Outside the Brady Pub, Phelps told Quinn that Carly had asked for more drugs. Quinn instructed Phelps to give Carly the drugs that she had requested. Phelps started to leave, but Quinn stopped him, and he added that there was something else that he wanted Phelps to do.

Later, in Quinn's hotel room, Carly opened the bag of pills that Phelps had given her. Carly briefly recalled something that Melanie had said after Carly had overdosed, but she reminded herself that none of that stuff had actually happened. Carly clutched a handful of pills, and she muttered that she just wanted the pain to go away. A short time later, Quinn walked in, and he saw that Carly was drinking a glass of water.

Quinn pointedly asked if Carly had already taken the pills. Carly feigned ignorance, but Quinn explained that he had seen the drug dealer in the hallway. Carly tried to explain, but Quinn interrupted her, and he reiterated that he just wanted to know if Carly had taken the pills. When Carly hesitated, Quinn said that it didn't matter either way, because the pills were sugar pills. Quinn claimed that he had paid the drug dealer to give Carly placebos.

Carly angrily threw the bag of pills at Quinn. Carly reminded Quinn that she was a doctor, and she claimed that she had known all along that the pills were not real. Quinn pointed out that Carly had seemed genuinely surprised when he had announced that the drugs were sugar pills. Carly said that her reaction had been caused by the realization that Quinn had been conspiring against her. Quinn wondered if Carly wanted him to ask the drug dealer to return, so that she could get some real drugs.

Carly cursed Quinn, and she said that he was just a random jerk who meant nothing to her. "Random jerk, huh? Well, here's an idea -- how about I get the dealer to come back and give you double the dose you asked for, and then maybe you can O.D., and this random jerk will just sit back and watch you die?" Quinn suggested. Quinn observed that Carly was squandering her life. Carly insisted that her life was none of Quinn's business.

"I disagree. You see, I may have turned up out of nowhere, but you're damn lucky I did. I took you in off the street, remember? Does that ring a bell? I let you stay here because you said you wanted to turn your life around, but that was all talk, wasn't it?" Quinn asked. Carly claimed that Quinn would never understand. Quinn told Carly that he was willing to listen. Carly explained that she had heard Quinn talking to someone on the phone earlier. Carly admitted that she was aware that Quinn just considered her to be a burden.

Carly grabbed her purse and started to leave, but Quinn stopped her. Quinn insisted that he didn't consider Carly a burden. Quinn said that helping Carly had given him a sense of purpose. Carly dryly stated that she loved being Quinn's cause. "You're not my cause. You're a human being in trouble, and...and I care about you. I don't want you to leave. Is that what drove you to the edge -- thinking I was trying to get rid of you?" Quinn asked.

Carly said that there had been a lot of contributing factors. Carly added that the main reason was that she had realized that she had placed her faith in someone who didn't even know who she was. After Carly agreed to stay, Quinn explained that he had decided to help her because of her son. "My mother left me when I was just a child; she just walked out, and somewhere, somehow along the line, she became contrite about what she'd done, and decided to make amends -- tried to, anyway," Quinn said.

Quinn said that his mother was back in his life, and he added that he had started to forgive her. Carly said that Quinn was very generous for allowing his mother back into his life. As Quinn stared at one of his baseball cards, he said that he was trying not to be angry and bitter. Quinn added that he had decided to help Carly because he understood that there was nothing worse than being abandoned by a loved one.

Quinn assured Carly that everything was going to be all right. "If you can be strong enough to take your life back, you'll find what you're looking for...and I can help you get there, if you'll let me," Quinn added. Carly agreed to accept Quinn's help, and she tearfully embraced him.

At the Cheatin' Heart, Taylor tried to talk to Nicole about Nicole's relationship with Brady. Taylor recalled something that Nicole had said after her miscarriage. Taylor reminded Nicole that Brady had helped Nicole recover from that part of her life. "You said that, in all of your life, you had never met anyone who cared about you the way Brady did; who respected you for who you are," Taylor said.

Nicole claimed that she wasn't worthy of Brady's respect, and she admitted that she had failed to appreciate Brady. "And yes, you're -- you're right; he's the only guy who really cared about me, who respected me, right? And what do I do? I threw him aside so I could live in the same house as Sydney DiMera, my make-believe daughter," Nicole said with a sigh. Taylor assured Nicole that Brady probably understood why Nicole had been so attached to Sydney, but Nicole wasn't convinced.

Taylor insisted that Brady was in love with Nicole, and she added that Nicole and Brady belonged together. Nicole realized that Taylor had already talked to Brady about his relationship with Nicole. "What is this, Taylor? First you try to steal my husband, and now you're trying to play matchmaker?" Nicole asked incredulously. Taylor said that she just wanted Nicole to have a good life, but Nicole wasn't convinced.

"Brady doesn't like to be told what to do, who to love -- what toothpaste to buy," Nicole explained. Taylor sighed defeatedly, and she promised that she would never interfere with Nicole's life again. Taylor started to leave, but Nicole stopped her. Nicole apologized for overreacting, and she admitted that she was insecure. Nicole admitted that she wanted to know what Brady had said about her.

Taylor told Nicole that Brady had said that he would make his own decisions; Nicole was clearly disappointed. "You don't get it, Nicole. Look, his saying that he would make his own decision is an indication to me that there was a decision to be made...meaning that he hasn't given up on the two of you," Taylor said. Nicole wasn't convinced, and she sullenly stated that she was the queen of bad choices. Taylor admitted that she might have to fight Nicole for that crown.

In the park, E.J. and Brady were surprised to see Sonny and Chad. Chad explained that he and Sonny had been planning to stop E.J. and Brady from killing each other. E.J. admitted that he had been eager to seek revenge, but he added that he was learning to control his desire for vengeance. E.J. promised that he was not going to kill Brady. E.J. admitted that he had acted reprehensibly in the past.

"'Reprehensibly'...that's a good word. I'm glad you're willing to acknowledge that having people killed is reprehensible; people like Arianna Hernandez," Brady said. Chad wondered if Brady's accusations were true. E.J. insisted that he had never intended for Arianna to get hurt, and he added that he had been very fond of Arianna. "Nonetheless, I am guilty of setting into motion a series of events which ultimately took her life, and I will regret that until the day I die," E.J. added.

Brady said that he would have hastened the arrival of that day if Melanie had not intervened. Brady added that he might have to finish the job, if he ever received another opportunity to do so. "Look...Melanie saved both of us, all right? She gave both of us a second chance, so why don't we just do ourselves a favor -- let's honor that, not waste it. I called you down here today to try to encourage you to join me in stopping this...once and for all," E.J. said.

Brady was skeptical; he said that Taylor had claimed that E.J. had changed, and he wondered if she might have been right. E.J. admitted that he couldn't just snap his fingers and turn into a better person, but he added that he was willing to try. "Look, you took your revenge against me for what happened to Arianna, okay? Let's end this. Brady, come on -- we owe this to everybody that we care about. This has to end -- it has to end now!" E.J. insisted.

At the pier, Victor tried to keep Maggie calm; meanwhile, Marco managed to escape. Victor chastised Stefano, and he insisted that Maggie's blood was on Stefano's hands. Stefano called for an ambulance, then he quickly rushed off. Victor wondered why Maggie had followed him to the pier. Maggie said that she had been trying to help Victor.

At the hospital, Jennifer told Melanie and Daniel that the organization that had been planning to give Carly an award had rescinded their offer. Jennifer explained that the head of the organization had seen the incriminating photograph of Carly that had been posted online. Jennifer added that the photograph had been posted on a gossip website, and she admitted that she was worried that someone from the hospital board might see the picture.

Jennifer suggested that Melanie should make a short video clip that could be distributed to various media outlets. Jennifer turned the camera on, and Melanie nervously started her appeal. "Um, hi, Mom. Um...Dad and I love you so much, and so does Jennifer, and everybody at the hospital, and we're just worried about you, and we just want you to come back, because that's all the matters; nothing else matters, nothing that -- just please come back to us," Melanie tearfully stated. Jennifer explained that they would add a phone number to the bottom of the screen, so that people could call in with any information that they might have.

Maxine interrupted, and she announced that Maggie had been shot. As the paramedics explained Maggie's condition to Daniel, Melanie stared at Maggie. Daniel said that he was going to need Melanie's help, but Melanie was paralyzed with fear. Daniel told Melanie that Maggie was going to need her to stay strong. Melanie nodded as she started to calm down, and she rushed off to find some units of blood for the surgery.

At the DiMera mansion, Stefano made arrangements to have his jet fueled and ready for departure. Marco apologized profusely, but Stefano angrily interrupted. "I don't want to hear it! It's over for you, Marco. Go to the airport. There is money on the plane; take it and leave the country. Never come back -- is that clear?" Stefano asked. Marco nodded, and he quickly exited the mansion.

Outside the Brady Pub, Sonny wondered if Brady was convinced that their family was going to be safe. Before Brady could respond, he received a phone call from Victor. Meanwhile, inside the pub, E.J. and Chad were drinking coffee. "Okay, look...I don't mean to be preachy, telling you not to make the same mistakes that I did, but, uh, I'm your big brother, so I get to be preachy every once in a while, all right?" E.J. said, as he playfully slapped the back of Chad's head. Chad agreed, but he added that he reserved the right to defy E.J. from time to time.

As Chad playfully pretended to punch his brother, E.J. received a phone call. Stefano said that he needed E.J. to return to the mansion as quickly as possible, but before Stefano could explain what was going on, Brady stormed into the pub. Brady lunged at E.J., but Sonny held Brady back. "Why does your father always have to do your dirty work? Maggie Horton was shot, E.J. -- I think you know about it. Yeah, the bullet was meant for my granddad, right?" Brady asked.

E.J. tried to deny Brady's allegations, but Brady refused to believe that E.J. was telling the truth. Brady lunged at E.J. again, but Sonny managed to convince Brady that the pub was not the place to get into a fight with E.J. Brady warned E.J. that he wasn't done with him, then he stormed out of the pub.

Back at the Cheatin' Heart, Nicole received a phone call from Brady, who informed her that Maggie had been shot. Brady explained that the truce had been a trick, and he begged Nicole to get herself out of the line of fire. Taylor refused to believe that E.J. had been involved, but Nicole insisted that E.J. was never going to change.

Back at the DiMera mansion, Stefano nervously poured himself a drink, as he tried to plan his next move. E.J. and Chad barged into the living room, and E.J. demanded to know what had happened. Stefano insisted that the shooting had been an accident. E.J. wondered why Stefano couldn't just leave things alone for once.

Back at the hospital, Daniel announced that Maggie had been stabilized, but he added that she was going to need immediate surgery. Victor told Daniel to do whatever he needed to do; Victor said that he couldn't lose Maggie. After Victor explained what had happened, Melanie realized that Maggie had taken a bullet that had been meant for Victor. As Melanie lunged at Victor, Brady and Sonny arrived, and Brady pulled Melanie off of Victor.

Jennifer took Melanie to get some water, so that Brady and Sonny could have a moment alone with Victor. Victor explained that he had been trying to broker a peace treaty with Stefano. Victor said that he had been trying to keep Brady safe. Brady said that he was the one who was to blame for what had happened, because Stefano had just been using Victor to get back at Brady for attacking E.J.

Brady assured Victor that Maggie would be all right. Victor noted that he had been planning to go on a trip around the world with Maggie. "The DiMeras...how the hell could we not have learned by now?" Brady wondered.

As Daniel started to move Maggie to the O.R., she called out for Victor. Victor apologized to Maggie. Maggie said that it wasn't Victor's fault, as Daniel wheeled her away.

At the loft, Will was getting ready for his date with Gabi. When Rafe threw Will his wallet, Will missed the catch and his wallet fell to the floor and a condom tumbled out. "Seriously?" Rafe asked Will. Will protested that it was not Rafe's business, but Rafe reminded Will that Gabi was his sister. Defending himself, Will explained that he wanted to be ready when Gabi was ready and that if Gabi was not ready to have sex, Will was content to wait because he loved her. Will added that he and Gabi had not had sex yet.

As Rafe stared intensely at Will, Gabi knocked on the door. Will cautioned Rafe to be careful how he talked to Gabi because she was not a little girl anymore. As Rafe stared, Will opened the door to let Gabi in, and she sensed the tension. Rafe received a call from Roman at work, so Rafe told Will and Gabi to have fun at the movies. Once Rafe was gone, Will explained what had happened. Gabi was pleased to hear that Will loved her, but she was disappointed that Will had told her brother that before Will told her.

Gabi admitted that she loved Will too. When Gabi kissed Will, he informed her that he had gotten them a room at a hotel for the evening. Smiling, Gabi went with Will to the hotel. Once in the room, a nervous Gabi was reluctant to get physical with Will, noting that the hotel room felt "pre-meditated and middle-aged." Hoping to salvage the evening, Gabi and Will sat on the bed, ate snacks from the mini bar, and watched television. When Will turned on a scary movie, a terrified Gabi turned off the TV.

With a smile, Will noted that one of the reasons that he loved Gabi was that she was easily terrified by scary movies but that she was never scared of anything in real life. "This feels like us," Gabi said as she kissed Will. As Gabi leaned back on the bed, Will began to kiss her more passionately.

Down on the pier, Rafe met up with Roman and learned about Maggie's shooting. Roman invited Rafe to join the case, and Rafe eagerly donned gloves and got to work. When Dario came by the pier, he told Rafe that Maggie was in surgery. As Rafe looked around the pier, he noticed the balcony above. Noting the trajectory of the bullet, Rafe raced to the top of the stairs and found the spot where the shooter had been hiding.

At the DiMera mansion, E.J. yelled at Stefano for going after Victor Kiriakis. Stefano swore that he had not ordered a hit on Victor and that the shooting had occurred because Victor had reached for a gun. When E.J. admitted that he had not told Stefano that Brady was the person that had beaten him, he said he had lied to Stefano in order to protect his family. Disagreeing, Stefano noted that E.J.'s attempt to let Brady get away with the attack was a sign of weakness that Stefano needed to correct.

"You started a war, and nobody will ever win!" E.J. stressed. To drive home his point, E.J. asked Stefano who the next victim would be when the next bullet went astray. After E.J. rattled off the names of his family, Chad agreed with E.J. Stefano argued that he would protect his family but that he would not "bend the knee" to the Kiriakis family. With a grunt, Stefano warned E.J. to think about ways to win the war against the Kiriakis family, then left the living room.

Once Stefano was gone, Chad asked E.J. if he believed the shooting had been on purpose. When E.J. shrugged, Chad asked E.J. why he did not leave. E.J. answered that it was too late for him but that he encouraged Chad to run away and save himself from falling under the thrall of their father. E.J. explained that he and Lexie had seen the violence and ruthlessness of Stefano but that they had stayed because they knew that Stefano would do anything to protect his family.

Concerned, Chad asked if E.J. had given up his kids to spare them from Stefano. E.J. advised Chad to talk to Lexie about Tony. Stefano overheard E.J. when he returned to the living room and warned E.J. not to use Tony's memory. Furious, E.J. reminded Stefano that Tony had been a casualty of the last feud with the Kiriakis family. When Stefano bellowed that the Kiriakis family still needed to pay for Tony's death despite the retaliatory shooting of Philip, E.J. turned toward Chad and urged him to listen closely. "Run away," E.J. pleaded with Chad.

At the hospital, Jennifer comforted Melanie and reminded her that Maggie was a fighter. When Brady approached Melanie, she was agitated, so Dario stepped in and escorted Melanie down the hallway. Brady was furious with E.J., arguing that his peace had been part of the plan to ambush Victor. When Bo and Hope arrived, Victor informed Bo that he had witnessed the shooting. Brady walked over and announced that the DiMeras were to blame.

Shocked by what she heard as she was walking up, Lexie urged Brady not to be negative. Lexie informed the group in the waiting area of the outpouring of emotion from the hospital staff. The staff and volunteers had donated a record amount of blood in the last hour. When Lexie offered to go into the operating room to assist Daniel, Victor ordered Lexie not to go near Maggie because Lexie was a DiMera. Hope cautioned Victor to back down and told Lexie that as Maggie's next of kin, she was glad to have Lexie lend a hand in the operating room.

After Lexie went to scrub in, Abigail and Jennifer went into a nearby room to talk. Jennifer left a message for Melissa and hoped that there would be good news by the time Melissa called back. Hope joined Abigail and Jennifer in the room and informed them that she had called Doug and Julie on their cruise to give them the news. Abigail called Chad, but he did not answer his phone. Hope advised Abigail to cut Chad loose because he was Stefano's son.

Changing the subject, Abigail suggested that they go to Maggie's house and pack her a bag and some photos of Mickey to have in her room when she woke up after the surgery. With a smile, Jennifer agreed, and they headed off to Maggie's house. Jennifer maintained her upbeat disposition as they gathered the items at Maggie's house, but when Jennifer saw a photo of her with Maggie and Abigail, she broke down and cried.

Victor paced the hospital waiting area nervously. When Victor saw Bo, he asked if there was an update on the investigation into the shooting. Victor blamed himself for Maggie's injury. "You were trying to clean up Brady's mess, weren't you?" Bo asked Victor.

Boiling over with anger in the hospital hallway, Brady gnashed his teeth as Nicole attempted to calm him down. Nicole urged Brady to get some air so that he could calm down by the time that Maggie was awake. Nicole and Brady went to the Kiriakis mansion. Seeing that Brady was still furious, Nicole warned Brady, "Do not make things worse than they already are.

Back at the hospital, Daniel worked to stop the bleeding in Maggie's chest. The doctor assisting Daniel was extracting the bullet from the wound when Lexie entered the operating room. As the doctor grabbed the bullet, he cut his finger on it. Lexie offered to scrub in to assist so that the doctor could clean his wound. As the doctor handed the bullet to Lexie, she was stunned to see that it was a hollow point. Realizing that the shooter was a professional, Lexie seemed to understand that her family was to blame.

Daniel yelled at Lexie to help him, but by the time Lexie joined in the surgery to suction the wound, Maggie was fading from the loss of blood. The monitor of Maggie's vital signs flat-lined. Daniel grabbed the paddles and shocked Maggie. After four minutes without a pulse, Lexie encouraged Daniel to let Maggie go. Reluctant, Daniel backed away and called time of death.

Victor stood alone in the hallway when Sonny approached him. Worried about Victor, Sonny urged Victor to eat some food and rest. With tears streaming down her face, Melanie walked into the waiting area. When Victor saw Melanie, he said, "Don't tell me we lost her?" Maggie noted that Daniel was using paddles on Maggie, then ran down the hallway. "I deserve this but Maggie doesn't. Her family doesn't. It should have been me," Victor lamented.

At the hotel, Will and Gabi lay in bed together after having sex for the first time. Will asked for a review of his performance, and urged Gabi to be straight with him. Gabi confessed that she had been very nervous because it had been their first time, and Will echoed her words. Gabi reassured him sweetly, "It was perfect because you made it perfect." As they began to make love again, Will proclaimed his love for Gabi, and promised that he would never hurt her.

Taylor went to the police station to try to get an update from Abe about Maggie's shooting. Abe suspected that Taylor really wanted to know if the police had arrested E.J, but Taylor insisted that E.J. couldn't have had anything to do with what had happened to Maggie. A skeptical Abe began to recount all the people whom E.J. had hurt. Taylor confidently stated that E.J. had promised not to seek revenge against Brady, and she believed that E.J. had truly changed.

At the docks, a uniformed officer was reviewing the physical evidence in Maggie's shooting with Bo and Hope when a peeved Roman arrived. Roman reprimanded Bo and Hope for aiding in the investigation despite their obvious conflict of interest, since Maggie was Hope's aunt and had been shot while standing next to Bo's father, Victor. Hope and Bo argued that all of them wanted to put the DiMeras away for their crimes, but Roman officially removed both Bradys from the case. When Roman announced that Rafe was in charge of the investigation, Bo contended that Rafe couldn't be objective any more than Hope or Bo could. Roman held his ground, and ordered Bo and Hope to leave the crime scene.

As Hope and Bo made their way to the Brady Pub, Bo seethed about how the promotion to commissioner had gone to Roman's head. Hope did her best to calm her husband's rage, and pointed out that Rafe was more than willing to let them help with the investigation. She added that they needed to get moving on what they knew before Stefano could create an alibi, so the two headed to the DiMera mansion.

In the operating room, Daniel worked frantically to restart Maggie's heart, but she had been without a pulse for over four minutes. Lexie had to shout to get Daniel to stop performing CPR. Frustrated and heartsick, Daniel yanked off his mask and flung his gloves to the floor, as he ordered the nurse to mark the time of death. Just as the nurse began to shut off the monitors, suddenly Maggie's heart beat weakly a couple of times. The team rushed over and resumed their efforts. With the defibrillator paddles, Daniel managed to restore Maggie's heart to normal rhythms. Relief washed over Daniel and Lexie as they agreed they'd just witnessed a miracle.

In the waiting area, Victor numbly informed Brady that Maggie's heart had stopped during surgery. Jennifer arrived with Abigail, and when they saw the grim faces of the others, Jennifer anxiously demanded to know what was going on. Brady tried to reassure her that Maggie was strong and would be fine, but Jennifer pleaded with Victor to tell her what was really going on. Just as Victor admitted that Maggie's heart had stopped, Daniel and Lexie emerged from the operating room.

Lexie and Daniel cautioned the group that although they had restarted Maggie's heart, removed the bullet, and stopped the bleeding, Maggie still wasn't out of danger. Because the trauma and blood loss could cause a relapse of her myasthenia gravis, Maggie was in a medically induced coma and breathing with the assistance of a ventilator. Daniel informed them that Maggie was not allowed visitors yet, so everyone should go home to get some rest, but a stubborn Victor refused to leave. Brady sat next to his grandfather in the waiting area, but Victor gruffly ordered Brady to just go home.

As Brady rose to leave, Victor warned him, "I don't want you doing anything. Don't try and get revenge because of what they did to Maggie." Victor maintained that he was responsible, and assured his grandson that he would take care of it.

Daniel spied Victor sitting in the waiting area later, and tried to persuade his godfather that sitting up in a chair all night wouldn't do Maggie any good. Victor didn't want to leave. He asked Daniel for reassurances, even a lie, that Maggie would be all right. "I would, if I thought there was a chance in hell you'd buy it," Daniel replied. Daniel then left a quick phone message encouraging Melanie to get some rest, and visit Maggie the next day.

As Daniel left the waiting area, a nurse opened the blinds in Maggie's room. Victor immediately rushed over to the window to see how Maggie was.

Abigail and Jennifer took Maggie's pictures and things to store in Jennifer's office until the next morning. Abigail was worried because she hadn't heard back from Chad yet, but Jennifer thought it was for the best, because it kept Abigail out of the line of fire. Abigail just wanted to urge Chad to get out of the DiMera house before he got hurt, too. When Daniel entered a short time later, Abigail informed her mom that she would probably spend the night in the nurses' lounge, because she didn't want to leave Maggie alone overnight. Abigail hugged Jennifer, and thanked Daniel for the many ties he'd saved the people she loved.

After Abigail left, Jennifer repeated Abigail's thanks to Daniel for saving Maggie's life. Daniel regretted that he hadn't been able to do more. Jennifer put her arms around him comfortingly, and noted how exhausted he had to be. Daniel admitted that the drop in adrenaline after surgery often hit him hard. Jennifer asked if the two of them could be together, and Daniel agreed that he wanted the very same thing. Soon, they were kissing in Jennifer's bedroom at Alice's. Daniel started to leave so Jennifer could get some sleep, but she asked him to stay, so he did.

Abigail spotted a tired and worried Victor sitting alone. She touched him gently on the arm, and assured him, "If Maggie could talk right now, she'd say that she didn't want you to blame yourself. She'd want you to give yourself forgiveness." Victor noted that Maggie was much more forgiving than he was. Abigail countered softly that Maggie loved Victor because he was a good person, and she would be glad to know that he wasn't going after the DiMeras.

Victor crept into Maggie's room to sit at her bedside and hold her hand. "I should never have let you back into my life. You'd be safe now if I'd just walked away from you," he lamented, and then whispered, "But just know, no matter what, I love you."

As Stefano and E.J. argued about the war between the Kiriakis and DiMera families, Chad was stunned to learn that Stefano had retaliated for Tony's death by having Philip shot. With wild-eyed earnestness, E.J. urged his brother to run away while he still could. A livid Stefano bellowed at E.J., "You defy everything that we stand for. We do not run away!" Tuning him out, E.J. started to leave the room, but he turned back when he heard Stefano's voice begin to trail off weakly. Suddenly Stefano pitched forward, and collapsed facedown on the sofa.

Chad rushed to his father's side and checked for a pulse; when he found none, he urged E.J. to call for an ambulance. E.J. started to dial 9-1-1, but then he put his phone back in his pocket. "What the hell are you doing?" Chad demanded. Chad shouted that E.J. was a son of a bitch, and Kate ran in to see what the yelling was about. She quickly assessed Stefano's condition, and then rushed back out to retrieve Stefano's insulin. E.J. quietly stated that perhaps the only thing that could stop Stefano was divine intervention. Aghast, Chad declared that by not helping, it was as if E.J. were killing Stefano.

When Kate returned with a syringe of insulin, her hands were shaking too badly to administer it, so Chad deftly injected Stefano in the back of the hand. While E.J. still watched from the doorway, Kate and Chad implored Stefano to wake up. After a long moment, Stefano finally mumbled, "Katarina." Chad and Kate helped a very pale Stefano into a seated position. Chad wanted to take his father to the hospital, but Stefano refused.

Kate asked what had happened, and a furious E.J. answered, "Maybe it was an attack of remorse." He then shouted his explanation for a confused Kate: "It means that when he ordered a hit that killed Maggie Horton, even he can't act like nothing happened!" After learning that they didn't know for sure that Maggie was dead, Kate asserted that she had warned Maggie that nothing good would result from getting involved with Victor Kiriakis.

Chad indignantly demanded, "So now it's Maggie's fault?" Stefano blamed Victor, but Chad pointed out that Victor had been trying to restore peace between the families, and instead, Stefano had tried to kill Victor. Kate tried to quiet Chad, but he exploded. Indicating first Kate, then E.J., then Stefano, Chad ranted, "Look at you people! You don't care if Maggie lives or dies, you don't care if your father dies, and you're a cold-blooded killer! I am sick of all of you!" He stormed out. E.J. seemed relieved to see his brother leave.

Before another argument could erupt between E.J. and Stefano, Bo and Hope arrived. Kate tried to put off the cops' questions until Stefano was feeling better, but Stefano insisted that he wanted to get it over with.

Abigail reached Chad on his cell phone just as he was exiting the DiMera mansion. She reassured him, "I just wanted to tell you that we're in this together. I'm on your side. And I know this is hard on you, too." Chad expressed his regrets about what had happened to Maggie. Abigail managed to elicit a smile from Chad, and they agreed that they wished they could be together.

Hope questioned Kate and Stefano in the living room. Kate tried to claim that Stefano had been with her when Maggie had been shot, but Stefano wouldn't let Kate lie for him. Hope stated that phone records showed that Stefano had made the call to 9-1-1 about Maggie, and asked what Stefano had been doing on the pier at that exact time. Stefano maintained that he'd been conducting business on another part of the pier when he'd heard a gunshot and a woman's scream, so he'd gone to help. Hope pointed out that Victor's story contradicted Stefano's, but Stefano shrugged it off.

Meanwhile, Bo was grilling E.J. in the foyer. Bo divulged that he'd spoken to Brady, who believed that E.J. had called Brady for a meeting to get Brady out of the way, so that Stefano could carry out the hit on Victor. Bo surmised that Stefano had instead used E.J. and Brady's sincere desire for peace to ambush Victor -- but Maggie, an innocent bystander, had gotten in the way. Bo offered immunity to a dubious E.J. in exchange for the truth about Stefano.

E.J. wondered why he needed amnesty if he were innocent. Bo replied calmly, "Since you walk on crimes that you do commit, I won't have an ethical problem with nailing you for a crime you didn't. So who do you think should go down for this -- you or your father?" Just as calmly, E.J. stated that he was going for a walk, and he hoped Bo was gone when E.J. returned.

Hope hung up from getting an update from the hospital about Maggie. She informed Stefano and Kate that Maggie was in a coma, on a ventilator, and might not make it. Stefano tried to express his sympathy, but Hope cut him off. "You did this to her, you son of a bitch!" Hope shouted. Bo returned just in time to calm her down before she could physically attack Stefano. As Bo was leading Hope out, Chad returned. "God, what is going on now?" Chad demanded, rolling his eyes with disgust.

Stefano tried to deflect any questions directed at Chad, but Hope pointed out that Chad might have witnessed events leading up to and following the shooting. Chad answered honestly that he'd had nothing to do with any of it. "But you do know what happened, right? Do you know who shot Maggie Horton?" Bo asked.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady warned Dmitri that they had to be prepared for whatever the DiMeras might try. Dmitri declared that he would do anything for the Kiriakises, especially Victor. Brady instructed Dmitri to head to the hospital, and to guard Victor like a hawk. As Nicole arrived outside the living room in time to overhear, Brady added, "My grandfather gave me strict orders not to seek revenge for what happened tonight -- but that doesn't mean, if you see a DiMera take one step toward a family member of mine that you can't be...proactive." Dmitri assured Brady that he understood the assignment.

Nicole cautioned Brady that he was walking a very fine line, but Brady pointed out that he was only talking about protection, not revenge. He then confided that he had willingly agreed to the truce with E.J., and had even felt bad for having started the conflict between the families -- but then Maggie had been shot. "I don't want peace anymore. I don't want E.J. or Stefano to take one more peaceful breath. I hate them," Brady admitted. Nicole tried to convince him not to blame himself for what the DiMeras had done. Brady apologized for having pushed Nicole away, and expressed his gratitude that she was there with him. Nicole promised that she wasn't going anywhere.

E.J. bumped into Taylor outside the Brady Pub, and they discussed Maggie's grave condition. E.J. stated remorsefully, "It should never have happened. Nothing should ever have happened to her." Taylor asked, "Is that what bothers you? The wrong person went down? It should have happened to other people?" E.J. insisted that wasn't what he had meant at all. Taylor wanted to know if E.J. had meant it when he'd sworn he wasn't going after Brady out of revenge -- and if he'd had anything do with Maggie's shooting. Knowing that Brady likely believed E.J. had called the meeting to set up an ambush, E.J. declared that what had happened to Maggie was, indeed, his responsibility.

At the hospital, Abigail greeted Sonny, and she asked if Sonny was all right. Sonny said that he was extremely tired. Sonny added that it was going to be difficult to start his new job the next day. Abigail noted that Chad had warned her that the D.A. could be a real jerk. Abigail admitted that she was worried about Chad.

Sonny noted that Chad was getting his first taste of what it was like to be a member of a crime family. Abigail said that Chad had never thought of the DiMeras that way. "So, what did he think they were -- a cast of eccentric, loveable characters?" Sonny asked sarcastically. Sonny recalled that it had been difficult for him to accept the truth about Victor.

Abigail noted that Chad had believed the things that E.J. had said about wanting to call a truce with Brady. Abigail wondered how Chad was going to handle the fact that E.J. had apparently used him. Later, Abigail tried to call Chad, but he still wasn't answering his phone. Sonny pointed out that the DiMeras probably just didn't want Chad to talk to anyone yet. Abigail refused to let the DiMeras prevent her from talking to Chad.

At the DiMera mansion, Bo and Hope questioned Chad. "Here's what I know about the shooting -- nothing," Chad firmly stated. Chad added that Stefano wasn't feeling well, and Kate quickly ushered Bo and Hope out of the mansion.

Stefano said that he was proud of Chad. "Yeah? Then why do I feel like crap? I just lied to the cops. Did E.J. go through this when you found out he was your son? No, wait, wait, wait -- don't...don't answer that, because it doesn't matter. The only thing that does matter is that I did not sign up for this," Chad angrily insisted.

Stefano said that family wasn't something that you just signed on the dotted line for. "Well, you know what? That kind of explains why Lexie's where she is, why E.J.'s such a freaking mess -- I mean, no wonder why his mother moved heaven and earth to keep him away from you," Chad snapped. Kate returned, and she warned Chad not to talk to Stefano like that. Chad said that he was done talking, and he stormed off.

At the police station, Hope noted that Chad was definitely hiding something. Hope added that she wanted to strangle Brady. Bo agreed, and he wondered what Brady had expected to gain from assaulting E.J. Before Hope could respond, D.A. Woods entered the station.

The D.A. said that he wanted Bo and Hope to find the person who was responsible for Maggie Horton's shooting. D.A. Woods added that he wanted Bo and Hope to promise that they were going to hand him an airtight case. Bo explained that Roman had taken Bo and Hope off of the case. The D.A. wondered who Bo and Hope had interviewed. Bo hesitantly explained that they had interviewed Chad.

The D.A. wasn't surprised that Chad had covered for Stefano. "Okay, we're gonna put this together; we're gonna nail the DiMeras -- each and every one of them, and I don't care what Roman wants. You're employees of the city -- officers of the court -- and as far as I'm concerned, you're still on this case," D.A. Woods said. After the D.A. left, Bo dryly stated that he was sensing a bit of hatred from D.A. Woods.

At the hospital, Adrienne asked Lexie if Maggie's shooting meant that there was another war escalating between the DiMera family and the Kiriakis family. Lexie confirmed Adrienne's suspicions, and Adrienne wondered where that left people like Justin and Lexie. "Stuck in the freakin' middle...as always," Lexie said with a sigh. Before Adrienne could respond, Lexie received a phone call from Kate. Kate told Lexie about Stefano's earlier health scare, and she asked Lexie to stop by the mansion to check on him.

In Maggie's hospital room, Victor vowed that he wasn't going to let the DiMeras take Maggie away from him. Justin entered the room, and he suggested that Victor needed to go home so that he could get some rest. Victor said that he wasn't going to abandon Maggie. Victor added that he was responsible for what had happened to Maggie.

"As your attorney, I need to know if you're planning some sort of retaliation. And as your nephew, I need to ask you...how many more people have to get shot before you change your ways?" Justin asked. Victor said that he was too concerned about Maggie to even consider what his next step was going to be. Justin was relieved to hear that, and he explained that the D.A. was already all over the case. "Oh, an innocent woman being shot in a public place? I would hope so," Victor noted sarcastically.

Justin warned Victor not to take matters into his own hands. Justin said that Victor could tell Bo about what had happened, but he added that he didn't want Victor to speculate about why it had happened. "I'm supposed to let him think Maggie is in a hospital because some guy went duck hunting and missed? I can't let him know that Stefano's trying to set me up?" Victor asked incredulously.

Justin knowingly stated that Victor wanted to keep Brady out of prison. Justin reiterated that Victor needed to keep his mouth shut. Victor feigned ignorance, but Justin told Victor that he could drop the act. Justin said that he knew that Brady had attacked E.J. Justin added that Stefano had tried to retaliate, and he noted that Maggie had gotten herself caught in the crossfire.

Justin warned Victor that it was going to be just as easy for the D.A. to connect the dots. Bo entered the room, and he said that Justin was right. Bo asked Victor to promise that he wouldn't try to retaliate. Victor said that he couldn't promise anything. Victor reiterated that his focus was on Maggie, but he added that he wasn't going to forget why she was lying in a hospital bed.

Bo promised that he was going to find the person who was responsible for Maggie's shooting. Victor said that he was worried that Bo would not be able to connect that person to Stefano. Victor added that he just wanted to see results. Bo said that the D.A. wanted the same thing. Bo wondered if Victor really wanted to risk giving the D.A. information that might lead him straight to Brady.

Justin pointed out that Maggie wouldn't want Victor to seek vengeance. Bo assured Victor that the DiMeras had screwed up. Bo explained that he had questioned Stefano, and he said that he could tell that Stefano was scared. Bo suggested that Stefano and E.J. were probably going to forget about going after Brady, because they were going to want to keep a low profile.

Bo added that if Victor continued to provoke the DiMeras, then they might start to reconsider that strategy. Bo begged Victor to stay at the hospital with Maggie, and he asked Victor to forget about retaliation. Victor reluctantly agreed to take Bo's advice.

In the waiting area, Adrienne gave Sonny an update on Maggie's condition. Adrienne said that she was grateful that Maggie didn't know what was going on. Sonny sighed and admitted that he didn't understand straight guys. "Oh, I do. They're swinging their...male egos, and I'm damn sick and tired of it," Adrienne said. Before Sonny could respond, he received a text message from the D.A.'s office. Sonny explained that he was being asked to start his job right away, because of the Maggie Horton case.

Back at the DiMera mansion, Kate assured Stefano that Chad was going to calm down. Kate added that she had heard that Maggie had made it through surgery, and she told Stefano that everything was going to be all right. Before Stefano could respond, Lexie entered the room. "Are you sure about that, Kate? It seems to me the family's batting zero. The Rafe impostor -- that turned out to blow up in your face, and now this. Your goon shot an innocent woman?!" Lexie asked incredulously.

Kate tried to tell Lexie to calm down, and she informed Lexie that Stefano had passed out earlier. Lexie said that she wanted some time alone with Stefano; Kate pointedly reminded Lexie that she was a doctor -- not a judge. After Kate left, Lexie started to examine Stefano. Lexie said that she didn't understand why Stefano had attacked Maggie, and she wondered if he had not already done enough damage.

Meanwhile, Abigail started to knock on the front door. Kate answered the door, and she informed Abigail that Chad had left the mansion earlier. Kate added that she needed Abigail's help with something. Kate said that some very unfortunate things were being said about Chad's father, and she insisted that Stefano was not a monster.

Abigail realized that Kate wanted her to convince Chad to forgive Stefano. Abigail said that she believed that it would be in Chad's best interest to get as far away from Stefano as possible. Abigail added that she hoped that Chad had finally figured that out for himself. Before Kate could respond, Abigail stormed off.

Back inside the mansion, Lexie said that Stefano's vital signs seemed to be okay. Lexie added that Stefano might need to get his insulin levels adjusted. Lexie wondered if Stefano was going to try to pretend that he had been having a peaceful meeting with Victor, and that Maggie had just walked in front of a bullet. Stefano noted that Lexie had already made up her mind, and he realized that he wasn't going to be able to change it.

"You don't even care, do you? I mean, it doesn't even enter your mind when you start something like this that you are risking the lives of every member of your family. You think Victor's just gonna let this go? No! No, not any more than you would let it go if the roles were reversed; he is going to want to hurt you the way that you have hurt him. What if he comes after Theo, or any of your grandchildren? What if he comes after me? We're talking about our lives -- we could lose our lives," Lexie said. Stefano suggested that Lexie's family could stay at the mansion, but Lexie said that would be worse than death.

Stefano admitted that he had failed Lexie, and he said that he was sorry. Lexie wondered what it was that Stefano was apologizing for -- putting a hit out on Victor, or the fact that Maggie had walked in and ruined his plan. Stefano sighed defeatedly, and he said that he was sorry that his whole existence made his daughter so miserable. "No! No, it's not your existence, Father. You can be so loving; you can be so sweet. If only you were a bricklayer, instead of a gangster, we'd have a great relationship," Lexie said.

Stefano said that he wanted nothing more than that. "Yeah, well, you say that, but Father, all of your children are either miserable...or dead. Please. Please, please, for me...just change your tactics -- please," Lexie tearfully begged Stefano. Stefano said that he didn't know of any other way to love and protect his children. Lexie told Stefano that striking out at his enemies wasn't the right way to do that.

Lexie warned Stefano that he was going to lose his children if he didn't stop doing what he was doing. Before Stefano could respond, Kate returned, and she wondered if Stefano was all right. Lexie said that Stefano needed to monitor his blood sugar levels more closely. Lexie added that if Kate didn't realize that Stefano had candy stashed all over the mansion, then she wasn't as smart as she liked to think that she was.

After Lexie left, Kate said that she would not have called Lexie if she had known that Lexie was just going to give Stefano a lecture on morality. "Well...a lot of what she says is true, but unfortunately...it's just too late for me to change," Stefano said. Kate smiled and said that she loved Stefano just the way he was. Kate embraced Stefano, and she reminded him that Lexie had just operated on Maggie. Kate said that Lexie was understandably upset.

Stefano said that, in a perfect world, he might be able to be the man that Lexie wanted him to be. Kate noted that the world wasn't perfect. "Hmm. Which is why I have to finish what I started. I have to nip this situation in the bud, no matter what it takes to do it," Stefano said.

Outside the Brady Pub, Taylor refused to believe that E.J. was responsible for Maggie's shooting. E.J. explained that Victor had been the intended target. Taylor wondered why E.J. had wanted to kill Victor. "For revenge. His grandson struck me, so we strike back harder -- that's how it works. It's that simple," E.J. said, as he started to walk away from Taylor.

Taylor followed E.J. into the pub. E.J. ordered a drink, and he asked the bartender to leave the whole bottle at the table. Taylor wondered why E.J. was trying to make her believe that he had intended to kill Victor. "Maggie Horton is fighting for her life because she fell in love with the wrong man. She romanticized him, she thought she could change him, and then she took a bullet for him, all right? He's the wrong guy; I'm the wrong guy," E.J. said.

Taylor pointed out that E.J. would have handled the situation himself, instead of involving Stefano. "I am my father, all right? Same blood flows through my veins. I've fallen from grace, sweetheart, and don't think you can save me. Believe me -- I am the devil," E.J. said. E.J. said that Taylor had seen what he was capable of, and he begged Taylor to run far away from him. Taylor insisted that she wasn't going anywhere.

Meanwhile, Chad entered the pub; he took a seat at a nearby table, and he started to eavesdrop on Taylor and E.J.'s conversation. Taylor said that she wasn't going to give up on E.J., and she admitted that she wasn't over him. E.J. dryly stated that Fay was probably rolling over in her grave. Taylor said that she knew in her heart that E.J. was not responsible for Fay's death. Taylor added that she was certain that E.J. had never intended for Maggie to get shot.

E.J. impatiently stated that he was sick of talking. Before Taylor could respond, E.J. grabbed the bottle of alcohol, and he abruptly exited the pub. Chad rushed after E.J., and he asked if E.J. was crazy. Chad said that Taylor was in love with E.J., and he warned that Taylor might be E.J.'s last chance. E.J. said that Taylor would be better off without him.

E.J. advised Chad to turn his back on the entire DiMera family. E.J. said that he wished that someone had given him that advice. Chad noted that E.J. wouldn't have listened to that advice, and E.J. guessed that Chad wasn't going to listen, either. E.J. walked off; Chad started to chase after E.J., but Abigail stopped him.

Abigail explained that she had gone to the DiMera mansion to check on Chad. Chad sighed and insisted that he didn't want Abigail to get involved. Chad started to leave, but Abigail stopped him again. "This isn't about our families, Chad -- it's about us. Look, I care about you a lot, so I'm not leaving you, and you don't have anything to say about it," Abigail firmly stated.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady warned Nicole that things were going to get dangerous. Nicole reminded Brady that she knew what the DiMeras were capable of. Nicole said that E.J. had almost convinced her and Taylor that he was a changed man. Brady said that the DiMeras had staged the truce so that they could have Victor killed. Nicole wondered what Brady was planning to do.

Brady vowed that he was going to protect the people he loved. Brady asked Nicole to leave Salem. Nicole agreed, and she said that she was going to need some time to decide where she was going to go. Nicole started to leave, but Brady stopped her, and he kissed her passionately. After Brady pulled away, Nicole assured Brady that he was doing the right thing, then she turned and left the mansion.

Back at the hospital, Hope greeted Adrienne. Hope said that the D.A. was looking at Maggie's shooting as an opportunity to take down the entire DiMera family. Hope added that she was worried that the Kiriakis family might go down with the DiMeras. Adrienne said that Sonny had been called in to start his job at the D.A.'s office a day early. Hope wondered if Sonny knew anything about the shooting; meanwhile, in another area of the hospital, Sonny received a phone call from the D.A.

As Adrienne tried to evade Hope's question, Sonny greeted them. Sonny explained that the D.A. had asked him to deliver a message to Hope. Adrienne excused herself so that Sonny and Hope could have some privacy. After Adrienne left, Sonny explained that the D.A. wanted all of Hope's notes about the E.J. DiMera assault. Hope said that if the D.A. wanted to give her orders, then he could deliver them himself; Sonny smirked and said that he would let Hope tell the D.A. that part of the message. After Sonny left, Hope muttered that it was time to put her game face on.

Back at the pub, Lexie greeted Taylor. Taylor said that she had tried to talk some sense into E.J. earlier, and she explained that E.J. wanted her to believe that he was a monster. Taylor said that E.J. had advised her to run for the hills. Lexie muttered that she and E.J. had finally found something that they could agree on. Taylor insisted that E.J. wasn't a monster.

Lexie said that E.J. wasn't always a monster, but she added that there were times when he was one. Lexie said that it would be a terrible idea for Taylor to give her heart to E.J. Taylor pointed out that Lexie loved E.J.; Lexie reminded Taylor that E.J. was a blood relative of Lexie's. Lexie warned Taylor to heed E.J.'s advice. Lexie knowingly stated that something was going to happen, and she said that it was going to be out of Taylor's control.

Back at the Kiriakis mansion, Brady told Dimitri to be ready to take action the moment that the DiMeras made the slightest move against the Kiriakis family. Meanwhile, at the pier, Nicole celebrated the fact that Brady had finally admitted that he needed her. Nicole said that she was finally going to get what she deserved. E.J. grabbed Nicole from behind, and he agreed that she was going to get exactly what she deserved.

At the loft, Sami was watching a news report about the DiMeras' possible responsibility in Maggie's shooting, when Johnny walked into the room. Sami quickly turned off the television and hugged her son, just as Rafe returned home from work after working all night on the shooting case. Johnny greeted his step-dad excitedly, and then ran off to retrieve Rafe's favorite coffee mug. A tired and concerned Rafe confided to Sami that the war between the DiMera and Kiriakis families was just getting started.

After Sami sent Johnny off to help Allie get ready for day camp, Rafe and Sami discussed Maggie's grim condition. Sami was just thankful that E.J. had given her custody of the kids, so at least they would be out of danger. Rafe hoped that, with the feud raging, perhaps the DiMeras would finally get what they deserved. Johnny returned then, and asked, "What did they do now, Rafe?"

Sami reassured Johnny that no matter what happened with his daddy and his grandfather, he would be safe there with her and Rafe. Johnny declared that Rafe was a better daddy. Rafe explained gently, "I love you so much, but I'm not your real dad, and I'm not trying to compete with your real dad." Johnny replied that he understood it wasn't a contest; he just preferred living there to the DiMera mansion.

After Johnny hustled back into the bedroom, Sami observed that her son obviously felt a sense of security at last, after a long period of feeling torn between his families -- and Rafe could take a lot of credit for that. Rafe replied, "What can I say? Kid's got my heart. Always has. I feel the same way about all of our kids." Kissing him, a pleased Sami noted, "You are so sexy when you say 'our kids.'"

Decked out in his FBI hat and jacket, Johnny returned with Allie, and announced that they were ready for Rafe to drive them to camp. Johnny promised to take care of his sister -- the same way Rafe took care of them.

When Rafe returned a little later from dropping the kids off, he laughed as he told Sami that Johnny had wanted him to turn on the lights and siren as they arrived at camp, so the other kids would see it. Sami found it amusing that Rafe was sharing stories about her kids when he'd told his FBI partner that he didn't want to have children. Rafe admitted that he had not wanted kids back then, but he loved Sami's -- and he liked a big family.

"Oh, really? How big?" Sami wanted to know. She asked if -- someday -- Rafe wanted to have his own child. Rafe assured her that he couldn't love her kids more if they were his own. Sami promised that they could think about it. She suggested that Rafe lie down for a few hours, since he'd been up all night, and he willingly agreed -- as long as Sami joined him.

As she waited at the Sapphire Club for Quinn to join her for breakfast, Vivian savored the news about Maggie with schadenfreude. "My enemies are dropping like flies -- but Carly's still the icing on the cake," Vivian noted. She wondered aloud what -- or who -- was causing Quinn to be late. She became annoyed when she tried to call him, and he sent the call to voicemail.

Quinn entered his hotel room with takeout breakfast and coffee for Carly, and found his guest already up and dressed in one of his shirts. Carly asserted that she was well enough to go home and face her loved ones. She assured Quinn that she was incredibly grateful to him for everything he'd done for her, a complete stranger, but she had imposed on him long enough. Quinn admitted he was worried that Carly wasn't yet strong enough to go back and face her family. He asked her to wait around a bit, so they could say a proper goodbye after he met his mother. Carly agreed.

Carly was looking at a picture of Melanie a little later when Vivian knocked on the door. "I know you're in there; I can see your shadow under the door. You can't hide in there forever!" Vivian called through the door. As Carly wondered, petrified, how Vivian knew she was there, Vivian gave up and left. Carly paced fretfully, and then turned on the TV -- just in time to see Melanie's videotaped appeal to her mom.

Carly gasped in horror as she watched. When it was over, she snapped off the TV, and broke down in sobs. Suddenly the memories of her downward spiral, and how Melanie, Jennifer, and Daniel had tried to help her, flooded back, and she realized that everyone knew the truth. Still crying, she grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

Vivian was surprised to find Quinn at a table when she returned to the Sapphire Club. Quinn confessed that he'd lost track of time. He was relieved when he learned that Vivian had gone to his room, but his guest had not answered the door. Vivian wanted to discuss Carly, who had apparently called the hospital to take some time off. Quinn pretended to wonder where Carly might have gone if she were not in Salem, but Vivian didn't really know.

"Since she has no friends, what sort of stranger would be helping her out?" Vivian mused. Quinn asked, "If or when Carly was to return to Salem, you're done with the bloodthirsty revenge, yes? She's been humiliated enough." To the contrary, Vivian vowed that she had only just begun. Melanie's appeal began to run on the muted TV in the restaurant, and Quinn couldn't take his eyes off the image. Vivian demanded to know what had distracted him.

Outside the Brady Pub, Chad encouraged Abigail to go home, because he was concerned for her safety. Abigail maintained that Chad was in just as much danger as she was, and invited him to move out of the DiMera mansion -- and in with her. Chad was touched, but declined, because he hoped he could convince his family to back away from the impending war. He added that he felt like he had to stick by E.J., who had lost almost everything. Abigail emphasized how worried she was about Chad. Chad asserted that they could still have a relationship, as long as Abigail understood that he couldn't turn his back on his family. She assured him that she did want to work on their relationship.

Realizing it was E.J. who had grabbed her from behind on the docks, Nicole shoved him away angrily. An inebriated E.J. laughed and took another swig from his whiskey bottle. After asking for her help, he explained that he didn't want anyone else to get hurt, and he didn't want the situation with Brady to escalate. Nicole was skeptical, but E.J. maintained, "You're about the only person who can stop this for good." Meanwhile, Dmitri spied on them from behind a crate.

Nicole didn't see how she could do anything to prevent a war between the families. E.J. reminded her that once upon a time, Brady would have done anything she asked. Nicole tried to argue that it was a situation not of her making, but E.J. pulled out all the stops by pleading with her to help for Sydney and Johnny's sake. At last Nicole reluctantly consented, so E.J. asked her to deliver a note to Brady.

On the phone at the Kiriakis mansion, Brady reassured Victor that one of Dmitri's men was undercover at the hospital and guarding Victor. Taylor rang the doorbell just as Brady was hanging up. She arrived with an armload of Titan files, but Brady explained that he'd asked her there because he was concerned for her safety. Taylor contended that Brady and E.J. needed to stop the war between the families before something else terrible happened. Brady declared that he intended to do just that -- with or without E.J.

Taylor asked why Brady thought the DiMeras would go after her, since she wasn't a Kiriakis. Brady reminded her, "You turned your back on E.J., and you came to work for me. That makes you a very easy mark." He declared that he wanted her to move into the Kiriakis mansion so she wouldn't get caught in the crossfire. Taylor balked, pointing out that she wouldn't be in the line of fire if E.J. and Brady would quit taking shots at each other. "You need to understand what E.J.'s capable of," Brady asserted. "Apparently, it's the same thing you are -- right?" Taylor countered. Taylor maintained that Brady had only invited her to live there in order to provoke E.J.

Just then, Nicole arrived, and demanded to know what was going on. Brady explained that he feared E.J. might retaliate against Taylor because she worked for Brady. Although clearly irked, Nicole then gave Brady the note from E.J. Brady read the short missive, and then immediately picked up the phone to call E.J., who had just arrived back at the DiMera mansion. Brady noted sardonically that it was a little too late for a truce, since Maggie was on a ventilator in intensive care. "Go to hell," Brady hissed, and hung up abruptly.

Taylor and Nicole couldn't believe that Brady would intentionally goad E.J. like that, but Nicole understood why Brady felt like he had to make the next move. An incredulous Taylor pronounced them both insane, and then stormed out, declaring that she did not need Nicole's faulty reasoning -- or Brady's protection.

Brady asserted that Nicole should not have been on the pier with E.J., because she had put herself in the line of fire. "I know that you sent Dmitri after him," Nicole acknowledged, then added, "I was hoping your guy was a better shot than Stefano's." Brady declared that he did not want Nicole anywhere near E.J. while things between the families were so tense, and then suggested that she move in. Nicole pointed out that it hadn't been that long since he'd wanted her to leave town. "I want you here because I want you to be safe," Brady stated firmly. Nicole admitted that while she didn't need anyone to take care of her, the feud between the families was making her a little nervous.

Chad returned to the DiMera mansion, and was a bit taken aback to find E.J. drinking so early in the day. Ignoring him, E.J. advised Chad not to leave the house again without a bodyguard, and explained that Brady had just rejected E.J.'s offer of a truce. Chad asked if Taylor knew yet that E.J. hadn't been responsible for Maggie's shooting, but E.J. urged Chad to stay out of it. After E.J. left the room, Chad made a phone call. "I know I have no right to ask you, but I'm going to need your help," Chad stated.

When Taylor arrived at the Brady Pub, Abigail hurried over to introduce herself. Taylor expressed her sympathy about Maggie, but Abigail admitted that she'd had other motives for asking Taylor to meet her. "You're in a position to actually do something about this war that seems to be taking place between the DiMera and Kiriakis families," Abigail explained. Chad appeared and confessed that he'd asked Abigail to call Taylor, because she needed to know that E.J. had lied about double-crossing Brady. "E.J. met Brady in good faith. He had no idea what Stefano was planning," Chad clarified.

Taylor was glad to have her suspicions confirmed, but wondered why E.J. would lie. Chad maintained that it was so Taylor would think the worst about E.J. and stay away from him -- that was how much E.J. loved and wanted to protect her. Taylor didn't know what she could do to help. Chad asserted, "Taylor, I know you think you can't be with him, but without you, I'm not sure what will happen to my brother -- or the rest of us." Taylor didn't want the whole thing to be her responsibility, but Chad implored her earnestly to help E.J.

Back at the DiMera mansion, E.J. brooded about the mistakes he'd made regarding his children and Taylor, and the small ways he'd tried to make them right. When his phone rang, he snapped, "What?" His demeanor softened when he heard Taylor's voice. She explained that Chad had told her what had really happened the night before, and gently asked why E.J. thought she would be better off believing he was a monster than knowing that he was the man she thought he could be.

Frustrated, E.J. asked what she wanted him to do about it. Taylor lightheartedly warned him that he was making her crazy, but he insisted that all he wanted was for her to be safe. "I want that for you, too, and your whole family -- and for Brady's. When is this going to stop?" Taylor pleaded. When E.J. said that he couldn't talk about it on the phone, she asked him to join her at the Brady Pub. "All right. Just stay there, okay?" E.J. urged her as he headed out the door.

After Chad and Abigail left the pub, they walked along the pier. Chad expressed his gratitude to Abigail for how she'd helped out, but she insisted she'd only done what her Aunt Maggie would have done. Chad took her by the hands, and stated solemnly, "Abigail... I'm in love with you." Beaming, Abigail replied, "I'm in love with you, too, Chad."

As Chad and Abigail kissed, Dmitri watched from his hiding place behind a crate. He then called Brady, and Nicole left the room so Brady could take the call in private. "I'm at the pier, watching DiMera... Waiting on your 'go,'" Dmitri told Brady. When Brady replied simply, "Go," Dmitri took aim.