In the living room at the Kiriakis mansion, Brady and Nicole were kissing on the couch when a loud crash startled them. Brady went to investigate, returning a short time later to report that a window had been blown open in an adjacent room. Brady assured Nicole that they had the place to themselves, but she wasn't convinced.
Nicole reasoned that the "good friend gods" had intervened to give her and Brady a chance to think about the situation before making a big mistake. Brady kissed Nicole's neck and wondered if she really believed her theory about the noise. "Maybe it was the -- maybe it was the 'good friends with benefits gods,'" Nicole conceded as she started to kiss Brady again.
A short time later, Brady and Nicole were having sex in his bedroom. Afterward, Nicole and Brady each claimed that the sexual encounter had not been some sort of rebound thing. Brady added that his only regret was that the moment had ended. "Says who?" Nicole asked with a mischievous grin.
At Common Grounds, Abigail assured Chad that she would understand if he needed to cancel their trip to the amusement park later that night. Confused, Chad wondered what Abigail was talking about, so she told him about Sami's arrest. Chad decided that it would be best for him to remain in Salem that day.
At the hospital, Marlena thanked Jennifer for remaining objective instead of throwing Sami under the bus during the hospital's earlier press conference about the shooting. Jennifer hoped that Sami's predicament would get resolved quickly. Marlena agreed, but Jennifer could tell that Marlena wasn't convinced that a swift resolution to the situation would be possible. Marlena vaguely explained that the situation was complicated.
Jennifer urged Marlena to take care of herself. Marlena said that she would be fine, optimistically adding that Brady had regained his senses and left her with one less thing to worry about. Jennifer seemed confused, so Marlena clarified that Brady had finally left Kristen. Jennifer was surprised to learn that Brady and Kristen's wedding had not just been temporarily postponed.
At the DiMera mansion, Kristen eyed the small black box that her mysterious guest, Dr. Chyka, was holding, wondering if it contained the item that she had requested. "You seem surprised. They say good things come in small packages. Well, sometimes bad things do, too," Chyka replied. Kristen reached out to touch the box, but she pulled her hand away before making contact with it.
Sensing uncertainty, Chyka offered to leave, but Kristen clarified that she was simply being cautious, since she knew that she was about to take a big step and that there would be no going back once she committed to proceeding with her plan. Chyka stressed that Kristen needed to be certain about what she truly wanted. "That's funny, because what I want, I can't have. It's actually about what I need," Kristen replied.
When Chyka opened the box, Kristen peered inside and noted with interest that there were two items in the container. Chyka explained that both items would be needed in order to achieve the best results, since they worked in tandem with each other. Chyka guaranteed that the items would work, assuring Kristen that he had seen the results with his own eyes. Chyka also promised that the items were completely untraceable.
Kristen started to reach inside the box, but Chyka stopped her and warned that she needed to be very careful, since they were dealing with a very delicate and exact formula. Meanwhile, someone rang the doorbell, and Kristen quickly ushered Chyka into an adjacent room so that they wouldn't be seen together. When Kristen opened the front door, she found Jennifer standing outside.
Jennifer apologized for being a horrible friend recently, but Kristen insisted that she was the one who needed to apologize, since she had neglected to respond to Jennifer's text and voicemail messages. Jennifer wondered what had happened, prompting Kristen to ask if Jennifer wanted to hear the truth or Marlena's version of the story. Jennifer told Kristen to start with the truth.
"I don't get to have a man like Brady -- that's the truth. I don't get to have that life. Apparently, I'm not built for it, Jen. I don't think I ever was, really. And that's the one true thing that Marlena would agree with," Kristen said. Jennifer insisted that Kristen deserved happiness just as much as everyone else did. Kristen conceded that she might eventually get some version of happiness -- it just wouldn't involve being a wife and a mother.
Kristen guessed that Marlena was still gloating about the fact that she had ruined Kristen's life. Jennifer reported that she had just talked to Marlena, who was solely focused on Sami's predicament. Kristen was sure that Sami's ordeal would soon be resolved one way or another, at which point Marlena would go back to trashing Kristen again.
Jennifer refused to believe that Marlena would be that vindictive, but Kristen said that was exactly how Marlena would behave -- if she were given the opportunity to do so. Concerned, Jennifer advised Kristen to stop obsessing about Marlena. Kristen feigned shock and wondered if it really sounded like she was obsessed. Kristen innocently claimed that Jennifer was the first person whom she had even discussed the situation with.
Completely convinced, Jennifer quickly regretted her earlier assessment of the situation. Jennifer admitted that she was surprised that Kristen wasn't lying in a heap on the floor, crying about the end of her relationship with Brady. "I was in a heap on the floor. I was crying. I was. Believe me, I've been there. I've done that. I've burned the tee shirt, the whole thing. I'm not okay. But I will be," Kristen replied.
Kristen returned Jennifer's borrowed blue necklace, and Jennifer confidently predicted that Kristen would eventually find the right way to move forward. After Jennifer left, Chyka emerged from his hiding place and asked if Kristen was ready to proceed.
At the Horton Town Square, E.J. and Justin discussed Sami's case, which had given them a legitimate reason to be seen together in public without arousing suspicions. Justin advised E.J. to find a way to get the case dismissed quickly, since evidence was already disappearing, and the trial hadn't even started yet. E.J. asked Justin to represent Sami. Reluctant to take the case, Justin agreed to give the request some consideration, promising to reach a decision before the day ended.
In a holding cell at the police station, someone grabbed Sami from behind and wrapped a gloved hand around her nose and mouth. Sami soon passed out, collapsing on the floor as her assailant walked away. Later, an officer took Sami into one of the police station's conference rooms, where E.J. and Abe were discussing the investigation. Sami fearfully informed Abe and E.J. that someone had tried to kill her.
Sami theorized that her attacker had to have been a guard, a police officer, or someone else who had access to the holding cell. Abe promised to investigate the incident. E.J. asked to talk to Sami privately, pointedly instructing Abe to turn off the room's secret listening device that no one was supposed to know about. After Abe left, E.J. told Sami that she would soon be arraigned and that he was working on obtaining a lawyer for her.
Correctly guessing that no one wanted to take the case, Sami quietly wished that she could simply tell everyone that Bernardi had been a dirty cop who had been working for Stefano. E.J. whispered that Sami couldn't be the person who provided the police with that particular piece of information, since Stefano was still in possession of the evidence against Will. Sami insisted that there had to be another way to prove that she was telling the truth.
Abe reentered the room and announced that the video cameras in the holding cells had been disabled earlier. Incredulous, E.J. instructed Abe to document the mishap, since it supported Sami's version of events. Abe protested that the disabled video cameras only implied that an attack had occurred.
Undeterred, E.J. demanded to have the video cameras locked in a secure facility right away, but Abe, who was only a consultant, was unable to grant the request. E.J. excused himself so that he could personally handle the situation, instructing Sami to contact him if anyone tried to place her back in a cell. After E.J. left, Abe told Sami that he didn't believe that her predicament was the result of an inside job.
"Here's the big problem -- the knife that Bernardi had was missing from the beginning, before anybody knew who the victim was. You -- you didn't even know who the victim was, so how could the officers on the scene have known? I mean, Bernardi was out of his room and in surgery before any of the uniforms arrived. All anybody had heard was that Rafe had been attacked. You know, if anything, the officers on the scene would have bent over backwards to help you prove it was a righteous shoot," Abe reasoned.
Sami struggled to understand why someone would want to frame her, but Abe was more interested in finding out why Bernardi would want to kill Rafe. Sami pointedly urged Abe to investigate Bernardi, insisting that there had to be some sort of clue in the cop's background. Abe agreed to look into Sami's theory, but he warned that it wouldn't be wise for her entire case to hinge on destroying the victim's reputation.
At the Horton Town Square, Chad approached E.J., who was yelling at a departing lawyer who had just refused to take Sami's case. Chad said that he would have been there for E.J. earlier if E.J. had bothered to call him to let him know about Sami's ordeal. Frustrated, E.J. sarcastically agreed that Chad's support would have solved everything.
E.J. quickly apologized for his dismissive comment and hugged Chad, who wanted to know how he could help E.J. E.J. jokingly asked if Chad had graduated from law school and passed the bar examination in the previous twenty-four hours. Chad wondered why E.J. couldn't just represent Sami himself. "Because I'm too close...and I have the wrong last name," E.J. replied.
In Will's hospital room, Sonny told Adrienne that some tests were being performed on Will in another section of the hospital. Adrienne was pleased to learn that Will was going to be gone for a while, since she wanted to discuss something with Sonny privately. Eager to share his own news with Adrienne, Sonny interrupted and happily announced that Gabi and Arianna were going to be living with him and Will.
Sonny could tell that Adrienne didn't approve of the idea, so he assured her that it was what he and Will both wanted. Adrienne sighed heavily and reminded Sonny that he had talked to her and Justin less than a year earlier about his plans to travel and go on various adventures. "I'm having different adventures now," Sonny said with a shrug. Adrienne started to respond before reluctantly censoring herself.
Sonny urged Adrienne to go ahead and say whatever it was that she was obviously dying to say. "You're getting sucked in to someone else's life! A very difficult and complicated life with baggage that you don't need. And for what? For -- for a person you've only known for a few months. Sonny, now, before it gets any messier -- this is the time. Walk away. Just end it with Will," Adrienne blurted out.
Incredulous, Sonny wondered why he would ever walk away from Will, whom he loved. Adrienne reasoned that Sonny needed to walk away in order to get his life back, but he countered that Will was a part of his life. Sonny reminded Adrienne that she had recently stood in Will's hospital room and assured Sonny that she was going to support his relationship with Will.
Adrienne said that she had changed her mind after Sami's latest stunt the previous night. Adrienne added that Sonny had almost died on Smith Island, but he insisted that what had happened on the island wasn't Will's fault. "No, it's never his fault, just like it's never Sami's fault! But she's always in trouble, and she's always dragging everyone down with her, and now, that includes you," Adrienne countered.
Sonny said that Adrienne was being unfair, reminding her that Will and Sami had saved Nick and Rafe's lives, respectively. Adrienne clarified that she wasn't blaming Sami and Will for what they had done, adding that she was simply pointing out that chaos and danger surrounded them. Sonny insisted that he could protect himself, prompting Adrienne to wonder if he really wanted to be forced to deal with Sami's drama for the rest of his life.
Outside, Marlena approached the entrance to Will's room as Sonny reminded Adrienne that Will was not Sami. "If you ask me, he is every bit as bad as his mother," Adrienne replied. Marlena cleared her throat and entered the room, greeting Adrienne before asking Sonny if Will was still in the radiology department. Sonny nodded and explained that a nurse had informed him earlier that a glitch in one of the machines had delayed the tests.
For Adrienne's benefit, Sonny pointedly added that he would be taking Will home as soon as the tests were completed. Marlena remembered that a nurse had asked her for Will's insurance card earlier, and Sonny excused himself so that he could take the card to the nurse. After Sonny left, Marlena turned to face Adrienne. "Will is as bad as his mother? Where the hell do you get off attacking my family?" Marlena demanded to know.
Adrienne claimed that she was simply looking out for Sonny. Adrienne guessed that Marlena had done the same thing when Sami had decided to marry E.J., but Marlena pointed out that Sami and E.J.'s relationship wasn't relevant. Conceding the point, Adrienne matter-of-factly stated that Will simply wasn't good enough for Sonny. Marlena insisted that Sonny was lucky to have Will, who was the best thing that had ever happened to Sonny.
"You think Sonny's lucky? Do you know what I walked in on today? Sonny has rented a new and bigger apartment for the girl that Will got pregnant and the baby that he lied about fathering, so they could all live together. No, your grandson is on the gravy train," Adrienne replied. Marlena snapped that Will was perfectly capable of paying his own way, but Adrienne claimed that she didn't care about the money.
"Then what is your objection? That your son has the incredible joy of raising a beautiful baby with a man that he loves?" Marlena wondered. Adrienne insisted that Will, Sonny, and Gabi were all too young to raise a child, adding that, while Will didn't have a choice in the matter, Sonny could still get out of the situation.
Marlena summarized that Adrienne wanted to teach Sonny that it was okay to abandon someone whom he loved as soon as things got challenging. Adrienne countered that she would prefer to describe the situation as a train wreck. Marlena pointed out that, while she understood that Adrienne was the kind of person who wanted everything to be simple and tidy, that wasn't how life really worked.
"I don't need everything perfect and tidy, okay? But I don't want to bail my son out of jail every week, either. And I don't want to watch him get his heart broken because Will learned his relationship skills from Sami -- or from you, for that matter. Yes, I know. The whole town knows about John. But that's your family, too, Marlena, so you know what? That's you, too," Adrienne said before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
In the waiting area, Sonny ran into Abigail, who guessed that Will was freaked out about what had happened to Sami. Sonny said that Will would feel better once Sami obtained a lawyer. Abigail reported that Sami had already acquired the best lawyer in town -- Justin, who happened to enter the waiting area as Abigail was making her statement.
Pleasantly surprised, Sonny waited for Justin to verify the news, but Justin denied that Sami was his client and wondered why Sonny had reached that conclusion. Abigail apologized, explaining that she had seen E.J. and Justin in the town square earlier and assumed that they had been discussing Sami's case. Justin confirmed that he had been asked to represent Sami. Justin started to say something else, but Sonny interrupted him.
"No, Dad, you have to do it, please. It's Will's mom. She needs your help," Sonny insisted, but Justin protested that the situation wasn't that simple. Abigail excused herself so that Justin and Sonny could have some privacy. After Abigail left, Sonny wondered why Justin was reluctant to take Sami's case. Justin explained that Will was practically family, but Sonny was confident that Justin would still be able to remain objective.
Sonny begged Justin to help Sami, insisting that she was innocent. "Wh -- what? No. No, Justin -- no way are you taking Sami's case," Adrienne firmly stated as she approached Justin and Sonny. Justin quickly ushered Sonny and Adrienne into Will's room before they could make a scene. Adrienne begged Justin to stay far away from Sami's case, arguing that they already had more than enough involvement with Will's family.
Sonny countered that no one wanted to take Sami's case, despite the fact that she was innocent, because of the DiMera family name, and he pointed out that Justin knew exactly what that was like. Justin noted that the case would require a significant amount of time from the lawyer who agreed to handle it. Sonny said that was why he and Will needed someone whom they could trust.
"This is [Will's] mother, so no matter what you say, we're sticking by her," Sonny told Adrienne before once again begging Justin to help Sami. Without responding, Justin retrieved his cell phone and placed a call to E.J. "Tell Sami she has a lawyer," Justin told E.J., who was extremely grateful. Sonny smiled and hugged Justin. Meanwhile, Adrienne shook her head and silently walked away, clearly disappointed.
At Common Grounds, Chad told Abigail about his earlier conversation with E.J. Abigail couldn't believe that Sami had killed someone in cold blood. Chad explained that Sami had simply been protecting Rafe, but Abigail countered that Bernardi had been a decorated cop. Chad found that hard to believe, so Abigail handed him her tablet computer so that he could read Bernardi's obituary, which also included an image of the cop.
Chad immediately recognized Bernardi as the man whom Sami had chased through the town square in the video that Chad had been storing on his cell phone.
At the nurses' station at the hospital, Daniel and Hope talked about Rafe's condition. Daniel explained that he did not want to awaken Rafe out of his coma because there was too much stress with recent events.
At the police station, E.J. informed Sami, Marlena, and Abe in the conference room that he had hired Justin as Sami's lawyer. Abe left to take a phone call, and E.J. asked Sami if she had seen a doctor. Alarmed, Marlena asked what was wrong. E.J. explained that someone had attacked Sami in her jail cell. E.J. swore that he would not let anyone hurt Sami. Roman entered the office and escorted Sami out of the office so Sami could make a formal statement in Hope's office.
As E.J. rose to leave, Marlena ordered him to stay. Marlena said that Stefano was to blame for Sami's circumstances. As E.J. stared stone-faced at Marlena, she noted that Stefano had learned about Rafe's affair with Kate. "I think we both know what happened here," Marlena added.
"Yes, probably," E.J. agreed. Angry, Marlena said that Sami had been reunited with E.J. for two months and was already hurting because of Stefano. "Make this go away," Marlena growled. E.J. promised to save Sami.
In Hope's office, Sami explained to Roman the details of her assault in the jail cell. Hope entered the room and listened. Hope informed Roman and Sami that she had not found a knife at the hospital. Sami reiterated that Bernardi had held a knife in Rafe's room. Sami worried that she would be attacked again, but Roman promised to protect her.
Abe, Hope, and Roman discussed the next steps of the investigation. Roman ordered Abe to investigate the staff at the hospital. When Roman noted that he would question the staff, Abe explained that Roman was on temporary leave and would not be able to continue with the investigation. Abe explained that the mayor's office was in a tight spot and needed to make sure Roman's judgment was not called into question.
Hope escorted Sami to the conference room and left Abe and Roman alone to talk. Abe apologized to Roman. Roman said he was fine, but he wanted to know who was taking over as police commissioner. With a shrug, Abe said he was the acting police commissioner. Roman said he was relieved that Abe was taking the job because it meant that Sami would not be railroaded for Bernardi's murder.
In the police department conference room, Hope informed Marlena that Roman had been placed on temporary leave. Hope asked Sami to explain what had happened again because the facts of her story had changed with each telling. Sami insisted that she had not lied. Hope explained that Sami's description of the weapon had varied between a knife and a blade. Marlena offered to hypnotize Sami.
After Marlena put Sami under, Marlena told Sami to visualize a doorway and walk through it into the hospital. Marlena asked Sami what she had seen when she walked through the door. In a monotone voice, Sami said that she had been in the bathroom of Rafe's room in order to get a cool washcloth for his forehead. Sami then added that she had looked in her purse for an aspirin and had pulled out the gun. As Sami's head jerked to the side, Marlena asked what had happened. Sami explained that she had heard a noise. Marlena asked Sami to turn around and describe the scene.
Sami said that she had seen the shape of a man standing at Rafe's bedside, raising an arm. Marlena asked Sami to focus on the man's hand. Sami visualized the moment and realized that the man had not had a knife in his hand. Marlena and Hope exchanged surprised looks. Roman quietly entered the room as Marlena asked Sami if the man's hand was empty. Sami said that the man had held a razor in his hand.
In the coffeehouse, Chad looked at his video of Sami fighting with Bernardi and compared the video to the photo of Bernardi in the local paper. As Chad stared in wonder, Abigail walked in and looked at the video and picture. Abigail noted that the man in the video fighting with Sami was the man that Sami had shot. Chad explained that he had seen Sami fighting and recorded it because he had thought it was funny.
Chad sat Abigail in the corner and whispered to her that there had to be an explanation for the fight on the video. Abigail argued that they needed to take the video to the police. When Chad countered that he did not want to implicate E.J.'s fiancée, Abigail asked Chad if he preferred to suppress evidence. Chad noted they did not know whether the video was evidence.
Chad asked Abigail not to tell anyone about the video until he had spoken to E.J. Abigail agreed but asked Chad not to sit on the video. Abigail wondered aloud if Sami had planned to kill Bernardi. Chad shook his head, and they left to find E.J.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady and Nicole had sex, but they were interrupted when Eric called Brady. Brady reluctantly answered the phone. Eric said he was outside the mansion, and no one was answering the door. Brady asked Eric to return later, but Eric insisted that he needed to speak with Brady immediately. Brady agreed and hung up the phone. Brady hurriedly dressed as a nervous Nicole worried that Eric would learn that she was at the house.
Brady promised not to tell Eric that Brady had slept with Nicole. Smiling, Brady kissed Nicole and thanked her. Nicole thanked Brady, and he ran downstairs. As Nicole put on her shoes, she wondered aloud where she had left her purse. Panicked, Nicole realized that she had left her purse and her phone downstairs.
Downstairs, Brady greeted Eric at the front door. When Eric asked what Brady had been doing, Brady said he had been napping when Eric called. Eric walked into the living room and asked Brady to help him with the permits for the school. Eric's back was to the foyer as he chatted with Brady in the living room. Nicole crept down the stairs and hid in the foyer. As Nicole peeked her head around the corner into the living room, a panicked Brady cried out, "No, no, no!" Brady covered his outburst by noting that he did not want the permits to be denied.
As Eric continued to talk about the permits, Nicole crept into the room behind Eric. Eric asked Brady if he wanted to talk, and Brady looked pointedly over Eric's shoulder at Nicole and said, "Don't! Don't worry about me." Nicole backed out of the room then hovered in the doorway. Eric noted that Brady would move on from Kristen, and Brady nervously looked over at Nicole.
Eric started to turn toward Nicole, and Brady stopped him by pulling Eric into a hug. Brady apologized to Eric for alienating him. Nicole retreated into the foyer. Eric turned to leave and spotted Nicole's purse on the chair. When Eric noted that the purse was Nicole's, Brady explained that Nicole had visited earlier and left it behind. Brady asked Eric to return the purse to Nicole.
Suspicious, Eric asked Brady what was wrong. Brady shrugged then raced out of the room when the doorbell rang. As Brady opened the door, Nicole smiled at him on the front porch. Brady yelled hello at Nicole loudly so that Eric could hear him from the living room. Nicole walked in to the living room, Eric handed her the purse, and he asked her to follow him to the rectory to talk about plans for while he was out of town.
After Eric and Nicole left, Brady sat on the couch and found one of Nicole's bracelets. Brady thought about when he had made out with Nicole earlier and smiled. As Brady walked into the foyer, Daniel walked in the front door. Grinning, Daniel asked Brady why he was smiling. Brady shrugged. Daniel asked Brady what had happened with Kristen.
"She's a user. She's a liar. No more. She will never hurt me or my family again," Brady said. Brady recounted what had happened with Kristen. "It doesn't sound like Kristen's giving up on you," Daniel said. Brady noted that he did not understand how Kristen's mind worked.
Nicole and Eric reviewed files in the rectory. Once Eric had explained outstanding issues, he apologized to Nicole for what he had said about Sami. Nicole said the fight had been partially her fault and she was fine. Eric asked Nicole to keep an eye on Brady. Smiling, Eric added that Nicole's visit with Brady had greatly improved Brady's mood. "Whatever you did, keep doing it," Eric said cheerily.
In the DiMera living room, Kristen stared at the newspaper. Dr. Chyka asked Kristen if she was ready to proceed. Unsure, Kristen stared at the black box he was holding in his hand. Kristen said she was ready. "I give you the answer to your problems," Dr. Chyka said as he opened the box to reveal a vial of blue liquid and a vial of clear liquid.
Dr. Chyka explained that one vial caused the symptoms that he had discussed with Kristen and that the second vial "finishes the job." Dr. Chyka assured Kristen that the vials of liquid were untraceable. Kristen stared at the vials and said, "This might be the cure that I'm looking for." Kristen paid Dr. Chyka and noted that her intended victim deserved justice. Once the doctor was gone, Kristen grumbled, "Get ready, Marlena."
As Kristen locked up the black box in a drawer, E.J. returned home and demanded to know where to find Stefano. When Kristen explained that Stefano had packed a suitcase and left, E.J. groaned. Kristen noted that Stefano had had a clear motive to hurt Rafe and that he had likely left town to avoid the police. E.J. swore to make Stefano pay.
"No, he's not," Kristen chuckled. E.J. remarked that Stefano might not go to prison but that Stefano would pay. Kristen commented that Sami had made her own mess, but E.J. blamed Stefano. Kristen countered that if Sami had not been in the room, Rafe would have been killed and E.J. would have a mourning Sami all to himself. E.J. stressed that Rafe was not a threat to him. Smirking, Kristen asked E.J. why Sami had been visiting Rafe.
When Kristen said that she was concerned about E.J. and Sami, E.J. noted that Sami had done a good thing when she protected Rafe. Kristen admitted that she was pleased that Marlena was suffering. Frustrated, E.J. asked Kristen to leave all the members of Sami's family alone. E.J. noted that Marlena had lost John, and that should be enough. Kristen shrugged. E.J. kissed his sister goodbye and left.
"Are you kidding me? Marlena's suffering is just beginning," Kristen said to herself. As Kristen sat on the couch, her phone beeped. Kristen read aloud a text message from Stefano forbidding her from physically hurting Marlena. Kristen cackled.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt your precious Marlena. At least not physically," Kristen said as she retrieved the vials of liquid from the drawer. "In the end, I couldn't destroy John's son. But I have absolutely no qualms about Marlena's," Kristen said as she stared at a photo of Eric in the newspaper.
In the park, Chad and Abigail waited to meet with E.J. Chad told Abigail that he trusted her more than anyone else. When E.J. arrived in the park, Chad handed his phone to his brother. When E.J. reviewed the video, he asked who had recorded the video and who had seen it. Chad explained that only he and Abigail had seen the video.
Chad said that he had watched E.J.'s reaction to the video, and it was clear that E.J. knew about Sami's fight with Bernardi. E.J. stressed that the fight had been a separate incident from the shooting. E.J. added that when Sami had fired the gun, she had not been able to see who she had shot. When E.J. noted that the matter leading to the fight was settled, Abigail argued that the video would not hurt Sami if the incident were unrelated to the shooting.
Smirking, Chad said that the video showed premeditation for murder. E.J. fumbled with the phone and asked Chad about the volume. Chad explained that he had recorded the video with the audio off. Clutching the phone, E.J. thanked Chad for giving him the video. Shocked, Abigail asked E.J. if he planned on burying the evidence. E.J. stressed that the video could not get out and asked Abigail and Chad to keep quiet.
In the park, E.J. asked Abigail and Chad to promise not to tell anyone about the video of Sami and Bernardi. Chad readily agreed, but Abigail was reluctant. E.J. sat Abigail down and tried to convince her that Sami had only seen a man standing over Rafe with a knife; she hadn't known who the man was until afterwards. Abigail asked where the knife was. E.J. asserted, "I would like to know the answer to that. Somebody is trying to set her up -- somebody who would love to get their hands on that piece of ammunition."
Abigail was dubious. E.J. pointed out that if the disagreement between Sami and Bernardi had been serious, Bernardi would have reported it. He asked if Abigail really believed that Sami would have gotten back at Bernardi by shooting him in a hospital full of security and doctors. Abigail reluctantly agreed not to tell anyone. After Abigail had gone, a furious E.J. ordered Chad, "Take care of her."
At the Kiriakis mansion, Adrienne voiced her displeasure to Justin about his agreeing to defend Sami. Adrienne believed that they needed to get Sonny away from Will and his "train wreck of a family." Justin reminded his wife that she had gotten past her doubts about Will's family. Adrienne admitted that the doubts had resurfaced after the incident on Smith Island. She believed that Sonny's relationship with Will was dangerous for Sonny, but Justin gently pointed out that she couldn't dictate Sonny's choice of partner -- or Justin's clients.
Will was reading the story on the front page of the newspaper when Sonny entered Will's hospital room. "Why didn't you tell me my mom was in jail?" Will asked. Sonny pointed out that there wasn't anything that Will could have done. He reassured Will that Sami would be all right -- especially since Justin had agreed to represent her. While they waited for Will to be released, Sonny started to show Will a video of Arianna on his phone, but in its place, he found the video of Sami attacking Bernardi.
Claiming that he couldn't find the video, Sonny offered to deliver Arianna in person instead. As Sonny left, Will thanked him for getting Justin to represent Sami. In the hallway, Sonny hurriedly dialed Chad. When Chad answered, Sonny issued terse instructions: "Meet me at my place right now. It's urgent." A few minutes later, Sonny delivered the baby to Will, who was elated to see his daughter. With Will distracted, Sonny left, claiming that he had business to take care of at the coffeehouse.
Adrienne arrived, and after making small talk about the baby with Will, she asked how it felt to hold his daughter. Will recounted all the ways he wanted to protect Arianna and asked if that was how Adrienne felt with her kids. Adrienne acknowledged that it was -- and that was why she was asking Will to do the right thing and break up with Sonny.
Adrienne reminded Will about the conversation he'd overheard between her and Justin in which she'd said that Sonny was too good for Will because Will's family was so screwed up. She continued that Will had obviously realized that she had been right because he'd broken up with Sonny -- but later he convinced Sonny to get back together. "You did exactly as I predicted: you lied to him, and you broke his heart," Adrienne concluded.
Will pointed out that he and Sonny had gotten past that. Adrienne countered that Will had gotten Sonny involved in the business with Nick and Gabi that had almost gotten Sonny killed -- and then Sami had been accused of murder. "Your whole family, it's all about the drama -- serious drama -- sometimes with tragic consequences. So whether you intend it or not, eventually you are going to destroy my son. Can't you see that?" Adrienne implored.
After putting Arianna in her bassinette, Will calmly reasoned that no matter what Adrienne said, he and Sonny were going to continue to live together -- with Gabi and the baby -- and if Adrienne couldn't accept them together, she would be the one who would miss out on Sonny's life. With tears glistening in her eyes, Adrienne predicted that Will would make a mistake that would end up breaking her son's heart.
When Will responded with silence, Adrienne pronounced bitterly, "You're as selfish and destructive as your mother." After Adrienne left, Will took a deep breath and sharply exhaled. Looking down at his daughter, Will struggled to maintain his emotions as he declared, "She is wrong about your daddy. She has no idea what she's talking about."
In the residents' room at the hospital, Cameron was unpacking and organizing some drug samples when J.J. entered. J.J. claimed that he was there to see Cameron because after the conversation J.J. had overheard, he suspected that Cameron was worried Chad was moving in on Abigail. J.J. declared that he had Cameron's back because Chad was "bad news" for Abigail. Eyeing the samples, J.J. faked a coughing fit and asked for some water. He was disappointed when Cameron retrieved a bottle from a locker nearby.
After another resident stuck his head in the room to ask Cameron something, J.J. asked who the guy was. Cameron explained that about twenty residents shared the room. An upset Abigail arrived to talk to Cameron and was taken aback to find her brother there. Mumbling that she didn't want to interrupt, Abigail left. Cameron chased after her.
Alone in the room, J.J. quickly grabbed several handfuls of sample boxes and stuffed them in his backpack. He had just zipped the pack up when the resident returned. Playing it cool, J.J. greeted the guy and then strolled out.
When Chad arrived at Sonny's apartment, Sonny showed him the video on his phone. A freaked-out Chad asked how Sonny had gotten it. "You sent it to me," Sonny said, and Chad remembered exactly when it had happened. The guys worriedly concurred that the video could help send Sami to prison for life. As they watched it again, Sonny declared that his dad needed to know about the video and everything that could return to haunt Sami during the trial.
Chad maintained that if they both deleted it, the evidence would no longer exist. Sonny asked why Sami had been going after Bernardi like that. Chad said that E.J. had explained that it had been a misunderstanding that had been settled. "Bottom line: I don't think Sami would shoot a guy in cold blood," Chad asserted, and Sonny agreed.
Cameron caught up with Abigail near the elevators and asked her to tell him what was wrong. Abigail explained vaguely that she preferred it when things were clear to when they were gray. J.J. showed up just then, but Abigail hinted that she needed to talk to Cameron, so J.J. left to give them some privacy.
Abigail told Cameron that she had agreed to keep a secret for a friend, but she wasn't sure it was the right thing to do because she had a knot in her stomach. Cameron cautioned her that it was probably her gut telling her that it was a bad idea. He asked Abigail to tell him what was going on, but she got a text message just then and had to leave. She thanked Cameron for his advice.
J.J. met Rory at the Horton house and dumped the drug samples on the coffee table. After complimenting J.J. on making a good score, Rory started looking up the drugs with his phone. The first one he found was a laxative; the second was for sinus infections. Everything Rory looked up turned out to have zero street value -- until he looked up the last one. Rory triumphantly showed the results to J.J. "Jackpot!" J.J. declared, laughing and tousling Rory's hair.
When Abigail arrived at Sonny's, Chad and Sonny tried to persuade her not to tell anyone about the video. Abigail worried that Sami had killed Bernardi and used the alleged attempt on Rafe as a cover. Sonny pointed out that Rafe and Bernardi had been friends. Sonny stressed that he wouldn't ask Abigail not to talk if he didn't believe it was the right thing to do.
Abigail didn't understand how Chad and Sonny could say that a video of Sami fighting with a man she'd later killed was irrelevant. Chad reminded Abigail of how her mom had been accused of pushing Nicole down the stairs, and a lot of witnesses had stated that they'd seen them fighting, so the police had been forced to arrest Jennifer. If Nicole hadn't recanted, or if Nicole had died and the only thing that had remained was eyewitness testimony, that Jennifer might have gone to prison for something she hadn't done. "Do you want to see that happen to Sami?" Sonny asked.
Abigail contended that the guys were asking her to cover up evidence in a murder investigation. Chad argued that there was no reason to think that it had anything to do with the shooting -- and there would be no evidence once they deleted the video. Abigail wanted to know what would happen if someone else had seen Sami with Bernardi.
"If that happens, then we let Justin and E.J. deal with it," Chad said, adding, "But we're not going to make Sami's defense any harder than it already is. Agreed?" Sonny declared that he agreed, and finally Abigail added her reluctant consent. Chad reassured her that they were all in it together. "Let's do it," Chad said to Sonny, and the guys held out their phones and each pressed a button.
When Eric visited Sami in jail, she was thrilled that her twin had used his clout as a priest to get in to see her. Eric informed her that he had to go to the state capital for one night, but he offered to stay if Sami needed him. Sami declared that she was doing a lot better after remembering that she'd seen a razor, not a knife, and she was hopeful that the cops would be able to find it. Eric cautioned Sami that a jury might think she was lying if she changed her story.
Sami agreed that it would be better if the case didn't go to trial. Eric warned Sami that the prosecution could call her credibility into question by mentioning how she'd lied under oath years earlier about Lucas hitting Will. Eric wondered why Sami hadn't screamed for help when she'd seen Bernardi standing over Rafe with a knife. Sami explained the gun had already been in her hand and there hadn't been time to think about what to do.
Eric was worried about how to defend his sister, but Sami reassured him that she had a really good lawyer to do that. She asked about his trip to the capital. Eric explained that it involved red tape regarding the school -- but he didn't want Sami worrying about it. Eric asked if Sami had told the police everything there was to tell. "Of course I did," Sami assured him, chuckling -- although she was remembering the scuffle with Bernardi.
At the DiMera mansion, Kristen looked at a picture of Eric in the newspaper next to a story with the headline "St. Luke's New School in Jeopardy." Stroking the picture, she cooed, "I'm sorry, sweet Eric. I wish you could get away with just a tap. But the only way that Marlena suffers enough is if you're destroyed completely." She crumpled the paper in her fist. She stuck the box containing the vials that Dr. Chyka had given her in her purse and left.
E.J. was hurrying through Horton Square when Kristen stopped him to thank him. She explained that she suspected that he and Chad had been responsible for removing the wedding decorations from the house. When Kristen hugged E.J. and told him she cared about him, he asked, "Why do I get the sense you're saying goodbye?" Kristen wondered why she couldn't say something kind to her brother without him being suspicious.
Kristen could tell that something had happened with Sami. E.J. admitted to "a distraction" but assured Kristen that everything was under control. He asked if she had heard from their father. "He's not going to be found unless he wants to be found," Kristen maintained. E.J. pointed out that Stefano was old and might have lost a step.
Kristen said that Stefano always covered his tracks and never left a shred of evidence behind -- and that was why he was still alive. "Now, those are words to live by," Kristen declared, grinning impishly. "What exactly is it that you're really trying to tell me? Kristen, tell me what you're up to," E.J. said. "Nothing -- much," Kristen replied. After expressing her hope that each of them would have something to celebrate soon, she kissed E.J. and left.
When Justin met Sami in a conference room at the police station, she thanked him profusely for taking her case. Justin admitted that there hadn't been time for him to review all the evidence yet -- but he thought they had a case. Sami divulged that under her mom's hypnosis, she had remembered that the weapon in Bernardi's hand had been a razor. She theorized that someone had perhaps put it away in a man's shaving kit.
Justin mused that a razor was an even more personal choice of weapon than a knife. Sami fretted about what Eric had mentioned, and Justin agreed that changing her story didn't look good. E.J. arrived just as Justin was asking if there were anything Sami hadn't told the police about the case. E.J. shook his head no.
After E.J. made his presence known to Justin, Sami insisted that she had told the police everything. She was determined to get things resolved quickly -- especially since Roman had been suspended while the case was pending. Justin declared that one thing that could work in Sami's favor was that she'd had no clear motive to shoot Bernardi.
A little later, Justin announced that Sami's bail hearing was in less than an hour. Sami eagerly declared that she was ready, but Justin warned her not to speak until he told her to -- and then to say exactly what he instructed her to. "I can do that," Sami assured him with a sheepish shrug. As Sami left with Justin, E.J. hung back to make a phone call.
E.J. called Chad, who reassured him that everything was under control. "I need you to delete the video. Delete it from your phone; delete it from your computer; delete it from your server. Just make sure it's gone. Got it?" E.J. demanded. Chad said that he understood. After Chad hung up, Sonny asked, "Does E.J. know I have a copy of the video?" Chad said that he would tell E.J. later; the most important thing was that all the videos were gone.
While Eric was checking into his hotel in the capital, the clerk revealed that his parents, the Durants, lived in Salem and went to St. Luke's. "Right! You must be George," Eric said, shaking the clerk's hand. Eric explained that he was there for a meeting the next day about the new school, so he needed a quiet room to prepare.
When Kristen arrived at the hotel a little later, she was wearing a disguise that included a short black wig, large sunglasses, and a tight, low-cut dress. She sashayed up to the desk, pulling a small suitcase behind her. Gulping uncomfortably, George asked, "Are you sure you're in the right place?" In a vague, foreign accent, Kristen replied that she was positive.
Meanwhile, Eric entered his room upstairs, sat down heavily on the bed, and looked around with a sigh.
Kristen gave a fake name, Fay Taylor, to George so he could find her reservation. He confirmed room 438 for her, but she declared that it was imperative for her to be in room 201. George stated that it wasn't possible, plus that room was next to a priest, who was working on an important project and couldn't be disturbed. "Fay" assured George that she would be quiet. She explained that she needed room 201 because it was the room that she and her late husband had shared on their honeymoon.
George hedged, "I'm sorry. If I had known in advance..." Kristen interrupted, barking, "You know now! You will fix it. Now!" Eric appeared in the lobby and witnessed the end of George's strained conversation with "Fay." "Can I help here?" Eric asked.
In Daniel's apartment, Maggie waited while Daniel packed an overnight bag for Parker, who was going to be spending the night with her so that Daniel could work at the hospital. Daniel told Maggie about his recent argument with Jennifer. When Maggie learned that Daniel suspected that J.J. had vandalized Daniel's car, she didn't hesitate to reveal that she had seen J.J. in the hospital garage right before the vandalism had occurred.
Maggie conceded that the timing of J.J.'s appearance in the hospital garage could have been a coincidence, but Daniel countered that there had been a lot of coincidences since J.J. had arrived in Salem. Maggie reminded Daniel that Jack had died less than a year earlier, leaving J.J. in a very vulnerable place. Maggie advised Daniel to find a way to deal with the situation quickly so that it wouldn't affect his relationship with Jennifer.
At the Horton house, J.J. excitedly reminded Rory that there was a kid at school who would pay a lot of money for one of the samples that J.J. had stolen, which had turned out to be a painkiller. Meanwhile, someone started to unlock the front door. J.J. and Rory hurriedly stuffed the samples into Rory's backpack, leaving no time for Rory to exit the house without being seen.
When Jennifer entered the living room, J.J. and Rory tried to act casual, but she could tell that something was going on. As J.J. fabricated a cover story, Rory glanced down at the floor and realized that one of the samples was laying underneath the coffee table. While Jennifer's back was turned, Rory quickly grabbed the box of medication and hid it in his backpack.
Jennifer asked for Rory's name, which he cautiously revealed. Jennifer wanted to talk to J.J. privately, so Rory agreed to wait for J.J. outside. After Rory left, J.J. apologized for neglecting to make the proper introductions himself, claiming that he had assumed that Jennifer and Rory had already met each other previously. J.J. dismissively stated that Rory was just someone whom he had met in summer school.
Jennifer questioned J.J.'s earlier cover story, which had portrayed him and Rory as slackers who had chosen to play video games instead of studying. Jennifer pointed out that the controllers for the gaming device were nowhere to be seen, suggesting that they had not been used recently. J.J. reluctantly admitted that he had lied to Jennifer, but he claimed that he had only done so to avoid upsetting her.
J.J. explained that he and Rory had been talking about Abigail, who had seemed really freaked out about something when J.J. had seen her at the hospital earlier. Jennifer said that she would try to find out what was bothering Abigail as soon as Abigail returned home. Jennifer added that she appreciated J.J.'s concern for Abigail.
"Yeah. I mean, we gotta look out for each other, right? I figure if the three of us stay tight, we -- we really don't need anyone else," J.J. reasoned. J.J. quickly clarified that he hadn't meant for his previous statement to sound the way that it had sounded, explaining that he had simply been trying to express the fact that family was extremely important. Changing the subject, J.J. told Jennifer that he had apologized to Daniel again earlier.
Jennifer revealed that she had been in Daniel's apartment at the time and had overheard J.J.'s apology. J.J. wondered if that meant that Jennifer and Daniel had resolved their differences. Jennifer vaguely replied that she and Daniel were working on fixing everything. After claiming that he hoped that everything would work out the way that Jennifer wanted it to, J.J. excused himself, noting that he had kept Rory waiting for long enough.
At the Brady Pub, Nick met with Kate, who had ostensibly summoned him there to discuss the new anti-aging cream that he had developed for Mad World. Nick confidently assured Kate that the product was going to have a huge impact on the industry, but she just stared at him skeptically. "It's really astonishing to me [that] someone so smart could be such an idiot," Kate bluntly observed.
Kate announced that E.J. and Sami had stolen Nick's formula for the anti-aging cream and were planning to use it to launch a new Countess Wilhelmina product eight weeks earlier than Mad World's version was scheduled to be launched. As Nick stared at Kate in stunned silence, she mused that there was a silver lining to the bad news. "Two weeks' severance. You're fired," Kate said as she tossed an envelope at Nick.
Nick protested that his contract prevented Kate from being able to fire him. "Well, you see, our security people, along with the IT department, confirmed that our computer system was never breached, and you're the only one who ever had the whole formula. So whether it was deliberate or accidental, you blew it -- breach of contract," Kate explained. Nick begged Kate to reconsider, since he needed a job to support Gabi and Arianna.
Kate assured Nick that she would take care of Gabi and Arianna herself. "Frankly, I think they'll be a hell of a lot better off without you in their life," Kate matter-of-factly added. Realizing that Kate was punishing him for what he had done to Will, Nick called Kate a "spiteful bitch." "Yes, that's exactly what I am, and you would be wise to remember that if you ever decide to screw with my family again," Kate warned before exiting the pub.
Nick opened the envelope and scoffed when he saw the exact amount of his severance pay. After placing a call to someone whom he wanted to talk to right away, Nick left the pub. A short time later, Nick met with Vargas at St. Luke's, explaining that he was no longer concerned about being seen with Vargas. Nick summarized that he had lost everything, which meant that Vargas could no longer threaten him.
Vargas viewed the situation differently, reasoning that he had simply been asking an old pal to repay a debt, but Nick insisted that tripling Vargas' money should have been more than sufficient. Changing the subject, Nick explained that he had arranged the meeting with Vargas so that he could talk to Vargas about a new business venture that he wanted them to work on together.
"Look, Vargas, I saw the way that you operated in prison -- the way you could get a group of people to do what you wanted them to do. You're -- you're better at that than I am. I think you could get a group of investors to believe in something," Nick predicted. Vargas wanted to know what it was that he would be convincing investors to believe in, but Nick admitted that he hadn't figured that part out yet.
Vargas vaguely stated that he might be interested. Nick encouraged Vargas to think about the proposition for a while, promising to contact him again soon. Nick started to leave, but Vargas stopped him and wondered if he was planning to repair his relationship with Gabi. "If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be putting all my energy into some business deal. I'd be doing everything humanly possible to get her back," Vargas said.
At Common Grounds, Kate ran into Maggie and Parker. While Parker enjoyed some cookies nearby, Kate and Maggie talked about Will and Arianna. Kate announced that Will, Sonny, Arianna, and Gabi were all going to be living together after Will was released from the hospital. Maggie optimistically stated that Nick and Gabi might eventually be able to work things out, but Kate doubted that Maggie really believed that would happen.
Maggie insisted that she did believe that could happen, stressing that Nick and Gabi loved each other. "Okay, Maggie, I know that Nick is your family, but even you have to concede [that] he's a monster," Kate replied, but Maggie refused to admit that Kate was right. Unsurprised, Kate matter-of-factly summarized that Maggie was in denial. Maggie defended Nick, claiming that he was a decent young man who had a good heart.
Kate added that Nick was also unemployed, happily reporting that she would never have to see him again, since she had fired him earlier. Before Maggie could respond, Kate said goodbye to Parker and calmly exited the coffeehouse.
In a hotel room, Nicole wrapped her arm around Brady and kissed the back of his neck, rousing him from his slumber. When Brady turned to face Nicole, he found Kristen lying next to him instead. Brady gasped as he woke up and realized that he had been dreaming. Nicole was concerned, but Brady assured her that he had just had a bad dream -- a dream that he claimed that he had already forgotten the details of.
Nicole and Brady were hungry, but they didn't want to leave the hotel room and risk running into people who would ask a lot of questions about them, so they decided to order room service. As Nicole started to flip through a menu, Brady spontaneously proposed that they could leave Salem instead. Nicole assumed that Brady was asking her to run away with him, but he clarified that he was just talking about taking a short vacation with her.
Brady claimed that his desire to leave Salem for a while had nothing to do with Kristen, although he admitted that he would love to put some distance between him and John. Nicole reminded Brady that he had promised to keep an eye on Sami while Eric was gone, but Brady reasoned that there was nothing that he could do for Sami anyway. Conceding that she could really use a break from reality, Nicole agreed to take a trip with Brady.
After reestablishing that she and Brady were still just friends with benefits, Nicole got dressed and went to the town square to buy some new clothes and luggage for their trip. As she traveled from one store to the next, Nicole ran into Daniel, who had gone to the town square to purchase a card for Jennifer. Daniel noticed that Nicole was carrying some luggage, so she revealed that she was going out of town with Brady.
Concerned, Daniel warned Nicole to be careful about hastily jumping into something with Brady, who was definitely not over Kristen yet. Nicole assured Daniel that she understood that Brady wasn't over Kristen yet, and she claimed that she and Brady were helping each other move on from Daniel and Kristen, respectively.
"Okay, uh, don't worry -- it's not some crazy obsession anymore. I'm, like, ninety-nine percent over you," Nicole quickly added. Daniel asked Nicole to promise that she would take care of herself, stressing that he didn't want her or Brady to get hurt. Nicole agreed, promising to also send Daniel and Jennifer a postcard from whatever fabulous place she and Brady ended up visiting on their vacation.
Later, Nicole went to St. Luke's to leave a note on Eric's desk to explain her departure. Nicole was shocked to find a folder laying on Eric's desk -- one that, based on her reaction, was very important and had apparently been forgotten.
In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, J.J. and Rory sold the painkillers to someone whom they had met in summer school. The customer's girlfriend was flirting with J.J., so the buyer quickly dragged her away after completing the transaction. Excited about the amount of money that they had just made, Rory urged J.J. to get some more of the painkillers, but J.J. was worried about the risk of getting caught.
Rory reasoned that it would only take a few more sales to give him and J.J. enough money to get through the entire summer. J.J. grabbed his cell phone and called Cameron, leaving a voicemail message that explained that he was just calling to check on Abigail. When J.J. ended the call, Rory impatiently demanded to know what the point of the call had been. "Wow, that weed is really frying your brain, man," J.J. observed with a laugh.
After a moment, Rory realized that J.J. had just given himself an excuse to return to the hospital, where the painkillers were located. Later, at the hospital, J.J. entered the residents' room and told the doctor who was using the room that he was waiting for Cameron to finish working. The doctor seemed suspicious, so J.J. assured her that he had waited for Cameron in the residents' room before, adding that his sister was dating Cameron.
Pleased to meet Abigail's brother, the doctor smiled and shook J.J.'s hand before excusing herself, leaving J.J. alone in the room. J.J. rushed over to the medicine cabinet and tried to open it, but every door was securely locked. J.J. turned his attention to a nearby desk, using a pair of scissors to pry one of the locked drawers open. Inside, J.J. found a prescription pad that looked like it hadn't been used yet. As J.J. started to close the drawer, Daniel entered the room and demanded to know what J.J., who was still holding the prescription pad, was doing.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady received a visit from Jennifer, who apologized for taking such a long time to check on him after he had canceled his wedding. Brady admitted that he was an idiot who had opened his heart to someone who had lied about everything. Jennifer protested that Kristen hadn't lied about everything, stressing that Kristen's feelings for Brady had been very real in the end.
Jennifer revealed some of the things that Kristen had said about her feelings for Brady during her previous conversations with Jennifer. Brady didn't care about what Kristen had said, reasoning that the only thing that really mattered was what she had done -- she had hurt him more than anyone had ever hurt him before. Brady angrily insisted that Jennifer wasn't going to convince him to forgive Kristen.
"I'm not asking you to do anything. I'm just trying to tell you what I know, and what I know is that Kristen broke your heart, yes, but her heart is broken, too. The night before the two of you [were supposed to get] married, I was with her, and she told me that you surprised her with the adoption papers. And I could tell how much it meant to her that you wanted to raise a child with her. I could tell how much you meant to her. Okay, I'm not defending her. I'm not saying that you should forgive her. I'm just hoping that maybe you can find a little bit of comfort in the fact that what she felt for you was real. Not everything was a lie," Jennifer assured Brady.
After Jennifer left, Brady sighed as he recalled that Kristen had tearfully told him on their wedding day that she had chosen him over her hunger for revenge. "What if Jennifer's right? What if [Kristen] did love me? What if it wasn't all about revenge?" Brady quietly mused.
At a hotel near the state capitol, Eric waited for a response from the woman who was talking to George, unaware that she was Kristen. George told Eric that the woman was fine, tactfully adding that she was simply high-strung. Eric offered to be the woman's confidante, but she declined the offer, keeping her back turned toward him to conceal her face. Despite Kristen's fake accent, Eric still sensed that the woman's voice was familiar.
Kristen assured Eric that they didn't know each other, and she quickly walked away before he could figure out who she really was. George explained that the woman was in mourning, which seemed to be the only thing that Eric needed to hear. Changing the subject, Eric reported that the phone in his room wasn't working, adding that his cell phone's battery had died, and he had left the charger in Salem.
George took Eric into another room so that Eric could use the hotel's private phone. Once the coast was clear, Kristen reentered the lobby and asked George's temporary replacement receptionist for the room next to Eric's room. The receptionist was hesitant to accommodate Kristen's request, but a quick bribe changed everything.
While Eric was still using the hotel's private phone, Kristen crept into his room via the adjoining room that she had specifically requested. "I'm sorry, sweetie. Poor Eric. Somebody has to pay for your mother's sins," Kristen muttered as she retrieved the first vial from Chyka's black box. When Eric returned to his room a short time later, everything seemed to be normal, so he went into the bathroom and started to take a shower.
After Eric closed the bathroom door, Kristen emerged from her hiding place behind the full-length curtains -- wielding a gun in her right hand. Later, Eric, wearing only a towel, returned to the main section of the hotel room and started to rummage through his suitcase. While Eric's back was turned, Kristen, who was hiding in the walkway between the two adjoining rooms, quietly opened the door to Eric's room and aimed her gun at him.
Kristen fired the gun, sending a dart into the back of Eric's neck. Eric almost instantly collapsed facedown on the bed, completely knocked out. Kristen entered Eric's room, tossed the dart aside, rolled Eric over onto his back, took a seat next to him on the bed, and placed his head in her lap, stroking his hair as she smiled deviously.
Kristen retrieved the second vial from Chyka's black box, carefully filled a syringe with the vial's contents, and hovered over Eric as she tapped the side of the syringe to remove the air bubble.
At the DiMera mansion, Sami playfully thanked E.J. for helping her take a shower. She announced that she was going to kiss the kids one more time before she went to the hospital to check on Will and the baby. After Sami scampered up the stairs, E.J. called Sonny to ask him not to tell anyone about the video of Sami attacking Bernardi.
Sonny declared that he wasn't going to keep the truth from the man he loved, noting that keeping secrets hadn't exactly gone well for E.J. and Sami. He asked if E.J. had told Sami about the video. E.J. replied that he had not, because Sami was likely to do something ill-advised. "You can handle it however you want -- and so will I," Sonny declared before hanging up abruptly.
When Sami returned downstairs, E.J. sat her down and gently told her about the video. Although E.J. tried to reassure her that both copies had been deleted and Sonny had promised not to say anything to Justin, Sami freaked out. When E.J. warned her that Sonny was going to tell Will, Sami grabbed her purse and ran out, determined to prevent that from happening.
Maxine watched while Will cuddled Arianna in his hospital room. Maxine declared, "One thing I've learned: there are all kinds of ways to make a family. I think Arianna's going to have a good one." Will reluctantly handed the baby over to Maxine so she could take Arianna back to Gabi. Sonny beamed when he walked in and saw the baby in Maxine's arms. He kissed the infant on the forehead as Maxine left.
Will sensed immediately that something was wrong, but Sonny assured him that everything was fine. Sonny placed a duffel bag of Will's clothes on the bed and offered to help Will get dressed. "You're better at getting me undressed," Will countered mischievously. After Will had put his clothes on, he cautioned Sonny that their lives were going to change when they got home with Gabi and the baby -- and he wouldn't blame Sonny if Sonny had second thoughts.
Sonny pointed out that it had been his idea to move Gabi and Arianna in with them -- and there was no way he was going to let Will's daughter be raised elsewhere. Just then, Sami burst noisily into the room. She hugged Will enthusiastically while she tried to judge whether he knew about the video yet. E.J. arrived and asked to speak to Sonny privately. Sonny sat down on the bed and asserted that he wasn't going to change his mind.
"What does everybody know that I don't know?" Will asked. Sonny vowed to tell Will if Sami and E.J. didn't. E.J. slowly, grudgingly, filled Will in about the video. Will asked his mom, "Before you met [Bernardi] in Rafe's hospital room, obviously, you had a confrontation with him in public. May I ask why?" Sami wouldn't say why, so Will wanted to know when. Sonny informed Will that the date on the video was May 7.
Will quickly put the pieces together that Bernardi had been the man Stefano had hired to steal the evidence against Will from the police station -- and then Sami had killed him. Sami tried to reason with her son, but he declared, "I've had enough. I can't take this anymore." Will declared that he was going to handle his own problems from then on. Sami insisted, "I didn't mean for any of this to happen!" Will pointed out, "Mom, you went off on a crooked cop in a public park, and then you shot him in a hospital. How did you think it was going to work out?"
Just then, Maxine entered and informed Will that his release had been delayed because Abe Carver wanted to talk to Will and Sonny. After Maxine left again, Will wondered why Abe wanted to talk to them. "Abe is working as a special consultant to the police, William," E.J. explained, imploring Will not to do anything stupid. Will argued that the stupidest thing he'd done so far was not owning up to shooting E.J. years earlier.
Will continued that he had been a kid when his dad had gone to prison for him, but he wasn't a kid any longer -- and he wasn't going to let his mom go to prison for him, too. "This is insanity. This has got to stop. That's enough -- and I'm going to tell Abe everything that he wants to know," Will declared.
Maggie arrived at the Kiriakis mansion with Parker just as Jennifer was leaving. The lad eagerly rushed up to Jennifer and gave her a hug. Jennifer admitted that she missed Parker -- and his daddy. "Then I suggest you get over yourself and do something about it," Maggie said, acknowledging that she knew the problem involved J.J. Jennifer maintained that J.J. was angry and in a lot of pain. Maggie urged Jennifer not to allow J.J. to pressure her into shutting Daniel out.
Inside, Brady wondered aloud if what Jennifer had told him -- that Kristen's feelings for him had been real -- could be true.
In Eric's hotel room, as Kristen filled a syringe from the vial Dr. Chyka had given her, she told an unconscious Eric that he had to "take one for the team." She removed her black wig and shook out her hair, then prepared to stick the needle in Eric's arm -- but a call from Brady to her cell phone interrupted before she could finish. "Hi," she answered, her voice full of hope.
When Brady didn't respond, Kristen asked if his calling meant that he still cared about her. Grimacing, Brady replied, "It means I dialed the wrong number. I didn't want to call you." Kristen told Brady that she loved him and tried to keep him on the line, but he hung up. She immediately tried to call him back. Brady sent the call directly to voicemail. "So you do hate me?" Kristen muttered through gritted teeth, slamming the phone down repeatedly on the desk.
A little later, Maggie led Parker into the Kiriakis living room as they looked for his bunny. Brady produced the missing stuffed animal and gave it to Parker. Maggie could tell that something was troubling Brady. He confessed that Jennifer had told him that she believed Kristen had really loved him, and a part of him still wanted to believe that he hadn't been played for a fool -- so he had called Kristen. Maggie admitted that made her really scared for Brady.
Maggie encouraged Brady to keep busy and stay in touch with his friends, but she flipped out when Brady mentioned that Nicole had been very supportive. Brady reassured Maggie that the important thing was that he had learned what Kristen really was -- so Kristen could never hurt him or anyone he loved again.
A little later, Maggie was trying to persuade Parker to go to bed when she realized that his blanket was still in the dryer. Brady agreed to keep an eye on the tot while Maggie went to retrieve the blanket. As he held Parker in his lap, Brady recalled how Kristen had pleaded with him to stay together for the sake of the child they had planned to adopt. Maggie returned, and Brady somewhat abruptly walked out of the house.
Harold answered the door when Brady showed up at the DiMera mansion, looking for Kristen. Harold informed him, "I'm very sorry, sir. She left earlier today -- and she had a suitcase with her." Harold didn't know any more than that. Brady wondered where Kristen could have gone -- and what she was up to.
Nicole was dismayed when she found a folder on Eric's desk, containing notes for his meeting about the school. She tried to reach Eric but got his voicemail instead, so she left an urgent message for him to call her. Nicole then called the hotel where Eric was staying. The desk clerk, George, explained that he couldn't connect anyone to the room phones because there was a problem with the phone system.
Nicole described the situation to George and asked him to get a message to Father Eric as soon as possible. George refused. He rudely told Nicole that she could send a fax, then hung up. Irked, Nicole put the notes on the fax machine and punched in the number George had given her. When Nicole called the hotel to confirm that they'd received the fax, the other desk clerk, Martha, answered.
Martha looked at the fax and told Nicole, "I can't read a word of it." Nicole asked if Martha would take the fax up to Eric's room to see if he could read his own handwriting. Martha explained that she couldn't leave the desk, and she was under strict orders not to disturb Father Eric. Frustrated, Nicole hung up, grabbed the file and her purse, and headed out.
A little later, Nicole arrived at the hotel, where George was back on the front desk. Nicole demanded to see Father Eric, but George repeated that the priest had left strict instructions not to disturb him. Nicole reacted with anger at first, then tried changing tactics and turned on the charm -- but George still refused to give her Eric's room number.
After George left the front desk, Nicole kept trying to reach Eric's cell phone, to no avail. When Martha appeared behind the desk, Nicole rushed over and tried to plead her case, but her words fell on deaf ears. Nicole produced a twenty-dollar bill and tried to hand it to Martha, who complained, "The other woman gave me a hundred." Forcing a smile, Nicole said, "Well, I don't have a hundred to spare, so why don't you just take the twenty and give me the stinkin' room number?"
Upstairs, Eric moaned and began to stir, much to Kristen's horror. "One dose was supposed to put him out for half an hour. Thanks a lot, doc," Kristen grumbled as she climbed back onto the bed next to Eric. After calling Eric's name a few times to make sure he wasn't regaining consciousness, Kristen injected the remaining solution into his arm.
Smiling down at Eric, Kristen quoted Goethe: "Life is for the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes." She replaced the vial and syringe in their case and watched as Eric writhed on the bed. His face turned red, and he moaned in a strangled voice, "Help me! Please, God, help me!" He rolled over on his side and fell unconscious again. Kristen slipped into the bathroom and changed into a black and white lace negligee.
Eric struggled to push himself into a seated position. Confused, he looked around the room, asking, "What's happening? What's wrong with me?" Kristen sat next to him and stroked his shoulder. "Who are you?" he inquired in a raspy voice. Murmuring words of reassurance over Eric's weak protests, Kristen kissed the priest. Grasping the cross that he wore around his neck, she pulled him closer to her and ran her hands over his body.
"This isn't happening. It can't happen," Eric mumbled foggily. "Why not? I want you, I need you, and you need me too. You know you do," Kristen replied, kissing him persistently. Eric returned her kiss but then tried to pull away. Kristen continued kissing and caressing him. When she removed the towel from around his waist, Eric kissed her and pushed her back onto the bed.
When Nicole arrived outside Eric's room, she heard moaning from inside. Puzzled, she double-checked the room number. Just as Eric began removing Kristen's negligee, Nicole knocked on the door. "Oh, my God!" Kristen exclaimed, pushing Eric away. The unlatched door swung open at Nicole's knock, so she pushed it open and entered the room -- and gasped at what she saw.
J.J. found a prescription pad in Cameron's desk in the residents' room at the hospital and chuckled to himself as he swiped it. Just then, Daniel walked in and caught J.J. rifling through the desk. J.J. claimed that he was waiting for Cameron, but Daniel demanded to know what was in J.J.'s hand. He added that J.J. shouldn't have been in that room alone because there was confidential information in there. J.J. asserted that a resident who knew his mom had given him permission to stay.
Daniel ordered J.J. to show him whatever was in his hand. After J.J. reluctantly turned over the prescription pad, he lied that he had been looking for something to write on. Showing J.J. that there was a legal pad in plain sight on the desk, Daniel informed J.J. that taking a prescription pad was illegal. Just then, a resident entered, and J.J. bolted.
Daniel chased after J.J. and caught up with him near the nurses' station. As Daniel confronted him with the prescription pad, J.J. asserted that Daniel had just been waiting to find something to use against J.J. "And now you have it -- so go for it. You know you're dying to," J.J. dared Daniel. Daniel asserted that wasn't the case, pointing out that he had forgiven a lot of J.J.'s past misdeeds.
"But there is only one reason to pocket a prescription pad, and that is to write a phony script to take or to sell prescription drugs," Daniel declared, reiterating that it was a criminal offense. "Are you gonna tell my mom?" J.J. asked petulantly, just as Jennifer got off the elevator. Daniel replied that J.J. could tell her himself.
Jennifer asked what was wrong. Daniel handed her the pad and instructed J.J. to tell Jennifer why he'd had it. After Daniel left to check on his patients, Jennifer looked down at the pad and gulped. "This is Cameron's prescription pad. What are you doing with it?" she asked, trying to maintain her composure. J.J. insisted that he had just been waiting for Cameron.
J.J. spotted Joanne, the resident who had been there when he had arrived, and told Jennifer that Joanne had given him permission to wait in the residents' room. Jennifer called Joanne over, and Joanne confirmed J.J.'s story. After Joanne left, J.J. continued that after waiting a while, he had wanted to leave a note for Cameron, and he'd just grabbed the first thing he'd found. "Oh, and you can't tell the difference between regular paper and a prescription pad?" Jennifer demanded skeptically.
J.J. defensively argued that his dad would know that he wasn't dumb enough to steal a prescription pad from his sister's boyfriend. Jennifer warned J.J., "This is it. Do you understand me? No more accidents, no more mistakes, because you already used up that explanation. Do you hear me?" She emphasized that taking a prescription pad, no matter what the reason, was a serious offense, and then sent J.J. home.
Daniel returned as J.J. was headed for the elevator, and the two glared at each other. After J.J. had gone, Jennifer informed Daniel that Joanne had given J.J. permission to wait in the residents' room -- although J.J. should not have taken the prescription pad, even if he'd just been looking for a piece of paper to leave a note. After she explained that she knew that J.J. had been there to talk to Cameron about Abigail, she asked if Daniel were going to report J.J.
"I'm not required to. It's not really my place. But if it were my son, yeah, I'd report him," Daniel declared, adding that J.J. needed to face the consequences of his actions. He insisted that it had nothing to do with the friction between him and J.J. Jennifer argued that it wasn't Daniel's call. "I can't talk to you about J.J. right now," Jennifer stated.
Giving up, Daniel walked away. As he did, he dropped the card he'd bought for Jennifer. Jennifer called after Daniel, but he didn't hear her, so she picked up the card and read, "Dear Jen, I miss you. If we can have a do-over, I promise I'll let you win the next round of darts. Love, Daniel."
At the Horton house, J.J. called Rory and declared, "It was stupid, man! Jonas could've called the cops on me. That's the last time I'm listening to you." J.J. ruled out doing anything else that involved the hospital or Daniel to make money, but then announced, "I just got a brilliant idea about how to get some cash and have some fun, too."
