In the basement room, Dr. Dick Baker was absently fiddling with some poker chips and thinking about his partnership with Hope, when Nicole arrived. She was aggravated because she hadn't been able to find out if E.J. had any real proof that she had framed Arianna for the muggings. "I can't let him get away with this-and I know how to stop him for good," Nicole declared.

Dick didn't want to get caught up in another of Nicole's schemes, but she quickly pointed out that E.J. would make sure both Dick and Nicole paid for setting up Arianna. Dick wanted to know how Nicole planned to stop E.J. Nicole suggested, "You and your partner in crime take him out." Dick refused, and asserted that he was leaving town after that night's poker game.

Pulling out a wad of cash, Nicole asked how much money Dick needed to leave town-and name his partner. Dick maintained that he cared about his associate too much to do that. With an incredulous chuckle, Nicole put away her money and said, "Seeing that you're not spineless anymore, I guess you're not much good to me." She extended her hand, and when Dick declined to shake it, she grabbed one of the poker chips from his hand, and then sauntered out.

At the DiMera mansion, while Kate was assuring Madeline that she would do her best to keep Madeline's secret, Will walked past the parlor door on his way out. He overheard Kate say, "Let's just keep the past in the past, shall we? I mean, no one really needs to know that you were once a..." Madeline matter-of-factly finished for Kate, "A whore." Will's eyes widened in shock.

Kate thought Madeline should leave if she didn't want Stefano to learn any more about her "sordid past" than he already knew. "He has kind of a sixth sense when it comes to people who are hiding something," Kate added. Madeline was expressing her chagrin that her fate was in Kate's hands just as Stefano arrived. He demanded to know why Madeline was there.

Madeline maintained that she had merely been making sure that she and Kate had closure, but Stefano didn't buy it. Kate covered for Madeline, and asserted that Madeline had gone to Kate for reassurance, because she didn't trust Stefano not to blow up her life. After some testy words between Madeline and Stefano, Kate urged her husband to be gracious about winning.

When Stefano left to take a phone call, Madeline asked Kate if he had believed them. "I'm never really sure," Kate admitted, and reiterated that Madeline should leave before Stefano returned-and think twice before dropping by again. Madeline concurred.

Stefano retuned after Madeline had gone, and Kate poured him a glass of "verboten" liqueur to help him relax. She assured him that Madeline could no longer hurt them. Stefano was pleased that his wife knew him well enough to recognize when he was obsessing about something. He then informed her that he had offered young William an internship at DiMera Enterprises-and they had both agreed not to tell Samantha. Kate was touched that Stefano had grown so fond of her grandson. Stefano asserted that he had begun to feel as if William were his own grandson.

Chad, Gabi, and "T" were eating ice-cream cones on the beach at the lake. Chad remarked that Will had been gone an awfully long time. As T wandered off to take a phone call from his mom, Gabi told Chad that she was relieved he wasn't fighting with his parents anymore. Chad asserted that they would be arguing again soon enough, because he would never measure up to their standards. Gabi urged Chad not to talk like that, and reminded him that he'd gotten into Wake Forest. Chad corrected her: "It's more accurate to say that my mom got me into Wake Forest. If I have any future at all, it's because of her."

T returned and asked why Chad had changed his mind about Wake Forest, when he'd been so determined to go to Salem U. With a shrug, Chad replied that his folks had changed his mind, plus he wanted to get out of town. T and Gabi were excited for Chad, who suggested that they should visit him in the fall. T then left to meet Kinsey at the Brady Pub.

Chad was promising Gabi that she would have the time of her life if she visited him at college just as Will returned. "What's up with you, and where's our food?" Chad wanted to know. Will confessed that he'd forgotten it. After Gabi said goodbye to the boys and left for work, Will indignantly hissed at Chad, "You son of a bitch! Mia is not gone five minutes and you're already putting the moves on Gabi?" Chad maintained that wasn't what he'd been doing, and besides, it was none of Will's business.

When Chad made a disparaging crack about Will's mom, a furious Will grabbed the front of Chad's shirt. "Don't ever say anything about my mother again-never again!" he growled. Chad continued needling Will, "She's got how many kids with how many fathers? And she was how old when you were born?" Will attacked Chad again, but the much larger Chad handily threw Will onto the sand. "I guess maybe I'd be an uptight prude like you, too, if I had a mother like that," Chad sneered. Will retorted contemptuously, "At least my mother wasn't a whore like yours was!"

At the Kiriakis mansion, Henderson poured a martini for Vivian, who wondered aloud why Victor was missing cocktail hour. Henderson informed her that Victor wouldn't be home for dinner. As Henderson walked out of the room, Vivian muttered to herself, "Better be a business dinner."

A chipper Victor arrived at Maggie's house with papers about the Mickey Horton Scholarship Foundation, and asked Maggie to go to dinner with him to review the details. She flatly refused, believing that Victor was using the scholarship as an excuse to take her to dinner. Victor insisted that while he thoroughly enjoyed her company, he would never use Mickey's name to con her. Victor urged Maggie to reconsider his invitation.

Just then, someone knocked at the back door. "What's a little dinner between friends?" Victor asked, as Maggie opened the door for Vivian. "I don't know, Victor; what is it?" Vivian asked, clearly annoyed to find her husband there. "Damn it, Vivian, get the hell out of here," an aggravated Victor ordered. "You're embarrassing yourself." Maggie chastised him for giving orders in her house, and then politely asked him to leave her-and Vivian to stay.

Once Victor had gone, Maggie asked Vivian, "Do you really think that you are going to hold onto Victor acting like a stereotypical fishwife?" Chuckling, Vivian countered, "I'm Vivian Alamain. Do you think I like having a romantic rival who makes Betty Crocker look like Lady Gaga?" Maggie insisted that she was in no way Vivian's romantic rival. She posited that perhaps Victor liked talking to her, because she didn't try to kill people, and she wasn't a "neurotic shrew." She quickly apologized for being out of line. "Damn you for being right," Vivian declared quietly, and then left.

On the pier, Jennifer told Carly that she was returning to London that night, unless Carly needed her to stay. Carly admitted that she loved having Jen around, but her problems were far less important than Jennifer's family. Jennifer asked if Carly had gotten to talk to Daniel yet, and Carly reluctantly stated that she had not. Jennifer wanted to talk to Carly about Bo and Hope.

Carly insisted that Bo had struggled to make his marriage work. Jennifer was worried that Carly would only get hurt, because Hope would always be an issue in Carly's relationship with Bo. Carly acknowledged that she was already aware of Hope and Bo's deep connection, and Carly would just have to learn to live with it.

Bo was at home, helping Ciara find just the right crayon for the picture she was working on. He stumbled across his and Hope's divorce papers and was gazing glumly at them, just as Hope arrived. After giving her daughter a big hug, Hope asked the little girl to play upstairs for a few minutes. Ciara headed for her room somewhat grudgingly.

Bo asked how Hope had been doing since her grandmother's funeral, and suggested that she take a few days off work. Hope insisted that she needed to keep working to stay focused. She then declared that she was not pleased that Arianna had been released on bail. Bo didn't believe that Arianna was guilty-and even if she were, she wasn't stupid enough to attack again. Hope asserted that Arianna's need to mug men was more of a compulsion than a need for cash. Hope theorized that because Arianna felt like powerful, authoritarian men had always run her life, she had only attacked men like that.

Bo countered that E.J. was one of those men, and E.J. would not be defending Arianna if he thought she was guilty. When Hope made a disdainful remark about men's egos, Bo noted that she seemed to be harboring some anger toward men-and maybe she was a little too close to the case. Hope conceded that Bo might be right, but she was worried that he could be next on the mugger's list-and the violence was escalating.

Hope then noted that Bo had been looking at the divorce papers when she'd arrived, and acknowledged that they needed to discuss the divorce. Bo assured her that there was no rush, because she was still grieving. "You've moved on. I need to find a way to move on myself," Hope stated. "And I think this means we move on with the divorce."

Carly arrived just then. "Hey, I'm home," she announced before she saw that Hope was there. Carly quickly apologized for interrupting, and offered to leave. Hope declined, maintaining that she and Bo were finished talking, and then went upstairs to get Ciara.

After Hope and Ciara left, Carly tried to apologize to Bo, but he reminded her that she lived there, and Hope was aware of that. He then informed Carly that Hope wanted to go ahead with the divorce, but he thought the timing was odd since Hope had just lost her grandmother. Carly wondered if Bo were having second thoughts, and asserted, "No one should have to go through something as horrible as a divorce unless they're absolutely sure. So maybe I'm the one who needs to step back."

Bo stated that he agreed with Hope that it was time to move on, because they'd been "in limbo" far too long. Carly pointed out that Hope had been behaving strangely since before Mrs. Horton had passed away. She reminded Bo of the conversation Hope had with Carly while Bo was gone, and noted that Hope had been warm and forgiving then, but when Bo had returned, Hope had acted like the conversation had never happened.

Carly asked Bo if she were overstepping by pointing that out to him. He didn't think she was, but he admitted that he wasn't really comfortable discussing Hope with Carly anymore. Carly understood, but when she remembered her earlier conversation with Jennifer, she got up and kissed Bo passionately.

Jennifer was calling Jack to check in when Vivian showed up on the pier. "Two more minutes, I would've been home free," Jennifer groaned. Vivian offered her condolences about Alice, and then tried to compare Jennifer's loss to Vivian's losing Lawrence. An indignant Jennifer snapped that her grandmother had actually mattered, and reminded Vivian that Lawrence had raped Jennifer-and then went on to ruin Carly's life, as well. Vivian sputtered that Lawrence had paid for his crimes, and she couldn't believe that Jennifer was taking Carly's side, but Jennifer cut her off: "I am going back to London-and you know exactly where you can go."

When Hope and Ciara arrived at the Kiriakis mansion, Ciara was thrilled to find her Uncle Justin in the parlor. He informed the little girl that there were fresh cookies in the kitchen, and after getting permission from her mom, Ciara rushed off to sample them. Justin noted that Hope seemed exhausted, and offered to read Ciara a story and put her to bed, while Hope got some rest. A very grateful Hope wished Justin a good night and headed upstairs.

After Ciara had taken her bath, she showed Justin a picture she'd drawn. He declared that it would look nice in his room. "That's a dollar," she informed him. Justin stifled a chuckle and told her to autograph the picture while he got his wallet. "You can't-you lost it," Ciara replied. Justin asked how she knew that. "'Cause Mommy had it," she replied.

In her bedroom, Hope put on her pajamas and contemplated her bottle of sleeping pills. "I need a good night's sleep," she told herself, and then washed down a pill with a glass of water. Later, after she'd gotten into bed, she opened her eyes and looked around. She threw the covers off, went into her closet, and pulled a black dress off the rack. "Time to get on with it," she declared.

On a park bench by the river, Madeline thought about her earlier conversation with Kate, and worried that Chad would find out the truth about her past.

At the lake, Chad insulted Will's mother, and Will retaliated by loudly proclaiming that Chad's mother had been a whore. "What did you say?" Chad demanded. "It's true," Will replied disdainfully. "My mother made mistakes, but at least she never turned tricks!" Chad lunged at Will, and the boys began fighting. They rolled around in the sand, pummeling each other violently, until a police officer arrived and tried to break it up.

The cop pulled Chad off of Will, but Will popped back up and charged at Chad. The officer finally managed to separate them, but as he was threatening to arrest them both, he thought he recognized Will. A contrite Will stated that he was Commander Roman Brady's grandson, and accepted blame for the incident. He swore that it wouldn't happen again, so the officer reluctantly gave them a warning and left them there on the beach.

Will apologized to Chad, but Chad demanded to know why Will had said what he'd said. Will backpedaled a bit, but insisted he wasn't lying. A furious Chad wasn't buying it, so Will told him, "If you don't believe me, then ask her yourself." Will explained that he'd overheard his grandmother and Chad's mom talking. He reminded Chad that they knew the women had been friends, and that everyone knew about Kate's "weird past"-and evidently Madeline had been a part of that.

Chad hotly pointed out that his mom was a judge, but Will countered that was probably why she didn't want anyone to find out the truth. Chad didn't want to believe it. Will assured Chad that he wasn't judging anyone, but added, "I think that there's a whole lot about your mom that you don't know, including who she used to be."

Later, Chad met his mom at the Brady Pub. Madeline admitted that she'd had an awful day, and then noticed a bruise on Chad's face. "Have you been fighting?" she asked with alarm, and when he confirmed that he had, she cautioned him that things like that could go on his record-and could haunt him later in life. Although Chad wouldn't divulge whom he'd fought with, he admitted that the fight had been about her. He quickly added that the other kids were jealous that his mom and dad had pulled strings to get him into a good school.

Chad then asked his mom how she had paid for college, since her parents had died when she was younger. Madeline told him that she'd worked, but wouldn't say more. "I managed; I got through it. And now I really don't like to talk about that time," she stated. "I just want to make sure you never have to go through what I did. Ever."

On the phone at the DiMera mansion, E.J. ordered his man to continue to tail Nicole and report back everything she said or did. Stefano wondered how long it would take Nicole to figure out that E.J. didn't really have any evidence against her. E.J. was certain that Nicole's fear of returning to prison would cause her to make a mistake very soon. Stefano thought he knew how to turn up the heat and make Nicole tip her hand.

Stefano stated that he was glad that he and E.J. were on the same team again, and that he would always regret conspiring with Nicole. E.J. admitted that he regretted what he had done to Samantha, because she hadn't deserved it. Stefano was worried that his son was headed for a fall where Samantha was concerned, because she would rip his heart out if she ever found out what E.J. did. E.J. argued that he wasn't going to accidentally blurt out that he'd kidnapped Sydney, because he wasn't an idiot. "You're in love," Stefano maintained. "It's exactly the same thing." Stefano urged E.J. to minimize his contact with Samantha, lest she find out the truth.

E.J. scoffed, pointing out that he was smarter than Samantha. Stefano reminded his son that they still had to worry about Agent Hernandez, who was so incensed about Samantha living there that he would likely keep digging for dirt on E.J. until he actually found the truth. E.J. wasn't worried, maintaining with cheerful nonchalance that everything was going to be fine. "Famous last words," Stefano pronounced as he walked out the door.

When Sami picked up food from her grandmother at the Brady Pub, Caroline seemed a tad annoyed that she'd ended up doing all the cooking for Sami's family picnic. Sami insisted that she had been dreaming about Caroline's delicious fried chicken for weeks. Caroline wanted to know whether E.J. was going on the picnic, as well, but Sami hadn't asked him yet.

Caroline expressed her concerns that Sami was getting too close to E.J. again. Sami maintained that E.J. really had changed since he'd become a father, and she could see how much he was trying to change. Caroline confided, "I don't like to talk about this very much, but the hardest thing about loving Victor was knowing that he sincerely wanted to change-and knowing he just couldn't."

Nicole and her cameraman shot a news item about Arianna from outside the Brady Pub. After Nicole signed off, the photographer commented on the piece's negativity. Uninterested in his opinion, Nicole irritably ordered him to return to the TV station. After the cameraman left, Nicole vowed to herself that she would not let E.J. send her back to prison. She spotted Sami and Caroline through the window and decided to try to find out how much Sami knew about what E.J. had on Nicole.

Nicole approached Sami a bit warily after Caroline had returned to the kitchen. Sami immediately rose from her chair and called Nicole "Judas." Nicole fought the urge too fire back a snide retort, and instead complimented Sami's earrings. Sami had no problem expressing her displeasure at having to converse with Nicole, and tried to get away from Nicole as quickly as possible.

Nicole mentioned Arianna's release from jail, and Sami bickered with her about whether Ari had actually committed the muggings. Nicole wondered why E.J. was defending Arianna when there was DNA evidence against her, and pretended to wonder aloud, "Then again, E.J. wouldn't take the case unless he could somehow find a way to refute that evidence. Or something-"

Sami saw right through Nicole's act and cut her off: "I'm not telling you anything. Got that? You can write it down: Anything." Caroline returned just then, so Sami gestured toward Nicole and said she wanted to get out of there. She hugged her grandmother goodbye, and as she left with the basket full of food, she called back pointedly to Caroline, "I can't wait to enjoy the chicken! It's going to be perfect for my family picnic. I'm sure E.J. will love it!" Nicole scowled and contemplated her next move.

Later, Stefano found Nicole as she sipped a martini. "I would like to propose a toast," he announced. "To the end of the reign of Nicole Walker. May she rest in peace." Nicole clearly didn't want to listen to whatever he had to say, but stayed anyway. "Once you get it in your head to spew meaningless threats, there's no stopping you," she declared. Stefano stated that he had seen the evidence Elvis had against Nicole, so she could either get out of town or return to prison. Nicole wanted to know what E.J. had on her, but Stefano refused to tell her. He repeated what her options were and then strolled out.

Nicole walked along the river and tried to figure out what E.J. and Stefano were up to. When a man approached her, Nicole realized that he'd been tailing her. Thinking quickly, she began to shriek at the top of her lungs while she ripped the sleeve of her blouse. A police officer arrived, and Nicole told him that she thought the man had been stalking her because she was a television celebrity. She stated that she didn't want to press charges, but asked the cop to keep the man there until she reached her car.

E.J. was on the sofa, lost in thought, when Sami returned to the mansion. E.J. admitted that he'd just been thinking about what a tough year she'd had, and he thought she deserved to be happy. Sami replied with a happy grin that she wasn't going to think about her awful year while she enjoyed some fried chicken and games with her kids. She then invited E.J. to join them on their family picnic. E.J. teased, "Like a date with you? Sounds like a date." Sami laughed, but assured him it wasn't a date.

E.J. was glad that his declaration of love hadn't scared her off. Sami confessed that she was confused about how she felt-about him and about Rafe. E.J. joked that from his perspective, confusion was much better than the loathing she used to feel for him. Sami interjected seriously, "When feelings are confused, people can end up getting hurt." Then she lightened up, adding with a smile, "And I shouldn't be thinking about any of that! I should be thinking about me right now, and figuring out what kind of person I want to be."

E.J. believed that it was important for Sami's children to see her doing whatever was right for her. Sami asserted that she shouldn't be involved with anyone until she was sure she could stand on her own two feet. "If you want to go, I won't stop you," E.J. reassured her. "I want you to be happy-even if that means I have to let you go."

After E.J. changed into more casual clothing, he joined Sami and Sydney in the parlor with a bottle of wine to take on the picnic. He declared that he planned to use it to toast to the short time they had all spent together under one roof. Sami pointed out that they hadn't left yet, so he didn't have to be sad. E.J. lightheartedly asked, "You're not sad? Maybe a little bit?" He appeared to be about to kiss her when their driver honked the horn outside, so E.J. just kissed Sami gently on the forehead. They gathered up the picnic basket, and Sami pushed Sydney's stroller out. E.J. trailed behind, murmuring to no one, "See, father? You're wrong."

As soon as E.J. and Sami had left, Nicole broke in through the terrace doors. Tiptoeing into the parlor, she muttered, "E.J., if you've got proof, I'm going to find it." She picked up a file folder on the desk and began rifling through its contents.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Ciara startled Justin when she told him that her mommy had his wallet-and wallets belonging to other men-under her bed. Justin asked the tot to keep working on her drawing while he went upstairs to talk to her mom.

Upstairs, Hope was dressed in black pants and a black blouse, her hair partially swept up. After she put on red lipstick, she phoned Dick. "I'm back," she declared in a singsong voice when he answered. "Did you miss me?" She asked him to meet her at the "same place as usual," because she had big plans for the two of them. She picked up her purse and opened her bedroom door-only to find Justin on the other side of it, about to knock.

Hope explained that she had been trying to sleep, but her mind wouldn't stop racing, so she'd decided to take a walk to clear her head. Justin informed her of what Ciara had just told him about the wallets. Hope flipped out, and reminded Justin that she'd told him about how Ciara had been lying to get attention. Justin asserted that Ciara's manner had been so casual that he didn't think she was lying. "You think it's me-you think I'm lying?" Hope demanded angrily.

Justin assured her that he was only worried about Ciara. Hope maintained that Ciara was the only thing she cared about, adding that she'd hoped the child was getting better. Justin wondered how Ciara could have invented such a tale, and Hope concurred. Justin offered to try to find out whether Ciara's story had some basis in reality. Suddenly, Hope grabbed him and kissed him passionately.

Adrienne dropped by to see Justin, and was surprised to find Ciara all by herself in the parlor. After raving about the little girl's drawing, Adrienne asked if Ciara knew where Justin was. "He's up in Mommy's room," Ciara replied.

When Adrienne reached Hope's bedroom, she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Hope and Justin locked in an embrace. Hope saw Adrienne in the doorway and pulled away from Justin, and Adrienne hastily apologized and tried to leave. Hope stopped her, insisting that Justin had only been comforting her. Adrienne acknowledged that it had been a rough day for Hope, and explained that she'd only dropped by because she needed Justin's signature on some papers from Dubai.

Hope urged Justin to take care of the papers, and assured him that she would be fine after a good night's sleep. Hope warmly wished Justin and Adrienne a good night, but when she closed her bedroom door, the smile instantly dropped from her face, and she expressed her annoyance that they had kept her from her "end game."

A few minutes later, Hope crept down the stairs, and after checking to make sure Justin and Adrienne were occupied in the parlor, she quietly left out the front door.

Hope found Dick waiting for her when she arrived at the basement home of the poker game. She gave him a light slap on the cheek, and explained that she'd had some personal business to deal with-but she was back. Dick admitted that his life hadn't been the same without her-and that he'd been worried about her. He added that he could kill her ex for hurting her.

"Don't you worry," Hope purred, stroking Dick on the chin. "He's gonna pay for what he did to me." She then wrote out a list of things she wanted him to get for her, and Dick read over it with alarm. "If you're gonna do with this what I think you are," Dick stated, then asked, "Are you sure about this?" Hope explained in a whisper that Dick wouldn't have to worry about her anymore, "Because the problems I had with that man will finally be laid to rest."

Nicole sneaked into the DiMera mansion to find the evidence that Stefano said E.J. had implicating her in the muggings. She found a voice recorder in a drawer in the living room. She looked at the portrait of Stefano and vowed that she would beat him and E.J. Nicole looked around the bedroom, stole some money, and found a sonogram of the baby she miscarried. When she didn't find any evidence in the bedroom, Nicole went downstairs.

E.J. and Sami had a picnic at the beach with Sydney, Johnny, Allie, and Will. Sami hesitated to say the word "family" when she described how happy she was to have everyone together. E.J. encouraged her to say it, and when she did, he noted that no lightning flashed and it was not the end of the world. Sami and E.J fought over a bag of Chex Mix, and Sami accidentally spilled salad dressing on his shirt, so E.J. took his shirt off.

Sami felt bad for ruining E.J.'s shirt, but E.J. was okay about it. E.J. took Johnny over to say hi to Johnny's friend. While he was gone, Will arrived with Gabi, and Sami noticed the bruise on Will's face. Will didn't want to talk about it. Sami mentioned that E.J. was at the beach too, and Will was clearly not pleased. Sami asked Gabi about Rafe and Arianna, and Gabi said that Arianna's life was a mess. Sami said Rafe would help Arianna, and Will said that Rafe was great at getting people out of messes, "and unlike someone I know, I'm sure Arianna will be very grateful."

E.J. asked Will about the bruise on his face and whether the "other guy" was worse than Will. Will indicated that he was, and E.J. was pleased. Gabi asked E.J. for something to put lightning bugs in for Allie and Johnny, and Gabi also thanked E.J. for getting Arianna out on bail. Sami was tired from chasing after Allie and Johnny, and E.J. told her that he meant what he'd said about wanting to give Sami her independence. Sami said just because she was standing on her "own two feet" didn't mean she didn't like having E.J. nearby.

Stefano interrupted Sami and E.J.'s conversation to report a problem. He ordered E.J. to meet him at the house immediately. E.J. told Sami that he had to go, and Sami wanted E.J. to stay. E.J. asked why Sami wanted him to stay, and she said it was because he said they were supposed to have a family night together. Sami got emotional because it was the same song that Rafe used to sing to Grace. Sami admitted to Gabi that Sami missed Rafe a lot and it was hard because it was "so complicated." Gabi said she was sure that Rafe missed Sami too.

Sami admitted to Will that she couldn't help thinking about Rafe. Will suggested she call him, but Sami said she couldn't. Will asked if it was because of E.J. Sami explained that she and Rafe were a fantasy that began when she was in the witness protection program and when they got back to real life, Rafe couldn't deal with parts of Sami's real life.

Will asked if it was about E.J. "For him, yeah. For me, I don't know," Sami said. Will apologized for being a "jerk" about E.J. Will admitted that he confided in Lucas that E.J. was trying to be a "decent guy" and that the other kids were crazy about E.J. Will thought that E.J. might have changed. Sami thought that E.J. might have changed too.

Carly stopped by to see Melanie at Maggie's house and delivered some ice cream. Carly said she was feeling "squirrely" while Bo was at work. She explained that she was feeling that way because of Daniel. Melanie asked if Carly was feeling anxious about Chloe's pregnancy. Carly thought about Chloe's infidelity. Melanie asked Carly if there was a problem, and Carly said there was.

Melanie thought something was wrong with the baby, but Carly said that wasn't it. Carly asked Melanie what she thought about Chloe and whether Melanie was "100 percent sure" that Chloe wouldn't hurt Daniel. Melanie said, "No." Melanie said that what she didn't like about Chloe was that Carly said about Chloe was a person who "never gets enough love." Melanie also considered herself to be one of those people. Melanie was just hoping that Daniel was the right man for Chloe. Melanie was afraid that if Chloe hurt Daniel, it would kill him and then Melanie would have to kill Chloe.

Daniel and Chloe spent the evening in bed making love, and he was very excited about being a father. Daniel went to pick up dinner for them and planned to stop by and see Melanie. While he was gone, Chloe wondered why Carly didn't tell Daniel about Chloe's infidelity.

Daniel called and told Melanie that he planned to stop by. Melanie asked if Carly was overreacting about Chloe, because Melanie didn't think that Chloe had done anything wrong. Carly said that Chloe didn't do anything wrong as far as Melanie knew. Melanie said she really wanted Daniel to love Melanie, and she asked Carly to drop whatever misgivings she had about Chloe.

After Carly left, Daniel stopped by to see Melanie and tell her that Melanie was still his first-born and his baby could never take the place of Melanie in Daniel's heart. Melanie was touched by Daniel's words. Melanie showed Daniel the t-shirt she bought that read, "I'm the big sister." Melanie also got Daniel a present. It was a baby book from the father's point of view. Melanie got emotional, and he thanked her. He said he hoped that his baby turned out to be like Melanie.

Vivian visited Chloe to find out why Chloe didn't "take care" of Carly. Chloe pointed out that Vivian had accused Chloe of imagining the murder plot against Carly because of the drugs the doctors gave her. Vivian said she only said that because Chloe had "botched" her plan. Chloe said she was glad that she messed up Vivian's plan. Vivian called Chloe a "coward," and Chloe said that she was happy that she didn't "kill someone." Vivian warned that Chloe would lose Daniel, but Chloe wasn't worried. Vivian revealed that she paid a nurse at the hospital and then a hotel clerk to convince Chloe that Daniel and Carly went to a hotel together.

Chloe got angry at Vivian for trying to make Chloe kill someone. Vivian admitted to eavesdropping on Chloe's conversation with Nicole in which Chloe admitted that she was insecure about Daniel having a child with Carly. "That's when I realized that I could play you like a poker hand in a stacked deck, but unfortunately, you turned out to be an insipid wimp with very large breasts and no backbone," Vivian said. Chloe threatened to call the police on Vivian, and Vivian called Chloe's bluff.

Vivian said that the police would want to know how Chloe was involved and if Chloe didn't go to prison, Daniel would know that Chloe was happy with letting the mother of his child fall to the bottom of an elevator shaft. Chloe tried to kick Vivian out, but when she opened the door, Carly was standing there. Carly asked what Vivian was doing there, and Carly backed Chloe up in throwing Vivian out. In the hallway, Carly demanded to know what Vivian was doing there and why Chloe wanted Vivian to stay away from Chloe and Daniel.

Vivian lied, but Carly saw through it. Carly realized that Chloe got the idea that Carly and Daniel were having an affair from Vivian. Carly accused Vivian of being responsible for everything that Chloe was going through. Vivian walked off, and Carly chased after her. Meanwhile, Chloe realized that her predicament was the result of Vivian's machinations. Chloe climbed into bed and imagined what life would be like when her baby was born. She thought to herself that she would never have that kind of happiness if the baby weren't Daniel's.

Carly chased Vivian to the Brady Pub and grabbed her. Vivian admitted that she had lied to Chloe to hurt Carly. "Does that surprise you? You know I hate you, and even though I promised that I wouldn't harm you directly, that doesn't mean I'm not going to try to instigate others," Vivian said. Carly asked what Vivian thought she could get Chloe to do to Carly. "Well, there were many possibilities, but unfortunately, Chloe can't find her backside with two hands and a map," Vivian said. Carly called Vivian "the devil." Vivian said she was just someone who wouldn't stop until she "utterly" destroyed Carly.

Carly thought to herself that she should have known that Vivian would never give up. She felt responsible for what Chloe was going through and realized that if Chloe's baby wasn't Daniel's, it could ruin Daniel and Chloe's life, and it was all because Vivian wanted to get revenge on Carly. Carly wondered what she should do.

Stefano ran into Theo and Lexie at the pier, and Stefano gave Theo a bought to play with. Lexie admonished Stefano for spending "a fortune" on Theo. Abe overheard them, and Stefano took Theo for a walk to watch the boats. Lexie knew that Abe was not pleased with Stefano spending time with Theo. Abe reminded her that they both agreed not to let Stefano be a part of Theo's life. Lexie said that she and Stefano had an agreement that if he wanted to be a part of Theo's life, "he better not screw up."

Back at the DiMera mansion, Nicole hid in the room adjoining the living room, and when Stefano walked into the living room, he poured himself a drink and announced, "Hiding won't do you any good, my darling." Nicole started to reveal her presence, when she noticed Stefano holding up a chess piece. E.J. walked in, and Nicole hid again. E.J. was annoyed that Stefano had summoned him to the mansion while E.J. was having such a good time with Sami. Stefano said that Nicole had given E.J. and Stefano's men "the slip."

Nicole overheard E.J. admitting to Stefano that he didn't have any evidence against Nicole. Even still, E.J. was determined to prove that Nicole framed Arianna to get closer to Brady. Stefano advised E.J. to let it go, and he asked why E.J was working so hard to defend Rafe's sister. E.J. said it was because he liked practicing law and working with someone who was innocent. Stefano pointed out that it took up a lot of E.J.'s time and E.J. would never get paid. E.J said it made him feel good, but Stefano said maybe it made Sami feel good and guessed that that was E.J.'s ulterior motive.

E.J. said he wanted Sami to think "well of" E.J., but he was concerned because Sami told him that she wanted to be more independent. Stefano said E.J. could find his way about that, but E.J. didn't want to trick Sami into caring for him. E.J. said he needed to be the man that Sami could love. "As much as she loves Hernandez," Stefano said. Stefano said that E.J. should have been more certain of himself in the beginning. E.J. said he couldn't think rationally then because his "head was turned inside out by Nicole."

Stefano asked what E.J. would do if Sami found out what E.J. did. Nicole's ears perked up, and she recorded their conversation. "Don't you think I know that? I live with that every day. If Samantha ever finds out, I lose everything," E.J. said. Stefano said that Anna was the only one who knew the truth, and she had been "neutralized." "She'd better be," E.J. said.

"But she knows what would happen to her if she ever told anybody that you paid her to kidnap Sydney," Stefano said. Nicole listened in horror. E.J. said he couldn't believe he did that and that he must have been out of his mind. He said he was just so angry at Stefano, Nicole, and Sami that he wanted to make them all suffer. Stefano said that E.J. did that "in spades."

"You made us all worry about Sydney's well-being. For God's sake, you made us think that she was dead," Stefano said. He assured E.J. that no one would ever know the truth, because Anna was "tucked away."

Daniel rang the doorbell at the Kiriakis mansion, and while he waited for someone to answer, he peeked inside the box he was holding. Victor opened the door and wondered what Daniel was grinning about. Once they were inside, Victor began, "If you're planning on giving some of your mother's jewelry to Chloe-" Daniel cut Victor off, declaring that he didn't need Victor's advice about Chloe.

Daniel added more softly, "When my parents died, and then I lost Rebecca, you were there for me, Victor. You got me through it." He continued that he was finally trying to make a life for himself with Chloe, and he needed Victor to be genuinely supportive of the two of them. "She is extremely important to me, and we are going to have an amazing life together," Daniel concluded. Victor hoped that happened for Daniel.

At the Brady Pub, Nathan was reviewing some volunteer paperwork with Caroline, when Maggie arrived and overheard part of their conversation. Maggie was thrilled that Caroline was volunteering at the hospital, but Caroline retorted, "Someone has to pick up your slack." Clearly annoyed, Maggie managed to remain diplomatic as she acknowledged that she'd been a bit preoccupied. Nathan defended Maggie, and Caroline explained that she was coordinating St. Luke's outreach program with all the area hospitals. Maggie remarked that it was a lot of responsibility.

Maggie then asked her grandson to give her and Caroline a few moments alone, so Nathan left to meet Stephanie. Caroline pretended not to know what Maggie wanted to talk about. Maggie demanded, "Come on, Caroline. Don't you think I've noticed how hostile you're being towards me? What are you so angry about?" Caroline irritably maintained that Maggie had ignored her advice to stay away from Victor, and demanded to know what was going on between the two of them.

Caroline continued that it was obvious they were having "another little rendezvous," since Victor had called earlier to reserve a quiet booth. Maggie exasperatedly explained that she was meeting Victor to discuss a scholarship they were setting up in Mickey's name-and she didn't see how it concerned Caroline. A furious Caroline pointed out that it was her pub that Victor and Maggie were meeting in.

Maggie reminded Caroline that Victor was a married man, and asked perplexedly, "How is any of this my fault, Caroline? Why in the world are you angry with me?" Victor entered just then and asserted that Caroline was actually angry with him, not with Maggie. Fed up with the whole situation, Maggie told Victor that they would have to meet another time, and left so that he and Caroline could work out their issues.

Victor sharply demanded that Caroline stop meddling in his affairs. "Are you threatening me now, Victor? Is that what we're reduced to?" Caroline shouted fiercely. "Well, then, bring it on!" She railed at Victor for making her stand by and watch him marry "the wicked witch of Salem," and then cheat on Vivian with "poor, unsuspecting Maggie." Victor adamantly argued that he was not cheating on anyone. "This is none of your damn business," he declared angrily. "You stay out of my life." He stalked out, slamming the door behind him.

Philip waited impatiently at the hospital while Melanie picked something up. Pacing near the nurses' station, he yelled at his phone for Chloe to call him back. When Stephanie arrived behind him and said hello, it startled Philip so much that he dropped his phone. Stephanie wondered why he was so jumpy-and had been ever since he'd admitted that his problems with Melanie were his fault.

Philip hotly denied being jumpy, but demanded to know why Stephanie cared. Stephanie said that she knew Philip well enough to know that he was hiding something. "Stay the hell out of it, Stephanie," Philip ordered her through clenched teeth. "For everyone's sake, including your own."

Melanie returned to find Philip and Stephanie glaring at each other. Stephanie quickly announced that she had to meet Nathan, because they both had the day off and were spending it together, and then left. Melanie asked what was up with Stephanie. "She's just jealous that I love you more than I ever loved her," Philip replied, and kissed his wife.

Later, Nathan and Stephanie were drinking mimosas and kissing on a blanket near the lake, when Philip and Melanie accidentally interrupted on their way to the beach. After a moment of awkwardness, Philip and Melanie left. Stephanie was irritated about seeing the two of them again so soon, but Nathan encouraged her to forget about it and enjoy being together. She happily agreed, and they resumed kissing.

Melanie and Philip returned home to Maggie's, and decided to hit the gym before going out to lunch. As Melanie grabbed her water bottle from the other room, Philip remembered that he'd left something in her bag. He shouted after her for permission, but when she didn't answer, he picked the bag up and unzipped it anyway. He immediately found the t-shirt Melanie had bought, which read, "I'm the BIG sister."

When Melanie returned, Philip asked her about it. "Oh, no, you weren't supposed to..." Melanie fretted, then said with a shrug, "Oh well, I'm sure Daniel will understand." She explained that she was going to be a big sister because Chloe was pregnant. "Wow," was all a stunned Philip could manage.

Carly called Chloe to see how she was feeling. "For God's sake, just let Daniel and me be happy," Chloe screeched crossly. "Please just leave us the hell alone!" Chloe wanted to know if Carly still planned to blab that Daniel might not be the father of Chloe's baby, but Carly didn't want to discuss it over the phone. Chloe reluctantly agreed that Carly could go to Chloe's apartment. "I know how difficult this must be for you," Carly offered, but Chloe interrupted, "Like hell you do!"

As Carly hung up, she heard Kate's voice asking what Chloe had done this time. Carly would only say that Chloe had joined Kate and Carly in their hatred of Vivian, and reminded Kate that Vivian was a "sick, vindictive person." An unsympathetic Kate asserted that Chloe deserved whatever torture Vivian was doling out, and that Carly was a fool for defending Chloe. Kate added that she couldn't believe Carly would let Daniel throw his life away on a woman like Chloe. "If you involve yourself in her craziness, you're the one who's going to end up paying," Kate maintained before striding away.

Chloe was surprised when Daniel returned to the apartment. Daniel explained that he had gone by the Kiriakis mansion before his shift started to look through some of his parents' belongings, because Victor had been keeping it all in storage for Daniel. Opening the box he'd retrieved, Daniel removed a christening gown from the tissue paper inside, and explained that nearly everyone in his family had worn it-and he hoped his and Chloe's baby could be christened in it, as well.

Chloe was touched, but worried tearfully that it would never happen. After trying to reassure her that the baby would be fine, Daniel realized that giving the gown to Chloe might have been too much, too soon. Chloe insisted that she loved that he had found it and that he wanted to honor his family tradition, and hugged him gratefully.

As Daniel opened the door to leave for work, Carly was on the other side of it and was about to knock. Carly explained that she was there to see Chloe. Daniel assumed that Carly wanted to work things out with Chloe, and whispered his thanks to Carly as he left the two women alone.

An irritable Chloe believed that Carly was still out to destroy Chloe's life. Carly insisted that had never been the case, and then divulged that she'd just learned it was Vivian who had plotted to make Chloe believe that Daniel had cheated on her with Carly-and all so that Vivian could punish Carly. Relieved that Carly knew the truth, Chloe blamed Vivian for everything that had happened. Carly maintained that Chloe had to accept some of the responsibility.

When Carly saw the christening gown and learned why Daniel had gotten it, she admitted that she thought Daniel would be happiest if he could raise his child with the woman he loved-and without anger or regret. "So, you're not gonna tell?" Chloe asked with stunned disbelief. Carly nodded almost imperceptibly, and Chloe embraced her. "Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart," Chloe stated tearfully. Carly clarified that she would only stay silent if Chloe got a paternity test, and Daniel was the father of the child Chloe was carrying.

Kate bumped into Daniel at the hospital after her checkup. She told him that she was still cancer-free, and credited Daniel for that. Daniel admitted he was glad that she was healthy, which surprised Kate, because she knew that he still blamed her for Chloe's poisoning. Kate added that she found it sad that he didn't see Chloe for what she really was. Kate's hypocrisy infuriated Daniel, so she conceded to say something nice about Chloe to atone for it: "She must be doing something right if she has Vivian going after her."

As Nicole wandered near the lake, she thought about the conversation she'd overheard the night before, when she'd broken into the DiMera mansion. "[Anna] knows what would happen to her if she ever told anybody that you paid her to kidnap Sydney," Stefano had reminded E.J. Nicole couldn't believe that she had thought Anna had been the mastermind behind the kidnapping. "E.J.'s the one who is evil-pure evil," Nicole told herself. "And it's time for him to pay for his sins."

Nicole dialed E.J., and when he answered, she snapped indignantly, "I knew that you were a disgusting, heartless creep, but this, E.J.? Oh, you have outdone yourself!" Nicole ranted about how he had pestered her for weeks about the evidence he supposedly had against her, but the tables had turned. Unfazed, E.J. calmly hung up on her, but Nicole called him right back. She ordered him to meet her on the pier immediately, or she would blow up his life. Amused, E.J. agreed.

When E.J. finally showed up at the pier, Nicole declared that although she knew it could backfire on her, she'd decided to use the bomb she'd found. E.J. seemed more annoyed than concerned. Nicole maintained that whatever happened, it was his fault for needling her about the proof he allegedly had of the connection between her and the muggings-even though there was none. "I did what I had to do to protect myself," she continued, "and now look where we are."

E.J. countered furiously that Nicole had only done "eight seconds" of prison time for her crimes, but just because she was out of prison, it didn't mean she wasn't a dangerous psychopath. Nicole quietly contended that she wasn't even in his league where psychopathy was concerned. She added that he had never had any evidence against her; he'd only had her followed to see if she would trip up, like he had months before. E.J. pointed out that she had kidnapped Sydney then, but Nicole insisted that she'd done everything out of love. "Love had nothing to do with it!" E.J. bellowed.

Fighting back tears, Nicole asserted that none of it had been worth it, because she'd ended up hating him even more than he hated her. Laughed dismissively, E.J. declared that he didn't care how she felt. Nicole maintained that he should care: thanks to his actions, "You have lost everything!" she shrieked.

"You're not making any sense," E.J. replied calmly. Nicole explained that she'd been so worried about his supposed evidence that she had decided to take matters into her own hands-and she had broken into the mansion the night before. E.J.'s expression betrayed his fear for only a moment, and then he tried to laugh off what Nicole thought she'd overheard. Nicole shushed him. "It is over, you sick bastard," she declared with icy confidence, lightly slapping his cheek. "Anna stole Sydney because you paid her to." E.J.'s expression froze into one of utter terror.