Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of January 11, 2016 on DAYS

Rafe was there for Hope after she shot and killed Stefano. Andre grilled Hope about her meeting with Stefano. Hope decided to confess to Roman that she had killed Dr. Malcolm in self-defense. Nicole could not deal with Daniel's death. Ava told Steve that the baby in the photos was their child. Chad asked Abigail to marry him. Kayla and Ava had it out.

Rafe rushes to Hope's aid

Monday, January 11, 2016

by Mike

At the Horton house, Chad and Abigail awoke when Thomas began fussing. Abigail teasingly pointed out that some of Thomas' drool from the previous night had dried on Chad's shirt, but Chad said he didn't care because he was completely in love with the little guy -- and Abigail. Chad leaned in to kiss Abigail -- just as Jennifer and J.J. returned home.

J.J. was shocked to see Abigail with Chad, and he found it hard to believe that Chad had been hypnotized into dumping her. Chad pointed out that J.J. had lived in Salem long enough to know what Stefano and Andre were capable of doing, and J.J. agreed that he knew that Stefano, Andre, and Chad all lied for a living. Chad insisted that he was no longer "one of them," and he swore that he would never hurt Abigail again. "Until the next time you get hypnotized into acting like a total tool bag," J.J. countered.

Too physically and emotionally drained to continue listening to J.J. and Chad's argument, Jennifer told them to stop then excused herself so she could take a shower and change her clothes. Concerned, Abigail wondered if Jennifer was all right. "Oh, yeah. She's just great," J.J. sarcastically replied as he followed Jennifer out of the living room. Abigail apologized to Chad for what had just happened, and he assured her that he understood why J.J. found it hard to trust him. Abigail suggested that it might be best for Chad to leave for a while, and he agreed but asked her to meet him in the town square -- with Thomas -- later that day.

After Chad left, J.J. rejoined Abigail in the living room and warned her to be careful. J.J. understood why Abigail was desperate to believe in Chad, but he pointed out that he had seen Chad set her up for disappointment too many times in the past. Abigail insisted that Chad wasn't setting her up for disappointment, and she asked J.J. to just let her be happy. J.J. said that was all he had ever wanted for Abigail. "[But] do you remember what Dad used to say? 'Before you lend someone a thousand dollars, lend them five, [and] see how they treat you.' Do that with Chad, okay? Just take it slow," J.J. added.

Nodding, Abigail changed the subject, telling J.J. that she was sorry about what had happened to Daniel. Abigail acknowledged that Daniel had been like a father to J.J. after Jack had died. J.J. nodded and abruptly excused himself, claiming that he wanted to change out of his grungy clothes. Abigail tried to stop J.J., but he shook his head, making it clear that he didn't want to talk anymore.

As J.J. left the room, Jennifer returned and joined Abigail on the couch, wincing in pain. Abigail wondered how Jennifer was doing. Jennifer said she couldn't believe that she was never going to see Daniel again. Abigail thought that Daniel would have found peace in knowing that his heart had gone to his good friend Brady. Nodding, Jennifer hoped that Eric would recover and be able to somehow find that same kind of peace.

Later, Abigail took Thomas to the town square and met with Chad, who informed her that he had arranged for them to have a day to themselves -- with a little help from Doug and Julie, who still considered him the one DiMera they actually didn't have a grudge against. Chad took Abigail and Thomas to his new room at the Martin mansion -- the one place they could go that offered privacy and wasn't tainted with bad memories.

Julie had prepared the room for an indoor picnic, but Thomas was asleep, so Chad and Abigail first shared a dance then made love. Later, while Chad and Abigail were lying in bed together, they agreed that they had each made some pretty stupid choices on their road to happiness with each other. "Let's not do that again," Chad somewhat jokingly suggested.

"We can't do that again," Abigail stressed, reasoning that she and Chad could face anything as long as they stuck together. "Then what are we waiting for?" Chad wondered. Noting that he and Abigail were crazy about their son and each other, Chad suggested that it was time for them to "make it real" -- and he proceeded to ask Abigail to marry him.

In Daniel's apartment, Chloe emerged from Parker's bedroom and found Nicole sitting on the couch in the living room, tightly clutching Daniel's coat. Chloe said that Parker was still sleeping, and she guessed that he still didn't fully understand that he was never going to see his father again. Nicole admitted that she hadn't fully grasped that herself yet; in fact, she was still expecting Daniel to walk into the apartment at any minute and, having spent the night working in the emergency room, head straight to the "menu drawer" in the kitchen so he could order some breakfast from his favorite Thai restaurant.

Nicole went to the menu drawer to search for the Thai menu so she could throw it out. Chloe said there would be time to throw things out later -- but first, she and Nicole needed to plan Daniel's funeral with Maggie and Melanie. "Not a word about a funeral!" Nicole snapped. Unable to locate the Thai menu, Nicole grabbed the whole stack of menus, tossed them on the floor, and knelt down to begin searching through them again.

Chloe gently asked if Nicole would at least agree to help make sure the funeral plans looked right. "You do what you want, okay? It's just a stupid ritual, and it's not gonna bring Daniel back!" Nicole shouted, pounding her fists against the floor in frustration. Nicole finally found the Thai menu and proceeded to shred it before breaking down. Chloe put a hand on Nicole's shoulder to comfort her, but Nicole shrugged it off and told Chloe to leave her alone. Sobbing, Nicole grabbed Daniel's coat and rushed off.

At Club TBD, Philip greeted Belle, who informed him that Eric seemed to be doing better. Philip said he was happy to hear that. Belle wondered how Maggie was doing. "About the same," Philip replied. Shaking her head, Belle admitted that she couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose a child, especially as suddenly as Maggie had.

Philip guessed that John and Marlena were glad to have Belle in Salem at such a difficult time. Grasping Belle's hand, Philip added that he was glad to have Belle around, as well. "Yeah. Having your ex-wife around -- that's gotta make your day," Belle sarcastically replied. "It does...if she lets me help her invest all the DiMera money she got from Sami," Philip said, a bit too loudly for Belle's comfort.

After lowering his voice, Philip stressed that he had been serious about offering to help Belle invest the money. "No strings attached," Philip added. "Philip, with you, there are always strings attached," Belle countered. Philip admitted that seeing Belle again had made him realize how much he had missed having her in his life.

Philip quickly clarified that he wasn't trying to make a play for Belle; he simply enjoyed her company and wanted to be her friend again. "Unless you're...looking for more than friends," Philip added. Belle replied that she didn't know what she was looking for. "Philip. Belle. Just like old times," Chloe mused, making her presence known before Philip could respond to Belle's comment.

At the hospital, Fynn assured Victor that there had not yet been any signs that Brady was rejecting his new heart. Fynn added that, while Brady would always be on an immunosuppressive regimen, he would make a full recovery if things stayed the same. "Oh, believe me, I'll see to it they stay the same," Victor replied.

Victor added that he couldn't thank Fynn enough for saving Brady's life, and he stressed that if Fynn ever needed anything -- anything at all -- he would be happy to help. "Well, it's funny you say that, 'cause there is something I want from you," Fynn revealed. Fynn proceeded to explain that expanding the pediatrics unit could make University Hospital one of the region's leading children's hospitals.

"So? Hire an architect. I'll write a check," Victor replied without hesitation. Fynn assumed that Victor was just agreeing to get the fundraising efforts started with a donation, but Victor clarified that he was agreeing to underwrite the entire project himself. "I only have one condition -- that the new unit would have Daniel's name on it," Victor added. Smiling, Fynn predicted that no one would try to fight that request.

In Eric's room, Kayla assured Marlena, Roman, and John that Eric's treatment seemed to be working. Kayla headed off to order another echocardiogram, and Marlena excused herself after a brief celebration with John and Roman. Marlena went to the chapel and thanked God for hearing her prayers. John soon joined Marlena and held her as she cried, relieved that Eric seemed to be recovering.

Roman took Kayla to a break room and urged her to go home and get some rest. Kayla insisted that she was fine, but Roman wasn't convinced, and he reminded her that she didn't have to act brave and strong around him. Nodding, Kayla began to explain that she had found a note from Daniel in her purse earlier that morning. "[It said,] 'Let's go for a drink when this fashion show's over. I just want to make sure that Steve's a good guy,'" Kayla added before breaking down in Roman's arms.

Eric awoke and found Nicole standing at the foot of his hospital bed. "You killed him. You killed my Daniel," Nicole tearfully stated. Eric said he was sorry and couldn't possibly feel worse about what had happened. "This isn't about what happened; this is about what you did. You were loaded, and you got behind the wheel of a car [after] I told you not to. You killed Daniel! And your sorry isn't gonna bring him back any more than my crying and grieving will," Nicole countered. Eric said he understood, but Nicole insisted that he couldn't truly understand because he had walked away from the accident alive and well.

Eric reiterated that he was sorry. "Like that makes it okay -- all the destruction you caused? I told you to wait for a cab! You knew you shouldn't have been driving! God, Eric, you were a priest! How many confessions did you hear about people who drove drunk and caused accidents? What, do you think you're special?" Nicole countered. As Nicole continued to lash out at Eric, Marlena entered the room and told her to stop. Nicole snapped that Marlena didn't have the right to order her around, and she stormed off after telling Marlena to leave her alone.

Marlena followed Nicole to a break room and said she understood that Nicole was hurting and wanted someone to blame. "Eric is to blame, Marlena!" Nicole pointed out. Marlena reasoned that lashing out at Eric wouldn't make Nicole feel any better, but Nicole countered that Eric needed to know about the lives he had destroyed. Marlena insisted that Eric was already aware of that and was in agony because of it. Marlena added that it was delusional of Nicole to think that reminding Eric of what he had done would solve anything. Marlena urged Nicole to instead focus her energy on comforting Daniel's children.

"You talk a really good game, I will give you that," Nicole observed. Marlena assured Nicole that she wasn't playing games. "Aren't you? Eric's alive, so you're already putting the spin in motion -- his pain, his anguish -- and I'm supposed to find comfort in comforting Daniel's survivors? Well, what about Daniel?! Who's gonna stand up for Daniel?" Nicole angrily countered.

Marlena patiently replied that Daniel wouldn't want Nicole to do what she was doing. "Oh, you don't know! You don't know what he would want! No one does, because he's dead...because Eric killed him, and Melanie and Parker don't have a father because of your son! So how's he gonna live with that, Marlena? How are you gonna live with that?" Nicole snapped before breaking down.

At the DiMera mansion, Rafe burst into the study and found Hope sitting on the floor next to Stefano's bullet-riddled body. "Oh, my God. What have you done?" Rafe asked Hope, who slowly looked up at him and wondered what had happened. After putting Hope in a chair and telling her to stay there, Rafe went to check Stefano's pulse. "He's dead," Rafe announced. "Did I do this?" Hope quietly asked.

Rafe covered Stefano's body then asked Hope to tell him what had happened. "I remember driving over here. Sitting in my car, watching people come in and out of the security gate so I could memorize the code. Then I broke in through the kitchen, and then, somehow, I made my way up here," Hope explained. Rafe got worried when Hope revealed that she had found Stefano with Andre, but she clarified that Stefano had soon sent Andre off to look for Chad. Nodding, Rafe told Hope to continue.

Hope revealed that Stefano had begun taunting her after she had accused him of killing Bo. "It was like my showing up here tonight -- it made his night," Hope mused. Hope said she didn't know what had happened next because she had "started seeing white" at that point. "Oh, my God. I killed Stefano DiMera. I killed him. When Andre and Chad find out, they're gonna kill me -- or worse, they're gonna kill my kids. What am I gonna do, Rafe? What am I gonna do?" Hope asked, beginning to panic.

Rafe promised to help Hope. "I'm gonna take a page out of the DiMera playbook," Rafe added. Hope pointed out that Rafe would be breaking the law if he helped cover her crime, but he told her to let him worry about that. Hope tried to object, insisting that she didn't want Rafe involved. "I am not letting you take the fall for shooting a man that deserved to die," Rafe stressed. Hope wondered what Rafe planned to do with the dead body that had three bullets in it. "Stefano's famous for his vanishing acts. Looks like he's about to pull another one off," Rafe replied with a shrug.

"You were never here," Rafe added, but Hope fearfully reminded him that Andre had seen her. Rafe said that didn't matter because Hope had gone to the DiMera mansion to hash things out with Stefano a million times before and had left him alive and well at the end of each of those previous confrontations. Rafe reasoned that Andre would believe that Hope had again left Stefano alive and well because Andre believed that Hope was a "law-and-order type" who would never drop trash in the street, let alone shoot someone in cold blood.

Rafe was certain that Hope had only resorted to murder because she hadn't been thinking straight lately. Hope rejected Rafe's help, convinced that she was beyond saving, but he insisted that he wasn't going to let her rot in prison because that would devastate her kids. "Don't even think about it, because it's not an option," Rafe stressed. Rocking back and forth in her chair, Hope wondered what kind of person she had turned into. "You're just a woman who was pushed too far," Rafe reasoned. Hope wished that she had listened to Rafe's advice about staying away from Stefano, but Rafe understood that she hadn't been in the right state of mind to heed it.

"You're not thinking clearly. I am, okay? I've had a career of looking at crime scenes, and I have had plenty of run-ins with the DiMeras. I know how they think; I know how the cops operate. I can make them believe what I want to make them believe," Rafe assured Hope. Rafe urged Hope to trust that he would take care of everything, and he added that it was the right thing to do. Hope hesitated for a moment then nodded.

"Let's do it," Hope said.

Andre confronts Chad and Abigail

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

by Spalding

Steve visited Ava at her hotel room to return her envelope of baby photos. As Steve turned to leave, Ava asked him if he wanted to know about the baby in the photos. When Steve asked about the baby, Ava changed her mind. With a groan, Steve insisted that Ava tell him. Steve grabbed the photos and noted that the baby looked like her. Ava said that the baby was hers. Ava explained that the baby had been born before she had arrived in Salem the first time. Shaking his head, Steve asked why she had not mentioned the child sooner. Ava said that her father had drugged her to make her forget her child and believe that the child had been a fantasy.

Ava said she had recently started to remember her past. When Steve asked what had happened, Ava explained that she had fallen in love with a man who had disappeared and that she had suffered a nervous breakdown when she had learned that she had been pregnant. Ava continued that her father had taken away her son. Angry, Steve asked Ava if she was saying that the son was his. Ava nodded yes. Steve grabbed the photos and looked at them again. Ava swore that she was not lying and that she had not intended to tell Steve about his son.

"You know in your heart, he's yours," Ava said. Ava talked about her only memory of holding her son. Steve stared stoically at the wall. When Steve asked about the whereabouts of Ava's son, she started to cry. Ava said she had not been able to find her son. Steve asked Ava what she was hiding. Crying, Ava said that her baby had been sold on the black market. "With the little time I have left, the only thing I want is to find our child. Will you help me find our son?" Ava asked through tears.

At school, Ciara told Theo that she was worried because she had not been able to reach Hope on her cell phone. As Theo nodded, he opened his locker and found a flyer that read, "Riding the short bus." Ciara was outraged. Ciara swore to find the culprit. Theo told Ciara not to bother, but Ciara did not want to back off. Chase walked over and said hello. When Ciara showed Chase the flyer, Chase offered to ask around and see who had put the flyer in Theo's locker. Upset, Theo yelled at Ciara to stay out of his business.

Chase advised Ciara not to fight Theo's battles for him. As Ciara and Chase stood at the lockers, chatting, Claire joined them. Claire complained about her parents' divorce. Claire said she had urged Shawn to give Belle another chance, but Shawn was not interested. With a groan, Claire said she felt responsible. Ciara assured Claire that she was not responsible for her parents' problems. Claire agreed. Ciara urged Claire to concentrate on her singing, and Chase noted that Claire had a beautiful voice. After Claire left, Ciara thanked Chase for his advice and said that she was going to apologize to Theo.

As Theo walked through the town square, he saw Abe and Lani. Abe invited Theo to join them for a trip to Chicago, but Theo declined the invitation. When Abe asked if something was wrong, Theo said no. Abe left to take a phone call, and Lani asked Theo to think of her as a sister. Theo confided in her about his bully. Lani told Theo that he could count on her for help or advice. Lani added that the bully had a problem, not Theo.

Abe returned and informed Lani and Theo that he had the afternoon off. As Abe invited his kids to see a movie, Ciara interrupted and asked to talk to Theo. Theo urged Abe and Lani to go to the movie while he talked to Ciara. Lani told Theo that she would talk to him later then she left with Abe. Ciara apologized for butting into Theo's business. Theo apologized for getting mad at her. Ciara advised Theo to ignore the bully to take away the bully's power. With a smile, Theo said that was his plan. Ciara told Theo she was having a party, and she invited him. With a grin, he accepted the invitation.

In the park, Chase sat on a bench and listened to One Direction on his headphones. Claire stopped and said hello as she was walking by. When Chase asked about her singing event, Claire said that she was headed there. Claire asked what Chase was listening to, and he told her. Excited, Claire noted that One Direction was playing in Chicago soon. Chase said Clair should go see them. Noting the look on Chase's face, Claire asked if Chase was okay. Chase said he felt invisible to "some people." When Claire asked who, Chase said, "Never mind," and walked away.

At their room at the bed and breakfast, Chad asked Abigail to marry him. Abigail was worried that Chad felt obligated to propose because of Thomas, but Chad explained that he wanted to be an official family. "I want to spend the rest of my life, making you smile," Chad added. Fighting tears, Abigail said she wanted to marry Chad but that she did not want to plan a wedding. Abigail explained that she felt guilty about her relationship with Ben. With a smile, Chad offered to plan the wedding. Abigail agreed.

As Abigail and Chad kissed, Andre opened the door and walked into their room. Andre said he had expected to find Chad with Belle. When Andre asked what had happened, Chad explained that he had remembered what was important to him. Chad added that he had proposed to Abigail. Andre nodded. Andre welcomed Abigail to "la famiglia." As Chad turned to face Andre, Abigail begged Chad to remember what Andre had done to him. Chad continued to stare at Andre as Andre repeated the hypnotic phrase.

Protective, Abigail shoved Chad behind her and stood between Chad and Andre. Abigail warned Andre not to bother Chad again. Abigail turned and pleaded with Chad to remember her and their son. Chad looked back at Abigail and said, "I could never forget about you." Chad told Andre that he would never forget what Andre had done and that Andre's plan was over. Chad turned to Abigail and asked her to take Thomas and head home. Abigail was afraid to leave Chad alone with Andre, but Chad promised that Andre could no longer control him. Reluctantly, Abigail went into the bathroom to dress.

"Brainwashing, hypnosis, autosuggestion, any of that ring a bell?" Chad asked. Andre shrugged. Chad explained that he had been able to fight Andre because of the love of Abigail and his son. Abigail returned and gathered up Thomas in her arms. Seething, Andre noted that Abigail was slutty, and Chad was sleazy. Abigail told Chad that she would return if Chad did not meet up with her. Chad assured Abigail that he was fine, and he ushered her out the door.

Once Abigail was gone, Andre asked if Chad had lied about Belle not knowing anything about the DiMera money. Chad said Belle did not know anything. Chad added that he did not want anything to do with Andre or "your father." Chad said that Andre and Stefano were dead to him.

When Andre suggested that Chad reconsider, Chad refused. Chad reminded Andre that the DiMeras had no money or allies. Chad added that Andre deserved his misfortune. When Andre said that Chad was no better than him, Chad said that unlike his father or brother, he wanted to be a better person. Andre warned Chad that he would never be rid of his family. Chad ordered Andre to leave him, Abigail, Thomas, and Belle alone. As Andre stewed, Chad promised that Andre would regret it if he did anything. Andre cackled and left the room.

At the Horton house, Abigail nervously paced her living room, waiting to hear from Chad. There was a knock on the door. Abigail was elated to find Chad on the porch. Chad informed Abigail that their nightmare with the DiMeras was over, and they were free to live their lives together.

At the DiMera mansion, Hope and Rafe rolled Stefano up in a tarp. With the servants off for the day and Andre searching around town for his brother, Hope and Stefano cleaned the crime scene as quickly as possible in the deserted house. Hope appeared to be in a daze, and Rafe repeatedly had to remind her to focus on cleaning the crime scene. Hope suggested that they use the secret passage to carry Stefano's body out of the house.

When Rafe talked about Hope's cover story, Hope noted that Stefano had mentioned that he had planned to leave town. Rafe suggested that Hope's accusation against Stefano about Bo would have been a good motivation for Stefano to have left town earlier than originally planned. When Hope worried aloud that Andre would not buy the story, Rafe assured Hope that there was no evidence for Andre to use against Hope. Hope asked Rafe if he wanted to walk away. Rafe stressed that he wanted to help Hope. With Stefano tucked into his wheelchair in the tarp, Rafe followed Hope into the secret passage, pushing the wheelchair.

Hope and Rafe dumped Stefano's body in an abandoned building that was slated for demolition. "This is exactly where this monster belongs. Buried in garbage," Hope said. Hope and Rafe dumped debris on top of the body. Hope said that she did not regret killing Stefano, but she regretted getting Rafe involved. Rafe said he did not regret helping Hope because he wanted to protect her. As Rafe turned to leave, Hope stopped him to say a few words to Stefano's corpse.

"I can't speak for the multitude of people or their families that you've killed or destroyed. I can only speak for myself, and you have done unspeakable things, Stefano. You tried to destroy me. You tried to destroy my family. You have no heart. You have no soul! You made me your prisoner. You brainwashed me. The last straw was when you took Bo, the love of my life, away from me and his children. Stefano DiMera, you have always managed to come back, rise from the ashes, but not this time. The Phoenix shall rise no more," Hope said.

When Hope returned home with Rafe, she was frantic to learn that neither Ciara nor Chase was home. Rafe advised Hope to keep calm. Rafe said that he was going to use Stefano's credit card to charter a jet for him and then would use Stefano's phone to text Chad and Andre about the trip. Thankful, Hope thanked Rafe for sacrificing everything for her. Rafe handled Stefano's travel arrangements while Hope paced the living room. As Hope started to crack, Rafe asked her if she was able to live with what she had done.

At the DiMera mansion, Andre returned home and found that the library was empty. Andre crossed to the chessboard and noted, "Father would never allow his king to be put in that position."

Eric struggles with his guilt

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

by Mike

At John and Marlena's townhouse, Marlena called the hospital to clear her schedule for the rest of the week and to find out how Eric was doing. After ending the call, Marlena informed John that Eric's latest electrocardiogram had shown improvement.

Marlena nervously wondered how long John thought it would take for the police to press charges against Eric. John admitted that he was surprised that hadn't already happened, and he speculated that Roman might have pulled some strings to delay things. Marlena was concerned because she knew Eric well enough to know that he would be harder on himself than any judge or jury could be -- and he might even will himself into staying sick as a form of punishment.

John handed Marlena a rosary and told her to give it to Eric. John hoped that the rosary, which Father Francis had given him years earlier, would remind Eric that someone powerful was in his corner. Marlena appreciated the gesture and told John that another one of his recent gestures -- his offer to give his heart to Brady -- had made her realize that she didn't want to live without him. "I'm right with you on that one," John assured Marlena as they embraced. Meanwhile, Eduardo arrived to deliver some news to John. Marlena seemed apprehensive but reluctantly agreed to head to the hospital without John so he could talk to Eduardo privately.

Having already heard about Eric and Brady's accident, Eduardo promised that he wouldn't take up much of John's time. Eduardo reported that his trip out of town had been productive, and he had been able to neutralize the threat against John -- at least for the time being. Eduardo added that he had also obtained some information that John had been seeking for a very long time -- the name and phone number of John's mother. As Eduardo handed over the piece of paper that contained the information, he explained that he had bargained for it and was as certain as he could be that it was legitimate.

"These people who put that price on your head -- what they most want you to do is stop investigating Winterthorne. I told them you don't care about their covert training facility; you just want to find your parents. I said if they could facilitate that -- maybe come up with some contact information -- you'd stop asking questions," Eduardo continued. Although Eduardo didn't trust the people in question -- and they likely didn't trust him, either, especially since he had turned his back on them -- he believed that he had bought himself and John some time. "Hopefully enough time for you to figure out what it is you really need to know," Eduardo added.

"I'm not convinced this is real. I've been led down this garden path too many times before," John said. Eduardo still had a feeling that the information could be trusted, but he acknowledged that it was ultimately up to John to decide whether to call the number or not. Nodding, John thanked Eduardo for the information and showed him out. Later, John dialed the number but remained silent when a woman answered the call.

At the hospital, Eric received a visit from Jennifer, who presented him with a bouquet of flowers and apologized for waking him. Eric clarified that he had been praying, not sleeping. Jennifer started to excuse herself, but Eric asked her to stay. Jennifer wondered how Eric was feeling. Eric appreciated Jennifer's concern but insisted that he didn't deserve it, adding that he was the one who should have died in the accident, not Daniel.

Jennifer pointed out that she had also been involved in the accident, but Eric countered that she had lost control of her vehicle through no fault of her own, while he had chosen to drink and drive and would have to live with that for the rest of his life. Roman soon arrived, so Jennifer left after telling Eric that she would be available if he ever needed someone to talk to.

Eric told Roman to take the flowers to the pediatrics unit and give them to someone who deserved some cheer. Roman observed that it seemed like Eric could use some cheer, but Eric insisted that he wasn't going to throw himself a pity party. Eric stressed that he wanted to atone for what he had done -- and he didn't want Roman to feel the least bit bad about having to arrest him.

Roman told Eric not to get ahead of himself. "I'm not gonna slight Daniel's memory by hiding behind presumption of innocence. I deserve to pay for taking a life," Eric asserted. Roman maintained that, for the time being, Eric needed to focus solely on getting better. "[And] when it comes time to deal with this, I will do everything possible --" Roman began to add. "No, Dad! I don't want your favors, because I don't deserve them," Eric protested.

Later, Marlena ran into Roman at the nurses' station and wondered what kind of charges Eric would be facing once he was released from the hospital. "I assume that he'll be charged with vehicular manslaughter," Roman reported with a heavy sigh. Roman apologetically added that the law was the law, and he had to uphold it. "So do I," Justin said as he approached.

Justin sympathized with Roman and Marlena but stressed that he couldn't do anything that would give people the impression that Eric was getting special treatment because he was the police commissioner's son. Roman assured Justin that no one was asking for special treatment -- especially not Eric. Justin took that to mean that Eric understood that he would be facing jail time.

Marlena protested that Eric was still months away from being fully recovered -- and his past service to the community should be enough to mitigate his sentence. "Well, given Daniel's past service to the community, Eric should be prepared for the maximum penalty," Justin gently countered. Marlena acknowledged Eric's mistake but suggested that, since other people had been involved in the accident, it was possible that one of them had been responsible for it, not Eric. "Doc, Eric failed to yield. He was at fault, he is culpable, and he will have to answer for Daniel's death," Roman clarified.

Theresa went to the Kiriakis mansion to offer Maggie her condolences, but Victor soon interrupted and started blaming Theresa for the accident, having found out about the Titan nameplate she had given Brady after the fashion show. "What's the matter, he wasn't making enough money for you?" Victor guessed.

Theresa started to deny the suspicion, but Victor forged ahead. "You were determined to have [Brady] undermine me, but that's not what [he] wanted to do, so he left the gift behind. And then he was afraid you'd think him ungrateful, so he turned the car around," Victor continued. Theresa was horrified when she realized the implication. "That's right -- that's when he got hit. If it wasn't for you, Brady wouldn't be in the hospital, recovering from a heart transplant, and Daniel wouldn't be dead!" Victor spat. As Theresa rushed out of the mansion in tears, Victor loudly added, "And don't come back!"

Maggie tearfully wondered if Victor's tirade had at least made him feel better, since it certainly hadn't made her feel better, and they both knew it wasn't going to change anything. Victor apologized, stressing that he hadn't meant to cause Maggie more pain. Victor invited Maggie to accompany him to the hospital to see Brady, but she declined, explaining that she had already made plans to meet with Nicole later so they could begin making funeral arrangements. Victor offered to take care of that himself, but Maggie again declined. "This may be the last thing I get to do for my son," Maggie sadly explained.

In Daniel's apartment, Nicole found Parker sitting on the couch in the living room, staring sadly at one of his stuffed animals. "My dad fixed Fluffy. Why couldn't anybody fix my dad?" Parker asked Nicole, who hesitantly agreed that Daniel had been really good at fixing others. Nicole added that Daniel had, in fact, given his heart to someone who had needed it, and that meant that he would live on in that person as well as Parker and all the other people he had helped.

Nicole asked for a hug, and as Parker complied, someone knocked on the door. Nicole challenged Parker to predict the type of casserole they were probably about to receive, and he picked meatloaf. When Nicole opened the door, however, she found an empty-handed Melanie standing in the hallway. Parker rushed over to give Melanie a hug.

Later, after Parker showed Chloe all the toys he had gotten for Christmas, she joined Melanie and Nicole in the kitchen and joked that she wasn't sure how she was going to fit all the toys -- and Parker -- in her tiny apartment. Nicole and Melanie assured Chloe that they would help her figure out how to handle that problem. Chloe appreciated the offer but said the packing could wait, since Nicole and Melanie had to head over to the Kiriakis mansion to help Maggie plan the funeral. Nicole sadly mused that she and Daniel had originally been scheduled to pick out the desserts for their wedding reception that day.

Later, at the Kiriakis mansion, Melanie struggled with guilt because she had chosen to move away from Salem the previous summer -- and had missed out on the last months of Daniel's life as a result. Maggie assured Melanie that Daniel had understood and respected that decision. Maggie urged Melanie to stop beating herself up and instead focus on remembering the time she had spent with Daniel.

Nicole soon joined Maggie and Melanie and reported that she had just finished talking to the funeral director. "I told him I didn't care what color satin was on the inside of Daniel's...coffin. Oh, my God, are we really having this conversation right now?" Nicole tearfully added. Maggie assured Nicole that she would call the funeral director back herself later to make sure that he had made that decision for them.

Maggie suggested moving on to the planning of the reception. Nicole wanted a small reception -- family and close friends only -- and Maggie understood but pointed out that Daniel had touched many lives. "We don't want to let people not have the opportunity to --" Maggie began to add. "What, to make you feel better about counting how many people came to pay tribute?" Nicole snapped.

Melanie gently suggested that Nicole had probably jumped to the wrong conclusion. Nicole nodded and apologized to Maggie. "It's just... I just can't grasp the idea of standing there next to Daniel's coffin, trying not to cry, while a thousand people parade by, trying to figure out how to make us feel better. 'I'm so sorry,' and 'only the good die young,' and 'oh, you know what, at least Daniel saved Brady in the end' -- I can't -- I can't -- I can't do it! I can't just stand here, trying to figure out if we should have shrimp cocktail or crab cakes afterward! I can't -- I can't do it! I don't want to be planning a funeral reception right now! I can't do it!" Nicole tearfully insisted.

Between sobs, Nicole again apologized to Maggie. "I know this is hard for you, and I'm not trying to make it any harder, but I cannot do this right now. I'm sorry. I just can't," Nicole reiterated before rushing off. Maggie began sobbing herself, telling Melanie that the whole thing was hard for everyone involved.

Nicole went to Club TBD, where she ran into Fynn, who wondered if she would like some company. Nodding, Nicole tearfully asked Fynn to talk to her about Daniel. "I want to hear about the life he lived before I met him...so I don't have to think about his death, even if it's just for a little while," Nicole explained before breaking down again.

Fynn smiled as he recalled how Daniel had practiced suturing chickens during his residency. "Not live ones," Fynn assured Nicole. Fynn added that Daniel had always pushed him to be a better doctor and a better person, and Nicole agreed that Daniel had made her a better person, too. Fynn assured Nicole that Daniel had been more head-over-heels in love with her than any other woman he had ever seen Daniel with.

Nicole seemed a bit better when she returned to Daniel's apartment later that day, but she quickly surmised that something was wrong with Parker. Chloe explained that Parker had thrown a fit when she had informed him that he would be moving to Chicago to live with her. "He says he wants to stay here in Salem -- with you," Chloe added.

Eve ran into Theresa in the town square and started to apologetically explain that she had missed the fashion show because she had been out of town at that time. Eve soon stopped herself, realizing that Theresa was upset about something. Theresa filled Eve in on the accident and admitted that she felt bad about the way she had treated Daniel in the past, especially since Brady owed his life to Daniel.

Theresa continued that Victor had blamed her for the accident, and she feared that he might use that to cause a rift between her and Brady, who had recently declared his love for her. Eve found that promising and reasoned that Victor was no match for Theresa. Changing the subject, Theresa wondered how things were going between Eve and Justin. "I don't think they are, really. He's nowhere close to being over his ex, and I don't think he ever will be," Eve replied.

Justin called Adrienne and left her a message, explaining that he needed to talk to her about some legal documents that Sonny needed for Club TBD. "And I was wondering if you got the results from your second mammogram. I hope everything's okay," Justin added before ending the call.

Later, Justin ran into Eve in the town square, and they talked until Eduardo eventually interrupted to let her know he was back in town. Eve was happy to hear that because she had plenty of questions to ask Eduardo about the music program. Justin needed to get back to work, so he urged Eve to go ahead and discuss those things with Eduardo. Justin asked if Eve would be free for dinner later, and she confirmed that she would be.

Eduardo was quick to ask, once he was alone with Eve, if things were getting more serious between her and Justin. Eve coyly replied that she would prefer to keep her conversations with Eduardo strictly professional. Eduardo agreed and immediately steered the conversation back to business. Eve soon revealed that she had sung a carol on Christmas Eve -- something she had once believed that she would never be able to do again. Eduardo was sorry that he had missed that because he had always loved hearing Eve sing. Eve dismissively insisted that she had never been "a Streisand," but Eduardo countered that he wouldn't have wanted that, anyway.

Changing the subject, Eve began bragging about her new protg, Claire Brady. "It's nice to see you looking forward to something again," Eduardo observed. "Well, it is nice to have something to look forward to," Eve replied. Eve thanked Eduardo for giving her something to invest in and making her feel useful again. As Eve and Eduardo grasped hands, Kate approached their table.

Eve abruptly excused herself, and after she left, Kate wondered how Eduardo's trip had gone. Eduardo said he couldn't complain because he had spent New Year's Eve in Paris. Changing the subject, Eduardo added that he had heard that the fashion show had been "an epic success," and he wondered if Kate would be willing to tell him about it over dinner. "Maybe," Kate replied. "You're gonna make me work for this, aren't you?" Eduardo guessed. "May-be," Kate confirmed. Nearby, Eve occasionally glanced at Eduardo and Kate while fiddling with her cell phone.

Jennifer found Theresa sitting on a bench in a secluded section of the town square, staring sadly at Brady's Titan nameplate. Jennifer wondered if Theresa was okay, and Theresa confirmed that she was. "Why wouldn't I be? Brady's gonna be fine, [so] I'm the lucky one," Theresa added, acknowledging Jennifer's loss and noting that everyone had loved Daniel. "Not everyone," Jennifer pointed out.

Nodding, Theresa admitted that it was her fault that Daniel was dead because she had put in motion a series of events that had left Brady and Daniel in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jennifer insisted that Theresa wasn't responsible for what had happened, and she urged Theresa to be kind to herself. Jennifer also advised that if Theresa were ever lucky enough to find someone she truly loved, she needed to make sure she didn't waste a single moment of the time she had with that person. Theresa nodded to confirm that she understood, and she broke down after Jennifer left.

Victor entered Brady's hospital room and reported that Fynn had told him that Brady was making excellent progress. "[Fynn] is kicking my ass," Brady tiredly replied, exhausted from the physical therapy he had been pushed to complete earlier. Victor was already looking forward to Brady's discharge, and he explained that he wanted Brady to move back into the mansion because Brady was going to need extensive rehabilitation as well as lots of room for all the necessary equipment. "So, please...come home," Victor concluded. "Wow, you said 'please,'" Brady observed.

Brady pointed out that the mansion was no longer his home. Victor suggested that it was time for him and Brady to bury the hatchet, but Brady guessed that Victor only wanted to help him get his life back on track if Theresa was no longer going to be a part of that life. Victor explained why he blamed Theresa for the accident, and Brady said he would excuse Victor's twisted logic because he knew that Victor was grieving. Brady stressed, however, that Theresa wasn't responsible for what had happened. "If you really need to point the finger, we all know who the person is that's to blame," Brady added.

Alone in his hospital room, Eric sobbed uncontrollably.

Andre confronts Hope

Thursday, January 14, 2016

by Mike

Nicole went to get some groceries, and when she returned to Daniel's apartment, she found that Parker had made a fort in the living room and was holed up inside it, along with some of Daniel's things. Chloe informed Nicole that Parker was still insisting on staying in Salem, where his father was.

Nicole knelt beside Parker and touched his chest as she tried to assure him that his father would always be in his heart, but he shoved her hand away. Switching tactics, Nicole observed that Parker had built an impressive fort, and she predicted that Daniel would have liked it. Nicole started reminiscing about Daniel and got Parker to agree that Daniel had been the type of person who had never been willing to give up during tough times. Nicole suggested that, while she would love to crawl inside a fort of her own and stay there forever, it would be best for her -- and Parker -- to instead try to handle the situation the way Daniel would have.

Nodding, Parker gave Nicole a hug then agreed again when she told him that they needed to be strong for Chloe, who was also sad. When Chloe emerged from Daniel's bedroom a short time later, Parker rushed over and wrapped his arms around her. "Mommy, let's go home," Parker suggested. Holding back tears, Chloe silently thanked Nicole. Later, alone in the apartment, Nicole closed the curtains, disconnected the house phone, turned off her cell phone, and began sobbing as she curled up on the couch.

Theresa went for a walk with Tate, and when they returned home, she was surprised to find Victor standing in the living room. Theresa feared that something might have happened to Brady, but Victor assured her that Brady was mending nicely. Victor explained that he was simply having some of Brady's things sent over to the mansion.

Victor reasoned that it would be much easier for Brady to recover at the mansion, where a full staff would be available to see to his every need. Unconvinced, Theresa guessed that Victor really just wanted her out of Brady's life. "Well, that's an added bonus," Victor agreed. Theresa argued that trying to take Brady away from her and Tate would only cause Brady unnecessary stress -- and make him hate Victor -- but Victor dismissively insisted that Brady would be better off away from the woman who had nearly cost him his life. Theresa denied the accusation and kicked Victor out.

At the hospital, Eric awoke with a start and found Brady standing at the foot of his bed. "Bad dream?" Brady guessed. Eric said that seeing Brady "up and about" was an answer to a lot of prayers. Brady wondered if Eric had been doing a lot of praying recently. Eric muttered that what he had done had been horrible, and he didn't expect to ever receive forgiveness for it.

Brady acknowledged that he could have easily found himself in Eric's situation during one of the times that he had fallen off the wagon. Eric appreciated that but insisted that he didn't deserve Brady's understanding -- or anything else, for that matter. "Well, brother, here's what I know: you are gonna wake up every single day of your life, and you're gonna know what you did, and there's nothing I can say, and there's nothing a judge can say or do, that's gonna make you feel worse than the way in which you're gonna feel when you look in the mirror every single day of your life. So my advice to you is to get used to it," Brady replied.

Brady started to leave, believing that he had shoved Eric's mistake in Eric's face enough for one day, but Eric stopped him. Eric said he had heard that he had been a candidate for Daniel's heart, and he was glad that Brady was the one who had ultimately received it, because he hadn't deserved it -- in fact, if anything, he should have been refused treatment and left to die.

Brady angrily told Eric to stop feeling sorry for himself. "You have a second chance. That's what you've been given. It's a chance that Daniel didn't get. I don't need to remind you what kind of man he was, so you do what's right -- you honor his damn memory, you understand me? Enough with the pity! Let it go. You should feel terrible; you should feel awful. Feel it. But then -- then, my brother -- you get well, and you go out there, and you earn the right to what you've been given," Brady advised.

Conceding that Brady was right, Eric promised to stop pitying himself. "Good. We're done," Brady replied, and as he started to exit the room, he added, "Oh, uh, one more thing -- never drink again." Eric reached for his call button, and when a nurse entered the room, he asked her to make a call for him. A short time later, Father Louis arrived, and Eric explained that he wanted Father Louis to hear his confession.

Eric admitted that he had knowingly driven drunk -- and had caused a lot of pain as a result of that decision. Eric mused that he wasn't the same person who had trusted in God and had often sought guidance from Father Louis. "It's actually like I've been transformed into this selfish, weak-willed excuse for a man without a conscience," Eric added. Father Louis observed that Eric was being awfully hard on himself, but Eric insisted that he needed to be. "I killed a man! I killed my best friend. People's lives were changed -- [or they] were badly injured -- all because of me," Eric reminded Father Louis.

Father Louis understood how Eric was feeling and predicted that Eric was so desperate for redemption that he would eventually find a way to achieve it. Recalling Brady's earlier words, Eric decided that he needed to take advantage of the second chance he had been given. "If I can prevent even one person from making the same mindless mistake that I did, I might be able to forgive myself," Eric added.

Theresa took Tate to see Brady, who started to warn her about Victor but soon realized that she had already talked to him. Brady groggily assured Theresa that he didn't blame her for the accident -- and that Daniel never would have played the blame game, either. Brady soon fell asleep, and as Theresa quietly left the room with Tate, Brady began having a dream about Nicole, who was bathed in white light and smiling at him.

At the police station, Rafe locked himself in one of the conference rooms and sent a text message to Andre from Stefano's cell phone -- "Chartered flight to Paris. I cannot stay in Salem. Hope Brady has figured out what I did! Do NOT follow me!" Meanwhile, Lani knocked on the door and wondered why it was locked. Rafe quickly emerged from the room and explained that he had locked it out of habit.

Lani curiously observed that Rafe suddenly seemed less gung-ho about proving Hope's innocence -- almost as if he had figured out that she really was guilty of killing Malcolm, and he had subsequently shifted his focus to protecting her from the consequences. Rafe started to go off on Lani for accusing him of breaking the law, but she clarified that she had simply been telling him what his behavior was starting to look like.

Rafe stressed that Hope hadn't killed Malcolm. Nodding, Lani apologized and started to walk away, but Rafe stopped her and offered an apology of his own, explaining that he was simply exhausted. Lani understood and said she had just felt obligated to ask if something had indeed changed. Lani observed that Rafe was obviously convinced that Hope was innocent. "It seems weird, though -- it never even crossed your mind that she could commit a murder," Lani mused before leaving.

Someone knocked on Hope's front door, waking her from a nightmare she had been having about her confrontation with Stefano. When Hope opened the door, Andre showed her the text message he had just received from Stefano. Andre demanded to know where Stefano was, and Hope coolly replied that, according to the text message, Stefano was on his way to Paris. Andre wondered what Stefano had meant when he had said that Hope had figured out what he had done. Hope told Andre to ask Stefano. "I'm asking you," Andre snapped as he barged into the house.

Hope explained that she had figured out that Stefano had been responsible for Bo's kidnapping -- and, consequently, Bo's death. Hope added that Stefano had also been responsible for her daughter's kidnapping and had framed her for Seth Malcolm's murder. "Hmm. My goodness. My father was certainly a busy man," Andre mused with a slight chuckle. Knowing that Hope was no longer a member of the police force, Andre wondered why no one from the Salem Police Department had accompanied her to the DiMera mansion to arrest Stefano. "Because what I know and what I can prove aren't always the same," Hope replied.

"So, my father fled the country because you were suspicious and, for the umpteenth time, [had] accused him of something you couldn't prove? I don't think so!" Andre countered. Andre was certain that there was more to the story, and he vowed to get to the bottom of it -- and find Stefano. "Good luck with that. And when you do find him, be sure to ask him what he was thinking when he went after my husband, would you? I never did get that out of him. He was defiant right up to the --" Hope started to say before stopping herself. "To the end?" Andre guessed.

"Yes. To the end...of our conversation. When I left, he was still claiming he had no idea what I was talking about. But then, he is a DiMera...like you," Hope replied before slamming the door in Andre's face and covering her mouth with her hands, struggling to maintain her composure. Hope contacted Rafe, who soon arrived to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. Rafe admitted that he was more concerned about Malcolm's murder, since Hope had killed the person they had planned to pin it on. "Right. I guess it's time. I have to plead guilty," Hope realized.

Andre returned to the DiMera mansion and began making phone calls, trying to find out if Stefano had actually been aboard the plane he had chartered. Between calls, Andre mused that it was odd that Stefano hadn't used his private jet. Andre was eventually able to determine the name of the company that owned the plane in question, but no one at the company was willing to confirm or deny that Stefano had boarded it.

Hope confesses to Dr. Malcolm's murder

Friday, January 15, 2016

by ChickenGrrl

Kayla entered the living room of the house she shared with Steve and announced that she had to go to Washington, DC, that night to appear before the National Donor Organization because she'd given Daniel's heart to Brady without consulting the organization first. Kayla noticed that Steve seemed distracted. He admitted that Ava had claimed that the baby pictures she'd dropped had been of his son with her. Kayla was incredulous that Ava would make up such a ridiculous story, unless she had an ulterior motive.

"She told me she wants to see her son once before she dies -- and she expects me to find him," Steve admitted. Steve repeated Ava's story about how her dad had sold the baby on the black market as soon as it had been born. Steve told a very skeptical Kayla that he hadn't given Ava an answer one way or the other about whether he would look for their son. Kayla angrily reminded Steve that when they'd learned about Ava's illness, they had forgiven her -- but Kayla was starting to feel like that story had just been bait, and she was worried that Steve was falling for it.

Steve reasoned that it wouldn't be difficult for him to prove Ava had given birth, and if the child had really been sold on the black market, the child could be living a terrible life and paying for Ava's insanity. Steve added that he didn't think he could live with that, even if he weren't the boy's father. "Kayla, you know I know what it's like to have a rotten childhood," Steve pointed out. Kayla countered that Ava knew that, as well -- and that the story would push Steve's buttons.

Exasperated, Kayla continued that there might not even be a child, and the whole story could be the beginning of a wild goose chase. Steve said the only way to find out was to locate the boy and do a DNA test. Kayla had to leave for the hospital to check on Eric and Brady before her flight to Washington, but she urged Steve not to do anything before she got back. Steve promised that he would only try to verify whether Ava had had a baby -- and he and Kayla would figure things out together. After Kayla left, Steve stared at the picture he'd gotten from Ava.

Joey showed up at Ava's and demanded to know why she hadn't replied to his text messages. Ava reminded Joey that they shouldn't have much contact any longer. "Are you dumping me?" Joey asked. Ava said gently, "Joey, I can't dump you. We're not a couple." She reassured Joey that she thought he was a great guy but maintained that they were just friends. Joey declared that it was killing him not to see Ava because he was in love with her.

Still trying to treat Joey as gently as possible, Ava said he was too young to know what love was. Joey asserted that he loved Ava because she was beautiful and sweet, and she had helped him get through the period after boarding school when he'd thought he'd hated both of his parents. Joey added that he didn't care about their age difference; he just wanted to be with Ava. Ava professed that she couldn't be with anyone because she was dying of leukemia, and she didn't have long to live. A stunned Joey told Ava how sorry he was.

"Maybe now you'll understand why I was so anxious to get your parents back together," Ava said softly. She added that she was really glad she and Joey had gotten to know each other, because he had been a true friend. Stroking Joey's face with both hands, Ava quietly encouraged him, "You have to get over this crush on me." Joey declared that he didn't want to. He grabbed Ava and kissed her passionately.

Ava quickly pulled away. "Joey, honey, you've got to let me go," she urged him, although she contradicted her words by keeping her hands on his face. She added that she had to face her future alone and didn't want Joey to have to watch her go through what lay ahead of her. Joey insisted that he wanted to be there for Ava. "Damn it, Joey, there is nothing you can do!" Ava snapped. She marched over to the door and told him to leave and not return.

As Ava opened the door, Kayla was poised on the other side to knock. "What are you doing here?" Kayla demanded of Joey, then aimed her anger at Ava: "What the hell are you doing with my son?" Joey tried to invent a cover story, but Ava interrupted to tell Kayla, "Joey and I know each other because we worked together to help get you and Steve reconciled." Kayla ordered Joey to go home. As soon as he had left, Kayla spat, "You stay the hell away from my son!"

Kayla recounted how she and Steve had forgiven Ava for all of the horrifying things Ava had done to the Johnsons, but Ava had been colluding with Joey to set Steve and Kayla up. "When Steve finds out that I caught you here alone with Joey, he isn't going to lift one finger for you to help you find your fictional son!" a furious Kayla predicted. She vowed to do everything in her power to keep Ava from ever hurting Kayla or her family again -- and to make sure Ava spent the rest of her days rotting in prison.

As Kayla stormed out, an angry Ava impulsively grabbed a huge candlestick and used it to conk Kayla over the head. She grabbed an unconscious Kayla by the arms and dragged her back into Ava's room, muttering, "You're as big a pain in the ass as you ever were!"

At the Horton house, Abigail announced to her mom and brother that she and Chad were getting married. "Are you nuts?" J.J. demanded. He and Jennifer didn't understand why Abigail would trust Chad after the way he'd treated her. Abigail pointed out that she'd known after Chad had rejected her that something had been wrong, and she'd been right -- and all of that was in the past. "Chad and I love each other, and we want to spend the rest of our lives together. I don't know why you guys can't be happy for me," Abigail said, thrown by her family's unenthusiastic reaction.

Jennifer said she wanted to believe that Chad was a good man. Abigail insisted that she wouldn't be marrying Chad if he weren't a good man. "Isn't that the exact same thing you said about Ben?" J.J. asked. Abigail bristled, maintaining that she had suspected that something had been off about Ben, but she hadn't listened to her instincts. Abigail couldn't believe it when J.J. threw her affair with E.J. in her face. She declared firmly that she was marrying Chad -- on Valentine's Day at St. Luke's, since there had been a last-minute cancellation at the church.

Taken aback, Jennifer informed Abigail, "That was the day that Daniel and Nicole were supposed to get married at St. Luke's." Abigail clearly hadn't known that and said they would change the date, but she and Chad were still getting married -- and she would like to have her family there, especially since Chad wanted nothing to do with his family after what they'd done to him.

Abigail tried to keep from crying as she pulled on her coat and gather up her things and Thomas' stroller to leave. Jennifer and J.J. assured Abigail that all they wanted was for her to be happy. Abigail maintained that she was happy, and her family's judgment of her hurt. She paused on her way out the front door and fought back sobs as she told Jennifer and J.J. that she wanted both of them to be at her wedding, but if they couldn't be, she still intended to marry Chad.

In the DiMera study, Andre was ordering someone on the phone to find out whether Stefano had really gone to Paris. When Chad entered, Andre wanted to know if he'd heard from Stefano. Chad had only gotten a text message from his father, the same one that Andre had received. Chad didn't share Andre's worry about their father after what the two of them had done to him. Andre insisted that had been done for the sake of la famiglia.

Chad chuckled, asserting that Abigail had broken the family's spell on him. Andre cynically noted that the DiMera men weren't capable of lasting love, and he didn't think it was in the cards for Chad and Abigail, either. Chad calmly said he couldn't care less what Andre thought, and he never wanted to see Stefano or Andre again. Looking around the room fondly, Chad admitted, "I am going to miss this place, though. They just don't build 'em like this anymore."

As Chad was leaving, Andre stopped him to voice his suspicions that Stefano hadn't really left the country. Andre explained that an enraged Hope had been there the night before, demanding to see Stefano, who had then sent Andre off to find Chad. Andre suspected that Hope had done something to Stefano because she believed he'd had something to do with Bo's death. "Hope's a cop, and not one who would ever go rogue," Chad pointed out, concluding that Stefano really had fled town because he was guilty of what Hope had accused him of.

"If Father did do something to Bo Brady...well, then he deserves whatever he gets," Chad asserted. Wrinkling his nose curiously as he studied his brother's face, Andre pronounced that Chad had no compassion. "No. None. Not for you. Not for him. For the last time, leave me the hell alone," Chad declared as he left the room.

Andre had gone when Chad returned to the study a little later. Looking around the room again, Chad muttered, "Nice house. It's just full of bad memories." As Chad picked up a chess piece and rolled it between his fingers, his eyes fell on a figurine on the desk. He picked the little statue up and inspected it closely. "Is that blood?" Chad asked with a bit of alarm when he noticed a splotch of red on the back of the figurine.

Later, Abigail carried Thomas into Club TBD to meet Chad, whose face lit up when he saw them. Chad said he'd moved out of the mansion, and even though he'd gotten some grief from Andre, Stefano had left town the previous night. When Steve entered, he was excited to see Abigail with his grandnephew. Beaming, Abigail proudly introduced Steve to Thomas and Chad. Steve eagerly took Thomas and held him.

"I think I see my brother Jack in that face," Steve said as he gazed lovingly down at the infant. "I'm really sorry that he's not here to meet his first grandbaby. He'd be making lousy jokes about how he's too young to be a grandpa," Steve said. He promised to do his best to fill in for Jack and for Thomas' dad. Abigail revealed that Chad, not Ben, was Thomas' father.

Joey was crying in front of the fireplace a little later when Steve returned home. Joey confessed that Ava had helped him get Steve and Kayla back together. Steve was livid, believing Ava had put Joey up to it, but Joey insisted that Ava had been really nice to him. "I can't believe she's dying! Dad, what am I going to do without her?" Joey cried miserably.

As Chad and Abigail sat at a table, Abigail admitted that she still wanted to get married in February, even if her family didn't attend. Chad pointed out that Abigail would hate that -- as would he, because he wanted her family to see how much he loved her. "I'll do my best to convince them that I would never hurt you. You think your mother and J.J. are still at home?" Chad asked. Abigail cautioned him that he shouldn't expect a warm reception. Chad leaned into the stroller to say goodbye to Thomas and kissed Abigail before heading out.

Jennifer answered the door when Chad arrived at the Horton house, and she reluctantly let Chad inside. "I came to tell you that I love your daughter more than anything. I'd really like to spend the rest of my life trying to make her happy. I promise you I will never, ever hurt her," Chad assured Jennifer. Jennifer warned Chad that he would have to back up his words with actions. While Jennifer was dressing Chad down, she suddenly grabbed her lower back and grimaced in pain. "I need to go sit down for a minute," she said weakly, but as she headed toward the living room, she collapsed. Chad caught her before she could fall.

At the Brady house, despite Rafe's misgivings, Hope was determined to confess to killing Seth Malcolm in self-defense to keep the police from looking for Stefano so she wouldn't go to prison for murdering Stefano. Rafe pointed out that Hope had given up the option to claim self-defense when she'd been arrested. Hope suggested that she could maintain she'd pleaded not guilty because she'd been so traumatized after Malcolm had attacked her that she'd blocked out the shooting -- which was what had actually happened after she'd shot Stefano.

After working the details and logic out aloud, Rafe agreed that Hope's plan could work. An anxious Hope asked if Rafe really thought it would work. "I think you have to be a hundred percent sure that you want to do this, 'cause once you confess to murder, there is no going back," Rafe pointed out. Hope paced around the room as she fretted about what she was doing, but she concluded that she would do anything to protect a fragile Ciara.

Rafe agreed that might keep the police department from looking for Stefano. Hope apprehensively pointed out that Andre would be watching her every move because he already suspected that Stefano really hadn't left town of his own volition. Rafe admitted that he was more worried about Hope convincing Roman, who was a good cop, that her confession was the truth -- but Rafe had faith that she could do it.

After Rafe called the police station, Hope seemed to doubt her ability to pull off her lie, but Rafe was confident that she could do it. "I hate that I've gotten you involved in this, Rafe," she added. "I'm right where I want to be," Rafe assured her. Hope admitted that she didn't know what she would do without Rafe to back her up. Hope took one last look around before they left for the station.

Rafe and Hope arrived at the police station just as Roman was exiting his office. After they talked about Eric's condition, Roman asked Hope why she was there. "I need to come clean. I am here to confess to killing Doctor Seth Malcolm," Hope admitted.