Due to NBC Sports coverage of a PGA golf tournament, NBC preempted its usual daytime lineup and no episode of Days of our Lives was shown today. This programming change was planned for, and there will be no "lost" episodes as a result

Regular programming will resume on Tuesday, September 7, and pick up where the Friday, September 3 episode concluded.

In Sami's apartment, Rafe waited nervously on bended knee for Sami to answer his proposal. "When E.J. came back with that baby, I said to myself, he did this. He did this so he could have this moment," Rafe said. Sami reassured Rafe that if he had told her about E.J.'s involvement in the kidnapping sooner, she would not have believed him. "I have two kids with that monster," Sami said quietly. Sami added that she was not sure what the future would hold for her, but that she wanted to spend it with Rafe. With a big smile on her face, Sami eagerly accepted Rafe's proposal and kissed him passionately.

Rafe made coffee for Sami and then suggested that they go over to the pub and break the news to the children. Sami worried aloud about how Johnny would deal with her breakup with E.J., but Rafe assured Sami that he would be by her side and help her talk to Johnny. Once Rafe and Sami got dressed, they went over to the Brady Pub and broke the news to Caroline. Thrilled, Caroline welcomed Rafe to the family.

Johnny raced down the stairs and ran into Sami's arms. After hugging her son, Sami told Johnny that Rafe was back in their lives and that she was going to marry him. "My daddy won't like it," Johnny said. "We don't have to worry about your daddy anymore," Sami said softly. Sami explained that Rafe made her happy and that she was going to marry him. Rafe added a few calming words, winning over a hesitant Johnny. Rafe swooped Johnny up into his arms, and hugged Sami at the same time.

When Bo entered the pub with a solemn face, an oblivious Caroline announced to him that Rafe and Sami were engaged. Surprised, Bo congratulated the couple, then asked Caroline for a moment alone with Sami and Rafe. Once Caroline was gone, Bo informed Sami and Rafe that E.J. had been shot during the night. "You know who did it?" Rafe asked as Sami squirmed nervously next to him. Shaking, Sami noted that her knees felt weak, so Rafe helped her to a chair and gently sat her down.

Looking shell-shocked, Sami said, "I can't believe that he's dead." Bo corrected Sami and explained that E.J. had been shot but was still alive. Shocked, Sami dropped the glass of water she was holding. Sami apologized for her clumsiness and explained that she was rattled. Sami explained that she was thinking about how to tell the kids their father was dead, but that she was relieved she did not have to do that. Unsure, Bo looked at Sami appraisingly and informed her that Carly and Daniel were operating on E.J.

As Sami thought about shooting E.J., Bo asked Sami for her alibi during the shooting. Startled by the question, Sami scoffed at the notion of her as the shooter. "You think I tried to kill the father of my children," Sami said accusingly. Rafe interrupted to explain that Sami was with him all night. Turning to Sami, Bo asked Sami why she had not told him her alibi. "I was offended that you would ask me in the first place," Sami yelled. After taking a breath, Sami apologized to Bo for losing her temper. Satisfied, Bo left.

"I know what was really going on last night," Rafe said. When Sami turned nervously to Rafe, he explained that he was talking about Sami's nightmares. Rafe reassured Sami that they would make a family together. "I'm sure part of you wishes that E.J. would die," Rafe said. Sami quickly denied the charge. Rafe encouraged Sami to work through her emotions. "The kids are the most important thing, right?" Rafe said. Emotional, Sami threw herself into Rafe's arms and began to weep.

At Daniel's apartment, Nicole complained that there was no information about E.J.'s shooting in the news. When Chloe shook her head and said that she was stunned that someone had shot E.J., Nicole joked, "It's like Santa Claus got my letter." Curious, Nicole announced that she was going to the hospital so that she would be on hand in case E.J. died from his head wound. Chloe reluctantly followed Nicole out the door.

The paramedics wheeled E.J. into the emergency room at Salem Hospital, and Daniel directed the nurse to page Carly to assist him. A worried Stefano urged Daniel to "do everything in your power to save his life." With a nod, Daniel headed into surgery. The nurse prepped E.J. for surgery and shaved his head so that the surgeons could access his head wound. As Carly and Daniel got a closer look at the wound, they commented about how fortunate E.J. was to have been shot with a .22 caliber gun. When Daniel noted that the bullet was still lodged in the front parietal lobe, Carly added, "It's tough to get it out without losing him."

Daniel began to operate, and when he located the bullet, E.J.'s heart rate flatlined on the monitors. Daniel hurriedly restarted E.J.'s heart, then worked to remove the bullet as quickly and carefully as possible. Once the bullet was removed from E.J.'s brain, Carly carefully took the evidence in order to preserve it for the police.

Stefano and Kate were in the waiting area when Bo arrived at the hospital to question them about the shooting. Upset, Stefano walked away. Kate informed Bo that she and Stefano had spent the night on the yacht. When Bo asked Kate to help him narrow down the suspects, Kate thought about her phone call to Sami. "I think I know who's responsible," Kate said as Stefano approached her from behind. "You know who did this and you did not tell me?" Stefano asked with concern. Stefano threatened to punish everyone involved in the attack on E.J. Furious, Stefano leaned in close to Kate and urged her to tell him who had shot E.J.

Kate reminded Stefano about his fight with Victor. Bo asked for details, and Kate noted that Victor had threatened Stefano the night before. Bo promised to find the shooter, but said that he needed Stefano to stay out of the investigation. Once Bo was gone, Kate attempted to calm Stefano down and assured him that Daniel was the best surgeon to operate on E.J. "Everyone keeps saying what a powerful man I am, and I've never felt so helpless in my whole life," Stefano said as he started to weep.

As Stefano struggled with his emotions and hugged his wife, he looked up and saw Nicole enter the waiting area. "You're the one who did this. You shot Elvis. I'm gonna make you pay," Stefano growled as he pointed the finger at Nicole. Overcome with fury, Stefano lunged at Nicole, but her FBI bodyguard held Stefano back. Standing firm, Nicole countered that she had not shot E.J., and her proof was that she had been with Daniel and Chloe since E.J. had attacked her the previous evening.

When Nicole added that there had been agents watching her all evening for her protection, she cried out, "I couldn't make a move, Stefano." "You're a lucky woman. 'Cause whoever shot my son has a death sentence over their head," Stefano groused as Lexie arrived at the hospital. Lexie was going to check on E.J.'s status when Daniel entered the waiting area.

Daniel informed Stefano, Kate, and Lexie that E.J. had survived the surgery. As Stefano went to a private room to talk to Daniel, Kate remained behind in the waiting area and thought about her phone call to Sami, alerting her to E.J.'s threat to take the children. "Dear God. What have I done?" Kate muttered to herself.

In a private room at the hospital, Daniel explained to Stefano that he had removed a small caliber bullet from E.J.'s brain and that he had sustained minimal brain damage. Daniel reminded Stefano that they did not know the extent of the brain damage yet.

As Carly watched over E.J. at his bedside, Stefano and Lexie looked into his room through the hallway window. While Daniel went into the room to check on E.J., Bo arrived and informed Stefano that he was interviewing suspects. Bo explained that he had spoken to Sami, and she was worried "her kids will lose their father." "That's all?" Kate blurted out. Kate added that since Sami had almost married E.J., she was surprised that Sami had not said anything else. While Bo, Lexie, and Stefano looked at Kate, Carly exited E.J.'s room and announced that she had news.

Down on the pier, Chloe looked out over the water, then up at the sky and said aloud, "Thank you." Nathan was walking around the corner when he saw Chloe at the water's edge. Nathan congratulated Chloe on the baby and asked her if the confusion over the paternity was cleared up. Furious, Chloe lashed out at Nathan for asking her about the baby's father. Nathan apologized for asking about the father then added, "Whoever this guy is that you messed around with is damn lucky that he didn't get caught."

At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor warned Brady that he had been in a fight with Stefano and that as a precaution, he was sending Vivian to Tahiti. Brady offered to help Victor, noting, "I hate E.J. more than I like my principles." Brady asked Victor what Maggie would think about his war with Stefano. "She told me that I should watch out for you," Brady said, adding that Maggie was onto him. Brady warned Victor to be careful with Maggie or else Victor would have to deal with him.

After Brady left, Victor called Maggie while Vivian eavesdropped from the hallway. Victor told Maggie that he believed she should leave town. "There might be retaliations against me and people that are important to me. I don't want to see you get hurt. It doesn't mean that I won't miss you," Victor said, as Vivian looked crestfallen in the next room. Victor urged Maggie to be safe, and then hung up the phone. Shaking off the weight of Victor's words to Maggie, Vivian glided in to the living room and announced that she was not leaving Salem. "I knew the risks when I married you," Vivian said. Victor reluctantly agreed to Vivian's offer.

Melanie was perusing through Maggie's cookbook when Philip entered the kitchen. Philip suggested a celebration for Chloe and Daniel, but Melanie was confused by Philip's recent change of heart about Chloe's pregnancy. Melanie noted that when Philip had learned Chloe was pregnant, he seemed dour. Philip explained that he was worried that Chloe might have a miscarriage, given her history. Smiling, Philip said that he wanted Melanie to bond with the baby "as much as possible." Relieved, Melanie noted that she was glad that Philip was excited about the pregnancy.

Stephanie asked Ian to go over to her apartment to talk about the paternity test. When Ian arrived, Stephanie urged him to help her figure out if there was any evidence pointing to the hacker who had changed the results of the paternity test. Nervous, Ian resisted Stephanie's request, noting that he could get caught breaking into the hospital's records system. Stephanie argued that the baby would be better off with Chloe and Daniel, and convinced by her impassioned speech, Ian relented. While Stephanie went to meet Nathan, Ian remained in Stephanie's apartment and used her computer to hack into the records site.

At the Brady Pub, Rafe reassured a crying Sami that if E.J. didn't make it, they would find a way to break the news to the kids together. Sami wanted to go to the hospital, so Rafe left with her.

At the hospital, Daniel checked on E.J., while Stefano and Kate waited with Lexie. Bo arrived, and told the group that he had just interviewed Rafe and Sami, and that Sami was worried that her kids would lose their father. "That's all?" Kate asked. "Sami and E.J. were about to be married. I can't believe she doesn't have any feelings for him at all." Bo eyed her somewhat suspiciously.

Carly emerged from E.J.'s room, and announced that his vital signs had been improving steadily since his surgery. Sami and Rafe arrived just then, and Stefano lashed out angrily at Sami. When Stefano accused Sami of shooting E.J., Rafe firmly stated that she had an alibi. Bo reminded everyone that there were plenty of people who had motive to shoot E.J. Sami asserted that once E.J. woke up, they could just ask him who had shot him-unless he had brain damage.

Carly stated that if E.J. made it through the first 24 hours after surgery, the chances were good that he would make a full recovery. After Stefano walked away to get some air and the group scattered, Kate sidled up to Sami, and quietly said that they needed to talk about their phone call the night before. Trying to remain casual, Sami whispered back, "Not now, okay? Not here."

In E.J.'s room, Bo asked Carly and Daniel when E.J. might wake up, but Daniel replied that he couldn't even begin to guess. Daniel then surprised Bo with the news that he'd had to intervene the night before when E.J. had tried to kill Nicole. He assured Bo that Nicole had a solid alibi, since she had spent the night with Daniel and Chloe under the watchful eyes of several FBI bodyguards. Privately, Bo remembered Sami's angry reaction when he'd questioned her about where she'd been when E.J. had been shot.

In a private waiting area, Rafe told Sami that they didn't have to stay at the hospital, but Sami thought that being there was the right thing to do. Rafe remarked that he'd witnessed the exchange between Sami and Kate, and he wondered why Sami seemed so shaken. Sami snapped somewhat defensively that she'd been through a lot in the previous 24 hours.

As soon as Sami and Rafe returned to where the others were waiting, Stefano and Sami got into an argument. Rafe tried to intervene, but that only irritated Stefano. Suddenly, the alarms in E.J.'s room started going off, and the group rushed to the window to see what was happening. Lexie ran into the room to assist Daniel and Carly.

Carly then reported to the group that E.J. had gone into shock from blood loss. She added that they were giving him a transfusion, but they would have to do a scan to make sure he wasn't bleeding in his brain. As Carly hurried off, Stefano asked Lexie, "How bad is this?" Lexie had to fight back tears as she replied, "It's very serious." Stefano understood that meant that his son might not make it.

Maggie was at home, researching airfares for her trip, when Victor called. As Vivian eavesdropped on Victor's side of the conversation, Victor claimed that he wanted to visit Maggie so they could discuss Horton Foundation business. Maggie declared that it wasn't a good time. After a disappointed Victor hung up, Vivian grumbled to herself, "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie-it's always Maggie. Well, not for long."

Nathan was at the Cheatin' Heart, remembering how he'd confronted Chloe about cheating on Daniel, when Chloe, Melanie, and Philip arrived. They exchanged tense greetings, and then Philip and Chloe got a table. Melanie told Nathan that she blamed herself that he almost hadn't been able to perform his first solo surgery, because he'd gotten hurt protecting her. Nathan shrugged it off, asserting warmly that she was the only reason he'd gotten through the surgery at all.

Stephanie arrived, and scowled when she saw Nathan and Melanie talking at the bar, while Philip and Chloe chatted at a table. Stephanie stepped back outside to call Ian, who informed her that he'd made no progress finding out who had changed Chloe's paternity-test results. With a frustrated sigh, Stephanie declared, "I'm going to have to work my own angle."

Melanie joined Philip and Chloe at the table. Chloe was thrilled and touched when Melanie divulged that she was planning to throw a baby shower for Chloe. The women started talking about shower themes, so Philip used that as an excuse to leave the table. He wandered over to the bar to talk to Nathan about new equipment for the children's wing at the hospital. "Speaking of kids, Chloe seems pretty excited," Nathan remarked.

Just then, Stephanie entered. "Oh, my God, you told him?" she asked Philip anxiously. The men informed her that they'd learned of Chloe's pregnancy at the same time. After Philip returned to his table, Nathan apologetically told Stephanie that he had to go back to the hospital. He left after they kissed goodbye.

Stephanie edged closer to Chloe, Melanie, and Philip's table, but tried to be inconspicuous by keeping her back to them. As she eavesdropped, they discussed the merits of having an all-female shower versus a shower for couples. Philip groaned at the latter, but Chloe thought a couple's shower might be fun, since they'd all had fun together at her birthday party. "As long as my adoring husband doesn't pull a disappearing act again," Melanie teased Philip.

When Melanie and Chloe left to shop for baby-shower decorations, Stephanie joined Philip. Feigning nonchalance, Stephanie said that she'd overheard some of the conversation. She remarked that the baby shower sounded fun, and then asked Philip where he'd gone during Chloe's birthday party. "Overheard, my ass," an immediately distrustful Philip pronounced. "You were eavesdropping on our conversation. Why? What do you want to know, Stephanie? Just say it."

Stephanie innocently insisted that she was just curious. "Although-considering what happened between you and Chloe, I'd imagine things would be a little awkward when Daniel's around," she added. Philip demanded to know what she was talking about, but she maintained that she was only referring to Philip and Chloe's past as "lovers."

Philip contended that he and Chloe were friends-and Daniel was family-so there was no tension. "You want to know where I went when I left the party? I went to Titan for a meeting-for the green shipping project we used to work on, remember?" Philip asserted, then asked mockingly, "Do you have any more questions, or can I go now?" Stephanie apologized for bothering him.

As soon as Philip left, Stephanie called to inform Ian, "If Philip was the one who changed the test results, he did it from a computer at Titan Enterprises." Ian warned her that big corporations used many servers. He asked her to get Philip's email address, and find out what Internet service provider Titan was using; then Ian might be able to figure out if Philip had logged on to the hospital computers.

Stephanie then called Marie, Philip's assistant at Titan. "Since I'm handling the hospital's charity project," Stephanie explained with a smile, "I need to get to the bottom of this, and figure out why we're not receiving any emails from Titan-so I figured who better to contact than Philip's personal secretary?" After Stephanie got Philip's email address and the company's Internet provider, she called Ian and asked him to meet her at her apartment.

Once they had both arrived and Ian had his laptop set up, Stephanie gave him the information she'd gotten from Philip's assistant. Ian got to work, but within just a few seconds, he reluctantly warned Stephanie, "You're not going to like this."

While Chloe and Melanie were having tea at the Brady Pub, on a break from shopping, Carly entered. Carly was excited when Melanie told her about-and invited her to-the baby shower. "This is so nice. Thank you. I just feel so lucky," Chloe declared with a happy sigh, adding, "I'm sorry I got on the wrong foot with the both of you; I really regret that." Carly assured her that the past was the past, and from then on, everything would be perfect.

While they were discussing the baby shower, Vivian arrived and overheard. Vivian gushed enthusiastically about how much fun it would be, but Melanie curtly informed her, "You're not invited." Vivian petulantly reminded them that she was Melanie's stepmother-in-law as well as the wife of Daniel's godfather. Fed up, Melanie left. Carly suggested that Vivian should leave, too, but Vivian wanted to know how Chloe and Carly had become so close.

"We bonded since you tried to destroy us," Carly replied with an icy glare. Vivian feigned ignorance as to what she meant, but neither Carly nor Chloe bought it. The two women reminded Vivian of her crimes, but Vivian breezily countered that she had obviously done something right. "You two have bonded like giggly, junior-high-school girls!" Chloe ordered Vivian to go away. Vivian wondered what had caused the two of them to become so close, asking with suspicion, "Is it your hatred towards me-or something else?"

Melanie was outside the pub, on the phone with the caterer, when Philip arrived. Melanie filled him in about how Vivian had tried to invite herself to the baby shower, but Philip reassured her that wouldn't happen.

Melanie then went home, where she found Maggie looking over travel brochures at the kitchen table. Melanie noted that traveling alone might be scary, but Maggie confidently reassured her, "I can handle it; I'm a big girl." Maggie observed that Melanie seemed down about something. Melanie confided, "It's Vivian. She's trying to stomp her way back into my life." After apologizing, Maggie asserted, "I think it's because of me."

Daniel was reviewing E.J.'s brain scans when Nathan arrived at the hospital. Daniel said that he'd heard from Melanie how well Nathan had done on his first solo surgery, but Nathan demurred that he couldn't have gotten through it without Melanie's help. Nathan then offered Daniel sincere congratulation on his impending fatherhood.

Bo stopped Kate outside the Brady Pub to ask her some more questions about E.J.'s shooting. "I had this nagging feeling that you might know a little more than what you were telling me," Bo stated. Kate replied that she only knew she and Stefano had returned from spending the night on the yacht to find E.J. shot in the head. She assured Bo that she wasn't hiding anything. He seemed skeptical, but asked her to call if she thought of anything else. As Bo walked off, Kate said to herself, "If only you knew it's Sami I might be hiding."

Back at the hospital, Stefano wanted to see his son, but Carly told him that he couldn't until E.J. was stable. She then informed Lexie that she was leaving, but would call regularly to check in on E.J. After Carly left, Stefano declared to Lexie, "I want Daniel to have anything he needs to make sure that my son gets well. Anything, I give my permission. Right or wrong, whatever he wants or needs, he gets."

Lexie reluctantly revealed that before the wedding, E.J. had signed a living will and health-care proxy, which gave Sami the power to make all medical decisions for E.J. if he couldn't. An enraged Stefano disparaged Sami. Rafe hotly defended her, pointing out that signing over power of attorney to her hadn't been Sami's decision. Sami declared that she didn't even want it, and would happily sign her rights over to Stefano.

Lexie informed them that E.J. was the only one who could change his health-care proxy, unless they went before a judge. Sami and Rafe immediately agreed to call a lawyer, but Stefano declared that he could do better than that. "I'll get a judge down here-two, if we need it," he said as he whipped out his cell phone. As Stefano walked off, Lexie stated hopefully that if E.J. rallied, Sami might not have to make any decisions-and then maybe he could tell them who had shot him.

Sami admitted to Rafe later that she couldn't decide how to feel, because she had never expected to be in a position to wonder if E.J. were going to live or die. Referring to the kidnapping, she stated, "I just never thought he was capable of something like that. What he did killed any feelings that I had for him. I have never hated someone so much in my entire life." But since he'd become so helpless, she felt sorry for him, because she was used to seeing him in control.

Overhearing her, Stefano growled, "Wrong. You don't feel sorry for him in the least. You want him to die." He repeated his belief that Sami was the one who had shot E.J., despite her alleged alibi. "I promise you, Samantha, that I am going to find out who did this to him," Stefano vowed. "And when I do, that person is going to die -- in pain and alone."

At the hospital, Stefano accused Sami of wanting E.J. to die, and he practically accused her of being the one who shot E.J. Rafe told Stefano to back off because Sami had been with him all night. Stefano vowed that when he found out who had shot E.J., that person would die "in pain and alone." Daniel informed Stefano that there was no change in E.J.'s condition. Stefano wanted to know when E.J. would wake up, but Daniel did not know. Daniel said the situation would have to resolve itself.

Stefano was emotional over E.J.'s condition, and Lexie comforted him. She asked where Kate was, and he said that Kate was looking for Will. Stefano asked Lexie for her medical opinion of E.J.'s fate, and she said they needed to prepare themselves for whatever happened. She broke down into tears. Stefano told Lexie to tend to her other patients, and he would be all right.

Stefano told E.J. that he was Stefano's favorite son, and even though they would fight, they always made up because of the love and E.J.'s children. Stefano told E.J. to be strong, because he needed to wake up for the kids. Stefano said whoever had shot E.J. shot the wrong man. Stefano felt he should take E.J.'s place. Stefano told E.J. that he would never give up, and he urged E.J. to fight. Stefano vowed that he would find out who had shot E.J.

Daniel told Sami that there was no change in E.J.'s condition, and he was concerned that E.J.'s reduced brain activity would not improve soon. She wanted to know how to decide when would be the right time to "pull the plug." Daniel explained that every case was different. He said that when Chloe had been in a coma, doctors told Lucas that Chloe would be in a vegetative state for the rest of her life. Sami pointed out that Chloe "made it back."

Daniel said that Chloe had been breathing on her own, but E.J.'s situation was different. Daniel said that when E.J.'s brain functions dropped significantly or stopped entirely, that might be a signal, but there was no way to know for sure. Rafe asked Sami whether there was any news on E.J. Sami said that Daniel had said when it was time, they would know what to do. Rafe said that Stefano would never say it was time to let go, so Sami would need to decide for E.J. and the kids.

Sami didn't want to be put in the position to decide whether to pull the plug on E.J. Rafe played the supportive role and asked if she would have a better idea of what to do if she sat in E.J.'s room. With anyone else that would work, Sami said, but it was different with E.J. "If he's gonna die anyway, why not just let him go and make life easier for everyone," Rafe said. Sami thought about what Rafe had said.

Sami told Stefano that she was going to sit in E.J.'s room, but he ordered her to stay away. Lexie intervened and reminded Stefano that Sami had the legal right to go in the room, and when she threatened to call security, Stefano backed down and warned Sami that he was watching her. Stefano told Rafe that E.J. was helpless, while Sami had caused only pain and suffering.

As they argued, Lexie stepped in between Rafe and Stefano, and she ordered Rafe to back off. Kate arrived, and Stefano told Kate that Rafe was gloating over E.J. being on his "death bed." Abe showed up, and Lexie explained the situation. She broke down in tears, and Stefano comforted her.

Meanwhile, Sami was regretting her decision to shoot E.J., asking herself what she had done. She was shocked to see E.J.'s eyes opening, and she called out for Lexie. Lexie ran into the room, and she examined E.J. while Sami and Rafe waited outside. Rafe told Stefano that E.J. had opened his eyes. Stefano accused Sami of wishing that E.J. hadn't opened his eyes, but Sami told him that wasn't true. Stefano said that if E.J. survived, he would tell everyone that she had shot him. Sami denied wanting E.J. to die, because he was the father of her two kids. Stefano said she wanted the kids to herself, which was exactly why she wanted E.J. to die. While they were talking, Lexie returned from E.J.'s room, and Stefano asked if E.J. would be okay.

At the Brady Pub, Vivian speculated as to why Carly and Chloe were all of a sudden "BFFs." She suspected that there was more to Carly and Chloe's connection than it seemed, and she announced that it was just a matter of time before she figured it out. Vivian hinted that Chloe had been open to Vivian's suggestion that Chloe kill Carly. After Vivian left, Chloe told Carly that she needed to tell Carly something.

Carly and Chloe walked to the pier, and Chloe explained that Vivian had almost convinced her to help Vivian kill Carly. "I sort of tried to kill you," Chloe told Carly. "You tried to kill me, as in actual murder?" Carly asked. "Yeah, but it was a complete lapse in judgment. I was not thinking straight," Chloe said. Carly asked what exactly Chloe had tried to do to her. Chloe explained how everything had happened and that she was ashamed. Chloe assumed that Carly would never speak to her again after she found out what method Chloe and Vivian were going to use to kill Carly. Chloe explained to Carly about Vivian's plan to kill Carly in the hospital elevator.

As Melanie and Maggie chatted, Maggie blamed herself for being the reason why Vivian was trying to get close to Melanie. She believed that Vivian was trying to get in good with Victor's family so Vivian could look good in Victor's eyes. Melanie said that if Vivian wanted to ingratiate herself with Melanie, she should stay out of Melanie's way. Maggie predicted that once she was gone, Vivian wouldn't feel threatened anymore and would stop being a pest.

Melanie said that she would miss Maggie while Maggie went on her trip, and Maggie said she would miss Melanie too. Melanie thought Victor was the reason why Maggie was so eager to book the trip right away. Maggie denied that Victor was a factor in her planning the trip, because Maggie had been planning the trip for months. Melanie suspected that something had been going on with Maggie and Victor.

Stephanie was worried that Ian would not be able to figure out if Philip changed Chloe's test results. Ian told Stephanie that Philip was not the person who had changed Chloe's DNA results, because no one from Titan did it. Ian said whoever changed the results logged in from a different server, unless it was done internally. Stephanie wondered who else would want to keep the secret safe, and then she realized that Chloe must have done it. Ian asked if Chloe had the "smarts" to change the results, and Stephanie said Chloe didn't, but she could have asked a friend for help.

Stephanie didn't trust Chloe to keep the secret to herself, and Stephanie needed to make sure that it was Chloe who had changed the results. Ian theorized that if Chloe was "a big blabbermouth" like Stephanie had said, she wouldn't want anyone to know the truth. "I'd imagine that that slut wouldn't want anyone to find out," Stephanie said. Ian predicted that Chloe would eventually slip up and reveal the truth, and Stephanie said she could never let that happen.

Stephanie decided to tell Chloe that she would do whatever it took to keep Chloe's secret. Ian pointed out that they needed to prove that Chloe was the one who had changed the test results. Nathan returned home and was surprised to see Ian there with Stephanie. Ian left, and Nathan asked Stephanie why Ian was there so much. Stephanie said Ian was helping her with the hospital's new computer software, but Nathan knew that she wasn't telling the whole truth.

When Vivian returned home, she was delighted to find Philip there. When Vivian referred to him as her son, he corrected her. "I carried you for nine months," she said. Philip told her to "shut up and listen," and he ordered her to stay away from his wife. Philip said it was his final warning, and the next time, he would do whatever it took to make sure she never saw Melanie again. Vivian agreed to stop trying to get invited to Chloe's baby shower. Vivian said she was busy, anyway, with Isabella's re-internment.

Philip pointed out that Isabella had been dead for a long time, and he wanted to know what Vivian's "game" was. She acted like she didn't know what he was talking about. She said she might be trying too hard to convince Victor and everyone else that she cared and was proud to be part of the family. He told her that no one cared about her or what she thought. Vivian said the problem was that no one would give her a second chance except for Victor.

"You tried to kill my wife, Vivian, and now you've come out with this ludicrous idea of moving my sister's body to some sarcophagus. What? You think that is going to impress my father? You can't fix a marriage made in hell by moving dead bodies around, Vivian," Philip said. Victor walked in and demanded to know what was going on.

Philip explained that he was ordering Vivian to stay away from Melanie and out of Philip's life for good. Vivian said she had only Philip's family's best interest at heart. "You don't have a heart, Vivian," Philip said. She ran out of the room, distraught. She went to the mausoleum with Gus, who tried to talk Vivian out of carrying out her plan. Vivian explained that she wasn't going to kill Maggie -- she was just playing with her. Gus thought that Vivian was downplaying her plan, because, in essence, she was planning to torture Maggie.

Melanie stopped by Daniel's apartment to tell him of her and Carly's plans to throw a baby shower for Chloe. Daniel was excited to hear that Melanie and Chloe were getting close. Maggie stopped by Daniel's apartment to drop off a baby gift. Daniel announced that Melanie was throwing a baby shower for Chloe, and Maggie said she wouldn't be able to make it.

Melanie said that Maggie would be away on her trip, and it was breaking Melanie's heart. Maggie explained that she was taking a trip that she had been planning to take with Mickey, thinking it would be comforting. Daniel thought it wouldn't be comforting -- it would be difficult -- and he asked whether there was another reason she was leaving.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor ordered Ciara to have fun, and he ran after her.

After Ian left Nathan and Stephanie's apartment, Nathan confronted Stephanie. "Up until recently, I'd never even heard of your pal Ian before, and now he's here all the time," Nathan noted. "What's up with that?" Stephanie insisted defensively that Ian was just helping her with the hospital's new computer software, which she hadn't realized would be so complicated.

Nathan suspected that Ian had been hanging around more than necessary because he had a crush on Stephanie. Stephanie admitted that Ian had liked her since college, but she'd never thought of him as more than a friend-and never would. Nathan assured her that he understood how Ian felt, and then kissed her.

Later, they emerged from the bedroom, and then Nathan left for the remainder of his shift. Stephanie immediately called Ian, and asked how they could prove that Chloe had switched the paternity-test results. Ian replied, "The best way is to access her computer, figure out her I.P. address, or at the very least, send me an email from it." Discouraged, Stephanie grumbled, "Great. How in the world am I going to pull that off?"

On the pier, a contrite Chloe apologized for having nearly let Carly get on the elevator that could have killed her. Carly reminded Chloe that she'd pushed Carly out of the way, and declared, "You saved my life." Chloe felt terrible and foolish for having listened to Vivian in the first place, and tearfully swore that she would never do anything like that again.

An understanding Carly asserted that they should put the incident behind them and move on. Chloe expressed her sincere gratitude, but worried that Vivian would figure out that the two of them were keeping secrets from Daniel. "Just let it go; focus on your baby," Carly urged her, adding firmly, "I will handle Vivian. Trust me."

At Daniel and Chloe's, Melanie complained that the caterer she wanted to use for Chloe's shower was booked. Maggie offered to let them use Chez Rouge. Melanie was grateful, but wished that Maggie would stick around to help plan the shower. Maggie agreed to postpone her trip, but only long enough to help Melanie. Thrilled, Melanie asked if there were any way to get Maggie not to go at all. "Oh, Melanie! I'm not going to be gone forever," Maggie reassured her.

After Maggie had gone, Melanie confided to Daniel that she was worried about Maggie. "Sometimes, really late at night, I can hear her talking to Mickey, and I can tell she's crying," Melanie explained sadly. Daniel assured his daughter that Maggie was "one tough lady" and would be just fine.

Chloe was at home alone later when Stephanie knocked on the door. After a friendly apology for dropping by unannounced, Stephanie asked, "May I come in?" As a gracious Chloe let her in, Stephanie's eyes instantly fell on Chloe's open laptop. "So, what can I do for you?" Chloe asked.

As Maggie walked near the lake, she spotted Victor and Ciara playing checkers. She hung back to watch, as Ciara confided that she missed her mommy. "Grandpa, I don't want to live with Daddy and Carly. I want to live with you," the little girl declared. Victor patiently urged her to think about how much she loved her dad, and know that it would mean a lot to him if she tried to get along with Carly. Ciara still wasn't convinced, so Victor asked, "How about you do it for your dad, and for me? Okay, sweetheart?" Maggie smiled, and then quietly left.

Victor and Ciara had returned to the Kiriakis mansion when Daniel arrived. As the little girl ran into the kitchen, Daniel remarked that she seemed to be doing well. "She'd be doing a lot better if her mother were around," Victor groused. "And if her Aunt Maggie weren't abandoning her." Daniel informed his godfather that Melanie had managed to "guilt" Maggie into staying in town for a little while to help with Chloe's baby shower. A beaming Victor tried to pretend that he was happy for Ciara's sake, but Daniel saw right through him.

When Maggie returned home, she considered Victor's good and bad points. Suddenly she chided herself angrily, "Maggie! What are you thinking! Oh, God! He's married, and so, so wrong." Melanie entered the kitchen, and asked if they could discuss plans for the shower. Maggie informed her reluctantly but firmly that she had changed her mind, and it was important for her to leave as she'd originally planned.

Melanie asked if Victor had done something to upset Maggie, but Maggie insisted it had nothing to do with Victor. Melanie asserted that it appeared as if Maggie were running away from her problems. "This thing with you and Victor is kind of serious, isn't it?" Melanie asked softly. "No!" Maggie insisted adamantly, and reminded Melanie that Victor was married. Melanie asserted that the marriage could be annulled easily, because Victor hadn't married Vivian willingly. Melanie reiterated her belief that Maggie was running away, adding, "You're afraid of your feelings."

At the mausoleum, Vivian appreciatively examined the plush inside of the sarcophagus. Gus fretted that Vivian's plan to put Maggie in the sarcophagus could backfire. "Mrs. Horton's absence might make Mr. Kiriakis's heart grow fonder," he noted. Vivian asserted that she would be there to pick up the pieces.

Indicating a video panel inside the lid of the sarcophagus, Vivian chirped, "And with a direct feed into my bedroom, Maggie Horton will have a front-row view of the entire seduction!" She promised Gus that she would set Maggie free once Maggie had been driven mad, either from being locked inside, or from the toxic paint in the coffin. Vivian then declared that it was time for a test run-and Gus was to be her test subject.

Gus climbed into the sarcophagus very unwillingly, and watched with dread as Vivian lowered the lid. Vivian addressed him via video camera, and he confirmed that he could see and hear her. After just a few moments, Gus insisted with real panic in his voice that he was starting to go mad from the toxic fumes. Vivian ordered him to calm down, because the paint couldn't work that fast, and tested another video channel. Gus confirmed that he could see Vivian's bedroom.

"Now, I want you to get very loud," Vivian next instructed. "I want to see if I can hear you under all that marble." As she clicked off the camera and microphone, a petrified Gus shouted for her to let him out. Vivian heard nothing. "Ah, Maggie. No one's going to know you're here," she declared, grinning gleefully.

When Gus got back out, he complained, "It was horrible in there! I've never been so terrified in my life!" Vivian was ecstatic, but Gus shook her by the shoulders. "No, Madame! You cannot do this!" he implored. "You simply can't put Maggie Horton in there. It's too horrible."

As Vivian was indignantly admonishing Gus, Carly walked in. "It just doesn't seem fair-all these dead people, and you're still alive," Carly cracked. Vivian ordered her to leave, maintaining that it was a sacred place-and Carly was trespassing. "Oh, please, we both know you think of mausoleums the way normal people think of rec rooms," Carly scoffed. Vivian irritably maintained that she and Gus were in the process of moving Isabella's remains to a worthy resting place. Carly wondered what Victor would think when he learned that was just a cover story. As Vivian repeated her order for Carly to leave, Gus moved in menacingly, but Carly was able to shove him away with just one hand.

"I'm not going anywhere," Carly declared. She revealed that she knew all about Vivian's attempts to get Chloe to murder Carly. Vivian argued that the fickle Chloe was "one taco short of a combination platter," and that if Carly had any hard evidence, she wouldn't be hurling empty threats at Vivian and Gus. "You can't touch me," Vivian contended. "You wanna bet?" Carly snarled.

At the hospital, a teary Lexie explained to Stefano, Sami, and Kate that E.J.'s eyes had opened out of reflex, not because he was waking up or improving. As Stefano went in to sit with his son, Rafe left to get some water for Sami. In a threatening whisper, Kate ordered Sami to get rid of Rafe and meet her in the waiting room so they could talk privately. When Rafe returned, Sami asked him to go to the pub and check on the kids, and tell her grandmother what had happened.

Rafe agreed, and as soon as he was gone, Sami headed for the waiting room. Kate got right to the point and demanded to know if Sami had shot E.J. Sami adamantly insisted that she hadn't, but Kate was skeptical. Sami swore that since Kate had told her that E.J. was too drunk to disappear with the kids that night, she'd taken Kate's advice to think about how to handle the situation, and before she could do anything, she had learned about the shooting. "Okay, I believe you," Kate declared, but cautioned Sami that because Stefano suspected Sami, they shouldn't tell anyone about Kate's phone call to Sami the night of the shooting.

At the Brady Pub, Caroline told Will that his mom had gone to the hospital after Bo had spoken to Rafe and Sami privately. Caroline didn't have more details, and she and Will were both worried because Sami hadn't been answering her cell phone.

Rafe arrived and told Will and Caroline about E.J.'s shooting. An alarmed Will immediately left for the hospital.

When Abe arrived at the hospital, he informed Stefano and Lexie that ballistics on the bullet removed from E.J.'s brain showed that it was from a .22-caliber Browning Buck Mark with a silencer attached. As Kate returned, Abe asked if Stefano owned a gun like that. Stefano asserted that they no longer kept guns in the house because of the grandchildren. Abe stated that the police thought E.J.'s shooting had been a professional hit. Stefano claimed that he suddenly wasn't feeling well, and wanted to go home to rest, so he and Kate left.

Rafe returned to the hospital and stood at the foot of E.J.'s bed. "Damn you, E.J.," Rafe declared, while the machines keeping E.J. alive beeped quietly. "You can't die. That'd be too easy...'cause I'm gonna make you pay for what you've done to Sami." Suddenly Arianna entered, and ordered Rafe to stop.

As they left the room, Arianna urged her brother to calm down, but Rafe argued that E.J. should have to face what he had done. Arianna countered that Rafe should focus his energy on Sami instead of on E.J. She added that she understood why he'd been so obsessed with proving that E.J. had kidnapped Sydney, but Sami needed him to help her put her life back together. Rafe asserted that was exactly what he was doing.

Arianna went in and sat beside E.J.'s bed. She spoke softly to him about his relationship with Sami. "What you did, it was horrible," Arianna said frankly. "But you don't deserve this." She added that she knew he'd been trying to atone for what he'd done by becoming a good father and a good man.

When Kate and Stefano arrived home, Stefano immediately strode over to the side table in the parlor, yanked open the drawer, and pulled out a box. "I knew it!" he declared angrily when he saw that the box was empty. He explained to a concerned Kate that the gun that had been in that box was the same kind of gun that had been used to shoot his son-and he didn't think it was a coincidence that it was gone.

Kate thought that it still might have been a professional hit, but Stefano was convinced that it had been Sami. "But, I mean, she had won. She had the disk that Elvis says he took Sydney," Stefano mused, while Kate thought guiltily about her phone call to Sami. "Why would she risk everything? The timing just does not make sense. Why then? What was so urgent about last night?"

After Kate left the waiting room, an anxious Sami tried to tell herself that she hadn't been thinking straight when she'd shot E.J., that she'd only been thinking about how to stop him. "Oh, my God, what have I done?" she exclaimed. When Will found her there, Sami began babbling nervously about how one of the DiMeras' many enemies had surely shot E.J. Will interrupted, "Mom, stop it. I know what you did last night-to E.J."

Sami played dumb, but Will told her that he had seen her leaving the DiMera mansion just minutes after the police said E.J. had been shot. Sami demanded to know why Will had returned to the house. Will maintained that he had wanted to talk to Stefano, because he couldn't just pretend that nothing had happened. He added that he had been outside by the pool when she'd arrived looking for E.J., so he'd waited for her-but he'd seen her leave carrying something that looked like a gun. "You did it, didn't you, Mom?" he asked. "You shot E.J."

Sami anxiously insisted that it hadn't been a gun, but an angry Will pointed out that was an admission that she'd been there. Sami begged him not to say anything, and asked him tearfully if he really thought she was capable of shooting E.J. "Yes, after what he did to you, and after what he did to our family, I can," Will replied sympathetically. "But he is also Johnny and Sydney's father!" Sami cried that her kids were all she had been thinking about. She became even more emotional as she tried to explain, "Will, you don't understand. He was-"

Just then, Rafe entered, and asked why they both seemed so upset. Will covered that he was feeling "whacked-out" from everything that had happened, and Sami added that they had just been worrying about how Johnny would react. Rafe got a phone call, and when he hung up, he told them that the FBI had no leads about a contract on any of the DiMeras' lives. "They think this was a paid hit?" asked Will, surprised. "What else would it be?" Rafe replied with a shrug.