Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of February 22, 2016 on DAYS

Summer told Brady she might be Daniel's sister. Ava tried to frame Kayla for attempted murder. Joey murdered Ava in a fit of rage, and Steve took the blame. Belle's surprise didn't please Claire. Ciara struggled to deal with her rape. Caroline had a vision of Deimos and Dr. Malcolm. Hope told Roman the truth about Stefano's murder. A mysterious call turned Hope's life into chaos.

Chase confesses to Andre

Monday, February 22, 2016

by Mike

In Malibu, Brady pulled Summer out of the ocean and carried her back to the beach, where he was surprised to find Nicole waiting for him. Brady lowered Summer to the ground and turned her onto her side as Nicole knelt beside him. Summer coughed up some water then began to push Brady away before losing consciousness. Concerned, Brady picked Summer back up and carried her to his hotel suite, with Nicole in tow.

Brady placed Summer on a couch and told Nicole to fetch some towels. Meanwhile, Summer regained consciousness and demanded to know who Brady was -- and how he knew her name. Brady said he would answer Summer's questions only after she told him why she had decided to walk into the ocean. "I felt like a swim," Summer replied after a moment of hesitation.

"Really? With your clothes on?" Brady asked skeptically. Nicole suggested calling the nearest hospital, but Summer said that wouldn't be necessary because she was fine. "What happened was an accident. I had too much to drink," Summer explained, adding that she had intended to just get her feet wet but had lost her balance when a wave had crashed into her.

Brady objected that the water had been calm the whole time. "Are you suggesting that I wanted to off myself? 'Cause you're wrong," Summer insisted. After thanking Brady for his help, Summer started to leave, and when Brady tried to stop her, he began having chest pains. Nicole helped Brady over to the couch as Summer wondered what was wrong with him. Nicole testily explained that Brady had just had a heart transplant and was in no condition to be rescuing women from the ocean and carrying them all the way back to his hotel room.

Nicole wanted to call 9-1-1, and Summer also thought that was a good idea, but Brady had experienced similar symptoms before and was certain that he would be fine if he just rested for a moment. Nicole wasn't convinced, so Brady handed her his cell phone and told her to get reassurance from the local cardiologist that Fynn had put him in touch with. Taken aback, Summer wondered if Brady was talking about an Australian doctor named Fynn Thompson. Brady confirmed the suspicion and asked Summer to tell him how she knew Fynn.

Dodging the question, Summer demanded to know if Brady had traveled to Malibu specifically to find her. As Nicole began talking to the cardiologist on the phone, Brady explained to Summer that he lived in Salem and had been one of Daniel Jonas' good friends. Summer confirmed that she had known Daniel and Fynn back when they had lived in Malibu. "Daniel and I were good friends. Then...stuff happened. Daniel ended up leaving town. Haven't seen him since. I miss him," Summer added.

Summer wondered how Daniel was doing. Brady exchanged a look with Nicole, who had just ended her call after receiving the assurances she had wanted from the cardiologist. Before Brady could give Summer the bad news about Daniel, someone knocked on the hotel room door. Nicole opened it and found Theresa standing in the hallway. "What the hell are you doing in L.A.? And why are you in Brady's hotel room?" Theresa asked Nicole.

At Edge of the Square, Steve ordered a vodka on the rocks and told the bartender he wanted frequent refills. "You look like hell," Hope observed as she joined Steve at the bar. Steve was surprised to see that Hope, on the other hand, looked just as good as usual, despite everything she had been through lately. "Good concealer," Hope explained.

Steve told Hope about everything that had happened with Ava. "I feel like the scum of the earth," Steve admitted. "Yeah, well, you were dealing with the scum of the earth. People like that...well, they make us do unspeakable things," Hope reasoned. Steve was certain that Hope wouldn't have done what he had done if she had been in his shoes, but she assured him that she might have actually done something much worse. Hope warned Steve that it would be best for him to tell Joey about what had happened right away -- before Joey found out the same way Kayla had.

Joey was lounging on the couch when Steve returned home later that day. After calling out for Kayla and receiving no response, Steve pulled an earbud out of Joey's left ear, prompting him to sit up and irritably demand to know what Steve wanted. "There's something you need to know...and you need to hear it from me," Steve explained.

Joey was disgusted to learn that Steve had slept with Ava. "I hate what I did," Steve stressed. "But you still did the deed," Joey angrily countered. Nodding, Steve admitted that he didn't expect Joey and Kayla to ever forgive him for what he had done. Steve added, however, that he hoped they would one day understand why he had done it.

In a secluded section of the town square, Ava took a seat next to Kayla and began taunting her about what had happened with Steve. Kayla angrily slapped Ava when Ava tried to pass off what she and Steve had done as lovemaking. Kayla contacted Roman and left him an urgent message as Ava continued that she had tried to fight Steve off at first but had eventually given in because she had never been able to resist him for long.

Kayla said that Ava could go ahead and drop the innocent act because Steve had already explained that he had been forced to have sex with her, but Ava just laughed and wondered if Kayla had really bought that story, even after seeing the video that seemed to contradict it. Ava suggested that Steve had simply lied to Kayla in an effort to make her feel better about what had happened. "The only thing that's gonna make me feel better is having my bare hands around your scrawny little neck," Kayla replied through gritted teeth.

Ava reasoned that Kayla was just upset because she had put her faith in Steve again and had lost -- again. "Mm-hmm. And blackmailing guys into having sex with you -- that's winning?" Kayla asked incredulously. Ava maintained that the sex had been spontaneous and consensual, prompting Kayla to skeptically guess that, through sheer luck, Ava had just happened to catch it all on video. Ava claimed that Steve had really liked the idea of making a sex tape. "He hates your guts," Kayla argued. "No, he [just] thinks he hates me because he wants me so much, and he knows he's supposed to want you [instead]," Ava countered.

Meanwhile, Kayla's cell phone rang. Kayla answered the call and informed Roman that she was in the town square with Ava. "And I suggest you get over here as soon as you can, before I kill this bitch," Kayla added before hanging up. Ava sarcastically conceded that it would probably be wise for her to leave before "big, bad Roman" arrived, but Kayla grabbed her and warned that if she tried to run, Roman would just hunt her down. Unconcerned, Ava countered that she would just hire an expensive lawyer and beat every charge that was thrown at her.

"When you and Patch go at it, does he tell you to keep your eyes open so you can see how much he loves it?" Ava asked, prompting Kayla to angrily punch her. Smiling, Ava recovered and joked that Steve had always "liked it rough," too. As Kayla lunged forward, shouting that she was going to kill Ava, Roman and J.J. arrived and intervened.

Kayla explained that, in an effort to make her look bad, Ava had been purposely antagonistic in the moments leading up to Roman and J.J.'s arrival. "I was never gonna hurt her," Kayla stressed, but Ava expressed skepticism and ordered Roman to make Kayla pay for trying to kill her. Roman told Ava that she would need a corroborating witness because he hadn't seen enough to make an arrest, and J.J. agreed. Ava complained that she was being set up. "No, this is not a setup. You know what a setup is? It's when you knock out an innocent person, lock 'em up, and leave 'em to die," Roman countered.

Ava started to respond, but Roman advised that it would be best for her to keep her mouth shut because she was already in enough trouble. "What kind of trouble?" Ava wondered. Roman summarized that he would first book Ava then throw the book at her. Ava glanced at Kayla and wondered if she really wanted things to play out that way. "[Because] I actually can't wait for this case to go to court. You know that video of Patch and me having sex? Yeah, Joey's gonna have to see that. And it'll probably go viral. This whole town is gonna know that your husband cheated on you with me," Ava pointed out.

Roman advised Kayla to ignore Ava's threats. Kayla assured Roman that she was thinking only about what she wanted -- which was for Ava to go far away from her and her family. Despite Roman's objections, Kayla offered Ava a deal: move to the other side of the world and never set foot in Salem again, or face trial for kidnapping. Roman helpfully pointed out that kidnapping was a federal offense, but Ava laughed off the warning, insisting that the charge would never stick. "With Kayla as [the] star witness and your little video you're so proud of as the motive? Oh, yeah. Yeah, [it will]," Roman confidently replied.

"What time does my plane leave?" Ava asked after a moment of hesitation. "As soon as possible," Kayla replied. Although Roman thought that Ava was getting off too easily, he told J.J. to escort her back to her hotel room, watch her pack her things, and make sure she boarded the next flight out of Salem.

Theo took Ciara back to the Horton house and tried again to get her to open up to him, sensing that something bad had happened. "It was Chase. Chase did something to you!" Theo guessed, but Ciara turned on some music to drown him out. Declaring that she wanted a margarita, Ciara started looking for the key to Jennifer's liquor cabinet. Theo said he didn't want to drink, and he warned that someone could return home at any moment and catch Ciara. Unconcerned, Ciara reasoned that everyone in Salem already knew that she had never been a good girl -- and she was going to be eighteen in a couple weeks, anyway.

As Ciara retrieved a couple bottles of liquor from the cabinet, Theo pointed out that she had never shown an interest in drinking before. "What happened today?" Theo demanded to know. Ciara insisted that nothing had happened, but Theo protested that he knew her well enough to be able to tell when she was really upset. "Maybe when we were kids, but we're not kids anymore -- at least, I'm not," Ciara countered. Ciara turned away from Theo, planning to head to the kitchen to look for some lime juice, and when Theo grabbed her arm to stop her, she recoiled and dropped the liquor bottles while warning him not to touch her or tell her what to do.

"What is going on here?" Hope wondered as she entered the house. Theo tried to claim that the bottles had gotten broken when Ciara had tried to stop him from drinking, but she admitted that he was lying to protect her. "I suspected that," Hope said. Ciara started to argue that it wasn't like she had been planning to get behind the wheel of a car afterward, but Hope shushed her and asked Theo for some privacy.

After Theo left, Ciara wondered how much trouble she was in. "That depends on your definition of 'trouble,'" Hope replied, adding that, while she wasn't going to punish Ciara, she was worried about Ciara because it was obvious that the ordeals of the past few months had taken a toll on her. Hope advised that Ciara needed to deal with her pain head-on because numbing it with alcohol or drugs would only provide a temporary reprieve. Nodding, Ciara fought back tears as she accepted a hug from Hope.

Hope wondered if Chase was upstairs. "I don't know where he is," Ciara tersely replied, prompting Hope to guess that Ciara really didn't like living with Chase. Ciara admitted that she simply didn't understand why his real family couldn't take care of him. Hope explained that she had once spoken to Chase's aunt, and the woman apparently didn't want to have anything to do with him. Hope wondered what had caused Ciara to change her mind about wanting Chase around. "His dad tried to kill you, Mom! I thought that I could live with that, but I can't. And he's never gonna be like a brother to me -- not ever," Ciara insisted.

Hope knew that if Chase had heard those words, they would have decimated him. "But your feelings are your feelings," Hope acknowledged. Hope advised, however, that Ciara needed to find a way to work things out with Chase. Certain that it was possible for everyone to coexist peacefully, Hope went upstairs to search for Chase after assuring Ciara that everything was going to be okay. Unable to avoid looking at the couch that Chase had pinned her down on, Ciara soon rushed out of the house.

Andre returned to his room at the Salem Inn and found Chase waiting for him there. Andre explained that he had been in police custody earlier, prompting Chase to wonder why. "Because Salem is a police state, and I'm a DiMera," Andre testily replied. "Sucks to be you, huh?" Chase mused, but Andre wasn't willing to go that far. Andre noted, however, that Chase understood what it was like to be wrongfully accused. "Or is that something that doesn't bother you?" Andre asked.

"Not if I did what they said I did," Chase replied. Andre was confused at first, but Chase continued talking, admitting that, as difficult as it was for him to believe, he actually wished his father were still alive at that moment. Andre wondered what Chase would like to tell Aiden. "That I don't get it," Chase answered. Chase explained that Ciara had acted "into it" at first. Recalling the advice that Andre had given him earlier about women feigning disinterest in order to coax men into taking control of the situation, Chase added that he had listened to that advice, and that had apparently been a mistake, because Ciara had soon started telling him to stop.

"Well, that's just the way they play the game," Andre reasoned. "No, it was real. She meant it. But before long, I couldn't -- I couldn't even hear. I didn't stop. God, I didn't even want to stop," Chase explained, prompting Andre to realize with a chuckle that Chase and "little Ciara" had done what kids their age liked to refer to as "[going] all the way." Chase said it didn't matter what kids his age liked to call it; all that mattered was that Ciara hadn't wanted to. "I'm like one of those creeps that you see on TV," Chase realized.

Andre tried to protest, but Chase maintained that he was a monster, just like his father had been. "You don't fit the bill. A true monster is someone -- he or she does things, and then they try to get away with it. A true monster is someone who invents a cover story and then pins the blame on someone else. They [paint] themselves as being the pillar of the community. Someone like Hope Brady, who sits in judgment of anyone and everyone. I mean, I suppose her daughter's just like her. I mean, they just have this perfect veneer that covers the rot inside," Andre mused with disgust.

Chase argued that Hope and Ciara had been nothing but good to him. "Ciara is the greatest girl that I've ever met. And look what I did to her. I hurt her so bad, and there's no way I can ever make that go away," Chase added. Andre said he understood what it was like to long for forgiveness. Chase insisted that Ciara was never going to forgive him. "I mean, look what I did to her. I raped her," Chase muttered. Andre protested that Chase was in love with Ciara, but Chase said that didn't change anything.

Andre advised that Chase needed to learn how to forgive himself and move on. "That's one of the hardest lessons I've ever had to learn," Andre mused. Chase didn't think he would ever be able to do that, but Andre assured him that the guilt would subside in time. "But no matter what happens, I promise that I will, um...protect you. Well...as long as I can, anyway," Andre added. Chase protested that Andre couldn't just take off and abandon him. Andre clarified that, while he didn't want to abandon Chase, he might soon be forced to leave the country for a while.

Andre promised to find a safe place for Chase to stay -- a place where no one would be able to find him. Confused, Chase wondered what that meant. "Depending on what Ciara says to the authorities, they may come after you for what you've done. You have to be prepared for that," Andre warned.

Summer explains her connection to Daniel

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

by Spalding

At the hotel, J.J. escorted Ava to her room so that she could pack and leave town. Ava flirted with J.J., but he was not interested. Ava asked for privacy so that she could shower. After checking the room and the exits, J.J. agreed to wait in the hallway. Once she was alone, Ava removed the needle and vial of medication from her desk. Ava looked at her phone and saw a text from Steve reading, "U R a dead woman." Furious, Ava threw her phone across the room. Suspicious, J.J. opened the hotel room door to check on Ava.

Ava lied and said that she had knocked over a lamp. Suspicious, J.J. said they were leaving for the airport immediately. With a smile, Ava grabbed her bag and said she was ready. Ava asked J.J. for help with her suitcase, but he refused. With a grin, Ava noted that she could use her heavy suitcase as a weapon. With a smirk, J.J. turned to pick up the bag. Seizing the opportunity, Ava struck J.J. over the head with her purse, knocking him to the ground. Ava kicked J.J. then ran out the door. J.J. struggled to his feet and chased after Ava.

In the park, Kayla told Roman that she was willing to settle for Ava leaving town rather than press charges against Ava. Kayla was anxious to remove Ava from her life.

At the Salem police precinct, Rafe informed Shawn that a body had been found at the site that Andre had named. Rafe asked Shawn to gather the forensics team and report to the building site to examine the body. Rafe explained that the body was likely Stefano. Excited, Shawn left. Roman and Kayla arrived and overheard the tail end of the conversation. When Roman asked for details, Rafe said that he believed the body was Stefano. Rafe noted that forensics would confirm the identity of the body soon enough.

At the Horton house, Hope was concerned about Ciara, who appeared pale. Ciara insisted that she was fine. Hope informed Ciara that Chase had slipped out of the house again. Worried, Hope called Chase's cell phone. Ciara thought about when Chase had raped her, and she shook her head to forget the memory. When Hope asked Ciara if she knew where Chase had gone, Ciara sullenly said she did not care. Hope told Ciara that they would talk once Chase returned home.

Hope informed Ciara that the cops had released Andre. When Hope added that they needed to find Chase, Ciara said that Chase had done them a favor in leaving. Concerned, Hope said she understood that Chase was not making matters any easier for Ciara.

"That's the understatement of the year. You have no idea," Ciara said. After Ciara headed upstairs, Rafe stopped by to tell Hope the good news about the body at the building site. Hope told Rafe about Chase, and Rafe agreed to track him down. When Hope asked about Roman, Rafe said that he would never learn the truth. Hope was worried. Hope added that she was not sure that she could put Stefano's murder behind her.

Rafe urged Hope to keep calm while he handled everything. Hope wondered aloud if she should send Chase to Chicago to stay with his aunt, since he had no interest in staying at the house. With a sigh, Hope second-guessed her decision and wondered aloud if Chase would feel like Hope was rejecting him if she sent him away. Rafe warned Hope not to feel guilty. Shaking her head, Hope said she worried about Chase because she still saw him as a little boy.

In the underground bunker of the DiMera mansion, Andre escorted Chase to a small room to hide out. Andre told Chase that he saw a kindred spirit in him. While Andre listened, Chase called Hope and told her that he was not going to return to the Horton house. Chase explained that he was going to live with his aunt in Chicago. Hope asked Chase to return home to talk first, but Chase declined. Chase told Hope not to worry about him because he was a burden. As Chase hung up the phone, Andre smiled broadly at him.

Andre congratulated Chase on how he had handled Hope. Chase noted that Hope had sounded sad then he wondered aloud how Hope would sound if she knew what he had done to Ciara. Shaking his head, Andre told Chase that Hope and Ciara were not Chase's friends. Andre stressed that he was Chase's friend. With a nod, Andre told Chase that he needed to handle some errands and that Chase would be fine on his own.

Once alone, Chase paced around the small bunker room and thought about what he had done to Ciara. Chase winced in shame.

At the Horton house, Hope told Rafe that she thought Chase believed he had to leave the house. Hope did not want Chase to move. Hope went upstairs to check on Ciara, and upset, Ciara pretended to be asleep. Hope pulled a blanket up over her daughter. When Hope returned downstairs, Rafe informed Hope that Shawn had positively identified the body on the site as Stefano and that he had been shot three times in the chest.

In their home, Steve and Joey talked about how Ava had forced Steve to sleep with her in order to free Kayla. Joey was upset. Steve asked Joey if he was upset about how Steve had hurt Kayla or whether he was instead jealous. Joey shook his head in frustration. Joey said he was upset that Ava had manipulated him but that he was angry about how Steve had hurt his mother. Yelling, Joey exclaimed that he wished he was dead then he stormed out of the house.

Steve chased his son to the town square, pleading with him to talk. Concerned over Joey's suicidal comment, Steve asked Joey to yell at him. Frustrated, Joey yelled and shoved his father over and over. Breaking down in tears, Joey fell into his father's arms. Steve hugged his son tightly. Once Joey stopped weeping, Steve pulled away and told Joey to hate him as much as he wanted. Steve asked Joey not to show his hatred in front of Kayla. As Joey nodded, Steve asked Joey to talk in private, and Joey walked with him to the park.

While sitting on the bench, Steve told Joey that he hated himself for sleeping with Ava. Steve said that he had a pattern of making mistakes and hurting his loved ones. With a groan, Steve said he should have sent Ava away when she had first returned to Salem. Steve promised Joey that he would spend his life attempting to make up for the pain he had caused Joey and Kayla. Steve added that he would not give up, even if Joey never wanted to forgive him.

Steve promised he would never stop loving Kayla and Joey. With a nod, Joey said he would think about what Steve had said. Steve said he would meet up with Joey at the house if Joey wanted to talk later. Steve said he hoped Kayla would be there. Joey asked Steve to give Kayla some space then he left.

At the police station, Kayla talked to Roman about how Ava had manipulated her son. Kayla was concerned that Ava would continue to hurt her family. Roman assured Kayla that Ava would leave town soon enough. Roman hugged his sister goodbye, and Kayla left. As Roman turned toward his desk, J.J. ran into the precinct and informed Roman that Ava had hit him over the head and escaped. Furious, Roman said he would handle the A.P.B. on Ava. Roman ordered J.J. to arrest Andre. In the town square, J.J. caught up with Andre and cornered him with Shawn's help. Shawn arrested Andre and read him his rights. Andre sighed in annoyance.

At the Horton house, Rafe informed Hope that Andre had been arrested. Hope stared at the wall, without emotion. Rafe encouraged Hope to breathe easy, and he left for the station. Hope sighed with worry.

When Kayla returned to her house, she found the front door was ajar. Kayla cautiously opened the door and called out her son's name. On the floor was an unconscious Ava.

In California, Theresa was surprised to find Brady, Nicole, and Summer in Brady's hotel room. When Theresa asked what was going on, Brady asked Theresa why she was in California. Crying, Theresa said she was worried about Brady because she had not been able to reach him. Theresa asked Brady if Summer was the woman from his dream. Summer was unnerved, and she demanded answers. Brady explained that Daniel had not spoken about Summer but that he had dreamed about her. Summer accused Brady of stalking her.

Upset, Summer said she was "weirded out," and she walked away. Brady chased after her and asked her to hear him out. Shaking her head, Summer said she was not interested. As Brady ran after Summer, Nicole pleaded with Brady not to push himself any harder. Nicole turned and found an angry Theresa staring daggers at her. Theresa asked why Nicole had lied to her about her travel plans.

Nicole said she had not wanted Theresa to get upset. When Theresa accused Nicole of pursuing Brady, Nicole explained that she had found a file on Summer in Daniel's office. Nicole added that Summer had been in a mental institution. With a growl, Nicole argued that Summer had been important to Daniel and that meant that Summer was important to Nicole. Nodding, Theresa asked Nicole if Daniel had ever mentioned Summer. Nicole shook her head no. When Theresa asked what had happened, Nicole told Theresa that Brady had rescued Summer from a suicide attempt at the beach.

Furious, Theresa demanded to know why Nicole had not stopped Brady from jumping in the ocean. Nicole said she had not been able to stop Brady. Nicole added that she had called the doctor, who had assured Nicole that Brady was fine. Upset, Theresa argued that a diagnosis over the phone was irresponsible. Theresa ran out in search of Brady.

On the beach, Brady asked Summer if she would let him explain. Summer nodded. With a smile, Summer asked Brady to buy her a drink. Brady and Summer walked to the bar, and Dario greeted them warmly. Brady explained that he and Dario knew each other from Salem. Summer asked Brady about his dreams and why Brady had not asked Daniel. With a sigh, Brady informed Summer that Daniel had died in a car accident and that the doctors had given Daniel's heart to Brady.

"He's gone. I hadn't seen him in ages, but we've always kept in touch," Summer said sadly. Brady explained that after the operation, he had started to have strange dreams about Summer at the beach. Brady said he believed that Daniel's spirit had guided him to her. With tears in her eyes, Summer smiled. Summer reached out and touched Brady on the chest over his heart. Sniffling, Summer pulled her hand away.

Brady asked Summer why Daniel would have wanted him to find her. "He had this theory. He thought that he and I, we were brother and sister," Summer said.

Ava accuses Kayla of attempting to kill her

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

by ChickenGrrl

Joey entered Horton Square, seething about his dad having sex with Ava, which had ruined not only Joey's relationship with her but maybe Steve and Kayla's marriage, as well. Unable to contain his rage any longer, Joey threw a chair and left the square for the park. He plopped onto a bench and tried to listen to some music, but he became exasperated when it wouldn't work, and he banged it against the bench's arm.

A girl showed up just then and commiserated with Joey because, apparently, they were both having bad days. She introduced herself as Jade and told Joey they went to school together. Jade fiddled with Joey's phone for a moment and quickly fixed the problem. The two discussed which classes they'd had together and how much they both were ready to leave Salem High. Jade invited Joey to go to a party with her, pointing out that going out could cheer him up after a bad day. Joey accepted her invitation.

In L.A., Nicole stopped Theresa from fleeing the hotel room in search of Brady. Nicole asserted that Brady needed to know what Daniel's connection to Summer was. Theresa wasn't interested in the secrets of "some random stranger," especially since Brady had nearly died rescuing said stranger. Theresa charged off to find Brady, but Nicole dragged her back into the room by the arm. Nicole told Theresa that the cardiologist had assured her that Brady's heart could handle overexertion as long as it wasn't an ongoing thing.

Crying angry and worried tears, Theresa demanded to know why Brady had gone into the Pacific Ocean to save "some lunatic." Nicole reminded Theresa that neither of them would expect Brady to do anything else. Becoming hysterical, Theresa sobbed that she and Tate couldn't lose Brady. Nicole held Theresa and let her cry. After Theresa had calmed down, Nicole said she was going to take a shower, and then the two of them could try to find Brady together. Nicole noted musingly that in all the years she'd known Daniel, he'd never mentioned Summer's name.

When Nicole got out of the shower, Theresa said she'd gotten a text message from Brady, who was at a bar in Malibu with Summer. Theresa said something snarky about Summer, but Nicole warned her to reign in her insecurity and jealousy. Annoyed but determined, Theresa declared that she was going to the bar to fetch Brady and take him back to Salem.

At the beach bar, Brady was having a hard time grasping the idea that Daniel and Summer could have been siblings. Brady wondered how Summer and Daniel had met. Summer related the story of meeting Daniel on the beach right after she'd gotten out of the mental institution, shortly after his wife had died. Summer clarified that there had been nothing romantic between her and Daniel. She continued that Daniel hadn't really liked L.A., so he'd moved to Salem -- and it had broken Summer's heart to lose her best friend. Brady sympathized, because Daniel had also been his best friend.

An emotional Summer said Daniel had always helped calm her when she'd forgotten to take her medication. She added that Daniel's help and caring had saved her life. "He saved mine, too," Brady said softly. Brady asked Summer when Daniel had begun to suspect she was his sister. Summer said it had been two or three years after Daniel had moved to Salem. When Brady asked more questions, Summer jumped up and challenged him to a game of darts.

While Summer was beating Brady, Dario asked if they needed anything. Summer ordered a coffee, since she had taken her medication. Brady asked why Daniel had thought he and Summer were related. Summer said that she'd always known she'd been adopted because she'd been in a church-run orphanage. She'd learned through a church deacon that her mother had lived on a farm in the Midwest and had had "some kind of condition" that had kept her from taking care of Summer. When Daniel had found his birth mother, Summer had told him what she'd known about hers. Daniel said his mother, Maggie, had once lived on a farm outside of Salem.

Daniel had sent Summer a DNA swab kit, though he'd warned her not to get her hopes up. Summer had finally gotten around to taking the test and returning it to Daniel just before Christmas, but Daniel's accident had happened shortly thereafter. Dario returned and dropped off Summer's coffee and some nachos, because he remembered that she needed to eat when she took her medication. Brady still couldn't believe that he'd begun to dream about Summer right after Daniel's death, and after meeting Summer, it had seemed as if he'd been having Daniel's dreams -- and they seemed to have been telling him to return with her to Salem to complete the DNA test and meet Maggie.

Summer pointed out that Brady had given her a lot to process -- and after telling her that her best friend was dead, he'd asked her to fly across the country with someone she'd never met before. Brady described Salem, as well as his family, but he admitted that, ever since the accident, he'd been trying to figure out who he was and what he wanted. Summer understood that well, since her family had abandoned her, and she'd spent most of her life feeling like she didn't fit in.

Brady pointed out that going to Salem could be a new start for Summer if it turned out that Maggie was her mother, because Summer would be with people who cared about her. Summer admitted that sounded exciting and scary, but she was worried what would happen if Daniel's theory had been wrong. Brady didn't think he would have had the dreams about Summer if Daniel hadn't been positive. Summer fretted that once Maggie learned what a mess Summer was, she wouldn't be able to stand Summer. Brady assured her that Maggie was very welcoming and understanding, just like Daniel.

Theresa and Nicole arrived just then. Nicole was surprised when she saw Dario behind the bar, so she stopped to chat with him while Theresa went to Brady and Summer's table. Nicole admitted that she didn't know how long they were staying in L.A., so Dario suggested she return to the bar later that night.

Theresa tried to be pleasant when she suggested that it was time to check out of the hotel and return to Salem -- but Brady wanted to know if Summer would return with them. Firmly insisting that her life was too complicated, Summer refused. A pleased Theresa smiled to herself.

At Steve and Kayla's house, Kayla knelt over an unconscious Ava and delicately removed the needle from Ava's arm. Steve arrived just then, and an irritated Kayla informed him that Ava had gotten into the house and injected herself with a full vial of morphine. After checking to see if Ava were breathing, Steve smacked her on the face to try to get her to wake up. Kayla called an ambulance but warned Steve that there wasn't much they could do if Ava stopped breathing -- and Ava might not survive at all.

Steve couldn't believe that Ava was unhinged enough to inject herself with morphine in his and Kayla's house. Steve reassured Kayla that it would be the last time they would have to deal with Ava, but Kayla pointed out, "As long as she has a heartbeat, she is always going to try to wreck our family." Wondering aloud, Kayla demanded to know how Ava had even gotten in.

Steve informed Kayla that he hadn't wanted Joey to hear Ava's "sick version" of what had happened between her and Steve, so Steve had told Joey the truth first. Afterwards, Joey had left because he'd needed to think. A livid Kayla declared, "It's our fault for ever letting that crazy bitch back into our lives." When Kayla checked on Ava again, Steve said, "Let her die." Kayla argued that she was a doctor and couldn't just let Ava die.

When the paramedics arrived, Kayla gave Ava's syringe and vial to them. Kayla called Roman to let him know what was going on, and he promised to meet them at the hospital as soon as possible. After Kayla hung up, Steve noted that Ava hadn't really intended to commit suicide. "She had an agenda," he theorized, and Kayla agreed. She suspected that Ava's drug screening would reveal just enough to look bad but not enough to kill Ava. Steve cautioned, "She's planning something else. We need to figure out what it is."

When Steve and Kayla got to the hospital, Fynn asked if they thought Ava was having another mental "episode." Kayla admitted she didn't have a clue. After Fynn left to check on Ava, Steve asked Kayla to tell him again what had happened at the square with Ava. Kayla described her conversation with Ava -- and how Ava had provoked Kayla into attacking her. "That's exactly what she wanted you to do," Steve concluded.

Ava awakened while Fynn was examining her. Ava seemed fuzzy about where she was, but Fynn urged her to rest while he ran some tests. Fynn left Ava's room and informed Steve and Kayla that Ava had regained consciousness. Fynn added that he would send Kayla a copy of Ava's test results. Steve was champing at the bit to confront Ava, but Kayla ordered him to stay away from Ava. "Leave it to me," Kayla said as she stomped into Ava's room.

Roman arrived and asked if Steve had any idea why Ava would have wanted to overdose in Steve and Kayla's living room. "To get our attention? But I think it's more than that," Steve said. He told Roman that Kayla was in with Ava, who'd regained consciousness. "[She's] probably cooking up her next scheme," Steve guessed. Roman expressed his displeasure with the way Steve had hurt Kayla. Although Steve apologized, Roman declared, "When all this is over, I hope she kicks your ass right out the door."

After Fynn updated Roman about Ava's condition, Roman asserted, "You know, attempted suicide is not generally the kind of crime we prosecute, but with that little piece of crazy in there, I could make an exception."

Steve and Roman observed Kayla and Ava through Ava's window, while Kayla leaned over Ava's bed and hissed, "Cut the crap! What kind of game are you playing?" Although Ava weakly maintained that she wasn't playing games, Kayla warned her, "It stops now." Looking out the window at Steve and Roman, Ava said, "That's where you're wrong...sweetness. Gotcha." Ava suddenly became frantic and screamed for help. Roman rushed in immediately, and an agitated Ava claimed breathlessly, "She's trying to kill me!"

Joey finds out about Ava's latest scheme

Thursday, February 25, 2016

by Mike

Philip went to the Salem Inn to beg Deimos to help him get back at Victor for disowning him. To prove that he could be trusted, Philip handed over the formula for the serum that had been used on Caroline.

Deimos suspected that Philip had been in possession of the formula all along. Philip apologized for stringing Deimos along for months, acknowledging that he had been wrong to show loyalty to Victor, who had shown him none in return. Philip revealed with a chuckle that Victor had actually expected him to spy on Deimos in order to gain forgiveness for his betrayal.

"Maybe that's exactly what you're doing right now," Deimos guessed. Philip denied the accusation, stressing that he knew better than to cross Deimos -- and he resented Victor for asking him to do so, since Victor knew, perhaps better than anyone else, just how dangerous Deimos was. "If I'm so dangerous, why do you want to work with me?" Deimos wondered.

Philip explained that he preferred being on the winning side of things -- and that was going to be Deimos' side, especially if Deimos allowed Philip to help him. Deimos pointed out that, with the formula for the serum in hand, he no longer had any need for Philip, but Philip argued that he could still be useful to Deimos because he knew Victor much better than Deimos did. "That's my offer. Take it or leave it," Philip concluded before showing himself out. Deimos immediately contacted someone and ordered the person to keep an eye on Philip.

At Edge of the Square, Belle dodged Victor's attempt to figure out why she really wanted to buy the club, arguing that her personal motives weren't relevant to the business transaction. "Well, your personal motives wouldn't happen to involve my son, would they?" Victor wondered, suspecting that the recent "falling out" between him and Philip might have prompted Philip to ask Belle to go after something that belonged to Victor.

Belle denied the suspicion and stressed, to Victor's delight, that she was no longer involved with Philip. "[But] if things are that bad between you and Philip, I'm wondering why you care," Belle added. Victor remained silent, so Belle forged ahead, assuring Victor that Philip loved him very much. Victor countered that Philip had betrayed him in the most egregious way possible, and he would probably never be able to forgive that betrayal.

Changing the subject, Belle wondered if Victor was going to sell the club to her. Victor said he would first need proof that Belle could afford the purchase. "I'll pay you cash. How's that?" Belle asked, adding that she had recently acquired a large sum of money and wished to invest it in her family's future. Intrigued, Victor said he had heard that Stefano had recently lost a lot of money -- and that Sami might have been involved. Victor asked if Belle's windfall was somehow related to that rumor. Dodging the question, Belle wondered if that would be a deal-breaker. "Of course not. If anything, it sweetens the deal," Victor replied with a chuckle.

Victor left after congratulating Belle on the purchase of her new club. Belle excitedly contacted Claire and asked her to head over to Edge of the Square right away. "I have a huge surprise for you," Belle added before ending the call. When Claire arrived a short time later, Belle offered to get her a drink -- on the house. Claire jokingly asked for a gin and tonic. "And what do you mean, 'on the house'?" Claire added.

Belle explained that she would soon own the club, prompting Claire to wonder why Belle had purchased it. "It's for you!" Belle announced, explaining that she wanted to provide Claire with a venue in which to sing, as a show of support for Claire's passion. Claire hesitantly replied that she could tell that Belle was trying to do a nice thing for her. "[But] if you think you need to buy me a place to perform, then I guess you don't have any confidence that I can do it on my own," Claire added. Belle insisted that she was simply trying to make things easier for Claire, but Claire suspected that Belle was instead trying to buy back her love and trust.

"You know what, Claire, I'm trying my best, but it just seems like there's nothing I can do to make you happy," Belle defensively countered. Claire protested that the purchase of the club hadn't really been about her; it had been about Belle trying to reassure herself that she was a good mother while also washing away the guilt she felt for ruining their family. Hurt, Belle walked away after stressing that she loved Claire and was sorry that Claire seemed to be completely oblivious to that fact.

Later, while Belle was sitting in the town square, Philip approached and wondered if she was okay. Belle claimed that she was, but Philip could tell that she was lying. Belle acknowledged that it would be unfair of her to cry on Philip's shoulder after having recently asked him for some space, but he knew she had only done that out of concern for Claire. Philip guessed that something had happened between Belle and Claire, and Belle admitted that he was right. "I just feel like there's nothing I can do to make her understand how much I love her. Or maybe she just doesn't care," Belle mused.

Philip told Belle to try to remember what it meant to be a teenager, but Belle protested that she had adored her mother when she had been Claire's age. Belle wished she could be more like Marlena, but Philip said he liked Belle just the way she was. "Don't ever forget how special you are, okay?" Philip advised Belle, who responded with a kiss then pulled away and apologized for sending him mixed signals. Belle maintained that she needed to stay away from Philip for Claire's sake, but Philip reasoned that it might be best for Belle to stop lying to Claire -- and to herself. "You want me just as much as I want you," Philip guessed.

Belle and Philip were soon back at the Kiriakis mansion, crawling into bed together. Philip paused and wondered if Belle was sure about what they were preparing to do. Belle said she wasn't, prompting Philip to stress that he could wait as long as she needed him to -- because, after all, he had already been crushing on her since preschool. Belle kissed Philip and told him she didn't want to wait. As Philip gazed at Belle, he declared that they were both right where they belonged.

At Edge of the Square, Lani joined Paul at the bar, introduced herself as a police officer, and threatened to arrest him. "Marlins fan here. The last time you tossed a no-hitter, my car windshield was shattered by a disgruntled fan, and I hold you responsible," Lani explained. Chuckling, Paul offered to buy Lani a drink as restitution, but she was more interested in getting him to autograph a baseball for her younger brother, who knew all of Paul's stats. Having only met one kid who knew that much about his career, Paul wondered if Lani's brother was Theo Carver, and she confirmed the suspicion.

Paul said that Theo was a great kid, and Lani agreed. Lani added that she had planned on drafting Theo into her fantasy league, but he had been pretty distracted lately. Paul wondered what was causing the distraction. "The same thing that gets most guys his age -- a girl," Lani replied. Paul laughed awkwardly but let the comment slide, assuring Lani that if things didn't work out between Theo and his crush, he would probably just move on to a different girl within a week's time. Lani clarified that Theo was autistic and had a tendency to obsess about things. Lani vowed that if anyone ever tried to mess with Theo, she would make them regret it.

At the hospital, Ava insisted that she wanted to press charges against Kayla and have her thrown in jail for attempted murder. Kayla lunged forward, angrily declaring that Ava was a lying psychopath, but Roman intervened and dragged Kayla out of the room, with Steve in tow. Roman soon returned to Ava's room and wondered why she had gone to the Johnson house after giving J.J. the slip earlier. Ava claimed that she had wanted to see Steve, adding that she wasn't just going to forget about him -- and he wasn't going to forget about her, either. "Oh, I bet he won't," Roman agreed.

Ava insisted that Kayla was jealous of that connection and wouldn't be satisfied until Ava was dead. Roman argued that Kayla wouldn't have called 9-1-1 if she had wanted Ava dead, but Ava reasoned that Kayla had only done that because Steve had interrupted her attempt to kill Ava. Laughing, Roman told Ava that he didn't believe a word of her story -- and no one else was going to believe it, either.

Ava reminded Roman that she had been in police custody earlier -- and had therefore not had access to drugs. "But your sister, on the other hand? She is a doctor," Ava added. Roman observed that Ava seemed to have an answer for everything. Ava maintained that she was telling the truth, and she warned that if Roman wasn't going to take her seriously, she would have no qualms about going over his head and finding someone who would.

Steve took Kayla home then offered to pack a bag and leave. Kayla told Steve that, while it was going to take some time for her to get past what he had done, she would feel better if he stayed with her, since Ava was still a threat. "But that doesn't mean that I'm gonna touch you," Kayla added, recoiling when Steve tried to take her hand in his. Kayla told Steve he could sleep on the couch, and she retreated to their bedroom after gathering some pillows and blankets for him.

At the Horton house, Ciara awoke with a start after a nightmare about Chase. Hope rushed into the living room and assured Ciara that there was no longer anything for her to be afraid of, since Andre had been arrested earlier. "Mom, that's not who I'm afraid of," Ciara blurted out, but she shut down when Hope asked for more details.

Assuming that Ciara had been referring to her kidnappers, Hope stressed that they, too, were no longer a threat. "We don't have to look over our shoulders anymore. We can get rid of the guards," Hope added. Hope said she was sorry for everything that had happened lately, but Ciara insisted that none of it had been Hope's fault. Ciara assured Hope that she was fine and that she had simply had a bad dream.

Hope went to the kitchen to make Ciara some hot chocolate. While Hope was gone, Ciara received a text message from Theo, who wanted to know if she was okay. Ciara put her cell phone away without sending Theo a response. A short time later, Hope returned with the hot chocolate, but she soon rushed back to the kitchen to get some cookies and ice cream for herself and Ciara. Meanwhile, Ciara received another text message, this one from Claire, who wanted Ciara to accompany her to a party. Ciara quickly accepted the invitation.

When Hope returned with the snacks, Ciara explained that she had just been invited to a party. Concerned about what had happened earlier, Hope made Ciara promise that she wouldn't drink at the party -- and that she would leave it immediately if other people started drinking. Claire soon arrived to give Ciara a lift to the party, and when Hope asked for more information about the party, Claire was quick to explain that Ciara's longtime friend, Nancy Green, was having a birthday party at her place -- and her parents would be there the whole time. "Music to my ears," Hope said with a smile.

Outside, Claire said she was glad that Ciara had agreed to join her. Claire added that she had just had a huge fight with her mother. "Sorry. And sorry you're stuck being D.D., 'cause I'm gonna get trashed," Ciara replied. When Ciara and Claire arrived at the party a short time later, Ciara was disturbed to realize that the venue was the abandoned warehouse in which she had been held captive a few months earlier. Ciara complained that she hated the place because it was dark and creepy, prompting Claire to ask if she wanted to leave. "No, it's okay. I'll just -- I'll deal with it. Hey, face your fear, right?" Ciara hesitantly replied.

Theo went to the Horton house in search of Ciara, and Hope informed him that Ciara had gone to a party for Nancy Green, who was celebrating a birthday that night. "Oh. I didn't know that," Theo muttered. Hope guessed that Theo had tried to contact Ciara before deciding to pay her a visit, and Theo confirmed that he had -- and that Ciara hadn't responded. Realizing that Theo was worried, Hope wondered if something was going on with Ciara that she needed to know about. "Ciara's fine. She told me so," Theo replied before showing himself out.

A short time later, Theo ran into some of his classmates in the town square and wondered if any of them knew where Nancy Green's house was. Knowing why Theo was asking, one of the teens clarified that the party was being held at a warehouse near the pier, not at Nancy's house. The young man encouraged Theo to attend the party, but Theo declined, explaining that he was simply trying to find Ciara. "She's probably there. I mean, everyone is," the young man replied. As Theo followed his classmates out of the town square, Chase watched from a nearby hiding place, having grown tired of waiting for Andre to return to their makeshift safe house.

At the party, Jade assumed that Joey was drowning his sorrows because some pretty little cheerleader had broken his heart, but he clarified that he had actually been infatuated with a much older woman. "That was, like, the biggest mistake of my life," Joey admitted, explaining that the woman was insane and had used him to try to ruin his parents' marriage. "I've never hated anyone as much as I hate her," Joey added.

Later, Joey dropped a bottle of beer while dancing with Jade. "Damn it!" Joey snapped as he knelt to pick up the broken glass, cutting himself in the process. Jade pulled Joey aside so she could tend to his wound, and as she began to wrap a towel around his hand, he looked at her and saw Ava staring back at him. Joey pulled away from Jade, who protested that she wanted to help him. "You can't! Nobody can," Joey shouted before rushing off. Nearby, Claire and Ciara watched as Jade chased after Joey.

Theo soon approached Claire and Ciara. Claire apologized for failing to invite Theo to the party, explaining that she hadn't expected it to be his type of scene. "It's not," Theo confirmed. Claire offered to get Theo a drink, so he asked for a soda. After Claire left, Theo told Ciara that he had heard she would be at the party. Theo wondered why Ciara had been ignoring his text messages recently. Ciara explained that she was simply tired of Theo asking if she was okay. "You know, it kind of gets boring," Ciara added as she danced around Theo.

Theo apologized for boring Ciara, who stressed that he was never a bore. Ciara reiterated, however, that Theo's questions were getting boring. "I'll remember that," Theo replied. Changing the subject, Ciara encouraged Theo to dance with her, but he declined, insisting that he wasn't a good dancer. "Liar. Fine -- don't dance, don't drink, don't have fun. You might as well just go home!" Ciara said before dancing her way over to another group of teens. Chase lurked in the shadows near the exit, watching Ciara.

Claire soon rejoined Ciara and wondered what had happened to Theo. Ciara reported that Theo hadn't been in the mood to party. Claire kept turning away from Ciara while talking to her, prompting Ciara to wonder who Claire was looking for. "I was hoping Chase might be here," Claire explained, adding that she was worried about Chase because he was out on his own somewhere. Claire thought it would be nice if Chase stumbled upon the party, since it would provide him with food, drinks, and a warm place to stay for a while. "If he shows up, I'm leaving," Ciara insisted.

Claire wondered why Ciara wanted to avoid Chase. Ciara claimed that she was upset with Chase because his sudden disappearance had left Hope really worried, but Claire pointed out that Chase's return would solve that problem. Ciara insisted that she didn't want Chase to return, prompting Claire to again wonder why. "Because I hate him!" Ciara loudly replied, unaware that Chase was within earshot.

As Claire began to ask Ciara to explain why she hated Chase, a fight broke out nearby. The young man Theo had talked to in the town square angrily warned another young man to never look at him "that way" again. "What? I wasn't," the accused teen protested. "You were, you fag!" the first teen countered before taking a swing at the other one. As Theo tried to intervene, everyone else rushed off, fearing that the cops would soon show up. Chase followed Ciara and Claire back to the Horton house and lurked near a window, watching as they lounged in the living room.

While passing through the town square, the young man who had been the victim of homophobia during the party bumped into Paul, who took one look at him and immediately realized that something was wrong. "Talk to me. Please? Whatever it is, I can help," Paul assured the teen.

Joey returned home and, after peeking through a window and seeing Steve awake in the living room, popped a few mints in his mouth and shoved his injured hand in his jacket pocket before entering. "What are you doing here? Thought Mom kicked you out on your ass," Joey asked Steve, who explained everything that had happened with Ava earlier. "I hate her so much," Joey spat when he learned what Ava had done. Steve assured Joey that everything was going to be fine. "How? None of us are ever gonna be fine again. Don't you see that? 'Cause no matter what we do, Ava always wins! I'm tired of letting her control our lives!" Joey angrily replied.

Later, Joey went to the hospital and pulled a fire alarm when no one was looking. Ava's guard turned his back for a moment to find out what floor the fire was on, not wanting to risk evacuating Ava unless he had to. Joey seized the opportunity to sneak into Ava's room, and she groggily whispered a greeting as he closed the door behind him. "You bitch. God, I hate you...more than I can say. You used me to get my parents back together, just so you could tear them apart. Why can't you leave us the hell alone?" Joey spat.

"There's only one way to get rid of you," Joey numbly added as he approached the machine that was monitoring Ava's vital signs. As Ava started to protest, Joey turned off the machine, grabbed a pillow, and pressed it against her face, holding it firmly in place as she struggled and released muffled cries for help.

Steve takes the blame for Ava's murder

Friday, February 26, 2016

by ChickenGrrl

Caroline was on the phone outside Horton Square on her way home. As she hung up, Caroline dropped her phone, and Deimos appeared from out of nowhere to pick it up. Caroline immediately recognized him, but Deimos pretended he didn't know who she was. "The hell you don't," Caroline said sternly. She added that she knew Deimos had done a lot of research before he'd shown up in Salem.

Trying to be charming, Deimos said, "I can see why my brother was so infatuated with you all those years." An irked Caroline ordered Deimos to stay away from Victor and from her. As she took her phone back from Deimos, their hands touched -- and Caroline had a vision of Deimos shaking hands with Dr. Seth Malcolm. Overcome, Caroline fainted, and Deimos caught her before she fell.

Caroline was bewildered when she awakened in Deimos' hotel room a little later. Deimos explained that Caroline had fainted, so he'd taken him to his room to make sure she was all right. He offered Caroline some water and tried to put a cool compress on her forehead, but Caroline refused. "I just want to you to tell me how you know Doctor Seth Malcolm, the monster who almost tortured my son Bo to death," Caroline demanded.

Deimos claimed he'd never met or even heard of Seth Malcolm before. "You sure about that?" Caroline asked, explaining that she'd seen Deimos and Dr. Malcolm together. Deimos marveled that Caroline's visions were actually true. He asked her to tell him about them, but she demanded that he free her. Chortling, Deimos pointed out that he wasn't holding Caroline prisoner. When Caroline rose from the bed, she lost her balance momentarily, but she managed to make it to the door and depart.

Later, Deimos opened a drawer and removed a disposable cell phone from behind it. He unlocked it and read, then deleted, three text messages from Dr. Malcolm: "Can you talk?" followed by "Call me" and "Let's touch base re: the information."

At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor was dismayed when Maggie informed him that Caroline had moved back home. Victor demanded to know why Maggie hadn't stopped Caroline. "I told you, she has to stay here in this house so I can keep an eye on her," Victor fretted gruffly. Maggie sighed and closed the book she was reading. Maggie reminded him that Caroline was a strong-willed, grown woman. Victor was worried because his brother was an amoral sociopath bent on revenge. Maggie tried to reassure Victor that Caroline would be fine, and that they would keep in close touch with her. Victor declined Maggie's loving invitation to join her in bed, explaining that he still had work to do.

When Justin arrived later, he was surprised that Victor was still up and working. Victor grumbled, "I'd forgotten how mind-numbing and tedious this Titan minutia can be." Justin offered Victor a solution: have Sonny return from Europe to work alongside Victor, and Victor could groom him to take the reins. In a rather abrupt subject change, Justin informed Victor that Stefano DiMera was dead. "The kicker is it looks like Andre killed him," Justin added. Victor admitted that he'd always considered Stefano a worthy adversary, but Victor was sure that Stefano had been behind what had happened to Bo. "All I have to say about him is good riddance," Victor declared.

After Justin went upstairs to bed, a perturbed Caroline entered the living room and announced, "Deimos knew Doctor Malcolm." She clarified that she'd seen the two men together in a vision. "I think Deimos had something to do with what happened to Bo," Caroline asserted.

In the DiMera study, Chad was packing up Stefano's chess set when Rafe arrived. He broke the news to Chad as gently but succinctly as possible: "Andre's been arrested for murder. They found Stefano's body... He was right where Andre said he'd be." Stoically attempting to maintain his composure by exhaling sharply, Chad and asked for more details. Rafe filled Chad in on the rest of the details, Rafe pointed out that Andre had probably blamed Hope for the murder to direct attention away from himself. Chad wanted to see Andre immediately.

While Chad was waiting in the interrogation room at the police station, Rafe led Andre in and handcuffed him to a chair. Rafe left to let the brothers talk. Chad listened in stone-faced silence as Andre repeated the story about how Hope had framed him for killing Stefano, when she was the one who'd done it. Andre pleaded with his brother to show some him some mercy. Chad stood over Andre and hissed with icy contempt, "Mercy? I feel nothing for you but hatred and disgust, and I will not lift a finger to help you."

"Why? Why? Why would you kill our father?" Chad roared. Rafe and another cop moved closer to the observation window when they heard Chad's shouts. Andre maintained that he hadn't killed Stefano but instead had always stood at Stefano's side to protect him, while Chad had turned his back. "You are a miserable disappointment to the family name, and you always have been," Andre spat disdainfully.

Fighting to keep his emotions in check, Chad asserted that, despite Stefano's huge character flaws, the senior DiMera had loved his children and grandchildren -- but Andre had no heart. "You are nothing but pure evil," Chad pronounced. As Chad headed to the door, Andre warned him, "You walk away from me now, brother, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Chad left without another word.

Chad was back in the study, absently toying with the king piece from the chessboard, when Abigail arrived with Thomas in a stroller. Chad admitted that he felt conflicted about his father's death. He explained that he'd felt justified in turning his back on Stefano, but Chad hadn't thought that would be the end. Chad had assumed that Stefano would always be there -- and perhaps, some day, Stefano would change. "He never got to meet his grandson," Chad lamented, his voice breaking. Abigail thought Stefano would have loved Thomas.

Chad berated himself for feeling about for someone like his father. Abigail quietly urged her fianc, "Chad, he's your father. Don't deny yourself the chance to mourn him." An emotional Chad held Abigail's hand to his face as she kissed him on the forehead. While Chad and Abigail sat curled up together on the sofa in front of the fire, Chad declared that he was through wallowing in self-pity. He continued that he thought Stefano would want him to live life to the fullest. Chad asserted that he wanted to begin his new life with Abigail as soon as possible. "I want to do it right here, a real wedding, in Salem," Chad said. Abigail told him that it sounded perfect.

While the fire alarm rang loudly through the hospital, a distraught Joey covered Ava's face with a pillow and held it tightly until she stopped struggling. Joey was backing away and staring at Ava in disbelief when Steve walked in. Steve removed the pillow -- which was smeared with blood from the cut on Joey's hand -- and felt for a pulse on Ava's throat. "Oh, my God," a shocked Steve murmured. He checked outside and quietly closed the door, while Joey utterly broke down, crying and shaking. Steve grabbed his son and whispered instructions for Joey to go home and stat there.

"I don't know what happened!" Joey sobbed. Steve said that was what Joey should say if anyone asked. Steve led a wailing Joey to the door and urged him to straighten up. Steve hugged Joey and gently pushed him out the door. In the commotion, Joey's bandage fell off his hand and onto the floor next to a chair. Steve watched until Joey had boarded the elevator and closed the door again. Steve looked, wild-eyed, around the room as he tried frantically to figure out what to do.

As the fire alarm finally stopped, Steve opened the door and called out to the guard. A nurse, Tina, ran in and anxiously checked Ava's pulse. When she felt none, she gently closed Ava's eyes. "She's dead, right? That's what I wanted.... I killed her. Smothered her to death," Steve stated.

Kayla was in the living room, dressed for bed, when a dazed Joey shuffled, zombie-like, through the front door. Nurse Tina called just then and requested that Kayla get to the hospital right away. "There's been some trouble involving your husband," Tina explained.

Roman showed up at the Horton house to see Hope. Hope expressed her relief that Andre had been arrested for Stefano's murder. "Even though we both know he's innocent," Roman said. He explained that he'd known from the beginning what had really happened. Roman asked Hope to tell him what had happened the night she'd gone to see Stefano. Hope confessed miserably, "You're right. I did it. I killed Stefano." While Roman listened compassionately, Hope she couldn't remember all of the details because she'd blocked out the memory. Hope started to lose it as she added that she knew she'd shot Stefano with Bo's gun.

Roman grabbed Hope and expressed regret for not being there for her when she'd been struggling to deal with so many things after Bo's death. Hope tearfully asserted that she was the only one to blame for what she'd done. Roman asked what had happened, and Hope related how she'd gone to see Stefano to get him to confess to Bo's kidnapping. Stefano had denied it and had goaded Hope, almost as if he'd wanted her to snap, by saying cruel, vicious things about Bo. Sobbing, Hope added that she would have confessed, but she'd had to consider Ciara and Chase and everything they'd been through.

Roman assured Hope that he understood, but he wanted to know why Hope hadn't gone to him. "No, I couldn't! It was bad enough that I involved Rafe!" Hope blurted then immediately covered her mouth as if she wanted to force the words back in. "Will you let Andre take -- take the fall for what I did?" Hope asked anxiously. Roman stated that Andre had terrorized the people of Salem for a very long times and had never paid for his crimes.

"I have no problem letting him go to prison for the rest of his pathetic life," Roman declared. He vowed to follow in Bo's footsteps by doing whatever it took to protect their family. Hope let out a sob and threw her arms gratefully around Roman. Moments later, Roman got a text message from Steve that said, "Come 2 the hospital immediately. Need your help!"

As Roman was about to head out, Hope declared firmly, "I'm not sorry that Stefano's dead. I'll never be sorry. How could I be, after all he's done to my family, to so many people? But still, I took a life -- so I need to know... Do you think I'm a terrible person?" Taken aback, reassured Hope that he didn't think so at all. He embraced her tightly but pointed out that she was the only one who could provide herself with absolution.

Ava's room had been roped off with crime-scene tape when Kayla and Joey arrived, followed by Roman. "Don't say a word," Steve whispered to his shell-shocked son. Kayla and Roman asked Steve what was going on. "Ava's dead. I killed her," Steve stated concisely.

Roman took Steve into a private waiting area so Steve could tell him what had happened. Steve explained, "I wasn't going to give that woman another chance to destroy the people I love." Roman pointed out the insanity of Steve killing Ava in retaliation for accusing Kayla of trying to murder her. "Roman, Ava was a threat that I knew would never go away," Steve said.

As Tina briefed Kayla on what had happened, an orderly wheeled Ava's sheet-covered body out on a gurney. Joey lowered himself into a chair. Kayla tried to reassure him that everything was all right, but he maintained, "No, it's not. Nothing's ever going to be okay again." Steve and Roman exited the waiting room, and Steve instructed Kayla, "Take Joe home. Call Belle; tell her I'm about to be arrested." Joey protested, "No! You can't do this!" Steve quietly urged his hyperventilating son to go home with Kayla. Steve then directed Roman to arrest him.

Roman commanded a uniformed officer to handcuff Steve and take him to the station. "It's over, Sweetness. That crazy bitch is out of our lives for good," Steve assured Kayla as the cop led him away.

Hope was turning off the lights before going upstairs to bed when Victor called. Victor explained that he learned that his brother, Deimos, might have had a connection to Dr. Malcolm. "It may have to do with Bo's kidnapping. I think we should get on it first thing in the morning," Victor concluded. Hope thanked Victor tersely and hung up. As she was heading for the stairs, Hope's phone rang again. "You've killed the wrong man," the voice on the other end of the line hissed. The phone slipped from Hope's hand as she sank down on the stairs.

When Rafe met Hope in the park at her request, she informed him that she had told Roman the whole truth about killing Stefano and the ensuing cover-up. "What does he want to do?" Rafe asked. Hope replied, "Nothing. He said Stefano deserved to be dead, and Andre deserved to be in prison the rest of his life." Rafe thought that was great news. Clearly upset, Hope questioned, "I was so positive that Stefano was behind Bo's kidnapping. What if I were wrong? What if I killed the wrong man?"