Chapter 36: Haunted – Monday, September 9th, 2013

The next day at The Salem Spectator office, Ezra and Abigail were working on a fluff piece for the mayor's visits at the local elementary schools. As Abigail looked through the photos she took from the event, Ezra glanced over to make sure she was okay. She had been quiet and distant all day, and he wondered if he should break the silence or continue working.

A sound came from Abigail's phone. Ezra watched as she picked it up, read the message she received, and then responded to it. She never put her phone down after though. Abigail began to play a game, so Ezra figured this was his in.

"I've been thinking about the mayor's offer," Ezra released.

Immediately pausing her game, Abigail froze as if she had been caught. She didn't know what to say to Ezra. The truth was she was trying to focus on work, so she wouldn't have to interact with him much. "I'm still not sure if I should accept the offer," she finally responded.

Moving in closer, Ezra asked, "Why wouldn't you? You're talented with your photography."

"I'd probably still set my talent level at novice," Abigail downplayed her ability. "My dad actually seems set against my involvement in anything related to politics. I'm not sure why, but that doesn't matter because I'll probably be too busy to accept Mayor White's offer."

Ezra noted Abigail didn't seem interested in his thoughts on the offer. She wouldn't even look at him. He decided to share them anyway. "I'm thinking about accepting, but now I'm not so sure because you don't want to do it."

Finally turning to face Ezra, Abigail directed, "Do what you want. Don't let me get in the way of your decision."

After a helpless sigh, Ezra remained quiet for a moment. "Are you okay, Deveraux?"

"Why do you ask?"

Ezra swallowed hard before claiming, "I was just asking." He feared if he said more he would only push Abigail away further.

"Okay," Abigail released before returning to the pictures she took for their current story.

Unable to stay quiet, Ezra asked, "How are things going with the DiMera project?"

"Things are okay," Abigail answered before adding, "I still need to figure out how my write-up for The Salem Spectator will look on the project."

Ezra wished Abigail would look at him again. "I can help you with it," he offered.

Even though she didn't turn around, Abigail still showed her appreciation by saying, "That would actually be great. Thanks!"

Feeling trapped, Ezra couldn't hold back anymore. "You have been distant since Thursday night at Martha's. Yeah, we hung out at my place after the indoor soccer game on Saturday, but you didn't sit as close as you usually do, and you left right after the movie was over. We didn't have a chance to talk."

Abigail was unable to focus on her pictures anymore, but she managed to keep herself silent by taking a few deep breaths. She didn't want to say something she may regret later. No matter how much she tried to escape it, she continued to think about how close Ezra and Will were. She already knew she had a horrible gaydar because she didn't know Sonny was gay until Melanie told her. Running into Kate the day before didn't help matters either.

Even though he was frustrated that Abigail had nothing to say, Ezra remained calm. "I just want the truth from you. Did I do something wrong?"

Realizing she needed to be honest with Ezra about something, Abigail turned around to face him again. After taking some time to collect her thoughts, she admitted, "Seeing Josh again on Thursday made me realize I still have feelings for him – strong feelings."

Ezra struggled and shook his head in disbelief. A part of him knew he had lost Abigail in some way. "Have you seen Josh since Thursday?"

"No," Abigail quickly denied. She could see the hurt on Ezra's face. It really pained her to see how distraught her confession made him.

Before Abigail could say another word, Jack walked up. "Hey you two."

Confused to see her dad there, Abigail questioned, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check in to see how your internship is going," Jack answered. He looked over to Ezra and noticed the way he was staring at his daughter.

Abigail saved her work before saying, "Work is fine, but I've stretched myself thin with everything I'm involved in."

Realizing Abigail did not want to talk about them, Ezra stood up and grabbed his phone to place in his pocket. "I'm taking a coffee break. You two should catch up."

After Ezra walked off, Abigail released a heavy sigh. Jack took note of it immediately. Moving closer to his daughter, he asked, "Everything okay?"

Abigail eyed Ezra's empty chair. "I'm not sure," she admitted. She turned back to her dad and changed the subject. "Do you have a therapy session with mom later?"

"I do," Jack confirmed. "I have another meeting to get to, but I want to talk to your boss first. Is she around?"

Remembering how Diana shared she knew Jack before, Abigail wondered why her dad wanted to talk to her. "She's in her office."

Jack looked ahead to prepare himself. "Thanks. I'll talk to you later," he said as he grabbed and squeezed her left shoulder. He headed for Diana's office.

Outside of the office, Jack knocked on the door before entering. He began talking immediately, "No need for formalities. I just have an important question. Why are you back in Salem? I want the truth this time."

Diana remained at her desk and smiled. "You're paranoid, Jack, because I remember how things worked out last time. I was the victim of your schemes back in the day." Getting serious, she shared, "I'm here to work and make my family proud."

Still suspicious, Jack challenged, "Then why did you hire my daughter?"

Diana stood up and headed to grab a bottle of water from her mini-fridge. "Do you want one?"

Jack shook his head.

Closing the fridge, Diana opened her bottle while answering, "Abigail is qualified for the job. She is a product of the great Jack Deveraux and Jennifer Horton. I'd be a fool not to hire her."

Jack watched as Diana took a quick and rather small sip of water. "Sorry, but I'm not buying it."

Leaning on her desk, Diana placed her bottle down and crossed her arms. "Fine. If you want to know more, I will tell you. Abigail and Ezra Blakelee were recommended to me, and as I said before I saw great potential in the two. I am being honest here."

"Let's continue the honesty then," Jack directed. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was definitely off about Diana. "Who recommended them?"

Diana stood up again and walked around to take a seat at her desk. "I cannot share that information with you," she claimed. Looking directly into his eyes, she said, "You should be proud of your daughter – not be suspicious of her success. I really do need to get back to work."

Looking at the time, Jack knew he needed to leave as well. "I'm watching you," he stated before walking out. On his way through the hall, he pondered if he should check into Diana's story and what she'd been up to.

Joining her mother on the couch of the DiMera mansion, Billie asked, "Any new information on Ignazio?"

Kate put her glass down as she replied, "I talked to Chad about Ignazio yesterday morning, and Chad seems to trust his second cousin."

Billie eyed her mother questioning her source. "Do you trust Chad enough to be honest with you?"

"In this instance, I believe Chad is being honest with me," Kate responded, but added, "Though I'm not sure Chad is the best judge of character."

Leaning back, Billie argued, "Well, Chad seems to love Will, so he may not be so bad after all."

Unamused, Kate rolled her eyes and said, "I once believed Chad loved Will, but he has made too many mistakes that prove otherwise." Chad's mentioning of Madeline the morning before played through her mind. She looked over to Billie and said, "I can't allow myself to be swayed by Chad." Noting how her daughter seemed to shift, she questioned, "What's going on? I know you're keeping something from me."

Billie's thoughts returned to Joselyn. "I think I may have made a mistake. I talked to Joselyn Brown about our family history – namely Curtis."

Kate wasn't particularly upset but intrigued. "You were afraid to tell me? Tell me how it all came about."

Relieved it was out, Billie explained, "Joselyn approached me at the pub. She seemed really interested in Curtis, so I told her that he was dead and that he was abusive."

Kate reflected on her interactions since the day she was first officially introduced to Joselyn. "When I saw her last name on her business card, a thought entered my mind. Eventually, I thought it was just a coincidence, but now I'm starting to wonder if my first hypothesis was right. Maybe Joselyn is somehow connected to our family." Needing to know more, she looked to Billie and said, "I want you to befriend her."

Recognizing the look in her mother's eyes, Billie became overwhelmed. "Mom. Frankie, Carly, and I are heading back tonight." When Kate began to shake her head, she encouraged, "I am sure you can take care of everything from here, but I made Frankie promise we will be back sooner than planned."

Even though she was annoyed that Billie was leaving tonight, she was happy to hear that she would be back soon enough. "When does your flight leave again?"

Maddalena entered the mansion without knocking because she was family. She planned to talk to Kate to make sure she didn't get in the way of her having dinner with Chelsea and paused in the foyer when she heard Kate talking to Billie. She wanted to find out what they were talking about.

"I almost forgot to tell you something," Billie exclaimed. "On our way to Salem, I saw Anna when we flew into Chicago."

Kate didn't seem as impressed by the news as she commented, "Anna Fredericks – or whatever the hell her last name is now – always did get around."

Maddalena took in the little piece of information to hold for later as she entered the room. "Oh good. I need to discuss something with the two of you."

Knowing this had to do with Chelsea, Kate stood from the couch with Billie. "Did you knock?"

Maddalena did not answer Kate's question because it was irrelevant to her. "I want you to know and understand I am like you. You may be worried for Chelsea, but I am worried for my nipote, Ignazio. Make no mistake, I am sure Chelsea is a wonderful woman, but I must be assured Ignazio has the best woman possible."

Uncertain on whether she should be offended or not, Billie said, "Ignazio would be lucky to have my daughter."

"Chelsea would be lucky to have Ignazio," Maddalena countered. "I have an open mind and only want to know Chelsea because she may be like a granddaughter to me one day."

Kate shivered at the thought. "Well, you should not take offense then if I decide I want to know Ignazio better also."

"Not at all," Maddalena replied. She didn't want to admit to it, but she was starting to have her doubts on whether Ignazio could hold himself together.

Entering his home, Chad glanced into the living room and decided to dodge the three women and head up to his bedroom so he could hurry and get out again. Before he made it to his room, Harold called out to him. He turned around. "Harold. Do you need something?"

Harold gave Chad an apologetic look as he explained, "When I was doing laundry, Mr. DiMera, I found a piece of paper in one of your pants." Pulling out a note from his pocket and handing it to Chad, he said, "I didn't look at it and thought you could decide if you should keep it."

"Thanks," Chad released before turning around to enter his room. Unfolding the note, he quickly recognized it as the one he found on the door when he arrived to discover Sami and the kids were taken hostage. The word basement was on the note. Chad realized he never found out who tipped him off.

At Salem Place, Lexie sat with Nicole as they waited for Jack to arrive. "Brandon has been here longer than expected," she commented.

Nicole raised her eyebrow wondering why Lexie would bring up her brother. "Brandon is worried about you and Theo and feels guilty he didn't stick around longer after Abe's death," she admitted.

"Do you know when he is leaving?" Lexie asked next.

Nicole's eyebrow raised even more. "Color me confused, but it almost sounds like you want Brandon to leave Salem. I don't know when, but I do know he has a meeting scheduled with Nathan today at the hospital."

Knowing she needed to cool it on her necessary desire to be away from Brandon, Lexie carefully asked her next question. "Does that mean Brandon is considering work at the hospital?"

Nicole studied Lexie carefully. "I think so."

"Sorry for the delay," Jack began as he approached Nicole and Lexie. "I had quite a few meetings today."

Lexie escaped her thoughts and fears about Brandon to refocus on why she called this meeting with Jack and Nicole. "No need to apologize because what I have to say to you will be brief." After Jack took a seat, she announced, "I'm calling off the investigation into Abe's death. Thank you for your help and time, but I think things are too dangerous for you to continue."

Trying not to hear the finality in Lexie's decision, Jack protested, "We may be close to getting some answers."

Even though she was initially upset from the turn of events when she and Jack snuck into the DiMera mansion, Nicole pressed Lexie to find out where she stood on this decision. "Are you giving up on this investigation for good?"

Lexie had no desire to answer their questions or reply to what they thought she should do. "Please respect my decision and stop." She didn't want to admit to it, but Jack and Nicole's safety wasn't the only reason she wanted to halt this investigation.

Looking to Jack, Nicole directed, "Jack, tell her what we found in the basement."

"I don't want to hear it," Lexie warned. Finding out the truth about what happened to her husband scared her because she feared what would happen afterwards. Would she lose it when the answers were given? Would she forget Abe forever?

Jack did not want to walk away from this. He couldn't. "Lexie, we found a shallow wall in the basement. It seemed new and unlike the others. If we keep going, we will find out who did this to Abe."

Shaking her head, Lexie closed her eyes for a moment. What Jack said went in one ear and out the other because every part of the DiMera mansion was notorious for being full of shallow walls that led to secret rooms and halls. When she opened her eyes, she maintained, "My decision is final."

Nearby, Sami walked around looking for Azzura since they had made plans to meet there. She spotted Lexie talking to Jack and Nicole and wondered why they were sitting together. It seemed very random, and she felt the need to get answers. Before she could confront them, she heard Azzura call her name.

When Sami turned around, Azzura surprised her by giving her a hug. "We hardly see each other since you are no longer next door."

Sami suddenly felt a discomfort from Azzura's closeness. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't had a friend like this before, or it could have been connected to the times Will told her he did not trust Azzura. Pulling away, Sami remembered what Nicole told her about Azzura's claims about her and Brandon. She still didn't understand why Azzura would even hint that she and Brandon were still interested in each other. "I know, but I am glad we still make time to do things like this."

Today seemed easier for Azzura – even after she found that troubling and surprising piece of paper on Maddalena's door the day before. Where did it come from and how did it get on her signora's door? Realizing she was going into a questionable darkness, she returned her focus to Sami. She didn't exactly know why, but she felt more relaxed with Sami in some ways. "How are you handling everything?"

"Things are weird and scary," Sami began as she reflected on EJ and the ominous phone conversation she had with him the day before. There was something off about his voice and she was worried that the Vitali family had made another threat. She called EJ earlier this morning to tell him Johnny wasn't going to school so he could see the kids at lunch time. She even waited a while for him to show up at the pub, but he never did. She hoped to talk to him face to face about their family. Trying to remain confident in herself, Sami said, "I am handling it all better since the kids are in a better place now." She wasn't sure if she could really believe that considering Johnny didn't sleep much the night before.

"I know you can handle it, Sami," Azzura encouraged. "I can see how strong you are, and through your example I have come to a decision."

"What is that?" Sami asked curiously.

Azzura crossed her arms as she announced, "I have decided I do not need a man to make me happy or make me feel complete."

Scratching her head, Sami wasn't sure what to make of Azzura's announcement. "How does that work for you anyway? I mean, you work for Maddalena. Would she even allow you to have a family?"

Nodding her head, Azzura answered, "Of course. Maddalena has always wished this for me. She believes everyone has the right to be happy with the correct person."

The wheels in Sami's head were turning, but she had to reel it in so it wasn't so obvious to Azzura. She needed to pretend to be innocent in her questions. "Does she determine who the correct person is for you?"

Azzura didn't know what to make of Sami's questions. She pulled her hair back behind her shoulders and decided to move on to something else before she plunged into a darker place mentally. "Maybe we should find a place to sit and eat. I don't have much time because I am needed back at the mansion."

Sami agreed as she headed off with Azzura to find a place to eat.

Meanwhile, EJ sat with Johnny and Sydney at the Brady Pub. He was helping Johnny with his make-up work for school while Sydney sat on his lap coloring a page for him. Eric approached his brother-in-law noting how much EJ seemed to enjoy spending time with his kids. "You missed Sami earlier. She stalled a bit after dropping the kids off because she was waiting for you to show up. She didn't admit it to me verbally, but I knew by the look on her face."

"Do you know where she went after she dropped the kids off?" EJ asked. He knew Sami was there waiting for him because he stalled outside and didn't go in until she left the pub.

Eric answered, "I believe she went to hang out with her friend, Azzura."

Hearing Azzura's name caused EJ to feel uncomfortable. He remembered how Will told him at the gym that Sami and Azzura were hanging out more. "Has Samantha been spending a lot of time with her?"

"I'm not sure," Eric admitted. "I think they've hung out at least twice since Sami moved in with me." Grabbing the back of his neck, Eric decided he couldn't just sit back anymore. "Are you okay with your wife staying with me?"

EJ shrugged his shoulders as Johnny and Sydney seemed to stop what they were doing to see how he would answer. "It's for the best at the moment because there are a few things I need to get in order for the family's safety."

"Have there been any more threats?"

EJ pulled Sydney off of him, so he could stand. After making sure his kids were okay, he moved closer to Eric and said, "It has been taken care of – for good this time." When the bell on the entrance sounded, he and Eric turned to see Chad and Will enter the pub together. Both found Will and Chad coming in together interesting, but even more intriguing for EJ was when they joined Roman at a booth. EJ wondered what was going on.

When Will and Chad sat with him in a booth, Roman thanked them for joining him. "I hope the environment will help you relax as we discuss the night of Stefano's attack last year."

Able to hide his anxiety, Chad shared, "It happened so long ago. I may be fuzzy on the details."

Even though he found Chad's claim suspicious, Roman played nice and said, "Just try to share what you can because your cooperation may be helpful as we investigate a couple of cases."

Will felt uneasy about all of this as well. First, there was the fact that he was having to relive his last night with Chad – the night Chad drove off and left him at the gas station. Then there was the fact that he was talking to his grandfather about it. Roman barely talked to him about his relationships with guys. This was definitely different from his conversation with Caroline yesterday afternoon. "I'm confused as to why this is happening now. I tried to give my statement before."

Roman took a deep breath before saying, "I knew you were hurting at the time, Will, and I wanted to protect you. Enough time has passed now, and with Chad back, it makes sense to talk to you both about it."

Will remembered EJ telling him that Roman believed Chad was involved somehow because of how he left that night. He wondered if his grandfather still felt that way. Even if he didn't know if Chad remembered what happened on that night, he didn't want to get Chad in trouble through his cooperation.

Deep down, Chad remembered everything that happened that night. He couldn't help but reflect on how he hurt Will so much. He wished he could talk about it, but he knew it wasn't the right situation. "What exactly do you want to know? Maybe that can help me remember some of the things that night."

"Just tell me what happened on the pier," Roman requested.

Will looked to Chad to direct the conversation, so he didn't say something Chad didn't want him to say. Chad turned to Will and noticed the way Will looked at him. Will seemed really concerned for him. "Well, Will and I went to the pier because my father asked us to meet him there."

Will nodded his head finally turning to look at Roman. "Yeah, Stefano asked us to meet him there to talk."

Rubbing his chin, Roman needed verification on an important piece of their investigation. "Can either of you verify that Stefano was planning on leaving the country because of his arrest?"

"I can't," Chad answered first.

"Me neither," Will replied after.

Annoyed that neither could confirm, Roman decided to move on. "What else can you tell me about that evening then?"

Chad took the lead again and shared, "When Will and I got there, we found my father unconscious. Lexie and EJ arrived as well. Lexie began to check our father's vitals to determine if he was dead or not. When Will and I left, we believed he was dead."

"Why did you leave?" Roman followed up.

Will turned to Chad to answer again. "EJ and Lexie told us to leave because there was nothing we could do at that point."

Roman shook his head. He studied his grandson and wondered why Will wasn't saying much. He didn't like how it appeared Will had decided to remain silent to protect Chad. He needed to ask a personal question for the both of them. "What did you do next – after you left?"

Chad and Will visually showed their discomfort from Roman's question. Chad knew he had to admit and talk about what he did even if this wasn't the ideal situation for it. "We made it to the apartment we shared at the time. I talked Will into leaving town with me. After we were driving for a while, I lost it and left Will at a gas station so I could get away."

As Will looked and moved away from Chad, Roman leaned in to him and said, "What I want to know is what you were running away from." He thought he had him now.

Even though this was hard for Will to go through, he stepped in for Chad this time. "Do you still think Chad is responsible?"

Chad appreciated Will's stepping in, but he needed to answer this question. "It's okay, Will. I can answer." Turning to Roman, he answered, "I was running away from myself."

Roman turned to Will noting how much this was affecting him. He didn't like it and realized he made a mistake meeting them together. He thought Will would have worked with him to put holes in Chad's story – especially if he brought up Chad's betrayal. Sitting back, Roman said, "Chad, I want to continue this conversation at the station at another time. I think there's more you need to say."

Before Will could say anything, Chad nodded his head and agreed, "Okay."

Turning to glance over to EJ, who was still with Eric, Johnny, and Sydney, Roman suggested, "You may want a lawyer." He got up from the booth and walked out after patting Will on the back.

Will's eyes went to Chad as he questioned what just happened. His grandfather seemed to believe there was a lot Chad had to say, and Chad shared some things he always wondered about the night Chad left him at the gas station.

With Roman gone, EJ approached Will and Chad. "William, do you mind if I have a moment alone with my brother?"

"I don't mind," Will said as he got up from the booth. He headed over to hang out with his siblings and Eric.

EJ took a seat across from Chad. "Everything okay?"

Wanting to assure his brother he had everything under control, Chad said, "Don't worry. Everything is fine."

Glancing over his shoulder towards Will, EJ returned his gaze to his brother. "By the look on William's face, it doesn't seem to be that way. Why did you two meet with Roman?"

Chad knew he needed to tell his brother what happened. "Roman wanted to talk to us about father's attack on the pier. He asked me why I ran away from Salem and wants to meet with me later this week."

EJ crossed his arms, leaned back, and shook his head. "I can't believe he's doing this. Actually, I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Looking directly into his brother's eyes, EJ claimed, "When you meet with him, I will be there. He's not going to try to pin this on you when I know you've done nothing wrong."

With appreciation, Chad smiled at his brother and said, "Thank you." Deep down, a part of him felt guilty.

Since her mother believed she was working at the hospital again, Lexie arrived to pick up Theo from his therapy session. Looking at her watch, she realized she arrived earlier than she expected. She took a seat by the coffee station to wait. It felt weird to be at the hospital for non-work reasons. She couldn't believe her life now.

Spying Brandon and Nathan walking out of the hall, Lexie watched keenly as Nathan took Brandon's hand to shake it. Both seemed to be really happy about something. "What does this mean?" she asked herself mentally. She felt the need to escape.

Meanwhile, in Joselyn's office, Jack and Jen sat across from Joselyn discussing Abigail and JJ. "Jack, you have spent a lot of time with them, and things have improved so much in your relationships. It's really good."

"That is really great to hear," Joselyn announced. She knew this was something Jack sincerely wanted, but there was something else they had not touched on yet. "Tell me, Jen, has there been any shift in your relationship with Jack? Last time we met, you claimed that you couldn't get too close to him because you feared it would drive you mad."

Jen didn't dare answer Joselyn's question and remained silent.

Jack decided to rescue Jen this time. He shared, "I believe we are working together in the parenting sense with JJ. We don't really do it much with Abigail because she's old enough to make her own decisions."

Finding something she could reply to, Jennifer turned to Jack and asked, "Do you really believe that? Because you seem uncomfortable about Abigail's future at times."

Joselyn was intrigued by Jen's question and said, "I'd like to know more about that."

Jack wanted to do this right, so he felt he did not have a choice but to be truthful. "I got nervous when Abigail said she got an offer to work for the mayor," he explained. "I have some history when it comes to family and politics."

A realization came to Jennifer. "Is this about your adoptive father? Do you think our daughter will be like him if she gets involved with politics?"

"No," Jack quickly denied. "I am afraid there will be a jackass politician who will take advantage of her. I don't want to repeat the same cycle."

Somewhat confused, Jennifer argued, "Abigail is smart, and though she struggles in her love life, she won't let some jerk take advantage of her."

Jack leaned back in his chair and looked forward as he said, "I thought the same about you."

Jen began to shake her head feeling uncomfortable. Jack had returned to how he stole her innocence and youth from her. "Jack, no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes," she stated. "Yes, I have made poor choices when it comes to men, but I hope you know you are a good man. You just have to believe it."

"I'm going to need to stop you there, Jen," Joselyn cut in. "You are saving Jack here again. You have to let Jack pull himself out of this negativity." Turning to Jack, she directed, "Do you see yourself as a jerk who preys on 'good' women?"

"I struggle because there are a lot of things I did years ago that I regret," Jack admitted before turning to face Jen. "I'm sorry for what I did to Kayla Brady and your mom."

Shaking her head again, Jen replied, "We have moved past that already."

Joselyn studied the dynamic between Jack and Jen and posited, "Is it possible you, Jen, have moved on from these events, while Jack has not?"

Jen froze in place and remembered the therapy she had went through to work through all of this. Jack wasn't there for those sessions, so maybe there was truth to the question Joselyn asked. She turned to Jack and wondered if she was being impatient with him.

Noting the look of guilt on Jennifer, Jack shared, "I have held onto everything I have ever done because I want to hold myself accountable so I never turn back into the monster I used to be."

As much as she wanted to respond, Jen managed to refrain from verbally rescuing Jack by grabbing his hand instead. She turned to face Joselyn and made eye contact with her to show she was struggling here.

Returning from the darkness he had entered into his mind, Jack looked to Joselyn as well. "I don't know why I went there again when I've worked so hard on forgiving myself since we started therapy."

"Maybe it's because I'm here," Jen wondered aloud as she took her hand away. There was a lot that she thought she had worked through coming back to her, and it would make sense if Jack was experiencing the same thing.

A smile suddenly crept on Jack's face as he stated, "Jen, you're the beauty, while I am the beast." His smile soon turned to laughter, and though it was awkward, Jen and Joselyn joined in because they did not understand where Jack had gone. Recognizing how his emotions were somewhat inappropriate, Jack reeled in his jolliness. "Jen, I have a lot of fear when it comes to our family because of my many mistakes."

Jen shrugged her shoulders as she said, "I struggle with the same."

"That's what makes you human," Joselyn shared.

Putting on a smile again, Jack sighed with relief before joking, "I'm glad to know I'm not an alien." He scratched the back of his head and turned to Joselyn. He was starting to wonder if he did need medication to fix his problem.

When Chelsea finished her therapy session with Theo, she found Lexie waiting outside. "Lexie, I'm glad you're here. I really need to talk to you about Theo if you have time."

Lexie was still in the mindset that she needed to put on a good face for everyone at the hospital. "I have time."

"We can head into my office..."

"That won't be necessary," Lexie cut in. "We can talk here."

Chelsea made sure there weren't others around before sharing, "I have noticed Theo has been more closed off recently. Has anything changed?"

Lexie did not understand why Chelsea would ask. "Nothing has changed."

Chelsea thought about what Celeste said to her and needed to know if something else was going on. "Do you believe Theo's life is in danger?"

Red flags were now entering Lexie's mind. She was even more confused now. "No," she adamantly claimed.

Unsatisfied with Lexie's short answer and apparent lack of interest, Chelsea shared, "I know Theo was held captive at your father's mansion and has exhibited odd behavior. I also know that you two have moved into your aunt's home. I am only curious if you've noticed anything since the situation in the DiMera basement – anything odd."

"Oh," Lexie released softly as she realized Celeste had talked to Chelsea about Theo. Celeste must have told Chelsea she moved in with Maddalena and must have said something to her about Theo's life being in danger. Lexie's realization quickly turned to anger. "Actually, we should go into your office so I can revoke my mother's access to Theo's treatment indefinitely."

Concerned, Chelsea tried to reason with Lexie. "I'm not sure if that's something you want to do," she cautioned.

"Everyone thinks they can tell me what to do. I've made up my mind," Lexie declared with great frustration. She began to shake her head as she began to speak again. "I don't even know why I should trust you after what you did to..." Pausing, she realized she was about to bring up Zack in an effort to put Chelsea in her place and keep her away, but if she did that, then she would have to find another therapist. "Let's just go to your office, so I can sign the necessary forms."

Chelsea could see Lexie was unnerved and knew she was about to throw Zack in her face. She turned to Theo, who seemed to be in his own world. Keeping it professional, she directed Lexie and Theo and said, "Let's go then."

Outside of Joselyn's office, Jack and Jen headed out because they had finished their session. "I need to head home to make sure everything is in order for Billie, Frankie, and Carly's farewell party," Jen informed Jack. She was trying to pretend the tension from the session was gone now that they were outside of the therapy room.

"I'll try to make an appearance," Jack replied.

Maddalena was waiting and eyed Jack and Jen as they left. When Joselyn came out to welcome her, Maddalena shook her hand and said, "I decided to come to you since you haven't called me. We need to schedule a time so we can help my niece."

Joselyn was surprised to see Maddalena there. Fortunately, she had some time to speak with her. "Please come in," she directed before walking into her office. After closing the door, Joselyn took note of how Maddalena was coughing. "Would you like any water?"

"I am fine," Maddalena said after she managed to take control of her coughing. "I am curious to know how we can help Lexie with her mental health."

Taking her seat, Joselyn adjusted her glasses and shared, "Lexie wanted to come back to work, but EJ required that she seek treatment before she's able to do so. I believe EJ is correct in his assessment, but the problem we are facing is getting Lexie to agree."

Maddalena appreciated EJ's move on making sure his sister did not do any more damage to the family. Lexie was becoming a great wild card and not the positive light she felt she could bring to the DiMera name. Maddalena knew she had a blame in that. "I have tried my best to talk to Lexie about her struggle."

"That may not be enough," Joselyn speculated. "At this point, I believe Lexie feels alienated."

Maddalena shook her head knowing she needed to fix this mess she created in Lexie's life. "I will do what I must so Lexie will receive the help she needs."

Hoping she could still be involved in this process, Joselyn suggested, "We should regroup soon so we can discuss the family."

Maddalena nodded and agreed. "Yes. When is good for you?"

"How about tomorrow? My morning is wide open."

"That will be fine," Maddalena replied as she stood up. "Until then."

After Maddalena left, Joselyn's thoughts went to Stefano believing she would get the information she was craving. "Soon... I will know everything."

Outside of Joselyn's office, Maddalena was already on the phone. "I need an update on Manny Hernandez's whereabouts." After hearing that Manny was in the park, she smiled because her interest was piqued. "Tell me more."

Manny stood over the spot where Kate found the body of a dead man – a man who was an informant to the DiMera family and a prison guard where his brother was held. He remembered his part in the man's death. He had stolen EJ's cell phone from the gym and had retrieved the number before Rafe escaped prison. Shaking his head, his mind wandered to when Colin picked him up from prison. He had his entire life ahead of him, and he still chose to help Rafe do more damage to innocent people.

Friday, September 12th, 2011

On Melaswen, Manny sped up and was able to grab Sonny's shoulder and throw him down. Sonny tried to get up to run in a different direction, but Manny grabbed him and pulled a knife to his throat. Sonny yelled hoping someone would hear him.

"Shut up, Sonny. I don't want to hurt you!" Manny hated having to threaten Sonny.

Sonny stood still. "You led me on just so you could use me. I thought you actually cared about me. What are you? Gay for pay? Who hired you?"

"You don't understand," Manny answered. "I told you I would do anything for my family. I did this for Rafe, so that he could live his life without having to look over his shoulder. You're my last chance of accomplishing that task. Don't take it personal."

Manny held Sonny close to him trying to fight his bond with Sonny. "If you cooperate you won't get hurt." He hoped Sonny would cooperate. As he continued to hold Sonny in silence, he suddenly heard someone approaching. "Whoever is out there… come out slowly! If you try anything, Sonny will be dead!"

Arianna and Dario walked over slowly with their hands up. "We are not going to hurt you, Manny. Just let Sonny go," Arianna pleaded.

Manny was surprised to see Arianna there. "What are you doing here, Ari? Who's taking care of Mama?"

"Don't worry about Mama. She's fine." Arianna moved a bit closer to Manny. "What are you doing? This isn't you."

Dario kept his eyes on Sonny. There was great fear in them. "I hate what Rafe did to you, Manuel. Todos te queremos. Can't you see that Rafe is playing you just like he did last time?"

"Rafe would never play me!" Manny noticed that Arianna was getting closer. "Stay back, hermana. I'm doing this for Rafe and our family, so we all can be together again. We never got to be together because Mama had to give Rafe up to an orphanage. But he found us, remember? He loves us. We can all be together now!"

Arianna stood still and kept her hands up. "Manny, Dario's right. Rafe cannot be trusted. He's planning on killing Chad and Will for his own personal revenge. Everyone thought he was dead. He was planning on pinning everything on you just like when you took the fall for Emily's death." Arianna began to cry. "Manny, please stop this. Rafe lost his way long ago. We have been too blind to see that until now. He has always been selfish."

Manny shook his head and began to cry as well. "No, that wasn't the plan. He promised no one would get hurt!"

"You know he lied to you!" Dario shot back. "You saw the look in his eyes when he pulled that gun on Chad, Will, and Sonny. He wants to kill them."

Manny watched his brother closely and could see Dario's eyes were focused on Sonny, who had tears coming down his face.

Dario then turned to look at his brother as he begged, "Let Sonny go. Don't you remember what you asked me at the Cheatin' Heart at my farewell party? You asked me what happened to my heart." Dario's eyes began to water. "If you hurt Sonny, I will lose my heart forever! You will be hurting our family! Mama! Ari! Gabi! And Me!"

Manny looked into his brother's eyes and immediately broke down and let Sonny go. He thought about how Sonny was just a job, but Sonny made him understand how Dario could fall in love with him. "I'm sorry," he cried as he dropped the knife and kneeled to ground in shame.

Sonny immediately ran into Dario's arms and cried. "I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you. I should have believed you."

As Dario held Sonny, Arianna rushed over to her brother and moved the knife out-of-the-way. Holding him, she kissed him on the head. "Manny, I will make sure that you get the lightest sentence possible. I don't want to see you waste away in prison again because of something Rafe did."

"I'm not worth anything. I'm just like Rafe," Manny replied as he cried. "I've lost my way. You can't save me."

Monday, September 9th, 2013

Thinking about how he almost lost his mind and considered killing Sonny, Manny's guilt only seemed to increase. He felt guilty for his part in everything and considered that it may be too late for him now. He thought he had escaped the nightmares, but they managed to return. Looking up to the sky, Manny released, "God, grant me redemption. I will do whatever I need to protect my family."

After talking to his brother, Chad sat at the booth for a while thinking about Roman. He wondered if he would get in the way of everything. Looking up, he noted that Will was now by himself at the bar. He approached him carefully and asked, "Are you waiting for someone?"

Will turned around in his stool and made eye contact with Chad for a second before turning away. He realized he was waiting for Chad and had missed one of his classes to make sure Chad would be okay. He needed to lie though. "EJ took my brother and sister upstairs to watch TV, but I'm waiting for Ezra," he claimed. "We made plans to skip class and hang out, but I think his internship assignment probably ran longer than he expected." Will stopped himself because he was only going to continue rambling to cover up the truth.

"What did your brother say about my grandfather wanting to talk to you?" Will moved on. He couldn't stop thinking about how Chad said he was running away from himself when he left Salem.

Chad scratched the back of his head as he replied, "EJ wants to be there as a precaution."

"I'm sorry," Will said before explaining his apology was for Roman. "I know you had nothing to with Stefano's attack that night or the substances used on me and Abe."

Chad didn't understand how they still didn't have that all figured out. Taking a seat next to Will, he realized he may have overstepped. "Do you mind?"

Attempting to play it cool, Will watched Chad intently as he said, "It's whatever."

"Are you still going to the doctor to get checkups?" Chad asked allowing his concern to come through.

Will noted Chad seemed worried about him and tried to diminish the seriousness of the tests. "I have an appointment in a couple of weeks to make sure everything is good, but I don't expect things to be bad because there hasn't been any signs of anything. In fact, I've hardly been sick."

Chad wasn't ready to let this go. "Are you scared about it at all?"

"No," Will claimed looking into Chad's eyes. There was fear in them. "I'll be okay, Chad."

Getting lost in Will's eyes, Chad moved in closer as he said, "I hope nothing terrible ever happens to you."

Since Will and Chad had gotten so caught up in each other, they did not notice that Gabi had approached them. "Sorry to interrupt," she released clearly startling the two of them. "I'm back! I'm here to talk to Caroline."

Unsure of how to respond to Gabi's return, Will stood up and gave her an awkward hug. He did so not only due to the surprise of seeing her again but also to distance himself from Chad. "It's great to see you again. My great-grandmother is resting at the moment though. She's been working less."

"Well, I can talk to her later then," Gabi decided before moving on. "I'm glad you're both here – together – because I really need to talk to you." Grabbing a chair from a nearby table, she took a seat and looked up to Chad and Will. "I am extremely sorry for my attitude towards you in the past. I know I was a terrible friend and gave horrible advice to you, Will, when you first came out. I tried to manipulate you, so you would feel guilty about who you really are. I can't say enough to show you how much I regret the way I treated you and Chad. I hope that you don't hate me because for the longest time I hated myself."

Still in a bit of shock like Will, Chad said, "Don't worry about it. I forgive you."

"Me, too." Will said with a smile. He still couldn't get past Gabi being in front of him.

With great relief, Gabi spoke with gladness as she said, "I'm happy you two are still together. It shows that you really did find love with each other."

Chad and Will immediately became uncomfortable as they traded glances with each other. Scratching the back of his neck, Chad decided to correct her, "There's..."

"What does the family think of your return?" Will interrupted confusing Chad.

Noting the slight discomfort between the two guys, Gabi answered, "Manny and Arianna are happy, but I haven't talked to Dario yet."

Moving forward, Chad asked, "Why not?" He believed if Gabi had changed her views on homosexuality, Dario could definitely use her right now.

Gabi explained, "I know I was the hardest on him. I want to make sure I am ready to say all I need to say to him, but I also know it needs to be soon."

"I think so, too," Will agreed.

Gabi sighed trying to stay calm. "Thanks again for being so accepting of me when I don't deserve it," she said.

Will moved forward and replied, "I know things got rough, but you have always been my friend."

Chad eyed Will and noted how Will seemed so genuine with Gabi. He couldn't help but think about how Will claimed Chad wasn't his friend. Chad hoped Will was changing his mind on that – especially after he didn't correct Gabi on the fact that they weren't together. Something had to have changed.