Nicole gets an intriguing offer from Deimos
At Edge of the Square, Henry pulled Theo away from Mark, who stormed off after warning Theo, "You're gonna pay for this!" Ciara expressed concerns about Theo's bloody knuckles, but when Claire offered to tend to his injuries with a first-aid kit the club kept on hand, he insisted that he was fine.
Ciara declined Theo's offer to walk her home, instead choosing Claire as her escort. When Ciara started to stammer out an explanation, Claire helpfully intervened, telling Theo that she and Ciara needed to discuss prom dresses and makeup in preparation for the big day. "Are we still on for prom?" Theo asked Ciara, who forced a smile and assured him that she couldn't wait. Nodding, Theo hesitantly walked away.
Belle entered John and Marlena's townhouse and quickly surmised that Marlena was upset about something. When Marlena explained that her request to visit Eric had been denied, Belle admitted that she wasn't surprised, since it was fairly standard for prisons to require inmates to be fully processed first. "But I'm his lawyer, and I can see him whenever I want, so I'll just find a way to take you with me," Belle added.
Marlena sensed that she wasn't the only one who was upset about something. Nodding, Belle hesitantly revealed that she had given Shawn signed divorce papers earlier. "And before you ask me, no, this had nothing to do with Philip. I don't know where that's going, or if I even want it to go anywhere," Belle added. Belle knew she had made the right decision, but she was worried about breaking the news to Claire, especially right before the prom. Marlena agreed that it would be best for Belle to choose a different day to tell Claire about the impending divorce.
When Claire arrived a short time later, having just finished walking Ciara back to the Horton house, Marlena and Belle realized that she, too, was upset about something. Claire dismissively insisted that she wasn't interested in having a therapy session at that time, but she soon backpedaled, knowing that she would go crazy if she didn't talk about what was bothering her.
"It's Ciara. I'm really worried about her," Claire explained. Claire admitted, however, that she sometimes wished she weren't quite as empathetic, since seeing Ciara sad all the time was making it hard for her to have fun. Marlena assured Claire that it was perfectly normal to feel that way. Marlena advised Claire to try to enjoy the prom, guessing that Ciara would want that for her.
At the Horton house, Ciara admitted to Hope that she was thinking about skipping the prom. Hope stressed that Ciara didn't have to go if she didn't want to, but Ciara fretted that Claire had been insisting that they had to attend the prom and had to have a good time. Hope assured Ciara that, while she couldn't force the matter, she would one day find herself ready to have fun again. "If [that happens] tomorrow night at the prom, great, but if not -- if you're not feeling it -- then just walk away," Hope advised.
Theo soon arrived to see Ciara, so Hope headed upstairs to give them some privacy. Theo explained that he had been too worried about Ciara to wait until the following day to talk to her about what had happened earlier. Ciara admitted that she was still a mess. "I mean, what's tonight gonna be like? Am I gonna have nightmares, or just not be able to sleep?" Ciara fretted.
Theo advised that Ciara needed to relax, but she didn't think there was any chance of that happening. Undeterred, Theo retrieved his tablet computer from his backpack and offered to distract Ciara with a movie or two, assuring her that he had even downloaded some that didn't have anything to do with baseball. Ciara took a seat next to Theo on the couch and started to browse through the movies with him.
The following morning, Theo awoke and found himself still in the living room of the Horton house, with Ciara's head resting on his stomach. Theo roused Ciara then rushed off to see Abe, expecting him to be "pissed." Hope soon entered the living room and greeted Ciara, who was quick to stress that she and Theo had spent the whole night sleeping next to each other on the couch. Nodding, Hope revealed that she had checked on Ciara and Theo a few times and had also contacted Abe to let him know where Theo was. Ciara admitted that during her slumber, for the first time in a while, she hadn't had any nightmares.
Theo went to the police station to see Abe, who was upset because Theo hadn't bothered to check in with him the previous night. Theo pointed out that he wasn't a little kid anymore, but Abe countered that he also wasn't eighteen yet. "Look, I know you're growing up, and you have, uh -- you've been handling things really well these days, but you're my son, and I will always worry about you," Abe stressed. Nodding, Theo promised not to make the same mistake again. Abe noticed Theo's hand injury, but Theo downplayed it, claiming that he had simply banged his knuckles when he had slipped on a ladder while hanging a banner.
After Theo left, Hope arrived and greeted Abe, who admitted that he couldn't help worrying about Theo's developing romance with Ciara. Abe stressed that he didn't think Ciara would ever intentionally hurt Theo. "But let's face it: Theo is different," Abe pointed out. Abe tactfully continued that what Chase had done to Ciara had left her in a very precarious place emotionally. "I'm aware of that. And I know that Theo is a very innocent kid. But even with everything that's happened, so is my daughter. It'll be fine," Hope assured Abe.
Later, Rafe privately told Hope that one of his FBI contacts had informed him that Deimos owned part of a corporation that had made a payment to Dr. Seth Malcolm through a subsidiary known as Athena Research. Rafe wanted to follow the lead, but Hope was worried about Ciara and knew that was where her focus needed to be at that time. "[And] the bottom line is, nailing Deimos isn't gonna bring back Bo or make up for what I did to Stefano," Hope reasoned. Nodding, Rafe agreed that family needed to always be the top priority. Rafe happily added that shelving the investigation would leave him and Hope free to fully enjoy their date night.
At John and Marlena's townhouse, Claire received a text message from Shawn, explaining that he wouldn't be able to see her before the prom because he was busy with work and would be out of town for most of the night. Belle assured Claire that Shawn wouldn't have canceled their plans if he'd had any choice in the matter. Claire understood but was bummed because she had been hoping to pose in her prom dress for pictures with both of her parents that night. "[You're] supposed to be together," Claire sadly muttered before rushing off to school.
In the halls of Salem High, Theo told Ciara that his father had rented them a limousine for the night. Ciara excitedly informed Theo that he could pick her up at her house -- her actual house, since she and Hope were moving back there later that day. As Ciara gave Theo's injured hand a gentle kiss, Mark watched nearby, scowling. Mark waited until Theo left then approached Ciara and offered her an apology, conceding that he had deserved the pummeling he had received from Theo the previous night.
Later, as teens began arriving at Edge of the Square for the prom, Ciara and Theo approached Claire and her date, Henry. Claire gushed that Ciara's hair looked amazing, and Ciara replied that Claire's shoes were great, prompting Henry to grab Theo's injured hand and teasingly state, "Oh, my God, Theo, your outfit's so awesome! I love what you've done with your knuckles!"
After Claire and Henry went to get some punch, Theo promised Ciara that he was going to make their prom night the best night ever. Mark lurked nearby, watching intently.
In her newly renovated house, Hope and Rafe settled in for a movie night. Rafe was pleased to hear Hope laugh again. When Hope paused the DVD to discuss changing the movie, Rafe spotted Hope's yearbook on the coffee table. With a twinkle in his eye, a gleeful Rafe grabbed the yearbook before Hope could stop him. Rafe told Hope that her photo was gorgeous. Hope laughed about her hair.
When Hope grabbed the yearbook away, Rafe bet her that he could guess her high school superlatives. Rafe correctly guessed that she had been voted "Most Beautiful" and had been elected prom queen. Defeated, Hope reluctantly handed the yearbook back to Rafe.
Rafe looked through the yearbook with Hope, and he laughed over a picture of Hope dressed as a Martian for a spirit week skit. Blushing, Hope threatened to go to Rafe's high school and find his yearbook. Rafe said that he was barely in his yearbook and that it would be a wasted trip. With a grin, Hope said she wanted to guess Rafe's superlatives. Rafe noted that he had not been noticed by anyone in high school except for Sister Agnes, who had helped him graduate school. Hope kissed Rafe, and the two grinned at one another.
After switching movies, Hope and Rafe playfully bickered over each other's laughter during the film. Hope commented that she was at the age that she appreciated a little bickering. Rafe agreed. Hope admitted that she had been angry when she had learned that Bo had asked Rafe to take care of her. Hope said that she had become grateful that Bo had talked to Rafe. Grabbing Rafe's hand, Hope said Bo had chosen the right guy. Hope told Rafe that he made her happy. Rafe said he felt the same way. As Hope kissed Rafe, he gently pulled off her sweater and leaned her down onto the couch.
In his room, Joey texted Jade. Missing Joey, Jade invited him over to her house. After checking to make sure her parents were asleep at her house, Jade opened the window and waited for Joey to arrive. When Joey climbed through Jade's window, she giggled. Joey and Jade began to kiss. As the kissing grew more heated, Joey and Jade each admitted that they were both virgins. Nervously, Joey and Jade undressed one another. Joey remembered that he did not have a condom, but smiling, Jade said she had bought protection that afternoon. Thrilled, Joey kissed Jade and the two fell onto the bed.
At the DiMera mansion, Jennifer, Chad, and J.J. talked about Abigail. Chad was emotional. Chad told J.J. and Jennifer what had happened when he had taken Abigail to the clinic. Chad explained that Abigail had asked to go home, and he'd had to encourage her to stay at the clinic. Upset, Abigail had said she had made a mistake and wanted to go home. The nurse had informed Chad and Abigail that the doctor was busy with an emergency. Frustrated, Chad had told the nurse that he was a DiMera, and he had ordered her to get the doctor.
"I never thought I'd have to throw around my last name to lock up the woman I love," Chad told Jennifer. Overwhelmed, Jennifer broke down in tears while J.J. squeezed her shoulder to comfort her. J.J. assured Chad that he had done what had needed to be done. When Jennifer asked if Abigail had checked herself in willingly, Chad sighed. Chad explained that when he had talked to the doctor at the clinic about Abigail's hesitancy, the doctor had told Chad that Marlena could have Abigail committed. When the doctor had said that they might have to sedate Abigail, Chad had returned to Abigail's side.
Abigail had rushed to Chad and asked him if they could go home. Abigail had promised that she would be better. Abigail had attempted to charm Chad into letting her go home, but Chad had ignored her pleas. Crying, Chad told Jennifer and J.J. that he had thought about leaving the clinic with Abigail. Jennifer pleaded with Chad to let Abigail return home. Shaking his head, Chad explained that while he had been waiting with Abigail at the clinic, she had freaked out when she had seen another patient. Abigail had claimed that the man was Ben, but the man was clearly not.
Panicked, Abigail had begged Chad to take her home because she did not want to be locked up in the clinic with Ben. Chad had assured Abigail that Ben was locked up in prison. As Abigail had asked Chad if she had been hallucinating, the doctor had approached them. The doctor had assured Abigail that she had visualized her fears and that the visions would go away over time. When Chad handed Abigail the forms to sign, he asked her to do what she could to get better so that she could go home. Abigail had reluctantly signed the forms as she'd fought tears.
"The only reason I signed that is because I love Thomas," Abigail had stammered. Chad told Jennifer that Abigail had been strong. Chad added that the doctor had said that she had high expectations for Abigail's recovery. When Thomas started to cry, Chad swooped his son up in his arms and swiftly calmed him down. Chad thanked Jennifer and J.J. for watching Thomas while he had been with Abigail. Jennifer offered to take Thomas for the night, but Chad declined the offer, noting that he did not plan on sleeping much until Abigail returned home.
"I know I'm not your mother, but I'm all you got," Chad whispered to his son after Jennifer and J.J. left. Chad thought about when he had said goodbye to Abigail at the clinic. Abigail had said she had not wanted to let go of Chad. Chad had agreed and said that he needed to let Abigail go so that she could get better and return home. Scared, Abigail had begged Chad not to make her stay in the clinic. Slowly, Chad had pushed Abigail away. Chad had kissed his wife goodbye then he had watched as she had been forcefully led away. Once Abigail had walked out of sight, Chad had broken down in tears.
In the mansion, Chad sat in a chair and watched his son smiling in his crib. After a moment, Chad retrieved Thomas from the crib and held him on his lap. Chad wept.
At the clinic, a nervous Abigail sat in bed and covered her ears in an attempt to shut out the moans of a fellow patient down the hall. After the noises stopped, Abigail searched her room. "They took everything," Abigail whispered. Worried, Abigail attempted to open the door to her room and was surprised to find it locked. Abigail knocked on her door and asked for her cell phone so that she could call her husband. When a nurse and an orderly checked on Abigail, the nurse informed her that she would not be able to use the phone. Abigail was indignant.
When the nurse mentioned a sedative, Abigail rescinded her request, but the female nurse was already leaving to get the meds. The male orderly stayed behind and stared at Abigail. When the nurse returned, she sedated Abigail. As Abigail slept, Ben awakened her. Confused, Abigail asked Ben why he was not in jail. Ben said he had convinced his jailers to admit him to the clinic. Terrified, Abigail muttered that Ben was not there. Ben pulled a red tie out of his pocket and told Abigail that she was "a waste of space." Ben called Abigail his final victim.
Abigail woke with a start. Frantically looking about the room, Abigail saw that she was alone. Abigail cried out for help, but no one answered her calls. Overwhelmed, Abigail fell to the floor and muttered that Ben would find her.
In Jade's bedroom, a smiling Joey and Jade basked in the afterglow of losing their virginity to one another. Joey asked Jade what she was thinking. With a grin, Jade said it was their last night in town, and she wanted to go dancing. Jade suggested that they crash the prom.
At the prom, Ciara danced with Theo. Ciara told Theo that she appreciated that he had stood up for her against Mark. With a nod, Theo said he would do anything for Ciara. In the corner, Mark watched the couple dance while he sipped from a flask. After the song ended, Ciara and Theo joined Claire and Henry at the bar. Henry told them that Claire was nervous about singing her original song. Claire playfully hit Henry when he said he planned to put the performance on YouTube.
While the guys went to fetch refreshments, Claire asked Ciara if she thought there was a future with Theo. Ciara grabbed Claire's hand and walked her into the corner to talk. Across the room, Henry asked Theo about his relationship with Ciara. Theo said things were good. Mark approached the guys and asked Theo if his date with Ciara was everything that Theo had hoped. Theo stressed that he did not want any trouble. Henry agreed, and he asked Theo if they could move past their fight. As Theo stared at the floor, Mark wished Theo and Henry a good evening and walked away.
Joey and Jade arrived at the prom, and Jade dismissed the party as lame. With a shrug, Joey said he hoped they would get to hear Claire sing. Jade said that after Claire performed, she wanted to get crazy. While Ciara put her hand in Theo's over at the bar, Joey walked over with Jade and reintroduced her to them. Jade skipped over to the refreshments table, and Ciara told Joey that he looked friendly with Jade. With a grin, Joey nodded at Theo and Ciara's clasped hands and said they were too. Theo explained that they were going to decide after prom whether they should date.
The moment was interrupted when the DJ announced Claire's performance. Claire sang her original song while Henry recorded a video of her performance. As they enjoyed the show, all the couples around the room kissed. The room erupted in applause. Henry told Claire that he had posted her performance on YouTube, and she giggled with joy. Henry asked Claire to dance, and Theo and Ciara joined them on the dance floor. In the corner, Mark plotted his revenge.
While the DJ was distracted, Jade changed the label on a thumb drive so the DJ mistakenly put in the wrong music. As peppy modern rock started, the room erupted with cheers and whoops. Mark mad a phone call to someone and ordered them to wait for his signal. After the DJ sorted out the music, he announced that the prom king and queen were Theo and Ciara. Startled, Theo and Ciara stumbled up to the stage.
Mark talked on the phone to someone and confirmed that he had rigged the ballots. Mark gave the person the signal to go. On the monitor, a derogatory slide show about Theo and Ciara appeared. As the DJ dashed off to find the culprit and stop the show, the next slide was a photo of Ciara with Chase. The caption on the photo read, "Good friends! Let's get it on!" Horrified, Ciara cried out, "No." The next photo was a photo of Ciara drinking and a caption stating that she was a party girl. There were calls from Ciara's friends to turn off the show, but it continued. Mark smirked in the corner. Joey pointed at Mark, and Ciara yelled that she wanted to "teach this punk a lesson."
In the hospital, Summer stopped by to visit Maggie and found her working with a therapist. The therapist explained that she was rubbing Maggie's leg to stimulate blood flow. With a timid smile, Summer asked if the therapist could teach her how to do that to help Maggie. Maggie nodded yes to the therapist. After the tutorial, the therapist left, and Summer rubbed Maggie's legs for her. Summer joked that she might have found her calling.
Maggie said that if she had been older and had been able to use her legs, she would not have given Summer up for adoption. Summer cautioned Maggie not to get worked up. When Maggie said she wanted to make the pain up to Summer, Summer countered that she did not want pity. Maggie stressed that she had thought she was doing what was best for both of them, and she admitted that she had been wrong. When Maggie said she understood if Summer hated her, Summer argued that her feelings were complex, but she did not hate Maggie.
When Maggie noted that she had been able to enjoy a number of years with her legs, Summer said she was amazed at Maggie's positivity. Maggie asked for the red shoes from her charm bracelet. Summer gave the charm to Maggie. As Maggie stared at the charm, she told Summer the story of how her husband Mickey had given her a pair of red shoes, and they had danced together all night when she had regained the use of her legs. Maggie said she believed the charm was a sign that she would dance again. With a smile, Summer said she believed her purpose was to see Maggie dance again.
In Victor's room down the hallway, Nicole told Victor that she wanted to "take Deimos Kiriakis on a one-way trip to hell." Victor chuckled. Victor asked why, and Nicole said that when she had talked to Deimos, it had been clear that Deimos was proud of what he had done to Maggie. Nicole added that Helena was Deimos' Kryptonite. Victor smiled. Nicole asked to talk terms. After some negotiation, Nicole accepted thirty percent of Victor's net worth.
With a deal struck, Victor told Nicole everything he knew about Helena. Victor admitted that had been an ambitious jerk, and he had neglected Helena, leaving the door open for Deimos to sweep Helena off her feet. Victor then told Nicole about some of Helena's quirks. After learning some pointers, Nicole joked that she needed to buy supplies for her new assignment. Outside the room, Justin looked through the window, curious why Nicole and Victor were laughing together.
Justin barged in and demanded to know what Nicole and Victor were plotting. Nicole made some jokes, but Victor told Nicole that she did not need to lie because he was going to tell Justin everything. Justin handed Victor a photo album, and he asked if Victor was plotting against Deimos. Victor filled Justin in on the plan. Justin argued that Deimos would see through the ruse.
Nicole said Deimos had already sniffed out the plan, but she had played it cool to lure Deimos in. Justin asked Victor to let him win in court, but Victor said no. Victor said there was no proof of Deimos' crimes, and he asked that Justin and Brady stay out of it. Reluctantly, Justin agreed.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Kate signed the papers to sell Basic Black to Titan and to confirm her as co-CEO of Titan with Deimos. When Kate noted that she would not have the job if not for Deimos, he grabbed her and kissed her. After the two had sex upstairs, Kate told Deimos that power suited him. Deimos said he was exhilarated that he had everything he wanted. Kate and Deimos had a Champagne toast to their success. With a smile, Deimos said he looked forward to learning about business from Kate.
After falling asleep, Deimos awoke to the sound of Helena's voice. In the doorway, a glowing vision of Helena appeared in a wisp of smoke. Helena told Deimos that he had betrayed her with a whore. Shaking his head no, Deimos said that Kate was a wonderful woman but that he would never betray Helena. With tears in his eyes, Deimos told Helena that he loved her. As Helena backed away, Deimos woke up. The room was empty except for Deimos and a sleeping Kate. There was no Helena in the room. Rattled, Deimos grabbed the bottle of Champagne and headed downstairs.
As Deimos stared at himself in the mirror, Kate joined him. Kate asked Deimos if he regretted getting involved with her. Deimos said no. Kate told Deimos to show her how much he cared about her. Deimos kissed Kate, but when he opened his eyes, he saw Helena. As Deimos backed away, he awoke from his dream within a dream in his bedroom. Deimos sighed in frustration. A groggy Kate woke up and asked what was wrong. Deimos threw himself onto Kate and kissed her intensely.
In her hotel room, Nicole stared at a photo of Helena. In an attempt to replicate the look, Nicole changed into an outfit and jewelry reminiscent of Helena. When Nicole looked at herself in the mirror, she fell back onto the bed. Nicole stared at her engagement ring from Daniel and sighed.
On the couch at the Brady house, Rafe and Hope kissed passionately. Hope stood up, took Rafe by the hand, and led him upstairs to the bedroom. As Hope and Rafe kissed on the bed, Hope hesitated. Rafe asked Hope if she was okay. Hope said she could not sleep with him. As Hope started to apologize, Rafe told her not to. Hope said she wanted to have sex with Rafe, but she could not do it in that bedroom or that bed. Rafe kissed Hope tenderly on the forehead.
Rafe said he had loved their evening together but admitted that it was weird to be in the bedroom she had shared with Bo. Kissing Hope's hand, Rafe said he wanted to make love to her in their room and in their place. Hope agreed. The two walked over to the Brady Pub, and they searched online for a place to have a romantic weekend getaway. Hope's phone rang. Ciara called to tell Hope that she had been arrested.
At the police station, Officer Dylan informed Hope and Rafe that Ciara, Joey, Jade, Henry, and Claire had been arrested. Theo interrupted to say that he was there to make sure that his friends were treated fairly. An angry Judge McNair stomped into the precinct. Dylan informed Hope that Ciara and her friends had spray-painted the judge's car. Judge McNair explained that he had loaned his car to his son, Mark, for the prom. When Hope asked for details, Theo told Judge McNair and Hope that they should ask Mark why Ciara had spray-painted the car. Mark shifted nervously.
At the police station, Theo informed Abe that Mark had provoked Ciara and the other teens, leading them to retaliate with vandalism. Mark claimed that he had no idea what Theo was talking about. "[But] what else is new? Half the kids in school can't figure this weirdo out," Mark added.
Abe objected to the insult, refusing to let Mark talk about Theo that way. Judge McNair conceded that Abe was right to defend Theo. McNair added, however, that he had no reason to doubt his son's version of events, and he planned to press charges and make sure that everyone who had been involved in the act of vandalism was prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Ciara burst out of the conference room and insisted that her friends needed to be released because she had been solely responsible for what had happened. Hope started to advise Ciara to stop talking, but Claire interrupted, announcing that she was the guilty party. Joey claimed that Ciara and Claire were both lying to protect him, and Henry and Jade followed suit, each trying to take sole responsibility for the crime. Unamused, McNair stressed that all five teens had been caught in the act and would therefore be punished as a group.
Hope suggested that there might be another way to resolve the matter, and Kayla agreed, assuring McNair that she and Hope would be happy to cover the cost of the damage that had been done to his car. "This isn't about financial restitution; it's about criminal behavior. These young men and women are old enough to take responsibility for their own actions," McNair insisted. Ciara countered that Mark needed to likewise take responsibility for his actions, but he maintained his innocence, and McNair continued to side with him. McNair ordered Rafe to proceed with booking Ciara and her friends, who each voiced complaints while being led away.
McNair instructed Mark to wait for him in the car. After Mark left, Belle argued that he obviously bore some level of responsibility for what had happened. McNair disagreed, pointing out that there was no evidence to support Belle's belief. "[But] if it's brought to my attention that he was involved, he will be dealt with, as well," McNair assured Belle. McNair left after vowing that the court was going to give the vandals exactly what they needed: a good, old-fashioned dose of tough love.
Shawn pulled Belle into the conference room so they could talk privately. Meanwhile, Abe tried to get Theo to agree to go home and get some rest. Theo insisted that he wasn't going to leave without Ciara, even if that meant waiting around all night. Kayla wanted to know more about what had happened, so Theo explained that Mark had played a hurtful prank on Ciara as a way of getting back at her for rejecting him.
Abe was sorry to hear about Mark's cruelty but pointed out that it didn't excuse the vandalism. Theo conceded the point but insisted that it wasn't fair for his friends to be the only ones who paid the price for what had happened that night. Abe advised Theo to try to have faith that evidence against Mark would eventually surface. Abe added that he was proud of Theo for choosing not to participate in his friends' revenge scheme. "Don't be. The only reason I didn't go is because Ciara didn't tell me. If I'd have known, I would have been right by her side," Theo clarified before walking away.
Abe pulled Hope aside and hesitantly suggested that it would be best for Theo and Ciara to start seeing each other less often. Abe stressed that it was nothing personal; he was simply trying to prevent his son from getting hurt. Hope argued that keeping Theo from seeing Ciara would be a surefire way of hurting him. Hope added that Ciara was such a good friend to Theo that she had kept him out of the loop that night in order to protect him. Abe maintained that if he didn't set some firm ground rules right away, Theo would be standing at Ciara's side the next time she got into trouble. "I can see that. Ciara, too. Why can't you?" Abe wondered.
Kayla thought about calling Steve to let him know what was going on, but she decided that she wasn't ready to deal with having him involved yet. Kayla headed home after saying goodbye to Hope, who was struggling to focus on work. Rafe soon returned and assured Hope that the teens weren't thrilled about having to spend the night in jail but were otherwise okay. Hope acknowledged that she probably shouldn't be the least bit surprised that Ciara had chosen to seek revenge against someone in such a destructive way, given her own history. "I've gotta find a way to get through to my daughter...before things go from bad to worse," Hope fretted.
Meanwhile, in the conference room, Shawn wondered how Claire had gotten dragged into the vandalism mess. Belle wasn't sure that Claire had been dragged into it; in fact, she could actually see Claire being the mastermind of the whole thing. "[She] has a rebellious streak, in case you haven't noticed, and she's got quite a temper," Belle pointed out.
Shawn couldn't believe that Belle was actually trying to suggest that she knew their daughter better than he did, especially since she had spent a significant amount of time ignoring Claire. "Don't you dare make this about me. Not that I'm surprised -- that is your default M.O., after all," Belle spat. After arguing with Shawn for another minute or two, Belle stormed off, sarcastically explaining that she was going to do something wildly out of character: try to find a way to help Claire and the others get out of jail.
When Shawn emerged from the conference room, Lani invited him to go on a stakeout with her, assuming that he could use the distraction. Lani and Shawn checked into one of the rooms of a sleazy motel so they could do surveillance on a nearby building, but nothing interesting seemed to be happening there. Lani eventually got bored and started to kiss Shawn, but he pulled away, reminding her that they were on duty. Lani clarified that she had actually fabricated the stakeout as an excuse to be alone with Shawn for a while.
As Lani leaned in to kiss Shawn again, two gunshots rang out from an adjacent room. Shawn and Lani burst into the room and found an armed woman standing in the corner, staring at the bodies of a naked couple who were lying in bed together. "My husband. He was cheating on me. S.O.B. said he was bored -- wanted more excitement in bed, more danger -- so I gave him what he wanted," the woman explained through gritted teeth.
Later, after the crime scene had been secured and the woman had been taken to get a psych evaluation, Lani and Shawn returned to their room to pack their things. Lani noted that it was ironic that her fake stakeout had turned into a real murder investigation. "[Is it wrong] for me to kind of be turned on by all of this?" Lani asked. Taken aback, Shawn wondered how Lani could possibly find murder and mental illness sexy. Lani clarified that she meant that being alone with Shawn in a hotel room was a turn-on. Lani gave Shawn a kiss, but he soon pulled away and reminded her that they needed to head back to the police station.
While passing through the town square, Belle contacted Justin and left a voicemail message for him, explaining that she needed some legal advice. Belle then called Philip, who was at the hospital, watching a doctor and nurse tend to a hypoxic Victor. Philip had just received assurance that Victor was going to be okay, so he agreed to meet Belle at his hotel room.
Later, while they were lying in bed together, Belle told Philip about what had happened with Claire earlier that night. Philip assured Belle that, despite Shawn's claims to the contrary, she was a wonderful mother, and Claire was lucky to have her support. Philip advised Belle to give herself a break, guessing that it had to be tough to raise a teenager as a single parent. "Let's get married," Belle impulsively suggested.
At the police station, Claire, Ciara, and Jade were in a holding cell together, with Joey and Henry separated from them in an adjacent cell. Claire assured Ciara that everything was going to be okay, since they would be out on bail the following morning, and their parents would eventually forgive them for what they had done. Ciara wasn't happy that her friends were in jail because of her, but she admitted that their support meant a lot. Ciara guessed that Hope was going to ground her for life as punishment for the vandalism. Claire grumbled that her parents probably wouldn't bother to stop fighting long enough to punish her.
Joey and Jade held hands through the bars of their connected cells, gazing into each other's eyes. "Kind of sexy in a kinky sort of way, huh? Us being locked up together?" Jade mused. "I guess that's one way of looking at it," Joey agreed with a chuckle. Jade wished there weren't bars separating her from Joey, who said he felt the same way. Joey thanked Jade for backing up him and his friends earlier, observing that beneath her tough-girl exterior, she was really just a softy.
Later, Hope arrived to inform the teens that they would have to spend the night in jail because court had already been adjourned for the evening. Hope stressed that she was very upset about what had happened. Claire protested that Hope hadn't been there and didn't know about what Mark had done to Ciara. Hope clarified that she did know. Hope added that, while Mark's prank had been cruel and heartless, it had been wrong of the teens to retaliate in such a destructive way. "Revenge may feel satisfying in the moment, but you always end up paying a very high price," Hope advised.
After Hope left, Claire sang her prom song while the other teens tried to get some sleep -- a process that proved particularly difficult for Joey and Jade, who couldn't stop thinking about their first time together. Jade eventually gave up on trying to get some sleep and instead started asking about Ciara's plans for the future. Ciara said she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. "And [that's] scaring the hell out of me," Ciara admitted.
Rafe walked Hope home, and after he left, she received a phone call from someone. "I'm very disappointed in you," a distorted voice said when Hope answered the call. Hope impatiently insisted that she was done playing the anonymous caller's games. "This is no game. Someone needs to stop Deimos Kiriakis before he takes another life!" the distorted voice replied.
At the hospital, Victor received a visit from Deimos, who warned that he had no intention of fearing or trusting any woman, including Nicole. Victor wasn't surprised to hear Deimos dismiss Nicole as someone who was no match for him, since he had always been arrogant. Victor guessed, however, that Deimos had another reason for visiting him. "I [wanted] to tell you I forgive you," Deimos explained.
Victor insisted that he didn't need or want Deimos' forgiveness. "You may not have killed Helena, but you're sure as hell responsible for her death. That's why you keep coming back to me. [Somewhere in] that black abyss where your soul should be, you understand that if it weren't for you, Helena would have never been on that cliff, and she would have never fallen. You shouldn't be here, granting forgiveness; you should be begging for it. And even when I see you in hell, I won't grant it," Victor added.
"Why don't you go there right now, you son of a bitch? You can wait for me, and then we'll see!" Deimos spat, ripping out Victor's oxygen tube and pressing a hand over Victor's nose and mouth.
At the hospital, Deimos changed his mind about smothering Victor. Deimos suggested, however, that it would be a good idea for Victor -- who would be utterly irrelevant, impotent, and pathetic for the rest of his life, thanks to Deimos -- to just roll over and die. "Never," Victor vowed.
After Deimos left, Victor summoned Justin and Brady to his room and told them that he had just received a visit from Deimos. Brady promised to get security guards posted outside Victor and Maggie's respective rooms so Deimos would never be able to visit either of them again. "I don't want him just kept out; I want him destroyed," Victor stressed.
Brady made it clear that he wasn't thrilled with Victor's plan to use Nicole to accomplish that goal, and Justin agreed, adding that he had a better plan in mind. After Justin shared his idea, Victor pointed out that it sounded dangerous and could cost Justin his job. "Only if we get caught," Justin countered. Brady wanted to let Nicole know about the change of plans, but Victor insisted on keeping her out of the loop, reasoning that she would be a good distraction for Deimos. "And who knows -- I mean, she's good at getting her way with men, [so] she might just succeed," Victor added.
Dario ran into Nicole at the Brady Pub and wondered if she had decided to run the con that she had previously mentioned to him. Nicole confirmed that she had but added that she was starting to have second thoughts because the mark was already suspicious. Dario was confident that Nicole could still make the con work. "And on the bright side, it's no fun if it's not a challenge," Dario reasoned.
Dario gave Nicole some advice and pointed out that he could be even more helpful if she shared the details of the con with him. Nicole reluctantly complied. Dario offered to insert himself into the con and take advantage of the fact that Deimos didn't know about his friendship with Nicole. Dario claimed that he was willing to help simply because he enjoyed Nicole's company as well as the rush of conning people, but when Nicole expressed skepticism, he admitted that he was also hoping she would give him ten percent of what she stood to gain in her deal with Victor.
Nicole refused to agree to anything more than a flat payment -- a quarter of a million dollars -- and Dario eventually accepted that offer. After shaking hands with Nicole to seal the deal, Dario gave her a piece of advice he hadn't been willing to share for free: never fall for the mark. Nicole insisted that wouldn't be a problem because Deimos was creepy -- and was sleeping with Kate, of all people -- but Dario warned that it wasn't uncommon for a con artist to fall for their mark, vaguely implying that he might have even stumbled into that trap himself on at least one occasion. Nicole maintained that she would always hate Deimos for what he had done to Maggie.
Belle got upset when Philip reluctantly turned down her marriage proposal, guessing that she wouldn't have suggested eloping to Las Vegas if she hadn't fought with Shawn earlier that night. Belle insisted that the fight had made her realize that she had wasted many years of her life on Shawn -- years that could have been spent with Philip instead. Philip didn't doubt that Belle believed what she was saying, but he knew her well enough to suspect that, deep down, she really just wanted to marry him so she wouldn't have to keep thinking about how much she missed Shawn.
Belle assured Philip that he was wrong, stressing that she was thrilled to finally be free of Shawn for good. "You keep telling yourself that. We've been through this before," Philip pointed out. Belle argued that she and Philip weren't college kids anymore. "We know who we are; we know what we want. And I want you. I love you," Belle added. Philip skeptically mused that Belle had never even bothered to say those words to him before.
Taken aback, Belle complained that Philip was pulling away because he had only wanted her when he had been under the impression that he would never truly be able to have her, prompting him to wonder if she was just looking for a fight. "I have told you that I wanted you, Belle. I have been a hundred percent clear. But I don't think you know what you really want. Actually, you do -- you're just not ready to accept it," Philip concluded.
"You think I want Shawn?" Belle asked incredulously. Philip confirmed that the story always ended the same way -- with Belle choosing Shawn instead of him -- and he had no desire to relive it yet again. "I love you. I want you to be happy. I think Shawn's the guy that makes you happy," Philip added.
Belle protested that Shawn was the guy who made her miserable, but Philip wasn't convinced. Philip urged Belle to try harder to fix her relationship with Shawn, reasoning that she owed it to herself to get back the family and the life that she deeply missed. "You're wrong. You're completely wrong," Belle maintained before storming out of Philip's hotel room.
The following morning, at the police station, Claire lashed out at Shawn and Belle for failing to visit her in jail the previous night, pointing out that Hope and Kayla had each taken the time to visit their respective kids. Meanwhile, Kayla admitted to Joey that she hadn't told Steve about his arrest. "Because telling him would require talking to him, and God forbid you have to do that," Joey guessed.
Kayla clarified that she hadn't wanted Steve to slap Joey on the back and congratulate him for being a chip off the old block. "Now the two of you have matching police records. It's lovely," Kayla dryly added. Kayla was ready to take Joey home, but he didn't want to leave the police station without Jade, who was still stuck in jail because she hadn't called her parents to ask them to bail her out, believing that they would refuse to do so.
Joey asked Kayla to post Jade's bail, arguing that Kayla was always going on and on about the importance of helping people in need. Kayla pointed out that she wasn't responsible for Jade, but Joey insisted that Jade's parents didn't care about her at all. Kayla skeptically wondered if Joey had even met Jade's parents. Joey admitted that he hadn't but didn't think that was the least bit relevant to the matter at hand.
"This is ridiculous," Kayla muttered before turning to a nearby police officer and asking for Jade's parents' contact information. Joey protested that the police officer couldn't supply Kayla with that information without Jade's permission, but Kayla countered that she could just ask her brother, Commissioner Brady, for the information if the police officer wasn't willing to cooperate. The police officer sided with Kayla and scribbled Jade's parents' home phone number on a piece of paper for her.
Theo talked briefly with Ciara, but Abe soon interrupted and asked for a moment alone with his son. After Hope and Ciara left, Abe stressed that he wanted Theo to stay away from Ciara in the future because she was acting out in unhealthy ways and could end up dragging Theo down with her eventually. Theo refused to treat Ciara like there was something wrong with her, adding that she needed him -- and he needed her, too. Abe maintained that Theo and Ciara could both benefit from some time apart from each other. "Dad, you're wrong! You're so wrong! I'm gonna be with Ciara, and you can't stop me!" Theo insisted before storming off.
When Hope and Ciara returned home, Ciara tried to avoid talking about what had happened, but Hope insisted that they couldn't just forget about it. Ciara revealed what Mark had done and admitted that it had felt like being raped all over again. Ciara vowed that she wasn't going to play the victim ever again, even if that meant breaking the law sometimes.
Hope stressed that Ciara couldn't let people like Mark provoke her into doing things that could end up ruining her life. Hope added that Ciara's self-destructive behavior was hurting not only Ciara but also her friends. Hope urged Ciara to talk to Marlena, who could help her deal with what had happened. "I don't want to deal with it, Mom! Don't you get it? I'm never gonna get over it, and you're just making it worse!" Ciara snapped before storming out of the house, ignoring Hope's attempts to stop her.
Ciara met with Theo in the town square and told him that she had just gotten into a fight with Hope. Theo revealed that Ciara wasn't the only one who had just fought with a parental unit. Theo was stunned when Ciara suggested that it might be best for him to take Abe's advice and stay away from her. "My mom said that I'm hurting all the people around me, and she's right," Ciara conceded. Theo tried to protest, but Ciara insisted that he was a great guy who deserved someone better than her. Ciara rushed off before Theo could say anything else.
Ciara went to the DiMera mansion and asked Chad if she could work for him full-time, explaining that she was planning to quit school and could use the extra money to pay for an apartment. Chad admitted that he would love the extra help with Thomas, but he refused to play a part in Ciara's plan to quit school.
Ciara insisted that she was going to follow through with her plan, with or without Chad's help. Ciara warned that if Chad refused to help her, she would just have to quit babysitting Thomas and find a new job. Ciara started to leave, but Chad stopped her and offered to give her a raise so she could save up for an apartment -- but only if she agreed to finish her senior year of high school.
At the Brady Pub, Shawn and Belle tried to talk to Claire about her arrest, but she turned the conversation into another argument then rushed off after learning that her prom song had gone viral, ignoring her parents' attempts to stop her. Sighing, Shawn complained that Claire couldn't be allowed to continue playing him and Belle against each other. Belle agreed, and she and Shawn made a pact to prove to Claire that they were a team.
Shawn admitted that he was actually kind of proud of what Claire had done the previous night, although he would never let her know that. Shawn recalled how Belle had always been there for Chloe in high school, just as Claire had been there for Ciara the previous night. Shawn told Belle that he was glad that Claire took after her. Belle returned the compliment but jokingly stressed that she hoped Claire wouldn't drive a motorcycle through a church window to stop a wedding anytime soon.
As Shawn and Belle laughed about the memory, Philip approached the Brady Pub, spotted them through the window, and walked away. Belle managed to spot Philip but chose to stay focused on Shawn instead.
Joey sneaked out of the hospital while Kayla was talking to Fynn, who offered to take her to dinner later. Kayla stammered that she wasn't ready to go on a date with anyone yet, but Fynn clarified that he wasn't suggesting a real date; he simply wanted to have dinner with a friend because he was getting sick of eating alone every night. Kayla breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the invitation.
Joey met with Jade in the town square and told her he was sorry that Kayla had contacted her parents. Jade tearfully revealed that her parents were upset about having to pay Kayla back for bailing her out of jail, and they had decided to ship her off to Florida so she could work off the debt at her uncle's farm. "Hey, that's not gonna happen, okay? Let's go to L.A. Let's do it today," Joey suggested.
