Nicole walked by the Brady Pub and overheard Chloe tell her mother that she had spontaneous sex with Lucas. Chloe said that she felt guilty because Lucas broke his house arrest and awaited reinstatement to prison.
Chloe saw Nicole and quickly ended the conversation with her mother and walked towards the pub. Nicole followed Chloe, taunting her all the way into the pub, and tried to get Chloe to verify that she slept with Lucas. Nicole agitated Chloe until Chloe screamed at Nicole and told her that she had sex with Lucas. Sami was sitting at a table nearby, heard their conversation, and went ballistic.
Sami reacted violently and accused Chloe of lying. Chloe sarcastically assured Sami that she had sex with Lucas and that if Sami did not believe her, she could ask him. Sami, horrified at the thought, yelled back at her and told Chloe that she did not believe her. Chloe accused Sami of forcing Lucas to move on to someone else because Sami could not make up her mind on who she wanted to be with, Lucas or E.J. Sami told Chloe that she ruined Brady's life, and then went after Philip, and Lucas was her latest victim. Chloe retorted that Lucas wanted to be with her because he overheard Sami tell E.J. that she had feelings for him.
Sami and Chloe continued their verbal assault on each other and the encounter ended up with harsh comments about their respective feelings for Lucas. The conversation heated up and ended in a food and fistfight between Sami and Chloe. Nicole decided to get in on the action and caused the situation to escalate further. Pete and a few other workers managed to separate Sami, Chloe, and Nicole and attempted to restore order. Suddenly, to get in the last word, Sami picked a pie, and tossed it at Nicole and Chloe, but instead, it hit E.J., who had just walked into the pub.
E.J. could not believe his eyes at these three women covered with food and the pub in shambles. E.J. pulled Sami aside and reprimanded her for her childish behavior. Sami chimed in that E.J. that he was part of the reason the fight started. Sami told E.J. that Lucas left the house to be with Chloe and that they had sex in the elevator at the Salem Inn just as E.J. had sex with Nicole the same night in another elevator. Sami told E.J. that she could not believe that both men in her life had sex with her two worst enemies in one night.
Sami blamed E.J. as the reason Lucas left the mansion because Lucas overheard her tell E.J. that she still had feelings for him. Lucas could not bear it and ran off to be with Chloe. Sami told E.J. that she was taking the twins and moving out of the mansion, and then left the pub in a huff.
Nicole walked over and asked E.J. if he was going to go after Sami, and knew that he could not help himself. Nicole could not believe that E.J. could love a twit like Sami and shook her head in disgust.
Nicole walked over to Chloe, who was cleaning herself off, and offered to buy her a drink as a peace offering. Chloe asked Nicole if she was happy now that she was a single woman and Nicole mentioned that Victor collapsed after signing the divorce papers. Nicole told Chloe that perhaps she was too much for Victor and smirked when she told Chloe that she wanted to call the hospital to find out if he was still alive.
Nicole returned to the table and said that Victor had a stroke. Nicole reminded Chloe that they used to be friends of a sort, and Chloe agreed that they had a strange bond. Chloe decided to confide in Nicole about Philip and Morgan's relationship and that she thought being with Philip was right, but he hurt her by taking up with Morgan, his new bimbo from the south. Chloe told Nicole that she ended her relationship with Philip and then things just happened between her and Lucas. Nicole and Chloe commiserated on their common bond of making bad choices in men and toasted to their past and present problems with the opposite sex.
At the hospital, Bo and Philip sat by Victor's bedside waiting for him to regain consciousness. Philip was concerned that Victor might not pull through, but Bo encouraged Philip, and reminded him that Victor was a strong man and would fight to survive. Bo told Philip that Victor had experienced many close calls in the past when Philip was very young and that Victor had always beat the odds.
Philip mentioned to Bo that perhaps Victor knew he was ill and that was why he gave Philip more responsibility in the company. Philip told Bo that he let Victor down and made many mistakes at Titan. Philip felt remorse that Victor trusted him with the business and he failed his father. Bo tried to convince Philip that Victor was proud of him or else he would never have allowed Philip to run the business, but Philip felt guilty nonetheless. Just then, Victor woke up and told Philip that he was proud of him. Daniel walked in and was happy to see that Victor was awake. He asked Philip and Bo to leave the room so that he could examine Victor and recommend treatment.
Morgan arrived at the hospital to talk to Philip to inquire about Victor's health. Philip told Morgan that Victor had a stroke. Philip asked Morgan if there was any news about her father. She told Philip that Paul left something of importance for her and that the information could prove who was after him. Philip seemed concerned and worried about what Morgan told him, but comforted her because she was worried that her father was still missing.
Morgan told Philip that she was upset and asked him to help her go through her father's belongings. Philip agreed to help her and they walked over to the Brady Pub.
Chloe finished her conversation with Nicole, left the pub, and bumped into Philip and Morgan. Philip asked Morgan to give him time with Chloe.
Morgan went into the pub and met one of her sorority sisters, Sloane. Sloane was happy to see Morgan because she had, by mistake, received a note meant for Morgan in her mail slot at school. Morgan realized that the note referenced a package that her father mentioned in his letter to her.
Outside the pub, Chloe acted cold toward Philip but did acknowledge that she wished Victor a speedy recovery. Philip told Chloe that he could not believe that she slept with his brother. Chloe told Philip that his relationship with Morgan hurt her and that she turned to Lucas for comfort. Philip reminded Chloe that he never promised her anything. Before they finished the conversation, Morgan interrupted them and told Philip that her father left her a package at the post office and asked him to go with her. Philip told Chloe that he had to leave, but that he wanted to finish their conversation.
At the hospital, Chelsea interrupted Kate and Daniel's conversation, but they covered their tracks and told Chelsea that they were talking about Victor's case. Daniel explained to Chelsea that Victor had a stroke and that there was a blood clot blocking one or more of his arteries. Daniel encouraged Kate and Chelsea and informed them about a new drug that could help in Victor's treatment recovery, but to be prepared as it could go either way.
Daniel left and Kate assured Chelsea that Daniel would move heaven and earth to help Victor. Chelsea questioned Kate and asked her why, if she thought so highly of Daniel, she asked another surgeon to operate on her. Kate tried to convince Chelsea that Daniel was busy and that she did not want to bother him, but Chelsea told Kate that she knew something was not right and asked Kate the real reason why she did not want Daniel to perform the surgery.
Kate explained to Chelsea that when Chelsea was very ill after the transplant surgery that Kate was worried about her and developed a bond with Daniel, who was Chelsea's doctor. Kate told Chelsea that was the reason that she felt awkward to choose Daniel as her surgeon.
Just then, Daniel walked over and told Chelsea that Victor was awake.
Kate told Daniel that she had to talk to him about their relationship, and that she did not have any regrets about what happened between them. Kate was concerned that if Chelsea found out, that she would not understand, and Daniel agreed. Kate told Daniel that she cared about him, but was very concerned about Chelsea's feelings.
In a flashback, Daniel recalled how he and Kate ended up having sex together. Daniel had been drinking, Kate arrived and they talked. Daniel, not feeling himself, told Kate that she was beautiful and perceptive. Daniel confided in Kate and told her that he had something on his mind and that he could not stop thinking about it. Kate agreed to listen and help him, but told him that she needed to know what was bothering him. Kate suggested that she knew a way to help him through his problem, but that he must stop drinking and go with her. Daniel, who was in need of a friend, agreed. They embraced and left together with their arms around each other.
Daniel told Kate that he did not want her to feel awkward and that he would always be grateful to her for helping him work through a difficult time in his life. However, he asked her to put their time together in the past, because he felt that Chelsea might be his future. Daniel called Kate a classy woman, and Kate casually thanked him for being nice to her. Kate told Daniel that she knew exactly what she was getting into, and that good things never lasted forever. Daniel asked Kate once again if she had any regrets, and she told him no, but seemed uncomfortable that he could dismiss their time together so quickly.
In Victor's hospital room, Bo encouraged Victor to fight and hang in there because everyone was pulling for him, including Caroline. Victor told Bo that he needed his help.
Victor asked Bo to watch out for Philip and keep an eye on him because Victor was worried about Philip. Bo reluctantly agreed and promised Victor that he would protect Philip.
Bo left and Chelsea visited Victor and told him that she appreciated everything that he did for her and that it was her turn to take of him.
Bo called Hope to tell her that Victor had a stroke and while he was talking to her, Bo received a phone call that referred to a lead in the Hollingsworth case.
Sami returned to the mansion and asked Rolfe to help her pack up her belongings because she planned to move out and take the twins with her. E.J. walked in and asked Sami not to leave, but told her that she had made choices and had to live with them.
She told E.J. that her life had been a disaster since the first day she met him. Sami said that all she ever wanted to do was spend her life with Lucas and raise their children together. Sami blamed E.J. for everything bad in her life, but E.J. reminded her that Lucas knew the risks, and he was gone and she must face reality.
E.J. and Sami discussed how they ended up in this mess. E.J. reminded Sami that he went to Nicole because Sami told him that she did not want anything to do with him.
Sami told E.J. that she was taking Ali and Johnny with her and that he could not do anything about it. E.J. told her not to be so sure, and then handed Sami a court order stating that Sami could not take Johnny from the mansion pending a custody hearing.
E.J. apologized to Sami for his action but told her that she left him no choice, and that he would not lose custody of his son. Sami was shocked that E.J. would hurt her by threatening to take away her son.
E.J. stood in the living room of the DiMera mansion and attempted to calmly explain to Sami what his court order entailed. When E.J. detailed that the court order prohibited Sami from removing Johnny from the house, a furious Sami warned E.J. that he could not stop her from leaving the house with her son. E.J. told Sami that he would do whatever he had to in order to protect his family. When Sami suggested that he was acting like a DiMera, E.J. stated that if by protecting his son that it made him a DiMera, then he was proud to emulate Stefano. Sami started to leave in a huff, but E.J. called out to her, "I'll be damned if I let you leave this house with my son." Unfazed, Sami angrily argued that the court would not take a boy away from his mother without good reason. Taking a deep breath, E.J. advised Sami that the court order would hold up.
Sami bitterly accused E.J. of blackmailing the judge and, switching into lawyer mode, E.J. noted that how the order was created was irrelevant since it was legally binding. Changing tactics, E.J. quietly asked Sami whether she was tired of playing the victim and questioned how far she would be willing to go to keep her son as she had done with Lucas long before. Narrowing her eyes, Sami told E.J. that he could not handle rejection. Sami recounted how just the last week E.J. was professing his love for her and then abruptly he was cavorting with Nicole. Annoyed, E.J. reminded Sami that she was no different since the same night she slept with him she was telling Lucas how desperate she was to be with him. E.J. bluntly told Sami he would not stop her from leaving the house but that he would not let her take his son out that door with her.
Softening, Sami asked E.J. why he had secured the court order. "I just want a family. A real one. Not this ridiculous fraud," Sami cried out. Sneering at her tears, E.J. told Sami that her life with Lucas was only a fantasy and that he was her reality check. Sami again questioned E.J.'s recent change of heart, and exasperated, E.J. explained that she had begged him to step aside and since he had relented, she seemed to be falling apart. Dropping her voice, Sami asked E.J. to be civil about letting her leave with Johnny. "Considering the way you treated me, I'm being about as civil as I'm able to be," E.J. said plainly. Stunned, Sami reasoned that this court order was an act by E.J. but he quickly denied it. Barely controlling his anger, E.J. asked Sami when she would start to lie and whether she would tell the judge he hit his son, like she had done in her custody case with Lucas. Sami briefly thought about her previous custody battle with Lucas, then shook off the memory and turned back toward E.J. "I will do whatever I have to to protect my children," she said. A calmer E.J. told Sami that she was a good mother mostly but that he felt her recent behavior and anger problems proved that Johnny should not be left with her. E.J. explained that Sami's deep-seated hatred of him would end up turning into resentment toward Johnny. Sami angrily denied E.J.'s charge, and she begged him to work things out for Johnny's sake.
When Sami made a crack about Nicole, a defensive E.J. stated that Nicole was not the issue. E.J. explained that when he finally was attempting to move on, Sami could not handle it. Staring into Sami's eyes, E.J. said that even if Nicole was out of the picture, eventually he would be with someone and that woman would be a mother to Johnny. Sami lashed out saying that she was the only mother Johnny would ever need. "You really have a problem picturing me with somebody else, don't you?" E.J. marveled. Shaking her head, Sami told E.J. that she had difficulty picturing E.J. could ever be happy or could ever find someone that wanted him. Gently shaking his head, E.J. softly told her that he used to be happy, but that was before he came to Salem and before he met her. As Sami stood in front of E.J. fuming, E.J. informed her that he planned on going to England and taking Johnny with him. Furious, Sami began to beat E.J.'s chest until E.J. told her he welcomed the damage to his body to show off in court. Leaving the room, E.J. stopped and turned back to Sami saying, "You got what you wanted. Congratulations."
At the Salem Police Station, Bo and Hope were discussing Paul's disappearance and the certified mail receipt they had found in Paul's trash. Bo got on the computer to track the package and with a little help from Hope, he was finally able to determine that the package was at the nearby post office. Hope was worried about Morgan's emotional state, and she attempted to call Morgan in order to get her to meet them at the post office. As they were only able to get Morgan's voicemail, Bo called Judge Kravitz in order to secure a search warrant for the package. Before Bo and Hope could head over to see the judge, Hope got a call from the babysitter and set off to pick up Ciara while Bo went after the package.
At the post office, a nervous Morgan walked in with Philip at her side. Philip gave Morgan a pep talk, but when she wondered aloud whether the men that were after her father had followed her, she began to panic. Philip hugged Morgan tight and managed to calm her down and get her to wait in line to get her package. Morgan thanked Philip for his support and told him that she was confused as to why her father had warned her to stay away from Philip. Philip assured her that Paul's fear was based on a misconception. When the clerk called Morgan up to the window, she reluctantly went up and asked for her package. After a quick check, the clerk informed Morgan that the package was no longer there and had likely gone back to whoever had sent the package. With Morgan beginning to unravel under the emotional strain, Philip talked to the clerk and explained that this package might be Morgan's last link to her missing father. After listening to Philip's pleas, the clerk went into the back and looked around for the package, eventually finding it. Morgan uneasily took the package and asked Philip to take her somewhere in order to open it. Right after Morgan and Philip left the post office, Bo arrived with a warrant to get the package. The postal clerk told Bo what had happened and he immediately called Hope with the news. Hope told Bo that she would drop Ciara off at the Brady Pub, and Bo said he would meet her there.
At the Brady Pub, Morgan and Philip sat down at a table. Morgan was reluctant to open the package, and Philip advised her to wait until she was ready. At the entrance, Ciara ran in to hug Caroline, as a smiling Hope followed close behind. Caroline agreed to watch Ciara, but when Hope explained that she was heading out with Bo to find Morgan, Caroline happily pointed out that Morgan was sitting in the corner of the pub with Philip. Before Hope could call Bo, he arrived and the two headed over to Morgan's table. "I can't let you open that," Bo advised Morgan. Bo went on to explain that the package was part of the investigation and when Philip tried to tell Morgan that it was her private property, Bo pulled out the warrant for the package. As Philip continued to try to keep Morgan from giving Bo the package, Hope ordered Philip to leave. Philip reluctantly left the pub, and Bo, Hope, and Morgan headed down to the police station to open the package.
At Salem Hospital, a rattled Philip sat at his sleeping father's bedside and confessed that he had done something that would destroy him and possibly the Kiriakis family.
Meanwhile, down at the police station, Morgan opened the package to reveal a wad of money and a letter to her. As Morgan began to read the letter, she became overcome with emotion and asked to leave. Bo told her she could go and when she was ready, she could stop by and finish reading the letter. After Morgan headed out, Bo pulled out the rest of the contents of the package including more money and a tape recorder. Curious, Bo pressed play on the recorder and heard Philip's voice saying, "Damn it, Paul. Do what I tell you or I will kill you." Horrified, Bo shook his head in disbelief.
Steve and Kayla met Stephanie at the Brady Pub and found her crying. She angrily told them that Max had lied to her and had gone to look for his sister without her, and then showed them his letter. She started ranting about how she should be with him, until Steve interrupted and confessed that he'd told Max not to take her. Stephanie was furious, but Steve said he was just trying to protect her. Kayla asked if Caroline knew where Max had gone. Stephanie didn't think so, and Steve said it was Max's decision whether to tell his mom. Though Kayla tried to calm her down, Stephanie lit into her dad and declared she was going after Max. Kayla quietly asked Steve why they shouldn't be supportive of what their daughter wanted. Steve admitted he hadn't had any practice at letting go, since he hadn't been there when Stephanie was growing up. Stephanie apologized for being hard on him, and acknowledged that she'd learned from her parents how to support the person she loved.
Meanwhile, in Paris, Max was boarding a train to Marseille. The conductor made small talk in French as he punched Max's ticket, but a clueless Max just smiled and said, "Oui." A bit later, as Max gazed out the window, a man snapped photographs through the door of Max's compartment. Max eventually saw him and flung the door open and ordered the man to stop, but the man kept clicking away in Max's face. Max demanded to know who the man was. He introduced himself as Remy and said, "I'm paparazzi, Max-that's what we do!" He also wanted to interview the famous racecar driver, Max Brady, but Max refused and ordered the man to delete the pictures he'd already taken. Remy pretended to agree, but took off running instead.
Kayla apologized to Steve for taking Stephanie's side. Steve declared that his wife and daughter had been right-Stephanie was an adult and could make her own decisions, and he was having a hard time letting go. Kayla assured him that Stephanie and Max would be fine, and reminded him that they were going to the south of France, not somewhere dangerous. She added that they had to let go because otherwise their children would never learn to make their own way in the world. Steve admitted to Kayla that he could understand Stephanie's wanting to be with Max, "'cause wherever you are, that's where I want to be."
Later, as Max read a text message from Stephanie, Remy told someone on the phone that Max Brady was back in France.
Hope was reading The Wizard of Oz to Ciara when Bo came downstairs and wished them good morning. Bo complained that he hadn't slept well, and Hope pointed out that he did have a lot on his mind. Abe brought Theo over to play with Ciara. Theo seemed happy to be there, but simply replied, "One, two, three, four," when Ciara greeted him. Hope took the kids upstairs while Abe and Bo discussed the Paul Hollingsworth case. Abe remarked that it was strange that Paul had only left his daughter a bunch of cash and a "generic goodbye letter," and his instincts told him there seemed to be a piece of the puzzle missing. Bo claimed that it didn't seem odd to him, since some men thought money was the answer to any problem. He added said he just wanted to find out what happened to Paul for Morgan's sake. Hope returned downstairs, and Bo left to visit Victor.
At the hospital, Philip was remembering how he'd told Victor he'd done something that could destroy their family. Suddenly, Victor's heart monitor started beeping. Lexie rushed in to check on him, and remarked that something had agitated him. In the hallway outside, Kate fussed over Philip's messy hair until he made her quit. He said he'd slept at Victor's bedside because he hadn't wanted to leave him. Kate wondered what had upset Victor. Philip admitted he'd confided in his father the night before, because he feared he'd screwed things up at work and let Victor down. Bo arrived, so Philip took Kate to the cafeteria so that Bo could spend some time alone with Victor.
Lexie advised Bo that something had caused Victor's EKG to spike earlier, but that he seemed to have stabilized. She urged him not to upset Victor, and then left. Victor weakly declared that he was already upset. Bo tried to get him to relax, but Victor wanted to know what was going on with Hollingsworth. He said he knew about the tape with Philip threatening Paul on it, and reminded Bo that Bo had promised to protect his brother. Bo argued that it was wrong to withhold evidence. Victor implored Bo to look into it further before damning Philip if the evidence didn't directly implicate him. As Bo began to refuse, Victor's heart monitor began beeping wildly again. Lexie and a nurse hurried in with a crash cart and ordered Bo to leave.
When Lexie was finished, she went into the hall asked Bo what had upset Victor. Bo said he didn't know. Kate and Philip returned, and Lexie emphasized that they must all stick to small talk with Victor so as not to upset him further. After Lexie left, Kate asked Bo what had happened. Bo pointedly told her to ask Philip and returned to Victor's room. Kate turned to her son and demanded to know what was going on so that she could try to help him. Philip declared that it was too late.
Bo apologized to Victor for upsetting him, but said he couldn't go against his beliefs. Victor asked him to prove Philip's innocence, and to leave the evidence with him and walk away. When the heart monitor went off again, Bo reluctantly agreed and handed his father the tape recorder.
Abe confided to Hope that he was afraid he wasn't being as objective as he should about work because of what he and Lexie were going through with Theo. Hope sympathized and offered her support. Abe was worried that he and Lexie weren't seeing eye-to-eye when it came to their son's care and treatment. An upset Ciara suddenly ran in and declared, "Theo is mean!" A bit later, the adults returned to the living room, noting that the kids were playing separately yet peacefully, and each apologized for their own child's behavior. They resumed their discussion of Theo's autism and how the two of them and Lexie had all been researching the disorder. Abe admitted that he hadn't been willing to see that Theo had a problem, but Lexie had known from the start that something was off. Hope urged him to stop being so hard on himself, and asked how their marriage counseling was going. He replied that they made progress in the sessions but there was a lot of silence at home. Hope encouraged him to keep the lines of communication open, and to tell his wife how proud he was of her and how she was dealing with the situation.
Lexie arrived to pick up Theo. When Hope went upstairs to get the boy, Lexie asked Abe how the play date had gone. Abe told her that he and Hope had needed to sort out an argument between the kids, but the kids had played quietly after that. He then professed his admiration for how she'd handled Theo's diagnosis and how well she'd adapted. He added that he was proud of her, of her strength. Lexie was thrilled to hear this, and admitted she hadn't been sensitive to how hard Abe had been taking things. He assured her they would work through it together.
Max was on a train in France and sent Stephanie a text message, telling her he was glad she wasn't mad and although he wished she could be there, it was better that she didn't come along. Back in Salem at the Brady Pub, Stephanie read Max's text message and said to herself Max would see her sooner than he though. Caroline asked her if she'd seen Max, because she didn't think he came home the night before. Stephanie told Caroline that Max was on his way to France and gave her the letter from Max. Max told Caroline in the letter about his sister and how he was trying to find her. He asked Caroline to support him and trust him and promised that he would always be her son.
Chelsea wondered what was wrong with Caroline, and Stephanie told her about Max's plans to track down his sister. Chelsea asked Stephanie if Max would be in Europe for long, and Stephanie told her it depended on how long it took for her and Max to find his sister. Stephanie's plane was set to leave soon. Caroline told Stephanie she knew Stephanie would miss Max like she did. Morgan and Chelsea gave Stephanie a gift for her trip to France-a phone card, beret, plug for her hairdryer, and an electronic French translator.
Outside the pub, E.J. ran into Trent and introduced himself again. E.J. asked Trent if he was a good friend of Nicole, and Trent said he and Nicole were good friends and they were still very close. Trent told E.J. that Trent and Nicole had a lunch date, but before they could go inside, E.J. asked to speak to Nicole alone. Nicole said she was just getting something to eat with an old friend, but E.J. told her he didn't like the way Trent was treating her. Nicole said she could take care of herself, but E.J. grabbed her arm and before he could continue their conversation, Trent stepped in and told E.J. that Nicole was finished talking with him.
Caroline saw Trent outside the pub and said it was all his fault. Trent didn't know what she was talking about, and E.J. said Caroline wasn't Trent's number one fan. E.J. said goodbye to Nicole, telling her if she needed anything to call him. Then E.J. told Trent he would be keeping his eye on Trent. When E.J. left, Trent told Nicole he warned her about E.J. and that he didn't trust E.J. Trent asked Nicole to do some detective work for him.
Nicole asked Stephanie where Max was and when he would be back, and Stephanie told her Max would be gone for a few weeks. Nicole reported the news back to Trent, but Trent wasn't satisfied with the answer. He asked Nicole to go back inside and ask exactly where Max was. Nicole told him to do it himself, and Trent warned her not to speak to him that way. Nicole told Trent never to lay a hand on her again. Trent warned Nicole to stay away from E.J., but Nicole warned Trent to stay away from her. Trent called Max on the cell phone and asked about his trip. Max hung up on Trent. Stephanie said goodbye to Morgan and Chelsea and went off to join Max in France. Daniel went to the pub to see Chelsea and give her an update on Victor's condition.
At the Salem Police Department, Morgan stopped by looking for Bo, but ran into Abe instead. Abe gave Morgan the money her father sent to her. She asked Abe to hold onto it and when Paul got back to give it to him. Roman called Marlena down to the police station to talk to her about Sami. Roman told Marlena how he and Sami talked that morning about Lucas going back to jail and how E.J. was threatening to sue for custody of Johnny. Marlena had thought that Sami and E.J. had worked the custody arrangements out, and Roman said he thought so too. He said Nicole got involved and slept with E.J. while they were stuck in the elevator during the power outage. Marlena was appalled at Nicole and E.J. having sex, but she said maybe it would force Sami to spend time on Lucas. Roman told Marlena about Lucas and Chloe sleeping together.
Marlena started to go find Sami, but Roman told her to give Sami some time. Marlena said Sami had been playing one man against the other for so long that she might have lost them both. Roman told Marlena it wasn't her fault. Marlena said Sami saw her mother torn between two men and Sami was doing the same thing. Roman said Marlena couldn't compare the two. Roman said if anyone was to blame it was E.J. Roman said Sami was old enough to take responsibility for the situation she was in. Roman said someone new might treat her better. Marlena asked if there was a way to help Lucas, and Roman said there was nothing more he could do for Lucas.
Abe told Roman about the money Morgan's father left her, and Roman told him the longer the search dragged on the longer it would take for them to solve the case. Marlena asked Abe about Theo, and Abe said they were taking it one step at a time. Marlena told him about a class for parents with an autistic child. Abe said he and Lexie would try to make the class. Abe told Marlena that he and Lexie had a good talk that morning. Roman called Marlena back into his office after getting off the phone with the warden at Statesville about Lucas. Marlena couldn't believe Lucas risked his freedom by violating his house arrest, and she thought Sami wanted to see Lucas in jail for a long time considering what he did with Chloe. Roman said he got the impression that Sami still wanted to be with Lucas. Marlena asked whether Sami was interested in E.J., but Roman didn't know and as far as he was concerned, Roman thought Sami would be better off without either E.J. or Lucas. Roman asked Marlena why he would help Lucas after what he did. Marlena said Sami and Lucas needed to work things out, and they couldn't do that with Lucas in jail.
At the hospital, Victor asked Bo to leave the evidence against Philip in the Paul Hollingsworth missing person case with Victor at the hospital and walk away from the case. Victor's heart rate began to race, so Bo gave the tape recorder to him and left the room. Outside, he found Kate and Philip waiting. Bo asked to talk to Philip alone. Kate asked what was going on and whether it was about Victor, but Bo wouldn't answer her questions. Daniel tried to keep Kate from going into Victor's room, saying Victor needed his rest, and Kate asked Daniel if she was making him uncomfortable. Kate said she didn't want things to be awkward between them, and Daniel said it was in the past. Kate suggested they not talk about their past anymore. She said Chelsea was a lucky girl and she was special. Daniel let Kate go in and sit with Victor after she promised to do it quietly.
Bo took Philip back to his house to confront Philip about the tape recorded conversation where Philip threatened to kill Paul if he didn't do what Philip wanted him to. Bo said Victor had the tape and wouldn't let it out of his sight. Bo asked Philip off the record if he killed Paul Hollingsworth. Philip denied killing Paul. Bo asked Philip if he knew where Paul was, and Philip said he didn't. Philip wondered why Bo didn't turn in the tape, and Bo told him Victor asked him not to. Bo didn't give Victor the tape for Philip, Bo said-he did it for their father. Victor asked him to keep the evidence quiet and when Bo told him he couldn't, Victor took a turn for the worse. Bo was angry at himself for letting his emotions get in the way of his judgment. Bo said he withheld evidence to protect Philip, and Philip said he was not a killer. Bo called Abe at the station to tell him something, but then changed his mind and told Abe he wouldn't be in to work.
Kate sat on Victor's hospital bed and asked whether he knew anything about Philip and Bo going off together. Kate found the tape recorder that Bo left with Victor and asked Victor if he wanted her to play it. When she did, she heard Philip threaten Paul. Daniel saw Kate in Victor's room and noticed Victor's heart rate was elevated. Caroline walked in and said she wanted to say hi. Kate excused herself and left the room. Daniel told Caroline that Victor had a long recovery ahead of him. Daniel advised Caroline to leave Victor to rest, but Victor wanted to speak to her. Victor told Caroline that Bo was a good man and asked her to tell him Victor said thank you. Caroline asked if she could get Victor anything, and Victor joked release papers. After Caroline left, Kate went back into Victor's room with the tape recorder, took out the tape and tried to destroy it.
At the DiMera mansion, Ava wanted to celebrate John getting rid of the disc in the lab. John was finally free, Ava said. She asked if it felt great, and John said she had no idea. Ava toasted to the future, and John toasted to the beautiful woman that made it happen. Ava and John drank champagne, and E.J. walked in on them getting romantic and got turned off. Ava told E.J. to loosen up and went to the kitchen to get some snacks. E.J. told John he was through being the nice guy. E.J. commended John for never capitulating. E.J. said he wanted to go into business with John, but John said he preferred to work alone. E.J. could provide John with his legal expertise, E.J. said, and John agreed. John told E.J. to prove to him that John could trust him.
On the train to Marseille, Max waited in his compartment for the train to depart after the conductor told him they were picking up another passenger. Suddenly Stephanie burst through the door and flung herself into his lap. "Surprise!" she said, kissing him. Though obviously happy to see her, Max admonished her that he'd told her not to come, and that he'd promised her dad not to involve her. Stephanie assured him that Steve was fine with her being there, and pointed out that she spoke French and Max didn't. He ignored her and ordered her to get off at the next station. She refused to leave and complained that he should have at least told her he was leaving, and stressed that she'd been by his side through everything and that was where she was staying. Finally she gave up and said she'd wait in the dining car until the next stop. Before she could leave, Max stopped her and declared that he wanted her to stay.
At the police station, Roman advised Lucas that he wasn't returning to Statesville, but somewhere much worse. A bit later, Lucas told Roman, "I'm in," adding that he would do whatever Roman needed. Lucas was stressing the importance not telling Sami that he was going to maximum security when Sami opened the door. Concerned for Lucas' safety, Sami flipped out, and asked Roman if he could do something to help. Roman said it was out of his hands.
Roman left the two of them alone in his office, and Sami lit into Lucas for what he'd done to his children when he'd broken his house arrest. Lucas acknowledged that Will was angry with him, but Lucas knew he had to pay for what he'd done. Sami hotly replied that Allie was the one who was paying, reminding him that he'd already missed half of his daughter's life, and that he would miss even more of it when he returned to prison. Lucas retorted that he was well aware of that, and that he thought about Allie all the time. Sami spat, "I wish you'd been thinking about your daughter when you decided to have sex with Chloe!" When Lucas said he'd been angry and frustrated about Sami's having feelings for E.J., Sami replied that he should have talked to her instead of running to Chloe. He snapped that he couldn't accept her being with E.J. Sami offered to cut E.J. out of her life completely, but Lucas reminded her that she and E.J. shared a child. She countered that she and Lucas shared two children as well as a long history.
Before Sami and Lucas had reached any sort of resolution, Roman returned with an officer to take Lucas back to a holding cell, and told Sami that Lucas would be processed the following morning. Lucas vowed to do whatever he could to get out as soon as possible for Allie's sake.
After the guard led Lucas away, Sami crumpled into tears in her dad's arms. Roman tried to assure her that Lucas would be fine, but Sami worried about the kinds of people who were in maximum security. She started to cry about all the things that Lucas would miss in Allie's life, but Roman interrupted her to say she was getting ahead of herself. She pulled a recent picture of Allie from her purse and asked Roman to give it to Lucas. Before Sami left, Roman asked her to have dinner with him, and she accepted.
Later, Roman gave Lucas the photograph of Allie and reminded him, "You're doing this for her." Lucas replied, "Yeah, I know. I just hope the next time she sees me isn't at my funeral."
Nicole was on the phone at the Brady Pub, ordering something for her dog, Pookie, when Ava joined her. Nicole asked how things were going with Ava and John. Ava replied that they'd spent the afternoon together, but added with a sigh, "Nothing happened." Nicole didn't understand why John hadn't done more with Ava than fool around, since she was gorgeous and sexy, and he clearly trusted her. Ava surmised that although he appreciated how she accepted him at face value, John wasn't over Marlena. Nicole urged her friend not to give up. She then told Ava about how she and E.J. had had sex in the elevator on the Fourth of July. Ava was thrilled for her, but Nicole confessed that she'd since been pushing E.J. away. Ava wanted to know what the problem was, since Nicole and E.J. were obviously attracted to each other. She added that when she'd seen E.J. earlier, he had confessed he was upset about a woman. This seemed to encourage Nicole, so Ava urged her to just call him. Nicole tearfully said it was more complicated than that, and that it had to do with Trent. Ava wanted to know more, but Nicole didn't want anyone else knowing about it. Ava swore she wouldn't breathe a word. A little later, Ava agreed that Nicole's story was indeed big, and was glad Nicole had confided in her.
Rolf, wearing sunglasses and a beret, arrived at the pub and slid into a booth across from Marlena, who observed with a laugh that he looked like an extra from The Sopranos. He was worried what would happen if John were to find out they were meeting, but she told him to relax. A jumpy Rolf rose to leave but Marlena asked him to just hear her out. She showed him the broken disk from John's lab and told Rolf to put it back together. Rolf was worried that he'd spend life in prison if John were to get his memories back. Marlena promised to do whatever she could to make sure Rolf got immunity. Rolf replied that he didn't trust her. Marlena quietly promised that even if Rolf didn't help her, she'd still find a way to access what was on the disk, and then he would surely spend the rest of his life behind bars.
In the DiMera Mansion living room, E.J. told John that the guest he was expecting would restore John's standing in the community. John was skeptical, but E.J. vowed that he'd gain John's trust after this meeting. E.J. later ushered Judge Karen Fitzpatrick into the living room. As they drank tea and chatted, John casually wandered in, pretending to be surprised that E.J. had a guest. The judge was quite happy to see John, though he didn't remember her. She informed John that they were acquainted through charity functions, at which he'd always been very generous. After John left, E.J. and Karen discussed John's past philanthropy. She was doubtful that the new John would ever be as generous as the old one had been, but E.J. stated that John was looking to turn over a new leaf. Karen assumed that E.J. wanted her to use her position to help John. E.J. assured her that was not the case and presented her with a donation to her campaign from John. She gasped at the amount of the check and declared that she couldn't accept it, citing John's recent alleged crimes. E.J. hinted that if she didn't, John would donate an equivalent amount to her opponent's campaign. Reluctantly, the judge took the check from E.J. John came back in, and Karen thanked him for the contribution, then made an excuse about having to return to court.
Once the judge had gone, John said he'd watched the whole thing on closed circuit TV, and commended E.J. on his performance. E.J. wanted to know if that meant John trusted him. John replied that he didn't trust anyone, and brought up the fact that E.J. had shot him and helped steal one of John's kidneys. E.J. emphasized that he'd done it out of family loyalty, to save his father's life. John said perhaps they could work together if E.J. could prove he was as loyal to John, but first E.J. had to figure out what to do about Samantha. E.J. didn't understand what working with John had to do with her. John declared he didn't like the way E.J. treated her, citing the court order E.J. had gotten to prevent Samantha from moving out with the twins. When John referred to Samantha as his stepdaughter, E.J. sarcastically asked when John had started caring about her. John confessed that Samantha had grown on him, but E.J. accused him of feigning interest in Samantha to score points with Marlena.
Sami returned home to the mansion and asked John to tell Rolf that she needed to see him. E.J. asked her about Lucas, and Sami informed him that Lucas was being sent to the maximum-security prison. E.J. encouraged her to get on with her life, but Sami was sure she and Lucas would work things out. E.J. mockingly asked if she were going to forgive Lucas. Sami replied that E.J. was the one she would never forgive.
When they were alone again, John told E.J. that what E.J. was doing to Samantha was cruel, but he also understood the need to play hardball. E.J. asked if that meant he was ready for them to work together. John replied that he hadn't decided yet, but if he agreed, E.J. would be working for him and not with him. E.J. was more than confident that he could prove himself worthy.
