Chapter 2: The Importance of Family – Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018

In the middle of Horton Town Square, Mayor Bloom stands before the citizens of Salem. He called the media to inform them he was holding a special press conference. "Ladies and gentlemen. I want to thank all of you for coming today. Before I begin, I would like to give a special thanks to everyone who sees the importance in improving Salem one day at a time. We would not be where we are today without you.

"Salem is now a much safer place, and I intend to continue this work." The mayor clears his throat. "Let's discuss what has worked thus far."

Hannah's previous excitement about being out on a job fades as the mayor continues to talk about what he's accomplished. It's clear there is no major story to unpack here – at least on the surface. She turns to Harold and whispers in his ear. "So far I have one question, boss. What isn't he telling us?"

Harold turns to Hannah. "That's actually a good one. This press conference seems like set up for something or a distraction. Stay focused." He continues to hold the audio recorder towards the mayor. When he hears a child's voice next to him, he turns his head to see Jack holding his grandson. After handing the recorder to Hannah, he asks Jack, "Is it bring your grandson to work day?"

Jack offers Harold a smile. "JJ should be here soon to pick him up." He is fortunate his camera is already set up so he can make sure Abel doesn't cause too much commotion.

Harold smiles in return. "I'm messing with you Jack. Abel is always in the office with Jen. I know how it goes."

JJ finally arrives and quickly apologizes to his dad. "Sorry. It took forever to find a parking space. Guess everyone wants to hear what the mayor is saying. Anything exciting?"

Harold, Jack, and Hannah give JJ a firm no as Abel reaches for JJ in excitement. Jack encourages his grandson. "Yes. You want to go with your favorite uncle."

"I'm his only uncle," JJ counters.

With a wink, Jack maintains, "Doesn't mean you're not his favorite."

JJ grabs Abel's bag next to his dad's feet to take with him as well. "Mom's not here, either?"

Harold eyes the mayor as he answers, "She's back at the office in a meeting. I brought Hannah with me to give her some real-life experience. You remember Hannah, right?"

JJ turns to Hannah and while he adjusts Abel's bag over his shoulder and shifts Abel to his side, he gives Hannah a nod. "Right. It's nice to see you again." He finds Hannah striking, but his hands are too full to give her a handshake.

"It's good to see you also," Hannah agrees warmly.

Realizing the mayor is still talking, JJ decides to leave. "Dad. I'll talk to you later." He turns and walks away with Abel. He passes Milena, Ciara, and JT on his way to his car.

Milena smiles at her dad hoping he will make eye contact with her. She's there to support him while also playing up her connection to him publicly. She turns to Ciara and JT to gloat. "It's great my dad has been able to improve things in Salem. He's the real deal."

Ciara directs her eyes to JT as she smiles and nods to Milena. The only reason they are standing in the square is because Milena begged them to come with her. She was relentless.

Milena's too preoccupied with herself to notice the looks between JT and Ciara. "It's a lot of pressure having everyone's eyes on you all the time."

JT nods his head this time. "I can only imagine." Watching the mayor, he recognizes Ciara was correct in telling him earlier that Milena is a lot like her dad.

Mayor Bloom smiles as he continues, "Soon, I will be announcing a plan. I hope the commissioner continues to assist me in keeping Salem safe. We must make necessary changes and find ways to take proactive and preventive measures from failing our home. There's a lot of evil outside in this world and we will not stand for it." He suddenly bows his head. "Let's pray."

Ciara looks to Milena, who has lowered her head. She's kind of confused by this because she never knew her frenemy followed any kind of religion. She lowers her head. Theo enters her mind because she remembers when Abe was mayor. She misses Theo and there's no one she can talk to about that fact, especially JT and Milena.

As the mayor prays, he grins. The stage has been set.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Straight from the airport, Lexie and Brandon arrive to the facility where Cameron is currently in treatment. After checking in at the front desk, they soon realize someone else is there to visit the former doctor. "Chelsea. Have you been here long?"

Chelsea stares at Lexie and Brandon pretending she didn't assume this would be their first stop from the airport. She planned to use them to help her talk to Cameron face to face, but it turns out she didn't need them. "Not long. I actually just got the okay to see Cameron. It's been almost two years. I don't even know what to think about that."

Lexie gives Chelsea a warm hug hoping to ease her anxiety and whatever else she's experiencing. "It's about time. I mean, I know Cameron needed time, but I'm also aware of how hard this has been for you because I… I felt it, too, when the truth about what André did to my brother came out." She stops herself from continuing. She doesn't want to dwell on that. "Do you know what you want to say to Cameron?"

Chelsea appreciates Lexie's empathy. "Honestly, it's probably for the best that he kept me from seeing him. I'm in a different place, and I'm sure he is as well. This will be a good thing… no matter what is said today."

Squeezing Chelsea's arm, Lexie agrees. She turns to Brandon before asking her, "Do you want to talk to Cameron alone? Brandon and I can wait out here."

Chelsea had already given this some thought. She smiles. "No. I think it would be good for you to be there for him."

Placing his hand on Lexie's back, Brandon comments. "I think they're ready for us to go inside." He follows Lexie and Chelsea into the visiting room where Cameron is waiting.

Cameron stands and greets Lexie with a hug first. "Hey sis. It's good to see you again."

Lexie's face lights up as she smiles at her brother. "It's good seeing you."

Noting Chelsea's presence, Cameron decides to hold off on the questions he has for his sister. He shakes Brandon's hand before he gives Chelsea a hug. "Sorry it's taken this long."

Chelsea shifts her head to the side. "It happens. I won't take too much of your time with your family. I hope you're doing well."

Cameron notices Chelsea is keeping her distance. He is okay with it. "I am. I am a lot better, and I am closer to getting out of here. I'm ready to take those final steps to make it a reality."

"I'm glad." Chelsea smiles. It's so good to see Cameron's face again. He looks so healthy. "What made you finally decide it's time? Time for us to see each other again."

Cameron glances over to Lexie and Brandon, who are now sitting at their table behind him. "I have grown a lot in here. In ways I didn't expect. I shouldn't have kept you waiting this entire time, and I am sorry for that. I guess I hoped you would move on without me having to have that conversation with you. I guess I couldn't at the time."

Even though he has practiced this speech numerous times, Cameron struggles. There's no easy way to do this. "Chelsea, I… I hope you know that I appreciate your support and what you have done for me. With this journey, I have focused on moving forward and since I am doing this alone, I have moved on. I hope you have done the same."

Chelsea nods to show she hears him. Reflecting on how Cameron shut her out for so long and Ignazio's death, she warmly exhales, "I have, Cameron. I went on my own journey. I want you to know I don't hold anything against you. I'm glad you're doing work to get where you are now." She takes a step back to show she's on her way out. She's ready to close this chapter and start this next part of her journey. "I won't bother you again."

Since his sister and Brandon are there, Cameron keeps quiet. He doesn't stop Chelsea from leaving. After a long breath, he joins Lexie and Brandon at the table. He doesn't waste time in changing the mood. "How did things go with Theo? How's mom?"

Lexie pauses to reflect on her experience and to decide what she wants to share with Cameron. "They are good. I enjoyed seeing their smiles. Theo is focused. He seems to be taking everything seriously there so he can return soon. I know mom misses it here as well." She looks down for a moment because she suddenly remembers something Theo said to her.

"Maybe they'll come back around the time you're released," Brandon speaks through a hopeful grin. He can't escape what he witnessed between Chelsea and Cameron. The end of their relationship seems so final. He wonders where he and Lexie stand at this moment.

Cameron swallows hard. For many reasons, he continues to feel weary of returning to Salem after his release. "Do we have any idea when Theo will be done?"

Shaking her head, Lexie answers, "We don't. When I talked to mom about it, her only answer is that it takes time. She is confident that with Theo's sole focus on this it's a matter of time. He seems to have dealt with the guilt he felt from EJ and Sami's deaths, so maybe it will be soon."

Cameron shakes his head as he reflects on EJ's death. His brother was a huge support and even if it had been over a year since the accident, he recognizes he continues to feel EJ's absence in his life. "Have you seen any family since you've been back?"

"You're our first stop," Brandon acknowledges.

As Brandon's attention shifts behind Cameron, Lexie confirms she hasn't seen Chad or any other family member. "I'll probably see them for dinner… well, the family we can trust at least."

"Still don't trust Renée?"

"I don't." Lexie reflects on how Renée has isolated herself in ways. She knows this needs to change. "She hasn't reached out to you, right?" Asking this question causes Lexie to return to what Theo said to her. Maxine's husband, the man Cameron originally believed was his father, may have a connection to Pastor Carlson. Her late husband's pastor may know where he is.

Cameron denies it. "Maybe she's racist like Stefano once was."

Stefano. Lexie wishes she knew what their father had planned for the family. There are so many questions. So many connections. "I don't understand why father would give Renée everything. I'm honestly surprised she hasn't tried to make a move on the mansion where Dario lives with his sister and Carter. Part of that belongs to DiMera Enterprises."

"It's possible she's playing…"

"Who is that guy?" Brandon interrupts Cameron. "There's this guy behind you that keeps looking this way."

Cameron turns around and smiles almost immediately. "That's a friend I've made in here. His name is Pyro… at least that's what we call him. I heard he will be released soon."

Brandon shows he's skeptical. "Pyro? He's not going to start random fires, is he?"

"He's better now," Cameron promises.

Piero continues to watch Cameron sit with Lexie and Brandon. He looks down to hide his frustration. I hope this was not a waste of our time.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Standing backstage of the arena where she's performing, Safiya looks at Dario to signal she's ready for him to begin playing his guitar. He's not looking at her though because a stagehand is working nearby. "Earth to Dario… we're supposed to be warming up together. If you don't want to, I can go to my dressing room and warm up alone."

"I'm almost ready." Dario's eyes are set on the very attractive stagehand. The man's black jeans were made for his body.

Safiya rolls her eyes. She promised Chad she would keep an eye on Dario, but this is too much. "What exactly are you doing to be ready? Your guitar is in your hand and I'm pretty sure it's in tune. It better be in tune…" She doesn't have time for this. She looks over to T hoping he will step in because she really wants to call Chad to complain about Dario.

T has his phone in his face. Gabi sent him pictures of their son. He's proud of the little boy he gets to raise.

Safiya clears her throat catching T's attention. She motions her head towards Dario and mouths she needs his help in getting him to focus.

T stands up and blocks Dario's view so he can't stare at the beefy stagehand anymore. "Hey. We really need you focused here. We're behind schedule as it is."

Dario looks T up and down and winks. "You're right." He shifts his body towards Safiya while adjusting his guitar, so it rests on his knee. "I'm sorry again for disappearing during the summer tour thus causing you to reschedule some of the concert dates." He doesn't feel too sorry because he wants to enjoy his time outside of Salem. The freedom feels nice. "Are you ready to begin?"

"Just a sec." Safiya wants to say one thing before they begin warming up. "I really think it would be a good idea if you sought some kind of guidance when we return to Salem."

T agrees with Safiya. He's ready to be back home. "You haven't been yourself for a while man."

Dario keeps his smile. "Done. I will take care of this issue. You will be happy. Trust me."

Safiya isn't convinced, but she nods her head so they can begin. She looks to her mother's ring to regain a positive outlook. I'm making you proud.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Sonny lays in bed. His bedroom is mostly dark. The only light in the room comes from a small lamp on the end table. He's tempted to turn it off or at least hide under his blanket. "I really fucked things up."

'I really fucked things up' is a statement Sonny repeatedly speaks aloud and hears in his head throughout the day. He wakes up and hears it. He gets out of bed and he hears it. He manages to get in the shower, and he hears it. There's no escaping it.

"I really fucked things up."

Thursday, November 2nd, 2017

Sometime after the DiMera jet crashed, Sonny headed for the front door of Chad and Will's mansion. He needed to see his family after cooking dinner for Chad, Will, Will's siblings, and other visiting family. Closing the door behind him when he walked outside, he stopped because someone had just arrived. It was Dario.

Dario didn't expect to see Sonny there because Chad told him his ex-boyfriend had other plans for dinner. He did not want to see him. Putting his head down, he attempted to walk past him without a word.

"Dario… wait." Sonny couldn't let this opportunity go. It was clear Dario planned to avoid him for a long time. "I know this has to be a hard time for you."

Balling his fist, Dario tried to contain his anger. He turned to Sonny and questioned, "You know? Trust me… you don't. The only thing you can do is imagine what I'm going through… what I'm feeling."

Sonny noted Dario's body language. He was suddenly very tense. "You're right. I can only imagine and base it on what I've seen from Will, Johnny, Allie, Sydney, Julian, and Chad. They are devastated, and I am sure you are, too. It's good that you're here so you can be with them."

"Well, if you say it's good, it must be good." Dario shook his head disapprovingly.

Realizing he should have left Dario alone, Sonny stepped backwards towards his car. He wished he had parked it in the basement garage. "I'm sorry. I don't think I am making things better." He turned around to leave, but Dario suddenly said his name. He didn't understand.

When Sonny turned to face him again, Dario took a small step closer to him. His demeanor had changed. "I am obviously upset, and I'm taking it out on you." He took another step. "I heard Will say you've been so helpful during this time for everyone. I know how much you love to cook."

Dario continued to move closer. Sonny felt his heart beating faster with every step. What is he doing? One more step, and he was practically standing at his feet. "Dario…"

Dario swiftly placed his finger on Sonny's lips to make him stop talking. He moved his mouth to Sonny's right ear. "I want you to listen to me." Removing his finger, he lowered his head so that his eyes were level with Sonny's eyes. "I think this is the closest we've been physically in a long time. Do you miss it?"

Sonny felt Dario's breath against his face with every word. Unable to move, his lips tingled. His body was frozen because this came out of nowhere. Today was a random day filled with unexpected responses. Afraid, he nervously questioned, "Why are you asking?"

"Because I'm curious to know your answer."

His heartbeats felt erratic. Sonny felt sick in a strange way. He didn't want this feeling to go away, but he did at the same time. "I don't think…"

Dario placed his finger on Sonny's lips again as he moved in closer to whisper, "Don't think. Just do." Removing his finger, he swiftly replaced it with his lips.

Sonny attempted to pull back, but Dario placed his hand on the back of Sonny's neck to pull Sonny closer. At a loss, he questioned why this was happening. Perhaps Dario's grief found a way out. Sonny told himself this was wrong but feeling Dario this way again felt amazing. It had been too long. His desire for Dario was winning.

As they continued to make out, Dario felt Sonny let his guard down. Sonny was now lost in him. Lowering his hand to the top of Sonny's jeans, his fingers began to force their way inside them and Sonny's briefs. Sonny's guard was completely down now.

Completely lost in Dario, Sonny didn't realize what his ex was doing until Dario's hands were completely inside his briefs. Dario was working him up and he needed to breathe. With his lips now free, he took a breath, opened his eyes, and remembered where they were for the first time. They were standing in front of Chad and Will's place. Anyone could walk out at any moment.

"Dario…" Dario had already moved to his neck. "We can't do this. We need to stop." Sonny managed to pull Dario's hand out of his pants and pushed him away. "This isn't a good idea." When Dario pulled away further, Sonny stepped closer to him. "We can go somewhere else… to talk."

Dario shook his head in frustration. "It's always what you want, isn't it? You call the shots. You control the narrative. You control me."

Sonny attempted to grab Dario's hand. He failed. "You asked me if I missed it… if I miss us." He took a deep breath because the answer had never changed. "I do, Dario."

Dario quickly went in on Sonny. He placed his hand on the back of Sonny's neck and kissed him passionately. He did this for a moment longer to pull Sonny completely in, but then he abruptly pushed Sonny away. "I don't fucking care what you miss. I look at you and I feel regret… disgust. My brother, Ignazio, is dead, and because of you, I stayed away from him. I couldn't escape the disappointment you'd feel if I had any kind of relationship with him. You were already upset I was spending so much time at the church… 'the church'.

"Years ago, Ignazio warned me this would happen. He told me you'd continue to break my heart and I would go crazy like André! I should have listened to him before he died. Perhaps he'd still be here if I did."

Sonny found himself frozen again. He rested his hand on his lips. Dario was kissing him just a moment ago and now he was yelling at him. This had to be grief. "Dario, it's probably true you feel those things, but I felt your kiss. Maybe you're angry because you feel other things for me."

"Why am I not surprised?" Dario crossed his arms over his chest. "You're telling me how I feel. You are trying to control the narrative again. Did you hear anything I just said? Probably not because you never cared about Ignazio or me for that matter. You say you love me, but the truth is you love this idea you have about me that's not truly me. I could've given you something great…"

Dario suddenly stopped himself from talking further. "Why am I wasting my time?"

Though Sonny felt hurt and confused by the things Dario said to him, he believed this could be a breakthrough in their relationship. "You're not wasting your time. Tell me, Dario. Tell me everything. I am here."

Dario stepped backwards. Ignazio had said the same thing to him after he warned him about taking this path with Sonny. "This is a waste because even if you hear me now, you'll find a way to fuck things up. You always do. You aren't even aware of it. You're a fuck up. You fucked up my life. You are the worst thing that has ever happened to me. You are the worst thing that has ever happened to you." He turned around immediately to head inside the mansion.

Sonny stalled for a moment. Completely crushed, he felt lost on what to do here. Eventually, he headed to his car where he received a text from his mom that read: "Are you on your way?"

Sonny remained in his car. His tears won't stop. He decided to text his mom back: "Something came up. Tell dad and Alex we'll catch up later." He turned off his phone immediately after. Leaning back in the driver's seat, he allowed the guilt to eat him up completely.

Present: Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018

"I really fucked things up." Sonny is unable to escape the shame and guilt he's felt since that night. They've increased since then. A knock on the door gets him out of his thoughts. "Shit."

Lucas enters the room. He flips on the light and firmly says, "I need to talk to you. We're all worried about you."

Sonny pulls his blanket, so it covers most of his body. "There's nothing to worry about. I am staying in my room today. It's safe here."

"Do you even know what day it is?" Lucas doesn't care if Sonny has no desire to talk. "You're not okay, and we're going to talk about it." He grabs a chair in the room and sits. "You've clearly lost a lot and you're grieving that loss big time."

Loss. Sonny hates that word. He can see that Lucas has no plan in letting this go either. "You're wasting your time. I don't want to talk about this at all." He doesn't want to talk to anyone, especially about what he has lost.

Lucas ignores Sonny's words. "You lost your job. Not that you were fired. You quit, but we all know how important being a doctor was to you. I think it's still important to you, but you're not allowing yourself to think about it." He studies the state of Sonny's bedroom and can see he's not really thinking about anything.

"Trust me. People are better off without me working. I would harm a lot of people right now."

"Why?" Lucas challenges Sonny. "You know the reason you can't work or help others is because you aren't helping yourself." Leaning forward, he pushes. "There's Dario. Trust me. I know what it's like to lose someone you love but hear me when I say… it gets better."

Sonny rolls his eyes. He wonders if Will's dad even knows how corny he sounds at the moment. "Why are you doing this? I don't want to talk about Dario because it only makes me feel worse."

"What do you want?"

Lucas's question renders Sonny silent. He knows the answer. He wishes he could turn back time and take everything back. He wishes he was more supportive of Dario's relationship with Ignazio. He wishes he had been more affectionate with Dario and allowed Dario to be affectionate with him. He wishes he had trusted Dario and accepted Dario for who he is. Dario had truly lost himself and it was all his fault.

The silence annoys Lucas. "It's good to talk it out. I know how keeping things inside can hurt us. Tell me what you want."

Sonny recognizes Lucas doesn't seem too genuine with his concern. Something feels off. "Why are you doing this? You don't have to take care of me. It's not your job."

"I'm not trying to help you because I think it's my job," Lucas counters. "It's not you I'm concerned about. Your sadness impacts everyone. My son and his husband are barely holding on as it is. You are living under their roof and…" Lucas stops.

"And what? Let's be honest here. What am I doing?"

Lucas sighs. "We're all worried about you. I'm worried about my son's health. He's taken on a lot. He's taking care of his siblings like they're his own children. He's too young to be dealing with this."

Sonny looks down in shame. Guilt weighs heavily in his heart. "I really want to go back to sleep. I won't be a burden for Will. Is that what you want to hear?"

Lucas shakes his head. "I want to hear you say… no, promise you will get help."

"No disrespect, but I'm not really in the mindset to make promises." Sonny pulls the blanket over his head.

Figuring Sonny is done with this conversation, Lucas stands realizing Sonny may be worse off than he expected. He needs to do something else to protect Will, Allie, and the others from Sonny's mood. "There are people outside of this room who depend on you. Please don't let them down." He walks out and closes the door behind him leaving the light on.

Still hiding under his blanket, Sonny breathes in before exhaling, "I only fuck things up."

(*)*(*)*(*)

Meanwhile, at the Chill, Will returns to the level floor from the basement. He's surprised to see Frank there. "Did you just get here?"

Frank nods his head. "Yeah. I just sent Chad a text. Where is he?"

"He's on his way up." Will tries to read Frank's body language. He wonders if he has news on his investigation into the plane crash. He hopes he finally has answers for what caused his mother's death.

Frank shows some annoyance on his face. "Renée sent me here."

Great. Will suspects this will be bad news. "Should we be worried?"

Before Frank can respond, Chad finally joins them. He quickly announces he received Frank's text. "What's up?"

"Your sister has a message for us," Will catches his husband up.

Frank reluctantly shares, "Renée asked me to invite you to dinner. She wants to talk to the two of you about the family and business."

Uneasy, Chad wonders, "What does she want? Why does she want to have dinner with us?"

"She hasn't told me yet," Frank reveals. "She's definitely up to something."

Of course she is. Chad wishes he could have a normal sibling relationship with his oldest sister, but he knows EJ didn't trust her. Lexie still doesn't trust Renée either. Turning to Will, he decides, "We have to stall for as long as we can."

Agreeing, Will isn't keen on having dinner with Renée any time soon. He knows Frank is miserable there and doesn't want to make things worse for him. "We'll have to placate Renée eventually. We can try to schedule something later to prolong whatever she wants to discuss with us." After Chad nods, Will's phone suddenly rings. He checks the screen. "Excuse me. It's Johnny and Allie's school."

After Will walks off to take the call, Chad looks to Frank. "I really hope everything is okay. We don't need any added stress. How are you doing with my sister?"

Frank wishes he could work with anyone but Renée. "She's practically using me as a stand in for her son. It would be nice if Marco would return and take over for me. Free me from this hell."

"Are you ready to get out?" Chad questions. He needs Frank there to spy on his sister.

"Not yet." Frank knows he needs to keep his focus on the mission. "There's a lot I need to uncover about Renée. Hopefully she will trust me with more of her secrets." It would be nice if she had answers to what caused the deaths of EJ, Sami, Rex, and Ignazio.

Will rejoins the two. He's clearly upset. "I have to head out. Johnny's been suspended from school, and I have to pick him up."

Concern fills Chad. "What happened?" Will promises to tell Chad later and heads out. Shaking his head, Chad wonders what Johnny got himself into that got him suspended from school. "I'll have to figure out dinner. Are you and Diego joining us tonight? I'm sure you can use a break from my sister."

"If I can get away."

(*)*(*)*(*)

Arriving to Titan Industries together, Ciara gives JT an encouraging pat on the back. "You're going to kill it in there. You've got this."

JT returns a confident nod before heading for Ezra's office. He hopes this interview goes well.

Ciara turns to the elevator so she can visit with her grandfather. She finds herself strangely nervous about meeting with him today. She knows what Theo would say to her if he stood in front of her now. "You got this, Brady."

In Victor's office, Belle sat across from her brother's grandfather. She's clearly annoyed and ready for a fight. "This is the only time you will let me see you to discuss this."

Victor shakes his head. "We only talk business while in this building. We don't have time to discuss family… even if it's an emergency, which this is not."

Belle recognizes this is bullshit. There have been plenty of times in the past when family issues were discussed during business hours. "If we don't fix things with my brother now, things will never get better once he is married to Kristen."

Victor really needs Belle to take a hint. "Brady made his choice and he's where he wants to be. He doesn't want me involved. Trust me."

Belle isn't ready to drop this, but Ciara enters the room. She quickly greets her sister-in-law with a hug before turning to Victor. "Family is important, right?"

Ciara isn't sure if Belle is asking her or if she's just making a point in general. "It is."

Victor motions Belle to leave. "I have a meeting with Ciara. She's here to discuss business. Not family."

Ciara's nerves get worse as Belle leaves the office. She wonders if discussing family is completely off the table. She never got that memo. "Mr. Kiriakis…" she releases awkwardly.

Beaming at the sight of his granddaughter, Victor almost chuckles. "Mr. Kiriakis? Really? We don't need to be so formal."

"You said we're discussing business and not family," Ciara reminds him. "…Mr. Kiriakis. I'm here to set up my social media internship."

Victor decides to follow his granddaughter's lead. She's already making him proud. "Yes, Ms. Brady." He stands from his desk. "First, I will take you to our Social Media Management Director. I'll make sure he takes good care of you."

"That's okay, Mr. Kiriakis," Ciara says to stop her grandfather from joining her. "I'm sure I can find where I need to be. You have more important things that require your time." She does not want any special treatment here. She wants to prove herself.

Taking his seat again, Victor gives her a nod. "Good luck." He knows Ciara doesn't need it.

Ciara turns around and heads out of Victor's office. She is confident in herself, but she wonders if this is the right thing to do. Her parents had thoughts on it.

Outside of Ezra's office, JT wonders the same. He knows he needs a better paying job to stay in Salem, but he also wonders if he is in over his head with this interview. When he hears his name, he looks up to see Ezra waiting for him to come inside.

After JT follows him inside the office, Ezra shakes his hand before sitting at his desk. "Thanks for coming in, John."

"You can call me JT." JT isn't sure if he should have corrected Ezra, but the only time he has heard the name John in the past was when he got in trouble by his parents or other authority figures.

"JT… sure." Ezra looks down at JT's resume in front of him. He's aware of the fact that JT only got this interview because of his connections to Victor's family. That fact is a reason Ezra wonders if Victor truly wants him to be a part of Titan. He made his choice, and at this point, there's no turning back. "So… JT. Tell me why you think you'd be great as my personal assistant."

Right to it then. JT nods his head to show he's ready for this. "I know my resume doesn't show much experience in being a personal assistant, but I am dedicated. I have taken some quick but rigorous classes so far at Salem University, and I plan to continue to do that so I can get my degree. I believe combining real life experience with my education will only improve my skill set."

JT's response seems a bit rehearsed. Ezra decides to throw him a curve ball to see how he handles it. "What do you like to do on your free time?"

JT smirks. "I have a motorcycle I love riding."

(*)*(*)*(*)

Mayor Bloom gives his daughter a kiss on her forehead inside their home. "Thanks for coming to support me out there. People need to see my connection and commitment to making Salem better."

Milena smiles at her father. "Of course. I am the future of Salem."

Patting Milena on the shoulder, Mayor Bloom decides, "I'll be in my office. I have some things I need to take care of."

Milena watches her father head upstairs. She then turns to find a healthy snack in the fridge. She needs to eat something before tackling her homework. Inside the kitchen, she quickly realizes they have a guest. "Uncle… you're in town?!"

Gaius grins and gives Milena a warm hug and kiss on her forehead. "It's so good to see you again. I heard your father come inside with you. Where is your mother?"

Separating from her uncle somewhat, Milena pulls out her phone to show him a text she received from his sister. "Mom is on her way back into town as we speak. How long are you in town?"

Gaius grins as he announces, "I'm here for good. I have found a place in Salem." He gives her a look to let her know he's staying here with her.

Milena hugs her uncle again. She is ecstatic. "Yes! Our family will feel whole again!"

"That's the plan," Gaius assures with a wink.