Episode #13680 ~ Ciara supports Ben on the day of his final appeal; Xander and Victor realize Ciara has been playing them; Kayla confronts Steve one-on-one; Gina lashes out at Rafe.
Kayla: I--I just had such a bad nightmare. I dreamt that you-- you left Salem
and you-- you cut off all contact between us. So I sent you divorce papers,
trying to tell you how desperately I needed you. And you just sent them back,
signed. And just like that, our marriage was over.
Steve: Oh, baby. Don't worry. You're awake now. It was just a dream.
Kayla: Hm. [Groans softly]
Justin: Hey. Kayla. Kayla. What is it?
Kayla: It was nothing. It was just a--just a dream.
Steve: I don't understand how Steve Johnson could wear this ridiculous thing all
those years. I feel like I should be singing baritone in that insufferable piece
of tripe by Gilbert and Sullivan. [Phone rings] What the hell do you want?
Hope: Just because you woke up on the wrong side of the bed does not give you
the right to take my head off.
Steve: It was a couch. And to wake up on the wrong side would imply that I
actually slept.
Hope: Oh, Steffy. What is a sleepless night or two? This is exactly what you
wanted, to be under the same roof as your queen of the night.
Steve: Yes. Marlena is so close to being mine, Gina. I'm perfectly positioned to
move forward with my plans for her.
Hattie: What plans?
Roman: Hey.
Rafe: Hey. Thank you. Thank you for coming by.
Roman: What's going on?
Rafe: Well, I need some advice from my old boss.
Roman: Okay. Yeah, I heard our old nemesis is back in town. So you want to talk
about Stefano DiMera?
Rafe: It's about Hope.
Hope: Oh, that smell. Mm, and all that grease. This is not fit for a dog, let
alone--
Kate: A bitch? You and I need to talk. We need to have a serious talk.
Like sands through the hourglass, so are the "Days of Our Lives."
[Soft orchestration]
Xander: Little Mickey... Mackenzie, she has a real fight ahead of her. She's
doing well. And Sarah's staying strong for her.
Victor: Maggie's very concerned about our little grandbaby. We both are.
Xander: I can relate. Loving that little one so much and being helpless to do
anything, it's just-- it's killing me. There is another granddaughter that we
can do something for. And we need to. The sooner the better. When I was in
Boston, I found out that Ciara has been lying to you.
[Door opens]
Ciara: There you are.
Ben: I had to wait for will to tell me the coast was clear. Did you have a good
visit?
Ciara: Yeah. I showed Will some new pictures of Ari. I know that my visiting him
is only so that my grandfather doesn't know that I'm seeing you, but Ben, Will's
been having such a hard time with the whole divorce thing. I just--I hope that
my visits help him feel a little bit better.
Ben: Your visits always help me. Although I'm not really sure you should be here
today.
Ciara: Where else would I be, Ben? Today's the day that Justin goes to court to
argue your final appeal.
Ben: It's my last chance. Ciara, if I lose today, I'm a dead man.
Steve: Hattie.
Hattie: Well, who else would I be?
Steve: John and Marlena told me you were staying here.
Hattie: Yeah, well, I can't say I like the idea of having you for a roommate.
But what am I gonna do, huh? You know what? I would like an answer to something.
Steve: Uh-huh.
Hattie: Why did you make me promise not to say anything about your big fat
secret mission? What was all that about?
Steve: I'm still on a big fat secret mission.
Hattie: Yeah? Well, if you're undercover, why did you waltz into the New Year's
Eve party announcing to everybody that you're here?
Justin: By the looks of it, that must have been some dream. Want to talk about
it?
Kayla: It was about Steve. I'm sorry.
Justin: Don't be sorry. I still dream about Adrienne. And Steve's return was a
shock for everyone. I can't imagine what it-- what it was like for you to see
him in the flesh. And the way he treated you? It was all I could do not to hit
him.
Kayla: When I saw him standing there, it's like we were the only two people in
the room.
Justin: Does Steve coming back to Salem change how you feel about us?
Xander: Ciara swore to me that she didn't break into my lockbox. But guess what.
Sarah confirmed that the lockbox she saw Ciara drilling into matched mine. And I
bet I know what she was looking for.
Ben: Have I told you lately how grateful I am for you? All that faith you have.
The way you make me think that the impossible is possible.
Ciara: It is possible, Ben. Because I love you, and you're innocent, and I'm
gonna find a way to prove it. There is no way in hell that I'm gonna let anyone
send you to prison for something that you didn't do. Even if they are family.
Ben: I don't know. I'm down to my last appeal. What we need right now is a magic
wand.
Ciara: I'd settle for a smoking gun. And I had it, Ben. I almost had it! I was
so close to proving that my grandfather sent Xander to kill Jordan. That is the
kind of evidence that Justin needs in court.
Justin: You know what? Let's--let's talk about this later. I have to get to the
prison and meet with Ben Weston.
Kayla: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Not until you stay right here with me and
we get something straight. I have moved on from Steve. We have a long and
complicated history. But he's my past. And you are my present and my future and
the man I want to be with. You got that?
[Gentle music]
Steve: Things changed since we spoke, Hattie. The stakes have gone sky high. Now
Hope told me that Stefano is reaching out to Marlena.
Hattie: He is?
Steve: Yes. You see this? Marlena found this in her purse. It was a Christmas
gift from the Phoenix himself. Which means he's closing in on his queen of the
night.
Hattie: Oh. In her purse.
Steve: Mm-hmm.
Hattie: Well, that must mean that he's back in Salem, right?
Steve: Between you and me, Stefano is even closer than you think.
Hattie: Oh. Ooh, the thought of being close to Stefano just gives me the
heebie-jeebies.
Steve: This is why I had to come out from undercover and move in here to help
John protect Marlena. Now, I'm sure that you understand better than anyone the
lengths to which he will go to possess her.
Hattie: I do. And I will do anything I need to, to make sure he keeps his grimy
mitts off of her. So--so just tell me what you think I should do, and that's
what I'll do.
Steve: You can move out.
Hattie: What? Forget it, Patchy. That's not gonna happen.
Kate: Julie's New Year's Eve bash is the talk of Salem right now. And it's not
because the champagne was flowing. It's because you and Stefano made a grand
entrance at the stroke of midnight. Now, I understand that both of you have a
love of the dramatic, but don't make another move like that, not without
consulting me first.
Hope: Hmm. Stefano and I do not consult the help.
[Mysterious music]
Rafe: Hope's not in yet, but I want to make sure that she doesn't overhear us.
Roman: Okay. You are really upset about this. So what's going on with Hope
that's got you so worried?
Rafe: Well, she just hasn't been herself lately.
Roman: Okay. Specifics. What have you noticed her doing that's out of character?
Rafe: Well, it's just, uh, her whole attitude's changed.
Roman: Such as?
Rafe: Every chance she gets, she basically shuts me down, shuts me out. She
needed a place to stay, so I offered my place. She bit my head off.
Roman: Okay. So you told your ex-wife she could stay at your place? Maybe that's
your answer. She is your ex-wife. You guys had a pretty messy break-up. Makes
sense she would treat you differently.
Rafe: No. It's not about that. It's about the facts. We used to love going out
with Julia and Mike,
Rafe: At first, I thought that Hope's behavior was about us, too. You know, the
divorce. Took a step back though, and I looked at things objectively. She's
changed, and not just with me, okay? The other day I walk in on her and Kate in
the middle of a crime scene. The two are having a cat fight.
Roman: Wait, whoa. Crime scene. Cat fight.
Rafe: Yeah, yeah. Crime scene. It's like ever since Hope has come back as
commissioner, she's been making a lot of procedural mistakes. So I've been
documenting them.
Roman: Detective, are you telling me you're building a case against Hope?
Hope: It is none of your business what Stefano and I do, or how we do it, or
when. Your business is flapjacks and scrambles. And given how badly you've
messed up my order, well Kate, I strongly suggest you refocus your energies on
being the best waitress you can be.
Kate: [Scoffs] Princess, you are clearly crazy.
Hope: I never understood why Stefano brought you in on our plans in the first
place. He said you could be of some use, our eyes and ears, but clearly all you
have offered up so far is that big mouth of yours.
Kate: [Laughs]
Hattie: I kept your secret. So I'm on the team. And don't even think about
getting me kicked off, 'cause if you do, I'll-- I'll go over your head to Roman.
Steve: Hattie, Hattie, listen to me. I'm just thinking of what's best for you,
all right? If you insist on staying here, you could be in real danger.
Hattie: How so?
Steve: Well, we both know you look exactly like Marlena. If you live here,
Stefano could mistake you for her.
Hattie: Yeah. The devil tried that once, almost tried sending me straight to
hell. No. I'm sorry. That was--that was a dream.
Steve: Well, Hattie, this is real life. And Stefano is back with a vengeance and
with one goal in mind. We both know what he's capable of. If you were to get
caught in the middle of this--
Hattie: Okay, okay, okay-- yeah, I don't wanna do that. Okay, I'll be--I'll be
leaving. I'll just get some stuff packed.
Steve: Good.
Hattie: Oh. Where do you think I should go?
Steve: You could bunk with Kate at the pub.
Hattie: Oh.
Steve: Yeah, join her and Roman, and you can report anything suspicious.
Hattie: So I'm not kicked off the team?
Steve: No, we need you now more than ever. I'm just giving you a different role
to play.
Hattie: Oh, okay. That's good, thanks. I'll, uh--I'll get packed.
Steve: Okay.
Hattie: Wait a minute. You told me that the ISA fixed your eye. So why are you
wearing that patch?
[Gentle music]
Justin: I spent most of my time over the holidays going over your case, Ben. And
as you both know, the evidence against you is circumstantial. I mean, there's no
way a jury should have found you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ciara: Are you saying you think we have a chance to win the appeal?
Victor: I confronted Ciara about going to the prison to visit Weston. She swore
up and down to me that she was there to see Will Horton and she had cut all her
ties to Ben. No pun intended.
Xander: More lies.
Victor: When I called Justin on the carpet for representing that killer, she was
with me every step of the way.
Xander: Another award-winning performance, I'm sure. But how much do you want to
bet she's the one who convinced Justin to represent Ben?
Victor: Damn it.
Xander: Ciara's obviously been playing us. She still thinks her boyfriend is
innocent, and she's convinced herself that we're responsible for Jordan's
murder. That's why she broke into my lockbox, looking for proof.
Victor: This is a problem.
Xander: I know you love your granddaughter, but we have no choice. We have to
get rid of Ciara.
[Dramatic music]
Rafe: I'm not documenting anything officially. I'm just writing down incidents
when--look, it's just when Hope's behavior seems out of character, okay? I'm
putting down the facts, and I'm trying to make sense of it all.
Roman: This is a dangerous road.
Rafe: Roman, it's not a power play, okay? I'm not trying to oust Hope as
commissioner. I'm just--like I said, I'm putting stuff down, I'm trying to make
sense of it all. I'm trying to help her, okay?
Roman: Wow. This goes way back months.
Rafe: Uh-huh.
Roman: All right, let me ask you about this crime scene you're talking about.
The one where you said Kate and Hope got into it, all right? The one you
suspected that Stefano was hiding at. Now you're telling me that hope actually
called Kate there to question her.
Rafe: Yeah. To the crime scene, as opposed to the station house, as per
protocol, and I found a tiara there, right?
Roman: Yeah.
Rafe: Hope got her fingerprints on it.
Roman: Well, you're right. Those are a lot of rookie mistakes, but tell me, why
are you talking to me about it? Why haven't you taken your concerns straight to
hope?
Rafe: Roman, I've tried talking to her, trust me. Always the same reply.
Roman: Which is?
Rafe: "Well, you're not my husband anymore, you know?" You know, I get shut
down. She gets irate and irrational. And basically, she acts like she has
something to hide.
Kate: Okay. You need to listen very carefully to this big mouth. You have to
stop supporting Stefano's obsession with Marlena.
Hope: I am not one to stand in the way of true love, Kate.
Kate: Let's get real, okay? Right now, what you're looking forward to is Stefano
getting Marlena out of the way so you can have a go at John. But that's just
never gonna happen, because Marlena is never gonna choose Stefano over John,
just the same way that John is never gonna choose you over Marlena. It's never
gonna happen. You need to drop it. Right now. Stefano needs to focus on getting
DiMera back and getting his family back, and that's the only thing that I'm
willing to help with.
Hope: Oh, there's that word again. Help. Which is what you are. Nothing more. No
one is going to stop Stefano from taking Marlena away from John. No one.
Rafe: I know Hope is family to you. Maybe you can keep an eye on her.
Roman: Yeah, well, thanks for filling me in on this. I will keep an eye on her,
yeah.
Rafe: You know, I'd like to say that I'm misreading things, but there is
definitely something going on.
Roman: No, I hear you. There definitely is something going on, and Hope seems
troubled.
Rafe: Yeah, yeah, and I want to help her. So listen, with Stefano possibly back
in town, there's, you know, a lot to worry about. I just want to make sure that
Hope is a priority.
Roman: Yeah, well, on the Stefano front, Steve Johnson's back in town, and he
and John know Stefano's twisted mind as well as anybody. So with those two on
the case, maybe the Phoenix has no place to hide.
Rafe: Let's hope so.
Roman: Take care.
Rafe: All right, man. Thank you.
Steve: Well, truth is, Hattie, I started wearing the patch again because I just
didn't feel like Steve Johnson without it.
Hattie: Okay. Yeah, I get it, I get it, because you know what? I had to quit
chewing gum when I was pretending to be Marlena. Boy, oh, boy. I just didn't
feel like myself at all unless I had a big wad of gum in my cheek. [Both laugh]
Okay, well-- oh, I'll get packed.
Steve: Good. Good. [Sighs]
Xander: Ciara will dig and dig and dig. You know how she is. She won't stop
until she exposes us, and everything we've worked for, everything we've dreamed
of will come tumbling down. She has shown zero loyalty to this family, to you.
She has to be terminated.
Victor: You're not seriously suggesting--
Xander: Of course not. She needs to be taught a lesson. I want her fired, I want
her kicked out of this house, and we have to keep as much distance between her
and the truth as we can. But you should know, I already tried to fire her when I
realized that she broke into my lockbox. You know what she said? She played the
grandpa card. She's convinced that you have her back, and she's not going
anywhere.
Victor: I've known my granddaughter a lot longer than you have. I know how
important family is to her, the strength she draws from it. Weston may have
gotten under her skin, but there's no way she sides with that killer against the
family.
Justin: I don't want you to get your hopes up. I mean, the reality is since
there's no new evidence, I'll be basically making the same arguments to the
court that Ben's previous lawyer made.
Ben: And we all know how well those arguments worked.
Justin: I'm just hoping that if I do a better job of making your case to a
different, and perhaps more sympathetic judge, that the outcome will be
different, and we can get that stay of execution.
Ciara: There has to be some way we can get the court to see the truth.
Justin: I agree. But the big strike against us is that even though the evidence
is only circumstantial, it all points to Ben. Ben was found at the scene of the
crime. He had motive. And the forensics have concluded that the only two DNA
samples found on Jordan's body belonged to her son, David, and to Ben.
Ciara: What about the scrap of paper that I found in the fireplace? I can still
make out the words. That has to be Xander's confession.
Justin: Ciara, that might as well be in the ashes, because there was no proof
linking those words to Jordan's murder.
Ciara: I know. I know, I know, I know, okay. What about--what about the
conversation that I overheard between my grandfather and Xander? What if I went
to court and I testified that I overheard them confessing that they sent an
innocent man to prison?
[Dramatic music]
Justin: Ciara, unfortunately, your statement of what you heard them say is
hearsay and would most likely be inadmissible.
Ciara: I should have worn a wire. Maybe it's not too late. Maybe we can wire me
up and I can go in there, and we can get them to confess--
Ben: Ciara, just stop. There's no way that's happening. These guys are
dangerous. They're lethal when they're cornered, I'm not letting you take that
chance.
Justin: I'm with Ben on this.
Ciara: I'll be careful.
Justin: You're outvoted.
Ciara: And I might be Ben's last chance. And I'll do anything that I can to get
the truth to come out.
Ciara: And he threatened to fire me, but when I brought up my grandfather, he
backed down, which means I still have access. Justin, I can make this happen. My
grandfather loves me. I am under his protection, and he would never, ever do
anything to hurt me.
Victor: Going forward, we have to be very, very careful in how we deal with
Ciara. Do you understand?
Xander: She's a threat.
Victor: I'm going to use very small words so that you understand. You fire her,
I fire you. And if you're lucky, that's all I do.
Xander: Uncle. I, uh-- I know you love Ciara. But your affection for her, it's
this soft spot. It's affecting your judgment. Why don't you let me take this on
for you, hmm? Let me talk to her. I'm sure I can get the truth out of her.
Victor: You will stay away from Ciara.
Xander: I'm trying to help you, protect you.
Victor: You're trying to protect your own hide, and I won't have you hurting my
granddaughter to do it.
Xander: Don't forget the reason you gave me this job in the first place, Uncle.
I know everything. That gives me a certain amount of power, wouldn't you agree?
Victor: Are you threatening me? You have just as much to lose here as I do.
Kate: I mean, you really need to get it through your thick skull that
underestimating John and Marlena's love for each other is putting you at risk.
But hell, you know, if you want to throw yourself at John, go ahead. Because
everyone here is gonna have a front row seat at you making a fool of yourself.
Hope: Oh, it'll not be I who's making a fool of herself.
Kate: No, you need to get the hell out of here.
Hope: You have overstepped.
Roman: What the hell is going on here?
[Suspenseful music]
Steve: Perhaps an air of mystery is preferable to being just another face in the
crowd, especially where the weaker sex is concerned. Now if Marlena would just
come to breakfast, I could start courting her. [Knocking] What now? Did Hattie
forget her galoshes?
[Dramatic music]
Xander: Oh, I'm well aware of the stakes, Uncle. My entire future rests on our
secret staying secret. So I'm not gonna stand by while Ciara destroys everything
I've been working for.
Victor: Once again, you're not looking at the big picture, which is this. Ben
Weston has one appeal left. Odds are he's going to lose it. Once he does, he'll
be dead. And Ciara will have no reason to go looking in places she shouldn't.
Xander: So you want me to what? Be patient? Cross my fingers? Hope for the best?
Victor: I want you to show some restraint. Stay away from Ciara. I will not
tolerate you or anyone else menacing her. Am I clear?
Xander: Fine. You have my word. I won't touch Ciara.
Justin: I need to get to court.
Ciara: Thank you so--so much for taking Ben's case.
Justin: Of course.
Ciara: I know that my grandfather gave you a lot of hell for it, so.
Justin: I've learned to tune him out. The only thing I'm concerned about is
seeing justice done. Ben, I'll get a hold of you as soon as I get out of court.
Ben: Thank you.
Ciara: Justin, you give them hell, okay? Ben's life depends on it.
Justin: Right. No pressure.
Hope: Nothing's going on.
Kate: Nothing but complaints.
Hope: Seriously? What are we, children? I was showing Kate that my eggs--well,
trying to tell her that they are clearly not cooked enough.
Roman: Well, all right. We'll get you another order. Just like you wanted.
Hope: That's really nice of you, but I've lost my appetite. Thanks.
Hattie: Ooh. Oh, Hope! Hey. Agh, mm-mm-mm. It's Hattie. Lucky me that you are
here for my first day of work.
Hope: Good luck.
Hattie: Oh. Hey, I thought we were friends.
Hope: No, we're not.
Roman: What the hell?
Hattie: What'd I say?
Roman: Uh, no, you're fine. It's just--you know what? Hattie, some folks just
aren't morning people, all right? Kate, why don't you take Hattie in the
kitchen, show her around, get her an apron, okay?
Kate: Yeah, come on.
Hattie: Thanks. That was weird, wasn't it? So weird, that was so weird.
Roman: Hope. What was that about?
Hope: Oh, Roman... I'm sorry. But do you really want your customers insulted by
Kate Roberts and man-handled and groped by Hattie Adams?
Roman: Hope, I understand that Kate can be a pain sometimes, but Hattie's been
your friend. You've always been kind to her. What's going on with you?
Hope: You're right. No breakfast, for one thing. I got to go. Is there anything
else?
Roman: Yeah, we're concerned about you.
Hope: We?
Roman: Yeah, Rafe and I. We're both concerned. Rafe said he was concerned. After
what I saw in there, so am I.
Hope: I'm fine. The only person with a problem is Rafe. We're divorced, and he
still hasn't accepted it. And he should. He's the one who always put everyone
first. Right? Right.
[Tense music]
Steve: It's a little early.
Kayla: We need to talk.
Steve: I don't see what there is for us to talk about.
Kayla: Of course, you don't. You made that perfectly clear when you stopped
calling, when you didn't contest the divorce, when you didn't show up for your
one and only sister's funeral. But you are here now. And I need an explanation,
and I am not leaving until you give me one.
Steve: Aren't you with Justin now? I mean, you seemed pretty cozy at the New
Year's Eve party.
Kayla: Yeah. Yeah, I am, and we're happy. But that doesn't mean that I think
it's okay the miserable way that you have treated me.
Steve: If I apologize, will that make you happy?
Kayla: This isn't about an apology. It's about you telling me what happened so
that I can understand.
Steve: Will you please take your hands off of me.
[Gentle music]
Kayla: You're--you're different somehow. You're cold. It's like somebody took
your soul. Look at this. Look at this. We were happy. We were in love. How could
you just throw that away? What happened to the man in this picture?
Victor: That's the information that I wanted. Thank you.
Ciara: Hi, Grandpa.
Victor: I'm glad you're here. That was one of my sources at the prison. You told
me that you were through with Ben Weston. And if that's true, why did you just
visit that psychopath?
[Tense music]
Xander: Where do you think you're going, Weston? You still have another visitor.
Ben: What the hell are you doing here?
Xander: Oh, we need to have a little chat about your nosy girlfriend.
Roman: Hattie, I'm sorry for the way Hope treated you.
Hattie: Yeah. Well, thanks. I've probably been treated worse, and maybe she's
got a lot on her mind with the you-know-what and the you-know-who.
Roman: Do you have any idea what she was talking about?
Kate: I seldom do.
Rafe: Hope.
Hope: You're fired.
[Suspenseful music]
Steve: You're right. I have changed, Kayla. And it would be a whole lot easier
for everyone if you just would accept that that man, the man you knew, is gone.
Kayla: But after everything that we've been through, how could you just throw
that all away?
Steve: For God's sake!
Kayla: How could you possibly say that you don't care anymore?
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