At the hospital, Daniel pulled Vivian aside and demanded to know what Vivian was up to and what she wanted with Chloe. Vivian wondered why Chloe or Carly didn't tell Daniel, and she mocked him, saying, "Poor Daniel. What are your girlfriends keeping from you?" Daniel demanded that Vivian "shut up and listen." He ordered her to stay away from Chloe. Vivian chided Daniel for being rude to her. Even more irritating, Vivian said, was the "abuse" that Daniel was "heaping" on her based on "conjecture." He denied that it was based on conjecture, and she asked if he knew what she and Chloe were talking about.

Daniel warned Vivian to stay away from Chloe, Carly, and Melanie, and if she didn't there would be "hell to pay." Vivian wasn't intimidated by Daniel's threat. Daniel left a message for Chloe and told her about his conversation with Vivian. He chastised Chloe for keeping secrets from him.

Carly offered to keep quiet about Chloe's indiscretion as long as Chloe could prove that the baby Chloe was carrying was Daniel's. Chloe insisted that the baby was Daniel's. Carly could tell that Chloe was afraid that the baby might not be Daniel's. Chloe admitted she wasn't sure whose baby she was carrying. Carly suggested that Chloe do a paternity test, and Chloe assumed that Carly planned on exposing Chloe's secret no matter what.

Carly said that if the baby was Daniel's, Carly would let it go and would pray that Daniel didn't find out about the truth of Chloe's infidelity in another way. Carly thought that if that happened, Carly would lose Daniel, and Melanie, for good. Chloe checked her phone and saw that Daniel had called. Carly wondered if the man that Chloe had slept with would be a complication, and Chloe said that it was a "meaningless" one-time thing with someone that she would never see again.

Carly showed up at the hospital, and Daniel asked if she knew about Vivian bothering Chloe. Carly said that when she had gone to check on Chloe, she had seen Vivian. Carly admitted that it had happened the night before. Daniel was worried about being out of the loop.

Melanie was perplexed by the worried look on Philip's face when she announced that Chloe was pregnant. She asked why he seemed upset by the news, and he said it was because he thought that Chloe had virtually no chance of getting pregnant. He suspected that Chloe was having a "hysterical" pregnancy, but Melanie explained that Carly did the sonogram herself and that was the reason that Chloe and Daniel didn't get married.

Melanie worried that Philip was upset with Melanie for not telling him the news about Chloe sooner, but he was fine with that. He did want to know if Melanie knew how far along Chloe was. Melanie said she didn't know and asked why it would matter. She thought it was a weird question to ask, and Philip asked if that was a normal thing to wonder when the baby would be born. He said that he wanted to know when Chloe and Daniel would feel comfortable telling people about the pregnancy.

Melanie admitted that she had overreacted, and Philip added that he was concerned about Chloe's health, given her history. The hospital paged Melanie to cover an emergency shift, and Philip planned to visit Chloe. Melanie worried that Daniel would be mad at her for spilling the beans to Philip, but she figured Daniel couldn't be too angry, since husbands and wives weren't supposed to have secrets. Philip agreed that there should be no secrets.

Melanie was preparing to go to the hospital, but she found out that the hospital didn't need her to cover someone's shift after all. Vivian showed up at Maggie's house, and Melanie asked what she wanted. Vivian pretended to be interested in seeing how Melanie was as Vivian's "daughter-in-law." Melanie corrected Vivian, and insisted that she wasn't Vivian's daughter-in-law. Melanie pointed out that Vivian always had an agenda.

Melanie told Vivian goodbye, but Vivian wanted to share why Vivian's marriage was falling apart. Vivian suggested that Melanie and Philip move back to the Kiriakis mansion, but Melanie said that the thought of living with Victor and Vivian made Melanie ill. Melanie reminded Vivian that she'd tried to kill Melanie. Vivian said that Carly wouldn't know the truth "if it hit her in the face" and she ruined the lives of the people she loved. Vivian warned that Carly would ruin Melanie's life and make Melanie wish that Carly "had better aim the first time."

Daniel and Carly went to the Brady Pub to talk, and she said that she didn't hear much of Vivian and Chloe's conversation, and Vivian was belligerent when Carly confronted her. Carly said that she went back to see Chloe in the morning to try to smooth things over, and Carly believed that she and Chloe had an "understanding." Daniel said it meant a lot to him that Carly and Chloe were making an effort to get along.

Daniel thanked Carly for being a good friend and for having his back. Daniel left, and Melanie showed up, startling Carly in the process. Melanie could tell that Carly was upset. Carly said she was worried about a decision she made regarding a patient. Carly said she felt lucky to be rebuilding her life with people she cared about and would hate to lose that.

Philip stopped by Chloe and Daniel's apartment and asked when Chloe was going to tell him that he was the father of her baby. Philip chided Chloe for not telling him about the baby. Philip thought about when he and Belle had tried to have a baby, but he changed the subject back to Chloe. Chloe said that her and Philip's future was in Carly's hands.

Chloe explained the terms of Carly's deal, and he wondered what Carly would do if the child was Philip's, but Chloe didn't want to think about it. Philip said that if the baby were his, he would be there for the baby and Chloe. Philip reminded Chloe of her bad track record of keeping their secret. He yelled at her to keep her "damn mouth shut" about them having sex. He said if they had conceived a child together, he couldn't go on lying to Melanie -- he wanted to tell Melanie the truth.

Chloe ordered Philip not to tell anyone, because it was likely that she was carrying Daniel's baby. She reminded him that if he confessed, everything would be ruined. Philip agreed to do things her way. Chloe said they had no choice but to keep their secret between the two of them. The door slammed. It was Daniel who had returned home.

Sami looked on the beach for Johnny's penguin when Rafe happened to walk by. Rafe explained that he was going for a swim, and he asked what she was doing there. Sami said that she had been there the night before for a "family picnic" and Johnny lost his penguin. Rafe picked up on her description of a "family" gathering and assumed that E.J. was involved. Rafe said he knew about it because Gabi had told him. Rafe put his towel down and spotted the stuffed penguin that Sami was looking for.

Rafe dusted off the penguin and gave it to Sami. She told him how the kids were doing and that they didn't forget about him and never would. Rafe got emotional about how much he missed the kids. Rafe said it didn't matter why he and Sami weren't together, just that they weren't together. Gabi showed up to help find the penguin. Sami said that Rafe had already saved the day, and Rafe wished that everything were that easy.

Sami left, and Gabi apologized for walking in on a moment between Rafe and Sami. He said there was nothing going on. Gabi told him that the night before, Sami admitted to missing Rafe, and he said he missed Sami, too, but it wasn't enough.

Nicole tore into E.J. about the revelation that he had Sydney kidnapped. "I knew you were an evil son-of-a bitch, but this..." she said. E.J. called Nicole's accusation a "fable," but she said it wasn't a "fable," it was the "God's honest truth." E.J. claimed that he was out of his mind at the time because Nicole had stolen his child. Nicole said that E.J. was out of his mind and was "playing it that way too." E.J. started to leave, but Nicole stopped him to pay him a compliment on his "Oscar-worthy" performance.

E.J. accused Nicole of snapping and making up the story. Nicole said her plot to keep Sydney as hers was motivated by loss, grief, and "deep, crushing pain," whereas he was motivated by revenge against Nicole and Sami at Sydney's expense. Nicole said that what E.J. did was a "far worse crime" than Nicole's could ever be and he would pay for it.

Nicole said E.J. would pay just like he had to pay at her hearing for Sydney's kidnapping. E.J. said that she needed to be put away for life -- not months like she had been. Nicole said it was "ludicrous" that she hadn't figured it out earlier. E.J. said that Nicole didn't have any proof, and she bluffed that she didn't have proof. Then when he started to leave, she said she lied, and she didn't forget about the proof. She showed him the recorder that had taped the conversation between him and Stefano.

E.J. assumed that she had recorded the conversation, but he bluffed and said that she didn't have anything incriminating against him and Stefano. He started to walk away, and she played the recording. It stopped him in his tracks, and Nicole stood there smugly holding the recorder as it revealed E.J.'s role in Sydney's kidnapping. Nicole played it again when E.J. didn't respond. E.J. was stunned that she had proof of his misdeeds. He grabbed the recorder from her hands, threw it to the ground, and stepped on it.

"You are aware that I'm not an idiot, right?" Nicole said. She said she made a lot of copies of E.J.'s confession with accompanying letters that were to be mailed to every legal authority in the state just in case E.J. or Stefano tried to do something to her. She said that was why it took her so long to confront him. He asked what her price was, and she said, "That's the beauty of this whole thing -- there is no price."

Nicole said that E.J. didn't have anything that she wanted. All she wanted was E.J.'s destruction. She just wanted to see the look of shock on his face when she revealed that she knew the truth and had proof of it. Nicole told E.J. to stay away from her, reminding him that they were in a public place, but he didn't care about that. He felt he had nothing left to lose. Sami walked by just in the nick of time.

While talking in her apartment Chloe warned Philip not to confess to Melanie about their one-night stand. Nodding solemnly, Philip agreed, adding, "We have to keep this between the two of us." "Keep what between the two of you?" Daniel queried as he entered the apartment. Though Chloe responded that she had no secrets, a suspicious Daniel questioned why Chloe seemed so upset. "We have to tell him the truth," Philip said. Off of Chloe's nervous look, Philip added that he accidentally learned about Chloe's pregnancy from Melanie and had come over to the apartment to congratulate her. "That's when she told me that you guys were trying to keep it a secret," Philip noted.

Nodding, Daniel admitted that he did not expect Melanie to keep the news from her husband. Daniel then added that he was still concerned that Philip and Chloe were acting like they were discussing something more serious when he walked in. Philip told Daniel that the conversation looked intense because he had put Chloe in a difficult position in asking her not to tell Daniel that Melanie had informed him about the pregnancy. Still suspicious, Daniel asked Philip why he felt he would be mad at his daughter for telling her husband news that Daniel could not keep quiet himself.

Attempting to ease the tension, Chloe jumped into the conversation and noted that she and Philip were "just being silly and superstitious" in wanting to keep the news a secret. Chloe added that she had changed her mind and no longer felt like they needed to keep the pregnancy a secret. As Daniel studied Chloe's face, Philip approached, and shook his hand, and congratulated him on the baby. Philip excused himself, and once in the apartment hallway, Philip muttered to himself, "that baby has to be his. It has to be."

Inside Daniel and Chloe's apartment, Chloe asked Daniel whether he was okay with Melanie telling Philip the baby news. "She's married to Philip Kiriakis. Not much I can do about that," Daniel groused. When Chloe asked Daniel what he meant, Daniel admitted that although he respected Chloe's friendship with Philip, if he had known Melanie was his daughter before the wedding, "I would have done everything possible to stop that marriage." Concerned, Chloe asked Daniel why he was being so hard on Philip. Daniel explained that he was concerned about the age difference between Melanie and Philip. When Daniel added that he was annoyed that Philip had pushed Chloe to agree to keep a secret, Chloe blamed herself. Daniel shook his head.

"That's the other thing that bothers me. Why is it you're always upset after you've been talking to him?" Daniel asked. Though Chloe refuted Daniel's suggestion, Daniel argued that he was unnerved by the fact that Philip ran over to see Chloe as soon as he learned about the baby, rather than waiting for Chloe to tell him the news. "I hope he's not tying my daughter up in knots the way he does you," Daniel concluded. Concerned, Daniel asked Chloe to keep her distance from Philip. Surprised, Chloe noted that Philip was Daniel's son-in-law, so keeping her distance would be difficult. Daniel amended his request and asked Chloe to avoid seeing Philip one-on-one.

Chloe questioned why Daniel wanted her to blow off one of her friends. Frustrated, Daniel argued that Philip was more than just a friend to Chloe and that he was uncomfortable with Chloe's close relationship with Philip, since he was her ex-boyfriend. When Chloe commented that Daniel had no need to be jealous, Daniel noted that Chloe was around Philip all the time. "Why? He is a married man, for God's sake!" Daniel growled. When Chloe asked Daniel why he was so angry, Daniel admitted that he was jealous.

Chloe apologized to Daniel and admitted that she did not expect Daniel would be unnerved by her friendship with Philip. Daniel reminded Chloe that he had witnessed Chloe meeting with Philip at the pub on numerous occasions and that she had admitted she confided in Philip about her life. Chloe promised Daniel she would avoid Philip and that if he contacted her, she would tell Philip "we're not allowed to be friends because Daniel feels excluded!" Angry over Chloe's sarcasm, Daniel told Chloe to forget his request and do "whatever the hell you want to do."

Chloe apologized to Daniel and admitted that Philip did have a negative effect on her at times. "I would never want to make you feel jealous or threatened in any way," Chloe added. Daniel admitted that he was riled up before he got home because he had returned from a visit with Vivian about her appearance at the apartment the night before. Daniel asked Chloe to tell him what Vivian had said, and Chloe explained that Vivian admitted she was the one to orchestrate the appearance of a fake affair between Carly and Daniel. "I am gonna wring her scrawny little neck," Daniel growled.

Chloe begged Daniel to "let it go." Daniel apologized for not believing Chloe when she told him about the hotel clerk and the nurse informing her of the fake affair. "I take back every rotten thing I said about Philip. Thank God he was there for you because I sure as hell wasn't," Daniel said. Daniel admitted that he did not hate Philip, which caused Chloe to turn away.

"Maybe now that you understand what was going on with me, maybe you'll understand what happened between Philip and me," Chloe announced. Concerned, Daniel pressed Chloe to tell him what she meant. "I just felt so alone when you said you didn't believe me, I thought it was because you and Carly were having an affair. I'm so sorry," Chloe said. "I'm not blameless in all of this," Chloe added. Chloe tried to admit what had happened, but Daniel interrupted to assure Chloe that he forgave her. "We can keep feeling guilty, or we can move on. What's it going to be?" Daniel asked. Overcome, Chloe grabbed Daniel and kissed him passionately.

Down at shore of the lake, Melanie was in the middle of setting up a picnic when Arianna arrived. Melanie explained that she wanted to give Arianna a pleasant experience since she was out of jail. Though Arianna was unsure of her future, Melanie assured Arianna that the police would find the real mugger and clear Arianna's name. With a weak smile, Arianna thanked Melanie for having faith in her.

After examining the plates on the blanket, Arianna noticed there were three settings and asked who would be joining them on their picnic. Before Melanie could answer, Brady emerged from the water and ran up to the blanket. When Brady asked Arianna what Melanie had told her about their picnic, Arianna admitted that Melanie told her that "it would be a great day down at the lake" but had not mentioned that Brady would be there. When Arianna and Brady turned to Melanie, she rolled her eyes at them.

"I was thinking that one of the lovely things that you two have in common is stubborn streak and that it was gonna take somebody with a brain in her head to make you realize that you still loved each other," Melanie said. Melanie reminded Brady and Arianna that she had tricked them in to meeting at the Horton cabin the previous year. Brady thanked Melanie for caring, and he added that his relationship with Arianna was off-limits to Melanie. Melanie responded, "If Philip and I could get through all the garbage that we went through then anybody can."

"There are problems with us that you don't understand," Brady said. Arianna added that she was not going to get back together with Brady just because they went to a picnic together. Nodding, Melanie informed Brady and Arianna that they were free to leave if they could look one another in the eye and say they no longer loved the other person. Arianna and Brady admitted that they still loved one another, but despite their feelings, they had agreed that they could no longer continue with their romantic relationship.

Melanie begged Brady and Arianna to talk to one another once more. As Brady and Arianna nervously looked at one another, Arianna gave a small nod and agreed she would talk to Brady. With a smile on her face, Melanie informed Brady and Arianna that there was lunch in the basket and that she was going to leave them alone to talk. Once Melanie was gone, Arianna asked Brady if he thought they made a mistake in ending their relationship. Brady and Arianna admitted that they loved one another, and he wondered aloud what went wrong between them. "You got to know it was Nicole," Arianna said.

When Brady turned away, Arianna noted that Brady was acting defensive even at the mention of Nicole's name. Brady bristled and told Arianna that he disagreed with her about Nicole. When Brady commented on his distrust of E.J., Arianna responded, "E.J. has never doubted my innocence." Brady explained that as a recovering addict, he needed to decide every morning to maintain his sobriety.

"I've been there and so has Nicole and that's why I can't just turn my back on her. I don't think you understand people like Nicole and me," Brady said. "We're not like you. You have innate strength. It's very natural for you, you can handle drug dealers and prison and your sister and all your problems easily. You're not like us. We can't do that," Brady added. "And you don't see how strong I think you are for getting up every day and making that decision. You relate more to Nicole than you do to me and that is our problem, isn't is?" Arianna argued with tears in her eyes.

After taking a quick call from the station ordering her to head to the pier for a news story, Arianna announced that she had to get to work. Brady asked Arianna if she wanted to continue the conversation later or if they were done. "I think we're done," Arianna said as she held back tears.

Melanie returned home to find Philip in Maggie's kitchen. Philip surprised Melanie with a bouquet of flowers, and Melanie joked that she would expect that kind of treatment from Philip for "the next billion years we're married." Unnerved by Melanie's comment, Philip looked away guiltily and admitted that he had accidentally told Daniel he knew about the baby. When Melanie asked if the flowers were because Daniel was mad at her, Philip corrected Melanie and noted that Daniel was okay with Melanie's slip-up. When Philip explained that he had to tell Daniel that he heard the news from Melanie in order to explain why he was visiting Chloe, Melanie agreed that Philip did the right thing by telling the truth. "I'm glad you just tell the truth now," Melanie said as a grin crept across her face.

After changing clothes, Melanie informed Philip that Vivian had visited her. Annoyed, Philip started to call Vivian. Melanie told Philip not to bother calling Vivian and explained that she had stopped by in order to pitch the idea of Philip and Melanie moving in to the Kiriakis mansion. Philip wanted to call a bodyguard for Melanie, but she put her foot down. Melanie explained that she only mentioned Vivian because she wanted to talk about her future with Philip.

Melanie explained that Maggie did not really need their help anymore, so she wanted to find a house. When Philip eagerly suggested they go house hunting, Melanie noted that she wanted a small cottage with an extra bedroom. Philip questioned whether the extra bedroom was for when Max came to visit, but Melanie noted that she wanted to talk to Philip about making it a nursery.

Noting the look on Philip's face, Melanie asked whether she had upset him with her suggestion. Philip explained that he wanted to have time alone with his wife before they had children. Melanie admitted that she still wanted to wait to have kids, but she did want to discuss the issue before they bought a house. Smiling, Philip agreed that they would buy whatever house Melanie wanted.

At the pier, Sami asked why Nicole begged to meet her on the pier and why she had not mentioned that E.J. would be there. "Do you want to tell her, E.J. or shall I?" Nicole asked. Confused, Sami took E.J. aside and asked him if Nicole was playing one of her "reindeer games." E.J. agreed with Sami's assessment and warned her that Nicole was spinning a new web of lies. Chuckling to herself, Nicole interrupted and predicted aloud that Sami would believe every word she had to say.

"Oh, my God. I know what this is about," Sami said as she narrowed her eyes and turned back toward E.J. When E.J. stuttered nervously, Sami explained that she believed Nicole was upset that E.J. was defending and supporting Arianna. Sami then added that Nicole was likely attempting to tell her a story to drive a wedge between her and E.J. "That is exactly what she wants to have happen," E.J. said. Nicole reminded E.J. that she gave Arianna an alibi. Furious, Sami interrupted Nicole's protestations and said, "You just have a problem with everyone else being happy. You can't stand it."

Taken aback, Nicole wondered aloud whether Sami was so "clueless" that she could not understand what was going on between her and E.J. "Do you really think that E.J. would rush down here and try and stop me from telling you what he did for Arianna? No, he is trying to stop me from telling you what he did all on his own," Nicole chirped. Frustrated, Sami ordered Nicole to explain what she meant. E.J. quietly urged Sami to join him in walking away, but annoyed, Sami said that she wanted to hear what Nicole had to say.

"I want to understand what's going on. You think you have a chance with Brady but to do that, you have to make sure that Arianna is behind bars. This is sort of how I figured it. So E.J.'s screwing that up for you so now you're gonna screw with us?" Sami theorized. With a smirk, Nicole noted that Sami was using the word "us" and asked Sami whether E.J. was "reeling" Sami in. E.J. attempted to convince Sami to walk away but curious, Sami asked Nicole to tell her why she wanted to meet on the pier. Just as Nicole started to explain why she asked Sami to meet her, Sami received a phone call.

Noting that the phone call was about her children, Sami excused herself and walked away. Once Sami was out of earshot, Nicole warned E.J. that she could tell Sami at any moment about E.J.'s involvement in Sydney's kidnapping. With a slight smile, E.J. told Nicole that audiotapes were not admissible evidence in a court of law. "Do you know why? It's because they are very easily doctored," E.J. explained. "What possible reason would I have to want to kidnap my own child? Whereas you, on the other hand, have every reason to want to harm Samantha and me," E.J. added. E.J. urged Nicole to tell her story to Sami, but he cautioned that he would say that Nicole fabricated the tape.

Wanting to unsettle Nicole, E.J. warned her that she should have foregone her desires for revenge and Brady, and never returned to Salem. "You've lost. You understand that, don't you? Samantha and I are very happy. She despises you, and Brady will, too, once I prove that you framed Arianna," E.J. whispered. When Nicole countered that she believed E.J. was bluffing, she warned him that she did not need to tell Sami the news in order to destroy E.J.'s family.

As Nicole slinked away, Sami approached E.J. and asked what Nicole's secret was. When Will asked what Nicole wanted to say, Sami started to explain that Nicole claimed she "had the goods" on E.J. Before Sami could say any more, E.J. interrupted to say that Nicole was bluffing and suggested they head over to the pub. As E.J., Sami, Will, and Gabi started to walk toward the pub, Nicole called out to them to stay because "the show is just about to start." Nicole explained that she had a news crew on its way to cover her exclusive, explosive story. Sami wanted to hear what Nicole had to say, but E.J. gently attempted to steer Sami away from Nicole.

Arianna arrived on the pier with a camera and informed Nicole she was ready to go to air. When E.J. approached Nicole, she whispered, "You shouldn't have said that I didn't have the guts. Because now I'm going to do this in front of your whole fan club." Brady appeared on the pier and asked Nicole what she was doing. "You are not going to want to miss this," Nicole informed Brady.

When E.J. pulled Nicole aside to ask her why she was going on the air, Nicole explained that after watching E.J. prattle on about his family at the place where he had thrown Sydney's bloody clothes into the water, she felt compelled to broadcast on the spot. Across the pier, Sami told Arianna that she felt like Nicole's news report was because she was upset that E.J. was helping Arianna.

As Nicole took her spot in front of the camera, a frantic E.J. pleaded with Sami to leave the pier. "I want to hear what she's gonna say," Sami said sternly. As Nicole went live, she announced, "I'm here with an exclusive report on what, up until now, was an unsolved mystery."

Carly called Bo from the hospital and told him that she was on her way home. As soon as Bo had hung up, Justin knocked at the front door. Justin announced that he wanted to talk to Bo about Hope. As Bo reluctantly admitted his cousin, Justin explained, "Hope's not doing as well on her own as you seem to think she is. She needs somebody by her side-and I want to be that guy." Bo scoffed at Justin's assertion that Hope thought of Justin as more than anything but a friend.

Ignoring him, Justin declared that as soon as Hope was ready to move on, he would be there. "So now I know," Bo replied with forced casualness. Justin wondered why it was all right for Bo to move on with someone new, but not for Hope to. Bo warned Justin not to pressure Hope. As Carly entered, unseen, Justin exasperatedly asserted, "Hope is trying to get over you! If you still care about her, you won't stand in her way." Bo insisted, "Of course I care about her."

Both men noticed Carly then, and Justin made a hasty exit. Carly remarked evenly that it seemed to really bother Bo that Hope might be moving on with Justin. Bo maintained that it was Justin's attitude that bugged him. Carly sympathetically surmised, "It hurt Hope when you and I got together. It has to hurt you to see her getting closer to someone else." Bo was grateful that Carly understood, and pulled her into his lap. "I fell in love with you a long time ago," he declared. "And then fate-or whatever-brought you back into my life, and I fell all over again."

Later, as they lay in bed together, Bo confessed to Carly that he didn't want Hope to rush into anything with the wrong guy. He then asked if Carly thought the two of them had rushed into something. Carly replied that after the nightmare of her previous few years with Lawrence, Bo had been wonderfully kind and protective when she'd arrived in Salem, and all her old feelings for him had flooded back. She continued that she had no regrets, but she hoped Bo didn't feel obligated to her.

Bo assured her that he also had no regrets, and reminded her of all the opportunities she'd given him to leave-opportunities he hadn't taken. "When Hope took my daughter and walked out of my life, I thought my life was over," he declared. "But not anymore. That's because of you." Carly pointed out that when they'd been together before, he'd thought Hope was dead-and it hadn't ended well.

Carly added that they were at the point in their relationship that, "We can either deepen this, or we can end it." She urged Bo to tell her if Hope's moving on bothered him, and explained, "I'd rather be hurt than live a lie." Bo understood, but kissed her passionately to demonstrate that he wasn't ready to end things.

At the hospital, Dr. Spaceman informed Abe that his MRI had been normal. Abe was relieved, but admitted that he hadn't been sleeping well, probably because of his stress about the muggings. Dr. Spaceman began to write out a prescription for some sleeping pills, but Abe was reluctant to have it filled. "I've got a lot of responsibilities at home and at work," Abe explained. "If I'm going to take something like this, I need to know everything that you know about the side effects."

The doctor disclosed that the side effects were rare, and usually affected only women. He added, "This medication puts their brains to sleep, but not their bodies." Abe deduced that meant sleepwalking. Dr. Spaceman clarified that it sometimes went a much further than that-but those were rare instances, and the adversely affected women were usually high-strung to begin with.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Hope called the station to let another detective know that she would be in later to do some follow-up on the muggings case. She was on her way out to a doctor's appointment when she ran into Adrienne, who announced that they needed to talk. Although Hope was in a hurry, she somewhat reluctantly let Adrienne into the foyer. "You seem like something's wrong," Hope observed. Adrienne admitted, "Something's definitely not right. And it's you."

Adrienne followed as Hope stalked into the parlor. "I know you're resentful, but to accuse me of something like this?" Hope complained indignantly. Adrienne insisted that she wasn't accusing anyone, but she needed to talk to Hope after seeing Hope and Justin together. "It is very disconcerting to me that you would deny what I saw with my own eyes: You and Justin were hugging. Your lipstick was all over his lips," Adrienne explained defensively, but firmly maintained that she wasn't jealous.

Hope asked if Adrienne were trying to say that something was wrong with Hope. Adrienne maintained that Hope just hadn't been acting like herself, and Adrienne didn't want Justin to get hurt. Hope sincerely stated that she didn't want that, either, because she didn't know what she would do without Justin's friendship. "His friendship?" Adrienne exclaimed, incredulous. "God, Hope, what kind of game are you playing here?"

Hope asserted that she didn't play games. When Adrienne pressed about whether Hope considered Justin more than a friend, Hope admitted that Justin's mugging had made her realize what it would mean not to have him in her life-and she'd told him that. Adrienne couldn't believe that Hope didn't realize how her actions affected Justin, and angrily reminded Hope that she'd gotten Adrienne to Salem by claiming Justin was in trouble. Hope reiterated how much she regretted having done that, but she'd only been thinking of Justin's-and Adrienne's-happiness.

"And what, you decided to make a play for him?" Adrienne demanded. Hope insisted that Adrienne was seeing things that weren't there. Fighting back angry tears, Adrienne retorted, "I think you're refusing to see things that you don't want to see." Hope asserted that Adrienne should tell Justin if she didn't like the way Hope was treating him, but added with genuine confusion, "I haven't done anything with Justin that I regret. And I don't know why you're so upset with me." Hope left for her appointment, and Adrienne watched her go. "I believe you," she said to herself.

When Hope arrived for her appointment with Dr. Spaceman, her request for another refill of her sleeping medication surprised him. Hope explained that she had stopped taking the pills so she could be alert while caring for her grandmother, and then her grandmother had passed away. Afterward, Hope had felt very alone and had been unable to sleep again, so she'd started taking the pills again. Dr. Spaceman was concerned about whether Hope had experienced any adverse reactions to the medication.

Hope admitted she'd been having strange dreams, but she thought it was because she was going through a difficult divorce and her grandmother had died, not because of the pills. She emphasized how important it was for her to know that she could get a good night's sleep. Dr. Spaceman reluctantly agreed to write another prescription, but tried to inform Hope about a study he'd read. Hope politely cut him off, insisting that she wasn't having problems. She took the prescription from him and left.

Justin bumped into Hope a bit later at the Brady Pub. She asked if he had recalled any new details of his mugging, but he hadn't. Justin remarked that there had already been an arrest in the case. Hope asserted that Arianna didn't seem like a likely suspect, and she wanted to make sure justice was served. Although Hope stated that she needed to interview the other mugging victims, Justin confessed that he'd talked to Bo earlier. "I wanted him to know that you and I are getting closer," he explained. "We are, right?" Adrienne arrived just then and wondered why Hope was there, when she'd been in such a hurry before. Heading for the door, Hope replied apologetically, "I am, and I don't have time for this again, not right now. Excuse me."

Adrienne admitted to Justin that she'd gone to see Hope earlier. "I know she's going through hell," Adrienne declared. "But that doesn't mean she's not bad for you." Justin firmly asserted that what happened between him and Hope was none of Adrienne's business. "You're absolutely right," Adrienne acknowledged. "But Justin, you and Hope have two very different ideas of what's happening between the two of you." Justin begged her not to go after Hope. Adrienne believed that Hope was a lot more screwed up than Justin was willing to admit.

A beaming Abe found Lexie near the nurses' station, and informed his wife that he'd gotten the funding for the after-school program for developmentally delayed children. Lexie was thrilled. As Abe pulled out his phone to give her the number to get Theo into the program, she spotted the prescription and asked him about it. "Sweetheart, why didn't you tell me?" Lexie asked. Abe replied that he hadn't wanted to worry her, but his new doctor thought his insomnia was just due to stress.

Hope arrived just then and overheard, but Lexie quickly downplayed Abe's insomnia. Hope asked if Abe had remembered anything more about his mugging, and when he replied that he hadn't, she asked Lexie if she could take another look at the injury reports. Lexie agreed to pull the copies for Hope. After Lexie and Abe left, Hope poured herself a cup of coffee. Just then, Carly returned to work, with Bo accompanying her. "You'd better get used to it," Bo said, kissing Carly. "This is the kind of things guys do when they're in love." Hope's expression betrayed her utter disappointment and heartbreak.

Arianna held the camera as Nicole addressed her audience, while E.J., Sami, Will, Gabi, Brady, and another man from the television station looked on. "I am live on the Salem pier with an exclusive report on what, up until now, was an unsolved mystery," Nicole stated into the camera. "And when I tell you what I've found, the lives of some people in Salem will never be the same." A worried E.J. remembered his earlier conversation with Nicole, in which she had threatened to go public with her discovery that he had kidnapped Sydney.

Nicole launched into a preamble about how the story had begun over a year before, but E.J. suddenly announced that he had something to say that he wanted the public to hear from him. Arianna whirled around to focus the camera on E.J., as Sami looked at him with surprise. Despite Nicole's protests, E.J. took the microphone from her, and then declared that she was a pathological liar, and the report she intended to air was a "complete and utter fabrication." Yanking the microphone away from him, Nicole asserted that she had proof she wasn't lying. "Cut!" Arianna yelled.

Arianna explained that the station had cut away from Nicole's story because the snow leopard at the Brookville Zoo had just given birth to two cubs. A furious Nicole demanded, "I want to know what moron authorized this!" The other man from the station stepped forward, and introduced himself as Ethan, the new consultant who had been hired to attract a younger audience for the news. While Gabi and Will chatted excitedly with Sami and E.J. about the snow leopard cubs, Nicole interrupted to warn E.J. that she still intended to break the story, because her most important audience was already present.

Dick was reading the newspaper in his hotel room when he noticed Nicole on TV. He watched as the snow leopard story preempted Nicole's, and laughed at her misfortune. He wondered what his "dark-eyed lady" was planning-and why he hadn't heard from her.

Ethan advised Nicole against announcing what her story had been about, lest another station scoop the story. Sami lost interest, and left with Will and Gabi to pick up the twins. When E.J. suggested that Nicole should kill the story before it killed her, it aroused Brady's suspicions. Brady wanted to know why E.J. was so anxious to keep Nicole from airing the story, but E.J. merely left without answering. Nicole apologetically told Brady that she couldn't divulge any details to him, at least not while Arianna was still nearby, but she was onto something big.

As Nicole left the pier, so did Ethan, leaving Arianna and Brady alone. Brady stated that E.J. was freaking out because of whatever Nicole had on him, and cautioned Arianna that she could get hurt if she got between them. Arianna thought that Brady was just upset because E.J. was her lawyer. Brady asserted that E.J. was only representing Arianna to get back at Nicole. Arianna was livid that Brady still hadn't changed his mind about Nicole, and stormed off. Brady then left an urgent message for Nicole to call him.

Dick called Nicole, who irritably snapped, "What do you want?" Dick pointed out that he knew her well enough to know that she was about to stick it to E.J. "Maybe you don't want to be poking him right now," Dick suggested. "It's just going to motivate him to prove that you framed Arianna." Nicole reassured Dick, "When I'm through with E.J., no one will believe a word he has to say about anything."

After they returned home to the DiMera mansion, E.J. informed Sami that he'd been thinking about taking Johnny and Sydney away for the summer. He asked Sami, Allie, and Will to go along. Sami noted that the timing was suspicious, so soon after Nicole's announcement that she had something on E.J. E.J. maintained that since Nicole seemed bent on causing trouble for him, he only wanted to keep the children out of the limelight. Sami seemed to understand, but before they could discuss it further, Arianna called E.J.

E.J. took Arianna's call upstairs in his room, and she asked what Nicole had been up to. E.J. reassured Arianna that it was nothing to worry about, and asked what Nicole had said after he had left. Arianna replied that Nicole had left, but she hadn't told Arianna where she was headed.

When none of the servants responded to the ringing doorbell, Sami answered the door, and was dismayed to see Nicole on the doorstep. "E.J. is lying to you, Sami," Nicole declared. "Don't you want to know why?"

At the hospital, Hope watched Carly and Bo kiss each other and flirt. When Bo left, Carly saw Hope staring at her. Carly asked if she could help Hope. "I think maybe it's the other way around," Hope said. Carly claimed she was too busy to talk, but Hope insisted. She reminded Carly that she knew Bo "more than anyone." Hope said while she wasn't trying to help Carly with Carly's relationship with Bo, Hope still cared and worried about Bo. "I'm mean, after all, he is still my husband," Hope said.

Hope said that women loved how spontaneous and open Bo was, but she reminded Carly that Bo was still the police commissioner and, as a married man, public displays of affection with his new girlfriend wouldn't "play out very well with a lot of people." Carly asked if Hope was trying to protect Bo's image or if Hope was jealous. Hope said it was about something more important than Bo's image -- it was about protecting Bo himself. Hope pointed out that Hope and Bo shared a 25-year history, and Hope's family had become Bo's family, and they were very important to Bo.

Hope pointed out that any of the Hortons could have seen Carly and Bo kissing at the nurses' station and they would have been very upset with him. Hope advised Carly to think about what she was doing to Bo's life. As Hope was chewing Carly out, Bo appeared behind Hope and asked to speak to Hope privately. He asked Hope what she was doing, and Hope criticized Bo for his public display of affection at the nurses' station.

Hope told Bo that it was inappropriate for him as the police commissioner to be "so obvious" at the hospital. Bo asked if she was trying to make an issue out of what seemed appropriate, and Hope admitted that she was "just a grasping, neurotic woman who can't seem to get on with it." Bo pointed out that he never said she was neurotic and also that Hope hadn't "gotten on with it." He also added that it was Hope's idea to get a divorce in the first place.

Hope asked if Bo really thought that she wanted a divorce, and he asked if that was what she wanted. Bo asked if she thought that getting a divorce was their only option. She pointed out that he was sleeping with Carly in their bed. Bo said he begged Hope not to leave the house, and she admitted that she "blew it." "You're blameless, and I'm not being facetious," Hope said. She admitted that she started it because she wasn't happy with the "status quo" like he was.

Bo said he had been trying to figure out what was going on in Hope's head ever since Ciara's kidnapping. "And you need that, don't you? You need that kind of harmony like you have with Carly right now," Hope said. Bo asked if she thought he was supposed to feel guilty and live alone for the rest of his life because Hope couldn't live with the status quo.

Hope said he could have waited a month. He said he tried to wait a month and to figure out what was going on with her and what she wanted. "This. This is what I want. I'm blissfully happy, can't you see that?" Hope said sarcastically. Hope told Bo that he was absolved of guilt and she promised to be "as sweet as pie to Carly," but she said she was done with their conversation.

Carly saw that Bo was upset, and she asked if he had another fight with Hope. He said he didn't consider it a fight, it was more like mind games. He said that Hope admitted that their marriage breaking up was her fault, and it sounded like she meant it but that he could see her "flashes of anger and then ice." Carly noticed that Hope was playing mind games with Carly, too, because earlier Hope had said that Carly wasn't to blame for what happened between Hope and Bo, but then Hope later claimed Carly was messing up Bo's life and his career. Bo said that Hope didn't play mind games, and he didn't know who Hope was anymore.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Hope was dressed for bed, and she was feeling anxious. "I can't keep letting him do this to me," she said. She took some sleeping pills to calm her down. Hope woke up later, saying, "It's time." She got up out of bed.

At the Brady Pub, Adrienne told Justin that she felt Hope was "screwed up." Justin reminded Adrienne of all the stress that Hope had been dealing with, including Alice's death and Hope's marriage falling apart, and asked if Adrienne thought that "screwed up" was an "appropriate response." "You're right, Justin. I guess I'm just too stupid and shallow to have taken that into account," Adrienne said sarcastically. "Now I've known the woman forever, but I have no idea how she'd respond to stress," Adrienne added.

Adrienne stressed to Justin that she knew Hope better than he did, and she felt that something was "way, way off." Justin admitted that he was worried about Hope. Adrienne clarified that she was just pointing out that Hope had been acting out of character. Justin didn't want to talk about it anymore. Justin thought to himself that Adrienne had to be wrong.

At the pub, Chad approached Kate to ask her about his mother's past. Kate spoke highly of Madeline, and Kate told him to ask Madeline if he had questions about their past.

Madeline and her husband had a picnic in the park, and he asked her if she was ready for the nomination process for the appellate court. He jokingly asked if there were any skeletons in her closet. Kate called Madeline and said that Madeline had a big problem. Kate told her that Chad had grilled Kate about Madeline's past. Madeline excused herself so she could go deal with Chad.

Madeline called Chad to the docks. She warned Chad that people would try to manipulate him while she was going through the nomination process. Chad realized that Kate had called Madeline. Madeline played dumb, but he said that Kate would call Madeline to inform her that he was asking questions about Madeline's past. Madeline asked why he wanted to know about her past, and he said it was because when he asked her about it before, she lied and he could tell. Chad said he knew that Madeline had been a "whore."

At the courthouse, Kate purposely bumped into the district attorney and said she had known Madeline "forever." She admitted that she didn't run into him coincidentally and said that they needed to talk. She said she was concerned that her past relationship with Madeline might hurt Madeline's nomination. The D.A. said he couldn't see what bearing a previous friendship with Kate would have to do with anything. After he left, Kate realized that he was clueless about Madeline's past, and she wondered who had talked to Chad if he hadn't.

E.J. asked Arianna on the phone if she knew where Nicole was, but when she didn't know, he insisted that he would "take care of her" himself. Johnny walked in with a puzzle and demanded that E.J. fix it. E.J. said Johnny sounded just like Stefano, and E.J. got frustrated and lost his temper. He threw the puzzle across the room, which upset Johnny. E.J. apologized for losing his temper. E.J. told Johnny that he wanted the whole family to go away for a while, but he had to take care of something first.

Nicole stopped by the DiMera mansion to tell Sami the truth about Sydney's kidnapping, but Sami didn't want to hear a word that Nicole said. Sami said that she understood why Nicole was "angry" and "bitter." Sami said that the reason that Nicole was alone was because "that sick thing" inside of Nicole "finally made its way free." Nicole urged Sami to listen to her for Sydney's sake. Sami got angry at the mention of her daughter's name, and she ordered Nicole to leave the mansion or Sami would call the police.

Nicole tried again to tell Sami the truth, but E.J. interrupted Nicole and demanded to know what she was doing there. Nicole said that E.J. wouldn't stop her from telling her the truth, and Sami said she would stop Nicole, because she wasn't going to listen. Sami went upstairs after asking E.J. to "take the trash out." Nicole told him that she was "toying" with him. Nicole reminded him that if anything happened to Nicole, the tape would go public. She said she considered it her duty to make sure the world knew what he did. E.J. ordered her to keep her voice down.

Nicole said that when she decided to expose him, she would make sure she got the "biggest bang" for her buck. She said that after everything he had put her through, she enjoyed seeing him "sweat." After Nicole left, Sami asked E.J. what Nicole had on him. He asked why Sami thought that, and Sami said it was "gut instinct." He asked why Sami didn't ask Nicole to tell her, if Sami thought that Nicole had something on him. Sami said it was because she wanted E.J. to tell her.

E.J. lied and said that Nicole knew that E.J. and Stefano had made sure that Sami's house was uninhabitable to make sure that Sami stayed at the mansion with the kids. E.J. said he was embarrassed and ashamed. She didn't think he was ashamed, but he should have been. E.J. explained that he just couldn't bear Sami and the kids being away from him. Sami chided him for destroying her mother's property and lying to her. Sami admitted the worst part of it was that it was actually sort of flattering. E.J. smiled mischievously, and while Sami laughed at him, she said that she was still mad.

E.J. said that he had a pilot on standby for them to leave town that night. Sami asked why they had to leave so soon, and he said that they couldn't go later because of Will's cross-country trip. Sami said Will wouldn't want to go with them anyway. She wondered what was really going on with E.J. Sami asked why E.J. wanted to leave town, and it if was because Nicole was "freaking out." He said he wasn't leaving because of that -- he was leaving because of Stefano and Kate.

E.J. said he wanted to spend time with his family. Sami didn't like the idea of going to Monaco, and he said they could go anywhere. She didn't want to leave town because of Nicole, and she didn't want Nicole to think that she intimidated them. E.J. asked if Sami's hesitation to leave was because of Nicole or Rafe.

Sami said it had nothing to do with Rafe -- it had to do with her and E.J. She reminded him that she wasn't comfortable with how much time they had been spending together. She said she also hadn't entirely forgiven him for destroying her mother's townhouse. Sami encouraged E.J. to go on vacation in Monaco by himself or else stay in town with Sami. She went upstairs to check on the kids.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor eavesdropped as Brady told Melanie on the phone that he and Arianna had agreed to break up. Brady saw Victor and assumed that he was "tickled pink" about Brady's breakup with Arianna. Victor felt compassion towards Brady for his relationship not working out, and he offered to have a "long, intimate talk" about it, but Brady didn't want to. Victor told Brady he hoped that Brady would find someone to make him happy. "The way Grandma Viv makes you happy?" Brady asked. "Bite me," Victor said.

Brady called Nicole and was leaving her a message when she showed up at the front door. Brady asked what Nicole had on E.J. so they could take E.J. down together. Nicole imagined how Brady would react if she told him what she had found out about E.J. She imagined Brady yelling about how he was going to kill E.J. When Brady got off the phone in real life, he asked Nicole what she had on E.J. Then Nicole imagined Brady not believing her and then suspecting that Nicole had framed Arianna, so Nicole decided to keep the information to herself for Brady's own good.

Nicole told Brady that it was time for her to "act like a grown-up," and she didn't want to drag him into her "mess." Brady warned her that if she were planning to go after E.J., she would need his help. Nicole warned that he couldn't trust her. Brady felt like he could trust her, because she believed in him when Arianna didn't. Nicole said that meant everything to her. "So now that we're in this together, what have you got on E.J.?" Brady asked.

Adrienne stopped by Bo's house to return Carly's scarf. She admitted that the scarf was just an excuse to stop by. She said she was worried about Hope. Adrienne said she wasn't trying to start trouble, but she told him that Hope and Justin were kissing, but later Hope had acted like nothing had happened.

Justin ran into Victor at the Brady Pub. Justin told Victor that he was worried about Hope. Victor didn't think anything was wrong with Hope, and she just needed to be left alone.

Hope ran into Carly outside the Brady Pub and acted friendly towards Carly.

Kate was at the courthouse when she got a phone call that clearly upset her. She promised the caller that she would be right there.

Soon, Kate rushed into the hospital, and quickly found Lexie. Lexie stated that she'd gotten a call that Stefano was there but refusing help from anyone but her. As soon as Lexie retrieved Stefano's information on the computer, she led Kate into his room, where they found Stefano unconscious on the bed. "Oh, my God," Kate exclaimed. "Is he dead?"

Together, the women tried to awaken Stefano, and Lexie checked for a pulse. After much shouting and shaking, Stefano finally opened his eyes, and demanded to know what all the commotion was about. Lexie asked why he was there, and Stefano explained that he had run out of insulin while on a business trip, but he'd figured he could go without it for a little while. Lexie admonished him that he should know better. Stefano insisted that he was feeling better after his "little nap," and asked Kate to take him home.

Lexie refused to let Stefano leave until she'd drawn his blood, and left to write another insulin prescription for him. While Kate and Stefano waited, he asked to borrow her phone, and spotted Madeline's number in her call history. Kate related how Chad had grilled her about Madeline's past, so she had called Madeline to give her a heads-up.

Stefano irritably noted that after all the work he and Kate had done to destroy the tape, that boy could destroy everything if Madeline didn't keep her mouth shut. Kate urged him to calm down, but he reminded her that none of them could afford for the truth about "the untimely death of that fool congressman" to get out. Pointing out that Madeline had more to lose than they did, Kate assured Stefano, "Madeline has everything under control."

At the pier, Chad repeated his statement to a horrified Madeline that she was a whore. "I really hope you charged the big bucks," he snarled derisively. "I mean, my mother being a hooker is bad enough, but a cheap one? Now that would really embarrass me." Madeline furiously slapped her son, but instantly regretted it and apologized. She firmly declared, "Everything you said, it's all lies."

Chad asserted that he would never accuse her of something like that without having heard it from a legitimate source, and informed her that Will Horton had overheard her talking to Mrs. DiMera about her past. "No-that's not possible," Madeline insisted. Chad argued that while he and Will might not always have gotten along, Will was an honest guy who would never make something like that up just to hurt Chad. Madeline maintained that might have been true before Will moved in with the DiMeras.

Chad declared snidely, "I knew Mrs. DiMera had a sordid past, but you, my saintly mother, are such a hypocrite." He announced that he was leaving to ask his dad about it, but Madeline grabbed Chad's arm and begged him not to tell his father. "Then for God's sake, tell me the truth," Chad implored. When she saw that he was serious about calling his father, Madeline agreed to tell Chad everything. "What Will heard is true. It's all true," she conceded, voice trembling.

Madeline revealed that she'd gone to therapy to deal with the shame and regret, but it hadn't helped. Chad asked quietly, "Am I supposed to feel sorry for you now?" Madeline said she couldn't expect him to be compassionate when she couldn't even forgive herself. Chad asked why she had done it, and when Madeline replied that she had needed money for law school, he was incredulous that she hadn't just gotten a job at the mall-or a loan. Madeline assured him that she had had thought that was her only choice, because she'd been drowning in debt, and she had exhausted all her other options. "I didn't do it for that long-just a short while, just until I could break even," she insisted.

Madeline then implored Chad, "Your father doesn't know about this. He can't ever know about this. Please promise me that." When Chad's response was stony silence, Madeline tearfully maintained, "This is what I was afraid of. This is why I didn't want you to hang out with Will and Kate and that whole DiMera family! I knew that eventually all of these secrets-" She stopped herself, but not before Chad caught it.

"What else are you hiding from me?" Chad demanded, horrified. Although Madeline desperately insisted that it had only been a slip of the tongue, Chad was fed up. "I'm sick of this, and I'm sick of you!" he shouted, heading up the stairs. Madeline chased after him, beseeching, "Chad! Wait, please! I love you more than anything in the world!" As she grabbed his arm, Chad shoved her away, ordering her to never touch him again. Madeline went flying, head over feet, down the stairs, and Chad watched in horror as she landed, completely motionless, on the concrete below.

At the DiMera mansion, E.J. barked into the phone, "Marco? Have you found Nicole yet? Well, when you do, you bring her to me!" He hung up, muttering angrily, "God, where is that stupid woman?" Just then, Arianna entered the parlor. "Are you talking about me?" she asked timidly. E.J. apologetically reassured her that he was just upset about a business associate.

As they sat on the sofa to discuss her case, Arianna asked if E.J. knew what Nicole's exclusive story was supposed to have been all about. E.J. admitted that it had been about him, but he had no idea what sorts of lies Nicole had planned to tell to get back at him for getting Arianna out of jail. Arianna noticed that E.J. kept glancing at his phone, and offered to return another time to discuss her case.

E.J. agreed, but first cautioned her that he might be going out of town for a while, but he didn't know for how long. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" Arianna asked worriedly. E.J. maintained that he simply had some business affairs to attend to out of the country, but if he did have to leave, he would first get Arianna the best lawyer. Arianna was grateful to E.J. for believing in her, and paying her bail, and hugged him to express her thanks. She wished him luck and then left.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady assured Nicole that she could tell him anything. She confessed anxiously that she wished she could tell him just the "good parts," because if she told him the whole story, he might never forgive her. Brady wondered why she was so visibly upset, and Nicole reminded him that she was in love with him-and she didn't want to ruin any chance they might have of ever being together. She added that the biggest regret of her life was having turned him down when he'd professed his love for her.

Nicole then accepted blame for Brady and Arianna's breakup, because she'd wished so hard for it, but he interrupted to reassure her that her wishing for it hadn't made it happen. "If we were meant to be together, I think we would have gotten through anything," Brady asserted. Nicole asked if he thought he and Arianna were over for good, and he replied that he believed they were. "So, then there's a chance that maybe you still love me?" Nicole asked hopefully.

Gently touching her arm, Brady stated, "You know that I've always cared about you." Nicole asked if that meant he cared about her as a friend, or as someone he could spend his life with, and kissed him passionately to help him decide. Brady kissed her back at first, but then pushed her away. He asked what the "good part" was, if wishing for him to break up with Arianna was the bad, and added, "Do you have something on E.J.?" Nicole downplayed what she'd thought she could use against E.J. as merely an Internet rumor about DiMera Enterprises. Nicole added that she'd finally realized that she didn't have to push so hard to get what she wanted. Brady seemed pleased. A phone call from his office interrupted them just then, so Nicole said goodbye and left.

Nicole was dismayed to find Marco waiting for her outside, but left with him willingly when he told her that Mr. DiMera had summoned her.

Later, Brady lay on the beach by the lake, and daydreamed that a bikini-clad Nicole found him there. As he imagined making out with Nicole, suddenly Arianna appeared, wearing a skimpy swimsuit and dripping wet from a dip in the water. Brady explained that he would have been taking a swim in the pool at the mansion, but Vivian had been using it. Before Arianna could leave, Brady wished her luck with the trial. "I really wish the best for you," he added sincerely. "Be happy," Arianna replied. "That's all I ever wanted for you." Brady watched her leave. "That's all I've ever wanted for you, too, Ari," he said sadly.

When Marco delivered Nicole to E.J., she nonchalantly poured herself a drink. E.J. wanted to know whether she had told Brady anything. Nicole replied that she'd decided that it was in her best interest not to tell Brady that E.J. had kidnapped Sydney. E.J. asserted that she'd decided to keep quiet because otherwise, she would have to tell Brady that she'd been snooping around the mansion looking for the evidence that she'd framed Arianna for the muggings.

Nicole maintained her innocence, but added that she'd thought of another, far more satisfying way to punish E.J.-and Sami. She explained that Sami's smug assertion earlier that Nicole was jealous of Sami and E.J. had sickened Nicole, and E.J.'s hypocrisy was making Sami look like a fool. "And I love it," Nicole declared with a wicked grin. "I want you two to burn in hell together, so guess what? I'm not going to reveal that you kidnapped Sydney after all." E.J. knew that Nicole never did anything for free, and asked what her silence was going to cost him. "You'll find out soon enough," she replied, giving him a self-satisfied smirk over her shoulder as she left.

Carly was about to enter the Brady Pub when Hope arrived from around the corner. Hope greeted Carly amiably, and Carly was completely taken aback. Carly reminded Hope, "About an hour ago, you took my head off. You were being a little hostile..." After apologizing, Hope explained in a whisper, "The woman who yelled at you? It wasn't me."

Hope clarified that she became a different person when she saw Bo with Carly, and she regretted hurting Carly's feelings. Hope continued that she admired how Carly had handled things with Lawrence. "In a way, you're almost like a hero to me," Hope declared. Appalled, Carly pointed out that she had killed a man. Hope asserted that Lawrence had pushed Carly beyond the limit, and Carly had fought back-something that a lot of women wouldn't have the guts to do.

"You've taught me a lot," Hope whispered, wiping away a tear. Carly wanted to know what Hope meant, and suggested that the two of them talk over a cup of coffee. "I would love that. You're so sweet," Hope enthused. "But I'm running late." Carly couldn't manage anything beyond a bemused stare. "You didn't let Lawrence control you; I'm sure you won't let Bo control you, either," Hope declared, adding, "You've got a wonderful future ahead of you. We both do."

At Bo's, Adrienne insisted to Bo that she wasn't trying to stir things up, but Hope and Justin had been kissing, and afterwards, Hope had acted like nothing had even happened. "It just doesn't seem like her," Adrienne maintained anxiously. "And to be so cavalier about something like that... What do you think is going on?"

Bo worriedly concurred, "She's acting like a whole different person. Where the hell did Hope go?" He blamed himself, because he had given up on his and Hope's marriage, and then moved on with Carly too quickly. He explained that he'd hurt Hope badly, "And now she's trying to hurt me. And Carly, and Justin..." Adrienne concluded, "But most of all, herself."

After Adrienne had gone, Carly returned home, and informed Bo that she'd just run into Hope-who had, among other things, thanked Carly for killing Lawrence. Bo's jaw fell open in horrified disbelief. He then told Carly about how Adrienne had almost walked in on Hope and Justin kissing, which Ciara could also have walked in on.

"What's going on with her? Why is she acting like this?" Carly asked with genuine concern. "Is she playing games with us?" Carly recounted the rest of the conversation, and then divulged, "She insinuated that I would be better off without you." Bo declared that Hope's behavior had gotten out of control, and he had to figure out why.

Hope met Dick in the basement poker room, and asked if he'd gotten everything on her list. She became enraged as she looked through the bags and discovered that Dick had not followed her orders. Dick maintained that he'd simply run out of time, but Hope accused him of doing it on purpose so she couldn't carry out her plan. "I am going to get my revenge on Bo Brady," she hissed. "Don't you dare try to stop me."

Dick urged her to reconsider. "These things that you asked me to get for you-what exactly do you plan to do with them?" he asked, adding that maybe if Hope said the answer out loud, she'd realize how crazy it sounded. Hope snapped that she was going to be free, and happy-and get even. Dick wanted to know what would happen after she carried out her "mystery plan." Hope replied quietly, "I disappear."

Hope wouldn't divulge anything more, so Dick suggested that she give up her plan, and the two of them could leave town together. Hope was touched, but turned icy as she persisted that she intended to carry out her plan. Dick wanted to know why the plan was so important to her. Hope asserted that it was the only way she would ever be at peace. Dick pressed her, asserting that after all he'd done for her, he deserved to know what she was planning to do. Hope leveled a steely gaze at him. "I'm going to murder my husband."