At the Horton house, J.J. tried to avoid answering Jennifer's question about his earlier meeting with Daniel, but she pressed the issue, reminding J.J. that he had previously promised to stop hiding things from her. After asking Jennifer to refrain from freaking out about what he was about to say, J.J. explained that he had felt the need to talk to Daniel earlier because he knew that everything that had happened between Daniel and Theresa had really upset Jennifer. Jennifer started to protest, but J.J. interrupted her. "Mom, don't deny it. You know that it did. But what you don't know is that there's more to the story -- there's a lot more," J.J. cryptically stated.
Sensing trouble, Jennifer told J.J. that she had changed her mind and no longer wanted to talk about the matter, but he refused to drop the subject, insisting that he needed her to understand what had really happened and why it had happened. J.J. reminded Jennifer that when he had first arrived in Salem after being kicked out of his old school in London, he had been an angry, upset, lying criminal and had done some things that he wasn't proud of. Jennifer dismissively stated that she already knew about the things that J.J. had done, adding that they had put all of that stuff behind them, but he clarified that he was specifically talking about the things that he had done to her and Daniel.
Jennifer believed that it would be best for her and J.J. to put all of that stuff behind them for good and move forward with their lives, but he didn't think that they would truly be able to do that until they had talked about everything that had happened. J.J. explained that he had freaked out when he had arrived in Salem and started seeing Jennifer with Daniel. Jennifer reasoned that J.J. never would have acted that way if she had taken him back to Salem immediately after Jack had died, but J.J. insisted that she wasn't responsible for his behavior and that he would have acted the same way even if she had taken him back to Salem earlier. To illustrate his point, J.J. reminded Jennifer that he had also gotten into trouble in London, but she maintained that his behavior in London had also been the result of her poor decision to leave him there after Jack's death.
J.J. asserted that he didn't deserve the free pass that Jennifer was trying to give him. Jennifer declared that she was proud of J.J. for accepting responsibility for his mistakes, but she added that she wasn't sure why he had raised the matter in the first place. Jennifer dismissively summarized that what was done was done, but J.J. suggested that things didn't necessarily have to be that way. J.J. reasoned that Daniel never would have been with Theresa on the night of her overdose if J.J. hadn't driven Daniel and Jennifer apart in the first place. J.J. knew that Jennifer had once been really happy with Daniel, and he added that, while he couldn't tell her what to do, she might want to think about giving Daniel another chance.
Jennifer insisted that she was already happy because of all of the amazing progress that J.J. had made lately, but she added that she didn't want to talk to him about Daniel. J.J. gently pointed out that Jennifer had broken up with Daniel before the incident with Theresa had occurred, but Jennifer maintained that the fact that Daniel had chosen Theresa, of all people, as his rebound had proven that he had never really been the right man for Jennifer and that things had worked out for the best. Jennifer asked J.J. to accept her decision, and he shrugged and conceded that he didn't really have much of a choice in the matter.
In Daniel's office, Theresa said that, while she was appreciative of the fact that Daniel had rescued her on the night of her overdose, she really needed to know about everything that had happened between them before she had overdosed. Because she had read her medical records, Theresa already knew that she and Daniel had not slept together on the night in question, but she noted that it seemed like they might have been headed in that direction, since GHB was commonly used as a way of enhancing sexual encounters.
Daniel dodged the question, stating only that he and Theresa had not had any type of relationship with each other prior to the night of her overdose. Theresa nodded and recalled that she had once tried to hit on Daniel and that he had made it very clear that he wasn't interested. Theresa wondered what had changed between her and Daniel afterward that had made him decide to go to her apartment on the night in question. Daniel remained evasive, and Theresa's eyes filled with tears as she realized that she had probably lied to him or done something awful to trick him into going to her apartment on that particular night.
Daniel started to say something, but Theresa interrupted and informed him that she no longer wanted to know all of the gory details about the night of her overdose because she wasn't sure if she could handle hearing them. Theresa was certain that she was completely responsible for everything that had happened on the night in question, even if she couldn't remember it, and she assured Daniel that she was ashamed of her actions and was no longer that same person.
Theresa stated that she wanted to make amends with Daniel, but he assured her that there was no reason for her to do so. Daniel asked Theresa to try to be nicer to Jennifer -- or at least steer clear of her -- prompting Theresa to realize that he still loved Jennifer. Theresa promised to do her best to treat Jennifer with decency in the future. Theresa added that, out of respect for Jennifer's wishes, she would stay away from J.J.
Daniel started to excuse himself, but Theresa stopped him and assured him that she was going to do everything that she could possibly do to make her family members understand that he had always been a perfect gentleman to her. Theresa admitted that, due to her own actions, she didn't have many friends in Salem. Theresa asked if Daniel would be willing to talk to her in the future if she ever needed someone to lean on for support, and he agreed to do so without hesitation.
In Jordan's apartment, Jordan received a phone call from Rafe, who said that, while he would completely understand if she refused his request because it was her day off, he really wanted to see Arianna that day. Jordan happily agreed to take Rafe to see Arianna, and Rafe ended the call after declaring that "Ms. Ridgeway" was the best. Jordan sighed as she picked up her lockbox, opened it, and flipped through the identification cards that had been tucked inside. "I am Jordan Ridgeway, and I'm not gonna run. I'm not gonna need these this time. Not this time," Jordan assured herself as she placed the cards back in the lockbox.
Will and Sonny entered their apartment with Arianna and announced that they were home, but they didn't receive a response from Gabi. Sonny quickly searched the apartment and informed Will that Gabi had failed to leave a note behind for them. Will and Sonny also checked their cell phones and confirmed that Gabi hadn't sent either of them a text message to explain her sudden disappearance.
Mildly annoyed, Sonny started to compose a somewhat flippant text message to send to Gabi, asking if some sort of shopping crisis had pulled her away from the apartment, but Will didn't want her to get upset, so he stopped Sonny from sending the message. Sonny clarified that, while he also didn't want to upset Gabi, he had a business to run, and Will was supposed to be writing. Will diplomatically suggested that he could do his writing at the apartment while Arianna was napping, leaving Sonny free to take care of things at Club TBD despite Gabi's absence.
Sonny remained stationary, and when Will laughed and pointed out that Sonny wasn't going anywhere, Sonny admitted that he had been on his high horse when he had complained about having a business to run earlier. Acknowledging that T could be trusted to handle things at the club for a while, Sonny offered to hang out at the apartment with Will so that Will wouldn't have to interrupt his writing if Arianna woke up before Will was finished.
Will appreciatively acknowledged that Sonny was always looking out for him. "I am quite wonderful and selfless," Sonny joked, but Will agreed without hesitation, recalling that Sonny had been willing to leave his life in Salem behind so that he could move to New York with Will. "Well, actually, I was gonna leave everything here and go to New York with Ari. Oh, were you gonna come to New York with us?" Sonny teasingly replied.
Will laughed and admitted that Sami had been right earlier, but Sonny found that hard to believe. Will clarified that when Sami had told Sonny a few days earlier that Will loved him, she had been absolutely right. "Well, that works out great, 'cause I love you, too," Sonny replied as he kissed Will, who suggestively stated that he hoped that Arianna was going to stay asleep for a while.
Meanwhile, the doorbell rang, and Will sighed as he reluctantly pulled away from Sonny and went to the door to greet their unexpected visitors, Rafe and Jordan. Rafe was surprised that Gabi had neglected to mention that he had made plans to visit Arianna that day. Sonny explained that Gabi had left earlier and that she hadn't talked to him or Will before doing so.
Later, as Rafe played with Arianna, Will said that, while he was glad that Gabi had decided not to move to New York, he didn't know why she had suddenly changed her mind about the matter. Jordan jokingly speculated that Gabi had probably realized that being a highly paid model in the most exciting city in the world would have been a total drag, especially since Gabi would have been forced to miss the impending holiday sale at the Salem University Hospital's gift shop if she had accepted the job. Meanwhile, Sonny emerged from his and Will's bedroom and wondered where Gabi was.
Sensing a hint of impatience in Sonny's voice, Rafe guessed that Sonny and Will had somewhere that they needed to be, and he happily suggested that he and Jordan could watch Arianna for a while so that Will and Sonny could take care of whatever it was that they needed to take care of. Sonny and Will accepted the offer and quickly excused themselves. Later, as Rafe played with Arianna, he told Jordan about the child's namesakes. Rafe wondered if Jordan had any siblings, and she quickly shook her head before changing the subject.
Rafe playfully introduced Jordan to Arianna as "the boss," a nickname that he had been using to describe Jordan that entire day, and Jordan laughed as she slapped his arm and told him to stop calling her that. Jordan said that she preferred to think of herself as a motivator, adding that she and Rafe were a team, and he admitted that he liked the sound of that. Rafe warned that he planned to fire Jordan as soon as he got himself settled in his new apartment, since he wanted to be with her, and she didn't want to pursue a relationship with him while she was acting as his physical therapist. Later, Jordan wondered if Rafe wanted to have kids of his own in the future, and he grabbed her hand as he admitted that he did.
At the Horton Town Square, Gabi worriedly demanded to know what the birdwatcher had seen on the night that he had encountered her, Sami, and Kate at the park. The phrasing of Gabi's question puzzled the man, but Kate quickly intervened and claimed that she, Gabi, and Sami had been a bit giddy on the night in question because of excessive wine consumption. Sami confirmed Kate's statement and assured Gabi that there was no reason for them to be embarrassed about the way that they had acted on that particular night, although she also conceded that they had indeed made fools out of themselves.
The birdwatcher countered that he was the one who had been made to look like a fool, and he informed the women that they had failed to pull the wool over his eyes. The man revealed that he had done some research and learned that the Thespesius occidentalis that Sami had claimed that she and her friends had been searching for was actually a duck-billed dinosaur that had been extinct for many years. Kate laughed and apologetically explained that Sami loved playing practical jokes on people.
The man chuckled good-naturedly and assured the women that he could appreciate a good prank, but he was still curious about the real reason that they had been in the park on the night in question. Kate sighed and informed Sami and Gabi that it would probably be best for them to go ahead and tell the man the truth. Sami jumped in and explained that the situation was kind of embarrassing -- for Kate, at least.
Sami informed the birdwatcher that, while she understood that it was probably going to be difficult for him to believe what she was about to say, the truth was that Kate actually had a boyfriend -- a boyfriend who had given Kate several reasons to suspect that he was cheating on her with a much younger and more attractive woman. Sami claimed that she and Gabi had been helping Kate follow the boyfriend in an effort to catch him in the act, adding that he was an outdoorsman and that Kate had been obsessed with the idea that he had been taking his young lover to one of the cabins near the lake. Comparing the situation to the plot of Sunset Boulevard, Sami summarized that the whole thing had been a bit sad and humiliating for Kate, who forced a laugh and admitted that she was lucky that she had good friends like Sami and Gabi to turn to in her time of need.
The birdwatcher apologized for botching the investigation. The man revealed that he was planning to return to the park that night to continue his search for the Megascops asio, and he promised to give Kate's roving lothario a piece of his mind if he happened to run into the man. "Of course, if I find a body, I'll know the three of you got to your victim first," the birdwatcher jokingly added. Sami and Kate laughed at the man's joke, but Gabi remained silent, prompting him to observe that she seemed to have more delicate sensibilities than Kate and Sami had. "Well, we're in the process of corrupting her," Sami dryly stated.
Gabi muttered that she had a headache and started to open her purse. The birdwatcher casually observed that he was surprised that Gabi had given up her backpack in favor of a much lovelier purse, since she had seemed quite attached to the backpack during their previous encounter in the park. Before Gabi could respond, the man excused himself and walked away. Gabi waited until the coast was clear before nervously whispering that the man knew what she, Kate, and Sami had done. Recognizing that Gabi was about to freak out, Sami and Kate quickly ushered her off to a more private location.
Later, Sonny told Will that Gabi had acted really strangely during her earlier meeting with Rafe at Club TBD. Sonny admitted that, despite the fact that Gabi constantly irritated him, he was worried about her. Will understood Sonny's concern, but he reasoned that everything was probably fine, since Rafe hadn't expressed any concerns about Gabi earlier. Will excused himself so that he could go to the library and grab some books that he needed for the research that he was doing for his latest writing project. "See you soon, Tolstoy," Sonny called out as Will walked away, quietly adding with a sigh that he really hoped that Will was right about Gabi.
Elsewhere, Daniel rattled off a list of names and wondered if Parker could think of any other people whom they still needed to purchase Christmas gifts for. "Jennifer!" Parker exclaimed as he spotted Jennifer and rushed over to hug her. Jennifer started to walk away after exchanging a few words with Daniel and Parker, but she reconsidered and decided that she needed to know something that only Daniel could tell her.
At the Brady Pub, Kate and Sami tried to calm Gabi down. Gabi received a text message from Rafe and realized that she had forgotten that he had been planning to visit Arianna that day, but Sami grabbed Gabi's cell phone and sent Rafe a text message to explain that Gabi was running late. Rafe replied with another text message to assure Gabi that everything was all right and that he was with Jordan, who was helping him watch Arianna. "Of course she is," Kate muttered disapprovingly when she heard that Jordan was with Rafe.
Sami quietly stressed that Gabi could never tell Rafe the truth about what had happened to Nick, since he would be forced to send her, Sami, and Kate to prison if he ever found out about their involvement in Nick's death. Gabi nodded and promised that she would keep her mouth shut so that Rafe would never learn the truth. Gabi admitted that things would be much easier if she weren't being plagued with nightmares about Nick's death, and Sami revealed that she had also been having nightmares recently.
"I think it's our subconscious's way of reminding us what a horrible, evil human being Nick Fallon was and that he ultimately got what he deserved," Sami quietly reasoned. Gabi suggested that she could have reported Nick's behavior to the police instead, but Kate believed that he would have found ways to continue to torture Gabi if she had tried to let the police handle the matter, and Gabi conceded that Kate was probably right. "So...what is going on here?" Will suspiciously wondered as he approached the group.
At the park, Rory ran into J.J. and offered him a quick greeting before walking away. J.J. stopped Rory and pointed out that they had taken a lot of risks when they had been dealing drugs together a few months earlier. "You, me, Lady Gaga -- we're all on the edge," Rory summarized with a shrug. Assuming that J.J. was thinking about reopening the business, Rory enthusiastically stated that he would be willing to help out, but J.J. clarified that he no longer had any desire to deal drugs. "It's just -- I'm thinking about taking another type of risk, and while it could come back and bite me, it's just something that I have to do," J.J. explained before walking away. "Great talking with you, jerk," Rory muttered as he shook his head in disbelief.
J.J. went to Theresa's apartment and insisted that he needed to talk to her about what had really happened on the night that she had nearly died. Theresa tried to send J.J. away, but he refused to leave and urged her to hear him out. "Daniel wasn't the one that was with you that night -- at least not until you ODed. The guy that you were partying with -- and the one that you overdosed with -- was me," J.J. admitted, and Theresa erupted with laughter in response to his confession.
In Will's apartment, Rafe and Jordan talked about kids. Rafe revealed that he wanted to have children but that he had not had the opportunity. When Rafe asked Jordan if she wanted to have children, Jordan said that she was not sure she could be a mother. Rafe disagreed. Jordan changed the subject to Rafe's transitional apartment. Rafe admitted he was nervous but excited to leave the hospital.
"I guess my future is in your hands now," Rafe said. Jordan reminded Rafe that his future was not in her hands but in Rafe's. Smiling, Rafe clarified that the future he meant was whether Jordan would release him from the hospital. Jordan said that Rafe could move to his new apartment the next day and that she had contacted Rafe's new outpatient therapist.
Leaning closer, Rafe asked Jordan if she could still "stay on the case." As Rafe leaned in for a kiss, Arianna cried in her room. Laughing, Jordan trotted into Arianna's room to check on her.
In the Brady Pub, Will saw Gabi, Sami, and Kate talking. Suspicious, Will asked what the women were hiding. Kate said that she and Sami were pumping Gabi for information about Arianna. Will did not believe Kate. Kate chuckled and said that she and Sami had been talking to Gabi about Gabi's future. Kate noted that she and Sami wanted to use Gabi as a model for both of their companies.
Upset, Gabi refused and said she did not want to talk about modeling. Still suspicious, Will noted that Sami and Kate never teamed up on anything and that it was strange that Gabi no longer wanted to talk about modeling. Kate jumped in and apologized to Gabi for pushing her for a decision so soon after Gabi had turned down the offer in New York. Kate said her invitation to Gabi would remain open.
Smiling, Sami agreed and asked to look at the new pictures of Arianna on Gabi's phone. Will grinned. When Sami mentioned that the women needed to bond, Will joked that the women should stay out of trouble. As Will left, Gabi growled at Sami and Kate, "Trouble? If he only knew." Sami urged Gabi to smile.
Outside the pub, Will looked in the window and saw Gabi reluctantly smile. Will shrugged and left. Inside the pub, Gabi announced that she wanted to go home. Sami and Kate worried that Gabi would be too upset when she spoke to Rafe and that it would make Rafe suspicious. Gabi said that she did not want to talk anymore and left.
Kate and Sami walked outside and talked in front of the pub. Kate asked Sami about the missing earring, and Sami admitted that she had not found the earring yet. Kate urged Sami to find it.
In the DiMera living room, E.J. spoke to the marketing department at work and learned that Sami had not performed a job that she had been assigned. As E.J. hung up the phone, Abigail walked into the living room. Abigail joked that she could not ignore a summons from someone that had called himself a "bad man." E.J. laughed and handed a present to Abigail.
When Abigail reached for the gift, E.J. said that the gift was from Chad. Abigail's smile faded. When Abigail opened the box, she saw her angel's wing pendant. Abigail explained that Jack had told her that the angel's wing would protect her. Sighing, Abigail admitted that she had given it to Chad after the shooting in order to lift his spirits.
"That would explain why he was so anxious to get it back to you," E.J. said. E.J. examined the pendant and said that Jack's gift had been Jack's way of calling Abigail his little angel. Stunned, Abigail asked E.J. how he had known that her father had called her his little angel. E.J. grinned and admitted that he had read Jack's book. E.J. explained that Chad had talked him into reading the book.
"He was a very complicated man, your father," E.J. said. E.J. added that in reading the book, E.J. had sensed a great loneliness from Jack. "You got that? Most people don't. I really miss him," Abigail said. Abigail thanked E.J. for the pendant. Staring into E.J.'s eyes, Abigail noted that E.J. did not pull off the "bad man" persona. Without another word, Abigail left.
In the town square, Jennifer told Daniel that she had spoken to J.J. about Daniel. Avoiding the question, Daniel said that he needed to take Parker home for his bedtime. Joanna interrupted and offered to take Parker to look at the new puppy at the pet store. Smiling, Daniel agreed, and Joanna escorted Parker out of the square.
Jennifer asked Daniel to talk about J.J. Jennifer said that J.J. was working to change his ways before the sentencing hearing. Jennifer explained that J.J. had told the truth about all that he had done to split up Jennifer and Daniel.
"He feels horrible for everything that he did, and he is taking responsibility for it, so I'm really proud of him for that," Jennifer said. Jennifer asked Daniel if J.J.'s behavior had broken them up or if there was more. Jennifer admitted that she believed that J.J. had forced her to choose between her son and her happiness.
"He was working out his anger at me through you. And I am telling you, if I had known that, I would've done things differently," Jennifer said. Jennifer added that she did not believe that her relationship with Daniel was a good idea. When Daniel asked what Jennifer meant, Jennifer noted that by choosing Theresa, Daniel had shown that he was a vindictive person.
"I never even knew that side of your existed, Daniel. And I am gonna miss what we had, but you know what? I will let it all go so that I don't ever have to see that side of you again," Jennifer said. Jennifer concluded that in a weird way, she should thank Theresa for ending the relationship. Daniel was angry that Jennifer had called him vindictive. When Jennifer asked if he had a rebuttal, Daniel declined to say anything.
"Then I guess we're done here. Tell Nicole hello," Jennifer said. Daniel protested that Nicole was a houseguest, but a teary-eyed Jennifer said that she did not care who Daniel was with.
In Theresa's apartment, J.J. told Theresa that he had been the person that Theresa had been with when she had overdosed. Theresa laughed. When J.J. looked confused, Theresa explained that she already knew that she had been with J.J.
"I remember everything that happened that night. Every, single minute," Theresa purred. Upset, J.J. argued that he did not believe Theresa could fool everyone. Theresa recounted what had happened that night. J.J.'s mouth fell open as he realized that Theresa still had her memory from that night. J.J. asked Theresa why she had lied. Theresa admitted that she had lied to save herself from going to jail and to convince her parents that she should stay in Salem.
J.J. was furious. J.J. told Theresa that Daniel's reputation had been hurt and that she needed to tell everyone the truth about that night. When Theresa reminded J.J. that he had a hearing scheduled, J.J. clarified that he wanted Theresa to tell Jennifer the truth. Theresa stressed that she did not care about Jennifer and that she would not tell her the truth. J.J. countered that he had worked things out with Jennifer and that he hoped Theresa could as well.
When Theresa scoffed at the idea, J.J. asked Theresa why she hated Jennifer. Theresa explained that Jennifer had been judgmental. Theresa added that Jennifer had not cared that Theresa had almost died. Smiling, Theresa noted that Jennifer had thought the worst of her, and since the overdose, Jennifer thought the worst of Daniel.
"I hope it is eating her up inside, thinking about him doing it with the person she hates most in the world. I love it, and I hope it never ends," Theresa said. "Well it's gonna end. Right now," J.J. said as he grabbed Theresa's shoulders. J.J. said that if Theresa did not tell the truth that he would tell everyone.
"I've kept my mouth shut long enough, and I'm sick of it," J.J. said. J.J. said that he did not want Jennifer to know what he had done but that he wanted to do what he could to save Jennifer's relationship with Daniel. When Theresa asked J.J. if he was worried about the judge learning what had happened, J.J. said he did not believe that Jennifer would turn him in.
Theresa warned J.J. that he should worry about the judge. J.J. argued that he would tell Jennifer the truth. Smiling, Theresa pulled out her phone and showed it to J.J. "I wouldn't do that if I was you," Theresa said.
Jennifer returned home and looked at the Christmas decorations. As Jennifer picked up a ball of mistletoe, she thought about when she and Daniel had planned their first date for Christmas the previous year. "Just let it go," Jennifer chided herself.
In the waiting area by the nurses' station, Hope offered to take Ciara for some hot chocolate when Theo finished his appointment with his therapist. When Hope noted that Theo missed Chad, Ciara countered, "At least he still has his daddy." Stricken, Hope took her daughter's hand. When Ciara hoped aloud that Bo would be home for Christmas, Hope said that she was sorry.
Theo left the therapy session and met with Ciara and Hope. As Ciara informed Theo that they were going to buy hot chocolates, Theo announced that he had a surprise for Ciara. Hope walked Ciara and Theo to Club TBD and bought them hot chocolates. While Hope was on her cell phone at the bar, Theo gave Ciara the diamond earring that he had found by the river.
"It'll be our secret," Theo said. Ciara held the earring up to her ear and asked how she looked. As Hope returned to the table, Ciara hid the earring. Will and Abigail arrived at the club and joined Hope and the kids. Abigail asked about Nick, and Hope said that she had received a text message from Nick stating that he had arrived safely in New York.
"What? Nick's in New York?" Will asked. Hope took Will aside to talk to him about Nick. When Will noted that it would be hard for Nick to move to a big city where he did not know anyone, Hope said that Nick had not been worried about that. Suspicious, Will sighed. Will excused himself to go home to Arianna. Hope took Abigail aside at the bar and asked her about Chad. Abigail admitted that she did not need a man to be happy.
"Sometimes you just don't have a choice in the matter," Hope said as she looked across the room at Ciara. At the table, Ciara thanked Theo for her earring and placed it inside her backpack.
When Gabi returned to her apartment, Rafe noted that Gabi looked tired. Gabi mumbled that she had not slept well. Jordan offered to take Rafe back to the hospital. As Rafe put on his jacket, he told Gabi to order Will and Sonny to get a tree for Arianna's first Christmas. After Rafe and Jordan left, Gabi told Arianna that she needed a quiet night alone with her. When Will arrived home, he asked Gabi if they could talk about Nick.
At the hospital nurses' stations, Jordan checked on Rafe's dismissal orders. Jordan picked up Rafe's medications and headed down the hall to Rafe's room. Inside Rafe's hospital room, Rafe talked to Kate about his release. Jordan eavesdropped from the doorway. Rafe told Kate that he wanted her to stop feeling guilty for his injuries.
In the DiMera living room, a panicked Sami ransacked the room, looking for her missing earring. Sami remembered that she had played with Sydney on the couch that day, and Sami tossed the cushions and checked all the crevices in the couch. As Sami buried her face under a cushion, E.J. walked in the living room and asked her what was going on.
Sami lied and said that Sydney's stuffed pig was missing. With a scowl, E.J. asked Sami if she had bailed on work in order to hunt down a stuffed pig. When Sami argued that she had not missed work, E.J. countered that she had missed out on a meeting with marketing. Sami argued that she had been preoccupied with Christmas shopping. When E.J. noted that Sami did not have any shopping bags, Sami turned away.
"You and I are doing this right now. You have denied me access to your secrets and your body for long enough, and I am sick of it!" E.J. barked. E.J. rattled off the events of the week, including Sami arriving home late and disheveled, hearing Kate berate herself for trusting Sami, and finding Sami tearing the living room apart. E.J. said that he had spoken to Will and had learned about Gabi's move to New York.
Furious, Sami argued that she did not want a lecture from E.J. about keeping secrets. As Sami started to walk away, E.J. stopped her and demanded answers. Sami glared at E.J., he quietly asked her to talk to him. Sami warned E.J. that nothing would change between them because E.J. had not told her about Kristen and Eric. E.J. reiterated that he had not told Sami because he had been worried about her reaction.
Sami shoved E.J. out of the way, and he grabbed her arm. E.J. demanded to know what Sami had done. As E.J. leaned Sami against the table, he kissed her. Overwhelmed in the moment, Sami threw her arms around E.J.'s neck and kissed him back.
At Theresa's apartment, J.J. threatened Theresa that he would tell his mom everything -- but before he could leave, Theresa showed him a video on her phone of him smoking weed at her place. J.J. was livid that Theresa had faked amnesia about the night she'd overdosed, but Theresa pointed out that it had allowed her to stay in Salem. Although she was still furious that her parents had given Jennifer the power to decide Theresa's fate, Theresa relished the idea of Jennifer suffering at the very idea of Daniel and Theresa together.
When J.J. tried to leave, Theresa pointed out that the video meant she held all the cards -- and he realized that she was blackmailing him. Theresa's demanded that J.J. to score her some "primo weed" -- and pay for it -- and also keep an eye on Jennifer and Daniel. "They're both miserable and alone, thanks to you," J.J. grumbled. Theresa maintained that Jennifer and Daniel's problems were J.J.'s fault, especially since Daniel had martyred himself to keep J.J. out of prison.
Fed up, J.J. started to leave, but Theresa ordered him to stay. J.J. vowed to tell his mom and Daniel that Theresa remembered everything from the night she'd ODed, but Theresa countered that she would tell the judge, who was apparently eager to lock J.J. up. Declaring that he didn't care, J.J. stormed out.
Abigail arrived home to the Horton house, ready start decorating the house for Christmas, but Jennifer wanted to wait for J.J. to show up before they began. As Abigail looked through the boxes of ornaments, she and her mom laughed at the memories some of the ornaments evoked. Abigail revealed that she'd learned Shane and Kimberly had allowed Jennifer to decide whether Theresa could stay in Salem -- and Abigail questioned why Jennifer hadn't taken advantage of the opportunity to get rid of Theresa.
Jennifer explained that she hadn't wanted to be responsible for sending Theresa back to jail -- but if Theresa wanted to get in trouble again, she could leave Jennifer's family alone. A little later, Jennifer spied Abigail fondling the angel-wing pendant that Chad had returned. Jennifer was surprised to learn that E.J. had known that the wing was from a painting by Rafael. Both women wondered where J.J. was, although they agreed that he wasn't likely to be out causing trouble. Jennifer said that J.J. seemed determined to fix things between her and Daniel.
Abigail and Jennifer greeted J.J. enthusiastically when he returned home. After the women went to the kitchen to get eggnog and snacks, J.J.'s phone rang. Claiming to be Judge Goldberg's clerk, the caller stated that the judge had received new video evidence in J.J.'s case -- and J.J. should call his lawyer, because the judge was watching it. Giggling, Theresa took the phone from her neighbor, Skip, and said that she'd just been messing with J.J. "That was your warning. Next time, it's for real," Theresa promised.
When Jennifer and Abigail returned with the eggnog, J.J. claimed that he'd been talking to a telemarketer. Jennifer raised her glass and toasted to a new start for all of them.
In the midst of a heated argument at the DiMera mansion, E.J. backed Sami against a table and kissed her. Things quickly became heated as E.J. started carrying Sami to the sofa, but she shoved away from him and ordered him to stop. E.J. demanded to know what was going on with Sami. She flatly refused to discuss it because he had kept secret what he'd known about Kristen and Eric -- and she knew he was still hiding something about it.
E.J. lied that he wasn't hiding anything -- but he couldn't protect Sami unless she told him what she'd done. "I don't need you to protect me!" Sami insisted. "You don't need me?" E.J. demanded, reminding her that she had kicked him out of her bedroom. Incredulous, Sami asked, "That is what you are angry about? The sex? You're not getting any?" Sarcastically offering to make sure he was satisfied, Sami began to strip down so they could have sex right there.
"Let's just do it right now!" Sami said, hurling her clothing at him. E.J. closed the distance between them and pinned her arms behind her, ordering her to stop. "You are embarrassing yourself!" E.J. asserted, to Sami's disbelief. Moving her mouth provocatively close to his, Sami maintained that she only wanted to do what E.J. wanted. E.J. pulled away, and after reminding her that she was no longer his lover, he questioned what she was to him.
"I am the woman who knows you best, E.J. I am the one who calls you on your bull!" Sami pointed out. E.J. accused her of not answering his questions. Sami turned on the seduction again, tempting E.J. to kiss her, but when he finally gave in and placed his mouth on hers, she slapped him. "No, E.J. No way in hell!" Sami spat. E.J. bellowed angrily that he had put up with Sami's "dithering" while she had tried to decide what she'd wanted.
While Sami pulled her top back on, a hurt E.J. kept his back to her as he reminded her that he had asked her to marry him -- and then he had given up everything to make sure that she didn't spend the rest of her life in prison. "And all you've done since then is move away!" E.J. cried. Stung, Sami insisted that she wanted them to be together. E.J. accused her of calling off the wedding after the shooting at the club because of what her father had said -- even though she had promised never to leave him.
Sami angrily reminded E.J. that he had lied to her about Kristen and Eric. E.J. picked up a glass and hurled it across the room, shouting that he had not lied. "I found out one hour before that wedding that they slept together!" E.J. roared. He screamed that he had chosen not to ruin the lives of everyone involved -- but if he'd known about the video, he would have stopped it from being played in the church. "Then what are you still hiding from me?" Sami screamed, demanding to know if E.J. had known that Kristen had drugged Eric or if E.J. knew where Kristen was.
Suddenly much calmer, E.J. suggested that, if Sami believed that he was lying and if she didn't love him, then she should get out. E.J. accused Sami of using the children as a human shield because she could barely tolerate being around him. "I hate what you did, not you," Sami maintained, adding that it was hard to be in the same room with him because she loved him so much. Sami cried that she ached to be with E.J., but she couldn't because she didn't trust him.
Sami professed her undying love for E.J. -- but she knew he needed the trust between them restored just as much as she did. "What do you want me to do?" E.J. asked quietly. "I want you to tell me the truth," Sami replied. E.J. wondered softly how he couldn't convince Sami that he hadn't betrayed her if she wouldn't believe a word he said. Sami cried that she was trying to figure it out, but she didn't know how to fix it. "If you don't want to wait for me, if you want me to get out of here, then I will go," Sami added.
E.J. told Sami that he didn't want her to leave. E.J. assured Sami that they could figure things out, but Sami wasn't so sure. "I'll just figure it out for the both of us. It wouldn't be the first time," E.J. said. Putting her arms around E.J., Sami admitted that she missed him. Sobbing, she declared, "I wish it were this simple." Blinking back tears, E.J. promised that they would fix it. Sami pulled away from his grasp to go check on the children.
As Sami closed the living room doors behind her, she burst into tears before she headed upstairs. E.J. looked resignedly at the portrait of his father that loomed over the parlor. "I know, I know, I know. Patience," E.J. muttered.
In Rafe's hospital room, Jordan eavesdropped while Rafe told Kate that she didn't have to feel responsible for what had happened to him anymore, since he was about to get out of the hospital, and she could return to her work commitments. Jordan wandered away when she spotted Kayla near the nurses' station. Rafe reminded Kate that she had broken it off with him because she'd felt things were getting too serious. "You're an independent woman. You need that. You're free now," Rafe said.
Rafe hoped that they were still friends, as Kate had suggested when she'd called things off. "Of course we are," Kate said, reassuring Rafe that they were fine. Kayla dropped in to discuss Rafe's impending release, so Kate left. In the hallway, Kate spotted Jordan getting on the elevator and followed her out.
Kate followed Jordan to Horton Square and accused the physical therapist of manipulating the situation with Rafe to her advantage. Jordan maintained that Kate's imagination was running rampant, but Kate warned, "I'm not going to let him get hurt... I'm not someone you want to cross. You should just ask around, because I don't bluff, Jordan -- or whoever the hell you really are." Kate turned on her heel and left.
At Will and Sonny's, Will informed Gabi that he knew what had happened with Nick, and Will understood that Gabi hadn't had a choice in the matter. Assuming Will knew that she'd killed Nick, Gabi was relieved that will was being so nice about it. Will reminded Gabi that he despised Nick. "Good riddance. Stay in New York is what I say," Will said. He guessed that the reason Gabi had decided not to go New York was that she'd found out that Nick was going to be there, as well.
Gabi apologized for not saying anything about it earlier but she had been embarrassed. She explained for a puzzled Will that Nick had orchestrated the whole thing with the modeling agency -- although she had made up her mind about not moving to New York after speaking with Sami. Will correctly guessed that Gabi had confronted Nick when she'd learned the truth. Gabi confirmed that Nick had harbored a fantasy that they and Arianna would be a family, and he'd gone nuts when she'd told him that would never happen.
Will concurred, "It's a good thing I wasn't there, 'cause I -- I don't know what I would've done. Let's just hope that he never shows his face here again." Guessing that Gabi felt like she'd "dodged a bullet," Will assured her that everyone was glad she was staying in Salem -- and he thought she should reconsider Sami and Kate's modeling offers. Gabi insisted their conversation hadn't really been about modeling; it had just been "a secret -- girl stuff." After asking Will to keep an eye on Arianna, Gabi left to get some fresh air.
An angst-ridden Gabi went to the park and perched on a bench -- but as soon as she'd sat down, Nick appeared to her. Terrified, Gabi backed away, landing on her backside in the bushes. She began to whimper and shut her eyes tightly as "Nick" approached her menacingly, but she looked up when she felt a gentle hand on her arm -- and saw T crouched beside her. As T apologized for frightening her, Gabi threw her arms around him with relief. "I'm so glad to see you," Gabi cried.
Gabi tried to cover that she'd just been jumpy and had made a big deal out of nothing, but T seemed skeptical -- although he happily stuck around when Gabi asked him to stay and keep her company.
When Sonny returned to the apartment, Will revealed that he had run into Gabi, Sami, and Kate at the Brady Pub earlier, and the three of them had been behaving strangely. Will had since deduced that there was a surprise party in the works for him, since his birthday was approaching. Will asked for Sonny to give him some advance warning, but Sonny insisted that he didn't know anything about it.
When Gabi returned home a little later, the living room was empty, so she called Kate to suggest that they meet at the apartment the next day, since Will and Sonny wouldn't be home. Sonny overheard the conversation, but he ducked back into the bedroom before Gabi saw him. "I can't do this," Gabi fretted as she hung up. Meanwhile, Kate muttered, "Pull it together, Gabi."
Back at her apartment, Jordan looked at her IDs from Texas, Indiana, and New Jersey. "No. I finally have something to hold on to. Kate is not going to ruin it for me," Jordan declared with determination.
Daniel entered his apartment and apologized to Eric for keeping him waiting for such a long time. Eric wasn't surprised that it had taken Daniel a while to say farewell to Parker, since it was probably going to be difficult for Daniel to spend the holidays without his son.
Daniel shrugged and explained that he and Chloe had worked out a system where they would each get to spend a holiday with their son -- Daniel had spent Thanksgiving with Parker, so Chloe was going to get to spend Christmas with the boy, and they planned to trade holidays the following year. Daniel reasoned that it was for the best that Parker was going to be with Chloe for a while, since that would leave Daniel with plenty of time to focus on proving that Kristen had drugged Eric.
Eric revealed that he no longer had reservations about accepting Daniel's help because Nicole had assured him that Daniel had no reason to feel guilty about what had happened on the night of Theresa's overdose. Eric added that he trusted Daniel completely and was ready to let him do whatever he needed to do to prove that Eric had been drugged. Daniel was eager to get started right away, but he once again warned that the process was going to be difficult and painful.
Daniel reminded Eric that he suspected that Kristen had used a masking agent to hide the drug that she had given to Eric. Daniel explained that there was a procedure that he could do that would strip away the masking agent that was probably still in his bloodstream, revealing the underlying drug. "But I gotta tell you -- you are gonna be hooked up to an I.V. for hours, lying in a bed. Now, it's not dangerous, but because of the temperature differences between your body and the drug, I gotta warn you -- there will be pain, and it could be acute pain," Daniel added. Eric was willing to deal with the physical pain, reasoning that it couldn't possibly match the emotional pain that he had been dealing with each day.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady was surprised to receive a visit from Nicole, who reminded him that he had previously agreed to do an off-camera interview with her that day for her story about Eric and Kristen. Nicole assured Brady that she would be happy to reschedule the interview if he no longer felt like doing it that day, but he insisted that he would be fine.
Brady told Nicole to wait for him in the living room, explaining that he needed to take care of something before they started the interview. After closing the living room doors behind Nicole, Brady reached into his pocket, retrieved a bullet-sized glass snuffer filled with cocaine, and rushed upstairs. A short time later, Brady descended the staircase and used the foyer mirror to check for telltale signs of his drug use before joining Nicole in the living room.
Brady apologized for keeping Nicole waiting, claiming that he had been answering a text message that he had received from John earlier. Eager to get started right away, Nicole changed the subject and assured Brady that she planned to handle the story about Eric and Kristen fairly and judiciously. "I'm not worried about it, because if [I] don't like the story, I own Titan TV -- I can have it killed, and I can have your ass fired," Brady matter-of-factly replied.
As Nicole stared at him in stunned silence, Brady laughed and revealed that he had been joking. Brady acknowledged that Nicole wasn't a rookie and that she had always been a good reporter, referring to the job as her wheelhouse. The baseball term confused Nicole, so Brady clarified that it was another way of saying that she was in her comfort zone as a reporter. Brady added that working at the television station had to be better than working at the stuffy rectory with his equally stuffy brother, the soon-to-be ex-priest.
Nicole observed that Brady seemed to be particularly open with his opinions that day, and she acknowledged that his openness was a good thing for her as a reporter. Nicole retrieved a handheld recording device from her purse and turned it on as Brady encouraged her to fire away with her questions. Nicole proceeded to ask Brady about the Pre-Cana counseling sessions that he and Kristen had attended with Eric.
Brady said that he had never gotten the impression that Eric and Kristen were hiding something from him during those sessions. Brady added that, while he wanted to believe that Eric was telling the truth about being drugged, Kristen was the only person who knew what had really happened, since Eric had never been able to recall the events that had taken place at the Capitol Plaza Hotel on the night in question.
Nicole asked Brady to describe how he had felt when the video of Kristen and Eric had been played in front of everyone at St. Luke's during Brady and Kristen's wedding. Brady admitted that he had felt devastated, laughing as he added that it wasn't every day that a man got to punch his brother, the priest, for sleeping with his fiancée. Nicole sighed as she turned off the recording device and demanded to know if he truly believed that his flippant attitude was fooling anyone.
"All right, you caught me, Nic, okay? I can't pretend that Kristen's lies haven't hurt me, because they have. My life's a wreck; I'm a wreck. But I'm determined not to -- to wallow in self-pity, you know? I don't want to look behind me; I want to move forward, and sometimes that means you have to force yourself not to feel things that you shouldn't. In the program, we call that, uh, 'acting as if' -- it gets you from one crisis moment to, hopefully, the next, not-so-much-of-a-crisis moment, okay? It's just what -- it's just what happens, but I -- if I'm acting a little too cheerful, or my disposition is a little too flip for you, well, I'm sorry. That's -- that's the reason. I'm just trying to do this in a healthy way. You think this is healthy, don't you?" Brady wondered, and Nicole nodded and admitted that she was really proud of him.
Nicole excused herself a short time later, admitting that she had everything that she needed. After Nicole left, Brady retrieved his snuffer again and checked its contents, muttering that he was fine when he realized that he had plenty of cocaine to get him through the rest of the day. Later, Brady retrieved the snuffer again and started to take another hit of cocaine, but he accidentally dropped it, shattering the snuffer and spilling its contents all over a table in the foyer.
"Broken glass and coke do not mix," Brady muttered as he quickly cleaned up the mess, spotting a newspaper article about Kristen in the foyer trashcan that he dumped the cocaine remnants into. Brady sighed and placed a phone call to his drug dealer before exiting the mansion.
At the hospital, Daniel told Nicole that Eric was undergoing the procedure to determine what Kristen had drugged Eric with. Daniel was grateful that Nicole had convinced Eric to trust Daniel, but she insisted that she had just pointed out the obvious to Eric -- that he was lucky to have a great friend like Daniel, who was willing and able to help Eric prove his innocence. Daniel countered that Eric was also lucky to have a devoted, compassionate friend like Nicole.
After Daniel left, Nicole went to visit Eric. A nurse informed Nicole that Eric was in a state of fevered delirium, but she encouraged Nicole to stay with Eric, explaining that the support might help him on a subconscious level. Nicole agreed and proceeded to keep Eric's forehead cool with a moist towel, admitting that, while she was still upset with him, she was really sorry that he was suffering.
In Daniel's office, Daniel studied Eric's medical files and muttered that Kristen had obviously given Eric a very sophisticated drug -- one that she would have needed help to procure. Daniel hoped that he could find the person who had helped Kristen so that he could prove Eric's innocence. Meanwhile, in an undisclosed tropical location, Chyka was talking to Kristen on the phone, assuring her that he was thousands of miles away from Salem, where no one would ever find him.
At the Horton house, J.J. was sitting alone in the living room, playing his guitar, when he received a phone call from Theresa. When Theresa learned that J.J. wasn't at school, she teasingly accused him of playing hooky, but he clarified that he had the day off because it was exam week. The news pleased Theresa, who informed J.J. that he had ten minutes to get himself over to her apartment so that he could run an errand for her.
"Bitch," J.J. angrily muttered as he ended the call, unaware that Abigail was standing behind him. Abigail wondered who J.J. had been talking to, and he replied that he had been talking to someone from school and had lost his temper. Abigail guessed that it was Bev, the girl who always seemed to be drooling over J.J., and she wondered if Bev was still harassing him for choosing to stay away from Bev and Rory.
J.J. avoided the question, vaguely stating that he had somewhere that he needed to be. Abigail urged J.J. to hurry back, reminding him that she and Jennifer were planning to finish putting up the Christmas decorations later that day and could use his help. Abigail added that she and Jennifer were really proud of J.J. for making such positive changes to his life recently.
Later, after J.J. left, Maggie visited the house. Abigail said that she was sorry that Maggie and Victor were having problems, but Maggie reasoned that she still had plenty of things to be thankful for, such as her family. Abigail pointed out that it was kind of sad that she, Jennifer, and Maggie would all be flying solo that year for Christmas and New Year's Eve, but Maggie chose to remain optimistic, countering that they were going to be together as a family and that J.J. was going to have three incredible dates on New Year's Eve.
Abigail admitted that, while she wanted to believe that J.J. had truly turned his life around, she had some doubts because of an odd phone conversation that she had overheard between J.J. and someone else earlier that day. Abigail told Maggie about the incident and explained that she suspected that J.J. might have been talking to one of his old friends. Maggie reasoned that J.J. was simply going to have to find some better friends to hang out with. Abigail revealed that she was worried about J.J. because he spent all of his time at the house and didn't really have a social life anymore.
In Theresa's apartment, Theresa ordered J.J. to purchase some marijuana for her. Eyeing Theresa's cell phone, which was laying on the coffee table, J.J. protested that he didn't have any money. Theresa reluctantly agreed to supply J.J. with the necessary funds, although she warned that he would have to find his own way to pay for her drugs in the future. Theresa went to retrieve her purse from a nearby table, and while her back was turned, J.J. grabbed her cell phone.
When Theresa turned around and saw that J.J. was holding her cell phone, she demanded to know what he was doing. "Oh, I'm deleting the video. So now you don't have anything on me. It's over," J.J. summarized with a smile as he tossed Theresa's cell phone on the couch. Stunned, Theresa picked up her phone and tearfully wondered how she could have been stupid enough to leave it unattended. "That's a good question," J.J. admitted as he started to leave.
"The thing is, I'm not -- you are. Do you seriously think that was the only copy of that video I had?" Theresa asked, revealing that she had been faking her earlier devastation. Theresa informed J.J. that she had sent a copy of the video to one of her friends in Los Angeles, Jade, who had stored it on a cloud server. Theresa quickly pulled up a copy of the email on her cell phone to prove to J.J. that she was telling the truth. Theresa warned that if J.J. ever tried to cross her again, she would instruct Jade to send a copy of the video to the judge who had been assigned to J.J.'s case.
Later, J.J. met with Rory and Bev in the town square and apologized for the way that he had treated them earlier. Rory and Bev quickly forgave J.J. and wondered if he had contacted them because he wanted to get high with them. J.J. clarified that, while he couldn't get high with Bev and Rory at that time, he did want to purchase some marijuana from them, although he was quick to stress that the marijuana wasn't for him.
Rory incredulously summarized that J.J. was only acting nice because he wanted something from Rory and Bev. J.J. insisted that he was being sincere, and he added that, while he was no longer able to hang out with Rory and Bev as much as he had in the past, he still considered them his friends. Satisfied, Rory said that, while he didn't have enough marijuana to sell some to J.J. at that time, he knew someone who could hook J.J. up with marijuana -- or anything else that J.J. might want -- at the park.
J.J. thanked Rory for the tip and quickly excused himself, unaware that Abigail had just entered the town square. "I'm glad we're friends again, dude!" Rory shouted as J.J. walked away, and Abigail listened with interest nearby. J.J. went to the park and waited for the drug dealer to arrive. Meanwhile, Brady showed up, and he and J.J. were equally shocked to see each other.
In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Adrienne spotted Sami and asked to speak to her for a moment. Adrienne was surprised when Sami remained stationary instead of running in the opposite direction, but Sami skeptically warned that she planned to reevaluate her decision after hearing whatever it was that Adrienne wanted to say to her.
"I believe in admitting when you're wrong," Adrienne explained, but her phrasing led Sami to believe that she was implying that Sami needed to admit to being wrong about something. "When one -- one -- is wrong -- the one, in this case, being me. I was wrong about Will. Sonny's never been happier. And I'm pretty sure he makes Will happy, too," Adrienne acknowledged, and Sami agreed without hesitation. Adrienne hoped that Sami would be willing to forgive her for previously stating that she didn't want Sonny to be with Will and Will's crazy family. Sami dismissed Adrienne's previous statements as water under the bridge.
Meanwhile, Kate arrived and reminded Sami that they needed to hurry over to Will and Sonny's apartment so that they wouldn't be late for their visit with Arianna. Adrienne wanted to tag along, but Kate expressed concerns about having too many people in Will and Sonny's closet-like apartment at once, and Sami agreed that, while she wouldn't exactly call the apartment a closet, it was certainly a bit claustrophobic. Adrienne took the hint and apologized for trying to intrude on Sami and Kate's personal time with their granddaughter. Kate suggested that Adrienne could join her and Sami for a visit with Arianna some other time, and Adrienne happily agreed.
After Adrienne left, Sami summarized that Kate had just missed hearing Adrienne apologize for the many times that she had tried to convince Sonny that he needed to stay away from Will and Will's crazy family. "Judgmental shrew," Kate muttered with a sigh before she and Sami headed over to Will and Sonny's apartment.
In Will and Sonny's apartment, Gabi was in her bedroom, taking a bit of comfort in the fact that she had finally managed to get through a night without thinking about Nick. Gabi prayed that Sami and Kate would be able to help her find the strength to continue to get through the ordeal.
Meanwhile, in the living room -- which had been spruced up with Christmas decorations, including a tree -- Will and Sonny were eating breakfast. Sonny informed Will that Kate and Sami had arranged to meet with Gabi at the apartment later that day, at a time when Will and Sonny were supposed to be out of the apartment -- information that Sonny had gleaned from overhearing Gabi's end of a phone conversation with Kate the previous night. Will glumly guessed that the meeting would be about his surprise party.
Sonny lovingly encouraged Will to stop being a grouch about the matter, promising that he would figure out the dirty little secret that the women were keeping from him and Will. Will revealed that Sami had always been obsessed with the idea of throwing a surprise party for him, despite the fact that he had repeatedly made his feelings about the matter perfectly clear to her. "You know my mom -- I mean, once she gets something in her head -- so what I need you to do, my love, is find out exactly what's going on [and] warn me about the level of humiliation I can expect, then I will be able to -- to get a strategy going," Will summarized as he draped an arm around Sonny's shoulders.
Sonny advised Will to stop worrying about the matter, but Will countered that it was easy for Sonny to say that, since he was going to be one of the intoxicated party guests who would be laughing at Will's expense on the day of the big event. Will hoped that Sonny would be able to find a way to talk Sami out of the whole thing. Sonny revealed that he had a plan, but before he could share the details with Will, Gabi emerged from her bedroom.
Gabi was surprised to see Will and Sonny, but Will explained that he was on his way out, and he left after giving Sonny a quick kiss. Sonny revealed that he was also getting ready to leave, and he assured Gabi that she was going to have the place to herself for a while. A short time later, Sami and Kate arrived, and Sonny emerged from Gabi's bedroom to greet them before excusing himself. Sonny encouraged the women to quickly check on Arianna so that they wouldn't miss the cute sounds that the child was making. Sonny insisted that Arianna was trying to talk and that she would soon be discussing international politics with him.
Gabi nervously ushered Sami and Kate into her room as Sonny was saying goodbye to them. When the coast was clear, Sonny opened the front door, loudly closed it to make the women think that he had left, and dashed into the living room coat closet. Gabi, Sami, and Kate quickly returned to the living room, assuming that it was finally safe for them to talk privately.
At Club TBD, T told Will that Gabi had seemed upset when T had seen her the previous day. Will guessed that Gabi had probably been upset about Nick, but T hoped that she wasn't giving Nick a second thought, since he believed that Nick was a creep who had never deserved her. Will grinned as he knowingly observed that T had a crush on Gabi -- one that Will seemed willing to encourage -- but T insisted that he and Gabi were just friends.
T resumed his work duties, and Will retrieved his cell phone so that he could ask Sonny for an update about what was happening at the apartment. Will quickly received a reply -- "Only for you would I go back in the closet!!!!" from Sonny, who had managed to remember to silence his cell phone ringer before hiding in the closet. Will laughed as he pictured the scene in his mind. "'I seriously love you,'" Will muttered aloud as he composed another text message to send to Sonny.
As Will continued to receive updates from Sonny, Adrienne entered the club and told Will about her earlier encounter with Kate and Sami. Will assured Adrienne that she was welcome to visit Arianna whenever she wanted to. Adrienne revealed that she had cleared the air with Sami earlier, and she reiterated, for Will's sake, that she had been very wrong about his relationship with Sonny. "You guys are so happy together, and if Sonny's happy, I'm happy," Adrienne summarized, and Will thanked her for her support.
Will received another text message from Sonny, and he proceeded to tell Adrienne about the completely harmless trick that they were playing on Sami. At the apartment, Gabi was tending to Arianna while Sami and Kate were gushing over some baked goods that had been left on the kitchen table. Sami and Kate were certain that Sonny had to be responsible for the delicious treats, and they agreed that Will was very lucky to have Sonny in his life. Sonny smiled as he sent a text message to Will, informing him that Sami and Kate were incredible women.
As Sonny continued to eavesdrop on the women, he sent Will another text message, assuring him that it seemed like the women were finally ready to spill the beans about the surprise party. "The both of you have been very supportive and everything, but I'm just -- I'm scared to death that someone is gonna figure out what the three of us did, okay? That we murdered Nick," Gabi admitted when Sami and Kate advised her to remain calm.
Sonny stood in the closet in shock as Will sent another text message, asking Sonny to tell him what was happening.
While J.J. was at the park to meet a drug dealer to buy pot for Theresa, he bumped into Brady, who was there to replenish his own stash of coke -- and each was utterly dismayed when he ran into the other. After the guys exchanged greetings, Brady asked what J.J. was doing there. J.J. lied that he was there to return some notes he'd borrowed from a classmate, and when J.J. asked, Brady claimed to be about to go for a run. Brady wondered if J.J. were in the right place to meet his friend, since they were in a sketchy part of the park.
J.J. insisting that he could take care of himself, but encouraged Brady to continue his run before his muscles tightened up. Brady said that Jennifer was really pleased with the way J.J. had turned his life around. A guilty J.J. pretended to get a text message, then "admitted" sheepishly that he was in the wrong place. After J.J. had gone, Brady's dealer finally showed up with the coke for Brady.
Later, J.J.'s dealer -- the same guy who'd sold the coke to Brady -- arrived with the weed for Theresa. J.J. complained that it wasn't enough, but the dealer said, "Pot's not my main inventory, man -- but I got plenty of harder stuff if you want it." Curious, J.J. asked if the dealer had sold anything to a guy named Brady Black earlier. "Never heard of him... And asking nosy questions doesn't make you sound smart," the dealer advised.
Brady returned to the Kiriakis mansion and immediately snorted some of the coke. "What the hell was J.J. doing in the park?" Brady wondered. "If that kid is in trouble again, it's going to kill Jenn. It's going to kill her... Damn kids," Brady muttered as he tapped some more coke onto the back of his hand and snorted it. He called Jennifer and asked if she could meet him right away, because he had needed to talk to her in person -- about J.J.
When J.J. showed up at Theresa's place, the scant quantity of weed he'd procured disappointed her. J.J. maintained that it had been all he could get. He pleaded with Theresa not to make him get more for her, because he'd run into his mom's friend, Brady, and he knew Brady had been suspicious. Theresa suspected that J.J. had more connections than that, but he insisted that asking his friends was too risky. Theresa warned him, "Either get me my weed and take a chance, or don't get it -- and you can be one hundred percent sure you're going down."
As a horrified Sonny eavesdropped from his hiding place in the living room closet of the apartment, he overheard Gabi divulge that she, Kate, and Sami had murdered Nick. Meanwhile, Will believed that Sonny was spying on the women because they were planning a surprise party for Will's birthday. Will sent Sonny a text message, begging Sonny to tell him what was going on.
At Club TBD, Will and Adrienne were puzzled when Sonny stopped responding to Will's messages. Adrienne guessed that Kate and Sami had caught Sonny eavesdropping and they hadn't been pleased. Will playfully warned Sonny that Sami and Kate might kill him if they caught him. Will guessed that Sonny wasn't responding because he was trying to find a way to soften the blow of the embarrassing things that Sami had planned.
Adrienne said that she had apologized for being so hard on Sami before, and Adrienne also hoped that Will could forgive her for misjudging him and his family. Will assured Adrienne that he understood her point of view. Adrienne confessed that she also felt bad for not thinking the living situation with Will, Sonny, Gabi, and the baby would work out, but she saw that they were a wonderful little family who loved Arianna very much -- and Sonny had never been happier.
As Adrienne rose to leave, she thanked Will for allowing her to participate in his escapade with Sonny spying on Sami and Kate. Adrienne added that she hoped someday Will would feel as comfortable with her as Sonny felt with Will's mother.
While Sonny continued to listen in, an anxious Gabi said that she felt so guilty that she couldn't think about anything else. Sami assured Gabi that she understood because of what had happened with Bernardi. Kate and Sami reminded Gabi that she had hit Nick with the rock because he had been about to rape her. Sonny's eyes widened as Gabi recounted how Nick's eyes had popped open and he'd grabbed at Sami when they'd put his body in the water.
Gabi agreed that she had been defending herself when she'd hit Nick with the rock -- but when they'd pushed him into the water, it had been murder. "Gabi, he attacked you, unprovoked! Who knows what he would've done to you after you bashed his head in with a rock," Kate pointed out. Sami maintained that after everything he'd done to them, and to Will and Sonny, Nick had gotten what he'd deserved.
Gabi fretted that Nick's cousin Hope was a detective who would ask questions when the family realized that he was missing. Gabi reminded the others that people had seen her arguing with Nick in Horton Square -- plus the three of them had run into the birdwatcher down by the river. Sami and Kate strongly urged Gabi to stop borrowing trouble.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Open up! Police!" a man's voice called from the hallway. Sami, Kate, and Gabi began to freak out -- and, in the closet, so did Sonny. They were relieved when they determined that it was Roman's voice at the door when he said, "You okay in there? I was just joking!" Sami unfastened the chain on the door and let her dad in, greeting him with a hug.
Roman explained that he'd stopped by to see Will and the baby -- and he'd announced that he was the police just to mess with his grandson. The women informed him that Will wasn't home and Arianna was sleeping. When Arianna began to cry, Kate took Roman into the bedroom so he could see the baby. Gabi guessed that Arianna had been crying because she wanted her "binky" -- which was in the bag in the closet.
Sami offered to retrieve the binky, so a panicked Sonny grabbed a jacket and held it in front of himself in a feeble attempt to make himself invisible. Just as Sami opened the closet door, Gabi called out that she had found the binky in the living room. To Sonny's utter relief, Sami closed the closet door again without spying him.
When Sami and Gabi went into the bedroom to take the binky to Arianna, Sonny exited the closet and hurriedly tiptoed to the front door -- but was dismayed to find that the chain was latched. When it sounded like the others might leave the bedroom, Sonny ducked around the Christmas tree and hid behind Arianna's stroller in the corner.
Roman received a text message from Marlena, so Sonny tucked himself into a tight little ball behind the stroller as Sami escorted her dad to the door -- and again locked the door with the chain. From the bedroom, Gabi called out to ask Sami to look for the diaper-rash cream. While Sami was searching the living room, Kate emerged from the bedroom, worried that Gabi was going to crack.
In loud whispers, Kate and Sami argued about who was to blame for what had happened that night with Gabi. They finally found the diaper cream and returned to the bedroom. Seeing his opportunity to leave, Sonny hurried to the door -- but saw that the chain was on. Frustrated, Sonny opened the window, climbed over the dresser in front of it, and made his escape -- but before he could shut the window behind himself, the women returned to the living room.
A few minutes later, Sami remarked that she didn't remember the window being open. As she closed it -- and before the women could speculate as to how the window had gotten opened -- Gabi suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, my God! She just stood up!" Sami rushed back to witness little Arianna standing on the couch with a little help from her mother.
Kate and Sami pointed out that Gabi would miss out on many special moments if she didn't keep their secret about Nick and they all went to prison -- such as Arianna taking her first steps, her first words, the first time she said "Mama" -- plus Arianna would grow up without her mother, seeing her only on visiting day. "I spent a lot of years without my mom, and in some ways, I never got over it," Sami confessed. "You don't want Arianna to be as screwed-up as Sami, do you, Gabi?" Kate asked.
Sami pointed out that the kids at Arianna's school might be cruel -- to say nothing of their parents. Kate added, "Gabi, I know that you want to do the right thing, but the right thing for this beautiful little baby is to have a loving and happy life, with the safety of knowing that you provided it. You can't ever say anything about what we did to Nick. Do you understand?" Gabi assured Kate and Sami that she understood.
A fretful Sonny arrived at the club and took the vacant seat across from Will. "I need to talk to you," Sonny began. Will asked why Sonny had stopped texting him. "I'm glad you're sitting down, because you are not going to believe this," Sonny said gravely -- just as Adrienne returned. She kissed her son and asked, "So give us the dish: what were those ladies up to?" Sonny appeared torn as Will and Adrienne looked at him expectantly.
From the tropics, Dr. Chyka reassured Kristen by phone that no one would ever be able to prove that she had drugged the priest. After Chyka hung up, he gazed at the contents of his briefcase and added to himself, "Unless, of course, it benefits me to reveal otherwise."
In Daniel's office at the hospital, Daniel explained to Marlena that he was trying to help clear Eric's name, and Daniel wanted to start by tracking down whoever had supplied the drugs that Kristen had used on Eric. Daniel hoped that, given Marlena's history with the DiMeras, she might know whom Daniel could begin investigating. Marlena recalled that an eccentric scientist, Dr. Wilhelm Rolf, had once worked for Stefano, but she wasn't sure she could think of anyone else from the endless list of people in Stefano's employ who might be useful.
When Daniel mentioned the test he was running on Eric, Marlena had no idea what test he was talking about. Daniel had assumed that Eric had told Marlena what was going on. He explained that the recently developed procedure should uncover the masking agents that Kristen had used to disguise the drugs she'd used on Eric -- and that would help prove that Eric hadn't willingly broken his vows. Daniel warned Marlena that the procedure was painful.
Near the nurses' station, Anne dumped a big pile of files in Theresa's hands and barked curt instructions at the underling. After pulling Anne aside, Theresa quietly revealed that she remembered everything from the night she'd overdosed -- and she was using it to further their agenda to destroy Jennifer's life.
"In fact, I'm making Jenny's life worse even as we speak," Theresa said, adding that she hated Jennifer more than ever. "So why the hell didn't you use my statement at Daniel's hearing?" Anne demanded. Theresa pointed out that she was getting a lot more mileage out of playing innocent -- but she still had every intention of taking Jennifer down.
Daniel walked by just then, so Theresa whined loudly, "God, what is wrong with you, Anne? You're being so mean to me!" Daniel overheard and started to intervene, but Anne assured him that there was no problem. After pointing a finger accusingly in Theresa's face, Anne stormed off but gave Theresa a gleeful grin behind Daniel's back.
Daniel escorted Theresa to his office to ask her what was going on with her and Anne. Theresa claimed that Anne was furious that Theresa had told the truth at Daniel's hearing. "And on top of that, J.J. keeps coming around, even though I told him that's not a good idea and his mom wouldn't be happy," Theresa claimed.
Theresa added she hadn't been going to A.A. meetings as promised, so Maggie was probably upset with her, too, although Theresa felt self-conscious going to meetings alone. Daniel said that if Theresa didn't want to ask Maggie to accompany her, his friend Brady Black would be happy to go with Theresa. Theresa informed him that Brady had already declined Maggie's request. "That's not like Brady," Daniel said.
When Theresa hinted that she would rather go to a meeting with Daniel, he reminded her that he wasn't in the program. Daniel assured Theresa that Maggie wouldn't mind going with Theresa. Theresa asked if Daniel had meant it when he'd said that she could talk to him if things got tough. He said that he had. Daniel had to get back to work then, so Theresa gathered her things to leave -- but took her time doing so. Daniel rolled his eyes after she'd gone.
In Eric's hospital room, Nicole gently mopped Eric's sweaty brow with a damp washcloth. Still somewhat delirious, Eric stirred a bit and asked Nicole if she could forgive him. Nicole encouraged Eric to rest, but he persisted, so she assured him that she forgave him. She added that the nurse had advised her that Eric's fever was dropping. Eric squeezed Nicole's hand and thanked her.
Marlena was a bit taken aback when she entered Eric's room and found Nicole perched on the edge of Eric's bed. When Marlena asked how her son was, Nicole explained that Eric was in a lot of pain and in and out of consciousness. Guessing that Eric had been shutting Marlena out because of her role in playing the video, Nicole said that her first assignment for her new job at Titan TV was Eric's story. Nicole continued that she would do everything she could to prove Eric's innocence, and she hoped to interview Marlena for the piece.
Marlena asserted that doing so would be "a complete disaster." Marlena explained that she was aware that Eric felt terrible for falsely accusing Nicole of drugging and seducing him, but Nicole insisted that she and Eric had gotten past that. Marlena said that Eric had obviously reached that conclusion because he'd been aware of Nicole's feelings for him -- which were just as evident to Marlena and would likely be apparent to those in the church who were scrutinizing whether Eric was still fit for the priesthood.
Nicole was adamant that whatever feelings she'd had for Eric were completely gone, but Marlena didn't buy it. Nicole insisted that it had been Daniel's idea for her to interview Eric in order to help Eric. "But I'm done with him! I'm totally done. But then Kristen did this horrible, unforgivable thing to him. She practically ruined his life, and everything he's worked so hard for -- possibly up in smoke. It's just wrong and completely unfair, and he should be back in the priesthood, where he belongs," Nicole asserted firmly.
Nicole took Roman's arrival just then as her cue to leave. Eric was surprised a little later when he opened his eyes and saw both of his parents standing by his bed. Marlena explained how she'd found out about Eric's procedure. Eric admitted weakly, "I just need some distance. I needed to do this on my own." He added that he loved his parents but he wanted them to leave.
"It's hard enough to do without you hovering," Eric said, groggily attempting a smile. Roman and Marlena reluctantly kissed their son on the forehead and headed out. Eric stopped Marlena before she exited and said, "I'm still pretty hazy, but I feel like Nicole was here." Marlena informed him that Nicole had been there but had since left. Once he was alone, Eric recalled Nicole's words. "She forgave me," he murmured.
Nicole stopped by Daniel's office and asked if she could speak with him in private -- somewhere besides the hospital. Daniel agreed to take a break after he checked on Eric. As he hung up his white coat and followed Nicole out, Daniel suggested that they go back to his place.
At Daniel's, Nicole cautioned Daniel that she was worried about the help she was giving Eric with the TV piece. "I realized if I'm going to go through with this, I need you to do something for me, and I'm pretty sure you're not going to like it -- at all," Nicole said.
