At the hospital, Bo woke up with Carly at his bedside. She asked him what he had tried to tell him the night before, but he didn't remember. Roman walked in and said that he had been worried about Bo. Bo asked Roman what happened, because he didn't remember. Roman asked what the last thing Bo remembered was. Bo said he remembered being at Victor's house, and he asked again what had happened.

Roman explained what had happened and what a close call Bo had; he said that someone had called the fire department. Roman said that Daniel had found Bo and also that an anonymous caller notified 9-1-1. Carly got frustrated with Roman and Bo making light of Bo's attack, so Bo comforted Carly. Hope was at the door and saw them in an embrace just as Roman was leaving. Hope told Roman that Caroline was at the hospital and didn't look happy, especially with Roman. After he left to do damage control, Hope asked Bo some questions about his attack.

Philip called to check on Bo then called Melanie to tell her to be ready, because he had a surprise planned. Nathan stopped by Maggie's house to pick up some of his belongings that were stored in the basement. He told Melanie that he was moving in with Stephanie. Melanie acted like she was happy for him and said she wanted Nathan and Stephanie to be as happy as Melanie and Philip were. Philip walked in, and Melanie told Philip about Nathan's planned move. Philip took Melanie to see his surprise. He led her to a picnic that he had set up for her.

Adrienne stopped by Stephanie's apartment to tell her that Steve thought that Stephanie was too young to move in with a man. Adrienne said that Steve had planned to pay Stephanie a visit, but Adrienne talked him out of it. Stephanie thanked Adrienne. Stephanie asked how Adrienne ended up "so cool" compared to Steve, who was a "fire and brimstone person." Adrienne joked that it because she was just a "superior person." Stephanie was excited about moving in with Nathan.

Adrienne started to talk about how it was when she and Justin moved in together and then quickly realized that it was a bad example. Stephanie, however, felt that Adrienne could have the same happiness she once had with Justin.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Hope woke up and saw that Carly had called. When Hope went downstairs, she was in a good mood. Justin walked in and gave her the news that Bo had been hospitalized after someone attacked him.

Stefano read Madeline's obituary. Kate walked in and said she couldn't believe that Madeline was gone. Stefano was sorry that Madeline was dead, but he wasn't sorry that their secret died with her. Kate said that everything would be fine. Stefano picked up on Kate's worry and asked if there was something about Madeline that he didn't know about.

Kate lied and said she was worried that she might have missed something that was in Madeline's safety deposit box. Stefano said that Kate was thorough, and their secrets were safe due to "divine intervention." After Stefano left the room, Kate said to herself, "Brush up on your Shakespeare. The evil that men do lives after them, literally."

Will stopped by the Brady Pub to see how Chad was doing. Will felt responsible for Madeline's dying. Chad said that Madeline had an aneurysm, and no one was to blame for it. Will still felt guilty for adding stress to Madeline's life. Chad pointed out that Will was just speaking the truth. Will still wished that Chad never knew about Madeline's secret life.

Later at the pier, Chad told Will about Chad's conversation with Madeline and how she talked about secrets and tried to explain that she had done everything for Chad. Chad wanted to know if there were any more lies, and he planned to talk to Will's grandmother, Kate. Will urged Chad to let it go, but Chad refused.

Kate saw Charles Woods at the Brady Pub and expressed her condolences, but he told her to "go to hell." Kate asked if Madeline was involved with a charity, because she wanted to make a memorial contribution. Charles said he didn't know because the contents of Madeline's safety deposit box were missing. When Kate got home, she thought about her conversation with Charles. She realized that she had the only copy of Chad's birth certificate, proving Chad's true paternity.

Stefano walked into the foyer and asked Kate what she had said. Kate was startled, and she told him about her run-in with Charles. Stefano considered it good news. After he left, Kate realized that she was the only one who knew Madeline's secret. Lucas called Kate.

At the hospital, Victor said that Bo wasn't ready for visitors yet. He encouraged Maggie to go home. Caroline showed up, angry that Victor had not called her about Bo being in the hospital. Victor said that Roman had decided not to call Caroline, because he didn't want to worry her. Caroline said that Roman knew that Victor had Maggie to get Victor through the night. Maggie turned her head away, and Caroline said that Maggie couldn't even look at Caroline. Victor said that Maggie was trying to keep Caroline from seeing Maggie laugh.

Maggie stood up and denied that she was laughing. Maggie apologized for upsetting Caroline, and she explained that she was with Victor when he'd heard about Bo. Caroline chewed Victor out for not calling Caroline despite what Roman had said. Victor asked if Maggie was actually laughing, and Maggie got annoyed with Victor's humor and said she was just relieved that Bo was okay. Maggie was also frustrated that two women thought of her as the other woman. Maggie urged him to make things right with Caroline and agreed with Caroline that he should have called no matter what Roman said. "You know in the end, all you women stick together," Victor said. Victor found Caroline and apologized for not telling her about Bo.

Carly explained that Bo had been drugged with an anti-anxiety medication that could cause memory loss or death. Hope asked how someone could have drugged Bo without him knowing it. Bo remembered seeing a coffee cup, but he lied about it to Carly. Caroline and Victor stopped by to see Bo, and he assured them that he was okay. Hope asked to speak to Carly, so they both left the room. Hope asked where Carly had been the night before, and Carly assumed that Hope was trying to prove that Carly attacked Bo.

Hope explained that she was just trying to establish a timeline for the night of Bo's attack, and Carly apologized. She told Hope that whoever attacked Bo knew that Carly would be at the hospital all night. Carly said that her schedule was posted. Hope got a call and answered it. Justin stopped by and asked about her progress. Hope filled him on the details, and Justin assumed that whoever attacked Bo had help.

Roman decided to go to Bo's house to look for more clues, and Bo asked him to pick up a cheeseburger, but Roman said no. Hope took Bo's request as a sign that he was feeling better. Bo asked how she was doing, but she said she was fine. He asked if she planned to tell Ciara, but she didn't want Ciara to know that Bo had almost died. Bo was frustrated that he couldn't get out of bed. Hope felt bad that she wasn't there for Bo the night that he was attacked. Hope admitted that she couldn't imagine the world without Bo in it, and Bo said he felt the same way about her. Hope said they were family, and they would get through it. Bo held Hope's hand and said they always would be family. Carly watched them from the doorway.

Lexie and Theo stopped by the hospital for Theo's therapy session. Lexie asked if Abe had seen Hope, and he said that Hope was visiting Bo. Theo said, "Aunt Hope got treasure." Abe and Lexie sat relaxing on the beach while Theo played. Lexie and Abe talked about Bo's attack, and Abe said that he had put Hope on the case. Lexie questioned whether he thought that Hope could be objective about Bo's attacker. Abe thought that regardless of whether Hope was objective, Hope would be relentless.

Theo found a wallet buried in the sand and showed it to Lexie and Abe. He called it "treasure." Theo tried to explain that the wallet was Ciara's treasure.

Nathan found the boxes he needed and saw that Melanie had already left. He took his boxes to Stephanie's apartment. When he left to bring in the rest of the boxes, she looked inside one of Nathan's boxes and saw a picture of Melanie and Nathan. When Nathan returned, he sensed that Stephanie was upset, but she said there was nothing wrong.

At the Brady Pub, Melanie overheard Adrienne and Philip talking about when Philip had gone to Daniel and Chloe's apartment, and Melanie asked Philip what he was doing at her father's house. Philip said that when Chloe was in the hospital, she had asked Philip to pick up a few things, and Melanie noted that Philip never told her about it.

Victor thanked Maggie for being there for him, and she started to say that was what friends were for, but she stopped mid-sentence. Victor teased Maggie, saying that she was crazy about him. "Maybe, but not nearly as crazy as you are yourself," she said.

Melanie and Philip stumbled into Maggie's kitchen, entangled each other's arms. As the two kissed passionately, there was a knock at the back door. Giggling, Melanie pulled away from Philip in order to answer the door. When Melanie opened the back door, she found a distraught Chloe, who was looking for Daniel. "Do you think something's wrong?" Melanie wondered aloud. "Yes. I do," Chloe said with a sigh and a glance toward Philip. Chloe explained that she had gotten in a fight with Daniel. Unsure, Chloe apologized for interrupting and started to leave.

Philip called out to Chloe to stay, and she stopped in her tracks. Melanie excused herself, and then she left to go check on Bo at the hospital. Once Melanie was gone, Chloe entered the kitchen and told Philip that Carly was ruining their lives. When Philip asked what had happened, Chloe explained that she was not able to take a paternity test yet, and Daniel was getting suspicious of her motivations for postponing the wedding. Philip urged Chloe to calm down.

"If it wasn't for wrecking your life, too, I would have come clean by now, I swear," Chloe cried out. After a brief discussion, Philip urged Chloe to follow his plan. "This may feel wrong now, but ultimately you'll look back on this and know that I was right," Philip said.

At the hospital, Carly thanked Daniel for helping to save Bo's life. When Daniel nodded quietly, Carly asked him what was wrong. Daniel explained that he had gone to visit Carly at Bo's house in order to tell her that his relationship with Chloe was over. Daniel confided that Chloe had told him that she was not ready to marry him. "That can't be it," Carly blurted out. Concerned, Daniel begged Carly to tell him what she knew about Chloe's change of heart. Carly noted that Chloe would do anything to stay with Daniel, and that he should not worry about Chloe's tentativeness.

In her hotel room, Nicole stared at the code in her journal and talked aloud to herself about how it was her key to expose E.J. As Nicole went to return her journal to its hiding place in her bedside drawer, there was a knock at the door. When Nicole turned toward the door, she heard Brady call out to her. Nicole placed the journal on the desk, and then opened the door and greeted Brady. After giving him the five-second tour of the motel room, Nicole asked Brady whether he was serious about starting "fresh" with her. With a smile, Brady admitted that he meant what he said. Nicole stepped into the other room to get Brady a soda, and he spotted Nicole's black journal on the desk.

As Brady picked up the journal, Nicole reentered the main room and frantically grabbed the journal out of Brady's hands. When Brady asked what Nicole was nervous about, she explained that the book was her diary. Acting playfully, Brady teased Nicole about what she had written about him in her diary. Brady pulled the book out of her hands and Nicole forcefully grabbed it back. "You can't see it, Brady!" Nicole barked. Chuckling nervously, Brady noted that he was joking. With a sigh, Nicole explained that she was on edge because she was struggling with her new lifestyle.

Brady offered to help Nicole find a better place to live, but Nicole turned him down flat. Nicole assured Brady that she would be more successful soon and that she did not want him to help her. Nicole informed Brady that she was making a risky investment, and Brady asked her whether her latest scheme involved E.J. Shaking her head vigorously, Nicole denied that E.J. was involved. Brady and Nicole made plans for lunch, then Brady left.

Once alone, Nicole whispered to herself, "I have to secure my future." Nicole hurried to her phone and left a voicemail for E.J. "We need to talk about our deal, what you owe me, and when you're gonna deliver," Nicole said curtly.

Down at the FBI office, Rafe examined the photo he took of the code in Nicole's journal. "Whatever the hell this is, Nicole, and whatever ties you to E.J., I'm gonna figure it out. Today," Rafe said. Rafe wondered aloud why Nicole would need to use a code. Arianna knocked on the office door, and, relieved to see his sister, Rafe waved her in. Noting Rafe's silence, Arianna asked what he was hiding.

Rafe resisted at first, but when Arianna asked if the secret was about E.J., Rafe admitted that he believed E.J. could not be trusted. Arianna firmly asserted her belief in E.J. and asked Rafe to "agree to disagree" on E.J.'s character. "What if I could show you once and for all that E.J.'s not the man that you think he is?" Rafe asked. Arianna explained that when Rafe was out of town, E.J. was the only person who stood by her when she was arrested as the mugger. Rafe questioned E.J.'s motives, but Arianna countered that E.J. had a heart. "I think he's a complicated guy that's trying to do better," Arianna said. "Maybe you're right," Rafe said softly.

After Arianna left, Rafe scoffed at the idea that E.J. deserved the benefit of the doubt. Rafe turned to his computer and was surprised by what he saw on the screen. "What do we have here?" Rafe said with wonder. "This is exactly what I've been looking for. Nicole, Nicole, Nicole, you are so busted," Rafe said with a smile.

At the DiMera mansion, Stefano asked Kate why she was obsessing over Madeline's obituary. Kate explained that she was worried about Madeline's son. "For God's sake, we barely know the boy," Stefano said gruffly. Stefano urged Kate to think about their lives rather than Chad's. While Stefano stalked out of the living room, Chad called Kate's cell phone and asked to meet with her as soon as possible. When Stefano returned to the living room, he reminded Kate that they had dodged a bullet when Madeline died, and that Kate needed to stop feeling sorry for Chad.

"I am not responsible for that boy. And neither are you. I have no compassion for him or his buffoon of a father. I strongly suggest that you have nothing to do with either of them," Stefano said. Frustrated, Kate grudgingly agreed. Stefano warned Kate, "It's time you learned how the DiMeras deal with their enemies. They do not coddle them. They do not cry for them. They obliterate them." With a sigh, Stefano marched out of the mansion.

At the Brady Pub, Stefano sat down to lunch with Will and read over his application for an internship. With a chuckle, Stefano noted that he would like to hire Will as an intern for his company in the fall. Eager to accept, Will thanked Stefano and agreed to work hard for DiMera Enterprises. Worried about keeping secrets from Sami, Will wondered how he would tell his mother about the internship. Stefano noted that sometimes secrets were necessary to keep loved ones from harm. "We all have our secrets, right?" Stefano said with a chuckle. Smiling back, Will agreed.

At the DiMera mansion, Chad stopped by to meet with Kate. As they stood in the foyer, Chad thanked Kate for reaching out to him after his mother died. When Kate urged Chad not to blame himself for his mother's death, Chad admitted that he could not help but blame himself. Chad pleaded with Kate to answer some questions about Madeline's past. Chad explained to Kate that he and his mother were fighting about Madeline's past as a prostitute before she died. "Is it true?" Chad asked. Kate urged Chad to remember that Madeline loved him. When Chad persisted with his question, Kate urged Chad to let go because "it's all beside the point now."

Chad asked Kate if they could talk again some time, and Kate agreed that they could talk any time he wanted. Nodding, Chad opened the door to leave and found Stefano on the front porch. "To what do we owe this pleasure?" Stefano asked with a grin. Kate explained that Chad had stopped at the house to visit with Will and that she was offering her condolences to Chad when Stefano had returned home.

Quick on the uptake, Chad agreed with Kate's story and left. Suspicious, Stefano asked Kate why Chad was at the mansion. Kate explained that Chad had stopped by to ask her about his mother. Kate explained that she had told Chad nothing. "Steer clear of this boy," Stefano said.

When Melanie arrived at Salem Hospital to check on Bo, she talked to Carly about Bo's condition and said that she cared about Carly's happiness. Thankful for the support, Carly hugged her daughter as she fought to hold back tears.

Daniel went back to his apartment and arrived there at the same time as Chloe. Chloe called Daniel a hero for saving Bo's life, and he explained that he did "what anyone would do." With a smile on her face, Chloe told Daniel that she loved him and that her need to delay the wedding had nothing to do with how she felt about Daniel. Chloe explained that she was feeling emotionally fragile since she'd become pregnant. Chloe added that she could not help but think of how happy Nicole was before she had her miscarriage and lost everything.

"I have all these reminders of everything that could go wrong," Chloe said. "It feels like torture," Chloe added. Chloe noted that she was too terrified to tell her parents or sister about the pregnancy, and that she was too scared to share her fears with Daniel. Daniel apologized for being insecure, but Chloe interrupted to tell Daniel that he had every right to be upset. In a firm voice, Chloe told Daniel that she wanted to be a family but that she needed a month to clear her head. "Always tell me what you're thinking. I don't want you to ever feel like you can't tell me the truth about anything," Daniel said. Fighting tears, Chloe nodded.

Citing a meeting with Melanie, Daniel kissed Chloe goodbye. "I think Melanie's great. And I love you even more for being such a great dad to her," Chloe said. "And this baby, I know you are going to love him or her as unconditionally as you love Melanie," Chloe concluded. With a slight smile on his face, Daniel thanked Melanie for making him understand what was bothering her. Once Daniel was gone, Chloe muttered to herself, "Daniel, you still don't see the truth."

Carly went to Daniel's apartment to talk to Chloe about what had happened with Chloe and Daniel earlier. Chloe explained that she'd lied to Daniel again and told him that the reason she was delaying the wedding was because she was worried about her pregnancy. "I can't go on like this," Chloe said nervously. "You don't have to go on like this. It's gonna end long before that," Carly said. Carly explained that she'd made arrangements at St. Mary's Hospital across town for a paternity test for Chloe.

Daniel went over to Maggie's to see Melanie and take her out for a "father/daughter day." After Philip left the house, Melanie asked Daniel how things were going with Chloe. Daniel informed Melanie that he had patched things up with Chloe and they were doing better. With a grin on his face, Daniel gave Melanie a set of diamond earrings as a graduation present. Melanie thanked Daniel, then changed the subject back to Chloe. "I was just being dense. Are you surprised? But I know what's going on now and everything's fine. Couldn't be better," Daniel said cheerfully.

During Daniel's visit with Melanie, he took a phone call from a colleague. "I've been asked to assist in a skin graft surgery across town," Daniel announced to Melanie. When Daniel asked Melanie if she would like to watch the surgery, he explained that he would be doing the operation at St. Mary's Hospital.

In the park, Philip mumbled to himself, saying, "Maybe it's time to come clean." Worried, Philip thought about what would happen if he told Melanie about the affair with Chloe. In Philip's fantasy, Melanie told him that she would never forgive him for sleeping with her father's fiancée. "I hate you! Leave me alone! We're done! We're done!" Melanie cried out. Terrified, Philip shook his head when he snapped back to reality.

When Carly entered Bo's hospital room, she was irked to find him packing to leave the hospital. Bo was determined to figure out who had tried to kill him, but Carly blocked the door and refused to let him leave. She insisted that the hospital was the safest place for him, because whoever had tried to kill him might try again.

Victor arrived just then and chimed in his agreement with Carly. He asked for a moment alone with Bo, and after Carly left, Victor asked if Bo thought Carly had anything to do with the attack. Bo irritably asserted that Carly was innocent. Victor vowed to make the culprit sorry they were ever born.

At the police station, Justin found a frustrated Hope working on the case of Bo's assault. Hope confided that she couldn't stop thinking about the horror of what could have happened, and how Ciara would never have gotten over losing her father. Justin tried to comfort Hope as she began to sob, but she quickly pulled herself together and apologized for crying on his shoulder. She admitted that she was worried the perpetrator would try to kill Bo again, because he or she obviously had to be evil to want to burn someone alive.

Hope began to cry again, but berated herself for being so needy. Justin assured her that she could lean on him as much as she wanted, and urged her to let him help. Hope thanked him for being kind, but maintained that what she really needed was some space. A confused Justin stated that he had thought after their kiss that she wanted to spend more time with him.

Hope thought he was referring to when they had kissed months earlier, to cover when they had been snooping in Vivian's room. Justin tried to explain, but she interrupted to caution him that she might not ever be ready to move on.

Carly accompanied Bo home, although she was still annoyed that he had refused to stay in the hospital. Bo maintained that he would only be safe once he found his attacker, and reminded her that he was the only witness to the assault. As Bo looked around the room, he suddenly seemed to be remembering something, but just as suddenly, his head began to hurt so badly that he said he couldn't think straight.

Carly urged Bo to lie down and relax. In obvious pain, Bo groaned as he reclined on the sofa and tried to get comfortable. Carly offered to help him with some relaxation techniques to help ease his headache, and perhaps even help him remember something. Just as Bo was agreeing, Hope walked through the front door.

Hope explained that she was following up on the forensics report, and she had thought Bo would still be in the hospital. Carly suggested that Hope stay, so Hope could ask the appropriate questions if Bo remembered something while Carly guided him through the relaxation exercise. Hope agreed. She sat in the chair and looked on while Carly coached Bo through some guided visualizations until he was completely relaxed. She asked him to think of a pleasurable memory, and tell them what he saw, heard, and felt.

Bo remembered sailing on the Fancy Face with Hope, and described the peacefulness of the blue sky and ocean. Carly asked him how he felt, and he replied that he felt pain because the experience was over. Carly then instructed, "I want you to move forward in time, and tell me about last night. When you came home, what did you see?"

In his hotel room, Dick remembered his last exchange with Hope, when she had chewed him out for calling the cops while she was trying to carry out her plan against Bo. "The woman hates me, and she's nuts. Certifiable," Dick muttered to himself. "So why can't I get her out of my mind?"

Nicole was lying on the bed in her motel room, drinking a cocktail from a motel glass and talking on the phone with E.J. He ordered her to get to the point and tell him what she wanted. "Cold, hard cash," Nicole replied bluntly, and threatened that if he didn't pay for her silence, she could ruin his life. E.J. countered that he could ruin hers just as easily, and warned, "If you pull the trigger, so do I." Nicole grumpily surmised that he wasn't speaking metaphorically, but she maintained, "I'm not scared of you, E.J. And if you keep playing it like this, you'll be sorry you screwed with me."

Nicole then showed up at the DiMera mansion, much to E.J.'s exasperation. When she declared that it was his last chance, he replied irritably, "Fine. You want something from me? I want something from you first." While Nicole made herself at home by pouring a drink at the bar, E.J. asserted that she had no more power over him than he had over her. Nicole reminded him that he had no proof that she'd framed Arianna, so he had more to lose than Nicole did. E.J. agreed to give Nicole a one-time payoff-but if the tapes ever turned up, he would kill her. Nicole assured him that she had things under control.

As E.J. was escorting Nicole out through the foyer, she heard Sydney crying upstairs. Obviously affected, Nicole stopped and looked longingly up the staircase, and asked if anyone was going to check on Sydney. E.J. seemed surprised that Nicole still missed Sydney. "If there is one thing I am sure about in this world, E.J., it's that I loved my-" Fighting back tears, Nicole corrected herself, "I loved Sydney with all my heart." E.J. asked Nicole to see herself out so he could go up and check on his daughter.

At the FBI office, Rafe looked at Nicole's coded diary entries, and noted to himself that each number represented a different location. "Whatever this is, it must be seriously incriminating," he muttered. "It's all over, E.J. Thanks to Nicole, I gotcha." Another agent, Tim, commended Rafe's quick code-cracking work. Rafe explained that he thought one of the numbers represented a locker at the Salem bus station, and the other codes were for "a series of addresses that correspond to banks all over the country." Rafe had deduced that Nicole was blackmailing E.J., and Tim knew that meant Rafe intended to save Sami from E.J.

Just then, Sami arrived with Johnny, who was wearing the little FBI jacket that Rafe had gotten for him. Sami explained that Johnny wanted to take a picture of the fingerprint machine for show-and-tell. Rafe teased that Johnny could just take the machine with him, because it "only" weighed forty pounds-which surely wasn't too much for a "bruiser" like Johnny. Johnny flexed his biceps proudly, and a beaming Sami thanked Rafe for helping.

While Tim was showing Johnny around and answered the tot's many questions, Sami and Rafe returned to his office. Rafe stated that he needed get back to work, and Sami was hurt until he told her he was doing it all for her. "For me?" she whispered with disbelief. Rafe's demeanor completely changed, and he brusquely told her that he wouldn't stand in her way if she wanted to make a life for herself with E.J.

Sami pointed out that Johnny had wanted to visit Rafe, and questioned the mixed signals Rafe was sending her. "You're the one who sent Johnny that FBI jacket," she reminded Rafe. "You're the one who said you wanted to still have a relationship with my children." Rafe insisted that he loved her kids, but reminded her that they weren't his. "You think E.J. wants me hanging around his kids all the time?" he asked. Sami realized Rafe was right, but when he declared that she had to make a choice because she couldn't have it both ways, she stormed out in a huff.

As Sami and Johnny returned to the mansion, he was arguing with her because he wanted to keep wearing his jacket, despite the heat. E.J. emerged from the parlor, and gently reminded Johnny, "If your mother says no, then she means no." Johnny complained, "She always says no. She's mean!" He ran into the parlor.

A little later, Johnny ran back in from the kitchen, and E.J. strolled in behind him. "I'm sorry, Mommy," Johnny declared, hugging Sami. "I love you, Mommy!" As Johnny ran out again to play until time for dinner, E.J. insisted to Sami that the apology had been the boy's idea. Sami was touched, and relieved that she and E.J. seemed to be doing something right with their children.

E.J. assured Sami that she was a wonderful mother. "Your children are incredibly lucky to have you," he declared. "You amaze me-all the time." The compliment caught Sami off-guard. She tried to laugh it off, but E.J. could tell that something else was bothering her. Sami admitted that earlier, "[Johnny] said he wanted to go to the judge and tell him that he loves his daddy more than his mommy."

Chuckling, E.J. maintained that Johnny had told him exactly the opposite. Sami didn't think that was funny, because it meant Johnny was "super-confused." E.J. replied more soberly, "I suppose this joint custody's not all it's cracked up to be, is it? Still, you know, when we're married, I suppose that..." He stopped himself, but not before Sami caught it. "What did you say?" she demanded.

Maggie and Brady discussed his sobriety over coffee in her kitchen. She was worried because his attacker had slipped him drugs, which his body felt as a relapse. Brady assured her that he was being careful, but Maggie was also worried about his involvement with Nicole. Brady didn't see what Nicole had to do with his sobriety. "Please, don't let her fool you," Maggie urged. "You've got to take care of yourself first."

From the look on his face, Maggie could tell that Brady wasn't being entirely forthcoming, so she reminded him of all the times Nicole had made him lie for her. Brady insisted that Nicole was trying to become a better person. Although Maggie tried to be diplomatic, she made it clear that she didn't buy it.

When Nicole called Brady just then, he politely got rid of her, but promised to call her to meet for lunch later. Maggie knew that it was Nicole who had called, and begged Brady to hear her out before rejecting her advice. She then noted that for a little while, he had been behaving evasively with her, and that wasn't like him. "Am I way off-base here?" Maggie asked.

Before Brady could answer, there was a knock at the back door, and Maggie was surprised to find Victor on the doorstep. He had dropped by to tell her that Bo had been released from the hospital, but he was just as surprised to see Brady at Maggie's. Brady was happy to use Victor's arrival as an excuse to leave. He left after promising Maggie that they would finish their conversation soon.

Victor realized that he had interrupted something. Maggie chided him, but admitted that she was worried about Brady, who, she knew, only confided in her up to a point. Victor asserted that Brady was lucky to have Maggie in his life. "I don't know about this time," Maggie confessed. "I do believe I blew it." Victor didn't think that was even possible. He made no attempt to hide his admiration of her. With some reluctance, Maggie reminded him that he was a married man. "You're not supposed to come here," she declared, then added with a hint of irony, "Go home-to your lovely wife."

After she hung up with Brady, Nicole talked to Dick on the phone. She pretended to be disappointed to hear that he was leaving town. "So, I'm guessing that this big move is contingent on me giving you money, right?" she asked. Dick assured her that he only needed enough to get going. When she pointed out that he always seemed to return to hit her up for more money, he countered that he could still make her life miserable. Nicole threatened to kill him, because everyone thought he was dead already. "You keep lyin' low, or you will be lyin' underground," she promised.

Nicole returned to her motel room, and checked her bank account balances online. "Oh, my God, I'm rich. I'm freakin' rich!" she squealed.

Rafe found Nicole's locker at the bus station. Once he managed to open it, he was disappointed to find it empty. Cursing, he slammed the door shut. "Damn it, Nicole. One step ahead of me, but not for long," he muttered. "I'm going to get you-and more importantly, I'm gonna get you too, E.J."

Brady was walking along the pier, when he realized he recognized the man he'd just passed looking out over the water. Brady slowed to a stop, and looked at the man with disbelief. "Baker?" Dick reluctantly turned around to face Brady.

E.J. let it slip that he was considering marrying Sami. Sami was feeling bad, because Johnny had told her that he planned to tell the judge that Johnny loved his daddy more than he loved his mommy. E.J. said that Johnny had told E.J. the exact opposite thing. Sami felt that it showed how confused Johnny was. E.J. knew that their joint custody arrangement wasn't all that it was "cracked up to be," and he started to say, "when we're married..." His remark caught Sami off-guard, and he admitted that he thought about remarrying Sami and wondered if she had thought about it before too.

Sami hadn't thought about remarrying E.J., and E.J. was surprised to hear that. She joked about the notion and suggested they just lie on train tracks and see what happened. E.J. urged her not to poke fun at the idea, and he asked if it really seemed like a bad idea to live under the same roof as a family. She asked if E.J. was proposing, but he said he wasn't. Sami was relieved, and E.J. looked hurt upon hearing that, but he knew that she wasn't ready for marriage. He urged her to recognize that they were living together as a family and the kids were happier than they'd ever been.

E.J. felt that Johnny's acting out was because he wanted E.J. and Sami to be together. Sami understood, and said every child wanted to their parents to be together. "Married," E.J. said, correcting her. E.J. thought that they just needed to show Johnny that neither of them was going anywhere. E.J. and Sami agreed that if they were both comfortable, they should leave things the way they were. E.J. raised the notion that they might decide down the road to get married, and Sami said that she was just happy the way things were at the time. E.J. said if he asked her to marry him some day, she would know.

Sami felt uncomfortable with the conversation and didn't want to talk about it. E.J. said he would wait until the time and place was right. He demonstrated how he would propose. He said he would take her hand, look her in the eye, kneel in front of her and look up at her. "And I'll have this thought that will run through my head about how I'm kneeling in front of my past, and how if you'll have me, I'll rise to greet my future," he said. "And I will tell you how much I love you, how much I've always loved you, and how I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Sami said she was glad he wasn't proposing, because she felt they weren't ready. E.J. agreed that they should take a wait-and-see approach. Sami tried to change the subject.

Nicole called the bank to find out when her $5 million would be available for withdrawal and was delighted to know that she could access the funds anytime. She was eager to move out of her place and get some place nicer. She left to meet Brady for lunch.

Brady spotted Dr. Baker down at the pier. When he called Dr. Baker's name, Dr. Baker ran off. Brady chased after him, but Dr. Baker got away. Brady saw Nicole outside the Brady Pub and told her about seeing Dr. Baker. Brady noticed that Nicole looked like she was about to faint when he told her about the Dr. Baker sighting, and Nicole tried to convince Brady that he hadn't seen Dr. Baker.

Brady insisted that it was Dr. Baker. Nicole suggested that Dr. Baker might have left town after Brady saw him. Brady hoped Dr. Baker didn't leave Salem, because Dr. Baker needed to pay for what he'd done, which was why Brady had called the police. Nicole was scared when Brady said he'd called the cops. Brady wondered why she didn't want him to call the police and why she was shaking. He asked if she wanted Dr. Baker to get away, and she said no. She acted like she was worried that Dr. Baker would get caught and retaliate.

Nicole got a phone call -- it was Dr. Baker, calling to tell her that they had a "problem." Dr. Baker could tell she was talking to Brady, and she pretended to have received a business call and needed to rush off.

At Bo's house, Carly hypnotized Bo; she asked him what he remembered when he returned home the night before. He looked at Hope, who wondered if something was wrong. Carly assumed that Bo was losing focus, so she continued. Bo said that he remembered smelling gasoline, but he didn't know if the smell was there when he got home. Carly asked if he remembered anything else, and Hope asked if he saw anyone. Bo said he did -- he saw Ciara at Victor's house.

Bo remembered that his conversation with Ciara was about Hope. Hope asked for Bo to stop, and Carly asked why. Hope said she thought it was too much stress for Bo. Caroline stopped by to see Bo and was surprised to see Bo under hypnosis. Bo said they were trying to recover his memory about what had happened the night he was attacked. Carly said that Bo would remember more later. Caroline got upset and accused Carly of trying to interrogate Bo, but he defended Carly. Caroline stormed out.

Hope explained that Caroline was upset because no one had told her that Bo was in the hospital. Bo agreed with the initial decision not to notify Caroline. Hope asked Carly not to hypnotize Bo again unless Hope was there, because she wanted to take notes. Hope left to help Ciara pack for a camping trip. Carly was worried about Bo's attacker still being on the loose, but he assured her that he would find the culprit. He planned to go to the station to do some work, but Carly refused to let him leave. Bo insisted on going to work, and she decided to call someone else that she thought would be effective at convincing Bo to take it easy.

Stefano saw Theo with Abe at the police station, and Abe explained that he had taken Theo by the office to check on the investigation into Bo's attack. Stefano told Abe that Stefano willingly went to the police station when they called, and he gave them his alibi. Stefano told Theo to have Lexie arrange to have Theo go to the DiMera mansion to visit with Theo's cousins, Johnny and Sydney, because they were living at the mansion.

Vivian sensed that Victor was upset and asked if Bo was okay. "For all I know, you're the one that tried to kill him," he said. Vivian said if she had tried to murder someone, she would have been more efficient. Whoever attacked Bo was "clumsy and amateurish," she said. Victor said it was a good thing that he knew where she was at all times -- so he could avoid her. She reminded him of her oath not to put Bo in jeopardy, and she planned to keep that oath and their marriage vows.

Victor thought that Vivian's wedding vows were bogus, but she said she took those words literally. Victor felt nauseous when she mentioned the word love, but she insisted that she loved him. "Inside whatever we have left that passes for a heart, there's no room for love," he said. Vivian assumed that their conversation wasn't about love -- it was about Maggie.

Vivian guessed correctly that Maggie had shut Victor down. She said that Maggie knew better than to mess with her man. Victor reminded her that all he and Vivian had was a business arrangement. He stormed out of the room. Vivian guessed that if he knew that she had his best interests at heart, maybe he would love Vivian.

At the pub, Sami talked with Caroline about E.J., and Caroline jokingly guessed that E.J. had proposed to Sami. Sami was at a loss about what she should do. Caroline asked why Sami looked so unhappy, and Sami said it was because she didn't know what to do. Sami listed all of E.J.'s good qualities, and Caroline didn't understand why she was so upset. Sami said it was because she was still in love with Rafe. Caroline said that if she was still in love with Rafe, she didn't need to consider marrying E.J. Sami hoped that it would be different with E.J., and Caroline told Sami to marry him.

E.J. told Stefano about his conversation with Sami, and Stefano believed that Sami was living at the mansion, because she wanted a free ride. E.J. defended her, and he told Stefano that he had asked Sami to marry him. "Nobody in their right mind would willingly walk into hell. Why would you want to marry this viper?" Stefano said. E.J. insisted that his mind was made up, and he planned to marry Sami.

Brady followed Nicole, and he demanded to know what was going on. She admitted that it was about Dr. Baker. Nicole said that she was creeped out about Dr. Baker still being alive.

Dr. Baker called Hope, but she didn't know who it was. He assumed that she was acting like she didn't know him because it was a bad time to talk. He warned her that someone had spotted him, and then he hung up. Carly showed up at the Kiriakis mansion to ask Hope for a favor. She wanted Hope to talk to Bo, because Bo seemed to listen to Hope.

Carly asked why Hope was annoyed, and Carly made reference to how Hope had behaved towards Carly at the pub when Hope acted like she cared how Carly was. Hope didn't remember that conversation. She said the only thing she remembered was finding the person who tried to kill Bo. Vivian overheard them bickering and said that Carly had tried to kill Bo.

Bo saw Abe and Theo down at the police station, and Bo insisted that he was fine. Abe got a call, and Theo called Bo's wallet "treasures" and mentioned Ciara's name. Bo deduced that Ciara's treasures were wallets. Theo said the treasures were from Hope.

While talking at the Brady Pub, Sami was shocked to hear Caroline encourage her to marry E.J. Caroline explained that it seemed "obvious" to her that Sami believed it was a good idea to marry E.J., so she was not going to attempt to talk Sami out of it. When Caroline asked Sami why she kept asking for advice when she knew how Caroline felt about the DiMeras, Sami admitted that she was confused. "You didn't sound confused when you told me that you loved Rafe," Caroline said. "Look how far love has gotten us," Sami said solemnly. "How far do you think you and E.J. are gonna go without it? Unless you do love E.J.," Caroline said. Caroline advised Sami that if she did not love E.J. she needed to tell him that she would not marry him.

Caroline said that Sami did not seem happy. "I'm not! I'm definitely not happy," Sami cried out. Sami noted that she was not sure whether Rafe loved her and that when he was working on a case, he disappeared from her life completely. Caroline reminded Sami that Rafe "has a job to do," and not to treat E.J. like a consolation prize.

In his office at the FBI, Rafe worked on decoding Nicole's code from her journal, and he wrote down all of the locations listed in the code so that he could investigate them. Rafe realized that Nicole's code corresponded to locations from when she was on the run with Sydney. Rafe made reservations for a flight, and then he headed to the Brady Pub.

When Rafe entered the Brady Pub, he almost ran into Sami as she was walking and checking the messages on her cell phone. When Rafe and Sami chatted about Johnny's tour of the FBI office, Rafe joked that a tour when he was Johnny's age sparked his desire to become an FBI. agent. As Sami gave Rafe a wan smile, Rafe softly admitted that he missed the kids and Will. Sami countered that the kids missed him too. "I miss you too," Rafe added as Sami started to walk away. When Sami stopped, Rafe asked Sami to join him for coffee.

"I have something I have to tell you. It's about me and E.J.," Sami said. As Sami started to tell Rafe about E.J.'s proposal, Rafe's cell phone rang and he excused himself in order to take the call. "Some things never change," Sami muttered to herself. When Rafe returned to the table, he asked Sami what she wanted to tell him. Sami noted Rafe's behavior implied that he was busy, but Rafe reminded Sami that he had invited her to join him for coffee. "I mean obviously you were just talking to me to kill time before your next important call," Sami said annoyed. When Sami got up to leave, Rafe asked Sami why she was upset over a business call.

"Your business calls are more important than anything else!" Sami retorted. When Rafe asked Sami what she wanted, she became agitated. "For one thing, I would like to be more important than that phone call!" Sami noted. Annoyed, Rafe reminded Sami that he invited her to talk and then she proceeded to talk about E.J. so he felt justified in answering the phone. When Rafe's phone began to ring again, he smirked and noted, "and I'm going to answer this one too." When Rafe answered the phone, Sami stared at him with her mouth open.

After hanging up the phone, Rafe announced that he had to leave. "Can't wait to do this again," Sami joked sarcastically. "Give my best to E.J. and the rest of your DiMera roomies" Rafe countered. When Sami called Rafe a jerk on his way out the door, he stopped, but chided himself to wait to talk to Sami about E.J. until he discovered what Nicole had on him.

In her motel room, Nicole gleefully stared at a CD copy of E.J.'s confession and thought about when she had retrieved it from a locker at the bus station. Awoken out her reverie by the phone, Nicole hurriedly answered it, expecting to find Dick Baker on the other end. When Nicole asked whether he had been arrested, she was surprised to hear her mother's voice on the other end of the line. Suspicious, Fay asked Nicole why she was hanging out with people who might be arrested. Frustrated, Nicole lied that she was working with at-risk youth and was too busy to talk.

Nicole called E.J. and ordered him to meet her down at the pier. "I want you to do something for me, but you can't ask me why," Nicole said with a smile on her face when E.J. arrived at their meeting place. Through gritted teeth, E.J. warned Nicole not to push him too far. Nicole asked E.J. to lend her his henchman Marco. Grudgingly, E.J. agreed to Nicole's terms. Once Nicole walked away, E.J. made a call to someone and noted "bring her down to the pier."

Nicole hurried back to her motel room to meet with Marco. When Marco arrived, Nicole handed him a photo of Dick Baker and asked Marco to "pay him a visit." "Do whatever it is you do," Nicole said tensely.

At the police station, Theo informed Bo that Ciara's "treasures" were wallets that she had taken from Hope. Surprised, Bo questioned Theo further, and Theo stressed that he was sure that was what Ciara had told him. When Abe returned to ask Bo how Theo was doing, Bo responded, "It's Hope that I'm worried about." When Bo informed Abe what Theo had told him, Abe gently asked Theo to go sit at a nearby desk and draw some pictures. Once Theo was out of earshot, Abe cautioned Bo, "You don't even know what it means." "I'm sure there's a logical explanation. There has to be," Bo said gruffly. Bo noted that he wanted to talk to Ciara before questioning Hope.

Bo went down to the shore of the lake and talked to Ciara's babysitter, Jocelyn, about his daughter's behavior. Jocelyn noted that Ciara was a normal little girl. When Ciara ran to hug Bo, Jocelyn excused herself to go for a walk. Bo asked Ciara about Hope's treasures, but Ciara firmly said, "I won't talk about it, and you can't make me." Ciara explained that "everyone thinks I'm lying." Bo noted that he believed Ciara and asked her whether the treasures were wallets. When Ciara turned her head away, Bo apologized for not believing her before. "This is important. I think your mommy might need my help. And in order for me to help her, I need to know what happened," Bo said softly.

Ciara promised to help Bo if he would promise not to divorce Hope. Bo explained that he did not know what would happen, but he promised to help Hope, and he added, "I will always want us to be a family." Bo noted he could only keep their family together if Ciara told the truth. "Will you believe me?" Ciara asked. Bo assured his daughter that he would believe her and asked her where she got the wallets. Ciara explained that she'd found the wallets under Hope's bed, but they had disappeared. When Bo asked Ciara who the wallets belonged to, she answered that the wallets belonged to Roman, Justin, and Abe.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Carly expressed her frustration to Hope about her revolving attitude changes toward her. When Carly asked Hope whether she remembered how she had behaved when they saw each other at the pub, Hope firmly said that she did not know what Carly was talking about. "The only thing I care about is finding the person who tried to murder Bo," Hope said. "Look no further. She's standing right in front of you," Vivian interrupted as she pointed toward Carly. Rankled by Vivian's catty comments, Carly screamed at Vivian to stop talking.

Still angry, Carly yelled at Vivian to leave the country and get out of her life. "Mine too!" Hope added. "The father of my child almost died," Hope said exasperatedly, and added that Vivian was just using it as an excuse to spread more lies about Carly. "Get away before I do something I shouldn't," Hope said. Vivian warned Hope not to trust Carly, then she left the mansion in a huff. After Vivian was gone, Hope told Carly that she knew that Carly did not hurt Bo.

Carly asked Hope whether Vivian had touched a nerve. "She says all of this stuff about you and I know it's completely irrelevant. You have an alibi. What she said, I mean the way she described that person, I mean the person that tried to kill, Bo, that felt right," Hope explained. Carly and Hope headed into the living room and talked about Vivian. "I hate thinking about that last night with Lawrence, and every time I see her, she flings that in my face," Carly growled. Hope responded that Carly's fight with Lawrence was self-defense, unlike the attack on Bo.

Carly admitted that she believed that Vivian got under her skin because there was "a shred of truth to that." Carly explained that she felt some hatred toward Lawrence because of his cruelty. "That's what she said about the person who went after Bo," Hope wondered aloud. Carly noted that unlike Lawrence, Bo was not cruel by nature and did not set out to hurt anyone. When Carly asked if Hope saw things differently, Hope quietly agreed that Bo did not intend to hurt her.

Hope noted that the evidence showed the attack on Bo was premeditated. When Hope asked Carly about her fight with Lawrence, a tearful Carly admitted that she had not planned to attack her husband. Hope asked Carly whether she regretted what happened with Lawrence. Carly talked about that night and noted that Lawrence would not have stopped pursuing her. "I believed, and I still do, that he was deranged enough to murder an innocent child, and how am I going to live with a belief like that and not do anything about it?" Carly said passionately. Fighting her emotions, Carly said that she felt like she saved her daughter's life when she stabbed Lawrence.

Carly apologized for talking about Lawrence, but noted that she still felt the need to justify her actions to herself and others. When Hope called her brave, Carly said she did not trust Hope's sincerity. Hope stressed that she did not say things unless she meant them, and she resented that Carly did not believe her. "It's not who I am at all," Hope added. When Carly apologized for upsetting Hope, Hope noted that she just needed to get some sleep.

Hope went upstairs to bed and was surprised when she opened her bottle of pills and found that it was empty. Hope found a stray pill in the bottom of her purse and snatched it up. "Thank God. I'll call the doctor in the morning," Hope said. After falling asleep, the evil version of Hope opened her eyes. "Thank you, Carly. That helped me more than I can say," Hope said.

After leaving the Kiriakis mansion, Carly went to the Brady Pub and marched up to Vivian's table. "Do not ever pull Hope into our crap again," Carly said angrily. "You are defending Hope?" Vivian asked in wonderment. "She's been through enough," Carly noted. "If you don't treat Hope with kid gloves, Bo and I will make it our life's work to make Victor throw you out on your boney little ass, you got that?" Carly growled.

Attempting to deflect Carly's attack, Vivian asked her why she did not rat her out to anyone for setting up Chloe to believe Carly and Daniel were sleeping together. Furious, Carly stood up and stomped out of the pub. "Quite a fast retreat. Must have touched a nerve. You're keeping secrets and you know how I feel about that," Vivian said to herself.

In his hotel room, Dick was startled when he heard a slamming door. "I can't live like this," Dick said to himself. Dick wondered aloud what he should do and thought about his last conversation with Hope. "You can't go. She needs you," Dick said to himself. Dick thought about when Hope had told him about her husband leaving her. "She's not done. Things are going to get worse. A lot worse," Dick said aloud. "Guess I'm sticking around till tomorrow," Dick added.

Fay was wrapping up her break at work, and worrying aloud about what Nicole was doing. As Fay started to go back to work, Rafe entered the break room and asked her if she could answer a few questions about Nicole.

Sami was walking on the pier when she noticed E.J. sitting by the water in a fisherman's hat with a fishing pole in his hand. When Sami laughed out loud, E.J. joked that he did not look "that funny." E.J. explained that he remembered Sami had mentioned how much she like to fish with her grandfather, so E.J. thought it would be a fun thing they could do together. E.J. handed the fishing pole to Sami, and she questioned why E.J. was not at a meeting or "intimidating someone." E.J. admitted that he wanted to show Sami that he could "adapt" and have fun.

"You have a bite!" E.J. exclaimed. Though E.J. excitedly urged Sami to reel in the fish, a calm Sami noted that there was nothing tugging on the end of her fishing line. "You think you know everything don't you?" E.J. said with mock exasperation. "Some fish are passive," E.J. joked as Sami chuckled. When E.J. continued to encourage Sami to reel in the line, Sami relented and turned the reel. With a look of surprise on her face, Sami pointed out that there was something on the line after all. E.J. grabbed the hook and untied an engagement ring from the fishing line.

Slowly bending to one knee, E.J. held out the ring to Sami as she looked at it with concern. "I thought we weren't gonna do this. I thought we were going to wait," Sami stammered softly. "I was going to wait and then when you asked me if you could come live in the mansion with me, you and the children, I realized something monumental had changed between the two of us. Something I had never allowed myself to hope would happen is happening. I love you. I've always loved you, Samantha," E.J. said as tears began to spill down Sami's face.

"I could spend a lifetime on my knee down here in front you and I could never fully describe to you the place that you hold in my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you and loving our children and being a family in the proper sense of the word. So I'm asking you please to let me love you. Will you marry me?" E.J. asked as he slid the ring on Sami's finger.