Written By Joseph

Kayla has a dream about being in bed with Steve, then wakes up in bed with Justin. Justin asks her what's wrong but Kayla says it was just a dream.

At John and Marlena's, Stefano complains about having to wear the eye patch to pretend to be Steve. He gets a call from Princess Gina, who is at the Brady Pub. Stefano complains about not sleeping while Gina points out that being under the same roof as Marlena is exactly what he wanted. Stefano states that Marlena is so close to being his and now he's perfectly positioned to move forward with his plans for her. Hattie then comes out of the bedroom and asks what plans he's talking about.

Roman meets Rafe at the police station. Rafe says he needs some advice from his old boss. Roman mentions hearing Stefano is back in town and guesses that's what he wants to talk about. Rafe tells him that it's about Hope.

Kate brings Princess Gina her food at the Pub and tells her that they need to have a serious talk.

Xander sits with Victor in the living room of the Kiriakis Mansion, telling him that Mackenzie is doing well and Sarah is staying strong for her. Victor says he and Maggie are both concerned about her. Xander says it's killing him to be helpless to do anything for her. Xander brings up another of Victor's granddaughter who they need to do something for. Xander informs Victor that while he was in Boston, he found out that Ciara has been lying to him.

Ciara goes to see Ben at the prison after seeing Will. Ciara talks about visiting Will so that Victor doesn't know she's visiting Ben but says Will has been having such a hard time with his divorce so she hopes her visits make him feel a little better. Ben doesn't think she should be here today but Ciara notes that today is the day that Justin goes to court to argue his final appeal. Ben calls it his last chance as if he loses today, he's a dead man.

Stefano as "Steve" greets Hattie and says he heard she was staying here. Hattie doesn't like the idea of having him for a roommate but she wants an answer as to why he made her promise not to say anything about his big secret mission and what that was all about. He tells her that he's still on a big secret mission. She questions him announcing his return at the New Year's Eve party if he's undercover.

Justin asks Kayla if she wants to talk about her dream. Kayla admits it was about Steve and says she's sorry. Justin says he still dreams about Adrienne and he understands Steve's return was a shock to everyone. Justin asks if Steve coming back to Salem changes how she feels about their relationship.

Xander reveals to Victor that Ciara swore to him that she did not break in to his lock box but Sarah confirmed that she did and he bets he knows what she was looking for.

Ben tells Ciara how grateful he is for her. Ciara declares she won't let anyone send him to prison for something he didn't do, even if they are family. Ben reminds her that it's his last appeal. Ciara complains that she was so close to proving that Victor sent Xander to kill Jordan which is the evidence that Justin needs in court.

Justin tells Kayla they can talk about this later since he has to meet Ben in prison. Kayla tells him they have to get this straight first. Kayla assures him that she has moved on from Steve. She calls Steve her past and Justin her present and future as she kisses him.

"Steve" tells Hattie that things changed since they spoke and the stakes have gotten higher since "Hope" told him that Stefano is reaching out to Marlena which shocks Hattie. He tells her about the Christmas gift in Marlena's purse so Hattie guesses that means Stefano is back in Salem. "Steve" tells her that between them, Stefano is even closer than she thinks. He says this is why he had to come back and move in to help John protect Marlena. Hattie adds that she'll do anything to keep Stefano from Marlena so she asks what "Steve" thinks she should do. He suggests she move out but she tells him to forget it as that's not going to happen.

Kate tells Princess Gina that Julie's New Year's Eve bash is the talk of the town because of her and Stefano's grand entrance. Kate understands they love the dramatic but warns her not to make another move like that without consulting her first. Gina responds that they don't consult the help.

Rafe and Roman go in to the interrogation room. Rafe tells Roman that he doesn't want Hope to overhear them. Roman asks him what's going on with Hope that has him so worried. Rafe tells him that Hope just hasn't been herself lately. Roman asks what he's noticed that's out of character. Rafe says her whole attitude has changed and she shuts him down every chance she gets. Rafe mentions offering her a place to stay but she bit his head off. Roman reminds him that she is his ex-wife and they had a messy breakup so he thinks it makes sense. Rafe says it's not about that but about the facts. Rafe explains that he first thought it was about their divorce too so he took a step back and looked at things objectively and sees that Hope has changed. Rafe brings up the other day he walked in on her and Kate having a catfight in the middle of a crime scene. Rafe says ever since Hope has come back as commissioner, she's been making a lot of procedural mistakes so he's been documenting them. Roman questions if he's building a case against Hope.

Gina tells Kate that what she and Stefano do is none of her business. She suggests Kate focus on being the best waitress she can be. Kate calls her crazy. Gina never understood why Stefano brought Kate in to their plans in the first place.

Hattie argues that she kept "Steve's" secret so she's on the team and warns him not to think about getting her kicked off or else she'll go to Roman. "Steve" claims that he's thinking of what is best for her since she could be in real danger staying here, explaining that she looks like Marlena so Stefano could mistake her for Marlena. He warns that Stefano is back with a vengeance and they both know what he's capable of. Hattie then agrees to leave but asks where she should go. "Steve" tells her that she can bunk with Kate at the Pub then she can report anything suspicious. Hattie is excited that she isn't kicked off the team. "Steve" claims he's just giving her a different role to play. Hattie stops and remembers "Steve" telling her that the ISA fixed his eye so she questions why he is wearing the patch.

Kayla looks at her old framed wedding photo of her and Steve next to a photo of her and Justin.

Justin goes to the prison and tells Ben and Ciara that he spent most of the holidays going over Ben's case and the evidence is circumstantial so there's no way a jury should've found him guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Ciara asks if he's saying he thinks they have a chance to win the appeal.

Victor informs Xander that he confronted Ciara about going to the prison to visit Ben but she swore she was there to see Will and had cut all her ties to Ben. Xander calls it more lies. Victor adds that he called Justin out for representing Ben and Ciara was with him every step of the way. Xander guesses Ciara is the one who convinced Justin to represent Ben. Xander declares that Ciara has obviously been playing them and she still thinks Ben is innocent while convincing herself that they are responsible for Jordan's murder which is why she broke in to his lock box looking for proof. Victor calls this a problem. Xander knows he loves her but says they have no choice; they have to get rid of Ciara.

Rafe tells Roman that he's not documenting anything officially but just writing down incidents where Hope's behavior seems out of character as he's trying to make sense of it all. Roman warns that this is a dangerous road. Rafe assures that it's not a power play and he's not trying to oust Hope as commissioner as he's just trying to help her. Roman looks over Rafe's folder and sees that it goes back months. Roman asks about the crime scene where Hope and Kate got in to it, questioning Hope calling Kate there to question her instead of at the station. Rafe adds that he found a tiara there with Hope's fingerprints on it. Roman agrees those are some rookie mistakes but questions why he's talking to him about it and not taking this straight to Hope. Rafe says he's tried talking to her but she always tells him that he's not her husband anymore and shuts him down, acting like she has something to hide.

Kate warns Gina to stop supporting Stefano's obsession with Marlena. Gina responds that she's not one to stand in the way of true love. Kate argues that she's just looking forward to Stefano getting Marlena out of the way so she have a go at John but that will never happen because Marlena will never choose Stefano over John, just like John will never choose Gina over Marlena so she needs to drop it. Kate states that Stefano needs to focus on getting DiMera and his family back which is the only thing she's willing to help with. Gina calls her the help and nothing more. Gina declares that no one will stop Stefano from taking Marlena away from John.

Rafe knows that Hope is family to Roman so he asks him to keep an eye on her. Roman thanks him for filling him in and agrees to do that. Rafe would like to say he's misreading things but says there is definitely something going on. Roman agrees that Hope seems troubled. Rafe knows there is a lot to worry about with Stefano possibly back in town but he wants to make sure that Hope is a priority. Roman tells Rafe about "Steve" being back in town so maybe with he and John on the case, Stefano will have no place to hide. Roman then exits the station.

"Steve" tells Hattie that he started wearing the patch again because he didn't feel like Steve Johnson without it. Hattie relates to not feeling like herself while pretending to be Marlena. Hattie then goes to pack her things.

Xander warns Victor that Ciara won't stop digging until she exposes them and everything they've worked for will come tumbling down. Xander argues that Ciara has shown zero loyalty to this family so she has to be terminated. Victor questions what he's suggesting. Xander says Ciara needs to be taught a lesson so he wants her fired and kicked out of the house so they can keep as much distance between her and the truth as they can. Xander mentions that he already tried to fire her but she played the Grandpa card because she's convinced that Victor has her back and she's not going anywhere. Victor says he's known Ciara a lot longer than he has so he knows how important family is to her. Victor argues that Ben may have got under her skin but there's no way she sides with him against the family.

Justin doesn't want to get their hopes up since there is no new evidence so he'll be making the same arguments to the court. Justin hopes if he does a better job making his case to a different judge then the outcome will be different. Ciara argues that there has to be some way to get the court to see the truth. Justin says the big strike against them is that the evidence all points to Ben since he was at the scene of the crime and had motive. Ciara brings up finding the paper in the fireplace that had to be Xander's confession. Justin reminds her they have no proof. Ciara asks about the conversation she overheard between Victor and Xander so she suggests testifying in court that she heard them confessing to sending an innocent man to prison. Justin tells her that would be hearsay so most likely would not be admissible in court. Ciara wishes she wore a wire and wants to try again. Ben stops her and reminds her that they are dangerous so he's not letting her take that chance. Justin agrees. Ciara says she'll be careful since she might be Ben's last chance so she will do anything she can to get the truth out. Ben says no because Xander is already suspicious. Ciara points out that Xander backed down from firing her when she brought up Victor so she still has access. Ciara insists that she can make this happen since Victor loves her and she's under his protection so he would never do anything to hurt her..

Victor tells Xander that going forward, they have to be very careful with how they deal with Ciara. Xander argues that she is a threat. Victor declares that if Xander fires Ciara, he will fire him. Xander knows he loves Ciara but he worries that it's affecting his judgment. Xander offers to talk to Ciara to get the truth out of her but Victor orders him to stay away from her. Xander argues that he's trying to help and protect him. Victor feels he's just trying to protect himself and he won't have him hurting his granddaughter to do it. Xander warns him not to forget the reason he gave him this job in the first place because he knows everything which gives him a certain amount of power. Victor questions if he's threatening him, reminding him that he as just as much to lose as he does.

Kate warns Gina that underestimating John and Marlena's love is putting herself at risk but if she wants to throw herself at John, everyone will have a front row seat to her making a fool of herself. Gina says it won't be her making a fool of herself. Kate tells her to get the hell out as Roman walks in and questions what the hell is going on here.

Stefano waits for Marlena to come for breakfast so he can start courting her but Kayla shows up at the door.

Xander tells Victor that he's well-aware of the stakes because his entire future rests on their secret so he's not going to stand by while Ciara destroys everything he's been working for. Victor argues that he's not looking at the big picture which is that Ben has one appeal left and odds are he will lose then he will be dead so Ciara will have no more reason to go looking places she shouldn't. Xander questions Victor wanting him to just hope for the best. Victor orders him to show some restraint and stay away from Ciara because he will not tolerate he or anyone else menacing her. Xander reluctantly gives his word that he won't touch Ciara.

Justin tells Ben and Ciara that he needs to get to court. Ciara thanks Justin for taking Ben's case despite Victor giving him hell for it. Justin says he's learned to tune him out and he's only concerned about seeing justice done. Justin tells Ben he'll get a hold of him after court. Ciara instructs Justin to give them hell because Ben's life depends on it. Justin then exits the prison.

"Hope" tells Roman that nothing is going on. Kate says "Hope" was just complaining. "Hope" claims her eggs are not cooked enough so Roman says they'll get her another order. "Hope" says she lost her appetite and goes to leave but Hattie arrives and hugs her. Hattie tells "Hope" that she's here for her first day of work. "Hope" wishes her luck and goes to leave. Hattie stops her and says she thought they were friends but "Hope" says they are not and walks out. Roman is confused while Hattie wonders what she said. Roman remarks that some folks just aren't morning people. Roman sends Hattie with Kate to the kitchen to get an apron. Roman goes out after "Hope" and questions what that was about. "Hope" asks if Roman really wants her customers insulted by Kate or manhandled and groped by Hattie. Roman understands Kate can be a pain sometimes but Hattie has been her friend and she's always been kind to her so he questions what's going on with her. "Hope" blames it on not having breakfast and says she has to go. Roman tells her that he and Rafe are concerned about her. "Hope" claims she's fine and that the only person with a problem is Rafe because he hasn't accepted that they are divorced. She then hurries off.

"Steve" tells Kayla that it's a little early but she says they need to talk. She brings up him not calling, not contesting their divorce, or showing up for his sister's funeral. Kayla declares that she needs an explanation and she's not leaving until she gets one. "Steve" brings up her being with Justin now. Kayla tells him they are happy but that doesn't mean she thinks it's okay how miserably Steve has treated her. He asks if she wants an apology. She says she wants him to tell her what happened so that she can understand. Kayla states that he is different somehow, like somebody took his soul. Kayla reaches in to her purse and pulls out their wedding photo. Kayla shows it to him, saying they were happy and in love as she questions how he could just throw that away. Kayla asks what happened to the man in the picture.

Victor finishes a phone call, thanking them for the information he wanted. Ciara comes in and greets him. Victor says he's glad she's here as he just heard from one of his sources at the prison. Victor questions why Ciara just visited Ben Weston.

Xander goes to the prison and tells Ben that he has another visitor. Ben questions what he's doing here. Xander tells him they need to have a little chat about his nosy girlfriend.

Roman goes back in to the Pub and apologizes to Hattie for the way "Hope" treated her. Hattie guesses "Hope" has a lot on her mind with you know what and you know who. Roman asks Kate if she has any idea what Hattie was talking about. Kate claims that she seldom does.

"Hope" goes to the interrogation room and tells Rafe that he is fired.

"Steve" tells Kayla that she's right, he has changed and it would be a lot easier if she just accepted that the man she knew is gone. Kayla questions how he can just throw away everything they have been through. "Steve" then shouts that he's in love with another woman.

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