Lexie stormed into the DiMera mansion to confront Stefano, then blamed him for the hospital lockdown, and for forcing the hospital board to investigate her fitness as chief of staff. Lexie told her father that he jeopardized her career and that she did not want him in her life. Stefano casually apologized to his daughter and asked her if she was fired. Lexie explained that the hospital agreed to let her continue in her position, but that she decided to resign.
Lexie continued her tirade and told Stefano that Abe also resigned his position as police commissioner. She told Stefano that Abe was tired of the system and how it allowed criminals like Stefano to continue to terrorize citizens and remain free. Lexie warned Stefano that even though Abe was no longer a member of the police department, that Stefano should watch his back because Abe was out for justice, the kind of justice that had no rules.
Stefano asked Lexie if she believed in vigilante tactics and reminded her that Abe had pursued him in the past and failed. Lexie interrupted Stefano and assured him that Abe would not fail this time around. She warned Stefano that Bo, Roman, Steve, and others planned to help Abe in his mission to bring Stefano DiMera to his knees.
Lexie was filled with anger and disgust, and told Stefano that he had gone unpunished for too long and that it was time for him to pay for his actions. Stefano did not seem surprised at Lexie's behavior or how she felt about him. Stefano said that all his children were disloyal and that he could never forgive them. He said that he felt hurt and alone after all his children transferred him to the long-term care facility. Stefano told Lexie that he felt abandoned and could not believe that his own children did nothing to try to help him.
Lexie told Stefano that she did everything medically possible to help him while he was in a coma, but as the days passed, it was clear that the family decided to stop trying because all they remembered were the years that Stefano tortured them. Stefano told Lexie that he never would have turned on his children the way they turned on him. Lexie blasted Stefano and said that he used and abused her, and manipulated his children in order to achieve his personal goals. Lexie looked at Stefano and told him that he was dead to her and that she never wanted to see him again. Stefano looked shocked and asked her to think about what she said. He told her that he understood her anger, but she should not disown her own father. Lexie said that she was disgusted with him because he was a terrible and vicious man, and that she never wanted Theo to have anything to do with him. Stefano threatened Lexie and told her that she would never keep Theo from him. Then he tried to win her over and mentioned that he had a physician friend in Germany who specialized in autism. Stefano told Lexie that all she had to do was say the word and he would make arrangements to place Theo in his care. Lexie could not believe her ears and accused Stefano once again of using his grandson's disability to further his personal agenda. Then Lexie turned and walked out of the house, leaving Stefano to contemplate another defeat.
Outside the Brady Pub, Nicole wondered what she would do when Victor learned that she was still married to Trent. Just then, Victor walked by and asked Nicole why she was talking to herself. They decided to enter the pub and walked into the middle of the confrontation between Max and Trent.
Bo, Hope, Steve, and Kayla tried to restrain Max and calm him down. They questioned him about his behavior and violent outburst against Trent. Bo and Steve encouraged Max to apologize to Trent, but Max was still very angry and upset. He said that he was sorry that he didn't kill Trent. Max tried to explain to everyone that Trent was a horrible father and deserved to die.
Meanwhile, Trent tried to talk to Melanie, but she was too upset after their encounter. Melanie became hysterical and started to cry as she asked her father how he could pimp his own daughter to pay off his gambling debt. Trent denied her accusation, but Melanie told him that if Nick had not intervened, Claude would have raped her. Max heard what was going on and stepped between Trent and Melanie and threatened him again. Then Melanie left to go outside. Trent accused Max of turning Melanie against him and yelled at Max to butt out. Bo and Steve convinced Max to leave, but Trent was angry and suggested that Bo and Steve serve as witnesses to Max's threats. Both men looked at each and said that they didn't hear Max threaten anyone.
Caroline, angry at Trent and the manner in which he treated Max and Melanie, told him that he was no longer welcome in her pub and ordered him to leave immediately. Caroline chastised Tent for using his daughter in such a vile and despicable manner. Melanie, who was still standing there, ran out of the pub. Bo tried to calm down his mother while Steve asked Trent to leave quietly. Trent told everyone that Melanie was a pathological liar, and they did not know her as he did. Max chimed in and reminded Trent that he witnessed everything that happened in France, including Nick taking a bullet to rescue Melanie from Claude. Trent warned everyone that he would not allow the Brady family to ruin his good name and then left the pub.
Stephanie tried to talk to Max and calm him down, but he walked away in a huff.
Outside the pub, Nick comforted Melanie just as Chelsea walked by. Nick assured Melanie that everything would work out, but she said that she lost everything, had no place to live, and so on. Just then, Trent walked over and reminded Melanie that she still had her family.
Trent asked to speak to Melanie alone and Melanie assured Nick that she would be fine. Trent attempted to apologize to Melanie for what happened in France and said he was sorry that Nick was shot. He called it a misunderstanding and then asked Melanie if she knew if he still owed Claude money. Melanie sarcastically told Trent that Claude and his associate were in jail, and reminded Trent that he was in more trouble than before. Trent seemed more concerned about his money problems than his daughter. Trent reminded Melanie that she was more like him than she realized. He said he knew of the wild parties and her promiscuous behavior.
Just then Max showed up and told Trent to get away from Melanie and led Melanie back inside the pub.
Inside the pub, Steve, Kayla and Melanie talked about what happened in France. Stephanie said that they were doing fine until Melanie's near rape and then Nick getting shot trying to rescue her. Stephanie told her parents that she was worried about Max, but Steve assured her that he and Bo would watch out for him. Stephanie said that she felt bad about what happened to Melanie, but that she was a real piece of work and was headed for trouble. However, she knew that Max would not give up on helping his sister. Steve and Kayla suggested to Stephanie that maybe she should take Max out of town before Max had another confrontation with Trent.
Chelsea walked into the pub and told Stephanie that she was upset that Melanie was crying on Nick's shoulder. Stephanie told Chelsea that Melanie was in serious trouble and that Max would have killed Trent with a broken beer bottle if Caroline and their parents hadn't stopped him.
Stephanie asked Chelsea if she was jealous of Melanie, but Chelsea denied it and said that she and Nick were only friends. Chelsea told Stephanie that she did not think that Melanie was right for Nick because she was trouble and Nick was a good guy. Stephanie advised Chelsea to stay out it unless she wanted Nick back. Nick walked in and Chelsea asked him if he was okay. He told Chelsea that he would be fine as soon as he got Melanie away from Trent.
Bo and Hope noticed that Victor and Nicole were in the pub and Hope suggested that perhaps it was not the time to tell Victor about Nicole and Trent. Bo decided to talk to Victor, who was shocked to learn that Trent was Max's biological father and that Melanie was Max's half sister.
Bo told Victor that there was something that he needed to know about Nicole. Bo prompted Nicole to tell Victor the truth and she agreed, but asked for some privacy and then asked Victor to step outside.
Victor demanded to know what was going on and Nicole started to explain to him that her past had caught up with her. Nicole proceeded to tell Victor the entire story of how she married Trent and her brief, but abusive marriage to him. She told Victor that she thought that Trent filed for divorce and had no idea that she was still married to Trent when she married Victor. Victor told Nicole that he did a background check on her before they were married, but that her father changed her name to Misty Circle. After Nicole finished explaining what happened, Victor laughed in her face. He reminded Nicole that since they were never married in the eyes of the law, he did not owe her any money. Victor told Nicole that he wanted every cent back and seemed happy that she was going to be dirt poor once again. Nicole became ill and ran off.
A short time later, Nicole returned to the pub and Victor told her that she would hear from his lawyers. He smiled and said that he expected her to return every penny of her divorce settlement. At that point, Nicole vowed to herself that Trent would pay for his part in her dilemma with Victor.
At another table, Caroline was incensed at Trent's behavior and told Bo that she would help Max to keep his temper in check. Bo reminded Caroline that she needed to keep her temper under control, as well. Caroline looked at Bo and said that she would do anything to protect her children. Max joined them and Bo asked Max to promise to stay away from Trent, but Max told Bo that he could never make such a promise and then walked away.
A while later, Max walked back into the pub and formally introduced Melanie to Caroline, who welcomed Melanie into her home and family. Max left and asked Caroline to watch Melanie. Stephanie saw Max leave and went after him.
Nick, who walked over to talk to Melanie, told her that he was going to hang out for a while at the pub, but then decided to leave to do some work after Melanie went upstairs to rest. Chelsea walked over and asked Nick if wanted company, but Nick said that he wanted to be alone. As he left the pub, he walked outside and overheard Trent talking to someone on the phone about his gambling debt.
After Nicole left the pub, Victor walked over to Bo and Hope's table and thanked them for telling him about Nicole's marriage to Trent. Victor said it was nice to get some good news because Kate was rushed to the hospital for tests earlier that day. Chelsea overheard Victor and asked about Kate's condition, but Victor said that Daniel was running tests and would get back to them with the results. Victor assured Chelsea that he did not think that she should be concerned.
Bo and Hope asked Victor what he planned to do about Nicole, and he told them that he planned to ask her to return all of his money. He admitted that what Trent did to her was wrong and that Nicole was a victim, but that fact that he benefited from her misfortune was not his concern.
Victor left and Bo and Hope asked Chelsea what happened in France. She told them of the entire drama about Melanie's near rape, Trent's role in pimping Melanie to Claude to pay off his debt, and Nick's shooting.
Bo could not believe what happened and then left to attend to business. Chelsea told Hope that she was very worried about Nick, and said that she did not want anything to happen to him because they were still close friends. Hope pointed out to Chelsea that maybe Nick was more than a friend, and that Chelsea still loved him.
Outside the pub, Nick overhead Victor order Nico to take care of Trent Robbins.
Alone with her thoughts, Nicole plotted her revenge against Trent.
Outside the Brady Pub, an angry Melanie told her father that, because he'd tried to pimp her out to pay off a gambling debt, she never wanted anything to do with him again. Trent replied condescendingly that she would have gone through with it if Max and his friends hadn't shown up. Disgusted, Melanie tried to go inside, but Trent stopped her and asserted unconvincingly that he hadn't known Claude had wanted to do more than have a drink with her. Melanie didn't buy it, and lamented how he'd always been a terrible father, never visiting her at school or sending for her during holidays. Trent, referring to her "Premiere Party Girl" website, retorted, "I thought as long you're going to act like a whore, I might as well capitalize on it." When he handily deflected her slap, Melanie spat that she hated him, and that, since Max hadn't killed him, maybe she'd finish the job.
Later, Nick confronted Trent and asked what he'd done to upset Melanie so terribly. Trent warned Nick to stay out of it, but Nick vowed that Trent's career would be over once Nick told the Salem University Board of Regents what Trent had done. Melanie eavesdropped while Trent coldly threatened to retaliate by telling the board that Max had done all the work on Nick's research grant. Nick called his bluff, pointing out that no one would believe anything Trent had to say once the truth came out. As Trent was leaving, Nick warned Trent that he was a dead man if he did anything else to hurt Melanie. After the men had gone, Melanie stepped out of the shadows. "Maybe Nick's right," she said to herself. "Maybe everything would be better if my father just died."
Over breakfast at the pub, Marlena asked if Anna had noticed that John had been behaving even more strangely than usual. Anna agreed that he had. Marlena explained that John had been having headaches and his temper had become even worse, and although she was worried, she didn't feel it was healthy to be around him. Anna understood, but still tried to play devil's advocate a bit, pointing out all that Marlena and John had shared, and that it shouldn't matter as long as the new John was able to fall in love with her. Marlena admitted that she missed the man she'd fallen in love with, but she'd finally accepted that he wasn't coming back and she had to move on.
"So that's it?" an uncharacteristically emotional Anna asked. "You're just going to sit back and worry about your own sweet self while the man you love self-destructs?" Indignant and angry, Marlena rose to leave, but Anna stopped her with an apology. Anna explained that John and Marlena had always been the perfect couple, and it broke her heart to see them apart. She added that she'd only been trying to do the right thing, but was beginning to agree that it was time for Marlena to divorce John. Marlena thanked her old friend for understanding, and then left to see a patient. Anna immediately dialed John. "I think it's time you and I had a nice long talk," she announced.
John interrupted as Stefano was reading to Johnny and Allie, and ordered the housekeeper to take the "rugrats" away so that he and Stefano could discuss the DiMera fortune. While they argued, John was struck by a headache. Stefano was initially unsympathetic, but when he saw how much pain John was in, he frowned with concern. John refused the pills that Stefano brought to relieve his pain, however, and declared that he'd be taking over the empire soon. Stefano laughed and pronounced John's plans-and his hubris-ridiculous. John asserted that since the empire had been built upon their father's shipping business, he was entitled to at least half of everything. Stefano argued that the DiMera empire would never have grown to what it had become were it not for his own acumen. Each man threatened to send the other to jail, and John suggested that Stefano just concede defeat and sign over everything. "The empire is mine. No point in fighting it," he declared with a smile. "But you see, brother," Stefano growled quietly, "this is not a little fight anymore. This is a major war."
The two men continued to argue, with Stefano wondering aloud why John cared so much about the DiMera money when he was already wealthy. John replied that he believed in fighting for what was rightfully his. Stefano shrugged, but cautioned John that he was only wasting his energy: "I created you. I could destroy you." John was beginning his rebuttal when his headache returned. Stefano suggested that John lie down, but John ordered Stefano to hand over the deed to the mansion instead. Stefano refused with a laugh, maintaining that his grandchildren would live in that house one day. John asserted that he wasn't going anywhere, either, and warned that he would take everything Stefano owned. Stefano only chuckled and wished his half-brother luck.
After John had gone, Rolf came in and informed Stefano that he'd done everything that Stefano had asked. He then added that John was entering a critical and precarious phase of his engineering, which Stefano correctly deduced was the reason for John's headaches. Rolf, in his usual scientific jargon, began describing what was going on with John until Stefano barked at him to explain in English. "Soon he will be dead," Rolf replied matter-of-factly.
Lexie and Hope were enjoying breakfast at the Brady Pub when Hope noticed that Lexie kept checking the time. Embarrassed, Lexie admitted it was just a habit from always having had to be at the hospital early in the morning, but agreed when Hope suggested that resigning had been the best decision for Lexie and her family. Hope asked how Abe was holding up after walking out of his job as police commissioner, and pointed out that standing up to the mayor had been a brave and noble thing for him to do. Lexie fretted that Abe had been a cop for so long that his whole identity was wrapped up in it, but Hope was sure he'd have no trouble finding a high-paying job in the private sector.
Roman and Bo stopped by Abe's house to try to persuade him to let them do what they could to help get his job back. Abe had no interest in returning to the force, and instead tried to convince Roman to be his replacement. Roman laughed but refused, even after Bo tried to talk him into it. All three men were admittedly worried that if the job went to someone who wasn't a good, honest cop, the mayor would appoint one of his own toadies. Roman finally put his foot down and emphatically pointed out that he just could not deal with the bureaucracy that went with the job. Abe conceded that Roman was probably right, and then went to work on Bo. Bo scoffed that he was an even less appropriate candidate than Roman, and besides, he wouldn't want to give up detective work. After Roman got a call to return to the station, Abe tried to get Bo to reconsider. Though flattered, Bo replied that they would just have to find another person for the job-before someone else did.
Roman called Bo at Abe's to tell him that the mayor was about to have a live press conference to announce Abe's replacement. Bo filled Abe in and then left, bumping into Lexie on his way out. Abe and Lexie sat in front of the television a bit later to watch the mayor's broadcast.
In Roman's office at the police station, May or Marino asked if Roman had any objections to his choice for commissioner. Roman agreed that the appointee would do a fine job, and the mayor looked forward to the positive press the department would surely get as a result of the announcement. As the press gathered in the outer office, Hope met Bo and asked if he knew whom the mayor would name. The mayor emerged from the office, and made a brief speech about how he demanded someone who would fight for justice and was tough enough to bring in the most dangerous criminals, ending with, "That's why I have decided that Abraham Carver's successor will be Hope Williams Brady."
The cameras whirled around to zoom in on Hope's stunned face. Lexie turned off the TV, annoyed that Hope hadn't told her about it earlier. Abe smirked and suddenly Lexie realized he'd orchestrated Hope's appointment. He admitted he'd decided on Hope after offering the job to Roman and Bo, because he knew she was fair, honest, and tough. Though happy for her friend, Lexie said they'd better pray Hope would actually accept.
Hope told Mayor Marino, obviously self-satisfied about his decision to appoint a woman, that she was flattered that he wanted her to succeed Abe as Police Commissioner. She added that she had to discuss it with her family before she could decide. He told her that he understood-but that she only had until the end of the day to give him an answer. Once the mayor had gone, Bo and Roman bombarded Hope with declarations of how proud they were of her. When they saw how hesitant she was to take the job, Roman reminded her that they'd have an even tougher time bringing Stefano down if the mayor were to appoint one of his minions to the position instead. Bo and Roman also tried to point out all she could accomplish if she took the job, including keeping the mayor and his cronies in check. Hope, frustrated, told them that instead of thinking of the "greater good" as they did, she could only think about how hard it would be on her family and her marriage.
In private, Hope confidently declared to Bo that she knew she would be a great commissioner, but she just did not want the job. She admitted that being away from Ciara was too difficult already, and she'd seen how the strain of Lexie's being Chief of Staff at the hospital had taken a huge toll on Lexie and Abe's marriage. Hope also confided that losing Zack had changed her perspective about being away from Ciara-but she also knew that Ciara would be just fine if she took the job. Bo reassured her that he understood all of her misgivings, and that he would always love and support her no matter what she decided. With a sly grin, she pointed out that, if she took the job, she'd be his boss. Bo, closing the office blinds, playfully told her that the very idea turned him on, then took her in his arms and kissed her neck.
Hope asserted that she could not take the job just to go after Stefano. Bo was pointing out that it couldn't hurt to have someone whom DiMera had victimized-like her-in the commissioner's seat, when Roman interrupted to tell them the mayor was on the phone for Hope. She picked up the phone and politely but firmly declined the job, and thanked him for the opportunity. After she hung up, she asked if Bo were disappointed, but he assured her that he was not, and that he respected her decision.
Stefano ranted to Rolf about how John was drunk with power. When Rolf reminded him that it was only a matter of time before John would be dead, Stefano declared that he wanted John to suffer, not merely to die. Using the chessboard to illustrate, Stefano noted that John was only a pawn in his game. He then held up the queen and announced that he planned to destroy Marlena once and for all.
A nauseated Nicole ran into Trent outside the Brady Pub and told him that he owed her ten million dollars, because she had to pay back her divorce settlement to Victor. Trent, smug as ever, couldn't care less, even suggesting that she was still good-looking enough to try to earn some money playing "Locker-Room Lolita" again. Disgusted, Nicole called him a pig, but when he grabbed her arm to prevent her from leaving, Max appeared out of nowhere and ordered Trent to leave her alone. Nicole went inside and Max cautioned Trent to leave Melanie alone or he'd make good on his threat to kill Trent. Trent smirked. "Ooh, Maxie, I'm shaking in my boots!" He haughtily pronounced Max unable to kill anyone, although he acknowledged with some pride that Melanie could kill if she were angry enough. Max warned him again, so Trent conceded that maybe he'd been wrong. "Maybe all this anger is just proof that you can go to church and drink green beer for the rest of your life, but you're really never going to be a Brady, because deep down inside, you're just like your dear old dad."
Nicole sat at the bar and saw that the bartender had been slicing lemons. Eying the knife on the cutting board, she said to herself, "That bastard doesn't deserve to live." As she was reaching for the knife, suddenly she clutched her stomach and ran to the restroom instead.
Kayla greeted Marlena, who was shuffling some patient files at the hospital. Observing that Marlena seemed distracted, Kayla offered to listen if Marlena needed to talk. Marlena confessed that she felt helpless because John was spiraling out of control and she couldn't do anything about it. Kayla tried to comfort her friend, but Marlena tearfully declared that she couldn't waste any more energy on John if he was only going to push her away.
After Marlena thanked Kayla and returned to her office, Kayla overheard Daniel loudly dressing down a nurse. When the nurse left in tears, Kayla tried to get Daniel to calm down, but he barked at her, too
Daniel stalked off and nearly knocked Chelsea down as she showed up to check in on Kate. Citing doctor-patient confidentiality, Daniel somewhat reluctantly reminded Chelsea that he couldn't divulge any details about Kate's condition. As they sat in a quiet waiting area, Daniel reiterated that he'd never meant to hurt Chelsea. Chelsea clarified bitterly that she'd been hurt just by his having sex with Kate-Chelsea's finding out was what he never wanted to have happen. Daniel apologized and tried to persuade her that he, not Kate, should take the blame for hurting Chelsea, but he was only met with sarcasm. To underscore her pain, Chelsea turned on her heel and left with just an "I'll see you around, Daniel" as way of goodbye.
When the nurse at whom he'd yelled delivered Kate's patient file to Daniel, he apologized sincerely. Once she'd gone, Daniel opened the file and, clearly troubled by the results, immediately left a message for Kate. "I know you're not anxious to deal with this, but we can't put this off. I'd like you to come in today. We need to decide our next step. I'll be waiting." Chelsea returned in time to overhear him, but crept away again before Daniel saw her.
At the Brady Pub bar, Anna tried to convince John to do something to win Marlena back before she divorced him. Her face began to look fuzzy to him, and her voice began echoing faintly, and suddenly he lurched forward and slumped to the floor. Anna shrieked for someone to call 9-1-1.
A paramedic brought John into the trauma center and filled Kayla in on his condition. John reluctantly agreed to stick around for some tests only after Kayla pointed out that he could have a stroke instead of a seizure next time.
Anna called Marlena, who immediately rushed to the emergency room. Anna described John's seizure and informed Marlena that he was with Kayla in radiology, having a brain scan.
Marlena found John in his room after his tests and told him she was glad he hadn't been alone when he'd had the seizure. When John asked if she still wanted him out of her life, she made an excuse about having to see a patient, but promised to return to check on him.
Kayla gasped with alarm when she viewed John's scan results. A bit later, she showed them to a stunned Marlena, who concurred when Kayla said she'd never seen anything like them. Indicating the midbrain region, Kayla noted, "It looks like it's completely clouded over." Kayla added that she planned to run more tests, so Marlena left.
Kayla stopped John as he was getting dressed to leave and tried to insist he stay for more testing. When she refused to speculate about what could be wrong with him until she knew more, and in spite of Anna's pleas, John put his coat on and left. Kayla sighed. "Poor Marlena. She's already suffered enough." Anna anxiously asked how bad the initial test results had been. "He could be heading for disaster," Kayla replied sadly.
Marlena stormed into the DiMera mansion and ordered Stefano to give her the disk containing John's memories. Stefano feigned ignorance, and when Marlena swore he'd taunted her with it in the hospital, he suggested she'd been hallucinating. Marlena revealed that John was in the hospital and demanded that Stefano help his brother by restoring his memory. Stefano refused, so Marlena pleaded with him, appealing to his compassion as a father and a grandfather and reminding him that John was his flesh and blood, as well. Stefano told her to save her breath. "John's fate was sealed years ago, Marlena, and there's nothing either one of us can do about it."
Rolf returned once Marlena had left and informed Stefano that John's brain was just about to flame out, at which time he would be ripe for reprogramming as Stefano's pawn. Stefano announced that, while he would greatly relish watching Marlena suffer while John unraveled, they no longer needed John to be the pawn. "But as far as the man himself is concerned," he added, "I think you can retire this outdated model and find someone new to play with."
Meanwhile, Marlena had returned to the hospital to look at John's brain scans again, and vowed, "I'll find a way to save you John. I won't let you die."
Melanie saw a frustrated Max sweeping up outside the Brady Pub, and she told him she knew how he felt. Melanie advised Max not to let Trent get to him. Max said he couldn't just accept that Trent was a low-life who used his own daughter to pay off his gambling debts and didn't care about anyone. Melanie said she couldn't get used to being around Trent, and she planned to leave Salem. Melanie wasn't going anywhere, because Trent was the one who needed to leave, Max said.
Trent gave some hooker money and made plans for the next day. After she left, the phone rang, and it was Claude, the French guy he tried to pimp his daughter off on. Trent apologized for what happened and promised to pay Claude the money he owed him. Claude said Trent had to either give him cash or Trent had to deliver his daughter, Melanie, to Claude so Claude could finish what he started.
Trent worried about how he would get the money to pay Claude. Trent looked at a picture of Melanie, and at first decided against it, but then Trent decided he had no choice, so he texted Melanie and asked her to go to his hotel room. Melanie told Max about the text, and Max decided they would both go to the hotel room. Melanie was resistant at first. When they got to the hotel room, Trent said he was in a tough situation. Trent explained that Claude was angry with Trent for what happened with Melanie and if Melanie didn't clean up his mess, he was a dead man.
Max mocked Trent's situation. Trent tried to appeal to Max as his father, but his appeal fell on deaf ears, so Trent turned to Melanie, telling her that she was his last hope. Max could tell Trent's words were starting to get to Melanie, so he begged Melanie not to fall for it. Trent told Max to butt out, but Max threatened Trent.
Lucas was having dinner with Philip at Chez Rouge, when Chloe came in. Lucas was upset, because Chloe was supposed to be on babysitting duty with Allie. Chloe explained that she got a sitter, but that didn't sit well with Lucas, so he excused himself from the table and went off to check on the babysitter. Nicole showed up to ask for Philip's help. Nicole sensed Chloe was upset, but Chloe said she was fine. Lucas returned to the table and said he spoke to the sitter, Gabrielle, and found out she and Allie were watching a television show.
Chloe sarcastically said she was surprised Gabrielle didn't smack Allie around or left her alone. Lucas asked if he wasn't supposed to be worried because Chloe left his child with a stranger. Gabrielle was a dear friend of Chloe's, she explained. Lucas said Gabrielle was a stranger to her. Chloe excused herself from the table, and Nicole went after her to see if Chloe was alright.
Philip wondered why Lucas was being so hard on Chloe. Lucas said he didn't mean to be and that, that was how they interacted. Lucas said he would apologize. Over at the bar, Nicole explained away Lucas' behavior, saying he'd always been high-strung when it came to his kids. Chloe mocked how overprotective Lucas was. Nicole said Lucas was probably worried that Sami could get custody of Allie. It wasn't like Chloe abandoned Allie, Chloe said. Then, Chloe admitted that she wasn't ready for the whole baby thing and she was starting to feel trapped.
Nick ran into Chelsea at the Brady Pub. She asked about his shoulder, and he considered himself lucky that his injury wasn't more serious. Chelsea said she was completely clueless, and Nick guessed she was talking about Daniel. Nick asked Chelsea to confide in her. Chelsea was worried that Daniel and Kate were still seeing each other behind her back. She said she overheard them talking and Daniel said it was time for him and Kate to take the next step. Nick said that could have had something to do with Kate's treatment, but Chelsea wasn't convinced, because she thought Kate's medical condition wasn't that serious.
Nick told Chelsea she needed to work on forgiving Daniel and Kate, because being angry took too much energy. Nick said Chelsea forgive him in the past, so he couldn't hold a grudge. Chelsea said she was lucky to have Nick, although Nick had moved on. Nick said Chelsea was acting possessive of him and she couldn't judge Melanie. Chelsea thought Melanie was trouble, but Nick threw Daniel's affair with Kate in Chelsea's face. Chelsea accused Nick of trying to get revenge on Chelsea by pursuing Melanie. Nick said Chelsea was treating him like her consolation prize.
Chelsea said she still cared about Nick and felt the need to warn him when he was approaching danger. Nick said Chelsea needed to see Melanie through his eyes. He felt sorry for Melanie for what her father put her through, Nick said.
Bo accused Roman of judging Hope for turning down the commissioner's job. Roman said he was not judging Hope – he was just worried about who the mayor would appoint. Roman tried to convince Bo to take the commissioner's position. Bo said he wasn't willing to be commissioner either, and Roman said there was no reason why Bo could not be commissioner. Roman wasn't satisfied with Bo's refusal to take the job, so he asked Bo if he cared about the people of Salem and fighting corruption. After Bo said he cared, Roman said he was going to personally recommend Bo for the job.
Chloe said she was crazy about Allie, but she wasn't ready to be a mother just yet. Nicole said she could relate. Chloe apologized for being insensitive, but Nicole told her it was no problem and it was a good thing she couldn't have kids because Nicole could barely take care of herself. Chloe told Nicole not to sell herself short and she would make a great mother. Nicole urged Chloe to talk to Lucas and tell him how she felt.
Lucas apologized to Chloe for snapping at her, and Chloe said she understand that Lucas was just being a good father. She said Lucas was just being a neurotic father and it was okay.
Roman told Bo that he would realize that being commissioner was the best thing he could do. Then, Caroline came to the police station to talk to them about Max. Caroline said Max was angry at Trent for trying to use Melanie to pay off his gambling debts. Roman and Max told Caroline to calm down, but she said she wasn't going to calm down because it involved her son.
Max grabbed Melanie, so she called Nick and asked him to go to the hotel to stop Max. Max was pummeling Trent when Nick walked in. Nick pulled Max off of Trent, and Max said Trent was going to use Melanie again to pay off his debt. Trent denied saying that he needed cash. Nick told Trent he had cash. Max was angry that Nick offered to pay off Trent's gambling debt. Nick said he could use the grant money and then Trent would leave them alone, but Trent said he wasn't going anywhere.
Lucas told Chloe she was great with Allie, and Chloe tried to tell him how she felt, but he cut her off and told her what a loving person Chloe was. Nicole told Philip she would be ruined if Victor took back her divorce settlement. She urged Philip to talk to Victor, but Philip said he was staying out of it. Nicole told Philip how Trent tried to pimp his daughter, and she said she wished Trent was dead. Lucas excused himself so he could go back to the cabin, and Nicole left too. Chloe noticed how pale Nicole was, and Nicole blamed it on fatigue. Philip toasted to him and Chloe and to them getting what they wanted. Chloe asked if Philip knew what he wanted, and he asked her if she knew what she wanted.
Roman and Bo promised to talk to Max about Trent, but that wasn't good enough for Caroline. Caroline wanted them to do something about Trent. Roman said they couldn't get him to leave town just because they wanted him too. Caroline didn't understand why since Trent tried to make his daughter sleep with a man to pay off his debts. That happened on foreign soil, Bo said, and their hands were tied. Caroline said her arms weren't tied.
Nick said he offered to pay Trent off so he would leave them alone. Melanie wanted to leave, but Trent stopped her and tried again to convince Melanie to sleep with Claude to pay off his debts. Melanie told Trent she wouldn't go through with Trent's plan, and she called Trent sick and twisted. Max was the best person she knew, Melanie said, and Trent abandoned him. Trent said Melanie and Max were nothing. Melanie, Max, Chelsea and Nick left, and Trent yelled after them, saying he was better off without his kids. Max tried to console Melanie, but she said she couldn't stay in Salem and she couldn't be around Trent. Max said Melanie wouldn't be, because something was being done that night about Trent.
At Salem Hospital, Kate chastised Daniel for calling her down to the hospital, because she was so busy at work. Frustrated, Daniel interrupted Kate and sternly reprimanded her for taking her illness so lightly. When Kate asked what information Daniel had for her, Daniel admitted that he did not have a diagnosis yet. While Kate attempted to avoid more tests, Chelsea came around the corner and angrily yelled at Kate, "I should have known you'd do anything to keep seeing Daniel. You're pathetic." Kate tried to reach out to Chelsea, but Chelsea rebuffed all of Kate's attempts. On Kate's request, Daniel left Chelsea alone with Kate to talk. Kate reiterated how much she regretted hurting Chelsea, and said, "You don't have to forgive me. But I know you still have feelings for Daniel. Forgive him." Staring coldly into her grandmother's eyes, Chelsea countered, "No." Chelsea began to walk away, but stopped at the doorway when she heard Kate begin to cough. Once Kate was feeling better, Chelsea hurriedly walked down the hall after seeing Daniel heading toward her from the other direction. After Kate confirmed that all was still not forgiven with Chelsea, a worried-looking Daniel explained that he had confirmed Kate's diagnosis with a specialist. "It's lung cancer," Daniel said gently.
At the Brady Pub, a panicked Nicole rushed in and sat next to E.J. at his table. Nicole begged for E.J. to help her with damage control, and she explained that Bo and Hope had forced her to tell Victor the truth. After explaining that Victor had laughed at her news, Nicole stated, "I hate my dearly departed husband." Immediately suspicious, E.J. questioned why she would say that Trent was departed, and Nicole explained that she assumed Trent would have left town once all his dirty laundry had come out. Satisfied for the moment, E.J. moved on to discuss his strategy for Nicole's case against Victor, suggesting that they play up the victim aspect to her tale. When E.J. asked Nicole if she could prove that Trent was violent, Nicole muttered, "Probably." As E.J. wondered aloud what Trent would say if he testified at the trial, Nicole said "He's not gonna make it to the stand." In disbelief, E.J. urged Nicole to tell him if she did something she should not have. Before E.J. could get any answers, Nicole jumped up and ran off to the bathroom to throw up.
At Chez Rouge, Hope and Bo greeted Maggie at the bar, and Hope informed Maggie that she had turned down the job of Police Commissioner. While Maggie attempted to pep talk Hope into changing her mind, Steve and Kayla arrived for their dinner with Bo and Hope, and they agreed with Maggie. Hope explained that although she really wanted to take the job, she felt that it would mean spending too much time away from Ciara. When Steve suggested to Bo that he should go after the job, a beaming Bo announced that he had already accepted the position. The two couples headed to their table to celebrate, and Bo explained that his main focus in taking on the job was to keep an eye on the new mayor and his connection with Stefano Dimera. Right on cue, the new mayor stopped by the table and warned Bo that he was still just a candidate for the position. After the mayor left, a self-conscious Bo fretted that his recent evidence tampering might keep him from becoming the new commissioner. Ever the cheerleader, Kayla passionately spoke encouraging words to her brother and urged him to stay confident about the job.
At the Chez Rouge Bar, Melanie looked at a wallet in her purse and perused its contents. Nick snuck up behind her and startled her. Melanie quickly tucked the wallet into her purse. While Nick and Melanie chatted, Melanie began to giggle when she saw Mickey and Maggie kissing nearby. After Melanie made a couple of cracks about how gross it was, a smiling Nick called Mickey and Maggie over to introduce them to Melanie. Maggie shared her good news that the Green Restaurant Association was reviewing Chez Rouge for membership. As Nick raised his hand to order sparkling cider to celebrate the news, a horrified Maggie noticed that Nick's knuckles were badly bruised. Nick waved off the injury and when privately questioned by Melanie, Nick assured her the bruising was likely from punching the guard in France. Freshly reminded about Nick's heroics, Melanie told Nick that she still owed him and offered to buy him dinner. While Nick talked to Maggie, Melanie pulled some money out of the strange wallet hidden in her purse.
Up in his room above the Brady Pub, Max studied the blood on the front of his shirt. Stephanie knocked on the door and called out to Max. Startled, Max hurriedly took off his shirt and hid it in a pile of laundry. After Max let Stephanie into the room, she questioned his jumpiness. Max claimed he was feeling fine and said, "I think things will get better now." As Stephanie massaged his neck, a relaxed Max mumbled, "It's over and done with. We never have to worry about Trent Robbins again." When Stephanie asked Max why they would not have to worry about Trent, Max avoided the question and pulled Stephanie into a kiss. After making love, Max and Stephanie lay in bed talking. Stephanie asked where Max had been earlier, and a twitchy-looking Max explained that he had been down at the garage working on a car and clearing his head. Feeling a bit tired, Max got out of bed to take a shower when a horrified Stephanie noticed there were severe scratches and bruises on his back. Max joked about her being a tiger and hurriedly headed out of the room. Suspicious, Stephanie looked through his laundry for clues and found the bloody shirt he had hidden there earlier.
On the way to the cemetery to visit Shawn Sr.'s grave, Bo and Hope greeted a couple of police officers walking the beat. The two officers asked Bo if the rumors about him becoming police commissioner were true, and a smiling Bo admitted it was a possibility.
In the cemetery, Caroline visited the grave of Shawn Sr. Caroline talked aloud to Shawn Sr.'s grave stating how angry she was to know that Trent was Max's biological father. "That's why I took care of him tonight. You don't have to worry about Trent Robbins bothering Max anymore," said Caroline. While Caroline attempted to confess to her husband, Trent watched her from the bushes and stumbled over to her. Shocked to see Trent headed toward her, Caroline screamed aloud just as a bloody Trent fell on top of her. Noting with horror the knife sticking out of Trent's back, Caroline pulled the knife out and stared at it.
Alerted by Caroline's screaming, Bo, Hope, and the two officers headed into the cemetery and found Caroline next to the body of Trent Robbins, the knife still in her hand.
