EPISODE 137

Written by A. Washington-Beeby
Story Consultants: C. Nathaniel Richardson & Nick Monarco

 

Gabi paces in her apartment, holding the modelling contract in her hand, as she debates whether or not to sign. She turns to Arianna, who sits in her crib, playing, and rests on the ledge of it. She talks to her.

 

GABI: Should I even do this?  Sami and Kate say that playing along is the best way to keep Nick in line. But I don't want you to get hurt. And I don't know if playing along with Nick any more than I have is even safe.

 

Gabi sighs as her phone's text tone goes off. Looking over at the desk where the phone sits, Gabi gets up from the side of the crib and walks over, looking at the phone.

 

The text is from Nick:

 

hey. U avail 2nite? meet me @ TBD 4 dinner. 8pm xx

 

Gabi sighs, putting down the phone, as she debates how to reply.

 

---

 

Eric holds the documents proving Kristen used Dr. Chyka's formula to drug him in his hands, as he stands by the door of his hotel room.

 

Nicole looks at him, a deep fear in her eyes as Eric looks up at her, stunned. Slowly, Eric begins to smile widely.

 

ERIC: Oh my God.

 

Nicole responds timidly, almost stuttering her meek reply.

 

NICOLE: Wh...wh..w...what is it?

ERIC: It's a miracle. Nicole, It's...amazing. I finally have the proof.

 

Nicole looks at an excited Eric, still unsure of whether to be excited or scared.

 

---

 

Nick steps to the head of the conference table at the front of the Titan board room. He looks around as he finishes his toxic presentation making his case for why he should be named CEO of Titan.

 

NICK: ...In fact, my messenger should be presenting Ms. Walker with the evidence I have against her right now. It's enough to destroy her brand new marriage to Eric Brady.

 

Lucas, Billie, Kate, Justin, and particularly John, all look on in surprise at the news. Nick pretends to have accidentally spilled the beans, holding his hand coyly over his mouth.

 

NICK: Oops! I wasn't supposed to say anything about that either. (laughs) My bad.

 

Nick leans against the edge of the conference table, as he looks around the room with an over-confident demeanour. The others look on, with Kate, in particular, scowling his way.

 

NICK: So...I guess that tells you everything you need to know to make your decision, folks. What say you?

 

---

 

 

---

 

Eric looks up at Nicole, thrilled by the news he's just received by the courier. Nicole looks on, still nervous, as she steps forward to look at the papers.

 

NICOLE: Can I...Can I see that for a moment?
ERIC: Yeah! Sure!

 

Nicole takes the documents and looks them over, knowing exactly who sent them to Eric. She flips through them to check the contents of every page, almost frantically. Eric senses Nicole's tension and puts a hand on her shoulder.

 

ERIC: You alright? You don't seem...thrilled by this.
NICOLE: I'm just...I feel like there's some kind of catch. Like...who had these all this time?

 

Eric turns Nicole around and kisses her quickly on the lips, leaving Nicole speechless.

 

ERIC: Nicole. I know why you're worried.
NICOLE: You do?
ERIC: Yeah. You're worried that now that I have the evidence that Dr. Chyka drugged me, that I'm going to abandon you for the priesthood.

 

Nicole looks away, giving a shrug and a cockeyed smile.

 

NICOLE: Well, I...I can't say I'd be surprised if you did. 

 

Eric begins to laugh as Nicole reaches out to put her hands on Eric's shoulders, she responds emphatically.

 

NICOLE: Eric, the priesthood meant SO MUCH to you. Never in a million years would I think I could compete with that...dedication you had to your faith, your vocation--

 

Eric puts his finger up to Nicole's lips, and Nicole stops herself midsentence.

 

He sighs, as he looks down momentarily, thinking for a second about what to say to Nicole.

 

ERIC: Nicole...my dedication and my faith are in you now. I can see that...this was planned all along. I love you, and no matter what happens now that we have this evidence...I made a promise to you today. And I intend to keep it. We are gonna take every step of this journey together. Okay?

 

Nicole begins to cry, hearing Eric's reassuring words. She throws her arms around Eric and kisses him deeply to show her gratitude to him.

However, under the chest of drawers by the door of the hotel room, one of the pages Eric received in the package lies, unchecked, hidden just out of both Eric and Nicole's view.

 

---

 

Gabi looks down at her phone, looking at the text message Nick sent her. She sighs before replying to him.

 

sure, see u then xx

 

Hitting 'send', Gabi puts her phone down on the table, sighing heavily. 

 

GABI: Not exactly how I wanted to spend the evening. But...gotta stick to plan.

 

Looking at the contracts on the desk, Gabi tenses for a moment, knowing she will have to make the decision of whether or not to sign the contract, as she, Sami, and Kate had discussed.

 

GABI: Speaking of 'plans'. 

 

Gabi throws her hands up and steps back over to the table, making a call to Sami.

 

GABI: (into phone) Hey, Sami. I'm ready to sign....yeah, let's get this over with.

 

---

 

Justin, John, and Tyler all step onto the elevator at Titan, heading down to the lobby to leave after the board meeting. All three men have sombre expressions on their faces, and remain quiet as the doors shut.

 

After a moment of awkward silence, Justin finally breaks it.

 

JUSTIN: I trust we have a plan to deal with this.

 

Tyler turns to Justin, an unwavering resolve clear in his reply.

 

TYLER: You just leave this to me. If this press conference goes how I hope...he'll be toast by sunset.

 

John immediately cuts in, looking stoically in Tyler's direction, causing both Tyler and Justin to turn suddenly in John's direction.

 

JOHN: Don't be so sure about that. If I'm right about him, Nick Fallon could be very dangerous to all of us.

 

Tyler and Justin stay focused on John, a grave concern on both their faces.

 

---

 

Billie, Kate, and Lucas stay behind in the board room at Titan, Billie and Lucas looking dejected, while Kate packs up her things, looking unworried. Billie seems on edge, almost slamming her files and papers into her bag, which doesn't go unnotcied by Kate.

 

KATE: You know, if you slam those into that bag any harder, you'll tear a hole in the bottom.
BILLIE: Well, I'm due to get a new one anyway. You know, I can't believe this, Mom. This is a complete disaster.

 

Kate rolls her eyes, as she continues to get her things organized in a blasé manner.

 

KATE: You are being so melodramatic right now. 
BILLIE: I think I have a right to be. You just exposed all of us to a serial blackmailer, and you let him win.
LUCAS: Billie's right, Mom. He knows we we were onto him, and he knows all about our plans, which, while Sheryl and Jordan are still out there, means we're all in danger.

 

Kate, finally exasperated with her children's worries, stops putting her things away and turns toward Billie and Lucas, looking at them sternly as she puts a hand on her hip.

 

KATE: Okay. Enough. You are both acting like scared children right now, and it's for nothing.

 

Lucas laughs sarcastically, irritated by Kate's dismissive attitude.

 

LUCAS: I wouldn't call this nothing, Mom. Nick's got enough on everyone to turn all their votes in his favour when he has ZERO experience running so much as a popsicle stand. That means he's got enough to sink ALL of us, and YOU know it.
KATE: Maybe he does. Hell, Nick could have enough information to put the Pentagon to shame. But that doesn't mean he's going to get away with it.
BILLIE: And how do you know that?

 

Kate turns her head to look straight at Billie. She looks at her daughter with a cocky smile.

 

KATE: Because nobody pisses off that many Kiriakises that quickly without retalliation. He may think that with Brady dead and Victor in a coma that the family's been defanged, but I have consorted with these people longer than that child has been alive, and I can tell you now...he's overdue to be knocked down a peg or two.

 

Lucas and Billie look at each other, unsure whether to believe Kate or not. Lucas folds his arms and looks Kate's way skeptically.

 

---

 

Anjelica stands in the DiMera living room, organizing files on her tablet, as the door opens. She looks over to see Nick walking in. She spots a confident expression in his eyes and sets her tablet down on the desk.

 

ANJELICA: Well, you certainly have a spring in your step.

NICK: You could say that.
ANJELICA: I suppose this means it's good news.
NICK: You could say that as well. Because as of about twenty minutes ago, you are looking at the new CEO of Titan Industries.

 

Anjelica's face lights up at the news, and she begins to chuckle to herself gleefully.

 

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