If you read correctly chapter 32, you'll see Victor is actually a victim of circumstance. Let's see how that turns out.
"I did what?" Victor said.
"You heard me" said Malcolm. "You activated the chip".
"I did no such thing" he defended.
"Uncle Victor, what is he talking about?" Sonny demanded.
"Yes, Victor, what is he talking about?" Sami said, ready to jump on him.
"I have no idea! I don't know what this nonsense is about!" Victor swore.
"The hell you don't" said Malcolm. "The chip was activated long distance by remote control. When it was taken from Will's skull, I took it home and checked it out. The signal came from here".
"Signal?"
"Yes, the signal!"
"Oh, that's it, you're dead!" Sami exclaimed, charging at Victor, but EJ managed to grab her from the waist, stopping her.
"Dammit, Samantha!" he hissed.
"This is nonsense! I did nothing to Will Horton!" Victor insisted. "I would never do that to my nephew!"
"Not everything is about Jackson, Victor" said Malcolm.
"Will is also my wife's nephew!"
"I am also your wife's nephew and that didn't stop you from plotting to kill me with Deimos not too long ago. In fact, I believe that plan is still in motion".
"Let me go, now!" Sami ordered, struggling with EJ's grip.
"So, with that in mind, if you don't have any problem attacking Malcolm, then you don't have any problem attacking William" said EJ.
Victor stood up.
"Haven't you done enough harm over the last few years?" Malcolm said. "Your war is with the DiMeras, not the Bradys nor the Hortons. And this time your favorite nephew is part of the collateral damage".
"Loyalty is a very big deal to my family" said Victor. "I would never do anything that meant any harm to Sonny or anyone in my family in any way".
"Perhaps on purpose" he replied. "But eventually you do".
"I don't owe explanations to anyone! For all I care you can go to hell!"
"And what about me?" Sonny said, stepping up.
"What about you?"
"Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
"Sonny, this has nothing to do with you".
"He's right, Jackson" said Malcolm. "This isn't your business".
"You mentioned Will. That made it my business" said Sonny.
Malcolm rolled his eyes.
"Start talking, Kiriakis" Sami demanded. "Or I swear..."
"What, what are you going to do?" Victor said. "You can't even break free from your husband's grip".
"Dammit, EJ, let me go!" she insisted, struggling again.
"Malcolm, you said the signal came from here" said Sonny. "So if that's true, we'll find the remote control here".
"Yeah" he replied. "That's not gonna happen".
"Why not?" asked EJ.
Malcolm shrugged. "The remote control is no more".
Victor narrowed his eyes. "How convenient".
"What do you mean it's no more?" asked Sami.
"The chip's memory detailed having received the signal of the remote control from here and being activated by it" Malcolm explained. "But then, it disappeared. My only explanation for this is that it was destroyed".
"Then my uncle is right" said Sonny, crossing his arms. "This is very convenient. If you're trying to nail him for something he didn't do..."
"Oh, but he did" he replied, turning to Victor. "That face of yours says it all. You took the remote control, activated the chip and destroyed it to cover your ass!".
"How many times do I have to say it, I didn't do a damn thing!" Victor yelled.
"You aren't reliable, Victor" said Sami. "Admit it. You've been working with Deimos all along".
"It's true, I did. On his last months! I never did anything to harm Will Horton, who by the way I thought was dead. And if I ever did, I had no knowledge of what I was doing".
Malcolm scoffed. "Oh please. What are you gonna tell me now, that you just happened to find a small device, pressed the button to see what it did and when nothing happened you just destroyed it and threw it out?"
Victor frowned.
He remembered something quite strange.
Victor walked around the room, watching how everything was put on bags and boxes.
He opened a nightstand, and on top of some papers that looked somewhat important was a strange, little device.
Victor frowned, and picked it up. It was some sort of a remote control. It was square shaped, with a big, red round button on it and had a small antenna.
"Hm" he murmured. "Now what would this thing do?"
He pressed the button. Nothing happened.
"Huh" he said. "How disappointing".
He tossed the control to the floor and smashed it with his foot.
"Useless thing" he mumbled, getting out of the room.
"That's exactly what happened" he muttered, horrified.
Malcolm stared at him. "You can't use that! I said that!"
"It's the truth! I found a strange little device, pressed the button on it, and when nothing happened, I smashed it with my foot and threw the thing out!"
"Victor, I'm not gonna believe that, I just made that up!"
"Wow, Victor Kiriakis is not having a good day" said Sami sardonically. "You must be really desperate".
"Samantha" EJ warned. He adressed Malcolm. "Look, we only waste time and energy in this argument. You will not accomplish anything if he keeps denying your accusations, even though now we all know that he indeed activated the chip".
Malcolm stared at EJ as if he had gotten crazy. "But..."
"I'd listen to him" said Victor. "The remote control is gone, you have nothing on me. You might as well get the hell out of my house".
Malcolm glared at him. "I have the chip information".
"It won't stand" he replied with a smirk. "Anyone in this mansion could have done it".
Sami tried to charge at him again, but was stopped by EJ. "You son of a bitch".
"Get the hell out" he ordered.
"Come on" said EJ. "Let's go".
Sami had literally to be dragged by him, for she kept trying to attack Victor any chance she got.
Malcolm glared at Victor before leaving with them. "This isn't over".
Once they were out, Victor turned to Sonny, who looked at him like he was the most horrible thing on Earth. He sighed. "You don't believe me, do you?"
"Right now" he replied. "I don't know what to believe. In fact I don't want to believe in anything".
"You must choose your side. You're a smart boy, you know where your loyalty stands".
"I know" Sonny said, as he walked towards him, ending face to face with his uncle. "But I swear to you, if you indeed had anything to do with Will's ordeal... I'm done. I'm done with this family".
Once EJ, Sami and Malcolm closed the door of the Mansion behind them, Malcolm turned to them.
"You shouldn't have followed me. You ruined everything!"
"We?" said Sami. "You wouldn't share with us what you knew! And then you go and try to lock us in your apartment".
"And next time I'll make sure everything is closed!"
"This is not helping the situation!" EJ exclaimed, exasperated.
"There's no situation anymore" said Malcolm. "Now, I have to think of something else to nail that bastard".
"How come you are so sure Victor did this?" asked EJ. "He was right, anyone could have done it".
"Well for starters he just admitted it" said Malcolm.
"Didn't you hear him?" asked Sami.
"I was too busy stopping you from punching him to hear anything" he replied before turning to Malcolm. "Why else?"
"Why would anyone try to hurt Will? They all hated Deimos's guts. Maggie Kiriakis is our aunt. Brady Black is family, and a little dumb in my opinion. Justin and Adrienne Kiriakis are two big hypocrites, but wouldn't do anything to upset their golden boy. And Jackson, that's out of question. That leaves us with only one suspect".
"Of course" said EJ. "So you would have gotten the answer anyway".
"Yes" he replied.
The door opened, and Sonny got out, frowning when he saw them. "You're still here? Go, before my uncle sends his men".
"Victor does not unnerve me" said Malcolm. "What are you doing here?"
"I needed some air" he replied. "If everything you said is true, I don't think I'll be able to look at his face ever again".
"Oh, I'll leave him faceless, that's for sure" said Sami.
"Whatever, I just have to be out of here" he replied, and walked away as fast as he could.
"Wow" Sami said as she saw him leave. "He must have taken it hard".
"His uncle may have taken part in the kidnapping of the man he loves" said EJ. "I believe 'upset' is not enough description for his feelings right now".
"Can't blame him, though" Malcolm said.
EJ sighed. "We'll go too. Good luck Malcolm".
"Thank you" he replied. "I'll need it".
"And I'm sorry we screwed up your plan" said Sami.
He shrugged. "I would have probably been killed by his men hadn't you been there".
Sami smiled at him, and left with EJ.
Malcolm waited until they were gone, and took out his phone. He smirked as he pressed a button.
"Oh please. What are you gonna tell me now, that you just happened to find a small device, pressed the button to see what it did and when nothing happened you just destroyed it and threw it out?"
"That's exactly what happened"
"You can't use that! I said that!"
"It's the truth! I found a strange little device, pressed the button on it, and when nothing happened, I smashed it with my foot and threw the thing out!"
"Won't stand my ass" he muttered. He slowly walked to the fence, and went to his car.
"This may not be enough" he acknowledged. "But it's a start".
Chad and Will were playing chess in the living room, as their kids watched. They were actually so bored they found the match quite interesting, even though they were too little to even understand what chess was about.
Will took a piece, ready to move it. But Chad raised an eyebrow. "You sure you wanna move that one?"
"Why?" he asked.
"You move it, your King's dead".
Will looked at the board. "Oh right".
"Something bothering you?"
"I think I can't think very well. Kinda makes sense, I just had surgery in the head".
"You think you can't think?"
Will chuckled, and moved a pawn. "See?"
"But if you think you can't think then you're thinking" said Ari, frowning at her own sentence.
"That's right" said Chad, moving a knight and capturing one of Will's bishops. "And your uncle Chad will use that to his advantage".
Will stared at the board, then at Chad, then at Ari, then at Thomas (who had no idea of what was going on yet he still observed the match), and then at the board again. He moved his Queen and captured Chad's knight. "Checkmate".
"What?" his friend said, perplexed. "That's impossible".
He looked at the board and checked if there was any way he could save his King. There wasn't. "Oh, dammit".
"Yay!" Ari cheered, as Thomas also cheered, even if he didn't know exactly why.
Chad pouted at his son. "Traitor".
Thomas, still grinning hugged his dad's leg, and Chad picked him up and sat him on his lap.
"Father taught you well" he said to Will. "But I'll have my revenge".
"We've got plenty of time for all the matches we want" he replied. "No, wait. I have plenty of time. You have a business to run".
Chad waved his hand dismissively. "I'm on a leave of absence, remember? I still got a few days off".
"Oh, really?" Will said with an evil grin. "So you wanna have another match?"
Chad put Thomas on the floor and went to the window. Night was just falling.
"I don't know" he said, as Thomas went to join Ari. "The kids will get bored and it's almost their bedtime".
"What's the matter, Chad?" Will teased. "Scared a little Horton will kick your DiMera butt?"
Chad stared at him. "Oh, it's on!"
He went to join him and they started putting the pieces back on place. Only, the bell rang.
"What?" said Will, standing up. "Who might that be?"
Chad left the children on the big playpen he had just bought (which was bigger than the previous one, Will and Abby had decided their kids would share it) and, followed by Will, went to open the door.
Sonny was outside.
Right after leaving Will, Chad and the kids in the Mansion, Abigail and Gabi had gone shopping. It had become something usual that they did, but if they were honest, they spent more time just looking than actually buying stuff. That was pretty much why neither were having arguments in their homes about money. Not that much, at least.
"Didn't we go out and did this just a few days ago?" Gabi asked.
"So? That day we bought a lot. Now we only got this" Abby replied, lifting her hand to show her friend her ice cream.
"Ok, true" she replied. "Of course we should-Oh my God, look at that!"
She quickly went to a window to admire a handbag. Although in Gabi's mind, it wasn't just a handbag. It was the handbag.
"That thing is mine" she declared.
"Gabi that's got to cost like a million bucks" said Abigail, approaching the window. "And it looks really banal. I mean, look at it, with those golden lines, and its texture, leather by the way, and... Those pretty little stones and... That brooch..."
She trailed off as she got more and more enraptured by its beauty.
"Gabi?"
"Yes?".
"If you don't buy it, I swear to God I will".
"Done" she said, and both girls entered the store, pushing some woman aside in the process.
They rushed to the counter, where the woman in charge greeted them, with the fakest smile they had ever seen.
"Hello, we want to buy the pretty bag over there" Gabi said.
"Which one?" asked the woman of the fake smile. "You're going to have to bring it here. All handbags and other accessories for women are beautiful, everyone wants to purchase one".
Abby, quick as lightning, ran and picked the handbag, ran back to the counter and put it in front of the woman. "This one, please".
"Only one?" asked the woman.
"Yes, only one" said Gabi, taking out her old purse. "How much?"
"Four hundred" the woman replied, with the fake smile still in her face.
"Dollars?!"
"It's an original, and the newest".
"Ugh, whatever" she replied, looking for her money and taking out some bills. "Dammit! I only got 230!"
"Oh, let me see" said Abigail, looking in her own purse. "I got 70".
Gabi frowned. "Really?"
"Well, I got 50 more, but 30 are for Thomas's supplies and Will gave me 20 to get his medicines".
"Ugh, I can't believe this".
"Is there a problem?" the woman asked, still smiling.
"No, no" said Gabi, faking a laugh. "Um, listen, we're kind of regulars here, is there any chance we could get a tiny discount?"
The woman seemed to think about it, but turned to her again. "No".
"Oh, come on!" she pleaded.
"I'm sorry" said the woman, still smiling. "No money, no handbag".
"But..."
"No handbag" the woman emphasized, with her annoying smile never leaving her face. "Next, please".
Gabi scoffed and walked away from the counter with Abby, ignoring the glare of the other woman who had been behind her in the queue. "Ugh, that bitch, I swear".
"I know, did you see how she kept smiling?" said Abigail. "I really think somebody must have put superglue on her cheeks or something".
"She thinks she's so much better" Gabi said as she glared at the woman. She pulled up her sleeves. "I think I'll give her a piece of my mind, Statesville style".
"No, you won't" said Abby, pulling down Gabi's sleeves, taking out her phone and dialing someone. "I have a better idea".
"Who are you calling?"
"The only one who'll help us right away".
"Sonny" said Chad. "What do you want?"
Sonny hesitated. "I, uh..." He shook his head. "I just wanted to talk to Will... And you for that matter".
"Come in" said Will, ignoring the face Chad gave him.
"This better be good" Chad said, closing the door when Sonny came in.
As he went to greet Ari and Thomas, Chad approached Will.
"What do you think he wants now?" he asked in a low voice.
"I don't know" Will muttered. "He seems troubled though. Maybe something big has happened".
"Whatever, I just don't trust him when he's around you" Chad confessed. "He'll try to mess with your head and you don't need that".
"I can handle Sonny, I promise" he replied. "I know you just want to protect me, which I appreciate a lot, but I swear I can".
Chad nodded. "Like I said, this better be good".
Sonny approached them. "What are you two whispering about?"
"Nothing" Chad said, a little too quickly. When Sonny frowned, he crossed his arms. "You wanna talk? Talk".
Will got the kids out of the playpen and sent them to bed. They said their goodbyes and went upstairs, followed by him, so he could put them to bed.
When he returned, Sonny started. "Malcolm came to the Mansion earlier today. He had news. He..."
"Knew who activated the chip in my head" said Will.
"You knew?"
"We did" said Chad. "Thanks to Sami".
"Mom was supposed to come pick us up from the hospital" Will explained. "But she called my dad to say she couldn't. She and EJ were following Malcolm, but, apparently, Malcolm didn't want them to".
"That explains why they appeared and started bickering with him" Sonny mused. "Anyway, they know the perpetrator. In fact we all know him".
"Who was it?"
"My uncle Victor".
Will blinked a few times, and went to sit on the couch. "Man, I knew he hated me, but I didn't know he hated me that much".
"I can't say I'm surprised" said Chad. "The old man's been nothing but nasty. I'm so taking care of him..."
"No" said Sonny. "He claims he did but didn't know what he was doing".
"What?" Will said. "How's that even possible?"
Sonny sighed. "He says he found the remote control that activated the chip, and pressed the button to see what it did. When nothing happened, he destroyed it".
"Well, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard" said Chad. "I don't buy that at all. And coming from Victor? Come on".
"I know, I know it doesn't sound convincing, and that my uncle is smarter than that" he said. "But I must give him the benefit of the doubt".
"Sonny, the only one who tolerated Deimos enough to work with him was Victor" said Will. "Malcolm said it himself. They even plotted together to kill him".
"I don't want to talk about Malcolm" Sonny said. "Look, I just wanted to tell you in person. You have a right to know".
"And you're also telling a DiMera" said Chad. "We at war, Sonny. What, you decided to change your loyalty?"
"My loyalty remains with my family" said Sonny. "But it will be forever gone if Victor did in fact try to control Will".
"So noble" Chad said sardonically as his phone rang. "I gotta take this".
He picked up his phone.
"Hello?"
"Heeeeey, Chad! How's the greatest husband in the world, the love of my life, my boo, my sweetheart?" Abby greeted cheerfully.
"Ok, we both know you never call me those things" Chad chuckled. "Where are you? Are you drunk or something?"
"No! I'm with Gabi at the square. Look, we need your help".
"Why? What happened, are you ok?"
"I am. Listen, I got some money in my drawer, could you bring it to me, please?"
"Uh" Chad hesitated, looking at Will and Sonny. "I'm kind of in the middle of something".
"Oh, please!" Abby begged. "It's an emergency! I'll make it worth your while".
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah" she said in her own sexy voice. "You know, I've been thinking Thomas could get a little lonely, he could have a sibling..."
"I'm there" said Chad, and hung up. He rushed upstairs, as Will and Sonny looked lost. He returned within a minute and turned to them. "Duty calls".
Will rolled his eyes when the door closed behind him.
"So much for protecting me" he muttered.
Sonny sat with him on the couch. "I'm sorry about my uncle".
Will shrugged. "I'd normally say it's ok. But we both know it's not".
"I just can't believe he'd do such a thing!" he exclaimed. "I don't want to believe he's done this on purpose, but if he did, he's dead to me".
"I lost four years of my life in that cell, thanks to his brother" said Will. "And if Victor's been working with him..."
"I can't, I just can't". Sonny said, shaking his head.
Will stood up, and spotted the bottles of scotch and vodka on a table nearby. "You want a drink?"
"The strongest" Sonny replied.
Will went to pour two glasses, and when he noted Sonny was muttering to himself, he took out a few beers. "Might as well have a few of these too".
After Abby hung up, she turned to Gabi, who was shaking her head at her.
"I'm so disappointed" she said.
"What? Why?" Abby asked.
"You offered your husband sex in exchange of money?"
"So? It's not like the money is his?"
Gabi crossed her arms. "I do not like that you would throw yourself at him that way".
"Oh, trust me, I don't mind at all" she said, lifting her eyebrows multiple times.
Gabi made a face. "Oh my God, Abigail!"
Abby laughed while Gabi made gagging noises. "Oh come on, like you don't know..."
"Stop talking" she ordered. "Look, I just want to get back at that woman, purchase this and go home".
"That can be arranged" said Abby. "I'll pay half and you pay half. We'll share the handbag".
"Share it?"
"Yeah, we both like it, and we can buy this together. We're adults, I think we're both mature enough to share a handbag".
Gabi didn't look too convinced, but gave in. "Ok, fine".
The woman of the fake smile looked at them and waved. Then, she returned to the customer she was attending. Gabi clenched her fists. "It's like she wants me to get that grin off her face".
"Calm down" Abby said. "Chad will be here any minute".
As in cue, Chad walked into the store.
Gabi stared at him blankly. "That was impossibly fast".
"I drove here" he said, taking out some money from his pocket and giving it to Abby. "So what's the big emergency?"
"This" said Abby, and showed him the handbag.
Chad stared at it. "Are you kidding?"
"Hey, in the female world, not being able to buy this is enough reason for a meltdown or a stroke" Gabi said.
Chad frowned. "What?"
Abby sighed. "Let's just go pay for this".
She and Gabi went to the counter. The woman gave them the same fake smile.
"What's her deal?" Gabi thought. "Hi, we will buy this".
"Sure" said the woman. "Four hundred, please".
"Here you go" said Abigail, joining her money with Gabi's and giving it to her.
The woman put the handbag in a plastic bag. "So nice of your sugar daddy to come and help".
"Excuse me?" Abby said, indignant.
"Oh, he's some piece of meat, let me tell you" she said, still smiling. "I bet he must have been pretty desperate".
Abby's eyes widened with fury as Chad, having overheard, frowned. "Do I get flattered or mad?"
The woman turned to Gabi. "Do you want to purchase anything else?"
"No" she replied coldly.
"Oh, that's a shame" the woman said, still smiling. "Some nice earrings will reduce the size of those ears".
Gabi gasped indignantly as Chad's mouth dropped open. "What a bitch!"
"Oh, that's it, you're dead!" Gabi exclaimed, jumping over the counter and lunging for the woman, while Abby joined her and other people gasped. Chad managed to grab both girls by the waist and get them away from the woman before any damage could be done.
"Ok! Thank you, we're out" he said, making them get out of the store and glaring at the woman, whose smile never faded.
Once outside, Gabi stomped her foot multiple times as both Abigail and Chad stared. "I hate, hate, hate that bitch!"
"Should we say something?" Chad asked in low voice.
"Just that that woman is stupid and all the crap she said is not true" she replied, a little frightened by Gabi's freak out.
"Of course it isn't" he replied. "Gabi's ears aren't that big, I was certainly not desperate and you are the most beautiful woman in the world".
"Don't let Gabi hear you say that" she chuckled.
Gabi, breathing in and out, approached them. "I'm ok now".
"At least we got the handbag" said Abigail.
"Yeah" she said, and frowned. "I'm still kinda angry though".
"Me too".
"Maybe we're just hungry".
"I think I am" Abby said, grabbing Chad's hand. "Dear, where did you say you had that amazing dinner you had with your colleages?"
"Oh boy" he sighed. "This means we're not making a baby tonight, doesn't it?".
"Honey, your heart, remember" she said.
"I'll get the car" he deadpanned, and left.
Gabi and Abigail waited until he was out of earshot and burst in laughter.
Malcolm was sitting on his couch with the lights off, not doing anything, not saying anything. He just waited.
His watch marked 10 pm and he took his phone and dialed someone.
"Did you receive the recording I sent?" he said once his call was picked up. "What can you do with it? Good. Yes, I know he's too old for jail time. Ok, that works for me. Ok, I'll work into it".
He hung up and sighed.
He stood up and went to sleep.
The next day, Will woke up when knocks on the door of his bedroom were made. He sat on the bed and rubbed his eyes as Chad, wearing his underwear and an old T-shirt, opened the door.
"Hey" Will lazily greeted.
"Morning" he said. "How come you're not wearing anything?".
Will covered his chest. "It's been a hot night. You know, summer's just around the corner".
Chad nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you breakfast is almost ready. I can save some for you if you wanna eat later".
"Thanks" he replied. "I'll be down in a few".
Chad smiled at him and left, closing the door.
Will sighed and rubbed his face, just as Sonny, also naked, appeared from under the covers. "You think he knew I was here?"
Yes, I delayed this chapter on purpose just so I could post it as close to the holidays as I could.
Happy Christmas everyone!
Please review and thanks for reading!