At the Horton Town Square, Cameron tried to talk to Abe, who stated, somewhat dismissively, that he didn't have time to talk to Cameron.
At Common Grounds, which had already been closed for the night, Chad and Abigail joked about some of the highlights of their trip to the amusement park earlier that day. "I think I've had more fun tonight than I've had in a really long time," Abigail admitted. Snickering, Chad pointed out that Abigail had a piece of cotton candy stuck in her hair, and their eyes locked as he gently wiped it away.
Abigail cleared her throat and pulled away from Chad, ending the moment. Chad apologized and assured Abigail that he understood that their trip to the amusement park had not been a date. Abigail insisted that there was no reason for Chad to apologize, reiterating that she had really enjoyed spending the day with him. Abigail blamed the sudden change in her demeanor on the video of Sami attacking Bernardi, which Abigail had managed to forget about for most of the day.
After reassuring Chad that she wasn't going to tell anyone about the video, Abigail wondered why Chad cared about protecting Sami's secret. Chad explained that he was trying to make up for what he had done at Nick and Gabi's wedding. Comparing his actions to the butterfly effect, Chad blamed himself for everything that had happened after the wedding, insisting that everyone would have been better off if he had minded his own business.
Abigail tried to use Will as an example of someone whose life might have been worse if Chad hadn't revealed Gabi's secret at the wedding, but Chad was more interested in talking about Abigail. Chad was grateful that Abigail had somehow managed to forgive him for betraying her trust at the wedding. Abigail smiled and touched the side of Chad's face, stating that he was lucky that he was the kind of person who was easy to forgive.
Outside, Cameron watched Chad and Abigail for a moment before turning to leave. Abigail spotted Cameron and called out to him. Cameron apologized as he entered the coffeehouse, explaining that he had taken a break from the hospital to get a cup of coffee, unaware that Common Grounds had already closed for the night. After serving Cameron, Chad excused himself so that he could run an errand, promising to return soon.
After Chad left, Cameron questioned Abigail's previous claim that her trip to the amusement park with Chad had not been a date. "We're supposed to be together, but I felt closer to you nine months ago than I do now," Cameron admitted. Abigail tried to argue with Cameron's assessment of the situation, but he said that feelings couldn't be argued with.
Cameron theorized that Abigail was stringing him and Chad along because it was easier than getting serious with either guy. Reading between the lines, Abigail guessed that Cameron was referring to the fact that she was still a virgin. Confirming Abigail's suspicion, Cameron explained that he had recently started to believe that they had gotten close enough for her to finally feel comfortable with taking their relationship to the next level.
Cameron added that he was starting to question that belief, since it had looked like Abigail had been about to kiss Chad before Cameron had arrived earlier. Abigail didn't want to talk about the matter at the coffeehouse, but Cameron insisted that she couldn't avoid the topic forever. Frustrated, Cameron abruptly excused himself. Meanwhile, Chad returned, carrying a white plastic bag.
Observing that Abigail seemed upset, Chad hoped that the bag's contents would cheer her up. Inside, Abigail found the stuffed panda that Chad had promised to win for her at the amusement park earlier. After failing to fulfill his promise, Chad had contacted the owners, accused them of rigging the game, and used the DiMera name to ensure that they would cooperate. Knowing that Abigail had scruples, Chad clarified that he had also paid for the item.
Abigail declined to talk about what had upset her earlier, informing Chad that she was more interested in resuming their earlier conversation about the highlights of their trip to the amusement park. Chad agreed and took Abigail back to the chair that she had been sitting on before Cameron had interrupted them. Taking a seat across from Abigail, Chad placed her hand back on the side of his face, as if Cameron's visit had never happened.
In Will's hospital room, E.J., Sami, and Sonny tried to talk Will out of confessing to Abe. "You know, I think all three of us not only understand, but we admire how you feel, okay? But just this once, use a little common sense, all right? You're not even out of the hospital yet from your last act of heroism, and now you're ready to go and take on Stefano DiMera? And maybe go to jail?" Sonny reasoned.
E.J. pointed out that Will's confession would only end up hurting Sami's case, since it would provide her with a motive for killing Bernardi. Sami added that she, Lucas, Sonny, and E.J. had each fought really hard to ensure that Will would get to be a part of Arianna's life, and she wondered if he was really ready to throw all of that away. Before Will could respond, Abe peeked his head into the room.
Abe explained that he needed to talk to Will and Sonny privately so that he could get their statements about the recent shooting. Sami dryly reminded Abe that Will and Sonny were practically the only two people who hadn't entered Rafe's room that night. Realizing that it would be futile to argue with Abe, E.J. and Sami reluctantly left the room.
In the waiting area, Sami started to panic about what Will might be telling Abe, noting that Will seemed to have an inexplicable compulsion to tell the truth. "Clearly a recessive gene," E.J. muttered, but Sami wasn't amused. E.J. predicted that Will wouldn't confess, since doing so would also implicate Sami, Lucas, Roman, and Hope.
Meanwhile, back in Will's room, Will and Sonny each told Abe that they hadn't seen Sami before the shooting had occurred. When Abe asked if either Sonny or Will had known the victim, Will jokingly replied that he knew Rafe very well. Trying to suppress a smile, Abe rephrased the question, and Will and Sonny each said that, while they might have seen Bernardi once or twice at the police station or the coffeehouse, respectively, they hadn't actually known the cop.
In response to Abe's final question, Sonny and Will each stated that they had not seen Bernardi at the hospital on the night of the shooting. After thanking Will and Sonny, Abe started to leave. "There is one thing that I did want to say, though," Will announced. Later, Sami and E.J. returned and wondered what Will had said to Abe, who was no longer in the room.
"[Will] told [Abe] that you would never shoot Bernardi on purpose and without reason," Sonny informed Sami, whose attempts to get an answer out of Will had failed. Will tried to hide his physical discomfort as Sami hugged him tightly. Will asked Sonny to take Sami to the waiting area to get a cup of coffee so that Will could talk to E.J. privately.
Sami tried to protest, but Sonny reminded her that Will could be a very stubborn person sometimes. Sami jokingly wondered who Will had inherited that particular trait from. After Sonny and Sami left, Will guessed that he and E.J. both knew who was responsible for Sami's latest predicament. E.J. remained silent.
"Thanks for not denying it. My question for you is...are you so loyal to Stefano that you would risk my mom going to jail for the rest of her life?" Will wondered. Claiming that loyalty wasn't the issue, E.J. pointed out that he had no way of proving that Stefano had ordered Bernardi to kill Rafe. E.J. explained that if he told the police that Bernardi had been working for Stefano, the police would question Stefano as part of their investigation.
"This might come as a bit of a shock to you, but my father is going to lie to the police, William. He will say whatever he needs to say to prove that Samantha knows Bernardi, and that she had a motive for killing him. You know how he feels about your mother. He will relish the opportunity to throw her away and cover his own ass. Look, I'm not trying to protect my father, but it's very important that he remains neutral, William -- at least until your mother's name is cleared. Look, I will fight as hard as I can to make sure that your mother does not go to prison for killing that man, but I will not tip my hand to my father unless I absolutely have to," E.J. firmly stated.
E.J. reasoned that Stefano's sudden decision to leave the country was actually a good thing, since it meant that Stefano couldn't make Sami's situation worse. Will pointed out that Stefano was going to get away with another attempted murder, but E.J. wasn't ready to make that assumption yet. Still skeptical, Will reluctantly agreed to let E.J. decide how to handle Stefano.
Elsewhere, Kate found Gabi filling out some hospital release documents in one of the break rooms. Kate wished that Rafe could have held Arianna before Gabi and the infant had been released from the hospital, but she and Gabi both supported Daniel's decision to keep Rafe in a coma for a while longer. "He's going to need all the strength he can get -- especially because he'll be waking up to find out that his ex-wife shot his friend in his hospital room. Talk about While You Were Sleeping," Kate said with a sigh.
Changing the subject, Kate announced that she had fired Nick earlier that day. Gabi wondered if Nick was all right, which worried Kate, who believed that Gabi's concern meant that there was still a chance that Gabi might decide to forgive him for everything that he had done. After conceding that Nick had made a lot of big mistakes, Gabi explained that she was simply afraid that he wouldn't be able to handle another loss.
"After losing you? Which was his fault, not yours. And everything he did -- they weren't mistakes, Gabi. He has to learn that he is never gonna get away with treating people the way he does -- especially the way he treated my grandson," Kate replied. Kate suspected that Gabi felt guilty about what had happened with Nick, since Gabi's first instinct had been to ask about his welfare instead of trying to find out why he had been fired.
Gabi claimed that the reason for Nick's termination didn't matter, since she believed that firing him had simply been Kate's way of punishing him for what he had done to Will. Gabi insisted that Nick felt awful about the things that he had done, but Kate theorized that he had only shared his pain with Gabi because he knew exactly how to use people who pitied him. Gabi conceded that she might feel some pity for Nick, who had been through a lot.
"Just think of everything that he's brought on himself. Gabi, he committed murder, and then he was more than happy to let someone else take the blame. He gets out of prison, supposedly a new man -- a changed man -- and what does he do? He proceeds to blackmail the father of your baby. Now, I don't know if he was trying to cheat me, but he was so incompetent, he allowed E.J. and Sami to get my company's formula. So now he has the whole Horton clan surrounding him, they have his back, they're forgiving him, they're making excuses for him, and still, he continues to do the same thing," Kate summarized.
Gabi continued to defend Nick, insisting that he would do anything for her and Arianna, despite the fact that he wasn't the child's father. "God, you know, Norman Bates would do anything for his mother, and that doesn't mean it was right," Kate countered. Gabi pointedly stated that Kate wasn't really in a position to talk to her about relationships.
"Okay. Then don't do as I do. But please listen to what I have to say, because you have your whole life ahead of you. I never learned from my mistakes, Gabi. I went from one dysfunctional relationship to another. From one pretty face to a rich one, and heaven forbid there was a rich and pretty one. I just kind of perfected the art of denial. And now, when I realize that all I ever really wanted was a good man, it's probably too late," Kate regretfully admitted.
In the waiting area, Sami apologized for dragging Sonny into her latest mess. Sonny assured Sami that he understood, adding that Adrienne had warned him that dating Will would mean dealing with a lot of complicated relationships. Sami knowingly guessed that Adrienne had probably used the word baggage. Sami and Sonny made a pact to refrain from talking about the things that Adrienne said about Sami.
Meanwhile, Kate and Gabi entered the waiting area. Gabi handed Arianna to Sonny, who assured the infant that he and Will couldn't wait to take her home with them. Gabi needed to change Arianna's diaper, so Sonny offered to join them so that Gabi could give him a diaper-changing tutorial. Sonny and Gabi went to one of the break rooms, where he watched as she tried to change Arianna's diaper.
Gabi admitted that the task had looked much easier when she had watched a nurse do it earlier. With a mixture of concern and curiosity, Sonny pointed at a spot on Arianna's body and wondered what it was. "Oh, uh...yeah, I know. Doctor said it's gonna fall off in a couple weeks," Gabi replied. Sonny said that was something to look forward to, and he jokingly told Arianna that it was a good thing that she was extremely cute.
"Hey, um, I want to say thank you so much for letting us move in with Will. I know it's like Three's Company with a baby," Gabi told Sonny, somewhat apologetically, but he was confident that everything was going to be great. Meanwhile, back in the waiting area, Kate expressed concern when she learned that Sami had changed the description of Bernardi's weapon from a knife to a razor.
Stressing that she was on Sami's side, Kate promised to take care of Will and Arianna if Sami ended up getting convicted of murder. Sami insisted that she wasn't going to be convicted, since she hadn't done anything wrong. Sami blamed Kate for the whole ordeal, since Kate was the person who had told Stefano about Kate and Rafe's relationship.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry about that. I don't know why -- I don't know -- I should have known that I would end up hurting him. Rafe is the one person I never, ever wanted to hurt," Kate tearfully stated. Realizing that Kate's remorse was genuine, Sami softened and pointed out that Kate was human. Sami hesitantly extended her right hand to comfort Kate, but Will, E.J., Sonny, and Gabi arrived before Sami made contact with Kate's shoulder.
E.J. offered to give the group a ride back to their apartment, but Sonny declined the offer, reporting that he had already installed a car seat and "babyfied" the entire apartment. Sami urged the group to call her if they ever needed a question answered. "I don't think we will. We're shacking up with Mary Poppins here," Will dryly stated. Sonny jokingly informed Arianna that he was practically perfect in every way. After everyone else left, Kate muttered that, while she really did feel sorry for Sami, it might do Sami and everyone else a world of good if Sami spent a few years in prison.
At the Horton Town Square, Abe apologized for blowing Cameron off earlier. Cameron said that he understood that being the police commissioner was a demanding job. After reporting that he had quit his second job, Cameron asked if he could start to spend some more time with Theo. Abe said that he and Theo would love that. Abe noted that Cameron seemed upset about something, but Cameron claimed that he was fine and abruptly excused himself.
At the DiMera mansion, E.J. surprised Sami with a candlelit dinner. A short time later, someone rang the doorbell. When E.J. opened the door, a man asked for Sami, who identified herself before E.J. could stop her. The man served Sami with a subpoena before abruptly exiting the mansion. After reading the subpoena, E.J. announced that Sami would have to testify in front of a grand jury the following day.
At a hotel near the state capitol, Nicole peeked into one of the rooms, expecting to find Eric, but she found an unidentified couple having sex in the room instead. Nicole apologized and quickly left the room. Determined to find out why the receptionist had given her the wrong hotel room number, Nicole marched back to the lobby.
Meanwhile, a hotel employee knocked on the door to Eric's room, offering turndown service. Kristen declined the offer as Eric continued to kiss her passionately. Kristen managed to pry herself away from Eric for long enough to close and lock the door, which had been left slightly ajar earlier, before he pulled her back into his arms and started kissing her again.
"God, I want you. Like I've never wanted anything," Eric breathlessly informed Kristen, who claimed that she felt the same way. After presumably having sex with Kristen, Eric, who was still struggling to catch his breath, wondered what had just happened. Before Kristen could respond, Eric passed out again. Satisfied, Kristen collected the two strategically placed video cameras that had recorded everything.
Kristen went back to her room and donned her disguise once again before returning to Eric's room. "You, of all people -- I'm so sorry you had to pay for your bitch of a mother. I'm so sorry. So, so sorry. Goodbye," Kristen quietly told Eric, who was still passed out. Kristen walked back into her room, leaving Eric twitching involuntarily on the bed.
In the lobby, Nicole told George and the other receptionist about Eric's school project, hoping to convince them to let her see Eric. The other receptionist was unmoved, but after she left, George agreed to tell Nicole where Eric was staying. A short time later, Nicole knocked on Eric's door.
Still feeling the effects of the drugs that Kristen had administered earlier, Eric's whole body trembled as he tried to move, knocking over a lamp with one of his legs in the process. Concerned, Nicole retrieved a universal key card from a cleaning cart that had conveniently been left in the hallway.
As Nicole rushed into Eric's room, Kristen slipped out of her own room without being seen, apparently unaware of Nicole's presence. Kristen made her way to the lobby, where George refused to let her leave, cryptically stating that he knew what she was up to. Meanwhile, back in Eric's room, Nicole cradled an unresponsive Eric in her arms.
Back in Salem, Sonny unlocked the door to his and Will's new apartment and welcomed Will, Gabi, and Arianna home.
Marlena stopped by the rectory to track down contact information for Eric when she was not able to reach him on his cell phone. A nun informed Marlena that Nicole had made the travel arrangements and that Marlena could check in with Nicole for information. Marlena worried aloud that Eric would not find time to relax while on his trip.
Nicole found Eric writhing in pain and shivering in his hotel room. Worried, Nicole cradled Eric's face in her hands. Eric had memory flashes of a woman rolling around on the bed with him, then he passed out. Worried, Nicole begged Eric to sit up, but he was unable. Nicole noted that Eric was burning up with a fever, and she rushed into the bathroom to get a cool washcloth.
Nicole applied the cold washcloth to Eric's forehead, and he called out her name. Eric asked Nicole what had happened. Nicole explained that Eric had left his notes and that she had stopped by to bring them to him. Worried, Nicole said she would get help. Nicole could not find her cell phone, so she picked up the room phone. Realizing the room phone was dead, Nicole headed downstairs to find help for Eric.
In the hotel lobby, the desk clerk, George, stopped Kristen as she was leaving. A police officer, Chip, blocked Kristen from the doorway and asked her to open her bag. When Kristen protested in her fake French accent, Chip asked George what his complaint was regarding Kristen. George explained that Kristen had not checked into the hotel but that she had a key and was about to leave. George argued that Kristen had to be a prostitute.
George asked Chip to arrest Kristen. Kristen promised to pay for the room a second time if that would keep her out of jail. George refused to accept Kristen's offer and noted that he wanted to press charges. Chip started to put handcuffs onto Kristen's wrist when the female hotel clerk, Martha, returned to the desk and vouched for Kristen. Martha explained that she had checked Kristen in but had not finished the paperwork. Kristen vowed to call her attorney then left as Nicole ran into reception, crying out for help.
Nicole, George, and Chip rushed up to Eric's room. Chip left to radio for an ambulance as George stammered that Eric had not looked ill when he had checked in. Nicole asked about the closest hospital, but George noted that the nearby county hospital was a terrible facility. Nicole swore to get the best care possible for Eric.
In the coffeehouse, Chad leaned in for a kiss but Abigail pulled away. Abigail said that she had believed the evening was about her and Chad hanging out as friends. Chad explained that when he had asked Abigail out, he had not wanted to just be friends. Frustrated, Abigail reminded Chad that she was involved with Cameron. Chad countered that he did not believe Cameron was right for Abigail.
When Chad said that Abigail had declined Cameron's invitation for a date because she'd had plans with Chad, Abigail firmly stated that she had not chosen Chad over Cameron. Chad apologized for his behavior in the past, but he noted that he could not get over Abigail, and he did not want to give up on her without a fight. Surprised, Abigail said that she had not known how Chad felt.
When Chad noted that life kept throwing him and Abigail together, Abigail remarked that keeping secrets from the police was not a good way to bond. Chad asked Abigail if she was having second thoughts about keeping the video from the police. Abigail said no. Chad told Abigail that he admired her desire to do the right thing and stick to her beliefs. Shifting uncomfortably, Abigail asked Chad if he was referring to her virginity. Chuckling, Chad told Abigail that she was cute when she blushed.
"It's special that you want to save yourself for the right guy, and I don't know if that's me but..." Chad said before Abigail said that she was unsure what she wanted. Chad explained that he had wanted to tell Abigail how he felt because he had felt like they had shared something special when they had gone out that evening. Flustered, Abigail started to leave. Chad stopped her and handed her the panda bear she had left on the counter. Abigail took the bear and quietly left.
In their new apartment, Gabi, Will, and Sonny struggled to stop Arianna's crying. As Will searched the apartment for Arianna's blanket, Nick knocked on the front door. Nick asked Will if everything was all right, and Will explained that Arianna was fussy. As Sonny joined Will at the front door, Nick gave Will a mobile for Arianna's crib and noted that the high contrast black and white was supposed to soothe babies.
"I'm willing to try anything," Sonny said as he grabbed the mobile and headed back into Arianna's room. As Nick and Will stood awkwardly in the doorway, Arianna's cries subsided. Elated, Will noted that the mobile seemed to have worked. Will invited Nick in to the apartment. Nick apologized to Will, but Will said it was not necessary because Nick had returned Arianna to Will's life. Will said that he was sorry for what had happened to Nick in prison.
"If I was half as good of a person as you are, none of this would have happened no matter what I had to deal with in prison," Nick said. Nick added that he believed Arianna had a wonderful father. Gabi and Sonny walked into the living room, and she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Nick. Nick started to leave, but Gabi told Nick that she had spoken to Kate, and she was sorry that Kate had fired Nick. Nick remarked that his dismissal was for the best, and he walked to the door.
Sonny said that Arianna was resting and suggested that Gabi go out for a walk with Nick. Smiling, Gabi thanked Sonny. After Nick and Gabi had left, Chad stopped by to visit Will. Raising an eyebrow, Will asked Chad what else he wanted to talk about. With a sheepish smile, Chad said that he wanted to talk about Abigail. Chad explained that he had taken Abigail out as a friend but that he had felt like there was still chemistry with her.
"I just want one more chance with her. What if Cameron is not the right guy for her? What if deep down, she thinks it too?" Chad wondered aloud. "We all make mistakes, and if I'm over what you did then I'm sure Abigail is over what you did. And if you hadn't done it then, I wouldn't be a father to my little girl, so in a convoluted way, you did me a favor," Will said. Chad thanked Will for the kind words and left.
In the town square, Nick and Gabi talked. Nick apologized for leaving Gabi and Arianna in the lurch. Gabi said that her living situation with Will was going well. Gabi urged Nick to submit a résumé with Sami for a new job. After an awkward silence, Nick noted that it felt like they were strangers.
"Maybe that's because we are," Gabi said. Nick blamed himself for the state of their relationship. Nick swore that he had meant it when he had promised to take care of Gabi and Arianna. Gabi countered that Nick had lied to himself. Nick said that he cared about Gabi and that he wanted to be friends. Gabi said that she needed to get her life in order. Nodding, Nick said that Gabi had made the right decision to move in with Will and Sonny.
"They're great guys. A hell of a lot better than me," Nick said. Gabi asked Nick to take care of himself, and then she left. When Gabi arrived home, she interrupted Will and Sonny while they were making out on the couch. Gabi chatted about the sleep habits of the baby, then announced that she was going to take a nap. Will asked Sonny about his childhood, and they cuddled on the couch and talked. Smiling, Will announced he wanted to sing to his daughter.
Fresh out of the shower, Daniel answered the door in a towel. When Daniel saw Jennifer standing in the hallway, he invited her in to talk. "Talk is overrated," Jennifer said as she grabbed Daniel and kissed him. With a sigh, Daniel woke up from his daydream of Jennifer. Standing at the nurses' station at the hospital, Daniel shook his head.
Daniel turned around and ran into Jennifer as she exited the elevator. Surprised, Jennifer smiled faintly and walked away. Jennifer returned to the desk and told Daniel that she had found his note. Jennifer asked Daniel to trust her to handle her son in her own way. Daniel countered that he trusted Jennifer implicitly but that he believed she had blinders on when it came to J.J.
Jennifer accused Daniel of jumping to conclusions about J.J. and wanting J.J. to be guilty. Hurt, Daniel protested, but Marlena interrupted. Jennifer seized the opportunity and walked away. Marlena apologized to Daniel for interrupting and asked him to consult on a case. After reviewing the chart, Marlena explained that she needed to take time off to help Sami. When Marlena mentioned that Eric was out of town, working on a project that would keep Eric in Salem, Daniel nodded.
"I would be lost without him," Marlena said about Eric. Nicole called Daniel's cell phone and he excused himself from his conversation with Marlena. On the phone, Nicole informed Daniel that she was in an ambulance, transporting Eric to Salem Hospital. Nicole pleaded with Daniel to help Eric.
Jennifer and Abigail returned home at the same time. Noting the look on Abigail's face, Jennifer asked her daughter what was wrong. Abigail told her mother that she had grown closer to Cameron and that she had informed him that she was ready to sleep with him. Abigail was embarrassed that she was still a virgin, and Jennifer reminded her daughter that she had been a virgin at Abigail's current age. With a sigh, Abigail explained that she had spent the evening with Chad, despite knowing that he liked her.
"I actually had a really great time," Abigail said. Jennifer advised Abigail to steer clear of Chad. Surprised, Abigail reminded Jennifer that Jennifer had encouraged Abigail to date Chad when Jack had opposed the union. Jennifer explained that she had felt different before Chad had interrupted Gabi's wedding. Abigail argued that everyone made mistakes and that Chad should be given another chance.
Jennifer disagreed and noted that Chad's mistake had been too big to forget. With a smile, Jennifer reminded Abigail that she had said that Abigail had grown closer to Cameron. Abigail said that she was not sure about Cameron and that she had continued to think about Chad. Frustrated, Abigail went upstairs to be alone.
In the DiMera living room, Kristen returned home and connected her video camera with the footage of her with Eric to the computer. Kristen reviewed the footage until someone rang the doorbell. When Kristen answered the door, she found Dr. Chyka on the front porch, and he asked her about the drugs he had provided her. Kristen invited Dr. Chyka into the living room and offered him a drink.
"A little something to remember the night by because God knows nobody else is going to remember, right?" Kristen asked. Dr. Chyka nervously fidgeted until Kristen asked him what was wrong. Dr. Chyka informed Kristen that he had learned that the compound he had given Kristen had been corrupted and was not as potent as it should have been. Furious, Kristen demanded to know if Eric would retain his memory from the evening. Dr. Chyka said he could not make any promises about the effects of the drug on the patient's long-term memory.
When Eric arrived at the hospital, the EMT informed Daniel that Eric had a temperature of 105. Marlena rushed to her son's side, and Nicole told Daniel that Eric had recognized her when she found him, but that Eric had been out ever since. Daniel rushed Eric into a room for treatment as Roman arrived and comforted Marlena. As Marlena explained to Roman what had happened, she grew agitated.
Narrowing her eyes, Marlena asked Nicole, "What the hell were you doing there?" Nicole explained that Eric had left his notes about the school at the church, and she had gone to the hotel to deliver the papers to Eric. When Roman asked why the ambulance had not taken Eric to a local hospital, Nicole answered that she had been worried about the quality of care and had directed the EMTs to deliver Eric to Daniel at Salem Hospital.
Inside Eric's room, the nurse reported to Daniel that Eric's white blood cell count was normal. Confused by the finding, Daniel ordered antibiotics until they could review the cultures. As Daniel started to leave, the alarms on Eric's monitors started to beep. Daniel stabilized Eric, and Eric's fever vanished. Daniel updated Marlena, Roman, and Nicole on Eric's condition.
Daniel took Nicole aside and asked her to explain in detail everything that Nicole had witnessed that evening. Daniel explained that he had never seen a virus attack and clear up so quickly and that it was likely that Eric had been poisoned. Inside his room, Eric thrashed in bed restlessly.
At the Horton house, Abigail was dressed for the day but still in her bedroom, reading, when Chad called from Common Grounds. Abigail apologized for running out on Chad the night before, but Chad understood that she'd needed space. "I probably should've picked a better time to say how I feel about you, but last night just seemed right," Chad admitted. Cameron arrived at the coffeehouse with Theo just then, so Chad hung up.
Abigail picked up the stuffed panda that Chad had bought for her at the amusement park. She held it close for a moment, smiling, then put it on the bed, grabbed her phone, and headed downstairs.
Downstairs, Adrienne was ranting to Jennifer about Justin taking Sami's case. "Within months, that woman is going to fix it so my son's heart is broken again," Adrienne predicted. Abigail arrived at the bottom of the stairs as Jennifer was gently trying to convince Adrienne that Will and Sonny were good for each other. Abigail hid around the corner to eavesdrop when she heard Adrienne call Will "a liar just like his mother."
Adrienne recounted all the terrible things that had happened since Will and Sonny had gotten together. Jennifer tried to defend her nephew, but Adrienne argued that Sami had shot a detective in cold blood. Jennifer reminded Adrienne that Sami had done it to save Rafe's life. "So she says!" Adrienne retorted. "Are you kidding me? What other reason would she have for shooting him?" Jennifer demanded.
Adrienne contended that Sonny needed to get away from Will while he still could. Jennifer urged Adrienne to stop worrying and let Sonny be his own man. "Oh, Jennifer. Wouldn't you worry if J.J. or Abigail were getting involved with somebody who was nothing but trouble?" Adrienne countered. Abigail entered the room then and kissed her aunt and mother in greeting.
Abigail admitted that she'd been up for a while but she'd had a lot to think about. Jennifer and Adrienne fell silent, eyeing Abigail curiously. Adrienne asked if something were wrong. Dodging the question, Abigail offered to get something for breakfast for Adrienne and Jennifer, but they declined. After Abigail had gone, Adrienne gushed about how great it was that Abigail was dating Cameron Davis because he was a doctor. Jennifer did not respond.
Adrienne was gone when Abigail returned. Jennifer began to say something about the previous night, but Abigail politely stated that she didn't want to talk about it. Abigail explained, "It's not because I'm angry or anything...I'd really like you to try to understand that I'm going to make my own decisions about who I want to date, even if that means I'm going to make some mistakes." Smiling, Jennifer said that she understood and promised to try not to be judgmental.
At the coffeehouse, Theo greeted Chad with a hug. After Chad got the boy set up with a video game, Cameron demanded, "What kind of game are you playing with Abigail?" Chad maintained that he wasn't playing games; he was serious about Abigail, and he was glad that he'd told her how he felt about her. Cameron noted that it had to feel odd for Chad to be honest for a change.
Chad pointed out that he had left when Cameron had arrived the night before to give Abigail and Cameron some space, and Chad had purposely not returned until Cameron was leaving -- at which point Abigail had been upset. Cameron accused Chad of taking advantage of the situation, but Chad asserted that Abigail could think for herself because she was an amazing woman. Cameron maintained that Chad was only interested in Abigail because it was a challenge.
Chad insisted that he and Abigail had simply gotten closer because they'd been hanging out as friends, and the last thing he'd wanted was to make a mess of things for Abigail or see her get hurt -- even if that meant she chose Cameron over Chad. Cameron was suspicious about Chad's motives, but Chad maintained that he was just trying to keep things aboveboard.
Theo finished his video game and invited Chad to go to the park to play. Chad replied that he couldn't, but promised to stop by later to help Theo oil his baseball glove. Cameron scowled while Theo and Chad hugged goodbye.
Cameron and Theo were gone when Abigail arrived a little later. Abigail apologized to Chad if she had given him mixed signals the night before. Chad said that he hoped Abigail would give him a chance -- but he would revert to being just a friend if she asked him to. Abigail admitted, "I know I've been a little weird lately, but it's just like I'm trying to avoid figuring out how I really feel." Chad assured her that she could take her time because he wasn't going anywhere.
At Will and Sonny's new apartment, Will was holding his daughter and marveling that she had slept through the night. Sonny revealed that, thanks to the painkillers, only Will had slept through the night, while baby Arianna had been up every couple of hours to be fed. When Lucas arrived, Will handed Arianna over to her beaming grandpa.
After Lucas had put the baby in her bassinette, he asked if there were any news about Sami or if any other evidence against her had surfaced. "What evidence? She was trying to protect Rafe; that's the end of the story," Will asserted. A skeptical Lucas noted, "Once the real story comes out, everybody's going to know why she did it." Will asked what Lucas had meant.
"I meant the real truth about Sami trying to protect Rafe. Why? Is there another truth now?" Lucas demanded. With a shrug, Will replied that if Sami said there had been a razor, then there had been a razor. Lucas wondered where Gabi was. Will and Sonny explained that Gabi was making up an exam that she'd missed while in the hospital.
Lucas suggested that the guys take a break and leave him with the baby. A grateful Will hugged his dad, then Will and Sonny practically bolted out the door. Gazing down at Arianna, Lucas remarked that she had Sami's nose. "Let's just hope you don't have her flair for finding trouble, too," Lucas added, grinning.
As Will and Sonny shared a cup of ice cream in Horton Square, Sonny noted what a nice change it was that their families had finally become more accepting of their relationship. Will's face fell as Adrienne entered the square just then. Sonny caught it, followed Will's gaze, and asked with dismay, "What did my mom do now?" Adrienne approached Will and Sonny and greeted them pleasantly. " I know what you said to Will," Sonny declared.
Adrienne confessed that she had asked Will to walk away before both guys got their hearts broken, but she quickly realized that Will hadn't told Sonny about the conversation. Adrienne suspected that Will had manipulated the situation to make her look bad, but Sonny asserted that Adrienne had done that all on her own. When Sonny rose to leave, Adrienne pleaded her case: "You know what his mother's like. He lied to you. He almost got you killed..."
Will interrupted to caution Adrienne that she was embarrassing herself. Adrienne started in about what Sami had done, but Sonny pointed out that Sami had saved Rafe's life. Adrienne contended, "That's what she stuck your father with so he could fail in court." Fed up, Will walked off, and Sonny started to follow. Adrienne continued imploring Sonny to reconsider, but he warned her, "If you're going to make me choose between you and Will, it's going to be a very easy decision." A frustrated Adrienne sadly watched her son leave.
Later, Adrienne left a tearful message for Sonny, reassuring him that she would always love him no matter what. She added that she truly hoped they would learn that Sami had done the right thing. "How 'bout I make you a promise? From now on, I will try to do my best to show you that I'm behind you one hundred percent," Adrienne vowed, bursting into tears as she hung up.
As Sonny and Will walked through the park, Sonny apologized for his mom -- but he wondered why Will hadn't divulged what she had said as soon as it had happened. Will explained, "Well, maybe because I thought she had a point. I mean, my family has a long history of drama. You just got a taste; wait till you get the buffet."
Sonny declared that he and Will belonged together. "A lot of people who know us and a lot of people who don't know us think it's not okay that we love each other, and I want you to promise me that you will never tell Arianna it's not okay to love someone," Sonny requested. Will agreed, asserting that they would both be there for Arianna.
Kristen poured tea for Dr. Chyka at the DiMera mansion while he apologized for the impurity of the solution he'd given to her. Kristen angrily reminded him that he had guaranteed that whoever received the drug would not remember anything that had happened while under the influence. Dr. Chyka assured her that the patient would remember nothing, but Kristen pointed out that wasn't what he'd said the day before.
Dr. Chyka explained that after sleeping on it, he had rethought his earlier opinion -- and he would stake his reputation that the patient would remain oblivious. "If by chance the patient does remember that he was drugged and then seduced, it's going to be a hell of a lot more than just your reputation at stake," Kristen warned.
Kristen admitted that things had gone very well, and the video quality had been excellent -- but she would have to do something if the patient began to remember. Dr. Chyka asked if Kristen were thinking of leaving Salem. Kristen replied that it wasn't really her style. "I tend to stay put... I win, no matter what. You got that? No matter what," Kristen declared. She ordered Dr. Chyka to leave but cautioned him against attempting to flee to try to hide from her and her father.
After Dr. Chyka had gone, Kristen pretended to be one of Father Eric's parishioners on the phone and learned that Eric had been taken to Salem University Hospital. As she got some papers out of the desk drawer, she stumbled across the keychain Brady had given her. Tossing the key ring in the trash, Kristen grabbed the papers and her and headed out.
Brady found Nicole in the hospital waiting room, where she had been all night. After she hugged him gratefully, Brady asked what had happened to Eric. Nicole filled Brady in on what little she knew, and Brady tried to calm her when she began to flip out. Nicole informed him, "Daniel thinks Eric was poisoned." She confessed that when she had seen what bad shape Eric had been in, she had been terrified that she was going to lose him forever.
When an emotional Nicole began to sob at that thought, she explained that she had been up all night. She suggested that once they were sure Eric was going to be all right, perhaps she and Brady could go on the trip they'd planned. "I think we both know that we can't do that. Not today. Maybe not ever," Brady said. He gently noted that Nicole's reaction to seeing Eric sick showed that her feelings for Eric were deeper than she'd admitted.
Brady continued that he thought they should put the "rebound thing" they were doing on hold. Nicole inquired about Brady's feelings for Kristen. He admitted that he'd been thinking about Kristen and had even called her -- but he had hung up immediately. "I realized that the only way I'm going to get this woman out of my system is to have zero contact with her," Brady declared, adding that he was going to need his friend to help him. Nicole promised to be there.
Brady said that if they went away together, he would just be running away from what he needed to deal with. Nicole acknowledged that she had to face her demons, as well. Brady stated that they should change their "friends with benefits" arrangements back to just friends. Nicole concurred.
In his hospital bed, a semiconscious Eric had flashes of memory from his encounter with Kristen in his hotel room the night before. Sweating, he thrashed in the bed as if to throw the memories off of him. Daniel woke Eric and asked if the priest remembered what had happened the night before. Eric replied that he remembered being "sick as a dog," but he felt all right that morning.
Daniel asked what Eric thought had caused the illness. Eric shook his head with confusion, then suddenly shouted, "This is all wrong!" Agitated and trembling, he tried to get out of bed, so Daniel tried to calm Eric down. Eric was determined to reach his meeting about the school project with the legislative committee at the capital. Daniel informed him that Nicole had called, and both of them had explained the situation to the legislative assistant.
Although still anxious, Eric seemed to relax a little. While Eric caught his breath, Daniel asked the priest to try to remember what had happened the night before. As his eyes filled with bewildered tears, Eric managed, "Something was wrong. Something went very wrong." Daniel agreed, noting that Eric had gotten violently ill very quickly. Daniel added that he had run blood tests to check for some kind of poison.
Eric informed Daniel that he hadn't eaten or drunk anything that night. Daniel asked if Eric had perhaps touched something or smelled something strange, but Eric admitted that he couldn't remember much. Daniel suggested that Eric retrace his steps from the time he arrived at the hotel. Eric recounted how when he'd checked in, he'd told the front desk that he didn't want to be disturbed.
Eric continued that the phone in his room hadn't been working, so he'd gone back to the lobby to use the office phone, and a woman had been checking in. "Something was bothering her," Eric remembered. He had then gone back to his room and had taken a shower. As Eric picked up his rosary beads, Daniel prodded him to remember anything else that might help, such as a weird taste in his mouth or tingling skin.
Eric admitted that the first thing he remembered after taking a shower was waking up in bed, shivering and aching. Nicole had been there, although he had no idea how she'd known that he'd needed her. Daniel left to check on Eric's test results and to update Roman and Marlena on Eric's condition. On his way out, Daniel urged Eric to rest.
As soon as Daniel had gone, Eric got up and began to get dressed. When he picked up his priest's collar, he stopped and stared at it pensively. Eric used the room phone to call one of the members of the legislative committee and promised to reschedule the meeting as soon as he could look at his calendar. Brady entered just as Eric was buttoning his shirt. "I heard my brother was in need of a keeper," Brady announced, embracing Eric.
Eric said that he'd just learned from his parents that Sami was out on bail. Brady confirmed it, adding that Nicole had been in the waiting room all night. A surprised Eric wanted to know if Nicole had mentioned why she'd happened to show up at his hotel. "Frankly, Eric, I didn't ask her. Just be glad she did," Brady replied. He tried to reassure Eric that everything was going to be fine.
Kristen arrived at the hospital and tried to give the papers to a nurse. "These are needed for the upcoming board meeting," Kristen claimed. The nurse informed Kristen that her brother had already dropped off a copy. After the nurse walked away from the nurses' station, Kristen eyed a clipboard on the desk that held a list of patients and room numbers.
Nicole clapped a hand on Kristen's shoulder, startling Kristen. "Why were you looking at that list? Nicole demanded suspiciously. Daniel showed up and asked to speak to Nicole in private. As Daniel led Nicole away, she glared at Kristen, who immediately turned her attention back to the clipboard.
As soon as Kristen found Eric's room number, she headed for his door, but she quickly ducked into another room when she heard Brady leaving the room. She watched wistfully as Brady walked away, then she entered Eric's room.
In the waiting room, Daniel told Nicole that they still didn't know whether Eric had been poisoned, and Eric didn't remember much. Since Eric hadn't ingested anything, Nicole wondered if it could have been a spider bite. Daniel explained that a bite would have left a mark. "I don't get it. I mean, what the hell happened to Eric in that hotel room?" Nicole asked tearfully.
Daniel said that if the blood work didn't show anything, they might never know what had happened -- but Eric had recovered enough to be released soon. Daniel instructed Nicole to make Eric rest when he got home. Nicole expressed her gratitude by embracing Daniel. Daniel insisted that he hadn't done much except give Eric fluids.
Brady entered, still in disbelief that Eric couldn't remember anything. Nicole was hopeful that once Eric got some rest, his memory might return. Daniel said that almost anything could trigger Eric's memory.
At the Horton house, Jennifer handed Cameron a prescription pad and told him about J.J.'s visit to the residents' room at the hospital the previous day. Jennifer apologized for J.J.'s poor judgment, stressing that he had been planning to deliver his apology personally, but had apparently been delayed. Since none of the prescription pad's pages were missing, Cameron reasoned that it wasn't a big deal.
Meanwhile, Abigail entered the house, prompting Cameron to abruptly excuse himself. After a brief conversation with Jennifer, Abigail decided to chase after Cameron, managing to catch up to him in the park. Cameron wondered when Abigail had been planning to tell him about what had happened between her and Chad the previous night. Abigail claimed that Chad was just a friend, but Cameron wasn't convinced.
Cameron said that, while he believed that Abigail truly cared about him, it simply wasn't enough anymore. Cameron added that he and Abigail needed to always be honest with each other. Abigail insisted that she had never lied to Cameron, but he believed that she was lying to herself.
"I'm not gonna hang around if you continue to play these mind games. You know how I feel. You know how Chad feels. It's time for you to figure out how you feel. I mean, if we're serious, then we're exclusive...'cause otherwise, we're done," Cameron said before walking away. Abigail chased after Cameron and admitted that he was right -- she had been lying to herself, although she hadn't realized that until he had pointed it out.
Abigail tried to assure Cameron that her conflicting feelings had nothing to do with him, but he didn't seem to appreciate the clichéd "it's not you, it's me" speech. Abigail started to ask Cameron to give her a break, since her family had been dealing with a lot recently, but she quickly decided that was just a really lame excuse.
"Listen, Abigail, you have to do what's right for you, okay? You can't commit to somebody because you don't want to hurt them or because you want to be decisive, okay? You do it because they are the person that you want to be with. Because you are sure...there is no one else that makes you feel the way they do," Cameron said. Cameron urged Abigail to give the matter some thought and let him know once she had made a decision.
At the Horton Town Square, J.J. and Rory raced out of one of the stores, with Cole -- the guy who had purchased the painkillers that J.J. had stolen from the hospital earlier -- and Bev -- Cole's girlfriend -- in tow. Once the group was a safe distance away from the store, they paused to brag about the thefts that they had each just committed.
Each person in the group had used a backpack to smuggle a few stolen goods out of the store. Rory had stolen a small stack of CDs and other miscellaneous items, Bev had stolen a handful of DVDs, and Cole had stolen a newly released video game that he seemed to be particularly excited about. Most notably, J.J. had stolen a cell phone that he believed that he could sell to someone on the docks for at least three hundred dollars.
As the group tried to decide how to spend the rest of the day, Bev openly flirted with J.J. Cole pointedly wrapped his arm around Bev and pulled her toward him, brushing his head against a branch of the tree that had been planted next to Alice and Tom's memorial plaque in the process. "You know what? I've just always hated this tree. Plastic rich people think they own it. Come on, everybody -- grab a hold. Take a piece of it home," Cole suggested.
Rory and Bev eagerly rushed over to help Cole break off a section of the tree, but J.J. wasn't amused. "Hey, man, that was my great-grandfather's tree. He was important; that's why the plaque's there. Get the hell away from it," J.J. said as he shoved Cole away from the tree, knocking Cole's backpack to the ground in the process. Cole mocked J.J. for thinking that the plaque somehow made J.J.'s family special.
J.J. warned Cole to back off, but Cole ignored the warning, breaking off a large section of the tree and tossing it aside as he continued to mock J.J. J.J. gave Cole another warning, but Cole -- who, according to a passing remark that J.J. had made earlier, was "wasted" -- continued to antagonize J.J., dumping a slush drink on the plaque and declaring that the tree was stupid.
Seething with rage, J.J. pushed Cole against a nearby wall and punched him in the face. As J.J. and Cole continued to fight, two police officers intervened, separating the young men. J.J. tried to explain that Cole had been vandalizing the memorial, but the officers were more interested in the two backpacks that were laying on the ground.
Cole and J.J. willingly claimed their respective backpacks, unaware that stolen merchandise had slipped out of each one during the struggle. The fight had attracted a small group of onlookers, including a store owner who identified the items as stolen goods from her store. The woman announced that she wanted to press charges against J.J. and Cole, and the cops quickly placed the young men under arrest.
At the Brady Pub, Marlena received a phone call from Roman while she and Caroline were talking about Eric's hospitalization. After ending the call, Marlena informed Caroline that Eric was being released from the hospital later that day. Caroline and Marlena each agreed that, while they were glad that Eric was all right, it seemed strange that his mysterious illness had completely vanished in such a short amount of time.
Caroline guessed that John was probably doing everything that he could possibly do to support Marlena while Sami and Eric were both dealing with difficult situations. "Well, no, uh...no. I just got a text from John saying he was out of town for a couple days. And...that's fine," Marlena said with a shrug.
In one of the hospital break rooms, a nurse delivered Eric's test results to Daniel. After reading the results, Daniel left the room without offering an explanation to Brady and Nicole. As Brady complained about Daniel's abrupt departure, he nervously observed that Nicole looked like she was formulating some kind of scheme. Nicole reached for her cell phone as she cryptically stated that she had the answer.
Nicole placed a phone call to someone and asked to speak to Hanley right away, identifying herself as Nicole Walker, the Titan TV reporter. Through gritted teeth, Brady reminded Nicole that she no longer worked at Titan TV, but she shushed him. As she waited to be connected to Hanley, Nicole turned on the speakerphone so that Brady could listen to Hanley's end of the conversation.
"Hanley, hi. Nicole Walker. Look, uh, I know you're a busy man, so I'll cut right to the chase, okay? We're about to go public with a story about how you almost killed Father Eric Brady. Are you aware of that?" Nicole asked. Hanley wanted to know what Nicole was talking about. "Well, I'm gonna take that as a no, so here's the header -- a young, courageous Catholic priest, desperately fighting for the life of his school, has to travel to the capitol because Charles Hanley of the budget bureau is in a turf war with the Department of Education and is holding up certification for Father Eric's school. Are you with me so far?" Nicole wondered.
Hanley insisted that Nicole's claims were outrageous. "Good, well, I'm not finished. Sadly, Father Eric became ill and almost died because of Hanley's lust for petty power. Ooh -- I like that alliteration -- 'petty power,'" Nicole added. Hanley protested that he had done nothing wrong, but Nicole disagreed, pointedly asking an imaginary assistant if the station still had incriminating footage of Hanley that was just waiting to be uploaded to YouTube.
Playing the role of the assistant, Brady confirmed that the station still had the incriminating footage. Nicole pressed Hanley for a statement, but he stammered that he would have to consult with some people first. Nicole wondered if that meant that she should go ahead and run the story. Hanley begged Nicole to refrain from running the story, assuring her that the school would be approved later that day.
In Eric's room, Kristen innocently greeted Eric, who informed her that he knew what had happened. Eric observed that Kristen really enjoyed messing with people's lives. Startled, Kristen turned away from Eric and claimed that she didn't know what he was talking about.
"I know exactly what this is about. I didn't support your deep, crazy love for my brother, Brady. I wouldn't attend your wedding. I wouldn't hear your confession when your crazy scheme blew up in your face. Those are the facts, Kristen! You have a ton of vindictive reasons to be angry with me, but now -- now that you heard that the new school may be in trouble because I've taken -- I've taken ill, and I didn't have time to meet some very important bureaucrats, and that the DiMeras -- oh, the DiMeras -- they gave a ton of money for this new school -- you are here to tell me the funds can be withdrawn!" Eric angrily summarized.
Kristen assured Eric that the DiMera family's donations had been given to the church without reservation. Kristen claimed that she had heard about Eric's illness and had simply wanted to check on him. Unconvinced, Eric guessed that Kristen had been hoping to run into Marlena at the hospital so that she could try to push Marlena's buttons. "I know you, Kristen. When it comes to my family, you always have a plan, don't you?" Eric snapped.
Kristen continued to feign innocence, assuring Eric that she was on his side and had no desire to cause problems for him or his family. Eric started to lash out at Kristen again, but he stopped himself mid-sentence and turned away from her, breathing heavily. Meanwhile, Daniel entered the room and asked if something was wrong, prompting Eric to reply that something was definitely wrong.
Daniel started to ask Kristen to leave so that he could talk to Eric privately, but Eric asked her to stay. Eric explained that his illness had apparently made him extremely irritable. Eric apologized for lashing out at Kristen and acknowledged that she wasn't responsible for what had happened to him the previous night. Kristen accepted Eric's apology and excused herself, breathing a sigh of relief as she left the hospital.
After hearing the news about his latest test results, Eric seemed willing to accept that he might never figure out what had really happened to him the previous night, but Daniel wasn't satisfied with that possibility. Daniel wanted Eric to give the hospital regular blood samples so that Eric's antibodies could be studied. Daniel hoped that studying Eric's antibodies would help the lab technicians figure out how Eric's body was fighting the unidentified poison, which might also enable them to identify the poison itself.
Eric protested that he didn't have time for that sort of process, since he still needed to worry about getting the school project approved. As if on cue, Brady and Nicole entered the room and announced that the school project had already been approved. Eric stared in disbelief at an article on Nicole's cell phone that confirmed the announcement, and Brady showed Eric a Twitter message that the governor had just posted.
Brady started to tell Eric why the school project had suddenly been approved, but Nicole interrupted and summarized that the only thing that really mattered was that the bureaucrats had finally done something right for a change. Meanwhile, Roman entered the room and said that he had just heard the good news on the radio.
Roman announced that some of Eric's loved ones were headed to St. Luke's to celebrate, so Eric excitedly gathered his belongings and started to leave. Daniel stopped Eric and pointed out that time constraints would no longer prevent Eric from giving the hospital regular blood samples, but Eric replied that he just wanted to move forward instead of dwelling on the past.
After Eric left, Daniel asked Brady to try to convince Eric to keep a journal of any memories that he managed to recall from the previous night. Brady agreed to do so, but he wasn't convinced that Daniel needed to worry about Eric, since Eric had seemingly recovered from the mysterious illness without any lingering side effects. Daniel started to tell Brady about Eric's earlier outburst, but Brady interrupted when he realized that Kristen had visited Eric.
Surprised that the mere mention of Kristen's name had irritated Brady, Daniel asked if Brady wanted to talk about what had happened with her. After insisting that he never wanted to talk about Kristen, think about her, or even hear her name mentioned again, Brady abruptly walked away. Later, at the Kiriakis mansion, Brady briefly wondered why Kristen had been at the hospital in the first place, but he quickly decided that he didn't care.
At the Horton house, Jennifer received a phone call from someone at the police station, who informed her that J.J. had been arrested. When Jennifer arrived at the police station, J.J. told her about the fight and what had started it. "Mom, I'm sorry, but weren't your grandparents, like, really special? I mean, that's why the tree's there. I remember you telling me stories about them -- all the great stuff they did," J.J. said.
Jennifer replied that Tom and Alice had been two of the best people who had ever lived, adding that she had always tried, but sometimes failed, to live up to their example. J.J. muttered that hanging out with Cole, who was always getting into trouble, had been a huge mistake. Ignoring J.J.'s statement, Jennifer approached a nearby officer and demanded to have her son -- a minor who never should have been arrested in the first place, since he had simply stopped someone from vandalizing public property -- released right away.
J.J., who had been trying to interrupt Jennifer, finally managed to stop her for long enough to sheepishly inform her that he hadn't been arrested for fighting. J.J. failed to elaborate, so the officer revealed that J.J. had been arrested for stealing several hundred dollars' worth of merchandise from a store.
At the hospital, Anne told Daniel that she hadn't realized that Jennifer's son had returned to Salem. Feigning concern, Anne guessed that Jennifer was probably worried sick about what had happened. Confused, Daniel wondered what Anne was talking about. "Well, let's not spread it around, but I have a friend at the police station, and Jennifer's son was arrested," Anne innocently revealed.
Outside the Brady Pub, Kristen sweetly greeted Marlena and Caroline, hoping that they were both doing well. Caroline explained that she and Marlena were headed to St. Luke's to celebrate Eric's release from the hospital. Failing to take the hint, Kristen said that she was glad that Eric had made a full recovery. Kristen guessed that Sami's ordeal was weighing heavily on Marlena's mind.
With a slight cringe, Kristen added that she hoped that Sami's murder trial would go well. Marlena found that hard to believe, but Kristen insisted that she was being sincere, citing E.J. as one of the main reasons that she was on Sami's side. "Our families are close. You know, because of your daughter and my brother. Intertwined. We're so connected. I think we will be till the day you die. Bye," Kristen said, smiling as she walked away.
Later, at St. Luke's, Roman, Marlena, Caroline, Eric, and Nicole celebrated Eric's release from the hospital and the approval of the school project. Nicole read some of the positive Twitter messages that had been posted about the school project aloud. "Everything's so fast today with tweets, beeps, and YouTubes, and for myself, I'm really from the smoke signal era," Caroline joked.
Caroline mentioned that she and Marlena had encountered Kristen earlier, and Eric revealed that Kristen had also visited him at the hospital. "Oh, that girl goes everywhere she's not wanted," Caroline dryly observed. Roman pulled Marlena aside and protectively encouraged her to let him know if Kristen ever bothered her again. Later, after ending a congratulatory call from the bishop, Eric proposed a toast to St. Luke's Academy.
At the DiMera mansion, Kristen told Chyka about her earlier encounter with Eric. Chyka confidently assured Kristen that Eric would never be able to remember what had occurred the previous night, since those particular memory cells had died and would never regenerate. With Kristen's fears calmed, Chyka wondered if she would soon put the next phase of her plan into motion, and she confirmed that she had every intention of doing so.
Later, after Chyka left, Kristen watched some of the video clips from the earliest stages of her seduction plot, when a clearly disoriented Eric had offered some initial protests about the situation. "Oh, man. Poor guy. Trying so hard to do the right thing. Such strong principles. Gone. Gone. Gone," Kristen said as she deleted those particular clips. Kristen spliced the remaining parts of the video together and leaned back to admire the finished product.
"Oh, Eric. Something tells me that not everybody's gonna be so understanding about this. I have a funny feeling," Kristen said, emphasizing her final words in a singsong voice.
At the hospital, Anne taunted Daniel with the news of J.J.'s arrest. Refusing to rise to Anne's bait, Daniel firmly cautioned her against blabbing what she knew about J.J. to the whole world. Anne pointed out that arrests were a matter of public record. Daniel reminded her of their agreement that she would back off of Jennifer or he would go to Mr. Burns and tell him the truth about Anne. Anne grudgingly agreed but warned Daniel that there wasn't anything he could do to keep J.J. from "going down the tubes."
Daniel tried to call Jennifer, but got her voicemail. Abigail walked up just then and asked if Daniel knew where her mom was. "Yeah, I think I do. Um, I heard something -- and now, I don't know the whole story..." Daniel began. "Oh, God. What'd my brother do now?" Abigail asked, exasperated. After making a phone call, Daniel informed Abigail that J.J. and Jennifer were at the police station because J.J. had been arrested for shoplifting.
A horrified Abigail announced that she was going to the police station, and she thought Daniel should go with her. Daniel was doubtful that Jennifer would want him there -- and he was sure that J.J. wouldn't. "To hell with what J.J. wants! She needs you. You know she does," Abigail asserted.
At the police station, Jennifer was livid that J.J. had been arrested for shoplifting. J.J. insisted, "Mom, it's all a mistake." Abe entered the room and told J.J. that it definitely was not a mistake. Abe added that he'd learned from one of the arresting officers that J.J. and another kid had been in a nasty fight. "He was gonna hack up the tree -- the Horton tree!" J.J. protested.
Abe continued that the officers had also found some expensive electronic equipment -- with the security tags still attached -- in J.J.'s backpack. Abe had learned from a clerk at that store that J.J. had been there but hadn't bought anything. Jennifer demanded to know why J.J. hadn't told her about the shoplifting before. J.J. maintained that he'd been planning to tell his mom in private. Jennifer asked Abe if he could please give her and J.J. some privacy.
After Abe had gone, J.J. claimed that he had been hanging out with some friends he'd met at school. Cole had asked to borrow J.J.'s notes, so he had gone into J.J.'s backpack. "That must've been when he put the stuff in there!" J.J. insisted. Jennifer reminded J.J. that he was supposed to have gone home after school to apologize to Cameron about the prescription pad. J.J. claimed that he'd simply forgotten. Jennifer declared that she didn't believe him -- about anything.
Jennifer reminded her son that she had warned him nothing else could happen. After reading J.J. the riot act, Jennifer stormed out of the room and bumped into Abe in the hallway. Abe informed her that since J.J. didn't have a record, Abe had gotten the store owner to agree not to press charges as long as J.J. returned the merchandise, and Abe thought he could get the police department to go easy on J.J.
Jennifer was very grateful. Abe acknowledged that J.J. was still dealing with the loss of his father. "Don't make excuses for him -- because that is exactly what I have been doing, and this is what happened," Jennifer pointed out, vowing that it was going to stop. She went back in and retrieved J.J. to take him home.
After Jennifer and J.J. had gone, Daniel and Abigail showed up. Abe informed them that the charges had been dropped because it had been J.J.'s first offense. "It was the first time he got arrested. It was not his first offense," Abigail asserted. When Daniel asked how Jennifer was, Abe replied, "She was as angry as I've ever seen her."
When Jennifer and J.J. got home, J.J. apologized for not being honest. He explained that he had been ashamed to tell her the truth, but he had let "that creep Cole" talk him into stealing even though J.J. had known it was wrong. Jennifer angrily pointed out that J.J. had everything he needed, and she demanded to know why he'd felt the need to steal. Hanging his head, J.J. confessed that he'd been thinking about his dad.
"Whoa, no, no. Don't you dare! Don't you dare use your father as an excuse again," Jennifer ordered hotly. She declared it made her sick to hear J.J. use his father that way, because Jack would be ashamed of what J.J. had done. Jennifer became even angrier as she continued that every time J.J. had apologized, she had let things go, but his misdeeds had gotten progressively worse. She ordered him to go to his room and think about what he had done. J.J. obeyed. Jennifer went out on the front porch and began to sob.
When Daniel and Abigail entered the Horton house through the back door, they were surprised not to find J.J. or Jennifer anywhere, since Jennifer's car was in the driveway. While Abigail looked upstairs, Daniel wandered into the foyer and saw Jennifer on the porch through the window. When he went outside, Jennifer asked, "Did you come here to say, 'I told you so'? Because I can't even stomach that right now. Just go, please." When Jennifer began to sob, Daniel pulled her to him and held her. Still weeping, Jennifer kissed Daniel.
Abigail followed J.J. back down the stairs and declared that he had really blown it. While Abigail went into the living room, J.J. hung back in the entryway and spotted Daniel and Jennifer outside. "This is all I need," J.J. muttered. He scowled when he saw that they were kissing, but then an idea struck him. "Now I know how to get out of this, and I'm going to use Doctor Daniel to do it. Thank you, doctor," J.J. declared.
Adrienne found Justin working on his computer in the Kiriakis living room. She informed her husband that he couldn't take Sami's case because there was a conflict of interest. Adrienne explained that she and Marge Bernardi, the widow of the man Sami had killed, had served on the board of the women's auxiliary together for years. Justin said that he could easily justify that so-called conflict in a small town like Salem.
"Can you justify the fact that what you're doing is tearing this family apart?" Adrienne demanded. "I'm sorry; the only person tearing this family apart is you," Justin countered. He quickly apologized, but warned Adrienne that her obsession about Sami and Will was driving Sonny away. He reminded her of how he'd reacted back when they'd been dating and anyone -- especially Victor -- had said anything negative about her. "It only brought us closer together," Adrienne acknowledged. Justin urged her, "Let Sonny be, and just let it play out the way it's supposed to play out."
At Sonny and Will's, Will was reading to baby Arianna while Sonny held her, when Sami stopped by. Sonny happily relinquished the baby to "Grandma Sami." Sami admitted that later that day, she was going to be appearing before a grand jury, which would decide whether to indict Sami for Bernardi's murder. Will reassured his mom that she would be fine, adding, "Just tell the truth, but don't tell the whole truth."
Sami expressed her gratitude to Will and Sonny for not telling anyone about the video. She still couldn't believe that the razor she'd seen in Bernardi's hand had never turned up. Will wondered if one of the cops had been trying to cover for Bernardi. "Right, but how would that look? Roman Brady's daughter on the witness stand, accusing the police force of railroading me? If they think I'm lying about the razor, they're going to think I'm lying about everything," Sami noted.
Sonny pointed out that his dad had always told him that people always seemed to know when someone was telling the truth -- and since Sami was telling the truth about the razor, it would read that way to a jury. Sami said that she understood why Sonny and Will were keeping the video a secret, but she wondered why Chad was.
Sami handed the baby back to Will because she had to meet E.J. and Justin at the courthouse before the hearing. Will offered to go along, but Sami didn't want him to cut class. Sami asked if there were a date set for Arianna's christening, Will replied that they wanted to wait until Eric was better. When Adrienne arrived just then, the tension between the women was evident, but they kept things civil.
Sami started to head out, but Adrienne stopped her. Adrienne acknowledged that she could be overprotective about her son. "And you think he needs protecting from me?" Sami asked. Adrienne pointed out that she had been the lookout when Sami and Sonny had broken into Nick's room. Sonny asserted that Sami had not talked him into doing anything he hadn't wanted to. Taking a deep breath, Adrienne said that she hoped things went well for Sami in court. Sami thanked her and left.
Sonny started to scold his mom, but she interrupted. "I don't want to talk about Sami, please. I came here to apologize to Will," Adrienne said. "Mrs. Kiriakis, you don't have to apologize. I'm aware of what Sonny's been through because of me," Will stated. He then took Arianna into the bedroom to change her diaper.
Adrienne apologized to Sonny for letting Sami push her buttons, and promised to do whatever she had to in order to end the tension between her and Sonny. Sonny acknowledged that Sami could sometimes make things difficult. Adrienne admitted that she had been wrong about the shooting. "Sami must be telling the truth because she doesn't have any motive to hurt that man. She didn't even know him," Adrienne noted.
Sonny declared, "I love Will. I love this little girl. And I have never been happier in my entire life." Sonny described how his heart had turned over when Will had taken Arianna to the coffeehouse. Will stepped out of the bedroom, unseen, just as Sonny was continuing, "I said, 'Look at my life! Look what I have.' This is the real thing." Sonny added that the only thing that could make it better was if his mom could be happy for him.
When Will returned, Adrienne extended an offer to babysit whenever they needed her to. Once she had gone, Sonny apologized for his mom. Will asserted, "She has a point. I mean, being with me doesn't exactly provide you with domestic tranquility." Sonny swatted him playfully. Will admitted that he'd overheard what Sonny had said to his mom. "And you do know that I wasn't just saying that to get her to back off. I really meant what I said," Sonny declared. They kissed as they watched Arianna sleeping in her bassinette.
E.J. was working in the living room of the DiMera mansion when Chad arrived. Chad revealed that he had figured out that Stefano had hired the guy Sami had killed. He outlined his theory: Although Stefano had divorced Kate, he still felt that he "owned" her, therefore she was not allowed to sleep with anyone else -- especially not a young, good-looking cop like Rafe. Chad continued that Stefano had been in the coffee shop the night of the shooting; around that time, Stefano had repeatedly checked his watch as if he'd been waiting for something.
E.J. admitted that Chad was right, explaining, "I knew that it was Stefano as soon as Samantha told me she saw a knife. You know how he likes the punishment to fit the crime." Chad was incredulous that E.J. had kept Stefano's name out of it when Sami was facing murder charges. Chad quickly realized that if they implicated Stefano, he would make sure that Sami took the fall. E.J. embraced Chad and noted that it was good to have a brother to share that with.
"I've come to the conclusion that our father is a sadistic and malevolent bastard. I'm not going to let him get away with this. It won't be long until he's finished," E.J. declared. That sounded ominous to Chad. E.J. reassured Chad that he'd only meant that Stefano had been getting sloppy in his old age, which was dangerous for the family. "More than that, he's lost my support," E.J. added.
Justin arrived just then and revealed to E.J. that Chad had been working a lot of extra hours at the coffeehouse so Sonny could spend time with Will and the baby. After Chad left, E.J. said to Justin, "Put a smile on my face, a spring in my face. Tell me this is the day we take my father down."
After reviewing the plans with Justin, E.J. looked at Stefano's picture as he announced, "Today is the day that son of bitch learns just how much I am his son." Just as Justin was informing E.J. that the D.A. had decided to charge Sami with murder, Sami entered and overheard. E.J. and Sami were both dismayed, but Justin asserted that the D.A. was overreaching, since Bernardi had been a cop. Justin believed the charge should be involuntary because there had been no motive for Sami to shoot Bernardi.
Justin instructed Sami to tell the truth and stick to what she had told the police. Justin left to file some papers but promised to meet Sami and E.J. at the courthouse. E.J. tried to reassure Sami that everything would be fine as long as she did as Justin had instructed. Chuckling, they each reiterated Will's advice to tell the truth -- just not the whole truth.
Sami declared that she did not want her problems to ruin Will and Sonny's happiness. She was worried about what Stefano might pull, but E.J. assured her that he would take care of Stefano. Sami announced that she wanted to go give her grandmother a hug for luck. E.J. promised to meet her at the grand jury room.
After Sami had gone, E.J. addressed his father's portrait: "I suppose this is also the last day she has to worry about you, because you can do nothing." On the phone later, E.J. said, "I'm just calling to remind you that I'm counting on your support and to reassure you that you won't regret it." After E.J. hung up, he told Stefano's portrait that the end was near. "After today, you'll be finished -- for good," E.J. declared, picking up the king from the chessboard and loudly slamming it down on its side.
As Abigail entered Horton Square, she stopped when she saw that chairs had been set up for Joe Bernardi's memorial service. Marge and Timmy were looking at a picture of Joe in his police uniform, and Abigail was clearly moved by the little boy's grief. When Marge spotted Sami walking through the far end of the square, she asked an officer to watch Timmy. Marge approached Sami and declared sternly, "I want to talk to you."
