In Marlena's office at the hospital, a giant red X appeared on Marlena's laptop screen when she tried to access the file that had been stored on Kristen's flash drive. Marlena gasped and quickly removed the flash drive from her laptop, fearing that Kristen might have loaded a virus onto the device to crash the hard drive of anyone who tried to open the file. "What if this was all just a big hoax? What if it was all just a big waste of time?" Marlena mused as she placed the cap back on the flash drive.
Elsewhere, Jennifer wondered why J.J. was in Daniel's office. J.J. evasively posed the same question to Jennifer, who pointed out that she had asked J.J. first. J.J. nervously glanced at Daniel, who encouraged him to go ahead and tell Jennifer the truth. "So, what, you're just gonna hang me out to dry?" J.J. asked incredulously.
Daniel shrugged and informed Jennifer that J.J. apparently didn't want her to know that he had gone to Daniel's office to chastise Daniel for hurting her. Playing along, J.J. told Jennifer that he was sick of seeing Daniel get away with everything. Jennifer appreciated J.J.'s desire to defend her, but she insisted that he needed to leave Daniel alone. Jennifer asked J.J. to return to the Horton house, promising to join him after talking to Daniel.
After J.J. left, Jennifer asked Daniel to refrain from engaging him in the future. Daniel agreed and changed the subject, wondering why Jennifer had decided to visit his office in the first place. Jennifer admitted that she wasn't sure and started to walk away, but she quickly changed her mind and insisted that she wasn't going to leave until Daniel provided her with some answers.
Daniel told Jennifer that the only thing that she needed to know was that he had never cheated on her. Daniel added that his actions were no longer Jennifer's concern, since she had made it abundantly clear that their relationship was over. Jennifer reminded Daniel that she had done that for J.J.'s sake, but Daniel countered that she had still made her choice and couldn't have it both ways. Jennifer wondered if Daniel was going to continue to shut her out indefinitely. "Well, maybe now you know what it feels like," Daniel somewhat bitterly replied. Jennifer silently exited the office, losing her composure as soon as she stepped into the hallway.
Later, J.J. returned to Daniel's office, explaining that he had sent Jennifer a text message earlier to let her know that he was going to grab something to eat before returning home. Daniel assured J.J. that he hadn't revealed J.J.'s secret to Jennifer. J.J. placed the office key on Daniel's desk and started to walk away before pausing to thank Daniel. "I can see now that I was totally wrong about you, man," J.J. admitted.
Daniel understood and conceded that he might have behaved similarly if he had been in J.J.'s shoes. "You are letting me off too easy, man. I did all the things that you said that I did, and I did 'em on purpose. I broke the MP3 player that your daughter gave you, I smashed up your car, and I even broke your kid's train set. Your kid. And when I wasn't doing all of that stuff, I was -- was trying to wreck things between you and my mom. I didn't want you to be the good guy. I didn't -- I didn't give you a chance. I'm sorry about everything. I'm really sorry. I can't believe that I've put you in this screwed-up position," J.J. sincerely stated.
Daniel insisted that he didn't care about the opinions of other people, but J.J. was certain that, at the very least, Daniel cared about Jennifer's opinion and that it was killing Daniel to know that she believed that he had slept with Theresa. J.J. guessed that Daniel was simply protecting him because Jennifer wouldn't be able to handle seeing J.J. get sent to prison, but Daniel insisted that he would also be unable to handle seeing that happen.
"After everything that I did to you? I tried to ruin your life, man! Why are you saving mine?" J.J. wondered. Ignoring the question, Daniel warned that J.J. wasn't out of the woods yet, since Theresa could still cause problems for him. Daniel promised to handle Theresa and reminded J.J. that he needed to continue to act like he hated Daniel because that was what everyone else still believed. Daniel added that J.J. was on his own if he ever messed with drugs again, and J.J. assured Daniel that he wouldn't have to worry about that. After shaking Daniel's hand and thanking him for everything, J.J. exited the office.
After exiting Theresa's room, Hope ran into Eric in the waiting area. Eric revealed that Kayla had told him earlier that Daniel had been with Theresa when Theresa had overdosed, and Hope confirmed that Daniel was the person who had taken Theresa to the hospital. Eric admitted that he was having a hard time believing that Daniel, who had seemed completely in love with Jennifer despite their problems, had apparently gotten involved with Theresa.
Elsewhere, Maxine followed Kate into Rafe's room and informed her that Jordan had taken him to the town square earlier so that he could get some fresh air. Forcing a smile, Kate sweetly stated that Jordan always seemed to have plenty of great ideas. Maxine observed that Kate clearly wasn't Jordan's biggest fan, prompting Kate to confirm that Jordan's guardedness bothered her. "Well, she is standoffish, but she grows on you," Maxine assured Kate.
"So does flesh-eating bacteria," Kate dryly replied. Maxine laughed and urged Kate to give Jordan a break, since Jordan was a hard worker who was making real progress with Rafe. After Maxine left, Kate muttered that Jordan was probably making progress with Rafe in more ways than one.
In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Rafe asked Jordan to refrain from talking about things that were related to his physical therapy for a while, explaining that he would prefer to pretend that they were just two friends who were hanging out together on a beautiful night. Jordan agreed to do so, noting that allowing Rafe to take his mind off of his physical therapy for a while could be therapeutic in its own way.
Amused, Rafe pointed out that Jordan was still making everything about his physical therapy. Jordan apologized and wondered what Rafe wanted to talk about. Rafe decided that he wanted to talk about football, so he proceeded to explain the basics of the sport to Jordan, assuming that she wouldn't know anything about it.
After listening to Rafe for a few moments, Jordan interrupted and wondered how he would advise a team to stop the pistol offense. Rafe was taken aback, but he quickly recovered and said that going dime would be the obvious answer. Jordan warned that Rafe's solution would leave the team small and vulnerable to the run, and she wondered if he still believed that it would be the best approach despite that fact.
Impressed, Rafe continued to discuss strategies with Jordan for a while before finally asking her to reveal how she had managed to learn everything that she knew about football. Jordan joked that she was just pretending to know a lot about the sport and would much rather spend her free time baking pies and working on embroidery projects. Rafe laughed and clarified that he had simply meant that Jordan seemed to know more about football than most men did.
Jordan explained that she had once treated someone who had played in the NFL. Rafe tried to get Jordan to reveal the patient's identity, but she refused to do so, pointing out that Rafe probably wouldn't appreciate it if she shared the juicy details of his treatment with her next client. Rafe reluctantly admitted that Jordan was right, prompting her to playfully remind him that she was always right.
As he opened the paper bag that had been laying on his lap, Rafe teasingly countered that he wasn't going to share his cookies with Jordan. Jordan dismissively replied that she was on a diet anyway. "With that body?" Rafe skeptically asked as he retrieved a cookie from the bag. Before Jordan could respond to the comment, Rafe casually steered the conversation back to his sister's famous Mexican chocolate chip cookies.
Jordan wanted to know what differentiated Mexican chocolate chip cookies from regular chocolate chip cookies, so Rafe explained that the former contained cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Rafe waved one of the cookies in front of Jordan, who finally gave in and took a generous bite out of it. Jordan's enthusiastic response to the cookie prompted Rafe to admit that he never would have guessed that she was capable of expressing genuine joy.
Rafe offered Jordan another cookie, but she insisted that she couldn't possibly allow herself to indulge in more than one. Rafe wondered why Jordan kept herself on such a short leash, but when she remained silent, he withdrew the question and admitted that it was none of his business. Rafe encouraged Jordan to take half of the cookie instead, but when she hesitantly reached for it, he playfully pulled it away from her. Jordan reached for the cookie again, and her hand touched Rafe's hand for a moment before she broke the cookie in half.
Still holding her half of the cookie, Jordan pulled her hand away and thanked Rafe for the treat before leading him back to the hospital, where they found Hope waiting in his room. Rafe introduced Hope to Jordan, who excused herself so that they could have some privacy. Hope told Rafe that Kate had tried to visit him earlier, adding that Kate seemed particularly invested in his recovery. Rafe sighed and admitted that, while he appreciated Kate's support, he wished that she would stop feeling guilty about what had happened to him.
Rafe offered Hope a quick summary of the chain of events that had led Kate to blame herself for his injuries. Hope wondered if Kate had ended her relationship with Rafe solely because she had been worried about what Stefano would do to Rafe if he found out about the relationship. Rafe clarified that there had been other reasons and that he and Kate were better off as friends anyway.
In the waiting area, Jordan smiled as she remembered her earlier outing with Rafe. "Judging from that smile, someone had a fun night," Kate observed as she approached Jordan. Kate offered to take Rafe on his future outings herself so that Jordan could have some free time to do other things, but Jordan explained that, while she appreciated the offer, a hospital staff member was legally obligated to accompany him on all of his outings.
After Jordan left, Kate received a phone call from someone. "I don't understand. So -- so what you're saying is [that] up until that time, Jordan Ridgeway didn't exist?" Kate asked the caller incredulously.
In Daniel's apartment, Nicole tried to find out why Kristen was attempting to visit Daniel at such a late hour on the night before Kristen's wedding, but Kristen evasively replied that she didn't feel obligated to explain her actions to Nicole. As Nicole observed that Kristen seemed sort of nervous, Brady entered the apartment through the door that had been left ajar.
Nicole lashed out at Brady, assuming that he and Kristen had each decided to visit Daniel because they had heard -- and believed -- the rumors about Daniel and Theresa and wanted to voice their disapproval. "I thought you were supposed to be his friend. You know, you think a person is your friend, and then out of the blue, they decide that you're doing something that you would never, ever do. You know what? I am so sick and tired of that," Nicole angrily stated, ignoring Brady's attempts to get her to calm down.
As she quietly listened to Nicole's tirade, Kristen realized that it was really about Eric, and she took that as confirmation that he had no idea that she was the woman whom he had encountered during his first trip to the capital. Meanwhile, Nicole insisted that Daniel had done nothing wrong. Brady disagreed, summarizing that Daniel had slept with Theresa while being completely aware of the fact that she and Jennifer couldn't stand each other.
"Oh, yeah. Yeah, the sainted Jennifer -- we should all abide by her likes and dislikes," Nicole sarcastically agreed before reminding Brady that Daniel was free to sleep with whomever he wanted to sleep with because he and Jennifer were no longer together. Kristen helpfully agreed that Daniel was free to sleep with whomever he wanted to sleep with -- including Nicole -- prompting Brady to wonder why Nicole was in Daniel's apartment.
Nicole bitterly asked if Brady was planning to report her whereabouts to Eric later, prompting Brady to apologize for inadvertently revealing Nicole's true feelings to Eric. "No matter what my feelings for him are or were, I always kept them under wraps. I had Eric's back for over a year, and for him to accuse me of --" Nicole started to say before abruptly stopping herself.
Brady urged Nicole to continue, but she shook her head and insisted that he needed to leave because he and Eric were no longer a part of her life. Kristen sweetly took Brady's hand and led him out of the apartment. Later, as he and Kristen strolled through the town square, Brady tried to figure out what Eric had accused Nicole of doing, but Kristen reasoned that she and Brady needed to focus on their impending wedding instead.
After conceding her point, Brady wondered why Kristen had gone to Daniel's apartment that night. Kristen claimed that she had been planning to talk to Daniel about his relationship with Jennifer. Brady proceeded to summarize his earlier conversation with Jennifer, and he informed Kristen that he was going to contact Daniel the next day to subtly suggest that it might be best for Daniel to skip the wedding, since Brady knew that having Jennifer there would mean a lot to Kristen.
Brady and Kristen went to the Horton house to share their plan with Jennifer, ignoring her attempts to get them to reconsider. Kristen felt guilty about the fact that she was about to celebrate such a happy occasion while Jennifer was miserable, but Jennifer reasoned that she was going to be fine because both of her children were back at home and were safe. Jennifer said that she could survive without Daniel, but couldn't survive without J.J.
Kristen excused herself to take a phone call. Outside, Kristen told Chyka that Eric had remembered that he had slept with someone at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. Kristen said that the only good thing about the situation was that Eric believed that someone else had slept with him that night, and she demanded to know how Chyka planned to help her keep it that way.
In Daniel's apartment, Nicole tried to steady her shaking hands so that she could take a sip of her tea. Meanwhile, someone knocked on the door. "What, are they lining up to tell Daniel off? If it's that sanctimonious Maggie Kiriakis, I'm gonna tell her to kiss my --" Nicole muttered as she walked over to the door and opened it, abruptly stopping herself when she found Eric standing in the hallway.
Eric entered the apartment as Nicole pointedly searched the hallway for the machine that was dispensing tickets so that everyone would know when it was their turn to tell Daniel off. Eric clarified that he had no desire to judge Daniel and simply wanted to give him a chance to talk to a friend about what had happened. "You're not gonna be judgmental? Wow, what a refreshing change of pace," Nicole sarcastically replied.
Nicole revealed that Daniel had left the apartment earlier. Eric silently started to walk away, but Nicole stopped him and insisted that she deserved a chance to say some things to him, since he had said plenty of things to her earlier. Nicole said that she was terribly sorry that something awful had happened to Eric at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, adding that she remembered how sick he had been that night and that she understood how that sort of thing could mess with a person's mind and make them recall things that had never really happened.
Eric insisted that the things that he had remembered had really happened, but Nicole countered that they hadn't happened with her. Refusing to believe Nicole, Eric added that she was the person who had truly been sick on the night in question. "Honey, if I wanted to seduce you, I wouldn't need drugs," Nicole assured Eric. Unamused, Eric angrily warned Nicole to refrain from saying such things, prompting her to wonder why it was perfectly fine for him to accuse her of doing things that she would never do.
Nicole revealed that she had told Daniel about Eric's accusation and that Daniel believed that she was innocent. Eric wasn't surprised, since he was sure that no one would be eager to believe that Nicole was capable of such despicable things, but he pointed out that Daniel hadn't been at the Capitol Plaza Hotel that night to personally experience the lengths that she was willing to go to in order to get what she wanted.
Eric recounted Nicole's list of past sins and summarized that he hadn't been eager to believe that she was capable of doing any of those things, either. Eric started to exit the apartment as he added that he pitied Nicole and wasn't going to stop her from trying to sell her version of the truth to other people, since she couldn't lie to herself or to God. "Oh, you self-righteous little -- get out! Get the hell out!" Nicole shouted as she threw her coffee mug across the room, causing it to shatter against the apartment door.
Eric told Nicole that he had trusted her, believed in her, and even loved her, although he hadn't loved her in the way that she had apparently wanted to be loved. Eric wondered how Nicole could have betrayed him in such an awful way, but she continued to insist that she hadn't betrayed him and tearfully reiterated that she wanted him to leave.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Marlena breathlessly greeted Victor as she stepped into the foyer and announced that she needed his help. Victor warned Marlena to keep her visit short because Maggie was starting to get suspicious, but he added that Maggie had left the mansion earlier to play bridge with some friends and wouldn't return until later that night.
After triumphantly producing the flash drive that she had discovered earlier, Marlena proceeded to summarize what had happened when she had tried to open the file that had been stored on the device. Victor assured Marlena that he would be able to help her decrypt the flash drive, since one of his employees had loaded a program onto Victor's laptop that was capable of handling the task.
Marlena warned Victor that the contents of the flash drive might have something to do with Daniel, but Victor insisted that he and Marlena had to save Brady from Kristen, even if that meant exposing something that could make Daniel look bad. "We're gonna find a way to access this file, then we're gonna stop Brady from making the biggest mistake of his life," Victor assured Marlena.
In the town square, Nick called a modeling agency, posing as Lucas Horton from Mad World Cosmetics. Nick asked the agency if Gabi Hernandez was one of their models because he wanted to hire her for a campaign. The agency said that they wanted to sign Gabi and would contact Mad World when they had secured Gabi as a client. After hanging up the phone, Nick texted Gabi and asked her to meet with him.
In Club TBD, Gabi dropped off Arianna with Sonny so that he could spend time with her while Gabi ran errands. Gabi and Sonny talked about Will's texts about the writing program and about how happy Will seemed to be in California. Sonny asked Gabi if she had worked a lot in her modeling days, and Gabi admitted that the workload had been light but that she had loved modeling. Gabi cooed over Arianna before leaving to visit Rafe at the hospital.
At the hospital, Jordan stood in the hallway and thought about her moment with Rafe in the park when their fingers had grazed over a cookie. Shaking off the memory, Jordan's smiled faded, and she marched into Rafe room. Jordan informed Rafe that another therapist would take him out on an afternoon excursion. Noting the sternness of Jordan's voice and her cold demeanor, Rafe asked Jordan if she was pushing him away because of what had happened between them.
"Nothing happened," Jordan stressed. Rafe argued that they had not crossed any professional boundaries but that he felt he and Jordan had shared a moment. Rafe wondered aloud how he could spend all his time with someone and not know anything about them. Jordan reminded Rafe that the only relationship they had was that of therapist and patient.
"I thought we were starting to be friends, but I guess not," Rafe said. Jordan started to leave, but Rafe grabbed her hand. Rafe softly said that if Jordan was scared then she should know that he was also scared. Rafe agreed not to push Jordan into anything but said that he wanted to remain friends with her.
As Gabi arrived at the hospital, she received a text message from Nick, asking to meet. Gabi texted Nick that she would meet him in the pub, and then she went in to visit Rafe. When Gabi entered Rafe's room, she found him sitting alone, staring at his hands. Rafe told Gabi that he was frustrated by Jordan's behavior. As Rafe expressed that he was worried he had "blown it" with Jordan, Jordan stopped outside the room and listened to Rafe talk to Gabi.
Gabi wondered aloud if Rafe had scared Jordan away. Shaking his head, Rafe insisted that he had shared a moment with Jordan and that in that instant, he had wanted to protect Jordan. With a smirk, Gabi reminded Rafe that Jordan was not the kind of woman that needed protection. Rafe said that he hoped he and Jordan could be friends. When Jordan returned to the room later, she offered to walk Rafe down to the pier for their afternoon therapy.
In their room at the DiMera mansion, E.J. and Sami made love then talked about Kristen's wedding. When Sami insulted Kristen, E.J. told Sami that he had believed things were going well between Kristen and Sami. Sami explained that she was still disgusted by Kristen because of how Kristen had hurt Marlena. With a sigh, Sami admitted that she had some hope for Kristen because Eric had agreed to bless the marriage.
E.J. noted that Sami put Eric on a pedestal, and she agreed. Sami remarked that Eric was a better person than she. When E.J. remained silent, Sami teased that E.J. should have said that Sami was just as good as Eric. Laughing, E.J. noted that Eric was a better person than E.J. and Sami combined.
In the Brady Pub, Kate yelled on her phone at her private investigator, Juan Ortiz, who had not found out about Jordan's past. Kate ordered Ortiz to figure out why there was no record of Jordan prior to the last few years. As Kate slammed down her phone, Lucas joined her at the table and asked whose life Kate was meddling in. Kate admitted that she was looking into Jordan's past to make sure she was not a threat to Rafe.
Lucas asked Kate if she was jealous of Jordan. Kate denied the accusation. Lucas reminded Kate that she had hired Jordan and seemed to be second-guessing that decision. With a shrug, Lucas asked why Kate would want to make trouble if Jordan was good for Rafe. Kate handed an envelope of research about Jordan to Lucas.
After Kate left the pub, she ran into E.J. in the town square. E.J. and Kate sniped at one another about Stefano and about Rafe's growing closeness to Jordan. After a few barbs, E.J. stiffly kissed Kate on the cheek and walked away.
At Club TBD, Sami stopped by to visit her granddaughter. Sami and Sonny talked about Will, and Sami noted how grateful she was to have Arianna in her life. When Sami added how thrilled she was that Gabi was no longer with Nick, Sonny's face fell. Noting the pensive look on Sonny's face, Sami asked what had happened. Sonny explained that Gabi had briefly had a fling with Nick and that Nick was pursuing Gabi.
At the Brady Pub, Nick spotted Gabi through the window from outside and went in to meet with her. As Nick said hello, Gabi raised her head with a confused expression on her face. Gabi said that she had received a strange email.
In the DiMera mansion, Kristen had a nightmare that Eric had woken her and told her that he knew what she had done. Kristen startled awake and cried out. Brady hugged Kristen and asked her what was wrong. Shaking her head, Kristen said that she had had a bad dream but had forgotten the dream when she startled awake. When Kristen mumbled that she had pre-wedding jitters, Brady told Kristen that his friends and family would eventually accept Kristen as part of the family. Brady urged Kristen to get dressed so that he could take her to breakfast and give her a surprise.
In the town square, Brady and Kristen ate and relaxed at the cafe. When a little girl ran past them to hug her mother, Kristen smiled then looked sad. Brady presented Kristen with an envelope. When Kristen opened the envelope, she found an itinerary for a trip around the world for her and Brady. Thrilled, Kristen hugged Brady tightly. Worried about the wedding, Brady said he wanted to check in with Eric.
After Brady left, Kristen called Dr. Chyka and ordered him to meet her at the DiMera mansion. When Kristen returned home, Dr. Chyka arrived at the same time. Kristen informed Dr. Chyka that Eric had recovered many of his memories from the night she had slept with Eric. When Kristen noted that Eric had mistaken Nicole for Kristen as the woman that Eric had slept with, Dr. Chyka remarked that there was nothing to worry about.
Kristen ordered Dr. Chyka to ensure that Eric did not recover his memory of her from that night. Reluctant to disrupt the situation, Dr. Chyka urged Kristen to wait. Kristen was fearful that Eric would regain his memories of her as he was marrying Kristen to Brady. Dr. Chyka agreed to concoct a potion that would make Eric's memories from the night he was drugged disappear.
As Dr. Chyka left, E.J. entered the living room from the kitchen with a scowl on his face. E.J. angrily asked, "How could you have sex with Father Eric?"
Bishop White stopped by the rectory to congratulate Eric on the progress of the school that Eric had started. Noting the strained look on Eric's face, Bishop White asked Eric what was wrong. Eric declined to discuss his problem until he figured some issues out first. When Bishop White joked that he had toyed with the idea of transferring Eric somewhere else so that Eric could help another parish, Eric feverishly seized on the idea.
Father Eric argued that he could use a fresh start. When Bishop White asked Eric if he was rethinking his vocation as a priest, Eric denied it and stressed that he was committed to his vocation. Bishop White thanked Eric for all that Eric had done in Salem and congratulated Eric on turning the scandal between Brady and Kristen into wedded bliss. Eric invited Bishop White to attend the wedding.
Eager to talk to Eric, Brady interrupted Eric and Bishop White's conversation. Bishop White left to attend to some business elsewhere in town. Brady asked Eric if he was still willing to marry him and Kristen. Eric nodded and added that he was still upset that Brady and Kristen had not told Eric about Nicole's feelings. Growing agitated, Eric raised his voice and said that he did not think he could forgive Nicole for what she had done.
Brady stressed the he believed Nicole had had her feelings under control. "Not at all," Eric growled. Concerned, Brady urged Eric to talk to him about what had happened with Nicole. Eric declined. "What did Nicole do to you? Seriously!" Brady asked.
At the Brady Pub, a puzzled Gabi informed Nick that she'd just gotten an email request out of the blue to meet with Sparkle Modeling Agency. Gabi guessed that it was just a generic email to many models, because she had been out of the business for a year, which was a long time in the modeling world. Nick casually asked if Gabi would ever consider going back, since she had loved it so much. Gabi wasn't sure if she would have time to put in the hours necessary to get work.
At Club TBD, Sami fired off a text message demanding to see Gabi immediately when she learned from Sonny that Gabi had slept with Nick. Sonny couldn't believe that Sami had actually sent the message to Gabi. He assured Sami that even though Nick wanted Gabi back, the reverse wasn't true.
Gabi read Sami's message and wondered aloud, "What now?"
Sonny was worried that if Sami gave Gabi grief, it would just stir everything back up at the apartment when things had finally calmed down after Will had found out about Gabi and Nick. Sonny explained that Nick had taken advantage of Gabi when she'd been lonely and stressed-out, but Gabi knew she'd made a huge mistake. Sonny worried that Sami would upset Gabi, and that would upset Will. He urged Sami to send another message to Gabi to tell her to forget it.
Sami sent Gabi a follow-up text message that read: "Ignore my text. Sorry. Would love to get all the kids together with Ari soon." Sonny was pleased. Sami promised not to say anything to Gabi about Nick unless it became necessary. Sami left to start getting ready for Brady and Kristen's wedding.
Nick said that he thought Gabi should call the agency back because she was beautiful, and because he suspected that she missed modeling. Gabi confided that she wasn't sure she could handle rejection, but Nick countered that if she didn't make the call, she would always wonder what might have happened. Gabi was relieved when she got Sami's second message. Nick produced a baby gift for Arianna, a stuffed lamb, which he claimed was from his mom. He added that his mom had predicted Arianna would grow up to be a model just like her mom.
While Nick stepped away, ostensibly to reply to a text message, Gabi called the modeling agency. Nick waited until she'd hung up then returned to the table. Gabi excitedly revealed that the agency had been really interested in her, and she didn't want to get her hopes up, but it was hard not to. As Gabi hurried out to pick up Arianna, she asked Nick not to tell Will and Sonny about "the modeling thing." Although Nick was sure that Sonny and Will would be supportive, he pointed out that he didn't talk to either of them that much.
After Gabi had gone, Nick sat down at his laptop and admired her pictures on his desktop. "Come on, who wouldn't want to hire this face? You can finally follow your dreams, Gabi, and the three of us can be a family, just like we always wanted. New York, here we come," Nick said.
When Marlena stopped by the Kiriakis mansion, Victor said that Maggie was at the florist, so they had to be quick. Victor informed Marlena that his computer hacker had said the encryption on Kristen's flash drive was the most sophisticated he'd ever seen, and it would take time -- time that they didn't have -- to decrypt it. Marlena suggested that they simply go to Brady and tell him what they knew, but Victor pointed out that tactic hadn't worked very well for Nicole.
Victor knew the only thing that would get Brady to call off the wedding was hard evidence, and he was determined to get it. Victor got on the phone and demanded a new hacker be sent to the mansion right away. Victor promised to get in touch with Marlena, who needed to leave so that she would be gone when Maggie got back, as soon as he knew anything. "I can't stand being at the mercy of technology. I wish there were some other way to get Kristen," Marlena admitted as she left.
At St. Luke's, Eric refused to talk to Brady about Nicole. "You can't hate Nicole for falling in love with you," Brady maintained. "That wasn't love! No one could do something like that to another human being and call it love!" Eric snapped. He quickly apologized for going off on Brady, who guessed that Eric was upset about a lot more than Nicole keeping her feelings a secret. Brady suspected that Nicole had come on to Eric, but Eric continued to refuse to discuss it.
Brady pointed out that if something were obviously bothering him that much, Eric wouldn't have just let it go. Eric insisted that he didn't want to ruin Brady's big day with any drama. He added that despite his normal misgivings about allowing couples to stray from the traditional rites, he had thought Brady's vows were terrific. Brady revealed that during the ceremony, he wanted to give Kristen a surprise that she would never forget.
Brady explained that he'd made a DVD about Kristen that he wanted to show at the beginning of the ceremony. He added that he knew it wouldn't change his grandfather's -- or anyone else's -- minds, but he'd wanted to do it for Kristen. "Whatever makes you happy, Brady. It's your day, and I'm just honored to be a part of it," Eric said. Brady thanked Eric for everything he'd done, and the men shared a brotherly embrace.
After Brady had gone, Marlena dropped by the rectory. Eric tried to persuade his mother that it was his God-given duty to marry Brady and Kristen because they were in love and had completed the requisite Pre-Cana counseling. Marlena shared the positive news with Eric that Theresa seemed receptive to going to rehab. Eric wanted to know what was happening with Daniel and the ethics board. Marlena hoped that there would be no long-term implications for Daniel's career.
Marlena observed that Eric seemed sad and urged him to tell her what was on his mind. Eric was grateful for her concern but assured her that he was fine. "I would do anything for you. I hope you know that," Marlena said as she embraced her son.
Nicole was wrapped in a blanket and curled up in front of the fire at Daniel's apartment when her host returned. Daniel explained that after making rounds, he'd put in a request for a few days off. Nicole felt terrible for Daniel that everyone seemingly hated him because of a lie. Daniel pointed out that he'd known what he was getting into when he'd allowed people to think he'd been with Theresa when she'd overdosed.
Nicole was still upset that Eric thought that she was capable of something as horrifying as rape, but Daniel tried to assure her that Eric wasn't thinking straight. Daniel admitted that he was worried about Nicole, who had to be feeling very alone. He said that he could tell when she'd gotten the job at the church that it had given her a sense of purpose. Nicole berated herself for falling in love with a priest, but Daniel countered that she had loved Eric long before he'd taken vows.
Nicole confided that she had been prepared to leave town because she'd known she could never act on her feelings. "I could live without Eric. I could live without that job. What I can't live with is Eric thinking I could do something so terrible to him," Nicole declared sadly. She wondered if Eric had been so horrified about the way she felt about him that he'd looked for a reason to hate her.
Daniel didn't think so, although he knew that something had happened to Eric that night. Daniel wondered why the perpetrator had done what she'd done. He wanted to talk to Eric again, so perhaps they could find the woman and prove that it hadn't been Nicole. "And then maybe we can finally get to the bottom of what really happened that night," Daniel added. Nicole was okay with Daniel talking to Eric, although she thought it was a lost cause.
As Daniel was headed out, Marlena arrived to discuss the ethics inquiry with him. Daniel apologized because he was on his way out to do something important, but Nicole popped up from behind him and asked if she could speak to Marlena instead. After Daniel had gone, a surprised Marlena asked why Nicole was there and what she wanted to talk about. Nicole asked somewhat tentatively if Marlena had seen Eric, and if so, how he'd seemed.
Marlena admitted that Eric had been upset but hadn't wanted to talk about it. She demanded to know what was going on with Nicole and Eric. "My family has had enough trouble, so if you're causing any problems with Eric -- " Marlena began, but Nicole interrupted to declare vehemently, "I didn't do anything!" Curious as to why Nicole was so defensive, Marlena vowed to "finish" Nicole if she'd done anything to hurt Eric. Nicole insisted that she would never do anything to hurt Eric.
Marlena asked why Nicole had asked so many questions and why Eric had been so upset. "Don't you see that I'm upset? Don't you see that I care about him?" Nicole cried. Before Marlena could react, Nicole ordered her to get out, so a baffled Marlena obeyed. Nicole slammed the door behind her then broke down in sobs.
When Daniel arrived at the rectory, Eric immediately guessed that he was there to talk about Nicole's version of what had happened at the hotel. Daniel stated that he believed Nicole. Certain of his memories, Eric warned Daniel not to be taken in by Nicole, who was a very good liar. Daniel pointed out that he had also been the victim of Nicole's lies, but he knew that Nicole wouldn't have done what Eric had alleged, and he couldn't believe that Eric wouldn't want to know the truth.
"I already know the truth! I'm just trying to put this behind me and get on with my own life," Eric angrily maintained. He declared that he didn't want Daniel's help; he just wanted Daniel to drop it. He asked Daniel to leave so he could get ready for the wedding. Daniel paused in the doorway on his way out to caution Eric, "I think you're making a huge mistake with Nicole, and I'm convinced you're going to regret it some day."
At the DiMera mansion, E.J. angrily demanded of Kristen, "How could you have sex with Father Eric?" Kristen pretended to be appalled that E.J. would accuse her of such a thing. After informing his sister that he'd just overheard her talking to someone about it, E.J. wanted to know who the man had been. Kristen explained that it had been one of their father's minions, but she assured E.J. that she would have nothing to gain by sleeping with the brother of the man she loved.
Kristen started to head upstairs to begin getting ready for her wedding, but E.J. stopped her by threatening to talk to Father Eric if she wouldn't explain what was going on. When E.J. quoted verbatim what he had overheard Kristen saying to Dr. Chyka about having sex with Father Eric, Kristen grudgingly admitted that it was true. E.J.'s horrified fury only grew that Kristen had slept with a priest -- not to mention that he was Sami's brother.
Kristen recounted how she had realized after falling in love with Brady that she could have either him or revenge against John and Marlena, but not both. "And then on the eve of yet another wedding that wasn't going to happen for me, Marlena walks in with that smug, self-satisfied look on her face, so happy that she'd won. And I couldn't let her win again! Okay? I couldn't let her win again!" Kristen shouted, her fists clenched in rage. To explain her revenge plan, Kristen added more calmly, "And what better way to get to the mother than through her children?"
Reeling a bit, E.J. took a couple of steps backward before stopping to lean on the arm of the sofa. Kristen assured him that she would never have hurt him by going after Sami, but that was little comfort to E.J. Recalling the "little potion" that Kristen's co-conspirator had mentioned, E.J. asked if that were how she had gotten the priest into bed. "It was really kind of amazing, 'cause that video looks completely consensual," Kristen began before E.J. interrupted, even more horrified that there was a video.
Kristen admitted that she'd planned to reveal the video at the school consecration in order for Marlena to find out in the most devastating way possible. E.J. raged at his sister for what she'd done, but Kristen contended that he had done far, far worse things. E.J. was worried about how Samantha would react if she found out. Kristen insisted that Sami never had to know -- and neither did Eric. "Really? Because, you see, I thought that was the entire point," E.J. retorted.
Kristen said imploringly that she wanted a life with Brady, but she would lose him forever if he ever found out what she'd done with Eric. She assured E.J. that the video had been destroyed. E.J. was still skeptical about the whole thing. Kristen revealed that Nicole had been in love with Eric all along and had been at the hotel that night. "As long as Eric doesn't remember, then I'm golden," Kristen asserted optimistically. E.J. reminded her that Eric had, indeed, started to remember.
Kristen noted that Eric and Nicole could hardly stand to look at each other, much less sit down together to figure out what had really happened. E.J. maintained that Nicole would never just let it go. "What you are doing can ruin the lives of both of Samantha's brothers!" E.J. warned. He knew that Kristen was planning to drug Eric again, and E.J. couldn't lie to the woman he was about to marry. "Since when?" Kristen countered.
"Because, Kristen, every time I've lied to Samantha, I've almost lost her -- and I'm not going to lose her again because of your plan," E.J. vowed. Kristen countered firmly that she would not lose the man she loved because of E.J.'s sudden -- and temporary -- attack of conscience. "You are not going to ruin my wedding day, E.J. You are not going to ruin my life. You're going to keep your big mouth shut," Kristen ordered.
Just then, Sami appeared in the doorway. Chuckling uncomfortably, she asked if she'd arrived at a bad time. E.J. assured his fiancée that he and Kristen had just been in the middle of something. After E.J. kissed her, Sami left to check on the babysitting arrangements for the kids during the wedding. Kristen demanded to know if E.J. was going to keep her secret or tell Sami everything. As the two of them were squared off, glowering at each other, Sami returned. She immediately picked up on the tension and offered to help them settle things so Kristen could walk down the aisle.
E.J. claimed that he and Kristen had been having a disagreement about work. "She made a decision that I thought showed rather poor judgment, but in the end, I decided that she acted appropriately, and I support her," E.J. explained. Kristen thanked her brother and headed upstairs to get ready.
Sami asked E.J., "What decision?" He assured her that it wasn't anything to worry about. Sami reminded him lightly, "Come on, Mister DiMera. You can't be keeping that woman's secrets from me. Kristen's going to marry my brother."
When the hacker arrived at the Kiriakis mansion, Victor sent him into the office to work with orders to unencrypt the contents of the flash drive immediately. Brady showed up moments after the hacker had vanished from sight. Victor asserted that he was trying to be supportive about Brady's marriage to Kristen, but he voiced his displeasure that they were "dropping off the face of the earth" for three months and leaving Victor to run the company in Brady's absence -- without checking with Victor first.
Victor was also concerned that Brady seemed to be rushing to the altar before really getting to know Kristen. Brady defensively insisted that he did know Kristen. "I've heard your concerns over and over again. And if Eric is the only family member on my side, so be it. I'm not changing my mind," Brady declared.
Brady pulled out the DVD and explained that he'd made as a tribute to Kristen, and he wanted to surprise her with it at the wedding. When Victor reacted with flippant sarcasm, Brady declared firmly, "Kristen and I are going to get married, and she's the only one I really care about right now. And I am going to make this the most memorable day of her life... Don't think you're doing me any favors by coming to the wedding, Granddad. If you don't want to be there, don't come." Brady stalked out.
Upstairs, after Brady donned his tuxedo, he opened a small velvet box and admired the piece of jewelry inside. Across town, Kristen had started her preparations, as well. She told her reflection, "Nothing's going to stop my wedding. Not this time." She opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a pistol.
The hacker returned with Victor's laptop and said that he had cracked the code. He added that, while he had not viewed it, he had cued up the video for Victor to watch, and had made a DVD of it for Victor. After the hacker left, Victor sat down at the laptop to view the video. He grinned with glee when he saw Kristen on a bed, kissing a man wearing only a towel -- but Victor's smile quickly faded when he saw that the man in the video was Father Eric Brady.
J.J. entered the Horton house while Jennifer and Hope were in the middle of a conversation about Daniel. J.J. stood in the foyer and listened as Jennifer insisted that her relationship with Daniel was over for good because he had slept with Theresa as a way of deliberately hurting Jennifer. J.J. loudly closed the front door to announce his presence, and Jennifer and Hope quickly entered the foyer to greet him.
A short time later, Hope excused herself so that she could answer a phone call from the police station. After Hope left, Jennifer said that she didn't want J.J. to feel like he needed to fight her battles for her, adding that she and Daniel were adults who had to live with the choices that they had each made. Jennifer hugged J.J. and said that his decision to turn his life around meant more than anything else that he could have possibly done for her.
At the hospital, Caroline delivered a bowl of clam chowder and some chicken pot pie to Theresa, who was due to be released later that day. Theresa wasn't hungry, but Caroline was certain that Theresa would regain her appetite as soon as the drugs were completely purged from her body. Meanwhile, Daniel entered Theresa's room to check on her, and Caroline reluctantly agreed to give them some privacy.
After Caroline left, Theresa reported that Kimberly and Shane would soon be arriving in Salem. "Should be good times. 'Told-you-so' is Mom's best event," Theresa dryly added. Theresa predicted that Kimberly would want to analyze every single detail of Theresa's overdose, but Daniel helpfully pointed out that Theresa's hazy memory of the night in question would make it difficult for Kimberly to do so.
After confirming that Theresa still couldn't remember what had happened on the night that she had overdosed, Daniel changed the subject and admitted that he was concerned about some rumors about them that had been floating around the hospital. Theresa couldn't remember specific details about the rumors, but she guessed that she was responsible for starting them, and she hoped that her actions hadn't hurt Daniel. Daniel dismissed Theresa's concerns and excused himself after reminding her to contact him if she ever started to remember the events that had led to her overdose.
Later, Caroline and Anne helped Theresa get settled in Theresa's apartment. After Caroline left, Anne told Theresa to get some rest and assured her that her job at the hospital wasn't in jeopardy. Anne left Theresa's apartment and went to the town square, where she spotted Daniel playing with Parker. Anne wondered what Parker was going to say when he grew up and learned who Daniel really was. Daniel warned Anne to be careful about what she said around Parker, but she reasoned that Parker would eventually hear about Daniel's misdeeds one way or another. Anne walked away after warning Daniel that everyone had finally figured out who he really was.
After calling the hospital and learning that Theresa had been released, J.J. went to her apartment to check on her. Theresa was surprised to learn that J.J. knew her address, but she assumed that she had given it to him during one of the days that she was having trouble remembering. Theresa started to warn J.J. that he was out of luck if he was looking for drugs, but he stopped her and assured her that he was only visiting her because he had heard about her overdose and wanted to make sure that she was all right. Theresa reported that she was physically fine, although she added that she felt stupid and wasn't particularly proud of herself. After urging Theresa to take care of herself, J.J. left so that she could get some rest.
At the DiMera mansion, Sami continued to probe E.J. for additional information about his earlier argument with Kristen. Realizing that Sami wasn't going to drop the subject, E.J. claimed that he was upset because he was going to have to handle Stefano and Kristen's respective workloads for the foreseeable future, since Stefano was with Chad in Boston and Kristen was planning to go on an extended honeymoon with Brady immediately following the wedding ceremony.
Sami was certain that E.J. would be able to handle running DiMera Enterprises on his own for a while, and he admitted that he had reached the same conclusion after arguing with Kristen about the matter. Sami suspected that there was more to the story that E.J. still hadn't shared with her, so she continued to grill him for additional information as Kristen descended the staircase and eavesdropped from the foyer.
E.J. claimed that he had already told Sami all of the important details of the argument. As E.J. started to change the subject, Kristen entered the living room, wearing a silver wedding gown and carrying a matching handbag that concealed the gun that she had tucked in it earlier. After admitting that Kristen looked stunning, Sami excused herself so that she could get ready for the wedding.
After Sami left, E.J. reluctantly assured Kristen that he hadn't revealed her secret to Sami. Kristen thanked E.J. for keeping his mouth shut, and he reasoned that she would have done the same thing for him. Kristen agreed that she definitely wouldn't want to cross E.J. while he was in possession of such incriminating information about her own misdeeds, but he angrily snapped that she should want to protect him simply because he was her little brother and she loved him. "Of course," Kristen sweetly replied before returning to the task of applying her lipstick.
E.J. started to complain about the fact that Kristen was marrying Brady, of all people, but she stopped him and insisted that if she had to make an effort to be nice to Sami, he had to make the same effort to be nice to Brady. E.J. warned that Kristen, who had already received one huge favor from him that day, was pressing her luck, but she dismissively reasoned that asking him to keep her secret hadn't been a big deal because no one had anything to gain from it being revealed.
"I tell you, it wouldn't do that priest any harm to fall off his pedestal and walk with us mere mortals for a day or two," E.J. bitterly mused, but Kristen insisted that she didn't want to use her secret as a way of making that happen. E.J. nodded and hoped that Kristen had managed to tie up all of her loose ends, since things were bound to get ugly if the truth were ever revealed.
E.J. reminded Kristen that she had always cautioned him about leaving a trace of his misdeeds behind. Kristen assured E.J. that the video of her drugging and seducing Eric had been destroyed and that Chyka was going to make a concoction that she could slip into Eric's drink that would prevent him from remembering any additional details about the incident. E.J. skeptically reminded Kristen that Chyka had previously claimed that Eric would never remember anything about his encounter with Kristen.
"Look, what do you want from me?! I am pedaling as fast as I can here! Do you want blood from a stone? 'Leave no trace' -- do you want me to kill him? Would that make you happy?" Kristen demanded to know. E.J. clarified that he definitely didn't want Kristen to kill Eric. Kristen wondered if E.J. was upset because he felt sorry for Nicole, but he insisted that he couldn't care less about Nicole.
Kristen suggested that Nicole was simply being punished for lying to E.J. about her child's paternity the previous year, but E.J. wasn't fooled, guessing that Kristen had never planned for Nicole to take the blame for drugging and seducing Eric. Kristen shrugged and assured E.J. that she would have punished Nicole for deceiving him if he had asked her to, since she would always have his back. E.J. returned the sentiment, and Kristen took that as a sign that he was willing to look past what she had done to Eric. After confirming her suspicion, E.J. warned Kristen that she was going to be late for her own wedding, and they rushed out of the mansion.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor placed a phone call to Marlena and told her to drop everything that she was doing and meet him at the Kiriakis mansion right away. Guessing that one of Victor's employees had managed to decrypt Kristen's flash drive, Marlena excitedly urged Victor to tell her what he had found on the device. "It's -- I can't even begin to describe it," Victor disgustedly replied before ending the call.
A short time later, Brady entered the living room and observed that Victor looked like someone who had just learned that the stock market had crashed. Victor claimed that Brady had simply startled him. Satisfied, Brady started to excuse himself, but Victor stopped him and asked to talk to him for a minute. Brady preemptively warned that nothing could possibly make him change his mind about marrying the love of his life, Kristen, that day.
Brady added that Victor was only welcome to attend the wedding if he was willing to show some decency during the ceremony. As Brady checked his travel bag to verify that he had remembered to pack the special DVD that he had made for Kristen, Victor apologized and promised that he wouldn't say another word about her. Victor assured Brady that he wouldn't dream of missing the wedding. "It will certainly be memorable," Victor muttered as he watched Brady exit the mansion.
Later, Marlena arrived and wondered what Victor had found on the flash drive. "Proof that Kristen has the morals of an alley cat. It's footage of her cheating on Brady," Victor explained. Marlena was eager to show the video to Brady right away, but Victor reported that Brady wasn't interested in hearing what anyone had to say about Kristen that day. "Kristen has to be exposed publicly, at a time and place where Brady can't avoid it," Victor reasoned before proceeding to tell Marlena about the special video tribute that Brady had made for Kristen.
Victor wanted Marlena to sneak into the church and switch Brady's DVD with the one that contained the evidence of Kristen's betrayal. Marlena protested that she hadn't even been invited to the wedding, but Victor said that was precisely why she was the perfect person for the job. Victor explained that he couldn't handle the task himself because Maggie would be watching him like a hawk during the ceremony.
Unable to think of a better way to stop Brady from marrying Kristen, Marlena took the incriminating DVD from Victor and walked over to his nearby laptop so that she could watch the video herself. Victor insisted that there wasn't enough time for Marlena to have a private screening of the footage. Marlena protested that she wanted to know exactly what Brady was going to be forced to see during the wedding ceremony. "You want a more graphic description? It's Kristen sweating up the sheets with another man!" Victor impatiently summarized.
Marlena was reluctant to resort to such drastic measures to prevent Brady from marrying Kristen. Victor shrugged and sarcastically conceded that he and Marlena could simply sit back and let Kristen win instead. Marlena knowingly observed that it seemed like Victor didn't want her to watch the video for some reason, and she demanded to know what he was hiding from her. "Do you really care who Kristen is doing? What matters is what she's doing and that Brady finds out about it before he's married to that succubus," Victor reasoned.
Marlena wondered if Victor had recognized the man in the video, but he dodged the question and announced that he was going to ask his limousine driver to take her to St. Luke's right away. Marlena asked Victor to at least assure her that Daniel wasn't the man in the video. "Oh, good God, no! Of course not. I wouldn't publicly humiliate my godson like that! What do you think I am?" Victor defensively asked.
Marlena replied that she believed that Victor was in a hurry for some reason. "Look, I am panicked that Brady is going to ruin his life. Now, if you won't do this and I have to try to find somebody else, we lose, and Kristen --" Victor started to say, but Marlena interrupted and assured him that she wasn't going to let Kristen win. Marlena took the DVD and rushed off to the church to complete her mission.
At St. Luke's, Eric told one of the nuns that Nicole's final paycheck would have to be mailed to her because he wasn't sure when he would see her again. Later, after the nun left, Father Matt entered Eric's office and quickly deduced that Eric had not yet managed to resolve whatever it was that had been troubling him lately. Father Matt encouraged Eric to confide in him, but Eric declined the offer, explaining that he had already confessed to God. Eric admitted that, while his confession hadn't given him peace of mind, he didn't believe that he deserved such a blessing anyway.
Meanwhile, one of the St. Luke's Academy students entered Eric's office and handed him a note. After reading the note, Eric summarized that the boy, Evan, had been acting out during classes. Guessing that Evan was being disruptive because he and his family had recently lost their home, Eric assured the boy that the church was working on finding an apartment that the family could move into right away.
After giving Evan a few words of encouragement, Eric sent the boy back to class. Father Matt proudly observed that Eric had a gift and that the priesthood was exactly where Eric belonged.
In the chapel, Brady handed the special DVD to the man who had been hired to operate the audio and video equipment during the wedding ceremony. Later, after reminiscing about childhood memories for a while, Brady, Sami, and Eric went to the rectory to get some glasses so that they could make a celebratory toast to Brady.
After the siblings left the chapel, Marlena crept into the adjacent room, where the audio and video equipment had been set up. As Marlena removed Brady's DVD from the laptop and started to replace it with the one that Victor had given her, the man who had been hired to operate the equipment returned and demanded to know what she was doing. Marlena claimed that Brady had made a last-minute adjustment to the tribute DVD and that she was simply replacing the old DVD with the new one.
The man bought Marlena's story and helped her switch the discs. Meanwhile, the man received a text message about an emergency at another wedding, so he excused himself so that he could take care of the problem, leaving Marlena to operate the equipment on her own. Marlena tried to protest, but the man ignored her and quickly exited the church.
Before Marlena could escape from the room, Sami, Brady, and Eric reentered the chapel. Brady announced that he was going to check the audio and video equipment, but before he could do so, Maggie, Hope, and Jennifer arrived. Brady happily greeted the group and asked Maggie if Victor was going to attend the wedding ceremony. Victor caught a quick glimpse of Marlena in the adjacent room as he entered the chapel and assured Brady that he wouldn't miss the event for anything in the world.
Meanwhile, Eric announced that the wedding was about to begin, so while everyone was distracted, Victor seized the opportunity to sneak into the room that Marlena was trapped in. Marlena insisted that she needed to leave right away, but Victor informed her that there wasn't enough time left for her to do so. After urging Marlena to find a way to handle the situation, Victor exited the room.
Marlena panicked when Eric gave the audio and video equipment operator the cue to start the music, but she managed to find the right button before drawing too much attention to herself. E.J. walked Kristen down the aisle, and she stared nervously at the television monitor that was hanging at the front of the church. Brady quietly informed Kristen that the television monitor was part of her surprise, and he assured her that she was going to love it.
Eric instructed everyone to return to their seats, but the music continued to play. Brady started to walk toward the audio and video equipment room to find out what was going on, but Marlena managed to silence the music before he could do so. Eric explained that Brady had a special surprise that he wanted to share with Kristen and everyone else before the proper ceremony began.
"I just wanted to say that I know most of this town -- probably this church -- has had their doubts about Kristen and me, but I'm sure that once you see this, you will come to know the woman that I have come to love and, today, will promise to love for the rest of my life," Brady announced. The lights dimmed, and after a few seconds, Marlena managed to get the video to play on the monitor.
Everyone in the church gasped as the video of Kristen and Eric played, and she dropped her bouquet to the floor in horror.
As Daniel and Parker were leaving Horton Square to head home for their game night, they bumped into Abigail. She greeted Parker warmly but then turned an icy stare toward Daniel. Daniel revealed that Chad had made it through the surgery very well and should make a full recovery. Abigail admitted that she hadn't heard. Daniel set Parker up at a table with his video game so Daniel could speak privately with Abigail.
Abigail told Daniel that she didn't think she should babysit for Parker anymore. She reminded Daniel that he had always tried to do the right thing and had always put Jennifer's family first, but it had been like a slap in Jennifer's face when he had taken up with Theresa. Daniel insisted that he had never intended to hurt Jennifer, but Abigail argued that he had hurt and humiliated Jennifer. "Take some responsibility, Daniel," Abigail spat, adding, "I don't understand this, and I never will." She kissed Parker goodbye and left.
On the phone at the hospital, Cameron told the caller that he was honored, but he needed a little more time to think. Cameron let out a sigh as he hung up. Jordan noticed and asked him if everything were all right. Cameron remarked that Jordan usually just kept to herself and did her job -- but he understood because she was so good at what she did that he'd overheard some of the doctors fighting to get her as their patients' physical therapist.
When Cameron mentioned Rafe, Jordan said that physical therapy was often difficult for guys like Rafe who were used to being in charge, but Rafe continued to push himself without complaint. After Cameron left, Jordan remembered playfully fighting over a cookie with Rafe in the park, then she firmly reminded herself, "He's a patient. That's all."
Rafe was working with an eight-pound dumbbell when Nicole entered his hospital room. Rafe quickly observed that something was clearly bothering Nicole and asked if she had been crying. Nicole admitted that she had been, but she was there to check on Rafe. Rafe pressed, guessing that Nicole was upset about Brady getting married. Nicole's guarded response led Rafe to believe that she was upset about something besides Brady. Rafe encouraged Nicole to let him be a friend to her. "It's Eric. He hates me," Nicole admitted.
A skeptical Rafe asserted that Eric didn't hate anyone, especially Nicole, but he urged her to tell him what had happened. Nicole explained that, for once in her life, she hadn't done anything wrong, but Eric was punishing her for something she hadn't done. When she refused to disclose more, Rafe suggested, "Maybe he'll come around." Nicole didn't think that would happen -- and she didn't think she could forgive Eric for thinking what he did. "And I sure as hell am not going to try to change his mind. Not now, not ever," Nicole declared defiantly.
When Abigail ran into Cameron in the waiting room, they chatted briefly about how well Chad's surgery had gone. Cameron informed Abigail that Doctors Without Borders had asked him to start a program in East Africa. Abigail congratulated Cameron, acknowledging that it would give him the chance to do a lot of good. "I hope that it's everything that you want it to be," she added. Abigail wished Cameron luck and left without further fanfare.
After Rafe successfully completed his physical therapy session, Jordan announced that he had earned a trip to the square. Rafe confided that he was less than enthusiastic about the trip because a friend of his was hurting. When they reached Horton Square, Rafe deftly maneuvered his wheelchair around the tables. He declared that he loved the square at that time of year. Jordan agreed that the colors were beautiful down at the lake, and Rafe was pleased that Jordan seemed to be giving Salem a chance.
Jordan insisted that Salem was a great place, although she did like to move around a lot just for a change of scenery. Rafe admitted that he had joined the FBI for the same reason, but he had quit in order to be closer to friends and family. "It's just hard to imagine, I guess," Jordan said, explaining that she didn't have family there. Rafe assured her, "You can't say that you don't have friends, not here, anyway. Not anymore."
When Jordan announced that it was time to return to the hospital, Rafe suggested that they make a detour by the Brady Pub first. Jordan reminded him that they had more work to do. Rafe reluctantly consented to allow Jordan to wheel him back. She joked that he would be content to stay at the square all day because it meant no "drill sergeant" yelling at him. "Are you kidding? I live for the nagging," Rafe teased.
Nicole was thrilled when she returned to Daniel's apartment and found that Parker was back early. She started to pack her things to move out, but Daniel urged her to stay. Nicole intended to go the Salem Inn, but Daniel pointed out that there was plenty of space there -- and Parker loved Nicole. Nicole argued that Daniel's reputation was already in trouble. Daniel insisted that he didn't care -- and besides, it was game night.
After Daniel set up the Candy Land board, Parker excitedly joined his dad and Nicole at the table. The boys playfully argued with Nicole about who got to go first.
In the chapel at St. Luke's, after Brady introduced the video tribute that he'd made for Kristen, Sami dimmed the lights. When the video didn't immediately begin to play, Brady headed for the back of the church to check on Kent, the technician. Behind Kent's screens, Marlena fumbled around until she finally got the video to play. The stunned crowd gasped and murmured as the video of Kristen having sex with Father Eric filled the screen at the front of the church.
Sami searched Eric's face for clues, but he could only gape at the screen like everyone else. After Marlena peeked her head out to see whom Kristen was with on the video, she flinched as if she'd been struck. Unable to tear her eyes from the screen, Maggie asked Victor what was happening. "Looks pretty ugly," Victor replied. Brady shouted toward the back of the church for Kent to turn off the video. "What have we done?" a distraught Marlena said to herself.
Unable to stop the video by pressing the laptop's keys, Marlena struggled to unplug the cable from the machine, but in her agitated state, she accidentally knocked down the screens that were set up around Kent's equipment. Everyone swiveled around in the pews to see what the commotion was. Glaring at Victor, Marlena roared, "You!" Sami and Eric both reacted with shock, but Kristen bellowed, "You sick, twisted bitch! Why are you doing this to me?"
Brady held Kristen back as she unleashed her fury on Marlena, "Do you really hate me so much? Do you really want revenge on me so badly that you would do this? You would create that trash and show it in a church?" Marlena insisted vehemently, "I didn't know!" While Kristen continued screaming accusations at Marlena about hiring actors or Photoshopping the video, Eric stood numbly in front of the altar, staring at nothing.
Kristen expressed disbelief that Marlena would use her own son, a priest, to get back at Kristen. "Stop saying that!" Marlena ordered, but Kristen continued that Marlena should have created something that was at least a little bit believable. Marlena somehow tuned out Kristen's ranting to look across the crowd and call out to Eric, but he did not respond except to briefly meet her gaze.
While Kristen and Marlena's altercation continued at the rear of the church, Sami tried to get Eric to look at her or respond to her in some way, but he appeared to be in shock. Marlena walked away from a shrieking Kristen to approach Eric, but he merely took a few dazed steps away from his mother and sister. Kristen called out to the priest, "Eric, you don't want her here, do you? Not after that." Finally, Eric turned and looked at Kristen. "It was you," he managed, and her lower lip began to tremble in trepidation.
Attempting to do damage control, E.J. put his arm around Eric and gently suggested that they go outside and get some air. Thunderstruck, Eric stared at Kristen as he stammered, "That was the dream. Everything -- everything that was on that screen is -- is what I've seen. I never saw your face until now." Kristen shrugged and shook her head as if incredulous at the accusation. Before Eric could speak again, E.J. interrupted to insist that Eric wasn't himself at that moment, but Sami urged E.J. to let her brother speak.
When Eric recalled how sick he had been, E.J. again tried to persuade Eric to go outside to get some air. Victor interjected with his outrage about what Kristen and Eric had done to Brady. Sami cut Victor off and asked Marlena what she'd thought was on the video. Marlena explained, "Kristen with someone -- but I had no idea that it was Eric." Sami argued that the video was obviously a fake. Kristen agreed and tried to get Brady to leave with her, but he refused.
Victor suggested that they play the video again. Nearly everyone protested, so Victor turned to Kristen and asked tauntingly, "You want the truth, don't you? Let's clear your name, sweetie." Sami asked Brady and Eric what they wanted to do. Kristen tried to talk everyone out of viewing the video again because they were in a holy place. Sami reluctantly agreed with Victor that watching again was the only way to clear things up.
"You knew!" Marlena accused Victor, and Maggie stared at her husband with disbelief. Victor made his way to the back of the church and replayed the video. While everyone watched it again in horror, Eric backed away and sank down on the front pew. Unable to watch any longer, Marlena walked slowly up the aisle and took a seat, tears spilling down her cheeks. Jennifer expressed whispered disbelief that Hope was watching so intently. Tilting her head back and forth for the best view, Hope quietly explained that she was objectively trying to determine video's authenticity. "It's not Photoshopped. It's real," Hope concluded.
When the video finished playing, Eric stood up and accused Kristen, "You! You drugged me!" He headed toward Kristen, but Brady stiff-armed Eric to stop him, then punched him, sending the priest flying toward the altar. Brady stalked after Eric and began beating him savagely, while E.J. and Sami tried to pull Brady off of his stepbrother. E.J. finally got the upper hand and kept a struggling Brady at bay. Sami helped Eric sit up as Hope rushed over to assist.
"She raped me!" Eric charged, but a furious Brady didn't buy it. "You will answer for this!" Brady growled at Eric, while E.J. forcibly restrained Brady. Kristen started for the door, but Victor stepped in front of her. "Keep going and don't look back," he advised before allowing Kristen to pass. Jennifer ordered Brady to sit down, so he landed on the front pew. While Sami tended to her twin's bloody nose, Eric repeated that Kristen had raped him. Kristen took one last look at her groom and hurried out.
As Sami helped Eric sit down again, Brady tried to run at the priest again. Hope ordered Brady to step away, and he complied. E.J. knelt beside his fiancée and her brother, producing a handkerchief for Eric's injuries. Eric said, "I've been trying to understand what happened, and now I know." "Where's Kristen?" Brady bellowed before storming off in pursuit of her. E.J. urged Sami to stay there while he went to keep Brady from finding Kristen. Sami firmly informed E.J. that the two of them had a lot to talk about first. She led him out through a side door.
When Victor announced to Maggie that it was time to leave, she noted, "You never once looked surprised, Victor." Victor pointed out that there was nothing more they could do for Brady. He retrieved Brady's video, pocketed it, and headed out. Hope urged Eric to return to the rectory and get some rest. Shaking off her comforting hand, Eric ordered, "Get out. Everyone out! Now!" As Hope backed away and began shooing people out of the church, Eric yanked off his vestments and flung them to the floor.
Jennifer was reluctant to leave Eric in the devastated state he was in. "I think we have to. He needs some space -- and no audience," Hope said. As the last people filed out of the church, Marlena approached her son, who had his back to the room at the altar, his head resting on his clenched hands, his face contorted in agony. With tears streaming down her face, Marlena gently placed her hand on Eric's shoulder. Her touch startled him, but he turned to face her.
In the park, Sami asserted that Kristen needed to go to jail for what she had done. E.J. countered that the video had looked like sex between two consenting adults. Sami argued that the only way Eric would have let something like that happen were if he had been drugged, as he'd said. She contended that Kristen would not have been able to pull off something like that without help -- and Sami believed that Stefano had provided it, because it was exactly the kind of twisted plot he excelled at.
E.J. maintained that he didn't know what had happened; all he knew was that there were a lot of unanswered questions. Sami argued that Kristen was an insane, dangerous, evil woman who had done nothing but hurt Sami's family. "How could anyone do something like that to my brother -- to a man like Eric?" Sami cried. Taking Sami into his arms, E.J. assured her that she would help Eric. Sobbing, Sami said that she didn't know how.
Sami added that she wished she had known what had happened so she could have prevented the "train wreck" at the church. When Sami's phone chimed, she rushed to grab it, hopeful that it was Eric. "We have to go. Come on. I'll explain on the way," Sami commanded anxiously before hurrying off. Grimacing, E.J. followed her.
Kristen rushed into the DiMera mansion, tossed her coat and purse onto a chair, and pulled the pins out of her hair, muttering determinedly, "No, no, no. This is not happening to me. I'm not gonna let this happen to me." Pouring a stiff drink, she reminded herself that thinking of a way out of things was what she did best. As Kristen took a big gulp of the drink, the front door slammed, and Brady stalked in. Kristen smiled weakly at him.
When Kristen saw the murderous look in Brady's eyes, she made a break for the door, but he grabbed her and pulled her back into the room. "Why did you sleep with my brother? Why?" Brady roared, violently shaking Kristen.
