Chelsea decided to recuperate from surgery at her Grandpa Victor's mansion. The nurse said that she was pleased with Chelsea's recovery and all was going as expected. Nick arrived to visit and told Chelsea that he had good news but didn't want to share the details until Max and Stephanie arrived. Meanwhile, Morgan arrived to visit Chelsea and asked if she could stay to hear the news. Max and Stephanie entered the room and Nick couldn't wait to tell everyone that both grants for his alternative fuel energy projects were approved for funding. Everyone was really excited for Nick except Max, who seemed to be indifferent to Nick's news as well as the conversation about college and careers. Stephanie questioned Max but he said he was fine and had to leave. Chelsea told everyone that she wanted to have a party soon in Nick's honor to celebrate his achievement.

Meanwhile, Max went to drink a beer at his pop's grave. Max promised his dad that he would help Caroline manage the pub even though it wasn't his career choice. Max vowed that he would do something significant with his life and find a way to take care of Stephanie and make her proud of him.

Ava went to Shawn Brady's grave where Max was visiting his dad and learned that Max was one of Shawn's sons. Max asked Ava who she was and if she knew his dad. Ava said that she heard Shawn was a good man in the neighborhood and wanted to pay her respects. Ava asked Max to tell her a little bit about Shawn's life and Max was eager to recount many loving memories of his father and share why so many family members and friends loved and respected him. Max left and Ava remained at the grave, overcome with grief knowing she was partly responsible for Shawn's death.

Max returned to the mansion and surprised everyone with his knowledge of the technical aspects of Nick's proposal. Morgan reminded Max that it was Nick's project-one that Max almost sabotaged earlier. Morgan agreed to keep their secret, but Max dodged her questions and accusations. Max hinted that as smart as Nick was, sometimes he was forgetful. Stephanie asked Max again if anything was wrong and he said everything was fine.

Ava told Hope that she was excited about getting back together with Steve. Hope reminded Ava that Steve would never agree to go back to her knowing she was responsible for a plane crash that killed three people. Ava insisted that she only asked her people to delay the flight so that she could have time for her long-awaited reunion with Steve. Unfortunately things went very wrong and Ava told Hope that she was very sorry that people died. Ava asked Hope to tell her about what happened before the crash. Hope, still pretending to be Kayla, explained the events leading up to Shawn's death and how Shawn sacrificed his life for his son, Bo.

Hope seemed surprised that Ava was genuinely remorseful about the crash and the loss of lives, especially about Kayla's father, Shawn. Ava asked Hope for her father's last name. Ava asked Angelo to allow her to leave the grounds as she had something important to do. Angelo was reluctant, but relented to Ava's wishes.

While Ava was out of the house, Hope searched for a way to escape from her room. Hope pried open a window that triggered the alarm system. Angelo entered the room just as Hope was about to climb out the window and warned her never to try to escape again.

E.J. stormed into Sami's apartment without warning claiming to have good news. Sami cautioned E.J. that he must stop walking in unannounced. E.J. told Sami that he learned immigration was looking into his case and that he might not be deported after all. He told Sami that all they needed to do was act like a real married couple. E.J. asked Sami for a favor and to do what she does best-lie through her teeth and make immigration believe that they were the happiest married couple in Salem. Sami reluctantly agreed to help E.J. for the sake of their son, Johnny.

Sami and E.J. arrived at Chez Rouge to meet Mr. Burke from immigration and convince him of their state of marital bliss. E.J and Sami were so involved in upstaging each other's performance in front of Mr. Burke that they were making a very bad impression.

Mr. Burke was asking difficult questions, for example, why E.J. and Sami had two residences and how were they paying the bills and supporting the family if neither of them worked. Maggie observed the situation and realized things were going downhill and paged E.J., faking a telephone call for him. Maggie pulled E.J. aside and told him she had a plan on how to turn the interview around.

At Chez Rouge, a thrilled E.J. thanked Maggie for her brilliant idea while across the room, Leonard from immigration pressed Sami to tell him whether she loved her husband. Sami evaded Leonard's question but finally yelled out that "of course I love my husband." E.J. slipped back into his chair beside Sami and asked her if she missed him. Ever quick with a retort, Sami responded, "like a bad rash." Always quick to return her quips, E.J. made a crack about Sami taking antibiotics for her rash. Sami laughed off E.J.'s joke and asked him about his phone call. Grinning from ear to ear, E.J. looked straight into Leonard's eyes and announced that he had fantastic news. E.J. explained that he was going to be Mickey Horton's new partner at Horton's law firm. Suspicious, Leonard grilled E.J. about his background since he had no information in E.J.'s file that E.J. was an attorney, much less a licensed one. Smiling, E.J. told Leonard that he had passed the bar and been certified years ago. Frustrated, Leonard snidely pointed out that E.J. had a job for now, but called his work ethic into question. The smile on E.J.'s face dropped completely as a defensive E.J. argued that he was a hard worker. With the work question settled, Leonard then told Sami and E.J. that the living situation and the involvement of their extended families still needed to be proven and shown. Sami reminded Leonard that two apartments did not mean two homes since they only lived in one apartment together. When Sami then went on to promise the family would be more involved in their lives, E.J. pinched Sami's nose to quiet her down. Annoyed by E.J.'s pinching, Sami began to repeatedly kick his foot under the table. E.J. excused himself to walk off a cramp in his leg, and Leonard took the opportunity to warn Sami that he would visit them once more.

Once Leonard was gone, E.J. and Sami began to bicker again until Maggie interrupted to check in. Sami took Maggie aside and asked her why she was taking E.J.'s side. Maggie explained that she was doing it so that Johnny would have a father. Sami then began to lament the lie about working for Mickey, but Mickey interrupted to say, "Who said I lied?" Still confused, Sami wondered how E.J. could practice without a license. Conveniently, E.J. came back to the table and said, "Who says I don't?" E.J. explained that he really was licensed in the state and could accept the job. Mickey warned E.J. that he was on probation, but E.J. thanked him again for the opportunity. When Mickey asked Sami if E.J. was the typical DiMera, Sami looked at E.J. and softly said, "No. No he's not." A grateful E.J. thanked her and promised to prove his worth. When Sami and E.J. then talked about getting the extended family more involved, Sami stated that Marlena would help them. E.J. argued it was unlikely. Sami reminded E.J. that Marlena would help them for her grandchildren, and told E.J. to stop arguing with her. E.J. responded mockingly, "But I like arguing with you." Sami smiled at him, a bit exasperated, and the two headed out to see Marlena.

A restless Bo woke up and struggled to get out of bed. After unhooking all the monitoring equipment, Bo slid out of bed and onto his feet. He promptly passed out onto his bed. A short time later Lexie came rushing in with a nurse and roused Bo. Only half awake, Bo muttered that Hope was in trouble. When Lexie asked him what had happened to Hope, Bo remembered his promise to Steve to keep quiet about the Ava situation. Now fully awake, Bo said he was just having a bad dream about Hope. As Lexie started to lecture Bo for trying to get out of bed, Kayla showed up and chimed in too. Lexie then turned her attention to Kayla and asked why she was out of bed. Kayla claimed that she felt fine. As Steve had told Bo about Kayla earlier, Bo asked her why Stephanie was not still watching her. Turning his question around on him, Kayla asked Bo why Steve was not there with Bo as Steve had said he would be. Bo told her Steve had been there but had left as Bo grew tired. Lexie and Kayla then fussed over Bo, but he continued to reiterate that he felt exactly the same as he did before attempting to get out of bed. After Lexie left to check on a patient, Kayla turned to Bo and demanded that he tell her what was going on with Steve. Bo resisted giving in, but admitted that he was trying not to upset her. As Kayla began to push harder for answers, her stomach started to cramp again. Bo rang for the nurse, and Lexie rushed back to have Kayla taken to a room to wait for her doctor to examine her. As soon as Lexie left with Kayla, stubborn Bo once again struggled out of bed whispering, "Hang on, Fancy Face. I'm gonna find you."

In Ava's limo, Ava grew tired of waiting for Steve and ordered the driver to leave. At the last second, Steve jumped silently into the car. The two looked at one another for a moment, before Steve told her it was good to see her again. Ava growled that he should forget his wife because she was fine. Worried, Steve pressed for details and to see his wife but Ava would only remind him of his promise to marry her. Ava mentioned that things were different with her father, but she would not say any more. As Ava seemed to become more unraveled, Steve quietly told Ava that he still loved her. Steve then asked how Ava had found him. Dancing around the question, Ava gave a speech about how they were supposed to be married with three kids-and happy. Steve told Ava that he did not see that happening. Angry, Ava warned Steve that she had the power and that if Steve so much as raised his voice to her again, she would take his wife and child away, never to be seen again. Steve again asked her how she found out about his wife, but Ava avoided the subject. Trying another tactic, Steve brought up the plane crash. As Steve talked about the events the night of the crash, Ava protested, begging him to stop talking about the crash. Ava became increasingly twitchy while Steve spoke until finally she exploded, screaming that he was making her head hurt and that he would not like her when she got mad. When Steve asked her whether she felt any guilt about killing Shawn Brady, Ava looked at him with mild surprise. "You killed him," she said plainly. "You've hurt enough people, Ava," Steve pleaded. Steve then asked her to work things out and to tell him what she wanted. When Ava offhandedly mentioned Steve's kids, a panicked Steve went rigid until Ava mentioned that she knew he did not have any kids yet. Convinced Ava did not know about Stephanie, Steve tried to play on Ava's affections. "So no one else gets hurt, I can be that man again if you still want," Steve promised. A moony-eyed Ava happily agreed and kissed Steve.

Back in Ava's room, Hope snooped around the bedroom. Underneath the mattress Hope found a scrapbook with clippings about Ava Vitali's rise to power in the corporate world. While Hope wondered aloud what had happened to Ava, Ava and Steve entered the bedroom. Hope started to rush over to Steve, but Ava cautioned her to keep her distance. Steve reminded Ava of her promise not to hurt anyone, and Ava promised not to as long as Steve held up his end of the bargain. Ava's smile faded and she explained that although she loved Steve, she did not trust him since he was always a bad boy. Steve tried to argue that he was no longer a bad guy, but a disgusted Ava promised to fix him if Kayla had tamed him. Ava started to snuggle up next to Steve but broke away when she noticed her scrapbook sitting out. Taking advantage of Ava's distraction, Steve signaled to Hope to watch him for guidance.

At the DiMera mansion, Rolf was still struggling, without much success, to lose his German accent. John encouraged him to keep trying, and threatened to return his new butler to prison if he couldn't. An exasperated Rolf asked what exactly John wanted from him, and John replied that he needed to have an even better manservant than Victor's valet, Henderson. Rolf agreed to continue with the diction lessons. He then advised John that he'd been notified that another shipment from Kiriakis would be arriving at the docks the next day, and John asserted that it would never make it through customs. Rolf cautioned his boss not to make enemies out of the Kiriakis family. When Marlena arrived, Rolf asked her to wait in the foyer so he could announce her, but she breezed into the living room behind him. She began explaining to John why she was there, then noticed Rolf was still hovering in the doorway and asked if she could speak to John privately. When Rolf didn't leave, John said over his shoulder, "Rolf, why don't you go buttle something?" Rolf obliged, and backed out of the room. Marlena questioned why John kept Rolf around, and John replied that he rather enjoyed torturing his former torturer. As the doorbell rang again, Marlena told John that Sami had called and asked to meet her there. Before John could become too indignant, Rolf once again attempted to announce John's guests-this time Sami and E.J.-and he was once again ignored as they barged into the living room anyway. Rolf remained in the room, and Marlena asked him-once again-to leave, which he finally agreed to once John repeated his threat to send Rolf back to prison.

Sami detailed for Marlena how Immigration was threatening to deport E.J., and listed the reasons: the agent didn't believe their assertions that they were a real couple or that they lived together, because they had separate apartments; both Sami and E.J. were having trouble paying their rent; E.J. hadn't had a job until earlier that evening, when Mickey Horton offered E.J. a position at his firm; and the agent wanted to see them, and the twins, spend more time with their extended families. E.J. explained that they could solve most of their problems by moving in with Marlena. Marlena, while initially taken aback, mused that she could get a bigger place, since her townhouse would be too small for five people-then abruptly declared she'd changed her mind. She next suggested that Sami, E.J., and the twins move in with John. Everyone was appalled at the idea, but Marlena rationalized that it would not only help with Sami and E.J.'s problems, it might be good for John as well. Sami tried to persuade her mother that it was an insane idea, and after Rolf offered them cheese puffs and Schnapps, Marlena conceded it would be weird, but urged Sami to consider the idea anyway. Sami agreed to go along with it on the condition that Marlena move in there as well, and pointed out that she could spend more time with her grandchildren as well as helping John. Marlena slowly warmed to the idea. "Maybe if I moved in here, I could help him become the man that he used to be," she said with a smile, her eyes twinkling, but added that they must still get John's permission.

Meanwhile, John told E.J. that he wasn't comfortable with the idea of living with Stefano's son, which E.J. said he completely understood. John then asked Rolf if he were up to doing the extra work of serving five people. "I'd sooner choke on a schnitzel," Rolf retorted calmly before wandering away again. John concurred, but added, "It might be a good way to keep an eye on anybody who is trying to pull off a DiMera coup." Marlena and Sami presented John with their plan, which he initially shot down, and Rolf added that Marlena was dangerous. "She pulled a gun on me!" he reminded his boss, which surprised-and impressed-Sami and E.J. Marlena asked John to please consider it, adding that they'd be "one big, happy family." John retorted with a smirk, "You mean like the average American family? Brainwashed dad, gun-toting mom, married couple who hates each other, mismatched set of twins, and an evil scientist butler? I'll have to think about it."

Chloe and Chelsea joined Victor and Philip in the Kiriakis dining room. Victor complimented Chloe's dress, then pulled out Chelsea's chair and began doting on her, filling her water glass and asking if she needed a pillow. She protested, but he insisted he loved taking care of her. Henderson showed Dr. Daniel Jonas in, pleasantries were exchanged, and Chloe thrust out her hand to introduce herself to the handsome doctor. Henderson poured champagne for everyone except Chelsea, who said she wasn't drinking for a while, and Victor said he wanted to toast his guests. He raised his glass to Philip for his work at Kiriakis Shipping, to Chelsea for making Bo's recovery possible, and to Daniel for saving both Bo and Chelsea. Victor groused about the interruption when the doorbell rang, but rose from his chair when Henderson showed Kate in. Kate explained she'd just stopped by to check on Chelsea, and Victor invited her to stay for dinner. Kate initially refused, but acquiesced when the others insisted she stay, and joined the group at the table. Victor shared with Kate the reasons they were celebrating. Chloe chirped something sarcastic, then downed her wine and motioned for Henderson to refill her glass. Victor glared at her.

Later, after Henderson had poured the dinner wine, Daniel offered a toast to their host, and the others happily raised their glasses to Victor-except Chloe, who raised hers only halfheartedly. Daniel commented that the meal reminded him of one he'd had in Italy, where he said he'd been on a difficult case, prompting Kate to raise her glass to his life-saving talents. Chloe again signaled to Henderson for more wine. Daniel began reminiscing about surfing in France, and everyone-including Chloe-seemed to hang on his words, although it was clear they didn't fully understand all of his surfer slang. Victor cautioned his guests to save room for dessert, which was a surprise he said he'd had made especially for Chelsea. Kate noted that it was nice to see Chelsea so relaxed and happy, and Chelsea replied, "Well, that would be because of this guy," indicating Daniel. Philip remarked that it was great to have so much family together, eliciting more sarcasm and wine guzzling from Chloe. Henderson brought out the dessert, and everyone raved about how delicious-and decadent-it was. Daniel confessed to Chloe that he'd seen her perform The Magic Flute in Vienna. He complimented her singing, and she admitted she hadn't done much of it recently. Victor made a snide reference to Brady's disappearance, and Chloe angrily excused herself and stormed out. Philip followed her, and found her sitting on the stairs, unhappily remembering the audition she'd lost because of the gossip in Austria. He tried to calm her, but she said she was sick of everyone accusing her of being involved in Brady's disappearance, and insisted on Philip getting Victor to apologize.

Meanwhile, Kate urged Victor to stop insulting Chloe lest she run straight to Philip for comfort, and he reluctantly concurred. Daniel privately asked Chelsea if he'd provoked the drama, but Chelsea assured him he hadn't, and briefly detailed all the confusing Kiriakis family relationships for him. After Kate and Victor returned to the table, Daniel and Victor laughed about the intricacies of the Kiriakis family tree, and Daniel commended Kate and Victor on their surprisingly amiable divorce. Philip and Chloe returned, and Kate beseeched Victor to apologize. Victor sighed. "Chloe, I'm very sorry that you married my grandson and that he's missing, and that you feel that I think you're responsible," he declared. Chloe was livid at his non-apology, but Philip and Kate implored her to accept it, and Chelsea helpfully pointed out that Chloe hadn't yet finished her dessert. When Kate announced she was going to finish her own, Daniel remarked, "It's nice to see a woman who allows herself to enjoy the sensual pleasures of good food and good wine." Kate was clearly flattered by the attention. The doorbell rang, and Victor progressed from irritation to anger with this interruption. He and Chloe began arguing heatedly, but fell silent when they saw who had arrived: Nicole Wallace, Victor's young and beautiful ex-wife. As Henderson apologized to Victor for not barring her entry, Nicole flounced into the dining room with her little dog Pookie in her arms and began making herself at home, provoking widened-or rolled-eyes all around.

Stephanie visited Max while he was working at the docks. As she massaged his shoulders, he admitted that he was looking forward to finishing his community service so that he wouldn't have to worry about working at the docks anymore. The scene then became a flashback for Max. He recalled the time he went to Shawn Brady's grave professing his hopes. Max greatly desired to become "somebody" he and Stephanie could be proud of. Back to the present moment, Stephanie professed her devotion to Max. During their conversation, Max's boss showed up and was not pleased that Max was conversing with Stephanie instead of working. After his boss left, Max went on to call himself a "grunt worker." He was very negative when describing himself and his status in society. Stephanie quickly encouraged him regarding his worth and stated that he was not simply a "grunt worker." Max told her that she shouldn't come down to the docks in the more. "I think I can handle a few tough talking dock workers," Stephanie interjected. She admitted that in order to see him, she needed to come to the docks. Stephanie finally agreed, "If that is what you want, your wish is my command." While kissing Max, Stephanie got a phone call revealing that Kayla had just been admitted as a patient at the hospital. She left immediately.

In the presence of Hope, Ava asked Steve if he wanted to kiss his wife, since they had been apart for a while, but Steve said he didn't like public displays of affection. Ava found that to be ironic because he never minded showing her affection in front of others. He admitted to some "great stuff" with Ava, but he also stated that he mostly remembered trying to stay a step ahead of whoever was after he and Ava. Ava still insisted that Hope and Steve show affection, so the two embraced, but Ava interrupted them disgusted by their affectionate hug. Steve asked Ava what happened next in this kidnapping scenario. Steve pleaded for Ava to let "Kayla" go. Ava said she could not. Hope, tried to increase her chances of being released, said she would be willing to go on without Patch in her life if Ava would simply release her. Ava did not buy it. She said that she couldn't just "trust him so easily." Hope interjected and said that Steve was a good man and could be trusted. Ava gripped her head as if she had a headache and yelled "shut up" to Hope and Steve. Hope continued that she should not be under stress due to her pregnancy. Clearly frazzled, Ava began to pace and mentioned that she got migraines. She took a pill and told Steve that he was the reason she got migraines and that he had to pay for it. Steve apologized for hurting Ava so many years ago. She told him that he had to prove it by having dinner with her. Steve mentioned "Kayla" again, and Ava was very upset. She approached Hope saying that she needed rest due to the pregnancy. She placed her hand on Hope's abdomen; Hope swiped it away quickly. However, Ava looked at Hope suspiciously. "Wow! Your stomach is really flat; how far along did you say you were?" Hope brushed it off and said that she was lucky to be having such a great pregnancy: not showing, no morning sickness, etc.

Ava insisted that Hope be examined by a doctor just to make sure all was well with the baby. Hope said it was not necessary. The conversation turned back to the dinner "date" between Ava and Steve. Hope was escorted from the room so that Ava and Steve could have privacy. Without much hesitation, Ava proceeded to passionately kiss Steve. Outside of the room, Hope asked Angelo what was wrong with Ava. Angelo stated, "It's your husband's fault that Ava is the way she is." He admitted that he would have killed him long ago. He warned Hope to stay in Ava's good graces, or Steve would die.

Confidently and arrogantly, Nicole said in the presence of the dinner guests at the Kiriakis' mansion that it was "so good to be home." Victor, however, clearly did not share in her happiness. Regardless, she then went on to address some of the members. After addressing Chloe regarding her scarless face, she then went on to inquire as to Brady's whereabouts. Victor and Nicole recalled the death of Colin, and Victor stated his suspicion of her involvement with his death. He also mentioned the fact that she had already tried to kill him, but she interjected, the fact that he, happily, did not die. Furthermore, Nicole stipulated she didn't recall signing any divorce papers. Victor was fuming. Victor offered to pay off Nicole if she would simply leave. She said that it was not about the money. They stepped outside of the room to further discuss the matter.

Chloe and Phillip discussed Nicole's untimely visit, and Chloe was adamant that she not be allowed to stay. Kate, Chelsea, and Dr. Jonas also discussed Nicole; of course, Kate had no kind words to express regarding Victor's wife, Nicole. Chelsea inquired regarding Lucas and Nicole. Kate confirmed that the two had been married. Kate encouraged Chelsea to get some rest, and although it took some convincing because she really wanted to stick around in light of the new events, she did agree to go to bed. Kate promised to "swing by" tomorrow to take Chelsea to see her father. Kate admitted to Chelsea when they were alone in Chelsea's bedroom that she truly enjoyed the look on Victor's face when he saw Nicole.

Nicole and Victor continued their conversation alone, and Victor insisted that she was broke. She denied it, and he said that there was not a judge in the world who would allow Nicole to have a single cent of his money. She said that she was not going anywhere and that he should get used to seeing her. Before exiting the Kiriakis' mansion for the night, Dr. Jonas visited Chelsea in her bedroom. Kate excused herself when Dr. Jonas entered. He was checking up on her recovery and insisted that she have regular check-ups with him. Victor and Nicole inform the others: Phillip, Chloe, and Kate that she will be staying until further notice. The others were openly upset. Nicole triumphantly stated to the others, "I intend to win the war and take home all the spoils."

At the DiMera mansion, Marlena came downstairs to find John working at his desk. When she asked why John was up early, he blamed the crying babies for keeping him up. Marlena laughed at John's grumpiness and reminded him that the living arrangements were just until Sami and E.J. could prove to the government that their marriage was legitimate. When John offered to pay someone off to make the matter go away, a displeased Marlena said goodbye and headed off to work. No sooner had the front door closed behind Marlena than it was opening again. "Did you forget to kiss me goodbye?" John joked. However, when John turned around, he was instead greeted by a gloating Philip. Philip asked John again about his involvement with keeping the Kiriakis shipping fleet from unloading, but John continued to deny the accusation. Philip then implied that Paul Hollingsworth was in John's pocket. John denied this accusation as well, but his denial only made Philip's smile widen. Holding out the morning newspaper, Philip pointed out the news article about Hollingsworth's indictment on graft charges for taking bribes. Philip suggested that Hollingsworth might soon be naming names, but John did not appear shaken by the news. Philip offered an agreement, but John insisted that he would not quit. His face darkening, Philip warned John that he was making a mistake because the man taking Hollingsworth's place was a good friend of the Kiriakis family. John seemed amused as he watched Philip leave. Looking up at Stefano's portrait, John said, "If Philip and Victor thought that you were ruthless just wait till I get through with them. I'm gonna bring the Kiriakis empire to its knees."

At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor chuckled as he read the morning newspaper over breakfast. However, his smile faded in record speed when Nicole sauntered into the dining room. When Victor showed his displeasure at her appearance, Nicole told him, "You're still a grumpy pants in the morning." "And your still a gold digging whore," Victor countered. The morning pleasantries out of the way, Victor informed Nicole that his lawyers were working hard to have her removed from his life. While Nicole headed over to the breakfast buffet, Chloe entered the room. Chloe and Nicole immediately started to bicker, which caused Victor to exit as quickly as he could. Nicole tried to push Chloe's buttons by teasing her about Brady and accusing Chloe of having him murdered. When Nicole wondered aloud whether Brady killed himself to escape life with Chloe, Chloe was quick to remind Nicole of her past life of pornography and gold digging. When Nicole tried to defend her resume by pointing out her stellar work with Austin, Chloe narrowed her eyes and asked whether he fired her. Avoiding the question, Nicole explained that she just got bored. It was not long before the bickering escalated to the two throwing food at one another while Nicole chased Chloe around the dining room table. Frustrated, Nicole grabbed a glass of orange juice and tossed it at Chloe just as Philip walked in the room and into the line of fire.

Marlena was at the desk in her office when Victor entered for his appointment. The two sat down to chat, and Victor told Marlena that he had been looking forward to the session since the last one went so well. Victor discussed his fears about Brady's disappearance and Philip's path down his father's ethical minefield in business. Victor also discussed his dislike of Chloe and her influence on Philip, and then he announced the return of his long-absent wife, Nicole. Victor was dismayed that he had to wait on his lawyers to remove Nicole, but he also joked that since Chloe and Nicole were mortal enemies, they might just kill each first. With time still left, Victor hesitated to mention what was really troubling him because it involved John. Marlena reminded Victor that their conversation was confidential, but Victor declined out of fear that John would be able to read her somehow. When Marlena nodded in understanding, Victor quickly reminded her that he had great difficulty trusting people.

At Salem Hospital, Chelsea stomped into Bo's room demanding to know why he had tried to get out of bed the night before. Bo cracked a few jokes but a frustrated Chelsea demanded to know why he would put his health in jeopardy. Chelsea told him that he needed to be careful, and Bo redirected the advice back to her by reminding her that she had risked her life to have the surgery against his wishes. Chelsea continued to press for answers about why Bo was trying to get of bed, but Bo continued to make jokes and avoid answering the question honestly. Daniel entered the room and sent Chelsea out in order to examine Bo. Once the two men were alone, Bo pointed out that Chelsea had an obvious crush on Daniel. Daniel explained that a bond between a doctor and patient was not uncommon but that he was just friends with Chelsea. Returning to his exam, Daniel advised Bo that if he rested and recuperated, he could leave in a few weeks. When Bo protested, Daniel sternly warned him to let his body heal so that he did not screw up Chelsea's sacrifice. Bo agreed and Daniel left to finish his rounds.

A little later Caroline stopped by to see Bo and asked him what had happened the night before. Bo explained that he just missed his family but that the visit from Chelsea that morning reminded him of why he needed to get better. When Caroline joked about how Ciara missed her family too, she asked where Hope was. Bo half-heartedly explained that Hope was probably resting, but Caroline was immediately suspicious and pushed Bo for the truth. Bo admitted her instincts were correct because Hope was in danger. Worried, Bo asked her not to tell Abe or Roman, but instead to trust him and help him find a way out of the hospital.

In the hallway outside Bo's room, Chelsea stopped Daniel to ask about Bo. After telling Chelsea that Bo was looking good, Chelsea nervously asked Daniel whether he would be working much longer. Daniel admitted he was about to head out to find a coffee house. When he asked her for suggestions, Chelsea immediately recommended the Java Café and offered to take him there. Mindful of his conversation with Bo, Daniel told Chelsea they were going as friends only. Smiling, Chelsea agreed, stating that anything more would make her boyfriend uncomfortable. While Daniel went to grab his coat, Chelsea felt a little feverish, but did not mention it to Daniel when he returned to pick her up at the nurse's station.

Down the hallway, Stephanie returned to Kayla's hospital room just Kayla she waking up. Stephanie admitted she had been there all night and asked Kayla how the pain was. Kayla happily told Stephanie that the pain was gone and that she felt great. Satisfied that her mother was feeling okay, Stephanie then yelled at Kayla for risking the baby by getting out of bed. Kayla explained that she had to check on Bo in person, and then demanded that Stephanie tell her why Steve was not with Bo like he said he would be. Stephanie played dumb at first, but Kayla was clearly fed up with all the secrecy. Kayla pushed Stephanie to admit that Steve was keeping something from her. Upset, Stephanie explained that she and Steve were only keeping the secret in order to protect her and the baby. Furious, Kayla demanded the truth. Stephanie told her about Ava reappearing from Steve's past, and explained that Ava was so crazy, Steve had hired a bodyguard to follow Kayla around. Kayla was angry that Stephanie and Steve had lied to her and told her that she was going to find Steve and "give him a piece of my mind."

In Ava's bedroom, Hope paced in front of the window, staring at the sunrise. Angelo entered with Steve. Once alone, Steve told Hope that he had never had dinner with Ava because she had passed out. Worried, Steve cautioned Hope that although Ava had always been wild, she had never been so unstable in the past. While the two talked, Ava crept in the room and asked them whether they were arguing. Acting quickly, Steve told Ava that his wife did not believe that they had not had dinner the previous night. Taking her cue from Steve, Hope jumped in and argued that since Ava had been so excited to have dinner with Steve, Hope doubted that nothing had happened between the two of them. Hope then asked to talk to Ava privately so that she could hear the truth. Ava asked Angelo to take Steve out of the room and leave her alone with Steve's wife. When Hope again asked what happened, a beaming Ava spun a story about how she and Steve had talked and drank and made love. Hope pretended to be angry and jealous, and Ava seemed to fall for Hope's ruse. Hope wondered aloud why Steve had not mentioned Ava sooner and concluded that Steve likely still had feelings for Ava since he was still so protective of her. Declaring the situation dysfunctional, Hope announced, "I deserve better than this." "What are you saying?" an excited Ava asked. "I don't want anything to do with that bastard!" Hope yelled.

With victory in sight, Ava asked Angelo to bring Steve back into the room. Hope increased the drama by yelling at Steve who then admitted that his feelings for Ava were complicated. With the words still in the air, Hope smacked Steve across the face and told him that she would not let him raise their child. "You're giving up?" Steve marveled. "It's hard to believe," Hope said quietly. "Yeah. I'll say," said a disbelieving Angelo. Suspicious of Hope's easy defeat, Angelo suggested to Ava that Hope's performance was a little too convenient. Before Angelo could say any more, Steve's cell phone began to ring. Angelo and Ava were hesitant to answer it, but Steve begged them to let him answer since his brother-in-law was in the hospital. Ava relented, but pointed a gun toward Steve and Hope and warned him to be on his best behavior. Hesitant, Steve answered the phone only to hear Kayla on the other end demanding to know what was going on.