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EPISODE 61 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson Sonny gets up from the sofa in his apartment, a bit angry as Will holds onto the contract from EnerNext, which he had attempted to present to Sonny. WILL: What do you mean, I can't take this job? SONNY: You can't, Will! This job...it's a mistake. Will gets up from the sofa, and walks over to the desk, placing the contract on it, deliberately where Sonny can see. WILL: Why? Because you don't like it? I thought you just said you believed in my work. SONNY: I've told you why, Will. It's not about your talent or your work, it's that you're working for a corrupt organization-- WILL: That your Great Uncle owns. That your father works for as legal counsel. If they're so damned evil, why is it that every penny of your family's money stem from that corporation. Sonny walks off toward the bedroom, shaking his head as Will follows him. WILL: Don't walk away from me! You know I'm right. Sonny stops and turns around, pointing angrily at Will. SONNY: No. No, I don't know you're right, Will. In fact, I can give you a hundred reasons why this is the worst decision you could possibly make. --- EJ stands in the DiMera living room, looking over some paperwork quickly, when he hears a commotion from the foyer. After a moment of listening, he heads for the doorway and not long after, the doors to the living room swing open, with Harold trying in vain to keep an enraged Jennifer Horton from walking into the room. JENNIFER: You! EJ: Good Lord, Jennifer! I would've figured a family of middle class doctors would have raised their children to have better manners than that. JENNIFER: Don't even START with me, EJ! I want answers. EJ: About what? JENNIFER: About where my daughter is, and why did you send her halfway across the world, and don't even think for a second it wasn't your idea, I saw you yesterday at the hospital, so give up the game! EJ looks frustrated, and looks away for a moment to try to answer respectfully. --- John steps into the Titan board room, striding in with casual confidence, much to Victor's chagrin. VICTOR: John! What a surprise. I expect you've come for the meeting. JOHN: Well, I wasn't planning on it, mostly because no one told me until just very recently. John stops behind Kate's seat and casually puts a hand on Kate's shoulder. Kate tenses, a bit surprised by John's touch, but looks back to Victor, who notices the small but pointed gesture. VICTOR: Fascinating. JOHN: I thought so. Now, I've got a question for you, Vic. VICTOR: Now isn't a great time, we're in the middle of a vote. John puts both hands on his hips. A smile grows on John's face as he walks towards Victor. JOHN: A vote, hm? See. Now, that actually, was exactly what my question was about. VICTOR: Really. JOHN: You know it! Here's what I wanna know, Vic. Have you retained Brady's place on the board, or have you had him declared dead? --- --- Will folds his arms, looking unimpressed at Sonny as Sonny lays into him for considering the EnerNext job. WILL: Alright. Go ahead, Sonny. Tell me why I shouldn't take the best damned job that's ever been offered to me. SONNY: Will, there will be other jobs that are just as good as this one. WILL: Oh, so I should follow my dreams, but only when they line up with your world view. SONNY: Will, that's not what I'm saying. WILL: Yes, it's exactly what you're saying! What makes you the authority on what's right and what's wrong? SONNY: I'm saying that I know what it's like to have someone flash a lot of money in front of your face. It can change you really quickly. Sonny walks in closer to Will and puts his hands on Will's shoulders. He looks intently into his eyes. SONNY: I want you to be careful, Will. WILL: I'm not exactly from a poor home, you know. I can take care of myself. Sonny looks down, dropping his hands to his sides as he thinks his answer through. SONNY: Okay. I don't think you should take this job, but if it's something you really want, and I mean truly, truly, want....then I will support that. Will leans over and kisses Sonny on the lips. They both smile as they look warmly at each other. WILL: Thank you. SONNY: Just remember, Uncle Vic can suck in even the best, most generous people in the world, and turn them into cynical, bitter, entitled bastards. Watch yourself. Will nods in understanding. WILL: Got it. Will and Sonny come together for a warm embrace, before slowly leaning in to kiss each other gently on the lips. They look at each other, standing forehead-to-forehead and giggle before kissing again. Flopping down on the couch, they kiss a bit more intensely, before Will pushes Sonny back gently and climbs on top of him. Gabi walks in just at that same moment and jumps back, but smiles as she sees her roommates together. GABI: Well what did I just walk in on. Sonny and Will laugh as they separate. Will jumps off the couch and heads towards Gabi, greeting her with a quick hug. WILL: Ohhh nothing, just some fiancee/fiancee bonding time. Oh I have some news. GABI: Oh yeah? Will walks over to the desk again and pulls the contract from the manila envelope it had been in. He shows it to Gabi. WILL: I have been offered a job. A very...very...good...job. Gabi's eyes widen as she quickly looks at it. GABI: Wow! PR for Titan. That's HUGE, Will. Congrats! Gabi and Will lean in to hug each other. Gabi's smiling widely as she embraces him. Will pulls back after their hug and looks at Gabi a little oddly. WILL: You seem so...relaxed. Gabi's taken aback slightly by Will's statement. She walks past him, heading for the couch, where she quickly flops down. GABI: Really? Why, was I super-tense before? SONNY: Well...not to put too fine a point on it, but....yeah. Gabi looks at Sonny, who's sitting next to her on the sofa, and laughs a bit. GABI: Well...if I am, it's because all of our troubles are soon gonna completely disappear. --- EJ sighs as he walks over to the minibar and grabs a glass, holding it up as he speaks to an unimpressed Jenn. EJ: You look like you could use a drink. EJ turns around as Jenn smacks the glass from his hand, smashing it against the wall. EJ stands still, stunned by her rage. EJ: Or several. JENNIFER: This is not a game, EJ. I want to know where my daughter is. EJ: Jennifer, your daughter took a job in Italy for a few weeks. It is not a big deal. It's a very short assignment that came up last minute. I apologize if she didn't talk to you about it, but I have a feeling, considering your rather hysterical reaction just now that I know why she didn't. Jennifer, undaunted, steps in close to EJ, an intensity in her eyes that says she means business. JENNIFER: My daughter would not have done anything like this if it weren't for you. She has been acting like a complete basket case for months ever since she quit the hospital. EJ: And you blame me for that. JENNIFER: Yes, I blame you! You are the only thing that connects all of this. Ever since you two have been talking about Jack's book, ever since she's been looking after Johnny and Sydney and Allie, then quitting her job out of nowhere to work for you and Sami. EJ stops Jennifer, holding up one finger to make a quick interjection. He speaks almost too calmly back to an enraged Jennifer. EJ: That was all Samantha's idea. She saw your daughter was in need and did what any good friend and shrewd businesswoman would do. JENNIFER: Because of you. It's all because of you. It's so obvious to me now. You did something or said something to her that upset her so much that she was forced out of the hospital. Didn't you? EJ rolls his eyes, worried that Jenn is onto him, he looks back at Jenn with a frustrated look. --- Victor stands at the head of the board room table, looking on angrily at John. VICTOR: How dare you? Of course I'm retaining Brady's seat on the board. No one's declared him dead yet, have you? JOHN: Nope, I had no intention of it. I know strange things can happen in this town, and I won't believe he's gone until I see a body. VICTOR: Then what the hell are you asking for? John steps forward towards Victor and puts his briefcase down on the table. He speaks very casually, which is offputting to Victor. JOHN: Well, Brady made me proxy in the event of his absence from all vital Titan board meetings, and I know that in the event of my absence, that you, Victor, would gain his proxy vote. Victor sighs, knowing John is right, and with a glint of worry in Victor's eye. VICTOR: That is the truth. TYLER: We were just coming up on Brady's vote, in fact. JOHN: Perfect. I'd be happy to help. Victor looks sharply at Tyler, muttering to him in hopes John doesn't hear. VICTOR: Be careful, Houston. We may be in big trouble now. TYLER: (quietly) Well, you thought Kate and company were on your side as well, so John may surprise you yet. VICTOR: Fair enough. Kate looks at the goings on at the head of the table and pulls both Billie and Lucas in close. KATE: (whispering) I think I see sweat forming on Victor's brow already. LUCAS: (whispering) Let's just hope for everyone's sake that John doesn't vote against us. Billie shushes both her mom and brother, pointing to the front of the board room. Victor looks back John's way, as Tyler clears his throat, looking back toward John. TYLER: So! Yes. Back to the vote. John Black, as proxy voter for Brady Black, a vote of 'yay' would mean you are in favour of retaining the Titan TV division, a vote of 'nay' would mean you are in favour of Titan divesting of all Titan TV properties. What say you? John looks calmly around the room, smiling as the rest of the room impatiently waits for his answer. ---

EPISODE 82 Written by A. Washington-BeebyStory Consultants: ML Cooks, Nick Monarco & C. Nathaniel Richardson Will walks down the hallway on the EnerNext floor of Titan towards his office. As he walks, he passes Alex, who’s heading into his own office across the hall from Will. Will looks up, suddenly nervous as Alex locks eyes with Will and smiles. Will holds back a giggle and smiles back awkwardly. ALEX: Hey Will! How’s the first day going? Will nearly chokes on his words as he responds, voice cracking. WILL: Gre…(clears throat) great! Heh. Will immediately bugs his eyes out as he turns away, opening his office door and quickly scurrying away in embarrassment. Closing the door behind him, he leans up against the other side of the door, exhaling audibly in relief to be out of that situation. A moment later, Will’s cell phone rings. Frantically trying to remember where he’d put his phone, he jumps over to his desk to grab his phone. Seeing Sonny’s name on the screen, his face drops. Looking unimpressed, Will holds his finger over the ‘hang up’ button, but thinks better of it and, after a moment, answers. WILL: Hey. … Sonny is sitting standing by the bar at Club TBD, nervously tapping his fingers against the bar as he begins to speak to Will. SONNY: Will! Hey…I…uh…I’m glad you answered. … WILL: Sonny, I don’t really have much time, I got a lot of work to do. … SONNY: Don’t worry, this…this won’t take long. I uh…I just got off the phone with Maggie, she and Victor invited us to dinner at the mansion tonight. … Will rolls his eyes and tries to cut Sonny off. WILL: Sonny, I don’t really have time— … SONNY: Will, it’s…a big deal. Apparently Victor has a surprise for us or something. It’s a big family dinner. … WILL: This wouldn’t happen to be some ploy to get me to forgive you, would it? Because, seriously, Sonny, I’m really not in the mood for any more games right now, I’m serious— … SONNY: Will, I’m serious. This is no game. Now, please, can we just…put our problems aside, just for tonight and just…pretend everything’s okay? … Will bites his lip, looking to the sky as he mulls over Sonny’s plea. Reluctantly, he answers. WILL: Fine. But this does not mean everything’s good between us. Don’t even try to use this as an opportunity to try to squirm your way back into bed tonight. You understand. … Sonny closes his eyes in frustration, sighing audibly. SONNY: Fine. Meet me at TBD for 6 and we’ll head over together? … WILL: Meet me at Victor’s for 6:30 and we’ll walk in together. … Sonny snaps, finally losing his cool at Will. SONNY: Will, come on! … Will smiles evilly, knowing his got Sonny’s goat. WILL: Final offer! … SONNY: (sigh) FINE. See you at Vic’s. Sonny hangs up angrily. … Will hangs up, a deliciously evil smile on his face as he chuckles to himself. WILL: Sonny, you are not gonna get away with lying to me that easily. Will sits down in his office chair, smirking as he leans back confidently. WILL: You did the crime, now you’re gonna do the time. --- At the hospital, Billie steps into Laura’s office, having interrupted Daniel’s talk with Laura about Liam. Both Laura and Daniel are taken aback by Billie’s arrival, and both struggle to speak. DANIEL: Uh…Billie! Hey…uh…mm, Laura and I were going over some… BILLIE: …Something I’m not supposed to know about? Sorry to drop in like this, Laura. I couldn’t find Daniel in his office and I heard his voice from the hall. Laura, sensing tension in the air, looks back and forth between the two of them and starts to back away. LAURA: I think…I’ll leave you two for the moment. Daniel, we can finish this later. DANIEL: Sure, Laura. Laura walks towards the door, but, before walking out, stops and turns back toward Daniel. LAURA: Oh! And, by the way, Daniel! Thank you so much for everything. You’ll lock up behind me? Laura smiles, and heads out the door, as Daniel holds up his hand in a half-hearted wave back at Laura. DANIEL: Sure. Don’t mention it. Once Laura leaves, Billie crosses her arms, impatiently waiting for an answer from Daniel. BILLIE: Far be it from me to be sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong, but what exactly was that? Daniel looks off to the side in frustration, knowing Billie won’t stop until she has an answer. DANIEL: (sigh) I can’t go into this with you, Billie. BILLIE: Oh come on, Daniel. I mean, I…Jenn’s a good friend of mine. If something’s wrong with her and Abigail, I want to know about it. DANIEL: Billie, there’s nothing wrong. I…Jenn’s worried about Abigail being in Italy working for the DiMeras, and Laura just wanted me to check in on her. Billie’s eyes peer down at Daniel, who’s sitting in front of Laura’s desk. Billie leans over and perches on top of Laura’s desk. She looks at him intensely as she responds softly and slowly to him. BILLIE: I don’t believe a word you’re saying. And I’m going to find out exactly what’s really going on. Daniel sighs in frustration at Billie’s resolve. --- In Jennifer’s office, Jenn sits behind her desk, working away on her computer, when she hears a knock at the door. JENNIFER: Come in. The door opens and Liam’s smiling face appears. Jenn smiles in return, pleased to see him. JENNIFER: HEY! I wasn’t expecting you! Liam comes in and walks immediately over to Jenn’s desk. The two kiss quickly on the lips. LIAM: I figured you could use a break from the nonstop…press releasing. Jenn laughs and smiles warmly as Liam sits down across from her at the other side of her desk. JENNIFER: Well, it’s definitely welcomed. I gotta get this all done by the end of the week. We have to announce the new head of HR that’s replacing Anne and then…ugh, I’m boring you, aren’t I? LIAM: Never. JENNIFER: Well, good, cos I’m boring myself. (laughs) So what brought you here, I thought you had to go consult at a hospital in Chicago. Liam shuffles in his seat a bit before leaning in close to Jenn, a sensuous look in his eye as he gives Jenn his news. LIAM: I…yeah, but I finished early, so, I thought you and I could leave work a little early today for a little…quiet dinner at Chez Rouge? Jenn leans in, smiling wider than ever, she nuzzles in close to Liam as she answers. JENNIFER: I think that is something that can be arranged, Mr. Frasier. Jenn leans in and touches Liam’s nose with hers. They look intensely in each other’s eyes before leaning in ever-so-slowly for a soft kiss. --- Gabi looks up from reading Nick’s tablet, as she sits across from him at a booth at the Brady Pub. She looks stunned by what she sees: An old modelling picture of her in an apparently new ad for MadWorld Cosmetics. GABI: Wh…what? You want me to be new face of MadWorld? Nick smiles broadly, anticipating a favourable reaction from Gabi to his gift. NICK: Absolutely. I mean, Gabi, you’re gorgeous, and you’re already established with MadWorld…there’s nothing stopping you. GABI: I…Nick, I mean, this isn’t the first time you’ve set up modelling jobs for me and it was a disaster— Nick holds up his hands to stop Gabi midsentence. He interrupts her. NICK: I know! I know, it’s…I didn’t go about it the right way last time. This way, you can stay here in Salem, you can co-parent with Will and Sonny, there’s no great upheaval. We can take it slow. GABI: Nick, you’re…you’re talking like… Gabi stops herself mid-sentence, stopping herself from letting Nick know her true (lack of) feelings for him, but Nick’s suspicious, and it shows in his eyes. NICK: Like what? Gabi tenses up almost immediately, trying to backtrack to allay Nick’s suspicions. GABI: You’re talking like…like I can just stay in Salem and model, I mean…that isn’t exactly how it works. Nick nods in understanding, but pinches the bridge of his nose, as though feeling a sudden pain. Gabi looks on, trying to sort out what’s happening. NICK: No, you’re…you’re right. GABI: Nick, you okay? A voice is heard approaching Gabi and Nick from behind, while the sound of approaching heels clicks closer slowly. KATE: Is he ever? Gabi and Nick look up in surprise to see Kate looking down with her usual sour expression. She catches a glimpse of the MadWorld ad and looks over at Nick, unimpressed. KATE: What are you up to now, Nick? --- --- Kate leans against the edge of the booth casually, waiting for an answer from an obviously pained Nick. NICK: Nothing, Kate. Just…ugh, taking care of business with Gabi. Kate, unmoved by Nick’s pain, grabs his tablet and looks at it momentarily before holding it up to show Nick the picture of Gabi. KATE: I see, and this wouldn’t have anything to do with your little…amateur adventures at Photoshop, would it? Because I never authorized you to set up any ad campaigns, Nick. You work in the lab, remember? You make the formulas, I sell them. Nick groans as he tries to keep up with Kate, trying to grab his laptop bag to grab his “ibuprofen” tablets. He replies as he searches. NICK: God, Kate. You never let up, do you? KATE: In business, if you let up, you get screwed. You should know that better than anyone. Kate looks over, watching Nick struggle to find anything in his bag. KATE: Having trouble, Nick? NICK: Yeah, can’t find my aspirin, you have any, Gabi? I’d take them from you, Kate, but you have a bit of a history with poisoning things, I’m not gonna take my chances. Kate rolls her eyes as Gabi hesitantly goes through her bag. Not finding anything, she gets up from her seat. GABI: Uh, no. I don’t…if you want, I’ll run down to the drugstore at the corner and grab you something, okay? NICK: Sure, thanks, Gabi. GABI: No problem, uh…Kate, can you do me a huge favour and watch over Ari— KATE: …Say no more, but hurry. I have places to be. Gabi turns back and nods appreciatively. GABI: Yep, no worries, I’ll be right back. Kate turns around and picks Ari up from her high chair, as Nick fumbles out of his seat. Outside the door, Gabi looks back to make sure she isn’t spotted by Kate or Nick. She walks just to the edge of the building, just out of sight from those inside. She grabs her cell phone and makes a call. GABI: (into phone) EJ! I need your help. NOW. --- Will walks onto the elevator to head for home. When the doors open, Will steps in, and leans casually against the back wall, catching up on messages on his cell phone. As the doors are nearly closed, a hand stops them from completely shutting, and the doors open again. Will sighs, impatient to go home, and looks up unimpressed by the new passenger. Until he sees who it is. WILL: Alex. Will immediately lights up as he sees his new supervisor dressed in skin-tight biking gear. Will’s eyes look Alex up and down as he steps on. Alex smiles back at Will. ALEX: Hey! Will! How you doing? WILL: I…uh…good, I…heh. You look, awfully casual. ALEX: Oh! Yeah, this. I…heh…I usually bike home from work, and I wanted to try the commute home from the new office before the weather got too cold. Will nods, half-listening to Alex, as he’s too distracted by Alex’s biking outfit, which leaves…little to the imagination. Will licks his lips and, catching himself, looks up at Alex, smiling. WILL: Yeah, it’s…good weather for that. Alex smiles, before the air fills with an awkward silence, broken only by the sound of the elevator as it beeps, passing each floor on the way down. Alex finally breaks it. ALEX: So, how was your first day? WILL: Oh, it was great. I’m…really glad you were able to help. I have a feeling I’ll…need a bit more. Heh. ALEX: Oh, don’t even worry about it. I’ll definitely be around whenever you need. Just ask. WILL: Thanks. Will looks up, looking at his watch. The awkward silence hits again for a moment, but Alex again takes the opportunity to break it. ALEX: So…you…uh…have any plans tonight? Will thinks a moment, before answering carefully. WILL: I…uh…yeah. A bit later, but...hey, maybe…did you wanna maybe grab a drink before you head home, we can maybe…go over…a few more things and get to know each other better… Will quickly realizes what he’s just said and quickly backtracks. WILL: In a totally professional way, of course. Alex laughs as Will blushes, Alex’s eyes linger into Will’s as the elevator finally stops at the ground floor. The doors open as Alex responds. ALEX: I would love that, but I have dinner plans tonight, and I’d better go shower before all that, so…maybe tomorrow? WILL: I…YEAH! Definitely. ALEX: Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow. Alex goes to head out the door, but puts a hand on Will’s lower back on his way out. Will tenses as he feels Alex’s hand touch him gently. ALEX: Great work today, by the way. Will nearly chokes as he feels Alex’s hand slide away, Alex walking out the door, smiling at him as he waves, that Will nearly forgets to leave the elevator himself. WILL: I…yeah…I mean, thanks! Will exhales as he exits the elevator. He watches Alex walk towards the door, mesmerized momentarily by his muscled body in his tight-fitting sportswear. Will snaps out of it a second later, feeling like the biggest fool on the planet. WILL: Yeah, Will. Great work. (sigh) --- Daniel gets up from his desk, still trying to find a way to allay Billie’s concerns. DANIEL: Billie, you can’t do anything about this. Billie watches from atop Daniel’s desk, looking at him incredulously. BILLIE: Like Hell, I can’t. Look, I know you want to protect them, but if something’s seriously wrong…I mean...you’re not exactly chummy with Jennifer since you two split. DANIEL: That’s…putting it mildly. Billie gets up from Daniel’s desk and slowly walks up behind him. She puts her hands gently on his shoulders and sensuously rubs them, as she softly speaks in his ear. BILLIE: So…why not let someone who’s a little less…let’s say…controversial get the goods you need, hm? Daniel smiles and has a bit of a laugh, but turns around to face Billie. Putting his arms around her, while she rests her arms on his shoulders again, he tries to let her down gently. DANIEL: I would love nothing more than to fill you in on every detail of this… BILLIE: Good— DANIEL: But…it’s not going to happen, Billie. This is something I have to do myself. Billie’s drops her arms to her side. She sulks as she backs away from Daniel. BILLIE: Fine! I’ll just go to Jenn myself and find out from her what’s going on— Daniel’s voice booms as he instructs Billie. DANIEL: NO YOU WON’T! Billie is stopped in her tracks by Daniel’s explosion. Her face looks toward Daniel, shocked by his intensity. Daniel walks back towards Billie. His voice returns to its soft tone, but the intensity remains, forcing Billie to take in every word. DANIEL: Look, you cannot go to Jenn about ANY of this, do you understand? She has no idea what’s going on, and if she does, she may be in grave danger, okay? And if I tell you, there’s a good chance that you’ll be in just as much danger as she is, okay? Billie looks at Daniel, a mix of worry and fear in her eyes as she nods slowly in understanding. BILLIE: But…will YOU be okay? Daniel bites his lip, thinking things over a moment before speaking. DANIEL: God, I hope so. --- Kate holds Ari, bouncing Ari in her arms as she speaks to Nick, unimpressed by his latest antics. KATE: I told you to keep out of my business. Nick, still struggling with his sudden headache, pinches the bridge of his nose while he responds. NICK: Kate, we had a deal. You had to get Gabi a contract with MadWorld or I say what I know. Kate leans in, speaking softly, as if to get Nick to quiet down by proxy by lowering the tone of her own voice. KATE: And it wasn’t time to offer anything to her yet. We had to have product first. NICK: No, no. You were stalling. I knew you were. And I decided to take matters into my own hands. You should be thankful this is all I did. You know what I could do. Kate rolls her eyes, unable to counter Nick once again. NICK: I’m gonna go check with Mrs. Brady and see if she has anything for this headache. Nick heads off to the bar to talk to Caroline, while Kate saunters over to the front of the pub. Suddenly spotting Gabi just outside the doorway, she walks closer to the door to spy on her. Outside, Gabi stands slightly off to the side, thinking she can’t be seen in the building. She has her cell phone out, talking on her phone. GABI: (into phone) I know I was supposed to just get him hooked and get him arrested but it wasn’t that easy… … EJ stands in his office at DiMera Enterprises, an agitated tone in his voice as he talks to Gabi. EJ: (into phone) What do you mean, Gabi? What’s happened? … GABI: (into phone) Hope didn’t take the bait. She couldn’t find the bottle of pills I switched out at all. I know he’s been using it, I mean, he’s been getting these really bad headaches. But…he’s out of pills and I don’t know what to do. Kate is now outside, looking on, brow furrowed as she catches some of what Gabi’s saying. She listens closer as she approaches, as quietly as she can. … EJ: (into phone) Okay…I have an idea. Just…head to the pier and meet the same guy as before in one hour. … GABI: (into phone) No, I don’t have that kind of time, EJ. He thinks I’m already headed out to the pharmacy. Please, you have to make it sooner than that. I can’t do this anymore. This time, the plan has to work. He has to be caught red handed before he goes any farther. … EJ: (into phone) Well, if the pills weren’t enough last time… … GABI: (into phone) Well, then we need something more incriminating then. A prescription pad, a…phony doctor’s note.SOMETHING. Kate is stunned by what she’s hearing. A wry smile starts to appear on her face as she begins to realize what Gabi’s up to. … EJ slams his fist on the desk in anger. He shouts into the phone. EJ: (into phone) Dammit, Gabi! Okay, just head there now. I’ll try to get my guy over there, but no promises. … GABI: (into phone) Oh my God, thank you, EJ. I owe you BIG time. Gabi hangs up the phone, and quickly walks off toward the pier. As she walks away, she doesn’t see a smiling Kate behind her. As she bounces baby Ari in her arms, she laughs quietly to herself. KATE: Bravo, Gabi. I gotta say, I didn’t think you had it in you. --- Liam and Jenn’s kiss is interrupted by Liam’s cell phone ringing. The pair are jolted out of their romantic moment, as Liam leans back in his chair, grabbing his phone and looking at who’s calling. Frustrated, he gets up from his seat and holds up one finger to indicate to Jenn. LIAM: Ahh I gotta take this, it’s Chiacgo, one moment. JENNIFER: That’s fine, take your time, sweetie. Jenn nods, going back to work, as Liam hastily leaves her office, shutting the door behind him. Liam storms into the hallway, checking all around to see who’s passing by, before sliding into the waiting room. As he turns into the waiting room, Laura passes by and spots Liam going in. She carefully follows to the doorway and, just out of his line of sight, listens in closely. LIAM: (into phone) This better be important. … EJ responds, now pacing his office, a headache developing for him as well now. EJ: (into phone) You need to get Percocets and a prescription pad to the pier in 15 minutes or less. … Liam reacts in angered disbelief. LIAM: (into phone) WHAT? … EJ: (into phone) Exactly what I just said. We’ve got an emergency on our hands and if Gabi Hernandez doesn’t get Percocets and a prescription pad in her hands by… EJ checks his watch hastily before continuing. EJ: …4:30, everything we’ve worked for is in jeopardy. … LIAM: (into phone) A prescription pad? EJ, I mean…the drugs are one thing but… Liam looks around the room to make sure no one’s watching or coming into the room. He leans in and speaks softer. Outside, Laura focuses in even closer. LIAM …a prescription pad? That’s not exactly easy to get. Laura looks on, confused as all get out as to what Liam’s up to. She whispers almost inaudibly to herself. LAURA: Prescription pad? And why is he talking to EJ? (sigh) I have a bad feeling about this. … EJ: (into phone) You’re in a hospital, you’ll manage. 15 minutes, Liam. No ifs, ands, or buts. … LIAM: (into phone) Oh, what? I’m just supposed to pull one out of my ass now? Come on, EJ. This is crazy. … EJ: (into phone) There is no time argue or question me. Get the pills, put them in the same ibuprofen package as before, get the prescription pads, give them to Gabi Hernandez, and tell her she needs to sneak the pad into the target’s bag when he isn’t looking. That’s it. … Liam, resigned to his fate, throws his hands up. LIAM: (into phone) (sigh) Yep. Right. I’ll be there. EJ hangs up the phone. Liam follows suit. LIAM: Okay. Percocets…and prescription pads. Good luck, Liam. You’ll need it. Liam turns and storms out of the room. Laura, still standing outside, leans up against the wall as closely as she can, praying Liam doesn’t spot her. He turns away from her, and walks down the hall in the other direction. She breathes a sigh of relief, but looks on, more worried than ever. LAURA: Selling pills and prescription pads…to EJ DiMera. Oh Daniel, I hope to hell you figure out what he’s up to before it’s too late. ---

EPISODE 81 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks, Nick Monarco & C. Nathaniel Richardson Hope walks through the Salem Police station towards her office as Rafe approaches. Hope looks over and smiles in greeting as Rafe does the same. RAFE: Hey! Just who I was looking for. HOPE: Well, don’t I feel flattered. Come in. Hope opens the door to her office and props it open for Rafe come in behind her. He shuts the door after entering as Hope sits down behind her desk. HOPE: So I got a few things I’ll need to take care of today so I’m not here long. What’s up? Rafe walks over to Hope’s desk and drops a file on it before her. RAFE: Well, this can’t really wait. There was another burglary in the west end again last night. Hope looks up, stunned and disappointed. HOPE: You’re kidding. RAFE: Nope! This time, they at least got a description of the suspect. It’s not perfect, but… Hope picks up the file and looks it over quickly, studying it as best she can. HOPE: Young male, black, 20-25, muscular build. Grey college hoodie, not Salem U. Wow, okay. Anything turn up so far? RAFE: Nah. This guy seems to have vanished into thin air after the robbery. All they know is he was in a rented moving van, but no one can trace it, they didn’t get the licence plate or anything. Hope drops the file on her desk as she looks back over at Rafe. HOPE: Damn. (sigh) Alright, well, we’ll keep looking. You doing okay? Rafe shrugs, smiling half-heartedly. RAFE: Yeah, I’m fine. Can’t complain too much. Hope looks at Rafe’s face and raises her eyebrow skeptically. HOPE: Why don’t I believe you? Rafe looks up, confused. HOPE: It’s Jordan, isn’t it? Rafe, is something going wrong between you? Rafe sighs, hesitant to get into this discussion now. --- Daniel stands, stunned in Laura Horton’s office at University Hospital. Laura looks up at him, worried about Daniel’s sudden silence. She gets up from her chair and tries to get Daniel’s attention. LAURA: Daniel? Daniel! Daniel blinks, suddenly back to reality. DANIEL: Hi. Sorry. Umm…look. I think I just…put two and two together and…yeah, I’m worried about Abigail. Very worried. Laura looks at Daniel, now more worried than before about her granddaughter. --- Nick sits casually on Percy’s sofa in the cabin, as Percy works away, carefully studying the Titan security videos. Nick scrolls through his tablet, earpiece in one ear, smiling widely at what he’s seeing and hearing as he suddenly gets up and turns to Percy. NICK: Got it! Percy looks up, peeling the headphones off his ears as though they’d been on for hours. Percy winces in pain as his ears appear, red as tomatoes. PERCY: My apologies, Nicholas. I didn’t hear you. NICK: I think I know exactly what we’re going to need to stick it to Victor. Check this out. Nick offers his tablet to Percy, who studies the image of Jordan, Sheryl, and Jerome’s meeting. After squinting at it a moment, Percy dons his bifocals, staring once again at the screen looking down his nose. PERCY: But…Nicholas, who is that young man there? I’ve never seen him before. Nick pulls his tablet away, casually flipping the case around it to close it as he heads back to the sofa to put the tablet away. NICK: That…is apparently a man named Jerome Grant. From what I caught, which, incidentally isn’t much because those girls need to stop mumbling so damn much, he knows Jordan and Sheryl from before they came to Salem. PERCY: Could he be a danger to us? Nick pulls out his cell phone from his bag, smiling his classic smug smirk. NICK: Ohhh, I don’t think that’ll be a problem, Percy. Look, I’m gonna head into town, I’ll see you later, okay? Nick grabs his laptop bag and slings it over his shoulder as he heads for the door. Percy smiles, nods, and waves as he begins to put his headphones back on. PERCY: Absolutely, I’ll keep you informed if I hear or see any so-called “juicy tidbits”, Nicholas! NICK: Great stuff, Percy. See you later on. Nick closes the door to the cabin, as he makes his phone call. … Gabi, sitting at a table at Town Square, rocking Arianna back and forth in her stroller, hears the phone. She suddenly stops and looks frantically for her phone. Pulling it out, she looks down with a sickened look on her face as she sees Nick’s name on her screen. GABI: Oh God. Quickly answering, she swallows hard, expecting the worst. GABI: Hey Nick, w…what’s up? … NICK: Hey, Gabi! Uh…look I really have something important to talk to you about. Can you meet me in 20 minutes at the Brady Pub? … GABI: Uh…sure. Yeah, I can! … NICK: Great. See you then. Nick hangs up the phone, beaming. NICK: Ohhh Gabi. You’re gonna love the surprise I have for you. Nick walks off toward his car, feeling on top of the world. …. Gabi hangs up the phone, a look of dread on her face, as she tries to distract Ari, but silently curses Nick. Her sudden tension isn’t lost on Ari, who begins to cry, upsetting Gabi even more. --- Marlena and Eric walk into Club TBD, Eric finally having a laugh with Marlena after spending two days in solemn silence. They find a seat and are handed menus by the server. Marlena and Eric both look up pleasantly, Marlena holding up her hand to stop her before she puts the menus down. MARLENA: Oh, it’s okay. I’ll just have a coffee. ERIC: Same for me. Marlena turns back to Eric with a serious, but loving face that Eric recognizes immediately. He reacts to it with a change of expression, back inward. ERIC: Mom… MARLENA: (interrupting) I know you don’t want me to pry… ERIC: No. Actually, I do. Mom, you’re the only person I can turn to about this. I’m…honestly, I’m really struggling. Marlena looks on, now really concerned for Eric. She squints a bit, staring intently at him. Eric catches this and looks down as his coffee is put down on the table in front of him by the waitress, Marlena’s in front of her. MARLENA: Eric…what’s the problem? Eric breathes in deeply, then sighs as he prepares to tell his mother about his dilemma. ERIC: Mom, I’ve been…really troubled ever since this whole…situation with Kristen went down and…I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. MARLENA: Okay. I mean, it’s understandable that you’d have a lot of conflicting emotions, Eric. You lost your vocation. It meant a lot to you, you don’t just…lose that overnight. ERIC: Right, but…(sigh), some things have happened since then…I mean…Sonny and Will’s wedding, among other things…and it’s made me sort of…realize… Marlena leans in, trying to catch Eric’s eyes. Eric, stirring his coffee mindlessly, stops, finally looking at his mom. MARLENA: Sweetheart. Realize what? ERIC: I’m thinking of leaving the church altogether. Marlena’s eyes widen at Eric’s revelation. --- --- Valerie stands in her office at University Hospital, leaning against her desk with her other hand on her hip, as she stares down her grandson, Jerome. VALERIE: Come on now, out with it! Something is on your mind, and you’re a bad liar. JEROME: Grandma… VALERIE: Well, maybe you can fool other people but you sure as Hell can’t fool me. Now spit it out. Jerome rolls his eyes, pausing a moment before he gives in. He turns and faces his grandmother, earnestly responding to her. JEROME: I just…I ran into old university friends from Toronto here and…we didn’t leave things on a good note. That’s all. VALERIE: Well, you know, it’s not like you’re still kids, Jerome. I think taking the year off before you started your PhD was probably a good idea. Maybe things have mellowed and you’ll work things out. JEROME: Hopefully….I just can’t shake the feeling that something’s happening that I don’t quite understand. I got a bad feeling, Grandma. Valerie smiles as she walks over to Jerome, putting her hand under his chin in a form of encouragement. VALERIE: You will be alright. In all your years on this Earth, you’ve managed to be smarter, and more resourceful than anyone I’ve ever met. You just remember that. Jerome smiles slightly, a warmth in his eyes as he looks at Valerie. He suddenly looks down at his phone and sees the time. Fumbling around a moment, he sets his phone on Valerie’s desk as he asks her a question. JEROME: Thanks, Grandma. Look, I gotta get going, uh…you got the keys to the new house? Valerie digs into her pocket and pulls out a keyring with three keys on it, tossing them Jerome’s way casually. VALERIE: Yep! Got ‘em right here. Jerome catches them with ease as he starts for the door. JEROME: Thanks. I gotta get this stuff into my room before I head into Salem U. Get into the registrar’s office before it closes. Thanks, Gran! VALERIE: See you later, Sweetie. As Jerome closes the door, Valerie watches him, a warm smile on her face, before she grabs her file folder on Roman. She stops as she picks it up, putting it back down again as she sees Jerome’s cell phone. VALERIE: Oh Damn it, JEROME! She jumps up from her seat and runs for the doorway, but Jerome is already gone. She stops in her doorway, turns back around and sighs. As she heads back to her desk, she stops before it, and stares at Roman’s file. VALERIE: Well...maybe it’s time we found some answers for you, Roman. --- Rafe looks at Hope, sitting opposite her at her office desk. Rafe tries to hold back his emotions a bit. Hope leans in, trying to catch Rafe’s eye. HOPE: Rafe, come on. I think we’ve known each other long enough to know when something’s up with each other. Rafe looks up at Hope and sighs. He decides to speak his mind. He begins, fidgeting uncomfortably. RAFE: Well…yeah, you’re right. I dunno. Jordan’s been…really distant the last few weeks and I can’t put my finger on why. Hope looks at Rafe, concerned. HOPE: Has anything changed in the last few weeks? Like…I know she’s been busy with work and all but… RAFE: Nah. It’s mostly been Sheryl. I think she’s going through something and…apparently can’t go to Lucas about it so she goes to Jordan. HOPE: And you get left out in the cold. RAFE: (sigh) Right. Hope reaches out and puts her hand over Rafe’s, giving him a comforting look. HOPE: Just be patient. Whatever’s going on is not going to break the two of you. I see the both of you and you’re always…incredibly happy when you’re together. Whatever’s going on with Jordan or Sheryl…it’ll pass. Rafe smiles slightly, as Hope gets up from her desk and slips on her jacket, and grabs her keys. RAFE: Hope you’re right. HOPE: I know I’m right. Look, I’m going to pick up Ciara from school, I’ll keep my eyes open for anything about the burglaries. Okay? Rafe gets up from his seat to head into the hallway himself. He holds the door for Hope as she exits the room, with Rafe right behind her. RAFE: Sounds good. I’ll text you in a bit if I come up with anything. HOPE: Great. See ya! RAFE: Bye! Rafe shuts the door behind Hope. He sighs as he grabs his phone to check for any notification from Jordan. RAFE: Nothing. (sigh) --- Laura looks at Daniel, she takes a moment before asking her next question to Daniel, almost afraid of the answer she’ll get. LAURA: I’m afraid to ask. Daniel immediately starts to pace the room, trying to calm himself a bit in hopes of also placating a now-frantic Laura. DANIEL: Look, just…I was Abigail’s doctor when she had that…accident at work. And…I’m not saying to panic but…I will look into this for you, okay? But…don’t worry. I will make sure Abigail is okay. Laura exhales and smiles at Daniel, nodding in satisfaction. She relaxes a bit, feeling reassured. LAURA: Thank you. Laura stops a moment, seeing that Daniel still appears troubled by their conversation. She puts a hand on his arm in reassurance. LAURA: And, Daniel. Just…I’m sorry to insert you back in Jennifer’s business like this…I know you two have, well, gone your own way. But…I feel like you…you know my family better than anyone at this hospital and…well…Jenn and Abigail could really use your help. I just…I didn’t know who else to turn to. Daniel nods in understanding. As he responds, Billie approaches Laura’s office door. She hears Daniel’s voice and stops, creaking the door open as he speaks. DANIEL: No, it’s okay. I…totally understand why you came to me, and I mean…I’m always going to love your daughter, no matter what’s happened between us. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Jenn and Abigail safe. BILLIE: What are we keeping Jenn and Abby safe from? Daniel and Laura both turn around, surprised by Billie’s entrance. Billie looks back, a curious look on her face. --- Marlena looks at Eric incredulously. She leans in closer to him, almost scolding him with her reaction. MARLENA: Are you serious? Eric, you were so passionate about being a priest, it…it was your life— ERIC: …WAS my life, Mom. MARLENA: Eric, don’t let Kristen win. She’s taken so much from us already, you can’t… Eric holds up his hand to try to stop his mom from continuing. ERIC: Mom…please. It’s not about Kristen. In fact, I’m starting to think that it’s because everything that happened was because of Kristen, that…maybe that’s why it’s taken me until now to make this decision. Marlena chokes a bit on her words, unsure how to respond, but still not pleased. MARLENA: I…I, I mean how…look, you just need the proof that Dr. Chyka’s drug is what poisoned you that night, and you’ll be exonerated. We know that. Eric looks down, already exhausted by Marlena’s unrelenting pressure. ERIC: Mom— MARLENA: Eric! You can’t give up when you’re so close to clearing your name. ERIC: Mom! I’m not about to give up. I will never stop until people know the truth about what happened to me that night. But, Mom, how am I supposed to support a system of beliefs that tells me that my nephew…not only doesn’t have the right happiness with the man he loves, but that they both should be killed for it. Just for loving each other? How do I support a church that is so ready to throw me under the bus, and to judge me as this…monster, when I was a victim? There is so much…evil that is swept under the rug in this church, and they want to dismiss a priest who comes out as gay? I mean…Mom, they won’t even acknowledge your marriage to John, even with all the extenuating circumstances that caused your affair and your divorce from Dad. Marlena looks down, nodding sadly as she thinks back on her affair with John. MARLENA: I know that was hard, but… ERIC: Mom, it’s…I chose to overlook it for a very, very long time. Because I saw the good that being faithful, and being a priest could do. The benefit it could have to humanity, and the…the joy and comfort that my faith could bring, and I wanted to share that with the world. And maybe I was doing it, in a way to…make my family proud, I don’t know. But the fact remains that I could not reconcile my faith and my love for my family. And my desire to see them happy with the people they love. Marlena reaches out across the table and grabs Eric’s hands in hers. Squeezing them tightly, she begins to cry, a look of pride across her face. MARLENA: Ohh, Eric. My darling boy. I don’t care what your vocation is. I will ALWAYS be proud of you. And so will your father, and your grandmother, and your aunts and uncles and everybody. Eric and Marlena share a laugh, as Marlena holds Eric’s hands firmly. MARLENA: I want you to remember, no matter what…I couldn’t be more proud of you than I am right now. Don’t you ever forget that. ERIC: Thanks, Mom. Marlena and Eric get up from their seats and share a tight, warm hug that seems to last ages. As Marlena lets go of Eric, she looks him dead in the eyes, still a bit teary. MARLENA: And whatever you do decide…I will support you. No matter what. Eric nods, feeling the first bit of comfort he’s felt in a long time. ERIC: You know, you don’t realize how comforting it is to hear that. Seriously, thank you. I love you. MARLENA: Oh, Eric. Marlena pulls Eric in again for a hug, once again holding him tightly, like she was comforting him as a boy. --- Nick looks up from his tablet, as he sits in the booth at the Brady Pub. He spots Gabi in the doorway and gets up from his seat. He goes to grab Arianna, but Gabi tenses up, reactively pulling her closer to her chest. She tries to pass it off as nothing and points to the high chair in the corner. GABI: No, no! I got her, can you just…grab the high chair for me. Nick turns around and spots the high chair, springing into action dutifully. NICK: Oh! Yeah, absolutely. Nick steps over to grab the high chair, and sets it up for Ari to sit in. Gabi smiles and slots Ari in carefully, with Nick’s help. GABI: There we go! Easy does it. Once Ari’s in place, the pair sit down. GABI: Ohh, thank you, Nick. Nick shifts midsentence towards Ari, paying the beautiful young child some attention, but Ari is not having it and flinches at Nick’s touch. NICK: Anything for you and this beautiful little girl of yours! Hey sweetie!! Ari kicks Nick’s hand away, causing Nick to jump back a bit, and having a short laugh about it. NICK: Wow, she’s feisty today! Gabi laughs nervously in response before becoming fairly serious, nervously asking Nick the question of the hour. GABI: Heh, yeah. She’s…like that some days. You never know. So…uh…why did you ask me to come, Nick? It sounded...pretty important on the phone. NICK: Oh, trust me, Gabi. This is…life-changing news. Without a doubt. Gabi looks to one side, grimacing, trying to fake a smile and failing. GABI: Can’t wait. Nick looks down at his trusty tablet, swiping through different screens until he pulls up the screen to show Gabi. NICK: Kate and I have been working on a new line for MadWorld. It’s a young, fresh line of skin care that is 40% less heavy than your main line products with just as long-lasting coverage. Can’t really get into details more than that, but…it’s tested REALLY well. GABI: That sounds fantastic. W…what does it have to do with me? Nick turns the tablet toward Gabi and hands it to her. On the screen is a beauty shot from Gabi’s old modelling shoots with a tester from the new line photoshopped in. Gabi looks on in shock as Nick reveals his intentions. NICK: We want you to be the face of the new line. Gabi looks up at Nick, breathing in deeply, an almost panic-stricken look on her face. ---

Apologies for the weird formatting. Posting is still a challenge.

EPISODE 73 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson Marlena steps out of the coffehouse in Horton Town Square, cup of coffee in hand as she sits down at one of the tables out in the square. She sits down as her cell phone rings, she picks it up and talks as she rifles through her bag. MARLENA: Dr. Evans...yes...yes, I can be at University Hospital in...20 minutes....Board room? Uh, sure! I'll be there. Bye bye. As Marlena hangs up her phone, she looks around and sees a young blonde woman walk into the square, looking a bit lost. She looks on, a bit of recognition in her eyes as she smiles, looking the young woman's way. Finally, the woman stops upon seeing Marlena and smiles widely. She approaches Marlena, who remains seated. MARLENA: Noelle? Noelle looks back excitedly as Marlena recognizes her. NOELLE: Marlena! Marlena jumps up from her seat, as Noelle and Marlena hug each other tightly. As they pull away, their screams of joy begin to turn to giggles. MARLENA: Oh my LORD, it's so good to see you again! I've missed you. NOELLE: I was amazed you even recognized me, it's been so long. I think I couldn't have been more than...what, 12 when I last saw you? MARLENA: Probably. Marlena smiles warmly as she looks at Noelle proudly. They hold each others hands. MARLENA: Your dad would be so proud of you. I'm so sorry to hear about his passing. Noelle's demeanour changes almost immediately. Her face drops as she steps away from Marlena momentarily before sitting down at the table. NOELLE: Yeah, thanks. MARLENA: I'm sorry to have brought him up. I know it's still relatively fresh for you and your mother. NOELLE: Yeah, well...there's a lot of....adjusting to do. In more ways than one. --- Nicole sits at her desk at her office, staring down Nick, who's sitting across from her, lazily lounging in his chair, a typical cocky look on his face. Nicole tries to posture to appear unmoved by Nick's threats. NICOLE: I need to remind you of something, Nnnnnnick! You need my help more than you're willing to admit. Nick leans back in his chair, sitting himself in a casual position almost mockingly. NICK: Oh this oughta be good. Where's the popcorn? NICOLE: I'm serious. If you and your little minion didn't have me telling everyone in Salem how disastrous this oil sands project would be, no one would give a damn about Percy and his little...owl-watching sanctuary. You'd have been a thirty-second human interest curiosity on one newscast before the Titan spin machine forced the public's hand and the city's, into forcing him to sell his land. And then where would that leave you? Nick tenses as Nicole speaks, the smile slowly fading from his face, but still trying to appear relaxed. NICOLE: Face it, Nick. I have more power than you're willing to admit. And it bugs the hell out of you. --- --- Will steps off the elevator at the Titan Building on the EnerNext floor. He luckily steps off the elevator as Tyler steps into the hallway. Tyler notices Will immediately and greets him with a professional smile. TYLER: Ah! William! Perfect timing. You're looking rather chipper this morning. WILL: Thanks, Mr. Houston. I...had a hard time sleeping last night. TYLER: Well, it certainly doesn't show. Ready to meet everyone? WILL: I sure am. TYLER: Great. Tyler motions Will to follow him down the hallway. Will smiles, trying to hide his nervousness. Tyler looks over, sensitive to Will's uncertainty, and tries to break the tension. TYLER: So I guess I should tell you a bit about what you'll be doing here. WILL: Could help. (laughs) [b[TYLER: Well, you'll mostly be writing press releases, dabbling a bit in advertising copy. We will need you to focus a bit on speechwriting, as I'll want someone who really understands spin and how to avoid any potential...pitfalls. Will nods, understanding what Tyler's getting at. WILL: A bit of...persuasive writing, if you will. TYLER: Precisely. Tyler smiles and puts his hand on Will's back in a father-like way. He motions them forward again as they approach the door to an office. TYLER: So here's where your new office space will be. Will steps into the room, beaming as he examines the lush surroundings.Dark wood covers the walls of the office, with the light streaming in from the window right behind his new desk. Will stands in awe of his workspace, as a young, chiseled man with dark hair steps in from the hallway. WILL: It's...amazing. As Will speaks, the man knocks on the doorframe. Tyler looks behind him towards the door, and sees the young man. He immediately walks over to him and ushers him into the room. TYLER: Ah! William! This is Alex, you'll be reporting directly to him. Will turns to face Alex and smiles immediately. A rush coming over him as he looks him over. Alex extends his hand for Will to shake. Will stands awakwardly for a moment before clueing in and shaking his hand in return. WILL: Oh...nice...to meet you, I'm Will. Alex smiles back, lingering in their handshake slightly longer than expected. Will smiles a bit of a goofy smile and Alex smiles back. ALEX: Pleasure. --- Noelle walks with Marlena across Town Square, both ladies with coffee cups in hand. They laugh as they share stories. NOELLE: (sigh) Thank you for meeting me today. I was...honestly really worried about coming back to Salem. Marlena stops and touches Noelle's cheek gently, moving a strand of hair away from her face lovingly. MARLENA: I know it's difficult moving back here after all these years. And so far from your mother. How is Liz holding up? NOELLE: Oh she's...alright. We've been helping her out as much as we can, but....it isn't so easy from so far. MARLENA: Why doesn't she come back to Salem with you? Noelle shakes her head, shrugging as she continues to look straight ahead, in thought as she speaks. NOELLE: A lot of memories. I think mostly of Dad. Mother couldn't really take it. Marlena stops and looks at Noelle with concern in her eyes. MARLENA: It's been well over a year, Noelle. I mean...do you think it's healthy for Liz to still be so... NOELLE: I think Dad's death and...well, I just think that she's hurting a lot more than she's willing to believe. MARLENA: Is she working? Noelle looks down, laughing almost to keep from crying. She shakes her head. NOELLE: No. She hasn't in months. Marlena, her first performance in two years, and dad was at home dying of a heart attack. She's...she's never forgiven herself for it. MARLENA: Surely she knows it isn't her fault. Noelle looks up to keep from crying, this time starting to lose the battle. NOELLE: Listen, can we....can we continue this later. I...I have to get some errands done today before dinner. MARLENA: Sure. Noelle takes Marlena's hand and squeezes it, smiling warmly her way through her tears as she tries to wipe them away. MARLENA: Listen, Noelle. Just remember, if you need someone to talk to... NOELLE: Thanks, Marlena. I'll call you soon. Noelle walks away as Marlena lingers behind, still looking on with real worry on her face. --- Nick gets up from his seat. He leans over Nicole's desk, trying to intimidate her, but Nicole responds cooly. She remains in place, arms folded on her desk, a calm expression her face. NICK: You think you got this all figured out, don't you, Nicole? NICOLE: I know that you'd be stupid to use what you've got on me unless you absolutely had to. NICK: Don't be stupid enough to think I won't. Nicole leans back finally, laughing in Nick's unmoved face. NICOLE: I don't think you understand this at all. Your plan's worked just fine so far, but what happens if even ONE piece of your little...convoluted plan fails? City council could still allow EnerNext to buy out Percy's land. NICK: That won't happen if you do what you're instructed to. Nicole leans back in, looking menacingly at Nick. NICOLE: I don't take instructions from you, you little twerp. Nick gets back up from leaning on Nicole's desk. He shakes his head at Nicole's insolence. NICK: You really don't get it, do you? I have every document you kept hidden from Eric in your desk drawer safely stored where you can't find it. I can pull it out whenever I feel like it. NICOLE: And I know you won't do that. Nick, you can't overplay your hand here. The Titan executive is gonna get wise to you, and then you and your little plan here are gonna crumble like stale bread. Nick smiles smugly. He responds ever so calmly, yet menacingly. NICK: Not now they're not. Remember that old saying, Nicole? Loose lips sink ships? Nicole still looks on dismissively. NICOLE: I'm sorry, am I talking to the Riddler? Would you just spit it out? NICK: Well, Nicole. Let's just say that no matter what happens around this building, I know about it. Nicole furrows her brow, confused and a bit worried by the implication Nick's making, but disbelieving it simultaneously. NICOLE: How is that even possible? Did you develop ESP or did you hit up Dionne Warwick for a psychic friend? NICK: I wouldn't say that so much as....the walls, Nicole? They have ears. And trust me, you've been so very helpful. Especially now that I have video that shows our little...exchange here about what you did. The colour drains from Nicole's face as Nick smiles a winner's smile. ---

EPISODE 74 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson At what is for now Titan TV, Nick smiles smugly while lounging in a chair opposite Nicole's desk. Grabbing his laptop bag as he pulls out his tablet, he taps and slides his finger across the screen before showing Nicole footage of their exchange up to now. NICOLE: You....what? NICK: I have it all right here. See, I've got eyes, Nicole. Everywhere. You know, once you master the art of hacking, you really can do anything! It's crazy! The colour drains from Nicole's face, as Nick puts his tablet back in his bag, and pulls out a flash drive from his bag, placing it on the desk before a stunned and terrified Nicole, who was just caught by Nick's surveillance equipment admitting to hiding the documents proving Eric was drugged. Nicole gulps audibly before responding to him with as strong, but cool a voice as she can muster, which comes off more upset and wavering than she'd like to believe. NICOLE: What do you need me to do, Nick? Nick nods, still smiling as Nicole squirms, hating cowtowing to her blackmailer's increasing demands. NICK: Much better. Everything you'll need is on that flash drive. Just remember to destroy it when you're done. Have a great day, Nicole! Nicole holds up the flash drive, looking it over as Nick grabs his bag and leaves Nicole's office. Nicole holds it firmly in her fist, silently cursing Nick. She sits down at her desk and thinks aloud. NICOLE: There has GOT to be a way to trap that little rat in his own game. But he's on the side of the good guys...how the hell does that work? Nicole shakes her head as she puts the flash drive into her computer and waits for it to load. --- Will walks down the hallway towards his new office at EnerNext, holding a coffee mug in his hand, before stopping at the door. He turns the doorknob and steps in, jumping back upon seeing Alex standing inside. ALEX: AH! Will! I was looking for you. Will stands at his doorway, keeping a goofy smile on his face, stunned by Alex's presence in his office. --- Laura walks off the elevator at University Hospital and stops at the nurses' station. Maxine greets her immediately with a warm smile. MAXINE: Well! Good morning, Dr. Horton. How's it going? Laura smiles, but with a tension in her face that Maxine can't quite put her finger on. LAURA: Oh, just fine, Maxine. Uh...you haven't seen Dr. Jonas around anywhere, have you? MAXINE: No, he's taken a late start today. In fact he's requested to work evenings all week. Should I have him get ahold of you when he comes in? LAURA: Yes, if you don't mind. Thanks! MAXINE: Anytime, Dr. Horton. Oh! And, uh, by the way, there's a very improtant meeting at 10:45 in the board room. Laura looks up from her mail, a bit surprised, but smiles Maxine's way. LAURA: Oh. Alright, thanks. Any idea what it's about? Maxine shrugs dismissively. MAXINE: I dunno, usually it's about not wasting paper in the photocopier and boring budget updates. I wouldn't worry too much. LAURA: Heh, alright. Thanks again, Maxine. MAXINE: Have a good day, honey. Laura steps away from the nurses' station and over to the coffee machine. Pouring herself a cup, she sighs heavily while looking over to see none other than Liam talking with one of the doctors at the opposite end of the room. Laura looks on momentarily, before muttering to herself. LAURA: Alright, Laura. Keep calm, and tread lightly. Daniel may be able to help you keep on eye on Liam, but don't overplay your hand. Jenn and JJ's safety depends on it. --- Brady wakes up, pale and sweaty, to find a tray of breakfast food arranged beside his bed, a note laid down beside his plate of eggs, bacon and toast. Brady rubs the sleep from his eyes and reads the note carefully, his vision still not the greatest. Figured you'd want a nice breakfast. If you need anything, just holler. Anita Brady tries to get up from his bed but quickly realizes he can barely move them, after days of bed rest. As he tries to shuffle over to his breakfast, Anita walks in, hearing the rumbling. ANITA: Oh good, you're up. Here, I wasn't sure if you'd be able to reach the food, but I knew that you'd better eat something or you'd shrivel up and die. Anita rushes in and grabs the tray from the TV dinner table set up beside the bed. She quickly pops the tray on Brady's lap. BRADY: Well, I'm not so sure I'm not gonna shrivel and die yet. ANITA: Don't talk like that. You're looking better every day. BRADY: You know, I'm...I'm still not hungry. I feel so... ANITA: That's probably you coming down from your drugs. Brady looks up, shocked that Anita was even aware of his relapse. BRADY: What? How...? How did you even know I-- ANITA: The doctor told me during his house call. You had a rapid heart beat and dialated pupils. He figured you were high when you ended up in the water. Honestly, from what that doctor told me, it's a miracle you're even alive. Brady looks up at Anita, alarmed by her sombre statement. --- --- Anita sits at the edge of Brady's bed, conversing with him about his situation. Brady looks at Anita with a concerned look. BRADY: What do you mean, lucky to be alive? ANITA: You showed up washed ashore by the lake. Limp as a fish. I thought you'd drowned, but thankfully...I'm a retired nurse so... Brady flops down, exhausted, in the bed. Looking at the ceiling before inhaling deeply and shutting his eyes, trying to soak in each breath. BRADY: Why don't I feel so lucky? ANITA: Probably withdrawals. And your body's probably weak. Lucky for you, I managed to get your body warmed up, or that cold lake water would've killed you before the withdrawal symptoms ever could. BRADY: Great. (sigh) I don't think I wanna eat. ANITA: I'll leave it here for you anyway. You might get hungry later. But you do need to eat. Anita gets up and heads for the door, stopping and turning back, as though remembering something. ANITA: I'll make you a pot of tea, that might help. Brady continues to stare blankly at the ceiling. BRADY: I...sure. Anita stands in the doorway and smiles. ANITA: I'll be back in a minute. As Anita walks out, Brady summons the strength to sit up again in the bed. Looking around the room, he looks out the window overlooking the lake. The images flood back in his mind of the night of his accident. His harsh words for Theresa. The sound of his car speeding into the icy water. He shudders as he relives the moment of panic, recalling the impact. He flops back in bed, squinting his eyes shut, as if shutting his eyes will wipe the memories away. --- Sami stands in the DiMera living room, standing before the desk. She closes up her briefcase after filing away some papers, and putting her tablet inside her purse, as she hears the living room doors swing open. She continues preparing, assuming EJ is at the door to motivate her to get a move on. SAMI: I'll be there in a sec, EJ, just gotta... Sami turns around and jumps back immediately upon realizing Nick is at the door, not EJ. NICK: Oh come on, Sami! I'm way skinnier than EJ. But I appreciate the compliment. He's a looker, that one! Sami looks on, eyes squinting with malice. SAMI: What do you want, Nick? NICK: Just wanted to have a little talk with you. SAMI: Well, I don't have time right now. I have to get to the hospital, as a matter of fact. Sami tries to walk out, appearing busy as she collects her things. Nick grabs Sami's arm to stop her, causing Sami to stop in her tracks, a bit of a shiver as she looks at Nick with an insane contempt. Nick looks back, an arrogant, dangerous nonchalance in his eyes. NICK: Not so fast, Sami. This will only take a minute. And I think it's in your best interests, and Kate's...and Gabi's...if you stuck around for....just a minute. Don't you think? Sami continues to stare him down as Nick retains his firm grasp on her arm. --- Nicole sits at her office desk and looks down at the flash drive Nick's given her. NICOLE: (sigh) Alright. Let's see what dirty little secrets you have locked inside you. Nicole holds the drive in her hand before rolling her eyes. NICOLE: Although, knowing Nick, he's probably just loaded a virus onto this thing to wipe my hard drive clean. Oh well, I'll just expense a new one with my new boss, I guess. With a bit of a laugh, Nicole plugs the flash drive into her computer. She talks herself through the process as though she's at a slot machine in Vegas. NICOLE: Alright, baby, show Mama the money.... Nicole looks on with laser-focus as the document list appears on her monitor. Clicking on the first document, she waits with baited breath as the document loads on her screen. She inhales deeply as she soaks in the information. NICOLE: My God. Victor, you're going DOWN. Nicole smiles a satisfied smile as she reads on. --- Will relaxes a moment, miraculously keeping his coffee cup in tact as he steps inside his office toward Alex. WILL: I...Alex. I...sure, what do you need? ALEX: Come here. Alex opens a folder as Will steps close to him. Alex leans in close to him, causing Will to tense up. Alex begins to show him a document for Will to work on. ALEX: I'm gonna start you off slowly, just to get your feet wet, so...here...is a press release we'll be sending out tomorrow regarding the property acquisition problems we're having. As Alex speaks,Will feels Alex's body move in close to him, his breath on his neck, and every touch, no matter how inadvertent, excites him. Will breathes in deeply to try to relax himself, all the while, so focused on holding himself back, that he barely listens to Alex. ALEX: Okay, so... Will sits himself down at his desk to look over the file, as Alex crouches down beside him. Will sets his coffee on the table and leans in close again, as Alex explains the file. ALEX: So essentially, you'll be editing this for time, and we need this to read more like progress is being made on this front. We can't let the press see that we're stagnant on this issue. Will moves his arm over to point to a piece of this document. WILL: Right, so, here... Will clips his coffee mug as he points over the folder and knocks it off his desk...and all over Alex's shirt. Alex jumps back and Will jumps up from his seat. WILL: Oh God. I'm... Alex looks himself over, holding back a curse as he tries to undo his tie and shirt before the heat of the coffee burns him. ALEX: Ow Ow ow ow ow! WILL: Ahhh I'm sorry, here, here, here, let me get that off...you... As Will jumps over and helps peel Alex's wet shirt off him, they both stop a moment. Will looks down at Alex's body and swallows hard. He stutters as he tries to speak. WILL: I...I'm so sorry. I just...I... Alex laughs a bit, looking at an obviously embarrassed Will. ALEX: Don't worry. I'm...a klutz half the time myself. Uh...look. Let me...go change. I bring a change of clothes usually just in case...a pen explodes...bit of my lunch falls on me... WILL: Some idiot newbie spills coffee on you on the first day. Alex smiles, putting a hand on Will's shoulder in reassurance. ALEX: Nah, come on. Don't be so hard on yourself. Will. I'm not gonna fire you for this. If I was going to, I'dve fired myself last year. Okay? Will nods sheepishly. Alex now puts both hands on Will's shoulders, looking up at Will to try to convince him to look up his way. Will finally does, and their eyes lock. Will's defenses go down and he smiles at Alex, they both laugh gently at their situation, as Will's eyes get distracted by Alex's shirtless body. --- Marlena arrives at University Hospital's board room to find it filled with people from all over the hospital. She quickly walks over to Laura, who looks over and greets Marlena. LAURA: Good morning. I take it you got word about the meeting? MARLENA: Yes, I did. It's unusual of them to ask so many people to one of these meetings, so I'm rather curious what it could be about. LAURA: Sounds serious. MARLENA: It very well could be. Laura looks over to see Jennifer walk into the room with Liam in tow. Laura stares with a deeply troubled look, which Marlena immediately picks up on. MARLENA: Laura...are you alright? Laura holds her gaze a moment longer before responding, looking Marlena's way only as she finishes speaking. LAURA: I'm fine. I'm...just fine. MARLENA: Why don't I believe you? Laura smiles and tries to reassure her friend, but is barely able to reassure herself. LAURA: Don't worry. I'll be just fine. Marlena looks on, deciding to drop it, as the door closes behind a newly arriving Kayla, who calls out to the room for their attention. KAYLA: Good morning, everyone! Let's get started! Kayla walks over to the head of the board room table. She remains standing as she speaks to the crowd gathered in the room. KAYLA: So...you're probably wondering why I've called this meeting this morning. And I do want to thank you all for coming out on such short notice....but I am...officially announcing my resignation as Chief of Staff at University Hospital. The crowd look on, stunned by Kayla's announcement. ---

EPISODE 69 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson Nick walks up to the door of Percy's cabin, and knocks on the door. After a short wait, Percy answers merrily, as always. PERCY: Greetings, Master Fallon! How are you doing this fine day? NICK: Just great, Percy! Percy steps out of the way to allow Nick to step inside. Closing the door behind Nick, Nick gets down to business almost immediately. PERCY: So to what do I owe the pleasure, Nicholas? Nick puts his bag down on the table and unzips it. NICK: Well, I have some news, and a job for you. Nick pulls out his laptop and sets it on Percy's dining room table. NICK: Uh...you don't mind if I plug this in at all, do you? PERCY: Not at all. NICK: Thanks. As Nick plugs the computer into the outlet in the wall, he continues to talk to Percy. NICK: So...my news is...ah, there we go...that we finalized the Titan TV sale. The propaganda campaign is off. Percy smiles from ear to ear at the news. He walks over to the dining room table, holding back a bit his glee, in his own, incredibly posh British way. PERCY: I...oh, I am so grateful to you, Nicholas. You have truly saved the day. I...how can I ever repay you for your kindness? Nick sits down at the table in front of his computer, and opens it. He smiles up at Percy. NICK: Funny you should ask. I have a little job for you, as I said. And you won't even have to leave your home to do it. But...for that to work, you're going to have to connect yourself to the world wide web. PERCY: ...I'm sorry? NICK: The internet. Because you, Percy, my friend, are going to be doing some...surveillance. Percy looks on, baffled by Nick's request. --- Sami talks with Marlena, Maggie, and Laura after Brady's memorial has ended in the town square, sipping on what's left of her drink, before hearing her phone ring. SAMI: Oh...uh...I think that's my phone...just one sec. Sami searches through her bag to find her phone as she steps away from the group. Pulling her phone out, she sees that it's EJ. She excitedly answers, while trying to find a quiet spot to talk. SAMI: Hey! EJ! What's up? I'm just at the memorial, it's wrapping up. ... EJ: Samantha. Saw your text. Listen to me carefully. We are making a bid on Titan TV. Meet me at the house immediately. Tell NOBODY what you're doing. You understand me? ... SAMI: Completely. See you in a minute. Sami hangs up and smiles widely. Looking around her to make sure nobody's looking, she talks to herself. SAMI: Ohhh EJ. You did it again. --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og7-6YubuS4 --- The crowd returns to conversing at Town Square for Brady's memorial after John's speech. Most if not all still have drinks in hand. Gabi spots Hope in the crowd and waves, trying to subtly get her attention. Hope notices and stops her conversation with John, and excuses herself before heading over to Gabi. GABI: So, did you do it? Hope grabs Gabi's arm and looks around to make sure no one's listening in. HOPE: We can't talk here, Gabi. GABI: What do you mean? Hope looks at Gabi incredulously. HOPE: Are you nuts? There's people we know everywhere. Come with me, now. Gabi stutters to respond before following Hope out of the square, both of them looking around with suspicion as they do. Nicole stands with Chloe, sipping on their sparkling juice and having a chat. Chloe looks uncomfortable, a fact Nicole picks up on. NICOLE: You alright, you seem a little...nervous. CHLOE: Well, wouldn't you be if Victor Kiriakis spent all his time staring you down? Nicole rolls her eyes, dismissively gesturing at Chloe's comment. NICOLE: Oh please! Chloe, haven't you ever heard of 'resting bitch face'? Chloe looks at Nicole, confused. CHLOE: Yeah... NICOLE: Well, it's something like that. Honestly, if I got as worried as you are every time Victor tried staring me down, I'd never get any work done. Chloe shrugs in acknowledgement. CHLOE: Fair enough. I just don't trust Victor when he's mad. NICOLE: Honey, don't let it to you. Look, let's just...celebrate Brady, okay? That's what we're here for. Not dwelling about...whatever bone Victor wants to pick with you. Right? Chloe cracks a faint smile. CHLOE: Right. Nicole raises her glass, Chloe meets with hers as they toast. NICOLE: Come on. Let's go mingle. Nicole turns to walk with Chloe, but spots a sour-looking Eric in one of the seats set up for the speeches. Concerned, she looks Chloe's way a moment. NICOLE: Uh...you go ahead without me a second, okay? Chloe, spotting Eric as Nicole speaks to her, clues in immediately, and nods. CHLOE: Sure. NICOLE: Thanks. Nicole squeezes Chloe's arm as a goodbye before walking over to sit with a solemn Eric. NICOLE: Hey. You gonna join the party or what? ERIC: Nicole. Hey...yeah...I...just give me a moment, okay? Nicole leans into Eric, putting arm around him. NICOLE: I miss him too. Eric stands up, in an effort to shake off Nicole's touch. ERIC: it's not Brady, Nicole. It's...everything. NICOLE: What do you mean, Eric? ERIC: I just...I need to go. Alone. Eric storms off, leaving Nicole sitting in her seat, flabbergasted by Eric's strange reaction. --- Brady lays in bed, looks around the bedroom he's woken up in, trying to decipher where exactly he is, when a woman walks in. An older woman, but it's plain to see she was stunning as a young woman, and has aged beautifully now. She appears pleasantly surprised to see Brady awake. ANITA: Ah! You're awake, finally. I was starting to worry when it took you about a day longer than the doctor expected to wake up. Brady looks up at the woman, confused. BRADY: I...wha...where am I, exactly? The woman smiles and sits down on the bed next to him, she puts a hand to his forehead. ANITA: About thirty miles from anywhere...Hah! You're not even running a fever anymore. BRADY: Wait, what? Who...who are you exactly? ANITA: My name's Anita. I'm the one who found you floating around in the lake. Brady furrows his brow, confused by Anita's statement. BRADY: I...what? ANITA: The lake. We're right by Smith Lake. You are...very, very lucky, I have to say. BRADY: Woah, woah, woah, wait....lucky? What...what happened to me? Anita looks down at Brady, shaking her head. ANITA: That...I could not tell you. --- Gabi and Hope step into the park alongside Town Square. Gabi looks at Hope with a worried look. GABI: Hope...what is happening? Did you... Gabi looks around to make sure no one hears them before continuing. GABI: ...did you find anything at Nick's apartment? HOPE: No, Gabi. That's what I wanted to tell you. Nick's apartment turned up clean. There wasn't so much as a bottle of Aspirin. Gabi looks at Hope, shocked. GABI: That's impossible, I... HOPE: You what, Gabi? Gabi catches herself before saying anything more, but is now panicked, searching for an answer. --- Sami bursts into the DiMera mansion living room, excited by EJ's earlier call. EJ sits at his desk, but stands up quickly as Sami walks in. SAMI: Okay, so what's the deal? EJ walks over to the living room doors and looks out into the hallway before shutting them. He looks back Sami's way and holds his finger to his lips. EJ: Careful, just in case father's lurking. Sami rolls her eyes and whispers as loudly as she can, SAMI: Okay, okay, now SPILL! EJ: I just got off the phone with Chad. We're going to use one of our hidden shell corporations to pick up Titan TV for a bargain right under Victor's nose. SAMI: I had a feeling you were onto something. EJ: Right, now, once we pick up Titan TV, we use that to grow Countess W's advertising base, and end this travesty of an energy project Victor's hellbent on setting up. It's a win-win. Sami looks excitedly at EJ, the tension between them non-existant in this moment. SAMI: I can't believe you've pulled this off. EJ: Well, I haven't yet. But I know that if we hadn't done it, Nick Fallon would have been controlling your lives until the end of time. Sami is crashed back into reality, remembering Nick's blackmail. SAMI: Oh, how could I forget? Do you really think that going so far out of our way to give into Nick's demands is a good idea. EJ: Samantha, the more control we have over this situation, the less Nick can control you, Gabi, and Kate. That's what matters. It's just a little...added bonus that we can use this TV station to stick it to Victor. No? Sami raises and eyebrow and smiles at EJ, the first smile EJ's seen from Sami in weeks. He smiles in kind. --- Percy stands at his table in his cabin, looking at Nick with a confused look on his face. PERCY: I...eh...Nicholas... Nick looks up from his laptop, a smile on his face. NICK: Yep? PERCY: What on Earth do you mean, surveillance? I...I barely know how to use a computer! NICK: Oh. It's nothing. Nick waves dismissively as he stands up from the dinner table, and reaches into his bag. He pulls out a small black plastic box and places it on the table with almost ceremonial care. NICK: This....is an external hard drive. You are going to collect as much data as you can on every...single...member of the Titan executive as you can. Nick pulls a set of papers out from his bag and hands them to Percy. NICK: These are the people you need to focus on. Study them carefully, their faces, their responsibilities. Percy flips through the pages before stopping Nick and looking at him quizzically. PERCY: I'm sorry, Nicholas but...what exactly is the meaning of this? Nick stops, looking Percy's way with a huge grin. NICK: Why, it's quite simple, Percy. Blackmail. ---

EPISODE 64 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson Jordan sits attentively at her desk at the hospital, waiting on Sheryl to fill her in on what the next step of their plan is. JORDAN: Okay. Tell me, what's this great plan of yours? SHERYL: Simple. I made a phone call today, to an old friend of ours. Jordan's brow furrows, as she pulls her glasses off her face. JORDAN: An old friend? Sheryl leans in, smirking confidently at Jordan as she quietly tells her the name of their old friend. SHERYL: Jerome Grant. Jordan leans back, surprise plain on her face as the news hits her. --- Sonny picks up his cell phone from the table at his apartment. Will and Gabi are milling about making dinner as Sonny looks back at them. He tries to be subtle as he makes his phone call to Victor. ... Victor picks up his office phone at Titan, standing at his desk, and casually answers. VICTOR: Victor Kiriakis. ... SONNY: I need to see you immediately. We have to talk. Alone. ... VICTOR: I won't be here much longer. Meet me at the office before we go to Brady's memorial. ... SONNY: See you then. Sonny turns to grab his jacket from the closet, and calls out to Gabi and Will. SONNY: I have to go for a minute....there's a...uh...problem with a shipment at the club. Meet you at Town Square? WILL: Alright. GABI: We're just finishing up lunch before we go. You sure you don't want a sandwich for the road? SONNY: No, I'll be fine. I can grab something fast at the club before the service. GABI: Okay! WILL: See you soon. Love you! SONNY: Love you! Bye, guys! WILL & GABI: Bye!! As Sonny shuts the door, his positive demeanour immediately vanishes, as he sighs. SONNY: Dammit, Uncle Vic. I'm not gonna let you take Will down this road. Not in a million years. --- John arrives at Brady's memorial service, which is still being set up in the square. Spotting Kayla with Roman, John walks over casually to greet his friend. KAYLA: John! So good to see you! I'm...so sorry to hear about Brady. John and Kayla embrace warmly, as Roman looks on with a faint smile. JOHN: Good to see you too, Kay. Appreciate it. How's everyone holding up? KAYLA: Ah, well,you know...as good as can be expected. JOHN: Understood. Listen...uh...Roman, can your sister and I have a little chat alone for a sec, I have something....kind of important to discuss with her. Roman nods in agreement, collecting himself after his memory lapse minutes before. ROMAN: Sure thing, John. It's good to see you. JOHN: Same to you, man. John and Roman exchange a quick slap-on-the-back hug as they go their separate ways. John casually grabs Kayla's arm as they walk towards a quieter corner of the square. KAYLA: Okay, this sounds really important if you're sequestering me away in dark, dark corners. What's going on? JOHN: Well... John stops for a moment and takes a quick look around to see who's paying attention as he speaks. JOHN: You know I've been away for awhile in Europe, right? KAYLA: Of course, we've all been worried about you. JOHN: Well...we need you to come with us. It's urgent. Kayla looks surprised and taken aback by John's request. --- Nick walks through the park just outside Horton Town Square. He calls Kate again. ... Kate is now in her own office, indignant and annoyed by Nick's repeated attempts to contact her at inopportune times. KATE: What? ... NICK: Now, now, Kate. Is that any way to talk to someone who just got you exactly what you needed. ... KATE: You'd better pray your little trigger finger didn't just land us in the unemployment line. Victor saw I was calling you and put together that it was your tip that brought John to the board meeting today. ... NICK: Victor will only figure that out if you spill the beans. Which I know you won't since your very freedom depends on it. Am I right? ... Kate sighs into the phone, fed up of Nick's threats but incapable of lashing out. ... NICK: Now, sit tight, because now the real fun is gonna begin. And I'm going to make us gobs an gobs of money. ... Kate continues to stand by her desk, phone in ear, suspcious of every word coming from Nick's mouth but playing along. KATE: From your mouth to God's ear, my dear. ... Nick laughs softly, but almost maniacally. NICK: As long as you don't screw this up, everything you want can be yours. --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og7-6YubuS4 --- Gabi and Will sit down to eat their lunch, as Gabi feeds Arianna. Gabi looks at Will, who seems zoned out a bit, not eating his lunch. Gabi waves her hand in front of his face. GABI: Hey! Earth to Will Will snaps back to reality and smiles, grabbing his sandwich from his plate. WILL: Sorry. Just...had a moment there. GABI: Where did you go just then? Will sighs and looks down at his sandwich, suddenly feeling not very hungry. He puts the food back down on his plate and looks up at Gabi. WILL: Was just thinking about Brady, and Theresa, and...just how stupid this all is. I mean, we could here today and gone the next...and for what? I mean, seriously, if we don't live our lives to their full potential every day...there's no guarantee there'll be another chance, you know? Gabi smiles and reaches her hand out across the kitchen table, placing her hand over Will's, and giving it a comforting squeeze. GABI: I know exactly what you mean, and if there's one good thing to come from all this, it's that we're remembering that, and that every day's a chance to make our lives better... Gabi looks at Ari, who's caught her attention, gurgling as she picks up a pea off her plate and puts it in her mouth. Gabi smiles as Will looks over to Ari as well. GABI: ...And for our daughter too. Just as Gabi says this, Will's phone rings. Grabbing it from off the kitchen table, Will looks at it, and sees Club TBD's number on the screen. Confused, he answers. WILL: (into phone) Hey, what's up? ... It's T, calling from the club, where a rush of rowdy customers are calling out to T, who's a bit frazzled behind the bar. T: Uh...hey, Will! It's T. Any idea where Sonny is? ... WILL: I...yeah, he's on his way to the club now, T. Didn't he just tell you that? ... T looks confused, looking over his shoulder as he speaks, holding up one finger to a customer. T: Uh, no. Sonny hasn't spoken with us since this morning, dude. Look, it's really busy at the club, and I can't get Sonny to answer his phone, so can you just let him know to come down here ASAP when he can? ... Will looks to Gabi, a look of concern now on his face, as he answers T in an almost half-listening way. WILL: ...yeah. Sure. K, Bye. ... Will hangs up, and furrows his brow, confused by the exchange he just had. WILL: Sonny never called anyone at the club. GABI: Okay, that's weird. WILL: Yeah, really. So, the question is, where the Hell IS he, and why didn't he want me to know about it? --- Kayla looks over her shoulder to check and make sure nobody's paying attention to her conversation with John. KAYLA: What do you mean? JOHN: I mean, we need you. Trust me. I can't tell you anything more than that it has to be you that comes with me. KAYLA: But....I mean, John, you can't expect me to just...up and abandon my job, my home... John holds his hand up to stop Kayla midsentence. Kayla stops herself but is still unconvinced. JOHN: I will cover your expenses, and the bills will get paid. Kayla looks down, shaking her head. John's eye remain locked on her, regardless. JOHN: I need your help. I'll even pay for Joey to come with you while you're away, we just need your help. KAYLA: Why can't you tell me now what's going on? Who it even involves. You keep saying 'we' but...I mean, are you there with Shane? Bo? (laughs) Steve?? Haven't heard from HIM in awhile! John leans over and almost whispers to her. JOHN: Yes. Kayla looks up suddenly, shocked by John's confession. JOHN: I can't say anything more than that. But trust me, this is just as much a professional request as a personal one. Now...can I trust you to be on the plane with me tomorrow? KAYLA: I...John, I can't just...go...I need to figure this out. JOHN:: I can arrange a plane out for you by the end of the week if that works better for you. KAYLA: Just....can you give me until tonight to think it over? John nods, reluctantly agreeing to Kayla's terms. JOHN: Sure. I'll wait. KAYLA: Thank you. Come on, let's join the others. The ceremony should be starting any minute now. John takes Kayla's arm and escorts her back into the crowd, he looks to her with a warm smile. JOHN: Sounds good to me. --- Sonny steps into Victor's office, where Victor stands before his desk, rifling through some papers. Noticing the door opening, Victor turns around to see Sonny. His greeting makes plain his sombre mood. VICTOR: Sonny. What was so urgent? Sonny breathes in deeply, mustering all his courage to stand up to his great uncle. SONNY: I heard your associate offered Will a job today. VICTOR: Ah, yes. Tyler ran it by me. He read an article Will wrote for his blog, said that was just the kind of angle we needed to promote our energy program at EnerNext. I figured you'd be thrilled that your fiance was able to get such a prestigious job so soon after graduating. Sonny steps toward Victor, trying hard to not come across upset. He smiles a bit, but is clearly stammering in frustration, as Victor speaks, he tries to get Victor to end his long speech. SONNY: I...uh...mmm...Uncle Vic, stop. Please. VICTOR: What is it? I thought you were proud of Will. SONNY: I am. And I'm thrilled that you all feel the same way. But you can't offer Will this job. You need to rescind that offer. --- Kim stands with her police escort, in front of Billie and Daniel at University Hospital by the doorway of Theresa's hospital room. She holds in her hand, a copy of the restraining order against Billie. BILLIE: You can't be serious, Kim. Billie snatches the paper from Kim's hand as she spits out her words. Kim looks into Billie's eyes with smug malice. KIM: 100% serious. You can't be within 100 feet of my little girl. BILLIE: Oh, your little girl, hm? You're never going to see has an adult woman, are you, Kim? You know, like, an autonomous person who can make her own decisions about who she befriends? Or who she confides in? Or who she trusts? Kim's cool toughness disappears in a flash as Billie cuts into Kim, suddenly emerges rage and vitriol as she stares Billie down and fires her own shot Billie's way, holding back the full volume of her anger. KIM: I will not have you talk to me about my daughter. You have no idea about how things really were in our home, and you're not about to give me lessons in being a mother now. BILLIE: Oh, right. Because you've done such a bang-up job! KIM: How dare you? Daniel steps in at this point to try to cool things down, but the two women's eyes never leave each other. Kim's police escort hangs back, trying not to get involved in case anything escalates. DANIEL: Ooookay, ladies. Let's take a step back from each other a minute before we say anything we'll regret. We ARE in a hospital, after all. Billie stands down a bit, turning to Daniel, a sarcastic smile on her face. BILLIE: Oh, don't worry, Daniel. Anything I have to say to Kim, I can say through my lawyer! Billie storms away, heading for the elevators, as Kim watches, a smile of satisfaction on her face, but she simultaneously breathes in deeply, as though it's all been a front. Daniel sees the emotion in her eyes and puts a hand on Kim's shoulder. DANIEL: Are you sure you're alright? Kim wells up a bit when Daniel speaks, she looks up at a concerned Daniel and smiles. KIM: Oh yeah. I'm fine. (sigh) Thanks! DANIEL: Alright. If you need to sit down a minute, you can use my office. Kim smiles and takes Daniel's hand, squeezing it. KIM: Thank you, Daniel. I'll be fine. Can I see my daughter? DANIEL: Absolutely. Daniel waves to the officer, who then steps away, heading for the elevator, as Daniel guides Kim into Theresa's room. As Billie waits for the elevator not far away, she looks on with pure disgust in her face. The elevator door opens, and Billie curses Kim before stepping on. BILLIE: I swear to God, Kim, you haven't beat me yet. ---

EPISODE 62 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson Victor and Tyler stand at the head of the board room table at Titan HQ, as the board meeting comes to a head. John Black stands with them at the table, with Kate & Lucas Roberts, Billie Reed, and Justin Kiriakis sat around the table, with Nelson, another Titan board member, waiting impatiently for the vote to conclude. Victor looks back John's way, as Tyler clears his throat, looking back toward John. TYLER: So! Yes. Back to the vote. John Black, as proxy voter for Brady Black, a vote of 'yay' would mean you are in favour of retaining the Titan TV division, a vote of 'nay' would mean you are in favour of Titan divesting of all Titan TV properties. What say you? John looks calmly around the room, smiling as the rest of the room impatiently waits for his answer. JOHN: I vote...'nay'. Victor immediately slams his fist on the table in anger. VICTOR: Damn it, John! Tyler carries on through Victor's protestations. Everyone around the table mutters to each other, soaking in the shocking turn of events John's arrival has brought. TYLER: Therefore, by a margin of 5-4, I declare this vote closed. Titan shall be divesting itself of its Titan TV division, placing it up for sale immediately. Victor stares John down, looking directly into John's eyes with malice. VICTOR: You will regret this, John. JOHN: Are you kidding, Vic? I just did you one big favour. You oughta thank me. John grabs his briefcase, nods Victor and Kate's way and strolls out of the board room. Victor is left looking defeated as the board members filter from the room. As Kate makes her attempt to leave, Victor quickly grabs her arm to stop her from slinking away. KATE: Ow! VICTOR: Not so fast, Kate. I know what you're up to, and I'm not gonna let you get away with it. --- Nick opens the door to his apartment, and he and Hope step inside. They're chatting and laughing as they do, with Hope scurrying Nick inside. HOPE: Hurry, hurry, hurry, I need to go to the bathroom. NICK: (laughing) Okay, okay! Go! It's right there. HOPE: Thank yooou! Hope runs into the bathroom quickly and shuts the door. Once inside the bathroom, Hope's need to pee immediately vanishes. Hope puts on her detective face and, to avoid suspicion, noisily lifts the toilet seat. She then quickly steps over to the medicine cabinet. Hope very quietly opens it and looks inside. As the door of the medicine cabinet opens, it squeaks, making Hope jump. She stops the door immediately then waits, hoping Nick doesn't respond to the noise. After a moment of nothing, Hope carries on, but Nick immediately thereafter calls out to her through the door. NICK: Hey Hope! I'm just going to step out for a second to speak to the concierge, alright? Hope is startled by Nick's announcement and nearly doubles back when she hears him. She manages to pull it together and smiles through gritted teeth before calling back out to him. HOPE: Alright! I'll be out in just a sec. Hope waits another second for the door to shut before she opens the door to the bathroom. Sighing heavily, she steps out of the bathroom, not having seen anything in the medicine cabinet and not knowing where else to look for the pills Gabi hopes she'll find. Suddenly, Hope looks up to see Nick's briefcase. Her eyes light up. HOPE: Of course. Hope makes a beeline for Nick's laptop bag, which he uses for a briefcase. She opens it up and commencing looking through the various compartments, but just before reaching the compartment where the pills are, she hears a loud knock on the door. Hope is startled, but after a moment's pause, goes back to looking through the bag. A moment later, the knocking continues, and a voice is heard through the door. NICOLE: (while knocking) Nick! Open the door, you little shmuck, I wanna have a word with-- The door opens and Nicole nearly whacks Hope in the face when she opens the door. NICOLE: ...you. --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og7-6YubuS4 --- Eric Brady walks through the Horton Town Square, setting up the final touches for Brady's memorial service with the help of his grandmother, Caroline. As Eric finishes, he walks over towards Caroline as Marlena scurries in, getting everyone's attention as she seems rather flustered. MARLENA: Oh, Eric. Caroline! I'm so sorry I'm late. I had one hell of a morning. ERIC: It's alright, Mom. It's good to see you. Eric reaches over to give his mother a hug, before Caroline reaches out to Marlena as well. CAROLINE: Marlena, don't worry about it. We handled things just fine on this end. MARLENA: Well, that's good to hear. Listen, Caroline, I know this isn't really the time or place, but I need to have a talk with you later on about Roman. Caroline and Eric look at Marlena with a bit of surprise and concern. CAROLINE: Roman? Is something wrong? ERIC: Is dad okay? What's...? Marlena waves her hand to stop them. MARLENA: No, no. It's not...urgent. He's fine. Whenever you have the time, I just have...something to discuss with you. CAROLINE: Sure. Stop by the pub later? Marlena gives Caroline a reassuring smile. MARLENA: Sure. CAROLINE: If you don't mind though, I'm going to try to get ahold of Nicole. She was going to try to track a few more people down that we hadn't reached yet. Marlena turns back to Eric, who still looks a bit concerned. She holds out her hand to touch her son's face to reassure him. MARLENA: Oh, Eric, stop worrying. Your father's just fine. ERIC: Why don't I believe you? MARLENA: (sighs) Eric, your father and I just had a rather...intense discussion last night. It's nothing to be worried about. Eric looks at Marlena, unconvinced, but nods. ERIC: Okay. I'll let it go. But if something's going on with Dad-- MARLENA: ...I will let you know immediately. Eric finally smiles, though the worry is still plain on his face. ERIC: Thanks, Mom. MARLENA: Now, let's get this together. How can I help? ERIC: Well, you can start by grabbing that folding table over in the corner with me... Marlena and Eric head off to grab the table, as Roman saunters into the square, he looks over at Brady's portrait, posted up on an easel by Tom & Alice's tree. He stares at it, confusion in his eyes. --- Nicole looks at Hope, standing in the doorway of Nick's apartment, with bewilderment. NICOLE: Hope? HOPE: Nicole? Nicole saunters into Nick's apartment, as Hope lingers back, eyebrow raised in curiosity. Nicole yammers on as she looks around for Nick. NICOLE: I...I mean I knew it was hard keeping that massive house up on a single income but I didn't think you'd have to take such a steep....downgrade. Nicole looks around the corner to see if there's more room. NICOLE: I mean, where does Ciara sleep? In the bathtub? HOPE: NICOLE! Enough. What do you want? NICOLE: To talk to Nick, obviously. HOPE: Nick stepped out for a minute, I was just here to go to the bathroom for a moment before we head out to lunch. Nick had something to drop off, you see, so...we're kind of in a hurry. NICOLE: Right, well...what I need to ask him won't take long so... HOPE: So, you can ask him later. Goodbye, Nicole. Hope holds the door open, motioning for Nicole to leave. As Nicole steps out, a sour look on her face, Nick reappears and nearly bumps into Nicole as he does. NICK: OH! Nicole! Just the person I wanted to see. Hope looks at Nick incredulously. HOPE: Really? NICK: Yeah! Uh...Hope, did you wanna just...meet me at the pub, I won't be a minute. Hope pauses a moment, not sure what's happening. HOPE: I....sure? NICK: Thanks. I promise, this won't take a moment. Hope walks out the door, not sure what's going down, but knowing it can't be anything good. She calls out to Nick as she heads out the door. HOPE: Alright...I'll grab us a seat! NICK: Sounds good! Nick closes the door behind Hope, a big smile on his face. NICK: SO! Good news! Nicole folds her arms, the sour look still on her face. NICOLE: It better be. I'm still thisclose to being fired for that stunt you pulled at the last press conference. NICK: Clear that from your mind forever, Nicole. I, Nick Fallon, have delivered for you. Nick pulls out his iPad from his bag, and, a few taps later, presents the page to Nicole. NICK: Observe. Nicole grabs the iPad, and reads the headline. BREAKING: TITAN TV TO BE SOLD TO PRIVATE INVESTOR Her eyes bulge out as she processes the news. NICOLE: What?? How did you..? NICK: Only through the magic of research, my dear. We'll talk about this later, drinks? Nicole stands, mouth agape, suddenly realizing the power Nick might be wielding. NICOLE: I.... Nick escorts Nicole to the door, Nicole still in shock, she eventually nods, as Nick hastily takes his tablet back. NICOLE: I...yeah. NICK: Give me about an hour? NICOLE: ...Sure. NICK: K, BYE! Nick abruptly slams the door in Nicole's face. He walks back into his apartment and grabs his phone, rolling his eyes at having had to deal with Nicole. NICK: Now...time to call Kate...and congratulate her on her good news. --- Kate rips her arm from Victor's grasp, holding it before adjusting herself, a scowling look on her face directed at Victor. KATE: I don't know how I was ever married to such a savage. VICTOR: Neither do I. KATE: The nerve. I just had this cleaned too, and now your greasy little hands are all over it. Vile. VICTOR: Maybe if you focused less on fashions and more on business we wouldn't have this problem. Kate pretends to be non-plussed by Victor's volatile reaction, as she turns her attentions to packing her things away into her bag. KATE: I don't know what you're talking about. VICTOR: Oh, the Hell you don't. I know what you were up to today. Someone tipped you off about John's proxy vote, and you couldn't wait to get him here. Now who put you up to it? Kate scowls at Victor, arms folded, not giving anything away, as her smartphone rings. Standing slightly away from it, she tries to casually grab it, but Victor spies the name appaearing on the screen as she turns to answer, and calls her out as she's about to press "talk". VICTOR: I swear, Kate, if Nick Fallon is behind this, you can both hand in your key cards now. Kate quickly holds the phone close to her chest and swipes to ignore the call, fearing she's been caught. ---

Welcome to the first of a few entries to start off the year for those of you who have been reading along and especially for those of you who haven't (so far). 2014 at my DAYS blog have seen a very exciting year (hopefully more exciting than on TV anyway), filled with intrigue and excitement. This first entry for 2014 will be going over one of the central stories I've been working on for 2014, and will continue well into the new year. The saga of Titan and it's big oil partner, EnerNext. EnerNext: The Corprate Saga Continues Upon Nick Fallon's misadventures in the river in the Winter of 2013 at the hands of Gabi Hernandez, Kate Roberts, and Sami Brady, Nick was presumed dead. However, a nature-loving Brit by the name of Percy rescued Nick from a wet and icy death, taking him to his secluded cottage in the woods north of Salem, where Nick was able to recuperate, as well as plot his revenge against everyone who had wronged him. Speaking with Percy at length during those long days in the cabin, Nick discovered a plan by a major energy company, EnerNext, to buy up all the land in the rural area north-west of Salem. The area was found to have a potentially lucrative fossil fuel deposit buried beneath it, mostly in hard-to-access tar sands in the soil. EnerNext needed to purchase Percy's many acres of land to commence their fracking operations. However, as Percy is an environmentalist, and avid owl-watcher, he could simply not sell his land, knowing the owls he found so fascinating would be driven away by the clear-cutting, and the extreme amount of pollution created by EnerNext's operation. Nick grew sympathetic to Percy's problems, and, upon blackmailing Kate Roberts into rehiring him at Titan subsidiary MadWorld, promised to assist him in taking down EnerNext, if in exchange, Percy assisted him in taking down Nick's enemies. Luckily for both of them, they shared a few enemies in common. After researching the situation, Nick decided to find an ally in the press to help him in his mission. He tracked down Nicole Walker, who worked as an investigative reporter for Titan TV. Nicole, desperate to get a foothold in the news business once again after her disasterous stint working for Eric Brady at St. Luke's, was initially repelled by the story of a local birdwatcher reticent to sell his land to a corporation. She was equally repelled at the thought of dealing with a convicted murderer and all-around sleaze like Nick. But the more she dug into the story, the more the story excited her. Here was a story that could really launch her career back on track. The only missing piece of the puzzle was: Who was pulling the strings to get the funding and the local backing for the project? Nick did some digging, and uncovered the very convenient truth, that EnerNext was dealing very closely with a local firm, one that Nick could easily use to his and Percy's advantage: Titan. This was less convenient for Nicole, however. Confronting EnerNext's CEO at the company's press conference held at Horton Town Square. Her barrage of tough questions for Tyler Houston, EnerNext's CEO, ranged from the environmental impact of the fracking operations, to the perception of environmental racism by virtue of the much richer oil deposits near the more affluent east end of Salem. After several minutes of questioning, punctuated by a gathered crowd of hundreds of protesters, eagerly rooting for Nicole as she put Tyler on the hot seat, Tyler finally was rescued by a visibly angered Victor, who erupted from behind the temporary stage built for the conference. Tyler announced at that moment that Titan would be acquiring EnerNext's operation. Nicole was stunned and angered, having put the fate of her career in jeopardy now that she realized that the very people she was fighting in this story were her own employers. Nicole confronted Nick about the revelation, realizing almost instantly that Nick knew that Titan and EnerNext were to merge, and didn't say anything to her about it, as it would inevitably lead to Nicole giving up the story. However, Nicole didn't realize that while she was making a fool of herself at the press conference, Nick was covering his bases, and broke into Nicole's office at Titan TV, attempting to steal back the information Nicole had collected about EnerNext during her investigation. What he came away with wasn't what he was looking for, but was much more beneficial to him. Upon opening the folder, Nick discovered evidence that Nicole had withheld from Eric regarding the identity of the doctor that created the drug cocktail used by Kristen DiMera to rape then-Father Eric, as well as the makeup of the drug itself. When Nick confronted Nicole with the evidence, Nicole was forced to continue working on the story, consequences be damned. But Nick knew to keep everything under the radar, as he had another ace up his sleeve. While digging for information, Nick stumbled upon Sheryl Connors, MadWorld's newest graphic designer, in a dark office with her friend Jordan Ridgeway. However, Nick recognized the two immediately as their true identities, Kaylie Matthews and Siobhan McKinnon: Environmental activists accused of blowing up a bank in Canada during the G8 Protests. Nick knew that they were both where they weren't supposed to be, and that they all had the same goal: bring down EnerNext and Titan. By threatening to out Sheryl and Jordan as their true identities, Nick secured their complicity in his plans. However, none of them were aware that Kate Roberts was already a step or two ahead of them. With Kate insanely jealous of Jordan's budding relationship with Rafe Hernandez, Kate had hired a private investigator to find out any information he could about Jordan Ridgeway's past. But, after sneaking into Jordan's apartment and uncovering her collection of fake IDs, it took very little time to find out who Jordan really was. Presenting the proof of Jordan's real identity to Roman Brady, Kate hoped to be rid of Jordan once and for all. Not so. Due to a legal loophole, Kaylie (Jordan) and Siobhan (Sheryl) had been acquited for the bank bombing in Canada. Roman knew that the two women were up to something, however, and agreed to help Kate find some answers before it was too late. Roman approached the ISA to bring Kate's daughter, ISA agent Billie Reed back to Salem, under the guise of working alongside her mother at MadWorld Cosmetics, all the while actually protecting her and helping her take down Sheryl and Jordan. The next step in Nick's plan would be to break apart all the elements that would allow the fracking project to become a reality. Knowing that Titan TV was a crucial element in Titan/EnerNext's plan to make the community see the benefits of the oil sands project, essentially rendering Titan TV to little more than a source of corporate propaganda, Nick set about ensuring the TV station became an entity independant of Titan. Knowing that Victor's brazen dismissal of FCC regulations, and basic journalistic principles would not sit well with the Titan board, and also recognizing not only would it look better on Titan if they shed the money-losing TV operation, he set about influencing (read: blackmailing) the members of the board that he could control. Namely Kate. Using what he knew of Kate's involvement in his attempted drowning, Kate is tasked with influencing the vote against Victor's plans to retain Titan TV, thus giving an independent voice to the news against the EnerNext oil sands project, allowing Nicole to continue investigating and reporting the potential dangers of allowing the project to come to fruition, and breaking apart the Titan empire piece by piece, all under the guise of saving Titan's shareholders money. Who stands to gain from Titan's loss of their TV station? And who is giving Nick orders? None other than Stefano DiMera. Are Nick's intentions simply to right past wrongs and save Percy's land from destruction at the hands of big oil? Or is there something much more sinister at work? Please feel free to comment and to ask questions. And thanks all of you who read my Days of Our Lives every week! Happy 2015!

EPISODE 50 Written by A. Washington-Beeby Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson Gabi sips awkwardly on a glass of wine as she sits across the table from Nick at Club TBD. Nick can sense the tension, and breaks the silence. NICK: So....are Will and Sonny looking after Ari tonight? Gabi smiles and puts her glass of wine down, stopping herself from choking on her wine as she tries to speak. GABI: Mm! Yeah...sorry, yeah, Will and Sonny are at home tonight and so...they're fine to look after her. NICK: Even knowing that you're going out with me? Gabi looks away, giving a bit of a sheepish grin. Nick clues in immediately. NICK: ...They don't know, do they? Gabi shakes her head after a second's pause. GABI: No, they...I didn't tell them it was you, I...kinda told them I was going to visit Rafe tonight, so... NICK: You shouldn't have to lie on my account. GABI: No, honestly, Nick, it's just...easier this way. I need to keep the peace at home and this...this just isn't going to make it any easier if I start going out and spending time with you again. NICK: No....I understand. Just...I don't want to complicate things for you at home, that's all. Gabi smiles and reaches out a hand, hesitantly, to Nick's across the table, as she looks thoughtfully into his eyes. Just before she places her hand over his, T walks past, and Gabi raises her hand to get his attention instead. GABI: Oh T! Can I get a Vodka soda on the rocks. Gabi smiles and looks to Nick. NICK: Uh...make mine a double. Thanks. T smiles awkwardly at them both, not overly happy with the scene before him, but willing to serve as always. T: Yoooou got it. Coming up! GABI: Thanks! Nick looks back to Gabi and smiles. After a second, he finally speaks up. NICK: Gabi, you're not just going out with me because you're afraid of me, are you? Gabi's caught off guard by Nick's directness, and stumbles to find a safe reply. --- Will lights a tall candle at the dinner table before running to dim the lights in their shared apartment. Once the lights are off, he turns to call for Sonny. WILL: Alright, you can come out now! Sonny emerges from the bedroom, shutting the door slowly behind him, almost tiptoeing as he does. SONNY: Shhh! Ari's sleeping, this might be our only quiet moment tonig...wow! WILL: Impressed? SONNY: I mean...I didn't know you could cook, let alone make all that. Will glares at Sonny, as Sonny laughs at Will's exasperation. WILL: Lucky for you, I ordered in, now would you sit down? SONNY: Okay, okay. As Sonny sits down, he leans over to kiss Will gently. They begin to dig into their meal, and a moment later, Sonny remembers to ask Will something. SONNY: Oh, I forgot to ask, did you ever show anyone your new blog? WILL: Oh yeah, I, uh...I showed it to Aunt Maggie this morning when I ran into her down at the Club. We were both grabbing coffee and I put the link into her favourites on her tablet. SONNY: Nice! I read it while you were out and...honestly, your article about raising Ari and our life here...it sounds insanely cheesy...but it really touched me. Will laughs a bit at Sonny's earnest praise. WILL: Sonny, I'm trying to eat here. Sonny rolls his eyes, before smacking Will on his arm playfully. SONNY: God, would you just take a compliment already? Seriously! WILL: (laughs) Whatever, Sonny! You're the one who got all cheesy on me. SONNY: Whatever yourself! Honestly, you're one of the best writers I've read in a long time. And I can't wait to marry you. Will smiles sheepishly at Sonny's compliment. WILL: I can't wait either. The two lean in and share a kiss across the table, softly, gently, and sweetly. The smile as they look to each other, an intense, loving gaze that couldn't be broken. --- Maggie sits in Horton Town Square, reading something intently on her tablet. She looks smart in her business attire, and reading glasses on her nose. As she studies the article before her, Tyler approaches her at the table as she takes a sip of the coffee in front of her. TYLER: You look thoroughly embroiled in that story. Mind if I distract you for a moment? Maggie looks up with a start, before pulling off her glasses and looking a smiling Tyler. She smiles back. --- EJ closes the door to Abigail's hospital room, before making a beeline for the main room of the hospital, where Sami is sitting. He stops right before a visibly shaken Sami and startles her with his brusque proclamation. EJ: You and I need to have a little chat about Abigail. --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og7-6YubuS4 --- Maggie's smile lingers on Tyler as she motions to the seat across the table from her. MAGGIE: Please do. As Tyler sits down, Maggie lays the tablet down on the table before her. MAGGIE: It's good to see you again. I know we had a sort of...quick meeting this morning when I was at Victor's office, but I'm curious, I thought you'd stepped down from EnerNext. What kind of work are you doing for Victor? TYLER: Well, basically I'm back running it now. Victor was going to take the reigns and I'd be able to pass quietly into retirement but...with this unfortunate turn of events with your grandson Brady, I'm going to be taking control back. Maggie appears less than impressed with Tyler's news. She pauses a moment and thinks carefully about what she says next. MAGGIE: I see...you know, i don't really have much good to say about that whole project you're trying to set up in the west end. TYLER: Well, why not? There's a lot of very lucrative jobs to be had, ones that will benefit your business quite handily, I might add. MAGGIE: How do you know I run a business? TYLER: It's not hard to find out these things, you know, especially with how much Victor talks about you. Maggie smiles sheepishly, blushing a little. MAGGIE: Well, it's always nice to know he's only saying nice things about his wife...uh...listen, Mr. Houston-- TYLER: ...Uh...Tyler. MAGGIE: Tyler...if you don't mind, I had promised my grand-nephew I'd read his article and tell him about it tonight, I really don't want to let him down so-- TYLER: Oh, your grand-nephew is a writer, hm? MAGGIE: Well, yes. A rather good one, I might add. TYLER: Do you mind if I have a look over it? MAGGIE: Not at all. Tyler takes Maggie's tablet from the table and sits down a minute to read it. Maggie leans in, putting her elbows down on the table and leaning into her hands. MAGGIE: Now, be easy on him, he's fresh out of college, you know. Tyler doesn't respond right away. Carefully reading his writing, Tyler seems transfixed by what he's reading. TYLER: That only makes what I'm reading more impressive. This boy has a real way with the written word that's rare in those twice his age. It's something we really need at EnerNext in our PR department. I...hope this isn't too presumptuous or anything, but...you wouldn't mind putting me in contact with him, would you? Maggie is taken aback by Tyler's enthusiasm for Will's work. She struggles to respond to Tyler's request. --- Nick is now starting to get a little more lazy in his movements as he sits with Gabi at Club TBD, the result of three double vodka sodas. Gabi tries to appear as though she's enjoying herself, but is having a hard time. NICK: (laughs) ...and so...then they came in and BAM! Gabi jumps back a bit at Nick's joke, putting a phony smile on her face and taking another sip of her drink. NICK: And...then...I forget the rest. You know...it's so good to be here with you again, Gabi. I...mmmissed you. GABI: Me too, Nick. Me too. NICK: You know, you and me should...we should go back to my new place. I just got a new place and we...we should go to it. Gabi smiles knowingly now. Almost relieved that Nick's made the suggestion now. GABI: Yes! Yes, that's a good idea. Let me settle up and we'll head up. Gabi goes to get up, but Nick waves to get her to stop, pulling his wallet out and lazily handing her arbitrary bills. NICK: Gabi Gabi Gabi Gabi Gabi HERE! He's handed her six $1s and a $100. NICK: Tell T he can keep the change. Gabi slowly walks over to pay the bill. T glances over to Nick, sitting less-than-gallantly at the table. T: You sure he's gonna be alrght? GABI: Oh he'll be fine. T: Yeah, but....what about YOU? GABI: T, for the first time in a very long time, I feel like everything is under control. --- Will and Sonny are cleaning up after dinner, when Will's cell phone starts to ring. He puts a plate he's rinsed on the dish rack before picking up the phone. WILL: Hm...strange. SONNY: What's that? WILL: Strange number. Let me see. Will answers the phone, an unsure tone in his voice. WILL: I...uh...Will Horton speaking. * * * Tyler replies at the Town Square. He paces back and forth as he speaks. TYLER: Yes, William. It's Tyler Houston from EnerNext. I was hoping to speak to you at some point. * * * WILL: Uh...yes, regarding what, exactly? * * * TYLER: Well, I just read some of your writing, and I'm interested in discussing an opportunity with our company's PR department. Uh...would you be available to meet with me this evening? * * * Will stutters and stumbles, in shock at the sudden offer dropped in his lap. --- Sami stands up, very displeased with EJ's tone and walks with him to the waiting room nearby. As the door closes, Sami tears into EJ. SAMI: How dare you come over to me like that when you know what I've been like this last week. I just got out of a therapy session and you come barrelling at me like that?? What the Hell's wrong with you?! EJ: (over Samantha's tirade) Samantha, Samantha! Woah! I'm sorry. I'M Sorry. Okay? Something has come up that I got excited about, and...I think you should listen to what I have to say. Sami steps back, arms folded. She glowers at EJ, who begins to relax after a moment of silence. EJ: Alright. So, DiMera has a rather...extensive project in Europe right now that we need a strong writer to help with publicity and marketing. And I think this is an excellent opportunity for Abigail. SAMI: I...you're right, it could be great, but...she just started with us at Countess W, I mean...don't you think she might be over her head a bit? I mean, she's been so stressed out lately herself... EJ: I don't think that will be a problem. In fact, I think this might be exactly what Abigail needs. A change of scenery, some new faces, the ability to work her magic on her own. It could be exactly what she needs. Sami thinks about it a moment, then turns back to EJ, nodding in agreement. SAMI: I think...I think you're right. We should go ahead with that. EJ: Excellent, I'll go tell her right away. EJ makes a beeline for the door, but Sami calls out to him just before his hand touches the doorknob. SAMI: Oh, wait, EJ. EJ: Yes, Samantha. SAMI: How is she doing? EJ: Great. She just had a hit on the head, she'll be out soon enough, maybe even tonight. SAMI: Maybe we should call Jennifer or somet-- EJ:...NO! No, I wouldn't worry about that. It'll be fine. EJ steps out of the office, leaving Sami confused by EJ's strong reaction to Sami's suggestion. EJ walks down the hallway, almost running for Abby's hospital room. He opens the door to her room, and Abigail turns to him, unpleasantly surprised to see him. ABBY: EJ... EJ shuts the door quietly but intensely. A menacing look across his face that immediately intimidates Abigail. EJ: So...when exactly were you going to tell me you were pregnant? ---