In today’s Days of Our Lives, Leo and Javi happily wake up in bed together, making plans for the Longhorns game tonight. Javi checks his tablet, only to see an article about Jada’s investigation. He can’t believe this is still happening. Jada is innocent, while Rafe cheated on her. Maybe… It’s time to tell her what happened.
Leo isn’t sure there’s a reason to, but Javi is tired of Jada being the villain and Rafe shouldn’t be all high and mighty. Rafe is “just not the guy that I remember. Jada deserves so much better.” They get dressed for Javi to head out to work, assuring Leo he’ll land on his feet with a job soon enough.
He sits to read the paper, calls it “utter drivel” and calls Chad to ask if he can go back to The Spectator.
Belle Tries to Trap EJ
EJ wakes up, rolls over and sees Belle up and staring at him already. She’s been listening to him talk in his sleep about Jada and setting her up for a fall. EJ knows right away that Belle’s lying and he never said a word. He doesn’t talk in his sleep. Belle accepts it, but says someone set Jada up and it’s got EJ’s fingerprints all over it. She’s just trying to figure out what’s going on.
EJ teases her about trying to trap him the day after Valentine’s Day and (shocking) they start making out again. After, he feigns falling asleep and “confessing” in his sleep to setting up Jada. Belle smacks him and he makes a comment about “all’s fair in love and war.” She tells him it’s not love, and he wants to be sure it’s not war. He then gets thoughtful, and says he’s really enjoyed their time together. And he cares about her. This isn’t a casual fling — it’s genuine affection.
Belle’s touched, so they kiss, then she heads out to work. Before going, she hands him in an envelope left outside for Kristen and they kiss goodbye.
Steve Checks In On Jada
Rafe shows up at Stephanie’s to apologize to Jada. He knows she’s innocent, EJ set her up and he still loves her. He gets down on one knee, asking her to take the ring back and — Jada wakes up on the couch. This time, the knock on the door is Steve, who came to check on her. He assures Jada that he’s going to prove EJ set her up.
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But for now, he’s been pulled in on Ava’s disappearance for Brady. He fills Jada in on the details. She suggests the department equipment could boost the voicemail quality, then, when he says he’s on it, she suggests finding ambient noise. Steve thanks her, but says he’s on it; though he’ll get her back as commissioner ASAP. And take EJ down in the process.
Jada assures him JJ and Shawn are on it. Steve’s got to focus on Ava, the mother of his son. But she’s so lucky to have the Johnsons in her corner. Steve assures Jada that she’s family and they believe in her. She hugs him and he wraps his arms around her: “Here’s my other baby girl.”
Rafe Meets His New Captive
The real Rafe comes to at Aremid, tied and gagged to a chair. Downstairs, Rachel brings a still-bound Ava her breakfast, but gets sidetracked when Kristen calls, delighted to talk to her mother. Rachel checks on her granddaughter, and Kristen says she’s not being punished, but she’s going to have to learn that hostage-taking isn’t going to solve her problems. Kristen then apologizes for EJ dumping Rafe, but she’s got a permanent solution for both captives.
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And just as she says that, Brady walks in. Kristen hangs up, tells him she was talking DiMera business and gets brushed aside. Child Protective Services visited Brady. “We have a big problem.” They grilled him over Rachel running away, and they already have a huge file on Brady, Kristen and Rachel and all their criminal histories. They think she’s been through too much trauma.
Brady came to warn Kristen the CPS woman is heading her way. Nothing else can go wrong with Rachel — or any of them. One more incident and Rachel is gone. Kristen looks upset, then flips out, and Brady demands to know what she’s thinking.
She just says she was taken off-guard, then thanks him for the heads up. They’ve got this. Though when she asks if he’d like to stay to see Rachel, he says he’s got to meet with Steve over Ava’s disappearance. He heads out, leaving a worried Kristen behind worrying about Rachel’s part in kidnapping Ava.
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Back at the Blake House, Rachel takes Ava’s gag out and immediately her captive starts screaming. Upstairs, Rafe hears her. Ava calls her captive crazy and felonious, which Rachel throws right back at her. When Ava refuses to eat, Rachel takes the food up to Rafe. He asks where he is and who she is, figuring she’s a “minion” of EJ’s. As if.
She’s doing it for her family “and no one else.” It’s for her daughter and granddaughter.
Ava’s Rescued!
In the show’s final moments, Javi and Jada run into each other in the square. She tells him to be sure Rafe gives Javi’s mother’s ring back to him. Then, after Javi drags it out, Jada tells him about Rafe trying to get her up to his room at the Salem Inn. And then crying herself to sleep.
She can’t move on because there’s a part that still loves and misses Rafe. That’s when Javi tells her his cousin slept with the dancer and cheated on her.
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EJ hands Kristen the envelope Belle found, then wants to talk about Rafe/Ava plans. It’ll be fine, she tells EJ. She’s got a plan. She opens the envelope and pulls out a vial.
Rachel shuts Rafe down, refusing to answer questions and threatening him to shut up. “I will stop at nothing to protect the people that I love.” Downstairs, Ava struggles against her ropes. Rachel goes over some ground rules for feeding time, then gleefully tells him he’s not the only prisoner when he mentions hearing another woman’s voice.
Steve meets Brady at his home, just as he gets the cleaned up audio from Ava. Brady immediately recognizes the address Ava left for Rachel. “We need to get to Aremid right now!” They rush over to the Blake House and Brady unties a relieved Ava.
