Sami told Rafe that Nicole wouldn't be satisfied just being Sydney's godmother. Rafe agreed, and he said he planned to play along with Nicole until he could get his hands on the video incriminating Sami in E.J.'s shooting. He planned to either get the video camera back or make sure that Nicole couldn't use it. E.J. said he wanted Nicole to think she had the upper hand, but allowing Nicole to visit with Sydney might buy them some time.

Sami hated the idea of using Sydney to stay out of jail. Rafe said the kids couldn't keep living like that. Sami agreed and left the room to get Sydney. Rafe called a former colleague named Mike at the FBI and asked for a program that could stop the video before it went viral. Rafe asked Mike to distract the man that E.J. had watching Rafe and Sami. After Rafe left with Sydney, Sami told Will about the plan, and she asked Will to convince her that Rafe was right and that Nicole would not get Sami's baby back.

Sami praised Will for what a great kid he had turned out to be despite what he had gone through. Sami admitted that she was afraid that Nicole could turn Sydney against Sami, but Will assured her that Rafe would not allow that to happen. Will said that Nicole could have years with Sydney, and that wouldn't change how Sydney felt about Sami, because Sami was a great mom. Sami didn't think of herself as a great mother.

At the DiMera mansion, E.J. planned to kidnap Johnny and Sydney in lieu of finding the proof that Arianna had against Sami. Lexie overheard E.J. making travel arrangements to Switzerland, and she asked "What about your sister?" E.J. gave Lexie the first pound he had ever earned while working for a grocer so that she could give it to Theo. Lexie asked why E.J. wanted Theo to have it, and he explained that it was because he wanted Theo to have something from E.J. that was not from the person E.J. had become. Lexie asked if E.J. was saying goodbye. She told E.J. to give the gift to Theo himself.

E.J. said he was too busy to do it. Lexie wanted to sit down and talk about it, but she had to leave. After she left, E.J. took down the bags filled with clothes for Sydney and Johnny, and he told his henchman that he needed to know where Sami was. E.J. yelled at the pilot of his private plane to get it ready for takeoff.

E.J. stopped by Sami's apartment to bury the hatchet, but she was skeptical. He said they needed to find a way to be civil for their children. She said she could do that if he honored the restraining order, and she told him to leave by the time she returned to the door after taking a phone call. E.J. sneaked inside her apartment, while E.J.'s henchman was on the phone with her. As Sami asked who was on the phone, E.J. crept up behind her and chloroformed her. He put her body on the couch and then heard Ali -- who was standing right behind him -- scream.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Nicole tried to convince herself that she had made headway with Sami and Rafe to get them to let her see Sydney. She thought about her "deal" not to say anything to anyone about the video, but she was lying. As long as she had the video, Nicole could "bring Sami to her knees." Rafe took Sydney to see Nicole. Rafe told Nicole that he wanted to set some ground rules. Nicole thought she should set the rules, since she had the evidence against Sami. No surprise visits, Rafe said, and if Nicole bent or broke the rules, their arrangement would be over. He handed Sydney to Nicole.

Rafe noticed that Nicole had been drinking, and he told her no drinking during Sydney's visit. Nicole suggested that Rafe go home and return in an hour, but Rafe said he was staying. He saw Nicole's laptop on the table. Rafe noticed how good Nicole was with Sydney, and he praised her. Then he told Nicole that he suspected that she had decided not to turn Sami in because she also knew how Sami had felt to be afraid that E.J. would kidnap the kids. He said Nicole hated E.J. as much as Sami did. Nicole said that all the bad things that had happened to Nicole were Nicole's fault, according to Sami.

Rafe warned Nicole not to let E.J. get anywhere near Sydney if she really loved the girl. Rafe reminded her of how E.J. had kicked Nicole and Sydney out of the mansion and how Sami had given Nicole both a place to stay and money. Nicole asked why Rafe was bringing that up, and Rafe said they should put their grudges behind them and start trusting each other. Nicole laughed. Rafe looked at Nicole's laptop again.

Nicole thought it odd that Rafe was talking about trust when he had just been threatening to kill Nicole. Rafe admitted that he was protective of Sami. Rafe left the room to make a phone call, and he looked at the key that his colleague had given him to destroy the files on Nicole's computer and Arianna's video camera if Nicole tried to re-download the video from it.

Rafe pretended to be on the phone, and he put the device in Nicole's computer. Rafe started deleting the files on Nicole's computer, including the video of Sami. "One down, one to go," he said to himself. He went back into the living room and looked at the Nicole's purse where the video camera was located.

At the Brady Pub, Jennifer told Bo that she had some time to visit. Bo asked what Jack had "pulled this time," and Jennifer said Jack had left her. She said that Jack had gone on a walkabout alone. Jennifer said she was hurt, because it seemed like Jack would rather be alone than be with her. Bo said Jack was "a jerk." Bo asked if Jennifer would give Jack another chance, and she said she didn't know.

Jennifer said it wasn't that she didn't love Jack, she just didn't want to do it anymore; she didn't want to be blindsided again. Jennifer said maybe Jack wasn't a jerk, and maybe she was a shrew who drove Jack away. She asked Bo to keep her situation with Jack to himself and said she didn't want his sympathy. Jennifer called Bo "kind of a jerk too." "The more people Hope has on her side, the better," he said.

Jennifer stopped by the hospital and told Lexie she was there to handle hospital business for Alice's estate. She wondered where Maggie was, but Lexie said Maggie wasn't there. Lexie introduced Jennifer to Dr. Ben Walters and explained that Jennifer was Alice and Tom's granddaughter.

Ben shook her hand, and when Jennifer noticed the black and yellow bracelet on his wrist, she said, "Oh you've got to be kidding me, not you too." She realized that the bracelet was from a walkabout, a rite of passage for male Australian Aborigines for up to six months. Ben was impressed with her knowledge, but she wasn't impressed by him. She was turned off knowing that a grown man would leave everything and everyone in his life to go out and find himself.

Hope asked Carly how Bo was, and she said "not good," because Hope was in jail. Hope thought that it was because he felt guilty about her, but Carly said it was more than that. Carly said that Bo respected Hope and wanted her to be a part of Ciara's life. Hope said that Bo thought she had given up, but she felt she deserved her punishment. Carly understood because she knew what it was like to "face the unthinkable." "You must just be thrilled that I think we have something in common," Carly said. Hope said, "Yeah, right. Friend me when you get back." To which Carly joked, "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Carly asked why, if Hope didn't think that Bo respected Hope, Bo had sent Carly to see Hope, Hope said she thought that Bo had sent Carly there to give Hope the information about Lee Michaels. Carly pointed out that if Bo really wanted to, he could have had Hope transferred to another facility in less than 24 hours. Carly said that Bo wanted her to give Hope the information so that Hope could fix whatever was going on in the jail. Carly said he knew that the situation was very dangerous, but he was on Hope's side and wanted Hope to start fighting back. Hope said she was glad Carly was there.

Carly thought that Bo was doing the right thing by helping Hope, and Carly wanted to do all she could to support that. Carly thought that when she was ready to leave, they should appear to be friendly in case Carly had to return. Hope told her not to be too friendly, because the people there knew the details of Hope's domestic life. "Okay, so no BFFs, just two women trying to make the best of a tough situation," Carly said.

Lee called Hope to the infirmary to input information into the computer. She asked about Hope's visitor, and Hope said she was sure Lee already knew, since the prison was "an information clearinghouse." Lee said that pretty soon the visits would stop, because the visitors' lives went on while the prisoners were stuck inside. Hope asked about Lee's career background, and instead of answering, Lee rushed off.

The warden was impressed that Hope was still working, and Hope said she liked keeping busy. Hope asked about the warden's background after the warden talked about how she couldn't believe she had decided to pursue her career. The warden said she had fallen into it after college. Hope asked how Lee ended up in prison, but the warden said Lee had been there so long, the warden couldn't remember.

Carly told Bo that Hope hadn't had any idea that Lee had been a doctor. Carly said that Hope had been upset that Lee hadn't tried to help April at all when April was sick. Bo felt that the information would convince Hope not to give up on the case. Carly asked if that was what Bo had wanted in the first place. Bo asked what Carly meant, and she said that it was good that Hope was on a case and that she was doing something. After Bo left, Carly thought to herself that it wasn't over between Bo and Hope -- "not even close."

At the loft, E.J. chloroformed Sami in her living room, then gently laid her on the couch after she fell unconscious. "Sweet dreams. When you wake up, Johnny and Sydney will be a million miles away from you," E.J. whispered to Sami. As E.J. sat on the couch next to the passed out Sami, Allie walked in to the room and began to scream. When Allie stopped screaming, she cautiously asked E.J. what was wrong with her mother.

"Nothing's wrong with mommy. She's just sleeping," E.J. said gently to Allie. Concerned, Allie asked E.J. to wake up Sami. E.J. attempted to assure Allie that Sami needed a nap. E.J. sweet-talked Allie and told her how much he missed her. As Allie calmed down, Johnny ran into the living room and hugged his father.

E.J. asked Allie if she would show him some of her drawings. Allie ran into her room to retrieve some of her artwork, and E.J. whispered to Johnny that Sami was not feeling well and needed to rest. "You and I are going to be spending lots of time together," E.J. said. "Whatever I lost, I still have you. And that makes me a very lucky man," E.J. said with a smile as he playfully tossed Johnny in the air.

E.J. asked Johnny if he was interested in spending the evening with his father. "We're going on an adventure that is so big, I don't even know where we're going yet," E.J. said. E.J. urged Johnny to get his jacket and penguin while he collected Sydney from her room. With a grin, Johnny told E.J. that Sydney was out somewhere with Rafe. While Johnny ran excitedly to his room, E.J. called his henchman and asked him to locate Rafe and Sydney. When the henchman informed E.J. that a traffic cop had detained him, E.J. exploded.

"Your job is to keep an eye on him. I had one chance to get this right. One!" E.J. said angrily as he hung up his phone. Johnny ran back into the living room with his penguin, ready to go. "Know what, old man? We're going to have to do this another time," E.J. told Johnny as Sami stirred restlessly on the couch. When Johnny asked why, E.J. explained that Sami would be awake soon and that she would be worried if Johnny was not home. E.J. hugged Johnny goodbye, and he promised that he would return soon. After Johnny ran off to his room, E.J. turned toward the sleeping Sami and announced, "I'll be back soon. I promise."

In the sarcophagus, Maggie had difficulty distinguishing her dreams from reality. Maggie started to hyperventilate as she fought her imagination. Vivian contacted Maggie through her earpiece and told Maggie that Gus was talking to Victor. "Nobody who knows me for one minute would believe that I blew town without saying my personal goodbyes," Maggie said. "You'd be surprised what people will believe," Vivian purred.

Vivian informed Maggie that there were-mind altering drugs embedded in the paint fumes. Laughing nervously, Maggie asked if the fumes were the reason for Vivian's current state of craziness. "You were nuts to begin with!" Maggie shouted. Vivian reveled in the fact that the fumes were beginning to work on Maggie and expressed her hope that Maggie would soon begin to forget who she was.

At the Brady Pub, Nathan was having lunch with Stephanie when he received a phone call and stepped away. Caroline took the opportunity to ask Stephanie whether she had decided to tell Nathan the truth about the father of Chloe's baby. Stephanie said that she was "figuring out the best thing to do. ... It's important to me to do the right thing," Stephanie stressed. Nathan returned to the table and informed Stephanie and Caroline that Victor had received an email from Maggie announcing that she had left to go on a cruise. "She said she doesn't know when she'll be back," Nathan said with concern.

"It doesn't make any sense. Maggie wouldn't just leave town without letting me know when she'd be back for our wedding," Nathan said. "She said she was really excited about helping us with the plans," Stephanie added. Caroline urged Stephanie and Nathan not to worry about Maggie. "We can't set a wedding date until we find out when she's gonna be back. Is that okay?" Nathan asked. Stephanie reluctantly agreed.

Once Nathan was gone, Caroline urged Stephanie to make sure that Nathan did not have doubts about marrying her before she told him the truth about Chloe's baby. Stephanie noted that she had to tell Nathan the truth. "I'd rather live with that than marry him and spend the rest of my life worrying about what Melanie might find out. I have too much self-respect for that," Stephanie said. Stephanie assured Caroline that she would not tell anyone that Caroline had switched the paternity test results for Chloe's baby.

Stephanie explained that if Nathan learned that the baby was Philip's and that Stephanie had known the truth the whole time, "he will hate me forever." Caroline advised Stephanie to think before she told Nathan the truth because it could drive him into Melanie's arms. "I know what I have to do now," Stephanie said.

At the hospital, Brady was walking down the hallway when Melanie called out to him. Brady told Melanie that he had heard she had delivered Chloe's baby. Melanie started to tell Brady the details of the birth, when he excused himself to leave. Suspicious, Melanie asked why Brady looked so restless. Before Brady could answer, Victor approached Melanie and asked her whether Maggie had mentioned anything about going on a cruise. Victor explained that he had received an email from Maggie stating that she was going on a cruise and did not know when she was returning.

"Not without talking to me she didn't," Melanie said. Victor confirmed that Maggie had not told Nathan either. Melanie noted that the last time Maggie had attempted to leave on a cruise, she had left a long to do list for Melanie, but that she had received no word from Maggie this time. When Brady reminded Melanie that she had been busy with Chloe all day, Melanie waved Brady off. "If Maggie left without telling anybody then something's really, really wrong," Melanie said.

Worried, Melanie called Maggie's cell phone and left a message on her voicemail. After hanging up the phone, Melanie noted that Maggie's outgoing message on her voicemail had not changed. Brady informed Victor that Maggie had urged him to cut ties with Victor so that he could maintain his sobriety. Brady suggested that Maggie might have taken her own advice.

After talking to Victor, Melanie went back to work and checked on a patient in the exam room. When Nathan arrived, Melanie quietly asked Nathan why he had taken so long to get to the hospital. Nathan ignored Melanie's question and examined the patient. When Melanie made a snippy remark about Nathan's tardiness, Nathan took Melanie aside and warned her not to talk to him like that in front of a patient. Nathan told Melanie that he was worried about Maggie. "I know. But that doesn't mean we get to blow off our patients," Melanie chided.

"You think you know someone so well and they can still surprise you," Nathan said with a grin. When Nathan commented on Melanie's skill as a nurse and complimented her on how she had handled the birth of Chloe's baby, Melanie appeared sad. "Daniel loves that baby so much. I promised Chloe I wouldn't tell him what she did," Melanie remarked. Annoyed, Melanie reminded Nathan that since he had told Stephanie about the affair, that Stephanie might spill the whole thing to Daniel to get back at Melanie.

"Do you really think that Stephanie would say something about Chloe just to get back at you?" Nathan responded. Melanie noted that she believed Stephanie was capable of doing that. "So should I just cross you and Philip off the guest list then?" Nathan asked. "You can cross me off more than that. I'm going to get my schedule changed so that I don't have to work with you," Melanie retorted. Hurt, Nathan told Melanie to do whatever she needed to do, then stormed out of the exam room.

In the Kiriakis living room, Nicole played with Sydney while Rafe inserted a computer worm into Nicole's laptop in the next room. While the files were being destroyed by the worm on the computer, Rafe returned to the living room and spotted Nicole showing Sydney her flip camera. Rafe jokingly warned Nicole to be careful that Sydney did not accidentally delete the video of Sami's confession. Nicole assured Rafe that she had multiple backup copies of the video and was not worried about losing her evidence.

Rafe smirked, then retired to the couch while Nicole talked to Sydney about spending time with her. After mentioning taking Sydney to see Santa Claus, Nicole grew quiet. While Rafe flipped through a magazine, Nicole tentatively asked if she could have visitations with Sydney on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. "I don't think so," Rafe answered curtly. Nicole warned Rafe to "be more open to negotiation" or else she would give Sami an unforgettable Christmas present. "Don't push your luck, Nicole. This little plan of yours could just backfire and then bite you in the ass. Just like all the other little plans you've tried in your life." Rafe said gruffly.

Nicole noted that Sydney seemed to remember her. Brushing off Nicole's statement, Rafe suggested that Sydney needed a diaper change. Worried that Rafe would take Sydney home to change her, Nicole offered to change Sydney's diaper. Once Nicole had left the room with Sydney, Rafe reached across the coffee table and grabbed the flip camera that Nicole had left behind. When Nicole returned to the living room with Sydney, she told Rafe that the camera he was holding was for her reunion with Sydney and it did not contain the video of Sami's confession.

Nicole ordered Rafe to go home and wait for her to take Sydney back later in the evening. "It's a good idea to cooperate because you are never, ever going to find what you are looking for," Nicole said firmly. "You threatened to kill me today. Do you really think that I would leave proof of what Sami did just lying around for you to get your hands on?" Nicole asked defiantly. Nicole warned Rafe that she was holding the cards, and she ordered Rafe to leave. With a smirk, Rafe reached out for Sydney, noting that he was not leaving without Sami's daughter.

As Nicole started to back away from Rafe, Brady entered the living room and asked what was going on. "Why is he here, and why are you holding Sami's baby?" Brady asked. Nicole grudgingly handed Sydney over to Rafe. With a wide smile, Nicole lied that Rafe was "trying to broker a truce" between Nicole and Sami. Curious, Brady asked Nicole how her plan was working. When Nicole asked Rafe what he thought, Rafe agreed it would work out. Nicole said goodbye to Sydney, and Rafe left with the little girl.

Once Rafe was gone, Nicole went to her laptop and discovered that all her files were deleted. "That S.O.B.!" Nicole exclaimed. "What S.O.B.? And don't give me any garbage about a truce," Brady said. Nicole explained that the video guy from the station had infected her laptop with a virus and destroyed the video she needed for her news broadcast. Once Nicole confirmed that she still had the master copy of the video, Brady noted "Be very careful because if the program is corrupted and you try to make another copy, the original could self-destruct."

"Oh. Right. That would be the whole idea," Nicole muttered to herself. Suspicious, Brady asked Nicole what she meant. Before Nicole could answer, Brady noticed the lump on her forehead. Nicole brushed aside Brady's question, saying that she had run into a cabinet. Still curious, Brady questioned Nicole about Rafe's visit. Nicole informed Brady that she still loved Sydney, and when she ran into Sydney the other day, she'd felt like her "life wasn't meaningless." Nicole went on to say that she had asked Sami if she could see Sydney and then Rafe had shown up unexpectedly with Sydney.

Nicole noted that Sydney seemed to recognize her and that she was hoping Rafe and Sami would "realize that it would be better for everyone if we worked something out." "But I'm starting to think that they're just playing me," Nicole said solemnly.

Rafe returned home to the loft to find Johnny playing with his penguin as Sami slept on the couch. When Rafe attempted to rouse Sami, she was unresponsive. When Rafe asked Johnny what had happened, Johnny responded, "Daddy said she didn't feel good." Worried, Rafe shook Sami more firmly. As Sami started to wake up, she frantically looked around the room for the kids. Rafe advised Sami that she had been passed out on the couch when he got home. Sami could not remember what had happened. Rafe informed Sami that E.J. had chloroformed her.

Rafe informed Sami that Johnny had told him E.J. had promised to take him on a "big adventure." "He was going to take him? Why didn't he?" Sami asked nervously. Rafe explained that Johnny had told his father that Sydney was not home. Rafe noted that he had called the airport and that he had confirmed that the DiMera jet was gassed up and waiting to take off. "Thank goodness you had Sydney with you!" Sami said with relief. "We got lucky," Rafe said quietly. "It's not gonna happen again," Rafe said before calling Roman.

E.J. returned to the DiMera mansion and talked to his henchman on the phone about where Rafe had taken Sydney. When E.J. learned that Rafe had taken Sydney to visit Nicole, he realized that Rafe would not let Sydney near Nicole unless he did not have a choice. As E.J. paced his living room, the doorbell rang. Much to his surprise, E.J. found Nicole on his front porch. "I know you will find this hard to believe but I'm here because of what I can do for you," Nicole announced.

"What can you possibly do for me?" E.J. asked. With a smile, Nicole asked E.J. if he remembered their happier times together. "We love Sydney as much as we ever did. That's why I'm here," Nicole said. "What if I told you I could get you your children back?" Nicole asked. "I wouldn't believe you," E.J. responded. When Nicole asked what E.J. would do for her if she got his children back, E.J. promised to give her anything she wanted. "Good, because I could hand you Sami Brady on a silver platter," Nicole said with a smile.

Nicole went to the DiMera mansion to see E.J. and offer him a chance to get his kids back. She told him that she had the ability to give him Sami on a "silver platter." Nicole told E.J. that she didn't want his money or any material things he could offer her. She just wanted to be a part of Sydney's life. She played the video of Sami's confession.

E.J. asked how Nicole had gotten the camera. Nicole explained that it was in Arianna's safety deposit box. E.J. asked if Brady had known about it, and Nicole said no. Nicole said she still loved Sydney and had tried to broker a deal with Sami and Rafe. Rafe was more receptive than Sami, but Nicole realized that Rafe was just playing her, because they had never intended for Nicole to have a relationship with Sydney.

Nicole asked if E.J. would seek revenge against Sami and then give Nicole the chance to be a part of Sydney's life. Nicole said that Sydney was and always would be the most important person in Nicole's life, and Nicole would never do anything to hurt Sydney. E.J. asked why Nicole had gone to Sami and Rafe first. Nicole didn't know. He asked if she trusted him after all that they had been through. He said she had appealed to a part of him that he didn't know he had -- his heart.

Nicole said she wouldn't have married E.J. if he hadn't had a heart, and she had really loved him. He said he had loved her too. She said that she was taking a big risk by giving him evidence against Sami, and there were no tricks, games, or blackmail. She hoped he would do the right thing, and he assured her that he would.

At the Brady Pub, Carly asked Bo to accompany her to the hospital to give her gift to Chloe's baby. Jennifer showed up, as Bo was leaving. Jennifer was glad to see Carly. She said she was in town to deal with Alice's estate, but Maggie was out of town and hadn't told anyone where she was going, which complicated her plans. Carly asked Jennifer to go with her to the hospital to meet Melanie and Daniel. Jennifer asked if everything was okay with Daniel, because the last time they had spoken, Carly had been worried about him. Carly said things were better than okay.

At the hospital Melanie and Nathan argued about her changing her schedule to avoid working with him. Ben interrupted them and reminded them to act professionally. Melanie apologized for being disrespectful. Ben ordered them to sign out for the day after they found someone to replace them.

After Ben left, Melanie explained that she didn't want to change her schedule because she disliked Nathan, but because she really loved Philip. Nathan said he knew that already. Melanie said she didn't want to see Nathan and work with him, because it hurt too much to see him. "You're right, it does," Nathan said. She said she couldn't see him anymore, and she left the room.

Philip visited Chloe in the hospital and gave her flowers. When Daniel left the room, Philip told her that he was happy for her and that they both had gotten what they'd wanted. Stephanie walked by the room and saw them together. She got upset, and Daniel noticed, asking if she was okay. She said she wasn't. Stephanie covered, saying she thought there was a problem with Daniel's baby, but she had heard there were no complications. Daniel didn't believe Stephanie's cover story, and he asked her what was really going on.

Daniel said he wanted Stephanie to put aside her animosity toward Melanie so they could all work together. Stephanie asked if Daniel knew where Nathan was, but Daniel didn't know. Stephanie told Daniel that Melanie was lucky to have him as a father. He said he was the lucky one. After Daniel went to Chloe's room to check on the baby, Stephanie decided that she needed to tell the truth about Parker's paternity, but she needed to find a way to do it that didn't get Caroline in trouble.

Daniel told Chloe and Philip that Parker had done well on his test. Daniel handed Parker to Philip to hold. Philip offered his and Melanie's services for babysitting, and Daniel joked that they weren't letting Parker out of their sight for the next five or six years. Then Daniel said he and Melanie could babysit anytime.

Later, Jennifer met Daniel at the hospital. They both had heard a lot about each other from Carly. Daniel wanted Jennifer to meet Melanie and Parker. Jennifer said that being married to someone you loved and being a parent made that love stronger. She said if you had a child with someone, you were bound to that person for life.

Philip spoke to Stephanie in the hallway and mentioned Chloe's baby, which made her uncomfortable, so she said she had to leave to find Nathan. Nathan went to the Brady Pub and ordered a drink. Stephanie showed up and confided in Nathan that Caroline had done something bad, and a lot of people were going to get hurt, possibly even them. Nathan asked who else was going to get hurt, and Stephanie said that Melanie would be affected. Nathan fell sick all of a sudden.

Carly told Melanie that she desperately wanted to be Melanie's mother, and Melanie said she wished she could forgive Carly and move on, but she wasn't sure she could. Melanie left, and Daniel asked Carly what was going on.

Daniel found Melanie later at the pier and asked what was going on. He urged her to let him help her. Melanie said she didn't want to hurt him. He said she needed to trust him, because they would handle whatever was wrong together. Melanie agreed to tell him. She said she had never wanted to lie to him. Melanie got sick suddenly, and Daniel noticed that she had a fever. Then Melanie passed out.

Nicole showed up at the hospital to give Chloe a gift for the baby. Carly was visiting with Chloe, but after she left, Nicole presented Chloe with her gift -- a mobile for the baby's crib. Nicole said she had cried when she heard that Chloe had given birth, because she knew how much Chloe wanted it. Nicole asked if Chloe was nervous about Carly and Melanie knowing the truth. Chloe said things were resolved with them. Nicole said things were "coming up roses" for her also. Nicole said that her good news had to do with Sydney. Chloe got nervous and asked what Nicole had done.

Maxine told Ben that she had tried CPR on Nathan and Melanie's patient, but the patient had died. Ben told Carly about the patient that Nathan had treated and how the patient had died from a viral infection. He said that whoever was exposed to it needed to be tracked down, because the virus could be deadly.

Rafe said that E.J. had planned to kidnap the kids after he knocked out Sami, but E.J. had been unable because Sydney wasn't there. Rafe tried to call Roman to have E.J. picked up, but Sami stopped Rafe from making the call. She said they couldn't get the police involved until they had the situation with Nicole under control. She asked if he had destroyed the evidence Nicole had against her.

Rafe said that he'd been able to destroy the files on Nicole's laptop, and if Nicole tried to download the video again to her laptop from the camera, it would be destroyed. Sami was elated to hear the news and assumed that the evidence would be gone for good. She asked if Nicole had seen Rafe messing with her computer, but Rafe didn't know because Brady had walked in. Rafe said either way, the evidence would be destroyed from the camera once she tried to download the file again. Rafe assumed that when that happened, they would hear from Nicole.

Sami was grateful to Rafe for what he had done. Rafe called the police, and he warned Sami to stay put while he went to the Kiriakis mansion to get Arianna's video camera. Rafe opened the door, and E.J. stood in the doorway. Rafe called E.J. a "son of a bitch," and Rafe said E.J. had a lot of nerve showing up. E.J. showed Rafe and Sami that he had Arianna's video camera and played the video. Rafe approached E.J. just as Bo showed up and asked what was going on. E.J. urged Sami and Rafe to tell Bo, but neither of them wanted to say anything, so E.J. said he would tell Bo.

At Sami and Rafe's apartment, E.J. tried to expose Sami's secret to Bo, but Bo didn't want to hear it. In fact, he reminded E.J. about the restraining order against him. E.J. refused to leave until he showed Bo the video, but Bo said that if E.J. didn't leave right away, Bo would have to arrest him. E.J. left, and Sami thanked Bo. Bo explained that he needed to talk to Rafe about a case that Bo was working on.

Bo told Rafe privately that he knew exactly what Sami had done. After Bo and Rafe had left, E.J. returned to Sami's apartment. She threatened to call Bo, but he said they needed to talk. Sami said E.J. had nothing on her, and E.J. said he had proof that she had tried to murder him. Sami said she wished she had succeeded. E.J. said that a jury would be shocked to hear a mother speak that way about the father of her children.

Sami said they would be less shocked when they heard about all the things that E.J. had done to her. E.J. said nothing justified attempted cold-blooded murder. She said she had been traumatized by what he had done to her, and he was cold-blooded for kidnapping Sydney the way he had. E.J. said when she shot him he had a gun in his hand because he had nothing to live for and was passed out and completely vulnerable.

E.J. said that Sami's state of mind didn't change the fact that she had tried to murder him. She said she had been traumatized and reminded him that he had tried to seduce her into marrying him. His excuse was that he had been trying to rebuild his family. She said she knew that he had planned to kidnap the kids, and she had stopped him. E.J. said he'd stopped Sami and she would go to jail for a long time. She said he couldn't make that happen, and he knew it. E.J. dared her to "try" him.

Sami said the video wouldn't make it in court, and she asked what he would do then. E.J. told her not to lecture him about what was admissible in court. Sami threatened to tell the jury how he had kidnapped Sydney. He said that wasn't admissible. She said he had chloroformed her and tried to kidnap the kids. E.J. said it wasn't admissible.

E.J. said he didn't need the video, because he knew where the "smoking gun" was. Sami said he didn't have a smoking gun, because there was no gun. He reminded her that she had confessed to throwing in the Salem River. She said she had been babbling. He asked what she would do if he produced the gun that she had thrown in the river.

Bo and Rafe went to the Brady Pub, and Bo said he had known Sami "since before she knew how to lie. She would just get defensive and say what she thought would get her out of this." Bo gave Rafe a heads-up, saying he knew that whatever E.J. had on the video camera was "a ticking time bomb." If that evidence came out, "Sami's toast," Bo said. Rafe told Bo off-the-record that Sami had no defense and there was nothing that Rafe could do to protect her. Bo said Rafe was wrong about that.

Bo advised Rafe to marry Sami "like yesterday," because once married, Rafe and Sami wouldn't be compelled to testify against each other. Bo said that even if the D.A. kept Sami's confession private, the police were working on the case. Rafe decided that he and Sami would get married that night. Caroline overheard him and inquired about what he had said. Rafe told Caroline that no one could know about it, and the wedding needed to happen right away because he needed to protect Sami. Bo told Caroline about the accusations against Sami. Caroline gave Rafe her blessing.

Rafe called Sami. Before she answered the phone, E.J. warned her not to tell Rafe that he was there. She answered, and Rafe warned her not to answer the phone if E.J. called, and she agreed. Gabi stopped by the pub and noticed something was wrong, based on the look on Rafe's face. He denied anything was wrong, but she knew it was. Gabi asked him to open up to her, so he confided in her that E.J. wanted to hurt Sami, and Rafe couldn't let that happen. Gabi was confident that Rafe could stop E.J., and she offered to help. Rafe made a phone call to someone asking for their help.

Sami ordered E.J. to take his threats and get out, because Rafe would be home soon. E.J. thought Rafe might like to know that E.J. had the gun that she had used to shoot E.J. Sami told him to take the gun to court if he had it. E.J. asked whether Sami wanted to take the chance of throwing the rest of her life away. Sami said if he had the gun, he would have shown it to Bo. E.J. said he hadn't shown it, because he wanted to stay in control. He said he had her life in his hands, and he wanted to squeeze. E.J. said that she had tried to take his life from him, and he planned to return the favor.

At the hospital, Philip gave Chloe a gift for the baby -- an organic outfit. They talked about how grateful they were for the way things had worked out. Philip said Parker looked just like Chloe, and she said that Daniel had agreed, but she would prefer that Parker look like his daddy.

Philip complimented Chloe, calling her a "tough cookie." He said that she had handled everything that she had been through well and kept his name out of it. Philip and Chloe agreed that it was better to keep Philip out of it, and she believed that if the roles were reversed, he would have done the same thing for her. He said he was ready to be a father again, and he thought that Melanie would be a great mother.

At the Brady Pub, Stephanie noticed that Nathan had a fever, but Nathan didn't think so. He thought he was just catching with a cold, so he insisted on Stephanie telling him how what Caroline had done could hurt a lot of people. Stephanie said that Nathan needed more than aspirin, and she noticed that he was shaking. He tried to continue their conversation about Caroline, but Stephanie was still worried about him. Nathan stood up to get coffee and passed out on the floor. Stephanie yelled for someone to call 9-1-1.

At the pier, Melanie tried to tell Daniel the truth about Chloe's affair, but she fell ill, and Daniel made her sit down. Daniel asked what Melanie had eaten, and she said a grilled cheese sandwich. He asked if she had been in contact with anyone with a high temperature. Melanie told him about Mr. Rodriguez and said that Nathan had been the attending physician.

Daniel asked if Melanie had worn gloves while treating the patient, and she said yes. He asked whether she had worn a mask, and she realized that she hadn't worn a mask. She thought that Daniel might be at risk by being around her. She heard the ambulance that Daniel had called for her, and she got up to walk but passed out.

At the hospital, Carly and Ben reviewed Mr. Rodriguez's file and realized that Melanie and Nathan had treated him. Carly panicked. Ben explained that he had ordered Nathan and Melanie to go home after they had made a scene. Carly told Ben to talk to Lexie and find out if the other staff had come into contact with the patient while Carly contacted Melanie and Nathan.

Carly called Daniel, who told her about Melanie's condition. Meanwhile, the EMTs wheeled Nathan into the hospital, with Stephanie accompanying him. She explained to Ben what had happened, and Ben told her that Nathan had treated a patient who had been very sick and had later died. He ordered Nadine to test Stephanie for the virus and to call Melanie to go to the hospital for testing too.

Philip overheard Ben referring to Melanie, and he asked what was going on. Daniel arrived with Melanie on a stretcher, and he tried to explain what had happened, but Carly already knew and said that Nathan was sick too. Philip tried to get close to Melanie, but Daniel ordered him to back up so he wasn't exposed as well.

Carly told Daniel to get tested, and she ordered that Melanie and Nathan be placed in isolation. Ben explained to Daniel that they needed to find out more about the virus that Mr. Rodriguez had died from and until they did, the virus would keep attacking Melanie and Nathan's bodies. Stephanie looked on as Philip asked what was wrong with Melanie, and Carly explained about Mr. Rodriguez.

While waiting for word on Nathan and Melanie, Stephanie admitted that she was scared. Philip wondered to Stephanie how the hospital could have let a patient infect Melanie and Nathan, and Stephanie explained that the man might have been asymptomatic when he was admitted. Philip snapped at Stephanie, and said that Melanie and Nathan should have worn masks when they treated the man. Stephanie said the staff couldn't always worry about whether they might contract a deadly virus or they would never get anything done.

Stephanie said she wished she were sick so she could be in the room with Nathan. Then she accused Philip of not caring, because if Melanie died, he would have options. Philip asked what that meant, because Melanie was his life. "Yeah, right, except for when she's not," Stephanie said.

Ben told Daniel and Carly that the CDC was testing the blood and tissue samples, and they wouldn't get the results until later that night. Nadine said that Melanie's and Nathan's readings showed they were stable. Philip offered his resources - his private jet, money -- to Carly to help.

Stephanie went to Chloe's room to check on Parker, and Philip asked what she was doing there. She said that since the doctors had determined that they didn't have the virus, she went to look for Philip and thought that because he and Chloe were friends, he might be in Chloe's room. Stephanie apologized for what she had said about him and Melanie. She knew he really cared about Melanie and was just as worried as Stephanie was. Chloe woke up, and Philip told her about Melanie and Nathan having the virus. Chloe asked about Daniel, and she worried that he had been exposed to the virus too.

Chloe worried that Parker might have been exposed, too, and assumed that it was why Daniel hadn't been in to see her and Parker lately. Nadine walked in and said that the baby was not at risk, but they were still waiting on Daniel's test results. After Stephanie and Philip left Chloe's room, Nadine tried to take Parker back to the nursery, but Chloe refused. Nadine explained that her job was to keep Parker out of harm's way, and in her medical opinion, he was safer in the nursery than in Chloe's room.

Carly told Daniel that she had checked on Melanie and Nathan, and they were extremely weak. Daniel was frustrated that the CDC hadn't responded yet, but he assured Carly that Melanie and Nathan would be fine. Bo arrived at the hospital, and Carly told him what had happened and that they needed an antiviral drug soon. She worried that Melanie could die. Bo had to leave, and Daniel told Carly that the doctor had given him a clean bill of health. Ben informed them that the CDC had isolated the virus.

In isolation, Melanie told Nathan that the nurse was dressed funny, and Nathan explained that the nurse was wearing a hazmat suit. "Who's Matt?" Melanie asked. "Hazardous material," Nathan clarified. "That's us?" Melanie asked. Nathan nodded and said they were in quarantine. She asked why the patient that they had treated wasn't in quarantine, and Nathan explained that Mr. Rodriguez had died. Nathan got up to put another blanket on Melanie. She asked if he was scared, and he said no, but he was sure that the CDC was flying in an anti-viral drug to treat them.

Brady was passed out in a chair at the Kiriakis mansion, dreaming that Vivian was pleading with him to let her out. He awakened to find the ghost of his mother, Isabella, standing before him. She urged him to set Vivian free, but Brady argued that Vivian needed to be punished. "Not by you!" Isabella maintained. "When you punish someone, you only suffer yourself. Don't you see? Think about it, Brady: Vivian isn't the only one who's buried alive." Brady awoke with a start, and found the room empty.

Brady was on his way out later when he bumped into Kate on the doorstep. Kate said that she was there to check on Vivian. "Forget about that," Brady declared. "I'm letting her out." Kate tried desperately to talk him out of it: "You open that Pandora's box, not only is she gonna come after us, she's gonna come after everyone we love." She added that after months in a sarcophagus, Vivian's desire for revenge would "be off the bloody charts."

An exasperated Brady interrupted that the discussion would have to wait, because he had to go to the hospital to check on Melanie. Kate hadn't heard what had happened, so Brady filled her in that Nathan Horton and Melanie were in quarantine because they'd been exposed to a potentially lethal virus. Brady then left.

Kate had returned home to the DiMera mansion when Chad knocked on the front door. "I was hoping to see Mr. DiMera," Chad stated. Kate asked if Chad were planning to tell Stefano about the birth certificate, but Chad replied that it was between him and Mr. DiMera. "Please go get your husband for me," Chad pleaded. "Tell him whatever you want." As Kate reluctantly headed upstairs, Chad pulled out a pocketknife, and caressed the blade with his thumb.

In Gus's hotel room, Vivian raised a glass of champagne to Gus for freeing her from the sarcophagus. Although loath to spoil the festive mood, Gus divulged, "Mr. Kiriakis discovered that I escaped... He's put a guard in front of the mausoleum." Vivian decided to check in to see how Maggie was doing. She slipped on the headset, and greeted her rival.

"Please, Vivian," Maggie replied weakly. "You've had your fun; now let me out?" When Vivian refused, Maggie pleaded for some water at least. Vivian stated cheerfully that it wasn't possible to deliver water to Maggie, as Victor had posted guards outside -- but that just meant that Maggie would get to see her "dear, departed Mickey" that much sooner.

"If you had one ounce of humanity, you would understand what my death means to my family," a frustrated Maggie managed to croak. "You're not just punishing me; you're punishing them. Doesn't that matter? Don't you care about that at all?" Vivian countered, "If you had one ounce of humanity, you wouldn't have gone after my husband on our wedding day."

Maggie argued that Victor and Vivian's wedding was a joke, because he didn't love her. "How can anyone love you when there's nothing in your heart but hatred and anger?" Maggie asked. "You'll always be lonely, Vivian, because you don't know how to love anyone. I feel sorry for you. I really do." Peeved, Vivian removed the headset and flung it across the room.

Chloe was holding baby Parker in her arms, relieved to have him back from the nursery, when Victor dropped by her hospital room to visit. Chloe managed to greet him cordially. Beaming, Victor sat on the bed to have a good look at his godson's child. "Congratulations, Chloe," Victor declared. "You've given Daniel a beautiful baby boy. Kudos to you: you finally got something right."

When Philip arrived, he told Victor that Melanie and Nathan were very ill and in isolation, because they had caught a deadly virus from a patient, who had died from it. "I'm so sorry, Philip," a concerned Victor stated. "Maggie must be beside herself." Victor started to leave to try to reach Maggie, but Philip said that her voicemail box was full -- and no one seemed to know where she was.

In the hallway, Victor declared that Maggie should have gotten in contact with one of her family members by then. Philip agreed that it wasn't like Maggie, and then left to check in on Melanie. "Everything seems to be spinning out of control," Victor muttered to himself. "Well, at least not this." He removed the Bluetooth headset from his pocket, and called out to Vivian.

Annoyed, Vivian retrieved her earpiece and put it on, then feigned weakness as she answered, "What?" Victor asked why it had taken her so long to answer. "Oh, I don't know, Victor... I think I'm getting more and more deranged." Vivian replied with a feeble sigh. "Will I be able to tell the difference? You were bat-wing crazy to begin with," Victor quipped. Vivian said that she had been reflecting on where the two of them had gone wrong.

"We didn't go wrong, Vivian," Victor retorted. "You did -- all by your lonesome." When Vivian agreed, Victor was shocked. She explained that she had been foolish to love him, and to try to make their marriage work, when he had been too busy "chasing Maggie Horton around." "Victor, you could have had everything, and now you have nothing," Vivian maintained. Victor wondered why she suddenly sounded so smug, as if she had the upper hand. Vivian didn't reply, but smiled complacently to herself.

Brady arrived then, and asked Victor if there were any news about Melanie and Nathan. When Victor said no, Brady asked if anyone had been able to reach Maggie. "Tried, but no luck," Victor replied. "If only her email hadn't been so terse." Brady was surprised that Maggie hadn't called Victor to say goodbye. "When Vivian was planning to put Maggie in the sarcophagus, she forged letters to everyone, supposedly from Maggie, trying to cover up for Maggie's sudden absence," Brady noted, then hurried off to check on Melanie.

Later, Brady went to Chloe's room, and admired little Parker. Philip entered, depressed and frustrated that he wasn't allowed to see his wife. Brady tried to reassure him that Melanie was tough enough to beat the virus. "I have to believe that," Philip replied glumly. "I can't imagine life without her."

On the phone back at the Kiriakis mansion, Victor ordered one of his men to keep trying to find Maggie. When he hung up, he began to consider the things that Vivian had said or done that didn't add up. He recalled how she had asked him and Philip not to open the sarcophagus, with a lame excuse as to why, and how cocky she had sounded when he had talked to her earlier. "Vivian! Dear God, could it be?" he exclaimed. Meanwhile, in the sarcophagus, Maggie cried out for Victor to help her. "Maggie?" Victor whispered wonderingly.

On the pier, Nicole overheard Rafe leaving a message for Sami, urging her not to give up hope. "Aw, that is so sweet!" Nicole chirped sarcastically when he hung up. "But will you still love her when she's convicted of attempted murder?" A livid Rafe called her a "sadistic, lying piece of garbage." Nicole countered angrily that Rafe had broken into her laptop to destroy all her copies of Sami's confession -- and he'd never intended to let her spend time with Sydney.

"She's not your kid, Nicole!" Rafe reminded her hotly. Nicole countered that Rafe had blown it -- and Sami was getting exactly what she deserved. Rafe asserted that Nicole just couldn't stand to see Sami happy, but Nicole vehemently denied it. Rafe pointed out that Sami had the one thing Nicole had always wanted: children. Stung, Nicole tried to argue that she'd had a child once, but Rafe cut her off.

"You are not Sydney's mother!" he reminded her incredulously. "You never will be. And now, you could spend day and night with that kid, or read her stories, give her gifts, sing her lullabies, but guess what? It won't make one damn bit of difference, because she knows who her mother is -- and it sure as hell ain't you." Voice quivering, Nicole pointed out that she had been the first person to hold Sydney.

Unmoved, Rafe asked if E.J. had agreed to let Nicole see Sydney when she'd taken him the evidence against Sami. When Nicole couldn't meet his gaze, Rafe concluded in amazement that she had played all her cards without any sort of guarantee. "You honestly think that E.J. DiMera is going to let you near his little girl, much less try and bond with her?" Rafe asked scornfully. "Your reward for giving for all this manipulation is you never get to see Sydney again. It's genius." As he walked away, Nicole's face betrayed her heartbroken frustration.

At the loft, Sami demanded to know whether E.J. intended to kill her. E.J. coolly assured her that he merely wanted to offer her a deal: he would forget that she'd shot him, in exchange for his children. Sami assumed that he meant they would share custody, so E.J. clarified, "I want full custody of my children. I want you out of their lives." He further elucidated that she would have no contact with them whatsoever -- no birthday gifts, no messages, no phone calls.

Sami declared firmly that she would never abandon her children, and if he turned her confession in to the police, she would make sure that a judge learned about his part in Sydney's kidnapping, and about how he had been planning to disappear with the kids. "I swear to God, you send me to hell, and you are coming with me, E.J.," Sami hissed.

E.J. reminded her that while the recording of his confession wasn't admissible evidence, he had retrieved the gun she'd used to shoot him from the river. He believed that the deal he was offering was more than fair, considering she'd shot him in the head. Sami reminded him furiously, "These are our children you are playing with here, E.J.!"

E.J. pointed out that if she didn't accept his deal, the children would find out how she had tried to kill their father. "I wouldn't be surprised if they never wanted to have anything to do with you ever again," he asserted. Sami argued that she would never just let E.J. have Sydney and Johnny. With a sardonic chuckle, E.J. reminded her that Rafe and "young William" had helped cover up Sami's crimes, which meant they were as guilty as she was.

Sami maintained that everyone would be suspicious if she gave full custody of her kids to E.J., but he countered that she would simply have to invent a believable excuse. "In a nutshell, you either accept the terms of my deal, or you go to prison -- as does William, as does Rafe," E.J. demanded. "Either way, sweetheart, I get the kids!" Sami argued that if she went to prison, E.J. would too.

With a shrug, E.J. noted that the people who would get hurt the worst were Sydney, Johnny, and Allie -- and E.J. thought Sami had done enough to hurt them already. Changing tactics, Sami began to cry, and urged E.J. to hurt her if he needed revenge, but to leave the children out of it. She tearfully pleaded with him to consider what the consequences to Johnny would be.

"You know he loves me," she stated plaintively. "You know I have to sing to him every night so he can sleep... And after everything Sydney has been through, I'm her mother now...and you know that she needs me! E.J., after everything we have been through together, I know how angry you get, and I know what you are capable of, but I know you can do what's best for your kids, and I know you want them to be happy. Please don't do this, E.J. I am begging you not to do this to your children."

She implored him to do the right thing for Sydney and Johnny. Ducking his head with apparent shame, E.J. seemed to soften, and Sami stroked him reassuringly on the arm. But when he looked up, his eyes fell on a photo of Sami and Rafe, and his gaze turned cold again. "You have twenty-four hours," E.J. announced icily, "to tell the children and your family and the rest of the world why Johnny and Sydney are coming to live with me, and why you will never be seeing them again."

E.J. yanked his jacket back on, and opened the door to leave, but stopped to issue a warning first. "Don't even think about running, because I'm having you watched," he declared. "If you so much as pick up that phone to make a plane reservation, I will know about it, and I will go straight to the police station." He slammed the door behind him as he left.

Later, Nicole was still at the pier, on the phone with her producer, who wanted her to go to the hospital to cover the virus outbreak. Nicole refused, arguing that her job was not worth dying for. As she hung up, E.J. rounded the corner. Nicole asked how things had gone with Sami, and he informed her that Sami had agreed to give him custody of the children. After congratulating him, Nicole asked what that meant for her. "Will I get to be a part of Sydney's life or not?"

Only after checking on the children did Sami allow herself to break down. Just as she had begun to cry in earnest, Rafe returned home, and Sami ran, weeping, into his arms. She told him through gasping sobs about E.J.'s demands. "Rafe, what are we gonna do?" she cried. "First things first," Rafe replied. "We get married -- tonight."