After calling the hospital and learning from Maxine that Daniel had just ended his shift, Jennifer started to exit the Horton house so that she could meet him at his apartment, but when she opened the front door, she found Nicole standing outside. Jennifer tried to sidestep Nicole, but Nicole refused to let Jennifer leave.
"Do you have any idea how much I hate you right now? I will never forgive you, Jennifer -- never!" Nicole snapped as she forced her way into the house. Nicole complained that she and Eric had lost everything that day because Jennifer had decided to play God with their lives instead of minding her own business. Jennifer refused to accept responsibility for the problem that Nicole had created.
Nicole bitterly countered that she had been handling her problem in her own way -- a way that apparently hadn't been good enough for "Miss Goody Two-Shoes," who never missed an opportunity to show someone where they had gone wrong. Jennifer insisted that she'd had every right to tell Eric the truth, since he was her friend. Jennifer reminded Nicole that Kristen's actions had nearly destroyed Eric's life.
"Well, guess what -- today, you finished the job," Nicole replied, but Jennifer disagreed. Jennifer argued that Eric had needed proof of his innocence more than anything else and that Nicole had lied to him and hidden that proof from him. Nicole countered that Eric had needed her and her love more than anything else, and she insisted that she hadn't lied to Eric -- she simply hadn't wanted him to see the documents right away.
Jennifer maintained that Nicole was still lying, but Nicole asserted that she had never lied about her love for Eric. Nicole insisted that she would have eventually told Eric the truth -- in her own way -- if Jennifer hadn't robbed her of the chance to do so. "Nicole, that is bull! That is bull! I know you! If it hadn't been for me, he would never have known the truth," Jennifer countered.
Nicole insisted that she would have told Eric the truth, and Jennifer conceded that Nicole probably would have been forced to do so eventually, since Nicole couldn't have kept Eric's loved ones from getting in touch with him forever. Jennifer predicted that Nicole wouldn't have allowed Eric to learn the truth until after they had gotten married, at which point it would have been too late because he would have never been allowed to return to the priesthood.
Confused, Nicole pointed out that Jennifer had overheard her earlier argument with Daniel, which meant that Jennifer knew that he had been prepared to tell Eric the truth if Nicole hadn't soon done so herself. Jennifer guessed that Daniel had first confronted Nicole with the shredded documents right before what should have been Nicole and Eric's engagement party. Jennifer wondered how many chances Daniel had given Nicole to tell Eric the truth following that initial confrontation.
Nicole incredulously observed that Jennifer was acting like Daniel would lie for Nicole. Jennifer pointed out that Daniel had lied for Nicole on two previous occasions -- during Nicole's most recent pregnancy and during Nicole's attempt to convince Eric that she was dating Daniel. Nicole protested that those situations had been completely different, but Jennifer disagreed.
"You know what? If you had your own way and enough time, you would convince Daniel to never tell Eric the truth -- that he wouldn't even need to know it. You are tearing Daniel apart, because he cares about the truth. And you know what? He cares about you -- very, very much!" Jennifer tearfully added, prompting Nicole to wonder if Jennifer was jealous of Nicole's relationship with Daniel.
Jennifer denied the suspicion, but Nicole wasn't convinced. "Daniel and I have been close for a long time. We lived together -- something you two have never done. And yes, there was a time when we went a hell of a lot further than just being best buds, but -- you've never gotten over that, have you? And as hard as I've tried to be your friend, you just can't stop thinking about it," Nicole guessed.
Jennifer insisted that the situation wasn't about her and that, as usual, Nicole was simply twisting things to make a situation look like something that it wasn't. "You need to face reality -- you lied to Eric, and the truth came out. You made your bed -- now go lie in it," Jennifer added. Nicole glared at Jennifer for a moment before silently exiting the house.
Nicole returned to her hotel room, where her luggage was still laying on the bed. Nicole remained calm for a few moments before losing her composure and hurling the luggage across the room with a cry of despair. "This can't be happening! Oh, my God -- oh, my God, this can't be happening!" Nicole screamed before collapsing onto the bed. After sobbing uncontrollably for a few moments, Nicole started to regain her composure. "It can't. It's not. It's not gonna happen. It's not," Nicole quietly assured herself.
After ending his shift at the hospital, Daniel returned to his apartment, poured himself a cup of coffee, and groaned with exhaustion as he took a seat on the couch. Daniel had heard about Gabi's arrest, so he took a moment to send Rafe a supportive text message. Daniel briefly considered calling Nicole but ultimately decided to rest for a minute before doing so.
As Daniel leaned his head back and closed his eyes, someone started knocking on the apartment door. Daniel reluctantly opened the door and found Eric standing outside. After apologetically acknowledging that he probably should have called first, Eric asked to see the shredded documents that were in Daniel's possession.
As Daniel retrieved the documents, Eric also apologized for the way that he had treated Daniel during their earlier encounter in the town square. Eric admitted that he should have had more faith in Daniel, but Daniel dismissed the concern and reasoned that the important thing was that Eric had finally learned the truth. Eric pointedly muttered that he was glad that someone believed that he'd had a right to know the truth.
Eric excused himself, reasoning that it would probably be best for him to view the documents privately. Eric started to apologize again for the way that he had treated Daniel earlier, but Daniel reasoned that Nicole had done a number on both of them. Daniel admitted that, while he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to forgive Nicole for what she had done, he was glad that she had at least told Eric the truth in the end. "Nicole wasn't the one who told me the truth," Eric clarified. Eric revealed that Jennifer was the person who had shared the information with him, but he declined to elaborate, reasoning that Daniel needed to hear the story from her instead.
After Eric left, Daniel called Jennifer and told her that they needed to talk about something. Jennifer agreed and asked Daniel to meet her at the Horton house. Daniel ended the call and started to leave, but when he opened the apartment door, he found Nicole standing in the hallway. Nicole angrily slapped Daniel, who grabbed and held her wrists as she forced her way into the apartment.
In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Eric inspected the documents as a tear rolled down his cheek. Later, Eric went to the Horton house to see Jennifer. Jennifer had been expecting Daniel, but when she saw Eric, she embraced him and told him that she was sorry.
At the Brady Pub, Kate -- who had just returned from a one-day trip to Chicago -- complained to Will that, aside from Lucas providing her with a scant bit of information, she had been completely out of the loop because no one else had bothered to call her or even send her a text message to let her know that "all hell" had broken loose in Salem while she had been gone. "Hey, this isn't about you -- this is about Gabi," Will gently reminded Kate.
Kate apologized and admitted that Will was right. Will reported that he had seen Gabi earlier and that, given the circumstances, she was holding up pretty well. Will assured Kate that Gabi never would have allowed him to take the blame for the shooting, reasoning that Gabi simply wasn't that kind of person. Will added that Gabi had only had one person on her mind at that time, and Kate guessed that he was referring to Arianna.
Kate acknowledged that it was sad that Arianna was going to grow up without a mother, but she assured Will that the child would survive. "Of course she will -- Sonny and I are gonna make sure of that. And she's gonna visit Gabi every chance she gets. We'll send videos. But Ari is never going to know her mother the way that children are supposed to. I mean, what are the other people gonna say, when she's growing up, about how she has two dads and her mom's in prison?" Will wondered. Kate didn't like the direction that the conversation seemed to be headed, so she interrupted and told Will not to say another word.
In a conference room at the police station, Gabi started to explain "the truth" to Abigail, but Abigail interrupted and said that she already knew that Gabi had confessed to killing Nick. "And yeah, Nick was my family, and, of course, I never wanted anything bad to happen to him, but you're my friend, Gabi, and I know that you're --" Abigail started to add, but Gabi interrupted to clarify that she wasn't -- and never had been -- Abigail's friend.
"I wanted to be your friend -- you've always been so nice to me. But if you knew the truth --" Gabi started to add before her voice trailed off. Confused, Abigail urged Gabi to elaborate, but when Gabi admitted that she had hired Andrew, the confession left Abigail feeling even more confused than before.
"It was a long time ago, I know, but come on -- I mean, you were -- you were suspicious of me right off the bat, you remember? You felt like I was up to something, and I was -- I wanted Chad for myself, so -- so I hired Andrew to be my stalker so I -- I could get Chad to be more protective, and it -- it worked -- I mean, it sort of worked. And, um -- and then Andrew turned out to be this total psycho, and he kidnapped Melanie, and I found out about it, and...I'm not your friend, Abigail. I betrayed Melanie. And I betrayed you," Gabi regretfully admitted.
"I didn't know that Andrew was crazy -- I didn't. And I didn't know about the kidnapping -- that wasn't -- part of any -- the point is -- the thing is that if -- I -- I should have been made to pay for what I did, Abigail, because if that would have happened, it would have -- I would have never been in this position. Nothing would have happened," Gabi reasoned. Abigail realized that Nick had known Gabi's secret and had been using it to control Gabi. "He even talked about sending me to prison any time he wanted," Gabi tearfully admitted.
Abigail wondered if Melanie was aware that Gabi had hired Andrew. Gabi nodded and said that was one of the reasons that Melanie had left Salem. As Abigail started to process the fact that Gabi had been keeping the secret for approximately two years, a police officer interrupted to announce that Gabi was about to be called before a judge. After apologizing and acknowledging that Abigail had deserved to know the truth, Gabi followed the police officer out of the room, ignoring Abigail's attempt to stop her. Alone in the room, Abigail broke down in tears.
When Gabi returned to the police station after her court appearance, Kate was waiting for her. "I'm not gonna pretend that I'm sorry that you killed Nick -- that Nick is dead -- because I understand...perfectly. The only thing I'm sorry about is that you got caught," Kate matter-of-factly informed Gabi. As Gabi and Kate conversed, Gabi revealed that the judge had agreed to nearly all of E.J.'s requests. Kate wondered if Gabi believed that it was wise to ask for the case to be expedited. "E.J. says it is. He's working on a brief [for the sentencing hearing] that pleads mitigating circumstances," Gabi explained with a shrug.
"Just...exactly what would those circumstances be?" Kate somewhat nervously asked. Gabi assured Kate that the river incident would not be mentioned. Kate thanked Gabi, who tearfully acknowledged that Kate and Sami had simply been trying to help her. Gabi started to add that things might have ended differently if she had listened to Kate and Sami's warnings about Nick when he had returned to Salem, but Kate stopped her.
Kate told Gabi not to start beating herself up about what had happened. Kate added that she knew exactly why Gabi had done what she had done. "A mother will do anything to protect her children -- including murder," Kate knowingly summarized. Gabi seemed relieved to hear that Kate understood, and the women held hands as tears fell from their eyes.
Kate assured Gabi that Will and Sonny were going to do whatever it took to ensure that Arianna would have a good life. "Listen -- my promise to you -- my promise to you is that every time I see that little girl, I'm gonna tell her how much her mommy loves her, okay? And when she's old enough, I'll explain things, because she will know that her mother loved her so much that she was willing to sacrifice everything to make sure her little girl was safe," Kate vowed. Gabi thanked Kate, and the women hugged as they continued to sob.
In Will and Sonny's apartment, Paige wondered when Ben had moved from Salem to Florida. Ben feigned ignorance and said that Paige had apparently mistaken him for someone else. "No, it was -- it was just two years ago. You worked at that, uh, diner -- the one off of, uh, the Dixie Highway? My mom and I ate there, like, once a week. You don't remember?" Paige asked.
Ben maintained that he wasn't the person Paige was thinking of, and he stood and turned his back to her as he casually shifted his focus to his cell phone. Meanwhile, J.J. suggested that Paige might have met Ben's doppelgänger, although Sonny had to help his cousin think of the proper word to describe the supposed phenomenon. Ben played along with the theory as he turned to face the group again, and Paige accepted the explanation with a shrug.
A short time later, J.J. and Paige excused themselves. J.J. reiterated that he would be willing to help Sonny and Will if they ever needed anything, and Paige extended the same offer, although she guessed that people were already fighting each other for a chance to babysit because Arianna was a really cute baby. Sonny smiled and proudly confirmed that fighting did occur occasionally.
Paige apologized to Ben for the earlier case of mistaken identity, conceding that her talent for never forgetting a face had apparently failed her for once. Ben assured Paige that he understood, and he watched closely as she and J.J. exited the apartment. Outside, Paige told J.J. that she had just remembered that the name of the guy she had met in Florida was Kevin, not Ben.
Back inside the apartment, Sonny mused that it was weird that Paige had been convinced that she had previously met Ben in Florida. "I actually get that a lot. I guess I just have that kind of face," Ben coolly replied. Meanwhile, Will entered the apartment and greeted Sonny and Ben. Sonny wondered how Gabi was doing, and Will replied that she knew that she had a very long nightmare ahead of her and that he had done what he could to make her feel better about the situation.
Will reported that Abigail had arrived at the police station just as he had been about to leave earlier, and he optimistically suggested that her visit might have cheered Gabi up a bit. Ben wanted to know how Abigail was doing, so Will admitted that she hadn't seemed okay. Will added that the situation had been hard on the entire family but they would get through it together. Ben nodded and excused himself after telling Will and Sonny to take care of their "special little lady," adding that Arianna was lucky to have the two of them.
Later, after Ben left, Will and Sonny discussed their new reality and assured each other that, while it would be difficult, they could -- and would -- make it work, and they would give Arianna a great life and take her to visit Gabi as often as possible. Meanwhile, Arianna started to fuss from her nearby playpen. "Daddy's here," Will and Sonny simultaneously assured their daughter. After pausing for a moment to appreciate what had just happened, Sonny and Will kissed each other and stood together to attend to Arianna.
Ben went to the hospital to see Abigail, who was touched that he had tracked her down to make sure that she was all right. Ben guessed that it had been tough for Abigail to hear that one of her good friends had killed Nick. "Well, it turns out Gabi wasn't my friend," Abigail vaguely clarified. Ben didn't want to pry, but he could tell that Abigail was really upset about something, so he made it clear that he would be willing to listen if she wanted to talk to someone about the situation. "It turns out that our whole friendship was a lie. I obviously didn't know who Gabi was at all," Abigail tearfully admitted.
In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Bev met with Cole, who had just been released from jail the previous day. Cole complained that he was "flat broke" and had been forced to spend the previous night in a "damn shelter," and he asked Bev to lend him some money. Bev was happy to oblige but wanted something from Cole in return.
Bev wondered if Cole knew who Paige Larson was. "Who doesn't? Body used to keep me awake at night," Cole replied with a sly grin. Bev disgustedly told Cole to get over Paige, who was "totally a bitch." Cole had never spoken to Paige himself, but when Bev informed him that Paige often hung out with Marybeth, he shrugged and accepted the negative assessment of Paige's character.
After pointedly adding that Paige had also been hanging out with J.J. lately, Bev asked Cole to plant a couple of joints in Paige's purse. Bev mischievously promised that she would take care of the rest herself. "Why should I help you fix things so [J.J.] dumps Paige and comes home to you, huh? I hate his damn guts," Cole, who was still bitter about the fact that J.J. had managed to avoid jail time for his own crimes, reminded Bev.
"Yeah, well, I hate Paige ten times more, but I figured...why get mad when you can get even? And you need the cash, right? Well, my old man always makes sure I have a full wallet, so we'll do an even trade -- you be my -- my go-to guy, and I'll be your ATM," Bev suggested. Cole accepted the deal, although he wasn't sure how he was going to find an opportunity to slip the joints into Paige's purse. Bev assured Cole that she would do the thinking for him as long as he took care of the deed itself. Bev handed Cole some cash, promising more upon completion of his task.
Bev sent J.J. a text message and arranged to meet with him in the town square. When J.J. arrived with Paige a short time later, Bev claimed that she was happy to see that they were together. Bev innocently added that she was sorry about the earlier misunderstanding involving her STD test, and Paige accepted the apology. Hoping that she was no longer considered "the evil witch of Salem," Bev asked J.J. to help her study for her physics final, claiming that a poor grade in that class might prevent her from getting into Salem University. Paige didn't object, so J.J. agreed to spend one hour helping Bev, and he arranged to meet Paige at Club TBD afterward.
As J.J. said goodbye to Paige, Bev discreetly sent a text message to Cole to let him know where Paige was headed. Later, while J.J. was helping Bev study for the physics final, she innocently mused that she was glad that Paige would be moving to California later that year, since he was trying to stay out of trouble and away from drugs. "It turns out Paige Larson is a little more of a party girl than people think," Bev casually added.
J.J. was skeptical and guessed that Bev was up to something again. "Bev, I warned you. If you're trying to make Paige out to be some druggie, then we're done. You know what? We are," J.J. said before walking away. "We'll see," Bev mischievously muttered as she watched J.J. leave.
When Paige arrived at Club TBD, she quickly spotted Stacey, a friend she hadn't seen in a while. As Paige took a seat at Stacey's table and started to chat with her about college campuses, Cole watched them from a nearby table. Cole picked up his cup of coffee and casually headed toward the bar, spilling the drink on Paige's shirt as he passed her.
Cole feigned remorse and apologized profusely as Paige rushed off to the bathroom to take care of the problem, leaving her purse behind. Cole pointedly observed that it looked like Paige could use some help, and Stacey took the hint and followed her friend to the bathroom. Cole reached into his pants pocket to retrieve the joints as he nervously glanced around the club to make sure that no one was watching him.
After hesitating for a few moments, Cole started to slip the joints into Paige's purse -- just as she returned and demanded to know what he was doing. Cole discreetly placed the joints in his back pocket as he claimed that he had been checking Paige's purse for tissues so that he could clean up the spill. Paige skeptically wondered why Cole had ignored the large stack of napkins that was in plain view on the table, inches away from her purse. Cole started to stammer out a response, but Paige interrupted and guessed that he had purposely spilled coffee on her so that he could try to steal her cell phone or her wallet.
As Cole tried to deny the accusation, J.J. arrived and wondered what was going on. Cole rushed out of the club as Paige quickly filled J.J. in on what had happened. J.J. followed Cole outside and slammed him up against a wall. A fight ensued, and as Paige tried to get the guys to stop, Cole pushed J.J. away from him. J.J. lost his footing as he stumbled backward into a stone wall, and he groaned in pain as he collapsed to the ground, holding his lower back.
In the town square, Kate met with Sami to talk. Nearby, Marlena watched as Kate and Sami walked away to talk privately in the park nearby. As Kate and Sami commented how lucky they were that Gabi had not told the police about the incident at the river, Marlena walked around the corner and stood behind the women. Kate noted that Gabi had promised to keep quiet, and Sami informed Kate that Gabi had told Marlena about the river.
When Kate asked how Marlena had gotten involved with Gabi, Sami explained that Hope had believed that Gabi had needed an off-the-record psychological evaluation. With a shrug, Sami said they were lucky that Marlena could not say anything because of doctor-patient confidentiality. As Sami lamented that her mother knew about the river incident, Kate turned to Sami and noticed Marlena lurking in the bushes nearby.
Marlena bristled as Kate made jokes, and she told Kate that she believed that Kate had talked Gabi into doing something stupid. Sami defended Kate and noted that if Marlena had been there at the river then she would have understood the situation better. Annoyed, Marlena asked to talk to Sami in private. Kate warned Marlena that she would have her license if Marlena told anyone about what had happened down at the river.
Once alone, Sami was defensive and warned Marlena that she was not interested in hearing the laundry list of mistakes that Sami had made in the past. Marlena promised that she did not want to criticize Sami. Marlena said she wished that Sami was not impulsive. As Sami quipped that she knew why she was impulsive, Marlena groaned and said she did not want to be blamed for Sami's behavior. Sami apologized for lashing out.
Sami swore that she and Kate had wanted to help Will by protecting Gabi on the night at the river. With a sigh, Marlena said that she wished Sami had talked to her about the river sooner. Fighting tears, Sami said she had not talked to Marlena because she'd felt that Marlena would have judged or condemned her actions. Without a word, Marlena left. Sami ran after her.
Julie returned to town after visiting Nick's family. Julie went to the police station to talk to Hope in her office about Gabi's arrest. When Julie said that she could not believe that Gabi had shot Nick when she had been growing closer to him, Hope corrected Julie. Hope noted that Nick had been lying about things. With a raised eyebrow, Julie reminded Hope that it was not kind to blame the dead. Julie demanded to see Gabi.
Down the hallway, E.J. met with Gabi in an office at the police station. E.J. informed Gabi that he had reached a plea agreement with the prosecution. Gabi reviewed the plea agreement and was surprised to see that the length of incarceration was less than she had expected. When Gabi asked about going to trial, E.J. gently explained that Melanie and Chad would testify at the trial about the explosion and stalking issues. E.J. strongly recommended that Gabi take the plea deal as soon as possible.
Hope interrupted to announce that Julie wanted to talk to Gabi. E.J. said no because it was inappropriate. Gabi told Hope that she wanted to talk to Julie. As Hope went to get Julie from the other room, Gabi told E.J. that she knew that Julie was in pain, and she did not want to hide from Julie. As Hope returned with Julie, Julie asked E.J. to leave. Before leaving, E.J. confirmed that Hope would remain in the room and that the conversation would be off the record.
Once E.J. was gone, Gabi said that she understood that Julie hated her. Angry, Julie warned Gabi not to presume how Julie felt about the situation. Julie said that she had taken Nick's body back to his family. When Julie asked if Gabi understood how much she had hurt Nick's family, a teary-eyed Gabi said that as a mother, she understood a little how Nick's family had to feel. Julie asked Gabi why she had killed Nick.
"I don't know if I can explain it all. All I can say, Julie, is that I couldn't take it anymore," Gabi said. When Julie noted that Nick had worshipped Gabi, Gabi explained that Nick had smothered her. Julie said that Gabi should have told Nick to back off, but Gabi explained that she was worried about how Nick would have reacted. Gabi added that Nick had worked to separate Adrianna from Will. Gabi said she was sorry.
Overwhelmed, Julie said, "I hope you hate yourself for the rest of your life." Julie left with Hope, and Gabi stared at her plea agreement. Hope and Julie returned to Hope's office, and a fuming Julie said she did not believe Gabi. Hope said that she did not believe Nick deserved to die but that Nick had been hurting people. Julie said that Nick had been sorry and had deserved a second chance.
"He deserved to have a second chance. Gabi saw to it that he didn't get one, so Gabi doesn't deserve to get one either," Julie said.
Outside Club T.B.D., J.J. fought with Cole. After Cole threw J.J. against the wall, injuring his head, a furious J.J. leaped to his feet and punched Cole. Paige pleaded with J.J. to stop fighting. Paige pushed J.J. away from Cole, and Cole took the opportunity to run away. As Paige pulled out her phone to call the police, J.J. asked her to stop. J.J. noted that he did not want his mother to know that he had fought with Cole. Concerned, Paige wanted to examine the wound on J.J.'s head.
Eric went to the Horton residence to thank Jennifer for telling him that Nicole had lied to him. Eric showed the shredded documents to Jennifer. With a gasp, Jennifer deduced that the shredded documents were why Nicole had not told anyone about Liam. Overcome with emotion, Eric wondered aloud how Nicole could have destroyed the evidence that could have cleared his name. Eric added that the church had been damaged by the scandal and that he hoped to restore the church's reputation with the evidence.
"If the evidence is strong enough, will you go back to the priesthood?" Jennifer asked. Eric said he did not want to think about returning to the priesthood yet. When Jennifer asked about Eric's relationship with Nicole, Eric declined to discuss his feelings. Jennifer noted that Nicole had been good to her and that it had been difficult to be friends with her because Nicole did not trust people. "What I did was a direct attack," Jennifer said.
At his apartment, Daniel answered the knock on his door and found a distraught Nicole. Nicole slapped Daniel and cried out that she wished she had killed him. Daniel grabbed Nicole's wrists and struggled to calm her down. In tears, Nicole blamed Daniel for ruining her life. Daniel wrapped Nicole in a bear hug and talked to her until she slumped onto the couch, defeated.
"Why? Just tell me why did you destroy my life? All I wanted was to be happy," Nicole said through tears. Nicole told Daniel that she hated him because he had been the first person that she had trusted in her life. "I let down my guard because I knew you cared and that you wouldn't hurt me, and look what you did," Nicole said. Daniel noted that he had been a friend to Nicole and had given her the opportunity to tell Eric the truth.
Daniel asked Nicole why she had not told Eric the truth, and Nicole countered that Jennifer had told Eric the truth before she had been able to tell him. Daniel noted that it was not important who had told Eric the truth because Eric had deserved to hear the truth from someone. Daniel added that it was inevitable that Eric would learn the truth. With a gruff sigh, Nicole said that it was clear that Jennifer did not trust Daniel to tell Eric the truth or else Jennifer would not have told Eric herself.
"You know that whole thing about me wishing you were dead? You are dead to me, Daniel. You and Jennifer. I've got news for you. I'm not giving up. This isn't over. I am going to be happy," Nicole said before leaving Daniel's apartment.
At Club T.B.D., E.J. joined Kate for a drink. E.J. asked Kate if she had traveled to Chicago to meet with Stefano. Kate said that she had not let Stefano back into her life. Turning the tables, Kate argued that E.J. and Sami had written the book on on-again, off-again relationships. Kate said that she had talked to Stefano about E.J.'s engagement, and she said that marrying Sami would be a mistake.
When E.J. reminded Kate that she had been friendly with Sami, Kate shrugged and noted that her relationship with Sami was rocky, since Marlena had found out about the night at the river. Startled, E.J. asked what had happened with Marlena. Kate explained that Marlena had done a psychological evaluation of Gabi, and Gabi had told her about the night at the river. As E.J. blinked in thought, Kate added that she was annoyed with Sami because she had thrown her under the bus when they had spoken to Marlena in the park.
In the park, Cole met with Bev and told her that he had been caught with Paige's purse. Angry, Bev wanted to know what Cole had done wrong. Cole promised that he would complete the objective so that he could get paid. Furious, Bev called Cole a loser and walked away but then quickly returned and apologized for calling Cole a loser. Nodding, Cole noted that since he had been released from prison, Bev had been right to call him a loser. Cole assured Bev that Paige had no idea what he had attempted to do with her purse. Smiling, Bev said that her plan could still work.
Paige and J.J. walked back to Paige's house so that she could clean the wound on J.J.'s head. After Paige cleaned the blood off the back of J.J.'s head, the two made out on the couch. Caught up in the moment, J.J. and Paige took one another's shirts off.
Daniel went to see Jennifer at the Horton house, and upset, Jennifer hugged Daniel tightly. Jennifer apologized for not warning Daniel that she had talked to Eric about the shredded evidence. When Daniel said that he understood that Jennifer had talked to Eric because Daniel had been in surgery, Jennifer shook her head no. Jennifer explained that she had not known that Daniel had been called into surgery. Jennifer added that she had heard Daniel and Nicole arguing in his apartment and that she had gone to see Eric and tell him the truth.
As Daniel raised an eyebrow quizzically, Jennifer explained that she had told Eric because she'd felt that Eric had deserved to know the truth. Daniel countered that he had planned to force Nicole to tell Eric the truth. Shaking her head, Jennifer said that she knew Nicole better than Daniel and that she did not believe that Nicole would have told Eric the truth. Jennifer said that Nicole would have whisked Eric out of town and out of Daniel's reach. Daniel disagreed.
Eric unlocked the front door and let himself into the closed Brady Pub. As Eric sat at a table and reviewed the shredded files of evidence, Nicole spotted him through the window and walked inside. Nicole asked to talk, but Eric resisted. Eric noted that he did not want the engagement ring back. When Nicole looked hopeful, Eric explained that he wanted Nicole to remove the ring and never wear it again.
"I know what you want, but I won't do it. I'm not taking this ring off. Ever," Nicole said.
J.J. and Paige were making out on the couch at Paige's when her phone rang with her mom's ringtone. When Paige answered, it sounded as if her mom was on her way there, so J.J. and Paige scrambled to put their shirts back on. Apparently, though, Paige had misunderstood, and her mom wouldn't be returning until the following week. Paige hedged a little when her mom asked about her plans for the evening.
After she hung up, Paige explained to that she had moved to Salem without her mom, who had sent Paige ahead to live with a cousin while her mom contemplated moving there permanently. J.J. wondered what Paige's mom thought about Paige seeing him. Paige assured J.J. that her mom knew about him, but she hadn't told her mom everything about J.J. because she wanted her mom to meet first. "She's gonna love you, because you're one in a million," Paige declared softly.
Paige assured J.J. that she'd had a great time with him, but things had gone a little more quickly than she was accustomed to. J.J. understood her desire to take things slowly. The two called it a night and kissed goodbye then J.J. left.
When Rafe met E.J. at Club TBD at E.J.'s behest, E.J. explained that he wanted Rafe to look over Gabi's plea deal. After Rafe skimmed the document, E.J. elaborated that Gabi's sentence could be ten to twenty years, which E.J. felt was generous considering that she had committed first-degree murder. Rafe thought that a jury might be sympathetic, but E.J. pointed out that Gabi's part in Melanie's kidnapping would have to be admitted. When E.J. revealed that the judge would see the deal the next day, Rafe guessed that E.J. needed his help convincing Gabi to sign it.
E.J. emphasized that he didn't want Rafe to get Gabi to sign the deal unless he thought it was what was best for her. Rafe stated that he would support whatever Gabi wanted. He thanked E.J. for getting Gabi such a good deal. E.J. promised to continue fighting for Gabi even if she decided not to take the deal, even though he didn't think a trial was the best course of action, because he firmly believed that no child should be deprived of his or her parent.
After E.J. left, T left his post behind the bar and asked Rafe if it would be all right for him to visit Gabi. Rafe said that Gabi would probably appreciate it. T noted sympathetically, "I'm really sorry about this -- all of it."
Jordan went to the police station to visit Gabi, although she was admittedly confused as to why Gabi had asked to see her. Gabi explained that she didn't want what she'd done to change the way Jordan felt about Rafe. Jordan assured Gabi that she would never judge her or Rafe. Gabi tearfully described what a great brother Rafe had been to her, especially since their sister had died. Gabi was grateful that Rafe had Jordan in his life and wouldn't be alone.
"I need you, please, to promise me, Jordan, that you will look out for Rafe, and you will email me and let me know how he's doing, please," Gabi pleaded, sobbing as she took Jordan's hand across the table. Although she pointed out that she didn't know where things with Rafe were going, Jordan promised to do her best to make sure Rafe was happy. The women rose so a grateful Gabi could embrace Jordan.
Later, T's visit was a very pleasant surprise for Gabi. T admitted that he felt like he should have seen what had been going on so he could have done something, but Gabi assured him that he wouldn't have been able to. As they sat down, Gabi asked how things were at the club. T confessed that he'd overheard one of Gabi's professors discussing her arrest with another professor in a very negative way, so T had "accidentally on purpose" dumped a bottle of hot sauce in the man's soup. Gabi couldn't help but burst out laughing.
When the guard announced that T's time was up, T promised to visit Gabi wherever she was. Referring to T as "sweet, funny, [and] adorable," Gabi expressed her regret that she'd never told him how she'd felt and that a potential relationship between the two of them had never gotten off the ground because of Nick. T started to ask the guard for permission to hug Gabi, but Gabi pointed out that she couldn't get in much more trouble. She embraced T warmly.
Jordan arrived at Club TBD and found Rafe glumly looking over Gabi's plea deal. After Rafe filled her in on a few of the details, Jordan tried to reassure him that Gabi was being very strong. Jordan explained that Gabi had asked her to visit because she was worried about Rafe. Rafe was touched that, even with everything his sister was going through, she was concerned about him. Jordan voiced her suspicions that Gabi was afraid that Rafe would blame himself for what had happened because he'd hated Nick so much.
Rafe did feel responsible for what had happened, but Jordan emphasized that nothing he could have done would have gotten Nick to back off. "Nick had a way of provoking people. I mean, my brother hated him; he only met the guy twice," Jordan said. "Maybe Nick treated people so badly because, deep down, he wanted someone to put him out of his misery," Jordan mused. She urged Rafe to stop dwelling on things he couldn't change -- and go home with her instead so she could try to make things better. Although Rafe took the hand Jordan offered, he admitted that he needed to be alone. Jordan kissed him goodbye and left.
Sami caught up with Marlena just outside the Brady Pub. Inside, Nicole was pleading with Eric to let her tell him the whole story. Just then, Marlena and Sami walked in, and Marlena demanded, "What story?" As politely as she could manage, Nicole informed the other women that she and Eric had been trying to have a private conversation. Marlena wondered why Eric and Nicole hadn't already left, which made Sami demand to know what was going on. "Nicole and I were going to elope, but now we're not," Eric explained, much to Nicole's dismay.
Sami was miffed that Eric hadn't told her about his elopement, although he'd informed Marlena. Sami wondered why Eric wasn't going through with it, and Marlena asked if the wedding was cancelled completely. Eric sternly implored Sami not to gloat, but she reassured him that she wouldn't do that. Eric promised to tell his mother and sister what had happened, just not right then. They left to give Eric and Nicole some space.
Nicole reiterated her plea for Eric to listen to her, but he snapped that he was through listening. When he tried to leave, Nicole stopped him. "You won't even listen to me! If being a man of God is so important to you then you must have some forgiveness in your heart somewhere!" Nicole said. Eric was incredulous that she would throw God in his face. Nicole argued that it had obviously been part of God's plan to keep her from telling Eric the truth. She maintained that when she had tried, Eric had insisted that nothing was more important than their love.
Asserting that their love had been based on a lie, Eric reminded Nicole that when Daniel had forced her hand, she had suggested that she and Eric elope then she'd claimed that Daniel had been in love with her. At her wit's end, Nicole cried, "Damn it, Eric, I forgave you! I forgave you when you accused me of something that I didn't do, something so awful and terrible, something no one's ever done to me before! I forgave you. Why can't you forgive me?"
Nicole tearfully reminded Eric how awful and painful it had been for her when he had accused her of raping him -- but when he had learned the truth and begged for her forgiveness, she had given it, because he had inspired her to be a better person. "I found it in my heart to forgive you, and you want to know why? Not because I was hoping to get something out of it, but because I knew you needed it -- the same way I need it now," Nicole added beseechingly.
Finally, Eric turned to Nicole and said, "I forgive you." Nicole was relieved, but Eric warned her that while he could forgive her, he would never forget what she'd done. He grabbed his things and headed upstairs as Nicole broke down in tears.
In Horton Square, Marlena accused Sami of ignoring Eric's pain because she hoped that his troubles would distract Marlena from remembering what had happened to Nick at the river. Although Sami protested, Marlena interrupted to remark snippily, "I have patients to see. Patients are people who...know they have problems so they're looking for help, and they understand that running away from your troubles never works." Marlena strode away, leaving Sami chagrined.
When E.J. arrived a little later, Sami informed him a bit gleefully that Eric had broken up with Nicole, although Sami didn't yet know why. E.J. revealed that Kate had actually been with Stefano, not out of town, when everything had happened with Gabi. Sami thought they should find out if Kate intended to get back together with Stefano. E.J. warned his fiancée, "She's talking to my father about us... She seems to be very unhappy with you for throwing her under the bus... You know she has a tremendous amount of sway with my father. She's going to try and turn him against this wedding."
Sami growled, "No way in hell. She'll find herself under a triple-decker bus. I am going to kill her!" Other people in the square overheard, so E.J. quickly escorted Sami to some benches in a more private location. "You never say you're going to kill somebody in public, not after what happened with Nick," E.J. hissed. Sami didn't think that Stefano would try to stop her wedding to E.J., no matter what Kate whispered in the old man's ear. E.J. reassured her that nothing would stop their wedding.
At the Horton house, Daniel tried to convince Jennifer that he had fully intended to tell Eric the truth if Nicole had not. Jennifer suggested that because it had been such a long day, the two of them should postpone the discussion about Eric and Nicole and just focus on one another and how lucky they were. Daniel didn't think the conversation could wait. He asked if Jennifer truly thought that he wouldn't have told Eric the truth if Nicole hadn't.
Jennifer admitted, "If I hadn't told Eric the truth, I honestly believe that he would have never found out. I'm sorry; that's why I felt like I had no choice but to tell him myself." Incredulous, Daniel insisted that he would have told Eric, but he had wanted Nicole to be the one to do so. Jennifer pointed out that Daniel had just kept giving Nicole more chances to tell the truth, but Daniel maintained that he had made it clear to Nicole that she'd used up her last chance.
Jennifer reminded Daniel that he had lied for Nicole before. Daniel acknowledged that he had done so once in order to protect Nicole from E.J., as well as when they had allowed Eric to think they were involved. "Do you see the pattern? Daniel, you don't like to lie, but you will if it's for a good enough reason. Nicole is manipulating you, and that is a pattern, too," Jennifer pointed out. She added that she understood Daniel's desire to believe that Nicole had changed, but clearly Nicole had not. "I don't think you realize the hold that she has on you," Jennifer noted.
"Hold on -- what are you saying? Do you really think I'm in love with Nicole?" Daniel demanded. Jennifer insisted she didn't think that. Daniel was stunned that Jennifer seemed to believe he would have let his good friend continue believing a lie just because Daniel couldn't resist Nicole. Daniel reiterated that he would have told Eric the truth if Nicole hadn't, and if Jennifer hadn't beaten them both to it. "You really don't know that?" Daniel wondered. Shaking her head, Jennifer acknowledged, "I guess we'll never know now."
His voice shaking but his tone firm, Daniel said, "I thought you knew me so well, and now I'm not so sure you know me at all. And...I guess that means I don't really know you, either." He strode out of the house, leaving Jennifer calling after him, begging him to stay and talk about it.
As Jordan was strolling through Horton Town Square, she stopped to observe Kate and Sami, who were loudly arguing with each other. Jordan silently recalled her earlier encounter with Sami, during which Sami had blamed Jordan for Rafe's decision to turn his cell phone off on the day of Gabi's arrest -- a decision that had left him unreachable in his sister's time of need.
Meanwhile, Sami -- who was concerned about the possibility that Kate might be getting back together with Stefano -- warned that, while she couldn't stop that from happening, she wasn't going to let Kate do anything to jeopardize Sami and E.J.'s wedding plans. Kate insisted that she didn't "give a damn" about E.J. and Sami's wedding plans, but Sami skeptically countered that Kate was a "nosy parker" who was always interested in everyone else's business.
"Speaking of which," Sami added as she looked over Kate's shoulder and realized that Jordan had been eavesdropping. Kate and Sami were annoyed that Jordan had eavesdropped on their private conversation, but Jordan pointed out that they had been conducting their private conversation quite loudly in a very public place and that they had attracted the attention of other people, as well.
Sami abruptly excused herself, joking that she didn't have time to continue to entertain the people of Salem with Kate. Sami pointedly advised Kate to remember what had happened the last time that things had gone south between Kate and Stefano. "Oh. Well, you should remember what happened the last time things went south with you and E.J. And the time before that. And the time before that. And the time before that!" Kate countered. Annoyed, Sami walked away after telling Kate to "shove it."
Kate started to walk in the opposite direction, but Jordan stopped her. "I have a question for you -- what did you say to Sami about me?" Jordan wondered. Kate claimed that she and Sami would never waste a single minute talking about Jordan, but Jordan couldn't think of any other way to explain Sami's sudden animosity toward her. "Hmm. Well, sooner or later, Sami feels that way about everyone," Kate reasoned with a shrug.
Jordan mused that Sami's animosity had developed right after Kate had accused Jordan of misleading Rafe. "I accused you of misleading him because you have more phony IDs in that apartment than they do in the average frat house," Kate replied. Kate said that she didn't know why Sami was suddenly upset with Jordan, and she added that Jordan had more important things to worry about, anyway.
"When I have the proof to finally expose all your lies, no one in this town is going to like you. Everyone is going to hate you -- including Rafe. So given your imminent return to your transient ways, I really don't know why you'd even stick around for that," Kate said before walking away.
Will opened the door to his and Sonny's apartment and greeted Victor, who apologized for showing up without calling first, adding that he had heard that Gabi was scheduled to enter her plea that morning and that things might proceed very quickly afterward, if the judge accepted the terms of the plea bargain. Victor stressed that if Will and Sonny ever needed anything from him, they would simply have to ask.
Will thanked Victor and said that Sonny had told him about what Victor had been willing to do to protect them. "Well, nothing compared to what you were willing to sacrifice when you thought Sonny needed protecting. My nephew's a very lucky man," Victor replied. Sonny emerged from his and Will's bedroom in time to hear Victor's comment, and he agreed and added that he was also lucky to have a man like Victor as his uncle.
A short time later, after checking on Arianna, Will returned to the living room and reported that Arianna was still asleep -- which was surprising, since she was usually awake at that hour. Sonny told Victor that the previous night had been tough for Arianna, who had repeatedly woken up and called out for her mother. "I can't imagine how difficult this is going to be for the two of you. Well, actually, I can -- when Brady's mother died, he was hardly much older than Arianna is right now," Victor recalled. Will optimistically pointed out that Gabi would still be able to call and write to Arianna while in prison.
Meanwhile, Victor received a text message, and a look of annoyance crossed his face as he read it. Sonny said that he and Will would understand if Victor needed to leave to attend to something, so Victor exited the apartment after stating that he hoped that things would go well for Gabi at the sentencing hearing that day. Will admitted to Sonny that he wished that Gabi hadn't asked them not to attend the sentencing hearing, since he really wanted to be there to support her. Sonny assured Will that Gabi was stronger than most people knew and that she would be all right.
Later, Will and Sonny received a visit from Sami, who assured them that E.J. would ensure that Gabi would get to see Arianna one last time before being sent to prison. Sami recalled that when E.J. had "worked miracles" to ensure that Will and his siblings would be able to visit her when she had been awaiting trial for shooting Bernardi the previous year, their visit had made a big difference because it had given her hope.
Will sadly pointed out that Gabi was going to be gone for much longer than Sami had been. Will worried about the effect Gabi's absence would have on Arianna, who had never been away from Gabi for more than a day. Will feared that if the judge refused Gabi's plea agreement and Gabi ended up being sentenced to life in prison instead, it would kill her.
At Club TBD, Ben served Hope a cup of coffee and congratulated her on solving Nick's murder. Ben admitted that he was glad that Hope no longer had any reason to question him, since she had proven to be a tough investigator. Hope explained that it had been important for her to solve the case. Meanwhile, Julie arrived and took a seat at Hope's table, and Ben went to get Julie a cup of coffee.
"Gabi's entering her plea this morning at the courthouse, and, as Nick's family, you have a right to object to the deal, if you'd like," Hope reported as she passed a copy of Gabi's plea agreement to Julie. After inspecting the document, Julie incredulously asked Hope if the plea bargain was some sort of joke. Hope explained that the district attorney had offered the deal to Gabi, who had accepted it. Hope added that the judge who had been assigned to the case would likely approve the deal and sentence Gabi later that morning.
Julie wondered if Joshua, Jessica, and Marie knew about the plea bargain. Hope replied that, because she hadn't heard from anyone else in the family yet, she was assuming that they were all okay with the terms of the deal. "How can they not have a problem with it? It -- it's as though Gabi would be paying a -- a parking fine instead of being punished for committing murder," Julie complained. Hope clarified that Gabi would be spending years behind bars, but Julie countered that the proposed sentence wasn't nearly as long as it should have been. "This isn't justice, and you know it! This is anything but!" Julie insisted.
Julie demanded to know how the plea bargain had originated, so Hope explained that the district attorney, the mayor, and the governor had each been concerned about bad publicity and hadn't wanted a long, drawn-out trial. "Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! It's as though Nick's life wasn't worth anything at all! And he was a brilliant kid. He was sweet, he was kind, he was trying to find his way in the world --" Julie started to say.
"And a maniac. The first time I saw the guy, he was attacking Abigail -- his own cousin. No man should talk to a woman -- or to anyone -- the way he did," Ben interjected as he returned with Julie's cup of coffee. Julie snapped that she hadn't asked for Ben's opinion on the matter. Hope asked Ben for some privacy, and he apologized to Julie before walking away. "I suppose he expects a tip," Julie irritably muttered.
Hope gently informed Julie that Nick had made a lot of people angry. Julie demanded to know whose side Hope was really on. "Julie, I am devastated that Nick's dead! Can't you see that? But we can't pretend that Nick was innocent in all of this. I don't see how a long, drawn-out trial is going to help anyone," Hope replied, but Julie disagreed.
Hope excused herself so that she could head over to the courthouse, where she assumed that she would see Julie again. "Oh, you'll certainly see me there. I really don't care what anybody else thinks. I am gonna make sure Nick gets the justice he deserves," Julie vowed, her voice wavering slightly as she spoke.
Later, after Hope and Julie left, Jordan arrived and greeted Ben, who immediately guessed that something was wrong. Jordan explained that she was simply worried about Rafe because Gabi's sentencing hearing was supposed to take place later that morning. Ben wondered why Jordan wasn't with Rafe. Jordan admitted that Rafe had asked for space earlier, so she had agreed to honor his request.
Ben wondered if Jordan really believed that space was what Rafe needed at that particular time. Jordan admitted that she did not, so Ben advised her to stop second-guessing herself. "Aren't you sick of always living that way?" Ben asked. Jordan confirmed that she was, and she added that she knew that Ben was, too. "You and I finally have a chance at a normal life -- as normal as it gets, anyway. So don't blow it, okay?" Ben recommended. Jordan thanked Ben for the advice before excusing herself.
At the police station, E.J. found Rafe sitting alone in Hope's office, staring blankly at something through the office window. E.J. observed that Rafe looked terrible, and Rafe sarcastically replied that he felt great. Rafe wondered if E.J. believed that the judge was going to accept Gabi's plea. E.J. admitted that the judge might have some qualms about the generous terms of the plea bargain.
"Oh, 'generous' -- right, yeah. Second-degree murder for doing the world a favor and offing that bastard," Rafe bitterly replied. E.J. assured Rafe that, given the extenuating circumstances, the deal would probably be accepted -- as long as no one else ever heard Rafe talk about Gabi's crime in such a flippant manner. Meanwhile, a police officer escorted Gabi into the room, and she quietly embraced Rafe.
Gabi told Rafe that she had talked to their mother earlier that day, although she added that their mother had barely been able to say anything during the conversation. Rafe informed Gabi that their mother was simply upset about being unable to attend the sentencing hearing, adding that she had tried to sweet-talk her doctor into giving her permission to fly to Salem. "I just hope that by the time I get out, she's still, um --" Gabi started to say before her voice trailed off.
Changing the subject, Rafe wondered if Gabi was absolutely certain that she wanted to plead guilty and give up her right to a trial. Gabi stressed that she was guilty and that she needed to pay for her crime. Rafe assured Gabi that he understood and that she had his support, as always. Satisfied, Gabi turned to E.J. and asked if he expected everything to go smoothly during the sentencing hearing.
"Uh, well, the judge has the final say, but, um, I really don't foresee any problems...unless Nick's family has an objection," E.J. replied. Gabi feared that if one of Nick's family members objected to the terms of the plea bargain and consequently forced the case to trial, she might end up with a life sentence instead. Rafe urged Gabi not to go there, but E.J. bluntly confirmed that such a scenario was indeed possible.
E.J. reported that Nick's parents and grandmother had elected not to attend the sentencing hearing, but he added that he wasn't sure if any of Nick's other relatives, such as Hope or Maggie, were going to weigh in on the terms of the plea bargain during the proceedings. "E.J., if, um -- if everything goes as planned, and I get sentenced today...will I be able to see my baby before I go to prison?" Gabi asked. E.J. was optimistic that the judge would allow that to happen but added that he was prepared to fight the ruling if the request was denied.
Later, Gabi, E.J., and Rafe met with Hope at the courthouse. Hope informed the group that the district attorney, Jenkins, had already arrived and that the judge had already looked over the plea agreement earlier. E.J. hadn't heard anything from the judge or the district attorney that day, so he felt confident that the deal would be accepted. "Not if I have anything to do with it. You took Nick's future away from him, so I am here to do the same to you," Julie announced as she arrived and glared at Gabi.
Julie vowed to convince the judge that Gabi -- the "doe-eyed little guttersnipe" -- didn't deserve to get away with murder. Rafe said that Gabi had taken full responsibility for her actions, which was more than he could say that Nick had ever done. As Julie started to argue with Rafe, E.J. pulled Hope aside and quietly pointed out that it would be in Nick's family's best interest to ensure that Nick's sins wouldn't be dredged up in court. E.J. added that Nick's family would never get another chance to do something noble in his name.
Meanwhile, Gabi wondered if being away from Arianna for ten years wouldn't be enough punishment for her crime, and Julie succinctly replied that it wouldn't be. Rafe advised Julie to remember how many years Nick had served for taking another man's life. "A despicable man," Julie reminded Rafe. "Exactly," Rafe pointedly replied. Julie added that, unlike Gabi, Nick hadn't been in his right mind at the time of Trent's murder.
Julie said that she wanted the whole world to know just how much love Nick had possessed in his heart and just how many people had loved him. Julie added that Nick's family wanted justice and that she would ensure that they received it. E.J. pulled Gabi aside to try to keep her calm, but she was worried that if the judge heard that she had hired Andrew -- whose actions had led to an explosion that had endangered the lives of many Salem residents -- she would surely be given a life sentence.
A police officer arrived and announced that the sentencing hearing was about to begin, so everyone headed into the courtroom. Hope pulled Julie aside and urged her to think very carefully about what she was about to do, but Julie insisted that she had and that she wasn't going to let Nick down again, the way that they had when he had been alive. Meanwhile, Julie received a phone call from someone, and Hope advised her to answer it.
In Theresa's apartment, Brady groaned as he awoke from his slumber, vowing that he would never again party the way he had the previous night. Theresa, who had already been awake for a while, expressed her skepticism as she started to pour some cereal into a bowl, knowingly stating that she had heard people make that particular promise before. "You know, I really do think that you got the perfect tattoo -- it's so hot," Theresa added.
Confused, Brady groggily wondered what Theresa was talking about. Theresa directed Brady's attention to his bare upper left arm, which had been adorned with a large tattoo of an arrow-pierced heart. Brady couldn't believe that Theresa hadn't made an effort to stop him from getting the tattoo, but she assured him that it was only temporary and that she would never allow him to get into too much trouble on her watch. Theresa added that Brady had gotten the tattoo after she had mentioned that she believed that tattoos were sexy.
"It bothers me when I don't remember...things," Brady admitted. Theresa offered Brady the bowl of cereal that she had prepared, but he wasn't interested, so she set it aside and offered him a vial of cocaine instead. Brady hesitantly declined the offer and excused himself so that he could take a shower. Brady stressed that he couldn't party every night the way that he and Theresa had partied the previous night.
Theresa claimed that she understood and that she didn't care what she and Brady did, as long as they did it together. Brady returned the sentiment before heading to the bathroom. "No way he's ending his love affair with this," Theresa muttered as she stared at the vial of cocaine after Brady left the room. Meanwhile, someone started knocking on the apartment door, so Theresa quickly slipped the vial into her purse before opening the door.
"Where's my grandson, you little tramp?" Victor demanded to know. Theresa informed Victor that Brady was taking a shower. Theresa added that she and Victor had met before and that she even had a name. Theresa flashed a smile and extended a hand toward Victor as she reintroduced herself. Ignoring the gesture, Victor barged into the apartment as he assured Theresa that he knew exactly who she was.
Theresa jokingly wondered if she could offer Victor anything -- like a bowl of cereal -- while he waited for Brady to finish taking a shower. "How about some disinfectant?" Victor dryly suggested. Theresa invited Victor to sit down, but he declined the offer, stating that he wasn't a fan of small talk and that he doubted that Theresa had the capacity for it, anyway.
Victor impatiently instructed Theresa to get Brady out of the shower right away, but she snapped that Victor had no right to order her around in her own home. "Well, you certainly have your mother's fire. Unfortunately, you've also inherited Kimberly's loose sexual mores," Victor observed with a smirk. As Victor started to accuse Theresa of being a "gold-digger," Brady emerged from the shower and warned him to stop attacking her.
Brady pointedly informed Theresa that she was out of shampoo, so she left to do some shopping. After Theresa left, Brady demanded to know what Victor had been thinking earlier. "I'm not the one with a tacky tattoo on my arm," Victor replied. Brady assured Victor that the tattoo would wash off eventually.
Brady wondered what Victor was doing in Theresa's apartment. Victor explained that he had tracked Brady down with John's help because Brady hadn't been returning any of Victor's calls lately. Brady snapped that John had not had any right to disclose Brady's whereabouts to Victor. "Why not? You have a right to ruin your life, but the people that love you don't have a right to care? You missed a whole day's work yesterday, and I suspect you're planning the same thing for today," Victor replied.
Brady pointed out that he always managed to get the job done in the end. Brady added that the previous day had simply been a rough one, prompting Victor to counter that he was sure that the previous day hadn't been as rough on Brady as it had been on Brady's friend, Rafe. Victor guessed that Brady probably hadn't even bothered to get in touch with Rafe, but Brady replied that he had actually left a message for Rafe earlier. "He's the only friend you've got [that] you haven't pushed away. His sister is going to prison. You really think a message is sufficient?" Victor asked incredulously.
Victor added that Maggie's nephew had recently been murdered and that Brady had barely been there for her afterward. Brady said that he'd had a lot on his plate lately, but Victor impatiently instructed him to stop making excuses. Victor started to issue a warning about what he would do if Brady didn't get his act together soon, but Brady interrupted and guessed that Victor was about to threaten to fire him.
"I'll do more than fire you -- I'll disown you," Victor replied. Brady countered that Victor had disowned Philip many times in the past, and he asked Victor to leave. "I mean it, Brady -- you'd better start making some changes right now, or I'll kick you out on your drunken ass!" Victor warned before exiting the apartment. When Theresa returned a short time later, Brady excused himself so that he could get some things done, although he added that he'd like to do a hit of cocaine with her first.
When Victor entered Club TBD, Ben greeted him and wondered if he wanted a cup of the Esmeralda Special coffee that Victor preferred. Impressed, Victor wondered how Ben had known his favorite drink, so Ben explained that it was in the employee training manual. Ben went to prepare the coffee, and Victor turned around and spotted Kate sitting alone at a nearby table.
Victor approached Kate and said that he had heard about her recent romantic rendezvous with Stefano. Victor wondered if Kate had completely lost her mind. Kate was upset that Victor had been spying on her, but he clarified that he had been keeping tabs on Stefano, not her. Victor wondered if Kate had fallen for Stefano again, and she insisted that she hadn't, although she added that if she had, it wouldn't be any of Victor's business.
"No? You are my employee -- in a very high-profile position, I might add. Canoodling with my biggest competitor is not good business. You'd best measure your next move very carefully, or you might find yourself out of a job," Victor warned before walking away.
At the courthouse, everyone funneled out of the courtroom, and Gabi thanked Julie for not objecting to the terms of the plea bargain. "Don't thank me, Gabi. Nick's parents, his grandmother -- they're extraordinarily generous people. For some reason, they felt they had to call me and tell me they didn't want to see an extended trial. They didn't want to see Nick's name dragged through the mud again...by your unscrupulous attorney," Julie replied.
Gabi tearfully stated that she was sorry, but Julie mockingly replied that "sorry" wouldn't cut it. "I know Nick was far from perfect, but he loved you, so I treated you like family because I thought you loved him. So now...I hope you serve every minute of your twenty years, and in that twenty years, perhaps you'll develop a modicum of...empathy for what Nick went through," Julie added before walking away. E.J. quickly assured Gabi that, with parole, the actual length of time that she would end up spending in prison wouldn't be anywhere near the twenty years that Julie hoped for.
Later, back at the police station, Gabi and Rafe waited in Hope's office for Will and Sonny to arrive with Arianna. Gabi feared that her mother would be ashamed of her, but Rafe guessed that if their mother were going to be ashamed of anyone, it would be him. Rafe reasoned that he had failed both of his sisters, but Gabi insisted that he wasn't to blame for what had happened.
"You're more than just a big brother -- you're the only dad I've ever had. You've given up so many Friday night dates and overtime checks so that I could have a good life," Gabi tearfully pointed out. Rafe said that he had never felt like he had been giving up anything, since Gabi had been far more important than any of that other stuff. As Gabi hugged Rafe and said that she was going to miss him, Will and Sonny arrived with Arianna.
"Ari, hey. Hey. What's going on? I love you so much. Hey. And it's gonna be so hard for me to say goodbye to you. But look, I don't want you to miss me, okay? You're gonna have two amazing daddies, and you're gonna have a wonderful life. Hey. You know, Mommy had a good day today. And E.J. says that -- that if I follow the rules, then I probably won't have to serve my full sentence, okay? And I know that I'm probably not gonna be able to tuck you in at night, or help you with your homework, or teach you how to make Christmas tamales, but I'm gonna miss you every second that I'm away from you, okay?" Gabi said as she held Arianna.
Will and Sonny promised that they would talk to Arianna about Gabi every single day, ensuring that the child would know that her mother was a glamorous model and a great friend. Will added that he and Sonny would hold off on making tamales until Gabi returned. Gabi laughed as she imagined how big Arianna would be at that point, and she sadly predicted that they wouldn't recognize each other. Sonny assured Gabi that she and Arianna would recognize each other because he and Will would send Gabi plenty of photographs and videos of Arianna and would also visit Gabi often. Will added that Gabi would always be a part of Arianna's life.
"Hey, listen -- look, the thought of being together with you someday, that's what's gonna help me get through this, okay? I love you so much. You're my little angel. You're my miracle. I can't wait to have you in my arms again," Gabi tearfully told Arianna. Gabi soon regained her composure and even managed a smile as she playfully interacted with Arianna.
"You know, I gotta go away soon, but you're gonna be surrounded by so many people who love you. And, you know, some kids -- they don't -- they don't even have a daddy, but you've got two. How'd you get so lucky?" Gabi asked Arianna. Gabi teasingly made Will promise that he would let Sonny handle the lullabies in the future. Will was confused, but Gabi and Sonny agreed that Will always ended up singing off-key, which was why it always took him longer to get Arianna to sleep than it took Sonny and Gabi.
Will wondered when Gabi had started being brutally honest, but she preferred to think that she was simply being straightforward -- a trait that she had picked up from Sonny. Gabi reasoned that Sonny's straightforwardness was the main reason that they had often fought in the past. "Well, that and I can be downright annoying sometimes," Sonny joked, but Gabi disagreed. Gabi said that Sonny was kind and generous and that she was glad that he had made her face things that she hadn't wanted to face. "Thank you for bringing this baby girl into my life. You're my family, Gabi -- just as much as she is," Sonny replied.
"Will, um...I know that we didn't, you know, work out -- romantically, that is -- but I believe that you were meant to be a part of my life...and not just because we brought this beautiful angel into the world, but because you've become my best friend. And we've gone through pretty much everything together. And I'm gonna miss you so much. I'm gonna miss all of you," Gabi tearfully stated. Will agreed and warned Gabi not to find another "BFF" while she was gone, since she was stuck with him -- and Sonny -- for good.
At the courthouse, Sami thanked E.J. for helping Gabi get a good plea bargain. E.J. said that Gabi had almost lost that deal and that he was glad that Julie had kept her mouth shut in the end. "She did? Well, that's rare," Sami dryly replied. Meanwhile, Jordan arrived to support Rafe, who was happy to see her. As Jordan hugged Rafe, she and Sami exchanged a look with each other.
A short time later, Will and Sonny arrived with Arianna. As Will started to tell Sami about the earlier visit with Gabi, a police officer interrupted and announced that Gabi was ready to be transported to the prison. Hope escorted Gabi out of a nearby room and gave her a few minutes to say goodbye to everyone.
Gabi thanked E.J. and Sami for their support. Jordan assured Gabi that she wouldn't forget about the promise she had made to Gabi during their earlier conversation. Gabi tearfully assured Rafe that Jordan would take care of him, adding that she hadn't even had to ask Jordan to do so. "Hey, listen, okay? Don't be, uh -- don't be sad for me...'cause, you know, I'm gonna take this time, and I'm gonna use it to become a better person -- someone you can be proud of," Gabi tearfully told Rafe, who clarified that he was already proud of her.
"Sweetheart, hi. Hey, it's goodbye for now, okay? But you have to know how much Mommy loves you, okay? She loves you so much," Gabi tearfully told Arianna. As the police officer escorted Gabi out of the room, she turned and took one last look at everyone before disappearing around a corner, as her loved ones watched with tears in their eyes.
At Club TBD, Will was sitting with Arianna, filling Abigail and Ben in on the details of Gabi's plea bargain, when Sonny joined them and handed over Ben's paycheck. Ben excused himself so that he could finish taking care of a shipment of supplies that the club had just received, and Sonny took a seat next to Will as Abigail assured Will that, unlike Julie, she hadn't wanted Gabi to receive a life sentence for killing Nick. "But...Nick is still family, and...you know, Gabi is not the friend that I thought she was -- especially after I found out what she did to Melanie," Abigail added.
Confused, Will wondered what Gabi had done to Melanie. Sonny remained silent as Abigail proceeded to tell Will about Andrew and about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping. Abigail said that she had assumed that Will would have already heard about the matter from some other source, since Gabi had told her that it would all be revealed during the court proceedings.
Abigail chastised herself for failing to figure out the truth sooner, reasoning that things might have ended differently if she had. "Abby, don't do that to yourself. We all could have made different decisions," Sonny assured Abigail. Meanwhile, Arianna started to cry, so Will and Sonny excused themselves so that they could return to their apartment to feed her.
After Will and Sonny left, Ben returned and noticed that Abigail was sitting alone at a table, looking pensive. Before Ben could say anything to Abigail, he received a phone call from Jordan. Ben told Jordan that he had heard that Gabi's plea bargain had been approved. Ben wondered how things had gone between Jordan and Rafe, and she replied that it had been a mistake to join Rafe at the courthouse.
"He's not upset with you -- it's the situation. You can't take it personally. Look, he may need space, but he also needs you. You've gotta keep letting him know that you're there for him," Ben advised Jordan. Ben offered to meet Jordan somewhere after his shift ended so that she wouldn't be alone, but she declined the offer and assured him that she was fine. Jordan thanked Ben for being a great sibling, and he replied that he had learned from the best.
After Ben's shift ended, he invited Abigail to join him for a walk to clear her head. Abigail said that she wasn't sure that she would be good company, but Ben reasoned that even if she didn't feel like talking, it might be nice for her to simply be outside, enjoying the day. Abigail conceded the point and accepted Ben's invitation.
After purchasing cups of frozen yogurt, Ben and Abigail went to the park. Ben wondered if he could ask Abigail a personal, random question, and when she gave him permission to do so, he asked her to tell him what living in London had been like. Ben explained that he had never been outside the United States -- not even to Canada -- and that visiting London was near the top of his bucket list.
Abigail believed that Ben was far too young to have a bucket list, but he replied that he couldn't waste any time because the list was already quite long. Abigail stressed that Ben definitely had to visit London eventually, and she invited him to ask her questions about the place. Ben wasn't really interested in the "touristy" stuff but wanted to know what Abigail's favorite London activities had been.
"Oh, God, uh -- well, my mom and I would go to the theater almost every week -- it's not nearly as expensive as it is here. Um...with my dad, it was the museums -- the Tate Modern, the V&A," Abigail recalled before suddenly realizing that she probably sounded like she was quoting text from a guidebook. Ben assured Abigail that he understood that she hadn't been doing those things just to check them off of some obligatory list.
"No, no, not at all. It -- it's really great. My dad taught me so much about -- about art, and -- and history, and Shakespeare. I just -- I wish I would have paid more attention," Abigail regretfully admitted. Ben said that he had heard somewhere that Abigail's father had written a book. Abigail nodded and explained that the book had been about Jack's experiences as a hostage in Afghanistan.
"It's really great that he got a chance to tell his story, you know? It's -- it's important, and it's selling really well, which is great, because it means that a lot of people have heard it. Um...it -- I -- I don't know if this is even gonna happen, but a studio is negotiating right now to buy the rights and turn it into a film," Abigail revealed. Abigail added that her mother was planning to give all the proceeds to veterans' organizations. Abigail mused that it was nice to know that her father's legacy was contributing to such an important cause.
"Your family's so -- just --" Ben started to say, but Abigail interrupted and guessed that he had been about to say that her family was complicated. Ben replied that every family was complicated and that he had actually been about to say that Abigail's family was accomplished. Abigail realized that she didn't know a single thing about Ben's family, and she urged him to tell her about them.
Ben evasively replied that his family was boring, but Abigail doubted that was true. "We haven't lived in South Africa and Ireland and -- which one did you like the best?" Ben asked, smoothly changing the subject. Abigail said that she had definitely preferred London, not just because of the city itself but also because it had been the last place that her whole family had lived together.
Abigail guessed that Ben hadn't really been interested in London, suspecting that he had instead been trying to take her mind off the situation with Nick and Gabi for a while. Ben started to deny the suspicion, but Abigail interrupted and thanked him for the distraction. "You're welcome. But I honestly did want to hear about London. And it was nice to learn a little bit more about you. You've had a really interesting life," Ben replied.
Abigail admitted that she wished that her life -- especially the last few weeks of it -- had been a little less interesting. Abigail sadly mused that what had happened had been such a waste, since Nick had been the smartest person she had ever known, and Gabi had been blessed with a beautiful child and a bright future ahead of her. Ben wanted to hear Abigail's thoughts on why things had ended the way they had, so she reasoned that one bad decision had led to another and that things had simply spiraled out of control. Abigail admitted that it was scary to think about how easy it was for that sort of thing to happen.
Ben stressed that Gabi and Nick had each made a lot of bad decisions, and he assured Abigail that nothing like that would ever happen to her. Abigail remained silent as she recalled sleeping with E.J. at the Horton cabin months earlier. "What if it already has?" Abigail quietly asked. Confused, Ben wondered what Abigail was talking about, and before she could respond, he jokingly asked if she had murdered anyone lately.
Abigail vaguely admitted that she had made her share of terrible mistakes. "Really? Then I'm not sure I should be hanging out with you...because I have never made a single mistake in my entire life. Mm-hmm. Kind of perfect -- haven't you noticed that? You think that's funny? I'm serious. Abigail, I am a perfect person who always does exactly the right thing at exactly the right time. It's a curse, really," Ben joked. Ben wondered if Abigail believed that he was telling the truth, and when she played along and confirmed that she did, he leaned in to kiss her, assuring her that it was "the right thing to do."
When Will and Sonny returned to their apartment with Arianna, Will admitted that Abigail's earlier revelation about Gabi had blindsided him. "Will...uh, there's something that I have to tell you," Sonny hesitantly began. As Will studied Sonny's face, he realized that his husband had known about Gabi's secret beforehand. Sonny's silence confirmed the suspicion.
"I knew it. There was always something about Gabi that you didn't like. What have we been talking about -- no more secrets between us? You're my husband. We're supposed to share everything with each other," Will reminded Sonny. "I'm sorry, Will -- not this time," Sonny replied. Sonny proceeded to tell Will about how Nick had taken advantage of Chad's assault against Nick to force Chad to sign a legal agreement that had prevented Chad from being able to tell anyone about what Gabi had done. Sonny explained that he had only learned the truth because Chad had blurted it out one day.
"I wanted to tell you so badly, but my dad's the one that drew up the agreement, and he told me I couldn't tell anyone -- not even you," Sonny added. Sonny explained that he had felt like telling Will the truth would have meant betraying Chad and Justin. "And I swear to you, Will, if I thought for one minute this could have hurt you by not knowing this information, I would have told you. I never want anything to happen to you. I hope you can forgive me," Sonny sincerely concluded.
"Of course I do," Will replied without hesitation. Will mused that things suddenly made much more sense than they had before, adding that Nick had always had control of Gabi because he had known her secret from the very beginning of their relationship. Sonny nodded and said that, while he had been upset with Gabi for a very long time, he was certain that she felt horrible about what she had done to Melanie. "And now she's admitted it to the police. Everyone knows. And it's going to get ugly," Will predicted.
Later, while Will and Sonny were lounging on the couch together, Sonny admitted that it was going to take a while to get accustomed to the reality that Gabi wasn't going to be returning to the apartment anytime soon. "You and I talked about having our own place one day, but...not like this," Sonny added. Will agreed that it was strange to know that Gabi would no longer be living in the apartment.
"I keep on thinking, like, who's gonna tell me when the Kardashians break up again?" Sonny wondered. Will said that he thought the Kardashians already had broken up again. "See? And who's gonna watch Mystery Science Theater when I'm up with Ari at 2:00 a.m.?" Sonny asked, and Will happily volunteered for the job. "Who's gonna bake brownies when we get the midnight munchies?" Sonny wondered, and he and Will quickly decided that it would probably be best to leave that task to Sonny.
"You know, I think I actually miss her yelling at us for leaving the toilet seat up," Will admitted. Sonny sadly mused that he and Will had really had a good thing going with Gabi. "Hey...we still do," Will pointed out before gently kissing Sonny.
At the courthouse, Jordan tried to assure Rafe that he hadn't let either of his sisters down, but he dismissively pointed out that Jordan couldn't really weigh in on what had happened with Arianna because Jordan hadn't been around at that particular time. Meanwhile, Hope arrived and apologized for keeping Rafe waiting, explaining that she had just finished talking to the mayor.
Hope told Rafe that there was one last issue involving Gabi's case that they still needed to deal with. Rafe turned to Jordan and told her that she could go ahead and leave, since his meeting with Hope might take a while. Jordan assured Rafe that she wouldn't mind waiting, but he replied that he appreciated the offer but needed to deal with the matter on his own. Rafe promised to call Jordan later, and she reluctantly walked away.
After Jordan left, Hope told Rafe that when Gabi had confessed to killing Nick, she had also confessed to committing another crime against Melanie Jonas. Hope proceeded to tell Rafe about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping. When Hope finished her summary, Rafe started to say something, but she quickly stopped him and told him that, as far as she was concerned, the case was closed.
Hope explained that she had only told Rafe about the matter because it had been a part of Gabi's confession and would therefore be made public soon. Hope added that Melanie had apparently learned the truth before leaving Salem and had decided to keep the information to herself, for whatever reason. Hope pointed out that some other people, such as Daniel and Maggie, would need to be filled in on what had happened so that they wouldn't have to read about it in the newspaper.
Rafe wanted to tell Daniel the news himself, which didn't surprise Hope. Rafe started to leave, but Hope stopped him and advised that it would be pointless for him to blame himself for what had happened to Gabi. Rafe nodded and thanked Hope before walking away.
In Daniel's apartment, Daniel tried to focus on a file labeled "vocal cord surgical report" but was unable to do so because he kept thinking about his earlier argument with Jennifer. Daniel set the report aside and decided to call Melanie to let her know about what had happened to her "good friend," Gabi, but when he mentioned Gabi's name, Melanie informed him that he had called at a bad time.
Daniel started to say that he would call again later, but Melanie interrupted and surprised him with a request to visit him in Salem. Daniel pointed out that Melanie usually found various reasons not to visit him, but he assured her that he would love to see her. Melanie could sense that something was wrong, but Daniel claimed that everything was fine and that he simply missed her.
Later, Daniel received a visit from Rafe, who apologized for showing up without calling first. Daniel invited Rafe into the apartment and started to talk about Gabi's case, stressing that he was willing to do whatever he could to help her. Rafe thanked Daniel for the offer but declined it, explaining that the judge had already approved Gabi's plea bargain and that she was already on her way to prison.
Daniel was sorry to hear that, reasoning that Gabi was a good kid who had simply gotten caught up in a terrible situation. Rafe changed the subject and announced that he actually had something else that he needed to talk to Daniel about. Daniel initially assumed that Rafe had talked to Nicole, but when he realized that Rafe didn't seem to know anything about that particular situation, Daniel decided not to elaborate, instead summarizing that it was complicated and that she might eventually tell Rafe herself.
Rafe said that, speaking of complicated, he needed to talk to Daniel about something that also concerned Gabi. Rafe hesitantly proceeded to tell Daniel about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping. Stunned, Daniel wondered if Melanie was aware of what Gabi had done. Rafe confirmed that Gabi had told Melanie the truth before Melanie had left Salem.
Rafe added that Nick had also known the truth and had been using that information to blackmail Gabi, which was why she had shot Nick. Rafe explained that Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping had been mentioned in Gabi's statement about Nick's murder, which was why the information was finally being made public.
Daniel realized that was why something about his earlier conversation with Melanie had seemed strange. Daniel wondered why Melanie had never told him about what had happened. Rafe explained that Melanie had agreed to keep Gabi's secret, although she had never forgiven Gabi for what had happened. "Of course not," Daniel muttered.
Rafe started to offer Daniel an apology, but Daniel interrupted and conceded that Rafe wasn't responsible for what had happened. Daniel guessed that the news had shocked Rafe just as much as it had shocked Daniel. "Yeah, well...I didn't -- I didn't just find out. After Gabi told Melanie, she -- she told me...and, uh, I also encouraged Gabi not to tell anyone else," Rafe reluctantly admitted.
Daniel wondered how Rafe, who was a cop, could have done something like that. Rafe explained that he had been protecting his little sister. "Well, what about my daughter? She had to deal with all of this on her own. Her friend betrayed her, and -- and...that's one of the reasons she left town. She said it was Chad, but I knew -- I knew there was a reason," Daniel mused. Daniel guessed that was why Melanie had suddenly decided earlier that she was finally ready to visit him again. Daniel concluded that Melanie might not have left Salem in the first place if Rafe hadn't convinced Gabi to keep quiet about what had happened.
Rafe said that he understood that he had made a huge mistake and that if he had handled the situation differently, Nick might not have died. Rafe apologized for causing Daniel and Melanie a lot of pain, and he wondered if Daniel would ever be able to forgive him. Daniel said that he couldn't talk to Rafe about the matter at that time, adding that he needed to talk to Melanie first. Rafe nodded and excused himself.
After Rafe left, Daniel called Melanie and talked to her about what he had just learned. Daniel wished that Melanie had confided in him when she had learned the truth, but he assured her that he understood that she had needed to handle the matter her own way. Daniel said that he was sorry that Melanie had been forced to deal with such a situation. "It's hard when someone you care about -- someone you think you know so well -- just ends up disappointing you," Daniel mused as he stared at a framed photograph of Jennifer.
At Club TBD, Rafe was having a difficult phone conversation with his mother. Jordan entered the club during the conversation, and she quietly watched with a pained expression as Rafe -- unaware of Jordan's presence -- tried to talk to his mother, who eventually ended the call without saying goodbye.
Marlena entered the Brady Pub -- which was open but basically empty -- just as Sami emerged from the kitchen, and the women exchanged icy greetings. Sami explained that she had just finished filling Caroline in on Gabi's "situation," and she started to offer the same update to Marlena, but Marlena interrupted and said that Julie had already informed her that the judge had approved the plea bargain and that Gabi was headed off to prison.
Sami guessed that Marlena believed that Sami deserved to be in prison, too. Marlena found the comment interesting and wondered if Sami believed that. Sami said that she didn't, but she added that she was aware that, as usual, Marlena had been judgmental about what had happened. "What happened was you and Kate tried to murder Nick by throwing him into the river, hoping that he would drown. Were you expecting a pat on the back for that?" Marlena wondered.
"No. After all, I failed. Who knew a dead man would be such a good swimmer?" Sami dryly replied, but Marlena wasn't amused. Sami insisted that she had been helping Gabi and that she was certain that Gabi would agree. Marlena confirmed that Gabi hadn't blamed Sami or Kate for what had happened, but Sami knowingly guessed that Marlena did blame them. "I would like to see you take responsibility for your actions," Marlena said.
"My God -- you want me to turn myself in to the police. You think I should go to prison," Sami concluded. Marlena insisted that Sami was wrong and that she simply wanted to see Sami show some regret. Marlena pointed out that what Sami had done to Nick had happened approximately six months after what Sami had done to Bernardi. Sami protested that she had shot Bernardi to protect Rafe.
"You act like you want me to apologize for my whole life," Sami mused. Marlena clarified that she wanted Sami to have a wonderful life, just like Sami wanted her own children to have wonderful lives. Marlena added that she didn't want Sami to end up like Kate, prompting Sami to stress that she felt the same way. Marlena reasoned that if Sami wanted to avoid that fate, she needed to start showing some remorse for her actions.
"No. I won't. Because we're talking about Nick Fallon. Frankly, the only regret I have is that he was pulled out of that river before he died," Sami bluntly replied. Marlena didn't believe that Sami truly meant that, but Sami insisted that she did. Sami reminded Marlena that Will had nearly died because of Nick and that Nick had tried -- more than once -- to take Arianna away from Will.
Marlena reasoned that Nick had still been a human being with a family and that no one had possessed the right to kill him. Sami countered that Nick hadn't had the right to do what he had been doing to people, either. Sami wondered if Marlena had any idea just how "sick and twisted" Nick had truly been. Marlena confirmed that she was aware of that fact -- and that Nick had been, too.
Marlena grabbed her cell phone and pointedly started to play the voicemail message that Nick had left her on the night of his death. Sami pointed out that she had already heard the message once before, but Marlena forced her to listen to the whole thing again, anyway. Once it ended, Marlena wondered if Sami had been able to hear that, underneath the desperation and torment in Nick's voice, there had also been a sliver of hope, because there was always hope. Marlena reasoned that Nick had needed help and had been trying to get it but had never had the chance to do so.
"What are you talking about? He had plenty of chances, and he blew them all. What were the rest of us supposed to do -- just sit around, letting him torture us, while he figured out that he needed to make a change? A change that was, by the way, never going to happen. Sorry, Mom -- no way. I know what you want to hear me say right now, but I'm not going to. I am glad that monster is dead -- for good this time," Sami replied before storming out of the pub. Marlena sighed as the door slammed behind Sami.
Later, Hope met with Marlena, who wondered how Hope was doing. Hope said that she had let Nick down, but Marlena reasoned that it was counterproductive for Hope to think that way -- unless, of course, Hope simply allowed that belief to influence how she chose to handle future situations. "It's the people that don't have regrets that should really concern us," Marlena added.
At the Horton Town Square, Kate was on the phone with Stefano. "When are you coming home? That long? Well, I suppose I could manage. No, no, no -- I understand. You have to have all your ducks in a row for that big board meeting, when, finally, you will show everyone exactly who is boss at DiMera Enterprises," Kate said as she turned around and found E.J. standing behind her.
Kate ended the call after she and Stefano established that they couldn't wait to see each other again. Kate smiled at E.J. and said that she was glad to see him, since she had been eager to thank him for getting Gabi a good plea bargain. "I think we can dispense with the pleasantries, don't you, Kate? Why don't you tell me what it is you're really up to?" E.J. replied.
Kate feigned ignorance for a moment before guessing that E.J. had been eavesdropping on her phone call with Stefano. E.J. clarified that he had been able to hear Kate's end of the conversation from the other side of the town square. Kate innocently summarized that she and Stefano had simply been catching up with each other and that there was no reason for E.J. to be suspicious, but he pointed out that they had been talking about DiMera Enterprises.
Kate shrugged and said that Stefano had always appreciated her business sense. "I had always thought it was, uh, rather different assets that my father appreciated," E.J. replied. Ignoring the comment, Kate admitted that she had expected E.J. to be happier about the fact that she and Stefano were getting along with each other again. Kate reminded E.J. that he was the one who had pressured her to forgive Stefano and had told her that Stefano had been a happier man when he had been with her. E.J. countered that Kate was the one who had vowed that she would never forgive Stefano.
Kate shrugged and reasoned -- to E.J.'s amusement -- that she and Stefano were not the kind of people who held grudges. "You should learn from that," Kate added before walking away. After Kate left, E.J. placed a phone call to someone. "Listen, I want to know every move my father makes -- especially anything that has to do with this upcoming board meeting," E.J. said before ending the call -- just as Sami arrived.
E.J. wondered how Caroline had taken the news about Gabi. Sami said that Caroline had been upset because she had been close to Gabi, but she added that Caroline had also realized that things could have been worse if the case had gone to trial instead. Changing the subject, Sami asked E.J. about the phone call she had caught the end of. E.J. vaguely explained that he had overheard Kate having a phone conversation with Stefano earlier and that he had gotten the impression that he and Sami might have a "bumpy ride" ahead of them.
Sami told E.J. that she wasn't going to let Kate jeopardize their relationship. E.J. reasoned that there was no reason for Sami to worry about that, since Kate ultimately desired money, power, and respect more than anything else. E.J. told Sami about what he had overheard Kate saying to Stefano earlier about showing everyone who was really in charge of DiMera Enterprises. Sami fumed that E.J. was in charge of the company and that Stefano had no right to try to take that away from E.J. after everything that E.J. had done to regain Stefano's trust.
E.J. doubted that Stefano would do something like that to him, since they were on solid ground again, and Stefano likely wouldn't want to do anything to unsettle that. "Unless he is that desperate to get Kate back," Sami pointed out. Sami couldn't understand why Stefano would try to "freeze [E.J.] out" just to make Kate happy, since nothing made Kate happy. Sami started to wonder what Stefano saw in Kate, but she quickly changed her mind and decided that she didn't want E.J. to try to answer that question.
Sami reasoned that Kate simply wanted the power of being the lady of the DiMera mansion and couldn't stand the fact that Sami had assumed that role. Sami predicted that Kate would do whatever she could to stop the wedding and that Kate would also try to undermine E.J.'s authority at DiMera Enterprises. "Speak of the devil," Sami muttered as she spotted Kate emerging from a nearby store.
E.J. tried to stop Sami, but she ignored him and rushed after Kate, vowing to "put that bitch in her place." E.J. reluctantly followed Sami and Kate to a secluded section of the town square, where Sami warned that Kate would lose whatever game she was trying to play with E.J. and Sami. "This is exactly why Stefano should be running his own company, before E.J. runs it into the ground. When Stefano has a problem, he takes care of it -- unlike his son, who just goes running to Sami," Kate mused.
E.J. claimed that he wasn't worried about Kate at all, but she doubted his sincerity, reasoning that they wouldn't otherwise be having a conversation at that time, nor would Sami be "about to explode." Sami started to warn Kate about what would happen if Kate tried to stop the wedding, but Kate insisted that she didn't "give a damn" about it. Sami wasn't convinced, and she demanded to know why Kate was "telling everyone in Salem" that it would be a mistake for E.J. to marry Sami.
"Why do you care so much about what I say? Is that because the two of us know that I'm right? You know, from my past experience -- and I know Stefano would agree -- there can be only one Mrs. DiMera in the mansion...and rest assured, that won't be you," Kate promised Sami.
