Melanie didn't believe Chloe's claim that her baby was Daniel's, so Chloe told Melanie that Carly knew about the test results. Melanie didn't believe her, but Chloe insisted she was telling the truth. She said she could get a copy of the results from St. Mary's. Melanie realized that she and Daniel had been at St. Mary's on the same day that Carly was there to do a DNA test for someone who wasn't sure who her baby's father was.

Chloe tried to convince Melanie not to turn on Carly, saying that Chloe had pressured Carly into keeping her secret. Melanie demanded to know why Chloe had lied, and Chloe said it was because she loved Melanie's family. Melanie didn't buy Chloe's explanation, and she stormed off.

Hope alerted Lee to a clerical error in the paperwork, and Lee said Hope must have been very thorough because she was a cop. Hope said that if Lee was thinking of trying anything, she should know that Hope was incarcerated because she had attacked guys that were bigger than her. Lee told Hope to relax, because she had nothing against cops. Lee explained that she was there because of her ex, a drug dealer.

The prison guard took in a girl who had appendicitis. The girl asked Hope not to leave her. Hope assured the girl that she wasn't going anywhere. Hope asked the guard to get the girl to the hospital. After the ambulance arrived, Hope was called to the visitor's room and realized when she got there that Bo was there to see her. Meanwhile, Lee told the corrections officer that she hoped that Hope would stay in the visiting area for a while.

Bo found Daniel hugging Carly on the pier. Daniel said he was "the happiest man on the planet," because he was marrying Chloe. Daniel left to prepare for his wedding, and Bo commented on how happy Carly seemed to be. Carly said she had only decided to go to Salem to make sure that Vivian hadn't taken Lawrence's murder out on Melanie, and Carly hadn't cared about herself and Bo. Bo recounted how he'd felt destroyed when Hope had moved out and said she wanted a divorce.

Carly said she had been shocked at hearing that Bo and Hope had broken up. She had assumed that Bo and Hope would always be together. Carly was happy that her and Melanie's relationship was going so well. Abe interrupted them and asked about Hope. Carly left to go to the hospital. Bo said that Hope wouldn't let him visit her but instead had sent divorce papers. Bo was worried about Hope. Abe got a call from Theo and Ciara's school and learned that Ciara had been harassed by one of the kids.

Melanie went to the hospital to confront Carly about Chloe's secret. Carly claimed that as a doctor, she couldn't discuss Chloe's care because of doctor-patient privilege. Carly explained that she had wanted to tell Daniel, but Chloe had begged her not to. She said that she had agreed to keep things a secret if Chloe had a paternity test and it turned out that Daniel was the baby's father.

Melanie asked how long Carly had known about Chloe's indiscretion, and Carly admitted that she had known almost from the beginning. That made Melanie even angrier. Carly tried to convince Melanie to keep Chloe's secret, but Melanie wasn't interested. Melanie didn't believe Carly's assurance that Chloe wasn't a "whore." Melanie planned to tell Daniel the truth, or she wouldn't be able to live with herself.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Philip was worried, because neither he nor Daniel had been able to reach Melanie by phone. Victor made a joke about Chloe, but Philip told him not to make any wisecracks about her. Victor asked why the wedding was so important to Philip, and he explained that the wedding was important to Melanie. Daniel walked in when Victor asked whether Philip was worried about Melanie for a specific reason.

Daniel wondered why Philip was worried, and Philip said he wasn't -- he just wished Melanie would call him. Daniel said that Melanie had requested to see him that morning, but then Daniel hadn't been able to locate Melanie since then. Victor joked about Daniel and Chloe's not lasting, and Daniel warned him not to make jokes about Chloe or their relationship.

Victor gave Daniel his wedding gift. It was a statue of Hera, the goddess of marriage, who had a scandalous history. Daniel was offended with the statement that Victor was making. Victor explained that it was an important statue to him and a peace offering, as well, and that if Chloe were that important to Daniel, Victor would accept her into the family with open arms.

After Melanie left, Chloe tried to reach Carly, but Carly wasn't available, so Chloe called Philip. Chloe filled Philip in on her encounter with Melanie. Chloe assured him that Melanie didn't know it was Philip that Chloe had been involved with. She explained that she had thrown Carly under the bus in explaining her case to Melanie, which angered Philip. He told Chloe to get dressed for the wedding while he found a way to convince Melanie to stay quiet about the affair.

Bo visited Hope in prison, and he asked her for help. Bo explained that a boy was bullying Ciara at school. Raising an eyebrow, Hope noted that the same kid had bullied Ciara before. Bo asked Hope to reach out to Ciara and let her know that her mother would always be there for her. "The reason she is being bullied is because of me," Hope lamented.

"It's not these bars that are keeping you from your daughter; it's your guilt. That guilt isn't doing her any good," Bo said sternly. Bo urged Hope to remember that they had destroyed their marriage together and they needed to repair their family "together." Bo asked Hope for her perspective so that he could pass it along to their daughter.

"Tell her not to avoid him but not to talk to him. And if he starts talking about me again, you tell her to look him right in the eye but not to say anything. She shouldn't engage," Hope advised. When Bo said Ciara might have difficulty holding her tongue, Hope suggested that Ciara should think of the bully in a pink tutu. "Tell her that he's the one with the problem," Hope concluded.

After Bo left, Hope went to the infirmary to work. When Hope asked Lee about April's appendectomy, Lee informed Hope that April was not out of surgery yet. Concerned, Hope pressed Lee for details about April's surgery. After taking a deep breath, Lee informed Hope that April had passed away.

At the hospital, the doctor examined the scar on E.J.'s head and announced that E.J. was healing well. When E.J. grunted in response to the news, the doctor suggested that E.J. should feel lucky for surviving his gunshot wound. "I don't think there is anything lucky about being shot in the head, is there, doctor?" E.J. said sarcastically as the doctor left the room. Restless, E.J. called Sami and asked her to let the children visit.

When Sami wondered aloud whether E.J. would be up for a visit, E.J. assured Sami that seeing her and the children helped him calm down. E.J. added that he was looking forward to having his honeymoon with Sami. "I can't wait," Sami said in a faux cheerful voice. After hanging up the phone, E.J. said with a scowl, "Am I driving you crazy, Samantha? Well as one of you Yanks once said, 'I have not yet begun to fight.'"

At her apartment, Sami was grabbing her purse and heading toward the front door as Rafe arrived home. Sami told Rafe that she was going to pick up the kids so they could visit E.J. "So you gotta go to the hospital, pretend you're happily married to him even though you want to kill him?" Rafe asked. "Yes. Good choice of words," Sami said.

Sami arrived at the hospital and went in to see E.J. After complimenting E.J. on how he looked, Sami informed E.J. that he could only have three visitors at a time, so she had not taken the children. "Well, as far as I know, I only have two children, with you anyway," E.J. joked. "Yeah, I can add," Sami muttered before noting that E.J. had visitors.

Roman and Rafe entered E.J.'s room and explained that E.J.'s lab results showed that that his blood pressure had returned to normal. "We don't have to worry about the truth killing you," Sami said. Roman urged Sami to tell E.J. the truth, but shaking her head, Sami accused E.J. of knowing the truth all along. "We're not married. Rafe came in and told me the whole truth. He proved a lot of things, most importantly that it is my sacred duty to make sure that you never get anywhere near my children again," Sami said. Unfazed, E.J. ate his lunch and glared at Sami as she spoke.

"I'm not your wife. I do have some good news, though. Rafe and I are going to be getting married, and we are going to be living happily ever after, raising my children," Sami said cheerily. As E.J. stared at his lunch, Sami approached his bed. "I'm not surprised you can't look me in the eye, because if you had driven a knife in my heart, it wouldn't have hurt as much as you telling me that my baby was dead. You saw what it did to me losing Grace, and you decided to do it to me again," Sami added. "We talked many times about how you wanted to be different from your father. Well you are, E.J. You're worse," Sami said gruffly.

E.J. asked for a moment alone with Sami, but Roman cautioned E.J. that "this is an ongoing criminal investigation, not marriage counseling." When Roman asked E.J. about his earlier statement about his last memory, E.J. said that his last memory was saying his wedding vows, but since his original statement, he was "remembering a lot about that night." E.J. admitted that he did not remember everything but that he was beginning to remember more.

Roman advised E.J. to call his attorney to deal with the kidnapping charges. E.J. reminded Roman that a tape recording was not admissible in court. "How E.J. of you to not care about what you did, only that it's not admissible," Sami joked. The doctor entered the room and asked everyone to leave E.J. alone to rest. After cracking a joke at E.J.'s expense, Sami left the room with Roman and Rafe in tow.

Once E.J. was alone, he growled, "Well done, Samantha. Such bravado. You're scared. I know you're scared. If you're trying to take my children away from me, you should be. ... You're going to pay for that little performance, my dear," E.J. added. E.J. called Stefano and told him about Rafe and Sami's visit. With a chuckle, E.J. relished the idea of telling Rafe who had shot him.

Philip ran into the Kiriakis living room and found Daniel waiting. "Is Melanie with you?" Daniel asked quietly. Philip inquired whether Daniel had talked to Melanie yet. Daniel said he was worried because he had not heard from Melanie since she had left him a voicemail earlier in the morning.

Nicole arrived at Chloe and Daniel's apartment in order to help Chloe get ready for her wedding. When Chloe listlessly opened the front door, Nicole realized something was wrong. "He knows," Chloe mumbled. Fighting tears, Chloe informed Nicole that Melanie knew about the affair and that she had threatened to tell Daniel. Philip called Chloe to tell her that Melanie had not talked to Daniel yet. "I sent him home to you," Philip said. When Chloe bristled at the idea of Daniel going home, Philip explained that he needed time to find Melanie and talk to her.

When Daniel arrived at the apartment, Nicole ran interference and informed Daniel that Chloe did not want to see him before the wedding. Daniel asked Nicole whether they had heard from Melanie. When Daniel urged Chloe to talk to him, Nicole went into the hallway to speak with Daniel. Nicole informed Daniel that Melanie and Chloe had fought earlier, and they were not sure whether Melanie would attend the wedding. Concerned, Daniel asked Nicole what Chloe and Melanie had fought about.

Nicole explained that Melanie had overheard her and Chloe talking about the baby and saying that this child was "more real." Confused, Daniel shook his head. Nicole told Daniel that what Chloe meant was that he would get to be a part of his child's life from the time of birth and that Chloe had used a poor choice of words to express that sentiment. "Melanie has issues. Please don't let them come between you and Chloe," Nicole urged Daniel. Nodding, Daniel said he was going to search for Melanie.

Once Daniel was gone, Nicole entered the apartment and told Chloe that her lie would explain why Melanie was not at the wedding. "I just should have told the truth," Chloe lamented. "The truth would have been a great idea about four months ago. Now your fate is in Melanie's hands," Nicole said. With a grin, Nicole told Chloe that she believed that if Daniel learned about the affair, it wouldn't be "the end of the world." With a faint smile, Chloe thanked Nicole for supporting her. Chloe put on her wedding gown, then nervously paced her apartment, wondering aloud if Philip had talked to Melanie.

At the hospital, a fearful Carly asked Melanie whether she was going to tell Daniel about the affair. "If I don't do something, I'm not going to be able to look at myself in the mirror again. So I'm telling Daniel the truth," Melanie said. Carly urged Melanie to think about how destructive the news about the affair would be. "I'm begging you to grow up," Carly said firmly. Carly apologized for her statement and explained that she meant that Melanie should attempt to control her impulsiveness.

Carly reminded Melanie that there was an innocent baby involved in the situation. "What would be best for your little brother or sister?" Carly asked. Carly urged Melanie to let Chloe and Daniel live a happy life together. Carly assured Melanie that if Daniel was not the father of the baby, she would have forced Chloe to tell Daniel about the affair. When Melanie continued to lash out at her, Carly asked Melanie if she was defending Daniel or if she was "jealous of Chloe."

"This is about me and my dad. He doesn't lie to me and I don't lie to him. That is how it's always been," Melanie said. Carly explained to Melanie that Vivian had manipulated Chloe by tricking her in to believing Carly and Daniel were having an affair. Frustrated, Melanie announced that she believed Daniel should know what Chloe was "really like" before he married her. Melanie marched out of the hospital waiting room, leaving Carly to cry out in frustration.

Philip arrived at Maggie's house and saw Melanie in the kitchen, dressed in her bridesmaid's dress. "Hold on, I have to call my dad," Melanie said. Philip asked Melanie to talk to him first. When Philip commented on Melanie's dress, she remarked, "Well I figured if there was a wedding, I owed it to my dad to look nice." Philip told Melanie that Chloe had called him and told him what happened. "Chloe's got you and Carly on her side, running around trying to make sure that I shut up so that nothing bad happens to Chloe," Melanie barked.

Philip assured Melanie that he was protecting her. Philip noted that he saw how close Melanie was with Daniel and that their closeness could be affected if Melanie told him about the affair. "Every time he sees you, no matter how hard he tries, that's gonna be the first thing he thinks about. He may not want to, but people blame the messenger," Philip said. He added, "Even if he should know, do you really think he wants to find out from you? Do you really want that to be the most important conversation you've ever had?"

Melanie explained that in addition to Daniel's feelings, she was worried about the child. "In case you've forgotten, I know what it's like to grow up with a parent that has no business being a parent," Melanie said pointedly. Philip defended Chloe, but Melanie cited the string of destructive relationships that Chloe had left in her past. "I'm not saying they can't get married, but he deserves to know this before he decides to make that commitment," Melanie said. Noting that she had made up her mind, Melanie walked out the door and went to the Kiriakis mansion to speak with Daniel.

Philip went to Chloe's apartment to tell her about his conversation with Melanie. "Her mind is made up. She's telling Daniel," Philip said.

Sami and Rafe returned to their apartment, and Rafe commented on how nervous Sami seemed. Sami admitted that she was worried how E.J. would react to her threat to take the children away. Rafe informed Sami that he had resigned from the F.B.I. so that he would not have a conflict of interest if Sami decided to confide in him about the shooting. Rafe assured Sami that he would keep Sami's information confidential. When Rafe started to talk about the need to protect Will, Sami told Rafe that he did not need to protect her son.

"You have no idea how hard it has been for me, but not because of Will, because of me. I am the one who shot E.J." Sami confessed. Unconvinced, Rafe rolled his eyes as if he did not believe Sami's statement.

Victor stopped by Maggie's to offer her a ride to Chloe and Daniel's wedding, but Maggie turned him down. She admitted that although she sometimes enjoyed Victor's company, she was still grieving for Mickey. When she was with Victor, Maggie explained, she felt as if she were being disloyal to her late husband. Victor assured her that he understood, and he would never push her to do something that didn't feel right. He added that his offer to drive her to the wedding was still good. "I'll get my purse," Maggie agreed.

At Daniel and Chloe's, Philip sadly warned a devastated Chloe that Melanie was determined to tell Daniel the truth. Chloe suggested hopefully that maybe Carly could change Melanie's mind, but Philip replied that Carly had already tried and failed. "Oh, my God... It's really over," Chloe conceded numbly, sinking onto the couch. "I fought so hard and so long for Daniel—only to lose him on our wedding day." She urged Philip to go on ahead to the park, because she needed to be alone for a while.

Moments after Philip left, Carly arrived. Chloe apologized for having told Melanie that Carly had helped with the paternity test. As Chloe tearfully lamented the destruction of her life, Carly tried to comfort her. Carly asked if Chloe had seen Daniel since Melanie had confronted Chloe. Chloe replied that when Daniel had shown up to talk to her, Nicole had interceded and told him a bunch of lies. Chloe resignedly maintained that what the lies had been didn't even matter: "Everything's just going to come crashing down." Chloe then announced that it was time for her to face the truth.

Melanie found Daniel at the Kiriakis mansion. "Dad, you can't marry Chloe!" she blurted. Daniel took Melanie in his arms, and reassured her that she had every reason to be upset. "Do you know?" she asked, stunned by his seeming calmness. Daniel insisted that Chloe hadn't known what she was doing, and she had never intended to hurt anyone, especially Melanie. Confused, Melanie asked what Chloe had told him.

Daniel replied that Nicole had explained how Melanie had overheard Chloe telling Nicole that the baby would be a "real child" to Daniel—but Daniel knew how much Chloe cared about Melanie and believed that Melanie would be a fantastic big sister. Daniel apologized that Chloe's words had hurt Melanie, but reiterated that Chloe would never intentionally hurt Melanie. He pleaded with Melanie to try to forgive Chloe. Melanie cried that Chloe didn't deserve Daniel, and demanded, "How can you love her?"

Daniel described how lost and miserable he'd been after Rebecca's death, but when he'd met Chloe, he had felt things that he'd never thought he would be able to feel again. "Just when I thought I couldn't be more blessed, I got you," he continued. "Sweetheart, no one means more to me than you and Chloe, and nothing else matters to me [except] having the two of you close as a family... I want you to stand by me when I marry her—please." Melanie replied that even though she loved her dad, she couldn't do that—and he deserved to know the real reason why.

Melanie began a tearful explanation, but before she could get any further than an apology for having to be the one to tell Daniel, Henderson rushed in. Daniel quickly determined that Henderson had second-degree burns on his arm, and Henderson explained that he'd spilled hot water on himself. As Daniel hurried out to take Henderson to the hospital, he asked Melanie to meet him at the park, and promised that they would talk when he got there. "Dad!" Melanie cried quietly after they had gone. "I guess I'll have to do this publicly."

When Brady arrived at the wedding site in the park, he was surprised to find Nicole sitting there alone. She explained, "I just needed some time to myself, to think about this wedding...that's probably never going to happen." Brady demanded to know why, but Nicole was more concerned about the situation with Vivian. Brady assured her that things were under control: "She's locked up in that tomb, she's losing her mind—what's left of it—and there's no escape." Nicole was then relieved to hear that Victor was going to allow her to live at the Kiriakis mansion.

As Nicole and Brady were kissing, Arianna arrived and spied them. "What's going on?" a disgusted Arianna demanded. "How is this possible?" Brady replied somewhat coldly, "I don't owe you an explanation, but I'll give you one: we're together, because she doesn't judge me." He suddenly remembered that he'd forgotten the rings, and left to retrieve them from the Kiriakis mansion.

Arianna demanded to know what Nicole had done to Brady. Nicole pointed out that Arianna had turned her back on Brady, and doubted him, which was much harder for him to forgive than any of the mistakes Nicole had made. "He'll snap out of it, Nicole," Arianna spat. "Brady's too smart to ruin his life." Nicole retorted, "None of us are above ruining our lives. You of all people should know that."

Inside the sarcophagus, Vivian called out weakly to Gus over the transmitter. "I just want you to know how much you mean to me," she declared, her voice strained. "I know I've made terrible, misguided mistakes that end up hurting me, and I admit to it... But that's why I need you now. Please, Gus." Gus replied coldly that Vivian had gotten what she deserved.

After Brady got the ring box out of his dresser drawer, he decided to check in on Vivian. As he turned on the monitor, Vivian was pleading with Gus, "I am in hell. I need your help!" Brady demanded, "Vivian, who are you talking to?" Vivian claimed that she had merely been talking to herself in an attempt to stay sane—and she'd had an epiphany about herself. Brady snapped that no one cared about her fake epiphanies, and turned off the monitor.

"Gus, did you hear that?" Vivian implored. "Do you see what I'm dealing with? He's cruel and he's ruthless... Gus, after all we've been through—the laughter and the tears, the ups and downs—we're bonded, and I need your help!" Gus thought for a moment, and then declared, "Hang on, Madame. I'm coming to save you."

As Melanie was heading out of the mansion, she heard Brady wandering into the parlor and leaving a message for Nicole. Taken aback, Melanie stopped to demand why Brady would be talking to Nicole. Brady informed her that he and Nicole had gotten back together, and asked why Melanie wasn't at the wedding site.

"Something's wrong with my dad," she replied tearfully. "Nothing's going the way it's supposed to!" Brady interrupted to assure her that Daniel could handle whatever was wrong, and added curtly, "Life happens. You gotta get used to it." Melanie blamed Nicole for Brady's newfound cynicism, but he didn't want to discuss his love life. He offered to drive Melanie to the wedding, but she refused.

As Arianna was storming out of the park, Maggie and Victor arrived. Maggie informed Nicole and Victor that Lexie and Abe weren't going to be able to make it to the wedding, and Victor added that Justin was running late. When Philip arrived, Nicole rushed over to him to ask if he'd seen Chloe. "Is there going to be a wedding, or is Melanie going to ruin it all?"

Just then, Chloe and Carly arrived. While Carly and Philip went to talk to Victor, Chloe told Nicole, "I don't know if I'm about to be married or be destroyed. I guess I'm just going to have to pray that Melanie has had a change of heart."

After Daniel was finished treating Henderson's burns at the hospital, he tried to call Melanie. When he couldn't reach her, he called Chloe. Chloe panicked when she saw that the call was from Daniel, so Nicole grabbed Chloe's phone and answered for her. Daniel was looking for his daughter, because Melanie had been very upset when he'd left her. Nicole replied that she hadn't seen Melanie, but promised to tell Chloe that Daniel would be there soon.

Nicole immediately told Chloe that she should be relieved, because, "That little bitch hasn't told Daniel the truth." Chloe was still worried, because she was certain that Melanie would tell Daniel eventually. "Which is why I have a plan," whispered Nicole.

Once Daniel had changed into his wedding attire, he went to the park. He was dismayed to learn that no one had heard from Melanie yet, but he beamed when he spotted his bride in her wedding gown. "My God, you look so beautiful," Daniel gushed, but added, "We need to find Melanie and make this right." Chloe informed him that she had changed their flight reservations; they were scheduled to leave in a few hours to visit her family in New York—so they had to get married right away. Daniel declared that they couldn't get married without his daughter.

When Brady returned, he informed the group that he'd just seen an upset Melanie at the mansion—and she'd refused to let him drive her to the wedding. "Daniel, I know this is my fault for saying something really stupid in front of her, but I didn't mean to hurt her," Chloe pleaded. "Please, we've put this wedding off long enough!"

When Daniel insisted on trying to call Melanie again, Chloe asserted that Melanie should try to be a little more forgiving, since everyone said regrettable things occasionally. At last, Daniel agreed, "Yes, let's do it."

The justice of the peace asked the crowd to be seated, and then began, "Dearly beloved—" Just then, Melanie ran up. "Stop!" she shouted. Melanie offered a quick apology, and then addressed Chloe, "I'm telling the truth about you finally."

After Sami confessed to Rafe that she had shot E.J., Rafe kissed her, and then gently asked why she was lying to him. He reminded her that she'd been with him the entire night when E.J. had been shot. Sami insisted that she was telling the truth—and she could prove it. She showed Rafe the call log on her cell phone, and pointed out the time stamp on a call from Kate.

Sami explained that Kate had called to warn her that E.J. had been planning to disappear with the kids, and Sami had kept it from Rafe because she hadn't wanted him to get in trouble again because of her. She added that she had wanted time to think about how to handle things, but after Rafe had fallen asleep, she had decided that she couldn't wait any longer to confront E.J. "I found him in my room," Sami continued quietly. "He was passed out. I could smell the alcohol. He had a gun in his hand. Something inside me just snapped, and before I knew it, I just took the gun and I shot him."

Sami then asked Rafe, "What now?" Rafe reassured her, "Nothing's changed... I'm going to do everything that I can to protect you." But first, Rafe had to go to his office to take care of something. As Rafe was leaving, Will returned home. Sami giddily told her son that something wonderful had just happened.

Sami and Will went to the pier to talk. "I told Rafe the truth—the whole truth," Sami admitted. "He knows that I'm the one who..." She mouthed the words "shot E.J." Beaming, she assured Will that Rafe had promised to stand by her and protect her, but Will was worried that it wouldn't be enough.

A distressed Arianna went to Sami and Rafe's apartment to talk to her brother. "Rafe?" she called, pounding on the door. "Where are you? I need you," she said more quietly, when her knocks went unanswered. "You have no idea how much."

At the FBI office, Rafe signed the paperwork to make his resignation official. His coworker, Tim, dubiously asked if Rafe were sure that was what he wanted to do. "I've never been more sure of anything," Rafe declared.

Arianna spotted Will and Sami talking on the pier, and ducked behind a staircase to eavesdrop. Will warned his mom that Stefano and E.J. would never stop suspecting that Sami or Will had shot E.J. Sami reminded him that she had an alibi, and there was no evidence linking her to the shooting.

"I know, but what if somehow E.J. realizes that you shot him?" Will demanded anxiously. Behind the stairs, Arianna's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Keep it down!" Sami shushed him, then declared, "You don't have to worry about anything. With Rafe by my side, I'm safe. I know he's going to protect me—always."

Arianna overheard Sami and Will talking about how Rafe would help them cover up that Sami had shot E.J. Sami was confident that E.J. would never be able to prove that she had shot him. Arianna was almost discovered when she made a noise, alerting Sami and Will. Sami's cell phone rang before she could check it out. Meanwhile, Rafe resigned from the FBI, saying that it was the only way to have a future with the women he loved. Rafe called Sami and asked Sami and Will to go to the loft so he could talk to them.

Arianna was shocked with Sami's confession, and she wondered what to do with the information. Arianna realized that E.J. needed to know. She started to call him, but then decided to speak to him face-to-face instead. She went to the hospital and learned that E.J. had been released, so she went to the DiMera mansion.

At the apartment, Rafe told Sami and Will that he had resigned. Rafe said no one could ever find out that Sami had shot E.J. Sami said she wouldn't let Rafe throw everything away for her. She got upset with Rafe for resigning without asking her first. He reminded her that she hadn't asked him before she'd shot E.J. Sami said she wished she hadn't told Rafe, because she loved him. She worried that there was evidence pointing to her. Rafe considered it his job to make sure that the evidence didn't point to her or Will.

Sami tried to thank Rafe for sacrificing his career to protect her, but he didn't want her thanks. Rafe felt that E.J. had deserved to be shot. He said they were "in this together 'til the end." "I totally wrecked our lives, didn't I?" she said. Rafe wanted to focus on Sami and the kids, and he assured her that she hadn't wrecked anything. "You mean more to me than some stupid job," he said. Rafe told her that she was the love of his life, and he would die for her.

Stephanie told Kayla that the paternity test might not be an issue anymore, because Melanie had found out that Chloe had cheated on Daniel and was probably putting a stop to Daniel and Chloe's wedding. Kayla asked if Stephanie had set it up so that Melanie would overhear Stephanie and Nathan talking about Chloe's infidelity. Stephanie assured Kayla that she had not arranged for Melanie to find out. Kayla felt that it might be a good thing if Daniel and Chloe didn't get married, because everyone needed to deal with what was real.

"Sometimes what you don't know can't hurt you," Stephanie said. "No, usually, it just hurts you later," Kayla said. Kayla said Stephanie needed to realize that Nathan loved her. Stephanie said she knew that, but she always thought, "What if Melanie forgives Nathan?" Kayla assured Stephanie that Nathan would still love her.

"He's Nathan Horton, for God's sake. I think his word means something," Kayla said. Stephanie realized that Kayla was right, but she still hoped that Melanie didn't stop the wedding. Kayla said it was out of Stephanie's hands. Stephanie asked "What about the paternity test?" "What about it?" Kayla asked.

Stephanie felt that the paternity test was still important. Kayla asked if it was that important for them to find out what the true results were. She still planned to talk to Sister Ann about the test, but she figured she might "come up empty." Stephanie rationalized that the baby probably was Daniel's, because the people who knew about the test didn't know how to switch the results.

Melanie stopped Daniel and Chloe's wedding so that she could speak to Chloe alone. Chloe agreed to speak to Melanie privately, and Melanie assured Chloe that she wouldn't tell Daniel about the affair. Maggie wanted to check on Melanie, but Victor reminded her of her advice to "observe from a distance" and only get involved when absolutely necessary. Maggie said she wasn't sure she liked someone who could remember everything she said.

Brady wondered to Nicole why Melanie had stopped the wedding, and Nicole pretended not to know why. Philip was willing to check on Melanie and Chloe, but Daniel told Philip not to. Meanwhile, Melanie asked why Chloe had let Daniel believe that Melanie was upset because Chloe had said Melanie wasn't part of their "real family." Chloe said she was too stressed out to think. "Right, because you're too busy juggling all your other lies, like cheating on my dad," Melanie said. Chloe assured Melanie that she would never hurt Daniel again and that she was carrying his child.

Melanie said she couldn't forgive Chloe, and she found it hard to believe Chloe, but she agreed to keep Chloe's secret. Chloe asked why Melanie wasn't going to tell Daniel. "Because you broke my heart, because I just don't know what else to do, and because Maggie always..." Melanie said, her voice trailing off. Chloe thanked Melanie, but Melanie said, "Don't ever thank me."

Melanie told Daniel that everything was okay and that she had just needed to get some things off her chest. Daniel and Chloe got married. "God knows it hasn't been easy finding our way here today, but we're getting married finally. We made it, because through all of it, we always had our love. True love. And I never imagined I could feel this much joy. I love you, today, tomorrow, forever," Daniel said.

"I know that I haven't always been a perfect partner for you, but today I know just to trust in you and in our love, and we're gonna be just fine. I've never been happier than I am right now, and I love you so much," Chloe said. Melanie told Philip that she thought she was just as bad as Carly for not telling Daniel. After the wedding, Victor told Maggie that he hoped Daniel was "ready for the heartburn coming his way." Maggie told Victor, "Could you try not to be negative on their wedding day. At least wait until tomorrow."

Brady congratulated Chloe and told Daniel he was a lucky man. Carly tried to talk to Melanie, but she wasn't interested. Daniel asked if things were okay between Carly and Melanie, and Melanie pretended that everything was fine. Melanie admitted that she and Carly had gotten into a disagreement, and Daniel asked what it was about. Carly downplayed it. Philip ran after Melanie. Later, Carly told Philip that she deserved to lose Melanie for lying to protect Chloe. Philip told himself that he would not lose Melanie.

Nicole told Chloe to be grateful that she had "dodged a bullet." Chloe said Melanie could have destroyed her life, but she hadn't. Nicole wondered why Melanie had changed her mind.

At Chloe and Daniel's apartment, the newlyweds prepared to go on their honeymoon. While Chloe was packing in the bedroom, Melanie stopped by after receiving a text message from Daniel. He asked if she and Chloe had worked things out. Daniel assured Melanie that Chloe adored Melanie, and he predicted that she and Chloe would have a great relationship. He said he wanted Melanie and Chloe to get to know each other.

Daniel asked if there was something that Melanie needed to tell him. "Yeah, there is," Melanie said. She said she wanted him to be happy, and he said he was happier than he had been in years. Chloe interrupted them, not knowing that Melanie was there. While Daniel went to the bedroom to get something, Chloe tried to express her gratitude, but Melanie didn't want to hear it. Melanie threatened to destroy Chloe if she ever hurt Daniel again. Chloe and Daniel left for their honeymoon.

Philip went to Daniel's apartment, where Melanie was, and she told Philip that she had realized that "sometimes you have to lie for love."

Brady and Nicole realized that they needed to get back to the house to check on Vivian. Victor overheard them and asked what was going on. Brady made up an excuse, and Victor told Brady, "I see you're still thick as thieves with Nicole." Maggie walked up and cleared her throat. Victor stopped his nagging and agreed to take Maggie home.

Back at the Kiriakis mansion, Nicole told Brady that during the ceremony, she had flashes, thinking about what she would do if she had a chance to do things all over again with E.J. and Sydney. Brady understood, and he reminded her that there were other things to focus on. Nicole asked if they needed to check on Vivian, but Brady wanted to make out with her first.

Back at Maggie's house, Maggie told Victor to let Brady and Nicole's relationship "play itself out." She was sure it would be "short-lived,"and Victor agreed. Victor said that there was always disaster for anyone that Nicole was involved with. Maggie admitted that she was wrong, and she advised him to step in if he thought that Nicole was going to mess up Brady's life.

E.J. was in the process of being released from the hospital when a process server arrived to serve him with papers saying that E.J. couldn't see the kids until there was a hearing in family court. Stefano went ballistic, and Lexie told him to stop yelling. Stefano told E.J. not to worry because they would find another judge, and E.J. would see his kids again. E.J. wasn't optimistic, considering the recording that Rafe had of E.J. confessing to masterminding Sydney's kidnapping. He said the recording couldn't be used in a criminal proceeding, but it was fair game for family court.

Stefano assured E.J. that if Sami had shot E.J., they would prove it, and if she didn't, they would prove that too. Lexie told Stefano to calm down and not add to E.J.'s stress. Stefano left the room, and Lexie told E.J. to try not to let Stefano upset him. "If he didn't rant and rave on a regular basis, I'd think something was wrong," E.J. said.

E.J. admitted to Lexie that he had remembered everything, and he understood why Sami wanted to keep the kids away from him. "She's doing exactly the same thing that I would do. I kept her daughter from her, so she keeps my children from me," E.J. said. Lexie predicted that Sami would soon realize that keeping the kids away from E.J. wouldn't be good for them.

Once E.J. got home, he thought about how Sami had reacted to the news of his involvement in Sydney's kidnapping. E.J. admitted to Stefano that he desperately missed his kids. He also was going to tell Stefano that he missed Sami, but he didn't want to face Stefano's ridicule. "You're going to tell me that you are missing Samantha. Is that not right?" Stefano said.

"Yes, that's what I'm gonna say. I miss Samantha, all right?" E.J. said. E.J. admitted that it caused him great pain and heartache to lose Sami. He said he loved Sami. Stefano said that proved that E.J. had suffered brain damage. He reminded E.J. that Sami wanted him dead and might have tried to put a bullet in his brain. "If she did put a bullet in my brain, I got exactly what I deserved," E.J. said. "Forget damage. You've lost your mind completely," Stefano said.

E.J. said he had ripped Sami's heart out by making Sami think her daughter was dead. "If she did pull the trigger, I got exactly what I deserved," E.J. said. Stefano asked if E.J. deserved to have his kids taken away. E.J. assured Stefano that he would find a way to get his kids back, no matter what evidence Sami had. Arianna stopped by to see E.J. Lexie answered the door and tried to dissuade Arianna from visiting, because E.J. needed to rest. However, E.J. told Lexie it was okay. He noticed that Arianna looked flustered and asked what was going on.

At the loft, Sami expressed her gratitude to Rafe for everything he'd done for her by presenting him with his painting of dogs playing poker, which she'd retrieved from storage. Rafe was touched. Sami reluctantly admitted that she'd recently found Arianna questioning Will about the night E.J. had been shot -- Sami believed at E.J.'s behest -- but she assured Rafe that Will had not divulged anything. Rafe promised to have a talk with Arianna.

Sami was worried about the phone call Kate had made to warn Sami that E.J. had threatened to take off with the kids, but Rafe didn't think Kate would ever tell Stefano about it. Sami speculated about why she had found E.J. with a gun in his hand the night of the shooting. Rafe guessed that E.J. had been contemplating suicide -- or planning to kill Nicole for exposing him. Sami acknowledged that E.J. was capable of anything, and that included carrying out his original plan to flee with the kids. "I'm never going to get him out of my life!" she exclaimed. Rafe tried to comfort her.

Later, Rafe made tamales for Sami, using his mother's recipe. As they ate dinner, they reminisced about the Christmas Eve in the safe house when he'd first cooked tamales for Sami. Sami declared that she was the luckiest girl in the world to have a man like Rafe, who was strong, funny, and patient, and always made her feel safe and loved.

Rafe agreed that they would have a great life together. He then admitted that he loathed E.J., but he felt bad because he knew what a strong relationship E.J. had with Johnny. Sami asserted that Rafe would help Johnny get through being separated from his dad, and Johnny would know that he could always count on Rafe. After dinner, Sami and Rafe had sex.

At the DiMera mansion, Arianna informed E.J. that she had something so important to tell him that it could change his life. E.J. led the flustered Arianna into the parlor, and she acknowledged that she knew how much he loved his children and wanted them back at the mansion. "I don't care what kind of proof my brother has -- I know you are not a monster," she declared somewhat shakily. "You helped me when I needed it. Maybe I can help you." E.J. was grateful for any help Arianna could give him, especially because he knew how close she and Rafe were.

Kate entered and demanded to know what E.J. and Arianna were discussing, because she had overheard Arianna offering to help get E.J.'s children back. E.J. declared that it was none of Kate's business, but she argued that anything that hurt her grandson, Will, was absolutely her business. She firmly reminded E.J. that Will was innocent. E.J. countered that if that were true, then Kate had nothing to worry about.

Arianna stepped into the foyer to take a call from Gabi, who was furious because she had been waiting "for, like, a year" at the Brady Pub for Arianna to meet her for dinner. Arianna promised to get there as soon as she could.

Meanwhile, E.J. warned Kate that she would regret it if she prevented him from getting Johnny and Sydney back. When Arianna returned, Kate started to leave, but slowed her pace to listen as E.J. got a phone call from his lawyer. The call enraged E.J., and after he slammed the phone down, he suddenly appeared dizzy, and collapsed onto the chair. Kate and Arianna rushed over to him, but E.J. insisted that he was fine. Kate said pointedly that Lexie had given strict instructions to the staff that E.J. was to have no stress. Arianna took the hint and left, but promised to return later.

E.J. shouted at Kate for making Arianna leave, but Kate insisted she only wanted to see him get better. "You want to see your children again, don't die on them," she instructed firmly.

Arianna met her sister at the pub, and apologized for having forgotten about their dinner date. Gabi told Arianna that Rafe had bought her a gorgeous dress for her date with Will to the homecoming dance. Arianna was impressed, because the girls agreed that Rafe usually had terrible taste. Gabi then floored Arianna with the news that Rafe had quit his job at the FBI. "He loved the FBI!" Arianna protested. "I know," Gabi agreed. "He said he did it so he could be with Sami and the kids. He'd do anything for them."

When E.J. called Arianna, she let the call go to voicemail, because she was still flipping out about Rafe. E.J. left a pleading message for Arianna, "Whatever it was that you wanted to talk to me about, some way to get my children back, just please call me, okay?" E.J. added that he couldn't bear living at the mansion any longer, because it felt empty without the children.

Arianna seemed suspicious of Rafe's reason for quitting the FBI. As Gabi walked away from the table, a determined Arianna told herself, "I have to do it. I have to."

In New York, Chloe was raving to Daniel about an opera they were about to see. She noticed that Daniel was distracted, and wondered if he would ever forgive her for what Melanie had overheard. Daniel admitted that what Chloe had said had been careless and unkind, but he knew that she truly loved Melanie, and he thought they should put it behind them.

Chloe was grateful that Daniel was so forgiving, and insisted that Melanie was very special to her. She worried that things between her and Melanie would never be good again. Daniel knew that Melanie had been hurt, and had no way of knowing whether she would ever forgive Chloe -- although he hoped time would lessen the pain. Chloe vowed to do whatever she could to make it up to Daniel and to Melanie.

At Maggie's, Philip tried to reassure Melanie that she had done the right thing by keeping the truth about Chloe's one-night stand from Daniel. Melanie wasn't completely convinced, although she admitted it was probably the best thing to do for the baby's sake.

Carly knocked on the back door just then, because she wanted to make sure Melanie understood why Carly had done what she had done. Melanie replied that she did understand, "But that doesn't mean that I will ever forgive you." Philip tried to reason with his wife by pointing out that they had also lied to Daniel. Melanie argued that they had lied to protect Daniel and the baby, but Carly had lied to protect herself. Melanie asked if she could have a few minutes alone with Carly, so Philip left.

Melanie tearfully noted that she had spent her whole life wanting a normal family, and she'd finally gotten it -- but only for a few weeks. "And I will never get that back!" Melanie cried. Carly pointed out that she had never thought Melanie would forgive her for her terrible childhood, but she had. Melanie asserted that Carly's lies about Chloe's affair had been different from her keeping Melanie's existence a secret from Daniel, "Because it had nothing to do with you, and you made decisions that affect all these people [who] never got a chance to have a say."

Melanie wondered if Carly would do things differently if given a second chance. Carly admitted that she probably wouldn't, although keeping the secret had eaten away at her. "Now you feel like I'm someone you don't want to be around. And that's something else I'm wrestling with, seeing you hurt," Carly said sadly, beginning to sob. "Because I lost your respect, and that breaks my heart!"

Her back to her mom, Melanie began to cry harder, but she composed herself before she turned around and asked Carly to leave. Carly nodded. "I love you -- always," she stated emphatically. Melanie broke down as she closed the door behind Carly.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Nicole was worried that when Brady had last checked in on Vivian, she had actually been dead, and not merely sleeping. Brady reassured her that he had been able to see Vivian breathing over the monitor.

When Victor entered, the sight of Nicole and Brady kissing disgusted him -- and he let them know it. Brady asked Nicole to let him speak to his grandfather privately, so she grudgingly left. Victor continued ranting about Brady and Nicole's brazenness. Brady quietly ordered Victor to show Nicole a little respect -- or the two of them would leave together. A livid Victor demanded to know what was going on, and why Brady was spending all his time with Nicole.

Brady hotly contended, "You brought Vivian Alamain into this house. Compared to her, Nicole is like Mother Theresa -- so back off!" Victor conceded that he was through arguing with Brady, but noted that Brady's "surly, edgy" behavior proved that something was wrong. "You're becoming one big, stiff pain in the ass!" Victor declared. He then said that he was going to the mausoleum to pray with Isabella, and invited Brady to join him. Brady declined.

Gus contacted Vivian from outside the Brady Pub to let her know that he was in Salem, and on his way to free her from the sarcophagus. Vivian squealed with relief, but cautioned Gus to be careful. Nicole arrived outside the pub as Gus was leaving, and eyed him suspiciously.

Nicole was sitting at a table inside when Philip arrived. "Some wedding, huh?" she remarked with a sly grin, then whispered, "So, how did you convince Melanie to keep her mouth shut about Chloe's one-night stand?" Philip panicked a little, and asked how much Chloe had told Nicole. "Well, Chloe didn't tell me who she hooked up with, if that's what you're asking," Nicole replied. Philip admitted that he didn't know, either, although he was curious. Nicole recounted all the people who knew Chloe's secret, and asserted that it would only be a matter of time before Daniel found out.

When Nicole returned to the mansion, Brady poured a drink for her, and one for himself. He assured her that he hadn't told Victor where Vivian was. "I don't know how he's going to react when he finds out that I've stuffed her in a box," Brady admitted. Nicole asserted that they needed a long-term plan, and Brady replied that he was working on it.

Gus let Vivian know when he arrived at the mausoleum, but had to pick the lock before he could enter. He looked around warily as he opened the door, and admitted that the place gave him the creeps. Vivian implored him to hurry up and get her out of there. When she could see Gus on the monitor, she excitedly told him how to open the sarcophagus. As he looked around for the lever to open it, suddenly Vivian shouted, "Gus, watch out! There's somebody behind you!" As Vivian watched in horror, there was a thud, and then Gus collapsed on the floor.