Chapter 38: Reminders – Thursday, December 29th, 2012

The next morning at the guys' apartment, Chad walked out of his bedroom and could hear Will singing in the shower. He turned as he heard Sonny's bedroom door open. T walked out and spotted Chad as well. "Good morning."

"Morning," T said back as he ran his hand through his bed head. "Thanks again for letting me stay the night. I wasn't in a place to go home last night."

"It's no problem," Chad smiled hoping that T would be okay. Chad and T could then hear Will singing in the shower. "There goes Will and that Bruno Mars song again. I guess it is fitting to sing about rain when he's taking a shower."

T laughed with Chad. "I'm used to it I guess. Will would always sing in the shower when we stayed the night over each other's houses growing up."

Chad became annoyed with T because it appeared he implied he knew Will better than Chad. Wanting to change the subject, Chad asked, "So what are you doing today before we head out later tonight?"

"Well, I am going to try to talk to Gabi. I really want to fix things with her and try to help her understand this whole Kinsey/baby situation." T wondered if Gabi would even look at him if he showed up at her place.

"Well, I hope it all works out," Chad said feeling a bit guilty for being jealous of T and Will's friendship.

"Thanks," T said with appreciation. Hearing Will starting to sing a different song, T smiled at Chad. "So why aren't you taking a shower with Will?"

Chad laughed. "Well we decided to take separate showers so we can actually get some things done today. We haven't mastered co-showers yet." Chad and T laughed together.

Will walked out of the bathroom only wearing a towel. "T, you're awake and you're smiling!" He liked that T seemed to be in better spirits than the night before. Will turned to Chad quickly because they had a lot to do. "It's your turn, Chad. I put a towel in there for you."

Chad took in how hot Will looked partially wet and in only a towel. He then looked over at T. He didn't want to leave the two of them together but reminded himself that T was not a threat and that he needed to get over it. "Thanks." Chad kissed Will and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

Will blushed about the way that Chad looked at him. Thinking about what they were doing later made Will feel like things were going well between him and Chad. Will walked over to T and gave him a hug. "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

"I slept okay. I guess better than previous nights." Placing his hands in his pockets and grabbing his keys in one, T looked at Will realizing he needed to get out of there. "I'll get out of your hair now. I'll see you later tonight I guess."

Will didn't want T to rush out without checking on him one last time to make sure he would be okay. "Are you going to be okay, T?"

"I'll be fine," T half smiled. T and Will hugged again before T left the apartment. Will headed to his bedroom to get dressed.

Back at the Kiriakis cabin, Sonny, who was in the kitchen cooking breakfast, glanced at Kai and asked him about what Victor did exactly to get him here. He still struggled with the fact that Victor did all of this when Victor was so against him being gay before.

Kai explained, "Well, your great-uncle actually flew up to my parents' house. When I saw him, I got really nervous because of what you told me about him. I remembered you saying that he was anti-gay, and for a moment, I really thought he came up there to tell my parents about our relationship – the fact that I had a boyfriend who happened to be his great-nephew."

Sonny turned around since the breakfast was ready. "But he didn't, right?" he asked nervously and with concern. Sonny really tried to keep Dario in the back of his mind so that he could fully focus on Kai. He didn't want to let his confusion about everything to get worst and then allow it to show on his face.

"No, he didn't say anything about you actually," Kai answered. "He did introduce himself and his company. He talked to my parents about an internship that Titan was sponsoring at the hospital for future surgeons. Of course my parents were all about it, so they asked him what I needed to do. Your great-uncle told them that he wanted me specifically because I was top of all my classes. All I had to do was come back to Salem during my break. My parents hurriedly agreed without question."

Sonny thought Kai's story was really interesting. He couldn't believe Victor went through all of the trouble. "So does the internship even exist? I mean, you're not in Salem. You're here with me."

"Yeah, it actually exists," Kai said with excitement. "I packed my things, and on my way to the airport, your great-uncle told me that there was more that he didn't tell my parents. He said that the internship is real, but I didn't have to start until the second week of classes for the spring semester. He told me that he needed me now because he was flying me out here for your birthday!"

Sonny couldn't believe that Victor went through all this just to bring Kai back over to the states. He also couldn't believe that Victor set up a real internship for his boyfriend. This was huge. "That is so awesome. You have no idea how happy that makes me. I guess Victor is really trying to fix things and change himself." Inside, a part of Sonny hated the surprise element as Dario entered his mind again. Sonny tried to shake it off.

"Yeah," Kai grinned. "Victor asked me if I wanted my own place or if I wanted to stay with you for the rest of break, so of course I said I would stay with you. I hope you don't mind."

Sonny smiled. "Of course that's okay." He couldn't help but struggle with the idea that all of this was too much for him to handle. In any normal circumstance, Sonny believed that he would be jumping up for joy, but he was not in a normal circumstance.

Kai smiled back not noticing Sonny's lack of great enthusiasm. "So where is everyone else? You told me you had a big group coming to this."

"The rest of the group will be coming in today. Some had to work, while others had family situations to deal with." Sonny looked at the time and decided to set the table. He didn't want the food to get cold.

Dario walked in after waking up finally. He had decided before leaving his bedroom that he would continue to pretend that nothing happened the night before for Sonny's sake. "Breakfast smells really good," he exclaimed to announce himself.

Sonny gave Dario a half smile. He didn't want Kai to see any hint of what he and Dario did the night before. "Thanks Dario. Have a seat. I made enough for all three of us."

As they all sat down to eat, Dario turned to Kai. "So how did you end up here, Kai? Sonny had told me earlier this week that you were stranded in Canada."

Kai smiled as he really enjoyed thinking about how it all came together. He grabbed Sonny's hand and answered, "Fate was on our side. Now I get to be with my boyfriend earlier than planned." Kai made sure to look into Sonny's eyes. "I don't want to be apart from you like that again."

Dario quickly traded a glance with Sonny after Kai began to eat his food. He noticed that Sonny barely wanted to look at him, and it hurt to see Sonny and Kai holding hands. Dario decided to finish his food quickly so he could get out of there. There was no way he could keep up with pretending last night didn't happen. When he finished eating, he stood up. "Thanks for breakfast, Sonny. I think I am going to get some air out there alone. I'll probably try to call my mother. You two have fun." Dario gave Sonny a sad smile. He really didn't want to leave Sonny alone with Kai but felt he had no choice.

Sonny looked down at his half-finished plate. He felt horrible for the situation he and Dario were in. He looked up and noticed that Kai was smiling at him. Sonny wondered what he should do. "Are you enjoying breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'm stuffed. Thanks." With Dario now out of the cabin, Kai moved his chair closer to Sonny. "Let's take advantage of this alone time. It's been weeks!"

Sonny smiled but tried to keep Kai at bay. One thing Sonny knew that he needed to do was to make sure that he and Kai did not sleep together until he figured things out. He knew he would have to find ways to avoid Kai's advances. Sonny quickly stood up and began to clean the table. "I don't really have the time now. I need to clean and make sure all the rooms are set up for everyone by the time they get here."

Kai stood up to help his boyfriend clean. He wondered why Sonny seemed so distant. "Well, I am a patient guy, but could you at least give me a kiss?"

Sonny stopped what he was doing. "Sure." Sonny gave Kai a kiss on the lips. He hoped that would hold Kai over for a while because he still felt guilty for allowing a kiss.

At the Carver home, Abe and Lexie sat down with Theo as they helped him with his therapy homework. All three were having fun as they talked about the different things that Theo got to experience in the past week. Abe and Lexie traded excited glances because of how much Theo seemed to improve on understanding the world differently. They really loved their little boy.

Celeste arrived outside, knocked on the door, and then walked in. "Good morning!" She tried to hide the fact that she was still on edge from what she felt when she turned over the Death card the night before.

Lexie stood up to greet her mother. "Mom, we didn't expect you until later tonight. Is something wrong?" Looking her mother over more closely, Lexie began to shake her head at herself. "I should know better than to ask you that question. What's going on?"

"Darling, I just wanted to check in on you and the family – make sure everyone is safe." Celeste walked over to Abe and Theo and gave Theo a hug. Turning back to Lexie, she continued with some intensity in her voice because she couldn't fully contain her fears, "Alexandra, it is important that you and Abe keep your eyes wide open. I know that you are careful, but you must be even more careful."

Abe stood up and gave Celeste a distasteful look because he did not like it when Celeste shared her worries and warnings. "I'll take Theo into the kitchen. It's snack time." Abe placed his hand on Theo's back and directed him into the kitchen.

When Lexie knew the coast was clear, she delved into her mother. "Where is all of this coming from? Did you see something that is telling you that we might be in danger? Please tell me you didn't have a vision or sense something in your crystal ball!"

Celeste knew that if she told Lexie about what her tarot cards showed her the night before, she would quickly dismiss it. "Alexandra, you know I don't have a crystal ball. Listen, I just have a bad feeling someone in the family will get hurt or that something will happen that will affect all of our lives. A change is on the horizon."

Abe left Theo at the table with his snack and walked back in to hear Celeste's warning. Annoyed, he decided to give Celeste his take on what she had to share, "You don't have to worry about us, Celeste. We are all safe." Heading over to Lexie, he gave her a kiss. "Theo is eating his snack at the kitchen table. I have to go into the office for a bit to get ready for the meeting tomorrow evening."

"Drive safely," Lexie said as she flattened the front of Abe's shirt with her hands.

"Don't worry," Abe said before giving her another kiss. Abe made his way to the door and opened it. As he walked outside, he tripped on the door post and almost fell down completely. Catching himself on the side of the house, he stood straight up.

Celeste began to freak out because she saw this as a bad omen. "Abraham, you cannot leave. You need to stay home."

Abe shook his head at her. "I am okay. Everything is okay." Abe left without another word after closing the front door.

Lexie looked her mother over and started to feel antsy about everything. "I don't know what's going on here, mom, but you're starting to make me nervous. I have to watch Theo, and I can't afford to have him start thinking that something wrong will happen."

Celeste knew Lexie had a point. "You're right, Alexandra. I am just thinking of the worst. It could be a good change." After a few breaths, Celeste was able to calm down. "I am sorry for just coming in here and causing a scene. Tell Abraham that I am sorry."

Lexie sighed and looked down away from her mother. "It's okay." Her eyes turned to the door that led to the kitchen. "I'm going to check on Theo. You can stay here if you want since you'll be watching Theo later." Lexie smiled when Celeste nodded her head to her.

Celeste watched as Lexie left the room. She walked over to the couch and sat on the arm rest. Deep down, she knew that something big was coming – something that would change their lives greatly. She wished she knew what it was.

Back at the DiMera mansion, Stefano walked into the living room to confront Sami and EJ. "So Katherine told me that you two have set up a family meeting that I was not invited or told about."

"Well, there's a reason we did not tell you or invite you to this family meeting," Sami replied bluntly.

EJ sighed and decided to set his father straight. "Father, I told you about this meeting the other day. I just didn't tell you when." EJ traded a glance with Sami as she didn't approve of him telling Stefano to begin with because she hated how Stefano tried to take over with parenting their children. "Look, father, Samantha and I decided we needed to do this our way – as parents – and we didn't want you there to interfere with what we want to accomplish," EJ added in a gentler but still forward tone.

Stefano was not amused. "As parents? What about these children's grandfather? I would like to be a part of my grandchildren's lives. What is this family meeting all about anyway?"

EJ glanced at Sami, who immediately smiled because she knew the look that EJ gave her. "It's about Chad and Will."

"So it's about one of my sons. Don't I get a say in my son's life?" Stefano shook his head at EJ and Sami. EJ couldn't believe this was a surprise to Stefano. He wondered if Stefano remembered their conversation at all.

"Well, it's about their relationship. I thought you wanted to stay away from that as much as possible," Sami recalled. "We are going to have a talk with Johnny and Allie about Chad and Will's relationship and what that means for the family, which by the way doesn't really change anything."

Stefano began to laugh at the idea. He did remember his previous conversation about this with EJ but wanted to challenge the both of them in their decision to do this. "Are you two serious?" Stefano shook his finger at them. "Johnny and Allie are way too young to know about Chad and Will's relationship. You don't want to confuse them, do you?"

EJ grew impatient with his father. "Apparently, Samantha and I haven't been clear with you. We don't care what you think because we are still going to do what we believe is best for the children. Of course we don't want to confuse our children and we have discussed this, but the point is we need to take care of this now before it gets any worse."

Sami folded her arms around her chest and gave Stefano a pleased look. "Yeah, what EJ said."

Before anything else could be said, Harold showed in Ignazio and Azzura. Ignazio tried to keep his distance from Azzura because he still believed it was a bad idea for her to follow him over. "Prozio e cugino, it's so good to see you. I'm here for my introduction into the business. I want to get an early start. I hope you do not mind."

Azzura made her way to Sami. "Sami, it's so good to see you."

Even though he was pleased to see Ignazio, Stefano quickly looked over to Azzura. "And what are you doing here, Azzura?"

Azzura traded a glance with Ignazio before answering. She knew that neither Stefano nor EJ would want her to tag along with Ignazio. She did need an in though so she could get between EJ and Sami. "I wanted to have a discussion with Sami. I am hoping she could show me around Salem since I have been so busy taking care of your sister, my signora."

Caught off guard by the fact that Azzura wanted to be friends, Sami looked straight into Azzura's eyes with a bit of surprise and a bit of disappointment. "That sounds great, but I already have plans unfortunately. I took the day off to spend with the kids. We'll have to make plans to have a girls' night out soon!"

"Yes, of course. I should have called. It's just that I prefer to talk to people in person." Azzura purposely looked down in shame but then lifted her head for a moment. "I do look forward to it. I could cook dinner or something. I am in charge of the menu every day for the house of Maddalena."

"Wow, that sounds amazing." Sami smiled.

Azzura traded glances with Stefano, EJ, and Ignazio before turning back to Sami. "I will go now. I will try to call you another time so we can make plans." Azzura gave Sami a hug. "Give your beautiful children a hug for me."

Sami felt a bit overwhelmed by Azzura's kindness. "Yeah, will do." Azzura let go of Sami and traded one more glance with Ignazio before heading out.

After Azzura left, Ignazio turned back to EJ and Stefano. "I apologize for Azzura. She gets lonely sometimes and tags along quite a bit."

"No need to apologize," EJ replied as he smiled at Sami. Putting his hand on Ignazio's shoulder, EJ asked, "So are you ready to get out of here? I'll call Marco so he'll get the car ready." EJ pulled out his phone and called Marco.

Ignazio nodded his head. "Prozio Stefano, are you coming with us?"

"Oh no, no, no. I have to take care of some other things." Stefano patted EJ and Ignazio on the back and pushed them towards the door. "You two enjoy yourselves, and Ignazio, I am glad to have you on board with the family business."

Pleased to hear that Stefano wasn't coming, Ignazio smiled. "Well, I hope to be a good asset."

"Very good," Stefano said. EJ and Ignazio headed out leaving Stefano alone with Sami. Stefano turned to Sami with disappointment in his eyes. "You are going to be very sorry about what you plan to do tonight. Those kids are already scarred enough."

"Scarred? Really Stefano?" Sami shook her head at Stefano. "I know things are different between us and we have made some sort of peace, but I will never forget what you did to Eric and me. You scarred me and my twin brother. You took our parents away from us multiple times and there's no way I am going to let you hurt my kids in any way even if some of them are your grandchildren." Sami digressed. She knew she couldn't let him get to her. "Think what you want Stefano. EJ already told you. We don't care what you think or believe."

Stefano threw his hands at Sami and headed into the foyer. He heard the doorbell ring, so he decided to answer the door. After opening it, he quickly told Chelsea, who had rung the doorbell, that her grandmother Kate was not in at the moment.

Chelsea didn't expect Stefano to answer the door. Fighting her nerves, she told Stefano her reason for visiting. "I'm not here to talk to my grandma. I'm here to talk to Sami." Chelsea looked into the mansion hoping to see someone she felt more comfortable talking with.

Having heard her name, Sami walked into the foyer. "Oh, Chelsea, come in."

Chelsea walked in and gave Stefano a look. Stefano picked up that she wanted to talk to Sami in private. "I'll leave you two alone. I have to take care of some things anyway." Stefano headed to the back so he could make some calls.

Sami noticed that Chelsea kept her eyes on Stefano and seemed nervous. Sami brought Chelsea into the living room and made sure no one else was around. "Don't worry. We're safe to talk here for now. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Chelsea still felt nervous about being in the DiMera mansion. She didn't understand how Kate could live here. "Sorry to bother you, but I really wanted to talk to you before I headed out-of-town." Sami gave Chelsea a look so she would continue. "First off, I found a few numbers of referrals for Johnny if you wanted to continue with therapy." Chelsea pulled out a piece of paper from her purse and handed it to Sami.

Sami looked at the numbers, "Thanks Chelsea. This really means a lot." Sami looked up. "Was there something else?"

Chelsea nodded her head as she adjusted her purse. "Last night, I remembered something that Johnny said to me that day he came over to play with Ciara and me."

"What did you remember?" Sami asked.

"I remember Johnny mentioning something about Stefano," she answered. She went on to explain, "He said that Stefano talked to him about Chad and Will. I think Johnny possibly got the idea that Chad and Will no longer wanted or cared to be family from Stefano."

Sami thought back to when that happened and then remembered something herself. "I think you're right. Sometime after the dinner table incident, Stefano did mention that he had to have a little chat with Johnny." It all made sense to Sami because she usually didn't appreciate it when Stefano stepped in to parent Johnny about things. "That little chat is most likely the reason Johnny has acted out this way. Johnny is only doing this because of something Stefano said."

"Yeah. I heard that you're having a family meeting later. Will told me." Chelsea looked Sami over. "Do you need any help with that?"

"No, I think I know what to do and you have been so much help already." Sami gave Chelsea a hug to show her appreciation. "You go have fun on your trip. I will try to send Chad and Will your way as soon as possible."

Chelsea looked at the time and realized she needed to head back to Bo and Hope's house so that she and the others could head out. "Thanks. I hope everything goes well." Sami walked Chelsea out to the door and hoped the same.

At the DiMera guesthouse, Isobel, Manny, and Arianna could not help but notice that Gabi's moping around had gotten worse with time. Isobel reached out to her with her hand. "Gabriella, come over here and talk to me. You have been in such a bad place for a long time."

"Mama, I don't really want to talk about it." Gabi grabbed a book from the coffee table so she could read and avoid the rest of her family.

Manny took a seat next to Gabi and began to lean into her. "Come on, Gabi. We know you're not happy. We're family. We're supposed to watch out for each other."

Gabi pushed Manny back away from her. "Stop, Manny. You're being annoying."

Arianna noticed that Isobel wanted to join in with annoying Gabi so that she would share what was on her mind, but then Isobel lost her balance and had to hold onto the couch. Arianna rushed to her mom. "Mama, are you okay?"

Manny stopped annoying Gabi, stood up, and rushed over to Isobel as well. "You look tired, Mama."

"I just got a little dizzy," Isobel admitted. "I'm fine." Isobel tried to walk a few more steps, but she still felt weak in the knees.

Manny held Isobel up. "I'll take you to your room so you can rest." Isobel nodded and allowed Manny to help her to her room.

Arianna and Gabi watched as they headed to Isobel's bedroom. Arianna then turned to Gabi because she wanted to talk to her about how her depressed mood was affecting their mother, but there was a knock on the front door. "I'll get that. You keep moping around."

Gabi scowled at Arianna for her comment.

Arianna opened the door and found T standing there. She knew automatically that he was there to talk to Gabi. She put her hand up before he could say anything, "I'll try my best to get her out here to talk to you. It's time that you talk, right?" T remained silent but nodded in agreement. Arianna walked over to Gabi. "T's here to talk to you."

"Tell him I'm not here," Gabi responded still focusing on the book she had in her hands.

Arianna had it with Gabi's attitude. Taking the book from Gabi's hand, Arianna laid into her. "Gabi, do you realize what you are doing? You need to fix things with T because your negative attitude is only causing more stress for Mama. She's worried about you so much that she's not even thinking about taking care of herself."

Gabi groaned in frustration but realized Arianna was right. She had to think about her mother first and it sucked to her that she had to ignore her own feelings. "Fine," Gabi stood up and headed out the door. Once outside, she addressed T without looking at him. "I'm going to hear you out, but I doubt whatever you say will change how betrayed I feel."

T tried to hold in his frustration with Gabi's attitude as he spoke to her. "Gabi, I did not cheat on you with Kinsey. I got Kinsey pregnant before we were together and it was a complete accident because it wasn't planned."

"Have you been able to track down Kinsey?" Gabi asked ignoring what T had just said.

T felt helpless all around. "I have not. I'm worried I might never see my son or daughter because Kinsey didn't even want me to know that the baby she's carrying is mine."

Hearing the sadness in T's tone caused Gabi to soften a bit towards him. "That was pretty horrible of Kinsey to do. I can't believe she lied to Sonny and then kept you in the dark like you weren't good enough." Gabi placed her hand on T's shoulder to apologize for her behavior, but the moment she touched T, her heart hardened again. "I can't do this anymore. I'm done with us." Gabi stepped away after removing her hand.

T knew he almost had Gabi. "Wait. You can't give up on us. This is still all so fresh and you have a lot of stuff going on in your life." T began to move closer to her but stopped when he noticed she only moved back from him more. "I don't think we should make any decisions about our relationship yet. Can you at least wait until after the new year? I'll leave you alone for a few days to a week. Please, don't just end it."

Gabi sighed and nodded. "Okay, I'll wait, but I am not making any promises." T nodded his head to let her know he understood.

At DiMera Enterprises, EJ gave Ignazio a tour of the building and the functions of everyone in the building the same way Stefano did with Will over the summer. Ignazio asked questions concerning the company but wondered why EJ wasn't letting him in on the illegal side of business that he knew he and his father ran.

"Well, this ends our tour," EJ announced before asking, "Do you have any other questions?"

"Is this all that you do?" Ignazio asked. "I don't see my prozio as an office kind of guy."

"My father runs things from home for the most part." EJ looked Ignazio over knowing he was fishing for information. He knew he couldn't tell Ignazio about the illegal things until he and his father knew he could be trusted.

Realizing that EJ wasn't going to give any information about the illegal side, Ignazio decided to change the subject somewhat. "So does Chad work here, too?" Ignazio knew he didn't, but he needed a segue to get more information on Chad.

"Chad did work for the family, but he decided to take a break so he could focus on school and his friends," EJ answered.

Ignazio gave EJ an inquisitive look. "My nonna told me that you, Alexandra, and Chad had a similar experience as me in finding out you were all DiMeras later in life."

"That is true," EJ shared with a smile. He found it interesting that they had shared a similar experience.

"I'm interested in hearing how each of you found out and how you progressed as a DiMera after processing the fact," Ignazio said hoping EJ would oblige to telling him.

"Sure, I'll tell you our stories if you promise to tell yours." Ignazio nodded his head to EJ in agreement. "I guess I'll start with me. I was living in England with my mother and step-father. I had no idea who my real father was, but I knew that my mother didn't like him. She would always change the subject or try to tell me that my step-father was my real father. I knew better." Since EJ hadn't told this story in a while and since his life had changed so much since then, he had to think back. "I ended up going to boarding school and then got into race car driving while in high school. I believe that was when my real father – your great-uncle – found me."

"You were a race car driver?" Ignazio found EJ's story rather interesting. "How did you end up here in Salem?"

"Well, father sent me over here after I was done with my schooling. I did the fast track to become a lawyer. That's when I met my wife, Samantha." EJ smiled as he thought about his first run in with Sami. "As most people know, she changed my life forever."

"So what does the DiMera name mean to you?" Ignazio asked. He wasn't really interested in the romantic aspect of EJ's life.

EJ gave an overwhelmed look. Ignazio's question was a very loaded question. "It only represents a part of me because it is only my last name. I am my own man. As far as the name DiMera, I guess I would say prestigious, esteemed, revered, influential, and familial. We have made mistakes in the past, but hopefully the DiMera legacy will improve with time."

Ignazio smiled as he really liked EJ's answer. He didn't understand how Stefano, a man he really hated for destroying his father's life, could have a son like EJ. He wondered if his grandmother was right in that EJ would be the one to save the family and restore it to what it once was. Ignazio wanted to help him if that really was the case. "So what about Lexie and Chad? What are their stories?"

EJ looked up as he thought about what Lexie had told him. "From what I understand with Lexie, she was much older when she found out she was a DiMera. She came to Salem as a police officer and fell in love with her now husband. She had no idea she had been adopted and had been raised by her real mother's sister. She knew her mother at the time as her Aunt Frankie, who we now know as Celeste. Celeste did not want Lexie to know the truth, so she sent her on a wild goose chase trying to keep her too occupied to see what was right in front of her. Eventually, Lexie found out the truth that her parents are Celeste and our father, Stefano."

"And what does she think of the family?" Ignazio questioned. "I have noticed she seems to keep her distance at times."

"Lexie really struggled when she found out who her real parents were. The aunt and uncle who raised her were deceased when she found out. She felt betrayed and alone at the same time." EJ thought about what Lexie told him of her experience of going full-out DiMera. "Father offered his help when she and Abe could not have children. That whole ordeal is why Lexie keeps some distance from the family. The fallout was not very pleasant for her. I know that she loves us, but she doesn't want the DiMera name to control her life. She is married and now has the Carver name, so she handles it that way I believe."

"Interesting. My nonna would say, 'Once a DiMera, always a DiMera." Ignazio thought about how Maddalena didn't care for Abe Carver. EJ smiled at what Ignazio claimed Maddalena would say. He knew Stefano would say the same. "As you know my nonna kept her last name when she married. The DiMera name was too important to her to let it change."

EJ nodded his head. "Yes, I heard that my grandfather, Santo, played a role in her keeping her last name."

Ignazio smiled. He remembered seeing a picture of his great-grandfather, Santo, and remembered that EJ looked exactly like him. Continuing the conversation, Ignazio said, "So I guess that leaves Chad."

EJ adjusted his tie as he thought about Chad's journey. "Chad found out last year. He had returned to Salem from a year of boarding school and got involved with Will." Ignazio's interest peaked when EJ mentioned Will and how Chad got involved with him. EJ continued, "Will and Chad uncovered that Kate and Chad's mother, Madeline, were friends and that both once worked for my father. Chad approached his mother, but she died from a ruptured aneurysm. Kate then discovered that Chad was Stefano's son and sent the birth certificate to Chad. After the paternity test, it was confirmed that Chad is my half-brother."

"How has he handled it – discovering that he is DiMera that is?" Ignazio hoped EJ's responses would continue to help him.

"I think he still struggles with his identity. It appears to be more so now than when he first learned he was a DiMera." EJ thought about how Chad was so confident in himself and challenged Stefano many times, but then things changed. Things were different now. "I really hope Chad can find himself because I really do think he is vulnerable at the moment."

"That's rough," Ignazio said with empathy. "I do find if fascinating that all three of you were able to come to Salem and find the ones you were meant to be with."

Ignazio's statement caught EJ off guard. He wondered if Ignazio knew about Chad and Will's relationship. Either way, he knew he could not confirm or deny it, so he side-stepped Ignazio's statement by putting the conversation on Ignazio's story. "So what about you? You have been in Salem for a couple of weeks. How did you find out you were a DiMera and have you found love?"

"No," Ignazio shook his head. "I don't have time for that." Ignazio thought about his story and how it was similar to his cousins'. "My story – I grew up in a small town in northern Italy called Mantova. I grew without a father and as an only child. Around the time I was twelve years old, my mother got really sick. Maddalena came around claiming she wanted to help. It was after my mother died that Maddalena revealed her real identity. She told me she would take care of me from then on and that life would be different. It was very different. I learned about my father then."

EJ nodded his head. "I think it's interesting that we can all relate in how much our lives evolved with just a change in our last name." EJ smiled because he couldn't help but notice how similar he and Ignazio were.

Ignazio smiled and agreed. His phone started ringing suddenly. When he checked to see who it was, Ignazio put his phone back in his pocket. He didn't want to talk to Ric at the moment because he was with EJ.

EJ looked down at Ignazio's pocket. "Are you not going to answer that? Who is it?"

"It's an old friend from back home – the city of Urbino – where your father and my nonna grew up," Ignazio answered. "I can call him later." After Ignazio's phone stopped ringing, he decided to change the subject to why they were at DiMera Enterprises. "So what exactly will I be doing for the business?"

EJ thought about what he and his father discussed concerning Ignazio. He knew the only way to find out if Ignazio could be trusted would be if he kept a close watch. "For now, you will be shadowing me as I do my work. I'll be the one to train you." EJ could not help hoping that Ignazio could be trusted because he wanted Ignazio to stick around.

"I look forward to it," Ignazio smiled.

"When can you start?"

Ignazio hoped that EJ would be able to wait. "Next week would be best. Your brother and Will kindly invited me to join them on a trip for the weekend. I don't want to disappoint them."

"Sounds good," EJ responded. "Let's talk about what you'll be doing." EJ put his arm around Ignazio's back and led him into an office that dealt with some of the legal aspects of the business.

Colin arrived to Maddalena's mansion undetected by anyone outside. Finding Maddalena in her office, he announced his presence and gave Maddalena a kiss on the cheek. "Maddalena. How is your health?"

"It seems to be improving. Things are going my way," Maddalena joked with Colin. Taking his hand and patting it, Maddalena asked for a report on his progress.

"I have a few things I need to tell you," Colin started. "First, I have received word that Subject T is doing a lot better. His legs have improved with time."

Maddalena nodded with approval. "I am glad to hear that he is fully functional. You know what to do with him next. Give the orders. What else do you have for me?"

"We are ready to test the new solution. I'd rather skip the animal testing, but if we have to go that route, I will set something up." Colin thought about how they had tested the current solution on the two subjects in Europe.

"Azzura and I are currently working on that. Hold tight," Maddalena said casually as she stood up and placed her hand on his heart. "Now tell me about your plans for the Horton woman."

"I wanted to tell you this the last time I was here, but I didn't have the chance," Colin shared. "I have changed my plans for Jennifer. I no longer want her for my own. She's too much of a nympho. But I do plan to torture her by making her life complicated."

Maddalena smiled at Colin. She gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I am glad that things are working out and you are able to have some fun in the process."

"Signora," Azzura revealed her presence as she walked into the office. "I wanted you to know that Ignazio and EJ have been at DiMera Enterprises all day. It seems clear that Stefano and EJ are keeping all of us on a leash."

"That is unfortunate," Maddalena frowned. "We need a way to show Stefano and EJ that I and my side of the family can be trusted." Maddalena smiled as she thought about a plan she already had in place. "We can use our next order of business to prove to my brother that he can trust us. It's all so perfect."

Up at the Kiriakis cabin, Dario played his guitar as he watched Sonny and Kai. He really wanted to talk to Sonny, but Kai didn't want to leave Sonny's side. It killed Dario to see them interacting with each other in the context of being boyfriends. It seemed to change a lot of things, but Dario didn't want to give up what he had right before Kai showed up the night before.

Kai placed his hand on Sonny's chest to get his attention because he needed a break from their conversation. "I need to use the bathroom." Kai then whispered something in Sonny's ear that caused Sonny to blush before leaving the room.

Dario stopped playing and saw this as an opportunity. Gently but swiftly placing his guitar down, Dario made his way over to Sonny. "Sonny, we…"

Before Dario could get a full sentence out, Nathan, Melanie, Chelsea, Abigail, and Josh walked in. They had finally arrived from Salem. Sonny got excited and walked over to them. "Welcome everyone! Glad you could make it. It was getting kind of lonely out here." Sonny smiled because he needed a distraction from the confusion he felt about Dario and Kai.

Abigail quickly counted to three and the newly arrived people began to sing Happy Birthday to Sonny. Sonny smiled widely as he really appreciated them singing to them even if it was a day late. After they finished, Abigail hugged Sonny first. "I know it's a day late, but I am so glad you decided to do this! Grades came in today. Have you checked yours?"

"Not yet," Sonny shared as he let go of Abigail. "I completely forgot that grades would be posted this week. I'll have to check later."

As Sonny hugged the others, Josh asked, "So when is the party?"

"It's going to be tomorrow night because Chad, Will, Ignazio, and T are going to arrive here late tonight." Sonny looked at everyone again feeling relieved that things would be busier with more people here. Dario looked down and decided to step back and remain what he had become once Kai showed up: an observer.

Melanie wrapped her arm around Nathan's back. "So where are the rooms? Nathan and I want to get our stuff settled in." Melanie gave Nathan a kiss and smiled.

Chelsea mouthed the words 'Gag me' and decided to look away. She already felt annoyed with them. Whispering to Abigail, she said, "I am so glad we took two cars because I would have died if I had to ride with them."

"It's going to be okay, Chels. I've got your back," Abigail whispered back. Abigail looked down and realized that Josh had grabbed her hand. She decided that it was okay for them to hold hands as it didn't really mean too much.

"I'll show you guys to your rooms," Sonny finally said after he tried to figure out how the room assignments should go. There was an extra bed in his room so he figured he would put Chad and Will with him.

Before Sonny could lead them to the rooms, Kai walked out surprising everyone who knew him. "What are you doing here?" Abigail asked shocked.

Sonny walked over to Kai with a smile forgetting everything that happened the night before. Grabbing Kai's hand, Sonny explained, "It appears that Victor is trying his hardest to make up for all the bad things he did."

Dario headed back to his guitar because it irked him to see Sonny smile the way he did with Kai. He didn't want to observe anymore.

"It's definitely working," Sonny admitted causing Dario to feel even worse.

Wanting to get some space from the others, Chelsea pleaded, "Let's check out the rooms. I'm sharing a room with Abigail." Josh looked at Abigail and Chelsea and realized that meant he wouldn't be able to share a room with his girlfriend. He figured that meant he would share with T or another guy.

Chad had told Will that he needed to run a few errands for Stefano before meeting with the rest of the family later that day. After buying a few things for the trip to Colorado, Chad decided to stop by Maggie's house. After ringing the doorbell, Chad waited patiently for someone to answer the door. He hoped it would be Mia, but Maggie greeted him. "Chad, what a pleasant surprise to see you. What can I do for you?"

"Good afternoon Maggie," Chad said with a smile. "Is Mia here?"

"Yes, come in," Maggie waved him in. "She's in the kitchen. Follow me." Maggie led Chad into the kitchen. Mia stood up shocked to see Chad there. "I'll leave you two alone. I need to make a few phone calls in the next room anyway."

After Maggie left the kitchen, Mia turned to Chad. "What are you doing here? Not that I mind the surprise – I actually like the surprise – but is something wrong?"

"No, everything is fine," Chad answered. "I wanted to tell you that I am heading out-of-town until next Monday."

Mia's hopes that Chad surprised her to tell her that he wanted to be back with her were crushed. Upset, Mia crossed her arms. "Where are you going?" She hoped it wasn't some private vacation with Will.

"My roommate, Sonny, is having a birthday and New Year's Eve party at his family's cabin all weekend." Chad could tell Mia didn't like that he was going. "You'll be fine without me. You'll have Maggie. Besides not everyone knows you're in town, so it might be weird if you tried to tag along." Chad thought about how he still hadn't told Will that Mia was in town.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I want to keep it that way because I know that the others hate me." Mia looked down hoping Chad would feel sorry for her as she continued, "I'll just see you next week then so we can talk about Grace. Isn't that the only reason you want to talk to me?" Mia took a seat at the table waiting to see how Chad would respond.

Chad took a seat with her as well. "Of course not, Mia. You are important to me, too. Why else would I come over here to let you know where I'm going? I did it because I care about you. The others don't know you like I know you."

Mia sighed and smiled. "I'm so sorry for going off on you. I'm just dealing with a lot I guess, and I'm on edge." Mia looked down as she played with her bracelet. "I guess Will is going, too?"

Chad tried to make eye contact with Mia as he answered, "Yeah."

Mia finally looked up but made sure not to look directly to Chad. "How are things going there? Is he still telling you that he wants to have kids with you?"

Chad looked down because he felt so uncomfortable talking to Mia about this. "Yes. We've cleared things up and he is open to the idea when the times comes." Chad wanted to leave it at that.

"So are you going to adopt or is one of you going to be a sperm donor for a woman to carry your child? It's really too bad that you two can't share a child together like you and I were able to do with Grace." Mia gave Chad a convincing softened look. "That has to be hard for you to deal with. Having a child that is not the biological child of both his or her parents."

Chad suddenly felt a bit lost as he never thought about those specific aspects of having kids with Will. He had thought about how he couldn't get Will pregnant and having to adopt, but Mia was right in that he always wanted a biological child with the one he loved. He wouldn't get to share that with Will.

Mia smirked inside as she could see the confusion written all over Chad's face. She moved her chair closer to his and placed her hand on Chad's hand. "There's so much you have yet to think about. Make sure you do before you lose all the opportunities that are right in front of you."

Chad moved back feeling even more confused. Standing up, he responded, "I should go. Will and I have plans with family for dinner and then we're heading out."

Mia stood up with him. "Okay. I'm just trying to help you because I deeply care about you, Chad."

"I appreciate it," Chad said without thinking. He just wanted to get out of there. "I'll see you next week." Chad went for a hug goodbye trying not to upset Mia again.

Mia held him tight and managed to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you when you get back. Keep thinking about Grace's new middle name."

"I will," Chad let out before heading out of the kitchen. He spotted Maggie on the phone in the living room as he walked past. He waved and left Maggie's house. So many thoughts clouded his mind.

Later on that evening, Chad and Will sat around the DiMera dining room table with Sami, EJ, Lucas, Allie, Johnny, and Sydney. EJ and Sami traded glances with each other while Chad and Will did the same. Trying to make small talk, EJ turned to Chad and Will. "I spent some time with Ignazio today. He told me about your trip to Colorado this weekend."

"Yeah, we're staying at Sonny's family cabin to bring in the new year. It should be fun," Will responded.

"Are you and Chad moving to Colorado?" Johnny asked. He wondered if he would never see them again.

Sami turned to Johnny to clear the air. "No, sweetheart. Your brother and Chad are going up there for only five days. They'll be back."

Chad looked at Johnny and thought about what Mia had brought to his attention earlier. Looking at Sydney reminded him of Grace and what he could have had if Grace were still alive. Chad realized he needed to stop living in the past and look to the future. He looked at Will and smiled nervously. Both had agreed that they would keep their hands above the table at all times even if they dropped something. They did not want Johnny to freak out on them. Chad turned to EJ to continue the conversation. "So what were you doing with Ignazio?"

"I gave him a tour of DiMera Enterprises. He wants to work for the family, so I caught him up on how things run. He seems to be really interested and I think he'll be a good asset to the business – especially with you taking time off to focus on school." EJ took a bite and chewed his food as Chad wondered what EJ meant by his last statement.

Lucas wanted to make a crack about how the DiMera business worked, but he refrained. "Must be nice to have an unlimited supply of DiMera men to train and eventually run other people's lives."

EJ turned to Lucas deciding not to say anything negative back. "Well, we are a big family just like the Hortons." Lucas turned to EJ wondering if EJ wanted to imply that their families were the same.

"Don't forget the Bradys!" Allie said pleased with herself. Everyone smiled at her. She had no idea she had just eased some tension between Lucas and EJ.

Sami decided to step in and change the subject. "So have you guys gotten your semester grades yet?"

"Actually they were finally put in the system today," Will said with a smile. "I got straight A's for my first semester." Lucas and Sami were really proud of Will and congratulated him.

EJ congratulated Will, too. Turning to Chad, he asked, "What about you Chad? How did you fare in your business classes?"

"I aced all of my business classes, but I did get a B in Biology II," Chad admitted. "I guess I didn't focus on that class as much as the others."

Trying to show his support of Chad for Will's sake, Lucas decided to respond to Chad. "A B is still good. We all can't be masters at everything. What's important is that you aced what you want to do for the rest of your life."

EJ bit his tongue so he wouldn't say anything bad about Lucas. "Lucas is right. You should still be proud of yourself. I know you'll be an awesome businessman when you come back into the family business."

"You're going to come back into the family business?" Sami asked a bit surprised. "I don't know why, but I got the impression that you were going to do your own thing once you graduated."

"I did, too," Lucas shared. "Will, didn't you mention something about that?"

Chad looked at Will and wondered if Will actually said something like that. He was also happy to hear that EJ wanted him to come back to the family business still. "Well, that has always been the plan I guess." Chad then thought about the situation with his father. He had doubts that he could trust his father now that he knew more about his past. Even so, Chad wasn't sure if his father even wanted him to be in the business because of his relationship with Will. Stefano had claimed he was okay with it, but he doubted anything his father said now.

"We'll just see what happens," Chad said as he looked back at the others. He knew that tonight he couldn't get upset with Will because the others were watching them. Chad knew he had to hold it all together. He couldn't let Will know that doubts plagued his mind.

The rest of dinner went on without a hitch. Will noticed that EJ and Sami kept looking at the time, but he didn't question their reasons. After everyone finished eating, Sami led everyone back to the living room so they could have the talk. Will leaned into Chad feeling quite nervous and whispered, "Here goes nothing. I love you."

Chad smiled because Will said it first. He whispered back, "I love you, too."

Johnny and Allie ran over to their parents to get their attention. "What are we going to do now? Are we going to play a game together?" Johnny asked.

"We are going to have a family meeting," Sami answered them.

"A family meeting?" Allie responded looking upset. "That sounds boring. What is the meeting about?"

"We are going to talk about how important family is to all of us," Lucas answered Allie as he knelt down to her. Turning to Johnny as well, Lucas continued as Chad and Will looked on, "We want to make sure everyone knows what is going on in the family and want you two to see that we are all on your side and love you guys very much."

Johnny turned around to look at Sydney. "What about Sydney?"

"We love Sydney, too. She's just a bit young to understand what we'll be talking about," EJ shared.

Sami and EJ heard the front door open and close. "Excuse us for a moment," Sami let out as she and EJ rushed to the foyer to find that Stefano and Kate had returned from eating out.

"So Katherine and I rushed over here since you changed your mind and decided to include us on this family meeting. See, I am important in this family." Stefano smirked at his son and Sami.

"We know what you did Stefano and that's the only reason you're here tonight," Sami blasted at Stefano. She didn't want him to think for a minute that he was invited for his great grand-parenting skills.

EJ continued to explain, "We figured it out. There's another reason Johnny thinks that Chad and Will don't care about him or the rest of the family. You told Johnny that Chad and Will don't care about us because they decided to be gay. You know that's not true!"

Stefano's first instincts were to deny it, but then he remembered a few occasions concerning Johnny. He first remembered an occasion over the summer when he overheard Johnny asking Sami and EJ why he, Stefano, was mad at Chad and Will. He knew that Johnny questioned if Stefano hated them then. He then remembered sitting Johnny down recently when Johnny asked him questions about Chad and Will. "I guess I did."

Kate first gave Stefano a shocked look, but it later became a disappointed look. "What on earth did you say to him?"

"I can explain," Stefano said as soon as Kate began to ask the question. "Johnny began to ask me questions about Chad and Will. He wondered why they spent less time here at the mansion and questioned their closeness. I explained to him that Chad and Will decided that they really cared about each other and wanted to live only for each other. I told Johnny that they felt so strongly about each other that they only thought about themselves sometimes and decided to ignore what the rest of the family wanted. Pretty soon they would be their own family outside of our own. I'm guessing he took what I said differently."

"Well, Johnny believes that Chad and Will only care about each other and hate the rest of us because of what you said to him." Sami shook her head at Stefano. "What were you thinking? If Johnny was asking questions, you should have told EJ and me. We're his parents."

"Samantha is right, father," EJ gave Stefano a stern look. "If you had come to us in the first place we could have avoided this whole ordeal. Johnny is even questioning mine and Samantha's love for him."

Kate began to rub the back of Stefano's arm as she addressed EJ. "I think your father knows what he needs to do." She knew that there was no way Sami and EJ would give her husband the benefit of the doubt, but she could. "I know that you didn't mean for this to happen, but you need to fix this, my love."

Stefano sighed feeling frustrated. "Of course. I will apologize to the kids for my mistake. I should have been clearer with Giovanni and told you and Samantha that he was asking questions. I did tell you that I had a talk with him – I remember that. I just assumed if you wanted to know more you would have asked."

"Really Stefano?" Sami let out. Before she could continue, EJ stopped her from saying anything else. They had Stefano where they wanted him and he didn't want anything to jeopardize that. Sami looked into EJ's eyes and realized she needed to back down.

"After you, father," EJ said as he motioned towards the living room.

As Stefano and the others walked back in, Chad looked over surprised to see his dad there. It was the first time he had seen him since before his dinner with Maddalena. "Father, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to apologize to you, Will, Giovanni, and Allie," Stefano shared. Kate decided to grab Sydney and take her out of the room so they could finish their conversation.

Johnny climbed off the couch and walked over to Stefano. "Nonno, why are you sorry?"

"I think I told you a bad thing," Stefano said as he grabbed Johnny's hand. Taking a seat in his chair and placing Johnny on his lap, he continued to explain, "Chad and Will love you very much, and they are still a part of this family and always will be. They do love each other very much, but they still love you and your sisters. Everyone here loves each other."

"But Chad and Will love each other in a different way, right?" Allie, who was now sitting in Lucas's lap on the couch, asked. "Johnny said that they love each other more."

Will decided to step in. "I really do love Chad. I love him and one day I want to marry him."

Chad looked over at Will and smiled widely. His heart felt warm in that moment.

Johnny scratched his head. "You want to marry Chad like daddy married mommy? You two are boys though."

Sami knelt down and grabbed Johnny and Allie so they both stood in front of her. "Love comes in many different ways, but there are no limits. As a family we all love each other because that is important. You love your sister because she is your sister. I love you because you are my son and you're so special. The love I have for your daddy is different because we decided to become a family together. That's what Chad and Will want for each other. People call that falling in love. Men can fall in love with women or men. Women can fall in love with men or women. There's nothing wrong with it."

"Do you guys understand what mommy is trying to tell you?" Lucas asked as he moved closer to Allie.

Johnny and Allie nodded their heads. "I think," Allie shared as she put her finger in her mouth. "Princes can marry a princess or a prince." Sami smiled at Allie and nodded her head.

"So just because Will is in love with Chad, it doesn't mean that he stopped loving us?" Johnny asked.

Chad decided he needed to say something. "That's right, Johnny. You, Allie, and Sydney will always be important to us. We still want to hang out and play with all of you."

Allie and Johnny liked hearing that. "Can we play now?" Allie asked.

"Sure," Will responded excitedly. "We could color or play a game."

As Will helped Johnny and Allie pick out a game, Kate walked back in with Sydney so she could join in. Stefano looked over at Chad and noticed that Chad kept his distance from him. He decided to go over to him himself. "Son, how have you been? I haven't seen you since Christmas."

"I've been okay." Chad looked at his father and thought about what Maddalena told him Monday night. He still couldn't believe the awful things that Stefano had done to Tony and André. "I'm going to go play with the kids now." Chad made his way over to Johnny, Allie, Sydney, and Will. He thought about how Stefano apologized earlier for telling Johnny that Chad and Will didn't care about the rest of the family because of their gay relationship. Maybe Stefano was still against their relationship and just back pedaled because he got caught. He thought about his emperor dream and everything that happened in it. The life that Tony led. The life that André led. He glanced back at his father, who was now talking to Kate. He believed it was possible that Stefano didn't care for him at all. Maybe his own father was the real danger this whole time and not Maddalena.

Chad placed his hand in his pockets and remembered he had put something in them for later. Pulling out the necklaces that he and Will traded close to the end of summer, he got Will's attention as Johnny and Allie were focused on the game. "I thought it was time we started wearing these again."

Will looked up and smiled. "I almost forgot about these. It's weird we got those from the island called Maddalena and now we know that your Aunt's name is Maddalena." Will took his and put it on and watched as Chad put his on as well. "I really do love you, Chad."

Chad placed his hand on Will's hand. "I really do love you, Will." He wanted to kiss Will, but Johnny and Allie grabbed them because it was their turn to play. Chad and Will glanced at each other one more time and smiled before smiling at Johnny and Allie as they continued to play.