12-29-2016 (Thursday)

Lucas comes to see Adrian through another round of chemo; Justin shows up too.  Again, they stick her with the decision of which one of them to pick as neither of them are willing to just leave. (I say Lucas was there first, he should be able to stay with her – I don’t know why she let’s Justin get to her so.)  Kate comes and saves the day; she tells both the men to get lost and goes in with Adrian, herself.  Kate jokes that her son and Justin are like two puppies; Adrian breaks out in laughter and says she is glad Kate is there.  When she steps out the door, she sees Justin and Lucas shaking hands; they have decided to try to get along, for Adrian’s sake.  Kate takes Adrian home; Adrian tells her that she has decided to let Lucas and Justin alternate going with her to chemo.  She tells Kate, however, when it comes time for the surgery, she wants HER there.  Kate says she’ll be there.  

Jennifer is excited when JJ tells her that Abigail is at Chad’s, he has seen her and they are talking.  She claps her hands, jumps up and down and then hugs him, saying it’s so great that Abigail has her family back.  JJ does not mention anything about Gabi.  Jennifer decides to go see Abigail.  Gabi tells her brother, Dario, that there was no need for her to tell Chad about Abigail because he already knew; she says Abby was there, and still is… (this is several days after Christmas now).  Dario assumes they are back together then; Gabi says she doesn’t know.  She carries on about how wrong it was of Abigail to let her husband think she was dead, but assures her brother that nothing further will happen between her and Chad, since he is still married.  He doesn’t believe her; he says he is tired of seeing her get hurt by men who don’t deserve her.  After Dario leaves, JJ approaches Gabi; he asks to sit down.  She allows it and he proceeds to tell her that he believes his sister and Chad are going to work things out.  She asks why he feels the need to tell her that; he says because he hopes that she can get over him.  He claims he doesn’t want to see her get hurt, because he already hurt her – he tells her he still loves her.  

Abigail comes the room where Chad is; she tells him she put Thomas down for his nap, and found an old playlist of their favorite songs.  She puts it on, asking if he would dance with her.  She has to pull him to his feet, but he does dance with her; he holds her, she tries to kiss him, he refuses… he tells her he is sorry, but he can’t.  She tells him it’s important for them to remember what they had, to try to get it back; she says she went online and bought stuff for New Year’s – champagne and party hats.  Chad breaks momentarily and laughs, saying champagne and party hats will not fix what’s wrong.  Abby asks why not.  Lol.  She wants to just go forward, like nothing happened and he tells her he just cannot do that.  She tells him that she thought about what he said all night long; that he didn’t know “how long” it was going to take for him to get over being mad at her.  She is glad he didn’t say “if.”  She says she is ready to tell him the entire truth and she tries to explain her thinking at the time, her fear of not being good enough for him, and does her best to convince him that it’s all in the past and she would never want to go anywhere again.  He almost looks like he wants to kiss her, but then gets angry again, telling her he doesn’t know what he is going to feel, or when.  She asks how he feels now – and if he is still in love with Gabi.  

Jennifer shows up; Abby says she needs to go out for some air.  Jennifer asks Chad why he is pushing Abigail away.  He says he’s not, but she broke his trust; she reminds him what Ben did to her mind.  She defends all of their actions, saying they could have lost Abigail forever; he’s afraid that could still happen.  He doesn’t want to make a promise to her that he can’t deliver now.  Abigail wanders over to her memorial statue; she sits down on the bench when she starts to experience symptoms of a panic attack.  Jennifer leaves; Chad looks at the gift that Gabi gave him.  Abigail has memories of Chad and Gabi kissing and begins to hyperventilate.  Gabi finds her panicing and offers help.  Kate is upset that Steffano lied to her again; she says she should be used to it though, as this is the fourth time he’s died and come back to life?  Dario and Eduardo talk about business; Dario asks how Kate is going to feel after all this.  Eduardo says he believes she will be fine; business is business.

12-28-2016 (Wedensday)

Andre asks why they would want to exhume Steffano’s body; Rafe tells him, he may still be alive – they need to know – they can find out by retesting the DNA from the body in the grave.  Andre consents to the exhumation, saying he is more than happy to prove them wrong.  Rafe makes the call.  Andre talks to Kate now, who questions whether Rafe might be right; she says she knows Andre thought they were close, but she once they she and Steffano were close too.  She was wrong; maybe he was too.  Rafe comes back and tells everyone that the test was conclusive… the body in that grave is NOT Steffano DeMira.  

Chloe’s mother gets in the way of Brady and Deimos’ sloppy attempt to get the baby’s DNA, although Deimos really could have swabbed inside a cheek quickly even when Nancy came into the room because she was focused on Chloe at first.  She tells them that she is staying at the Salem Inn and she will be taking the baby there with her, until Chloe recovers.  Nicole offers to help take care of Holly when she comes to sit with Chloe.  Nancy politely refuses her offer.  Nicole tells Brady how she noticed that Holly really resembles Parker when he was born; she always thought Parker was “all Daniel” but he must be more like Chloe than she thought.  As she steps away, Brady and Deimos agree it is looking more and more like this baby is Nicole’s.  Nancy talks to her daughter, telling her that she feels horrible about lying to Nicole – she has a right to know that little girl is hers, she says, but she made a promise to Chloe.  

Nicole comes back into the waiting room and tells Deimos that she’s sorry for getting so emotional, she just had herself convinced (as Holly’s Godmother) that she would be taking care of her for Chloe; she asks Deimos why her heart hurts so much.  Brady goes in to talk to Nancy; she thanks him for getting to Chloe in time.  He tells her it was Deimos who arranged the helicopter; she responds harshly that she doesn’t want to hear that man’s name, nor does she want him anywhere near her daughter.  She asks about Philip; Brady tells her he went awall again and no one really knows where he went.  She cries, realizing that Chloe broke Philip’s heart again.  She asks for time alone with her daughter; Brady leaves.  Marlena comes to talk to Brady, at his request; he needs her advice about Chloe and his belief that this baby is Nicole’s.  He’s asking if he should tell her; he cautions that he’s not 100% sure – if she is, she deserves to know; but if he’s wrong, her heart couldn’t take it.  She agrees with his decision to wait until he has proof.  

Joey brings Jade breakfast at the café; he’s working this morning I guess.  He’s made her a special breakfast sandwich with all kinds of stuff pregnant women should eat, and a side of his grandma’s mashed sweet potatoes.  She complains about how she feels, and looks; Joey tells her, he thinks she’s beautiful (hmm, looks like she’s winning him back over).  He asks her if she wants dessert; she declines.  A man comes in; it’s her father.  He says, “this is where you’ve been hiding” and demands that she look him in the eye.  He calls her a thief; says she snuck back into his house and stole his money – he wants it back and calls her an “ungrateful bitch.”  She’s denies taking it; her dad grabs her purse and finds the envelope, with a picture of her and him and $$$.  She says she was going to pay him back; he calls her a thief AND a freeloader… Joey tells him not to talk to her that way.  He tells him he should apologize, adding that this stress is not good for the baby, and tells him to go to hell when he insults them both.  He mocks them; says she even killed her pet hermit crab in two weeks.  Joey threatens to call the police if he doesn’t leave the establishment; the man takes his money back and throws the picture down, telling her she can keep that; it means nothing to him.  He leaves.  She thanks Joey he sits down.  

Jade talks about babysitting when she was younger; he says he bets she was great with those kids.  He tells her she is going to be a great mom; she reaches out and takes his hand, adding that she thinks he will be a great dad.  He tells her he regrets being so mean to her before and accusing her of getting pregnant on purpose; he then tells her he really wants to take care of her and the baby now.  Nancy is ready to leave the hospital with the baby; Nicole asks to say goodbye.  She apologizes for crying as she hands her back; she says she doesn’t know what’s wrong with her… she’s just emotional.  As Nancy walks away, Deimos calls out and tells her to stop.  He tells her he wants to make amends with her and offers to help by calling top specialists to take care of Chloe; she responds by telling him the best doctors are their friends, right there at the hospital and they won’t be needing his help, now or ever.

12-27-2016 (Tuesday)

As Deimos and Brady discuss how they are going to be able to get DNA for the test to see if Nicole is Holly’s mother, Nicole clings tightly to the baby, talking to Chloe, pleading with her to wake up.  Brady reminds Deimos they cannot tell Nicole what they suspect; they must find out the truth first.  Deimos has a thought; Brady goes in to talk to Nicole… she begins crying, talking about her friendship with Chloe.  He hugs her.  She carries on about how much she’s always wanted to be a mother, all the trouble she has had trying to become a mother, and how much she has fallen in love with this baby girl already; she says when Chloe wakes up, she is going to have a hard time giving Holly up.  Brady can’t take it anymore; he tells her, maybe she won’t have to.  

Deimos comes in, interrupting him, although Brady denies it; Deimos asks Nicole how she’s doing and suggest she take a break and go on a walk with him.  She roughly tells Deimos she is not leaving, but she thinks he should because Chloe wouldn’t want him there – surprisingly, he doesn’t argue about it, offers to get her something to eat, which she declines and offers to take Brady to eat instead.  Nicole asks him what he was going to tell her before he leaves; Brady says he just meant that they don’t know how long it will be until Chloe wakes up.  She accepts this answer and he leaves.  Brady remembers back to a time when Nicole had delivered a baby that did not survive; he was one to tell her the bad news.  Heartbreaking.  Deimos comes out; he tells Brady he was unsuccessful in getting a blood sample for the baby from the lab.  They say they still need to find a way to get the needed DNA sample; Deimos says they have to get Nicole away from the baby by giving her a reason she can’t ignore.  They tell her that the nurse needs some information about Chloe; Nicole knows Chloe best… she agrees to go talk to the nurse.  They pull out swab sticks to collect the baby’s DNA. Chloe’s mom (Nancy) comes in and interrupts them; she says she is there to take custody of Chloe’s baby.  

Chad tells Abby that all he really wants is for them to work things out, together.  Shaun visits his mom; she is noticeably nervous and he asks what’s wrong.  She tells him things have gotten a little out of control; one of her allies has been murdered (Chili).  He wants to go tell the Warden; Hope insists he doesn’t.  She says what she needs are allies, and she needs them quickly before someone else dies.  He agrees to leave; Hope gets a visit from ‘Cocoa’ (one of the bullies), who tells her that position for “top spot” is open.  She suggests Hope gracefully bows out; Hope says, “not a chance.”  The new girl tells Hope she couldn’t stand it if something happened to her; Hope tells her they need to talk to some of the other girls…get them on their side.  Hope gives her a list of names.  

Shane says (speaking of Steffano), “seems like the old son-of-a-bitch might still be alive.”  Kayla and Steve are shocked; Rafe asks if he heard correctly.  Shane says there have been sightings, and talk of a “new player in town” spending all kinds of money and making a show of it.  They all agree that sounds like Steffano.  He also says this person likes Opera, Chess and some certain Italian dish I cannot possibly spell; and they have a photo – a partial side view – it’s grainy, but it looks like Steffano.  It’s not proof, but they agree with Shane; it’s worth investigating.  They all shake hands and go to take care of their individual duties, working toward the same goal.  Andre sits down with Kate at a table in the diner; she points out how untrustworthy he has proven himself to be.  She tells him there are missing funds in one of the accounts; knowing all the lies he has told, she says, she has to wonder what other secrets he has.  Shaun tells Rafe about Chili’s murder; he says his mom is in trouble.  Rafe says he knows where to get proof, if Steffano is really alive.  Andre comes into the station; Rafe tells Andre that they need to dig up Steffano’s body, and the sooner the better.  

12-26-2016 (Monday)

Kayla and Steve clean up the diner after the Christmas party/ soup kitchen; Jade and Joey help clean up too.  They compliment each other on the way they were with the kids; Claire and Ciara wonder what it is Joey ever saw in Jade.  The new girl in prison is writing a letter to her mom when the two bullies come in; they grab her letter and see that she is telling her mom about them, calling them ‘horrible women’ – they throw her down on the table and get ready to beat her up.  Hope walks in and throws a chair; she tells them to let the girl go.  She pushes them away and steps by the girl’s side; they get all tough and Hope sends the girl out of the room.  They tell her they will pay her another visit, after they finish with Hope.  Chili comes into the room, screaming; the new girl went and got her.  The bullies leave and Chili says she has to get back to the Christmas pageant; it’s almost her turn to sing.  

Jade tells Steve and Kayla that the girls were making fun of her and being mean; Kayla says she will see, the Brady’s always stick together; family is everything to the Bradys.  The girls come in and apologize.  Claire gets on the phone with Theo; she tells him that she talked to Ciara about sharing a room next semester and she’s good with it, so they are all going to be roommates!  Ciara says she didn’t know Theo was part of the equation; Claire acts stupid and says, she just didn’t think about it, but “you’re cool with it, right?”  Ciara says, she guesses so.  But she’s not.  Joey asks Jade to go to church with him and his family; they always go to a midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.  As they are leaving, the family attorney arrives at the door.  He says it turns out that Hope may not have killed anyone after all; Steffano, he says, just might be alive!  

Hope walks into the recreational room and sees Chili sitting in a chair; she tells her thanks again for her help earlier, says she has a beautiful voice; she heard her performance.  She steps up to her and sees that Chili has a knife in her stomach; she is dead.  JJ tells Rafe what happened between him and Gabi; Rafe doesn’t quite understand when he says he wasn’t his secret to tell.  Rafe is surprised when JJ tells him that she has been spending all of her time with Gabi.  Gabi comes to see Chad; he is obviously nervous.  She says there is something she needs to know but she just doesn’t know how to tell him; he quickly says to her, “Abigail is alive.”  Abigail steps into the room behind her; Gabi turns around, dumbfounded.  Gabi grabs Abigail and hugs her, and cries, and asks how… the baby cries.  Chad steps out to take care of him.  Abigail admits that it was all a lie; she wanted everyone to think she was dead.  Gabi tells her how much they all missed her, and how Chad fell apart; Abby says it’s a good thing he had her around to help him pick the pieces up.  She’s not sure what to say to that.  Abby tells her that she saw her kissing Chad, and now when she looks at her, all she sees is them kissing.  She asks Gabi if she loves him; Gabi swears none of this would have happened if they had known she was alive.  Chad comes out and tells Abigail to leave Gabi alone; he says, if she wants someone to blame, she can blame herself.  

JJ comes to pick up Gabi; she is glad to see him.  Gabi tells Chad, everything is okay… they have their Abby back; she hugs Abby again and says she is so happy to have her back.  She leaves with JJ; they walk to the park.  She is still a bit mad; she tells JJ that he could have trusted her.  She tells him that she still doesn’t think that they belong together; he argues they are good together.  She says their not; she can’t get over the Miami thing, which is why she got so suspicious about him lying to her again.  He throws out her kissing Chad; she tells him they only got close because he is open and honest and doesn’t keep secrets.  He says they can still work this out; she says, no… they just aren’t in sync anymore and she doesn’t think they will ever be.  

Chad screams at Abby when she tells him she did all of this because she didn’t want to be a burden to him; he says he married her, in sickness and in health.  All she needed to do was be honest with him; he would have stood by her.  She turns around and asks him, “what about now?”  She asks him if he will stand by her now.  She says something made him walk into that room right at the moment she was going to walk out – she says this thing between them, it can’t be denied.  She steps up close to him and promises him she won’t ever leave again; she wants him to trust her now.  He says he doesn’t know; he doesn’t know how long he’ll be mad at her, but he doesn’t want to let her walk out that door.