Chapter 35: Triggers – Sunday, September 8th, 2013

Brady and Kai were finishing brunch at the Brady Pub when Will walked in. Will decided to stop by to say hi. "Hey guys. How's the food?"

Putting his fork down, Brady said, "Delicious as always. We're almost done, but you should join us." He really wanted to check in with Will about a few things.

Kai still struggled with guilt and knew he couldn't let Will join them. He stepped in before Will could respond. "Brady, there's something I need to tell you in private."

Will backed off and said, "I'll give you guys the privacy you need and talk to you later." He headed for the bar to take a seat.

Turning to Kai, Brady sensed that something was wrong. "Are you still upset about what Nicole said in Mandalay Cafe?"

This was it. Kai could tell Brady everything so he could try to clear his conscience. Looking down, Kai started, "Brady, there's something you need to know..." He stalled for a moment before finally looking Brady in the eyes to confess, "Nicole was right about some things. I... I forged the letter I told you about. My parents' friends never sent me anything about how my parents are looking to adopt a kid to move on from me."

Brady was confused for many reasons. "Why would you do something like that?"

The fact that he had told Brady the truth was starting to set in Kai's brain. "I did it because I wanted to interrupt your date with Nicole. I don't trust her. She's been a real bitch towards me when I've tried to be nice. I know it's not an excuse, but I... never mind."

Brady gave Kai a disappointed look. Nicole had a right to be upset with Kai, and Brady really let her have it for accusing Kai of something he didn't know Kai was capable of. "Just tell me… What were you going to say?"

Kai took a deep breath and repeated, "I know my lack of trust for Nicole is not an excuse for what I did to break up your date, but I wanted to protect you. I'm really sorry that I put you in a bad place."

Brady took a moment to think about what he should do at this point. Though he was upset with Kai for what he did, he did appreciate his concern and honesty. "It's okay. I'm glad you told me the truth."

Kai shook his head and replied, "Thank you for being so understanding." At this point, he believed brunch was over and Brady would want some space.

To show he had moved on, Brady suggested, "Do you want to run some errands with me before I have to meet back up with Maggie?"

Surprised, Kai raised his head and smiled at Brady. "Thanks for being so cool about this."

Brady put a tip down for the food he already paid for and stood up with Kai. Heading out, he thought about how Kai told him that Melanie quit the hospital. If he had time, he hoped he could talk to Nathan today at the hospital.

Walking out from the back of the pub with her grandson, Caroline pointed towards Billie and Frankie, who were sitting at a table, and said, "They're over there."

"Thanks grandma," Eric said with a nod before heading towards Billie and Frankie.

Caroline saw Will sitting at the bar alone. Joining him, she leaned against the bar and admitted, "I thought a lot about you while I was gone."

Will smiled curiously. "Oh yeah? I hope they were good thoughts."

Attempting to calm her nerves, Caroline shrugged her shoulders and said, "What can I say? I'm much older than I used to be, and I reflect back on my life and the lives of my family."

Will continued to smile but it was out of concern now. "Everything okay, great-grandma?" he asked nervously.

This wasn't going the way she hoped. Caroline wished she could just ask the questions she wanted to ask her grandson, but she needed a little more courage. Biting her tongue again, she answered. "I'm fine, Will."

When Eric joined Billie and Frankie, he greeted them and questioned, "You asked for me?"

After giving her fiancé a grin filled with excitement, Billie turned to Eric. "Frankie and I are wondering if you would be our wedding photographer... oh, and videographer if possible."

Nodding his head, Eric gladly accepted. "I would love to. When is the date?" He figured he needed all the business he could get.

"October 26th," Frankie answered. "It's a Saturday."

Eric appreciated the work and said, "I will be available, but I will need to put a team together if you're wanting me to take photos and record the ceremony."

Billie pondered what Eric said for a moment before offering, "Maybe I could help you put a team together."

"I may have a team in mind," Eric assured before standing up. He handed a card to Billie and Frankie and said, "If you'll just send me the details to my email that would be helpful. The basics of what you want, and we can also set up a time we can meet when I am not working here. Do either of you need anything else from me? A refill?"

Frankie gave Eric an appreciative nod as he replied, "We're set for now."

Heading to the back, Eric stopped by the bar first to announce, "I'm going to finish making those calls for you in the back, grandma."

Caroline eyed Will as she thanked her grandson, Eric. When Eric left, she took a deep breath figuring it was now or never. Standing straight this time, she purposely requested, "Will, tell me about the men in your life."

Caught off guard, Will looked at his great-grandmother with uncertainty. "Men in my life?"

Caroline told herself this was important, and she could not disappoint Will again. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"No."

"What about Chad?" Caroline persisted.

Will was stunned Caroline actually mentioned Chad and quickly debunked the idea of being romantically involved with him. "There's nothing there," he claimed.

"Sonny?" Caroline was on a roll.

Feeling more at ease about this one, Will maintained, "Sonny and I are just friends and roommates. Although he's been acting strange lately."

Caroline decided to push for more information as she considered a possibility. "Do you think he's acting strange because he may have feelings for you?"

The only feeling Will got from Sonny lately was dejection. "I doubt that very much because Sonny would have just told me if that were the case." Realizing how he was now at ease, he put on a smile and watched his great-grandmother intently.

Noting Will's grin, Caroline grew curious and asked, "Why are you smiling at me?"

"I just realized I'm actually talking to you about the potentials in my life," Will beamed. He never thought this day would come.

Seeing her great-grandson so proud of this moment only encouraged Caroline more to show him how much she loved him. "I'm interested in you finding the guy you will spend the rest of your life with." She thought about what Will said and challenged him once again, "So does that mean you really see Chad as a potential?"

Will needed to push Chad to the back of his mind as he answered, "Chad can't be... He isn't a potential boyfriend."

Caroline showed her nerves again when she asked, "And Ezra? Do you see him as a potential?"

Confused, Will questioned, "Why would you ask that? You know about him and Abigail."

"I think Ezra and Abigail are rather cute," Caroline clarified before admitting, "but there are times I have noticed the way Ezra looks at you. It's almost the exact same way he looks at Abigail, so I can't really place him."

Intrigued by what Caroline had shared, Will thought about it for a moment because of what Eric had shared in the past, but he dismissed it explaining, "Ezra and I are just really close friends."

Not sure if she bought that, Caroline patted Will on his arm and said, "Ezra is a nice guy."

Will smiled and agreed.

Joselyn entered the pub, and when she saw Billie and Frankie there, she immediately joined them. She was happy that she and Chelsea were getting closer. "I want to personally thank you for inviting me to your party last night."

Remembering how she and Kate invited Joselyn purposely to distract Chelsea from getting suspicious of them, Billie nodded and said, "I'm glad you could make it. I wish we had the chance to talk more."

"I was thinking the same," Joselyn claimed hoping she could get closer to Billie. "I'm always interested in getting to know my friends' families more."

Slapping the chair next to her, Billie encouraged, "Well, why don't you take a seat, and tell me what you want to know."

Joselyn looked to Frankie and noticed he seemed uneasy with Billie's demeanor. She was suspicious of the fact that this was coming too easy. Slowly taking a seat next to Chelsea's mother, she stated, "Only for a short time." She cleared her throat as she tried to formulate questions she could ask so they seemed innocent. "Tell me about your wedding. Is your dad walking you down the aisle?"

Billie's body shifted slightly at the thought of Curtis, but she put on a brave face as she openly shared, "My dad is dead."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Joselyn released with convincing sincerity.

But Billie wasn't having it. She quickly informed Joselyn, "There's no reason to feel sorry for that S.O.B. My dad was a bastard who did horrible things. He worked for Stefano DiMera, but that's not the worst thing he did in his lifetime."

Even though her hunger for more information was especially great, Joselyn managed to reel herself in to appear as though she was shy – more intimidated. "What did he do if you don't mind me asking?"

Billie began to reflect on Curtis, and all the pain from her past came to the forefront of her mind. There was too much she could say. "He wasn't a family man," she simply shared so her emotions wouldn't get the best of her. "He was an abusive man."

Shaking her head, Joselyn showed Billie great empathy as she replied, "I'm truly sorry you had to live through that."

Surprised by the genuine words Joselyn said, Billie almost began to tear up as she reflected on what Curtis did to her.

Frankie noticed the dark cloud over Billie and quickly stepped in. "Maybe we should talk about something else," he suggested.

Joselyn looked at the time and stood up. The last thing she wanted to do was make Billie cry. "I actually need to head back to the hospital soon. I came here to grab a snack. Thank you for humoring my questions. I hope I didn't upset you."

After Joselyn headed to the bar to order something from Caroline, Frankie turned to his fiancé asking, "Why were you so open about your personal life with her?"

Billie eyed Joselyn as she admitted, "I'm intrigued by Joselyn, and I want to get to know her more." There was no denying it. Billie definitely felt a strange and unexpected closeness to Joselyn. Turning her head so she could give Frankie her undivided attention, she decided, "We should come back to Salem sooner than planned."

Chad followed Dario to the church from DiMera Enterprises after Dario rushed out. When he got to the entrance, his phone began to ring. It was Roman calling him back, but he decided to ignore the call because he needed to find out what triggered Dario to return to St. Luke's. Once he was inside, he saw Dario standing in the middle of the pews calling out to God for answers. Chad knew he couldn't hide this time. "Dario..."

Hearing Chad's voice, Dario cringed inside and didn't dare turn to face him. Annoyed, he snapped, "Leave me alone."

Chad swallowed hard because this was a struggle for him. Any time he felt himself getting too emotionally involved in other's problems, he felt the desire to drink – to find an easy fix to escape all the stress. He couldn't let that stop him though. Pushing himself closer, he declared, "I can't do that because I don't want to abandon my family."

"Maybe you should tell that to EJ and Lexie because they feel abandoned," Dario spat out to push Chad away. He couldn't believe Chad followed him to the church again.

Confused, Chad finally moved in front of Dario so he would have to look at him. "What are you talking about?" he asked wondering if his brother and sister said something. He then realized Dario was trying to throw him off. "Dario, don't push me away!"

Looking up, Dario made direct eye contact with Chad. His eyes showed he felt defeated and stuck at the same time. "You don't get it. I have to push you away, or I'll end up hurting myself and the family."

Chad placed his hands on his hips hoping he could get through to Dario. "From where I'm standing, you're already hurting yourself."

"You don't understand," Dario repeated looking away. He began to move into a pew so he could sit and be alone.

Chad followed Dario close. "Help me understand." When Dario didn't respond, he decided he would start sharing what he knew of Dario's situation. "Here's what I know. Tell me if I'm wrong."

Dario took a seat trying his best to ignore Chad, but it wasn't working.

"I know you've come to the church a lot to pray the gay away," Chad released in the most serious tone.

Hearing Chad say what he did out loud and with such seriousness almost caused Dario to laugh. He admitted with a smile, "I never thought I would hear someone say that."

Chad put on a smile as he grabbed his neck realizing he had allowed something really corny to escape his mouth. "I can't believe I said 'pray the gay away' either."

Dario's smile quickly faded once he realized how inappropriate it was. "This is serious to me. I can't be gay," he lamented as great terror covered his face.

Chad moved next to Dario and gave him a hug from the side. He wasn't sure if there was anything he could say to help his cousin feel better about himself. He wished he could help Dario forget about being labeled, and instead, focus on his identity – who he is.

After a moment of silence on his end, Chad continued to hold Dario as he apologized, "I'm sorry for not being around when your whole world was turned upside down."

Dario wiped his face and removed himself from Chad. Even though he felt some comfort in the way Chad supported him, he needed to refocus on why he was there. "You didn't know..."

"Tell me what happened when your mom died," Chad requested. "Tell me how things ended with Sonny. Did you break up with him because of your mom's death?"

Looking forward towards the Virgin Mary statue, Dario pulled out his mother's rosary beads and reflected on what happened after Manny and Arianna told him of Isobel's death at Will and Sonny's apartment. "I went into the hospital morgue to view my mother's body with Sonny, and Sonny turned his back on me."

This was unexpected. This entire time Chad believed Dario broke Sonny's heart because in his head it explained why Sonny seemed extra moody. "How did he turn his back on you?"

Dario shook his head in shame. "He told me while I was in there with my dead mother we couldn't be together." The hurt from the experience came back as he shared, "I thought Sonny really loved me."

Trying to make sense of things, Chad suggested, "What if he broke up with you because he loves you?"

"No," Dario quickly denied, but then confessed, "I have wished for that to be true since it happened, but..."

Chad watched as Dario closed his eyes and stopped talking. "But what?"

With great agony, Dario bellowed, "This is my problem! I need to stay away from those thoughts!"

Noting how angry Dario seemed with himself, Chad placed his hand on Dario's shoulder to help him relax. "Dario, you're not doing anything wrong here. I asked you to tell me what happened after I left."

Dario remained upset and decided to move on past what happened in the morgue with Sonny. He continued, "I found out I was André DiMera's son the same day. I heard my mother telling Manny about it before, but I never put it together until Maddalena and Ignazio told me." Releasing a sigh, he mentioned, "They have been so supportive in my decisions since then."

"What decisions?" Chad asked for clarification.

Dario turned to Chad again as he explained, "With Sonny out of the picture, I decided I would give my mom what she wanted. I would be heterosexual only – no more guys."

"No more Sonny."

Feeling as though Chad was hearing him and understanding him, Dario said, "Exactly, but my feelings for Sonny won't go away."

Chad knew Dario wished God would take his feelings for Sonny away, but his wish wasn't being fulfilled. "Maybe they shouldn't," he hypothesized.

Becoming upset again, Dario maintained, "They should go away!" Ignazio's warning about Chad played in his mind. "I worked so hard to piece my life back together. I'm not weak like I used to be."

Chad smiled, and it confused Dario. "You are strong. Your struggle makes you strong." Looking down, Chad went somewhere else for a moment. "When Will got back from Chicago, he told me that after I left he fell apart, but he had to get up again to move on. I think you probably did the same when Sonny broke your heart. I chose to put Alibi by 30 Seconds to Mars on the set list because of what Will told me, and I want you to sing it."

Dario remembered seeing the song on the list without any assignment on vocals. "What are you talking about? That song is too big for me. I doubt I have the ability to pull it off."

Squeezing Dario's shoulder, Chad encouraged, "I know you can do it because you have lived the life of that song." He reiterated, "You are strong!"

Filled with doubt, Dario looked down as his thoughts went to everything he felt uncertain about. "I'm not sure who or what I am. Sonny still haunts me, and I still don't know much about my dad. All I know is André hurt a lot of people in the end." He shook his head remembering what Maddalena shared about how Andre lost his father. "I know that's someone I don't want to be," he contended moving away from Chad.

Scooting closer to Dario once more, Chad placed his arm over Dario's shoulders again and shared, "Did you know André was actually bisexual? – well if you want to put a label on it…" He noted Dario turn to him craving more information. "André lost his lover, a guy, at a young age and became a monster because of it."

Dario was thrown by the new information. He struggled processing it and questioned, "Why didn't Ignazio or Maddalena ever tell me any of this?" He remembered how people claimed Stefano was at fault.

Chad began to share his thoughts on why. "Maybe they thought..."

But Dario stopped Chad as he decided, "This should be a conversation I have with my brother and grandmother."

Respecting Dario's decision, Chad offered, "You don't have to do this alone."

Dario nodded his head to let Chad know he heard him. He began to reflect on André and how he supposedly went crazy due to losing his lover. Feeling as though he was losing his own sanity, he rubbed his arms and realized it all started when he lost Sonny. He hated that after all this time, he still couldn't fully function without him. He thought he could, but then something brought it all back to him.

Chad noted Dario's silence and asked, "What are you thinking?"

In great shame, Dario admitted, "I'm thinking about how you want Will back and are doing what you can to be with him again. I wish Sonny would fight for me. I wish he wanted me back."

Chad squeezed Dario's shoulder again as he remembered finding Sonny in bed with someone else. He thought he should probably refrain from encouraging Dario to go for Sonny in case Sonny had moved on. However, Sonny was more of a jerk now, so maybe he hadn't and was just as miserable without Dario. Feeling the need to say something to encourage Dario through this, he remained close and said, "I don't know what Sonny was thinking or how he feels now, but I do know that what you're feeling shouldn't embarrass you. If you ever need someone to talk to or if you need someone to just listen, please know that I am here for you, okay? I will do my best to respect whatever it is that you want or decide."

Dario leaned into Chad and released a lot of the tension filling him at the moment. He knew he couldn't keep going in this direction, but he had no idea what he could do to fix that at this point.

At the Horton Town Square, Joselyn spied Maddalena and decided to approach her. "Hi. I am Dr. Joselyn Brown," she introduced herself. "I would like to help Lexie."

Confused at first, Maddalena asked, "How can you help my niece?"

Joselyn adjusted her glasses as she explained, "I'm the head of the mental health wing at Salem University Hospital. I talked to Lexie's brother, EJ, about helping her receive therapeutic services for her bereavement and grief."

Maddalena nodded her head because she knew who Joselyn was now. She also realized why Maggie, Nathan, and EJ were talking at the hospital, but her mind went elsewhere. "Chelsea Brady works with you, correct?"

Finding Maddalena's question odd, Joselyn decided to go with her sudden change in direction because she believed she could get more information on the DiMera family if she answered Maddalena's question. "Yes. She does. Why do you ask?" She knew she needed to be careful because she wanted to protect Chelsea – especially from the DiMeras.

"Do you know much about Chelsea's family and their standing in Salem?" Maddalena asked.

Joselyn pulled her dark hair back and admitted, "I don't know her all that well, but from what I understand her grandparents are very successful in business, and she has family everywhere around the world."

Nodding her head, Maddalena believed Chelsea had the family that could help strengthen the DiMera name, but Victor being her grandfather could be problematic. She questioned if Victor knew about their grandchildren being involved. "What about Chelsea individually?"

This is where Joselyn had to be especially careful. "Chelsea seems to have had a complicated history with family, but she has used that to better herself. She has drive and determination to help her clients and those she is close with."

Satisfied, Maddalena returned to why Joselyn approached her in the first place. "So tell me how you hope to help Lexie's mental health?"

"I need to know more about what is happening with Lexie," Joselyn started. "How is Lexie dealing with Abe's death, and how is she handling the news on Stefano?"

Maddalena wondered how much Joselyn knew because she seemed to know a lot already. "She is hiding. When Abe was missing, it was simpler to talk to her, and maybe it was easier when Abe's death first happened, but at one point, she shut down on all of us." Her part in Abe's death began to plague her mind, but Maddalena knew she couldn't allow her guilt to get the best of her. Instead, she decided to use it to get some sympathy from Joselyn. "After we received the news on Stefano, things only got worse, but I hope with her moving in with me, things will get better."

Joselyn tried not to get pulled into what Maddalena was saying. She did not want to cross too many boundaries on her quest for more information. "I know grief can be a real struggle," she empathized as she remembered Lexie hinting to her that Tony DiMera was dead. "I know death is a constant in life. Was Lexie close with Tony?"

A chill ran through Maddalena's spine at the mention of Tony. She began to cough as she questioned what exactly EJ talked to Joselyn about. Maybe EJ wasn't doing as well as she hoped. Composing herself again, she replied, "I believe Lexie and Tony were close after he managed to return from banishment, but after his death, I can't be so sure."

Upset to get further confirmation of Tony's death, Joselyn bit her tongue and said, "I'd like to gather additional information regarding the family history to better help Lexie if you are willing to assist me."

Knowing she didn't have time for a longer conversation, Maddalena shared, "Call me, so we can have an official meeting. Chelsea has my number."

Joselyn was happy to hear that as it helped her do things in a more ethical manner. "I will call you."

After Joselyn walked off, Ignazio approached his grandmother. He arrived and saw her talking to Joselyn. "Who were you just talking to?" he asked pretending to be clueless. He didn't want Maddalena to know that he officially met Joselyn the night before.

Maddalena crossed her arms and replied, "I am not sure." Moving on, she shared, "I asked you to meet me because I have rescheduled my dinner with Chelsea."

Ignazio couldn't believe Maddalena called him to talk about her dinner plans with Chelsea when his brother stormed out of DiMera Enterprises. He hoped Dario was okay. "Did something happen with Chelsea?"

Shaking her head, Maddalena explained, "I want to make sure you understand I want to have this dinner alone with Chelsea. It needs to be one-on-one."

"I am not sure I understand why you need to be alone with my fidanzata," Ignazio released. He didn't like the idea of his grandmother having one of her dinners to manipulate Chelsea and began to question if Maddalena was talking to Joselyn in hopes of getting information on his girlfriend.

Maddalena replied, "I don't want any distractions when I talk to her. I need her focused on me – I need her to be open about her life."

Ignazio grew more nervous. He wondered if Maddalena would uncover Chelsea's secret. He hoped she never found out Chelsea couldn't have children.

Manny entered the living room of his condo from the hallway with Arianna on the phone. "Gabi isn't here."

"That's odd," Arianna commented. "She wasn't at church, so where could she be?"

Manny looked around to see if he could find anything that could help him figure out if Gabi was there before he arrived. "Do you think she's afraid of running into Dario still? As far as I know she hasn't talked to him since she came back."

"Have you talked to Dario about Gabi?"

"No. You?"

Arianna denied it as well. "Do you think we should call a family meeting?"

Manny looked at the time knowing he would have to report to Victor soon. "I don't think we should force anything. It hasn't worked for us recently."

Trying not to dwell on their past mistakes with Dario, Arianna said, "You're right. I hate that we're stuck like this. I need to go. I'll talk to you later."

"I'll see you tonight," Manny released before hanging up the phone. He needed to change clothes so he could head out.

Outside of the condo, Azzura arrived and slid a picture under the door before heading away.

Back inside, Manny returned to the main room shirtless because he thought he heard something from his room. Spotting the picture on the floor, he picked it up and looked it over. Fear took over Manny's body as his heart began to beat faster. "How?" he questioned before rushing to the front door and opening it. He looked outside but saw no one. Returning his eyes to the picture, he felt sick to his stomach and lowered his body on the couch. It was a photo of the dead man Kate found in the park a couple of years ago.

Walking through Salem Place, Kate's thoughts remained on the news about Stefano possibly never waking up again. She rubbed her head wishing she could decide on whether she should return to his side or remain in Salem. "I need some coffee," she breathed. Spotting Abigail exiting Java Cafe, her thoughts went to Will and Chad – more importantly – how she manipulated them so Chad would leave Abigail for Will. That was so long ago.

Kate shook her head because she knew her soft spot for Chad was coming back. She needed to focus on the future and realizing that Will was spending alone time with Abigail's new squeeze, Ezra, made her wonder about a few things. "You know, it's really nice that you've moved on from Chad. I'm really hoping Will can eventually do the same," she said with a smile.

Kate's approaching her at all caused Abigail to feel uncomfortable and suspicious. "Why are you bothering me?"

Kate put her hands up to show she was not a threat. "Don't worry. I'm not here to get in-between you and your new boyfriend. Are you two happy together?"

The discomfort and suspicion only increased for Abigail. She thought about how things were complicated between her and Ezra, but there was no way she was going to admit anything to Kate. Holding onto her coffee tightly, she protested, "I don't have to answer your question."

Before Abigail could walk away completely, Kate raised her voice a tad and cautioned, "A leopard can't change its spots."

Abigail walked off shaking her head.

Walking out of Java Cafe with two drinks in his hands, Nicholas quickly noted Kate was outside and dodged her before she could turn around and see him. He definitely didn't want to catch up with her. Finding Gabi at a nearby bench, he handed one of the drinks to her. After taking a seat, he took a sip of his drink before deciding to be honest about something. He felt he could open up to her. "Life hasn't been so great recently, but being around you takes it all away."

Gabi took a drink of her coffee but didn't say anything. She still didn't understand this connection she had with Nicholas. He was really good with the sweet talking.

Wondering why Gabi didn't respond, Nicholas said, "I hope what I said doesn't scare you off."

"I understand," Gabi released before explaining, "I understand what you're saying even though I don't really understand it. We don't know each other much, but you bring an excitement in my life that I haven't felt in a long time."

Getting more comfortable on the bench with Gabi, Nicholas dusted himself off playfully and said, "It is settled then. There's something special between us."

Nicholas moved to give Gabi a kiss, but she pulled herself away. "Please don't take this the wrong way because I do want to kiss you. There are some things I have to take care of before we can take this any further."

Nicholas moved away from Gabi as he agreed, "I concur. There are a few things I need to sort out as well." Proving he was okay with this, he said, "I am a patient guy."

Gabi smiled as she took Nicholas's hand and suggested, "Let's make a pact. We'll sort the things we need to so we can be together."

Needing some clarification, Nicholas questioned, "So you mean exclusive?"

Still smiling, Gabi nodded her head. "Yes, boyfriend and girlfriend."

Nicholas smiled back knowing there were a few things standing in his way of being the boyfriend he believed Gabi deserved.

Maggie entered the pub with quite a few shopping bags in her hands. She approached Will, who was sitting at the bar, and gave him a hug after putting her bags down. "Is Brady here? He told me we'd meet here after I finished getting what I needed," she informed him.

"He's not here."

"Is your uncle, Eric, around then?"

Pointing to the back, Will answered, "He's in the office filling out paperwork."

Maggie adjusted her purse over her shoulder and asked, "Can you watch these bags for me?"

"Sure," Will agreed.

Maggie appreciatively patted Will on the back before heading for the office to talk to Eric. When she found him behind Caroline's desk, she put on a smile while greeting him. "I wanted to stop by to tell you I love the photos you took of the rooms at the mansion."

Eric was glad to hear that. "I appreciate the compliment and the work."

"I'm glad you said that last part," Maggie began. "I've started to redecorate the rooms. Is there a day you could come out and take pictures of some of the rooms I've completed? I want to send them to Sarah and Melissa, so I can convince them to come back to Salem."

Between helping his grandmother at the pub and his new projects, Eric knew it would be some time before he could do that. "I can find some time after the big event for DiMera Enterprises."

"What event?"

"I'm helping Chad DiMera with his grand opening of his club and studio," Eric answered. "I think it's going to be great."

Maggie smiled and said, "I'm impressed with the shift in business for DiMera Enterprises. I hope it works out for EJ and Chad."

Brady arrived to the pub in search of Maggie and assumed she was close when he spotted quite a few shopping bags next to Will. Patting Will on the back, he said, "Hey man. Maggie got you on guard duty?"

Offering a warm smile to Brady, Will shared, "Maggie decided to talk to Eric in the office while she waited for you to arrive. I'm not sure she expected you to get here so fast."

Brady leaned on the bar figuring he could wait for her to come back out. "Well, that gives us time to talk then. I wanted to talk to you earlier, but Kai wanted to tell me something."

Remembering how Kai seemed nervous earlier, Will questioned, "Is he okay?"

Nicole entered Brady's mind, but he chose not to delve into what happened. "He's going to be okay, but I want to ask you something. It's non-related. Have you decided on whether you would like to record at Titan?"

Will realized he forgot about Brady's offer. He didn't want to have Brady waiting on him any longer. "Thanks for trying to help me, but I have to decline for now because I'm working for Chad at the moment. He's opening his own studio for DiMera Enterprises."

Though he was intrigued to hear that Will was actually working for Chad, Brady decided to respect Will's decision without directly questioning it. "I heard about the club and studio, but I hoped I could get you on Titan's side."

Noting how Brady's response was somewhat playful, Will jested back, "Always thinking business."

Brady unashamedly nodded before inquiring, "You said 'at the moment'. Why?" He wondered if Will didn't think it would work out with Chad – business wise.

Realizing he said that unconsciously, Will replied, "I don't have a reason. I guess I just said it."

"So you're not waiting for something to go wrong, so you can bounce?"

Will shook his head and denied it. "Things between Chad and me have been strictly good business."

Brady patted Will on his shoulder and said, "For your sake, I hope things continue that way."

After leaving the photo for Manny to find, Azzura arrived to Maddalena's mansion pleased with herself for completing her mission. When she walked through the front door, her phone chimed. She had received a text message from Sami saying she wanted to hang out with her soon.

Azzura thought about what she did to EJ and noticed she felt a bit sick about it all. She tried to ignore the illness that suddenly overtook her and replied to Sami: "We should have lunch tomorrow in the square."

After a moment, Sami texted back: "Sounds great. We can make definite plans later. I'm busy with Johnny and Sydney."

Azzura sent Sami a one-word response before putting her cell away. Her stomach grabbed her attention because she still didn't feel well. She questioned if she really did feel guilt over what happened. Was her guilt so strong that it caused her to feel sick in this way?

"EJ and Sami are simply a job," Azzura whispered to herself hoping that would take the uneasiness away.

Making her way down the stairs, Lexie rushed over to Azzura unintentionally scaring her. "Are you okay? You do not look too good."

Azzura pulled herself together hoping Lexie didn't overhear her talking about EJ and Sami. She already feared Lexie because Lexie knew she and EJ didn't have sex the night she drugged him. "Thank you for your consideration, but I am fine."

Lexie backed off because she needed to head out. "I am leaving, but I recommend you get some rest."

Azzura didn't put up an argument because she wanted to be left alone. "I will try," she claimed.

Lexie headed out of the mansion and found John and Marlena walking up the entryway. She heard they were back and hoped to avoid them. She continued to head to her car, but they stopped her before she could leave.

"Hey, Lexie," John released. He was happy to see her again. "Is Maddalena inside?"

Lexie managed to put on a happy face for John and Marlena as she replied, "Maddalena is not here."

As Marlena stood back, John gave Lexie a curious look as he said, "I wonder what you can share about my sister, your aunt."

Even if it had been years since they found out John was a DiMera, it was still weird for Lexie to think of John as her uncle. "Zia Maddalena has been supportive of me and is a good woman. Are you trying to size her up next to Stefano?"

Noting how Lexie called her father by his name, Marlena questioned, "Are you really surprised?"

Even though she was annoyed, Lexie bit her tongue because she needed to go. She gave them a small wave before unlocking the doors to her car. She didn't have the patience for this.

John realized he and his wife had upset Lexie. John called out to her again. "I'm still sorry about your loss. Abe truly was a good man."

Also attempting damage control, Marlena agreed. "Abe was a light in this world. How are you and Theo holding up?"

Lexie struggled here. Having to hear John and Marlena talk about the greatness of Abe as if he were extinct really got to her. She internally told herself to keep it together as she responded coldly, "I am doing what is best for my family." Without a pause, she got into her car and drove off.

Celeste, who had witnessed her daughter interacting with John and Marlena from her car, watched as John and Marlena decided to leave as well. When they had left, she grabbed a piece of paper from her passenger seat before getting out. She knew she would have to confront Lexie later about her part in getting Nicole and Jack into the DiMera mansion. Lexie was being too careless.

When Celeste made it to the door, she taped the piece of paper onto it before ringing the bell. She quickly rushed off before anyone could see her there.

A moment later, Azzura opened the door and found the paper Celeste left. Studying the note, she realized it was a torn page that came from a book – possibly a diary. Her mother's name, Antonella, was on the sheet. Her curiosity was piqued as she began to read the entire page.