Clyde met with Ben at Club TBD to warn him that Will's next Sonix article would soon be published and would contain some unflattering things about Clyde's past. Ben insisted that stuff no longer mattered because Clyde had changed since then. Clyde predicted that would be what Will's article focused on -- the fact that people could change. "Some people can," Ben muttered.
Realizing something was wrong, Clyde wondered if Ben and Abigail were having problems. Ben explained that Abigail was dealing with a family matter she didn't want to discuss with him. Ben guessed it was probably something involving Abigail's brother, J.J. "The druggie?" Clyde asked. When Ben objected to the label, Clyde reminded him that J.J. had once been arrested for dealing drugs.
Ben wondered how Clyde had found out about that in the first place. Without blinking, Clyde replied that Kate had mentioned it to him at some point, adding that her son was J.J.'s uncle. Ben clarified that J.J. had cleaned up his act since then. Ben said Abigail was really protective of her brother, and he sighed as he added that he wished she would let him help her instead of shutting him out.
Clyde suggested the matter might actually have something to do with Chad, not J.J. Ben thought Clyde's theory was a bit of a stretch, but Clyde was pretty sure Chad would eventually make a play for Abigail. "And sometimes that girl doesn't look where she's going," Clyde added. Ben insisted Abigail had only made contact with Chad recently because she had felt sorry for Chad after finding out that Kristen had died. Clyde countered that Chad's loss wasn't a good reason for Ben or Abigail to suddenly start trusting Chad.
To stress his point, Clyde somewhat reluctantly informed Ben that Chad and Stefano had quietly purchased Sonix a few months earlier. Clyde guessed Stefano had wanted to use the magazine to do a hatchet job on Clyde because of Clyde's involvement with Kate. Clyde also suspected Chad had encouraged Stefano's idea in the hope that learning some sordid details about Clyde's past would make Abigail see Ben in a different light. Ben wasn't concerned because he was confident that his relationship with Abigail was solid, but Clyde suggested Ben might still want to try to make things even more permanent -- immediately.
Realizing what Clyde was proposing, Ben insisted he couldn't afford to marry Abigail at that time. Clyde dismissed the concern, offering to pay for the engagement ring and everything else Ben and Abigail would ever need -- if marrying Abigail was what Ben really wanted to do, of course. Ben sighed and admitted he still couldn't ask Abigail to marry him at that time, since he had already asked her to move in with him just a few weeks earlier, and she had turned down that request.
Clyde said he hadn't realized Abigail had been acting that skittish about her relationship with Ben, prompting Ben to clarify that she simply wanted to take things slowly. Clyde conceded that could be a good idea, as long as it didn't give Chad an opportunity to swoop in and steal Abigail away from Ben. "Not gonna happen. Like I said, Abigail and I are solid. I'm not gonna let that son of a bitch take her away from me," Ben insisted. Clyde appreciated that attitude, and he advised Ben to hold on to Abigail -- tightly.
At the DiMera mansion, Abigail pulled away from Chad and rushed off, but she soon returned and began kissing him again. After having sex with Chad, Abigail expressed a hint of regret and tried to leave, but he protested that she didn't really want to do that -- she wanted to spend the night having sex with him over and over again instead. Abigail didn't argue with Chad as he carried her from the garden to his bedroom and lowered her onto his bed.
Eric gave Serena one last chance to tell him what she was hiding, but she insisted she had already told him everything. Fed up, Eric stormed out of Serena's hotel room, ignoring her attempts to stop him. "Eric, if I told you, you would be in so much danger. Xander is insane. I need to figure out a way to neutralize him," Serena muttered as she stared at the picture Xander had sent her.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Xander begged for Victor's forgiveness, pointing out that Victor was always quick to forgive Brady, Sonny, and even Daniel -- who wasn't even a Kiriakis -- when they made mistakes. Victor countered that Xander hadn't made a mistake; he had deliberately disobeyed a direct order. "I can't afford to have some screw-up around the house who thinks he can change the rules any time he damn well pleases," Victor added. Xander tried to promise that sort of thing would never happen again, but Victor cut him off. "You're out. Now go! Finish your business here in town, give me my cut, and then leave Salem -- for good," Victor snapped.
Xander stormed off, pausing outside the mansion to release a silent scream of frustration and rage. Still seething when he passed through a secluded section of the town square a short time later, Xander kicked over a trashcan and upended a bench. "Son of a bitch! You think you can stab me in the back, huh? Tell me to disappear? Well, think again, old man! Oh, you'll do anything for Daniel, bend over backwards for Daniel -- a total nobody. I'm Kiriakis blood! Family! I go where I please, when I please, and if I see something -- or someone -- that I want, then I take what's mine, Uncle. Count on it!" Xander roared.
Xander received a phone call from Serena while trying to catch his breath. Serena complained that, thanks to Xander, Eric had learned everything earlier. Xander was concerned at first, but when he realized Serena was exaggerating, he adopted a more dismissive attitude, wondering what the problem was. "The problem is you ruined my life!" Serena replied. Xander hung up after countering that Serena had done that on her own.
Daniel pondered the elephant statue's secret compartment for a few moments before setting it aside so he could take Parker to the Kiriakis mansion to spend some time swimming in the pool with Maggie. Daniel and Parker ran into Eric while passing through the town square, so Daniel casually questioned Eric about the secret compartment. Eric admitted he had never realized the base of the statue housed a secret compartment. Daniel explained that, while it had been empty when he had discovered it, the compartment could definitely hold something relatively small, such as a wad of cash or a handful of beads.
After Daniel and Parker left, Eric started thinking about how Serena had been particularly interested in getting her hands on his elephant statue. Eric also realized that the picture Xander had sent Serena hadn't just been a picture of Serena and Xander in bed together -- it had also featured an elephant statue. Eric stormed back over to the Salem Inn and told Serena he knew all about the secret compartment in the base of the elephant statue.
Eric demanded to know what Serena and Xander had tricked him into smuggling out of Africa. Serena insisted she had no idea what Eric was talking about, but he refused to believe that. "Whatever was inside [there] was definitely more important to you than I am," Eric concluded before leaving again, slamming the door behind him.
When Nicole tried to dig up information about the murder Xander had committed in Scotland, she found that the files had all been sealed. Before Nicole could figure out her next move, one of her coworkers interrupted and told her an informant had asked to meet with her about a story she had been forced to abandon the previous fall because she hadn't had enough evidence to prove her theory at that time. Nicole didn't want Xander to misinterpret the meeting if he was indeed having her followed, so she sneaked out of the television station after getting her coworker to help her make it look like she was still working in her office.
Shortly after Nicole arrived at the designated location, Daniel joined her and admitted he had arranged the meeting so he could find out what was going on between her and Xander. Nicole reminded Daniel that she had already promised she would explain everything soon, but he said that wasn't good enough for him. "I have given you every chance in the world to come clean about what's going on with Xander, and I have gotten nothing but evasive maneuvers and a lot of silence, so this is it, Nicole -- I'm done," Daniel added before starting to walk away.
Nicole stopped Daniel and wondered why everything always had to be black and white with him. Daniel began to answer Nicole, but she interrupted and clarified that it had been a rhetorical question. "Can you at least give me until [tomorrow]? I have to get all my ducks in a row. Please? Daniel, things aren't what you think they are, but I need facts. And then you'll know I'm not just talking," Nicole suggested, knowing she and Daniel would have plenty of time to talk privately after Parker returned to Chloe's place the following day.
Observing that Nicole seemed to be glancing over her shoulder a lot, Daniel wondered if something was wrong. "I'm not exactly thrilled to be out in public with you. I don't think I was followed, but I can't be sure," Nicole admitted. Nicole promised that Daniel would soon understand everything. "And until then...trust in this," Nicole added before giving Daniel a kiss. Daniel warned that he was going to hold Nicole to her promise, and she reassured him that she would tell him everything the following day. Nicole started to head back to her office, but Daniel stopped her and told her he loved her.
Touched, Nicole kissed Daniel again, unaware that Xander was lurking behind some nearby trees.
John stopped by Club TBD to pick up a cup of coffee to go. Kate said hello. When Kate asked about Paul, John grew suspicious. Kate asked John if Paul was truly in town for him or whether Paul was in Salem because of Sonny. Kate made a veiled threat against Paul. With a raised eyebrow, John warned Kate to back off of his son.
In the Brady Pub, Ben texted Abigail, telling her that he missed her. Clyde joined Ben for breakfast, and he apologized for saying that Chad was after Abigail. Ben argued that Abigail did not like Chad and that he was not worried. When Ben mentioned that he was doing all he could to avoid a fight with Chad, Clyde suggested that Chad might use the truce as an opportunity to swoop in.
"Abigail is not shallow like that," Ben said. Ben stressed that he did not want to compete with Chad. Chuckling, Clyde said that Chad would lose any contest against Ben because Ben was twice the man. Clyde argued that the sky was the limit for Ben's future. Clyde advised Ben not to let any woman drive him crazy.
At the DiMera mansion, Chad woke Abigail up with a rose and a cup of coffee. When Chad offered to make Abigail a smoothie, she grew anxious to leave for Arianna's birthday party. Chad gently stopped Abigail from getting out of bed. Chad told Abigail that he did not want to ruin their perfect night together by saying the wrong thing.
Chad explained to Abigail that Stefano had been urging him to reconcile with her. Chad stressed that he loved Abigail and did not want to be with her because of Stefano. Furious, Abigail said that she did not care about Chad's feelings because Stefano's interest in her was enough of a concern to end their relationship. Abigail yelled at Chad that she never wanted to see him again. Shaken from his daydream of Abigail ending their relationship, Chad stared into Abigail's eyes. Chad said that he did not want to say the wrong thing because their night together had been what he had wanted for a long time.
"Last night was probably the most incredible night of my life. And no one can ever take that away but they will never hear it from me. I understand if it doesn't mean that much to you. So if that's it, if this never happens again, I won't push. Whatever happens between us now is completely up to you," Chad said. Noting the time, Abigail said she needed to leave. Abigail collected her belongings from the grass in the backyard and saw Ben's text message on her phone. Abigail texted Ben back, saying he was sweet and that she would see him later.
At the police station, Hope and Rafe worked on investigating Clyde. Aiden stopped by to visit Hope and make plans for dinner. After Aiden left, Hope thanked Rafe for covering up their notes on Clyde so that Aiden had not been able to see their work. Roman entered Hope's office and was surprised to see Rafe. Suspicious, Roman asked why Rafe appeared to be working with Hope. Hope swore that Rafe was assisting her on background information for an old case. Roman pressed for information, and Hope promised to detail in a report all the work that Rafe did on the case.
After Roman left, Rafe asked Hope if she was comfortable lying to both Roman and Aiden. Hope shook her head and noted that she wanted to learn the truth about Clyde. Rafe said that Victor had acted as if Clyde was dangerous but that Victor had backed off of Clyde. The two discussed Jeremiah, and they agreed that Jeremiah was likely a plant working off of a script penned by Clyde. Rafe said he was eager to learn why Victor had backed off.
Aiden met with Clyde in the town square to review the legal work that Aiden had finished. Clyde was pleased. Clyde thanked Aiden for the work. When Aiden noted that they would meet up later to notarize the documents, Clyde insisted on finishing the work straightaway. Aiden said he was busy.
"You won't be late to pick up your son," Clyde said. Concerned, Aiden asked how Clyde knew that he was going to get his son. Clyde smiled.
While Will was calling Dr. Meyers' office to make an appointment for counseling, Marlena stopped by to pick him and Arianna up for the party. After Will hung up the phone, he explained to Marlena that he had been late to his counseling session with Dr. Lewis and that she had cancelled the meeting. With a raised eyebrow, Marlena asked Will whether he wanted to save his marriage. Confused, Will stressed that Dr. Lewis has canceled the counseling session.
With a sigh, Marlena said that she did not recommend Dr. Meyers for couples counseling. Marlena reminded Will that he needed to want the marriage to work in order for it to actually work. Emotionally crumbling, Will told Marlena that he was in trouble. Marlena warned Will that there was no guarantee that counseling would save his marriage.
"Sonny is still in love with Paul. He told me that," Will said. Marlena reminded Will that Sonny was married to Will. Marlena added that it was normal to love your ex, and she cited her and Roman, and Sami and Lucas as examples. Will argued that Sonny and Paul did not have a child to bond them like Lucas and Sami. As Will shifted his eyes nervously, Marlena asked him if Sonny had explicitly said that he loved Paul. Will shook his head no.
"You can't tell Sonny how he feels," Marlena advised a frustrated Will. Marlena added that Will needed to be himself, since that was the person Sonny had fallen in love with and married. As Will nodded, Marlena warned Will not to manipulate Sonny because Will would lose him.
In the park, Sonny ran into Paul on his way to Club TBD. Sonny made small talk, which annoyed Paul. Paul urged Sonny to get to the point. When Sonny mentioned Will, Paul interjected that he only wanted to talk about him and Sonny. Sonny assured Paul that what he had to say was "about us." Sonny explained that he and Will had decided to have an hour of honesty but that it had backfired. Sonny said that he had told the truth to Will. Before Sonny could say anything else, Paul said he would respect Sonny's decision, whenever he made one. Paul walked away as Sonny nodded.
Roman went to the pub to pick up Caroline for the birthday party. The two talked about Arianna and Sami. When Caroline asked how long it had been since she had seen Sami, Roman's face fell. Roman explained that Caroline had gone to California to visit Sami and the kids two weeks before. Startled, Caroline blinked. Roman showed Caroline the pictures of her at a theme park with Sami and the kids. Smiling, Caroline remembered where the picture had been taken, and she told Roman about their day at the theme park.
In the town square, John ran into Paul. With a grin, John asked if Paul was busy. Shaking his head no, Paul asked if he could shadow John at work sometime. John smiled and asked Paul to follow him. The two walked over to the Salem Police Station, and John showed Paul his office. Paul informed John about his conversation with Marlena and how he had called her a hypocrite.
John asked how Marlena had responded. Paul noted that Marlena had said that if she and John had followed their hearts sooner, Paul would never have been born. With worried eyes, Paul said, "Stuff happens for a reason." John asked if Paul believed in fate. Paul responded that he had studied a list of the top five surgeons for his surgery, and against all advisement, he had chosen Salem. "If you don't take a chance on life, you miss out on a lot of good," Paul said. With a smile, John noted that Tori had done a wonderful job raising Paul.
At Club TBD, Sonny arrived just as Will, Marlena, and Arianna walked through the door. Concerned, Will asked Sonny why he had not arrived at the club sooner. Sonny admitted that he had run into Paul and that they had talked. Rafe arrived, prompting Sonny to go and greet him while Will bit his tongue. Seeing Will's face, Marlena asked if he was upset. Will said he did not want to ruin the party. Will promised to "keep my cool."
Abigail arrived, and Sonny asked her if she had been at Ben's apartment. Abigail thought of her torrid night with Chad. Shaking off the memory, Abigail said that things were good with Ben. Abigail grabbed the camera and offered to take a picture of Sonny, Will, Arianna, and Roman. As Abigail took the photo, Will turned his head and kissed Sonny's cheek. Sonny pulled Will aside and gruffly warned Will not to force affection in public. Will tartly responded that if people had seen Sonny with Paul, he would need to show Sonny a public display of affection.
At the bar, Kate suggested to Abigail that she and Ben should join Kate and Clyde for dinner. "It must be nice to be with a kind, decent man after being with those two DiMera brothers," Kate joked. Abigail was flustered and walked away. Will approached Kate and informed her that Lucas would not be at the party. Kate gleefully took credit for the business problem that had caused Lucas' unexpected trip out of town. When Will questioned Kate's enjoyment at Lucas' expense, Kate stressed that her problems with Lucas were business and not personal.
After Will walked away, Rafe sidled up beside Kate. Rafe noted that he was pleased to see Kate without Clyde. "Do you enjoy being alone all the time?" Kate asked. As Rafe's face soured, Kate walked away.
Will stewed in the corner. Marlena asked Will about the tension between him and Sonny. "All that calm I managed? It's gone," Will grumbled.
In the park, Ben ran into Polly. When Polly talked about Chad and how she thought he was hot, Ben warned Polly to remember that Chad was her boss. Ben added that Chad was not a good guy. With a chuckle, Polly said she would take her chances. As Ben turned to leave, Chad walked around the corner. Chad started to walk away, but Ben called out, "I know you were with Abigail."
In Horton Square, Aiden became suspicious when Clyde seemed to know that Aiden was on his way to pick up Chase at school. Clyde explained that Aiden's secretary had told him that Aiden had to pick up his son so it would be difficult to fit Clyde into his schedule that afternoon. Aiden apologized and admitted that he was a little overprotective of his son. Clyde didn't understand why Aiden would think Chase needed to be protected from Clyde.
Aiden explained that it had just been a reflexive reaction and was nothing against Clyde. Clyde guessed that Aiden's suspicions stemmed from his relationship with "that detective." Aiden firmly insisted that he and Hope kept their business strictly separate. Clyde clarified that he'd been referring to Ciara's kidnapping years before, which he'd learned about from Kate, so he understood why Hope would be sensitive about the kids. Obviously rattled but hiding it well, Aiden left to pick up Chase.
Lucas caught up with Adrienne outside Club TBD, where Arianna's party for her second birthday had just gotten underway. Lucas explained that he'd caught an early flight so he could be home in time for his granddaughter's party. Lucas seemed ready to go public about his and Adrienne's relationship, but Adrienne convinced him that it would be better not to do it at Arianna's party. Adrienne requested that Lucas hang back for a minute after she went in so they wouldn't be seen entering together.
Inside, Marlena remarked to Will that it was odd that no one had heard from Justin and Adrienne, who Marlena thought would never miss Arianna's party. Kate overheard and approached Marlena and Will just as Marlena was called to join to the table where Arianna was playing. Kate blurted -- loudly enough for everyone to hear -- that Lucas and Adrienne were sleeping together.
While Kate was defensively insisting that she thought everyone already knew, Adrienne walked in and was horrified to realize that she and Lucas had been outed. When Lucas entered and found out, he irritably demanded of Kate, "What is wrong with you?" Adrienne quietly apologized to Sonny for the news getting out at the party. Lucas announced to the entire group that he and Adrienne were, indeed, seeing each other, but he hoped everyone would drop it and get on with the party.
Hope quickly jumped in and suggested that it was time for Arianna to blow out her candles. After Hope took a picture of the guest of honor with her party guests -- Will, Sonny, Roman, Marlena, Rafe, Abigail, Lucas, and Adrienne -- Will placed the tot in front of the cake, and Arianna blew out both candles with one breath. While the others prepared to cut the cake, Abigail stepped aside to send Ben a text message, which read, "I need to see you. Can we meet?"
Marlena informed Adrienne that Kayla had already taken Caroline home. Marlena acknowledged that the day had been awkward for Adrienne but reassured her that everything would be fine. Meanwhile, Lucas privately confronted Kate about what kind of stunt she intended to pull on him next. Kate reiterated that she'd thought everyone had already known, adding that it hadn't been her intention to ruin Lucas' life. "Of course not. What mother would do that to her son?" Lucas remarked snidely before walking away.
Kate tried to defend her actions to Abigail and Sonny, but an annoyed Sonny urged Kate to give it a rest. Adrienne pulled Hope aside and said she'd really wanted to tell Hope what had been going on, but Hope reassured Adrienne that she understood.
Will clinked his glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention then thanked them all for attending. He expressed his gratitude to Arianna's family for being there for her and ensuring that she would grow up surrounded by love, especially in Gabi's absence. Will also mentioned how they had nearly lost Sonny the previous winter, and he thanked God that Sonny was healthy and present for their daughter. "To all of you, and to Arianna. Happy birthday, sweetheart," Will declared. The rest of the guests happily echoed his words as they raised their glasses to Arianna.
Sonny delivered some lemonade to Hope and Rafe, who remarked that Sonny had, indeed, been lucky after the stabbing. Sonny was glad that he'd healed even more quickly than the doctors had predicted. After Sonny walked away, Hope quietly asked Rafe if it had been after Sonny's stabbing that Victor had asked Rafe to back off Clyde. Rafe reluctantly admitted that the timing had been about right. Hope didn't believe that was a coincidence -- and she didn't think Rafe did, either.
Will told Kate that he'd emailed her a link to an advance of his article about Clyde, but he warned her not to show it to anyone else, or he could get in trouble. Kate thanked her grandson for the link and for being nice to her when everyone else was treating her "like a pariah" for telling the truth. "Grandma, I get it. I tell the truth for a living," Will said.
Scooping up his niece to hug her, Rafe remarked that he was taking Arianna to see Gabi the following day. Will said he'd promised to take Arianna to visit her mom after the party, which was news to Sonny. Rafe assured the guys that he'd be more than happy to take Arianna to the prison the next day, too. After Rafe walked away with Arianna, Sonny expressed his irritation about Will making plans without consulting him. Sonny clarified that he intended to go with Will later. "I'm not going to bail on Ari or Gabi," Sonny asserted.
Kate took a slice of cake to Lucas as a kind of peace offering, but he refused it. "No matter what happens, you're still my son," Kate noted softly. "Why does that always sound like a threat?" Lucas retorted. Kate tried to tell Lucas that she loved him. He reiterated that he didn't want anything to do with her, ordered her to leave him alone, and stomped away.
Lucas apologized to Adrienne for the way their news had gotten out, but he asserted that he wasn't sorry it was out. After they agreed that there were people they needed to warn, Lucas kissed Adrienne publicly for the first time then they walked out hand in hand.
Outside, Hope was just ending a call with her daughter when Rafe exited the club. "Ciara says she needs that thing today, and you know what she means," a clearly curious Hope informed Rafe. Rafe teased that he would only tell Hope what it was if she would back off "the Clyde/Victor thing." Hope voiced her desire to nail Clyde for attempted murder, but Rafe pointed out that they had no proof Clyde was connected to Sonny's stabbing. Hope stressed, "I need to get to the bottom of this. Aiden's working for Clyde, and if he's as dangerous as we think he is, then I don't want him anywhere near Aiden -- or Chase."
Clyde called Kate and asked if the party were over yet. Admitting that she'd been looking for an excuse to leave, Kate asked Clyde to meet her at Brady Pub. She added mysteriously that she had a surprise for him. When Clyde arrived at the pub, Kate instructed him to open his tablet, because she'd sent him an advance copy of Will's article. After reading it, Clyde seemed pleased. Kate noted, "I think it's just right: enough flaws that you don't seem perfect, makes it believable."
Clyde pointed out that the article wouldn't give Stefano DiMera much to work with. "No bad thing that you have done could compare to the evil he's wrought in this town," Kate asserted. When Clyde asked about the party, Kate confessed that she'd accidentally exposed Lucas and Adrienne's relationship. Clyde noted that Kate never did anything by accident, but she insisted that it had been unintentional.
Clyde's interest was piqued when he learned that Hope had been at the party, and Kate explained that Hope was Lucas and Will's cousin. When Kate quipped that she was the "town pariah," Clyde noted that meant they wouldn't be having dinner with Hope and Aiden anytime soon. Clyde added that he hadn't expected it, anyway, since Aiden had said he and Hope didn't mix business with their personal lives.
Kate countered that Hope had wanted to know why Will had gone to Poplar Bluff, which had sounded personal to Kate. Kate added, "I don't think it's the best idea to have Hope's lover as your lawyer." Clyde disagreed, maintaining that Aiden was exactly whom he needed. After Kate headed out for her office, Clyde made a phone call. "Stan, I need you to find out what Detective Hope Brady is up to. Do it now. I want answers by the end of the day," Clyde ordered.
Aiden had just dropped Chase off at baseball practice when Rafe arrived with the item Ciara had requested: the last small regulation umpire's mask left in Salem. Rafe explained to an amused Aiden that Ciara had been studying with an umpire and had learned all the hand signals. Changing the subject, Rafe asked Aiden about Clyde Weston. Aiden bristled, but Rafe insisted that Hope would not want him asking Aiden about Weston.
Hope arrived just in time to overhear Rafe say, "I've just got the feeling that she's going to end up getting herself into hot water." She ducked back behind a bush to eavesdrop. When Rafe referred to Clyde as a criminal, Aiden pointed out that Weston had not been charged with a crime. Rafe tried to offer a warning to Aiden about Clyde, but Aiden interrupted. "It's none of your business. It's none of Hope's business. You two, you need to back off," Aiden warned.
After Aiden walked away, Hope emerged from her hiding place and glared at Rafe. He apologized for stirring things up with Aiden, but Hope assured Rafe that she'd handle it. As Rafe left to give the umpire's mask to Ciara, Hope made a phone call. "Yeah, it's me. I need to see you right away," she said.
In the park outside Horton Square, Ben revealed that he'd seen Chad with Abigail. Chad accused Ben of spying but maintained that he had nothing to hide. After some tense bickering between the men, Ben said he knew that Abigail had been talking to Chad about his late sister. "I'm sorry for your loss," Ben added, but Chad didn't buy Ben's sympathy. Chad guessed that Ben was afraid to leave Abigail alone with Chad. "Chad, I'm not threatened by you... I know there's nothing going on between you and Abigail," Ben said calmly.
Just then, Abigail showed up. After Ben greeted her with a kiss, Abigail asked if he'd gotten her message. Ben admitted that he hadn't checked his phone because he'd been talking to Chad. "Yeah, Ben seems to think there's something going on between you and me," Chad remarked sardonically. Ben clarified that he'd actually been trying to express his sympathy about Kristen's death. Chad offered a sarcastic apology for doubting Ben's sincerity. Abigail announced that she was headed home, so Ben left with her.
Ben kissed Abigail after he walked her home, but she pulled away more quickly than he was expecting. He asked what was going on, and she assured him that it was nothing. Ben remarked that he'd hoped she would have been waiting at his apartment when he'd gotten home the night before. Abigail claimed that she'd just been exhausted after work.
"It's okay. I love that you've been spending so much time at my place. I love you," Ben reassured Abigail, who didn't return the sentiment -- ostensibly because the sound of a door closing upstairs distracted her. Pointing out that it was probably J.J., who was still a wreck about Paige, Abigail asked if she and Ben could catch up later so she could comfort her brother. A seemingly understanding Ben left, but he scowled once he was outside.
A little later, Ben joined Clyde at the Brady Pub. The look on Ben's face revealed how upset he was. "What's wrong, son?" Clyde asked, concerned.
Paul was jogging in the park when he ran into Justin. After some small talk about what each had been up to, Justin admitted that he could use some help with a contract for a deal he'd been working on with some partners in Osaka, because something had gone wrong with the translation. Paul cheerfully agreed to help right then, assuring Justin, "You're Sonny's dad. You get free translations for life."
Paul returned to the Kiriakis mansion with Justin to review the document. Paul pointed out and corrected the mistakes the company's translator had made. Paul looked around the room and observed that it had been where Sonny and Will had gotten married, noting that Sonny had always wanted a big wedding. "It could've been me and Sonny. It was all my fault it wasn't, because I was too afraid to come out," Paul added ruefully.
Justin admitted that he hadn't known at the time about Sonny proposing to Paul. Paul explained that he'd actually been more afraid of what his mother and grandfather would think than of losing his career, but his family had been great when he had finally come out to them. Paul said Sonny had never doubted that his own parents would accept and support him. Justin said he and Adrienne only wanted their son to be happy, and although at first they had worried about what kind of relationships Sonny would find, they had soon realized that gay relationships faced the same issues and challenges as straight ones.
Justin asked how things were going with Paul and John. Paul said he and John were still getting to know each other, and Paul expressed regret that he hadn't gotten to know Justin while he and Sonny had still been together. About Will and Sonny's marriage, Justin noted philosophically, "It was a beautiful wedding, but that's the easy part. Getting the marriage right, that's another thing entirely."
Will and Sonny were walking through Horton Square with Arianna, on their way to the car to visit Gabi, when Will realized he'd forgotten Arianna's gift from Gabi. Sonny headed back to the club to retrieve the present. Across the square, Will spotted Paul, who'd witnessed the entire exchange between Sonny and Will from afar. When Will confronted him, Paul merely wished Arianna a happy birthday. While Arianna beamed at Paul, Will remarked, "You hear that, sweetie? This is the man who's trying to destroy your family."
Paul insisted that wasn't what he wanted. Will accused Paul of trying to find ways to run into Sonny. "We're taking her to see her mother today... This is our life. We don't need any more distractions or intrusions," Will said. When Sonny returned, Paul said a quick goodbye and left.
Adrienne arrived at the Kiriakis mansion and informed Justin, "Because of Kate Roberts' big mouth, everyone knows about [me and Lucas] now." Justin observed that Adrienne seemed more upset than he would have expected. Adrienne pointed out that the situation was upsetting and messy, and no one involved looked good. "The only one who should be looking bad is me. I put it all in motion," Justin admitted. Adrienne thanked him for taking responsibility. "I don't want to give up on us, but I also don't want to fight all the time, either. So, I'm here now -- so what happens next is more about what you want," Justin declared softly.
Lucas headed to the DiMera mansion to discuss business with Chad -- and to inform Chad that he was seeing Adrienne Kiriakis. Lucas assured Chad that there would be no conflict of interest, since Adrienne wasn't involved with the Kiriakis business. Chad asked if things would get messy, but Lucas didn't think so. "We care about each other a lot. It's really hard to hide that kind of thing, you know?" Lucas noted.
Lucas showed off pictures of Arianna to Chad, who agreed that the toddler was adorable. Lucas remarked that Arianna loved Abigail, who seemed very happy with Ben. Chad suddenly announced that he had some calls to make, so Lucas headed out.
When Chad returned to the study a little later, his mouth fell open and his eyes widened in surprise. "Father!" Chad exclaimed.
At the Brady Pub, Clyde observed that Ben seemed upset about something. Clyde guessed Chad was the cause of Ben's distress, prompting Ben to wonder why Clyde always assumed everything was about Chad. Clyde explained that he sometimes got the impression that when Ben tried to insist he wasn't worried about Chad anymore, he was really trying to convince himself, not Clyde.
Clyde paused the conversation to answer a phone call, hanging up after the caller informed him that Hope was at the Kiriakis mansion. When Ben asked if something was wrong, Clyde shook his head and said the call had been about a business matter. Picking up where he had left off earlier, Clyde advised that if Ben wanted some peace of mind, installing a discreet tracking app on Abigail's cell phone would be an easy way to keep tabs on her at all times. Ben insisted he wasn't going to spy on Abigail, so Clyde shrugged and excused himself, explaining that he had a few things to take care of.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Hope told Victor she wanted to talk to him about Clyde Weston. Victor pretended to be only vaguely familiar with Kate's boyfriend, but Hope wasn't fooled, reminding him that Clyde had driven him out of the trucking business a few months earlier. Hope noted that Victor usually didn't take very kindly to being steamrolled. Victor replied that he had mellowed with age, and trucking had never been a terribly important part of his business, anyway.
Hope recalled that when Clyde had first arrived in Salem, Victor had made it pretty clear that he didn't like the guy very much, but things had later changed rather suddenly. Victor admitted that Maggie was always saying he was too quick to judge people, and he added that he had assessed the situation and realized that Clyde didn't matter that much and wasn't worth getting worked up about. "This, uh, reassessment -- this realization -- that Mr. Weston really didn't matter that much -- was it just a coincidence that it came two days after Sonny was almost killed?" Hope wondered.
Victor claimed he didn't know what Hope was implying, adding that she was an officer of the court who was supposed to act on evidence, not innuendos. Victor paused the conversation to answer a phone call, hanging up after Clyde said it was time for them to have another face-to-face talk. When Hope asked if something was wrong, Victor shook his head and said the call had been about a business matter. Despite acknowledging that Hope was a stubborn but good cop, Victor nevertheless implored her to leave the matter with Clyde alone.
Hope wasn't sure she could do that, since Aiden was Clyde's lawyer. Hope explained that she didn't want Aiden to take any chances, but Victor countered that she was the one who was taking chances. "Victor, I just -- please. Was Weston involved? Did he have anything to do with what happened to Sonny? Just answer me," Hope demanded. Victor impatiently insisted Hope was looking for evidence she was never going to find. "For your own sake -- and for mine -- leave it alone," Victor stressed.
Later, after Hope left, Victor grudgingly allowed Clyde into the mansion, although he insisted he and Clyde had nothing to talk about. Clyde disagreed, reminding Victor they'd had an agreement -- one that hadn't included an allowance for Victor to talk to Detective Brady. "She's family. And I'll talk to any member of my family any time I damn well please. Besides, what could I tell her, even if I wanted to?" Victor pointed out.
"Nothing that would hold up in court -- unlike the information I have on you," Clyde replied. Assuming Victor had gotten the point, Clyde started to show himself out. "I don't want you back in this house, Weston. People are still shot for trespassing -- and this time, I'll make sure myself that you're dead," Victor warned. Clyde chuckled in response and exited the mansion.
At the Horton house, J.J. talked to Abigail about how he had hurt Paige, concluding that what had hurt the most had been the fact that he hadn't just had a one-night stand with Eve; he had slept with Eve over and over again. "She's not Paige anymore. She was, like, everything that I wanted in life, and I made her stop being that person. I made her hate her own life," J.J. sadly added.
Abigail protested that J.J. couldn't be certain of that. J.J. struggled to understand how Abigail could be nice to him -- or even stand to be in the same room with him -- after everything he had just told her. J.J. didn't think Abigail could possibly understand what he had done, but she quietly assured him that she understood quite well.
J.J. insisted that what had happened between Abigail and E.J. had been completely different. Abigail said her affair with E.J. wasn't the only mistake she had made in her life. J.J. stressed that he didn't want Abigail to dredge up ancient history just to try to make him feel better. "You're with Ben, and he's a great guy. And you guys are a great couple. I'm just glad Mom has at least one kid that's not a complete screw-up," J.J. added.
Abigail tried to protest, but J.J. interrupted. "Come on, Abs -- I slept with my girlfriend's mother! It doesn't get much worse than that," J.J. shamefully insisted. Abigail tried to assure J.J. that he would eventually find a way to move on and live the rest of his life without Paige, but he shook his head. "I can't give up on her. I won't," J.J. vowed. J.J. started to grab his keys, but Abigail stopped him. "I don't know what you are planning, but you can't do this. You need to just accept reality. It's over," Abigail stressed. J.J. rushed off after telling Abigail that wasn't -- couldn't be -- true.
While looking for something in her dorm room, Paige found the music box J.J. had given her a few weeks earlier. Paige tossed the item against a wall, struggling to maintain her composure as a tune emanated from the broken remains.
Theresa was trying to figure out how to operate a bottle warmer when she received an unexpected visit from Eve. Theresa was relieved at first but soon realized Eve was in a bad mood. Theresa wondered what was wrong. "Nothing...except that that bitch, Jennifer Horton, and skank son of hers have ruined my life," Eve complained. Confused, Theresa asked Eve to slow down and tell her exactly what had happened.
"Yeah, Mom, go ahead -- tell her," Paige said as she entered Theresa's apartment. Eve approached Paige, who recoiled and warned Eve to stay away from her. Sidestepping her mother, Paige handed Theresa a list and asked her to go to Eve's apartment to pick up the noted items, explaining that she had gotten a summer job on campus and wanted to decorate the dorm room she would be staying in. Theresa started to protest that she was kind of busy, so Eve offered to handle the task, but Paige said that wouldn't work because she planned to never talk to Eve again.
Theresa was shocked when Paige revealed that Eve had slept with J.J. months earlier -- and had repeated the offense multiple times afterward. Theresa waited for Eve to deny the accusation, but Eve just quietly apologized for her actions. Theresa started to hug Paige, but Paige backed away and clarified that she wasn't looking for sympathy. Paige stressed that she just wanted help getting her stuff out of Eve's apartment so she would never have to see Eve's lying face again.
After Paige left, Eve begged Theresa not to tell Shane or Kimberly about what had happened. Theresa agreed to keep quiet but admitted she didn't understand how Eve could have slept with a guy Eve had hated since the moment she had found out about his past and his parentage. Eve maintained that J.J. and Jennifer were to blame for everything that had happened, even when Theresa protested that Eve was the one who'd had an affair with Paige's boyfriend. Eve complained that the worst part was that she had lost everything while Jennifer had lost nothing. "I'm not gonna let her go on with her life as if nothing happened. Not after what she did to me. Mm-mm. Jennifer Horton -- she is gonna pay," Eve vowed.
Daniel received a visit from Jennifer, who invited him to give her the lecture she believed she deserved for trying to keep the truth about J.J. and Eve's affair from Paige. Daniel refused to do that, insisting Jennifer had always had the best of intentions. Daniel urged Jennifer to cut herself a bit of slack, but she said she couldn't do that. Daniel guessed it was probably easier for Jennifer to be upset with herself than with her son. Jennifer agreed that what J.J. had done had been awful, sad, and misguided, but she added that the bottom line was that Eve was responsible for everything that had happened.
Daniel wanted to contact the police when he learned that Eve had planted drugs on J.J. in an effort to get him sent to prison, but Jennifer insisted she didn't want to put Paige through that sort of thing, especially after everything else Paige had already been through lately. Jennifer told Daniel about her recent conversation with Paige, who felt like Jennifer had betrayed her just as much as Eve had. Jennifer admitted she had never doubted herself more than she did at that time. Daniel assured Jennifer that, despite her mistake, she was still a great mother -- and J.J. and Abigail knew that better than anyone else did.
After Jennifer left, Daniel received another visitor -- J.J., who was pleasantly surprised when Daniel quickly made it clear that he was on J.J.'s side and was placing most of the blame for what had happened on Eve's shoulders. When Daniel said he wished he could do something to help, J.J. suggested that Daniel could talk to Paige and try to get her to understand so she could give J.J. a second chance. Daniel refused to do that, stating that Paige already understood -- and J.J. was the one who didn't. "It's over with Paige. You are no longer J.J. to her; you are the boy who slept with her mother," Daniel added.
Somewhat annoyed, J.J. wondered why Daniel had offered to help in the first place if he felt that way about the matter. Daniel explained that he wanted to help J.J. find a way to accept responsibility for what had happened -- without hating himself in the process. Daniel added that Paige was the only one who could make the decision to give J.J. a second chance. "But she won't make that decision -- not alone," J.J. protested. Daniel said J.J. would just have to find some way to live with that. J.J. insisted he couldn't, and he begged Daniel to reconsider, stating that Daniel was his last chance. "Your last chance was a long time ago," Daniel replied.
Daniel mentioned that Paige was on her way over, so J.J. took the hint and started to leave. When J.J. opened the apartment door, he found Paige standing in the hallway, preparing to knock. After acknowledging that she was early, Paige started to walk away, promising to return later. J.J. reached out to stop Paige, who recoiled and warned him not to touch her. J.J. apologized and said he had just been trying to explain to Paige that he was on his way out himself. "Good," Paige said as she pushed past J.J., who reluctantly exited the apartment.
Daniel apologetically admitted to Paige that he had known about J.J. and Eve's affair and had kept quiet about it. Paige wasn't terribly upset with Daniel, musing that he was pretty low on the list of people who should have told her about the affair. Daniel wished he could do something to help, so Paige asked him to tell the Deveraux clan -- especially J.J. -- to back off, adding that she never wanted to have anything to do with J.J. again. Daniel promised to relay the message.
Daniel wondered if Paige had anyone she could talk to about what had happened. Paige insisted she was done talking and done opening up to people. Daniel protested that Paige couldn't close herself off from the rest of the world, adding that everyone needed love. "If what I had last year from my mother and my boyfriend was love, then I don't want anything to do with it -- ever," Paige replied before leaving.
When Jennifer returned to the Horton house, Abigail apologized for the way she had criticized Jennifer when she had found out about Jennifer's attempt to keep J.J. and Eve's affair a secret. Jennifer insisted everything Abigail had said after finding out the truth had been true. Admitting she had lost it when she had found out about J.J. and Eve's affair, Jennifer mused that it was like she had turned into a different person, and she noted that, in trying to make Eve pay and make everything better for J.J., she had really just ended up making everything worse for Paige. Abigail smiled and observed that the old Jennifer had returned.
Later, while examining some paperwork, Abigail noticed that Jennifer had made a donation to a children's fund in memory of Kristen. "I really had hope for her -- I did. And I thought that Kristen could survive being in that family, but she ended up being just like them -- just destroying the lives of anyone who made the mistake of --" Jennifer started to explain. "Sleeping with the enemy? Like I did?" Abigail concluded. Jennifer admitted she had been really concerned about Abigail back then and was grateful that their family no longer had anything to do with the DiMeras. Abigail nodded and abruptly excused herself so she could take care of something.
Chad was shocked to see Stefano in the DiMera mansion, since Stefano still had tax evasion charges hanging over his head. Stefano dismissively insisted those charges would soon be taken care of, adding that no one else knew he was back in Salem, anyway. Chad still didn't understand why Stefano would take such a risk. Raising a glass, Stefano cheerfully explained that he had wanted to help Chad celebrate the fact that Abigail had spent the previous night in Chad's bed. "So, did you have somebody watching me, or do you have cameras in my bedroom? And do you have any notes on my performance?" Chad asked, a hint of disgust in his voice.
Explaining that Harold had seen Abigail earlier, Stefano argued that he couldn't be accused of invading Chad's privacy because she had surrendered that privacy when she had left the mansion indiscreetly. Insisting Stefano was splitting hairs, Chad stressed that his relationship with Abigail was private, and he added that there was nothing to celebrate yet, anyway. "It's only a matter of time. Once a woman is with a DiMera man -- oh, ho, ho," Stefano replied.
"Oh, ho, ho -- you sure you want to finish that sentence? Seems Kate's pretty happy with Clyde Weston right about now," Chad pointed out. Stefano said he hadn't returned to Salem to talk about Clyde Weston. Chad doubted Stefano had really returned to Salem just to celebrate the progress Chad had made with Abigail. "Can't a father be happy for his son?" Stefano innocently wondered. "Can't a father stop lying?" Chad countered. Stefano warned Chad never to accuse him of lying again. Chad explained that he just found it suspicious that Stefano always seemed to avoid revealing why he cared about seeing Chad end up with Abigail.
Stefano pointed out that Chad was all he had left in the world. Chad didn't understand how that was relevant to the conversation, so Stefano clarified that he had made many mistakes with his other children and was desperate to avoid repeating those mistakes with Chad. Harold interrupted to announce that Abigail was waiting to talk to Chad, so Chad told Harold to have Abigail wait in the garden. After Harold left, Chad warned Stefano not to gloat. "I'm not. But you know something? I would be lying if I said I was surprised she's back -- and so would you," Stefano replied with a laugh as Chad exited the study.
While waiting for Chad, Abigail received a phone call from Ben, who wanted to know how her talk with J.J. had gone. Abigail said it had gone well, and she thanked Ben for checking on her, adding that she was sorry she had been abrupt with him earlier. Ben assured Abigail he understood. Ben admitted he hated seeing Abigail upset because he just wanted her to be happy. Ben told Abigail he loved her, and Abigail returned the sentiment, unaware that Chad was standing behind her.
Alone in the Horton house, J.J. struggled to control his emotions as familiar voices echoed in his mind, all repeating the same thing -- "it's over" -- with rapidly increasing speed and intensity. "It is over. I've lost her," J.J. sadly muttered when the voices finally stopped. As J.J. headed up the stairs to his room, someone knocked on the front door, and when he opened it, he found Theresa standing outside.
While passing through the town square, Eve overheard Jennifer talking to Abe, reporting that Laura was doing well and was about to celebrate a birthday. Abe was pleased to hear that, musing that Laura deserved some serenity after everything she had been through in the past. Intrigued, Eve found a secluded spot and used her tablet computer to research Laura's past.
"Hmm. 'Dr. Laura Horton committed to mental health facility following incident,'" Eve read aloud.
While Abigail was waiting for Chad in the garden of the DiMera mansion, Ben called her to ask how her conversation with J.J. had gone. When the conversation was over, Ben told Abigail that he loved her. "I love you, too, Ben," Abigail said -- just as Chad appeared behind her. When Abigail saw Chad, she promised to meet Ben at the Brady Pub later and quickly hung up. Chad apologized for keeping Abigail waiting, but he added, "I was sure you'd probably make yourself comfortable, though. You sure did the other night."
Stung, Abigail asked if Chad were upset with her. He brusquely asked why she was there. Abigail said she thought they should talk about what had happened. Reminding Abigail that they'd had sex and recounting the numerous places they'd done it, Chad asked if she were really there because she wanted to do it again. Offended, Abigail insisted that she was there to tell her that their having sex had been a mistake -- one that would never happen again.
Chad claimed that was fine with him because he'd gotten what he'd wanted: to prove to himself that Abigail still wanted him, even after everything that had happened between her and E.J. Abigail was incredulous, but Chad reminded her that she'd continued to invent unconvincing reasons to be near him, such as comforting him about his sister's death -- the sister whom Abigail had hated. "Chad, you said that you loved me," Abigail said quietly, tears filing her eyes. Chad claimed that he'd said whatever had been necessary to get her into bed.
Encroaching on Abigail's personal space, Chad remarked that she'd been much more adventurous in bed since the last time he'd "had" her -- and he wondered if E.J. had taught her that. Furious, Abigail shoved Chad away. Chad reminded her that she had humiliated him because after she'd dumped him, her affair with E.J. had been disclosed in a magazine. "Well, now I've done the same thing to you -- only I won't run and tell your mommy, or your little brother, or your bumpkin boyfriend that Abigail is still just a little bit of a slut," Chad said tauntingly -- prompting Abigail to slap him.
"Why are you being so cruel?" Abigail cried. Chad reminded her that he was a DiMera, and cruelty was in their DNA. Stung, Abigail left in disbelief. As soon as Abigail had exited, Stefano appeared and demanded, "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Chad asserted that it was none of Stefano's business. Stefano chastised Chad for deliberately humiliating Abigail, but Stefano contended that Chad loved Abigail. "Love is overrated!" Chad asserted, adding that he was young, rich, and powerful -- and shouldn't tie himself down to one woman.
"You idiot! You intentionally drove her away, and you did it to defy me!" Stefano proclaimed. Chad wondered how his ending things with Abigail defied Stefano -- and why Stefano cared. Chad turned and walked away.
In the study, an emotional Chad fell on his knees and remembered giving Abigail a rose the morning after they'd spent the night together. "I do love you, Abigail. I never stopped," Chad said, beginning to cry.
Ben sulked in a corner booth at the Brady Pub, remembering how Abigail had pulled away when he'd kissed her earlier. He called his dad and asked about the app Clyde had recommended to secretly track Abigail's phone. "I know I said I didn't want any part of it, but I just talked to her, and I just -- I can't shake the feeling that there's something going on with her, something she doesn't want to tell me about," Ben admitted.
When Abigail joined Ben later, she hugged him, clearly out of guilt over what had transpired between her and Chad. Abigail explained that she was upset about how miserable J.J. was over the end of his relationship with Paige. After Ben comforted Abigail, she got a text message, which she claimed was just a bill reminder from her cell phone company. Ben said he'd just been in the kitchen and had seen Joey, who'd wanted Abigail to go back and say "hello." Eager to see her cousin, Abigail left her phone on the table while she headed to the kitchen.
Ben waited until the coast was clear then he grabbed Abigail's phone. As Ben muttered impatiently that the app was taking forever to load, Abigail returned from the kitchen. Ben hurriedly replaced her phone facedown on the table. When Abigail arrived, she declared that while she'd been in the kitchen, Caroline had sung Ben's praises. Abigail thanked Ben for his kindness and patience. Ben urged Abigail not to think of him as a saint because she knew he wasn't one. "I'm so lucky to have you in my life," Abigail declared enthusiastically, kissing Ben across the table.
Paige sat at the bar in Club TBD, tapping with vehemence at her phone screen to delete some of her contacts. A man approached and tried to strike up a conversation with Paige, even offering to buy her a cocktail, but she sneered and informed him that she wasn't old enough to drink. The man persisted, so Paige threatened to get the manager, her friend. "Not yet twenty-one and already a stone bitch," the guy muttered as he walked away. Rory arrived in time to witness Paige handily rebuffing the other man's unwanted advances.
Chuckling, Rory praised Paige's recent empowerment. Paige was clearly in no mood to deal with Rory, who quickly realized his mistake when he referenced J.J. having sex with Eve. Paige surprised Rory by encouraging him to spread the word about Eve and J.J.'s affair. After Paige ranted bitterly on the topic, Rory remarked, "You always used to be so nice, and it really got on my nerves. You're, like, totally different now." Paige pointed out, "Being betrayed by the people you love most in the world, it changes a person."
In the park outside Horton Square, Eve used her tablet to research the time Jennifer's mother, Laura Horton, had spent in a mental institution. Eve recalled that Jennifer had broken her engagement to Frankie out of fear that she would inherit Laura's illness. Eve was disappointed and frustrated that she couldn't find out more about the mysterious incident that had sent Laura to the "booby hatch."
Suddenly feeling eyes on her, Eve whirled around and saw Paige standing at the gate. Eve tried to greet her daughter with physical affection, but Paige held up her hand to keep her mom away. Noting that she'd gotten the tuition check for Stanford that Eve had sent, Paige ripped up the check in Eve's face and let the pieces flutter to the ground. Distraught, Eve asked how Paige planned to pay her tuition, since it was too late to apply for financial aid. "Beats me. Maybe I just won't go!" Paige snapped. Eve begged Paige to let her pay the tuition.
Paige snarled, "Why? So you can go around bragging about how you have a daughter at Stanford? Well, forget it, okay? You don't have a daughter anymore. I don't want anything to do with you." Paige started digging in her purse for her phone to prove that she meant it by deleting her mom's number. Eve interrupted to insist that it had been Jennifer's idea, not Eve's, for Paige and J.J. to get back together.
"You slept with him, Mom. You knew I loved him, and you slept with him anyway. Who the hell cares why you said you wanted us to get back together?" an incredulous Paige asked. She ordered her mom never to call her again. After Paige stormed off, Eve blamed Jennifer for everything that had happened.
When Theresa showed up at the Horton house, J.J. told her, "You have the wrong address. The free clinic is two blocks down." Ignoring the insult, Theresa gleefully gloated about J.J. and Paige's breakup following his affair with Eve. J.J. interrupted Theresa's litany of his crimes to contend that she was even more disgusting than her sister. Theresa countered that what J.J. had done to Paige was the very definition of "disgusting" -- and Theresa was thrilled that his life had been ruined.
Theresa boasted about her son, and J.J. countered that as soon as the kid went home from the hospital, Theresa would be speed-dialing her dealer. Theresa confidently declared that she loved her baby too much to ever to do drugs again. J.J. warned Theresa not to push Brady too hard for child support -- especially not after she'd tried to kill Brady's father. "What's it like having a baby with a guy that hates your guts?" J.J. asked.
Theresa asserted that Brady would get over it much sooner than Paige would. "She might hate you even more than I do!" Theresa noted merrily. J.J. wanted to know what Paige had said, but Theresa had to leave to see if her son were ready to take home from the hospital.
At the hospital, a beaming Brady told Jennifer that he was pretty sure Tate would be able to go home the following day. Jennifer expressed her sympathy about Melanie leaving town then Jennifer had to leave so she could mail a birthday gift to her mom.
After Jennifer left, Brady made a phone call, requesting, "I'm at the hospital, and my son's mother is going to be here soon. I was wondering -- could you come by here? I want to take care of this as soon as possible... Great... Thank you so much. I just -- I want to make sure I stay one step ahead of her."
Jennifer returned home and found J.J. just sitting pensively in his great-grandmother's chair. J.J. asked about the gift his mom was carrying. Jennifer said it was a scarf for her mom and suggested that J.J. write a note to his grandmother to include with the package. J.J. remarked that Jennifer was great at taking care of everyone, but she maintained that she had failed him. J.J. reminded his mom that she had warned him that he could lose Paige, but he was the one who had lied because he hadn't been able to let Paige go.
Jennifer noted that J.J. seemed much more resigned than he had when they'd last talked. "I think I'm finally starting to get it through my head that I've lost Paige forever," J.J. admitted. He added that he'd asked Daniel to talk to Paige for him, but Daniel had refused. "I realized that if Daniel couldn't back me up, then there's just no hope," J.J. said. He added that Paige hated him, and Theresa had shown up to back Paige up.
J.J. blamed everything on his own stupidity. Hugging her son, Jennifer pointed out that acceptance was the beginning of healing -- and things would get better. J.J. didn't think so. He left to meet Rory.
A little later, J.J. joined Rory at a table in Club TBD. A moment later, Paige entered and sat at the bar. The guy who'd hit on Paige earlier returned her phone, which Paige had forgotten. Rory filled J.J. in on what had happened before. Paige tried again to get rid of the guy, who didn't seem to take the hint. J.J. rushed over to order the man to leave, and the man complied. J.J. apologetically stated that he knew Paige didn't want him around, but he had wanted to help.
Paige assured J.J. that it was all right. "Thank you so much for rescuing me from a really uncomfortable situation... So gross, right? I mean, he was probably as old as my father. Hooking up with someone his age would be, like, totally disgusting, right?" Paige pronounced before leaving in disgust.
J.J. complained to Rory that Paige was never going to forgive him. "Dude, you slept with her mother," Rory reminded J.J. Rory added, "I was talking with her earlier; she didn't even seem like the old Paige. She's really mad... She wants everybody to find our about you and her mom, and she wants me to spread it around... When Paige is that mad, she's a little scary."
Jennifer was leaving the ice cream store later when she ran into Eve, who taunted that she knew what Jennifer's son's favorite flavor was. Jennifer cautioned Eve to stay away from J.J., who never wanted to see Eve again. "Well, you know, Jennifer, he kept telling me that, but the funny thing is -- he just kept coming back for more," Eve said. "If you ever hurt my son again, I promise you, I will destroy you," Jennifer warned Eve before stomping off. Eve hissed, "J.J.'s not the one I'm after, you sanctimonious bitch!"
Jennifer went home and called her mom, reassuring Laura that her gift was on its way. Laura obviously remarked that Jennifer sounded "funny," but Jennifer insisted that everything was fine.
Eve returned to the park and wondered how she could find out more about Laura Horton's breakdown. "Well, where there is a will, there's got to be a way," Eve told herself.
Paige headed back to her dorm room and cried for a minute about how much she hated her mom and J.J. Drying her tears, Paige decided she wanted to hurt Eve and J.J. as much as they had hurt her.
A gray-haired woman arrived at the hospital to meet Brady. Brady said that the baby's mother hadn't arrived yet, but he wanted to be ready when she did. When Theresa showed up, the doctor informed her that she could spend the night with her son -- and Theresa should be able to take Tate home the next morning. After the doctor left, Theresa admitted to Brady that she was a little nervous about taking Tate home. The woman returned, and Brady introduced her as a notary, explaining that they had some legal issues to settle right away.
A miffed Theresa joined Brady and the notary, Pam, in a private waiting room. Brady apologized for trying to pressure Theresa into an agreement and assured her that they would work out custody, child support, and living arrangements the next day -- but first he wanted her to sign an agreement stating that the two of them would remain in Salem for the first year of Tate's life.
Theresa made a phone call to her lawyer to get the go-ahead before signing the document. Her lawyer okayed it, so Theresa signed the agreement. Brady followed suit, then Pam placed her stamp on the papers. Brady asked Pam to make sure that both Aiden Jennings and Theresa's attorney got copies of the agreement.
After Pam had gone, Theresa told Brady that she was glad they had both committed to being in Salem for another year. "It could be a new beginning for us. We can get to know each other in a whole new way," Theresa added. Brady warned her, "Oh, it's definitely going to be a new beginning -- but not in the way that you think... It means that I've put up with your interference in my life, and your lies, for way too long. But now that's all going to change."
