Rafe's confession devastates Hope
At Doug's Place, Ciara tried to assure everyone -- especially Hope -- that Claire was simply seeking attention, as usual, and couldn't be trusted. Tripp, meanwhile, tried to convince Claire to take back what she had just said about Rafe cheating on Hope. Gabi quietly told Eli that Rafe would never do such a thing. Julie, realizing that was the secret Claire had been fretting about in recent days, insisted that her niece had to be mistaken.
Claire apologetically stressed that she wasn't mistaken. "Rafe slept with Sami," Claire elaborated, ignoring Ciara's repeated attempts to silence her. Claire started to add that there was a recording that would prove that Ciara knew exactly what Rafe had done -- and that Ciara had been trying to keep Hope from finding out Rafe's secret -- but Ciara interrupted to remind everyone that such things could be faked. Undeterred, Claire started fiddling with her cell phone, determined to play the recording. Sighing, Rafe reluctantly assured Claire that there was no need to do that because he was ready to admit the truth himself.
Turning to Hope, Rafe continued, "Listen, I should have told you this a long time ago, [but]...I didn't have the courage. I didn't want to hurt you -- I didn't want to hurt the person that I love the most in the world -- [but]...it's true -- I slept with Sami." Hurt, Hope angrily slapped Rafe then shoved her bouquet at him and rushed out of the club in tears. He set aside the bouquet and brushed a few loose petals off his suit before chasing after her.
Doug stopped Julie from following Hope and Rafe out of the club, reasoning, "[Hope] will need you...[but] later, not now." Claire apologetically explained to Doug and Julie that she hadn't been trying to hurt her grandmother; she had simply hated keeping such a huge secret to herself. "Right, because this is all about you -- how hard [this has been] on you," Ciara sarcastically agreed.
"You did this," Claire spat, making it clear to everyone that Ciara's vicious personal attacks had driven her to reveal the truth. "[And you just] proved me right -- that you are a self-absorbed, attention-craving bitch!" Ciara countered. Doug tried to intervene, but Ciara forged ahead, explaining, "Tripp and I had a secret, and [Claire] couldn't stand [that]. It didn't concern [her], and I told [her] that, but [she] still wanted to know, so [she] recorded us!" Ciara insisted that Claire was a creep for doing such a thing, but Claire argued that she had simply been trying to keep everyone honest -- and she didn't have any regrets, either.
"Why didn't you tell [Grandma Hope], Ciara? I guess you thought it would be better to just stand there and let her marry a cheat and a liar? Thank God I said something before she did marry him!" Claire added before rushing off. Tripp tried to stop Ciara from chasing after Claire, but Ciara insisted, through gritted teeth, "I'm not finished with her." Sighing, Tripp followed Ciara out of the club.
Stunned, Julie admitted to Doug that she didn't know what to do next. "I know what I'd like to do -- and to whom," he grumbled before assuring his wife that he would take care of the damage control while she was pulling herself together. He called for everyone's attention then thanked them all for their patience and apologetically announced that they were free to go because there was clearly not going to be a wedding that day.
Eric stopped Jennifer from trying to track down Hope, reasoning, "She won't be alone [for long, anyway], but I think right now she might need to be." Meanwhile, Eli approached Julie, with Gabi in tow, and started to apologize. Julie, too preoccupied to ponder why Eli was apologizing, fretted that Hope might not be able to survive the latest blow to her search for someone with whom she could live happily ever after.
"How could your brother do this to her?" Julie asked Gabi incredulously. When Gabi tried to apologize on Rafe's behalf, Julie scoffed and countered, "'Sorry' doesn't cut it -- not from you, and not from your brother!" Julie complained that Gabi needed to get out of her sight because she really didn't want to see a single member of the Hernandez clan at that moment.
"I thought Rafe was different than [your] criminal father [and] thug brother -- and you, the little murderess!" Julie spat. Eli tried to intervene, but Julie forged ahead, telling Gabi, "You murdered my precious Nick. You murdered Andre. And now I find out your brother's no better than the rest of the family!" Having heard enough, Doug began ushering Julie away while apologizing to Gabi on his wife's behalf. Outraged, Julie protested, "[Doug], I know what I'm saying, and I mean what I'm saying! Whenever Gabi shows up, it's a disaster!" Doug practically shoved Julie into the back office to put an end to the scene.
Sighing, Eli told Gabi that it would probably be best for them to leave. J.J. said goodbye to Gabi and Eli then turned to Lani and quietly joked, "[Well], this wasn't a double wedding, but it was a disaster..."
Meanwhile, in the back office, Doug retrieved a bottle of scotch from a desk drawer while Julie continued ranting. Chuckling mirthlessly, Julie mused that Rafe might actually be the worst member of the Hernandez clan, since he had managed to fool everyone into thinking that he was the best of the bunch. Then Julie began yelling at Doug, still upset that he had dared to apologize to Gabi, of all people, on her behalf. "You know perfectly well [that] all I want to do is wring her neck!" Julie snapped. "Julie," Doug tiredly began while handing his wife a glass of scotch. "What?" Julie asked, oblivious. "Stop," Doug demanded before gulping down his own drink.
Back in the main section of the club, J.J. and Lani said goodbye to Jennifer and Eric, the only other couple who had not left yet. Jennifer was busy cleaning the place, and when Eric tried to stop her, pointing out that such chores could wait, she insisted that she had to do something. "I just -- I don't get it. Why would [Rafe] sleep with Sami, of all people?" Jennifer asked incredulously. "I don't even know why I'm saying 'of all people' -- the fact is [that it doesn't matter who he slept with; all that matters is that] he cheated on [Hope and] broke her trust," Jennifer quickly added.
Nodding, Eric admitted that he was surprised -- especially since his sister had only been in town for a brief period of time. "Not brief enough," Jennifer grumbled. Eric guessed that Hope might have been able to forgive Rafe if he had confessed immediately after his indiscretion, and Jennifer agreed but was quick to add that such hypotheticals didn't matter anymore. Upset about the humiliation that Hope was being forced to endure, Jennifer stressed that Rafe wasn't the only person who deserved condemnation. "He had a very willing co-conspirator in Sami Brady," Jennifer spat. Eric tried to warn Jennifer not to go there, but she forged ahead, insisting, "She is a walking disaster area! [I mean], she's not even here, and she is [still] destroying people's lives! She is unbelievable!"
"Wait a second. You're talking about my sister here," Eric reminded Jennifer. Eric conceded that Sami wasn't a saint but was quick to add that she probably hadn't meant to hurt anyone. Jennifer sarcastically agreed, "She never [means] to do anything, [but she] seems to always leave a giant disaster, [anyway]. Do you remember what happened with Lucas? And how she tried to destroy Abigail over that crazy thing with E.J.?" Interrupting, Eric clarified that the 'crazy thing' Jennifer was talking about was an affair that had occurred while E.J. had been engaged to Sami. Jennifer tiredly countered, "Yes, I know that -- I know what happened -- [but] Abigail was so young and naive, and instead of Sami being...[I don't know], maybe a dignified human being [about the matter]...she just decided to wreck Abigail's whole life [as payback]."
Eric protested that Jennifer was exaggerating, but she insisted that she wasn't. "I know what my daughter went through," Jennifer stressed. "And I know what Sami's feeling when the love of her life cheated on her!" Eric countered, starting to lose his patience. Scoffing, Jennifer sarcastically agreed, "Right, 'cause Sami's [certainly] never looked at another woman's husband or boyfriend..."
Eric acknowledged that Sami was flawed, adding that, as her twin brother, he knew her flaws better than anyone else did. "But I also know that she loves Hope [and] would never do anything to hurt her," Eric continued, pointing out that Sami had, after all, kept Rafe's secret to herself -- likely in an effort to protect Hope. Eric tried to remind Jennifer of what Sami had been going through during her most recent visit to Salem, but Jennifer dismissively countered, "We all go through stuff, Eric." Jennifer added that Sami had only herself to blame for most of what she had gone through back then. "[I mean, breaking] a maniac out of a mental institution to recreate [Will's strangulation]? I'm sorry, [but] I think you have to be a little bit warped to even think of something like that -- no offense," Jennifer continued.
"'No offense'? Of course I'm offended! If Sami's warped, then so am I!" Eric countered. "Really? [Well, now] I'm offended, because I would never date someone that warped!" Jennifer shot back. "Then don't," Eric advised with a shrug. Confused, Jennifer wondered what that was supposed to mean. "Are you breaking up with me?" she added, stunned. "You want me to?" he asked. "Do you want to be broken up with?" she evasively replied. "Of course, I don't," he assured her. "What the heck is happening here?" she wondered, still confused. Chuckling, he told her, "I think we're having our first fight."
Jennifer realized that Eric was right. When he asked if she wanted to keep fighting, she assured him that was the last thing she wanted to do. Relieved, he made it clear that he felt the same way. She apologetically conceded that she shouldn't have gone off on his sister. "I was just looking for someone to blame," she explained. Satisfied, he flirtatiously pointed out that there was one upside to any couple's first fight -- the make-up kiss afterward.
While passing through Horton Town Square with J.J., Lani fretted that it seemed like everyone had turned on Rafe the minute his secret had been revealed. "I didn't," J.J. assured Lani, knowing that Rafe was still a good guy who had simply made a mistake. "I know what it's like to make mistakes," J.J. added. "Me, too," Lani replied.
Chuckling, J.J. clarified, "[Yeah, but unlike you], I know what it's like to make colossal mistakes -- [like when] I cheated on Gabi with you [and was] so drunk I didn't even remember [it afterward]." J.J. guessed that none of the wedding guests could have possibly topped that mistake. Lani started to express doubts, but J.J. forged ahead, concluding, "[My point is that] I'm in no position to judge [because] I know from experience [that] these things can happen." J.J. was quick to assure Lani, however, that those days were behind him, adding, "I want one woman -- and one woman only -- for the rest of my life."
At the Martin mansion, Eli apologized to Gabi on Julie's behalf. Gabi assured Eli that Julie's hurtful comments were already an afterthought, adding that she was too busy worrying about her brother to get upset about anything else. "This just doesn't make any sense," Gabi continued. "Sex doesn't have a whole lot to do with sense," Eli pointed out. "Yeah, but [that's just] not who [Rafe] is! He's a good man!" Gabi insisted. "Sometimes it's not that simple," Eli replied. Confused, Gabi wondered what Eli was trying to say.
"Rafe didn't mean to cheat on Hope; it just happened," Eli stressed. "[And] if people knew the circumstances, [then] they might see things differently," Eli continued. Gabi was still confused -- until Eli clarified that Rafe had confided in him about exactly what had happened. "Why would Rafe tell you something so personal?" Gabi wondered, pointing out that Rafe had never even really liked Eli, let alone considered him a friend. "We're partners, and partners talk [to each other] about personal stuff," Eli explained with a shrug. Gabi still couldn't believe that Rafe hadn't chosen to talk to someone else instead. "Like you?" Eli guessed. "Maybe, yeah. We've always been close," Gabi replied. "I think this was more of a guy thing," Eli reasoned.
After giving Gabi more details, Eli wondered if she could understand that when a person made a mistake, it didn't necessarily negate -- or even minimize -- the love they felt for the person that mistake could end up hurting. "Yeah, I mean, I think I can understand that...kind of," Gabi confirmed. "[But] I don't think that Hope will understand -- or forgive," Gabi added, sighing.
Eli admitted, when asked, that he hadn't encouraged Rafe to tell Hope the truth. "He was already beating himself up about what he did," Eli explained with a shrug. "And you don't think Hope deserved to know the truth? You don't think that you should have told him to be honest?" Gabi asked incredulously. Sighing, Eli clarified, "When you love someone as much as Rafe loves Hope, you really want to be honest, but when you try, and the words are just about to come out, you realize how much you're gonna hurt that other person, and...you just kind of get choked on the words. It's too hard. You know it's the right thing to do, but you just can't do it."
"Are you still talking about my brother?" Gabi asked Eli, who hesitantly admitted that he wasn't. "Rafe's not the only one that cheated. I did, too," Eli continued, fighting back tears.
Ciara and Tripp returned home just in time to overhear Claire attempting to book a last-minute flight to South Africa. "No, damn it! You are not running away!" Ciara insisted, seizing Claire's cell phone. "I'm not 'running away'; I just need to be with Theo right now [because] he's the only one in my life who understands that telling the truth is the right thing to do," Claire explained.
Scoffing, Ciara snapped that Claire was a hypocrite. As Tripp tried to intervene, Ciara forged ahead, telling Claire, "Like you're not the most underhanded, deceitful person I know -- snooping around [and] listening to us [to try] to figure out what the big secret was because you were so sure it was all about you. Well, guess what, Claire -- not everything is about you!"
Claire insisted that revealing the secret had been an act of love, but Ciara maintained that it had actually been a cry for attention. "You [always] need to be the center of attention, and I hope you're satisfied, because now that you've ruined my mother's life, you are," Ciara spat. Claire refused to apologize for telling the truth, arguing that it was wrong to lie -- especially to a loved one -- and that Theo would agree with her.
"Do not try and make this about doing the right thing!" Ciara countered. Tripp tried to intervene again, but Ciara insisted on finishing her response. "You deliberately and secretly recorded our private conversation, and you're lecturing me about lying? You lied every time I went near your phone, Claire!" Ciara pointed out, shaking her head in disbelief. Claire tried to protest, refusing to see that as the same thing.
Forging ahead, Ciara maintained that Claire craved attention -- at any cost. "You broke my mother's heart, you little bitch!" Ciara spat before punching Claire. Tripp rushed over to check on Claire, who had fallen backward onto the nearby couch when the punch had landed, but Ciara dismissively insisted, "Oh, she's fine. She totally deserved [that], and she knows it."
Tripp reminded Ciara and Claire that they were supposed to be honoring a truce. "She's the one who broke the so-called truce!" Ciara insisted. "That's not true! You attacked me!" Claire countered, rubbing the burning side of her face. Shrugging, Ciara reasoned, "It doesn't matter whose fault it is. The point is, the truce, if there ever was one, is over. From now on, it is total war."
At Doug's Place, Julie admonished herself, believing that she should have tried harder to get Claire to reveal what had been bothering her. "Knowing you, you probably pushed pretty hard," Doug guessed with a chuckle. Julie explained that she was only like that because she felt that it was always best to be honest about everything, no matter how difficult it would be for people to hear -- or admit -- the truth.
"At least [this] all came out before [Hope and Rafe] were actually married," Doug pointed out.
Rafe found Hope in the park and forced her to listen to his version of what had happened. "I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to break your heart," Rafe concluded. "'Break' my heart? You smashed my heart! [I mean], you didn't just hurt me; you humiliated me!" Hope tearfully countered.
Hope suggested that Rafe might have slept with Sami because, deep down, he wanted to be with her more, but he insisted that wasn't the case. Confused, Hope wondered if Rafe had been drunk at the time. He reluctantly admitted that he hadn't been. "Then why was it that you only thought it was a mistake after it happened?" she wondered.
Rafe explained that he had assumed, in the moment, that his relationship with Hope was over and that it therefore didn't matter if he slept with someone else. Hope incredulously countered that people often assumed, in the midst of a fight, that their relationship with their significant other was over for good. "But didn't you want us to [work things out]? Didn't you think that we were worth fighting for?" she asked. "Yes," he quietly replied.
"Then why did you sleep with Sami? Why'd you turn around and have sex with Sami? Why did you break my heart? Why did you do it? Why? Why?" Hope asked angrily. Shrugging, Rafe maintained that he had simply been under the impression that his relationship with Hope had just ended for good. Sighing, Hope tearfully admitted that she should have seen the signs earlier.
"When I came to Sami's room, you were there, weren't you?" Hope guessed. Rafe reluctantly admitted that Hope was right, adding that he had wanted to tell her the truth then, but Sami had talked him out of the idea in an effort to spare Hope from getting hurt. "Because she has such a pure heart," Hope bitterly agreed. "Everything that happened after that morning [has been] a lie," Hope added with a sigh.
Hope realized that Rafe's indiscretion was the secret Ciara had known about him and had tried to tell her more than once. "You convinced my daughter to lie for you. How could you do that?" Hope asked incredulously. Rafe clarified that Ciara had made the decision herself. "She didn't want to tell you because of everything that you had already been through with Aiden [and] with losing Bo," Rafe continued.
"Don't you dare use that as an excuse," Hope snapped. Chuckling mirthlessly, Hope admitted that it was shocking to think that Rafe, of all people, could hurt her in such a major way. Rafe conceded that he should have told Hope the truth earlier. He tried to remind her that they had been through difficult times before and had always managed to survive -- and that, after all, they were married.
"No. 'We'...are no more," Hope tearfully countered before walking away.
At the pub, Brady quietly made arrangements over the phone with Victor to charter a jet to Vegas. Brady whispered to Victor that he believed he could get Eve drunk and "get what the family deserved." Brady glanced across the room at Eve as she sat at a table, blissfully unaware of Brady's plans. Brady picked up his drink order at the bar and returned to Eve's table.
"I still don't think this is a good idea," Eve said. Eve said she was worried about Brady's sobriety. With a shrug, Brady said drinking had never been a problem for Eve previously. Eve countered that she believed things had changed between them. Brady said he cared about Eve. Eve said she cared about him, as well, which was why she was concerned that Brady wanted to drink. Brady said he trusted Eve to look out for him and tell him when his drinking was out of control.
"I think you're the one person on the face of this planet that really gets me. And I get you too," Brady said. Brady said he believed that was why they worked well together. "Let's just have some fun tonight, okay?" Brady asked. Eve smiled and took the drink Brady offered her.
Outside Doug's Place, Jennifer and Eric ran into Kayla and Steve as they arrived for the wedding. Steve told them about his deteriorating eye condition and his desire to go inside and dance at Hope's wedding to forget his troubles. Steve and Kayla were shocked when Eric explained what had happened at the wedding. Worried about her cousin, Jennifer left to find Hope.
Rafe left a voicemail on Hope's phone, begging her to call him. Rafe went over to the loft and asked Ciara if she had heard from Hope. Ciara shook her head no and said she had not heard from her mother. Rafe was anxious to find Hope, but Ciara asked him to stay. When Ciara grumbled that Claire was not home, Rafe interrupted.
"For the record, it's not Claire's fault," Rafe said. Ciara apologized for her part in the debacle. Rafe assured Ciara that nothing was her or Claire's fault. Rafe stressed that the situation was his mess.
"I should have been more careful. I should have kept my mouth shut," Ciara lamented. Rafe apologized for putting Ciara in such a difficult position. Ciara said she was certain that Hope would understand in time. Rafe disagreed. Ciara offered to talk to Hope, but Rafe did not want her to fight his battle. "You and mom can still get married," Ciara said. Rafe told Ciara that he and Hope had already been married. Elated, Ciara said she believed Hope would agree to reconcile eventually.
In her office, Hope stared at her engagement ring. Jennifer walked in. The cousins hugged, and Hope held back tears. Hope said she had talked to Rafe. "I trusted him. I really thought he loved me," Hope said sadly. Jennifer assured Hope that Rafe loved her. Hope told Jennifer what Rafe had said about the affair. When Jennifer argued that Sami had a way or hurting people, Hope interrupted to say that Rafe was his own person. Jennifer noted that the night of Hope's fight with Rafe, they had both believed the relationship was over.
"The same night, though? What does that say about us?" Hope wondered aloud. "Was that cheating?" Jennifer asked tentatively. Hope said she believed the relationship was over. Jennifer cautioned Hope to think through the situation before she made any decisions. "I want you to think about the love you share. It's real. I've seen it. So please think about it before you throw it away," Jennifer said. Hope argued that Rafe had already thrown it away.
"I wish I had known before we had gotten married," Hope said quietly. When Jennifer corrected Hope and said "almost married," Hope shook her head no. Hope confessed that she and Rafe had already married the night before. "Definitely not the wedding you wanted or deserved, but Hope, Rafe is your husband now. Even more reason to think about everything before you make a decision," Jennifer said.
Jennifer said she believed Rafe had made "one isolated mistake." Jennifer added that she did not believe that Rafe was a bad guy, and she did not think Hope believed he was a bad guy either. As Hope sniffled, Jennifer offered to take Hope home. Hope declined, citing the need to think. Jennifer asked Hope to call her if she needed anything. After a hug, Jennifer left.
In Eli's room, he confessed to Gabi that he had cheated on her. Eli said that after what had happened at the wedding, he could not lie anymore. "I had to be the one to tell you," Eli said. Gabi asked who the other woman was. Gabi's eyes went wide when Eli named Lani. Eli admitted that he had slept with Lani on Christmas Eve. Eli said he had been angry and hurt.
"I never would have done that if I had known the truth," Eli said. Indignant, Gabi said she had repeatedly told Eli that there was nothing going on between her and J.J. Gabi asked Eli if it had been easy for him to believe that she would have cheated on him. Eli said he had felt ashamed when he'd learned that Gabi had not slept with J.J., but he'd been unable to tell Gabi the truth.
Furious, Gabi reminded Eli that she had found Lani's earring in his room, and he had lied to her face. Eli explained that neither he nor Lani wanted to tell Gabi or J.J. the truth. When Eli said that he and Lani had struggled with whether to tell Gabi and J.J., Gabi gasped. "Oh, my God! Is Lani having your baby?" Gabi asked.
Eli said that Lani had said he was not the father, and he did not think Lani would lie to him about the baby. Gabi was skeptical. Eli begged for a chance to make things right with Gabi. As Gabi stewed, Eli asked Gabi to let him stand by her while she went through her legal problems. Eli promised to spend the rest of his life making it up to Gabi. Shaking her head, Gabi noted that it was painful that, of all the woman Eli had chosen to sleep with, it had to be the same woman that J.J. had cheated with when he had been with Gabi.
"All I know is what's in my heart. And these past few months, you and Arianna have been my entire life. I don't know what I would do without you. I love you. Please, you got to believe me," Eli pleaded. "I believe you. Yes, Eli, you have stood by me through a lot. And you have been incredible to my little girl, but I am not saying that I forgive you. I'm just saying that I'm willing to consider working things out, but you have to promise me one thing. No more secrets. No more lies. You have to promise me that you have told me everything and that you will never lie to me again," Gabi said.
"I've told you everything there is to know," Eli said haltingly. With a nod, Gabi said she needed to think about everything. Gabi told Eli she would call him. As Gabi turned to leave, Eli told her that he loved her. Once Gabi was gone, Eli called Lani and left her a voicemail to warn her about Gabi. Eli said he had not told Gabi the truth about the baby's paternity.
In the square, Lani stared silently into the distance. Worried, J.J. asked what was wrong. Lani said she could not stop thinking about Hope's face at the wedding. "I know better than anyone the damage that lies and cheating can do," J.J. said. "It doesn't have to be the end, right?" Lani asked hopefully. J.J. said it would be difficult to gain back the person's trust. Lani grabbed her stomach in pain. Panicked, J.J. started to call the doctor, but Lani stopped him. "Kayla said occasional cramping was normal," Lani explained.
When J.J. mentioned that Gabi had seen Lani arguing with Valerie at the wedding, Lani doubled over in pain again. J.J. called an ambulance and gave Lani water. Kayla and Steve were walking by, and J.J. flagged them down. Kayla calmed Lani down while they waited for the ambulance.
At the hospital, J.J. and Steve talked in the waiting area. J.J. asked about Steve's vision, and Steve joked that he could see well enough to watch the Olympics. Steve encouraged J.J. to talk to him if he needed anything. Kayla exited Lani's room, and J.J. leaped to his feet.
"How is Lani? How is the baby?" J.J.. asked. Kayla escorted J.J. into Lani's room and assured him that the baby and mother were fine. Lani admitted that she had been scared she might lose her baby. J.J. promised that Lani would be fine. "I'm always going to be here for you and our child," J.J. said.
At the nurses' station, Steve and Kayla talked about his future job prospects. Kayla told Steve he needed to use his brains instead of his eyes. "Well, now I'm really in trouble," Steve joked. With a frown, Steve told Kayla that he did not want to be a burden to her. Kayla assured Steve he would not be a burden. Kayla promised Steve that his family would support him and that he would never be alone. "I love you, baby," Steve said.
At the pub, Eric wandered in and was shocked to find Brady drinking. Eric offered to take Brady to an A.A. meeting. When Eve returned from the bathroom, Eric asked Eve if she was supporting Brady's destructive streak. Eve pointedly told Eric that she would not let Brady drive and kill someone. With an eye twitch, Eric stomped away. Over drinks, Brady thanked Eve for standing up to Eric. After a couple drinks, Brady suggested that they fuel up the jet. When Eve asked where they should go, Brady suggested Vegas. Eve smiled.
In the square, Jennifer saw Eric sitting on a bench. Eric eagerly asked about Hope. Jennifer said she was concerned that Hope would never be able to get past Rafe's mistake. Outside the loft, Rafe thought about his vows from his wedding to Hope on Smith Island. In her office, Hope thought about the same moment. Crying, Hope took her ring off and put it in her desk drawer. "The love and respect I deserve," Hope whispered.
Ciara returned home while Claire was in the process of icing the injured side of her face. Ciara apologized for punching Claire but was quick to add, "Not that I still don't hate you for what you did to my mom -- or that you didn't deserve it." Scoffing, Claire concluded that, in other words, Ciara didn't really regret anything she had said or done the previous day. Ciara insisted that she was actually quite embarrassed about resorting to violence, since that wasn't like her at all. "Yeah, you should be [embarrassed]. Next time, Ciara, use your words," Claire advised. "I sure as hell hope there won't be a next time, Claire," Ciara countered.
"I mean, I doubt there will be; [after all], how likely is it that I'd [ever] have to tell your mom again that Rafe is a cheater and a creep?" Claire jokingly assured Ciara, who protested that Rafe was neither of those things -- and that he had only slept with someone else because he had been heartbroken at the time, believing that he had just lost the love of his life for good. "Heartbroken, but [apparently] still very horny," Claire joked.
Unamused, Ciara insisted that was a horrible thing to say. Claire unapologetically argued that she was only speaking the truth. "Here's what's true, Claire -- you ruined everything by opening your big mouth. Your stupid and sadistic plan to let Mom know what Rafe did -- once, [and] considered [a] total mistake [afterward] -- hurt her so badly [that] she may never recover," Ciara countered.
Claire dismissively reasoned that Hope would definitely recover because, after all, she had been through worse things in her life. "[And] by the way, your mom already got hurt when Rafe slept with Sami; she just didn't know about it," Claire added. "Well, she knows now, doesn't she?" Ciara replied while glaring at Claire, who left the apartment without saying another word.
Later, Tripp emerged from his bedroom and joined Ciara in the kitchen, where she was eating a bowl of cereal. "You didn't deck her again, did you?" Tripp asked Ciara after spotting Claire's makeshift ice pack, which had been left on the counter. Chuckling, Ciara clarified that she had actually tried to apologize -- even though she'd had a perfectly good reason for resorting to violence.
Tripp, like Claire, took that to mean that Ciara didn't really have any regrets, but she maintained that she simply wasn't the type of person who threw punches on a regular basis, even when they were completely justified. "Okay, [but]...what, you're going to hold onto this grudge forever?" Tripp asked. "You're damn right I am," Ciara confirmed.
Tripp understood Ciara's need for revenge but warned, from a place of experience, that going to that dark place was never a good idea. She tried to argue that his quest to avenge his mother's death wasn't really comparable, but he insisted that the only difference was that he hadn't had anyone to confide in. "[But] you have me," he assured her with a smile. "[Not in] the literal sense; I just mean, you know, you have me to talk to [and] vent with," he quickly clarified. "I mean, since, uh, you do totally annoy me, and we do live under the same roof, I kind of have to put up with you," he jokingly added.
Chuckling, Ciara told Tripp that he was doing wonders for her ego, prompting him to counter that her ego was healthy enough to survive the hit. "So...I 'have' you, even when I am going off [on] your crush?" she asked. "Even then...but, you know, Claire's not my crush, though -- not anymore," he replied. "Then who is?" she wondered. "Don't have one," he insisted. She claimed, when asked, that she didn't, either.
Changing the subject, Ciara assured Tripp, "[Anyway], you have me, too." She added that she really cared about him -- meaning that she would always want the best for him and would always root for him to be happy -- and he returned the sentiment. They locked eyes for a few seconds, but before anything could happen, she cleared her throat and abruptly excused herself, vaguely explaining that she had some things to do.
At the police station, Hope observed that it looked like Eli hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night. Assuming that Eli had simply been too focused on Andre's murder investigation to rest, Hope noted that Gabi was lucky to have him in her corner. Eli tried to point out that Rafe had done the same thing for Hope during Stefano's murder investigation, but she quickly changed the subject. Ignoring the hint, Eli forged ahead, hoping that Hope and Rafe would eventually find a way to work things out. Hope forced a smile as Eli stepped aside to take a phone call.
Rafe soon arrived and asked to talk to Hope, who insisted that there was nothing left for them to discuss. Sighing, Rafe retreated to an unoccupied conference room and tried to focus on work. When Eli joined Rafe a short time later, Rafe was instead focused on his wedding band. "Have you talked to Hope?" Eli asked. "I can barely get her to look at me, let alone talk to me," Rafe replied.
Meanwhile, Hope received a visit from Claire, who tried to apologize for how Rafe's secret had been revealed. "You did the right thing," Hope declared, stunning Claire, who was relieved to know that her grandmother was glad that the truth had finally emerged. Hope clarified, "Well, I mean, 'glad' isn't quite the right word...but it is something that I definitely needed to know, and no one else had the guts to tell me."
Claire wished that Ciara saw things the same way Hope did. "I don't think I've ever seen her so mad," Claire fretted. Hope probed for more details, but Claire declined to elaborate, reasoning that Hope didn't need to hear about a "stupid" fight between two teenage girls, especially at that moment. "I just really wanted to make sure that you weren't mad at me," Claire continued. Hope hugged Claire and reiterated that she wasn't upset.
"Please tell me you're not letting her off the hook," Ciara begged with a groan, having arrived in time to witness the embrace. Sighing, Claire said goodbye to Hope then walked away. "How could you even talk to her after what she did?" Ciara asked Hope incredulously. Ciara thought that Hope needed to be upset with Claire, but Hope argued that Claire had simply been looking out for her. "That's not why Claire told you," Ciara insisted. Shrugging, Hope pointed out that Claire's motives ultimately didn't matter one way or another. Ciara reluctantly conceded that Hope was right about that.
"I want to make sure you understand what happened between me and Rafe," Ciara added, eager to change the subject. Hope insisted that Rafe never should have forced Ciara to lie for him, but Ciara clarified that Rafe had actually encouraged her to go ahead and reveal his secret. "[But] he also got me thinking about why I wanted to tell you, and I realized that maybe a part of me wanted to hurt you because we were fighting so much at the time," Ciara explained with a sigh. Hope stressed that she hadn't been trying to pick fights with her daughter back then; she had simply been in protective mode, trying to keep her daughter safe from harm.
"[And] I was being protective of you [by keeping Rafe's secret]," Ciara replied. She encouraged her mother to consider forgiving Rafe, pointing out, "I did, and I'm not a forgiving person."
Meanwhile, Rafe advised that it might be best for Eli to share his own secret -- before someone else beat him to the punch. Eli revealed that he had already confessed to Gabi the previous night -- and that the conversation had gone about as well as he could have hoped. Rafe gave Eli a nod of approval and hoped that there would be a happy ending for at least one of them.
Later, Rafe went to see Hope, who still wasn't interested in talking to him. "I'm going to Hong Kong," she blurted out while he was trying to change her mind. "What?" he asked incredulously. "To see Shawn and Belle," she continued. She added, when asked, that she didn't know when she would be returning to Salem.
Claire returned home and bragged to Tripp that her grandmother believed that she had done the right thing. "Look, Claire, I'm glad that Hope let you off the hook, but I'm still not sure that you told her about Rafe and Sami because of the reasons that you said you did," he replied, adding that, in any case, the bottom line was that two people's lives had been completely turned upside down because of the choices she had made.
After Tripp retreated to his bedroom, Claire contacted Eric and left him a voicemail message, explaining that she needed some headshots for Bella's contest. "It's nothing major -- I mean, these pictures are probably just a formality. I think I have this one in the bag. As far as I know, there's no real competition, so..." Claire bragged, unaware that Ciara had just returned home and was listening with obvious interest.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Sonny informed Gabi that Arianna was still asleep but was feeling much better. Gabi seized the opportunity to confide in Sonny about Eli's betrayal, still not sure if she would be able to forgive it.
"[Well], I can only speak from my own experience, but not a day goes by that I don't think about what my life would be like today if I [had] just forgiven Will when he cheated on me back in the day," Sonny admitted to Gabi, who was surprised to hear that he had that much regret about the choices he had made back then. "And then some," he stressed. Sighing, he continued, "I can't help thinking that everything that went down [afterward] could have been avoided [if I hadn't left Will], and now that he's back [in my life], he doesn't even remember anything, so how important was that fling in the grand scheme of things? [Being unable to forgive him cost us] all that time together, and now I've lost him for good." She tried to argue that he couldn't be certain of that, but he countered that his father had filed the divorce paperwork, and that made things seem pretty final.
"My forgiveness came a little too late, [but] it is not too late for you and Eli," Sonny reminded Gabi, who conceded that he had a point about what truly mattered in the grand scheme of things. "There's still hope where there's still love, right?" she reasoned, for his benefit as much as her own. Shaking his head, he sadly replied, "I don't know, Gabi. [I mean], I've pinned a lot of hopes on [the possibility] that someday [Will would remember loving me], but...honestly, I -- I -- I'm just afraid it's too late for us." Then he went to wake Arianna and get her ready to go home with Gabi.
At the DiMera mansion, Chad and Abigail discussed their respective plans for the day. When Abigail mentioned that she didn't know what to wear to a scheduled meeting, Chad advised, "[Wear one of those] samples that you got from Gabi Chic, like [the one] you had on yesterday. I thought that stuff looked good on you." Then he retreated to the bathroom to take a shower, unaware that she had no idea what he was talking about.
Meanwhile, Kate joined Stefan in the living room, prompting him to abruptly end a phone conversation he'd been having with his mother. Kate guessed that Stefan didn't want her to hear him plotting with his mother, and she didn't believe him when he tried to claim that he had actually been on a business call. "I know that you conspired with your mother to frame Gabi and murder Andre. But you're not gonna get away with it," she warned. He dismissively insisted that she would never be able to prove that theory because it simply wasn't true. Then he pointedly wondered if she had an alibi for the night of her husband's murder.
Chad soon joined the conversation and defended Kate, insisting that it was ridiculous to even suggest that she was the killer. "You might think you're getting away with blowing smoke on this investigation in the short run, but, see, the family's onto you, [and] one way or another, you're not gonna be able to get away with this murder forever," Chad continued. "You got the wrong guy, bro," Stefan tiredly replied -- just as Abigail arrived.
"Morning, Abigail. How you feeling?" Stefan asked, prompting Chad to wonder why Stefan was always so concerned about Abigail. Meanwhile, Abigail observed that it seemed like she had just interrupted a tense conversation. Nodding, Chad filled Abigail in on Stefan's latest accusation. Abigail agreed that it seemed like Stefan was trying to deflect suspicion onto someone -- anyone -- else, but he maintained that he was innocent. "[And] I promise [that will] become very clear soon," Stefan cryptically added before walking away. Kate followed Stefan out of the living room after thanking Chad and Abigail for sticking up for her.
Alone with Chad, Abigail probed for more details about the conversation he had mentioned earlier. "You really don't remember?" Chad asked curiously. "Of course, I do; I'm just surprised that you do," Abigail claimed, adding that men usually didn't pay attention to women's comments about clothing. He assured her that he always paid attention during their conversations.
Kate soon returned to see if Chad was ready to head over to DiMera Enterprises with her. Once the coast was clear, Abigail began trying to recall everything that had happened the previous day -- and suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head. After recovering, she opened the living room's false panel and stepped into the secret tunnels.
Stefan was in his bedroom, reading a text message from Vivian -- "It's done" -- when Gabby suddenly appeared and demanded to know why there wasn't a new suspect in the murder investigation yet. "Not to worry. It's all been taken care of," Stefan assured Gabby. Meanwhile, at the Horton Town Square, Gabi rummaged through Arianna's overnight bag in search of a scarf for the cold child to wear -- and found her own missing coat instead.
While eating at Doug's Place, Victor contacted Brady and demanded an update. "I had Eve drunk, [and] I had the jet fueled [and] ready to go to Vegas, [and] the chapel was planned...[but then] the nanny called [to let me know that] Tate is sick," Brady explained. Victor was sorry to hear that -- but glad to hear that Tate was already starting to feel better again. "The next thing I want to hear is some damn wedding bells," Victor stressed.
After ending the call, Brady headed up to the second floor of the Kiriakis mansion and found Eve singing a lullaby to Tate in one of the bedrooms. Brady waited until Eve was done then entered the room and handed over two warm washcloths, only one of which was intended for Tate. Chuckling, Eve wondered how Brady had guessed that she could use one, too. "You matched me drink for drink last night," he reminded her. "[And when we left the pub, you told me], 'Brady, I want to dance by the light of the moon!'" he continued, adding that she had gotten her wish -- and they had made quite the scene when they had started dancing around Horton Town Square together. She decided that she didn't want to apologize for having fun, and he agreed, assuring her that he actually couldn't wait to do it all over again sometime.
After getting Tate settled in his own bed, Eve rejoined Brady and announced that it seemed like the child's fever had broken. "They love so honestly, don't they? Fearlessly. They haven't had their hearts broken yet. They just believe in happy endings -- happily ever after -- and they accept it. Maybe that's why adults always cry at happy endings -- because they know just how rare true love is, how rare happiness is... I want to love like that again -- fearlessly, [with the] wind in my back...but then...real life, huh?" Eve mused with a sigh. Touched, Brady gave Eve a tender kiss -- then spontaneously confessed that he loved her.
Eve assumed that Brady's own hangover was making him say things he didn't really mean, but when he insisted that he truly did love her, she grudgingly admitted that she loved him, too. "[And] I didn't want to, okay? I mean, I said I wasn't gonna get involved with anyone -- I wasn't gonna get involved with you... And, you know, you do -- you really -- you really piss me off...a lot. I mean, all the time, you do. And then the next thing I know, you're making me laugh...and then you take my side! My God, nobody's ever taken Eve's side! And then I see you...I see you with that beautiful little boy... And I love that man. I love that man. I love you, Brady," Eve added. Satisfied, Brady wondered if Eve wanted to get married -- right away. When she realized that he was being serious, she accepted his offer.
Meanwhile, at Doug's Place, Victor called out to Maggie, "Julie's making you work for your keep?" Forcing a smile, Maggie clarified that she was helping out at the club because she wanted to do so. Changing the subject, Maggie wondered what Victor was doing at the club. "I wanted to give you this," he replied, handing over a long-stemmed red rose. "An apology," he explained, adding that he missed her. She admitted that she missed him, too. "Well, then, come home, damn it! This nonsense has gone on long enough!" he insisted. "You didn't really just order me to come home...?" she countered.
Realizing that Brady was still playing Eve, Maggie maintained, while returning the rose, that Victor wouldn't be seeing her back at the Kiriakis mansion anytime soon. Maggie started to walk away, but Victor followed her and tried to give her the rose again. "You want me to slow down and smell roses? I'll do it. You want me to put family ahead of business? Done. Please, just come home with me," he begged.
Maggie skeptically pointed out that Victor had made such promises before, but he assured her that he finally understood how serious she was about needing him to change his priorities. "You have to know that even the sight of you, even here in this place, makes my old heart skip a beat. No woman -- no person -- has ever touched my soul the way you have. Please come home with me," he begged again.
"[If you're serious about putting family first], then Eve needs to know the truth," Maggie insisted. "She's not family!" Victor protested. "Brady is," Maggie countered, adding that Victor was making Brady do things that were beneath both men. "It needs to stop," Maggie stressed. Sighing, Victor grudgingly agreed, "All right, I'll let her keep the damn company."
Maggie told Victor that wasn't enough. "You want Brady to come clean?" Victor guessed. "I want you to," Maggie clarified, reasoning that Victor was, after all, the person who was responsible for setting the whole plan in motion in the first place. "I merely made suggestions!" Victor protested, but Maggie didn't buy that.
"You want me to prostrate myself in front of that she-devil?" Victor asked Maggie incredulously, prompting her to wonder if his pride was really more important to him than his family. Ignoring the question, Victor fretted, "That woman will grind me under her heel!" Shrugging, Maggie insisted, "Those are my terms, Victor, [and] if you can't accept them...then we're through."
At the DiMera mansion, Gabby was pleased to hear that Stefan had made arrangements for the crucial evidence in Andre's murder investigation to be planted on some unsuspecting person. "I almost really do want to kiss you," Gabby told Stefan. Forging ahead, she pointed out that his actions could send an innocent person to prison for life. "Who do you want gone so bad?" she asked curiously. "Gabi Hernandez," he replied.
Unamused, Gabby shoved Stefan and started lashing out at him for double-crossing her. He tried to assure her that he had done no such thing, but she didn't understand what he meant, since he had just boldly admitted that he had. "No, I admitted to framing Gabi Hernandez -- [and] you are not her," he stressed. "Okay, so...what, I'm some doppelgänger, like that Hattie Adams person?" she asked incredulously.
"No, you're an alter," Stefan clarified for Gabby. He tried to explain dissociative identity disorder to her, but all she got out of the explanation was that he thought she was crazy. She insisted that his outlandish theory made him the crazy one. "I'm sorry, [but I'm telling the truth] -- you're not a real person; you're just part of Abigail," he maintained, adding, while reaching for his nearby tablet computer, that he could prove it.
Stefan showed Gabby a picture of Gabi and forced her to stand in front of a mirror and acknowledge the obvious differences. "You know how tabloids are -- nobody really looks like themselves. Just a bunch of bad angles and bad light..." Gabby argued, waving a hand dismissively. Stefan started to patiently acknowledge that it was probably hard for Gabby to accept what she was learning about herself, but she angrily countered that losing her company had been difficult to accept. "I built Gabi Chic from nothing, and [Andre] ripped it out of my hands, and he laughed about it, so I killed him!" Gabby continued. "[So], you admit it?" Stefan asked, surprised. "Just like I killed Nick Fallon," Gabby confirmed. Stefan tried to clarify that Gabby hadn't killed Nick, but she insisted that she knew exactly what she had and hadn't done in her life.
"Look, I'm on your side here --" Stefan started to stress. Interrupting, Gabby countered, "No, you are trying to make me think that I'm crazy so that I won't go away to prison!" She tried to leave, but he blocked her path. "I killed one DiMera, [and] if you don't think that I can kill another..." she spat while struggling with him. Sighing, he told her, "Forgive me...but you leave me no choice." He ripped off her wig.
Shaking, Gabby glanced from the dark hair in Stefan's hand to the light hair that was flowing from her head down to her shoulders. Then she unleashed a long, primal scream of horror. Panicking, Stefan reached for his nearby cell phone and started to call for a doctor, but right after he finished dialing 9-1-1, the scream suddenly ended. "There's no need to call [a] doctor," Dr. Laura calmly assured him.
At the hospital, J.J. joined Lani in her room -- just as she was deleting a disturbing voicemail message. When he wondered what was bothering her, she claimed that she was simply stunned that she had missed so many new developments at work during her brief hiatus. He knowingly guessed that he wasn't going to be able to convince her to take a few more days off. "[But] just so you know, I plan on being a rock-star EMT, so if you ever change your mind, and you want to stay home with the baby...there's nothing more I would love than to be able to take care of you both," he stressed before going to get her discharge paperwork.
At the Horton Town Square, Gabi continued rummaging through Arianna's overnight bag and discovered that the missing urn lid had also been planted there. "Oh, this can't be...this can't be..." Gabi muttered with a gasp of horror. "What is it, Mommy?" Arianna asked curiously. Gabi stuffed the coat and lid back in the bag while claiming that they were just things she had picked up at work. Then she pulled a scarf out of the bag and started wrapping it around the child's neck. Undeterred, Arianna insisted, "I wanna see the secret!" Gabi tried to insist that she wasn't hiding anything, but her daughter wasn't convinced.
"Is it my birthday present?" Arianna asked. Chuckling, Gabi pointed out that Arianna's birthday was still two whole months away. "Well, we better start planning, then," Will said while approaching Gabi and Arianna, the latter of whom rushed into his arms to greet him with a hug. "I heard something about a present, and as the dad -- and someone who suspects you are probably gonna get a ton of presents on your actual birthday -- I vote that maybe we open this one early," Will suggested as Gabi clutched the bag protectively. "Whatever [Mommy's] hiding in there must be pretty, pretty special, huh, Ari?" Will mused.
Gabi nervously claimed that it was a birthday gift -- but it was going to have to stay a secret until the big day finally arrived because it was just one small part of a grander gift. "Aw. Okay. Well, waiting can be good, 'cause you know what happens when you wait?" Will said to Arianna while raising a hand to one of her ears. "Magic!" Will concluded, producing a silver dollar for the child, who rushed off to spend it at a nearby toy kiosk.
Smiling, Gabi observed that Will was great with Arianna, despite the fact that he had been unexpectedly thrust into parenthood with a child he couldn't even remember having fathered in the first place. Gabi thanked Will for still being willing to reach out to Arianna and trying to create a real relationship with her. "I mean, of course. I'm head over heels, you know? I may not remember my old memories, [but] I'm committed to making a lifetime of new ones," Will assured Gabi, who worriedly muttered that Arianna was really going to need that support in the future. Will, realizing what Gabi was talking about, acknowledged that it had to be terrifying for her to know that murder charges were hanging over her head. "But you have three things going in your favor: one, you didn't do it; two, you have the best lawyer in town; and three, you didn't do it," he stressed.
Smiling, Gabi thanked Will for his support then asked if he would be willing to watch their daughter for a while so she could take care of something. "I can't think of a better way to spend the afternoon," he replied.
After Will joined Arianna at the toy kiosk, Gabi rushed off with the child's overnight bag. She paused in a secluded area and tried to contact Chad, but the call went to voicemail. "I don't know how [Stefan] did it, but he planted evidence on me! I'm looking at it right now! I don't know what to do! I don't know what to do! I -- I -- I can't go back to prison, okay? I can't lose my little girl! I can't! Please, please -- if you are listening to this, please call me back!" she begged before ending the call. Then she continued walking, hoping that she might find help at the police station.
At the police station, Trask taunted Eli, assuring him that she would eventually have enough evidence to prove that his girlfriend had committed a second murder -- evidence like the missing coat and the missing urn lid, for starters. "[And then] no one -- not even you -- will be able to help her," she added before walking away, leaving him looking a bit concerned.
Lani soon arrived and pulled Eli into an unoccupied conference room to inform him that she had listened to his voicemail message. "I thought we were gonna keep this to ourselves!" she reminded him. "I know, but after what happened at Hope and Rafe's wedding, there was no way that I could [continue doing that]," he apologetically explained. She was relieved to know that he had at least kept the baby's true paternity a secret -- and had no intention of ever revealing that information himself. "[But] what if Gabi tells J.J. we slept together?" she fretted. "Maybe you should tell J.J. the truth before Gabi does," he advised with a shrug.
Meanwhile, Gabi entered the police station and spotted Trask, who was talking to someone on the phone. "We need to get that coat and urn lid -- do you understand? [When] we get those, case closed -- [and I'll be able to] send Gabi Hernandez to prison for the rest of her pathetic life," Trask told the person, unaware of Gabi's presence. Spooked, Gabi rushed back out of the police station.
Outside, Gabi paused in a safer location and tried to contact Eli, who had just noticed Lani's hospital band. "Is something wrong with my baby?" Eli worriedly demanded to know, ignoring his ringing cell phone. "Chill!" Lani snapped before assuring him that she'd simply experienced some pains the previous day and had been kept overnight for observation as a precaution. He calmed down but stressed that he cared about his child, despite the fact that he was planning to let another man raise it -- and he therefore wanted to be kept in the loop when things happened that concerned that child. Nodding, she promised to remember that in the future.
Arianna followed Will into the Brady Pub then rushed over to J.J.'s table to show off her new stack of picture books. "Empty out the store?" J.J. asked with a knowing grin after Will got Arianna settled at another table so she could read her books. "Um, it was like a kiosk, and she couldn't decide, so..." Will explained with a shrug, concluding that, as a result, he basically had indeed ended up buying one of everything for his daughter.
"I know the feeling. I have two toddler bikes -- a pink one and a blue one -- [and] apparently they'll [both] be sitting in the garage for a few years," J.J. replied. Will was confused -- until J.J. explained that he was about to be a father, too. "It came out of nowhere, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it," J.J. admitted.
Nodding, Will assured J.J., "Yeah, I've been there -- I mean, although...my particular circumstance is a little unique...but I guess, you know, it's like you're doing your own thing -- living your own life -- and then suddenly you realize that there's a part of you living inside of, like, a completely different person, and...for me, it made me see, like, the future...and hope...and...stuff."
Will started to apologize for getting philosophical, but J.J. insisted that he understood. "'Hope' and 'future' weren't even on my radar awhile back, but now..." J.J. mused with a grin before letting his voice trail off. "I just hope my kid is smarter than me, 'cause I made a hell of a lot of mistakes, [but] I feel like now I'm finally getting it right -- having a child with the woman I love, being a family..." J.J. concluded.
"I have not got that part right -- the family part," Will admitted with a sigh. J.J. guessed that Will was talking about Sonny. Nodding, Will explained that the divorce paperwork had been filed. "[And between] that and, you know, the murder charge hanging over Gabi, it's kind of been a -- you know, like, a tough time [for Arianna]," Will added, lowering his voice a bit so the child wouldn't hear what he was saying. "Yeah, but you know that Gabi's innocent, [and] Eli's working overtime to prove it, [and] so is Rafe. She'll be cleared any day now," J.J. assured Will.
At the police station, Trask interrupted Eli and Lani's conversation to announce that she had just received an anonymous tip and needed it checked out right away. Eli started to spring into action, but Trask clarified that she didn't want his help -- and it was her call to make because his boss was on vacation. Trask led Lani out of the conference room then shut the door, leaving Eli inside. "Someone saw Gabi Hernandez in the square. She's in possession of evidence that could be the break we need. Get Ms. Hernandez -- and that evidence -- and bring her in," Trask ordered Lani as Eli eavesdropped.
After Lani rushed off, Eli listened to Gabi's voicemail message then quickly dialed her number. "Call me back as soon as you get this -- [and] I mean as soon as you get it," he stressed when his call went to voicemail.
Meanwhile, Gabi ducked into an alley and paused at a Dumpster to dispose of the incriminating evidence -- which also included a pair of gloves and her missing identification badge. "Stop," Lani suddenly ordered Gabi.
Gabby confronted Stefan in his room. In an effort to help Abigail, Stefan snatched the wig off of Abigail's head to force her to confront the fact that she was experiencing dissociative identity disorder. Upset, Gabby clutched her head and cried out. When Stefan started to call a doctor, Abigail revealed another alter, Dr. Laura. Calm and in control, Dr. Laura placed Stefan's glasses on her face and pulled her hair back.
"Strictly speaking, I'm another facet of Abigail's psyche," Dr. Laura noted. Stefan asked Dr. Laura if she believed she was Abigail's grandmother. With a dismissive wave, Dr. Laura said she was not impersonating anyone. Dr. Laura accused Stefan of pushing Gabby too far. "I control the transitions," Dr. Laura said plainly. When Stefan referenced the book he had been reading, Dr. Laura appeared impressed.
Dr. Laura explained that she kept the balance between Abigail and her strong moral compass and Gabby and her tendency toward acting rashly. With a nod, Stefan mentioned when Gabby had attacked Vivian. Dr. Laura noted that Vivian had "had it coming." Stefan asked about Dr. Laura and if she was the gatekeeper.
"Who I am and who we are, are the people who literally saved Abigail's sanity and her life," Dr. Laura said. Dr. Laura explained that Gabby did not understand that she was a part of Abigail. Stefan asked why Gabby had been in so much pain after he had removed her wig. "That's because she thought she was dying. So, I emerged to protect Gabby but also Abby; we need both of them," Dr. Laura said. Stefan asked Dr. Laura if she was watching at all times. Dr. Laura confirmed that she was.
"Abigail has no idea that either of you exist inside of her?" Stefan asked incredulously. "None. We're an internal defense mechanism used so that Abby can compartmentalize her actions," Dr. Laura said. Stefan asked about Andre. Dr. Laura said Abigail had killed her brother-in-law. Dr. Laura explained that Abigail had invented Gabby because she had been unable to confront her guilt over the murder.
"Abigail loved Andre. She was always defending him. Why would she kill him? What really happened that night?" Stefan asked. Dr. Laura said the issue was not Stefan's concern. Dr. Laura insisted that Stefan should stay away from Abigail, but Stefan refused, explaining that he cared about her. Stefan argued that Abigail cared for him, but Dr. Laura said the kiss had been from Gabby. "She only did that to manipulate you," Dr. Laura said.
Dr. Laura added that it had been inappropriate when Stefan had kissed Gabby. Protective, Dr. Laura said she would not let Stefan settle for Gabby because he could not have Abigail. Stefan said he did not deny his interest in Abigail. Dr. Laura stressed that Abigail was not interested.
"Gabby has qualities that attracted me to Abigail in the first place. Her beauty, of course. Her spirit," Stefan said. "Her body?" Dr. Laura asked. Stefan ignored the interruption and said he was also attracted to Abigail's vulnerable side. Stefan reasoned aloud that the proof of his devotion was that he had planted evidence to help Abigail.
With a sigh, Dr. Laura argued that Stefan had upset the balance by exposing Gabby to the reality of her existence. Stefano offered to apologize to Gabby, but Dr. Laura said she would not let Stefan interact with Gabby ever again. Downstairs, Chad listened to a voicemail from a panicked Gabi informing him that Stefan had planted evidence on her.
In an alleyway, Gabi frantically attempted to dump the planted evidence of Andre's murder into a Dumpster. Lani called out to Gabi to stop. Reluctantly, Gabi placed the evidence on the ground for Lani to review. "Somebody is setting me up!" Gabi complained. Lani said she could not ignore the evidence. Defensive, Gabi argued that after Lani slept with Gabi's boyfriend, helping her was the least that Lani could do. Gabi immediately retracted her comment. Confused, Gabi asked why Lani had followed her into the alley.
"Someone phoned in a tip to [Trask] that you were behaving suspiciously, and Trask sent me to investigate," Lani explained. Gabi pointed out that the tip was perfectly timed. Chad called Gabi's phone, but Lani took Gabi's phone away before she could answer it. Lani told Gabi that she could speak to Chad at the station. At the DiMera mansion, Chad left a voicemail for Gabi, asking her to call him back.
In the Kiriakis mansion, Sonny and Eve discussed Maggie's absence. Sonny said he was surprised to find Eve cleaning the house. With a chuckle, Eve said she was cleaning the room to prepare for her wedding to Brady. Sonny asked Eve if she was sure she wanted to marry Brady. With a shrug, Eve said she and Brady had realized they were good together and wanted to be a family with Tate.
"Are you sure you're not just putting on blinders here? Hoping for a fairytale ending?" Sonny asked. "Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith," Eve said. Worried, Sonny reminded Eve that Brady had attempted to frame her for murder. Sonny suggested that Brady was conning Eve. Defensive, Eve argued that she had helped Brady learn that there was more to life than work. "Maybe you can't stand the fact that we're happy and you're miserable and alone without Will or Paul," Eve sneered.
In the town square, Brady thanked Justin for helping him acquire a wedding license quickly. Brady explained that he and Eve did not want to wait. Brady added that it was a comfort to him and Tate to have Eve in their lives. "We share common ground. We've been through so much together," Brady said. Curious, Justin noted that Brady had not mentioned love. "Do you love her?" Justin asked. "Yeah. I really do," Brady said.
Justin's phone buzzed with a text message from Chad asking to meet at the police station. Justin promised that he would meet up with Brady later to officiate the wedding. Paul overheard from nearby and approached Brady as Justin walked away. Paul asked if he had heard Justin correctly. Beaming, Brady showed Paul the marriage license. "I couldn't be happier about it," Brady said.
Confused, Paul reminded Brady that until recently, Brady had hired him to dig up dirt on Eve. Brady countered that his relationship with Eve was real. Relieved, Paul said he was happy for Brady. Brady asked Paul to attend the wedding, and Paul happily agreed. "I wasn't expecting to fall in love, but it feels right. It really does," Brady said.
In the Kiriakis living room, Sonny watched Eve continue to arrange the room for the wedding. "You don't have to point out that I'm alone. I've noticed that all by myself, thank you," Sonny said bitterly. Eve apologized. Before Eve could say anything more, Brady returned home with Paul. A giddy Eve greeted Brady in the foyer as he flashed their marriage license to her. Brady added that Justin would marry them, and Paul would act as their witness.
When Brady asked Paul for a moment alone with his bride, Paul started to head toward the living room. Eve stopped him and whispered a warning that Sonny was inside. With a nod, Paul went in to face his ex and left the lovers to talk privately. Worried, Eve asked what was wrong. Brady pulled out an engagement ring. Elated, Eve kissed Brady. "It's beautiful!" Eve whispered. "No. You're beautiful," Brady countered. Eve told Brady she loved him then ran upstairs to get dressed. Alone, Brady stared at the wedding license and looked pensive.
In the living room, Paul and Sonny discussed the impending wedding. Sonny muttered, "We'll see how long that lasts." When Sonny mentioned that his track record in love had been terrible, Paul said he was sorry things had not worked out with Will. Sonny asked about Paul's recent life or death situation with Will. Paul admitted that he had bonded with Will. Annoyed, Sonny sarcastically encouraged Paul to date Will. "This isn't the way I wanted it to be," Paul said. "Me, either," Sonny agreed.
At the police station, Trask greeted Gabi with a wide grin. Lani presented the processed evidence to Trask. Gabi asked for her lawyer. When Trask remarked on how Gabi had clearly hidden the evidence in her daughter's overnight bag, Gabi growled that she had no idea how the evidence had ended up there. As a smirking Trask said that Gabi always blamed someone else, Justin arrived with Chad and ordered Trask to stop questioning his client. Justin was eager to talk to Gabi, but Trask announced that she needed Justin to join her in court. Trask explained that the judge would want to revoke Gabi's bail. Justin followed Trask out.
Once alone, Chad asked Gabi what had happened. Gabi explained that she had found the coat, bloody gloves, her DiMera ID, and the lid to the urn in her bag. Gabi swore that she had no idea how the items had found their way into Arianna's bag. When Chad asked why Gabi had attempted to destroy the evidence, Gabi said she had panicked after not being able to contact Chad or Eli. Chad said he believed Gabi but added that she had hurt her case when she had tampered with the evidence.
At the pub, Eli spotted J.J. studying for his EMT training, and he said hello. Eli grumbled about Trask forbidding him from chasing down a lead on Andre's murder because of Eli's relationship to Gabi. When Eli mentioned that Trask had sent Lani out, J.J. was dismayed. Eli asked about Lani's pregnancy troubles. J.J. said that Lani had been cleared to return to her job. Eli offered to change the schedule to assign Lani to desk duty.
"I just want what's best for her baby," Eli said solemnly. "Did she make you the godfather or something? Cause you're being pretty protective about our baby," J.J. commented. When Lani arrived, she informed Eli that she had been forced to arrest Gabi because Lani had caught her attempting to destroy evidence. Eli ran out. Lani told J.J. that she felt guilty but argued that she had had no choice but to arrest Gabi. J.J. agreed. Worried, J.J. said he felt he should visit Gabi and show her that she still had friends who supported her.
Lani thought about what Gabi had said to her in the alley about sleeping with Eli. Worried that Gabi might tell J.J. about the affair out of spite, Lani discouraged J.J. from bothering Gabi. J.J. said he had misjudged Eli. When J.J. mentioned that Eli had been interested in Lani's pregnancy, Lani appeared nervous. Lani said she did not want J.J. to talk to Eli about the pregnancy. J.J. said he appreciated that Eli had been concerned because it had helped him realize that Eli would always have Lani's back.
Lani changed the subject to J.J.'s studying. Grinning, J.J. said he had skipped ahead in the materials to the chapter on childbirth. J.J. joked that he was ready to deliver their baby if he needed to do it. Lani said she was touched that J.J. was so devoted to being a father.
Eli arrived at the police station and found Chad talking alone with Gabi in the interrogation room. Eli asked Chad to leave. Chad argued that someone had framed Gabi and that the anonymous tip proved his point. With a nod, Eli promised to run down the lead. Reluctantly, Chad left. Gabi said she was angry that Lani had arrested her and that Eli had not answered his phone. Eli promised to help Gabi through her situation. Eli asked for details. Gabi swore that she had no idea how the evidence had ended up in her daughter's bag.
"It freaks me out to think that someone, and by someone, I mean Stefan, got that close to my daughter," Gabi said. Justin returned from court with bad news. The judge had revoked Gabi's bail, citing that she was a flight risk. Justin offered to call Sonny to help with Arianna. Gabi thanked Justin for his help, and he swore to do everything he could to get Gabi out of jail.
After Justin left, Eli told Gabi that the only way they could clear her was to locate the woman that had appeared on the video surveillance at the crime scene. At the DiMera mansion, Dr. Laura returned Gabby's dress to the hidden tunnels then reemerged in the living room. "Time to let Abigail out again," Dr. Laura said quietly. After a moment, a bewildered Abigail wondered aloud when she had walked into the living room.
Chad returned home. Surprised, Abigail said she had not expected Chad to return home from work so soon. When Chad mentioned, as he hugged Abigail, that he had left hours earlier, her eyes bugged out in confusion. "I must have lost track of time," Abigail said.
When Justin returned to the Kiriakis mansion, he told Paul and Sonny about Gabi's situation. Sonny offered to talk to Will about Arianna. When Sonny marveled aloud that someone had planted evidence, Paul encouraged them to change the subject, since Brady was on his way into the living room. Brady announced that Tate was too ill to take part in the ceremony, but that he was happy they were there for the wedding.
"You know, I talked with Eve earlier. She thinks you really love her. I hope she's right," Sonny said. As Brady nodded, Victor called Brady's cell phone. Brady announced that he would ignore the call. Paul urged Brady to turn around. Brady spun to find Eve in a beautiful white cocktail dress. Brady reached out to touch Eve, and she warned him about superstition. The couple joined Justin in the center of the room. Justin read the vows, and Brady repeated them. When it was Eve's turn, she smiled at Brady. "I, Eve, wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth!" Eve yelled as she shoved Brady away.
