. "Yeah, well, Jordan broke me out for a little field trip," Claire explained, cornering Haley. "I needed a little help finding my son," Jordan elaborated before demanding to know where Rafe and David were hiding. "All I know is that Rafe isn't here -- he got discharged!" J.J. reported.

Satisfied, Jordan started to leave, expecting Claire to follow. Ignoring Jordan, Claire unceremoniously dragged the blade of the scalpel from one side of Haley's neck to the other. "Why did you do that?" J.J. snapped at Claire while holding Haley's lifeless body. "Sorry -- got a little carried away, you know? I always just hated her guts. She should not have taken Tripp away from me!" Claire explained with a shrug.

"You want to be with her? Fine!" Jordan said, snatching Claire's scalpel and plunging it into J.J.'s back. "Hey -- that was my cousin!" Claire protested. "I can't deal with his hysterics. I have a son to find," Jordan explained.

"I'll meet up with you later. I have a mission of my own..." Claire cryptically informed Jordan. Claire headed off to the Kiriakis mansion, making a quick stop on the way to change into more professional-looking attire.

"I got released -- I'm cured!" Claire told Victor and Maggie. "I am so excited to get a brand-new start... Pop-Pop, I am gonna sign up for Titan's executive training program! Isn't that great?" Claire continued. "I'm sorry, Claire, but I gave the last spot away to Ciara. [But] you could apply for next year..." Victor replied. "I can't believe this! All anybody ever wants is just Ciara, Ciara, Ciara! [I mean], first she was the face of Bella magazine, [and] now she's in the Titan executive training program, and I'm not?" Claire complained. "Well, we didn't think you'd be eligible, being in...in the bin and all..." Victor explained.

"Claire, you have to calm down. I'll make a pot of chamomile tea, and I just took a fresh batch of lemon squares out of the oven --" Maggie tried to offer. "I hate your lemon squares -- they make my glands hurt!" Claire admitted, earning a slap from Maggie. Claire produced a filled syringe and plunged the needle into Maggie's left thigh. "She was the love of my life! I don't want to live without her!" Victor fretted after Maggie died. "No problem," Claire replied while advancing toward Victor with the syringe, which was not yet empty. "You really should have let me into that program, Pop-Pop..." Claire reasoned.

Meanwhile, Jordan went to the Hernandez house in search of Rafe and David. Jordan apologized for having inadvertently poisoned Rafe. Jordan also admitted to still being in love with Rafe. "You don't have anyone, and I don't have anyone, [so maybe] you, me, and David -- we could all run away and just be happy together..." Jordan suggested. "It's really hard to say no to you when you're wearing this teeny, tiny dress..." Rafe replied.

Rafe gave Jordan a kiss -- then started feeling sick again. "Maybe they didn't get all the poison out of my system," Rafe guessed. "Or maybe I used the same poison in my lipstick," Jordan clarified.

"Sorry, Rafe -- I can't trust you anymore. You sent J.J. here to take my son away from me. So, [consider that] the kiss...of death," Jordan explained as Rafe collapsed.

Ben returned to the DiMera guesthouse and discovered Will's lifeless body. While Ben was frantically searching the guesthouse for Ciara, Marlena entered it and made a show of fussing over Will. "How could you kill him -- again?" Marlena snapped. "I didn't kill him!" Ben insisted. "Well, if you didn't kill him, then who did?" Marlena asked. "It had to have been Jordan! [And] I think she has Ciara, [so] I gotta go find them!" Ben replied before rushing off, ignoring Marlena's protests. "First Ciara gets away, and now Ben... Guess this just isn't gonna be my night," Marlena grumbled, kicking Will in frustration.

Andre soon arrived and admired Marlena's handiwork. "First your husband, and then your grandson... Hmm -- who's next? Perhaps Eric? Now, that would fit the pattern nicely!" Andre excitedly mused. "Yes, that's true...but I hate being predictable," Marlena mischievously replied before shooting Andre right between the eyes with Ben's gun.

Meanwhile, Ciara rushed over to the Evans-Black townhouse to tell John about what Marlena had done to Will. "Oh, my God -- she killed him, too!" Ciara realized after discovering John's lifeless body.

Ciara rushed over to the police station to report that a serial killer was on the loose, but no one was around -- except Claire, who was sitting in one of the conference rooms. "Why aren't you at Bayview?" Ciara wondered. "Jordan broke me out...[and then] I did some very bad things, so, um...I came here to turn myself in," Claire explained.

"What did they ever do to you?" Ciara snapped after hearing Claire's list of victims. "Well, Tripp always loved Haley more than me, and Pop-Pop let you into the Titan training program instead of me...[and] Maggie was just annoying," Claire clarified with a shrug. "[And now] you need to be taught a lesson..." Claire insisted, scowling at Ciara.

Ciara, who had taken the baseball bat from the Evans-Black townhouse for protection, raised the makeshift weapon while backing away from Claire, who was unarmed. "What are you gonna do, huh? You gonna kill me with your bare --" Ciara countered before suddenly collapsing. "Don't worry -- Ciara's never gonna take anything from you again," Jordan, who had stabbed Ciara in the back with a knife, assured Claire.

Jordan and Claire went to the park and started digging an oversized grave for their victims. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, but, um...you know, I was kind of hoping to do Ciara myself," Claire admitted. "Well, I don't mean to sound unkind, but every time you go up against Ciara, you blow it," Jordan countered. "True..." Claire conceded.

"So, do you really think Ben will take the fall for our little killing spree?" Claire continued. "I don't see why not -- everyone that knows what we did is dead now," Jordan reasoned. "Except for me," Marlena clarified, startling Jordan and Claire. "I'm really sorry to have to do this to you --" Jordan began, preparing to swing a shovel at Marlena's head. "Oh, put down the shovel, Tammy Sue," Marlena tiredly demanded. "You know my real name?" Jordan asked, stunned. "I know everything about you...but don't worry -- I'm not going to say anything," Marlena replied.

"You two are just a couple of amateurs. I wrote the book on serial killing while you two were [still] trying to torture small animals. [That's right] -- the Salem Stalker has returned," Marlena continued. "I guess now we see where Claire gets it..." Jordan mused. "I'm so proud of my granddaughter!" Marlena raved, delighting Claire. "Now, I need you two to dig that hole a little deeper -- I got a couple more bodies in my trunk..." Marlena revealed.

While helping Jordan and Claire get the bodies in the grave, Marlena mused, "I think we're getting pretty good at this! Why, I'd call us the -- the Charlie's Angels of Death!" Claire wanted to be Jill, but Marlena dismissively insisted, "Oh, honey -- I'm always Jill." Perhaps realizing that wasn't the most solid argument, Marlena reasoned that a one-night victim count of three was enough to earn the coveted role, unaware that Jordan and Claire had each killed three people that night, too. "We seem to have a tie..." Marlena grumbled -- just as Ben approached. "Speaking of ties..." Marlena continued.

Ben was horrified to see that Ciara was dead. "Which one of you filthy bitches did this to her?" Ben demanded to know. "It was her," Marlena and Claire said in unison, pushing Jordan forward.

Ben wrapped both hands around Jordan's neck. After Jordan died, Marlena produced and returned Ben's tie. "Welcome to the club, Necktie Killer...[but] you've still got some catching up to do," Marlena said to Ben.

Ben awoke with a start just then and breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that Ciara was safe with him in the DiMera guesthouse. "I just had the worst nightmare..." he revealed before telling her all about it.

"It was just a dream, Ben -- I know you'd never do anything like that," Ciara assured Ben, who didn't seem quite as confident at that moment.

Gabi pressures Lani to make a scene

Friday, November 1, 2019

by Spalding

Jennifer awoke in Jack's hotel room to breakfast in bed. "Sweets for the sweet," Jack said. Jack handed Jennifer the newspaper, wrapped in a bow. When Jennifer started to kiss Jack, Jack pulled away and encouraged Jennifer to look at the front page. Suspicious, Jennifer raised an eyebrow and unfolded the paper to find an application for a marriage license inside. Jack pulled out a pen and asked Jennifer to sign the form.

"I've thrown away too many chances to be with you, Jennifer. So, it's carpe diem; seize the day. I'm seizing it, and this time when I marry you, it will be forever," Jack said. Elated, Jennifer grabbed Jack and kissed him. After the form was signed, Jack suggested that he and Jennifer celebrate, but Jennifer warned Jack that the bridal party would arrive soon. "Good point. I will make myself scarce," Jack said. "I love you like crazy, Jack Deveraux," Jennifer said.

In the Kiriakis mansion, Sarah struggled to zip up her dress in the living room. "You outshine the sun, my dear," Xander said as he entered the room. When Sarah asked for help, a cheerful Xander said, "Can this day get any better?" Xander struggled with the zipper and suggested it was broken.

"It's not broken. I've already started to show. I knew it! There is no way I can go to this wedding," Sarah lamented. Xander assured Sarah that her baby bump was not noticeable. When Sarah complained that the situation was hopeless, Xander told Sarah to suck in her breath. As Sarah took a deep breath and Xander pulled on the zipper, Maggie walked in and asked what was going on.

"I plied Sarah with a little bit too much ice cream to soothe her sad soul," Xander said with a smile. Maggie asked Sarah if she was okay. "Doesn't she look ravishing?" Xander asked. Maggie agreed that Sarah looked gorgeous. Emotional, Maggie asked Sarah if she was sure that she needed to leave town in the morning. Sarah said she needed to move on. Sarah told Xander she would meet him in the square because she and Maggie had promised to help Lani get ready.

"Maybe my zip pulling talents could come in handy," Xander suggested. "That's a hard no," Sarah said. With a nod, Xander kissed Sarah on the cheek and left. Maggie said that she liked Xander, but she did not like that he was Sarah's date. "He's not a date really," Sarah said. "Xander thinks he is. Why would you even agree to go to the wedding with him?" Maggie asked.

"I needed a plus one, and he offered," Sarah said. Maggie asked Sarah if she had accepted Xander's offer in an effort to make Eric jealous. Sarah noted that Eric would not be at the wedding. "It's not distance that heals, sweetheart. It's time. And all the miles between you and the people who love and support you will make you feel more alone," Maggie counseled. Maggie promised to respect Sarah's decision to leave, though.

In the secret loft, Gina dressed to the nines in pearls and her tiara. Alarmed, Rolf asked Gina where she intended to go. "There is a Horton wedding today, and Doc Evans will be officiating," Gina said. Gina added that she had to be there because John would be there. "We've had this discussion. You cannot go out looking like the royalty you are," Rolf warned Gina. Gina promised she would not wear her tiara out of the loft.

Rolf warned Gina that she did not have all the necessary memories that Hope had developed since Gina had last been in Salem. Rolf lied and said that Hope had left Salem and that he would be able to give Gina those new memories with a procedure as soon as he finished his work. "You can do it. Tout suite," Gina said.

In the town square, Eli looked around at the decorations for the wedding. Marlena greeted Eli when she arrived. Eli admitted he had not slept because of the manhunt for Jordan. "Nothing is going to spoil this day," Marlena said. Marlena asked about Valerie, and Eli explained that Valerie had been called into surgery. "I told her not to stress. Today is going to be absolutely perfect," Eli said. Marlena said John would not be able to make the ceremony.

"I get it. A lot of people aren't able to make it. Lani and I and our plans have been all over the place because of Gran's illness," Eli said. Eli added that he was thankful that Gabi had changed her mind about giving Stefan's heart to Julie. "I still wonder what changed her mind, though," Eli said.

At the hospital, Gabi paid Julie a visit. "I have a surprise for you," Gabi said as she pulled a phone out of her purse. Gabi told Julie that she had arranged to have a livestream of the wedding for Julie and Doug on the phone. Touched, Julie thanked Gabi for her gift. "I see I've misjudged you," Julie said. "You're right. You did," Gabi responded. Julie fussed with the phone excitedly until Gabi took it from her and noted that they needed to preserve the battery. Gabi texted Lani on the phone.

In the bistro, Lani paced nervously, and she thought about Gabi's ultimatum. "What am I going to do?" Lani wondered aloud. Abe entered, and Lani said she had wanted to see how the reception looked. "I want it to be perfect," Lani said. "Don't worry. It will be," Abe assured Lani. Abe told Lani that if she and Eli were strong enough to survive the loss of their child together, they would be fine.

"Mom!" Lani called out as she saw Tamara enter the room. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. I thought you would be getting ready," Tamara said. Lani's phone beeped with a text from Gabi that demanded to meet at Julie's hospital room. Lani excused herself to leave, but before she was gone, Abe told Lani that Eli was the luckiest man in the world. Tamara asked Abe if Lani was okay. Abe said he believed that Lani had pre-wedding jitters.

"There is something that I would like to say to you," Tamara said. Tamara apologized for not telling Abe about his daughter and said that she regretted her decision. Abe said he understood. "The important thing is that Lani is in my life now. And I'm so glad that we both get to witness her marriage," Abe said. Tamara countered that she hoped Abe would consider her a friend someday. "You're more than my friend. You're the mother of my child," Abe said.

"Tamara?" Marlena asked in surprise as she entered the bistro. Elated, Tamara and Marlena embraced. "How is it that my college roommate gets better- and younger-looking every year?" Marlena asked. Tamara noted she was about to say the same thing about Marlena. Marlena told Tamara that she was excited to hear Tamara sing at the wedding, and she was still grateful that Tamara had sung at her wedding to John.

As Xander walked into the town square, he saw Gina standing alone. "If it isn't ex-commissioner Brady. Looking quite fabulous," Xander commented. "And you are?" Gina asked in her best Hope voice. Xander said he knew that Hope did not like him, but he wished she did not pretend he did not exist. "Hope" apologized and blamed her contact lenses for not being able to recognize Xander.

"And me looking so extra handsome. What a shame," Xander commented. Xander asked "Hope" if she had changed her lipstick. "Hope" said she had. Xander explained that he was at the wedding as Sarah's date. "Horton?" "Hope" asked with surprise.

"You don't have to act so surprised that she would be seen on my arm. I'm a pretty great guy once you get to know me, not that you ever talked to me," Xander said quietly. Jack called out to "Hope" and asked what was going on. Xander walked away. Concerned, Jack asked "Hope" what Xander wanted. "Hope" shrugged and asked about John. Jack said he did not know, but he informed "Hope" that Jennifer was helping the bride get ready.

"Love is in the air," Jack said. Jack told "Hope" that he and Jennifer had gotten engaged. "Engaged? Again?" "Hope" asked. "Hope" congratulated Jack. As Jack prattled on about work and Rolf's flash drive, "Hope" probed for details. Jack told "Hope" that Jennifer had found Rolf's flash drive and had held onto it in order to see what experiments Rolf had been undertaking. "Do you think he is up to something nefarious?" "Hope" asked. Jack said IT at the newspaper had been unable to hack the flash drive so far.

At the loft, Rolf talked to Stefano's portrait about Gina's headstrong nature. "If I go after her, she will just do something outrageous to spite me," Rolf reasoned aloud. Rolf said he planned to restore the latest memories of Hope that Gina did not have. "If everything goes according to plan, it will all be worth it in the end," Rolf said. Rolf's phone rang, and he eagerly answered, "Yes, sir?" Rolf glanced over at the portrait of Stefano.

When Lani marched into Julie's room at the hospital, she demanded to know what Gabi was doing. "Somebody is a little high strung today," Julie joked. Lani apologized and asked Julie how she felt. With a big grin, Julie told Lani that Gabi had arranged a livestream of the wedding. "I'm a little surprised to see you here. I thought you would be getting ready by now," Julie said. As Lani glanced over at Gabi, Gabi adjusted the controls on her phone app so that Julie's heart started to race.

As Gabi eased up on the app controls, Julie said she was fine. "What is it you wanted to tell me about?" Julie asked Lani. "I just wanted to tell you that I love you and that I really wish that you could be there," Lani said. Julie said she would practically be there thanks to the livestream. Julie commented on Lani's sad demeanor. Lani said she was fine.

"Doug and I can hardly wait for you to exchange your I do's with Eli," Julie said. Gabi hustled Lani out the door as Julie called after Lani that she loved her. In the hallway, Lani complained to Gabi, "There was no reason for you to turn up Julie's pacemaker." Gabi warned Lani to hold up her end of the bargain, or Julie would be "a dead woman."

"I will do anything if you just let Eli and me get married. Please, just let Julie live," Lani pleaded. When Gabi said no, Lani asked Gabi to let her break up with Eli in private so that he was not humiliated. "Eli will be humiliated. He is collateral damage. Today is about humiliating you," Gabi said. Gabi added that the goal was to make Eli hate Lani. Lani said she understood.

Eli arrived at the hospital after Lani had left, and he visited Julie in her room. Julie said she was waiting for Doug to return. Julie admitted that she was frustrated that she could not leave the hospital. After complimenting Eli's tuxedo, Julie informed Eli that Lani and Gabi had visited. Julie told Eli about the livestream that Gabi had arranged.

After Eli left the hospital, he went to the square and ran into Billy, an old mentor and friend from the FBI. Eli introduced Billy to Abe. "You are about to welcome one of the finest men I know into your family," Billy told Abe. Abe agreed. While Billy took a seat, Eli told Abe he was ready to marry Lani, and he promised to love her for the rest of his life. "The strength and patience and the love that you've shown? I couldn't ask for a better partner for my daughter," Abe said.

When Maggie and Sarah arrived at Jack's hotel room at the Salem Inn, Jennifer showed them her engagement ring. "Can you believe I have not even told Hope yet?" Jennifer said. When Tamara and Lani arrived, Lani admitted that she was not ready for her big day. Maggie told Lani that she would feel fine once she looked down the aisle at Eli and the look of love in his eyes.

After Lani got dressed, the women in the hotel room sighed at the sight of the bride. Tamara gave Lani a necklace from her grandmother. Jennifer told Lani that Hope had the "something new," but Jennifer had not been able to get ahold of Hope. Sarah jumped in and noted that Lani's dress was new. "And you and Eli are about to start a brand-new life together, so I think you're covered," Sarah said.

Jennifer gave Lani a purse that had belonged to Alice as her "something borrowed." In tears, Lani thanked the women in the room. "I really don't deserve this," Lani said. Jennifer told Lani that she was officially a Horton. Maggie stepped forward with a blue item. "Julie and I made this for you from David Abraham's receiving blanket," Maggie said. Overwhelmed, a tearful Lani ran into the bathroom.

Guests started to arrive in the square. "Hope" looked around for John. Suspicious, Xander watched "Hope" wander around, and he told Sarah that "Hope" had been acting strangely when he had spoken with her earlier. Across the square, "Hope" asked Marlena about John. Marlena told "Hope" that John was out of town on business. Marlena excused herself to prepare for the ceremony.

"I have been so worried about you!" Jennifer said as she rushed over to "Hope." When Jennifer asked "Hope" to sit with her and Jack, "Hope" begged off and cited her promise to Julie to sit with her at the hospital. Jennifer told "Hope" that Doug was with Julie. "He got held up," "Hope" lied.

Nearby, Maggie told Sarah how badly she had felt for pushing Lani over the edge with her gift. Sarah assured Maggie that Lani had been plenty nervous on her own. Maggie and Sarah took their seats. Gabi filmed the scene, and when Lani rounded the corner with Abe, Gabi called out, "Say hi to Julie!" At the hospital, Julie swelled with pride at the livestream.

As Abe walked Lani down the aisle, Tamara sang "Ave Maria." Marlena started the ceremony. With a grin, Gabi said, "It's showtime!"