Bo fell off a ladder trying to put the star on the Christmas tree. Hope took Bo to the hospital, and Kayla examined him and then made fun of him for trying to hang Christmas décor on a rickety ladder. Bo had a mild concussion, Kayla said. Kayla told Hope privately that even Steve almost got electrocuted trying to rewire their faulty light socket. Hope was relieved that Bo was okay after his fall.
Bo put on his coat and then had a vision seeing the Christmas star and his mother's present. Back at home, Hope said he was banned from putting up the star from that point on. Then she asked where the star was. Without looking, Bo said it was behind the tree on his mother's present. Hope looked behind the tree and found it. She wondered how he knew that, but he couldn't explain it.
Hope said she was excited about the gift she got for Theo, and Bo asked what it was. She said it was a secret and then went to the kitchen to make hot chocolate. While she was gone, Bo stared at the package and then heard a woman scream. It startled him off the couch.
Brady followed Kelly, the pregnant girl who claimed she wanted Nicole to adopt her baby, to the bar. Nicole watched as he accused Kelly of conning Nicole. When Nicole asked Brady what was going on, Kelly played innocent to Nicole, but Brady was adamant that Kelly made up her sob story to con Nicole out of money. Nicole didn't believe him and accused him of lying.
She said he was trying to scare off Kelly because he didn't agree with Nicole's decision to adopt. Nicole tried to get Kelly to say that Brady was making the story up, but then Brady demanded to see the picture of the father of Kelly's baby. Brady looked at the picture again and recognized the man as a counselor from another rehab facility, whose picture was in a magazine. Nicole said it didn't look like a magazine photo to her, but Brady told her the picture was photoshopped to look like a real snapshot.
Brady said if Kelly had the magazine, that meant that she was in rehab, too. Kelly got angry at Brady and said that just because he had a drug problem didn't mean it was her problem. Brady accused her of smoking and drinking when he found her at the bar. Nicole asked if Kelly did drugs, and she denied it. Brady started to call around to clinics to find out if Kelly was ever in rehab.
Brady told Kelly he wasn't judging her, but she was harming the baby with her smoking and drinking. Kelly eventually admitted she faked her pregnancy and pulled off the fake pregnancy belly she was wearing. Nicole felt like a fool for getting scammed by someone faking her pregnancy, but she defended faking her own pregnancy because she was doing it for E.J. Brady said Nicole was running on emotion lately and was off her game, because she normally would have spotted a fake a mile away.
Brady predicted that Nicole's scam would blow up in her face. She said if she weren't able to find a baby to adopt, she would be out of E.J.'s life for good. Brady advised her to tell E.J. the truth soon or there was no telling what the consequence might be.
Lexie told E.J. that when she confided in Stefano about the mayor's underhanded tactics, she didn't expect Stefano to arrange for the mayor's murder. E.J. said what happened to the mayor was her fault because she chose Abe's career over her conscience. Lexie thought E.J. enjoyed kicking her while she was down, but he didn't think Lexie was suffering, because she was the first lady of Salem. Lexie felt responsible for the mayor's death and Sami being shot at because Sami saw the mayor's killer.
E.J. told Lexie that the way the mayor attacked her in the press was a normal part of politics and she shouldn't have gotten involved in politics if she didn't like the tactics. Lexie said she did what she had to do to protect her family. E.J. made light of Lexie's dilemma, and she blew up at him, so he told her to leave. Then Lexie said she couldn't believe he had the audacity of accusing her of relying on Stefano when E.J. was living in Stefano's house with E.J.'s child and with Nicole, who was pregnant with E.J.'s baby.
E.J. said he chose to get involved with Stefano's business so he could get close to Stefano and protect his family. Lexie accused E.J. of trying to put a spin on what he was doing. He accused Lexie of essentially putting a hit on the mayor by going to their father, but she said she didn't think that would happen when she asked Stefano for help. And, Lexie added, the police hadn't found any evidence linking Stefano to the mayor's murder. Abe walked in when E.J. and Lexie were arguing and demanded to know what was going on.
Lexie made up an excuse, and E.J. helped cover for her. E.J. asked Theo what he wanted for Christmas, but Theo didn't want to talk. Abe went to the kitchen to get Theo something to eat, and E.J. apologized for being hard on Lexie. She didn't want his pity, and he said he could tell that when she went to Stefano, her motivation was her desire to protect her son. Lexie said it was okay. She was just upset about that Theo didn't care about Christmas. She said she felt jealous of other parents whose kids would drag them to the stores to show them what toys they wanted for Christmas.
E.J. said Theo was a very special kid. Lexie felt like other parents took a lot of things for granted having kids who weren't autistic. E.J. admitted he projected some of the guilt he felt for working closely with Stefano onto Lexie. E.J. said Lexie's urgent need for Theo to fulfill his potential would get Theo a long way.
Nicole returned to the mansion and picked up the gift E.J. had bought for the baby. She wondered if he meant it when he said he loved her or if he just said it because they were having a baby. E.J. said he meant it when he said he loved her. Nicole doubted him, but he said the baby was what made him realize how much he loved her. Nicole asked for reassurance that he talked to Sami and ended things with her. E.J. assured her that he and Sami were over.
He said he told Sami that he planned to spend the rest of his life with Nicole. Nicole was worried that she wasn't cut out to be a mother, but E.J. said the way she treated Johnny was proof that she would be a wonderful mother. E.J. said they would go through it together, and he reached to touch her stomach, but she pushed his hand off her and told him not to touch her.
E.J. wondered why he couldn't touch Nicole, and she covered by saying he was so sexy that she was afraid that one thing would lead to another. E.J. said he had self-control and was patient. Nicole blamed her mood on hormones, saying she had no willpower. All she thought about was eating pickles dipped in chocolate sauce and making love to E.J. E.J. went to make a business call, and she called Brady to tell him she decided to adopt a baby with or without his help.
At the Brady Pub, Theo was playing with his food, and Lexie told him not to play with his food, but he ignored her and looked away. She told him to look at her, but instead, he touched Abe's chest. Abe asked her what happened with E.J. earlier, and she filled Abe in. Lexie said that E.J. accused her of being responsible for the mayor's murder but he later apologized. Abe said E.J. should have apologized, because none of it was her fault.
While Abe and Lexie were talking, Theo noticed a woman carrying a gift and pointed to it, saying he wanted it. Lexie got excited.
Sami was worried about what was taking Rafe so long to get some Christmas presents for Sami's kids. Hilda tried to calm Sami down, to no avail. Sami realized she didn't know much about Rafe's personal life, and she asked Hilda what she knew about him. Sami said if she knew more about Rafe, it would make him seem more human. Hilda said Rafe didn't have to appear human to Sami, all he had to do was keep her safe.
The mayor's killer stabbed Rafe in the stomach on the pier, and the two fought. The killer had Rafe down on the ground on his back with a knife to his neck. The killer asked Rafe where Sami was, and Rafe played dumb then forced the killer off him. Police sirens scared the killer away.
As Sami and Hilda were talking, Rafe walked in holding a gift-wrapped Christmas present. Sami asked if it took him long to find the talking penguin doll she was asking for. Rafe said that was what took him so long, and he told Hilda she could go home. After Hilda left, he tried to make an excuse about needing to take a shower so he could sneak off to the bathroom without Sami noticing he'd been stabbed. But when he winced in pain, Sami looked closer at him and noticed he was bleeding.
Rafe told Sami someone tried to kill him when he was at the pier, so she tried to call an ambulance, but Rafe said she couldn't call for help. He said it wasn't just a regular mugging and whoever attacked him knew who he was, but he said he made sure the guy didn't follow him back to the apartment where they were staying.
Sami said someone had to stitch Rafe up, and he said she had to do it. Sami found some supplies with which to suture his wound. He drank some alcohol, and Sami put in stitches. He said he would think of his scar as a souvenir of the time they'd spent together. Then he called her an idiot for falling in love with a guy who didn't want her. Sami started to defend herself, then decided not to talk about her personal life with him.
He said when Sami confided in him that she was pregnant and asked him to keep it a secret, that was considered her personal life. Sami asked if he had ever been in love, and he said love was for idiots. Sami said she'd rather be an idiot than not let herself feel anything. Rafe told her she didn't know anything about him. Sami was upset that she knew nothing about him after they'd been living together for weeks, while he knew everything there was to know about her.
Rafe didn't care. He said his job was to protect her and take care of her - not talk about himself. She said she was the one taking care of him when he got stabbed. Rafe said she shouldn't take care of him - she should take care of herself by staying away from E.J., because E.J. didn't love her. E.J. had moved on with his life, Rafe said, and Sami needed to do the same.
At the safe house, Rafe woke up in the bed with a hangover, while Sami sat nearby keeping watch over him. Rafe called his supervisor to determine what he should do next, and his supervisor told Rafe to stay at the safe house with Sami. Still worried, Rafe warned Sami not to tell anyone what had happened, as the mole was someone inside the witness protection program. Sami checked Rafe's wound and joked about the professionalism of her stitches and how amusing it was to see Rafe drunk. When Sami informed Rafe that he had warned her to stay away from E.J., Rafe argued her relationship with E.J. was not his business. Sami thanked Rafe for caring about her, but Rafe gruffly answered that he cared about all the people he was assigned to protect. The two joked about the laughing penguin toys, and Sami helped Rafe to the bathroom for a shower. Softening, Rafe quietly thanked Sami for her help.
Down at the jail, Melanie visited a bleary-eyed Nick. Nick said that he was surprised to see Melanie, since she had never responded to his letters. Melanie explained that Maggie had advised her to cut off all contact with him. Nick informed Melanie that the letters outlined his plans for a gift for her to make up for all the horrible things he had done. With Melanie's curiosity piqued, Nick told her that he would still give her the gift, but he wanted her forgiveness first. Smiling, Melanie told Nick that she forgave him for everything, even though she was upset with him at first.
"You seem to be taking it all lightly," Nick said with suspicion. Melanie argued that she blamed herself for what happened, and if Nick were going to question her sincerity that she wanted to forgive him, she would leave. Melanie stood up and started to walk out, but Nick called out to her to stay. With tears in his eyes, Nick explained that he only doubted her because he hated himself and found it hard to believe Melanie would want to see him. Nick explained that to make up for all the hurt, he wanted to give her his share of his green energy technology. Melanie noted that Mickey would not allow Nick to give her the shares, but Nick explained that he obtained another lawyer to draw up the papers. Curious, Melanie asked whether Nick would be considered mentally competent to sign over his shares in the project, but Nick countered that he had been evaluated and judged fit to comprehend the decision. "I won't sleep until you accept this," Nick pleaded.
At the Cheatin' Heart, Stephanie stopped by to talk to Max and was immediately greeted with an angry ex. Max told Stephanie that he had heard that Stephanie "almost scored" with Philip in the Titan vault. Furious, Stephanie argued that Melanie told Max a lie. Max countered that at worst Melanie exaggerated what happened, but that there was some truth to what she had told him. Frustrated, Stephanie reminded Max that he had dumped her and that the truth was that she was attracted to Philip. Stephanie argued that Melanie was still the problem between Max and her, but Max was not swayed. "Your only problem is that someone else wants me," Stephanie cried out. With an awkward silence in the air, Chelsea walked in to find Stephanie and Max staring angrily at one another.
When Stephanie walked out, Chelsea immediately tried to cheer up Max by cracking a few jokes and thanking him for helping her talk about her issues with Nick. Still upset, Max attempted to get Chelsea to leave, but Chelsea stayed firmly in place and pushed Max to talk about his feelings for Stephanie. "It's not over unless you want it to be over," Chelsea reasoned. Max argued that he no longer loved Stephanie, and when Chelsea refused to believe him, Max yelled, "I mean it! I feel it and I'm living it!" Chelsea immediately started to laugh and told Max that he was being melodramatic. Teasing Max, Chelsea told him that he would "find love again...and again."
At Salem Hospital, Daniel went into Chloe's room to check her vitals. The tension was thick in the air as Chloe requested another doctor to check on her. Defensive, Daniel lectured that her health was not a game and that the situation was about life and death. Daniel further argued that the situation was only weird because Chloe had made it that way. Daniel examined Chloe and started to leave when Chloe asked him to stop. Chloe briefly thought about their intense moment before the surgery, before continuing to say that she was glad that Daniel, Kate, Lucas, and she were all friends. Daniel snapped that they were not friends and would not be because Chloe had created too much drama between them. Philip entered the room as Chloe and Daniel stared at one another intensely. On Philip's hello, Daniel briskly left the room, leaving Philip to question Chloe about the tension.
Philip sat on Chloe's bed and told her that she was a hero for saving Kate and making Lucas happy. Chloe seemed uncomfortable with the praise, but she remained quiet.
After leaving the hospital, Philip went over to the Brady pub to talk to Lucas. They briefly discussed Kate before Philip congratulated Lucas on his engagement to Chloe. As the conversation turned to Chloe's bravery, Philip made an offhanded comment about how Chloe was also brave when he was dating her. Uncomfortable with Philip's statement, Lucas told him to avoid any comments about his past dating life with Chloe. When Philip joked the fourth marriage was a charm, a serious Lucas said that this time was different because Chloe was "perfect and perfect for me."
Stephanie stopped by the Brady Pub to talk to Philip and he immediately brought up their moment together the day before. "You kind of left me hanging yesterday," Philip whispered. "I know but I don't have to do that anymore," Stephanie said, smiling slightly. Stephanie explained that she had held back the day before because she had wanted to warn Max of any possible relationship first. Stephanie explained that things were officially over with Max. When Philip asked whether she had told Max about them, an annoyed Stephanie noted that Melanie had told Max first. Relieved that Stephanie was interested in pursuing a relationship, Philip leaned in to kiss her. Just as their lips were about to brush together, Melanie interrupted and asked to talk to them both. When Philip asked her to start talking, a grinning Melanie said that she wanted to inform them of her new position at Titan. "Things are about to change," Melanie cooed.
Chelsea was taking Theo to see the Christmas tree lighting at Salem Place, and they bumped into Max on the waterfront. Max was lost in thought, contemplating the box that held Charlie, the little stuffed dog that had belonged to Max when he was a boy. Max snapped out of his reverie when Chelsea called his name, and then tried to engage Theo in conversation, but the boy remained silent. Chelsea noticed the box and asked why Max had brought it to the pier. Max replied that he was considering whether to set Charlie free, because the dog reminded him of Trent. Chelsea reminded him that he'd decided not to let his father have power over him any longer, but added that he should do whatever gave him peace of mind.
Max crouched down to Theo's level, and described for the boy how Bo used to take him to the Christmas tree lighting when he was a kid, and how Santa's elves had given all the kids candy canes. Max then produced a candy cane for Theo, and the boy took it solemnly. Chelsea noted that Max was really good with Theo, and Max returned the compliment, adding that Chelsea would be a great mom someday. When Chelsea turned away uncomfortably, Max remembered that she couldn't have children, and quickly apologized. She assured him that it was okay, because she wasn't ready to have kids yet, and she would adopt if she ever were. Max gently told her, "Any kid would be lucky to have you as a mom."
Chelsea and Max commiserated over being single around the holidays, and she joked that her love life was so bleak that Theo was her main man. Chelsea declared that she was going to give up on finding a guy and get a dog, and they agreed that there was nothing like a dog's unconditional love. Chelsea then asked what Max had decided to do with Charlie. Max opened the box and said he hated to part with his old friend, but the memories were tough to deal with. As he lifted the little dog out of the box, Theo pointed and exclaimed, "Charlie!" Chelsea was happily surprised. Max told Theo that Charlie was looking for a new home, and handed the dog to the boy. Theo petted Charlie and kissed him on the head, as Max and Chelsea watched and grinned.
Bo was at home, reassuring Hope on the phone that he was all right, and that he would continue to take it easy. When he hung up, he heard a child screaming, and ran upstairs to check on Ciara. Abe dropped by a little later to discuss work, but admitted he was concerned that Bo should be resting instead. Bo insisted he was fine, but Abe said he could tell something else was going on. Bo reluctantly confided that been looking at the Christmas tree and had heard a kid screaming, but it hadn't been Ciara or even the television, and it had sounded like the child's life was in danger. He added that it had also happened while he'd been looking at the tree the night before, but Hope hadn't heard anything-and he hadn't told her about it yet. Abe urged him to go back to the hospital, in case the bump on the head had been more serious than a concussion.
At the hospital later, Daniel said all of Bo's test results had been normal. Bo asked what could be wrong, and Daniel told him it was likely the pressure of Bo's new job. He advised Bo to reduce his stress level with exercise and relaxation, and to watch his intake of alcohol and caffeine. Daniel added that Bo should come back if it was still happening after a couple of weeks. After Daniel left, Bo suddenly saw a vision of a paramedic bringing a child into a hospital on a gurney, and a nurse discovering that the child wasn't breathing.
At the Brady Pub, Melanie smugly informed Stephanie and Philip that Nick had worked out the problems with his alternative-fuel project, and had signed the rights over to her. An irritated Stephanie didn't buy it for a second, and Philip was dubious that Mickey Horton would allow Nick to do that. Melanie filled them in about how Nick had consulted with a different lawyer, who had drawn up the papers. Melanie then began making demands for a corner office and two assistants, because she believed she would have more power at Titan thanks to the fuel project. Philip pointed out that he was in charge, and fired her. Melanie shrugged and said she would take the project to another company, who would then earn the profits. Stephanie and Philip accused Melanie of manipulating Nick, but Melanie countered that they could just ask Nick if they didn't believe her. Philip retorted that he would visit Nick right away, and Nick would certainly change his mind after Philip told him what a liar Melanie was.
As they walked into Titan together later, Melanie tried to order Stephanie to arrange for new décor, and to call a temp agency for Melanie's new assistants. Stephanie ignored her, sure that Melanie wouldn't be around much longer. Melanie began snidely accusing Stephanie of trying to sleep her way to the top, but Stephanie coolly maintained that seeing Stephanie and Philip together drove Melanie crazy with jealousy. Melanie denied being jealous, and declared that Philip wasn't really interested in Stephanie. When Stephanie replied calmly that Philip cared about her as a person, but didn't give a damn about Melanie, Melanie retorted, "You wouldn't be saying that if you saw us a couple of weeks ago in my bedroom." Stephanie asserted that Melanie was making things up. Melanie said that Philip had been comforting her because her dad had been murdered, and she'd just been accused of the crime.
At the jail, Nick defended his actions to Philip, insisting that he owed the rights to his project to Melanie, because he had destroyed her life. Philip argued that power in Melanie's hands could only be a bad thing, that she would fail to get distribution rights or a patent on Nick's project, and that she would destroy it. He insisted that she had only used Nick. He urged Nick, "Don't let your obsession with Melanie make life tougher for everybody else." Nick maintained that his head was clear, and that he would not change his mind, no matter what Philip said.
When Philip returned to the office, he angrily told Stephanie that he hadn't been able to change Nick's mind. Stephanie gave Philip his phone messages, and then bluntly asked if he'd slept with Melanie. Philip firmly denied it, and quickly realized that Melanie had implied as much to Stephanie to needle her. Stephanie admitted that, thanks to her insecurities, she'd almost believed it. Philip assured her that she shouldn't feel insecure about him, but when he tried to kiss her to prove it, Melanie interrupted them. She declared that perhaps Stephanie should be her intern, if working for Philip was going to be a conflict of interest.
Philip irritably told Melanie to quit acting like she ran the company, but her reply was to ask how his meeting with Nick had gone. Philip was silent, so Melanie rudely ordered Stephanie to get to work getting the things they'd discussed. When Philip told Melanie not to treat Stephanie like that, Melanie retorted sweetly, "I'm sorry, Philip. Does the office slut have special kickbacks that I wasn't aware of?" Stephanie angrily contended that it had been Melanie who had boasted about having sex with Philip, and Philip reminded Melanie that it had never happened. He declared that he'd rather stick his hand in a garbage disposal than sleep with her, adding, "I don't want your project. Take it. And I definitely don't want you."
E.J. walked into the DiMera living room and overheard Stefano on the phone, requesting that Dr. Heisman be Nicole's primary obstetrician. E.J. ordered his father to hang up, and when Stefano ignored him, E.J. disconnected the call himself. After glaring icily at his son for a long moment, Stefano launched into a tirade about E.J.'s insolence. E.J. calmly reminded Stefano that he and Nicole had made it clear that they did not want her to see Dr. Heisman. He added that if Stefano wished to be a part of his grandchild's life, he'd better start treating them with more respect. Stefano chuckled and declared that he liked E.J.'s newfound assertiveness, and agreed to try to stay out of E.J. and Nicole's affairs.
Nicole went to visit Chloe in the hospital, where she bumped into Daniel. He told her that Chloe was off having some tests done, and asked why Nicole had missed her last couple of prenatal checkups. Nicole laughed it off as merely the forgetfulness of pregnancy, so Daniel offered to examine her right then. Nicole claimed that she was about to take her dog to the groomer, but promised to reschedule right away. Daniel wondered why she was avoiding her appointments, and noted that she seemed nervous. Nicole hedged, asserting that she'd feel more comfortable seeing a doctor who wasn't Victor's godson. When Daniel offered to give her the names of some good obstetricians, she replied that she was seeing the doctor who had saved her baby's life during her recent scare. Daniel tried to get her to divulge the doctor's name so he could forward her medical records, but Nicole said that she could take them herself, as she had an appointment that afternoon.
A little later, Nicole went to the clinic to see Dr. Baker. She gave him her chart from University Hospital and told him that he was going to pretend to be her obstetrician. He flatly refused, reminding her that she'd never helped him pay off his debts like she'd promised. Nicole told him that she'd come back to sweeten the pot, but Dr. Baker declared that he was no longer interested. Nicole countered that he'd be in deep trouble if E.J.-who was Stefano DiMera's son-ever found out that the doctor had lied to him. Reluctantly, Dr. Baker agreed to lie again for Nicole-but, in exchange, he demanded $750,000 cash up front. Nicole argued that she didn't have that kind of money, and she could hardly ask E.J. for it. Dr. Baker replied, "Then there's not a hell of a lot I can do for you."
E.J. found Daniel at the hospital, and said he wanted to warn Nicole about the obstetrician Stefano wanted her to see. E.J. was surprised when Daniel informed him that Nicole had said she'd decided to keep seeing the "miracle worker" who'd saved her baby's life.
E.J. called the clinic, pretending that he was supposed to meet Nicole there but was stuck in traffic, and they confirmed that she was already there.
Nicole followed Dr. Baker out of the exam room, imploring him to consider other options or to let her pay it in installments. Just as they reached the waiting area, E.J. walked in the front door. "Nicole, what the bloody hell are you doing here?" he asked.
Philip fired Melanie from Titan and called her a traitor for threatening to give up part of her stake in the alternative fuel project to the competition. Before Melanie left Titan, she tried to call Victor, pretending to be Chelsea, but he wasn't available. Stephanie asked Philip if he regretted his decision to fire Melanie, given that he had hired her in the first place to help her out. Philip was annoyed with Melanie, especially because she was always there when he tried to get close to Stephanie.
Stephanie figured that with Melanie gone, she and Philip would get a lot of work done. While they were talking, the lights went out, but he explained that it was part of Titan's policy to save energy by turning off all the lights at 8:00 p.m. Philip told her they were done working for the day, and they shared their first kiss.
At the Brady Pub, Melanie told Caroline she was sorry she hadn't come forward sooner about what happened in the graveyard, because then Caroline wouldn't have gone to jail for Trent's murder. Caroline understood. Melanie introduced herself to Victor, who interrupted their conversation, and she told him how Philip fired her even though she was going to make Titan Enterprises millions of dollars. Victor asked her to sit down and tell him what happened.
While Stephanie and Philip were kissing, Victor dropped by Titan. He turned the lights on and asked to speak to Philip alone. Victor took Philip to task for his decision to fire Melanie, and said Philip made a personal decision when he should have made it all about business. Victor said Philip's decision to hire Melanie and then fire her practically the next day made the company look bad, but Philip didn't care. He said either Victor trusted him to run the company or he didn't.
Melanie ran into Stephanie at the pub and insinuated that Philip would be delayed because Melanie told Victor how Philip fired her. Stephanie accused Melanie of backstabbing Philip, but Melanie said she was just telling Victor the truth. Plus, Melanie said she warned Philip that she would shop the invention around. Stephanie predicted that there was no way Victor would choose money over his son.
Philip wondered why Victor handed the company over to him, but still overrode Philip's decisions. Victor accused Philip of making dumb decisions. Philip thought being the head of Titan was the right job for him and that he could make his father proud. Victor said Philip could make him proud if he used his head, but Philip thought Victor got a kick out of humiliating him. Then Philip quit.
After John finished his session with Dr. Taylor, he ran into Marlena and asked her for information on Dr. Taylor's personal life. He was frustrated that Dr. Taylor never talked about herself. Marlena said she didn't know anything about Dr. Taylor, and theorized that Dr. Taylor was probably freezing him out because she was worried about transference.
Marlena wondered if he was planning on staying in therapy, and John asked her if she wanted him to quit. Marlena advised John to stay in therapy, so he agreed to continue. She invited him to spend the holidays with her. John decided to check with Dr. Taylor first to see what she thought about the invitation, just in case the doctor thought it might set back his therapy.
Dr. Taylor found it comforting that fate had brought her and Marlena together, and she said she wanted to bring Marlena and John back to each other. John later asked Dr. Taylor if she felt he should spend the holidays alone or with family, and she said she wanted him to do what made him feel comfortable. Dr. Taylor said she didn't want to come between John and Marlena, and, in fact, she wanted John to reconcile with Marlena.
Rafe decided he had to find a new guard for Sami, since his identity had been compromised. Sami was angry with Rafe, assuming he saw her only as an unresolved case. She wanted to know how he would ensure that her new guard wouldn't give up any information to the killer, and he assured her that that wouldn't happen.
Sami vented about how everyone she loved left her - Will, Lucas, Brandon, and E.J. Rafe said she still had a thing for E.J. They argued, and Rafe said he wasn't bothered by her mentioning E.J.'s name - he was just making an observation. Plus, he didn't want his time spent protecting Sami to go to waste.
Sami promised that once she was out of protective custody, she would stay out of trouble. Rafe put the gift-wrapped laughing penguin under the tree and then noticed another gift with his name on it. Sami said she would have to give his gift to the next guard, since Rafe wouldn't be there for Christmas. Rafe decided he might have to stay, after all.
She wondered whether he would have to have his stitches examined by a doctor during his Christmas vacation. She asked him if his family lived in Salem, and he said no. He also wasn't sure how long he would be gone, since he had two months of vacation saved up.
Whem Sami was in the bathroom, she overheard Rafe calling his superior to tell him to give Hilda the holidays off, because it wasn't safe for him to leave Sami. He said the killer could trail him, which would put Sami at increased risk. Sami went back into the bathroom, then slipped and fell.
Nicole begged Dr. Baker to pretend to be her obstetrician, but he said he needed $750,000 to do it. Nicole ran into E.J. at the clinic, and he demanded to know what she was doing there. Nicole said she was there to see Dr. Baker, and E.J. wondered why she wanted Dr. Baker to be her obstetrician.
Nicole said she decided to fire Dr. Jonas as her obstetrician because of his connection to Victor, and she thought the other doctors at the Salem University Hospital had ties to the Bradys or the Hortons. She said that when Kayla examined her, she badmouthed E.J. to Nicole behind his back. E.J. was angry that Nicole was sneaking around behind his back and using the defense that she thought everyone in town hated her.
Nicole was afraid of E.J.'s intensity, and she apologized for worrying him, but she credited Dr. Baker with saving their baby. E.J. said any competent doctor could have done the same thing, but she felt more comfortable with Dr. Baker, because he was attentive and caring when she had problems with the baby before. She told E.J. she wasn't going to have the baby at the clinic, because Dr. Baker had privileges at other hospitals. E.J. agreed to support Nicole's decision.
She was upset, though, at the idea of E.J. tracking her down like a child and his father sending her to a Swiss doctor to sign her child's life away. E.J. said she didn't have anything to worry about, because he had put Stefano on notice. Nicole mentioned that she didn't have a ring or anything that made her feel secure about their future. E.J. promised to take care of Nicole.
She wanted him to demonstrate how much he loved her. He said he set up a trust fund worth about a million dollars for the baby. Nicole told E.J. he gave her life back to her. He didn't understand what she meant, and she was touched that he trusted her enough to give her a blank check. He said she must have misunderstood him, because since it was a trust fund, that meant she couldn't touch the money.
He asked when she could access to the money, and he said it wouldn't be for a long time. She accused him of not trusting her, but he thought she was the one with the trust issues. E.J. wondered if it was his DiMera name, and she used that as an excuse. Nicole said if E.J. gave her access to the money in their child's trust fund early, it would mean that he trusted her.
Instead, he offered to give her a living allowance, but that wasn't what she wanted, either. She said by giving her early access to the money in the trust, it would mean that E.J. valued her as a person and not just an incubator for their baby. Dr. Baker asked if they had come to a decision about whether he would be Nicole's obstetrician, and E.J. said they decided to have Dr. Baker as Nicole's doctor.
Back at the mansion, E.J. knocked on Nicole's bedroom door and told her he was tired of them sleeping in separate bedrooms. He wanted to hold Nicole at night.
After Philip quit his job in anger, an irate Victor declared that, since Philip had proven he couldn't run Titan, Victor would have to make other arrangements for the future of the company. When Philip responded with bitter sarcasm, Victor pointed out that Philip had rejected a project that could be the next billion-dollar industry, and which could make a fortune for Titan. Philip countered that he couldn't do business with Melanie because she was completely dishonorable-which Victor should also have been able to recognize. Victor declared it was a shame that Philip Kiriakis would sacrifice their family's entire company, "all because some woman got under his skin." Philip hotly denied it, but Victor asserted that women had always clouded Philip's judgment.
Melanie caught Stephanie eavesdropping outside Philip's office. Stephanie angrily declared that Melanie had repaid Philip's kindness by turning her back on him-and pointed out that Melanie didn't work there anymore. Melanie retorted that Victor didn't want her to go, so Stephanie had better learn to be more respectful. If Stephanie didn't, Melanie added nastily, "I've managed to oust you from my brother's life, and it is only a matter of time before I figure out a way to do the same with you and Philip."
Philip, fed up with Victor's insults, stalked out of the office. He was surprised to find Stephanie in the reception area, as they'd arranged to meet at the pub. Stephanie told him she'd returned because she'd learned that Melanie had gone to Victor behind Philip's back. Melanie smugly defended her actions, but Philip wasn't interested. As Philip escorted Stephanie out, Victor summoned Melanie into Philip's former office.
As they arrived outside the Brady Pub, Stephanie asked Philip why he'd quit. Philip heatedly replied that he was furious at Victor for repeatedly questioning his judgment. Stephanie matter-of-factly reminded him that he had let his emotions guide his decisions, breaking his own number-one rule about business. Philip admitted that perhaps he had been rash, but he just couldn't deal with Melanie. Stephanie urged him to apologize to his father and ask for his job back. Philip grimly replied that, even if Victor agreed, he'd find some way to punish Philip.
Victor announced to Melanie that Titan would be picking up the option on the alternative-fuel project, and that he would do whatever he could to make sure she was happy. Melanie replied that she wouldn't be happy unless Philip was running Titan. Victor reminded her that theirs was a business deal, which Philip's absence would not affect. Before Melanie could argue, Victor's phone rang, and he asked her to leave so that he could talk in private.
On the phone, Philip apologized to Victor for being insolent and disrespectful, and asked for his job back. Victor consented on the condition that Philip never lose objectivity again. Melanie eavesdropped as Philip countered that Victor must trust him and not undermine his decisions. Victor then informed Philip that they needed to discuss the future of Titan immediately.
After Philip hung up, he went into the pub and told Stephanie that Victor had given him his job back, and she hugged him in congratulations. Stephanie noted that they were under the mistletoe, but Philip played dumb as to its meaning. Stephanie kissed him passionately to demonstrate-while Melanie spied on them through the window. Melanie turned away and said petulantly to herself, "Enjoy the mistletoe, Stephanie, because pretty soon you're going to be the Ghost of Christmas Past."
Daniel entered Chloe's hospital room and was surprised to find her gone. He asked a nurse where she was, and the nurse informed him that Chloe's fiancé had taken her home. A disappointed Daniel remembered the tension-filled moment that he and Chloe had recently shared during an examination.
Daniel then stopped by Kate's room. She awakened and greeted him with a sleepy smile. Daniel was happy that she was feeling better, and Kate declared that she was very grateful to be able to spend Christmas with her family-and with Daniel. She then gave Daniel a jewelry box that contained a necklace, and asked if he would drop it off at the Horton cabin for Chloe. She explained that Lucas' father, Bill Horton, had given it to her on Christmas Eve years before, and she'd always wanted to give it to someone who was very special to Lucas. Daniel was concerned that he would disturb Lucas and Chloe, but Kate assured him that they wouldn't be there, and instructed him to let himself in with the spare key, and then leave the necklace under the tree.
At the Horton Cabin, Chloe was reading in a rocking chair beside the fire. Lucas came in from the outdoor shower, wearing only a towel, and sat near her on the hearth to warm up. Chloe declared that she would miss the cabin after they moved into their dream house, and hoped they could still spend lots of time there. They kissed, but soon Lucas reluctantly tore himself away because he had to leave for a meeting. He was worried about leaving Chloe alone, but she assured him that she would be fine. Lucas suggested that they drive to Chicago to look at Christmas lights after he returned from his meeting, since Maggie would be keeping Allie. As they kissed, Chloe suddenly recalled the moment she'd shared with Daniel.
Maggie arrived to pick up Allie just as Lucas had gotten dressed and was headed out the door for his meeting. She told him they had a date to bake cookies at Alice's for the Horton Christmas Eve party. When Lucas had gone, Maggie commended Chloe for what she'd done for Kate. Maggie then looked around at the holiday decorations and sighed happily, declaring that it brought back wonderful memories of all the times she and Mickey had spent there. She added that it was the perfect place to get away from the rest of the world, and just focus on the person you loved.
Maggie pulled up a chair next to Chloe, and Chloe agreed that the cabin already had special memories for her, because it was where she'd "found herself"-and love-again. Maggie noted that Chloe made Lucas very happy, but wanted to know if he made Chloe happy. Chloe reassured her that Lucas was the most caring and honest man she'd ever known, and she knew that he was the right person for her.
After Maggie had left with Allie, Lucas called Chloe from a payphone near the pier, and told her that his car had broken down on his way home from the meeting-and his cell phone had died-so he was waiting for a tow truck. He assured her he'd try to get home as fast as he could, and Chloe lovingly wished him luck. When they hung up, she announced mischievously to herself that she would let him unwrap one of his presents early.
As Chloe walked back into the bedroom, Daniel arrived at the front of the house. He peered in the window and was grateful to see that no one appeared to be home. He then began looking in the bushes around the front door for the spare key.
Once Daniel had found the key, he was clumsily trying to get the door open, just as Chloe, clad only in a skimpy red negligee, emerged from the bedroom. Hearing the key in the lock, she eagerly rushed to the door, proclaiming, "Merry Christmas early! I hope you're ready to unwrap your-" and flung the door open to find a very flustered Daniel standing there.
At the DiMera mansion, E.J. knocked on Nicole's door, and, when she opened it, he presented her with a single red rose. He reassured her that she and the baby meant the world to him. He declared his love for her, adding that he wanted to sleep with her in her bed, so he could hold her in his arms all night. Nicole let him in, and they kissed, but suddenly she pulled away. E.J. asked her what was wrong. She replied that she was unsure if he had her and the baby's best interests at heart, because he didn't trust her with the money he'd set aside for the baby. E.J. reminded her that the money was for the baby's future-and that Nicole wanted for nothing. Nicole maintained that she would not share her bed or her life with him until the issue was resolved.
E.J. reiterated that she and the baby were well taken care of. Nicole tearfully asserted that she was nothing more than a DiMera possession, a "baby mama," and she found that hurtful and insulting. E.J. gave up in frustration and left for his bedroom. Nicole angrily hurled the rose to the floor and broke down in sobs. When her cell phone rang, she was perturbed to see that it was Dr. Baker. She refused to answer it, muttering that she had neither his money nor a baby, but then reminded herself that E.J. was worth more than all the money in the world.
E.J. was sitting downstairs by the fire, trying to figure out what was going on with her. Nicole, who had changed from her pink bathrobe into a more appealing peignoir, found him there. She contended apologetically that her pregnancy hormones were making her crazy and irrational, and she feared she would lose him if it continued. E.J. assured her that would never happen, because he felt closer to her than he ever had to anyone. "When I'm away from you, I feel lonely," he added, "and when I'm with you, I feel like the sun just came up." Nicole melted, and they kissed.
As E.J. held her, his hands traveled to the pregnancy pad, and he suddenly pulled away. "Wow, that feels different," he remarked. Nicole fumbled for words to explain, but E.J. said it merely felt bigger, like the baby was growing. Relieved, Nicole claimed she'd been feeling insecure because she'd gained so much weight. E.J. asked if she would reconsider sleeping together, but she argued that she'd been having night sweats, and the doctor had urged her to get plenty of sleep. She promised a disappointed E.J. that after the baby was born, they would have their whole lives to lie in bed together.
They began kissing again, but when it grew more passionate, Nicole pushed him away. E.J. was frustrated, but understood, and offered to get some ice cream to help them cool off. After he went into the kitchen, the doorbell rang, but none of the servants arrived to answer it. Annoyed because of the late hour, Nicole went to open the door, and was horrified to find Dr. Baker on the doorstep. While E.J. called from the other room to ask who was at the door, the doctor demanded to know if she'd gotten the money. Nicole snapped that she needed more time to come up with three-quarters of a million dollars, but Dr. Baker insisted that he wanted an answer immediately.
Sami emerged from the bathroom and overheard Rafe on the phone with his supervisor. She paused in the doorway as he told his boss that he was concerned that the killer might tail him back to the safe house, and so he felt he shouldn't leave. Sami quietly ducked back into the bathroom as he hung up, but suddenly slipped and fell. Rafe heard her fall, and hurriedly limped into the bathroom to find her unconscious on the floor.
Once Rafe had roused Sami and moved to the couch, he worriedly asked if she were all right. As she was assuring him that she was, suddenly she gasped and clutched her stomach. "I think it's the baby!" she exclaimed anxiously.
Rafe called a doctor, who wanted to know whether the baby was still moving. Sami laughed in surprise and said that it was kicking, and grabbed Rafe's hand and placed it on her abdomen. With an astonished smile, he marveled at how strong the baby's kicks were, and relayed to the doctor that the baby was definitely moving. Rafe hung up and informed Sami that, based on her lack of troubling symptoms, the doctor had said her cramping was likely only stress-related. He berated himself for adding to her stress, because he'd just gotten stabbed and because the killer knew his identity. Sami firmly told him to stop worrying.
Rafe resignedly declared that he had to quit, and Sami was taken aback. She asked why he'd changed his mind. He replied that he would have felt bad if he'd left her right before Christmas, when she was already having such a tough time being away from her family. He added that he realized he'd let his emotions get in the way, and he did not want to compromise her safety any longer. Sami argued that she didn't want some new guard to protect her-she wanted him.
They laughed about how intensely they'd disliked each other at first. Sami conceded that their first impressions had actually been right-she was a "spoiled brat," but he was the ideal "arrogant jerk" she needed to keep her in line. Rafe reluctantly declared that he would stay, and Sami was thrilled, but tried to hide it. As she was asserting that they both should try to relax, her vision began to blur, and she said she felt lightheaded. Rafe gently helped her sit down, and anxiously insisted she let him take care of her.
After Rafe had brought Sami a cup of tea, he confessed that he was amazed by everything she was going through to protect her baby. Sami fretted that she'd made the wrong decision, wondering how long she could keep it a secret. When Rafe asked if she were changing her mind, she adamantly denied it, declaring that because E.J. was a DiMera, he could never find out about the baby. Rafe asked if that made her sad, and Sami quietly replied, "Why wouldn't it?"
