A hostage situation develops at the commune
J.J. lugged a large cedar chest toward the Horton house while Julie observed from the foyer, warning him -- too late -- to watch his step. As Julie winced at the sound of items crashing to the ground, Jennifer joined her and wondered what was going on. Julie explained that J.J. was helping her and Doug move in. "[We only brought the] little odds and ends that make for a civilized life," Julie assured Jennifer.
"Oh, my goodness. If this is 'little,' I would hate to see the big odds and ends," Jennifer mused as J.J. carried the cedar chest into the living room and set it down on the floor. Julie encouraged J.J. to take a break, and when he turned to face her and Jennifer, they quickly noticed the bruise on his chin. Jennifer questioned J.J. about the injury, but he was more interested in hearing how her Narcotics Anonymous meetings were going. Jennifer reported that they were helping, and she assured J.J. that she was attending them regularly and hadn't suffered any relapses. In exchange, J.J. revealed what had happened with Rory.
Later, after J.J. left, Julie made a pot of tea for Jennifer, hoping it would help her relax. "My daughter's in a psychiatric ward, my son got beat up by a drug dealer, and he also risks his life every day being a policeman, so unless there's something stronger in that, I don't want any," Jennifer told Julie, who found the comment a bit concerning.
Jennifer assured Julie that she wasn't going to fall off the wagon, but Julie countered that no one ever planned to do so. Sighing, Jennifer wondered how Tom and Alice had managed to raise not just two but five kids without falling apart, especially during trials such as Addie's death or Tommy's tour of duty in Korea. "The way wise people have always dealt with difficult times: they relied on family," Julie guessed. Jennifer nodded and admitted that she was grateful to Julie and Doug for their support -- and accommodating their boxes, suitcases, and cedar chests was a small price to pay for it.
Meanwhile, J.J. met with Rory in a secluded section of the town square and apologetically explained that he hadn't lied about the immunity deal; he had simply not been authorized to make it in the first place, so his superiors had refused to honor it. "So you got caught up in being a big cop, and I go down for it? Thanks for messing up my life, bro," Rory bitterly replied.
"Okay, I may have made a mistake, but I didn't mess up your life; you messed up your life. You could have gotten clean when I did," J.J. pointed out. Rory insisted that he didn't need a lecture from J.J., who countered that he was only trying to help. Warning that he was as good as dead already because he had ratted out some dangerous people, Rory advised J.J. to stay away from him to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. J.J. promised to find a way to protect Rory, but Rory told him not to bother. "I don't want your protection. It won't do any good, anyway. Some people just can't be helped, man," Rory added before rushing off.
In Los Angeles, Joey received an alarming text message from Jade while he and his parents were preparing to check out of their motel room, having stayed an extra night so Kayla could get some rest. Despite Steve and Kayla's protests, Joey insisted on going to the commune, with or without them, to find out what was wrong.
When Joey arrived at the commune with his parents, he was disturbed to find that the place was unusually quiet, all the window blinds were closed, and the front entrance was locked. While Steve was checking the back entrance, Joey called out for Jade, prompting Dirk to peek through one of the blinds and tell him to go away. Joey refused and began attempting to force his way inside.
Frustrated, Dirk opened the front door and yanked Joey inside then closed and locked it again before Kayla could do anything to stop him. "This is all your damn fault!" Dirk complained, pressing a gun against Joey's chest. Confused, Joey wondered what was going on. "None of your business!" Dirk snapped as he shoved Joey to the other side of the room, where Jade was sitting with Simone, who was attending to a wounded cop.
Jade tearfully explained to Joey that some cops had tried to question Dirk earlier about the unsolved murder of a store clerk who had been killed during an armed robbery -- a murder Dirk had indeed committed, although the cops hadn't been sure of that until he had freaked out and pulled a gun on them. Jade didn't think Dirk had meant for the gun to go off, but she feared that having nothing left to lose might make him even more unhinged.
Dirk soon grabbed Joey again and dragged him outside, where Steve had rejoined Kayla and was trying to pick the lock on a side entrance. Keeping his gun pressed against Joey's back, Dirk warned that he would start killing hostages if the cops didn't soon arrive with a negotiator to meet his demands. Steve stressed that, while the cops wouldn't be willing to cooperate with Dirk, he could because he was a former ISA agent. "If you're my best bet, then I'm screwed. You're the whole reason I'm here!" Dirk spat before dragging Joey back inside and locking the door again.
When Joey rejoined Jade, she tearfully admitted that she hadn't expected him to rush to her rescue, especially after the way they had left things earlier. "You said you were in trouble. Of course I came. I told you I love you, [and] I meant it," Joey stressed. Jade returned the sentiment, and Joey gave her a kiss and assured her that everything was going to be okay.
Meanwhile, Kayla learned that the police were stuck in a pileup on the freeway. Steve wanted to handle the situation on his own instead of waiting for the police to arrive, and Kayla eventually agreed not to try to stop him. Steve went around to the back entrance, picked the lock, and sneaked inside, but as he made his way into the room where the hostages were being held, Dirk spotted him and pointed the gun at his chest. Keeping his hands held high, Steve cautiously approached Dirk and promised to help him get out of the predicament. "[Just] tell me what it is you need, and trust that I can make that happen," Steve stressed.
Dirk sarcastically replied that he would love a mansion on the beach as well as a lifetime supply of weed and women -- but if he had to choose just one, he would probably go for the weed. "You see, it doesn't matter what I ask for! You some kind of miracle worker? You can make all this go away?" Dirk skeptically asked, waving the gun erratically as Steve tried to calm him down.
"He's done it before," Joey informed Dirk. Guessing that Steve had probably just protected his otherwise straitlaced son from facing punishment for jaywalking or stealing a pack of gum, Dirk dismissively insisted that murder charges couldn't be wiped away quite as easily. Steve maintained that he could fix everything, so Dirk demanded a written guarantee of immunity from a judge. Steve promised to make that happen, but in exchange, he wanted Dirk to release all the other hostages, including the cop, and use him as collateral instead.
Meanwhile, the cops arrived, and the lead detective was quite annoyed to learn that Steve had decided to take matters into his own hands. When Dirk's cell phone rang while he was considering Steve's offer, Steve advised him to ignore the call, but he answered it, anyway. After demanding a limousine, a plane to Mexico, and one hundred thousand dollars, Dirk warned that hostages would start dying if his demands weren't met within thirty minutes. When Dirk ended the call, Steve informed him that the cops would never be able to get those things in such a short time frame. "But I can," Steve promised.
Dirk remained skeptical, but he soon received another phone call from the detective, who requested more time as well as the release of a hostage as a show of good faith. "Are you deaf or stupid? I told you no!" Dirk shouted before hanging up. Pointing his gun at Joey and Jade, Dirk angrily added, "This place was all that I had, and ever since you showed up, it's all gone to hell!"
Steve stepped in front of Dirk and warned that the cops would storm in and open fire on him the moment they heard gunshots. Steve advised Dirk to release the injured cop so he could get medical treatment, reasoning that if he died, the other cops would be far less likely to cooperate. Simone urged Dirk to listen to Steve. "You're not a bad kid. These are your friends. They don't want to see you hurt, [and] you don't want to hurt them. I gave you a place to crash when your parents kicked you out, and I have never asked you for anything. Please stop," Simone begged Dirk.
Steve said he knew how Dirk felt because he had grown up in an orphanage and had later lived on the streets, just like Dirk, until he had one day joined the Merchant Marines. "I had two eyes back then, and then I got into a fight with my best friend over a girl. And it's because of that dude that I'm standing here right now. I can't tell you how many times I panicked [and] was on the verge of doing something stupid. He saved me from myself. All I needed was for somebody to be on my side. Now, you can make the right choice here, and you can undo a whole lot of bad choices. I'm living proof of that," Steve continued.
Meanwhile, Kayla tried to talk the detective out of ordering his team to storm the commune. The detective refused to change his mind, but before he could give the command, the wounded cop staggered out of the building. As Kayla was tending to the man and assuring him that an ambulance would be arriving shortly, Simone and some of the other hostages rushed out.
Kayla demanded to know where Steve and Joey were, and Simone tearfully replied that Dirk had ignored her efforts to convince him to release them. Kayla lashed out at Simone, blaming her for teaching impressionable young people that the rules didn't apply to them. "I swear to you, if my son and his father do not walk out of there alive, you will wish that you had never met me," Kayla warned Simone through gritted teeth.
Inside, Dirk kept his gun pointed at Joey and Jade, refusing to release them because he didn't think Steve would meet his demands unless Joey's life was on the line. Dirk tossed his cell phone to Steve, but before Steve could contact anyone, a cop stormed in through the back entrance, startling Dirk. Joey reached for Dirk's gun to prevent him from firing at the cop, and it went off in the ensuing struggle. As Joey fell to the floor, screaming in pain from the gunshot wound in his abdomen, Steve shoved Dirk against the wall and kept him pinned there until the cop was able to take over.
Having heard the gunshot, Kayla rushed in with the detective and tried to keep Joey calm, applying pressure to his wound while impatiently demanding to know why the ambulance hadn't arrived yet. "This is all my fault! Mom, I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" Joey sobbed as he writhed in agony.
Philip went to see his father at the Kiriakis condo. Victor still refused to forgive Philip's betrayal. Philip pointed out that although he was not a perfect son, Victor had not been a perfect father. Philip added that he had forgiven Victor multiple times for betrayals. Annoyed, Victor told Philip to stop whining. Victor reiterated that he had only agreed to forgive Philip if he had taken down Deimos, and if Philip had not killed Deimos, then there would be no forgiveness. Shaking his head, Philip said he did not believe Victor would have forgiven him even if he had destroyed Deimos.
Philip begged Victor to unify the family. When Victor scoffed at the idea, Philip warned his father that if he held on to his grudge forever, he would end up like Deimos. Avoiding the subject, Victor informed Philip that Kate had wed Deimos. Philip shook his head in dismay. "It's no wonder I'm a mess. Both my parents are complete disasters," Philip said as he left.
At the Hernandez house, Nicole asked Rafe whether they had found Deimos. Rafe asked Nicole to talk to him off the record, but Nicole said that whatever she said to him, she would say in court as well. Nicole noted that if Deimos were dead, an angry Kate had also been at the scene of the crime. Nicole added that Kate had the most to gain from Deimos' death. Nodding, Rafe argued that there was no evidence against Kate. For a moment, Nicole believed that Rafe did not believe her, but he assured her that he only wanted to play devil's advocate.
Nicole asked Rafe to talk to Kate, since he had had a relationship with Kate in the past. With a groan, Rafe asked Nicole if she was using him. Nicole said yes. Rafe pointed out that Roman had questioned Kate, and he urged Nicole to remain calm. Frustrated, Nicole swore to stop Kate. Rafe begged Nicole "not to be stupid."
Belle and Shawn met up for a date at the Brady Pub. Caroline was pleased to see the couple working toward reconciliation, and she plied them with wine and food to set the mood. With a grin, Caroline urged Shawn not "to be a jerk." When discussing their relationship, Shawn promised Belle he would be less judgmental, and Belle promised to be less lawyerly. Belle said she wanted to move slowly because she and Shawn had both just exited relationships.
Shaking his head, Shawn said that he had rebounded with Lani but that he had not been in a relationship. Worried, Shawn told Belle he did not want to fight for her with Philip. Shawn said that if Belle had any residual feelings for Philip, they should end the relationship before it started again. Desiring a quieter place to talk, Belle and Shawn took their food to go and walked to the park.
In the park, a frantic Nicole ran up to Belle and pleaded with her to talk about Nicole's case. Belle refused Nicole's request, citing her date with Shawn. In frustration, Nicole sighed and stalked off. Pleased, Shawn smiled at Belle. Belle told Shawn that he should not worry about Philip because she only wanted to be with Shawn. Belle stressed that she did not love Philip. Shawn walked Belle home and kissed her passionately goodnight.
At Club TBD, a girl hit on Philip. In a daze, Philip at first thought the woman was Belle. When Philip realized his mistake, he smiled at the girl and took her back to his hotel room. As Philip and the woman kissed on his bed, Philip moaned out Belle's name. Annoyed, the girl got dressed and walked out on Philip.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Kate made blackmail phone calls to secure her alibi and witnesses to her wedding to Deimos. Once the calls were completed, Victor stopped by to talk. Victor offered Kate a deal. Victor said he would lie to the cops regardless, but it was up to Kate whether he said that Kate had asked for his help with a marriage certificate forgery or whether he told the police that Nicole had repeatedly threatened Deimos' life. With a smirk, Kate asked what Victor wanted in return. Victor said that Kate could keep the money and the mansion, but he wanted her to give him Titan.
In Chloe's country cabin, Chloe helped a battered Deimos into her living room. Chloe offered to take Deimos to the hospital, but he refused. Suspicious, Chloe demanded an explanation. After Chloe bandaged up Deimos' wounds, he took a nap. While Deimos slept, Chloe stared at him and thought about the night she had met him in a bar after she had performed. Deimos had complimented her singing voice, and he had introduced himself as Robert. Robert had asked Chloe about the Kiriakis family, and she had noted that Philip was one of her closest friends.
On the couch, Deimos dreamed of his fight with Kate. Startled awake, Deimos gasped. Chloe brewed a cup of tea for Deimos and informed him that she had talked to Philip about him. Chloe said that Philip had not known anything about Robert. With a sigh, Deimos said that Philip knew him not as Robert but as his uncle Deimos Kiriakis.
Upset, Chloe demanded answers. Deimos explained that he had used Chloe but that he needed her to help him because someone had attempted to murder him. Chloe wanted to talk to the police, but Deimos stopped her. Deimos offered to tell his story before Chloe decided what to do next.
At Club TBD, Dario met with Nicole, who reported, after closing her tablet computer, that Deimos was still missing. Dario was somewhat surprised to realize that Nicole wanted Deimos to be alive. Dario suspected that was because Nicole had feelings for Deimos, but she insisted she was just concerned that she would be blamed if he truly was dead.
Dario advised that if Nicole really believed that Kate was responsible for Deimos' disappearance, she needed to start being proactive about finding a way to prove her theory. Conceding the point, Nicole headed to the Kiriakis mansion with Dario and sneaked inside through an unsecured window after receiving confirmation from the butler that Kate wasn't home at that time. When Dario asked Nicole to explain how she had known about the access point, she said she had learned a few tricks during her time as a resident of the mansion. Proceeding cautiously, Nicole and Dario began to search the place for incriminating evidence they could use against Kate.
Later, as they were wrapping up the fruitless search, Nicole and Dario found themselves in the foyer at the exact moment that Kate returned home from a trip to the park, during which she had planted one of Deimos' old handkerchiefs that had just happened to have a spot of blood on it. Nicole and Dario hid in a closet, inches apart from each other, as Kate looked around the living room, sensing that something was amiss.
At the police station, Roman received a visit from Victor, who reported that a recent conversation with Kate had reminded him that Nicole had approached him a few weeks earlier with a harebrained scheme to get back at Deimos for hurting Maggie. Victor claimed that he hadn't asked for details but had gotten the distinct impression that Nicole had intended to marry then murder Deimos, inheriting the Kiriakis fortune in the process.
"Of course, I couldn't get involved with something like that," Victor innocently added. When Roman wondered why Nicole had shared her plan with Victor in the first place, Victor guessed that she had likely realized that he would know where to look for the money Deimos had hidden in offshore bank accounts. Victor added that Nicole probably would have offered him a cut of the profits in exchange for his help, if he had allowed her to take the conversation that far. "[But] I cut her off [and] told her to stay away from my brother," Victor stressed.
Roman expressed skepticism, musing that Nicole and Deimos seemed like the kind of doomed pairing Victor would be happy to encourage because he couldn't stand either of them, but Victor claimed that he had recently started trying to patch things up with Deimos because he was getting too old to continue the operatic family feud. Roman wondered if Deimos had mentioned anything about Kate during those recent conversations.
Victor claimed that Deimos had said his relationship with Kate was serious. Roman pointed out that if Kate's marriage to Deimos turned out to be legitimate, she would inherit everything that had once belonged to Victor. Dismissing the loss with a shrug, Victor insisted that he didn't care because Maggie was the only thing that truly mattered to him, and he added that if it turned out that Nicole had indeed killed his brother, he would do whatever he could to help ensure that she paid for the crime.
Later, after Victor left, Roman received a visit from Abe, who wondered how the search for Deimos was going. Roman filled Abe in on the latest developments and admitted that his gut was telling him that Deimos was still alive. "Yet all of those close to that man insist he was murdered, [and] they all want to hang [it] on Nicole Walker. I'm telling you, Abe, I [haven't] seen so many people want a man dead since Stefano was alive," Roman mused. Abe agreed that Nicole seemed like the least likely murder suspect, and he theorized that Victor and Kate might be trying to pin Deimos' disappearance on her to hide their own involvement.
At Chloe's house, Chloe tried to kick Deimos out after learning that he had been using her back when they had first met each other, but he stressed that although things had started out that way, she had really told him everything he had needed to know during their first conversation, and he had stuck around afterward because he had wanted to be with her -- even at the risk of ruining his plan for revenge.
"When I looked at you, I saw the chance for another way. For the first time in literally decades, I saw a woman that I could potentially make happy," Deimos continued. Chloe pointed out that Deimos had ultimately left her, anyway. Nodding, Deimos explained that he had been unable to truly let go of his need for revenge. "But you want to know something? In the end, it meant absolutely nothing," Deimos admitted.
Deimos asked for the chance to make things right with Chloe, but she refused, revealing that she had a son to think about and would never be willing to risk letting Deimos hurt him. Taken aback, Deimos wondered why Chloe had never mentioned having a kid before. Chloe explained that Parker had been living with his father back when she had been with Deimos, and she hadn't told Deimos about him because their relationship hadn't lasted long enough for that kind of conversation. "You don't just bring anyone home to meet your kid when you're a single mom," Chloe added.
Chloe guessed that Deimos didn't have any children. Deimos confirmed the suspicion and declared Chloe a lucky woman. Nodding in agreement, Chloe told Deimos that Parker would be returning home from camp the following day. "You can spend the night on the couch if you'd like, but in the morning, I want you gone," Chloe stressed.
At the Hernandez house, Blanca was cooking in the kitchen when Rafe joined her and started questioning whether she had really moved to Salem just to help Adriana take care of things. Blanca tried to lie, but when Rafe reminded her that recognizing lies was literally part of his job description, she admitted that Adriana had summoned her to Salem under false pretenses.
Blanca explained that Adriana had been dropping hints about how Rafe was a wonderful guy who was ready to settle down and start a family with someone. Shaking his head in disbelief, Rafe apologized to Blanca for what his mother had done, but she assured him that she wasn't upset because she had needed a change of scenery, anyway. Meanwhile, Adriana entered the kitchen and optimistically asked if she was interrupting anything.
Rafe warned that he knew what Adriana was up to, and Blanca took that as her cue to get some fresh air. Adriana encouraged Rafe to tag along, but he declined. After Blanca left, Rafe bluntly told Adriana to butt out of his love life. "You don't have a love life; there is just a skinny detective that led you by the nose!" Adriana countered. Adriana feigned ignorance when Rafe accused her of summoning Blanca to Salem under false pretenses, but she was quick to add that she could tell that Rafe liked Blanca. Rafe maintained that Adriana needed to mind her own business, and he stormed off without waiting for her to respond.
Rafe found Blanca in the town square, marveling at the number of things there were to do in Salem. Rafe took that to mean that Blanca still planned to stick around for a while, and she confirmed the suspicion. As Blanca was asking Rafe about Tom and Alice's memorial plaque, Eduardo arrived and introduced himself, somewhat skeptically guessing that Blanca was the woman Adriana had summoned to Salem to help take care of various things. Rafe confirmed that his mother was sticking to that story. Blanca assured Rafe and Eduardo that she didn't mind having been duped. "You should. She wasted your time," Rafe grumbled.
Later, Eduardo went to see Adriana, who was pleased to hear that Rafe and Blanca were together at that time. Eduardo warned that Adriana needed to back off and let Rafe manage his own life, but she dismissively countered that Eduardo hadn't seen how Rafe had been moping around the house lately. "That Hope woman -- she broke his heart, and now she's off with some shady man that should be dead, and [Rafe's just] the good buddy [again]," Adriana complained.
Eduardo maintained that Rafe could handle things on his own, but Adriana continued to dismiss his advice, insisting that he didn't know what he was talking about. "Because I wasn't around, right?" Eduardo guessed. "No, I mean because you're a man. You don't know. Men don't know," Adriana clarified. Adriana added that she saw no need to make Eduardo feel worse about his past than he already did.
Adriana started to turn her attention back to the dishes she had been doing before Eduardo had arrived, but when she caught him staring at her, she paused and asked for an explanation. Eduardo said he was simply staring at the first woman he had ever loved, who was still just as beautiful as she had been the first night he had seen her. "And you're still too fast with words," Adriana countered. Undeterred, Eduardo guessed that he was the first man Adriana had ever loved, too. "You're the only man I ever loved," Adriana admitted.
Eduardo gave Adriana a tentative kiss, and she responded at first but soon pulled away, pointing out that one of the kids could walk in at any moment. Eduardo was willing to take that chance, reminding Adriana that their kids were all adults, but Adriana was worried about how Dario might react. Adriana stressed, however, that Eduardo didn't have to leave; he just needed to stay on his side of the kitchen.
Rafe and Blanca went to Club TBD to get some coffee, and while they were there, Rafe spotted Hope, who was on a date with Aiden. Rafe led Blanca over to Hope and Aiden's table and introduced her to them. After Rafe and Blanca headed back to the bar to place their order, Aiden guessed that the encounter had been awkward for Hope. "Rafe and I work together. We're gonna see each other all the time," Hope pointed out.
Aiden wondered if Hope was having second thoughts about giving their relationship another try. Hope evasively replied that she didn't want to do anything to ruin the nice evening she and Aiden were having. Nodding in agreement, Aiden spontaneously asked Hope to dance with him. Hope waited until Rafe left with Blanca then forced a smile and accepted Aiden's invitation.
When Rafe returned home with Blanca, she greeted Adriana and Eduardo then rushed off to her room, prompting Adriana to wonder what Rafe had done to scare her off. Ignoring the question, Rafe wondered what Adriana and Eduardo were plotting together. As Adriana complained that Rafe was being disrespectful, Eduardo explained that he had just been telling Adriana that he wanted to try to make reparations to his victims' families.
Rafe pointed out that it might be far too late for that, but Eduardo reasoned that doing something was better than doing nothing, and Adriana agreed. "You could just be poking a hornet's nest. How do you know there's not gonna be blowback on our family?" Rafe wondered. Eduardo stressed that he planned to do everything in his power to keep his family safe. Later, Adriana again tried to convince Rafe to give Blanca a chance, but he maintained that he wasn't interested and told Adriana to drop the matter.
Aiden walked Hope home after their date, and when they got to her doorstep, she thanked him for the lovely evening. "The first of many," Aiden optimistically promised. "Let's just say not the last," Hope replied. Nodding, Aiden said he could live with that.
After Hope shut the door, Aiden turned and started to walk away, but he soon paused to answer a phone call. "Have you forgotten that your most important client is still in lockup?" Andre demanded to know. Aiden assured Andre that he was working on fixing that. "Work faster. You get me out of here tomorrow; otherwise, I'll just have to tell Hope Brady the truth," Andre warned.
At a hospital in Los Angeles, Steve fretted that it seemed like it was taking forever to hear news about Joey's condition. "It hasn't been that long," Kayla assured Steve. Jade tearfully reported that it had been exactly twenty-two minutes since Joey's arrival at the hospital. "I told you it hadn't been that long!" Kayla snapped before quickly apologizing.
Jade guessed that Steve and Kayla blamed her for dragging Joey into a dangerous situation. Without bothering to deny the suspicion, Kayla abruptly excused herself so she could check with a nurse and find out if Joey had been taken into surgery yet. Steve tried to assure Jade that Kayla didn't hate her, but Jade wasn't convinced, and she admitted that Kayla had every right to hold her responsible for what had happened. "Joey got shot saving me. If he doesn't make it, I'll never forgive myself," Jade added.
When Kayla returned, she reported that Joey had just been taken to the operating room, but the doctors weren't sure how long his surgery would take because they didn't know where the bullet had gotten lodged. "And if it's by the spine or his heart..." Kayla added before letting her voice trail off. Jade started sobbing again, prompting Kayla to somewhat irritably ask for a moment alone with Steve. Nodding, Jade apologized and headed to the other side of the break room. Steve suggested that Kayla might want to think about cutting Jade some slack, but Kayla countered that Jade was making the situation all about her fears and her guilt.
"This is about our boy!" Kayla tearfully insisted. Nodding, Steve fretted that Joey had lost a lot of blood. Kayla assured Steve that the blood loss wasn't really a huge concern because the hospital had plenty of units of blood available. "The critical part is finding the bullet and trying not to do too much damage as they take it out," Kayla explained. Steve blamed himself for failing to get the hostage situation under control sooner, but Kayla stressed that he had done everything he could have possibly done to resolve the matter.
Kayla went to get another update, and after she left, Simone arrived to check on Joey. "You've got a lot of nerve, showing your face here, lady. You indoctrinated those kids on how to lie, and cheat, and steal, and do whatever it took to support your lifestyle, and now my boy is in there, having a bullet cut out of his guts. That's on you, lady. Don't you ever forget that," Steve spat. Simone protested that Steve was being a bit harsh, but Jade agreed with Steve and warned that she would call the cops if Simone didn't leave right away. Simone hesitated, still anxious to know how Joey was doing, but when Steve started shouting at her, she reluctantly left.
Kayla soon returned and happily reported that Joey was already out of surgery. "The bullet just damaged some muscles. Nothing permanent. There were no vital organs [or] bones [hit]," Kayla explained. As Steve was embracing Kayla, he noticed that Jade was sitting alone in a corner of the room, quietly sobbing in relief. Steve pulled away from Kayla, and she followed his gaze to Jade and hesitantly went over to comfort her with a hug.
Later, Steve, Kayla, and Jade went to see Joey, who weakly apologized, acknowledging that he had made a mess of things. Steve and Kayla assured Joey that the only thing that really mattered was that he was going to be all right. Spotting Jade in a corner of the room, Joey asked his parents for a moment alone with her. "You saved my life," Jade said to Joey once they were alone. "I'd do it again," Joey replied without hesitation.
"You don't have to, 'cause we're never getting into weird stuff like that again," Jade promised. "We?" Joey asked with a slight grin. Jade confirmed that she had decided to return to Salem and deal with her "stupid" parents -- and the judge who had granted her bail -- because she didn't want to be separated from Joey again. "I'm feeling better already," Joey joked. Laughing, Jade stretched out next to Joey on his hospital bed and gave him a kiss.
Meanwhile, in one of the break rooms, Steve wondered what was going to happen next. "When Joey's released, we'll head back to Salem," Kayla replied, prompting Steve to clarify that he wasn't talking about that. Realizing what Steve meant, Kayla admitted that she didn't know what she wanted to do about her relationship with him.
Kayla mused that Steve had a way of making it really hard for her to push him away. Steve suggested that was because Kayla didn't really want to push him away. Groaning, Kayla complained that Steve was frustratingly cocky and reckless, and trouble seemed to find him every single day. "And if I was smart, I would just... I would run the other direction. But I can't. I just can't," Kayla quietly admitted, sinking into Steve's arms and giving him a kiss.
While Kate was looking around the living room of the Kiriakis mansion, unable to shake the feeling that something was amiss, Philip greeted her and wondered, "What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into this time?" Nicole and Dario listened from a closet as Kate summoned tears and started fretting about her situation, wondering why her time with Deimos, whom she had truly loved, had cruelly been cut short.
"But, uh, life goes on, right?" Kate eventually concluded, reasoning that although it might sound callous, she needed to stop grieving her loss and instead focus on Titan, which wasn't going to run itself. Kate asked Philip to be her co-CEO, prompting him to wonder if she really trusted him to handle that responsibility. "Well, of course I trust you," Kate confirmed. "Then tell me the truth. It's just you and me. Did you kill Deimos?" Philip asked.
Dario retrieved his cell phone and started recording the conversation, but Kate indignantly maintained that Nicole had killed Deimos. Philip expressed skepticism and refused to help Kate, guessing that she only wanted him involved because she was worried that she might not be able to pull off her latest scheme on her own. "Deny it all you want, [but] I've seen you in action, Mother -- more than once. You did it," Philip concluded.
Kate angrily ordered Philip to leave, complaining that he was only making her pain worse. Philip admitted that Kate's tears were impressive but added that he didn't believe they were genuine because he wasn't even sure she had a heart to begin with. "Enjoy the money," Philip encouraged Kate before showing himself out. Once the coast was clear, Kate dried her eyes, placed a phone call to someone, and gave her address before hanging up.
"You can come out now, Nicole," Kate shouted, and she warned that she would drag Nicole out if necessary. Sighing, Nicole emerged from the closet and wondered what had given her away. Kate gestured toward a keepsake box Nicole had forgotten to put away during her search of the mansion, and she added that the smell of Nicole's perfume was still lingering in the living room. Kate accused Nicole of breaking into the mansion to plant evidence against her, but Nicole clarified that she had been trying to find evidence against Kate. "But you didn't find any," Kate guessed.
Knowing that Dario was still recording the conversation, Nicole challenged Kate to admit what had really happened to Deimos, pointing out that no one else was around to hear the confession. Nicole guessed that Kate had confronted Deimos about his betrayal, and things had escalated before she had been able to stop the situation from spiraling out of control. "I don't blame you for being upset about what he offered me, but in the end, I did say no, [and] in the end, he can't take it back. Please, just...don't blame me for something you did. I wasn't even there, Kate. I wasn't there!" Nicole stressed.
The doorbell rang while Nicole was waiting for a response. "Well, that will be the police," Kate casually predicted, explaining that she had contacted them earlier so they could arrest Nicole for breaking and entering. "Then they're going to have to arrest us both," Dario said as he emerged from the closet. Laughing, Kate mused that Nicole had quickly managed to capture another man's heart. As Kate went to let the cops in, Nicole told Dario she was sorry for dragging him into trouble. "Don't be. This is the wildest night I've had in a long time," Dario replied.
Later, at the police station, Nicole told Dario that he should have stayed hidden in the closet and left her to clean up her own mess. Dario maintained that he had been happy to help and had no intention of abandoning her. "Why?" Nicole wondered. Dario responded with a kiss, and when a guard rushed over to separate him from Nicole so that couldn't happen again, he pulled away and admitted, "I've been wanting to do that all night."
When John returned home from his trip to Los Angeles, Marlena wondered if he knew how Joey was doing. John reported that he hadn't heard anything yet. John was eager to talk to each of his kids in light of the event, but he soon changed his mind, realizing that he hadn't even bothered to ask Marlena how she was doing. "I'll tell you after," Marlena said before heading toward the bedroom, giving John a quick glance over her shoulder before disappearing from view to make sure he understood to follow her.
Later, Marlena caught John in the living room, sneaking a bite of ice cream out of a container. John claimed that he had been planning to take the ice cream into the bedroom and share it with Marlena, but she knew he was lying, and she revealed that she also knew, thanks to the telltale spoon marks he never thought to hide, that he regularly sneaked bites of ice cream without inviting her to join him. "It's a good thing that I love you so much," Marlena said with a smile. "Enough to marry me again?" John asked.
Taken aback, Marlena wondered if John was being serious. John confirmed that he had thought about the matter the whole way home, adding that seeing what Steve and Kayla had been going through lately had made him appreciate what he had with Marlena even more than before. "So why ruin a good thing?" Marlena reasoned. John assured Marlena that making things official wouldn't be the beginning of the end, and he added that he didn't want some other guy to enter the picture, realize she was available, and proceed to steal her away from him.
Laughing, Marlena stressed that she was single, not available, and she reminded John that they had already exchanged vows in an unofficial ceremony. Pleased that Marlena had just inadvertently opened the door for his next argument, John wondered if she remembered that she had promised, during that ceremony, that she would agree to make the marriage real if he managed to prove to her, over the span of a month, that the things that had broken them up in the first place were no longer going to be an issue. Marlena conceded that she had indeed said that.
"[And] I've never known you to be a welcher, either, so come on, Doc, what do you say? Just take a flyer on me, [and] let's see how far we can go. I really need it in writing that I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with you," John stressed. Sighing, Marlena looked around the room, found a notepad and a pen, and proceeded to scribble out a response on the top sheet of paper: "YES."
At the DiMera mansion, Chad apologized to Ciara, admitting that he hadn't exactly set a good example for her when he had chosen to get wasted after his most recent visit to the psychiatric hospital. Ciara told Chad not to worry about it, assuring him that his behavior had been completely understandable, given the circumstances. "You have a beautiful baby. You were just married. You should be having an amazing time, and instead, it's like Abigail abandoned you," Ciara mused.
Chad insisted that wasn't true, and he stressed that if he had suggested such a thing while drunk, it had been the alcohol talking. "I absolutely, positively know that [Abigail] is gonna come home to me. She's gonna get better, and she's gonna come home to me. 'Cause if I lose faith in that, then...I lose faith in everything," Chad added. Chad admitted that it could even be argued that he had abandoned Abigail, but Ciara disagreed, assuring Chad that he had done everything he could have possibly done for Abigail.
"If anyone loved me even half [that much], I'd be in heaven," Ciara mused. Chad wondered how things were going between Ciara and Theo. Ciara reported that her relationship with Theo hadn't really worked out. "He's just not..." Ciara started to add before letting her voice trail off. "Not for you?" Chad guessed. Nodding, Ciara claimed that was exactly what she had been trying to say.
Thomas soon started fussing, so Chad went to check on him. While Chad was gone, Ciara fantasized about admitting to him that she was in love with him, but when he returned, she changed her mind and abruptly excused herself so she could get some sleep. Later, Chad received a phone call from Marlena. "There's been an incident at Shady Hills," Marlena reported.
After the mental facility called Chad about an accident with Abigail, Chad and Marlena rushed to the facility. Dr. Robinson informed Chad and Marlena that Abigail had been burned in a fire over ten percent of her body. The doctor added that the fire appeared to have been intentional. Dr. Robinson escorted Chad and Marlena into Abigail's room. Both of Abigail's hands were bandaged, and she had a mask covering the burns on her face. Chad sat at his wife's bedside, weeping.
When Abigail woke up, she was agitated. Abigail complained that Ben was standing in the corner and would not leave. As Abigail pointed to the empty corner, Marlena frowned. Chad told Abigail that he believed her. With her voice rising in panic, Abigail begged Chad to let her return home to her son. The doctor ushered Chad and Marlena out of the room so that she could sedate Abigail.
While Chad waited anxiously in the hallway for more information, Marlena volunteered to help calm the other patients. Marlena promised Chad that she would learn what she could from the staff. Shawn arrived at the hospital to investigate the arson, and he promised to tell Chad what he knew. After Shawn examined the scene, he returned to the waiting area to talk to Chad. Marlena returned to the waiting room at the same time, clearly aware of what Shawn was about to say. Shawn told Chad that Abigail was the one who had started the fire.
While Theresa slept on her couch, Brady kissed her goodbye and left for an errand. Theresa dreamed that it was her wedding day. Brady had given her a rare blue emerald necklace before leaving for the church. While Theresa got ready for her big day, Anne broke the clasp on the emerald necklace. Theresa panicked, but Anne shrugged and urged Theresa to place the necklace in her bra rather than wear it. Anne poured two glasses of Champagne to toast, but as Anne turned to lead Theresa into the bedroom, Anne tripped, fell, and hit her head.
While an EMT cared for Anne in the living room, Theresa threw on her wedding dress and finished preparing for her wedding. The EMT asked Theresa if she wanted to accompany Anne to the hospital. With a shrug Theresa said, "She'd do the same thing. She'll understand." Theresa turned to look in the mirror at herself, but her dress was gone. As a horrified Theresa stood in the living room in her underwear, a scowling, tuxedoed Victor stood in the corner.
Victor warned Theresa to stay away from Brady's wedding. Theresa's face crumpled in confusion, and Summer announced that she was the bride. Theresa spun around and saw Summer standing behind her in a wedding dress. Victor escorted Summer out of the apartment. As Theresa paced back and forth, Brady returned to the apartment and told Theresa that he wanted to be with Summer because she was true to herself. Brady called Theresa "delusional." Theresa broke down in tears as Brady walked out. On the couch, Theresa woke from her dream with a start.
In the square, Summer met up with Maggie for coffee. Summer told Maggie that she had moved out because she had not felt welcome at the condo. Maggie apologized for Victor's behavior, but Summer noted that Victor and Maggie were struggling with a lot. When Maggie asked Summer if she was going to stay in Salem, Brady interrupted to say hello to the women. Summer beamed at Brady. Scooping up the coffee cups, Summer excused herself to retrieve a refill from the restaurant.
Brady and Maggie talked about Deimos' disappearance. Both Brady and Maggie agreed that they did not believe that Nicole had murdered Deimos. With a sigh, Maggie said that Victor disagreed. When Summer returned with the coffee, Brady left. Summer admitted that things were awkward between her and Theresa. Summer explained that Theresa believed that Summer "had a thing" for Brady, and Summer admitted that Theresa was right. Dropping her eyes, Summer added that Brady did not feel the same way about her because he had told her that he loved Theresa.
Maggie held her daughter's hand and comforted her. Maggie told Summer about how Theresa had done horrible things in the past but had been forgiven after Brady had given her a second chance. With a sad smile, Maggie said that Summer reminded her of Theresa. Summer shook her head no. Maggie assured Summer that she had done the right thing by telling Brady about her feelings because that meant Summer could move on with her life. Maggie urged Summer to be patient with love. "Sometimes love comes from the most unexpected places," Maggie said with a grin.
At Edge of the Square, Justin told Victor that he was worried that the police would discover that he had taken and destroyed evidence for Deimos. Victor assured Justin that the police would not make the connection to Justin. With a shrug, Victor reminded Justin that Nicole was the suspect. When Justin argued that Kate had a stronger motive, Victor told Justin that he would protect Justin once he got Titan back.
Brady sat at the table and stated that he believed that Nicole was innocent. With a grimace, Victor reminded Brady that Nicole had once attempted to murder him. "Can you blame her?" Brady retorted. Victor growled that he would get Titan back and that he did not need their help. Raising an eyebrow, Justin asked Victor why he was so certain that he would get Titan back. Victor explained that he had made a deal with Kate. Shaking his head, Brady begged Victor to retire and enjoy life instead.
"I don't know how to do anything but win. You might as well tell me to stop breathing," Victor said sadly before walking out of the club. Brady turned to Justin and asked him if he was building a case against Nicole. Justin assured Brady that he was looking at all the facts. Brady asked Justin to look out for Nicole, and Justin promised to do what he could for her.
Roman interrupted to talk to Justin about work, so Brady said goodbye and left. Roman told Justin that all the evidence against Jimmy Holme had disappeared and that Roman had been forced to let Jimmy out of jail. Justin acted surprised by the news. Roman swore to find the culprit so that Justin could throw the book at him.
While Maggie and Summer chatted in the square, Victor interrupted to escort his wife home. After Victor made a cutting remark to Summer, Summer scurried off. Maggie was furious that Victor was consistently disrespectful to her daughter. Shaking her head, Maggie warned Victor that his anger was pushing everyone away. With a sigh, Victor confided that he had been planning on making a deal with Kate to secure Titan, but he was tired and might want to retire. Maggie asked Victor if he wanted to leave Salem.
At Edge of the Square, Summer saw Justin sitting at a table alone, and she joined him. When Justin asked about life at the condo, Summer admitted that she had moved out. With a chuckle, Justin guessed that Victor had driven her away. Justin bought Summer a cup of coffee, and she asked for advice about how to handle Victor. As a flirty Justin started to impart some wisdom, a jittery Adrienne interrupted and asked Justin to talk privately. Summer nodded and walked to the back corner. While Adrienne and Justin talked, Summer watched Justin intently.
When Brady returned home, a visibly shaken Theresa rushed into his arms and kissed him passionately. Brady asked what was wrong. Theresa pleaded with him to set the wedding date because she wanted to make sure nothing stopped their marriage. Brady agreed.
