Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI
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In the Square, Leo reads The Spectator on his laptop, declaring the writing has really gone downhill the last couple of months. But Lady Whistleblower is about to change that. Eric gravely approaches him. He knows Leo was blackmailing Sloan over Jude. Does he know where she went? Leo insists he doesn’t. As Eric continues to grill him, Leo swears he tried to do the right thing. Eric lunges across the table to grab him. Now that Sloan’s gone and the money’s dried up, Leo has to deal with him now.
In her office, Melinda yells at Sloan over the phone to stop calling her. However, she assures her that while Rafe came by asking questions, the poor sap is as clueless as ever. Rafe enters, prompting Melinda to hang up. Since she was the adoption attorney on record, Rafe doesn’t believe she didn’t know about Sloan kidnapping Jude. Melinda confidently reiterates that Sloan cut her out of the loop before everything was finalized. Besides, what would she have to gain by helping Sloan steal a DiMera baby? Rafe warily relents and leaves. Melinda lets out a long breath. “Man, I’m good.”
As EJ happily tells Jude that his true paternity will be their little secret, Nicole saunters into the DiMera living room. EJ suggests they change Jude’s name since Sloan and Eric are the ones who chose it. Nicole hesitates before agreeing to it. After EJ leaves for a walk with the boy, Sloan slips in through the French doors to face Nicole.
Stephanie comes to Marlena’s office. She’s feeling anxious and overwhelmed about Everett’s intervention. Marlena assures her she’ll be there immediately if she and Jada need anything.
Everett wakes up panting from a dream about Stephanie walking in on Bobby and Jada making out in the shower. Later, Jada comes to his Salem Inn room, followed by Stephanie. They explain Dr. Evans thinks he has DID because of the abuse he suffered as a child. Everett gets defensive and agitated. Stephanie understands it’s scary, but he’s keeping his past buried. He yells at her to shut up! “Everett doesn’t need to know any of that,” he gravely says. “And I’m going to make sure he never does.”
With Jude, EJ runs into Marlena outside the Pub. Marlena gets emotional seeing who she thought was her grandson. EJ apologizes, but she says they are all victims. She knows he and Nicole will be amazing parents to him. EJ thanks her for being so gracious. She leaves teary-eyed.
More: Why Friday’s episode might have felt different
At the mansion, Nicole rails at Sloan, who says there’s something she has to hear. Nicole starts to call Rafe, but Sloan stops her. She swears she didn’t plan to kidnap Jude. Dimitri showed up with him just as she hit bottom. It felt like fate. “I’ll show you fate,” Nicole says and punches her. Nicole cries and lashes out over what Sloan put her through. Sloan reminds her she did the exact same thing to Sami. So maybe she can extend her the same grace she was once given. “Never!” Nicole shouts.
In the Square, Leo desperately tries to defend himself, but Eric grabs him again. Leo yells for help as Rafe happens by. Eric orders Leo out of his sight. Leo scampers away. Eric explains that Leo wasn’t any help in finding Sloan. Rafe vows they aren’t giving up. Eric knows, but finding her won’t make him a father again. Rafe thinks bringing her in will help, though. He recounts his conversation with Melinda, who swears she wasn’t even at the handoff for the adoption. Eric corrects him. She handed them Jude at the door.
At the Salem Inn, a menacing Bobby calls Jada his wife. They were so good together. She reminds him he cheated on her. He retorts that Stephanie was all Everett — the spoiled princess thing isn’t his vibe. What he and Jada had was special and real. Jada asks if he is even real. After more back and forth, Bobby maniacally shouts at them to get out. He throws open the door and finds Marlena standing on the other side. She wants to help him, but Bobby insists he will make sure Everett is fine. There are ugly things from Everett’s past that he doesn’t need to face again. Everett doesn’t need their help because he has him. Stephanie tries to appeal to Everett, assuring him she’ll be there every for him step of the way. Bobby repeats, “Don’t listen to her, don’t listen to her,” and then recoils in pain. He crumples to the floor, holding his head.
Bobby lies dazed on his side as Marlena checks his pulse. Bobby warns they’ll never see Everett again. Marlena says his blood pressure is highly elevated and urges him to get treatment. If not for himself, then for Everett. He flatly says okay. Shaken, Stephanie privately wonders to Jada, “What if I never see the real Everett again?”
A panicked Leo rushes to Melinda’s office, looking for her protection. She assures him she just got Rafe off her back. She’s confident she can lead Rafe down juicier avenues than Leo. Besides, Sloan is the only person who can prove he was blackmailing her — and she’s long gone. Later, Rafe returns to arrest Melinda.
A smug Leo runs into EJ and Jude outside the Pub. He realizes that it didn’t make sense for EJ to pay him to keep quiet about Jude. Why wouldn’t he want anyone to know Sloan took his child or even want him back?
At the mansion, Nicole whips out her phone to call the cops. Sloan darts toward the front door, but Eric steps into her path.
Next on Days of Our Lives, Rafe wants Melinda to pay, and Kristen proposes an outrageous idea to Stefan.
