Desperate to Get to Gabi, Stefan Makes His Way to the DiMera Mansion — and John and Steve Subdue Stephanie’s Mystery Client

Kayla comes home to Steve who’s cleaning his gun. He tells her he’s going with Stephanie to her mystery meeting. Stephanie joins them and says, “Like hell you are.” She declares she can take care of herself and can’t show up for a professional meeting with her gun-toting dad. Steve is confident this “client” is Orpheus. Stephanie calls him paranoid, but Steve won’t take that chance. Kayla tries to mediate, but Stephanie orders her father to back off and let her live her life. Steve leaves to take a walk.

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Marlena finds John alone at a table in the Square. She sits, and he hands her flowers for a far too long date night. He moves in for a kiss, but Paulina’s presence interrupts them. She needs their help to convince Abe to run for governor. John suggests Abe doesn’t want to leave his friends in Salem to campaign all over the state. Plus, after the pain of losing Lexie, he finally found happiness with Paulina, so why not let him enjoy that? John suggests she give him the space to make the decision himself. Paulina thinks she is and that’s why she needs them to help. John isn’t comfortable with that. Steve arrives, and John steps away to talk to him.

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As Steve tells John his suspicions about Orpheus, Paulina confides in Marlena that Abe seems lost. He needs something to work toward. Marlena thinks she and Abe need to talk about this to see what they both want and make the decision together. After Paulina leaves, John tells Marlena that Steve invited them over for dinner. A wary Marlena accepts.

In bed at the Salem Inn, Gabi worries to Li about Rolf’s cryptic words. What if he managed to do something she should know about? Li dismisses it as delusions of grandeur on Rolf’s part. It’s all just madness. After more talk, Li distracts her with a passionate kiss.

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In his lab, Rolf is stunned to discover Stefan is awake. He worries it’s too soon and tries to keep him in bed. Stefan rips off his helmet of electrodes and shouts that he’s Stefan Octavius DiMera. Rolf doesn’t tell him what to do. It’s the other way around. He demands to know what he’s doing there. Rolf tells him he was shot, but Stefan doesn’t remember anything. Rolf recounts how he jumped in front of a bullet meant for Vivian. Stefan recalls a gunshot and says he’s starting to remember. Rolf tells him he’s been there for four years. Stefan assumes he was in a coma, but Rolf corrects him: “You were dead,” and his heart was donated to someone else.

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Confused, Stefan feels his beating heart. Rolf explains he has a new heart now. He kept Stefan alive after his wife donated his organ. Stefan’s eyes widen. “My wife,” he gasps. “Gabi.” Rolf relays Gabi has no idea he is alive. Stefan labors to stand and demands Rolf’s car keys so he can get to his wife. Rolf tells him he can’t drive. Stefan grabs him and angrily demands the keys. Rolf says fine and rushes to get them while secretly texting “SOS” to Li.

At the DiMera mansion, EJ accuses Ava of trying to seduce his son. Offended, she tells him Johnny was merely comforting her. He calls her pathetic for going after a man young enough to be her son. She slaps him. What he saw was two people being kind to one another. She calls him out for not even blinking when his brother died. He retorts Jake was nothing to him, nor was his brother Stefan.

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As Li and Gabi bask in the afterglow, Ava calls Gabi to finalize their employment arrangement. EJ scowls. Ava smirks and tells Gabi she is tired of EJ coming after her shares, so she needs to come to dinner so they can hash it out.

In the hotel, Gabi dresses to see Ava. Li offers to go with her, but Gabi doesn’t want Ava to know that Li is aware of her sham marriage.

Back at the mansion, Ava returns to the living room with crystal glasses and the most expensive bottle of wine from the cellar. When EJ balks at her extravagance, she drinks from the bottle and drops a glass, which is a family heirloom. When Gabi arrives, Ava tells EJ since he has no current role at the company, he can leave them alone. EJ is outraged he is being dismissed in his own house. The women don’t back down, and he skulks off.

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Alone, Ava tells Gabi that EJ’s true agenda for her moving in has been revealed and she won’t let him get the best of her. Gabi counters there was sexual heat between them. Ava scoffs. Speaking from experience, Gabi knows there’s a fine line between love and hate. Ava assures Gabi that nothing is going on between her and EJ. The only DiMera for her was her husband. Gabi reminds her they weren’t actually married. She threatens to expose Ava, reminding her she’s the only widow DiMera there.

Marlena and John follow Steve back to his place. After John and Marlena welcome Stephanie home, Steve tells his daughter he’ll try to step back. She thanks him and leaves for her meeting. Once she’s gone, Steve says, “Okay John, let’s hit it.” When Kayla and Marlena express confusion, John tells his wife they need a raincheck on their date and Steve declares to his Sweetness that he’s protecting their daughter.

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Stephanie shows up to a dark conference room for her meeting. She says, “Is anyone here?” She hears a noise and turns with a frightened expression. Steve and John rush in. John grabs someone as Steve shields his daughter. Steve turns on the light and discovers Paulina in John’s chokehold.

Meanwhile, Marlena tells Kayla she agrees with Steve when it comes to Orpheus — better safe than sorry. There’s a knock at the door. Kayla opens it to Orpheus.

Li rushes to the lab, but Stefan’s already gone. In his hospital gown, a sweating and panting Stefan leans against the brick wall outside the DiMera front door. “I’m coming back to you Gabi,” he says. After finding the door locked, he rings the doorbell.

Next on Days of Our Lives: Will Stefan get to Gabi?

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Relive Steve’s many adventures that begin, and continue with Kayla in our photo gallery below.