Chad bumped into Abigail at the hospital, and as he knelt to help her collect some scattered documents, he observed that she was working late. Abigail explained that she was busy with the charity project. Chad told Abigail he had just gotten out of a board meeting in which the members had resolved to get her an assistant.
Chad started to leave, but Abigail stopped him and thanked him for the collection of quotes about Jack's book he had emailed her. Abigail hadn't seen those particular quotes before, and she informed Chad that she had printed them out so she could show them to Jennifer and J.J. Abigail followed Chad to the elevator and continued to make small talk with him as he waited for it.
The elevator arrived, and Chad started to board it, but Abigail stopped him again and informed him that she had arranged a time to go Rollerblading with Theo. Chad assured Abigail that would mean the world to Theo, and he told her to have fun. Abigail sighed after Chad disappeared behind the elevator doors.
Kate entered Edge of the Square and quickly noticed people were whispering about her. Ben poured Kate a martini and advised her not to sweat the gossipers. "Human nature at its finest. But when I make my comeback, it will just make it sweeter," Kate reasoned as she turned and raised her glass to the onlookers, who rushed to take pictures of her with their cell phones.
Kate admitted she was surprised Ben wasn't reveling in her downfall himself, considering the way she had treated Jordan. Ben said he was willing to cut Kate a bit of slack because she had been instrumental in getting Jordan to finally dump Chad. Kate hoped Jordan and Chad's breakup wouldn't end up hurting Ben. "Chad is [now] free to zero in on someone else. I hope it's not his ex-girlfriend," Kate mused with a shrug.
Kate turned her attention to her cell phone and reported she was being stood up, adding that Clyde's out-of-town business meeting was taking longer than expected. Ben steered the conversation back to Kate's earlier comment, stressing that Abigail knew what kind of person Chad was, but Kate didn't doubt that. "Look, Chad is a DiMera. DiMeras have a way of getting exactly what they want," Kate warned before leaving.
Ben took a break when Abigail arrived later that night. The couple claimed an empty table, and when Abigail placed her open briefcase on it, Ben noticed the page of quotes about Jack's book sticking out. Ben bristled when he realized Chad had emailed the quotes to Abigail. Abigail assured Ben it wasn't a big deal, so he dropped the subject.
Abigail suddenly remembered to ask about the test Ben had been preparing for. Ben was pretty sure he had done well, but he was more interested in talking to Abigail about the possibility of living together. Ben suggested Abigail was trying to avoid the subject -- or just hadn't had time to give the matter more thought because she had been too busy emailing Chad.
Abigail protested that she hadn't been emailing Chad -- and that he had done something really nice for her. "Oh, my God. Abigail, Chad is a DiMera. He doesn't do nice, okay? He always has an agenda," Ben insisted. Ben argued that Chad knew how to push Abigail's buttons and was just using Jack's book as a way of getting to her. "You know what? At least he actually read the damn book," Abigail countered.
"Yeah? Did E.J. read it, too?" Ben wondered. Realizing his comment had been out of line, Ben quickly tried to assure Abigail he hadn't meant it the way it had sounded, but she thought she knew exactly how he had meant it. Abigail walked away, and Ben started to chase after her but was forced to stay behind to deal with some angry customers who were demanding to see the manager.
Lucas called out to Adrienne as she was passing through the town square. Lucas said he'd heard Justin had gone back to Dubai. Adrienne confirmed the news, bitterly summarizing that there had been nothing left for Justin to do in Salem once he had gotten his parental obligations out of the way.
Changing the subject, Lucas wondered if Adrienne had seen Sonny since Sonny's return from Phoenix. Adrienne said she had -- and she knew about what had happened between Will and Paul. Lucas hadn't wanted to say anything because he had felt like it wasn't his place to do so, but he was glad Sonny had told Adrienne, since Sonny and Will were going to need their full support.
Adrienne clarified that she had actually learned the truth when she had discovered Will and Paul together in Paul's hotel room. Adrienne assured Lucas that Will and Paul had just been talking at that time, but Lucas hadn't been worried, anyway, because he was confident that Will's infidelity had just been a one-time thing. Adrienne said she knew that, but she added that she also knew Will had been with Paul at the time of Sonny's stabbing.
Lucas protested that Will had simply been doing a job at that time. "Really? Really? Is sleeping with Paul Narita part of the job description?" Adrienne countered. Adrienne quickly backed down and said she didn't want to get in an argument with Lucas about the matter because there was really nothing to say, anyway. Adrienne added that she had wanted to avoid talking to Will about the matter, too, but he had insisted on trying to convince her his one-night stand with Paul hadn't meant anything.
Lucas assured Adrienne that Will had been telling the truth. "Cheating in a marriage means something. It always means something. And I don't give a damn how young you are or how many excuses you make. And it doesn't matter if you've been married a year, ten years, twenty years --" Adrienne started to protest, but she stopped when she realized Lucas was giving her a look. Adrienne questioned Lucas about it, so he wondered if they were still talking about Will and Sonny.
Avoiding the question, Adrienne said that, while she appreciated Lucas' friendship, his son had hurt hers very badly, and she couldn't think of any way for them to just ignore that fact. Lucas conceded the point but argued that his friendship with Adrienne didn't necessarily have to end just because of what was happening in Will and Sonny's marriage. Adrienne remained evasive, abruptly excusing herself instead of responding to Lucas' comment.
Later, Lucas met with Kate for dinner. Lucas found it hard to believe Stefano had managed to trick Victor into sabotaging Kate. Lucas wondered what Kate's next move would be. Kate wasn't sure yet, but she vowed not to take the ousting lying down.
Lucas wondered how Stefano's move had been worse than what Kate had done to gain control of the company in the first place. "Because he had it coming," Kate insisted. Impressed, Lucas observed that Kate had a gift for being able to find ways to justify all her actions and motives while demonizing everyone who wasn't willing to kowtow to her.
Ignoring the comment, Kate said she was glad Lucas was doing well at Mad World. Kate added, however, that there were a few divisions that were underperforming, and she had a few ideas about the company's new sunscreen line she was planning to share with Victor. Lucas said Kate was unbelievable, and he guessed she was planning to ask Victor for her old job back.
Kate insisted it was crazy for Lucas to think she would be willing to return to Mad World after being in charge of DiMera Enterprises, but he was sure she would do that in a heartbeat. Lucas was also sure Kate would quickly kick him to the curb and use her new position to try to get revenge on Stefano yet again. Kate protested that Lucas was her son, but he argued that, while she loved him, she wasn't above using him to gain power.
Kate challenged Lucas to think of an example, but he countered that there was a first time for everything. Lucas said he was happy with what he was doing at Mad World -- especially since he didn't have to answer to Kate -- and he intended to keep it that way. Lucas abandoned his plate of food and walked away before Kate could respond.
Will interrupted Sonny and Paul's conversation and yelled that he had warned Paul to stay away from Sonny. Paul started to explain the situation, but Sonny was more interested in hearing about the warning Will had issued. Will argued that he and Sonny couldn't possibly work things out if Paul kept reminding Sonny of how much Sonny had once loved Paul. Paul insisted he wasn't doing that, but Will countered that Paul found ways to talk about his past with Sonny every time Paul and Sonny were within two feet of each other -- which, lately, was quite often.
"Will, do you hear yourself? Do you really think I'm that gullible? That he shows up, comes out of the closet -- with a shove from you, I might add -- and I'm just gonna give up on everything we've built and run back to him?" Sonny asked. Will wondered why Sonny had met with Paul in a private location if they had only intended to have a completely innocent conversation. "Because I didn't want you to know about it," Sonny admitted.
Will asked if Sonny had contacted Paul. Paul clarified that he had contacted Sonny to take responsibility for what had happened with Will. "Yeah, I can imagine that conversation. You know, you play martyr the same way you pitch, Paul -- fast and cutting corners," Will said. Will started to lash out at Paul for going behind his back and contacting Sonny after promising not to, but Sonny quickly stopped Will.
Paul decided to give Will and Sonny some privacy, but John arrived before Paul could leave. John was glad to see the group because he wanted to talk to all three of them, anyway. John asked if Club TBD could provide the refreshments for the benefit, and Sonny hesitantly assured him that wouldn't be a problem. John was pleased to hear that but added that he had spoken to Marlena earlier and wanted to apologize for any awkwardness he might be causing Will and Sonny, since Marlena had reminded him that the benefit was being held on Will and Sonny's first wedding anniversary.
John left after assuring Will and Sonny that, since they knew just about everyone who was going to be in attendance, he could probably arrange for a toast to be made to the happy couple during the benefit. Paul was stunned to learn that Will and Sonny's wedding anniversary was the following day. "You'll be right there to celebrate it with us," Will noted.
Paul left after once again promising Will he would leave Salem immediately after the benefit. Will was willing to bet Paul would just find another reason to stay in Salem then. "And what if he did, Will?" Sonny asked. Taken aback, Will wondered if Sonny wanted Paul to stay in Salem. "What I want is to understand how you think we have a marriage worth fighting for if you don't think it could survive Paul Narita being in the same area code as us," Sonny replied.
Will insisted Paul wasn't going to walk away -- he was going to keep going after Sonny again and again. "What are you saying, Will? You think I'm gonna fall right back in bed with him? Is that what you think? That was you. You did this to us, not me!" Sonny snapped before walking away.
Later, at Club TBD, Sonny and Chad went over the club's latest profit numbers, which were dramatically better than the previous month's. Chad eventually changed the subject and informed Sonny that the hospital board members were changing the hospital's blood bank policy because of the recent shortage that had nearly cost Sonny his life.
Chad suddenly remembered an encounter he'd had with Paul on the night of Sonny's stabbing -- just after Paul had given blood -- and realized Paul had to be the donor who had saved Sonny's life. Sonny listened in stunned silence as Chad rambled on about Paul being a great guy. Chad eventually stopped and wondered if Sonny was okay. Sonny claimed he was just tired, so Chad encouraged him to take off for the night.
Paul ran into Adrienne in the park and seized the opportunity to apologize for the way she had found out about his one-night stand with Will. Adrienne told Paul she believed he hadn't known about Will's connection to Sonny at the time of the one-night stand. Paul assured Adrienne he would be leaving Salem after the benefit he had committed to attending the following night. Paul stressed that he had never meant to cause Sonny more pain, even though he knew that was exactly what he had ended up doing.
Adrienne was hoping Will and Sonny would be able to work things out, and she admitted she thought it would be easier for them to do that if Paul weren't around. Paul nodded and said he wished he had met Adrienne back when he and Sonny had been together. Paul suggested that things might have turned out differently if he had been able to see back then just how supportive Adrienne was of Sonny for exactly who he was.
Will burst into his and Sonny's apartment and went straight to his laptop. "I will make that son of a bitch sorry that he ever set foot in Salem," Will muttered as he started typing furiously. Will soon had a picture of Paul centered above a headline -- "Strike One, Surgery Ends Career... Strike Two, Hiding in the Closet... Strike Three, He's a DiMera!" -- written in bold capital letters with the last three words underlined for added emphasis. "You'd better go away when you said you would, because if you don't, everyone will see this, and they will know who you really are," Will vowed as he continued typing.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Maggie announced that she was ready to go shopping with Melanie. After Maggie went to get her purse, Brady and Melanie resumed their earlier conversation, which had been put on hold so he could clean the debris from the glass Melanie had dropped. Brady knew there was something Melanie wasn't telling him, but he could tell she wasn't ready to talk about it yet, so he promised to back off and give her time.
After Melanie left with Maggie, John arrived to check on Brady. John wondered why he'd had to hear about Brady's recent attack and hospitalization from someone other than Brady himself. Brady apologized and explained that he hadn't wanted to worry anyone. Brady assured John everything was okay. Brady said he was glad things were going well for John and Marlena, and he promised he and Melanie would join them for dinner soon.
At the Brady Pub, Maggie showed Melanie the anniversary gift she and Victor had gotten for Will and Sonny -- a hinged shadow box with the couple's wedding photograph on one side and their wedding invitation on the other. Melanie was sure Will and Sonny would love it. Maggie closed the shadow box and changed the subject, wondering why things had seemed tense between Brady and Melanie earlier.
Melanie admitted she couldn't stop thinking about Brady's recent attack -- particularly the fact that someone had taken his blood. Melanie said she had suspected Theresa at first but had since decided that something bigger was likely going on. Maggie agreed the whole thing was very strange, but she was unable to think of any reason for Theresa -- or anyone else -- to want Brady's blood.
Melanie told Maggie about how she had seen Theresa crying over a baby rattle at the hospital a few months earlier. Melanie admitted she had been able to relate to Theresa's sadness due to her own miscarriage, but Maggie pointed out that, unlike Melanie, Theresa had never actually been pregnant to begin with. Maggie wondered why Melanie was suddenly thinking about Theresa's pregnancy scare again.
Melanie admitted she wasn't sure -- she just had a feeling that Theresa's pregnancy scare and Brady's attack were somehow related. Maggie knew Theresa hadn't gotten over the pregnancy scare -- or Brady -- yet, but she couldn't imagine Theresa ever having Brady harmed or taking his blood. Melanie agreed and laughed off her suspicions, acknowledging that they sounded absurd when spoken aloud.
Maggie suddenly received a text message from Sarah, and she found the timing funny because Sarah had recently started to consider being a surrogate for a friend who was unable to carry a pregnancy to term. Melanie recalled that Sarah had been born via surrogate. Maggie declared that the best decision she had ever made, but she added that Sarah needed to decide what was best for her -- and would have to do that on her own.
Maggie said children were always a blessing, regardless of how they entered the world. Maggie hoped Melanie would one day get to experience that blessing -- if that was what Melanie wanted, of course. Melanie conceded that it would probably be best for her to focus on her own future instead of worrying about a bunch of drama that didn't even concern her.
After crying for a while about Clint's abrupt departure, Theresa pulled herself together, changed her clothes, and gave herself a pep talk as she prepared to go out for the evening. Theresa concluded that she didn't need a man to feel good about herself, but when someone knocked on her apartment door, she nevertheless found herself hoping it was Clint -- and feeling disappointed when it turned out to be Eve instead.
Eve started to apologize for the way she had treated Theresa earlier, but she quickly realized something was wrong. Theresa fought back tears as she told Eve it was the same old story -- another guy, another dirty stomp-out. Theresa claimed she was just upset because Clint had beaten her to the punch, robbing her of the opportunity to throw him out the door and toss his stuff out the window after him.
Embarrassed, Theresa admitted she didn't know why she had been particularly emotional lately. Eve pointed out that breakups were always difficult, but Theresa insisted Clint was a loser who had barely qualified as Mr. Right Now, let alone Mr. Right -- and she'd had that in perspective all along. "I just -- I just keep getting left, Eve," Theresa sobbed.
Eve was certain Theresa would eventually find someone who deserved her, but Theresa didn't know what she was supposed to do in the meantime. Eve theorized that Theresa's sadness was about more than just Clint's departure, and Theresa agreed. "I just -- I have this -- this, um -- I don't really know -- I don't know what the right word is -- this...ache...for something -- but I don't know what it is," Theresa admitted.
"It's love. Isn't that what we all want?" Eve reasoned as she gave Theresa a hug. Theresa laughed off the theory, insisting she didn't believe in love. Theresa said she felt like she was missing something but couldn't figure out what it was.
In Daniel's apartment, Melanie did an online search and found an interesting article -- "Projecting a Child's Future Medical Concerns From the Blood of the Parents: Science or Science Fiction?" -- that made her wonder if that could be the reason Clint had taken blood from Brady and Theresa. "I guess the science is here, so if they took the fertilized egg from Theresa, and maybe somebody else carried it to term -- like a surrogate -- that --" Melanie started to speculate before stopping herself and once again concluding that her theory sounded completely absurd.
Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, someone gently rocked a cradle containing a newborn baby.
Regretful of his behavior with Abigail from the previous evening, Ben went to the Horton house to apologize to Abigail for his comments about E.J. and their affair. Abigail admitted that Ben's comments had hurt her but had been accurate. Abigail explained that E.J. had used her father's book to manipulate her. Abigail added that Chad had gone out of his way to obtain a copy of Jack's book prior to publication so that Abigail could read it, and Chad had done it out of kindness instead of manipulation.
When Ben asked about Abigail's relationship with Chad when Jack's book had been published, Abigail said that her relationship with Chad had been good until he had grown jealous and told a lie in order to torpedo her budding relationship at the time. Ben asked Abigail if she would still be with Chad if he had not lied, and Abigail shrugged. Curious, Ben asked Abigail if Chad was the reason she did not want to move in with him.
Avoiding the question, Abigail said that she had been touched that Chad had found articles about her father's book, but then she had remembered how Chad had hurt her and Jordan. Abigail added that she had then thought of E.J. and how he had hurt her. Ben promised never to hurt Abigail as E.J. and Chad had done. With a sigh, Abigail said that she had not believed that Ben would ever hurt her until he had made those comments about her affair with E.J.
Ben stressed that Abigail was the best thing to ever happen to him. As Abigail fought tears, Ben apologized for moving quickly and told Abigail to forget about his invitation to move in with him. Abigail sniffled and accused Ben of not being able to deal with her past. Ben countered that E.J. was none of his business, but he could not trust Chad because Chad was still interested in Abigail. Abigail assured Ben that regarding Chad, her eyes were wide open. Abigail kissed Ben, and he promised he would not give up on her.
At the student center, J.J. read a text message from Daniel, asking J.J. to call him. Paige sidled up beside J.J. and asked him why Daniel wanted J.J. to call him. Lying, J.J. said that Daniel wanted to talk about Cubs tickets. Paige announced that she was going to visit Eve, and she invited J.J. to join her. With a nervous shrug, J.J. made excuses for why he was not able to join Paige. Seeing Paige's look of disbelief, J.J. admitted that he felt it was too soon to spend time with Eve. Paige reminded J.J. that she had told Eve that J.J. was not going anywhere.
In Eve's apartment, Eve agreed to help Cole break up Paige and J.J. When Cole commented that Eve had to truly hate J.J., Eve grunted. "I don't think that's the word for the way I feel about that boy," Eve said.
Eve left to meet Paige at Club TBD for coffee. When Paige mentioned her date with J.J. from the night before, Eve eagerly asked for details. Smiling, Paige thanked Eve for her positivity about J.J. Eve reminded Paige that she had promised to give J.J. a chance. Eve suggested that Paige invite both J.J. and Jennifer over for dinner. Paige was surprised, but Eve explained that someone had to make the first move to reconcile the two families.
Cole entered the club, and Eve excused herself for a dentist appointment just as Cole said hello to Paige. Paige was cold toward Cole, and she asked him if he planned to call her stupid again. Cole apologized for what he had said. Cole explained that he had been upset that Paige was getting back together with J.J.
As Paige leveled her sour gaze at Cole, Cole noted that he did not have a lot of friends and that he did not want to lose Paige as one of them. Paige softened and agreed to continue being friends with Cole. Cole thanked Paige, and he noted that J.J. would not be happy with their friendship. Citing her need to go to class, Paige left. Cole pulled out his phone and called Eve to tell her about his meeting with Paige.
Nicole stopped by Daniel's apartment at his request. Daniel apologized for his rudeness when Nicole had interrupted his conversation with Jennifer. Daniel asked for forgiveness, and Nicole nodded yes. When Nicole asked to talk about Daniel's situation with Jennifer, Daniel sternly said no. Daniel stressed that his issue with Jennifer was not a threat to his relationship with Nicole and that it was not Nicole's business.
Citing the multiple instances of Daniel keeping secrets from her about people in her life, Nicole said she was upset at Daniel distancing himself from her. As Daniel stared in silence, Nicole sighed. Upset, Nicole threw up her hands and asked Daniel if he would ever believe that she was over Eric. Annoyed, Nicole asked Daniel if he had talked to Serena. Daniel groaned and asked Nicole if she had been fighting with Serena again. Nicole stressed that her fight with Serena had not been about Eric.
When Daniel commented that Nicole had no other issues in common with Serena, Nicole groaned. Nicole pointed out that Daniel had accused her of both working too hard to date Daniel and of obsessing over Eric. Daniel countered that Nicole was working too hard to prove to him that she was over Eric.
"It sounds like you'll never believe that I'm committed to you. To us. And if that's the case, maybe we should call it quits," Nicole whispered. "Well, if you can't give me time to believe in what we have together, then maybe you're right," Daniel said quietly. As tears welled in Nicole's eyes, J.J. knocked on the apartment door.
Daniel answered and told J.J. he was not interrupting anything. As Nicole wiped away tears and walked out of the apartment, she said she was glad for the excuse to leave. Averting Daniel's gaze, Nicole struggled to hold back her tears until the elevator doors closed. As J.J. looked at Daniel, unsure of how to proceed, Daniel invited J.J. into the apartment to talk.
Daniel urged J.J. to tell him the truth about Eve. With a sigh, J.J. admitted that he had slept with Eve. J.J. stressed that he had made the mistake because he had believed that Paige had left Salem forever. J.J. added that he had lied because he had wanted to protect Paige from the truth. When Daniel asked what had changed, J.J. explained that Jennifer had "fixed the situation."
Daniel asked J.J. if he was comfortable keeping the secret from Paige. Shaking his head, J.J. said he felt guilty but that he did not want to lose Paige again. The hospital paged Daniel. Daniel asked J.J. if they could talk later, and he expressed his fear that J.J.'s situation could fall apart. J.J. assured Daniel that Eve would not talk. With a sigh, Daniel warned J.J. that if his plan hinged on Eve's actions, J.J. would regret his decision.
Serena met with Xander in the town square to discuss the diamonds. Serena stressed that she was the only person that knew where to find the diamonds, and it would be in Xander's best interest to give her what she wanted. Xander teased Serena about their affair, and Serena reminded Xander that they had started sleeping together after Eric had left her for the priesthood. Serena lamented that she had listened to Xander when he had asked her to help him smuggle diamonds.
Serena told Xander that not only did she want her cut of the diamonds, but she wanted Xander's assurance that Eric would be left out of the situation and that no harm would be inflicted on Eric. When Xander asked for an assurance from Serena, she shook her head. Serena's phone rang. Citing his rising anger, Xander encouraged Serena to take her phone call. After Serena walked away, Xander slammed his fist down on the table.
Smiling, Nicole approached the table and joked that Xander appeared to be having a similarly bad day. Xander's frown fell away as he saw Nicole, and he invited her to join him. When Xander asked Nicole if her bad day was because of the guy she was dating, Nicole nodded. As Nicole sat at the table, Serena returned and scowled at Nicole. Serena explained that she and Xander had worked together in Africa. Serena gruffly told Xander that they would speak later, and she left.
"If you are friends with Serena, no way in hell you should be friends with me," Nicole growled. Xander countered that he had been seeking assistance from Serena on a pharmaceutical matter. When Nicole raised an eyebrow, Xander asked Nicole for her perspective on Serena. Nicole stressed that she could not be objective about Serena. With a grin, Xander said that he was more interested in talking about his budding relationship with Nicole. "We'll see," said Nicole.
In Will and Sonny's apartment, Will placed the finishing touches on an anniversary breakfast he had prepared for Sonny. Will cooed at Arianna and talked about how excited he was to spend the morning with Sonny. Rafe visited, and he wished Will a happy anniversary. When Will expressed his surprise that Rafe had an anniversary gift, Rafe explained that Gabi had given it to him to present to Will and Sonny. Excited, Will offered to wake up Sonny so they could open the gift. When Will went into the bedroom, Sonny was gone.
At Paul's hotel, Sonny asked Paul why he had not mentioned that he had donated the blood that had saved Sonny's life. Paul explained that when he had donated the blood, he had not known it had been intended for Sonny. Paul told Sonny that Adrienne had told Paul that Sonny had been the recipient. With a shrug, Paul said he did not know if Will knew about the blood donation. Paul explained that he had not told Sonny about the blood donation because he had not wanted Sonny to feel indebted to him.
Tori walked into Paul's room and stopped dead in her tracks. Sonny offered his hand and introduced himself to Paul's mother. Tori stressed that it was inappropriate for Sonny to visit Paul. Sonny explained that he had stopped by in order to thank Paul for donating the blood that had saved his life. Surprised, Tori's mouth fell open. Sonny left, and Tori wheeled on Paul, angry. Tori reminded Paul that Sonny was happily married to Will. Confused, Paul asked Tori if she had met Will.
Sonny returned home, and he was pleased to find the breakfast Will had made for their anniversary. Will and Sonny eagerly opened Gabi's gift and were touched by the collage of photos Gabi had made for their paper anniversary. Sonny sighed and said he missed Gabi. Curious, Will asked Sonny why he had left the apartment so early. Sonny explained that he had gone to talk to Paul.
Will interrupted to say he was fully to blame for what had happened, and he stressed that neither Sonny nor Paul was at fault. Will said he understood if Sonny needed to talk to Paul. Sonny explained that Chad had informed him that Paul had donated the blood that had saved his life, and he had felt an obligation to thank Paul in person. Surprised, Will said he and Sonny both owed a debt of thanks to Paul. Will promised to thank Paul the next time he saw him in town. With a hopeful smile, Sonny thanked Will for understanding.
At the hospital, Melanie accidentally bumped into Theresa, who irritably expressed a desire for the two of them to continue ignoring one another. Beginning cautiously, Melanie said she'd been thinking about something that she didn't feel right keeping from Theresa. As soon as Melanie mentioned Clint, Theresa cut her off. "Don't even say that jerk's name, okay? It's over," Theresa snapped. Melanie admitted that she already knew that because she'd seen the note Clint had left for Theresa. "Do you not remember that?" Melanie asked, surprised.
Shaken, Theresa angrily accused Melanie of spying on her. Melanie countered that she'd only been in the bedroom to check Theresa's vital signs because Theresa had been extremely intoxicated. Theresa lambasted Melanie, declaring that she wanted absolutely no contact with Melanie, but she took it a step too far by insulting Melanie's family. An incredulous Melanie declared, "You are such a piece of work. I can't believe I was actually going to try and help you."
Before the women's argument could devolve into of a shouting match, Jorge from the blood bank approached Theresa to ask if she had time to donate some more blood, since she had a rare blood type. Theresa rudely ordered Jorge to "buzz off." After Jorge left, Melanie marveled, "You donate blood?" Insinuating that it wasn't the only virtuous thing she did, Theresa ordered Melanie to stay out of her business.
After Theresa stormed off, Melanie went to the blood bank to talk to Jorge. She apologized for Theresa, who Jorge calmly pronounced "mean and selfish." Melanie noted that at least it was unselfish of Theresa to donate blood regularly. Jorge said he'd checked the records and discovered that Theresa had only donated blood for her sister's surgery. Melanie thought the blood would still be in the hospital, but Jorge said it had expired because it had been donated the previous fall. "All we have now is her plasma," Jorge explained.
When Theresa went to the blood bank later, Jorge assumed that she'd changed her mind about donating blood. Throwing some papers on the desk, Theresa curtly informed him that it was performance review time, and everyone had to sign up. "I will never confuse you with a generous person again," Jorge assured Theresa. "Then you're a lot smarter than you look," Theresa retorted before stomping out.
Back at Daniel's apartment, Melanie opened her laptop and typed "plasma" into the search engine.
Abigail went to the Kiriakis mansion to give Adrienne a copy of the review for the paperback edition of Jack's book. Abigail explained that Chad had emailed her about the website. Adrienne found Chad's interest in Jack's book surprising, but Abigail said Chad had even gotten a galley copy of it for her before it had been published. Concerned, Adrienne asked if Abigail were still dating Ben. Abigail admitted that although she was still seeing Ben, the two of them were having some problems. Adrienne guessed those problems had something to do with Chad.
Abigail admitted, "Maybe a little bit, but it's not Chad's fault." Expressing concern about Abigail spending time with a DiMera, Adrienne compared Chad to E.J. Abigail insisted that Chad was nothing like the rest of the DiMeras. Adrienne pointed out that Chad had hurt Abigail before and urged her to be careful. Clearly exasperated but fighting not to show it more than she already had, Abigail excused herself and left.
Chad was in the DiMera mansion study, on the phone with his father. After a brief discussion about business, Stefano asked about Abigail. Chad said Abigail had been very grateful to him for sending the article about her dad's book, although he knew she wouldn't have been if she'd known that Stefano had hired a writer, Harry Keller, to plant the article, which Chad had actually written.
Stefano was just pleased that the quotes had made Abigail happy. Chad said the next step in the plan was to go to a benefit in the square later that Abigail was also attending. Stefano instructed Chad to "add two zeros" to whatever he'd intended to donate. Chad was very grateful. Stefano cautioned Chad to go slowly with Abigail and keep his "eye on the prize."
At Club TBD, Rafe described his visit with Arianna to Sonny, who was getting supplies ready for the benefit in the square. Noting that he'd sensed some tension between Will and Sonny, Rafe asked if Sonny wanted to talk about it. Sonny said he didn't really want to discuss it right then. Rafe reiterated what he'd told Will: it was none of Rafe's business unless it started to affect Arianna.
Sonny asked if Rafe had seen any sign of that, and Rafe admitted that Arianna had seemed a little more anxious and fussier than usual. Sonny assured Rafe that he and Will would work things out. Rafe gathered up the boxes that Sonny had filled and headed out.
In Paul's hotel room, Paul demanded to know how his mom had met Will Horton. Tori claimed that Will had been there, looking for Paul. Paul wanted to know what his mom and Will had talked about. Tori explained that Will wanted Paul out of the way so Will could work things out with his husband. Tori asserted that she wanted her son to have a good relationship with someone who cared only for him, but Paul would never be able to have that if he didn't let go and move on. Paul asked Tori to accompany him to the benefit, but she declined because she wanted to stay behind and pack for their flight home that night.
When Lucas stopped by Will and Sonny's, Will was on the phone with his editor, explaining that he was still confirming the facts about the story he was writing. Will was keeping the details of the article a secret, but he promised his editor that it would be huge. After Will hung up, Lucas warned Will that he couldn't release a story that said Paul was a DiMera. "I sure can, but I won't have to if Paul's mother follows through and gets him out of town," Will said.
Lucas pointed out that if Paul did turn out to be a DiMera, it would only give Paul more reason to stay in town, but Will believed that Stefano would whisk Paul away to wherever DiMera was hiding out. Lucas urged Will to think through how such an article might make Sonny, the husband Will was trying to win back, feel. As father and son continued arguing about the situation with Paul, Will revealed that Adrienne had known about Sonny and Paul's relationship all along.
Will believed that Adrienne wanted Sonny to be with Paul and was working "behind the scenes" to make that happen. A dubious Lucas steered the subject back to the article. Will reminded his dad that if Paul left town as promised, Will wouldn't have to print the story. Will grabbed his bag and headed out for the square. Lucas said he would be there after he made a stop.
A few minutes later, Lucas surprised Adrienne by showing up unannounced at the Kiriakis mansion. Lucas noted that Adrienne had never mentioned Sonny's relationship with Paul, even though she'd known about it from the beginning. Lucas posited, "Don't you think if everyone was open with each other that none of this would have happened in the first place? If Sonny had just told Will about Paul -- " Adrienne interrupted to clarify that Sonny had promised Paul that he wouldn't say anything, and besides, she didn't see how it would have changed anything if Will had known.
Lucas argued that it would have changed everything. Incredulous, Adrienne asserted that Will clearly wanted to blame everyone else for his mistakes, but he was not the victim in the situation. Lucas insisted that Will would never have slept with Paul if he'd known about Paul and Sonny's past, but Adrienne countered that Will had known that he was married to Sonny. Exhaling, Lucas sank onto the couch and acknowledged that he was making excuses for Will, but Lucas was frustrated because he couldn't fix things.
Taking a seat next to Lucas, Adrienne admitted that all parents wished they could save their children from the parents' mistakes. Lucas blamed himself for setting a bad example when Will had been younger, and Adrienne admitted that she wished Sonny had told Will about Paul. Adrienne and Lucas were each able to see the other's side. Adrienne apologized for being abrupt the last time she'd seen Lucas. He understood how Adrienne had to have been feeling with Justin leaving her all alone for months and then "popping in and out."
Adrienne confessed, "The funny thing is that I felt more alone when Justin was here than before he came back. Or right now." She informed Lucas that Justin had admitted to sleeping with Elsa. Lucas took Adrienne's hand as she said it had been a relief to hear Justin say it -- and it had made her feel less guilty for what she'd been thinking and what she'd wanted. Adrienne apologized and started to leave, but Lucas grabbed her hand, pulled her back onto the couch, and kissed her passionately.
Hope and Aiden were already getting set up for the benefit in Horton Square when John and Marlena arrived. John invited Aiden to help him set up the ring-toss booth. "Is this where I get the third degree?" Aiden jokingly asked as he followed John. John teased right back that he already knew Aiden wasn't good enough for Hope because no one was.
After the guys discussed the Cubs' chances in the upcoming baseball season, Aiden remarked that things seemed good between John and Marlena. John declared that he and Marlena had survived some really rough times but had gotten through it. "This time, it's for keeps," John said.
Rafe arrived with the boxes from the club, and Hope helped him carry them to the food tables. As Aiden wandered over, Rafe, whose back was turned, asked Hope about the guy she was seeing. With a quick conspiratorial glance at Aiden, Hope declared, "Honestly, I don't know where to start. It's a nightmare. I don't know how I'm going to get rid of him." With a sheepish grin, Rafe asked, "He's standing right behind me, isn't he?" The men laughed as they greeted each other with a handshake and a hug.
Sonny showed up with even more supplies from the club, and Marlena pointed him to the appropriate tables. John made Marlena and Sonny uncomfortable by mentioning how much time Will had to have spent with Paul while writing the story about the ballplayer. Will arrived just then and said he'd just talked to the Spectator's photographer, who was going to allow Sonix to use his photos from the benefit on the magazine's website.
Sonny and John headed over to help set up the food tables. As Will set down his things to go with the other guys, he told Marlena that the stopwatch for the races was in his bag. Marlena reached inside the bag but had to pull out Will's tablet, which was open and displaying the cover for his potential article about Paul with the headline that ended, " Strike Three, He's a DiMera!" Marlena froze. "Is this a joke?" she hissed when Will returned.
Will said it was true, and he would explain, but first they had to go somewhere private. Paul arrived just then and said hello to Marlena. To Will, Paul said lightly, "I heard you came looking for me." John interrupted just then to give Paul his instructions for the day. After Paul and John left, Marlena asked Will what was going on. Will escorted Marlena away so they could talk privately.
Aiden tried to introduce Paul to Sonny, but Sonny admitted that the two of them had already met. Aiden was disappointed when he learned that Paul was leaving town later that night. John was stunned when Aiden explained that his client, a local businessman, had promised to sponsor a baseball clinic for the kids that weekend and donate an additional fifty thousand dollars, which John pointed out would put a lot of food on the table for the families. Paul hesitated. "Sounds like an offer you can't refuse," Sonny noted, and Paul agreed to stick around for a few more days.
Paul called his mom and asked her to call the airline and the front desk at the hotel to change their reservations. He told her about the baseball clinic and the donation, and Tori flipped out. She suggested that Paul donate the money himself so they could get out of town as planned. Paul didn't see what the big deal was, since it was only a few more days. Tori reluctantly agreed to handle everything. As soon as she ended the call, she grabbed her purse and headed out the door.
Will led his grandmother out of the square to the park and told her about finding the picture of Tori Narita on the DiMera lakefront property nine months before Paul had been born, but Tori had claimed to Paul that she'd never been to Salem. An appalled Marlena pointed out, "That does not make Paul a DiMera." Will explained that Tori had not denied it when he'd informed her of his theory, and she'd told many lies to Paul about his father. Marlena gently reminded her grandson that it was none of his business and asked why he was pursuing it.
Will insisted it was because Paul was pursuing Sonny and making excuses to stay in Salem, so Will was doing everything he could to keep Paul away from Sonny. When Marlena learned that Will had agreed to keep quiet about what he knew if Tori got Paul out of town, she pointed out that what he was doing was blackmail. Will insisted that he didn't want to have to publish the article, which he would happily delete as soon as the Naritas left town.
Marlena quietly cautioned Will that no matter how threatened he felt, it was no justification for destroying someone's life. "There's nothing noble in what you're doing. It's wrong, Will. That's the only word for it," Marlena stated softly but firmly, returning Will's tablet and heading back into the square.
Abigail went to Club TBD to pick up some coffee and more supplies for the benefit. Chad arrived to help and said the square already looked great. He noted that some of the families with whom Abigail's program worked would be at the event. Hope walked in but hung back to observe when she spotted Chad talking to Abigail. Chad noticed the printout of his email in Abigail's bag. Abigail said she'd been showing it to people who'd known her dad, even if some of them had given her a hard time about Chad. She assured Chad that she was grateful for the nice thing he'd done.
Hope interrupted to say hello to Abigail and asked where Ben was. Abigail explained that Ben would be at the benefit after he got out of class. After Abigail left to check on the food, Hope asked Chad what he was up to. Chad hedged that he and Abigail were just friends and that Ben was a great guy. "I'm watching you. Don't give me anything to see, okay?" Hope warned Chad with a smile.
Later, Chad, Abigail, and Hope arrived at the square with more boxes from the club. When Marlena returned, John said he was hoping to do a toast for Will and Sonny's anniversary after the benefit. Chad credited Paul for making the anniversary possible, since Paul had donated the blood that had saved Sonny's life. "I'm just glad I was here," Paul said modestly. While everyone finished getting set up, Rafe quietly observed the dynamic between Paul and Sonny.
Will returned but didn't join the others. Tori showed up and asked to speak to Will, so the two headed back out of the square. A curious John noticed them leaving together. Just inside the gates to the park, Tori explained to Will about the delay in her and Paul's departure from Salem. A skeptical Will believed that Paul would continue inventing excuses to stay in town, but Tori insisted it wasn't a conspiracy to keep Paul in town.
Will produced his tablet and showed Tori the cover. "You fix this. You get him out of here tonight, or this goes online," Will threatened. Before Tori could argue, John appeared. "Tori? Oh, my God. It is you," John remarked.
Lucas started to unbutton Adrienne's blouse, but she stopped him and said things couldn't go any further -- at least not in Victor's study. Adrienne dragged Lucas off to her bedroom, and they picked up right where they had left off. After having sex, Lucas and Adrienne established that neither had any regrets. "It's just a shame it can't go on," Adrienne mused.
Lucas didn't want to think about that, preferring to just enjoy the moment. Adrienne, however, insisted there were many things wrong with what she and Lucas had just done -- most notably, the fact that they were setting a really bad example for Will and Sonny. Lucas reasoned that he had an advantage over Adrienne in that respect -- not because he wasn't married but because he had never been a very good example for Will, anyway.
Adrienne insisted no one could know about what she and Lucas had just done. Lucas predicted the news would have already been posted on Twitter if Henderson hadn't left the mansion earlier, but Adrienne clarified that Henderson had moved on to Instagram. Lucas joked that Instagram would be even better, since Henderson could post photographic evidence to go along with the news in that case.
Lucas told an amused Adrienne she had a great laugh, and she admitted she hadn't really had any reason to use it lately around anyone except him. Lucas assured Adrienne they didn't have to make any decisions right away, reasoning that what had happened had happened, and they would just have to wait to see what happened next. Adrienne hinted that she wanted it to happen again -- and again, and again -- so Lucas happily obliged.
As John's benefit got underway at the town square, Abigail realized she had forgotten to get lids for the coffee cups, so Chad volunteered to fetch them from Club TBD, and she decided to accompany him. Chad suggested that might not be a good idea, since Abigail's family didn't really like the idea of her spending time with him because they believed he had ulterior motives where she was concerned. "Do you?" Abigail wondered.
Chad replied that someone -- perhaps Freud -- had argued that there was an ulterior motive for every word and every deed. Abigail asked Chad to pass her a box of lids, and he proceeded to psychoanalyze her request to find the hidden ulterior motive. Abigail laughed and said Chad was being really deep. Chad sarcastically claimed he was just that kind of guy, but Abigail sincerely agreed, believing he had proven that when he had found and emailed her a collection of quotes about Jack's book. Chad admitted he'd had an ulterior motive for doing that -- he had known it would mean a lot to Abigail.
Ben arrived and watched Abigail and Chad for a moment before interrupting to ask if they needed help with anything. Chad quickly excused himself, admitting Ben knew more about things like lid and cup sizes than he did. After Chad left, Abigail waited expectantly for a disapproving comment from Ben, but he assured her he wasn't upset about the fact that he had found her with Chad -- a bit jealous, perhaps, but not upset. Abigail smiled and said she appreciated Ben's honesty. Ben and Abigail headed back to the town square after he helped her find a second box of lids Chad had missed earlier.
While Rafe was hanging a poster of Paul, Sonny approached to ask if Rafe had seen Will recently. Rafe hadn't, but he marveled that it was a small world, since Will had written an article about Paul, and Paul had later ended up saving Sonny's life even though they hadn't even known each other at that time. Sonny headed back to the refreshment stand, and Marlena soon approached to ask if he had seen John recently. Sonny suggested John and Will might be together somewhere.
Will watched in shock as John embraced Tori and said it was wonderful to see her again after many years. Tori claimed she was in Salem to take care of some business with Sonix and would be leaving very soon. John was sorry to hear that, since he wanted to introduce Tori to someone. Tori said she didn't have any time to spare, but John still gave her his card and urged her to call him if things changed before she left.
John left after telling Will he needed help wrangling the kids for a photo shoot with Paul. Will promised he'd be right behind John. Once they were alone again, Will questioned Tori about the looks she and John had exchanged during their brief reunion. Tori feigned ignorance, insisting Will was just a very paranoid young man, but he was sure she had been on the verge of panicking earlier. Will also found it odd that Tori hadn't claimed Paul as her son when John had mentioned Paul's name. "It's John. John Black is Paul's father, isn't he?" Will guessed.
Tori continued feigning ignorance, but Will wasn't fooled, guessing she had been using a different name when she had known John years earlier. Tori reluctantly confirmed the suspicion and insisted there was no reason for John to ever find out she was Paul's mother. Will hesitantly agreed and proceeded to delete the article about Paul's paternity from his tablet computer. "There's no reason for anyone to ever know who Paul's father is. It would kill Paul to know that you kept the truth from him for so long. So do us both a favor -- get him out of town as soon as possible," Will advised before walking away.
Aiden introduced Paul to Chase, Ciara, and Theo. "His career is over. Tragic," Ciara informed Theo as Paul signed a baseball for Chase. Mortified, Hope admonished Ciara and apologized to Paul. Ciara also apologized -- after a nudge from Hope -- but Paul assured them both that it was actually refreshing to hear honesty. Paul clarified, however, that he was treating the matter as a new beginning instead of a tragic ending.
Rafe approached Sonny at the refreshment stand to see if Sonny had found Will yet, since the photographer from the Salem Spectator was looking for Will because Will was the photographer's point person for the day. Sonny still didn't know where Will was, so he suggested asking Chad to handle the photographer for a while. Rafe didn't really want to talk to Chad, so Sonny agreed to do so himself.
Rafe started to walk away, but Sonny stopped him and admitted he had actually known Paul for a while. Sonny explained that he just hadn't known Paul had donated blood for him until the previous night, and he hadn't known Will had been writing an article about Paul until its publication. "Well, sounds like there were a lot of things that you were the last to know," Rafe mused.
Marlena spotted John and asked if he had seen Will. John confirmed he had, and he started to say he had seen someone else, as well, but Ciara interrupted and dragged him off to help her win a prize from one of the games. Meanwhile, Paul helped Chase win a prize from another game. Afterward, John and Paul stood next to each other and watched as Ciara and Chase showed off their respective prizes.
Will returned and noticed John and Paul standing next to each other -- and even adopting the same exact stance. Chad stepped in front of Will and wondered where he had been. Will claimed he had been taking care of some business. "Another interview? Well, those sure come with some kind of benefits for you, now don't they?" Chad mused.
Will wondered what Chad was talking about. Chad explained that the last person Will had interviewed had gone on to save Sonny's life. "Who knows what this one will come with, yeah?" Chad concluded. Unamused, Will nodded and abruptly walked away, leaving Chad confused.
Will approached Marlena and said he knew she was very angry with him. Marlena clarified that she wasn't angry -- just disappointed -- but Will thought that was even worse. Will admitted Marlena had been right earlier, and he showed her that he had deleted the article from his tablet computer. Marlena assured Will he had made a wise decision. Chad interrupted and reported that the photographer was refusing to take orders from anyone other than Will, so Will rushed off to handle the matter after hugging Marlena and quietly promising her everything was going to be okay.
Will gave the photographer a few instructions before excusing himself to go meet with a fellow Sonix writer. Meanwhile, Theo rushed over to Chad and asked when they were going to go Rollerblading. Chad clarified that Abigail was going to take Theo Rollerblading, but Theo wanted Chad to tag along. Chad pointed to Ben, who was standing nearby with Abigail, and explained to Theo that Ben was Abigail's new boyfriend and would probably love to go Rollerblading.
"No! Uncle Chad and Abigail! It's supposed to be Uncle Chad and Abigail!" Theo loudly protested. Abe overheard and intervened with a rave review about one of the games Theo hadn't tried yet. After Abe escorted Theo to the game, Chad apologized to Ben, explaining that Theo didn't always handle changes to routines well. Ben understood and said it wasn't a problem at all, acknowledging that Abigail and Chad were obviously both very important to Theo.
Nearby, Rafe told Marlena he was pretty sure Will and Sonny had never expected to spend their first anniversary at a benefit, of all things. Rafe wondered if Marlena knew what was going on between Will and Sonny. Marlena feigned ignorance, but Rafe insisted he could feel the tension between Will and Sonny. Rafe understood Marlena probably couldn't say anything about the matter, but he reminded her that if things were bad for Will and Sonny, things were going to be bad for Arianna, too.
Marlena said she was sure Will and Sonny understood that and would shield Arianna from any problems they might be facing. Rafe wondered how well that usually worked out in Marlena's professional experience. Conceding the point, Marlena promised Rafe she would keep an eye on the situation. Rafe thanked Marlena and stressed that he would be happy to step in and help out with Arianna any time Will and Sonny felt like they needed a break. "But I will also step in if Arianna is badly affected," Rafe warned.
While Sonny was talking to Paul, Chad interrupted to get the photographer to take some pictures of Paul. Sonny started to walk away, but Chad stopped him and proceeded to tell the photographer about how Paul had saved Sonny's life, ignoring Sonny's attempt to change the subject. The photographer wanted to take a few pictures of Sonny and Paul together, and as he was doing so, Will returned and spotted them. Will watched for a few seconds before Chad noticed him and pulled him over so the photographer could get a few pictures of Will and Sonny together. Chad explained that the couple was spending their first wedding anniversary at the event.
The photographer soon dragged Paul off to take some pictures with the kids, and Chad followed them. Will admitted to Sonny that he hadn't really expected to spend their first wedding anniversary at a benefit, but Sonny reasoned that, at the very least, it was for a good cause and kind of fun. Will watched the kids interact with Paul for a moment before observing that they obviously loved Paul. "Yeah, he's always been --" Sonny started to say before letting his voice trail off. "It's okay. You and Paul, you know things about each other. You've shared things. So have you and I. And if I'm lucky, we'll have many more anniversaries to come," Will replied.
After taking a picture of Aiden, Hope, Ciara, and Chase, the photographer asked Hope for her name and her husband's name. Hope and Aiden provided their names and somewhat awkwardly clarified that they weren't married. "Could have fooled me," the photographer replied before dashing off. Sonny approached and informed Aiden and Hope that he had forgotten to grab the water guns earlier. Hope and Aiden agreed to go to Sonny's office to retrieve the water guns, which were intended to be the grand prizes for the final game of the event.
Ignoring their instructions to find and stay with Abe, Ciara and Chase discreetly followed Hope and Aiden to Sonny's office. When the kids caught Hope and Aiden kissing, Chase reluctantly paid Ciara two dollars for winning a bet about whether the adults would be able to keep their hands off each other for one whole day. Aiden told Chase they'd have to talk later about avoiding sucker bets. Hope started to admonish Ciara -- for the bet and for disobeying instructions -- but Ciara claimed she and Chase had simply wanted to help carry the extremely heavy box of water guns back to the town square.
Hope handed over the box of water guns, and Ciara and Chase rushed off with it, each claiming one of the best water guns of the bunch as their own. Hope groaned and apologized to Aiden for the way her daughter had just introduced his son to gambling, but he thought Ciara was just what Chase needed in order to learn some life skills quickly. Hope and Aiden tried not to imagine what Ciara and Chase were going to be like as teenagers, knowing it wouldn't be pretty, especially if the kids teamed up with each other.
John and Marlena took a break in a secluded section of the town square. Marlena asked John to finish telling her what he had been trying to tell her earlier, so he explained that he'd just had a surprise encounter with an old friend named Tori Simpson. John added that the odd part was that he had found Tori talking to Will.
Marlena wondered if John had been involved with the woman. "Briefly, a long time ago," John hastily confirmed. John explained that he had wanted to tell Marlena about the encounter so she wouldn't feel blindsided if they happened to run into Tori together before she left Salem. Marlena claimed that was fine, and she said she was glad John had told her about Tori.
Will was just starting to suggest something he and Sonny could do together to celebrate their anniversary later that day when Marlena interrupted and said she needed to talk to Will right away. Will tried to protest, but Marlena insisted that what he was talking to Sonny about could wait. After Marlena dragged Will off, Sonny spotted a group of kids chasing after Paul with water guns.
Sonny tried to stop the kids, reasoning that it wouldn't be right to hose down the guest of honor, but that just gave Paul the opportunity to turn them loose on Sonny instead. Sonny was soon drenched, and Paul started to walk away unscathed, but Ciara and Chase made sure he also ended up soaking wet. After the kids moved on, Sonny took Paul to his office at Club TBD, where he had some fresh tee shirts they could change into.
Ben was surprised when Abigail started talking about going on a date with him later that night, since they had just argued the previous night. Abigail pointed out that it wasn't like anyone had died as a result of the argument, and she reasoned that she and Ben could just move past it because they were both adults. Chad stood nearby and watched as Ben and Abigail kissed.
Hope and Aiden took Ciara and Chase to the Brady Pub after things started winding down at the benefit. Ciara and Chase claimed the table directly behind Hope and Aiden's, and as the adults talked and eventually kissed, Ciara spied on them and silently forced Chase to pay her two more dollars.
A reporter entered the town square and approached the photographer, who pointed out that the reporter was late. The photographer couldn't even believe the reporter had been sent to cover the event in the first place, since it wasn't exactly the reporter's beat. The reporter wondered where Paul was. The photographer wasn't sure but warned that the saccharine event had provided no hard news to report, anyway. The reporter told the photographer to stop being cynical. "Mr. Narita could be in for a bombshell today," the reporter added.
Tori returned to Paul's hotel room, unplugged her cell phone from its charger, and stared sadly at a picture of her, her father, and Paul. "I've shamed you, Father. You could never forgive what I've done. And neither could my son," Tori said in Japanese. Meanwhile, Sonny led Paul into his office and started looking for the fresh tee shirts. When Sonny failed to locate them in one place, he turned to move to a different part of the office -- and found himself face-to-face with a shirtless Paul.
Marlena took Will to a secluded section of the town square and demanded to know exactly what was going on. Will said he had no idea what Marlena was talking about, so she explained that she had just talked to John -- and she knew why Will had really deleted the article about Paul's paternity. "You're thinking that Paul is not a DiMera. You're thinking that Paul...is John's son," Marlena guessed.
At Edge of the Square, Kate noticed a gift bag at Maggie's table and wondered if it was someone's birthday. Maggie clarified that the gift was for Will and Sonny, and she reminded Kate it was their anniversary. Maggie informed Kate that John would be having a gathering for Will and Sonny in the town square a bit later. Kate appreciated the heads-up but wondered why Maggie was being nice to her. "Life's too short, Kate," Maggie replied.
Meanwhile, at the bar, Clyde suggested Victor could spend more time with Maggie if he hired Kate to run Mad World. Victor said he would have to kick Lucas out in order to give Kate a job, and he guessed that she probably wouldn't want that to happen. Clyde conceded the point and predicted someone else would snatch Kate up soon enough, anyway. Clyde said it was a shame things hadn't worked out for Kate at DiMera Enterprises. Clyde wondered how an old fool like Stefano had managed to get past Victor in the first place. "Don't kid yourself -- he's no fool," Victor warned. Victor added that he had simply been off his game lately.
After Clyde and Kate left, Victor noted that it seemed like Kate and Maggie had gotten along pretty well for once. "Isn't that what you wanted? You have been playing possum for old Clyde, haven't you? And I assumed you wanted me to play along," Maggie replied. Victor was impressed that Maggie had figured out what he was up to, but she reminded him he hadn't married a fool. Maggie guessed Victor was about to put Clyde and Kate in their respective places, and she said she just wanted to sit back and enjoy watching that happen. "Do me a favor, though -- don't do anything stupid," Maggie requested.
At the Horton Town Square, the reporter told the photographer that the benefit was a great backdrop for the real story. The reporter, Davis Favi, approached John, who agreed to track Paul down after hearing that Davis was willing to guarantee a big story in the Salem Spectator -- perhaps even a front-page one -- in exchange for an interview with Paul.
Chad picked up a table and turned it on its side, being purposely loud about it to distract Ben and Abigail from kissing each other. For good measure, Chad also acted like he had hurt himself in the process, drawing some concerned questions from Abigail. Chad claimed he was fine, but Abigail still sent Ben over to help him with the table.
Chad wondered if Ben thought the whole thing had been done on purpose. "Up until a few weeks ago, I would have known it. But now I'm pretty sure you wouldn't try something that lame," Ben replied. Ben and Chad carried the table back to Club TBD, where Chad advised that it would be a good idea for Ben to read Jack's book, especially if Ben ever wanted to have a more serious relationship with Abigail than he already had.
Ben told Chad to butt out. Chad replied that Abigail's family had already ordered him to stay away from her. Abigail arrived in time to overhear the statement. Abigail wasn't happy to learn that Hope had said some choice words to Chad on her behalf, but Chad reminded Abigail that being suspicious of DiMeras was part of Hope's job description.
Paul admitted that he wanted to kiss Sonny -- and not stop there -- but he knew he had already messed up Sonny's life enough. Paul conceded that he might indeed be looking for excuses to stay in Salem to remain close to Sonny in the hope that Sonny's marriage would eventually fall apart completely, just as Will had suspected all along. Sonny didn't respond, instead turning away from Paul to grab a couple shirts from a nearby cabinet.
As Paul put on one of the shirts, he wondered if Sonny was going to say anything about his earlier admission. Sonny started changing into the other shirt as he replied that he had already told Will that if having Paul living in Salem turned out to be a threat to their marriage, it just meant they had never had much of a marriage to begin with. Paul was glad Sonny understood that, and he admitted he was kind of relieved he hadn't had to say goodbye to Sonny that night. "I kind of think, uh, maybe it's a sign," Paul added.
"Paul, I care about you -- I always will -- but for you to have hope for us --" Sonny started to respond, but Paul interrupted and said he knew it was crazy to feel that way -- and that was why he would be leaving Salem as soon as the charity baseball clinic ended. Changing the subject, Paul turned his attention to a small poster Sonny had pinned to a cork board -- an image of a sunset under the message "Fate will find you..." -- and asked if Sonny believed in fate. Sonny said Paul already knew he believed in fate, and he wondered if Paul was still a total skeptic.
Paul said he hadn't been a skeptic since the night he and Sonny had first met each other. Sonny groaned as he recalled how Paul had tried to argue that Machu Picchu had simply been a summer palace. Sonny extolled the impressive qualities of the place and insisted Paul had minimized it as nothing more than the king's lake house just to set him off. Sonny recalled, however, that in the end, Paul had agreed Machu Picchu was a sacred site.
Paul admitted he had only said that because he had thought Sonny was cute. Sonny acted shocked that Paul had lied just to pick him up, but Paul thought Sonny had done the same. Sonny maintained that he had never even heard of Paul before their first meeting because he had never followed baseball, and he wondered why that was hard for Paul to believe.
Paul shrugged and said he'd thought that had been the only reason anyone had wanted to get to know him back then. Sonny said Paul had chosen the wrong friends if that had indeed been the case. Paul grinned and pointed out that he had been smart enough to grab Sonny, although he added that he had been too dumb to keep Sonny. Paul admitted he should have accepted Sonny's marriage proposal, and he declared that saying no had been the biggest mistake of his life. Sonny agreed that Paul had made a mistake if he had said no only because he had assumed Sonny had been into him just because of baseball.
Paul said he had considered baseball the sole reason for everything he'd had back then. "You were my fate, Sonny. And I was an idiot not to see that. I was too afraid to risk losing what I had always known, and so instead, I lost the only thing I ever really wanted," Paul added. Sonny insisted Paul had possessed a gift and had needed to play that out. "It was something you did. It was never who you were," Sonny added. Paul raised a hand to Sonny's cheek and started to softly caress it -- just as John entered the office to let Sonny know he was needed in the town square and let Paul know a reporter wanted to talk to him.
Will tried to deny Marlena's suspicion at first, but she eventually forced him to admit he did indeed believe Paul was John's son, although he also stressed that he could be wrong. Marlena wanted to talk to John about the matter, but Will insisted she couldn't do that. Will argued that it would be hypocritical for Marlena to suddenly decide it was okay to upend people's lives when she had chastised him for threatening to do so earlier. Marlena countered that the difference was that she wasn't trying to hurt or blackmail anyone.
"All I wanted was a chance to save my marriage! And I still want that. Please, Grandma, don't blow this for me," Will begged Marlena. Will pointed out that Paul would have plenty of reasons to stay in Salem longer -- perhaps even for good -- if he learned John was his father. "And then he'll come after Sonny, and I will lose my husband," Will concluded. Marlena insisted Will couldn't be sure of that, but he wasn't willing to take any chances.
Will said he had messed up and would have to fight to win Sonny back. Will thought he could do that, but only if Paul left town so he could have a clear shot. Marlena reminded Will that Sonny had married him, but Will countered that Sonny had only married him after Paul had said no. Will wondered if Marlena truly believed Paul would respect his marriage to Sonny, especially since Paul had publicly admitted that turning down Sonny's proposal had been the biggest mistake of his life. "Honey, even if Paul were that misguided...I mean, Sonny doesn't --" Marlena began, but Will interrupted her.
"He's a star, Grandma. And coming out of the closet has made him an even bigger hero than when he was playing baseball. He's charming. He's good-looking. He's traveled the world. He is everything that Sonny wants, and he's everything that I'm not!" Will insisted, fighting back tears. Marlena said that wasn't true. "Yes, it is. And I can't take it," Will quietly replied. Marlena assured Will that Sonny loved him, and Will agreed, adding that that was why he still had a chance to fight to save his marriage. Will vowed to win that fight but maintained that he needed room to do so.
"Grandma, please...let me hold on to my family," Will begged Marlena. Before Marlena could respond, Rafe interrupted to let her and Will know they were both needed back at the benefit site right away. When Will got there, he was a bit surprised to see that the benefit decorations had been cleared away and replaced with a table lined with bottles of Champagne, lit candles, and a banner wishing him and Sonny a happy anniversary.
Sonny arrived around the same time and was also surprised to see what John had cooked up. Adrienne hugged Sonny and wished him a happy anniversary. "Is it?" Sonny replied. Sonny and Will hesitantly joined each other just as John grabbed everyone's attention to welcome them to the celebration before turning things over to Victor.
"Well, a year ago today, I was honored to host your wedding. And since most of you were there, you know that it was one of the finest weddings that Salem has ever had. No one was shot, no one was arrested, no one found out they were pregnant, but more importantly, for all those doubters, nobody's world fell apart because these two fine men pledged to love each other forever. Sonny, Will, you are one of the finest couples that any of us know. To you," Victor said as he raised a glass to Will and Sonny, who exchanged uncomfortable looks with each other.
Victor turned things over to Marlena. "Wow. Sonny and Will. What to say, what to say?" Marlena hesitantly began as she looked at Will and Sonny sympathetically. "What Victor said is true -- it was a wonderful wedding. A good beginning. People say that the first year of marriage is the hardest. I know that you both have had difficulties during that first year. And I also know that the things you said to each other one year ago are still true today," Marlena said.
Will and Sonny each started thinking about their wedding vows as Marlena continued. "I also know that the love you feel, even with all that's happened, is deeper now than it was a year ago. I hope that continues. I hope that we're here next year -- and every year -- to celebrate...and to raise a glass," Marlena concluded, and everyone applauded. Paul was standing in the crowd, and the photographer sent Davis a text message to let him know.
Right after John told everyone to raise a glass to Will and Sonny, Davis arrived and asked if he could talk to the happy couple for a minute. Nearby, Kate nervously asked Marlena and John what a shark like Davis Favi was doing at the party. John explained that Davis had wanted to talk to Paul about the benefit, but Kate was skeptical, insisting Davis wasn't concerned with human-interest pieces because he was barely human himself.
Sonny wondered why Davis wanted to talk to him and Will. Davis claimed he was just gathering background information for the main article he was working on. Davis noted that, according to his information, Will and Sonny nearly hadn't made it to their first anniversary because Sonny had recently been stabbed. Sonny confirmed the information but stressed that he had made a full recovery. Davis said he had heard that was thanks to Paul Narita, who had donated the blood that had saved Sonny's life. Sonny once again confirmed the information, and Victor chimed in, saying that was another reason for the crowd to raise their glasses.
"It's ironic, isn't it? You save [Sonny's] life, and it turns out his husband, Will, writes the article that outs you," Davis noted as he approached Paul. "I wasn't outed -- I came out," Paul tersely replied. As various members of the crowd started shifting uncomfortably and quietly asking each other what Davis was up to, Davis congratulated Will on being nominated for the Hillman Award. Will cautiously replied that it was an honor to be nominated for such an award. Davis guessed Sonny was probably really proud of Will. Sonny said Will had written a good article.
"It certainly looks like it...though I wonder what the Hillman committee would say if they knew that Will was having sex with Mr. Narita while he was writing the article," Davis replied. As the stunned crowd reacted to the news, Davis turned to Paul. "I have to wonder if Will Horton seduced you and then blackmailed you into coming out. Anything for the story, right, Will?" Davis concluded. Will lunged for Davis, angrily ordering him to shut up, but Sonny held Will back as Will denied Davis' accusation. Davis wondered if Will was saying he hadn't had an affair with Paul. "No, we didn't have an affair!" Will insisted.
Davis countered that Will had, however, had sex with Paul -- and there was a witness who could confirm that. Paul muttered his disbelief. "Well, him, too. But I'm referring to a hotel employee who saw the two of you together numerous times in the privacy of Mr. Narita's room. In fact, that's where you were the night your husband was stabbed, wasn't it, Will?" Davis added.
Chad intervened and started pushing Davis away, angrily ordering him to get lost. Davis persisted, wondering if Will was going to deny having sex with Paul. Ben stepped in to help Chad, and when Davis protested that the town square was a public place, John countered that a private party was being held, and he flashed his badge and threatened to arrest Davis if necessary. Chad grabbed the photographer, but the man freed himself and punched Chad. Abigail rushed to Chad's side and wondered if he was all right.
As John and Ben forcibly removed the reporter and photographer, Victor demanded to know if Will had cheated on Sonny. Several people, including Sonny, tried to stop Victor, but Victor told them all to back off -- especially Kate, whom Will obviously took after just as much as Sami. Meanwhile, John told Paul to leave. Paul protested that he needed to talk to Sonny first, but John wasn't willing to let that happen. "You think I couldn't tell what I walked in on earlier? Bad enough that you seduce his husband. Then you make a play for Sonny, too? What kind of guy are you?" John wondered.
Paul protested that it hadn't been like that at all, but John wasn't interested, and he told Paul to forget about attending the charity baseball clinic that weekend, predicting that no one would want to see Paul after Davis' article was released, anyway -- and they might even ask for their money back from the benefit, too. John told Paul to grab the next flight out of town, and Rafe stepped in to agree that Paul needed to leave. "Gladly," Paul replied before walking away.
Adrienne and Lucas advised Will and Sonny to head home right away. Meanwhile, Clyde said he didn't appreciate the way Victor had talked to Kate. "Butt out, Weston. Pay attention, you'll get a lesson," Victor replied. Lucas tried to tell Victor to dial it down a bit, but Victor snapped at Lucas, too, advising him to be grateful he still had a job -- for the time being, anyway. "Your son is gonna pay for what he did to my nephew," Victor warned Lucas before walking away.
At Club TBD, Abigail helped Chad ice his wounds. Chad assured Abigail he was fine, and he urged her and Ben to go enjoy the rest of their evening. Abigail somewhat hesitantly left with Ben after advising Chad to get his lip checked out at the hospital. Later, Chad poured himself a drink with a smirk of satisfaction.
Outside, Ben assured Abigail he'd understand if she wanted to postpone their plans for the night, and she confirmed she wasn't really in the mood to do anything anymore. Abigail started to criticize Will before stopping herself and realizing she could relate to what he was going through. Abigail was sure Will had to feel sick about what he had done, and Ben was sure Will and Sonny would sort things out eventually.
At Edge of the Square, Clyde and Kate agreed Victor had been in full avenging-Kiriakis mode earlier and had seemed like a man who hadn't lost a single step. Clyde suspected Victor had been playing him and Kate, but Kate still wasn't entirely convinced because she knew Victor would never miss a chance to stick it to Stefano, since there was no one he hated more in the whole world. "Well, that's the way it used to be," Clyde cryptically replied, prompting Kate to wonder what he had been up to.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Maggie said she was sure Will and Sonny would work things out eventually, but Victor didn't know how Sonny could ever get past the fact that he had been fighting for his life in a hospital while his husband had been with another man. "I tried with that boy -- I really did. I had to hold my tongue more than once about Will. But he's Sami Brady's son, and I was right -- Sonny's too damn good for them," Victor insisted.
In a secluded section of the town square, Adrienne told Lucas that what they had done earlier was exactly like what Will and Paul had done. Lucas disagreed, arguing that Adrienne had every right to move on because Justin had cheated on her and was probably still cheating on her, but she maintained that she was a hypocrite because she had criticized Will for disrespecting his wedding vows but had then turned around and done the same exact thing. Adrienne was concerned about how Victor would react, but Lucas assured her no one would ever find out. Adrienne guessed Will and Paul had probably thought the same thing, and she abruptly excused herself.
At the Brady Pub, Marlena told John she had been unable to say anything to him about Will's one-night stand with Paul. John said Marlena could have at least stopped him from planning that fiasco of an anniversary celebration, but she wasn't sure why she would have ever done that, since Will and Sonny were trying to repair their marriage. "Yeah, and then that loser Paul puts himself right back in the middle of it again today," John complained. John told Marlena he had caught Paul flirting with Sonny earlier, and he added that he was glad they had all seen the last of Paul.
Tori was staring at John's business card when Paul entered his hotel room and told her about what had happened. Tori assured Paul it wasn't his fault, placing all the blame on Will and stating that he was the one who would have to pay the consequences, while Paul would soon be far away from Salem.
Will and Sonny entered their apartment in silence. "Sonny, I am so sorry. About everything," Will finally said. As Sonny stared at a framed photograph of him, Will, and Arianna, Will tried to contact someone but hung up when the call went to voicemail. Sonny wanted to know who Will had been trying to reach, so Will explained that he had wanted to give Zoe a heads-up about what had happened, since she was going to have to fire him and withdraw his name from the Hillman committee. "That's what you're calling about? That's your priority?" Sonny asked incredulously.
Will started to clarify that he had simply wanted to get that out of the way so he and Sonny could focus on the things that really mattered, but Sonny interrupted. "Goodnight, Will. Happy anniversary," Sonny sadly muttered before retreating to his and Will's bedroom and shutting the door behind him.
