Chapter 12: More Time – Wednesday, August 28th, 2013
At the Brady Pub, Caroline looked over her luggage to make sure she had everything she needed for her trip to Ireland. Even though she was leaving Salem to help the family, she couldn't help worrying for the family she was leaving behind – especially Will.
Tuesday, August 27th, 2013
Caroline brought out a batch of fresh-baked cookies for Will to enjoy. She was happy he decided to stop by before she left for Ireland the next day. "Are you alright Will? You really haven't said much since you arrived."
Will looked over the pub before answering, "School starts next week, and I'm trying to figure out where my summer went."
Caroline gave Will a silly look. "You were in Chicago for most of it, remember?" Taking a seat after bringing her great-grandson a glass of milk, she wondered aloud, "Have you talked to Lexie since you've been back?"
"Some," Will released. "She's busy at the hospital, and she said she would call me when she had more time. I don't know though. I think she's pushing me away like she did with church."
Caroline's ears perked up at Will mentioning church. "Are you still going to that Baptist church with Lexie and Theo?"
Will eyed his grandmother for a moment. "I've been in Chicago," he reminded her.
Noting how Will suddenly seemed closed off, Caroline wondered if she struck a nerve with her question. She didn't understand how she could. "Did you attend church while you were in Chicago?"
"No."
"What did you do on your free time then?" Caroline followed up. She didn't understand why Will suddenly seemed closed off.
It only got worse because Will remained quiet for a moment. Caroline couldn't tell if he was thinking of an answer or trying not to say something. He finally shared, "I went out with Aunt Cassie and Uncle Rex."
Caroline simply smiled back at her grandson. She could see he didn't want to talk about Chicago and dropped it.
Wednesday, August 28th, 2013
Arianna approached Caroline, who was in a daze. "Caroline, I'm hoping I can have a moment of your time before you leave. It's about my brother, Dario."
Caroline snapped out of her thoughts realizing Arianna was in front of her. "Good morning, Arianna. Have you heard anything from Gabi?"
Gabi. Arianna scratched the top of her head as she thought about her sister. "I haven't heard anything back from her. It's been more than a year and a half since she left… I hope she's happy."
Caroline nodded her head. "I'm sure she is happy," she encouraged unaware of what she implied. "Did you come here for breakfast? I made some blueberry muffins fresh this morning."
"Actually, I came here to talk about my younger brother," Arianna shared. She realized Caroline did not hear anything she said when she first approached her.
Confused, Caroline did not know why Ari would want to talk about Dario with her. She could only guess. "Does he need a job? I thought he was working with EJ at DiMera Enterprises."
The reminder of Dario's profession was unnecessary. It seemed everyone wanted to talk to her about Dario in the context of the DiMeras. Arianna cringed over that fact as she explained, "I thought about talking to Sami or Adrienne, but Adrienne is out-of-town, and it's better if I don't run into EJ if I don't have to."
Even though Caroline had some idea of why Arianna would want to discuss Dario now, she didn't want to assume either. "What exactly is going on?"
Arianna shared, "I believe my brother is lost because he won't accept his sexuality. I want to know how you have encouraged Will with his coming out. Did he struggle and fight it?"
Caroline hated the memories of how she handled Will's coming out. Even though she and her great-grandson had made amends over that, Caroline realized she wasn't in reality doing a good job of supporting Will now. She had remained silent about it and didn't dote on him about the guys in his life like she used to with girls. Maybe that was why Will turned so cold the night before.
Arianna noted Caroline was gone again like she was when she first arrived. "Caroline?"
Caroline snapped out of her thoughts and answered, "What happened with Will when he came out was mostly him. He did that alone, but he also had a lot of help from Sonny."
Sighing, Arianna knew she couldn't go to Sonny for help when it came to Dario. "Thanks for telling me," she released before realizing she could talk to Will about this instead.
Bo and Roman walked down the stairs with a few more pieces of luggage. "Ma, I think we have everything."
Caroline nodded her head as Arianna approached Roman. "I will see you at the station later."
As Arianna walked out, Hope, Chelsea, and Ciara entered the pub to say their goodbyes. "Good morning!"
Caroline still had Will on her brain and mentioned, "Will came by last night to wish me well."
Chelsea eyed her grandmother due to her random mention of Will. "Has anyone else come by to say goodbye?"
With a nod, Caroline confirmed, "Sami and Eric came by with the kids."
Hope gave Bo a kiss on the lips as she wrapped her hands around him. "We should have had a proper goodbye dinner last night."
Bo made a funny face at his wife. "We're only going to Ireland for about a week. This kiss and hug will do just fine."
Hope removed her right arm from Bo as she moved over to the right side of his body. "Well, Brady, please be careful and keep your mother close."
Chelsea and Ciara went to Caroline and gave her a hug. "Goodbye grandma. If you have time, take lots of pictures."
Caroline held her granddaughters close. "Make sure you drop by and check in on the family here. We must continue to support each other."
Roman gave Bo an odd look because of the concern covering Caroline's face. "We'll take the luggage to my car," he announced to give his mother more time to say goodbye to Hope, Chelsea, and Ciara.
Chelsea's phone made a sound. She received a text message from Kate that read: "I am still free to have lunch today. What does your schedule look like?"
While Chelsea responded she could meet Kate for lunch, Bo and Roman reentered the pub to grab the last pieces of luggage and their mother. "Ma, we should really head out."
"Well, let's go then," Caroline said before giving Hope, Ciara, and Chelsea one last hug and kiss.
After Caroline left with Roman and Bo, Chelsea approached Hope and asked, "When are you and Ciara headed for Colorado?"
Hope released a smile as she replied, "We are heading out Friday afternoon. Will you be able to handle all that time alone?"
Ciara grabbed Chelsea's hand and questioned, "Are you going to have Ignazio over?"
Chelsea shrugged her shoulders and blushed. "I don't know what I'll do this weekend, but I'm going to miss my little sister." Ciara smiled and hugged Chelsea.
Pushing the end call button on his screen, Chad put away his cell and pulled out his journal to make a mark on it. He looked through the journal for a moment before glancing up to see his brother walk into the living room. Placing his journal in his back pocket, Chad approached EJ. "You have some time before heading to the office?"
EJ turned to his brother and gave him a nod. "I wanted to talk to you before I headed to the office as well. There's no need for you to be at the office today."
Chad scratched the back of his head. "Is that all you wanted to say to me? I don't understand why it's so important for me to stay away from doing work in actual offices."
EJ headed for the desk and opened a drawer. "That's not all I have to say. I would actually like to talk to you about the family and your life story in Texas."
Chad dropped his hand and gave EJ a knowing look. "I figured this would come at some point." He thought about how much he focused on school and work eventually after heading for Texas. "I worked at a bar and finished my undergrad. I'm actually heading to the school for a meeting and to register to start on my MBA."
After pulling out a few files from the drawer, EJ turned his attention back to his brother. "You are telling me things I already know about your life in Texas. You were living in those dreadful apartments, working at that run-down karaoke bar, and finishing your school via the Internet. I knew all of those things when I approached you in Texas, so stop screwing around with me. Have you visited father since reading the letter I left you that night?"
Chad gave EJ a nod. "Well, I'm glad you could stop screwing around to let me know what you really want to know. I read the letter you left way after you visited me because it fell behind my bookshelf at my dreadful apartment."
EJ ignored his brother's cheeky attitude and asked, "So did you visit father at the clinic I mentioned in the letter?"
"I did," Chad admitted. "I went to see him in June, but he was still in a coma."
With a bit of frustration in his tone, EJ replied, "It doesn't make sense father has yet to wake up. Did you speak with anyone while you were there?"
Chad remembered when he sat down with his father in June. "I managed to get in and out unnoticed. Why?"
"Is that when you decided you needed to prepare for your return in Salem?"
"I knew before that," Chad claimed. He didn't want to go into the details of that though. "So what's the update on your wife's thoughts on my presentation? Did I win her over?"
Opening his briefcase, EJ placed the files inside. He closed his briefcase and gave Chad his full attention. "I really want Samantha on board with this," he admitted. "I believe she sees the potential in venturing into this direction, but she may need another push since this came from you."
Chad desperately wished he had the power to snap his fingers to make everything okay. "Do you think Sami will always hate me?"
A smile fell on EJ as he reflected on his wife. "Samantha is quite stubborn. It will be in your best interest not to piss her off anymore. I will do my part in making her come around."
Noting the way his brother smiled when he called Sami stubborn, Chad shook his head because he knew EJ loved Sami. "Some things never change."
EJ believed Chad was referring to Sami's stubbornness and gave Chad a look to say he was mistaken. "The family is actually quite different these days. With father out of the picture and Maddalena staying in Salem, there has been a huge change in direction for the family, but I think you are aware of that because of the letter I wrote you."
Chad nodded his head remembering what EJ detailed in his letter. "It's so weird that Maddalena is actually André's mother. I remember that time we went to the Cheatin' Heart for lunch and you told me about some of the things André did – for father and for himself."
EJ remembered the conversation well. "Chicken wings. How could I forget?" Things were different then. He was more sure of himself. "Well, I did tell you André had pretty much cut himself off from Maddalena. Who knows if he would still be here if he hadn't gone to our father for guidance and instead remained with his mother? There are times I question how my life would look if I had stayed with my mother or if she came and tried to take me away from father."
"Do you think it's a good thing father is in a coma because there seems to be more positive changes happening for the family?" Chad questioned while he processed what EJ said to him.
EJ began to reflect on the conversations he had with Tony before Tony died at the hands of Philip Kiriakis. Tony had warned him plenty on how Stefano viewed things and how the DiMera family dynamic was complicated. "You're an optimist," he pegged his brother. "Things are still difficult for our family. There's still a lot of things that we need to fix."
"Like what?"
EJ looked at the time and realized he was running late. Grabbing his briefcase, he excused himself. "I should go. We can talk about this more later. Good luck with your meeting at Salem U."
Chad gave his brother a nod and watched him leave. He pulled out his journal and threw his body on the couch. He needed to check his list and add a few names on who he needed to talk to next.
Lexie entered his mind. Chad wondered if he should approach her again about how he wasn't there for her during the darkest time in her life. It had been four days since he saw her last. Maybe it wasn't enough time for her to calm down. Maybe he waited too long to talk to her about everything. One thing Chad knew for sure: she deserved better.
The doorbell ringing interrupted Chad's thoughts on his sister. He got up and headed for the door wondering who stopped by when everyone else was already out for the day. When he opened the door, he was caught off guard by Maddalena's presence. "Good morning. Would you like to come in?"
Maddalena greeted Chad with a hug and kiss on the cheek before entering the foyer of the DiMera mansion. "This will only take a moment of your time, nipote. I am planning a wonderful dinner Friday night, and I would like for you to attend."
Chad stepped back. He realized his aunt would adamantly continue to push her need to share a meal with him. Attempting to remain casual, he responded, "I will try to be available. I have a lot of work that needs to be done."
"Of course," Maddalena quickly released. She felt the same awkwardness with Chad she had experienced since his return to Salem. "We will play it by ear as you Americans say," she stated to appease the tension in the room.
Chad put on a smile and nodded. "Sounds great."
Maddalena echoed Chad's expression. "I must return to my work. I am sure I will see you on Friday," she said before heading out the door. She wondered why Chad was so distant from her.
Will pulled himself out of bed after taking a shower. He really needed to get dressed, so he would be ready when Ezra arrived. Turning up his music, he was surprised at how fast the week was going and wondered if he could handle returning to school after his dismissal from his internship in Chicago. He hoped he didn't get twenty questions from everyone in the music program.
Friday, June 7th, 2013
At Rex and Cassie's apartment, Will walked in to find Cassie dressed to go out for the night. Even though he had been there for a while already, Will still wasn't used to Cassie's club look. She was extremely gorgeous, but she really didn't need all the makeup and hair spray to show off her looks. "Are you having a big event at your club again?"
Cassie strutted her way to Will. "Actually, I'm going out with a few of my girls to celebrate a birthday. Are you going out tonight or are you joining your Uncle Rex in the boringness of staying in for the night?"
Rex, who had been reading a book to this point, closed his book and stood up from his chair. "Who said I was staying in for the night? I have a late-night rendezvous planned with a special lady."
Will smiled at the both of them. "Well, you two should have fun then. I think I'll probably stay up for a bit – watch a movie or something."
Cassie looked at Will as though he had blasphemed against God. "Oh my God, Will. Your uncle and I are not allowing you to stay in by yourself tonight. You should join me and the girls. We may stop by a few of the gay clubs."
Will gave his aunt a hesitant look. "I'm not sure..."
"You should go," Rex interrupted Will. "Cassie knows everything about the nightlife here, and you need to experience it at some point while you're in Chicago. Your stay will be over before you know it."
Will grabbed the back of his neck. He remained uncertain. "Well, I did get a lecture from Jay Yang at the studio today about how I need to have fun whenever possible."
Cassie moved her hair behind her shoulders and said, "Jay is right! We may run into him tonight. Say you'll come."
Will felt the pressure to say yes, but he knew that couldn't be his answer. "How about a rain check? I already promised a Skype date with mom tonight. I promise I'll go out and enjoy Chicago soon!"
Wednesday, August 28th, 2013
Will's cell phone pulled Will from his time in Chicago. It was Brady. He quickly turned down his music so he could answer. "Hey man. What's up?"
"I'm working setup for when my grandfather and Maggie arrive from their honeymoon," Brady responded before returning the question to Will. "What are you up to? It's come to my attention that we haven't caught up in a while. You down to having lunch sometime soon?"
Will nodded his head out of habit as he answered, "Yeah. I am open on Friday if you want to have lunch then." He couldn't help but wonder if Brady wanted to talk to him about Chad. Maybe he should have thrown a party to get this conversation done with everyone in Salem.
"Awesome man. I'll text you Friday morning to see where you want to have lunch. I'll see you then."
"Bye." Will hung up the phone and placed it on his desk, so he could finish dressing.
Once he was dressed, Will walked out into the main room just as Sonny was coming in through the front door. Even though Will could probably guess correctly with the way his roommate was dressed, he still asked, "Where were you?"
Sonny gave Will a look to show he really didn't want to answer. "I went to the gym."
"Why didn't you wake me up to go with you?"
"I like going by myself now," Sonny plainly replied. He wanted to talk to Will about Chad but feared it would push Will away. "Have you run into any trash recently?"
Will quickly understood who Sonny meant when he said trash. Though he didn't like it, he humored Sonny and claimed, "I've been fortunate since Saturday." His thoughts went to Chad as he wondered if Chad and Lexie ever made peace.
Ezra walked into the apartment after a small knock at the front door. "Hey fellas!"
Sonny gave Ezra a smile before announcing, "I'm hitting the shower."
After Sonny walked out, Ezra approached Will and gave him a hug. "You smell good, Horton."
Will laughed and patted Ezra on the back. "Thanks. So do you."
Ezra playfully bumped his elbow into Will's side. "I thought you'd never notice." Moving on, he shared, "We're meeting this Saturday morning to have our first practice for indoor soccer. I need to make sure I spread the word to all the other guys who are interested. I should tell Sonny after he gets out of the shower."
Will took a seat on the couch and patted next to him so Ezra would follow suit. "Have you hung out with Sonny at all this summer?"
"Why?"
"Sonny has been acting weird," Will claimed. "There's something off about him."
Ezra wrapped his arm around Will's shoulders and suggested, "Maybe Sonny boy needs to get laid. I could go in there and help him."
Will opened his mouth wide in shock as he turned his eyes to Ezra. "Get laid by you?" he laughed.
Ezra gave Will a wink. "Are we still on for visiting campus today?"
Will slightly pulled away from Ezra. "Yep. I need to get my books and make sure I'm still in the right classes."
"Should we wait for Sonny to see if he wants to go?"
Will shrugged his shoulders. "It can't hurt..."
Ezra immediately tackled Will onto the couch. With a sly smile on his face, he asked, "Does that hurt?"
Will looked up into Ezra's eyes. He was amused. "It takes a lot more to hurt me."
Ezra gave Will a proud and impressed look. "I really like it when you talk with such confidence. Just know I am bigger and better than you at everything." He made sure to give Will another wink to show he was only joking with his last comment.
Will laid there with Ezra on top of him for a while. Their closeness felt familiar but different at the same time. He truly felt safe with Ezra.
Jennifer headed to the nurses' station to drop off some paperwork. When she heard the elevator doors, her attention went to the person walking out. Spotting Jack, she looked down immediately. She made sure to take a deep breath to prepare herself for what she knew was coming.
Before Jack could even say a word, Jen spoke to lead the conversation, "I have yet to find the DVD. I told Roman I plan to keep looking."
Jack noticed Jen wouldn't even look at him. He questioned if she still felt awkward from their family therapy session. "I guess I'll continue looking. Did you ask the kids if they've seen it?"
Pretending to look over paperwork so she would look busy, Jen answered, "I did over the weekend, but they haven't seen it either." A sudden frustration came over her when she slammed the papers down and steamed, "I hate that Colin could get out of jail" before finally looking to Jack. "Are you going to be able to handle it if Colin is a free man?"
Jack took a moment to take in Jen's flip-flopping on how she approached him. She was distant one moment, but now she seemed invested in his presence. "I won't give up on keeping him in prison. The DVD will take care of that. I will be fine, Jen. You don't need to worry about me."
"Right," Jen released before turning away. She remembered it wasn't her job to save him, but then Nicole entered her mind. Placing the paperwork in the outgoing box finally, she figured she could return to her office. "Well, I guess you and Nicole should get on that then."
Before Jen could rush off, Jack stretched out his hand to stop her. He didn't put too much stock in Jennifer's mention of Nicole. "Jen, there's something else I want to discuss with you."
Jen moved her hair from her face and looked up to Jack. "What is it?" she asked with some hesitance.
"Have you given any more thought to the two of us doing therapy together without the kids?" Jack asked earnestly.
There it was. Even though she had stopped for Jack, Jen began to head for her office again. "I've been really busy," she claimed.
Jack started to walk with his ex-wife. "This could be good for us," he argued. "We could finally deal with everything that has happened between us."
"That's really not necessary," Jennifer returned while keeping her focus on where she was heading. She truly needed to push Jack back so she didn't have to talk about this. "I have worked through all that myself."
Set on making this work, Jack didn't back down. "Jen, it would be really helpful for me then. There are some things I seriously need to process through without the kids. I need your help here."
Jen stopped in her tracks at Jack's request. She turned to him wishing she could just take away the pain again, but she knew she shouldn't do that. She gave him what she could, "I need more time to think about it, Jack."
"There you are, Jackeroo," Nicole released as she walked up to Jack and Jen. "Are you ready for our meeting with Lexie?"
Jennifer's body shifted as she asked, "Why are you meeting with Lexie when your story on her has already aired?"
"We are doing a follow-up since a lot of people were interested in our story last week," Jack covered.
Jen watched Nicole and Jack closely. A part of her wondered if the follow-up was some kind of ratings ploy for the station. Either way, she knew there was more. Jack wasn't telling her everything.
In a different hall, Lexie headed for her office when Cameron stopped her in her tracks. "Dr. Davis. You're still following me."
Cameron sighed in frustration but tried to approach Lexie in a positive manner. "I have a question for you, Dr. Carver."
Lexie waved her hand to make him stop. "I don't really have the time now. I have a meeting in my office. Just focus on your job, so I can focus on mine."
Cameron grew heated as he complained, "I am trying to do my job!"
Nicole walked up with Jack and noticed the tension immediately. "Hope we're not interrupting anything."
Lexie scratched the top of her head realizing she wasn't handling Cameron correctly. She needed to get rid of him though. "Come find me later if you really need my help. I know you're more than capable of doing your job."
Cameron sighed and raised his hands to let her know he was walking away. "Fine," he agreed before turning around. He shook his head as he walked off.
Lexie took a deep breath before directing Jack and Nicole into her office. After closing the door, she took a seat at her desk. "I have something for you," she shared while opening a file drawer. Pulling out a file, she handed it to them explaining, "This is my husband's medical file. This will tell you everything that he went through when he was found in my father's basement up to the day he died. If you need any clarification on anything in there just let me know."
Jack began to look through the file first. There was a lot of information, and he knew they would need Lexie's help to decipher some of it. "Will do."
Lexie moved on. "I also want you to do some digging into the DiMera mansion. Since Abe was found in the basement, there may be some clues that weren't picked up by the police."
Nicole gave Lexie the side eye because she believed the woman's request was crazy. "I'd rather scoop my eyes out, boil them, and eat them for breakfast than enter that house again."
"That's a bit extreme," Jack said to Nicole before sharing his own concerns with Lexie. "How are we supposed to walk into the DiMera mansion without raising any suspicion on what we're actually doing? You still want to keep this hush-hush, right?"
Lexie understood their concerns, but she needed them to realize she would watch out for them. "I will find the right time for you two to gain access without getting caught. I really need you to do this, but I understand if you want to back out now."
Nicole looked at Jack first to see his thoughts on this. Jack turned his attention to Nicole. "I want to get to the bottom of this, so I'm in."
Nicole agreed with Jack after taking a deep breath. She decided to follow Jack's lead on this even though her nerves told her this was a bad idea. "We're going to do this, Lexie. We trust you can get us in there and out without any problems."
"Don't worry," Lexie comforted them. "I have everything under control." She managed to sell it to Nicole and Jack, but, deep down, Lexie knew she had lied. She couldn't guarantee anything.
"Sorry about yesterday. A client called and needed to meet yesterday instead of today," Chelsea informed Kate. They were enjoying lunch outside at Horton Town Square. "It's good you have such a flexible schedule while you're here."
Kate studied her granddaughter closely as she talked. Chelsea seemed detached. "Of course, I am happy we could meet today without any interruptions."
Chelsea looked up from her food and asked, "Are you heading out of Salem again soon?"
Kate shrugged her shoulders as she returned to her food. "I don't really have a timeline yet, but I figure I need to visit with everyone here because it's been so long since I've had one on one time with everyone. How are things with Ignazio?"
Hearing Ignazio's name suddenly reminded Chelsea of when she was with Theo in the therapy room on Monday. He touched her stomach and said the most random thing to her. Returning to her grandmother's question, she answered, "Ignazio and I are moving slowly, and he's such a gentleman."
Kate raised her eyebrows and wondered aloud, "Is he being a DiMera gentleman because that's different from other gentlemen. The former are more dangerous."
"I've got everything under control," Chelsea told Kate. She didn't really want to hear her grandmother give her a lecture about how the DiMera men were bad. She believed that every person decided who they were.
Kate gave Chelsea a skeptical look as she shared, "Ever since your mom found out about Ignazio, she keeps asking questions."
"I know. She will send me random text messages about him throughout the day," Chelsea stated. "She keeps pushing to find out if Ignazio is my date to the wedding."
Kate leaned in curiously. "Well, will that be the case?"
Before Chelsea could answer, Joselyn walked up to the table to say hi. "Hey, Chelsea. I'm surprised to see you out here."
Chelsea wrapped her food up because she was done. "Hey, Joselyn. This is my grandmother, Kate DiMera. I don't think you two have officially met."
Kate took Joselyn's hand and shook it. "It's very nice to meet you. Chelsea told me you really helped her through the whole ethical debacle last year."
Joselyn smiled and agreed, "I did, but your granddaughter is definitely worth it. She's a great addition to the hospital, and we're lucky to have her." She watched Kate closely and knew she needed to get her alone at some point. "How long are you in town? Chelsea says you've been out-of-town a lot on business."
Joselyn began to rummage through her purse while Kate answered, "I'm not sure." She didn't think much of Joselyn's curiosity and believed Joselyn was only being polite because she seemed distracted with her purse. Attempting to return the kindness, Kate asked, "Do you have family here in Salem?"
"I don't," Joselyn answered immediately. She purposely placed one of her business cards next to Kate's purse but made it look accidental. "Sorry, I'm looking for my wallet, so I can grab my order before my next client at the hospital. I should go. It was nice meeting you, Kate."
Kate nodded her head. "Likewise."
"I'll see you in the office, Chelsea," Joselyn said with a warm smile before walking away.
Kate noticed the business card next to her purse and picked it up. "She forgot this."
Chelsea recognized it immediately and claimed, "She has tons. I'm sure she won't miss it."
Kate looked the business card over and took note of Joselyn's last name. Trying to hide the discomfort that followed, she looked to Chelsea and asked, "What do you know about Joselyn?"
Chelsea took a sip of her drink and answered, "She's a colleague but I believe we're becoming friends. She and I talk a lot about each other's past and what we want for the rest of our lives."
Joselyn walked past another table where Dario and Ignazio were having lunch. Ignazio hoped to repair some of the damage between him and his brother. "I am glad we agreed to meet for lunch today."
He wasn't allowed to continue though. Spotting her brother, Arianna walked over and interrupted, "I'm only here to pick up a few drink orders from Mandalay Café. Do you have a second to talk, Dario?"
Dario and Arianna sensed Ignazio's annoyance, but Dario decided to talk to his sister. "Yeah, I can talk. Maybe we should walk and talk so you're not late?"
After a nod, Arianna and Dario began to head for Mandalay Café. "Are you and Ignazio on lunch break from work?"
"Yeah," Dario confirmed knowing full well that his sister didn't want to discuss Ignazio. He moved on to something she wanted to hear. "I want things to be better between us. I hate when we avoid each other."
A smile found itself on Arianna's face. She was glad to hear that since she agreed. "I don't have much time, but I'm wondering if you'd be interested in doing dinner again."
Placing his hands in his pockets, Dario paused before giving his sister a nod. "I will be there, but please don't have a hidden agenda this time."
Arianna took a deep breath of relief. She could promise him that. "Manny and I will be straight..." She paused as soon as she said the word. She didn't mean to choke on the word, but for some reason saying the word straight to her brother in this moment caught her off guard. She swallowed hard and continued, "We'll be straight with you."
Dario tried to play off Arianna's awkward response, but he felt compelled to end the conversation quickly. "Great. You probably should pick up your order."
"I should," Arianna agreed uncomfortably. The stress of it all returned as she wondered if she could plan something where Dario could relax and not feel as stressed as she felt. She gave Dario an equally uncomfortable hug before entering Mandalay Café.
Dario returned to the table where he left Ignazio. Noting his brother seemed tense, he said, "Sorry about that."
"What did she want?"
"I'm having dinner with Manny and Ari again," Dario answered. He really didn't want to make it a big deal.
Ignazio was interested in more details about the dinner. "Am I not invited again?"
With a shrug, Dario reported, "She didn't say anything about it, but it's probably best if you don't come like last time." His thoughts lingered to how Arianna choked on the word straight. He wondered what that was about. "I'm thinking I will go to the gym again later."
Ignazio bit his lip to avoid getting a rise from Dario again. Realizing he wouldn't get to have the conversation he wanted with his brother, he turned his attention to those around and spotted Chelsea talking to Kate. He wondered if he should ask Chelsea out on another private date.
Meanwhile, at the Kiriakis mansion, Victor and Maggie returned from their honeymoon. After they were greeted by Manny and Brady, Victor asked, "How was Salem while we were gone?"
Manny took hold of the luggage Maggie and Victor brought in, while Brady replied first, "It's been quiet and boring really. I've got everything under control at Titan."
"Everything has been secure here at the mansion," Manny added after putting the luggage next to the foot of the stairs.
Maggie looked the place over as she shared, "I had a great time, but I'm glad to be home again. I know Victor is itching to get back to business."
Victor couldn't deny Maggie's claim. Motioning towards the living room, Victor suggested, "We should catch up on a few things."
"I'll help Mrs. Kiriakis take this luggage to the bedroom," Manny volunteered.
Once Brady and Victor were in the living room alone, Brady assured his grandfather, "Things have actually been quiet here. There's nothing to worry about."
Victor raised his eyebrow to show he wasn't so sure. "Is Nicholas coming as instructed?"
With a nod, Brady confirmed, "Yes, he's on his way." Still curious about Nicholas's life prior to his return to Salem, Brady asked, "So what happened to Nicholas before he arrived in Salem for Nathan's bachelor party?"
Victor simply shook his head and claimed, "It's better if you stay in the dark on this one."
Brady wasn't keen on dropping this, but Nicholas's arrival made him back off. "Glad you could make it so short-notice, Nicholas."
"Well, you two are the boss," Nicholas stated knowing full well what this would be about.
Victor didn't take to Nicholas's smart comment. "I'd like to talk to you alone, Nicholas."
Brady crossed his arms and stood his ground. "I'm good to stay."
"I need you to do something for me, Brady," Victor announced. "Would you please contact Kai to check on his availability before the weekend?"
Sighing mentally, Brady nodded his head and left the room.
Once he believed the coast was clear, Victor laid into Nicholas. "Daniel made me promise to keep an eye on Melanie's safety, and I don't break promises."
Nicholas stepped back as he attempted to assure Victor everything would be okay. "I am doing my best to kill Melanie's worry about Daniel, but it's hard. She's set on..." Nicholas stopped because he was about to reveal Melanie's plan to leave town, but he was tired of betraying his sister's trust repeatedly. He needed to do something for her. A noise from the back distracted them for a second before he claimed, "She's set on finding out where her dad is."
Victor noted how Nicholas stumbled on his words. He wondered if he finished the sentence how he planned the first time he started it. "What is she willing to do?"
Nicholas was saved by a text message from his sister. "It's Melanie," he announced as he read the text message. "She wants to meet now."
Victor caught Nicholas's attention by moving in. He reiterated, "We must do whatever to keep Melanie safe."
Out in the foyer, Maggie walked down the stairs with Manny in tow. "There are still a few things in the car. I know Henderson won't be able to get them."
As Manny headed for the door, it suddenly opened. Sonny almost ran into Manny. "Whoa! Sorry."
Manny didn't really acknowledge Sonny. "I'll grab the rest of the stuff," he excused himself before walking out of the mansion.
Maggie smiled and gave Sonny a hug. "It's so good to see you, Sonny."
"It's good to see you as well, Maggie," Sonny smiled. "How was the honeymoon?"
Maggie's eyes lit up as she reflected on her experience. "It was simply wonderful. I must have taken hundreds of pictures and learned thousands of recipes!" She knew Sonny would want to hear about those.
Sonny smiled widely before asking, "Did my great-uncle make it in any of the pictures or was he glued to his phone the entire time?"
Giving Sonny a knowing look, Maggie figured they could talk about recipes later and shared, "He participated as a husband should, but I know he missed his first wife, Titan, very much." She motioned towards the living room and continued, "He's in there right now talking business already."
Sonny placed his hands in his pocket as he admitted, "I actually need to talk to him, but if he's busy, I can wait."
Maggie adjusted the sleeves of her blouse. "I'm sure Victor would welcome a distraction from you..." Placing her hand on his back, she tried to direct him towards the living room, but Nicholas rushed out into the foyer. He had just finished talking to Victor and wanted to leave without another word. Maggie stopped him though. "Nicholas, I had no idea you were here," she said while forcing him into a hug.
Nicholas had to bring his mind back to the present. When he separated from Maggie, he apologized. "Sorry, I am focused on work." Seeing Sonny, he decided to give him a hug as well. He needed to act as normal as possible. "It's great to see you two. I'll try to come by another time, so we can catch up."
With Nicholas gone, Sonny headed into the living room. "Hello. You free to talk?"
Victor was pleasantly surprised to see his great-nephew. "Sonny, it's good to see you. How are you?"
"I'm okay."
"And your parents?"
"They're great," Sonny started. He figured he should make some small talk before he brought up Daniel. He knew Melanie needed to know something about her father. "They're still visiting Joey and his family."
Brady entered the room from the back and proclaimed, "Kai should have time to meet with you on Friday."
Sonny watched as Victor gave Brady a nod of approval. His thoughts ventured onto how nice his great-uncle and Brady were with his ex-boyfriend. It made him feel somewhat jealous. "I want to talk to you about Daniel," he stated to refocus his thoughts on why he came over. "Do you know anything about Daniel's whereabouts?"
Confused, Victor turned to Sonny. "Why are you concerned?"
"Melanie is concerned," Sonny set the record straight. He remembered how Melanie told him she was thinking about leaving to search for her father.
Victor gave Sonny a stern look. Controlling Melanie to make sure she remained safe was a lot harder than he anticipated. He needed to communicate the right message to Sonny, so he would report to her that there was nothing they could do but wait. "I've been looking for him, but I know nothing at this time," he claimed.
Sonny tried to read his great-uncle for a moment but figured it was futile. "Well, let me know if you find out anything. I'll see you later."
Brady waved at Sonny before Sonny left the mansion. He crossed over to the bar and poured himself a glass of water. He admitted, "I'm starting to believe we know nothing about Daniel because you've said it a lot."
Victor looked around the vicinity to make sure they were alone. "I may know something, but I am waiting for confirmation."
Brady took a drink of his water and eyed his grandfather. He wondered if Victor would give him more information.
Eric, who was behind the bar at the Brady Pub, stood across from his twin sister, Sami. He was working the pub while Caroline was out-of-town. Noting the look on Sami's face, he asked, "What's going on in that head of yours?"
Sami became giddy because she hoped Eric would ask her that question. "I know you've been looking for photography work. I've got a job for you."
"You do?" Eric asked intrigued.
Sami pulled out her phone to look over her schedule. "I told EJ that it's been awhile since we've taken family pictures, so I was thinking we should get the best photographer to take the best pictures of my beautiful family."
Eric gave Sami an interested look as he released charmed, "Oh?"
Sami instantaneously continued with a disappointing tone, "He wasn't available though, so now I'm asking you." Noting the way Eric suddenly became disheartened, she quickly clarified, "I'm kidding. You know I wouldn't ask anyone else. I love your eye. I love the way you see things... well most things"
Eric continued to put on a face of hurt, but then broke when he had Sami where he wanted her. "I know. I'm game. It will be nice to spend time with Will, Johnny, and Sydney."
Sami put her phone on the bar. Moving her hair from her face, she corrected him, "Actually, only one of your nephews will be at the photo shoot."
Confused, Eric leaned in on the bar wondering why only one of his nephews would be present. A realization came over him. "Will's not a part of this because you want the photos to be taken at the DiMera mansion… where Chad is staying."
Sami didn't waste time denying her twin's claim, "That is not the reason. I didn't tell Will about this because Allie won't be here to join us."
Eric nodded his head to Sami but knew better. He knew she was only using Allie as an excuse.
Abigail stepped up to the bar. "Hey guys. Sorry to intrude, but I overheard you two talking about a photo shoot. Eric, if you're willing I'd like to show you a few of my shots. I'm into photography as well. It's more in the photo journalism aspect though."
Eric agreed. "Sure. You can bring them to me sometime. I'm running the pub for my grandmother, so I'll most likely be here."
"Awesome. Thanks." Abigail smiled before excusing herself. "I'll let you two get back to your conversation."
Heading off, she found an empty table. She placed her purse on top of it and looked through it for her phone. Instead, she found the mayor's business card. Abigail reflected over what her dad said in therapy concerning her happiness. She questioned if she would ever experience what Jack wished for her.
Ezra entered Abigail's mind as she realized she hadn't seen him lately. "Did I push him away like I did with Josh?" she whispered to herself. She began to feel like a failure in all her relationships.
Celeste entered the pub and spotted Abigail on her way to the bar. She couldn't help but notice the card she had in her hand. She had studied it before. "Are you meeting with the mayor?"
Confused at first, Abigail looked up to Celeste in silence. Her fingers feeling the card in their grasp. "Not now. Later though."
"That's interesting," Celeste began before claiming, "There's something familiar about the new mayor. I've only seen her on the television and never in person."
Abigail didn't know what to make of Celeste approaching her about the mayor. At the same time, she didn't really care to sort it out. Pretending she had something else to do, she said, "Well, I need to go meet up with Chelsea in the square. I hope you have a good day."
Since Abigail abandoned the booth, Celeste decided to take it over. After taking a seat, she did not waste any time covering the table with her tarot cards. A strange vibe came over her. Something wasn't right.
Melanie came through the pub entrance and when she saw Celeste sitting there with her tarot cards, she saw an opportunity. Reaching Celeste's table, she said, "I don't know how this all works for you, but do you have time to meet tomorrow before noon to discuss something?"
Celeste did not remove her gaze from her cards. She was on to something. "Come see me at my daughter's house in the morning."
"Thanks!" Melanie tilted her head before walking away. As soon as she took a seat at a table, Nicholas arrived. She motioned him over.
Nicholas hurried over and took a seat. He didn't waste any time. "Are you still set on leaving?"
Melanie nodded her head. "I'm leaving tomorrow."
Victor's warnings replayed in Nicholas's mind. He needed to protect his sister at all costs. "I still think it's a bad idea. Nothing about this trip feels right. What about Nathan? Are you just going to leave him in the dark?"
Melanie rubbed her eyes in frustration. She remembered how she almost told Nathan her plans two days ago. "I'm going Nicholas, and no one can stop me. And I can't tell Nathan because he would drop everything and come with me. The hospital needs him right now."
Nicholas rubbed his head because Melanie was making this difficult. He wasn't sure if there was anything else he could say to stop her. "Melanie…"
"Nicholas…" Melanie didn't understand why her brother was so resistant on her going, but a thought crossed her mind. "Victor and Brady got to you."
The entire world around Nicholas stopped. Did Melanie figure out his secret? Did she know Victor sent him to talk her out of this?
Melanie continued, "Did you tell them about my trip?"
Nicholas immediately denied it. "No, I would never do that. Brady and Victor don't have a clue about anything." He realized she didn't know anything when she calmed down, and he needed to keep it that way.
After a deep sigh, Nicholas knew he couldn't give Victor what he wanted. "I'm going with you then," he declared showing a bit of reluctance.
Melanie didn't care though. She was excited. "Awesome! Everything is working out because I already bought your ticket!"
Nicholas forced a smile. He wondered if he was a fool for leaving Salem and going overseas with his sister. It didn't matter though. He needed to keep Melanie safe no matter what.
On the Salem University campus, Chad and Brian walked out of the music building. Chad patted Brian on the back with gratitude. "Thanks for joining me in the meeting with your dad. He's really helpful."
Brian still felt awkward about helping Chad, but he saw a guy who was sincerely trying. "My dad seems really impressed with you, and that's saying a lot since you're not a music major or connected to the school of music."
"Well I guess I am now." Chad stated matter-of-factly. He studied Brian closely and could see the discomfort. "So do you still hate me?"
Brian was shocked with Chad's upfront question. "I don't hate you. I never did because I honestly don't really know you. I just know you make poor choices."
"Well, I hope I can fix everything soon," Chad said before stopping in his tracks. Will, Ezra, and Kai were headed towards them.
Will had spotted Chad as well. It was a bit overwhelming for him to see him at school again. The fact that Chad was with Brian only added to the feeling.
Ezra stepped up because Will's mouth seemed motionless. "What's going on here?"
Chad tried his best to keep his eyes off Will, but it was a struggle. He decided to keep his answer simple. "I had a meeting, but now I'm headed to the registrar's office to enroll for MBA classes."
Kai quickly realized Chad would be on campus more. For Will's sake, he instructed Chad, "We should really try harder to avoid each other."
Unable to handle the awkwardness, Brian excused himself while waving his green phone in the air. "See you guys around. My mom is expecting me."
With Brian gone, Ezra gently pushed Will forward so they could leave too. "Let's go."
Chad managed to step in front of them though. "Wait." Everyone froze for a second before Chad continued, "Sorry. I just wanted to ask you about Lexie. Have you talked to my sister?"
Will swallowed hard as the discomfort only increased. He knew he needed to respond and hated that standing in front of Chad still had this strong of an effect on him. He felt bad for Chad because of what happened at the DiMera mansion and still wanted to reach out to help him. Trying to hide his embarrassment for feeling so awkward, he shared, "I talked to Lexie the other day."
Chad gave Will an appreciative look. "Thanks for everything you did for her while I was gone. I really wish I could fix everything. I've realized so much."
Looking into Will's eyes, Chad was set to continue, but Will stopped him. "Chad, you should just reach out to her." He persisted, "Please move on. I need to focus on school as well as trying to get a great internship again."
With a genuine apologetic look, Chad wondered aloud, "Could you get another internship in Chicago?"
Will looked away and replied distantly, "I doubt Jay would give me a second chance even if he liked me." Attempting to turn Chad's focus on anyone else but him, he repeated, "Talk to Lexie."
Chad saw an opportunity. He felt guilty for taking it, but he had to because he couldn't give up or move on from Will. Looking deep into Will's eyes, he replied, "I may do that, but sometimes people need time before they're ready to really talk." Chad kept his eyes on Will for a bit longer before walking away.
Ezra gritted his teeth and watched Chad walk away. After he was gone, he put his arm around Will's shoulder and complained, "I can't believe that guy."
Will pretended nothing happened. "Let's just get to the book store." As he walked with Ezra and Kai, he kept playing Chad's words through his mind. He began to question if he had made the right decision in how to approach Chad. Maybe he was doing this all wrong. He didn't like this at all.
