Chapter 55: Something It's Not – Friday, January 13th, 2012
The sky was as white as the snow on the ground. It was dead quiet. Chad and Will sat on the red cedar bench at their place as they held hands and stared directly into each other's eyes. Seeing Will's smile caused Chad to blush uncontrollably. Will seemed so happy and Chad enjoyed seeing the way Will's blue eyes lit up more with every breath they shared together.
Something unexpectedly didn't feel right. Chad sensed a darkness entering their atmosphere as memories from the last few weeks flickered into his consciousness. Looking down in shame, Chad tried to collect his thoughts because he had so much to say to Will. This was his moment. This was his time to be honest about everything.
Before Chad could utter a word, Will let go of his hands asking, "Do you hear that?"
The darkness dissipated at the sound of Will's voice. Chad looked up to the sky as he began to hear something. Music was playing, and it sounded somewhat familiar to Chad possibly due to Will playing it a time or two in their bedroom when they studied for exams over the fall semester.
Tilting his head and lowering his gaze, Chad realized that Will was now standing and offering his hand to Chad as if to ask him to dance with him. "Come on, Chad. Don't be scared. Dance with me," Will said gently with a smile. Chad looked deep into Will's eyes and felt the love and trust in them. Worry didn't even have a place in his mind at the moment.
Taking Will's hand, Chad was led away from the bench by Will. As the song continued, Will stopped and placed his left hand on Chad's back. Will pulled Chad close and led them in a slow waltz. Chad didn't question Will's control over him and rested his head on Will's head. It felt good. He felt at peace catching bits and pieces of the lyrics. This truly felt like a sweet dream.
Lost in the moment, Chad didn't catch on that dark clouds began to form above them. Will pulled his head from Chad's head and with a smile shared, "It looks like it's going to rain."
Chad didn't question Will's pleasure in seeing rain clouds above them. To help his lover enjoy the moment more, Chad took the lead in their wintry waltz by moving Will's hands onto his shoulders, so he could wrap his arms around Will's back. It felt right to Chad to take the lead because he could feel the trust Will had in him. Looking into Will's eyes, Chad pulled him closer into a fiery kiss. Once their lips touched, a spark ran through Chad's body. His heart grew faint and strong at the same time. A peace came over him that excited every bone in his body. Chad was so in love that he couldn't think straight.
Chad opened his eyes after the kiss was over. The dark clouds had expanded and the rain began to pour. The drops of rain hit his face and they felt so cold. Chad looked at Will and noted the joy that permeated around Will's whole body. He questioned why Will was so happy. His thoughts began to take away from the experience as questions about everything in his life came flooding into his being. Soon the wind picked up and whirled around them. The lyrics of the song became clearer and more dramatic confusing Chad even more. He looked at Will with concern because at the moment neither of them were leading. The darkness he had managed to forget about earlier now had control of what they were doing, and there was no stopping it.
Even though Chad was concerned, Will still seemed relaxed. Chad didn't understand how Will didn't seem to care that their lives were out of their hands. Chad looked Will over to make sure he was fine. Will suddenly straightened his head when the thunder reached its loudest point causing Chad to look directly into his eyes again. Will's blue eyes pierced into Chad's soul as he joined in to sing one line of the song, "Not even death can make us part."
Horror came over Chad's face as Will collapsed in his arms and fell to the ground. The wind and rain had suddenly stopped, but thunder continued to sound intermittently as the song faded. Chad fell back holding Will in his hands. He spoke for the first time, "Will, wake up!"
Shaking Will's body, Chad didn't get a response at all. He continued to talk to Will through tears hoping it would encourage Will to wake up. He instantly stopped when he heard footsteps coming from behind. Chad swallowed his fear and slowly turned his head to see who had come upon them.
"Don't worry, Chad. It's your cugino," Chad heard before he turned his head far enough to see André standing there. André continued to move to the other side of Chad and added, "Unfortunately, I do come with a warning. Heed my warning, Chad."
Chad pulled Will's lifeless body closer to protect him. "Warning? What's your warning?"
André looked dead into Chad's eyes and shared, "History has a way of impaling the present at the most inopportune time. I tell you, Chad, your love for Will and your love for your family will soon clash. Keep your eyesight keen on what's ahead and what is right in front of you. You may be able to keep things safe by avoiding conflict altogether, but don't be a fool. Some things are out of your hands."
André began to fade after stating his warning. Chad looked down, and Will began to fade as well. He realized he was having a nightmare.
–(–)–
Chad woke up alone on the couch holding onto his pillow feeling a chill go down his spine from his nightmare. It had shaken him up pretty bad even though he had part of the dream before. Looking up at the dark ceiling, Chad's thoughts returned to reality remembering the night he had experienced. Ignazio had been initiated into the family business after he made the right decision in calling EJ for help. Ignazio was surprised it was all set up, but Chad couldn't figure out it was a good or bad surprise for his cousin. He hoped for the former.
Chad's thoughts returned to his nightmare as he thought about André's warning. Unable to sleep, he looked around the dark room and noticed a light coming through the bottom of the kitchen door. It seemed someone else was awake.
Chad pulled himself from the couch and put his shirt back on before grabbing his cell phone from the nightstand to use as a flashlight. Making his way into the kitchen, he found Celeste pouring a glass of tea for herself. "Are you having a rough night, too?"
Celeste wasn't too surprised to find Chad awake at this hour because a bad feeling came over her during the night. She didn't want to worry Chad though, so she lied. "My mouth has been extremely dry, so I decided I wanted some tea. What's rough about your night?"
Chad took a seat across from Celeste clearing his throat. "I told you before that I haven't dreamt about any tarot cards, but that I still have had nightmares."
Celeste remembered their conversation before she took Theo to his extended therapy session. Nodding her head, she offered, "Do you want some tea? It could help calm your nerves."
Chad decided to accept as he figured it would help the heavy beating of his heart. As Celeste grabbed a cup for Chad and poured him tea, Chad went on about his nightmare. "I've had almost the exact same nightmare the past three nights."
Celeste stopped pouring tea for a moment to ask, "What was different about each?" She then continued to pour tea into the cup to top it off.
"This time had the only difference in that it had more at the end than the other two times," Chad explained. "Each dream started with Will and me sitting together. He draws me closer to him, and we hear this song playing. I don't know what it's called, but I know I've heard it before. Will starts leading me to dance, and we're happy. Things are peaceful, but then things get dark because I lose control. We both lose control. Will looks me dead in the eyes and sings, 'Not even death can make us part.' He immediately collapses in my arms." Chad paused to collect his emotions because he could still picture that moment so clearly.
Celeste quickly put her cup down after taking a small sip so she could grab Chad's hand. "I can imagine having this dream replay night after night has taken its toll on you. Is this where the dream ends?"
Chad shook his head. "No, André appears to give me a warning. The first two times I dreamt this dream, I never got to hear his actual warning when he told me he had one. This time I did."
Celeste could not help pulling her hand away because something told her to do so. Her bad feeling increased from hearing about Chad's nightmare. She had to hold it together though, so she could help Chad through this. "What was André's warning?"
Chad decided to take a sip of his tea before answering that question. After a moment, he shared, "André told me that my love for Will and my love for my family would collide and no matter how hard I tried to keep everything in peace, it would be inevitable. I don't know what that means, but I've been worried that something will happen to Will. I've been so worried... I made decisions to keep him away from dangerous situations. I've kept my distance since Monday, but I've made sure he knows that we are still in a good place without me having to spend so much time with him. I think that's why I've been so focused here – to keep the danger away from him."
Celeste gave Chad a look of concern. "Your nightmares didn't necessarily start with tarot cards, did they?" Chad shook his head no. "This dream is important for your journey even if it doesn't feature a tarot card. Something is about to happen, but I do not want you to feel hopeless."
"How can I not feel hopeless?" Chad asked fearing what was coming.
Celeste poured more tea into Chad's cup before sharing, "André's warning has to do with your family and Will. You are trying to live and please two different lives, and soon they will try to become one. That can be one interpretation to the dream." Sensing that Chad wasn't sure on her interpretation, she explained further, "You have tried to protect Will by staying away from him. There are other ways you can protect him. Maybe it's time you share everything with him, so that he becomes a part of your journey as the two separate lives become one. He trusts you. Do you not trust him?"
"Of course I do," Chad replied without hesitation. He thought about what Celeste said and it made sense. He felt a sense of relief come over him, but he still had a question. "What makes you think this will work? André made it sound like everything would be inevitable."
Celeste questioned the context of André's warning but decided to step back. "Let's look back to the different messages you have received from your past dreams. The empress told you to nurture your relationship with Will and to not let things get in the way, while the emperor told you to find out who ruled over your life, so you could become your own man."
Chad remembered his dream about the emperor. He received a warning from André in that dream as well. André told him that the family would outcast him, and then Tony told him to run away. He remembered the fear he felt when his father entered the room. His father had told him to add order and structure to his life while asking him the important question of who or what exactly commanded his life at the moment. Chad didn't know, but he was starting to realize it wasn't him.
Celeste continued, "The hierophant told you to own your fears by either giving up what you may lose or allowing them to come to pass, so you can experience change and grow from it. Even then it seemed you struggled with the idea that you had to live two lives – one for your family and one for Will. After that you had a dream where you had to choose between Will and Mia. Once again, it was one or the other, but in my opinion it seems you are not ready to give up Mia completely just yet. I don't know your reasoning though."
"I don't know either," Chad whispered more to himself. Even though he didn't want to admit it, he knew he was holding onto Mia in some ways because she was a big part of his past and his identity. Even with that, he still didn't fully understand it.
"Finally, that leads us to the dream you had featuring the chariot," Celeste continued. "EJ told you to always think ahead of each battle you enter. He told you that you must take every aspect of your life and make it work together. One part cannot function properly without the other."
Chad shook his head. "That's where I continue to get stuck at. I don't know how to make everything work together. I mean, I thought I was doing a decent job, but with my latest dream I get the feeling that there's something I am forgetting or… I don't know." Chad digressed feeling a bit agitated with himself for getting stuck in the same place repeatedly.
Celeste placed her hand on Chad's hand once again. "It is my opinion, but I truly believe the missing part is Will. He's not functioning in your other life, whereas your family seems to be aware of your life with Will. The inevitable piece here is that these two lives will collide. It's time you told him. You've built the foundation. Now build the home together."
Celeste made complete sense, and Chad thought about André's warning again. He knew now he could prevent Will's life being in danger. "If I don't completely let Will into all my struggles and secrets, then I could lose him from my life entirely. He'll disappear from life completely." Feeling rested and calm from the tea, Chad let out a yawn. He knew he needed to talk to Will at the masquerade.
Celeste gave Chad's hand one last squeeze before standing up. "We should get some rest. We have a long and eventful day ahead of us. I will see you in the morning."
After Celeste took her teacup and placed it in the sink, she left the kitchen to head to the guest room. Chad finished his tea and opened up the browser on his phone. He decided to look up the song he heard in his dream, so he could read the lyrics before attempting sleep again. He was able to find the song by searching the line that Will sang in his dream: "Not Even Death Can Make Us Part." It was Sweet Dreams by Beyoncé.
Later that morning, Will woke up on the couch at his apartment to the smell of breakfast. Confused, he quickly got up and made his way into the kitchen to find Sonny cooking. "What's going on here?" he asked his friend in a meticulous way.
Sonny knew Will was shocked but didn't want to make it into a big deal. Speaking casually, he replied, "I'm trying to reclaim my life. I've moped around too much. I can only handle cereal for so long."
In excitement, Will went over and gave Sonny a hug. "I'm so happy to hear you say that," he shared as his stomach growled. "Not just because I get to eat your awesome cooking again, but I am glad you are trying to live your life for you again."
Sonny appreciated Will's friendship and honestly had no idea what he would have done without him. "Thanks for always trying to help me through this. Even though I still feel guilty and like a chump for what I did, I know now that Kai and I are over. I'm going to focus on myself and move forward."
"Welcome to Salem! You just survived your initiating process into what almost everyone goes through once they decide to settle here," Will joked with Sonny trying to make light of the situation.
Sonny stuck his tongue out to Will and shook his head. Returning to his cooking, he decided to change the subject to what happened the night before at their apartment. "Now that we're talking about making steps to move forward, I think it was dumb to let T have your bedroom last night. He definitely didn't deserve it."
Will had completely forgotten why he slept on the couch because Sonny's cooking breakfast distracted him. He slightly cringed at having to admit his reasoning as he explained to Sonny, "Look, I had to offer T my bedroom for the night to make sure you two didn't get into it anymore like you guys did last night. I know that what he did..."
"I want him out of our apartment!" Sonny interrupted Will. He turned off the stove since he was done with the bacon and eggs. Looking at Will now, he continued, "I don't care what you have to say to him, but I revoke my invitation for him to stay here."
"Where do you expect me to go?" T asked as he entered the kitchen crossing his arms around his bare chest.
Sonny wasn't pleased to see T. "I don't care. Maybe you can stay at my great-uncle's mansion. Seems like he'll take anyone in who hates my guts these days!"
T gave Sonny a cocky smile. He knew Will wouldn't agree to kicking him out, so he didn't let Sonny's demands worry him. "Well, have you considered that maybe people hate you for a reason?"
Sonny didn't want to hear this. He pushed T to get him to step off. "I don't know what I ever did to you, but you are not even worth it. I guess a lot of people know that about you!"
T snarled his lips and went for Sonny, but Will stood in between them frustrated because they were at it again. He knew he needed to separate them, so he pushed T out of the kitchen and into the hall by his bedroom door. He made sure to give Sonny a look to make him stay in the kitchen. T didn't want to give up on trying to attack Sonny, so Will pushed T into his bedroom and closed the door. "You're pushing it, Tad! You are putting me in a bad position where I have to choose between you and Sonny. I don't want to, and I don't appreciate it! Maybe it's time I stop being so gentle with you! Think about everyone you've hurt just to make Gabi feel like crap!"
T gave Will a confused look and questioned the possibility that Will might kick him out. "What the hell are you talking about? You're mad at me?"
Will took a deep breath before breaking it down for T. "I got a text from Nathan last night. He told me Isobel Hernandez is in the hospital again. Did you ever think that maybe Gabi pushed you away in the first place because she's already at her lowest point? Her mother is dying, remember?" Will gave T an obvious look, but T looked away. He continued, "I've tried to be understanding because you have a son or daughter out there and your parents have kicked you out, but you need to see that your anger and frustration are now making you into a huge douche!"
"My parents, Kinsey, and Gabi were all douches first, so they deserve it," T threw back.
Will put his hands on his hips for a moment before countering, "Sonny has been friendly to you. He was supportive and didn't need convincing when you needed a place to stay. You pretty much screwed his life over by that stupid stunt you pulled with Kai yesterday. I should have known you two weren't up to any good yesterday when you told me you were going to hang out alone! I should have picked up on your recklessness when you asked me to kiss you! Tell me, T... was it all worth it?"
T had never seen Will so angry with him before and knew Will had made many valid points. Looking down, he shared his mindset, "I completely crashed when we came back to Salem from New Year's. How am I supposed to continue my life when it's so messed up? I don't know who I am anymore. How am I supposed to live in a new context, when I don't even know what to live for?"
Will pulled back as he could finally see T dealing with what he was feeling and not trying to mask it with anger. He gave his oldest best friend a look of sincerity as he shared, "I know you're scared about what to do with your life now and what exactly it's supposed to look like when your parents kicked you out, you lost your girlfriend, and then you're confused about how to be a dad when your baby isn't around. I know it's a lot, but you need to see what you have now."
T still felt so defeated. "Which is what, Will? I really don't know anymore."
Will's shoulders fell down as his heart sank for his friend. "You have me as your friend to talk to. You have Josh. You could have Sonny again. You have school. You can prove to your parents that you can do this on your own and that you don't need them to succeed in life. Your future is not gone, T. You still have life."
T couldn't help but smile because he honestly felt the love from Will. He knew Will believed in him and that seemed like it was enough for now. "I am so sorry for causing so much stress in your life."
Will pulled T into a hug and held him for a moment, so T would not give up again. "It's going to be all okay, T."
T continued to smile as Will finally released him. "I should take a shower before Sonny kicks me out for good." Will smiled and told T not to worry.
After helping T get settled in the bathroom to shower, Will made his way back into the kitchen to make sure Sonny was okay. Sonny, who was now enjoying breakfast at the table, looked up at Will saying, "I made you a plate if you want some." Will gladly accepted and joined Sonny at the table to eat. Sonny swallowed his bite and asked, "Did I hear right about Isobel being in the hospital?"
"Yeah," Will answered. He drank some orange juice before starting on the breakfast Sonny provided him. He thought about how he told Chad he wanted to help his friends get their lives back, but it was really starting to wear on him. He really needed Chad around to help him recharge.
Sonny looked down and thought about Dario. He knew Dario must be going through hell and wondered what caused it all. He contemplated going to the hospital to check in, but he realized he couldn't because he had cut ties with Dario. It wouldn't be fair if he tried to be in Dario's life after everything that happened.
Will noticed Sonny stopped eating his food when he came out of his thoughts about Chad. "I think I got through T in my bedroom. He feels bad for what he did to you and admitted he wasn't really thinking about that part. I think his pride led him to act like he hated you, too. Can we just keep it cool until T comes up with a plan?"
Sonny could see Will really needed this. "I'm still annoyed with him, but I won't start things with him again. If he needs a place to stay, I'll be cool."
Relieved, Will gave Sonny a smile of appreciation before realizing Sonny probably had Dario on the mind since he asked about Isobel. "Now that you and Kai are officially done, have you thought about Dario at all? Have you forgiven him?"
Sonny didn't want to answer that question. Instead, he offered, "I think I need to focus on forgiving myself first." Will nodded his head in agreement, but Sonny couldn't just stop there. "But I have thought about Dario, and I do feel bad. I don't know if I can really fault Dario for what happened. He sincerely was just following his heart, and it took guts with the way he put himself out there to me. I know that had to be hard for him to get to that point. I should have just had more control over my feelings. It just all sucks because..." Sonny paused as he could feel a deep sadness take over him. He finally finished his thought, "…now, we're nothing to each other."
"Personally, I think Dario would appreciate seeing you there to support him," Will said aware that Sonny was psyching himself out. He knew Sonny wanted to go see him. "I know you still care about him on some level."
Sonny shrugged his shoulders and tried to focus on eating again. He couldn't. "Do you know what exactly happened to Isobel?" he asked trying to keep the focus away from him and Dario.
"Nathan didn't go into specifics. He just mentioned something about Dario upsetting her, and then having to rush her to the hospital," Will answered reading Sonny's eyes.
Sonny's eyes went to the side as he contemplated going to the hospital again. "I have to stay away. I think my presence would only cause more heartache for him. It might be too much for him."
Will could see it all over Sonny's face. "You still love Dario – don't you?"
Sonny looked directly at Will deciding not to deny it. "It doesn't matter. Too much has happened." Sonny decided he had enough to eat. Standing, he grabbed his plate and rinsed it off in the sink.
Will decided he was finished, too. He stood up and joined Sonny by the sink. Sonny grabbed it and began to rinse it off for him. Will placed his hand on Sonny's shoulder to say one last thing, "I'm glad you're moving on and forward, but I really wish you would stop punishing yourself by staying away from what you really want." Will walked off towards his bedroom to get his stuff ready for the masquerade. Sonny sighed as he contemplated a friendship with Dario.
Lexie rushed around her house trying to get ready for the night's festivities. As she hurried down the stairs, Celeste followed behind her at a slower pace. "Darling, take your time. Take a moment. Going to that masquerade tonight is a horrible idea! Why don't you stay in with Theodore?"
Lexie was set on ignoring her mother, but she couldn't take it anymore. Facing Celeste, she reminded her, "Mom, the therapist said yesterday that if we want to help Theo out right now, he needs to spend some time with his friends from school to bring some normalcy back into his life. He can't find that here because Abe is not here. I set up a back to school sleep over with Ciara and a few of his other school friends at another parent's house. He won't have to think about his father." Lexie turned and began to rush around again.
Chad walked down the stairs after helping Theo find something to change into. Noting the look of distress on Celeste's face, Chad knew she wasn't having any luck in getting Lexie to change her mind about going out. Celeste then gave him a look to suggest he give it a go. He didn't really want to, but he decided to give it one last shot. Still getting over the fear from his nightmare earlier, he said, "Lexie, you can rest and relax if that's what you need. I can do whatever it is you need at the event for you. I can be your representative at the party."
Lexie stopped in place again as she found the other earring she was looking for. "I appreciate the both of you for trying to look out for me, but I have to be there. I have to be there because I have to make the important announcement."
"What announcement?" Celeste asked confused.
Lexie put the earring in her pocket for later. "Since it's a masquerade, there will be an unmasking, but that's all I can say about that."
Chad and Celeste traded indifferent looks as EJ walked through the front door after a small knock. "Alexandra, I am here to talk to you about how everything should work tonight – well, with security that is. I told Marco I would do this for him, so you didn't run him over for interrupting you." EJ was sure to give his sister a wink to let her know he was making fun of her.
Lexie appreciated EJ's lightened mood. After giving him a hug, she commented, "So Marco admitted he's afraid of me. Good to know. Tell me what father has planned for us this evening."
EJ held his smile as he explained what the evening would look like. "Well, security will arrive to take the family to Chez Rouge while making sure the media doesn't maul you or anyone else for that matter. Maggie and I worked together to be sure media is limited at the event and those who are allowed have agreed to a set of rules for the evening."
Lexie sighed and turned around to her mother and Chad. Brushing off her blouse, she said, "See, I told you. I will be okay. I feel fine." Walking over to Chad, she took his hands and squeezed them. "You have been truly helpful, but I really think it's time. You don't have to stay here anymore. You can go home with Will tonight. I'm sure he's more than ready to have you in his arms again."
Chad smiled widely and hugged his sister. "If it's what you want..." Chad thought about living with Will again. He wondered if he would be able to handle the pressure of having his focus solely on his own issues. He was excited to spend more time with Will again, but a part of him feared it because of what would come after he told Will everything. Chad thought about Mia and wondered if she should be included in everything since she would be gone soon.
Nathan gave Isobel and Arianna an update on her health through some of the tests' results he had gotten back. After he finished explaining the results, he informed Isobel, "I want to keep you in the hospital overnight so we can keep an eye on you. Things don't seem to be improving."
Arianna grew worried because she didn't understand how things could reverse so quickly. She looked at her mother and asked, "Why aren't you fighting like you were before?"
Isobel chose not to answer and gave Nathan a dirty look. She was happy that Dr. Jonas wasn't around so he could reveal that she lied to her kids, but she wasn't happy she had Dr. Horton. She knew he was the one that took Melanie away from Dario, and if that hadn't happened, Dario would have never claimed to be gay. She began to replay Dario's confession to her in her head causing her to feel worse.
Arianna grew frustrated with her mother and wondered if she should try to find Daniel to get clearer answers. When Melanie walked in, she asked her friend, "Is your dad here?"
"He's not. He has the whole day off," Melanie answered as she began to check the monitors to make sure everything was reading correctly. She knew Nathan was concerned about Isobel's health and wanted to be sure that the machines weren't spitting out the wrong data. "Gabi and Dario are waiting outside. They're wanting to come in," she mentioned as she took some notes from the machines.
Nathan looked over Isobel. "I don't see a problem with them coming in. I think Ms. Hernandez could use all the family support right now."
"Dr. Horton. I don't care what you recommend, but they are not coming in," Isobel demanded. Trading a glance with Ari, she could tell her oldest daughter wanted her to reconsider. "Okay... Gabi can come in, but she's all for now. I can only handle so much at the moment."
As Melanie and Nathan looked at each other, Arianna knew she had to do more than give her mother looks. "Mama, I know that you are feeling hurt right now, but you need to think about what Dario is going through. This isn't easy for him."
Isobel shook her head. "I don't want to think about that."
"Well, he's going to be waiting out there until you see him. We're all going to be here all night with you. No one is leaving you tonight," Arianna informed her mother.
Isobel's eyes lit up with concern. "No, you will not be waiting here with me all night. You and tu hermanos will be going to that dance tonight. I want to have the night alone, so I can rest. Besides, you are interested in someone. Tell me who it is."
As Melanie's ears perked up, Arianna gave her mother a look of disbelief. "We are not talking about this. We need to talk about Dario. I'll see if I can talk them into going tonight, but you at least need to say something to the both of them before anyone leaves." Isobel sighed as she didn't appreciate the ultimatum.
In the waiting area, Gabi and Dario sat next to each other hoping they could see their mother soon. Even though a part of her believed Dario was to blame for their mother being in the hospital, Gabi felt sorry for her brother. "Dario, things will be okay," she said not completely believing it.
"I am so selfish!" Dario let out in frustration. "I killed Mama!"
Gabi put her hand on Dario's back and continued to try to cheer him up. "She is not dead. She is still breathing. Yeah, she's upset, but that doesn't mean she doesn't love you. You are her son. She would never disown you."
Dario gave his sister a look of skepticism. "What about Rafe and Manny? Mama gave Rafe up for adoption because he was a bad kid she couldn't control."
"As much as I hate to say it, Rafe turned out to be a demon child," Gabi argued. "You, on the other hand, are Mama's favorite. She loves you more than anyone, and this is your first real mess up. I blame Sonny. Stupid rent-boy can't keep his hands to himself and has to have a piece of everything."
Dario watched Gabi as she continued to talk trash about Sonny. He looked away deciding not to stop her because he couldn't even try to defend Sonny anymore. He feared it would keep him wanting something he couldn't – and probably shouldn't – have.
Colin walked up interrupting Gabi and Dario. "I am sorry to hear about your mother. What exactly happened?" He hoped Dario and Gabi would tell him what happened and how Isobel was doing, so he could give Azzura an updated report on her health while also wanting to know if she could possibly be a future candidate.
Gabi and Dario looked Colin over because they really didn't know him that well. They remembered him from the island they were being held captive at, but they wondered why he was so interested in their mother. They stood up when Melanie walked over to them. "How is she, Melanie?" Gabi asked.
Colin stepped back as Melanie answered honestly, "It's not looking so good, and it appears your mom will be in the hospital for a while. Nathan wants to keep her over for the night at least and go from there."
Deciding he heard enough, Colin stepped back and walked off.
Gabi looked over to Dario and could see he wanted to get away from everything. Turning back to Melanie, she asked, "What did Nathan say about Dario and me coming in to see our mom?"
Melanie put her finger in her mouth not wanting to share what she heard in the room. "Nathan said it would be fine, but your mom doesn't really want you guys in there. She said that you could come in, but she wanted to keep it females only." She hoped that by answering Gabi's question in this way, they wouldn't get the point that Isobel wanted to purposely cut Dario out. Feeling uncomfortable, Melanie decided to continue her rounds on the floor. "I should get back to work," she shared as she walked backwards.
After Melanie was gone, Dario placed his right hand on his left shoulder to scratch his back. "I really need to fix things. I know Melanie didn't want to say it, but I bet Mama said she didn't want to see me at all."
Gabi gave Dario a look of defeat but then remembered something. "You can fix this by proving what happened with Sonny was a huge mistake."
Dario wasn't confident because he remembered telling Will and Justin that he didn't regret what happened. Even though he had begun to regret it, he wasn't sure if he could convince his mother that she could pretend it didn't happen. "She already thinks it's a mistake. I don't know if I can convince her I think it was one, too."
Gabi heard Dario's response as if he was giving up and was offended because Dario made it sound like he still didn't think of his affair with Sonny as a mistake. "What needs to happen so that you're convinced that you having anything to do with Sonny was a mistake? You can't throw in the towel, Dario. This is Mama and her life we're talking about here. She was fighting and improving, but now she's not. You have to save her because without her, this family will fall apart!"
Dario looked down as he realized Gabi did blame him for putting their mom in the hospital. He really hated himself and wished he had never returned to Salem or listened to Manny's advice. Looking back to his sister, he realized she was waiting for him to say something. "I don't know," was all he could get out.
"What about your date with Chelsea tonight? I think that it would really help Mama if she saw you trying to have a relationship with a girl. She might think that you know better than to be gay," Gabi pleaded with Dario.
Dario put his hands up to make Gabi stop. Hearing her talk about how he should know better than to be gay made him sick to his stomach. "I need a moment alone to think about this. Go see Mama. See if you can convince her that I am still Dario either way."
Gabi gave Dario a sad look before heading for their mother's room.
Dario grabbed a chair and took a seat. Running his hand through his hair, he thought about how Adrienne and Sonny helped open his eyes on the fact that gay people were not the filth of the human race. He knew his mother and sister thought differently. He didn't want his family to see him as scum, so he knew he had to do whatever it took to fix this. He had no reason to pursue his feelings and attraction because Sonny had made it clear they were over when he ditched him to pursue Kai.
Pulling out his phone, he decided to call Chelsea. When she picked up, he replied, "Hey Chels...ea..." Dario wanted to hit his head for slipping up like that. "I wanted to talk to you about our date tonight."
"Oh, yeah, my sister definitely told my dad about our date tonight," Chelsea shared. "He's been giving me a hard time ever since. He thinks you're going to break my heart."
Dario ran his hands through his hair again feeling uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say to Chelsea's comment about Bo so he just laughed it off. "I was thinking we would go to the event together. Am I going to have to talk to your dad to make sure you can go?"
Chelsea let out a giggle. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he stays away. He can be quite intimidating, and I'll make sure he doesn't ruin our night. So are you going to pick me up at his house?"
"Yeah, if that's where you'll be," Dario responded. Chelsea confirmed that she was getting ready there. "I'll pick you up a quarter 'til then." After hanging up, Dario took a deep breath as he questioned if he was way in over his head.
Azzura walked into Maddalena's office holding Maddalena's gown and a pair of heels for the night. "Signora, this is what I have picked out for the evening. I decided to go with your favorite colors – black and white – to showcase the red tint in your hair. I left the mask in your bedroom next to your jewelry."
Maddalena covered her mouth as she coughed and stood up from her desk to look the dress over. She loved how the black and white weaved diagonally into each other. She also loved the hints of grey on the straps. "You have out done yourself, Azzura. I love the dress. I will call you when I am ready to get dressed. You can take this to my bedroom."
Before Azzura could leave, her phone made a sound. She received a text from Colin about Isobel's prognosis at the hospital. She hung up the dress for a moment so she could read the text. After reading it, she thanked Colin for the update and informed Maddalena, "Colin sends word that Isobel Hernandez is not doing well, and that she is being kept at the hospital overnight. It seems her time is close."
Maddalena thought about Isobel and her health. "We are going to have to make some time for a side trip tonight. For now, take my dress and white heels to my bedroom, and if you see Ricardo, send him my way."
Azzura slightly bowed her head, grabbed Maddalena's gown, and walked out to find Ric on her way to Maddalena's bedroom. Maddalena walked over to her desk as she thought about Isobel Hernandez. Pulling the file out, she looked it over and shook her head. Looking up, she asked herself, "What am I going to do about my nipote?"
As soon as Ric walked in, Maddalena put the file away so she could focus on the problem in front of her. "Thank you Ricardo for coming in. I want to talk to you about your family."
Ric gave Maddalena a troubled look. "What about my family, signora? You already know my family's story."
With a knowing look on her face, she said, "Humor me. I need a reminder. Let me ask you specifically – was your family very religious?"
Ric was completely mystified, but he identified his boss had to be digging for something. He knew she already knew the answer to her question so he couldn't lie. "My father was not religious. He was an awful drunk and did nothing for our family. My mother became religious after you saved us from my father."
Maddalena came out around her desk and leaned on it. "What about you? Are you religious?"
Ric didn't know how to answer her question. "I cannot say I am as I do not follow any religious practices."
Maddalena nodded her head in agreement. She knew he would say that, but she wasn't satisfied with his answer. "When I saved you and your mother, your mother offered your lives to pay the debt. What would you do if I forgave the debt and set you free?"
"I've never thought of it," Ric started. Maddalena's question truly caught him off guard, but he continued, "I would stay in your service nevertheless."
Perplexed, Maddalena asked, "Why would you chose to remain here when you could be free to live your life as you saw fit?"
Ric stood firm as he explained his answer, "I believe this is my home, and I don't want to leave it."
"You wanted to leave it before, but you changed your mind." she commented with a raised eyebrow. "I think it would be a good idea if I set you free, so you can return to Italia to find a wife."
Ric nodded his head respectfully while sharing, "A wife in Italia is not important to me." There was a time when Ric had yearnings to settle down, but he felt like he already had that.
Ignazio walked in with Chad on his mind. He wanted to talk to his grandmother before he went through with his plan for the night. Maddalena quickly turned to Ric and requested discretion from him before facing her grandson. "I'll let you and your amico have a moment. I need to head to my bedroom so I can prepare for tonight."
Ignazio stopped his grandmother from leaving. "I need a moment before you leave, per favore."
Maddalena looked to her grandson and asked, "What is it, mio nipote?"
"It concerns Chad. I need a little direction before I go ahead with my plan," Ignazio informed Maddalena. "Why do you want to get rid of him?" Ignazio couldn't stop thinking about his initiation the night before and that caused him to have doubts.
Maddalena knew she couldn't reveal everything to Ignazio, so she simply answered, "He's a threat to our plan. He's a threat to EJ taking his place and what the family stands for. We will remain pure. When you're ready, I hope you will be EJ's right hand." Maddalena turned around as she said, "Now if you'll excuse me... I will see you tonight." She walked out of the room but made sure to stand right outside the door, so she could overhear Ric and Ignazio's conversation.
After he believed Maddalena was gone, Ignazio turned to his friend. "Ric, why were you alone with Maddalena this time?"
"Your nonna wants to send me away to Italia, so I can marry and move on," Ric shared.
Ignazio couldn't believe his grandmother. "That can't happen," he let out before Maddalena decided to head to her room since she heard enough. Ignazio pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Mia about their plan. Looking up to Ric, he exclaimed with more confidence and resolve for his mission, "Tonight will make Maddalena proud. Chad's life will be over, and I will take my rightful place in this family."
As the event was underway, Jack, who was wearing a black vest with black slacks and a long bronze mask outlined with red, took the opportunity to talk to Maggie about the event. Maggie felt uneasy about answering Jack's questions, but Jack assured her he had his questions screened to make sure no drama was added to the already tragic events. After Maggie agreed to answer a couple of questions, Jack got his mic ready. "Can you tell us how this whole event came about?"
"Well, a few months ago, Abe Carver came to me and told me about his idea for tonight. He wanted to use Chez Rouge for the first Friday, the 13th Masquerade," Maggie answered running her hands down her black, blue, and red dress to make sure it looked perfect on camera.
Jack thought about how he broke the story about Abe and how upset Jennifer was with him. He decided to wrap up his Q&A with Maggie by asking her, "Would you like to make a statement about the situation concerning Abe's disappearance?"
Maggie adjusted her white and red mask before sharing, "Abe Carver is a great man, and his presence is truly missed. He really cared about everyone in Salem and did his best to better everyone's lives. It is my hope that Abe is found soon – alive and breathing."
Before Jack could thank Maggie for her time, Victor walked up annoyed. "Excuse me. Jack, you need to go snoop around somewhere else. I know you are the one who caused all the chaos around Salem."
Jack waved the camera down as the interview was clearly over. Noting that Victor was only wearing a simple tux, he shook his head. "I am here on peaceful terms, so I will not be the starter of any drama or fireworks tonight. Maybe you should have taken the pledge as well."
Arianna, Gabi, Dario, and Chelsea arrived interrupting the tense moment between Jack and Victor. Jack decided to take his leave to get statements from others and waved at his camera man to follow him. Surprised to see Chelsea with Dario, he stepped in to welcome them to the event. First, he spoke to his granddaughter. "Chelsea you look amazing as always. I do have to say that lime green and black suit you very much." Turning to her date, he said, "Dario, interesting to see you here with my granddaughter. Is this an evening for friendship or something more?"
Arianna, who had her arms wrapped around her dark multi-colored dress, looked at her brother as she wondered the same thing.
Chelsea gave her grandfather a look to get him to back off. "Grandpa Victor, please don't do this. Dario and I are just trying to enjoy our evening."
Dario decided he should take Victor head on if things were going to work out with him and Chelsea. "Chelsea is beautiful and extremely intelligent. It's hard not to want to spend time with her. I will make sure she remains safe."
Gabi's dress was mostly green with a small hint of white and yellow towards the bottom. Adjusting the bronzed fringe connected to her sleeves, she pushed Dario and Chelsea forward, so they would walk away from Victor. She didn't want anything or anyone getting in the way of their first date. Arianna followed suit after saying a quick hello to Victor.
After Maggie greeted them, Daniel and Jennifer made their way to the grab a drink from the bar. Jennifer had spotted Jack as soon as she walked in and wanted to avoid him at all costs, but Jack spotted them at the bar. Noting that his ex-wife was wearing a white gown with hints of fuchsia all over, he made sure to share his thoughts on the look, "Jennifer, I have to say you look very beautiful tonight. I love your gold mask, too." Jack decided to ignore the fact that Daniel wore similar colors except for the black slacks and suit jacket.
As Daniel rolled his eyes, Jennifer struggled with making eye contact with Jack because she still felt guilty about what happened between her and Jack. She was thankful both had masks on. "Thanks Jack. Are you staying out of trouble?"
Jack gave Jennifer a smile and nodded his head. "Yes. I figure it would be optimal to be on my best behavior to avoid the wrath of the DiMeras, Victor, and your Aunt Maggie."
Jennifer almost laughed with Jack but stopped herself. She grabbed Daniel's hand as she traded a glance with him. Turning to Jack, she said, "I hope you don't get kicked out tonight before the big announcement. Abigail should be here later. I hope she will be more receptive to you than she has been with me recently whenever I mention you." Jennifer wanted to ask Jack if something happened, but she didn't want to spend more time with him.
Daniel gave Jennifer a look of concern. Ever since Jack approached them, something seemed different about her. He began to question if some of Jen's old feelings for Jack were returning. "Do I need to let you two have a moment to talk about your daughter? I just spotted Melanie and Nathan, so I can go say hi to them if you need me to."
Jennifer held on to Daniel's hand, so he wouldn't leave. "No, Jack and I can talk later. Tonight we are here to relax and enjoy the evening. Good night Jack." Jennifer led Daniel away from the bar after grabbing their drinks.
On their way to say hello to Melanie and Nathan, Jennifer and Daniel walked by Marco, who was scoping out the place to make sure everything was in order before the DiMera family entered the restaurant. Bumping into a woman, Marco quickly apologized. "Excuse me."
Arianna removed her dark green and pink mask as she smiled. "Hey Marco, It's me, Arianna. I didn't expect to see you here." Arianna smiled widely as she looked Marco over. He looked really good in his baby blue vest with grey pants and coat. She noted he did not have a mask.
Marco smiled but knew he didn't have the time to enjoy Arianna's company. "I am sorry, but I am still working. Security is tight for the event. We want to avoid any more incidents. I hope your mother is doing okay. I heard she was rushed to the hospital yesterday."
Arianna tried her best to be strong at the mention of her mother, but her face showed the fear she felt from the situation. "She is still at the hospital and will be there for some time. I'm not sure she will ever be released."
Marco couldn't help himself and pulled Arianna into a hug. "You must remain hopeful. EJ is doing everything he can to get Manny out to help your mother," he encouraged.
"I had no idea he was doing that," Arianna said. She looked around the room for Gabi and Dario and spotted them at a table talking with Chelsea. She gave Marco a look of appreciation before saying, "I would really like to talk more, but I know you are a busy man."
Marco sent EJ a text as he replied, "I hope we will get a moment alone with no distractions soon. There are things I would like to discuss with you." Marco turned his attention to the entrance when EJ, Sami, Will, Chad, and Lexie entered the room without Stefano and Kate. Marco watched as the press surrounded Lexie with questions causing EJ to step in to keep them away from her.
Lexie wore a velvet dress with gold trim surrounding a pink patterned stripe going down the middle. She held her velvet and gold mask in place as the reporters continued to ask questions. EJ wore mostly black but had a cape that was black on the outside and purple on the inside. His mask matched the inside of his cape. Sami, who stood close to Will and Chad, wore mostly purple. Her dress had ruffles on the bottom that contained hints of lighter fuchsia. When the reporters would not let up, Sami tried her best to help Lexie through the media. "I should go assist them." Marco gave Arianna a quick smile before making his way to the others to keep the press at bay.
Will couldn't get over how attractive Chad looked in his suit. He loved that they had managed to coordinate their costumes by having royal blue in their color scheme. Adjusting his blue mask, he whispered playfully, "It's going to be really hard to control myself with how good you look. Your silver full-faced mask is very tempting, too! I don't know if I will be able to keep my hands off of you tonight. Maybe we'll have some time after the party."
Chad pulled Will away from the others so they could have some privacy. "I've got some great news. I'm coming back to the apartment tonight – after all of this."
Will smiled widely and wanted to kiss Chad, but he refrained. Instead, he gently brushed his hand down Chad's arm. "Is that what you wanted to tell me yesterday? Is everything okay with Lexie now? She seems to be in a better place tonight."
Chad scratched the back of his head as he tried to figure the best way to answer Will's questions. "Lexie has convinced me she doesn't need me as much, so I'm coming home. There's a lot I want to tell you – about my secrets and dreams, but Chez Rouge isn't the place. There's too much press, so I think we should talk tonight at the apartment."
"If we have time to talk," Will winked at Chad. He couldn't help but feel a little frisky. It felt like forever since Chad was this close to him. Turning serious, Will said, "I am glad we will get to return to our relationship. I know we've both been distracted by other things."
Chad smiled and nodded his head. Looking towards his sister, who was no longer surrounded by the press thanks to Marco, he commented, "It's good my father is arriving later or he would be all over Lexie right now to make sure she did not make any false moves."
Will looked over in Lexie's direction as well. "I've known Stefano for a long time, but he seems even more protective and involved with the family. Do you still question if he had anything to do with Abe's attack and disappearance?"
Chad shook his head. "No, but I think Lexie still does. She hasn't said much about it lately, but I think she's afraid to at this point because she fears father will somehow cover his tracks. I just think he's not really helping himself by telling us what we should do and how to live."
There was a lot Will wanted to say to Chad about Stefano's control in his life, but he refrained. He figured they could talk about that all later tonight. "It's going to work out in the end, Chad. I know it will." Chad put his full attention on Will again and smiled. He almost grabbed Will's hand but stopped himself when their fingers touched.
T and Kai walked out of Enchanted after doing some last-minute shopping. "Thanks for helping me pick out this gold mask. I'm not very keen on wearing masks like this, so a second opinion definitely helped, and I think it will go well with my green and gold cape," T said as he whipped his cape around in an overdramatic way. Stopping the silliness for a moment, T asked, "What happened to Brett? I thought he was coming."
Kai's smiling face turned into disappointment as he explained, "Brett's job called in last-minute, so he has to work tonight." His facial expression then shifted again as he shared, "I'm glad I have you to hang out with though."
"You're a pretty good guy, Kai," T told him with a smile. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that B.S. with Sonny for us to be friends."
Kai almost blushed. He couldn't stop thinking about the kiss he shared with T outside of Java Café. "It's cool. Even though Sonny hurt me in the end, I think I learned a lot about myself. The question is what I do now."
"What are you going to do now?"
Kai suddenly became nervous again. He looked up to give the illusion that he was deep in thought when the truth was he was too afraid to look directly at T. "I'm not sure. I've been thinking a lot about relationships, and although I know I am not ready to dive into a serious relationship again; I have started to wonder if monogamous relationships can exist for me."
"Where does that leave you?" T asked completely clueless to where this was headed.
Kai quickly glanced at T before he continued, "I've been thinking that maybe what I need right now is a friend. A friend whom I can be really close to and just call him when we both have stuff to take care of – live in a new context."
T still wasn't following Kai and began to scratch the top of his head. "Stuff to take care of? New context?" T paused for a moment as he finally realized what Kai was talking about. "Oh... you mean a friend with benefits?" T looked directly into Kai's eyes as he made the connection as to why Kai mentioned living in a new context. Kai wanted T to be his friend with benefits.
Kai didn't say it verbally to confirm T's suspicions, but he did give T a look to let him know he was game if he was. "Yeah. A friend with benefits might be nice to get over this heart break. Have you ever done something like that?"
Before T could say anything, Josh ran out of Enchanted dressed in an orange and black small poncho that barely covered any of his upper body. Pulling out his new mask as he rushed over, he called out to the guys, "Hey! I thought I saw you guys in there. The line is so freaking long in there. You guys headed to the masquerade?"
T nodded his head as he continued to think about Kai's proposition. He remembered his conversation with Will earlier about how he was hurting so many people due to his anger. He realized that Kai might be another person he would hurt just to get revenge on Gabi.
Kai noted T's silence and wondered what he was thinking. He turned to Josh and asked, "I haven't seen you since almost two weeks ago. Where have you been, Josh?"
Josh put on his feathered mask and answered, "I've been working actually. I had to do a few parties to help the bank account. I have a few more before school starts, but luckily, I have most of the night off so I can enjoy that."
"Parties?" Kai questioned. "What do you do at the parties?"
T came out of his thoughts and smiled as he thought about Josh's line of work. "He's an entertainer for many different parties. He DJ's, he plays the guitar, and he takes off his clothes."
Kai's mouth opened wide as he asked, "You're a stripper?"
Josh smiled and didn't show shame in his profession. "Why do you think I spend so much time at the gym?" he joked as he lifted his poncho to show his well-formed abs and pecs. "I don't plan to do it for the rest of my life. I just need the money, and after school, I'll be able to move on to bigger and better things."
"What about your parents?" T asked realizing he didn't know much about them. "Tell me they're not like mine and won't help you out financially."
Josh kept his smile, but it was forced. "Not exactly. They're away," he answered vaguely. He remembered when Jennifer asked about his parents' absence when he and Abigail returned from New Zealand. He had managed to keep their absence a secret from everyone so far and had managed not to talk about it. He planned on keeping it that way. Changing the subject, he exclaimed, "Tonight should be a blast!"
T patted Josh on the back. He was glad Josh showed up and distracted the conversation Kai wanted to have with him. "Are you going to make any moves on Abigail tonight?" Josh shrugged his shoulders as the three guys walked past the arts and crafts store.
Ric walked out of The Mighty Pen holding a shopping bag after finishing some last-minute shopping as well. Ric looked over his shoulder and spotted Azzura trying to keep her distance from him to remain unnoticed by him. Shaking his head, he turned around to confront her head on. "Why are you following me? Did Maddalena send you?"
Azzura didn't appreciate Ric's attitude. "You are definitely getting too comfortable again. Watch it! You are beneath me, and I am not fearful to put you in your place. What are you and Ignazio planning tonight?"
Ric didn't have a problem putting Azzura in her place knowing he had Ignazio on his side. "Ignazio is Maddalena's grandson. You are not related, so it would make sense that you are beneath him. I do not have to tell you anything."
Ric tried to walk off, but Azzura grabbed his arm to turn him back around. She really didn't have time for this since Maddalena was waiting for her to return with the car. "Do not walk away. You better watch it. Your loyalty should be to Maddalena over everyone. Yes, Ignazio is Maddalena's grandson, but she trusts me more. He had better not mess things up again. If I were him, I would have gotten rid of you a long time ago, but unfortunately – and disgustingly – you two are infatuated with each other."
Ric pulled his arm from Azzura's grasp and adjusted his coat. "You better watch it. If I were you, I would be more careful with how you cross Ignazio."
Azzura wanted to go after Ric and pull rank, but her phone vibrated. Maddalena was ready to be picked up. Whispering to herself, she warned, "Ignazio better watch out or I will be the one to take over Maddalena's assets and home."
Back at Chez Rouge, Chad and Abigail bumped into each other at the bar. "Abigail?"
Abigail lowered her black and pink mask and gave Chad a smile. "Good eye. I really like your mask and costume. It's very masculine and enigmatic with the full-faced mask. Don't tell me you came here by yourself like me."
Chad wasn't sure whether he should smile or not. Pointing behind him, he replied, "Well, tonight is about reconnecting with Will since we haven't spent much time together in the last couple weeks, so he is here. He's talking to Sonny, Justin, and Adrienne. Where's Josh? Is he working tonight?"
Abigail looked around for Josh but didn't see him anywhere. "I'm not sure. I haven't heard from him in a while. We're sort of on a break because of some issues I need to deal with," she answered honestly. She hoped that Josh hadn't given up on her and moved on.
"Your dad?" Chad asked causing Abigail to give him a surprised look. "I saw him standing next to Adrienne, Justin, and Sonny when Will went over to say hi. I sort of bumped into you on purpose to check in with you."
Abigail smiled appreciatively. It felt good to know Chad still cared about her. "Yeah, his return to Salem has really brought a lot of things to the forefront." Scratching her forehead, she thought about her father and knew he had to be there for work.
Chad looked around for Jack but spotted his father walking in with Kate. He turned his head back to Abigail and got her attention again when he shared, "You're probably really mad at your dad, but maybe it's good that he's here so you can work on those things. I remember when we broke up, you talked about your dad. He really does have this hold on you that dictates how you handle relationships."
Abigail nodded her head as she agreed. "I want to change that." She thought about her last run-in with Jack and how he tried to make her feel guilty by lying about where he was. She thought about her mother and really wanted to protect her, but at the same time, she wanted to avoid having to fully deal with the implications of her father again.
Stefano and Kate walked up to say hello. Kate wore a long gown that was mostly dark red but also contained gold and black, while Stefano wore a dark red vest with a long gold outlined black colonial coat that matched his walking cane. He decided to go without a mask like Victor. Stefano figured with the initiation, things were better between him and Chad. "Good evening, son. Abigail. Tonight looks to be an interesting and eventful night. I have to admit I am surprised to see you here talking to this beautiful woman. You look lovely Abigail. I just got déjà vu because I remember when you two had a double date with William and Gabriella at this very restaurant last year."
Abigail thanked Stefano nervously as Chad felt frustrated at him for bringing up the past. He wondered if his father had just hinted that he wanted Chad to be straight again, and for that reason, he didn't really want to talk to his father. "Yeah. It's good you set up security. I don't mean to be rude, but Abigail and I were talking about something."
Before Stefano could say anything, Kate took his arm to direct him away from Chad and Abigail. "Come on, Stefano. Let's go say hello to the others." Stefano shook his head in frustration as he followed Kate to say hello to Lexie, EJ, and Sami.
"Sorry about that," Chad said wanting to return to their conversation. "You were saying?"
Abigail attempted to read Chad as she shared, "You know; I was trying to figure out when you became so intuitive on relationships because you were right on the money with the way you described how my issues with my dad have affected my relationship with guys. I thought maybe you talked to Chelsea, but now I can see that the reason you can see my daddy issues is because you're still dealing with yours."
Chad's first instinct was to deny it. "I don't know what you're talking about. Your dad doesn't compare to mine. My father is Stefano DiMera. He's done some horrible things in his life."
Abigail gave Chad an unimpressed look. "You still want his respect though. You still want to prove something to him. You want to act like he's not important when he's around, but I can see it in your face that it's all for him. You want to prove to him that you can be your own man, but you still need him in your life, so he can see you do it. You have some sort of hole you're trying to fill with him. I recognize it so well because I have something to prove to my dad, too. I want to show him that I don't need him, but as you pointed out, I do need him to resolve all of this animosity I feel. I tried to fill you in that hole I have, and it didn't work. Then I tried to do it with Josh in a different way."
Chad scratched the back of his neck knowing Abigail was right. "I guess in a way we both need to stop putting up walls because those walls don't just block our dads out but everyone around us, too." Chad felt stupid for not realizing this sooner as Abigail agreed with his realization. "Growing up, I struggled with the family I had. I loved my parents, but something always seemed off. When I found out that Stefano DiMera was my father, I was skeptical, but they have such a tight family dynamic, I thought this was what I was missing my whole life. I guess in some ways I got lost in it, and that's why Will and I have struggled so much to get where we are. I purposely separated my family life and my life with Will to make my father proud and to protect Will at the same time."
"That's huge," Abigail told Chad. "Now I know why things between Josh and I have been rough. I let my disappointment and the walls I built stand in the way of me being fully happy with him. I just wish I knew how to let my dad in without really letting him in."
Chad could relate to Abigail's frustration. "It sucks." Thinking about his conversation with Celeste earlier, he began to question if he could wait until after the masquerade to talk to Will. He wanted to get this all out now.
Ignazio arrived with Maddalena and Azzura. Spotting his second cousin, he joined Chad and Abigail to say hello. "Looks like we had the same idea, cugino," he said announcing himself.
Chad looked Ignazio over and saw that they had almost the exact same masquerade costume on – mask included. The only difference was Chad's hooded cape was royal blue, while Ignazio's hooded cape was black with a green inseam. "Great minds think alike."
Ignazio patted Chad on the back and looked the room over to see who was there. He didn't see the person he was hoping to see, so he pulled out his cell phone to look at the time. He searched the crowd once again and was surprised to see Dario and Chelsea together. They were walking and holding hands. Abigail noticed the two as well.
Dario took Chelsea to the dance floor so they could dance. Chelsea smiled at Dario as she commented, "This really turned out great. Everyone looks amazing, and I do have to say the Phantom of the Opera-esque mask makes you seem really mysterious. Trust me, that's a good thing!"
Dario was extremely nervous and struggled with keeping calm. He wanted to complement Chelsea, but all he could do was ask questions. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look? Did you find the dress at Enchanted?"
Chelsea nodded her head as she relaxed her hands around Dario's neck. "Yeah. Gabi was right about them having good prices."
Dario and Chelsea remained silent for a moment as they danced. Dario looked around and suddenly felt more nervous when he realized he and Chelsea were dancing next to Justin and Adrienne. He looked over and spotted Sonny staring at him. He quickly looked away, but he now had Sonny on his brain. Dario couldn't stop thinking about how the only part of Sonny's face that his silver mask didn't cover were his lips. He looked really good.
"Are you okay?" Chelsea asked because she could feel Dario's nerves through his hand and shoulder. Dario didn't say anything so Chelsea decided to share, "I think I know what you're thinking about. It's kind of obvious."
Dario's body shifted as he asked, "It is?"
Chelsea gave Dario a softened look as she said, "You're thinking about your mom. What happened yesterday? Gabi told me that she had to be rushed to the hospital but didn't really give too much detail about it."
Dario looked away filled with shame. "I... I'd rather not talk about it," he said finally. In an attempt to smooth things over with Chelsea, he proposed, "I came here tonight because I wanted to see you. My mother told me to come out and have fun and focus only on that so that's what I plan to do." As Chelsea gave Dario an understanding smile, Dario thought about how he still hadn't seen or talked to Isobel since she fainted.
After Stefano and Kate decided to dance to avoid having to talk to Maddalena, Lexie, EJ, and Sami found Mr. Olsen by the decked out podium in front. Mr. Olsen looked at them and paid each a compliment. "I have to say Lexie… you look beautiful in that velvet dress. Mr. and Mrs. DiMera, you look like the perfect couple with the purple ensembles you are sporting. Just gorgeous." Turning the topic to business, he shared that it was time to make the announcement. Moving and then standing behind the podium, Mr. Olsen stopped the music and got everyone to stop dancing.
As Mr. Olsen began to introduce Lexie, Ignazio found Will standing alone and commented, "I saw Chad with the blonde again the other day. Did you two ever clear that up? I really thought they were boyfriend and girlfriend before I found out you and Chad were dating."
Will had forgotten all about Ignazio telling him about Abigail outside of Salem Inn. Without looking at Ignazio and keeping his eyes on Mr. Olsen, Will informed Ignazio, "Well, Abigail is Chad's ex. They broke up last summer." Looking around the room, Will spotted Abigail and Chad standing next to each other. He pointed them out to Ignazio and said, "There they go over there. They're just friends now."
Ignazio looked over but then gave Will a confused look after taking off his mask. "That's not the blonde I was referring to," he said as the crowd began to applaud loudly.
Before Will could say anything, Lexie took her place at the podium and began to speak. Ignazio seemed really interested in what she had to say. "My husband, Abraham Carver, has done a lot for Salem and continues to do so even after the tragic events that occurred on December 30th, 2012. I have not given up hope, but I do think it is important that we try to move forward as a community. Yes, I am still grieving, and I appreciate the prayers, concern, and thoughts from all of you, but Abe would not want this city to remain in a panicked or fractured state. He has always been about progress."
Lexie had to take a moment to collect her emotions before moving on to the next part of her speech. "I have met with the men and women who have worked closely with my husband, and we have agreed that during this most difficult time, we needed to appoint someone to lead this city in Abraham's absence. After discussing our options, we decided on someone who I love and trust with all my heart. He is a good man and will help Salem transition out of the darkness. I would like to introduce everyone to our new interim mayor, EJ DiMera."
As the crowd began to applaud and react, EJ made his way to Lexie and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. Taking his place at the podium, he began his speech. "People of Salem. I hope that you are here tonight because you believe Salem will survive this dark time. I hope that everyone here tonight feels safe and secure, while also remembering how much this office cares for its people. As my sister mentioned, Abraham Carver is and will always be a great man. He put so much of his heart into making this town a better place, and I believe it shows! I will admit that when I found out I was on the shortlist to finish my brother-in-law's term as mayor, I was skeptical because I never thought about running for office. Luckily, I have Abe to look at as the perfect example, and I know my sister will keep me in check if I mess up." EJ smiled as the crowd began to laugh. "We will fight through this, and we will keep our people safe. I will be working close with the Salem PD to see what we can do to make sure that something like what's been happening the last couple of months will never happen again, while also finding my brother-in-law. You have my word."
Lexie led the audience in applause to EJ as EJ pulled Sami next to him to wave at the people. As people began to talk to each other about EJ's appointment, Kate grabbed Stefano's arm and asked, "Did you set this up?"
Stefano was just as surprised to find out his son now held the office of mayor. "I did not. I don't know what just happened because something feels eerie about how this all played out," he admitted.
Arianna, who stood next to Melanie, Nathan, and Brady, was surprised that her friend was the new mayor. She wondered what this meant for Roman and the rest of the Police Department. Even though she was standing close to Brady, she didn't really say much to him because she knew Melanie would make a big deal out of it if she did. She thought about Marco and looked for him in the crowd as she wondered if he was still busy. She finally found him but noticed he was with Azzura, who seemed to think she was attending a slutty masquerade party because her short dress left nothing to the imagination. She had her hands all over him, and Arianna questioned why Marco seemed to have time for Azzura when he said he was too busy with work.
Maddalena was pleased that her plan was working perfectly. She turned and realized Azzura was no longer by her side. Looking around, she spotted Azzura talking to Marco as well. Heading over, she told Azzura, "I am ready to call it a night. I am not feeling well, so it's best if we leave."
Azzura knew Maddalena wanted to head to the hospital and lied because she was with Marco. She gave Marco a flirtatious smile and whispered in his ear, "One of these days we will have to finish what we started." After letting her hand linger on his chest for a moment, she pulled out her phone and called Maddalena's driver to be ready outside.
After Maddalena gave him a snooty look, Marco walked off to check on security to make sure there were no problems – especially since EJ was now the mayor. He believed this would only make things more complicated and dangerous for the DiMera family. He made eye contact with Arianna for a moment, but she quickly looked away. Not seeing Melanie and Nathan next to her, it looked like she was talking to Brady. He wondered what that was about.
Chelsea noticed that Dario had remained silent for the most part since the announcement. She decided to break the ice. "I guess it makes sense to replace Abe with some familial connection, but EJ DiMera as mayor seems so random. I can't imagine my dad is happy about this." Dario wasn't sure what to say and just nodded his head. Spotting Bo and Hope, Chelsea placed her hand on Dario's arm deciding maybe he needed some space. "I should go say hi to my dad and Hope. I'll be back."
After Chelsea walked off, Sonny took the opportunity to approach Dario. "Hey. I'm probably the last person you want to see ever but I wanted to see how you were doing."
Dario was surprised that Sonny approached him and didn't know what to make of it. He glanced over to Chelsea to make sure she didn't catch them together. "I don't know what to say to you, Sonny. I just don't know if you really want me to answer that question."
Sonny hated seeing Dario like this and felt the distance Dario was trying to maintain between them. He felt guilty about it, but now that he and Kai were over, he hoped that he and Dario could at least be friends again – even if he questioned if he deserved Dario's friendship. "Will told me about your mom. How is she doing?"
Gabi had spotted Sonny talking to Dario from her table and rushed over to get him to back off again. "What is your problem, Sonny? Back off! You have already screwed over this family enough! You want to know why my mother is in the hospital permanently? You! You are the reason because Dario came out to her yesterday! You just..."
"Gabi, please stop!" Dario requested feeling embarrassed, angry, and hurt that she would put him on blast like that. Unable to stand around due to the awkwardness, he rushed off.
Chelsea made her way back over and asked, "What just happened?"
Gabi didn't want Chelsea to find out what was going on, so she came up with a fake excuse. "Sonny, kept egging my brother on about our mother." Abigail walked over to find out if everything was okay, too, so Sonny took the opportunity to go after Dario while Gabi tried to play everything down for her brother's sake.
Meanwhile, Chad made his way over to Will and Ignazio to see what they were up to. Grabbing Will discreetly, he smiled, "What does everyone think of the good news? I can't believe my brother is the mayor."
Will forced a smile as Ignazio agreed with Chad. He couldn't get what Ignazio told him out of his head and couldn't think of what to say to Chad. Suddenly, Dario rushed past them throwing them off guard. When Sonny rushed past them to follow Dario outside, Chad and Will traded glances through their masks and decided to follow them to see what was going on. Ignazio, however, pulled out his cell phone to make a call even though he wondered why Dario looked so upset. He needed to stay focused on the task at hand.
Outside of Chez Rouge, Sonny managed to catch up with Dario and stop him. "Dario, don't run away. Is it really true you came out to your mom?"
Dario thought back to his confession and was filled with regret and disappointment. "It was a huge mistake on my part because she now hates me and doesn't even want to look at me!" Dario looked at Sonny and saw him as the thing that stood in the way of him and his mother as well as his mother's life. "I'm going to make it right."
Sonny couldn't believe this was happening to Dario. He felt responsible for Dario's life being turned upside down. He shouldn't have cut Dario off the way he did. "Dario, I made a huge mistake!" he exclaimed as Chad and Will stood at a distance where they could overhear everything.
"No, I am the one who made a mistake," Dario shouted as he thought about his idea to seduce Sonny on Sonny's birthday. "I hate myself for what I did to you and me – and now my mother!"
Sonny moved closer to Dario wanting to help him feel better about things. "Dario, I may hate myself for cheating on Kai, but I don't want you to hate yourself in any shape or form."
Dario looked down and with a calmer voice commented, "You regret what happened between us in Colorado. I didn't regret it until recently because I now know you were never really into me. After I came back, things were awkward between us. When that whole Kinsey situation happened, you asked me to be there when you told Kai. I think I know why now. You were afraid Kai would break up with you, and you needed me there to comfort you and be with you. I've always been your second choice. I'm your backup."
Dario's claims threw Sonny off for a moment. "What are you talking about? You overheard me tell my parents that I still love you in my mom's office! If this is about Manny, I was interested in you before he even entered the picture. In fact, I got with him to get over you, so you being second choice makes no sense. I guess the same could be said about Kai because I initially got with him to get over you, too."
"Okay. What about Will? You can't tell me you weren't interested in him before me!" Dario said not knowing that Will and Chad were nearby. He played back what Gabi said to him earlier about how Sonny wanted a piece of everything. He remembered how close Will and Sonny were when Sonny first moved to Salem, and he knew Sonny had a thing for Will because they talked about it.
Clueless to the fact that Will and Chad were close as well, Sonny chose to be honest with Dario. "Okay, yeah. I had a small crush on Will when I first moved to Salem, but when you and I got close, it all changed for me. I fell deeply in love with you, Dario!"
Dario shook his head as he countered, "With how things are now, I really doubt that. I don't believe you. We had our chance, but you chose that jerk over me. I would never intentionally set out to hurt you. I know I hurt you, but I wasn't thinking everything through that night…" Dario stopped because thinking of that night made him sick to his stomach now because he knew how much his mother hated him and how much it ruined his life. He wished he never gave in to his feelings with Sonny. He wished he never fell in love with another man. Homosexuality was evil and only led to destruction.
Sonny took a deep breath knowing he had proof that he wasn't necessarily keen on sharing. He figured he had to share it, so Dario would stop thinking he was nothing. "Will and I nearly had sex after you pushed me away over the summer. We almost had sex when we moved in together, but I had to stop it because I knew you were the one!"
Chad gave Will a look of disappointment and rushed back into Chez Rouge to get away from Will, who, in turn, was shocked by the fact that Sonny had brought this up when he had forgotten it even happened to begin with. After a moment of thinking, Dario decided, "It doesn't matter because it's not like that now. I'm moving on with Chelsea, and we should stick with what you decided on in Colorado. We're just going to avoid each other and pretend we never happened. I'm not gay anymore, and I never was. I just had a lapse of judgment because I'm sick."
Sonny stood there for a moment looking at Dario. He decided not to push any sort of relationship with Dario even though he felt his love for Dario come back stronger than ever after talking about their relationship. He knew he wasn't ready to be in a relationship and needed to give Dario the space he wanted, but he didn't want Dario to lie to himself or beat himself down either. "Dario, we did happen, and I will never forget that night or the time I spent with you before that night. You're better than this. I'm sorry your mom is treating you like this, but she…"
"Don't you dare talk about my mother!" Dario interrupted Sonny. "You don't know her. She's not some stuck up bitch who hates fags like you!"
Sonny tried to interject to explain he wasn't trying to judge his mother, but when Dario said the "f" word, he couldn't explain anything to Dario anymore. "Do you feel better now? Did you hurt me the same way I hurt you?"
Dario wanted to take back what he said to Sonny but didn't know how to. Filled with shame, he looked down as he quietly said, "I am nothing and anyone would be better off without me. I ruin everything." Sonny tried to say something, but Dario rushed off.
Back inside, Ignazio was talking to Mia, who managed to remain unnoticed by everyone at the party thanks to her mask. Spotting Chad sprinting into Chez Rouge, Ignazio signaled to Mia to follow Chad to wherever he was going. Ignazio walked towards the entrance as he adjusted his mask and cape because he knew Will would probably enter next.
Will rushed in bumping into Ignazio. At first he thought he ran into Chad and exclaimed, "I can explain everything, Chad. That was a long time ago, and I was being stupid. I never cheated on you, and I never will."
Ignazio removed his mask to show his face. Will responded by looking for Chad in the crowd and began to head off, but Ignazio managed to stop him. "Whoa. Will. Is everything okay my friend?"
Will continued to look around the room but couldn't find Chad anywhere. With a sigh of frustration, he shared, "I think Chad is upset with me because of something that happened a long time ago. Did you see him run by here?"
Ignazio looked around knowing where Chad and Mia were but decided to play dumb. "I haven't seen him. I can help you look for him if you want."
"Thanks. I'd appreciate the extra set of eyes," Will said as he continued to look the room over.
Ignazio smiled and put his hand on Will's back to lead him in the opposite direction from Chad. "Let's look over here. Maybe he's with the rest of our family."
Mia caught up with Chad outside of the restrooms trying to calm himself down after finding out that Will and Sonny almost slept together. He remembered the kiss he witnessed between the two the night someone broke into Abigail's house over the summer and realized he had overreacted because he was with Abigail at the time and hadn't caught on to the full extent of Will's feelings for him.
Before he could go back into the main dining room to find Will, a girl dressed in a masquerade costume that made her look like a dark fairy stopped him. He looked closer and recognized Mia standing before him. "Mia, what the hell are you doing here? I thought we agreed you would stay at Maggie's until you flew out to keep you safe."
Mia ignored Chad's question because she wanted to know if something happened between him and Will. "You look upset. What's going on?" she asked as she took off her mask.
Chad took off his mask to help himself calm down. "I guess I was just confused about something." Looking at Mia without their masks on caused Chad to think about everything that confused him and told him that he wasn't supposed to be with Will. He remembered Abigail's comment about soul mates and reflected on the dreams and nightmares he had since last fall. André seemed to warn him a lot about his relationship with Will ending in disaster. His insecurities came to the forefront as he thought about the many times Mia reminded him he wouldn't have the family he had always wanted growing up and the times he closed himself off from Will because of Will's friendships with T and Sonny.
Mia knew this was her opportunity to sell herself to Chad one last time. She placed her fingers on his arm and let them slide down so she could grab his hand. Making direct eye contact with him, she admitted, "Chad, I am still in love with you, and I want to have a family with you! I know that a part of you at least cares about me because you have been so great and supportive of me. You and Will have had so many problems and will continue to do so. We had our complications in the past, but together it would be easier! We have chemistry. We have history!"
Chad looked at Mia and didn't know what to say.
Will and Ignazio walked through the dance floor looking for Chad. Ignazio placed his hand on Will's back as he mentioned, "We should probably check the restroom. Maybe he ran in there to get away."
Will smiled feeling dumb for not thinking that from the get go. "I'm glad I have your help. I probably wouldn't have thought of checking there." Will headed for the restrooms with Ignazio in tow.
Ignazio eagerly followed Will to where he expected to find Mia with Chad as he had planned. Turning the corner, he bumped into Will because Will suddenly stopped in his tracks. After apologizing for running into Will, he asked, "Why did you stop?"
Will looked on in shock as he saw Mia kissing Chad. "Mia?"
Chad pushed Mia off him as he realized what was going on. He turned and gave Will a look of regret. "Will, this isn't..." Will didn't even let Chad finish and ran off clearly shocked and hurt. Chad tried to follow suit, but Ignazio stood in the way. "What are you doing?"
Ignazio put his hand on Chad's chest to keep him there. "I don't think it's a good idea to go after Will at the moment. He's in shock and will most likely not hear anything you have to say about what he just saw."
Chad stopped trying to follow Will as he questioned if Ignazio was right. Grabbing the back of his neck, he looked over to Mia. "What the hell were you thinking just now?"
Mia gave Chad an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Chad. I didn't know Will was close. I have wanted to tell you how I feel, so I had to try. I thought you felt the same way with how close we've gotten."
Chad shook his head feeling disappointed in himself. "We can never happen again." Turning to his cousin, he said, "I really want to find Will and explain everything."
Ignazio stopped Chad from going after Will once again. "I have a solution. I'll go find Will and talk to him. I'll get a feel for what he's thinking and try to persuade him to come talk to you."
Chad nodded his head as he figured that was a better idea. "Thanks, Ignazio. I don't know what I would do without you right now."
Ignazio patted Chad on the chest and made a face to show his concern for the situation Chad was in. "It will all be okay. I'll try to call him now to see if he'll pick up." After giving Mia a look, Ignazio pulled out his cell phone and pretended to call Will as he walked off.
Mia watched Chad as he placed his hands on his hips. She wondered if she could persuade him to change his mind with this time alone.
At the hospital, Isobel laid in her hospital bed thinking about Dario. She didn't want to believe her favorite was a homosexual and held onto the fact that Gabi and Arianna mentioned Dario was going on a date with Chelsea Brady. Even with that hope, she couldn't shake the thought of Dario having sex with another guy. A tear fell down her face as she wondered what her youngest son's life would be like after she was gone. She truly needed to step in before that happened.
All of a sudden, the door swung open and Maddalena walked in. Isobel felt disoriented for a moment as she questioned if Maddalena was a nurse at first, but when she saw the dress Maddalena was wearing she knew she didn't work at the hospital. "Who are you? I told the nurses I didn't want to be disturbed for the rest of the night."
Maddalena pulled off her white laced black gloves and placed them in her purse. "My name is Maddalena DiMera."
Isobel quickly caught on that Maddalena was Andres' mother. She remembered all the horrible things Andres told her about Maddalena and began to worry with questions as to why she was in her room. "What do you want?" she asked as she sat up.
Maddalena stepped closer to Isobel as she informed her, "I know all about your health, and I want to help you."
Isobel remained cautious as she felt wary of getting help from Maddalena. "You want to help me? Do you have some magical cure that will heal me from this cancer?"
"Unfortunately, we didn't catch your illness in time." Maddalena shared.
Confused, Isobel asked, "How are you going to help me then?"
Maddalena coolly adjusted her purse under her arm as she answered, "We will take good care of your son."
Isobel became befuddled with Maddalena's answer and quickly shot back, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Maddalena tilted her head as she asked, "Am I incorrect then about you and my son, André, being lovers?" Maddalena shook her head knowing Isobel couldn't deny that truth. "I truly wish you the best. This has been a lovely conversation." Maddalena turned around and exited the room. Isobel sat there shocked to the core that one of her darkest secrets had come back to haunt her. She looked up to the ceiling wishing her son, Manuel was there.
Maddalena closed the door and smiled at Colin, who was keeping watch to make sure no one intruded on Maddalena's conversation with Isobel. Colin looked around before questioning, "What are your instructions?"
"You are right. It's too risky to try the fast solution on her," Maddalena shared.
Colin was glad Maddalena agreed with him as he mentioned, "This works out for us because my tests are still showing complications in Abe's recovery. We will have more time to fiddle with the quick solution." While they were discussing the quick solution, he felt uneasy about asking his follow-up question, but he managed to keep a straight face. "Did you happen to grab one of the vials of the fast solution on your way out tonight?"
Maddalena gave Colin a questioning look as she denied it. "Why do you ask?"
Colin chose not to share that he had misplaced a vial of the quick solution and covered, "I wondered if you had taken one since you have been ill. Now that I think about it, I believe I brought one to my office in case you wanted to use it on Isobel."
"It better be. I cannot afford someone else getting their hands on our research," Maddalena warned with some restraint.
Azzura walked over to update Maddalena on their progress. "Thanks to the event tonight and the tight security, we were able to do a lot of the final construction needed. Unfortunately, it appears we will need another evening where the mansion is empty like it was tonight."
Maddalena was a bit frustrated. "I do not think another event like this will be happening for a while. We do not have the time!" Maddalena put on her gloves and turned to Colin. "We will need to find a new test subject. See what you can find on other patients here." Turning to Azzura, she said, "I am ready to head home. I need my rest."
Will kept running until he ended up at the pier. He had to get away from everything and wanted to make sure no one could find him. Taking a seat on a bench he reeled over the fact that Mia was in town and was kissing Chad. Replaying the kiss in his mind, he realized that Chad lied to him the entire time about spending so much time with Abigail. She wasn't the blonde Ignazio saw Chad with, and Chad had kept Mia's return a secret from him. It all made sense now. Mia was the one who sent Chad the picture of Grace in the mail.
Tears formed in his eyes as he grabbed his neck wondering what this all meant. He pulled out his cell phone and began to look at pictures of him with Chad. His crying became harder as he realized his worst fear was correct. Chad was never his and wasn't gay. Will began to blame himself for not accepting this before because maybe it would have been easier.
Will thought back to catching Mia and Chad wishing he hadn't just rushed off. He wished he had said something to Chad about how bad he hurt him. Kai had warned him that Chad would cheat on him, but he didn't even want to believe in the possibility. Will felt so betrayed and neglected. He hated Mia for what happened. She won in the end and the love between Chad and him was now gone because Chad had chosen her over him. He felt so deceived by Chad, but at the same time, he blamed himself for believing in something he should have known would have never worked out.
Will felt like such an idiot for believing his life would have a happy ending. He reflected on his parents' relationship and how he was often used as a tool by his parents so they could get what they wanted. He questioned if Chad had used him to get back with Mia. Would he really pretend to be gay to get back with his ex? Will was upset, but he knew Chad better than that. At least he hoped so because, deep down, Will knew he still loved Chad and hated himself for it.
After a while, Will wiped his face when he heard footsteps coming towards him. He was afraid that Chad may have found him, but when the person came closer, he realized it wasn't Chad. When the person came even closer, Will recognized him. "You. Did you need something?" he asked somewhat impolitely because he wanted to be left alone.
Will then noticed more guys walking up. A sudden chill went through his spine when he spotted the first guy pulling out a knife. Will didn't waste a moment, got up, and ran. Fortunately, he still had his phone in his hand. He decided to call the first person that came to mind. Speed dialing Chad's number, he tried to get away from the guys who were now following him.
Chad paced outside of the bathrooms of Chez Rouge wondering if Ignazio had any luck in finding Will. Growing impatient, he turned to Mia, who was standing there thinking of what to do now, and said, "I can't just stand here anymore. I love Will, and I need to find him." Chad rushed off leaving Mia to think about how Ignazio's plan didn't go in the direction he claimed it would. She had lost.
Chad looked around the main dining area walking past EJ and Sami hoping to find Ignazio or Will. He then headed outside to see if Will decided to get some air because he couldn't find Will or Ignazio anywhere. Outside, he found Sonny standing there sulking alone. Making his way over, he asked, "Have you seen Will? I messed up big time, and he's avoiding my texts."
Sonny, who had been stuck in his own world since Dario left, wondered how Chad messed up, but before he could say anything, Sami and EJ made their way over having overheard Chad talking to Sonny. They followed Chad out because they saw the distress on his face when he rushed by them inside the restaurant. "What did you do? When's the last time you saw Will?" Sami asked concerned for her son.
Chad's cell phone began to ring and when he saw that it was Will, he quickly picked up. "Will, I am so sorry!"
Will didn't have time to talk about the kiss. "Chad! I… I'm being chased…."
Chad could hear what sounded like Will dropping to the floor. His eyes widened as he heard Will yelling at someone to leave him alone. Suddenly, the phone disconnected. "Oh my god. Will? Will are you there?" Chad turned to the others with great fear in his eyes and voice. "Something has happened to Will."
Sami jumped on Chad as her concern grew as well. "What do you mean something happened to my son?"
"I don't know. He said someone was after him, and then he was yelling at the top of his lungs. His phone disconnected, so I don't know what happened," Chad shared as his hands began to shake.
EJ decided to move into action. "I'll have Marco send out some men to look around the perimeter. We have plenty of eyes and ears that we'll be able to find him."
Sonny decided to do his part as well. "I can try to look up Will's location using his cell GPS. We synced our phones once, so I think I can try to find him through my phone."
As EJ and Sonny fiddled with their phones, Ignazio rushed out as he informed Chad, "I've been trying to call and find Will, but he's not answering or nowhere to be found."
Mia rushed out as well wondering what was happening, too. "Chad, is everything okay?" Mia turned to Chad hoping that Will would be so upset with Chad that he would break things off with him. If Will was out of the picture, she could help Chad pick up the pieces.
"Mia McCormick?" Sami exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" Seeing the look on Chad's face, Sami jumped to assumptions. "Oh my gosh, she's the reason you can't find Will. What were you and Mia doing that caused my son to run out?"
EJ removed his phone from his face and pulled Sami close to him so she could stay as calm as possible. "Samantha, we will find Will. He will be fine. I assure you." As EJ pulled Sami into a hug, he traded a glance with Mia and then Chad. He couldn't believe his brother messed up in this way when he gave him multiple warnings not to hurt Will.
Chad watched as Sonny continued to mess with his phone. He wanted to ask him if he was having any luck in finding Will's location, but EJ's phone began to ring. "Did they find him?" he asked as Sami turned her attention on EJ, too.
Out by the pier, Will stepped back as he held onto his abdomen with both of his hands. He looked down as he removed his right hand from his left side and looked it over. There was blood on his hand. He looked up to the guys confused as he fell to the ground feeling weak from the stab wound. The guys circled Will as he continued to fall onto his back in agony. When Will felt a sharp pain in his leg, he mustered all the strength he could, quickly reacted by grabbing whatever they stabbed him with, and threw it into the water. One of the guys began to curse. Will suddenly felt weaker and began to struggle with keeping his eyes open.
Will was so confused about what was happening as he began to see flashes. A sudden strong scent began to enter his nostrils as he heard a harsh sound hurt his ears. The scent seemed to keep him conscious for a while longer. He struggled with this daze for what seemed like an hour, but in reality, it had only been five minutes. Will tried to force himself to get out of the daze, but it didn't work. Hearing footsteps, the group of guys panicked and ran off leaving Will on the ground.
Dario, who had decided to leave Chez Rouge after his confrontation with Sonny, walked along the pier and saw Will's body on the ground. He rushed over and saw blood staining through Will's blue vest. "Will? What happened? Will?"
Will didn't respond.
Dario looked around to see if there was anyone else nearby. Smelling the strong smell that Will picked up on earlier, he looked up and noticed there was fresh spray paint on the walls as well as the crates on the pier. Someone had spray painted different homophobic comments, and Dario quickly realized what had happened to Will. He pulled out his phone to make a call as he encouraged Will, "Stay with me, Will. It's going to be okay. I'm here with you."
