At the DiMera mansion, E.J. was upset because Victor had not accepted Stefano's offer to end the feud. Kate pointed out that Stefano was a proud man, and she said that he wasn't going to make the same offer again. E.J. told Kate that it was going to be up to them to fix everything.

Later, E.J. asked Chad to meet him at the mansion. When Chad arrived, he warned E.J. that Kate had already tried to make him feel guilty about moving out of the mansion. Chad pointed out that E.J. was the person who had encouraged Chad to leave in the first place. E.J. admitted that he should not have done that.

"Look, Chad, if you want to save this family, then you change it from the inside. I'm as tired of this life as you are. Father says he wants peace, but who knows if that's actually going to happen? He's old, he's ill...if it's going to happen, Chad, it's up to you and me," E.J. said. Before Chad could respond, he received a phone call from Sonny. Sonny asked Chad to bring E.J. and Stefano to the hospital, and he explained that he had an idea that might end the feud.

At the Brady Pub, Brady greeted Melanie and Dario. Melanie gave Brady an update on Maggie's condition, and she wondered if Brady was ready to make peace with the DiMeras. Brady said that he had realized that he would never be able to trust the DiMeras.

Brady said that he was thinking about giving Dario more responsibilities at Titan, and he asked Dario to take care of a shipment for him over at the pier. After Dario left, Melanie mocked Brady's comments. "I can't believe it's taken me this long to figure this out. You didn't hire Dario because you wanted to help him; you hired him because you're trying to get him away from me," Melanie said, as Nicole listened nearby.

Melanie pointed out that Brady was sending Dario off on pointless, time-consuming errands that anyone could handle. Brady denied Melanie's accusations, and he wondered if Melanie wanted him to fire Dario. Melanie said that she wanted Brady to go back to being the decent person that she had once looked up to. Brady laughed and said that he would try to be more like Dario.

Melanie reiterated that Brady needed to end the war against the DiMeras, then she abruptly excused herself. After Melanie left, Nicole joined Brady at the bar. "I know that everyone thinks she's darling, but she's just a little bitch to me," Nicole dryly stated. Nicole wondered if Melanie was right. Brady tried to avoid the question, and he pointed out that it wasn't safe for Nicole to be around him. Before Nicole could respond, Brady received a phone call, and he abruptly excused himself.

At the hospital, Lexie announced that Sami was not pregnant. Sami insisted that Lexie was wrong, but Lexie reminded Sami that home pregnancy tests were unreliable. Lexie started to tell Sami that there was another problem, but before she could elaborate, Rafe entered the room. Lexie excused herself so that Sami and Rafe could have some privacy.

After Lexie left, Rafe anxiously asked Sami about the baby. Before Sami could respond, Rafe received a phone call from Dario. Dario explained that a woman had been attacked at the pier. Sami told Rafe that she would meet him back at their apartment, and Rafe rushed off to the pier. Later, Lexie tried to comfort Sami, but Sami vowed that she was going to prove that she was pregnant.

At the Cheatin' Heart, Taylor told Quinn that she had taken a job with the Salem Police Department. Quinn was visibly shaken when he heard Taylor's announcement. Taylor said that her new job was going to give her the perfect opportunity to keep an eye on Quinn's activities. "What you're gonna do, Taylor, is keep me informed on what the police are up to, and if they're zeroing in on me, you will be the first to let me know. Otherwise, I may have to let people know exactly what you were up to when we first met. Just remember...you have secrets, too," Quinn warned Taylor.

At the pier, Rafe tried to help Mandy, but she started to get scared when she realized that Rafe was a cop. Mandy tried to leave, but Rafe insisted that she needed medical care. Later, at the hospital, Dario assured Mandy that Rafe would be able to help her. Rafe signaled for Dario to give him some time alone with Mandy.

After Dario left, Rafe hesitantly tried to ask if Mandy was a prostitute. Rafe explained that two other prostitutes had been attacked, and he promised that he was going to find the assailant. Rafe tried to get Mandy to tell him the name of her employer, but Mandy claimed that she was a freelancer. Rafe wasn't convinced, but Mandy pointed out that revealing her employer's name would be bad for her health. Rafe promised to protect Mandy, but Mandy refused Rafe's offer, and she asked him to leave.

At Sami and Rafe's apartment, Lexie stopped by to talk to Sami. Lexie noted that there was a stack of home pregnancy tests on the coffee table. Sami admitted that all of the tests had been negative. Sami waited for Lexie to gloat, but Lexie pointed out that she had been in the same situation before. "If you read the tests after the ten-minute mark, sometimes you get an evaporation line that makes it look like it's a positive," Lexie explained.

Sami wondered what Lexie had been trying to warn her about earlier. Lexie deflected, and she told Sami to schedule an appointment with her gynecologist so that they could do a thorough examination. Lexie added that there was probably nothing to be worried about. Sami wondered what it was that Lexie wasn't telling her. Lexie hesitated, and she said that she didn't want to speculate.

Lexie told Sami to think of the tests as a precaution. Sami wondered if she was crazy for wanting to have another kid. "I mean, after what E.J. did to us...Rafe and I overcame that, and we're together, and...and when I thought we were gonna have a baby, you know, it just...proved something, you know? It just made it special," Sami said. Lexie agreed that Sami and Rafe deserved to be happy.

Sami noted that Rafe was going to be disappointed that she wasn't pregnant. Lexie said that Sami could tell Rafe that there wasn't any reason to believe that she would not be able to conceive another child at some point. Sami wondered if that was true; Lexie avoided the question, and she reiterated that Sami needed to see her gynecologist right away.

At the police station, Nicole barged in and demanded to know what was being done about the war between the DiMera family and the Kiriakis family. When Nicole saw Taylor, she wondered what kind of trouble Taylor had gotten herself into. Taylor explained that she was working for the Salem P.D. Nicole guessed that Taylor's new job was her way of trying to protect E.J.

Taylor pointed out that it was difficult to find a job in Salem that didn't involve working for DiMera Enterprises or Titan Industries. Taylor added that the police were not going to be arresting E.J. "Honey, they never do," Nicole dryly stated. Taylor shrugged and claimed that she had put that part of her life behind her. Taylor said that she needed to get back to work. Nicole eyed Taylor suspiciously, and she said that she was certain that there was something odd about Taylor's new job.

In Maggie's room at the hospital, Maggie asked Victor to make peace with Stefano. Victor noted that Maggie was always asking him to do the one thing that he had sworn that he would never do. Maggie pointed out that Victor had been willing to make peace earlier. Victor said that Stefano had betrayed him, and he added that he was never going to believe another thing that Stefano said.

"Just tell Stefano that you've decided that it's over. I mean, somebody has to take control of the situation; I mean, this has got to end. I don't want another person hurt because I was shot -- doesn't that matter to you?" Maggie asked. Before Victor could respond, Melanie entered the room, and Victor stepped aside so that Melanie could talk to Maggie. Melanie hugged Maggie, and she tearfully admitted that she didn't want to lose Maggie. Maggie promised that she wasn't going anywhere.

After Melanie left, Victor noted that Melanie was like a daughter to Maggie. Victor told Maggie that Chad had been shot in the arm; Victor assured Maggie that Chad was going to be all right, but he added that the shooting had been a wake-up call for Stefano. Maggie pointed out that Stefano's peace offering might have been sincere after all. "You know, watching you with Melanie made me realize that life is too short, and the people we love are too important. I need to get over myself," Victor admitted.

Later, in the waiting area, Sonny and Justin filled Victor in on their plan, and they wondered if Victor was willing to go along with it. "Well, an hour ago, I wasn't...but I've changed my mind," Victor said. Meanwhile, E.J. and Chad arrived, and Victor wondered where Stefano was. Chad admitted that he didn't think that Stefano was going to attend the meeting. Victor wondered if the entire meeting had been a bluff.

Chad explained that Stefano wasn't answering his phone. Sonny suggested that they could just make the plan work without Stefano. E.J. wondered what the plan was; meanwhile, Brady arrived, and he said that he wanted to know the same thing. "Chad and I were with E.J. and Brady the night that Maggie was shot, and I just wanted a chance for both of us to let all of you know that we could tell that meeting was real. Both Brady and E.J. want this to end -- it wasn't a setup," Sonny explained.

Chad added that his shooting had caused Stefano to realize how stupid the feud really was, and he assured the Kiriakis family that Stefano wanted peace. Victor said that it would have been nice if Stefano had been at the meeting to make that announcement himself. Justin said that Stefano's sons had spoken for him. Justin added that everyone wanted the same thing, and he said that there had to be some way to make the peace agreement happen.

Brady reminded everyone that the DiMeras were responsible for Maggie's shooting, and he insisted that the DiMeras could not be trusted. Melanie overheard Brady's comment, and she suggested that Maggie deserved the chance to offer her opinion on the matter. "Melanie, we could go in there, and we could hold hands and sing Kumbaya till we're blue in the face, but it doesn't mean a thing unless Stefano is there," Brady said. Melanie said that it was worth a try.

The DiMeras and the Kiriakises piled into Maggie's room, and Victor explained that they had something that they needed to talk to Maggie about. Justin said that he would wait outside to ensure that they would not be interrupted, and Sonny assured Maggie that they weren't going to stay long. "I just wanted you to know what happened to you has changed everything. You brought a lot of people to their senses," Sonny said.

"And I want you to know that I will not be the one to break the peace," Sonny added. One by one, Chad, Victor, E.J., and Brady each made the same vow that Sonny had made. As Maggie wept happily, Stefano and Kate entered the room. Stefano joined Chad and E.J. at the side of Maggie's bed. "I understand that you're talking about making peace. Count me in," Stefano said.

Later, back in the waiting area, Chad noted that Stefano must have received the messages that Chad and E.J. had left for him. Stefano said that he had not had his phone with him, and Kate explained that she had tracked Stefano down and convinced him to go to the hospital. Chad thanked Stefano, E.J., and Kate for their part in making the peace agreement happen. Kate and E.J. excused themselves so that Stefano and Chad could have some privacy.

Stefano wondered how Chad's arm was doing. Chad shrugged and said that he would live. "I, um...I can't be the son that you want me to be. I can't live your life. I'm never gonna change my mind about that," Chad added. Before Stefano could respond, Chad walked away. Stefano muttered that never could be a very long time.

Chad walked over to talk to Sonny, and he noted that Sonny's idea had worked. "Yeah, till the next time they piss each other off," Sonny dryly stated. Chad laughed, and he wondered if he and Sonny would ever start to act like Stefano and Victor. Sonny said that wouldn't happen in a million years, and he and Chad shook hands.

Back in Maggie's room, Maggie wondered what had caused Victor to change his mind about the feud. "You getting through this...coming back to me. And I have something tonight that I didn't have yesterday...something I didn't even think about before I fell in love with you. I have faith -- what a concept," Victor said.

Rafe returned to the hospital, and he was shocked to see that the DiMeras and the Kiriakises seemed to be getting along. Rafe called Sami, and he asked if Sami had any cravings that she needed him to satisfy. Sami said that she just had one craving, and she added that she wanted Rafe to get back to the apartment right away, because she needed him.

Back at the Kiriakis mansion, Brady found Nicole waiting for him. Brady announced that the DiMeras and the Kiriakises had called a truce, but Nicole just laughed. "No, I'm serious. It was different this time, because we all stood in front of Maggie Horton and swore peace. That's like laying your hands on the Bible, you know," Brady said.

Nicole reminded Brady that Stefano and E.J. considered the Bible to be nothing more than a piece of literature. Nicole pointed out that if the danger was over, then there wasn't any reason for her to stay at the mansion. Nicole challenged Brady to look her in the eyes and tell her that he wanted her to leave. Brady stared at Nicole for a moment, then he started to kiss her passionately.

Back at the Cheatin' Heart, Taylor told Quinn that another girl had been attacked at the pier. Taylor added that the woman's name was Mandy, and she guessed that Mandy was one of Quinn's girls. Taylor threatened to tell the cops the truth about Quinn. "Then you'd better be ready for the world to find out that Saint Taylor isn't such a saint after all," Quinn warned Taylor.

At the loft, Sami and Rafe woke up on the couch. Still upset about the fact that she was not pregnant, Sami apologized to Rafe. Shaking his head, Rafe countered that Sami was not to blame for the false positive on the pregnancy test. Sami explained that she felt bad for pushing the idea to have a baby and getting Rafe excited about the possibility. Rafe noted that if they never had a child together, he was fine.

"First and foremost, we need to make sure that you're okay. That's the most important thing," Rafe said. Rafe asked Sami how she was feeling, and Sami admitted she was still feeling nauseated. Worried, Sami confided that she felt that there was something wrong with her. Rafe assured Sami that she was a fighter. "We'll get through this together. Like we always do," Rafe said.

Outside the Cheatin' Heart, Quinn read a newspaper article about the attack on his newest escort, Mandy. Taylor spotted Quinn standing in the alley and warned him that she could not cover for Quinn at the police station. With a grin, Quinn countered that if Taylor took him down, he would take her down with him. Quinn noted that Taylor had agreed to work as an informant and that she needed to honor her commitment.

When Taylor received a call from Hope at the police station, Quinn put the call on speaker so he could eavesdrop. Hope explained that she was having difficulty finding some files. Taylor agreed to return to the station, and then she hung up the phone. With a growl, Quinn cautioned Taylor to remember who she "really worked for."

At the Kiriakis mansion, Nicole greeted Brady in the living room. When Brady acted distant, Nicole asked him if he regretted spending the night with her. Brady admitted that the feud between the DiMera and Kiriakis families was his fault because Brady had a tendency to react before thinking. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe the two of us are just bad for each other?" Brady wondered aloud.

"It takes more than just great chemistry between two people," Brady added. Brady noted that he and Nicole enabled one another. "We are damaged goods. Who cares? You treat me like no man does," Nicole said. "I know that you get me and you love me. Am I wrong?" Nicole asked. "No," Brady whispered. Nicole argued that she felt their lives were doomed without one another. Nicole argued that she and Brady made each other whole.

"We've been through a lot these past few months. And against all odds, we've made it through. Scarred but not broken, and if we stop short now, it would be really, really sad and a total waste," Nicole said. When Brady remained silent, Nicole asked Brady to tell her that he needed her. "There is something I need here. Something I need very much, but I can't think straight around you," Brady said. Nicole smiled, but Brady asked Nicole for more time to think about their relationship. With a nod, Nicole said she would leave. "I won't be far," Nicole announced before she headed upstairs.

In the Salem police precinct, Abe explained to Bo that it was politically risky to throw too many resources into tracking down the serial attacker. Hope asked Abe if he would oppose the investigation if the women were not prostitutes. Abe noted that he believed all Salem residents deserved to be protected, but he added that he could not go public until there was more evidence. Abe explained that he did not want to cause a panic.

After Abe left, Hope and Bo settled in at their desks to review the case. Taylor eavesdropped from nearby as Hope discussed the mystery pimp. Taylor offered her help, and Bo asked her to track down the family of the latest victim. While Taylor made calls at a nearby desk, she continued to keep one ear trained on Bo and Hope's conversation. "We have got to find this guy and who he is connected to. And it has to be our top priority," Hope said.

At the Brady Pub, Chloe took the news about the attacks on the prostitutes poorly. Scared to lose her chance at regaining custody of Parker, Chloe confided to Kinsey that she had to keep working for Quinn despite the danger. "I can't believe you're gonna go back out there," Kinsey said with shock. Chloe reminded Kinsey that Quinn would tell child protective services if she attempted to leave her job as an escort. With narrowed eyes, Kinsey argued that Chloe would not get to see Parker if she was killed by the attacker.

"I listened to you last night, now you listen to me. If this happens to you, where is that going to leave Parker? Do you want him to lose his mom forever?" Kinsey asked. Unsure, Chloe left and met up with Quinn at the Cheatin' Heart. Furious, Chloe asked Quinn if the woman that was attached was one of his girls. "You said that you could protect me, but you can't. You know you can't. Quinn, just let me go, please," Chloe pleaded.

In a gruff voice, Quinn reminded Chloe that she was an integral part of his business, and he would not let her walk away. Angry, Chloe told Quinn that if he could not protect her then he was in the wrong line of work. "I can't take care of you every second of the day now, can I?" Quinn said. Quinn added that Mandy had been attacked by a stranger in a bad area of town, which was unrelated to her work for him. Shaking her head, Chloe wondered aloud why Quinn had pursued her so vehemently.

"This was personal, wasn't it? Ever since the beginning, this was your mission to get me," Chloe said. "This wasn't personal for me," Quinn blurted out. Lowering his tone, Quinn urged Chloe to stop complaining. "You said that this wasn't personal for you, meaning it was personal for someone else," Chloe theorized aloud. Chloe asked Quinn if someone had asked him to push her into prostitution. Avoiding the question, Quinn answered that his pursuit of Chloe had been purely business.

Shaking her head, Chloe noted that she had always felt that someone had put Quinn up to blackmailing her. Chloe demanded to know who had pushed Quinn toward her, and Quinn's face blushed. When Chloe pushed Quinn to answer her, a frustrated Quinn growled, "You work for me, and that is all you need to know."

Rattled, Quinn stormed out of the bar, leaving his tablet computer on the table. Focused on Quinn, Chloe chased Quinn outside into the alley. "Why would you walk away from me unless you had something to hide?" Chloe demanded. Quinn countered that Chloe was being irrational. Noting that Quinn was not looking her in the eye, Chloe urged Quinn to come clean. As Quinn stood there silently, realization dawned on Chloe's face. Dumbfounded, Chloe exclaimed that she knew who was to blame.

Covering his tracks, Quinn warned Chloe that she was off-base. Quinn marched back into the bar to retrieve his computer and found that it was gone. While Quinn fretted over the loss at the bar, the thief examined the contents of the tablet computer at another location. While reviewing the items on the computer, the thief stopped at a photo of Chloe.

Sami and Rafe went over to the Salem Hospital to talk to Lexie about Sami's condition. Rafe noted that Lexie had not given Sami much information and asked Lexie to tell them more about Sami's medical issues. Lexie sat down with Rafe and Sami and explained that she would have to wait for test results before she could make a diagnosis. When Sami complained that the waiting was driving her crazy, Lexie urged Sami to remain calm.

Abe arrived at the hospital and greeted Sami and Rafe. When Abe asked Rafe about work, Rafe excused himself and went to talk to Abe across the hallway. Lexie smiled at Sami and told her that she had done the right thing by confiding in Rafe.

Rafe escorted Abe into Mandy's hospital room. "I just thought you should see what we're up against," Rafe said as Abe studied Mandy's bruised face while she slept. Rafe explained that Mandy had sustained serious internal injuries. "This wasn't her fault, and if there are other victims, chances are this isn't going to be their fault either," Rafe said. With a sigh, Abe informed Rafe that he would go public, and he asked Rafe to hunt down the person that was responsible.

Down the hallway in the hospital, Sami waited in an exam room for her test results. Sami thought about when she was pregnant with Sydney and how Rafe had felt the baby kick in her stomach. Rafe joined Sami in the exam room and apologized for not being by her side during the procedure. Sami told Rafe not to worry because the doctor had examined her sooner than expected. Rafe assured Sami that she was in good hands.

Once Lexie received Sami's test results, she joined Sami and Rafe in the exam room. With a sigh, Lexie announced that Sami had cysts that needed to be removed. Lexie informed Sami that the surgery was minimally invasive but that they would need to examine the cysts to see if the tissue was benign.

While Taylor worked at the police station, she received a text message from Quinn, reading, "You know I don't bluff." Across the room, Bo received a call from Rafe informing him about Abe's change of heart. Hope returned to her desk, and Bo gave Hope the good news. Excited, Bo and Hope left for the hospital hoping that they could get Mandy to talk to them.

When they arrived at the hospital, Bo and Hope went to the nurses' station to find out about Mandy's condition. Taylor arrived at the hospital and informed Bo and Hope that she had tracked down Mandy's family. Suspicious, Bo asked Taylor why she had gone over to the hospital rather than calling him. Nervous, Taylor explained that she had talked to Mandy's sister who had asked Taylor to check on her sister for her. Taylor asked if she could honor the sister's request and sit with Mandy.

Hope agreed and escorted Taylor into Mandy's room. As Hope stared at a sleeping Mandy, she whispered, "I'm determined to nail this bastard." After Hope left the room, Taylor sat at Mandy's bedside. Talking in her sleep, Mandy muttered Quinn's name.

Hope returned to the hallway and told Bo that she wanted to go undercover. Worried, Bo said that he did not want to put his wife at risk. Hope reminded Bo that she would get her way in the end, so he should give up arguing with her. "Bad idea, not gonna happen," Bo said. As Hope stared blankly at Bo, he shifted his weight nervously and relented. Bo warned Hope that he would pull the plug on the undercover operation if it got too dangerous.

Hope went back into Mandy's room and asked Taylor if there was any change. Shifting her eyes, Taylor lied that Mandy had been unconscious the whole time she had been there.

Carly tossed and turned in her bed at the rehab center. A nurse arrived to check on her, and Carly admitted that she felt lousy -- but still much better than she'd felt the night before. Carly added that she hadn't thought she would make it until someone had held her hand and told her that she wasn't alone, and asked who it had been. "It was me, Mother. I'm here," said Nicholas from the doorway.

After the nurse left them alone, Carly declared tearfully that she thought she'd lost Nicholas. Nicholas asked for his mom's forgiveness, but she maintained that she was the one who needed forgiveness for taking his father away. Nicholas urged Carly to focus on getting better, and blamed himself for helping her end up in rehab. He added that although she had given up everything when he was little to give him a family, he had known later that she wasn't happy, but he had left anyway. Carly assured Nicholas that he had done the right thing by going out and living his life. Nicholas was determined to find a way to make it up to his mother for leaving her with his monster of a father.

Later, Carly held onto Nicholas' arm as he helped her walk the hallways. Though each step was a struggle, she was clearly happy just to be with her son. Nicholas admitted that he had been very worried, because when he'd gone in to visit Carly, she hadn't even known that he was there. Carly confided that she'd been going through hell, but then she'd "dreamed" he was there, and suddenly she'd felt like everything would be all right.

The nurse found Carly and Nicholas in the lobby, and declared with a smile that she hadn't expected to see Carly out of bed so soon. "Doctor Norman was just on her way to your room to check on you," the nurse added. Carly gave her son a grateful kiss, and then headed back down the hallway to her room. Nicholas asked the nurse if Carly was through the hardest part of her recovery. The nurse replied, "Physically, yes. Emotionally, you should be prepared that the hard part is yet to come." She added that some patients weren't strong enough. "To what? Kick the habit?" Nicholas asked. The nurse completed the sentence bluntly: "And live."

Daniel met Jennifer at the lake for an afternoon date, and they again spread a blanket out on the grass and opened a bottle of champagne -- and Daniel had remembered to pack real glasses instead of paper cups. Jennifer declared that when she had said she was ready to move on with him, she had really meant it. After a dip in the lake, Daniel and a freezing Jennifer ran back to the beach, and he wrapped a towel and his arms around her to warm her. Jennifer exclaimed happily that she'd almost forgotten how much fun it was to swim in the lake.

"You're good for me," Jennifer said, and Daniel concurred that she was good for him, as well. Jennifer confided that the lake had been a prime make-out spot when she was in high school, although she had broken up with her prom date there for hitting on her best friend. Daniel pronounced Jennifer's prom date an idiot. Jennifer admitted that she hadn't done a very good job of picking the men in her life -- until Daniel.

After demonstrating that the lake was also a make-out spot for adults, Daniel informed Jennifer that he'd gotten the night off, and had made reservations for them at a new Italian restaurant in town. Jennifer was impressed, because the restaurant was always booked up far in advance. She stated that, unlike Jack, who was always off chasing a story, Daniel always made her feel like she was more important than his career. "Get used to it," Daniel said. As they packed up the blanket, Jennifer declared that she had no idea how Daniel could possibly top their afternoon together -- but she had a feeling he would find a way.

At the Cheatin' Heart, Sonny and Chad toasted with beer to their success in orchestrating a truce between their families. Abigail soon joined them, and had heard the great news about the truce from Maggie. When Justin and Adrienne arrived, Sonny left Chad and Abigail so that he could have lunch with his parents. Abigail commended Chad for his work brokering the truce, and expressed her wish that Stefano and E.J. could be more like Chad.

Over lunch, Sonny informed his parents that he was thinking about transferring to Salem University. Justin and Adrienne were elated that Sonny was going to be in town for a while longer.

Chad grumbled about his low summer school GPA, but Abigail pointed out that he'd taken difficult classes. After Chad ignored a phone call from Stefano, Abigail was surprised to learn that Stefano was still trying to connect with his son. She asked why Chad hadn't told her, but he maintained that there would be no point in it, because he knew she hated his family. Abigail wondered aloud if the DiMeras would ever stop causing problems for her and Chad.

Sonny returned to Chad and Abigail just then, and revealed that he would be attending Salem U in the fall. Abigail was thrilled. Sonny continued that he planned to enroll in the entrepreneurship program at the business school, and he hoped to start learning by creating a local social-networking website. Chad asked if Sonny intended to sell ads to make money, and, grinning, Sonny admitted that idea hadn't even occurred to him. "Come work with me," Sonny suggested, pointing out that a DiMera and a Kiriakis working together would make for great press. Chad hedged that he might be too busy, but agreed to think about it.

After Sonny left, Abigail apologized for what she'd said about Chad's family. "You're going through a hard time, and I want to support you; I don't want to make this harder for you," Abigail said. She encouraged Chad not to shut her out in the future, because that would only drive her away. Chad vowed not to let that happen -- and he had a "three-part plan" for that. He produced a rose for Part One. When a surprised Abigail asked where he'd gotten it, Chad explained that Part Two was keeping the mystery alive. "We must work on [Part Three] as much as possible," Chad continued, and then leaned across the table to kiss Abigail.

Later, Abigail checked in by phone with her mom. When she returned to the table, Abigail admitted that while she was glad that her mom was so happy with Daniel, "In my head, it's great, but in my heart, not so much." Abigail described for Chad how she'd worked hard to get her parents back together after their divorce, but it hadn't worked out. She continued that her dad had been a lot of fun when he'd been home, but when he left, it was as if he'd disappeared off the face of the earth. Abigail had seen how much Jack's leaving had hurt her mom and her brother, but he had done it over and over again. Abigail fought back tears as she added, "But I love him. I can't help it; he's my dad. And I guess in some way there's still a small part of me that just really wants my family back."

As they walked on the pier, Adrienne exuded enthusiasm about Sonny staying in Salem. She confessed that she missed being a mom -- and she had been worried that Sonny was developing wanderlust again. Justin asked if Adrienne had been worried because she was afraid that Sonny was taking after her brother. Adrienne acknowledged that was partly the case, because she hadn't even been able to get in contact with Jack for a long time. "And you miss him," Justin guessed. "That's the worst part. I miss the big, dumb jerk," Adrienne admitted.

At the hospital, an anxious Sami wanted to know if she had cancer. Lexie replied that they wouldn't know until they removed Sami's cysts and got the pathology report back. Sami couldn't believe that only a little while before, she and Rafe had thought they were going to have a baby. She broke down, and Rafe comforted her. Lexie assured Sami that they would schedule the procedure as quickly as possible. Sami wanted to know what would happen if she did have cancer, but Lexie urged her to try to relax until they knew for sure, since stress hormones could wreak havoc on Sami's body. Rafe reminded his skeptical wife that the cysts might not even be cancerous -- and if they were, the two of them would get through it together.

Will and Gabi arrived at the loft, and found it empty. Gabi noted that no one being home meant they could do whatever they wanted to do, so Will suggested that they play a video game. After Gabi had beaten him, she suggested that there were ways they could entertain themselves. She kissed Will to demonstrate, and then tried to lead him into his bedroom. Will pointed out that they didn't know when his mom and Rafe might return and interrupt them, and Gabi acknowledged that he was right.

As Will spun around to get some drinks for them from the kitchen, he knocked over the trash can. Gabi bent to help him clean up, and spotted the multiple pregnancy tests that Sami had taken earlier. "Will, one of them has a big plus sign on it. I think your mom's having a baby," Gabi deduced. A bit dismayed, Will noted that five kids would be a lot, and he'd thought his mom and Rafe would want some time to themselves once Sydney was out of diapers. An optimistic Gabi countered that her mom always said that a baby was a blessing.

Just then, Rafe and Sami returned home. Gabi immediately congratulated them on the new addition to the family, and hugged both of them as she explained that she and Will had accidentally found the pregnancy test in the trash. Will tried to seem happy. Rafe reluctantly informed Will and Gabi that the test had been a false positive. Gabi expressed her regrets, but Sami cheerfully shrugged it off.

After Gabi and Will left for the movies, Rafe asked Sami if she planned to tell Will what was going on. She replied that she didn't want to worry her son, especially if it turned out to be nothing. Rafe told Sami that he had an idea about how to get their minds off of things, so Sami obediently went to the bedroom to change clothes.

Later, Rafe and Sami returned from a carnival with a small stuffed animal for Sydney. Sami apologized for not having been in a better mood, but Rafe admitted that going to the carnival had been a bad idea on his part. Smiling sincerely, Sami reassured him, "You wanted to distract me, and you get an A for effort." She added that she didn't know what she would do without Rafe, and he assured her that he would always be there for her. "I hope I'll always be here for you," Sami replied.

Rafe lightheartedly ordered her not to talk like that. Sami warned him that she was not a good patient, but Rafe joked that he was already used to her driving him crazy. Rafe vowed that if Sami were sick, he would do whatever it took to make her well. Sami thought taking care of her and the kids while working full time would be too much work for him. Rafe declared, "I will not forget what I promised you on our wedding day: better, worse, sickness, health -- our love will get us through." Sami kissed him gratefully.

As Will and Gabi arrived at the Brady Pub, he apologized because the movie had sold out. Gabi confessed that she preferred getting to spend uninterrupted time with Will. The two of them were kissing when T walked in. "So I hear you two lovebirds finally hooked up," T declared loudly. Will and Gabi were dismayed that Kinsey had blabbed their secret to T. When Sonny entered, T ranted about how everyone thought he was gay because of the picture Sonny had posted of the two of them.

Will and Gabi lit into T for being so bigoted and homophobic, but T pointed out that he and Will had hardly spoken since Will and Sonny had become friends. When Sonny walked over to greet the group, T stormed off after telling Sonny to go to hell. Sonny admitted that he didn't know what else to do about T, but Will told him not to worry about it. Sonny then informed Gabi and Will that he was transferring to Salem University.

Gabi was excited, and Will seemed happy about it, too -- although T scowled at them from across the room. "I'm thinking about launching an unofficial Salem U social website," Sonny revealed, and added that he needed a partner, because he had no computer skills. Noting that Chad was interested in the idea, Sonny asked for Will's help with the web page. Although Will had never designed a website before, Sonny had faith in him. Will agreed to think about it.

T said hello to a girl, whom he said he'd met at orientation, and asked if she wanted to go to a fraternity party with him. She turned him down, and he demanded to know if it was because she thought he was gay after seeing the picture of him and Sonny on the Internet. Scoffing, the girl replied, "I go to parties with gay guys. It's dirtbags I have a problem with." T snapped, "Bite me," and, glaring pointedly at Sonny, angrily strode out.

Outside, T watched through the window as Gabi, Will, and Sonny talked and laughed together. T complained, "Look at them -- my friends, hanging out with that bastard instead of me." Shaking with rage, he declared, "You think you won, gay boy? You're wrong."

At Sami and Rafe's apartment, Sami received a phone call from Lexie. Lexie explained that there had been a cancellation at the hospital, and she wondered if Sami would be interested in scheduling her surgery for the following day. Sami said that she would call Lexie back. After Sami discussed the situation with Rafe, she called Lexie and asked her to schedule the appointment.

Later, Sami and Rafe ordered Chinese food. As Rafe was opening the containers of food, Sami reached for a fortune cookie. Sami sighed as she read the fortune. Sami handed the fortune to Rafe, and she admitted that it wasn't making her feel very optimistic about her pending medical procedure. "'Your past deeds are coming back to haunt you?' Who has more haunting past deeds than me? No one," Sami said.

Sami wondered if Rafe believed in karma. "Have you ever lied about your child's paternity? Have you ever kidnapped your baby sister and tried to sell her to strangers? Have you ever shot your child's father in the head? I have, okay? And it's unbelievable -- you know, I sat here, actually thinking that things were gonna work out for us, and that things were gonna be okay. I should have known better," Sami said.

Sami sighed and apologized for acting crazy. Sami noted that she had been close to Sydney's age when she had lost Marlena. Sami said that she never wanted her children to experience that kind of loss. Sami added that if she died, E.J. would do everything in his power to take the kids away from Rafe. Rafe insisted that he would never let that happen.

Rafe reminded Sami that they had weathered a lot of storms together. Rafe grinned and added that good things occasionally happened to Sami, as he pointed at himself. Rafe assured Sami that everything was going to be all right. Rafe hugged Sami, and he added that Sami just needed to have faith.

At the police station, Roman refused to authorize Hope's request to work undercover. Hope noted that Roman's administration was obviously going to be authoritarian in nature. Bo dryly stated that he was starting to understand why some people believed that working with family members caused an increased level of stress. Roman smiled and ignored Bo and Hope's friendly jokes.

As Bo was opening the mail, he found a hand-written letter. Bo read the letter to Hope and Roman. "'I am your ally. I come to bring justice. Evil women must pay.' I don't think this guy's stopping anytime soon," Bo said. Roman took the letter so that he could have a forensics team look at it, and he warned Bo and Hope to stay out of trouble while he was gone.

Outside the Cheatin' Heart, Quinn asked Taylor for an update on Mandy's condition. "Whoever went after her broke several of her ribs. They were able to stop the internal bleeding, finally, but her abdomen's swollen -- it's bruised -- and now they are concerned about her reproductive organs. But that's not what you were concerned about, though, is it? You wanted to know if she was conscious, if she could talk," Taylor said.

Taylor told Quinn that Mandy had uttered his name in her sleep earlier. Taylor said that Quinn was lucky that Taylor had covered for him. Taylor tried to convince Quinn to leave Salem, but Quinn suggested that Taylor was probably just trying to make the situation seem worse than it actually was.

Taylor dragged Quinn into the Cheatin' Heart, and she asked the bartender to turn on the television. Roman was holding a press conference, and he was talking about the attacks. "Well, the target of this investigation is primarily to catch and prosecute the coward who attacked these three women. I think a happy byproduct will be the many arrests of men -- both pimps and johns -- who victimize these vulnerable women," Roman said.

Taylor told Quinn that she had personally written the last part of Roman's statement. Taylor wondered if Quinn still believed that she was exaggerating about the gravity of the situation. Meanwhile, as Roman continued to talk about the attacks, a phone number appeared on the bottom of the screen. Taylor handed her phone to Quinn, and she said that he needed to tell the police everything.

Quinn said that he didn't understand Taylor's hostility. Quinn said that he was taking care of all of Mandy's medical bills. Quinn added that he treated his girls better than most men in his position would, but Taylor wasn't impressed. Quinn said that he was done arguing with Taylor, and he asked her to return his tablet computer. Quinn said that Taylor's attempt to sabotage his business had failed, because he kept a backup copy of all of the information that was on his tablet.

Taylor informed Quinn that she didn't have his tablet. Taylor realized that the assailant had the tablet, and she said that she was shocked that Quinn had not called the police. Quinn pointed out that someone else might have grabbed the tablet. Quinn assured Taylor that he would handle the situation. Taylor warned Quinn that she would terminate their arrangement if he didn't handle the situation immediately.

At the DiMera mansion, Chloe insistently rang the doorbell. When Kate opened the door, Chloe lunged at Kate's throat. "You bitch! You absolute bitch! You set me up! Damn you!" Chloe exclaimed. Kate pointed out that attacking Stefano DiMera's wife in her own foyer was a good way for Chloe to get herself killed. Chloe said that she wouldn't mind that, as long as she could take Kate with her.

"Wow. You see, this is the problem with exposing the feeble-minded to opera prematurely -- they grow up with this overblown sense of drama," Kate joked. Chloe wasn't amused, and she said that Kate wasn't human. "Come on, Chloe -- you've been a whore since high school, you're just better paid for it now," Kate dryly stated. Chloe wondered if Kate was admitting that she had paid Quinn to blackmail Chloe into prostitution.

Kate said that it was easy to blackmail someone who was willing to jump into bed with a guy twelve minutes after meeting them for the first time. Chloe vowed that Kate was going to pay for what she had done. "Honey, I would wait on that, because paying me would be premature. I'm not done with you yet," Kate warned Chloe. Kate said that she had watched Chloe destroy Lucas and Philip's lives, and she added that she wasn't going to let Chloe do the same thing to Parker.

Chloe called Kate a hypocrite, and she pointed out that Kate wasn't exactly the greatest mother in the world. Kate said that she wasn't a hypocrite, because she had never pretended to be sweet and innocent while cuckolding one husband after another. "Kate, can I ask you something? After everything that you've done -- you know, hooking, trying to murder people -- don't you think that Philip and Lucas would have been better off with another mother? Say, like, a good person, like Maggie. No, because you know that no one could ever, ever love them the way that you do, just like no one could ever, ever love Parker the way that I do," Chloe said.

Chloe said that she was just asking Kate to give Parker what he deserved. Kate smiled and applauded Chloe's effort. "Nice try...but one last thing before I have security throw you out on your butt. Drop the custody suit, because if you don't, I'm going to bide my time until I find the most humiliating moment possible to let social services know what a really horrific mother you would be," Kate warned Chloe.

Chloe realized that Kate didn't really have any proof that she could use against Chloe. Kate promised that she would destroy Chloe, but Chloe wasn't convinced. Chloe added that Kate probably didn't even have enough proof to tell Philip what was going on. Chloe laughed, and she said that she had been looking at things from the wrong angle.

Chloe noted that Kate had done a lot of despicable things to her over the years, but she added that Kate had never actually managed to defeat Chloe. "You really kind of suck at it. I mean, I've had Lucas, I've had Philip, I had Philip's son, I've had Daniel. Oh, and you tried to murder me, and you failed at that, too. You even had to marry that disgusting old man to keep you out of prison, so, the truth is, we both have the same job -- the only difference is, you have one exclusive client. Kate, without even working at it, I've become your worst nightmare. I'm living proof of just what a loser you really are," Chloe said, as she exited the mansion.

Outside the Brady Pub, E.J. called Stefano, and he cryptically informed Stefano that the wheels were in motion for something that they had discussed earlier. After E.J. ended the call, Nicole walked up to him, and she wondered what he was up to. E.J. feigned ignorance, but Nicole could tell that he was trying to hide something. Nicole said that she was aware that Taylor had finally ended things with E.J.

"You are sad...and lonely, and bored. You're stirring things up with Stefano again. You're gonna show him who's boss, go behind his back; you will royally tick him off...so, what, that you two can get into some...British-Italian screaming match to distract you from the fact that your life sucks?" Nicole asked. E.J. said that he found it amusing that Nicole was telling him that his life sucked. Nicole challenged E.J. to name one thing about his life that made him happy.

E.J. said that he was happy that Nicole wasn't living in his house anymore. "Well, no one does but Kate and Stefano. Yeah, let that one sink in -- you live with your daddy and his ex-hooker wife," Nicole said with a laugh. E.J. warned Nicole that she might not want to taunt him. "You take potshots at me, and I may be forced to point out that you can't seem to manage to hold on to the drug-addled, not-so-smart Ken Doll with whom you rebounded," E.J. said.

"I can tell you've still got it, because you managed to twist that sentence around so that you could say 'whom.' Still makes me shiver a little," Nicole said. E.J. denied Nicole's allegations, and he said that he had worded the sentence that way because he didn't like to end his sentences with a preposition. "Ooh. Well that is something up with which you will not put," Nicole haughtily replied.

"You know, it does surprise me a little bit that, uh, for somebody who admits to being attracted to a man who does speak grammatically...you insist on pursuing somebody who can barely string a sentence together," E.J. said. Nicole assured E.J. that Brady had other attributes, and she added that there was something else that had not changed -- E.J. was still jealous of Brady. E.J. said that there was something that he had always liked about Nicole.

"My flaky pie crust?" Nicole quipped. E.J. said that Nicole had an incredible ability to distort reality, and he claimed that it was absurd that Nicole would ever believe that E.J. was jealous of Brady. Before Nicole could respond, Bo and Hope approached them, and they proceeded to taunt E.J. about his recent crimes. E.J. started to leave, but Bo stopped him, and he explained that someone had been attacking prostitutes. Bo said that when he tried to think about who might be sick enough to do something like that, his first instinct was to talk to E.J.

E.J. wondered if Bo and Hope were accusing him of being the assailant. Bo pointed out that he had not actually accused E.J. of anything. Hope added that the crimes had taken place around the pier, and she noted that the DiMera family owned most of that property. Hope asked E.J. to grant them permission to view the security camera footage. Bo guessed that E.J. would refuse to do so, because the footage probably contained evidence about the illegal activities that the DiMeras were involved in -- like the family drug business.

Nicole matter-of-factly stated that E.J. had sold that business. E.J. glared at Nicole, and he sarcastically thanked her for her help. Bo laughed, and he noted that drugs and prostitution typically went hand-in-hand. Hope added that it was like crime lords and porn stars, as she looked at E.J. and Nicole. Bo asked E.J. to tell them who he had sold the drug business to. Bo said that it would be the perfect chance for E.J. to prove that he was an upstanding citizen.

Nicole laughed, and she wondered if Bo and Hope really believed that E.J. was going to answer that question. E.J. interrupted Nicole, and he told Bo and Hope that he would get them the surveillance footage that they had requested as soon as possible. E.J. added that he couldn't tell Bo who was dealing drugs in Salem, because he didn't know.

After Bo and Hope left, Nicole told E.J. that she had just been trying to help. Nicole said that Bo and Hope drove her crazy, and she admitted that she didn't understand why Taylor had agreed to work with them. E.J. was shocked that Taylor was working at the police station. Nicole said that she would let E.J. get back to dealing with his sad, boring life. E.J. sincerely asked Nicole to take care of herself, and Nicole noted that E.J. really did care. E.J. grinned slyly, and he said that Nicole was one of his favorite ex-wives, and he added that she always would be.

Back at the police station, Roman showed Taylor a copy of the letter that they had received from the attacker. Later, Roman told Taylor that the FBI had granted them access to their database. Roman asked Taylor to search the database for any similarities to the letter that they had received.

Meanwhile, Nicole entered the station, and she wondered why Taylor was really working at the police station. Roman asked if there was anything that he could help Nicole with. Nicole said that she was just having a friendly chat with her sister. After Roman walked away, Nicole leaned over and whispered in Taylor's ear. Nicole said that she could tell that Taylor was up to something, and she pointed out that the last time that she had felt that way about her sister, Taylor had stolen Nicole's husband. Nicole said that she was going to make it her business to find out what Taylor was hiding.

Back at the Cheatin' Heart, Chloe told Quinn that she was done working for him. Quinn pointed out that Chloe needed the money, and he promised that Kate didn't have anything that she could use against Chloe. Chloe insisted that it was just a matter of time before that changed. Chloe said that she was an idiot for thinking that Quinn actually cared about her regaining custody of Parker.

Before Quinn could respond, he received a text message. The text message contained a picture of the letter that the assailant had sent to the police station. Quinn showed the message to Chloe, and he said that Chloe couldn't quit, because he was the only person who could protect her. Quinn explained that his tablet had been stolen, and he told Chloe that her picture was on the hard drive.

Before Chloe could respond, the bartender walked over and handed a package to Quinn. The bartender explained that some kid had dropped off the package. When Quinn opened the box, he found his tablet inside...with R.I.P. scratched into the back side of it.

Back at the DiMera mansion, Kate rummaged through some pieces of mail. Later, E.J. entered the living room, and Kate showed him a letter that she had found earlier. "This is the kiss of death to a transaction that I've been working on for months, and you put a stop to it, and you're going to tell me why," Kate said. E.J. inspected the letter, and he claimed that he had not even known about the deal.

E.J. said that the corporate division had killed the deal, but Kate wasn't convinced. Kate said that Stefano was the one who made those decisions, and she insisted that he had approved the deal. "Really? Did he? Well, why don't you have Father call corporate then, hmm? That way they can overturn the deal. You know how much he loves throwing money away. Unless, of course, he didn't actually know about this deal, and you were trying to have your way with his company while he's gone. I certainly hope that's not the case, because he wouldn't be very happy about that, but...I'm sure you know that already," E.J. said.

At the pier, Bo and Hope started to formulate a plan. Meanwhile, someone lurked nearby, clutching a club in their gloved hand.

E.J. was working in the living room of the DiMera mansion when a grumpy Kate arrived downstairs for coffee. "Incompetent bastards," she muttered, and then explained that she'd just spent an hour on the phone with DiMera corporate, and there was still a hold on her transaction. E.J. asked if Kate had taken his advice and talked to Stefano, but she said that she didn't want to waste her husband's time. E.J. wanted to know why Kate had lied to him. Kate resentfully insisted that she hadn't, but E.J. informed her that he knew she was trying to restart Countess Wilhelmina Cosmetics.

A furious Kate demanded to know how E.J. had found out about that, when the only other people who knew had signed confidentiality agreements. E.J. declared darkly that he knew about it because he had more power than she could possibly imagine. Kate burst into peals of incredulous laughter, and pointed out that it was ridiculous to believe he had power over anyone else when he didn't even have power over himself. She recounted all the things he'd vacillated about -- custody of his children, what woman he wanted to be with, even whether he was good or bad. Kate asked if E.J. expected her to be afraid of him.

"You should be scared, because from today, I'm claiming my birthright, surrendering to my fate proudly. I am a DiMera -- through and through," E.J. warned. He acknowledged that his clouded judgment had caused him to make some bad decisions, but he would not let that happen again. E.J. continued, "I have already spoken with Father, and he has given me his full support... I am in charge now of all things DiMera, business and personal." He explained that Stefano was stepping back because of his health issues, so E.J. was calling all the shots. "You really are a cold, ruthless bastard," Kate declared. Then she caressed E.J.'s cheek, and said, "Welcome back, my love. Your father would be so proud."

As Sami packed a bag for the hospital, Rafe teased her about all the scrapbooking materials she was taking. Rafe had just dropped off the kids with Sami's grandmother, who had a whole day of fun planned for the little ones. Sami couldn't believe she'd forgotten that Will was with friends, but Rafe pointed out that she'd had a lot on her mind. Sami was grateful to Rafe for being there for her, but admitted that she was having a hard time not worrying about the kids if something were to happen to her. Rafe encouraged her to just take things one step at a time.

When Sami and Rafe arrived at the hospital, Lexie escorted them into a private room so Sami could change into a hospital gown. Lexie wanted to know if Sami were sure about not telling her family about the surgery, but Sami didn't want to worry anyone until she knew what she was dealing with. Lexie then cautioned Sami that although complications were rare, there were always risks involved with general anesthesia. Lexie promised to do everything she could to expedite the pathology results -- but urged Sami to focus on how lucky she was.

After Lexie left the room, Sami vowed to try to stay positive. She and Rafe agreed that if they got bad news, they would beat it together. Sami then asked Rafe to keep her wedding ring safe while she was in surgery. When Rafe left so that Sami could change into her hospital gown, she fought back tears.

Roman arrived at the hospital to talk to Mandy. Lexie was worried because Mandy was still a bit frail, but Roman pointed out that whoever had attacked Mandy could hurt someone else. Lexie cautioned him not to stay too long. Roman then went into Mandy's room and introduced himself, but she refused to talk to him because he was a cop. Roman acknowledged how frightened Mandy surely was, but promised that he wasn't trying to get her to incriminate herself.

Mandy wanted to know why she should trust Roman. Roman noted that Mandy's life hadn't been easy, and she was furious to learn that he had looked into her background and contacted her family. Roman stated that he couldn't find the "lowlife" who had sent Mandy to the hospital without her help. "Will you please help us stop the guy who did this?" he implored.

When Bo awakened Hope with breakfast in bed, she asked what she'd done to deserve such a wonderful husband. Joining her in bed, Bo declared that she was the woman he loved, and he planned on reminding her of that for the rest of her life. They began to kiss, which led to lovemaking. Afterwards, Hope lovingly proclaimed that every day was perfect as long as she was with Bo. As they lay in bed, they relished their first day off together without Ciara in a long time. After making love again, Bo and Hope finally ate their breakfast. Hope was glad that Bo was such a good cook, since she definitely was not.

Text messages from Roman asking them to meet him at the hospital interrupted Bo and Hope's bliss. But they were both grateful for the time they'd had together, and hopeful that there was a break in the case.

Bo and Hope were still beaming when they arrived at the hospital. Roman informed them that Mandy seemed almost ready to talk, but he thought she might feel more comfortable talking to another woman. Hope was more than happy to give it a try, and headed into Mandy's room. Roman apologized if he'd interrupted Hope and Bo's time off, but Bo acknowledged the importance of the investigation. Roman asked how things were between Bo and Hope, and Bo couldn't hide his happiness. He admitted he'd forgotten what it was like to work side-by-side with Hope. Roman declared that Bo and Hope were the greatest pair of detectives the department had ever had -- and probably ever would have.

In Mandy's room, Hope recognized how hard it could be to talk to police, but she hated to see Mandy suffering. Mandy blamed herself for what had happened, but Hope firmly declared that it was in no way Mandy's fault. Hope added gently, "I understand what it's like to feel desperate, to feel like you have no other choice. Whatever you need to do to take care of yourself, that's what you do. I know; I've been there."

Mandy realized that Hope really meant what she'd said. Hope vowed to make sure no one ever hurt Mandy again, but Mandy was worried that the man would attack her again if he found out she had talked. Hope asserted that no one deserved to be hurt the way that Mandy had been, and urged Mandy to tell what she knew before the man could harm anyone else.

Roman arrived at the nurses' station just in time to overhear Rafe and Lexie discussing Sami's surgery. He demanded to know what was going on.

Lexie went into Sami's room to caution her about what had just happened. Roman entered after that, and the first thing he did was to hug his daughter and kiss her on the head. Rafe maintained that he'd had no choice but to fill Roman in. Sami didn't mind that her dad knew, but explained that she hadn't told anyone else because she didn't want them to worry until there was something to worry about.

Roman encouraged Sami to just focus on herself for the moment. When Roman got a text message from Bo, Sami urged him to go back to work, because she knew the case they were working on was important. She thanked her dad for being there, and Rafe promised to let Roman know as soon as Sami was out of surgery. Roman hugged his daughter again, and assured her that he loved her very much.

After Roman left, Sami and Rafe played gin rummy while they waited for someone to take her to the operating room. Rafe was annoyed that the nurse was so late, but Sami was glad that the two of them got to spend some extra time together. Lexie entered then and informed Sami that the nurse would be right in. "Better you than me," a grinning Rafe declared as Lexie left again. Laughing, Sami deemed her husband a baby, and then motioned for him to kiss her. He happily obliged.

Nicole approached Taylor at the Brady Pub, and revealed that she had been up very late the night before doing research on the Internet about Taylor. Ignoring her sister, Taylor returned to her paperwork, but Nicole got her attention by declaring, "I know everything, Taylor. I know all about your sordid past." Taylor professed that there was nothing to find. Nicole then produced a mug shot of Taylor. Taylor feigned nonchalance, but Nicole wondered what Commissioner Brady would think when he found out that his new employee was a criminal.

Taylor countered that if Nicole had done just a little more digging, she would have found out that Taylor had been arrested for protesting at a human-rights demonstration when she was in graduate school. Still convinced that Taylor was hiding something, Nicole was determined to uncover it. Taylor demanded to know why Nicole was so driven to dig up dirt on Taylor. "Why were you so driven to steal E.J.?" Nicole retorted. Although incredulous that Nicole would let a man get between them, Taylor expressed her remorse for taking E.J. away -- though she would not apologize for falling in love with E.J.

Taylor urged Nicole to let it go, since neither of them was even with E.J. anymore. Nicole reiterated her resolve to find out Taylor's secrets. Bo called Taylor just then, and asked her to take the flash drive containing Mandy's file to him at the hospital right away. Nicole couldn't believe that Taylor would leave in the middle of a conversation. "Nicole, for the last time, would you stop wasting your time, trying to find something on me that doesn't exist?" Taylor implored her sister, and then left. "Stop looking? Not a chance, sis," Nicole muttered to herself.

When Taylor arrived at the hospital, Bo and Roman informed her that Hope was questioning Mandy. Taylor tried to hide her panic when she learned that Mandy was awake. Hope returned from Mandy's room, and with a triumphant grin, informed the group, "Mandy's ready to talk. She's willing to tell us everything."