Chapter 1: Moving in – Saturday, June 25th, 2011

After unpacking and setting up his new room at the Brady Pub, Will shuffles down the stairs. He's greeted by his maternal great-grandmother, Caroline. She warmly rubs his back. "Are you done already?"

Will takes a deep breath and nods his head. "Yeah… don't have everything where I want it yet, but I think I am done for the day."

Caroline smiles. "Perfect timing," she exclaims as she directs Will to a table to sit. "I was just about to bring up some fresh baked cookies and milk." After Will sits, she swiftly grabs a tray with two glasses of milk and a plate of freshly baked cookies. Placing them on the table, she returns the tray next to the bar.

Will attempts a smile. He knows his great-grandmother is trying her hardest to keep his spirits up. Unfortunately, all he can think about is his mother and how she moved back into the DiMera mansion to be with EJ.

"You're thinking about your mother, aren't you?"

There's no point in denying anything. Caroline could always read him. Picking up a cookie, Will starts to fiddle with it. "Yeah, I am still frustrated that mom needs a man to define her life… to define her happiness." He finally takes a bite of the warm cookie.

"Well, to be fair, your mother's relationship with Rafe ended six months ago. It could be worse."

Will tilts his head. Caroline has a point. After taking a sip of milk, he contends, "Don't get me wrong. I am so glad that Rafe is no longer a part of mom's life. After the truth came out about his part in his ex-fiancé's death, I am glad that he's locked away." He takes a breath. "…and I know EJ has changed. I just wish mom would live her life solo for a while before deciding to move back into the DiMera mansion. I don't want to see her get sucked into a dangerous situation again. Of course, she won't listen to me."

Caroline places her hand on top of her grandson's before turning it around to hold. "I am proud of you, Will. I think it's good you decided not to move into that crazy place. The DiMeras really cannot be trusted, and your mother needs to realize that fact for herself." Noting the dejection in her grandson's body language, she decides not to say anymore. She watches him eat another cookie.

"So how is Gabi doing since Rafe was sentenced last week? I bet that's got to be hard for her… and hard for you."

Will attempts to shrug off his feelings as he finished the cookie in his mouth. Just focus on Gabi. "I don't know. She's still upset about the whole situation. I think she's still in shock that her brother killed Emily. I really don't talk to her about what he tried to do to mom. I figured it's best not to talk about it. I don't want to upset her."

Caroline continues to study Will's body language. Changing the subject to Gabi only seemed to make Will feel worse.

As Will finishes his glass of milk, his phone begins to ring. Placing the empty glass on the table, Will pulls his phone out to check the screen. "It's Gabi," he announces before ignoring the call. "I really don't have the energy to talk right now. I think I should go upstairs to take a short nap."

Caroline pats Will's hand before watching him head up the stairs. "Poor kid… He's more like his mother than he thinks."

(*)*(*)*(*)

Stefano greets his youngest eagerly after calling him down to the living room of the DiMera mansion. "Oh, good. You are here."

Chad cases the place because he still isn't used to Stefano summoning him. "Well, father, what do you want?"

"'What do you want?'" Stefano repeats Chad's question in a tone to show he's offended. "What kind of greeting is that? How about, 'Hello father, how are you today?'" Throwing his hands in the air towards Chad, he figures teaching his son manners is pointless. "I asked you to come because I just received news from EJ that…"

Laughter coming from the foyer interrupts Stefano. EJ and Sami enter the living room with Johnny and Sydney.

Noting luggage in Sami's hand, Chad's suspicion rises. He continues to case the place. "What's going on?"

EJ grins. "I guess father didn't tell you that Samantha's moving in. We're going to have the whole family under one roof again."

Stefano rolls his eyes at EJ's excitement and pours himself a drink.

Joining in on his brother's excitement, Chad relaxes and asks, "So is Will moving in as well?"

Sami's joy fades a little. Discomfort takes over. Placing Sydney on the couch, she answers, "No, Will's not moving in. He's a bit upset with me right now, but I'm sure he'll come around." Trying to show confidence, she forces a smile.

Will isn't going to ruin this for EJ. He rests his hand on Sami's back to redirect her. "Let's stop talking about the depressing stuff and get things settled upstairs. I'll have Harold come down and grab your things."

Sami manages a genuine smile for EJ. She grabs Sydney once more and follows EJ and Johnny to the stairs in the foyer.

Though he's disappointed about Will not moving in, Chad's excited for EJ's sake. He turns to Stefano and notices his biological father is pouring himself another drink. "Are you going to be okay with all of this?"

"What does it look like?" Stefano rhetorically questions. "If I've learned anything over the years, it's that a relationship with a Brady is toxic. My son had the misfortune of falling in love with Samantha Brady, which is even worse in my book." He starts waving his finger. "Chad, whatever you do, stay away from the Brady women. They will steal your soul."

Chad enjoys watching Stefano get worked up over Sami. "Noted. What about the Hortons?"

Stefano shakes his head. "Stay away from them as well. The DiMeras and the Hortons do not mix either. It's best if you find someone that will fit in with our family. Someone that is not judgmental or 'holier than thou.'"

Chad knows Stefano is warning him against Abigail. "Well, on that note, I am heading to Lexie's for dinner."

Hearing his daughter's name, Stefano's mood shifts. "Tell Alexandra and Theodore hello for me. Oh, and Abraham as well."

"Will do." As he leaves, Chad decides to make a quick stop before heading to Lexie's house. I hope he's okay.

(*)*(*)*(*)

After showering and getting dressed, Dario walks out of his bedroom and finds Gabi sitting alone on the couch. He approaches his sister. "What are you doing? Why are you sitting alone? You should be out with your friends or Will."

Gabi sighs and looks at her brother. "Well, I tried to call Will earlier, but he did not answer. I think he might feel awkward around me because of Rafe. I don't know what to do about it."

Sitting next to his sister, Dario reflects on Rafe's behavior. "Well, it's understandable that he might not know what to say or how to respond to you. Rafe really messed up, and the things he pulled on Sami weren't good. If Will really cares about you, he'll get over it and realize that what our stupid brother did has nothing to do with you as a person."

"¿Y nosotros? What about us? Are we supposed to get over it?" It's clear Gabi is annoyed. She leans her back into the couch and crosses her arms over her chest.

Dario stands. He's unsure if he wants to continue this discussion. "Well, eventually. We do have to move on with our lives and not let what Rafe did get in the way of us living our lives. I know it sucks at the moment. Rafe is going to be in prison for a while. Hopefully, he'll get some help, but there's nothing we can do at this point. Just like when Arianna went to prison, she got better by herself."

"What Rafe did was so much worse. He killed Emily and almost killed Sami. Rafe has been lying to us for years. Things are not going to get better."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you." In defeat, Dario drops his hands to the side. He sits next to his sister again. He cannot leave things this way. "I promise you. Things will get better. We will get through this as a family. We always have." He pulls Gabi into a hug. "You should call Will again." Pulling away, he shares, "I have to go in for work, so I'll be back late tonight."

Gabi hugs her brother back because she needs it. She sits back and watches him leave. Grabbing her cell phone, she debates whether she should listen to her brother's advice and call Will again.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Melanie glances in the mirror on the wall in the Horton living room to check her hair. She turns to Abigail. "Thanks for inviting me to dinner with your family."

Abigail smiles. "Oh, I'm excited that you agreed to come. I know that my Uncle Justin and Aunt Adrienne love you, so they'll be happy you came as well."

Surprised to hear Adrienne and Justin's names, Melanie starts to feel apprehensive. "You didn't tell me it was a big family gathering. I thought it was just going to be you, your mother, and me." She recognizes a look of guilt forming on Abigail's face. "Why do I have a feeling that there's more you're not telling me?"

Unable to keep this a secret, Abigail decides to spill. "Okay, but you have to promise you won't back out. My cousin, Sonny, will be there. He's Justin and Adrienne's youngest son. He's a great guy."

The pieces are connecting in Melanie's head. "Wait. Are you trying to set me up with your cousin?"

Feeling confident in herself, Abigail assures, "I promise you! You'll like him!" She grabs Melanie's arm to make her look at her. "He's a great guy… and he has a great heart."

Melanie rolls her eyes and sarcastically responds, "Oh, a great guy with a good heart. Sounds like something I really need in my life right now."

To get Melanie to stop with that attitude, Abigail slaps her arm.

The doorbell rings. Jennifer makes her way to the door to open it. She finds Nathan on the other side. "Nathan, what are you doing here?" She's surprised to see her second cousin there.

Nathan takes in this moment before announcing, "I couldn't stay away. I had to come back to where I belong."

"Come in. Make yourself at home." Jennifer helps Nathan with his bags. They enter the living room where Melanie and Abigail are waiting.

Melanie and Nathan immediately make eye contact. They're surprised to see the other there. To avoid awkwardness, they quickly turn away from each other to focus on something else.

With his eyes now on Abigail's clothes, Nathan realizes that Abigail, Melanie, and Jennifer are dressed to go out. He asks if they're going anywhere.

Jennifer answers. "Yeah, sorry. We are going out to meet Adrienne, Justin, and Sonny."

Happy to see Nathan, Abigail quickly offers, "How about you come with us? We still have a while before we have to leave."

Melanie takes a step back to look at Abigail. What is she thinking? "I'm sure Nathan is tired from his trip."

Taking note of Melanie's apprehension, Nathan agrees with her.

"I insist," Abigail persists. "You should come. The more, the merrier… right, mom?" When Jennifer smiles and nods at Nathan, Abigail extends the invite once more. "You have to come."

Melanie begins to bite her fingernail as she watches Nathan give in and accept. He's still avoiding eye contact with her, and that alone makes her feel more nervous about dinner. She can't believe he's back in Salem. What does this mean?

(*)*(*)*(*)

Back at the Brady Pub, Chad enters and immediately starts looking for Will to talk to him. I hope Will is okay. He spots Caroline wiping the bar down and approaches her. "Is Will around?"

Caroline jumps due to Chad's abrupt question. She notes the fact that he didn't greet her. "Oh. Hey, Chad. He's not in at the moment. I think he went out with Gabi somewhere." She looks down and continues to wipe the bar.

Chad stands there awkwardly. He's unsure what to say next because he expected Will to be there.

Caroline stops wiping the bar because Chad is just standing there. "Well, I will tell Will you stopped by." She returns her focus on the bar.

Taking the hint, Chad turns to leave. Before he can reach the door, Kate enters and appears surprised to see him there. Chad doesn't buy it. "You can drop the act, Kate. I'm guessing my dear old dad asked you to follow me." He stretches his arms out to show how alone he is. "As you can see, Abigail is nowhere in sight."

Kate places her left hand on her hip as Chad drops his to his sides. "Now, Chad. I think you've got this all wrong. I just came in here to grab a quick coffee. I had no idea you were going to be here, so no need to be paranoid."

"So if I was with Abigail, you wouldn't call up Stefano and tell him? I know you don't like that I am seeing her."

"Chad, let me clear things up for you. Your father and I want you to be happy. While Abigail is a very attractive woman, she is just so… what's an appropriate word…" Kate taps her finger on her chin. "…square. I think it would be beneficial if you thought outside of the box."

Chad shakes his head because he's done here. "Yeah… I think this conversation just got a bit weirder. Didn't know that was possible. Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I should be going. I'm going to be late." He leaves without a goodbye.

Kate heads to the bar and orders her usual. What does he even see in Abigail? The girl is quite judgmental. Kate knows she needs to do something to keep Chad and Abigail apart.

Soon after, Caroline hands Kate the coffee she ordered. Since she witnessed the entire exchange between Kate and Chad, she decides to speak on it. "You may be Stefano's wife, but that doesn't make you Chad's mother. Maybe you should let the poor kid just live his life. Haven't you ruined your own kids' lives enough?"

Kate sneers as Caroline walks away. She shakes her head back to adjust her hair and looks back at Caroline. She mouths the word "bitch" before leaving the pub.

Upstairs, Will rolls to the other side of his bed since his phone is ringing. He checks the screen to see it's Gabi calling once more. I should answer this time. With a groggy voice, Will releases a "…hello."

Gabi immediately questions Will about not answering her calls earlier.

"Sorry, I was taking a nap," he lies. "How about I grab us some take out and bring it over?"

After Gabi agrees, Will ends the call and sits up in his bed. Rubbing his eyes, he questions his relationship with Gabi. What am I doing here?