Post by STLUEE on Jun 16, 2014 11:08:52 GMT -5
At Club TBD, Will was sitting with Arianna, filling Abigail and Ben in on the details of Gabi's plea bargain, when Sonny joined them and handed over Ben's paycheck. Ben excused himself so that he could finish taking care of a shipment of supplies that the club had just received, and Sonny took a seat next to Will as Abigail assured Will that, unlike Julie, she hadn't wanted Gabi to receive a life sentence for killing Nick. "But...Nick is still family, and...you know, Gabi is not the friend that I thought she was -- especially after I found out what she did to Melanie," Abigail added.
Confused, Will wondered what Gabi had done to Melanie. Sonny remained silent as Abigail proceeded to tell Will about Andrew and about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping. Abigail said that she had assumed that Will would have already heard about the matter from some other source, since Gabi had told her that it would all be revealed during the court proceedings.
Abigail chastised herself for failing to figure out the truth sooner, reasoning that things might have ended differently if she had. "Abby, don't do that to yourself. We all could have made different decisions," Sonny assured Abigail. Meanwhile, Arianna started to cry, so Will and Sonny excused themselves so that they could return to their apartment to feed her.
After Will and Sonny left, Ben returned and noticed that Abigail was sitting alone at a table, looking pensive. Before Ben could say anything to Abigail, he received a phone call from Jordan. Ben told Jordan that he had heard that Gabi's plea bargain had been approved. Ben wondered how things had gone between Jordan and Rafe, and she replied that it had been a mistake to join Rafe at the courthouse.
"He's not upset with you -- it's the situation. You can't take it personally. Look, he may need space, but he also needs you. You've gotta keep letting him know that you're there for him," Ben advised Jordan. Ben offered to meet Jordan somewhere after his shift ended so that she wouldn't be alone, but she declined the offer and assured him that she was fine. Jordan thanked Ben for being a great sibling, and he replied that he had learned from the best.
After Ben's shift ended, he invited Abigail to join him for a walk to clear her head. Abigail said that she wasn't sure that she would be good company, but Ben reasoned that even if she didn't feel like talking, it might be nice for her to simply be outside, enjoying the day. Abigail conceded the point and accepted Ben's invitation.
After purchasing cups of frozen yogurt, Ben and Abigail went to the park. Ben wondered if he could ask Abigail a personal, random question, and when she gave him permission to do so, he asked her to tell him what living in London had been like. Ben explained that he had never been outside the United States -- not even to Canada -- and that visiting London was near the top of his bucket list.
Abigail believed that Ben was far too young to have a bucket list, but he replied that he couldn't waste any time because the list was already quite long. Abigail stressed that Ben definitely had to visit London eventually, and she invited him to ask her questions about the place. Ben wasn't really interested in the "touristy" stuff but wanted to know what Abigail's favorite London activities had been.
"Oh, God, uh -- well, my mom and I would go to the theater almost every week -- it's not nearly as expensive as it is here. Um...with my dad, it was the museums -- the Tate Modern, the V&A," Abigail recalled before suddenly realizing that she probably sounded like she was quoting text from a guidebook. Ben assured Abigail that he understood that she hadn't been doing those things just to check them off of some obligatory list.
"No, no, not at all. It -- it's really great. My dad taught me so much about -- about art, and -- and history, and Shakespeare. I just -- I wish I would have paid more attention," Abigail regretfully admitted. Ben said that he had heard somewhere that Abigail's father had written a book. Abigail nodded and explained that the book had been about Jack's experiences as a hostage in Afghanistan.
"It's really great that he got a chance to tell his story, you know? It's -- it's important, and it's selling really well, which is great, because it means that a lot of people have heard it. Um...it -- I -- I don't know if this is even gonna happen, but a studio is negotiating right now to buy the rights and turn it into a film," Abigail revealed. Abigail added that her mother was planning to give all the proceeds to veterans' organizations. Abigail mused that it was nice to know that her father's legacy was contributing to such an important cause.
"Your family's so -- just --" Ben started to say, but Abigail interrupted and guessed that he had been about to say that her family was complicated. Ben replied that every family was complicated and that he had actually been about to say that Abigail's family was accomplished. Abigail realized that she didn't know a single thing about Ben's family, and she urged him to tell her about them.
Ben evasively replied that his family was boring, but Abigail doubted that was true. "We haven't lived in South Africa and Ireland and -- which one did you like the best?" Ben asked, smoothly changing the subject. Abigail said that she had definitely preferred London, not just because of the city itself but also because it had been the last place that her whole family had lived together.
Abigail guessed that Ben hadn't really been interested in London, suspecting that he had instead been trying to take her mind off the situation with Nick and Gabi for a while. Ben started to deny the suspicion, but Abigail interrupted and thanked him for the distraction. "You're welcome. But I honestly did want to hear about London. And it was nice to learn a little bit more about you. You've had a really interesting life," Ben replied.
Abigail admitted that she wished that her life -- especially the last few weeks of it -- had been a little less interesting. Abigail sadly mused that what had happened had been such a waste, since Nick had been the smartest person she had ever known, and Gabi had been blessed with a beautiful child and a bright future ahead of her. Ben wanted to hear Abigail's thoughts on why things had ended the way they had, so she reasoned that one bad decision had led to another and that things had simply spiraled out of control. Abigail admitted that it was scary to think about how easy it was for that sort of thing to happen.
Ben stressed that Gabi and Nick had each made a lot of bad decisions, and he assured Abigail that nothing like that would ever happen to her. Abigail remained silent as she recalled sleeping with E.J. at the Horton cabin months earlier. "What if it already has?" Abigail quietly asked. Confused, Ben wondered what Abigail was talking about, and before she could respond, he jokingly asked if she had murdered anyone lately.
Abigail vaguely admitted that she had made her share of terrible mistakes. "Really? Then I'm not sure I should be hanging out with you...because I have never made a single mistake in my entire life. Mm-hmm. Kind of perfect -- haven't you noticed that? You think that's funny? I'm serious. Abigail, I am a perfect person who always does exactly the right thing at exactly the right time. It's a curse, really," Ben joked. Ben wondered if Abigail believed that he was telling the truth, and when she played along and confirmed that she did, he leaned in to kiss her, assuring her that it was "the right thing to do."
When Will and Sonny returned to their apartment with Arianna, Will admitted that Abigail's earlier revelation about Gabi had blindsided him. "Will...uh, there's something that I have to tell you," Sonny hesitantly began. As Will studied Sonny's face, he realized that his husband had known about Gabi's secret beforehand. Sonny's silence confirmed the suspicion.
"I knew it. There was always something about Gabi that you didn't like. What have we been talking about -- no more secrets between us? You're my husband. We're supposed to share everything with each other," Will reminded Sonny. "I'm sorry, Will -- not this time," Sonny replied. Sonny proceeded to tell Will about how Nick had taken advantage of Chad's assault against Nick to force Chad to sign a legal agreement that had prevented Chad from being able to tell anyone about what Gabi had done. Sonny explained that he had only learned the truth because Chad had blurted it out one day.
"I wanted to tell you so badly, but my dad's the one that drew up the agreement, and he told me I couldn't tell anyone -- not even you," Sonny added. Sonny explained that he had felt like telling Will the truth would have meant betraying Chad and Justin. "And I swear to you, Will, if I thought for one minute this could have hurt you by not knowing this information, I would have told you. I never want anything to happen to you. I hope you can forgive me," Sonny sincerely concluded.
"Of course I do," Will replied without hesitation. Will mused that things suddenly made much more sense than they had before, adding that Nick had always had control of Gabi because he had known her secret from the very beginning of their relationship. Sonny nodded and said that, while he had been upset with Gabi for a very long time, he was certain that she felt horrible about what she had done to Melanie. "And now she's admitted it to the police. Everyone knows. And it's going to get ugly," Will predicted.
Later, while Will and Sonny were lounging on the couch together, Sonny admitted that it was going to take a while to get accustomed to the reality that Gabi wasn't going to be returning to the apartment anytime soon. "You and I talked about having our own place one day, but...not like this," Sonny added. Will agreed that it was strange to know that Gabi would no longer be living in the apartment.
"I keep on thinking, like, who's gonna tell me when the Kardashians break up again?" Sonny wondered. Will said that he thought the Kardashians already had broken up again. "See? And who's gonna watch Mystery Science Theater when I'm up with Ari at 2:00 a.m.?" Sonny asked, and Will happily volunteered for the job. "Who's gonna bake brownies when we get the midnight munchies?" Sonny wondered, and he and Will quickly decided that it would probably be best to leave that task to Sonny.
"You know, I think I actually miss her yelling at us for leaving the toilet seat up," Will admitted. Sonny sadly mused that he and Will had really had a good thing going with Gabi. "Hey...we still do," Will pointed out before gently kissing Sonny.
At the courthouse, Jordan tried to assure Rafe that he hadn't let either of his sisters down, but he dismissively pointed out that Jordan couldn't really weigh in on what had happened with Arianna because Jordan hadn't been around at that particular time. Meanwhile, Hope arrived and apologized for keeping Rafe waiting, explaining that she had just finished talking to the mayor.
Hope told Rafe that there was one last issue involving Gabi's case that they still needed to deal with. Rafe turned to Jordan and told her that she could go ahead and leave, since his meeting with Hope might take a while. Jordan assured Rafe that she wouldn't mind waiting, but he replied that he appreciated the offer but needed to deal with the matter on his own. Rafe promised to call Jordan later, and she reluctantly walked away.
After Jordan left, Hope told Rafe that when Gabi had confessed to killing Nick, she had also confessed to committing another crime against Melanie Jonas. Hope proceeded to tell Rafe about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping. When Hope finished her summary, Rafe started to say something, but she quickly stopped him and told him that, as far as she was concerned, the case was closed.
Hope explained that she had only told Rafe about the matter because it had been a part of Gabi's confession and would therefore be made public soon. Hope added that Melanie had apparently learned the truth before leaving Salem and had decided to keep the information to herself, for whatever reason. Hope pointed out that some other people, such as Daniel and Maggie, would need to be filled in on what had happened so that they wouldn't have to read about it in the newspaper.
Rafe wanted to tell Daniel the news himself, which didn't surprise Hope. Rafe started to leave, but Hope stopped him and advised that it would be pointless for him to blame himself for what had happened to Gabi. Rafe nodded and thanked Hope before walking away.
In Daniel's apartment, Daniel tried to focus on a file labeled "vocal cord surgical report" but was unable to do so because he kept thinking about his earlier argument with Jennifer. Daniel set the report aside and decided to call Melanie to let her know about what had happened to her "good friend," Gabi, but when he mentioned Gabi's name, Melanie informed him that he had called at a bad time.
Daniel started to say that he would call again later, but Melanie interrupted and surprised him with a request to visit him in Salem. Daniel pointed out that Melanie usually found various reasons not to visit him, but he assured her that he would love to see her. Melanie could sense that something was wrong, but Daniel claimed that everything was fine and that he simply missed her.
Later, Daniel received a visit from Rafe, who apologized for showing up without calling first. Daniel invited Rafe into the apartment and started to talk about Gabi's case, stressing that he was willing to do whatever he could to help her. Rafe thanked Daniel for the offer but declined it, explaining that the judge had already approved Gabi's plea bargain and that she was already on her way to prison.
Daniel was sorry to hear that, reasoning that Gabi was a good kid who had simply gotten caught up in a terrible situation. Rafe changed the subject and announced that he actually had something else that he needed to talk to Daniel about. Daniel initially assumed that Rafe had talked to Nicole, but when he realized that Rafe didn't seem to know anything about that particular situation, Daniel decided not to elaborate, instead summarizing that it was complicated and that she might eventually tell Rafe herself.
Rafe said that, speaking of complicated, he needed to talk to Daniel about something that also concerned Gabi. Rafe hesitantly proceeded to tell Daniel about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping. Stunned, Daniel wondered if Melanie was aware of what Gabi had done. Rafe confirmed that Gabi had told Melanie the truth before Melanie had left Salem.
Rafe added that Nick had also known the truth and had been using that information to blackmail Gabi, which was why she had shot Nick. Rafe explained that Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping had been mentioned in Gabi's statement about Nick's murder, which was why the information was finally being made public.
Daniel realized that was why something about his earlier conversation with Melanie had seemed strange. Daniel wondered why Melanie had never told him about what had happened. Rafe explained that Melanie had agreed to keep Gabi's secret, although she had never forgiven Gabi for what had happened. "Of course not," Daniel muttered.
Rafe started to offer Daniel an apology, but Daniel interrupted and conceded that Rafe wasn't responsible for what had happened. Daniel guessed that the news had shocked Rafe just as much as it had shocked Daniel. "Yeah, well...I didn't -- I didn't just find out. After Gabi told Melanie, she -- she told me...and, uh, I also encouraged Gabi not to tell anyone else," Rafe reluctantly admitted.
Daniel wondered how Rafe, who was a cop, could have done something like that. Rafe explained that he had been protecting his little sister. "Well, what about my daughter? She had to deal with all of this on her own. Her friend betrayed her, and -- and...that's one of the reasons she left town. She said it was Chad, but I knew -- I knew there was a reason," Daniel mused. Daniel guessed that was why Melanie had suddenly decided earlier that she was finally ready to visit him again. Daniel concluded that Melanie might not have left Salem in the first place if Rafe hadn't convinced Gabi to keep quiet about what had happened.
Rafe said that he understood that he had made a huge mistake and that if he had handled the situation differently, Nick might not have died. Rafe apologized for causing Daniel and Melanie a lot of pain, and he wondered if Daniel would ever be able to forgive him. Daniel said that he couldn't talk to Rafe about the matter at that time, adding that he needed to talk to Melanie first. Rafe nodded and excused himself.
After Rafe left, Daniel called Melanie and talked to her about what he had just learned. Daniel wished that Melanie had confided in him when she had learned the truth, but he assured her that he understood that she had needed to handle the matter her own way. Daniel said that he was sorry that Melanie had been forced to deal with such a situation. "It's hard when someone you care about -- someone you think you know so well -- just ends up disappointing you," Daniel mused as he stared at a framed photograph of Jennifer.
At Club TBD, Rafe was having a difficult phone conversation with his mother. Jordan entered the club during the conversation, and she quietly watched with a pained expression as Rafe -- unaware of Jordan's presence -- tried to talk to his mother, who eventually ended the call without saying goodbye.
Marlena entered the Brady Pub -- which was open but basically empty -- just as Sami emerged from the kitchen, and the women exchanged icy greetings. Sami explained that she had just finished filling Caroline in on Gabi's "situation," and she started to offer the same update to Marlena, but Marlena interrupted and said that Julie had already informed her that the judge had approved the plea bargain and that Gabi was headed off to prison.
Sami guessed that Marlena believed that Sami deserved to be in prison, too. Marlena found the comment interesting and wondered if Sami believed that. Sami said that she didn't, but she added that she was aware that, as usual, Marlena had been judgmental about what had happened. "What happened was you and Kate tried to murder Nick by throwing him into the river, hoping that he would drown. Were you expecting a pat on the back for that?" Marlena wondered.
"No. After all, I failed. Who knew a dead man would be such a good swimmer?" Sami dryly replied, but Marlena wasn't amused. Sami insisted that she had been helping Gabi and that she was certain that Gabi would agree. Marlena confirmed that Gabi hadn't blamed Sami or Kate for what had happened, but Sami knowingly guessed that Marlena did blame them. "I would like to see you take responsibility for your actions," Marlena said.
"My God -- you want me to turn myself in to the police. You think I should go to prison," Sami concluded. Marlena insisted that Sami was wrong and that she simply wanted to see Sami show some regret. Marlena pointed out that what Sami had done to Nick had happened approximately six months after what Sami had done to Bernardi. Sami protested that she had shot Bernardi to protect Rafe.
"You act like you want me to apologize for my whole life," Sami mused. Marlena clarified that she wanted Sami to have a wonderful life, just like Sami wanted her own children to have wonderful lives. Marlena added that she didn't want Sami to end up like Kate, prompting Sami to stress that she felt the same way. Marlena reasoned that if Sami wanted to avoid that fate, she needed to start showing some remorse for her actions.
"No. I won't. Because we're talking about Nick Fallon. Frankly, the only regret I have is that he was pulled out of that river before he died," Sami bluntly replied. Marlena didn't believe that Sami truly meant that, but Sami insisted that she did. Sami reminded Marlena that Will had nearly died because of Nick and that Nick had tried -- more than once -- to take Arianna away from Will.
Marlena reasoned that Nick had still been a human being with a family and that no one had possessed the right to kill him. Sami countered that Nick hadn't had the right to do what he had been doing to people, either. Sami wondered if Marlena had any idea just how "sick and twisted" Nick had truly been. Marlena confirmed that she was aware of that fact -- and that Nick had been, too.
Marlena grabbed her cell phone and pointedly started to play the voicemail message that Nick had left her on the night of his death. Sami pointed out that she had already heard the message once before, but Marlena forced her to listen to the whole thing again, anyway. Once it ended, Marlena wondered if Sami had been able to hear that, underneath the desperation and torment in Nick's voice, there had also been a sliver of hope, because there was always hope. Marlena reasoned that Nick had needed help and had been trying to get it but had never had the chance to do so.
"What are you talking about? He had plenty of chances, and he blew them all. What were the rest of us supposed to do -- just sit around, letting him torture us, while he figured out that he needed to make a change? A change that was, by the way, never going to happen. Sorry, Mom -- no way. I know what you want to hear me say right now, but I'm not going to. I am glad that monster is dead -- for good this time," Sami replied before storming out of the pub. Marlena sighed as the door slammed behind Sami.
Later, Hope met with Marlena, who wondered how Hope was doing. Hope said that she had let Nick down, but Marlena reasoned that it was counterproductive for Hope to think that way -- unless, of course, Hope simply allowed that belief to influence how she chose to handle future situations. "It's the people that don't have regrets that should really concern us," Marlena added.
At the Horton Town Square, Kate was on the phone with Stefano. "When are you coming home? That long? Well, I suppose I could manage. No, no, no -- I understand. You have to have all your ducks in a row for that big board meeting, when, finally, you will show everyone exactly who is boss at DiMera Enterprises," Kate said as she turned around and found E.J. standing behind her.
Kate ended the call after she and Stefano established that they couldn't wait to see each other again. Kate smiled at E.J. and said that she was glad to see him, since she had been eager to thank him for getting Gabi a good plea bargain. "I think we can dispense with the pleasantries, don't you, Kate? Why don't you tell me what it is you're really up to?" E.J. replied.
Kate feigned ignorance for a moment before guessing that E.J. had been eavesdropping on her phone call with Stefano. E.J. clarified that he had been able to hear Kate's end of the conversation from the other side of the town square. Kate innocently summarized that she and Stefano had simply been catching up with each other and that there was no reason for E.J. to be suspicious, but he pointed out that they had been talking about DiMera Enterprises.
Kate shrugged and said that Stefano had always appreciated her business sense. "I had always thought it was, uh, rather different assets that my father appreciated," E.J. replied. Ignoring the comment, Kate admitted that she had expected E.J. to be happier about the fact that she and Stefano were getting along with each other again. Kate reminded E.J. that he was the one who had pressured her to forgive Stefano and had told her that Stefano had been a happier man when he had been with her. E.J. countered that Kate was the one who had vowed that she would never forgive Stefano.
Kate shrugged and reasoned -- to E.J.'s amusement -- that she and Stefano were not the kind of people who held grudges. "You should learn from that," Kate added before walking away. After Kate left, E.J. placed a phone call to someone. "Listen, I want to know every move my father makes -- especially anything that has to do with this upcoming board meeting," E.J. said before ending the call -- just as Sami arrived.
E.J. wondered how Caroline had taken the news about Gabi. Sami said that Caroline had been upset because she had been close to Gabi, but she added that Caroline had also realized that things could have been worse if the case had gone to trial instead. Changing the subject, Sami asked E.J. about the phone call she had caught the end of. E.J. vaguely explained that he had overheard Kate having a phone conversation with Stefano earlier and that he had gotten the impression that he and Sami might have a "bumpy ride" ahead of them.
Sami told E.J. that she wasn't going to let Kate jeopardize their relationship. E.J. reasoned that there was no reason for Sami to worry about that, since Kate ultimately desired money, power, and respect more than anything else. E.J. told Sami about what he had overheard Kate saying to Stefano earlier about showing everyone who was really in charge of DiMera Enterprises. Sami fumed that E.J. was in charge of the company and that Stefano had no right to try to take that away from E.J. after everything that E.J. had done to regain Stefano's trust.
E.J. doubted that Stefano would do something like that to him, since they were on solid ground again, and Stefano likely wouldn't want to do anything to unsettle that. "Unless he is that desperate to get Kate back," Sami pointed out. Sami couldn't understand why Stefano would try to "freeze [E.J.] out" just to make Kate happy, since nothing made Kate happy. Sami started to wonder what Stefano saw in Kate, but she quickly changed her mind and decided that she didn't want E.J. to try to answer that question.
Sami reasoned that Kate simply wanted the power of being the lady of the DiMera mansion and couldn't stand the fact that Sami had assumed that role. Sami predicted that Kate would do whatever she could to stop the wedding and that Kate would also try to undermine E.J.'s authority at DiMera Enterprises. "Speak of the devil," Sami muttered as she spotted Kate emerging from a nearby store.
E.J. tried to stop Sami, but she ignored him and rushed after Kate, vowing to "put that bitch in her place." E.J. reluctantly followed Sami and Kate to a secluded section of the town square, where Sami warned that Kate would lose whatever game she was trying to play with E.J. and Sami. "This is exactly why Stefano should be running his own company, before E.J. runs it into the ground. When Stefano has a problem, he takes care of it -- unlike his son, who just goes running to Sami," Kate mused.
E.J. claimed that he wasn't worried about Kate at all, but she doubted his sincerity, reasoning that they wouldn't otherwise be having a conversation at that time, nor would Sami be "about to explode." Sami started to warn Kate about what would happen if Kate tried to stop the wedding, but Kate insisted that she didn't "give a damn" about it. Sami wasn't convinced, and she demanded to know why Kate was "telling everyone in Salem" that it would be a mistake for E.J. to marry Sami.
"Why do you care so much about what I say? Is that because the two of us know that I'm right? You know, from my past experience -- and I know Stefano would agree -- there can be only one Mrs. DiMera in the mansion...and rest assured, that won't be you," Kate promised Sami.
. . .soap central
Confused, Will wondered what Gabi had done to Melanie. Sonny remained silent as Abigail proceeded to tell Will about Andrew and about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping. Abigail said that she had assumed that Will would have already heard about the matter from some other source, since Gabi had told her that it would all be revealed during the court proceedings.
Abigail chastised herself for failing to figure out the truth sooner, reasoning that things might have ended differently if she had. "Abby, don't do that to yourself. We all could have made different decisions," Sonny assured Abigail. Meanwhile, Arianna started to cry, so Will and Sonny excused themselves so that they could return to their apartment to feed her.
After Will and Sonny left, Ben returned and noticed that Abigail was sitting alone at a table, looking pensive. Before Ben could say anything to Abigail, he received a phone call from Jordan. Ben told Jordan that he had heard that Gabi's plea bargain had been approved. Ben wondered how things had gone between Jordan and Rafe, and she replied that it had been a mistake to join Rafe at the courthouse.
"He's not upset with you -- it's the situation. You can't take it personally. Look, he may need space, but he also needs you. You've gotta keep letting him know that you're there for him," Ben advised Jordan. Ben offered to meet Jordan somewhere after his shift ended so that she wouldn't be alone, but she declined the offer and assured him that she was fine. Jordan thanked Ben for being a great sibling, and he replied that he had learned from the best.
After Ben's shift ended, he invited Abigail to join him for a walk to clear her head. Abigail said that she wasn't sure that she would be good company, but Ben reasoned that even if she didn't feel like talking, it might be nice for her to simply be outside, enjoying the day. Abigail conceded the point and accepted Ben's invitation.
After purchasing cups of frozen yogurt, Ben and Abigail went to the park. Ben wondered if he could ask Abigail a personal, random question, and when she gave him permission to do so, he asked her to tell him what living in London had been like. Ben explained that he had never been outside the United States -- not even to Canada -- and that visiting London was near the top of his bucket list.
Abigail believed that Ben was far too young to have a bucket list, but he replied that he couldn't waste any time because the list was already quite long. Abigail stressed that Ben definitely had to visit London eventually, and she invited him to ask her questions about the place. Ben wasn't really interested in the "touristy" stuff but wanted to know what Abigail's favorite London activities had been.
"Oh, God, uh -- well, my mom and I would go to the theater almost every week -- it's not nearly as expensive as it is here. Um...with my dad, it was the museums -- the Tate Modern, the V&A," Abigail recalled before suddenly realizing that she probably sounded like she was quoting text from a guidebook. Ben assured Abigail that he understood that she hadn't been doing those things just to check them off of some obligatory list.
"No, no, not at all. It -- it's really great. My dad taught me so much about -- about art, and -- and history, and Shakespeare. I just -- I wish I would have paid more attention," Abigail regretfully admitted. Ben said that he had heard somewhere that Abigail's father had written a book. Abigail nodded and explained that the book had been about Jack's experiences as a hostage in Afghanistan.
"It's really great that he got a chance to tell his story, you know? It's -- it's important, and it's selling really well, which is great, because it means that a lot of people have heard it. Um...it -- I -- I don't know if this is even gonna happen, but a studio is negotiating right now to buy the rights and turn it into a film," Abigail revealed. Abigail added that her mother was planning to give all the proceeds to veterans' organizations. Abigail mused that it was nice to know that her father's legacy was contributing to such an important cause.
"Your family's so -- just --" Ben started to say, but Abigail interrupted and guessed that he had been about to say that her family was complicated. Ben replied that every family was complicated and that he had actually been about to say that Abigail's family was accomplished. Abigail realized that she didn't know a single thing about Ben's family, and she urged him to tell her about them.
Ben evasively replied that his family was boring, but Abigail doubted that was true. "We haven't lived in South Africa and Ireland and -- which one did you like the best?" Ben asked, smoothly changing the subject. Abigail said that she had definitely preferred London, not just because of the city itself but also because it had been the last place that her whole family had lived together.
Abigail guessed that Ben hadn't really been interested in London, suspecting that he had instead been trying to take her mind off the situation with Nick and Gabi for a while. Ben started to deny the suspicion, but Abigail interrupted and thanked him for the distraction. "You're welcome. But I honestly did want to hear about London. And it was nice to learn a little bit more about you. You've had a really interesting life," Ben replied.
Abigail admitted that she wished that her life -- especially the last few weeks of it -- had been a little less interesting. Abigail sadly mused that what had happened had been such a waste, since Nick had been the smartest person she had ever known, and Gabi had been blessed with a beautiful child and a bright future ahead of her. Ben wanted to hear Abigail's thoughts on why things had ended the way they had, so she reasoned that one bad decision had led to another and that things had simply spiraled out of control. Abigail admitted that it was scary to think about how easy it was for that sort of thing to happen.
Ben stressed that Gabi and Nick had each made a lot of bad decisions, and he assured Abigail that nothing like that would ever happen to her. Abigail remained silent as she recalled sleeping with E.J. at the Horton cabin months earlier. "What if it already has?" Abigail quietly asked. Confused, Ben wondered what Abigail was talking about, and before she could respond, he jokingly asked if she had murdered anyone lately.
Abigail vaguely admitted that she had made her share of terrible mistakes. "Really? Then I'm not sure I should be hanging out with you...because I have never made a single mistake in my entire life. Mm-hmm. Kind of perfect -- haven't you noticed that? You think that's funny? I'm serious. Abigail, I am a perfect person who always does exactly the right thing at exactly the right time. It's a curse, really," Ben joked. Ben wondered if Abigail believed that he was telling the truth, and when she played along and confirmed that she did, he leaned in to kiss her, assuring her that it was "the right thing to do."
When Will and Sonny returned to their apartment with Arianna, Will admitted that Abigail's earlier revelation about Gabi had blindsided him. "Will...uh, there's something that I have to tell you," Sonny hesitantly began. As Will studied Sonny's face, he realized that his husband had known about Gabi's secret beforehand. Sonny's silence confirmed the suspicion.
"I knew it. There was always something about Gabi that you didn't like. What have we been talking about -- no more secrets between us? You're my husband. We're supposed to share everything with each other," Will reminded Sonny. "I'm sorry, Will -- not this time," Sonny replied. Sonny proceeded to tell Will about how Nick had taken advantage of Chad's assault against Nick to force Chad to sign a legal agreement that had prevented Chad from being able to tell anyone about what Gabi had done. Sonny explained that he had only learned the truth because Chad had blurted it out one day.
"I wanted to tell you so badly, but my dad's the one that drew up the agreement, and he told me I couldn't tell anyone -- not even you," Sonny added. Sonny explained that he had felt like telling Will the truth would have meant betraying Chad and Justin. "And I swear to you, Will, if I thought for one minute this could have hurt you by not knowing this information, I would have told you. I never want anything to happen to you. I hope you can forgive me," Sonny sincerely concluded.
"Of course I do," Will replied without hesitation. Will mused that things suddenly made much more sense than they had before, adding that Nick had always had control of Gabi because he had known her secret from the very beginning of their relationship. Sonny nodded and said that, while he had been upset with Gabi for a very long time, he was certain that she felt horrible about what she had done to Melanie. "And now she's admitted it to the police. Everyone knows. And it's going to get ugly," Will predicted.
Later, while Will and Sonny were lounging on the couch together, Sonny admitted that it was going to take a while to get accustomed to the reality that Gabi wasn't going to be returning to the apartment anytime soon. "You and I talked about having our own place one day, but...not like this," Sonny added. Will agreed that it was strange to know that Gabi would no longer be living in the apartment.
"I keep on thinking, like, who's gonna tell me when the Kardashians break up again?" Sonny wondered. Will said that he thought the Kardashians already had broken up again. "See? And who's gonna watch Mystery Science Theater when I'm up with Ari at 2:00 a.m.?" Sonny asked, and Will happily volunteered for the job. "Who's gonna bake brownies when we get the midnight munchies?" Sonny wondered, and he and Will quickly decided that it would probably be best to leave that task to Sonny.
"You know, I think I actually miss her yelling at us for leaving the toilet seat up," Will admitted. Sonny sadly mused that he and Will had really had a good thing going with Gabi. "Hey...we still do," Will pointed out before gently kissing Sonny.
At the courthouse, Jordan tried to assure Rafe that he hadn't let either of his sisters down, but he dismissively pointed out that Jordan couldn't really weigh in on what had happened with Arianna because Jordan hadn't been around at that particular time. Meanwhile, Hope arrived and apologized for keeping Rafe waiting, explaining that she had just finished talking to the mayor.
Hope told Rafe that there was one last issue involving Gabi's case that they still needed to deal with. Rafe turned to Jordan and told her that she could go ahead and leave, since his meeting with Hope might take a while. Jordan assured Rafe that she wouldn't mind waiting, but he replied that he appreciated the offer but needed to deal with the matter on his own. Rafe promised to call Jordan later, and she reluctantly walked away.
After Jordan left, Hope told Rafe that when Gabi had confessed to killing Nick, she had also confessed to committing another crime against Melanie Jonas. Hope proceeded to tell Rafe about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping. When Hope finished her summary, Rafe started to say something, but she quickly stopped him and told him that, as far as she was concerned, the case was closed.
Hope explained that she had only told Rafe about the matter because it had been a part of Gabi's confession and would therefore be made public soon. Hope added that Melanie had apparently learned the truth before leaving Salem and had decided to keep the information to herself, for whatever reason. Hope pointed out that some other people, such as Daniel and Maggie, would need to be filled in on what had happened so that they wouldn't have to read about it in the newspaper.
Rafe wanted to tell Daniel the news himself, which didn't surprise Hope. Rafe started to leave, but Hope stopped him and advised that it would be pointless for him to blame himself for what had happened to Gabi. Rafe nodded and thanked Hope before walking away.
In Daniel's apartment, Daniel tried to focus on a file labeled "vocal cord surgical report" but was unable to do so because he kept thinking about his earlier argument with Jennifer. Daniel set the report aside and decided to call Melanie to let her know about what had happened to her "good friend," Gabi, but when he mentioned Gabi's name, Melanie informed him that he had called at a bad time.
Daniel started to say that he would call again later, but Melanie interrupted and surprised him with a request to visit him in Salem. Daniel pointed out that Melanie usually found various reasons not to visit him, but he assured her that he would love to see her. Melanie could sense that something was wrong, but Daniel claimed that everything was fine and that he simply missed her.
Later, Daniel received a visit from Rafe, who apologized for showing up without calling first. Daniel invited Rafe into the apartment and started to talk about Gabi's case, stressing that he was willing to do whatever he could to help her. Rafe thanked Daniel for the offer but declined it, explaining that the judge had already approved Gabi's plea bargain and that she was already on her way to prison.
Daniel was sorry to hear that, reasoning that Gabi was a good kid who had simply gotten caught up in a terrible situation. Rafe changed the subject and announced that he actually had something else that he needed to talk to Daniel about. Daniel initially assumed that Rafe had talked to Nicole, but when he realized that Rafe didn't seem to know anything about that particular situation, Daniel decided not to elaborate, instead summarizing that it was complicated and that she might eventually tell Rafe herself.
Rafe said that, speaking of complicated, he needed to talk to Daniel about something that also concerned Gabi. Rafe hesitantly proceeded to tell Daniel about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping. Stunned, Daniel wondered if Melanie was aware of what Gabi had done. Rafe confirmed that Gabi had told Melanie the truth before Melanie had left Salem.
Rafe added that Nick had also known the truth and had been using that information to blackmail Gabi, which was why she had shot Nick. Rafe explained that Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping had been mentioned in Gabi's statement about Nick's murder, which was why the information was finally being made public.
Daniel realized that was why something about his earlier conversation with Melanie had seemed strange. Daniel wondered why Melanie had never told him about what had happened. Rafe explained that Melanie had agreed to keep Gabi's secret, although she had never forgiven Gabi for what had happened. "Of course not," Daniel muttered.
Rafe started to offer Daniel an apology, but Daniel interrupted and conceded that Rafe wasn't responsible for what had happened. Daniel guessed that the news had shocked Rafe just as much as it had shocked Daniel. "Yeah, well...I didn't -- I didn't just find out. After Gabi told Melanie, she -- she told me...and, uh, I also encouraged Gabi not to tell anyone else," Rafe reluctantly admitted.
Daniel wondered how Rafe, who was a cop, could have done something like that. Rafe explained that he had been protecting his little sister. "Well, what about my daughter? She had to deal with all of this on her own. Her friend betrayed her, and -- and...that's one of the reasons she left town. She said it was Chad, but I knew -- I knew there was a reason," Daniel mused. Daniel guessed that was why Melanie had suddenly decided earlier that she was finally ready to visit him again. Daniel concluded that Melanie might not have left Salem in the first place if Rafe hadn't convinced Gabi to keep quiet about what had happened.
Rafe said that he understood that he had made a huge mistake and that if he had handled the situation differently, Nick might not have died. Rafe apologized for causing Daniel and Melanie a lot of pain, and he wondered if Daniel would ever be able to forgive him. Daniel said that he couldn't talk to Rafe about the matter at that time, adding that he needed to talk to Melanie first. Rafe nodded and excused himself.
After Rafe left, Daniel called Melanie and talked to her about what he had just learned. Daniel wished that Melanie had confided in him when she had learned the truth, but he assured her that he understood that she had needed to handle the matter her own way. Daniel said that he was sorry that Melanie had been forced to deal with such a situation. "It's hard when someone you care about -- someone you think you know so well -- just ends up disappointing you," Daniel mused as he stared at a framed photograph of Jennifer.
At Club TBD, Rafe was having a difficult phone conversation with his mother. Jordan entered the club during the conversation, and she quietly watched with a pained expression as Rafe -- unaware of Jordan's presence -- tried to talk to his mother, who eventually ended the call without saying goodbye.
Marlena entered the Brady Pub -- which was open but basically empty -- just as Sami emerged from the kitchen, and the women exchanged icy greetings. Sami explained that she had just finished filling Caroline in on Gabi's "situation," and she started to offer the same update to Marlena, but Marlena interrupted and said that Julie had already informed her that the judge had approved the plea bargain and that Gabi was headed off to prison.
Sami guessed that Marlena believed that Sami deserved to be in prison, too. Marlena found the comment interesting and wondered if Sami believed that. Sami said that she didn't, but she added that she was aware that, as usual, Marlena had been judgmental about what had happened. "What happened was you and Kate tried to murder Nick by throwing him into the river, hoping that he would drown. Were you expecting a pat on the back for that?" Marlena wondered.
"No. After all, I failed. Who knew a dead man would be such a good swimmer?" Sami dryly replied, but Marlena wasn't amused. Sami insisted that she had been helping Gabi and that she was certain that Gabi would agree. Marlena confirmed that Gabi hadn't blamed Sami or Kate for what had happened, but Sami knowingly guessed that Marlena did blame them. "I would like to see you take responsibility for your actions," Marlena said.
"My God -- you want me to turn myself in to the police. You think I should go to prison," Sami concluded. Marlena insisted that Sami was wrong and that she simply wanted to see Sami show some regret. Marlena pointed out that what Sami had done to Nick had happened approximately six months after what Sami had done to Bernardi. Sami protested that she had shot Bernardi to protect Rafe.
"You act like you want me to apologize for my whole life," Sami mused. Marlena clarified that she wanted Sami to have a wonderful life, just like Sami wanted her own children to have wonderful lives. Marlena added that she didn't want Sami to end up like Kate, prompting Sami to stress that she felt the same way. Marlena reasoned that if Sami wanted to avoid that fate, she needed to start showing some remorse for her actions.
"No. I won't. Because we're talking about Nick Fallon. Frankly, the only regret I have is that he was pulled out of that river before he died," Sami bluntly replied. Marlena didn't believe that Sami truly meant that, but Sami insisted that she did. Sami reminded Marlena that Will had nearly died because of Nick and that Nick had tried -- more than once -- to take Arianna away from Will.
Marlena reasoned that Nick had still been a human being with a family and that no one had possessed the right to kill him. Sami countered that Nick hadn't had the right to do what he had been doing to people, either. Sami wondered if Marlena had any idea just how "sick and twisted" Nick had truly been. Marlena confirmed that she was aware of that fact -- and that Nick had been, too.
Marlena grabbed her cell phone and pointedly started to play the voicemail message that Nick had left her on the night of his death. Sami pointed out that she had already heard the message once before, but Marlena forced her to listen to the whole thing again, anyway. Once it ended, Marlena wondered if Sami had been able to hear that, underneath the desperation and torment in Nick's voice, there had also been a sliver of hope, because there was always hope. Marlena reasoned that Nick had needed help and had been trying to get it but had never had the chance to do so.
"What are you talking about? He had plenty of chances, and he blew them all. What were the rest of us supposed to do -- just sit around, letting him torture us, while he figured out that he needed to make a change? A change that was, by the way, never going to happen. Sorry, Mom -- no way. I know what you want to hear me say right now, but I'm not going to. I am glad that monster is dead -- for good this time," Sami replied before storming out of the pub. Marlena sighed as the door slammed behind Sami.
Later, Hope met with Marlena, who wondered how Hope was doing. Hope said that she had let Nick down, but Marlena reasoned that it was counterproductive for Hope to think that way -- unless, of course, Hope simply allowed that belief to influence how she chose to handle future situations. "It's the people that don't have regrets that should really concern us," Marlena added.
At the Horton Town Square, Kate was on the phone with Stefano. "When are you coming home? That long? Well, I suppose I could manage. No, no, no -- I understand. You have to have all your ducks in a row for that big board meeting, when, finally, you will show everyone exactly who is boss at DiMera Enterprises," Kate said as she turned around and found E.J. standing behind her.
Kate ended the call after she and Stefano established that they couldn't wait to see each other again. Kate smiled at E.J. and said that she was glad to see him, since she had been eager to thank him for getting Gabi a good plea bargain. "I think we can dispense with the pleasantries, don't you, Kate? Why don't you tell me what it is you're really up to?" E.J. replied.
Kate feigned ignorance for a moment before guessing that E.J. had been eavesdropping on her phone call with Stefano. E.J. clarified that he had been able to hear Kate's end of the conversation from the other side of the town square. Kate innocently summarized that she and Stefano had simply been catching up with each other and that there was no reason for E.J. to be suspicious, but he pointed out that they had been talking about DiMera Enterprises.
Kate shrugged and said that Stefano had always appreciated her business sense. "I had always thought it was, uh, rather different assets that my father appreciated," E.J. replied. Ignoring the comment, Kate admitted that she had expected E.J. to be happier about the fact that she and Stefano were getting along with each other again. Kate reminded E.J. that he was the one who had pressured her to forgive Stefano and had told her that Stefano had been a happier man when he had been with her. E.J. countered that Kate was the one who had vowed that she would never forgive Stefano.
Kate shrugged and reasoned -- to E.J.'s amusement -- that she and Stefano were not the kind of people who held grudges. "You should learn from that," Kate added before walking away. After Kate left, E.J. placed a phone call to someone. "Listen, I want to know every move my father makes -- especially anything that has to do with this upcoming board meeting," E.J. said before ending the call -- just as Sami arrived.
E.J. wondered how Caroline had taken the news about Gabi. Sami said that Caroline had been upset because she had been close to Gabi, but she added that Caroline had also realized that things could have been worse if the case had gone to trial instead. Changing the subject, Sami asked E.J. about the phone call she had caught the end of. E.J. vaguely explained that he had overheard Kate having a phone conversation with Stefano earlier and that he had gotten the impression that he and Sami might have a "bumpy ride" ahead of them.
Sami told E.J. that she wasn't going to let Kate jeopardize their relationship. E.J. reasoned that there was no reason for Sami to worry about that, since Kate ultimately desired money, power, and respect more than anything else. E.J. told Sami about what he had overheard Kate saying to Stefano earlier about showing everyone who was really in charge of DiMera Enterprises. Sami fumed that E.J. was in charge of the company and that Stefano had no right to try to take that away from E.J. after everything that E.J. had done to regain Stefano's trust.
E.J. doubted that Stefano would do something like that to him, since they were on solid ground again, and Stefano likely wouldn't want to do anything to unsettle that. "Unless he is that desperate to get Kate back," Sami pointed out. Sami couldn't understand why Stefano would try to "freeze [E.J.] out" just to make Kate happy, since nothing made Kate happy. Sami started to wonder what Stefano saw in Kate, but she quickly changed her mind and decided that she didn't want E.J. to try to answer that question.
Sami reasoned that Kate simply wanted the power of being the lady of the DiMera mansion and couldn't stand the fact that Sami had assumed that role. Sami predicted that Kate would do whatever she could to stop the wedding and that Kate would also try to undermine E.J.'s authority at DiMera Enterprises. "Speak of the devil," Sami muttered as she spotted Kate emerging from a nearby store.
E.J. tried to stop Sami, but she ignored him and rushed after Kate, vowing to "put that bitch in her place." E.J. reluctantly followed Sami and Kate to a secluded section of the town square, where Sami warned that Kate would lose whatever game she was trying to play with E.J. and Sami. "This is exactly why Stefano should be running his own company, before E.J. runs it into the ground. When Stefano has a problem, he takes care of it -- unlike his son, who just goes running to Sami," Kate mused.
E.J. claimed that he wasn't worried about Kate at all, but she doubted his sincerity, reasoning that they wouldn't otherwise be having a conversation at that time, nor would Sami be "about to explode." Sami started to warn Kate about what would happen if Kate tried to stop the wedding, but Kate insisted that she didn't "give a damn" about it. Sami wasn't convinced, and she demanded to know why Kate was "telling everyone in Salem" that it would be a mistake for E.J. to marry Sami.
"Why do you care so much about what I say? Is that because the two of us know that I'm right? You know, from my past experience -- and I know Stefano would agree -- there can be only one Mrs. DiMera in the mansion...and rest assured, that won't be you," Kate promised Sami.
. . .soap central
