Ciara runs into Aiden.
At the hospital, Kayla received a phone call from Steve, who was about to head off to Los Angeles in search of Joey but wanted to first see for himself that Kayla was all right. Insisting that she was fine, Kayla eventually managed to convince Steve that finding Joey needed to be his top priority. Steve warned, however, that he intended to call Kayla every ten minutes to check on her.
Later, Fynn informed Kayla that the CDC had managed to identify the virus as a mutation of one that had ravaged a small province in China during the Cultural Revolution but hadn't been seen since then. Fynn continued that although there was still no explanation for Arianna's mysterious ability to develop antibodies that adult victims of the virus hadn't been able to develop, the three-year-old had nevertheless proven instrumental in the race to concoct an antiviral medication before time ran out.
Fynn warned that treating everyone would be a slow process. "The first three doses should get here [from the CDC] in the next hour or two, [and] the next three doses an hour later. They'll keep it coming 'til we've put out the fire," Fynn explained. Kayla wanted to give the first three doses to Arianna, Paul, and J.J., but when J.J. overheard the plan while taking a walk with Gabi, he insisted that his dose needed to go to her instead because Arianna needed her mother. Kayla protested that J.J. was in worse shape than Gabi at that time, but he countered that arguing about the matter would be pointless because he wasn't going to consent to the treatment.
After convincing J.J. to at least rest for a while, Kayla escorted him back to his room and checked his temperature. Gauging Kayla's reaction to the reading, J.J. guessed that he was getting worse. Kayla again advised J.J. to accept one of the first three doses of the antiviral medication, but he refused to change his mind. "You're either very brave or very foolish," Kayla mused. J.J. dismissed the praise, protesting that he was simply doing what was right. Kayla maintained that she would be very proud of J.J. if he were her son. Kayla wanted to summon Jennifer to the hospital, but J.J. insisted that wasn't necessary because he was going to be fine.
Later, the first batch of the antiviral medication arrived from the CDC, and Fynn received John's permission to give Paul a dose of it. Meanwhile, after treating Arianna, Kayla administered the final dose of the experimental treatment to Gabi, who was with J.J. and had just started feeling weak again. J.J. looked on, praying that the serum would work.
After arriving in Los Angeles, Steve met with his old friend Karl, who happened to be a private investigator. Karl agreed to help Steve locate Joey, despite the fact that Steve wasn't able to offer much more than a picture of Joey and a description of Jade as starting points for the search. Karl assured Steve that if Joey was new in town, was riding a motorcycle, and had a cute girl at his side, he had surely attracted someone's attention.
At the commune, Joey and Jade were picking up the trash their fellow residents had left scattered everywhere. "People here are pigs," Joey grumbled as he tossed someone's half-eaten food in his trash bag. Meanwhile, Jade offered a smile and a wave to a guy who was standing nearby, watching her. When Joey asked Jade about the guy, she identified him as Dirk and explained that she had met him earlier, while Joey had been busy working on his motorcycle. "He's cool. Writes poetry, plays the guitar," Jade swooned.
"Like ten million other guys?" Joey dismissively replied. As Joey continued picking up trash, Dirk approached Jade, grasped her hand, and wondered how she was doing, referring to her as his small-town girl. Jade smiled and batted her eyelashes at Dirk as she answered that she was starting to get used to her new surroundings, prompting him to wonder where she had gotten her beautiful eyes.
"You know, I'm standing right here," Joey pointed out. Jade introduced Joey as the guy who owned the cool motorcycle she had told Dirk about during their earlier conversation, but Joey offered some additional context, calling Jade his girlfriend and suggesting that it would be a good idea for Dirk to take his hands off her. "Your girlfriend, huh? Didn't know you belonged to anybody, Jade," Dirk mused.
Joey asked for a moment alone with Jade, who waited until Dirk was gone then wondered why Joey was suddenly acting like they were in a serious relationship. "I split town with you. I traveled halfway across the country with you. That kind of does it for me, but if you want to go off with your new friend, be my guest," Joey irritably replied. Jade told Joey to relax, claiming that she had simply been testing him.
"You passed," Jade added, wrapping her arms around Joey while admitting that she kind of liked seeing him get possessive of her. Dirk interrupted before Joey could respond, announcing that it was time for a food run. "You drive, Joey. Kind of got a buzz on," Dirk said as he handed Joey a set of car keys.
Later, while Dirk was bragging to some of the other residents about what had happened during the food run, Joey quietly complained to Jade about what they had just gotten dragged into. "The last thing I need is to go to prison for some robbery I didn't even know was gonna happen," Joey fretted. Jade dismissively pointed out that Joey had been warned earlier that the commune didn't run on air.
"Okay, if a box of phones falls from a truck, whatever, but armed robbery?" Joey protested. Jade challenged Joey to admit that the experience had been a rush, arguing that she knew he had felt the same thing she had because the look she'd seen in his eyes as he had driven away from the crime scene had been the same one she'd seen during their first time in bed together. "I know how turned on it made you. Why don't we find some privacy so you can show me," Jade whispered in Joey's ear before giving him a kiss.
While passing through the town square with Rafe, Hope admitted that she didn't know how she felt about Aiden anymore, especially in light of the realization that, in a way, he had been a victim, too. Rafe guessed that Hope also didn't know how she felt about him anymore, but she gave him a passionate kiss to assure him that he was wrong. Hope stressed, however, that she needed to take things a day at a time, since she was really confused about everything, and Rafe agreed to give her the space she needed.
At the prison, Aiden demanded to know why Stefano and Andre had kept him alive and captive for six months instead of just killing him. "Simple: we needed a contingency plan [to collect Hope's life insurance money], just in case the man we hired to be you didn't work out," Andre explained. Aiden angrily guessed that when Stefano and Andre's plan had fallen apart, they had decided to keep Aiden locked up just to torture him.
"Not everything is about you, old boy. We had a couple of unfortunate incidents, like Hope murdering my father," Andre clarified. Aiden refused to believe that Hope would ever do such a thing, but Andre vowed to one day prove the claim. Andre added that he would first need a good attorney to get him out of prison, and he proceeded to offer Aiden a deal, promising to provide him with an alibi in exchange for his help.
Aiden insisted that he didn't need an alibi because DNA evidence had already confirmed his story, but Andre countered that DNA evidence wouldn't explain why Aiden had nearly gone through with the plan to kill Hope. Aiden reported that he had already talked his way out of that. Guessing that Hope hadn't believed Aiden's lie, Andre promised to back up the claim in exchange for Aiden's help. Aiden fretted that he would lose Hope for good if he agreed to represent Andre, prompting Andre to suggest that Aiden could simply coach a surrogate attorney on how to properly handle the case so Hope wouldn't know about his involvement.
Aiden refused to go along with Andre's plan, blaming him for what had happened to Chase. "You have a better chance of being canonized than you have of me working for you again," Aiden insisted. Chuckling, Andre confidently predicted that Aiden would change his mind eventually. "See you soon," Andre promised with a sly grin as Aiden walked away.
Later, Ciara ran into Aiden while taking Thomas for a walk in the town square. Aiden tried to share his story with Ciara, but she was reluctant to believe him. Undeterred, Aiden stressed that he loved Hope and wanted to get back together with her. Chuckling, Ciara warned that Aiden would probably find it difficult to make his dream a reality, given the fact that his son had raped her.
Aiden started to offer possible excuses for Chase's actions, refusing to believe that he could have done such a thing. As Ciara insisted that Chase had known exactly what he had been doing to her, Rafe interrupted, and she seized the opportunity to rush off with Thomas, who had begun crying while she had been arguing with Aiden. After Ciara and Thomas left, Rafe stressed that although he couldn't explain why Chase had raped Ciara, he could assure Aiden that the crime had indeed occurred, and Chase would have to pay for it.
Later, after vowing to Rafe that he loved Hope and planned to get her back, Aiden went to her house and urged her to watch a video of their first dance together. After the video ended, Aiden begged Hope to tell him what he needed to do to make her fall in love with him again.
In the park, Belle and Brady talked about the health of John, Marlena, and Paul. Brady assured Belle that everyone was doing better. Talk turned to Brady's engagement, and he admitted that he and Theresa had not done much planning. Brady mentioned that Theresa wanted to ask Belle to be a bridesmaid. When Brady said he had also argued with Theresa, Belle asked Brady if he was having second thoughts about marrying Theresa. Brady stressed that he loved Theresa and wanted to marry her.
Theresa was playing her ukulele on the couch when Anne arrived to talk about DJ Wear. Theresa complained about Summer. Anne advised Theresa not to let Summer bug her because it would make Brady happy if Theresa stopped complaining. Theresa said that she knew Summer was scheming. With a groan, Anne reminded Theresa that even if Summer had a plan for Brady, Brady was not necessarily stupid enough to fall for Summer's tricks.
Theresa asked Anne for help plotting against Summer. Anne declined, saying that she preferred to focus on DJ Wear. Theresa informed Anne that she had sent a copy of Summer's PalPage for "Cindi Callahan" to Victor and that she had left a voicemail for John. Anne reminded Theresa that John was in the hospital and Victor was freshly out of ICU. Shaking her head, Theresa said that she needed to do something. Anne told Theresa that she was paranoid.
"I know Summer. I was Summer. And if I don't do anything, I'm gonna lose Brady," Theresa said. Anne told Theresa that Brady would be stupid to drop her. With a sigh, Theresa argued that she needed to worry for Tate's sake as well as her own. Anne promised to help Theresa after they launched DJ Wear. Frustrated, Theresa said she could not wait.
While walking, Brady told Belle about Theresa's insecurities about Summer. Belle reminded Brady that Summer would continue to be a part of Brady's life, and Theresa could not ignore that. When Brady told Belle that Theresa had complained about Brady's "hero complex," Belle laughed. Belle told Brady that Theresa had a point. Belle suggested that Brady be sure about marrying Theresa.
"I am. I just need Theresa to know how sure I am," Brady said. Belle joked that Brady should not take relationship advice from her, adding that Philip had dumped her. Belle explained that Philip had said that he believed Belle still had feelings for Shawn. Wrinkling her nose, Belle said she was not sure if she had feelings for Shawn or not.
In the square, Maggie and Summer sat at the café. Maggie expressed her gratitude that Summer was helping her with her physical therapy. With a sad smile, Summer said she was grateful to get to spend time with Maggie. When Maggie asked Summer if she wanted anything in return for Summer's kindness, Summer asked Maggie to tell her about her father. Maggie said she had no information about Summer's father, Noah. Summer continued to press for information, upsetting Maggie. Maggie asked Summer not to look for Noah because it would save Summer some heartache.
As Victor walked through the square, he stopped at Maggie and Summer's table. Victor invited Maggie to join him for tea at the Martin house. When Maggie invited Summer to join them, Summer begged off, noting that she had errands to run. Summer offered to settle the bill with the waiter, but Maggie asked to handle it herself. After Maggie navigated her wheelchair inside the café, Victor sat at the table and presented Summer with a printout of a PalPage profile that included her alias, Cindi Callahan.
"Would you care to explain that, Cindi?" Victor asked. Summer reminded Victor that she had been a con artist and had used various aliases. Victor asked Summer why someone would send the profile to him. Summer shrugged and noted that she had already told Maggie about her past. Victor said he had no reason to show the paper to Maggie. When Maggie returned, she left with Victor. Summer crumpled up the paper.
After reaching out to Dario, Summer met with him in the square. Dario explained that he had been quarantined at the hospital. As Summer backed away, Dario added that his sister had been ill, and he was fine. When Summer stared blankly at him, an annoyed Dario growled that his family was fine.
"I'm sorry, but I'm having a really bad day too," Summer whined. "Please tell me you didn't kill anyone else," Dario said. Summer showed Dario the crumpled-up paper with her alias on it. Summer explained that someone had sent the profile to Victor anonymously. Summer said she was worried that Victor would dig around for information and learn that Clark was missing. Dario argued that he did not want to get any deeper into Summer's situation. Upset, Summer warned Dario that he was involved already.
Across the square, Brady and Belle walked and noticed Summer and Dario talking heatedly. Brady commented that Dario and Summer were dating. Shaking her head, Belle said that Summer and Dario did not look like a couple in love. Seeing Brady staring at Summer, Belle snapped her fingers until Brady turned back to her. Belle noted that if Brady wanted to convince Theresa that he wanted to be with her, then he needed to devote the same level attention to Theresa that Brady was focusing on Summer from across the square.
After Belle left, Brady walked over to Summer and Dario. Brady asked about the hospital. Dario said that they were slowly releasing people from quarantine and that he had heard that John and Paul were doing better. Brady said he was glad to hear that Gabi and Arianna were also doing well. Dario kissed Summer goodbye then left. Summer started to leave, but Brady stopped her.
Brady asked if Clark had been bothering her. Summer said that Brady had successfully dealt with Clark and that he had not contacted her again. When Brady asked if Dario had known Clark, Summer said she was not sure. Brady mentioned that Dario had once been a thief. Annoyed, Summer stressed that she was not working with Dario to con Brady or Maggie. Summer told Brady to go to hell then she stomped off.
Brady chased after Summer. Furious, Summer told Brady that he was like his grandfather. Summer said she resented that Brady acted like he was on her side but seemed to be waiting for her to mess up. When Brady reminded Summer that he had given her $50,000, she offered to return the money. Brady said he did not want the money back. Summer said she would take Theresa's advice and leave town, especially when no one seemed to want her around.
As Summer stormed off, Brady called out to her. Theresa asked Brady why he wanted to stop Summer. Brady turned to find his fiancée standing behind him. Theresa explained that she had been on her way to deliver a coffee to Brady at the hospital. As Brady explained that he had not been able to see John, Theresa frowned. Theresa pointed out that instead of returning home from the hospital, Brady had sought out Summer instead.
At the Martin house, Victor and Maggie talked over tea about Caroline. Noting Maggie's quietness, Victor asked what was wrong. Maggie explained that Summer had inquired about Noah. When Victor offered to put his P.I. on the case, Maggie firmly said no. Before Victor could ask why, Julie interrupted. While Victor called Justin on the phone in the other room, Julie chatted with Maggie about Victor. Maggie confided that Victor had not warmed up to Summer. Julie reasoned that Victor's grumpiness was more about the changes in their lives than about Summer specifically.
When Victor returned to the table, he informed Julie that Justin was stopping by the house to meet with him. Victor offered to escort Maggie to her A.A. meeting, but Julie pooh-poohed the idea, noting that Doug would be happy to take Maggie to her meeting. While Julie fetched Doug, Victor asked Maggie if she was okay. Maggie said she was fine.
At Hope's house, Aiden unexpectedly stopped by to talk. Hope agreed to talk, but she did not want Aiden to enter the house. When Aiden said he wished he and Hope could go back to how things had been, Hope countered that everything about their lives together had been a lie. Aiden said he had not intended to fall in love with Hope, but he had. Aiden added that he had been willing to die for Hope by defying the DiMeras. With a sigh, Aiden said the thought of Hope had helped him survive his captivity.
When Aiden asked for a second chance, Hope said she wanted proof that the DiMeras had held Aiden hostage. Shaking his head, Aiden said he had not seen any of his captors. In disbelief, Hope asked for details. Aiden told Hope everything he knew about his cell. Hope said she did not understand why the DiMeras had wanted to keep Aiden alive. Aiden informed Hope that he had visited Andre in the hopes of finding out why.
"Andre denied having anything to do with what happened to me. He put all the blame on Stefano," Aiden said. Aiden added that Andre had accused Hope of killing Stefano. Hope said she had not, and she asked Aiden again about the DiMeras' reasons for kidnapping him. Aiden lied and said that Andre had not admitted why they had kept Aiden alive. When Hope asked about her life insurance policy, Aiden said he had not know that he had been the beneficiary.
When Aiden reached out to touch Hope's arm, she pulled away. Hope told Aiden that she had done everything she could do to erase Aiden from her life. Aiden said he understood why. Fishing, Aiden asked Hope if there was any chance that they could reconcile. Upset, Hope said, "I can't even fathom the idea!"
Aiden asked Hope if she would consider reconciling if she were not dating someone new. Surprised, Hope asked how he knew that. Aiden noted that he had seen the love notes and flowers in the house. When Aiden mentioned Rafe, Hope asked Aiden to leave Rafe out of the conversation. Hope reminded Aiden that she had buried him, believing that he had been a murderer. Aiden nodded.
"I love you. I have never for one moment stopped loving you, and I will do anything to prove it," Aiden said. After Aiden left, Hope thought about happy moments with Aiden from their relationship. Hope then thought about when she had screamed over Aiden's bloody corpse in her living room.
Hope stared at Rafe's phone number on her cell phone then she walked out of the house. Hope went to the cemetery to visit Bo's grave. Hope told Bo that he had been her one true love. With a sad laugh, Hope said she could use Bo's advice. Hope said she was lost and confused. Hope said she no longer trusted her instincts. From nearby, Aiden watched Hope pour her heart out to her husband's gravestone.
On his way home, Rafe called Hope to let her know that Gabi and Arianna would be released from the hospital the following day. When Rafe asked, Hope told him that she was tired but otherwise all right. She suggested that they could get together the next day.
When Julie found Aiden trying to check into the bed and breakfast, she flipped out. After a livid Julie commanded the desk clerk to call the police, she ordered Aiden to leave. Aiden tried to reassure Julie that the police already knew about his return to Salem and had released him, but Julie threatened him with a letter opener. Before Julie could perform a "medical procedure" with the letter opener on Aiden, Roman showed up and reassured Julie that the man truly was Aiden and not the person who'd tried to kill Hope.
Unconvinced, Julie sarcastically suggested that, instead of her bed and breakfast, Aiden could stay at the Salem Inn, or the Plaza -- in New York. Roman explained that Hope knew that Aiden was in town, and they needed Aiden to stay there in order to answer some questions.
On the phone, Hope quickly got Julie up to date on the goings-on with Aiden. Still skeptical, Julie offered to have Aiden run out of town if that were what Hope wanted. Hope pointed out that if Aiden were run out of town, Hope wouldn't get the answers she needed.
Later, as Hope was dozing on the couch, she dreamed of Aiden proposing to her and begging for a chance to prove himself. While Hope had been kissing Aiden, Ciara had screamed and hurtled into her mother's arms when Chase had ambled in. "Here we are again: home sweet home," a smirking Chase had said. Hope awoke with a start when Shawn pounded on the front door.
After some discussion about Aiden, Shawn confessed that he'd behaved like a seven-year-old kid when Hope had betrayed Bo by marrying Aiden. Hope wondered aloud how she could have been wrong about so many things, but she had loved Aiden. Shawn asked if Hope had decided what to do. Hope admitted that Aiden's return would have an enormous effect on everyone in her life -- especially Ciara.
Although Shawn reassured Hope that she'd done the right thing by letting Chase live there -- and that what Chase had done to Ciara hadn't been Ciara's fault -- Hope berated herself for the whole thing, since Chase had been such a good kid when he had been younger. Shawn admitted that he was angry about Aiden's return and that it had put Hope in a bad situation, but Shawn knew that Hope had to decide for herself what to do. Hope asked if Shawn would be upset if she decided to give Aiden the opportunity to prove himself. Shawn said that if his mother did, she should take things vey slowly.
Rafe returned to his apartment, opened a beer, reminisced about being with Hope -- and found Eduardo waiting for him. Eduardo said that Adriana suspected there was something bothering Rafe, something beyond Arianna and Gabi being in the hospital. Rafe shrugged off Eduardo's vicarious concern. Eduardo acknowledged that he couldn't make up for thirty years of lost time and was basically still a stranger to the family, but he offered to be a good listener to Rafe. Eduardo asked what Rafe's problem was. "A woman," Rafe replied.
Rafe caught Eduardo up on what had happened with Hope and Aiden. Afterwards, Rafe asserted that, since Aiden had worked for the DiMeras, the situation seemed black and white to him. Eduardo agreed that Rafe couldn't push Hope about it. Rafe admitted that he couldn't follow his instincts because they were urging him to cause Aiden physical harm. After Eduardo asked, Rafe angrily declared that he didn't buy Aiden's story or that Aiden had returned to atone.
Rafe continued that, whatever the reason, Aiden had obviously not gotten in touch with Hope and had shown up at her house because he'd wanted to freak her out. Eduardo urged his son to keep digging to find out why Aiden had returned -- but in the meantime, to keep Hope out of it. Eduardo surmised that Hope was a woman who was genuinely struggling to do the right thing. Rafe concurred.
Aiden left no lights on in his room at the bed and breakfast as he shoved a box labeled "Dad's stuff" under the desk. He paced nervously around the room and opened the windows before turning the lights on. Later, Aiden lay on the bed, his eyes open, and there was a loud bang. He bolted upright in the bed, listened for another sound, then convinced himself that it had just been a noise.
Later, Aiden was covered in sweat as, in a dream, he remembered being locked in the cage and how his doppelgänger had suddenly shown up on the night Aiden had intended to kill Hope, and Andre appeared to inject Aiden with a hypodermic needle. Again, Aiden sat up in bed. His eyes darted around the room very quickly, as if he had no control over them.
In another part of the bed and breakfast, Justin informed Victor that Deimos had requested a meeting with Justin, although Justin suspected that Deimos would test him in some way. Justin assured Victor that he could handle whatever Deimos threw at him. Justin asked Victor how he was doing. Victor confessed that he'd been struggling with depression. "With Maggie in that damn chair..." Victor's voice trailed off. He admitted that he'd wanted to show Maggie the Parthenon, but he knew it wasn't rigged for people like him and Maggie.
Justin declared that it would mean more to him if Victor and Maggie were happy instead of plotting revenge against Deimos. "We won't be happy until we get our revenge on him," Victor countered. A frustrated Justin urged Victor to travel with Maggie then settle down on a beautiful Greek island. Victor reminded Justin that Salem was Maggie's home.
Justin warned Victor of what Deimos was capable of and admitted that he'd been overly angry when Victor had first presented his plan. Justin added that he was worried about Victor putting his entire plan in Nicole's hands. "I'll take the risk," Victor maintained. Justin again encouraged Victor to go away with Maggie and be happy.
In Horton Square, Nicole read a letter from Eric, who assured Nicole that he'd been clean and sober for thirty days. Eric admitted that he missed Daniel every day and would never stop feeling guilty for taking Daniel away from Nicole. Nicole ducked her head and covered her face as she tried to hide her tears. Maggie arrived with a woman from her A.A. meeting, and when she spotted Nicole, she asked the woman to leave her there.
Maggie rolled herself over to Nicole and asked what was wrong. Sobbing, Nicole admitted that sometimes she missed Daniel so much that she couldn't breathe. Nicole sheepishly acknowledged that Maggie had been through much more and cursed Deimos' name for what he'd done to Maggie. Maggie maintained that she didn't want the wheelchair to make people pity her. She noted that, in the big picture, she and Victor were alive and had each other to love.
Through gritted teeth, Nicole pointed out, "Deimos stole from you. If, tomorrow, someone gave you back what Deimos took, wouldn't you accept it? Wouldn't you feel like justice had been served?" Maggie pointed out that it wasn't up to them to decide what justice was, and perhaps God had another plan for her and Victor. "Maybe God needs a little help from your friends," Nicole maintained. Maggie cautioned Nicole -- someone Maggie loved -- not to risk inciting Deimos' wrath.
Deimos was pleasantly surprised when he entered the Kiriakis living room and found it decorated with flowers and candles. Kate entered, kissed Deimos hello, and poured Champagne for each of them. In a sultry voice, Kate proposed that, after dinner, the two of them would head to Las Vegas to get married. Deimos choked on his Champagne.
Once he regained his composure, Deimos pointed out that he and Kate barely knew each other. Kate asserted that the two of them were just alike, explaining, "If we had souls, we would be soul mates." Just then, Nicole rang the doorbell. Adams ushered Nicole in, and she wondered why Kate and Deimos were sipping Champagne. An annoyed Kate rolled her eyes behind Deimos' back as he informed their guest, "Nicole, you're not going to believe what happened. Lovely Kate just asked me to marry her." Nicole inquired about Deimos' answer to Kate's proposal. He admitted that he was considering it.
As Deimos poured a glass of Champagne for Nicole, she explained that she'd dropped by because she'd found some fabric with a Greek print and text on it. She asked if Deimos could translate the writing. Kate seethed as she observed their interaction. "It's a quote from Aristotle. 'Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies," Deimos read. An impressed Nicole said, "I feel like I have so much to learn from you." Deimos noted, "Oh, I think I could learn a thing or two from you, as well." Deimos took Nicole's Champagne glass and asked her to leave. As Nicole departed, she wished Kate and Deimos good luck.
As Nicole was exiting the Kiriakis mansion, she ran into Justin. Sensing her unease, Justin asked what was wrong. Nicole coolly maintained that there was nothing wrong. Justin responded sarcastically that nothing could possibly go wrong with Deimos. Nicole asserted that she knew exactly whom she was dealing with.
Nicole guessed that Victor had sent Justin there to spy on her. She declared that she would not be made a fool of, but she was on top of the situation, no matter how many plans Victor invented. Justin was surprised that Nicole was aware that Victor had other plans. Nicole warned Justin that he and Victor would regret it if they messed up what she'd put in motion.
When Victor found Maggie in Horton Square, he asked if he could take her home. Maggie declined, requesting Victor join her for a cappuccino. Victor wondered why Maggie didn't seem to want to return home. "If I'm with you, I'm home," Maggie asserted sweetly. After describing the exquisitely lovely nights in Santorini, Victor asked a surprised Maggie if she had ever considered leaving Salem -- permanently.
Maggie assured Victor that she would go anywhere with him but would never help him run away. "The day you run away is the day that you stop being Victor Kiriakis," Maggie declared firmly. Grinning, Victor said, "I knew there was a reason I married you... Don't you just love Salem? Isn't it just the best town in the whole damn world?" Victor and Maggie looked appreciatively around the square.
Kate cautioned Deimos that playing games, such as pitting her and Nicole against each other, would not give him the upper hand. Deimos pointed out that Kate had also been playing games when she'd set the scene with dinner and candles to propose -- perhaps disingenuously -- to him. Kate gave Deimos a choice: either he would answer her next question, in which case she would return later, or he would not, in which case she would leave -- permanently. "Are you wasting my time?" Kate demanded. Deimos declared that he didn't like ultimatums.
Kate hotly questioned whether Deimos were with her in order to prove something to someone. "If that's what it is, then I'm out," Kate cautioned Deimos, who finally interrupted her. With as much tenderness as he could muster, Deimos stated that he'd like to answer Kate's question. "The [question] about tying the knot. The answer is yes... Let's do it. Let's get married."
At the hospital, John and Marlena explained to a recovering Paul that Yo Ling had indeed been responsible for the virus. "That doesn't make sense. He was all about how I was supposed to be his successor. Why would he try to kill me?" Paul wondered. John theorized that infecting Paul with the slow-acting virus had been Yo Ling's contingency plan, and if he had succeeded in brainwashing Paul, he would have administered a cure before the virus had turned deadly. "I just pray to God my old man didn't have any other tricks up his sleeve," John added.
Changing the subject, Marlena warned that, according to John and Paul's respective medical charts, the virus had done a real number on both of them, and it would probably take a while for them to fully recover. John excitedly suggested that he and Paul could start working out together, perhaps with a personal trainer, to regain the strength they had each lost as a result of the virus, but Paul shot down the idea, insisting that he could handle his recovery on his own. Taking the hint, John abruptly excused himself, explaining that he was going to try to find out when Paul would be released.
Once they were alone, Marlena wondered why Paul, who clearly cared about John, had just responded to his idea in such a dismissive and hurtful way. Paul explained that he had been trying to protect John. "He said he hopes his father doesn't have any more tricks up his sleeve. Well, what if that's what I am?" Paul reasoned, fearing that he might still have some subliminal thoughts floating around in his head that could eventually surface and urge him to hurt John -- or worse. Marlena admitted to having similar concerns but nevertheless encouraged Paul to reconsider pushing John away, knowing he wouldn't want that.
When John returned, he reported that everyone who had been infected with the virus was going to be kept under observation for another twenty-four hours before being released. "So, uh, looks like we're gonna have to wait a day before we can start hitting the gym," Paul casually mused. John started to mutter a response but perked up when he realized that he had been included in Paul's statement. "Oh, I figured you would benefit from the advice of a former professional athlete," Paul jokingly confirmed, adding that he had a lot to talk to John about, anyway.
Later, a doctor advised that Paul seemed to be doing much better but needed to get some rest to avoid developing a secondary bacterial infection, such as bronchitis or pneumonia. The doctor issued the same warning to John, who reluctantly agreed to return to his room but jokingly whispered to Paul that he would just sneak back in later for another visit. Marlena followed John out of Paul's room and started to suggest that they could invite him to move in with them, but John interrupted her with a passionate thank-you kiss, knowing she had been instrumental in getting Paul to change his mind about the father-son workouts.
Elsewhere, Gabi received a visit from J.J., who had ditched his hospital gown in favor of some loungewear Jennifer had delivered earlier. J.J. reported that Jennifer had looked like she hadn't slept at all the past week. Gabi reasoned that Jennifer's restlessness was understandable, given how worried she had surely been about J.J. during the quarantine. Gabi started to admonish J.J. for choosing to give his dose of the antiviral medication to her, but he interrupted and protested that he hadn't visited her to get his chops busted. J.J. proceeded to kiss Gabi to demonstrate why he had visited her.
"This is how you behave, Gabriella? With my granddaughter in the room?" Adriana protested as she entered the room, prompting J.J. to quickly pull away from Gabi. Unfazed, Gabi reminded her mother that she was a grown woman and was allowed to kiss her boyfriend. With a look of obvious disapproval, Adriana changed the subject, announcing that she had just been offered a job at the hospital. Gabi was happy for her mother but made a point of stressing that J.J. deserved some thanks for selflessly giving his dose of the antiviral medication to her. J.J. tried to dismiss the praise, but Gabi insisted that her mother needed to know how much he meant to her.
Guessing that Adriana might have heard some disturbing things about his past , J.J. assured her that he had turned his life around and would never hurt Gabi or Arianna. Adriana conceded that J.J. had been very good to Gabi and Arianna the past few days, even when he hadn't been feeling well himself. Adriana agreed to give J.J. a chance, but only if he was brave enough to share another meal with the Hernandez clan. J.J. joked that he would be happy to do that, especially if they were going to spend the whole time yelling at each other again. Laughing, Adriana admitted that if J.J. really felt that way, he definitely had her blessing to continue dating Gabi.
Nicole met with Dario in a secluded section of the town square and filled him in on how things were going with Deimos. Nicole fretted that if Deimos ended up eloping to Las Vegas with Kate, the plan to dupe him would fall apart, and he would get away with what he had done to Victor and Maggie. Dario warned that Nicole would probably have to kick her plan into high gear right away in order to have any chance of stopping the marriage, since Kate seemed to be the kind of person who never wasted any time when going after something she wanted.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Kate guessed that Deimos had changed his mind about marrying her because he had realized that if he did that, he would never have to worry about her being forced to testify against him. "That's not very romantic," Deimos protested, but he didn't bother to deny the suspicion. Kate suggested eloping to Las Vegas right away, but before Deimos could respond, his butler interrupted to announce Justin's arrival. Despite Kate's protests, Deimos agreed to see Justin, who asked for a moment alone with him. Kate reluctantly left the room after Deimos pointed out that their trip could wait a day.
Deimos accepted Justin's offer to return some of Victor's assets in exchange for Justin's protection against any and all legal issues that might arise in the future. Deimos warned, however, that Justin would be tested at some point to ensure that he could be trusted. Deimos wasn't willing to elaborate on what the test would entail but stressed that when it occurred, Justin would be expected to quickly figure out what was going on and act accordingly. After leaving the mansion, Justin contacted Victor and filled him in on what had just happened.
When Kate rejoined Deimos, she tried to find out what his meeting with Justin had been about, but he refused to discuss it with her. Changing the subject, Deimos warned that if he and Kate were indeed going to get married, she would be expected to follow certain rules, including signing a prenuptial agreement. Kate scoffed at the idea that she was after Deimos' money, pointing out that she had plenty of her own and could therefore hurl the same accusation at him. Conceding the point, Deimos encouraged Kate to draw up her own prenuptial agreement for him to sign. "We don't trust each other, Kate. It's what makes [this] exciting," Deimos reasoned.
Outside, Nicole waited until Kate left the property then contacted Dario and asked him to follow Kate and keep her distracted for a while. After hiding her umbrella and letting herself get suitably drenched, Nicole rang the doorbell and started shivering as Deimos opened the door to greet her. Explaining that she had a flat tire and a dead cell phone, Nicole asked to use Deimos' phone to call a tow truck. Deimos insisted on having his maid dry Nicole's clothes, so she went upstairs to take a hot shower while waiting for the process to be completed.
Dario caught up with Kate in the town square and purposely bumped into her, causing her to spill her cup of coffee. Dario apologized profusely, and Kate started to yell at him but stopped herself when she realized who he was. Kate was curious to know why Dario had walked away from a high-paying job at Titan that he had been quite good at, so Dario seized the opportunity to keep her distracted for a while longer, promising to share his story with her over fresh cups of coffee. When Dario started complaining about how people had fought his attempts to make truly innovative changes at Titan, Kate admitted that she might be interested in hiring him back.
Eduardo soon interrupted to find out what was going on. Dario started to insist that it was none of Eduardo's business, but Kate assured him that Eduardo was simply trying to protect him from her. Dario was shocked to realize that Eduardo and Kate had been involved in the past. Meanwhile, Adriana interrupted to greet Dario, who was glad to hear that Gabi and Arianna were doing better. After introducing Adriana to Kate, Eduardo offered to walk Adriana home, and Kate excused herself, explaining to Dario that she needed to pack for a business trip she planned to take the following day.
When Nicole finished showering and rejoined Deimos in the living room of the Kiriakis mansion, wearing a robe she had found in one of the closets, he offered to have his maid make her some tea or coffee to keep her warm. Nicole said she would rather have a brandy, and as Deimos was preparing the drink for her, she requested another performance on his baby grand piano. While Deimos was playing, Nicole took a seat next to him and placed a hand over his to mimic his movements. Deimos soon stopped what he was doing, grabbed Nicole, and gave her a passionate kiss.
Eduardo escorted Adriana back to her place, where she found a bouquet of black roses waiting for her, along with a card that read: "Rest in peace, Patrick Johansson." Adriana was shocked when Eduardo admitted that Patrick was a man he had killed years earlier. Adriana guessed that the flowers were a threat, and Eduardo confirmed the suspicion.
As it stormed outside, inside the Kiriakis mansion, Deimos kissed Nicole. Nicole spotted Deimos' branding and asked him about it. Deimos explained that his brother had branded him. Nicole gently kissed the mark. Deimos pushed Nicole on the piano, kissing her. He wanted to take her to bed, but Nicole said that she didn't want to become his mistress. She also stated that she didn't want Deimos to marry Kate, noting that Kate had a history of poisoning people.
"What if I asked you to marry me," Deimos asked. Nicole realized the question was essentially a test and that any answer could be the wrong one. She found it hard to read Deimos because he hid his feelings. Deimos explained he'd learned to hide his feelings while in prison and recalled that he had once been a happy man. Deimos walked away to get Nicole some dry clothing. While he was out of the room, Kate walked in, demanding to know what Nicole was doing.
Rafe got himself a snack at Adriana's house because he couldn't sleep. Adriana was also having trouble sleeping because of the storm. She told Rafe that she had accepted a nursing job at University Hospital. Rafe was glad to see her happy, and inquired about the nearby black roses. Adriana claimed that the roses were for Eduardo. Rafe became angry because Eduardo's past was still haunting them all.
Unable to sleep, Hope wandered the darkened house and recalled "Aiden" trying to kill her and the real Aiden's return.
In his room at Martin house, Aiden also couldn't sleep. He was frightened by the storm and remembered his time in the cell. Suddenly, he fled his room.
Hope left her house and took a walk in the rain to the park. Aiden suddenly appeared, and Hope asked him why he was awake. Aiden stated that he'd felt like the walls were closing in on him; he considered it penance. Hope understood. The two made small talk about the rain before Hope told Aiden to be on his way. Aiden told Hope that he would never give up on her, and he sensed that she loves him. As the rain poured down, the two kissed.
At the townhouse, Belle and Claire rehashed details of Claire and her friends trashing the judge's car. Belle told Claire that there would be consequences; she was taking away Claire's car. Claire snapped that the situation was "pathetic" and announced that she would be moving out of the townhouse and in with Ciara. Claire went to her room.
Philip arrived at Belle's house a short time later because he needed a signature on some business documents. Claire appeared and they discussed her music. Philip wasn't very encouraging, and Claire walked away. Belle was angered by what she saw as Philip taking out their issues on her kid. Belle showed him to the door. Later, Claire called Shawn and whined about her car being taken away. She blurted out that she was moving out and hung up the phone, leaving Shawn upset. Shawn phoned Belle.
Chad dreamed of Stefano appearing to him in the darkened parlor of the DiMera mansion. Stefano said that "Abigail's gone mad" and urged Chad to sacrifice his wife. Chad yelled that Abigail was "not a chess piece." He woke from his sleep, startled.
In her room, Ciara dreamed that she and Chad were together in the dark in the parlor, and she was comforting him. The comfort turned to a kiss, and Ciara awoke with a small smile on her face. She headed to the parlor, where Chad offered to teach her to play chess. While they played, Chad reassured Ciara that she'd probably only be sentenced to community service in her court case. She kissed his cheek and called him a good guy before going to check on the baby.
In his hotel room, Eduardo was on his computer when a text message chimed on his phone. An anonymous person asked if Eduardo had gotten his message and shared an image of Adriana, saying that Eduardo had a beautiful family. Eduardo demanded that the mystery person show themselves. A knock sounded on the door, and Eduardo hurriedly grabbed a baseball bat. He opened the door and found Rafe standing there. Rafe had questions about Patrick Johansen. Eduardo said that there was nothing to worry about because "assassins don't announce their presence."
Belle arrived at the Salem Police Station. Shawn told her about Claire's phone call to him. The two argued about Belle essentially being a single parent. Exasperated, Belle announced, "If you want to handle Claire on your own, then fine."
