Tony noticed that Morgan was distracted and asked her if she wanted to talk. Morgan told Tony that she had personal problems involving her parents' divorce. Tony sympathized with Morgan and asked her to tell him what was wrong. Morgan explained that her parents' divorce was bitter. Morgan's mother came from a very rich family and made certain that the divorce stripped her father of all of his cash flow. The divorce proceedings created a strain on Morgan's relationship with her father. To make matters worse, Morgan's father, Paul Hollingsworth, the Customs agent for Salem, was being accused of taking a bribe. When Morgan's mother heard about it, this caused even more problems between Morgan and her parents and the situation seemed to be getting worse each day. Morgan told Tony that she resented her father for not being there when she needed him, but knew that her mother was partly to blame.
Kate walked into Tony's office while he was comforting Morgan and seemed surprised that such a personal moment was being videotaped. Tony explained to Kate about Morgan's family problems and said to ignore the cameras and make believe they were not there. Tony showed Kate some of his ideas for her new retail line, and then focused his attention on Kate and asked her out on a date. Kate told Tony that she was happy with some of his ideas and agreed to meet him later for dinner.
At Anna's ad agency, Anna told Stephanie that she did not want David to videotape their meeting, but Stephanie and David decided to keep the tape rolling without Anna's knowledge. Stephanie managed to get Anna to talk about an article she was reading about ten ways to win back your man. Stephanie tried to get Anna to tell her how she would win back Tony. Anna was caught up in the moment and admitted that she missed Tony and still cared about him, but that being in a relationship with Tony was challenging and sometimes not worth the effort. Anna recalled some of her experiences with Tony when they were together and the tricks she would play to keep Tony on track. Anna realized that she was talking too much about her relationship with Tony and reminded Stephanie that she was referring to men in general. Anna asked Stephanie about her relationship with Max. Stephanie admitted that if she took Anna's advice she probably wouldn't have Max as a boyfriend for very long!
Anna expressed concern about her agency and told Stephanie that she didn't know how to compete with Tony because he was really successful. Stephanie offered some suggestions on how to help Anna advertise her business, but Anna declined and their meeting ended.
Tony decided to go over to Anna's office and Anna had the same idea about visiting Tony's office. Each of them was alone in the office and decided to play back the videos that had been recorded that day. Both Anna and Tony were surprised at what they saw. Tony learned that Anna still cared about him, and Anna thought Tony was hitting on Morgan and saw him ask Kate out on a dinner date. Neither Tony nor Anna watched enough of each video to understand that they both cared dearly for each other. Tony decided to call Anna, but she gave him the cold shoulder and a very nasty reception before he could explain why he was calling her. Anna blasted him for his interest in Morgan and Kate and hung up on him. Tony was confused and didn't know what to think of Anna's comments.
Stephanie told Kayla about Steve's past and said that his ex-girlfriend, who was part of a mob family, had returned to Salem and wanted Steve back in her life. Stephanie told Kayla that Steve was trying to protect them from Ava, who was ruthless, unpredictable, and a very unstable person.
Kayla was so upset at this news that she called Steve on his cell phone, which rang where Steve and Hope (who Ava thought was Kayla) were being held hostage at the Vitale house. Steve had to take Kayla's call at gunpoint and pretend that Kayla was a realtor. Steve told Kayla not to call him anymore and said that he couldn't talk to her, and then threw the phone on the floor. Lexie walked into Kayla's hospital room as Kayla was talking to Steve. Kayla said that she couldn't understand why Steve was acting so strange or why he hung up on her. Kayla tried to explain to Lexie that something was wrong and that she had to find Steve. Lexie was worried about Kayla's and the baby's health and urged Kayla to stay in bed and let Steve take care of his own problems.
Ava didn't believe that Steve was talking to a realtor and threatened Hope at gunpoint if he didn't tell her the truth. Hope said that if Ava hurt her or Steve that Ava would be in more trouble, and would never have the life with Steve that she so desired. To calm Ava, Steve told her that he loved her more than he ever loved Kayla, and that they should make a plan to leave for one of the islands. Ava was so overjoyed at Steve's response that she allowed herself to fantasize about starting her life over with Steve. Ava told Steve that she could finally have the wedding and honeymoon of her dreams with the man she loved.
Angelo walked in and informed Ava that her doctor had arrived and needed to see her immediately.
Lexie explained to Kayla that Steve had a very checkered past and it was best for him to deal with his past in his own way. Kayla was worried that something terrible was going to happen to Steve and prayed for him and their baby. Just then, Stephanie arrived at the hospital to comfort and calm Kayla.
While Ava was gone, Steve and Hope discussed how to break out of the Vitale house without causing suspicion. Hope wished that Bo were there, as he would know exactly what to do. She encouraged Steve to come up with a plan quickly.
At Salem Hospital, Stephanie sat at Kayla's bedside and worried about her mother's insistence on leaving the hospital. Stephanie begged Kayla to calm down, but Kayla called the nurse in to request a printout of the baby's heart rate. The nurse obliged and after a quick scan of the printout, Kayla told Stephanie that since there were no signs of contractions that she should be able to go. The nurse looked displeased and warned Kayla that Dr. Ellman had given her orders to stay put. Grinning, the nurse told Kayla not to bother checking herself out either, since the paperwork would not be ready for a very long time. Still frustrated, Kayla asked Stephanie to hand over her phone so that she could call Roman. After a quick chat, Kayla learned that Roman was already in the hospital and on his way up to see her. Shortly thereafter, Roman arrived and mentioned that he was at the hospital to convince Bo not to try to check himself out. Kayla sheepishly dropped her eyes and muttered, "That's crazy." Chuckling, Roman told Kayla that Lexie was keeping Bo in bed so he had a few minutes to talk. Kayla eagerly filled Roman in on her odd phone call with Steve earlier. She also told him that a crazy ex-girlfriend of Steve was stalking him, and that he might be in trouble. Roman did not seem worried and gently reminded Kayla that Steve would not take any unnecessary risks that might keep him from his family. Noting Kayla's nervous expression, Roman offered to get involved and help her track down Steve, but Kayla declined, promising to stay in bed. Once Roman was gone, Kayla asked Stephanie to get her some orange juice. Satisfied that her mother would stay in bed, Stephanie agreed and set off to find the juice. As soon as the door closed behind Stephanie, Kayla hopped out of bed.
Down the hallway, Kayla's brother Bo was also struggling to leave the hospital, calling out for a nurse. Lexie rushed in to answer Bo's cries, and Bo begged her to let him leave the hospital in order to track down Hope. Lexie reminded Bo that he already told Abe not to search for Hope, but Bo asked Lexie to trust him when he asked her to keep the police out of the situation. Bo refused to say more and when he tried again to get up, Lexie threatened him with restraints and told him Roman was on the way to talk some sense into him. A short while later, Lexie returned to find a tense but calmer Bo. Lexie informed him that Abe was busy in court but that Roman would be there shortly. When Bo again appealed to her to keep the police in the dark about Hope, a confused Lexie demanded to know why. Anxious, Bo asked Lexie why she did not trust him. "Because I worry about your recovery," Lexie explained. Desperate, Bo begged Lexie to have faith in him and not say a word to Roman about Hope. At that moment, Roman entered the room and after taking in the scene, asked Bo why he was so anxious. Bo played dumb and when Roman asked Lexie why she asked him to come down to the hospital, Lexie would only say it was to talk some sense into Bo about checking out of the hospital. When Roman asked where Hope was, Bo jumped in and said Hope was resting. Lexie smiled at Roman and did not contradict Bo's statement. Satisfied, Roman left while Bo quietly whispered a thank you to Lexie.
Later, an extremely tense Kayla marched into Bo's room and demanded answers. Kayla informed Bo that she knew Steve had visited him before his disappearance. Alarmed, Bo asked, "What do you mean disappeared?" A worried Kayla explained about her odd phone call with Steve earlier and when Bo finally started to spill the beans about Ava, Kayla rolled her eyes and told him she knew about his crazy ex-girlfriend already. Confused, Kayla asked Bo how Hope was involved, and Bo was forced to admit that Ava thought Hope was Kayla. The two discussed police involvement, but Bo nixed the idea, informing Kayla that Ava's family was "connected." Startled, Kayla remembered that she told Roman about Ava, and Bo told Kayla that as long as Roman did not talk to Abe, then neither would think to look into Hope's disappearance. Still frustrated, Bo tried to leave but Kayla pushed him back into bed. When Kayla then tried to leave, Bo warned her that she could not run off either because her pregnancy was still too unstable.
Back at Kayla's room, Stephanie returned with juice only to find her mother's empty bed. One quick call to the nurse later and the hospital was on alert to track down Kayla. As Roman, Lexie, and Stephanie contemplated which direction Kayla may have run off toward, the nurse rushed back to inform them that Kayla was spotted in Bo's room. Roman offered to take a relieved Stephanie downstairs for coffee in order to give Kayla some time alone with Bo. Meanwhile, a man in scrubs in the corner slyly took a photo of Stephanie on his cell phone.
Back at Ava's compound, Hope paced in a bedroom alone. Suddenly, a smiling Steve was knocking on the window. Hope happily rushed over, and Steve explained that the alarms on the window could be circumvented if the window were broken instead of opened. Hope warned Steve to duck out of sight and then rushed over to the radio. With the radio now blaring rock music, Hope pretended to read a book until Angelo burst into the room, demanding she turn the music down. Hope grudgingly obliged and turned it down only slightly. The grumpy Angelo retreated from the room and once the door was shut again, Hope broke the window while the music covered for the noise of the shattering glass. With escape now possible, Hope hopped out of the window and took off across the grounds with Steve. The two were just about to scale the perimeter wall when a guard stopped them. A quick-thinking Steve got the jump on the guard, knocking him out, but the delay allowed Angelo to catch up. With guns leveled at them, Steve and Hope were forced to surrender to Angelo.
Back at the house, a very tense Ava resisted sitting for her therapy session with her doctor. Suspicious, the doctor warned her that he would have a look around in order to find the source of tension in the house. Ava quickly blamed the tension on her confinement, explaining that she had been applying pressure to her cousins to let her out. Satisfied, the doctor decided to go ahead with their session. A timid Ava asked the doctor why she was not getting better, and he explained that it was likely because she had not yet recovered her traumatic, repressed memories from when Steve left. Rather cryptically, Ava grumbled that she thought there was another reason for the repressed memory. After a couple of half-hearted attempts, a frustrated Ava gave up. The doctor fed her a couple of pills to sedate her, but Ava still could not recover her hidden memories. Tired of trying, Ava began to cry and convinced the doctor that they had done enough work for the day. Once the doctor left, a bleary-eyed Ava called for Angelo and ordered him to bring Steve to her. After being informed that Steve and his wife had escaped, an angry Ava frantically paced the room.
Angelo returned a short time later with Steve and Hope in tow. Ava was furious and refused to believe Steve when he professed his love for her. Steve explained that he only wanted to protect his wife because she was pregnant and innocent, but Ava did not seem to feel the least bit sympathetic. After Ava made a vague threat against Hope, Steve warned Ava that although he loved her, he would not let her hurt his wife. Ava and Steve agreed to have dinner together and as Ava contemplated whether to believe Steve was being honest with her, Angelo rushed in with a cell phone for Ava. A gleeful Ava eagerly grabbed the cell phone and told Steve that it was her insurance policy. Opening the phone, Ava explained that although Steve had said the baby was their first child, she knew all about Stephanie. To Steve's horror, Ava showed Steve a photo of Stephanie on the cell phone. "Escape again and she's dead," Ava purred.
Chelsea was introducing Daniel to the coffees at the Java Café. As they got a little better acquainted, he asked her to tell him about herself. She admitted her life was a bit dull, so he suggested she show him all of Salem's hot spots to make things more interesting. She agreed, and soon Nick joined them. Chelsea introduced the two men, and informed Nick that Daniel had helped create an environmentally friendly hospital in Sweden. Nick said he'd heard about it, and congratulated him on it. Chelsea urged Nick to tell Daniel about his research grant, so Nick explained about the alternative fuel source he was working on. The two of them continued talking about the environment, and Daniel offered to let an eager Nick test-drive his hydrogen-powered car. Suddenly Daniel noticed that Chelsea looked a little sweaty and flushed, and asked if she was all right. Nick agreed that she didn't look well, but she argued that she was just warm from drinking coffee and being dressed too warmly. Daniel insisted he should take her to the hospital, but she assured him and Nick that all she needed to do was to remove some layers, and excused herself to do so in the ladies' room. Daniel asked Nick to keep a close eye on her, and Nick agreed, then his eyes narrowed a little when he noted how much Daniel cared about Chelsea. Daniel said that he cared about all of his patients, and then he realized that Nick might be jealous. He reassured Nick that while Chelsea was perhaps becoming a closer friend than most of his patients, it was only because their families had been friends for a long time. He commended Nick for sticking up for himself and his relationship with Chelsea, but Nick evenly said that he wasn't trying to prove anything.
Chelsea emerged from the restroom, and Nick observed that she had been gone a long time and hadn't actually shed any layers. She said she'd changed her mind because she suddenly got really cold, but maintained that she was fine. While Daniel took a phone call, Nick sat her down and promised her he was going to "reprioritize," because he felt like he'd neglected her a little in the past few months while he'd been involved in his research. She assured him she knew he loved her, and that he didn't have to put her before his work because she knew how important it was, but he vowed their relationship would come first from then on. Daniel returned to the table and said his goodbyes, and made Chelsea promise to call if she felt ill. He reminded Nick to take care of her, and Nick replied, "I already do." Chelsea noticed the tension, and after Daniel left she asked about it, but Nick shrugged it off as a "guy thing."
At the Kiriakis mansion, Chloe overheard Philip on the phone, ordering one of his men to find Brady within the week. She angrily noted that her husband had been missing for months, and admitted she was worried that Brady would never be found. Observing that she seemed more upset about it than usual, Philip asked if there were something else wrong. She told him the Austrian consul had left her another message. Philip promised he would make sure the consulate didn't bother her again, but she said they had to face the facts: if they couldn't find Brady, she might go to prison for the rest of her life. As he took her in his arms to comfort her, Nicole breezed in and asked what they were talking about. When Philip told her they'd been discussing Brady, Nicole asked with genuine concern if she could do anything to help. Chloe testily told her to go back where she came from, but before they could begin arguing again, Philip asked if he could speak to Nicole alone. Chloe reluctantly went to her room. Nicole affably told Philip if he wanted to talk to her, he had to take her to dinner at Chez Rouge. Philip tersely agreed, and left to get the car. As soon as he'd gone, Nicole pulled out her cell phone and dialed the Austrian consulate.
Sami, looking lovely in a blue cocktail dress, arrived with an equally well-dressed E.J. at Chez Rouge. She impatiently asked why she had to come along if he was just meeting Mickey. He told her they must keep up appearances that they were a happily married couple, because Mr. Burke, the immigration inspector, could potentially interview anyone they knew. After Maggie had seated them she brought them a bottle of wine, as she observed, "It looks like fate keeps bringing the two of you together." When Maggie had gone, Sami expressed annoyance at that sentiment, and E.J. said he agreed with his wife. He explained that, unlike with fate, the two of them did have power over their destinies, including persuading Mr. Burke to approve E.J.'s visa. E.J. stressed how important it was to him to be a father to Johnny, as well as to Allie. Though still clearly annoyed, Sami assured E.J. she would continue to pretend she was his loving wife, and that he could be a part of Johnny's life for as long as they both wanted. E.J. asked if that would still be the case when Lucas came back. Sami said she and Lucas wouldn't forget E.J. was Johnny's father, but acknowledged that Lucas likely wouldn't be returning anytime soon. When E.J. said he understood how much she missed Lucas, she skeptically reminded him that Lucas had tried to kill him. E.J. tried to convince her that he'd forgiven Lucas. "After all the shoddy things that I've done, it's the least I can do," he declared.
Just then, Nicole and Philip arrived. Nicole noticed Sami, and merrily scampered over to say hello. "Maybe I should tell Maggie to hide the crystal," Philip muttered resignedly as he followed. Sami sighed and snapped, "What the hell are you doing here?" but Nicole ignored her and dragged up a chair from a nearby table, cheerily exclaiming how good it was to see Sami. When E.J. introduced himself, Nicole seemed surprised that Stefano had another son, and that E.J. and Sami were married. Sami expressed relief when Philip came to retrieve Nicole, and then E.J. asked Sami to tell him more about this fascinating woman who was so obviously able to get under his wife's skin. He laughed with perverse delight when she told him that not only was Nicole once married to Victor, but that she'd also tried to kill him.
Once they'd been seated, Philip told Nicole that her return had upset his father. She claimed she really just wanted to try to be a good wife to Victor. When Philip called her insane, she clarified that she meant ex-wife, at least once they'd agreed on a settlement. He was incredulous, because she'd had Jan Spears try to kill Victor. Nicole claimed that had just been a misunderstanding, but Philip warned her that his lawyers were working to ensure that she would never see a dime. She got up and marched over to E.J. and Sami's table. As Sami rolled her eyes at the interruption, Nicole said she needed legal advice, and asked E.J., "Now, if your husband is declared dead while you're still married to him, but he's not really dead, aren't you still legally married to him?" E.J. seemed genuinely disconcerted.
Chloe wandered through the mansion, searching in vain for Philip. The phone rang, and she called out to ask if Henderson wanted her to answer it. When she got no reply, she picked up. The caller asked to speak with Chloe Black, but hung up after Chloe confirmed that it was she who had answered. She later answered the door to find two men who informed her that the Austrian Consul wanted to see her, and instructed her to come with them.
John dropped by to see Marlena at her office and told her he was going to give her what she wanted: the John Black she used to know. When she admitted she was confused, he explained that he didn't think it was possible to recover his memories, but he was willing to let her hypnotize him to try, as she'd once suggested. He continued that if it didn't work, it would prove to her that the old John was gone and she'd have to accept the new one. Marlena reminded him how Stefano had experimented on him, and asked how it made him feel. John reluctantly admitted he was angry. She pressed him to tell her what he would say to Stefano if he could, and John replied, "Karma's a bitch." Smirking a bit, he clarified that with Stefano in a coma, he controlled the DiMera fortune, and then asked if they could get on with the hypnosis. Marlena agreed, but pointed out that he might actually get his memory back. He countered that he might not, and he wanted her to be prepared to accept that. She conceded that it was a possibility.
Later, John lay back on the couch, his eyes closed, and Marlena asked him to tell her about his very first memory. As he described the physical details of Stefano's laboratory, he drew his hands up to his chest as if to warm himself, and recalled how cold the room had been. When he became upset, remembering being in pain, she gently urged him to relax and think of a place where he was happy. He grinned and said he was thinking about the mansion he lived in. She began recounting the story of their life together: their courtship, his proposal, basking on the beach on their Hawaiian honeymoon, and she told him about how happy they had been and how much they had adored each other. She then asked if he had any memory of any of it, but he said he didn't, and angrily asked why he didn't remember his own life. When she brought him out of the hypnosis, he asked if he'd remembered any of his old life, and briefly seemed disappointed when she told him he hadn't. He jumped up off the sofa and reminded her of their deal, that if hypnosis proved the old John no longer existed, she would no longer pressure him to remember his past or compare him to his former self. She agreed not to interfere with his life, however he chose to live it, but only gazed at him steadily in response when he tried to convince her the new John wasn't so bad. After he left she whispered, "Our love still exists. It's there. You know it," while in the hallway, John said confidently, "You'll accept me, Blondie. I just know you will."
Stephanie visited Max at the Brady Pub, but Max explained that he was too busy to really talk or spend any time with her. Defeated, she confided in Caroline that she was worried about Max. Stephanie felt like Max had been avoiding her since Shawn's death. Caroline confirmed that working was Max's way of dealing with the loss of Shawn. Caroline said that Max needed time off and that she would tell him so. After Caroline encouraged Max to take time off, Max spoke with Stephanie and apologized for being so distant. He agreed that the two of them should spend time together. Stephanie told Max about her father missing.
John and Paul dined at the pub to discuss business. Specifically, Paul was very concerned about his ongoing business venture with John. John seemed dismissive and completely unworried, but John really couldn't pacify Paul, who was worried that Victor's people had followed him. When Marlena, who had been watching them from outside the pub, approached the table, John hurriedly ended his discussion with Paul and invited Marlena to dine with him instead. She agreed. They conversed, and John was a bit surprised when Marlena admitted to reading about him in the paper, yet she did not harp on the topic. He promised to start over again with her and even admitted that he had feelings for her. She rejected him and said that she wanted the real John Black back, the man she fell in love with.
At Chez Rouge, Phillip confided to Maggie the details regarding Nicole's return. He was, in fact, at the restaurant with Nicole, however, he left abruptly when Chloe phoned him. She stated that two men from the Austrian Consulate were at the Kiriakis' mansion. He told her that he would be there shortly. Upon arriving at the mansion, Phillip informed the men that his attorney was on the way; this, of course, did not prevent the men from arresting Chloe. While leaving, Phillip admonished Chloe to keep quiet. After her departure, Phillip realized that Nicole must have tipped off these two men as to Chloe's whereabouts.
E.J. and Sami were also dining at Chez Rouge; however, they were not alone. Nicole made herself a permanent fixture at their table when Phillip left. Nicole requested that E.J. take her case, and Sami was flabbergasted by Nicole's audacity to request such a thing. Sami contended that E.J. would never take on her case. The insults flew between the two women. The women argued so vehemently that Maggie threatened to have them removed from the restaurant. E.J., in the meantime, had a private conversation with Mickey, who recommended against E.J. taking Nicole's case; however, E.J. did not take his advice. He later confirmed to Nicole that he would take her case, but she and Sami would have to behave themselves. Nicole attempted to sabotage E.J. and Sami's relationship by airing all of Sami's dirty laundry, and when Sami caught wind of the foul smell, she approached E.J. and Nicole to further call out Nicole and some of her monstrous deeds. Ultimately, Sami threw a drink in Nicole's face. E.J. and Sami argued because he was taking the case, but he assured her that they needed the money. When Sami gave E.J. an ultimatum, Nicole approached, apologizing to Sami. Of course, Sami didn't buy it, but apparently E.J. did. Sami abruptly left. However, in accepting, E.J. did tell Nicole that all bets would be off if she instigated any further problems between him and Sami.
At the Brady Pub, Max and Stephanie discussed Steve's disappearance. She admitted she was worried because her dad didn't even seem to know Kayla was in the hospital. Max asked if Steph thought Steve's ex, Ava, had something to do with it. She said she didn't know, but hoped the stress didn't hurt Kayla or the baby. Max tried to reassure her that everything would be all right, but when he could not assuage her fears, he asked her to come with him. They returned later and he asked a clearly more relaxed Stephanie if she felt better after visiting Grandpa Shawn's grave. She acknowledged that she did, and said she felt as if he were watching over them all. Max declared that he was looking out for her too.
Anna arrived at Chez Rouge alone, looking stunning in an off-the-shoulder dress that showed off her diamond earrings and necklace. She was none too pleased to see Tony near the bar, and even less so when she saw Tony's "needy neophyte," Morgan Hollingsworth, on the dance floor. She ordered a martini as she seated herself at the bar, and when a distracted Tony overheard the familiar voice placing the familiar drink order, he greeted her warmly. She smiled and returned his greeting, but her words and tone did not convey the same warmth. Tony informed her he was meeting Kate there to discuss their new marketing plan. Anna alluded to Kate's past as a prostitute and cattily speculated that Tony had a good chance of ending the evening in bed. She then picked up her drink and walked off, leaving him a bit perplexed.
Paul Hollingsworth escorted Morgan to their table, where he assured his daughter that his name would soon be cleared. She was thrilled, but still worried that he could go to prison, if the person who had promised to fix things for him didn't come through. He vowed he wouldn't let that happen.
At a nearby table, Marlena, wearing an understated pale-taupe gown, admitted to John that she was surprised he'd asked her to dinner. He told her it was a celebration of sorts, because she'd seen that the old John no longer existed, and then proposed a toast to the two of them starting fresh. She was skeptical, so he explained that he needed her to learn that there were things about him that she could like. He continued that once they connected, he might be able to become more interested in their children, and then perhaps she would learn to like the new John as much as she'd liked the old one. Before Marlena could reply, Anna interrupted to say hello. John asked her to join them, and when Marlena asked about Tony, Anna confided that they were no longer together. She then began to flirt with John rather shamelessly. John called her on it, and told her how inappropriate it was to put the moves on him right in front of Marlena in order to make Tony jealous. Anna, chastened, apologized and meekly excused herself. Tony, who had witnessed the whole conversation, started after her, but John asked to speak to him first.
Marlena followed Anna to the bar, where Anna, now on her second martini, begged for her old friend's forgiveness. Marlena assured Anna that she didn't have to flirt with other men to win Tony's heart, because he already adored her. Anna scoffed and tearfully explained that Tony might love her but he didn't respect her. Marlena reminded Anna that she and Tony had a history, which Marlena and John no longer had. Anna said the past didn't matter, for John was obviously smitten with her. Marlena said she didn't see it that way, and admitted she might be waiting for the man with whom she'd fallen in love to reappear. Anna giggled and urged her not to let the new one get away.
Tony apologized to John for Anna's behavior, and John advised him not to neglect her much longer. Tony claimed he wasn't, but that Anna was just very complicated. John intimated that if he weren't already married he would pursue her. Tony laughed, but, when he saw that John was serious, asserted that he'd never allow it. John assured Tony he had nothing to worry about, then asked if Tony could help him out with something. He explained that he wanted Tony's company's PR department to put a positive spin on Paul Hollingsworth's situation.
Later, Paul thanked John for making good on his promise to help restore his good name, and then wished him good night. Marlena returned and commended John for what he was doing for Paul. When she heard the romantic song that was playing, she asked him to dance, so he escorted her to the dance floor. As they held each other close, he asked how she thought their date was going. She happily admitted she was glad she'd accepted his invitation. When he asked if she was thinking about the old John, she whispered that she was actually beginning to enjoy the new one. "Why don't you just face it?" he said. "The new me is kind of getting under your skin, isn't he? In a good kind of way." She just smiled enigmatically in response.
Morgan thanked Tony for helping her father, and he assured her his PR department would make the public forget all about Paul's negative publicity. She kissed him sweetly on the cheek and said good night. Anna then joined Tony, who begged her to stop playing games to win him back, because she already had him – if she only would let him in. "Why?" she asked, her voice breaking. "So I can take a number and get in line behind all the rest of the women in Salem?" She wished him a nice evening with Kate, and then walked out.
Nurse Maxine ordered Bo to rest and asked Kayla to keep an eye on him, then left the two of them alone. Bo immediately tried to get out of bed so he could search for Hope and Steve, but Kayla insisted he get back in bed and let her handle it. Bo argued that it wouldn't be good for her or the baby, but she countered that he was in even worse shape. Finally they agreed that until they were discharged, they were powerless to do anything. Bo worried what would happen if Ava figured out she'd kidnapped Hope instead of Kayla, and that Hope was a cop. Kayla urged him to go to the police, but Bo said Steve had been adamant about not involving them. He said he had another idea, then picked up the phone.
Soon Victor joined Kayla at Bo's bedside and described Ava's family, the Vitalis, for Bo. He depicted them as a very dangerous Mafia family, underscored the fact that they were known to even torture their own members and order hits on their rivals – purely for effect. He added that they'd likely had people in the police department on their payroll. Bo asked if Victor knew anyone on the inside who could give them any info, but Victor said people who had been with the family would never talk for fear of being killed. He then asked why Bo wanted to know, and Bo claimed it was for a police investigation. Victor implored him to let another officer handle any case involving the Vitalis, and Bo agreed to consider it. After telling his son to just concentrate on getting well, Victor left for a meeting. Kayla asked Bo what he planned to do, and Bo replied that he had no choice but to take care of things himself. Kayla exhorted him that it was much too risky, but he was determined. She realized he would never back down, so she declared she was coming too. He tried to argue with her, but she insisted that, as a doctor, the only way she'd allow him to leave was if she could keep an eye on him. Before they could reach an agreement, Nurse Maxine returned to tell them their doctors were on the way to examine them both so they could perhaps go home. She politely ordered Dr. Johnson to return to her own room, and Kayla reluctantly complied. As soon as the two women had left, Bo got out of bed. "Hang on, Fancy Face," he pleaded silently. "Wherever you are, I'll find you."
Angelo led Hope and Steve to Ava's room, where Ava had set up a romantic dinner for two. As Hope commented that it was unlikely one of the place settings was for her, Ava appeared in the doorway wearing a lacy black nightgown and matching lace robe, and informed Hope that she'd be watching while Ava and "Patch" enjoyed an intimate evening. Ava slunk over to Steve and wrapped herself around him, pressing herself to him and kissing him deeply right in front of "Kayla." Hope played the part of crazy-jealous wife to the hilt, and flew at Ava in a rage. Angelo separated them, and Ava warned Hope to behave lest something happened to her and her unborn baby. Ava then pulled out a chair for Steve and bade Angelo to handcuff Hope to a chair. Steve protested, but Ava ignored him and began pouring shots of whiskey. Angelo left, and Ava toasted to the past and future with Patch. Hope watched unhappily as a computer screen showed pictures of Steve and Ava together, and as Ava reminisced about how in love they had been. She arose from her chair and draped herself over Steve's shoulders and recounted a night when they'd made love six times, then made sure Hope had heard before kissing Steve's neck.
Finally Steve had had enough. He told Ava that he didn't appreciate her blatant attempts to make Kayla jealous, and that she'd never win him back that way – or by having his daughter followed. When she smugly told him that she'd had her guy pay off Stephanie's bodyguard, Steve went ballistic, grabbing her by the arm and demanding to know what she had done to his daughter. He then lowered his voice and, carefully measuring his words, warned Ava, "Every time you threaten my wife or my daughter, any chance of reconciliation between us slips further away." Her eyes filled with fear as she backpedaled hastily and apologized, and then invited him to sit again. She wanted to continue talking about the days when they were in love, and the screen changed to a picture of the two of them kissing. She recalled that it was their first kiss, but Steve reminded her that it had nearly gotten him killed. Ava explained to Hope that Angelo had threatened to show the picture to her father, but she'd stopped him because she already knew that she loved Patch. Steve remembered how afraid he'd been to get involved with Ava, because her father did not approve when she'd dated his employees. Ava had divulged that she'd talked to her father, and though he hadn't exactly given his blessing, he hadn't forbidden their relationship – because she'd told him she loved Patch. As Steve's mind replayed the memory of telling Ava he loved her more than anything, his expression changed, and he rose to kiss Ava across the table. Hope begged him to stop and look in his pocket. Finally he pulled away from Ava and removed a piece of paper from his back pocket, and unfolded it to reveal a printout from Kayla's sonogram. Ava was furious that she would manipulate Steve to get him back, but Hope reminded him that he had missed Stephanie's entire childhood. She asked if he wanted the child she was carrying to also grow up without knowing its father. "I'm sorry, Kayla," he replied evenly. "This is where I belong." Ava's eyes lit up. "I knew you'd come around," she said, and pulled him into a kiss as Hope looked on helplessly.
