Nathan felt guilty about losing a patient, and Melanie tried to assuage his guilt by telling him that some things were beyond their control. Meanwhile, Nadine told Lexie and Stephanie that Mrs. Martin, chair of the hospital's fundraising committee, had died from an undiagnosed heart condition and that Nathan and Melanie had treated her. Nathan and Melanie shared a close moment, and he started to tell her how he felt about her, when Lexie and Stephanie walked in.
Stephanie left Lexie alone with Melanie and Nathan, and Lexie needed to ask some questions, which was standard procedure in the death of a patient. Lexie suggested that Nathan and Melanie's history together might have led to Mrs. Martin's death because they might have been focused on each other instead of on the patient.
Later, when Stephanie was alone with Nathan, she comforted Nathan and reassured him that he was a good doctor. Melanie walked in while they were talking. Nathan later told Lexie that Mrs. Martin's official cause of death was a heart attack, and he wanted to be present when the Mortality and Morbidity Conference took place.
Nathan told Melanie that he wanted to speak to the panel to find out what he had done wrong that had led to his patient's death. Nathan admitted that he had been thinking about Melanie and not his patient when he had walked into his patient's room. Melanie thought it might have been her fault that Mrs. Martin had died. She felt guilty for distracting him and felt like she needed to quit the nursing program. He thought it wasn't right for her to quit the program because of him. Stephanie interrupted Melanie and Nathan. Melanie told Nathan and Stephanie that Melanie needed to go home and get back to her husband.
An officer told Hope that Ciara's school had called and that she had forgotten her lunch. Abe told Hope that the district attorney had admitted that he hadn't seen Rafe attack him. Hope got angry at D.A. Woods for lying about Rafe attacking him. She accidentally knocked over some coffee. Abe wanted to talk to Hope, but she said she didn't have time.
Abe told Hope that he was taking Hope off the case as she had feared. Hope said her job was the only thing she had left. Adrienne overheard her and interrupted their conversation. Justin arrived, and Hope excused herself. Adrienne and Justin noticed that Hope seemed stressed out. Adrienne asked Justin to go somewhere where they could talk.
Sami said in order for her to forget her history with Stefano, she would have to have complete amnesia, heavy medication, a severe drop in her IQ, and a total lack of regard for what was right and wrong, and she would need something for her nausea. She made it clear to him that despite E.J.'s wish for her and the kids to spend time at the mansion, she would loathe Stefano with every single fiber of her being for the rest of her life.
Stefano apologized to Sami and said that he wanted the fighting between them to stop. He tried to call a truce. Sami thought Stefano was being disingenuous. Stefano asked her to be civil toward him for the kids' sake. Stefano reminded Sami that Will lived at the mansion, and she would have to allow the kids back in the mansion to visit Will. Sami looked around the mansion for Johnny's toy penguin and accused Stefano of taking it, but Marie found it in the diaper bag.
Rafe and E.J. were on the pier, talking. Rafe suggested that Stefano had something on E.J. to convince him to let Stefano get near Sydney and Johnny. Rafe said he and E.J. had one thing in common -- neither of them ever gave up. He vowed to find everything that Stefano had on E.J., and then he would put E.J. away for good. Rafe received a phone call, telling him that the authorities had apprehended Anna in Morocco, and he assumed that E.J had already known where Anna was.
When Hope got home, she took some pills and then saw Ciara. She had a headache and cursed. Ciara noticed and pointed it out. Hope apologized and decided to give Ciara a bath and to read a book to the girl before bedtime.
Adrienne met with Justin at the Cheatin' Heart to tell him that she had a buyer for the pub. Justin was surprised. Adrienne was upset that the new owner planned to change the name of the bar. Adrienne made small talk at first until she worked up the nerve to tell him that she was glad she had returned to Salem, even though she had been tricked into it.
Adrienne admitted that she had felt awful when Justin had been attacked, and the incident had made her think about their relationship. She said she realized that her leaning on him so much covered up the fact that she loved him so much. She realized, though, that she didn't need to lean on him anymore and probably hadn't needed to lean on him so much when she had earlier. She thought that because of all the bad stuff from her past, he could never really lean on her.
Sami visited the police station and ran into Rafe. He said he had been about to call her. Sami started to explain that Allie needed to say goodbye to Roman. She asked why Rafe had been about to call her, because she had thought he was angry with her. Rafe said they had Anna in custody and would finally learn exactly what had happened.
Rafe received a call telling him that the woman they had arrested had not been Anna. Sami consoled Rafe, and he realized that it had been a setup. Rafe said they weren't going to stop him, and he left.
Stefano told Kate that E.J. had admitted to still having feelings for Sami. Kate couldn't understand how that could be. "I really don't get that. I really don't understand it. It's like one of those whistles that only dogs can hear. She must give off something that just enchants men," Kate said. Stefano was frustrated that E.J. wanted him to keep quiet about E.J.'s feelings and to show Sami respect.
Stefano didn't want to lose E.J., so he was forced to get along with Sami. E.J. interrupted them and said he needed to speak to Stefano alone, so Kate left the room. E.J. told him about Anna being arrested. Stefano said that the woman that the FBI had arrested was not Anna. He said that he had sent the FBI on a wild goose chase to give the real Anna time to go deeper undercover. E.J. thanked Stefano. Stefano said his only regret was that he wouldn't be there to watch Rafe when he got the call.
Hope had gone back out, but when she got home, she was acting strangely. Ciara had been waiting up for her. Ciara said she was scared and missed Bo and Justin. Hope said she had an idea that could solve both problems by Justin being Ciara's new daddy someday.
Lexie tried to reach Abe by phone as she was walking along the pier and found him unconscious.
Hope walked into the Kiriakis living room and found Ciara shoving a wedding magazine into her backpack. When Hope asked Ciara why she was taking the magazine, Ciara explained that she believed Hope was getting married again. Confused, Hope asked Ciara where she had gotten the idea that Hope was going to remarry. "Then why did you tell me Uncle Justin was going to be my new daddy?" Ciara asked. Hope denied that she had said anything like that, but Ciara thought about her conversation with Hope the previous day when Hope had said, "Maybe someday Uncle Justin will be your new daddy." Bewildered, Ciara insisted that Hope had told her that.
"I really think you dreamt what I said about Justin," Hope suggested to Ciara. Annoyed, Ciara insisted that Hope had told her about Justin in real life. "I'm not telling a lie!" Ciara cried out before running out of the room. Hope started to run after Ciara, but when she received a call from the police station about Abe's mugging, Hope left for work instead.
At the hospital, Daniel confided in Carly that he was worried his vision would not return to normal. Carly suggested to Daniel that he meet with an ophthalmologist friend. Though Daniel resisted, Carly persuaded Daniel to allow the ophthalmologist and her to operate on him. Thrilled, Carly hugged Daniel tightly. "You're a good friend," Daniel remarked. "I'm more than a good friend. We both know that," Carly said with a grin.
Unsure, Daniel asked Carly to clarify what she meant. Carly explained that she was the mother of Daniel's daughter and that she was pleased that she was rebuilding her friendship with Daniel. Daniel asked Carly not to tell anyone about the surgery in the event that it did not work.
Down the hallway, Hope rushed in to Abe's room to talk to him about the mugging. Lexie assured Hope that Abe was fine, and Hope explained that she had not received the news about the mugging sooner. Hope urged Abe to keep her on the case, and Abe asked Lexie to step outside for a few minutes. On her way out of the room, Lexie whispered to Hope that Abe could have died if the wound had been a few inches over. Shaking her head with worry, Lexie slipped out of the room.
Abe told Hope about what had happened and noted the similarities to Justin's mugging. Abe asked Hope whether she was "sleeping any better lately." Smiling, Hope assured Abe that if she seemed distracted, it was because Ciara was having a difficult time with her parents' separation. When Abe asked about Bo, Hope admitted that Ciara had spoken to Bo and that Hope had only spoken to Caroline. "You want an update on Bo, you talk to Carly Manning," Hope said. Abe asked Hope whether she wanted to take some leave time from work, but Hope declined the offer.
An excited Theo ran into Abe's hospital room, and the noise seemed to shake Hope. After rubbing her head, Hope left the room with Lexie. Lexie informed Hope about Abe's injuries, but she explained that the doctor that had worked on Abe when he had been admitted was Carly. Lexie went to attend to a patient, and Hope stayed behind to talk to Carly. As Hope approached Carly, Carly received a phone call from Bo. With Hope standing behind her, Carly told Bo how much she loved and missed him.
After wrapping up her phone call, Carly turned and saw Hope standing behind her. Hope told Carly that she needed information about Abe's injuries and wanted to know whether they were similar to the injuries sustained by the other two mugging victims. As Hope shakily attempted to continue questioning Carly, Carly interrupted to inform Hope that Bo and Kim were doing well after the surgery. Before Hope could respond, she received a call from Ciara's school, and she rushed off to pick up Ciara.
After picking up Ciara at school, Hope took her back to the Kiriakis mansion to talk to her about the stickers that she had stolen from her teacher. Hope assured Ciara that she would always be there for her daughter, but Ciara countered, "You think everything I do is bad." Hope told Ciara to go to her room as punishment, and running from the room, Ciara said that she wanted her dad.
At the hospital, Lexie took a visibly upset Theo to a waiting room to calm him down. Lexie promised Theo that Abe would be released from the hospital and on his way home later that day. When Theo asked Lexie what had happened to his father, Lexie explained that Abe had tripped and fallen. Lexie hugged her son and promised him that Abe would not have any more accidents.
Down at the pier, Nicole attempted to cheer up Chloe. Chloe joked that she wanted to kill Carly and wondered aloud why Daniel liked Carly so much. From the shadows, Vivian crept out on to the pier as Nicole and Chloe walked to the Brady Pub. At the Brady Pub, Nicole informed Chloe about her new job as a reporter at the Titan-owned television station. Switching subjects, Nicole asked Chloe whether she felt Daniel was worth the trouble of dealing with Carly.
Outside the Brady Pub, Vivian watched Nicole and Chloe eat breakfast. Talking to herself, Vivian hoped aloud that Chloe and Nicole would get rid of Carly. Gus approached Vivian with a to do list, but Vivian hushed him. Vivian nodded toward Chloe and noted that she was hoping another enemy of Carly might be able to hurt Carly, since Vivian was not permitted to hurt her.
Gus suggested to Vivian that she focus her energy on her wedding to Victor, but Vivian did not back down. When Vivian explained that she was hoping to get Chloe to take down Carly, Gus cautioned Vivian to remember that Chloe would probably not sink to that level. "Girls know these things about other girls. She doesn't think she can live without Dr. Jonas," Vivian purred. "I don't think it'll take much to push her over the edge, do you?" Vivian wondered aloud.
"When it comes to men, most women don't have a chance against Carly," Nicole posited over her breakfast. Nearby, Vivian slipped into the pub and listened to Nicole and Chloe at the nearby table. Nicole cautioned Chloe to "bring your A game" or else she might lose Daniel to Carly. Nicole theorized aloud that if Bo saw Carly cozied up to Daniel that he might dump Carly and free her to pursue a relationship with Daniel. Upon hearing Nicole's theory, Vivian fantasized that Chloe met up with Carly on the pier. In Vivian's fantasy, Chloe screamed at Carly to stay away from Daniel and then shoved her into a wooden post, killing Carly.
Back in reality, Chloe assured Nicole that Daniel would not cheat on her and that Carly was in love with Bo. "I'm starting to wish I didn't talk to you about any of this," Chloe sighed. Nicole joked that it was not her fault that Chloe had fallen in love with a "major player." "He was," Chloe amended. Nicole reminded Chloe that she was not the one who had mentioned Carly, and annoyed, Chloe grunted. "Okay, fine. You know what? I wish that Carly Manning would drop off the face of the earth," Chloe yelled as Daniel approached the table.
"Why haven't you told me that?" Daniel asked. Sensing the awkwardness, Nicole excused herself from the table and headed outside to take a phone call from work. Once Nicole was gone, Daniel sat down at the table and asked Chloe whether Nicole was causing Chloe to feel negative toward Carly. "Why would you continue to listen to that woman who is an absolute train wreck?" Daniel groused. Insulted, Chloe told Daniel that she was capable of forming her own opinion about people without any help.
When Daniel noted the discrepancy of what Chloe had said before about Carly and what she had been saying to Nicole, Chloe explained that she was attempting to like Carly for Daniel's sake, but she was having a difficult time. Daniel insisted that Nicole was to blame for Chloe's issues with Carly. "Nicole is not the problem here. Carly is. Yet you refuse to see that," Chloe snapped. From the table nearby, Vivian whispered to herself, "Now we're getting somewhere."
When Daniel noted Nicole's recent legal problems, a defensive Chloe chimed in, "Oh, my God! Anything that Carly does, including murder, is fine." In an effort to explain himself, Daniel noted that he was upset that Chloe was telling other people things that she was not telling him. "Who can say anything against Carly to you?" Chloe exclaimed. "Face it, Daniel. She's a whore who gets through life sleeping with other women's men," Chloe said. "Tell it like it is, sister," Vivian joked to herself as she continued to eavesdrop on Chloe and Daniel's conversation.
"Two or three months ago, you wouldn't have used a word like whore to describe anybody," Daniel said, surprised. "Two or three months ago, I didn't know that you and Carly Manning had a daughter," Chloe countered. Daniel complained that he did not understand why Chloe and he could not talk in a "sane, rational way." "I have tried to reassure you that I love you 'til I am blue in the face," Daniel started. When Chloe interrupted to ask whether there was anything going on between Daniel and Carly, Daniel became very tense. Daniel argued that he did not understand why Chloe doubted his love for her after all they had been through together.
"Do you trust me?" Chloe asked. "You think I should?" Daniel snapped back. Upset, Daniel got up from the table and announced that he was going to leave before he said anything he regretted. Chloe dropped her head into her hands, and Vivian sidled up beside her. Sensing a hand on her shoulder, Chloe turned around, expecting to see Daniel. When Chloe found Vivian instead, she asked what Vivian wanted. "Oh, you poor, poor thing," Vivian purred.
In front of the Brady Pub, Nicole learned from a source at the hospital that the mugger had attacked Abe. Since there was a media blackout, the story had not been leaked to the press yet. Nicole called the television station to ask them to send a camera crew over to the police station to hear Abe's statement.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Arianna dropped by the house to meet Brady and found Victor instead. Victor informed Arianna that Brady was running late and invited her to join him for coffee. Victor asked Arianna about her new job as an assistant at the Titan television station. Arianna assured Victor that she would work hard but "I won't answer to you." Victor chuckled to himself and joked that Arianna's feistiness would come in handy when she fought Nicole for Brady's affection.
Victor reminded Arianna that Nicole would look at Brady and Arianna's wedding postponement as an opportunity. Arianna assured Victor that Brady had told Nicole that he was unequivocally finished with her. Smirking, Victor explained to Arianna that Nicole was "like a bad habit." "If you think she is the one calling the shots then you underestimated me," Arianna noted before leaving for work.
Victor relaxed on the couch to read the newspaper as Hope entered the living room. When Victor noted that Hope was home early, Hope explained that Ciara had been caught stealing reward stickers from her teacher. Beaming with pride, Victor noted that Ciara could make a fortune, selling the stickers on the playground. Furious, Hope argued that Ciara's behavior was not like her daughter.
When Victor asked Hope about how Abe was doing, Hope marveled at the fact that Victor knew about Abe's attack despite the news blackout. Curious, Hope asked Victor what the "word on the street" was about the mugger. While her mother grilled Victor downstairs, Ciara sneaked into Hope's room and spotted a high heel shoe lying on the floor. Ciara put on the shoe and then looked around the room for the other half of the pair.
Peeking under the bed, Ciara found a shoebox. "Wow, Tommy Bear. Look what mommy has," Ciara remarked as she opened the box. "Tommy Bear, I think my mommy has a secret," Ciara whispered to her teddy bear.
At the police station, Nicole fretted about whether her assistant would remember to take along her clothes and makeup. With a deep breath, Nicole pushed her way past a police officer and into Abe's office. With a smile, Abe assured the officer that he was fine and that the officer could leave him alone with Nicole. Nicole asked Abe for an exclusive interview regarding the attack. Folding his arms, Abe informed Nicole that she would have to wait for the press conference. "I can tell the public my version of what happened or yours," Nicole said with a grin.
In the main room of the police station, Nicole called the station to tell them that she had secured an exclusive interview with Mayor Carver. Behind Nicole, Arianna entered the station with Nicole's clothing, makeup, and coffee. "You call that dry?" Nicole said harshly after sipping her coffee. "You call that manners?" Arianna retorted. "Where's Cece?" Arianna asked. After Nicole noted that she was taking Cece's place, both she and Arianna quickly deduced that Arianna was Nicole's new assistant.
As Daniel stormed out of the Brady Pub, Vivian sidled up to Chloe. Chloe wasn't buying the fake sympathy that Vivian was trying to sell, but Vivian pointedly asked if Carly had gotten to Daniel. Chloe managed to deflect most of Vivian's allegations about Carly's intentions until Vivian calmly asserted that she'd overheard Daniel and Chloe's argument. "I've had a lot of experiences with Carly Manning," Vivian continued. "She destroyed my nephew, and I'm not going to let her do that to Daniel, Melanie, or to you."
At the hospital, Dr. Yang was anxious because Daniel hadn't yet returned for the experimental surgery Dr. Yang was going to perform, with Carly's assistance, to correct Daniel's double vision. Victor arrived and overheard the doctors' conversation, and was furious that Carly would be involved. After Dr. Yang left to prepare for surgery, Carly and Victor argued until Daniel arrived and declared that he trusted Carly with his life. Victor retorted, "Well, then, you're a damn fool."
Daniel pulled Victor aside so they could talk privately. Victor maintained that Carly had sucked Daniel into her orbit. Daniel argued that the "insane, senile" Vivian had brainwashed Victor against Carly -- and Daniel couldn't comprehend how Victor could even consider marrying Vivian. Carly interrupted to urge Daniel to get to the operating room. Seeing that he couldn't talk Daniel out of the surgery, Victor threatened Carly, "He'd better come out of that O.R. alive -- and seeing perfectly -- otherwise you're going to hear from me."
After Victor stalked off, Daniel admitted to Carly that he hadn't told Chloe about the surgery because they'd gotten into a huge fight -- about Carly. Carly fretted, especially when Daniel admitted that Chloe had been feeling like an outsider. Carly urged Daniel to tell Chloe about the surgery -- and to emphasize that Chloe had nothing to fear from Carly.
Daniel agreed and then left an apologetic voicemail for Chloe. He reassured her that his love for her hadn't changed. He added somewhat ambiguously that he was about to go into surgery, and probably wouldn't make it home that night.
Father Matt arrived at the pub and interrupted Vivian's needling of Chloe. Chloe expressed her annoyance with Vivian's intrusion, so the priest politely asked Vivian to let him and Chloe speak privately. Vivian grudgingly left. Chloe explained that she'd just had a huge argument with Daniel, and Vivian had overheard. "Father, I'm afraid I may be pushing Carly Manning right into Daniel's arms," Chloe blurted. Father Matt wanted to know if Chloe had discussed how she felt about Carly with Daniel. Chloe admitted that she hadn't had the chance, and she felt like Carly was moving into every part of their lives.
Gus arrived and chided Vivian for not returning Victor's calls. Vivian hissed that she couldn't leave until she made some headway in her attempts to program Chloe to destroy Carly. Vivian was determined not to give up until she had turned Chloe into "a weapon of Manning's destruction."
When Vivian called Victor, he barked at her for ignoring his calls. He told her about Daniel's eye surgery, on which Carly was assisting. Vivian gleefully guessed that the surgery had likely been the reason for Daniel and Chloe's argument, then chirped a goodbye to Victor and hung up abruptly. Victor rolled his eyes heavenward, as if for guidance from above.
Vivian quickly informed Gus about Daniel's surgery, about which he'd obviously not informed Chloe. "Very useful," she plotted, "I just have to figure out how to use it."
Chloe suddenly noticed that she had a message from Daniel and was chagrined to learn he wouldn't be home that night because he would be in surgery. Father Matt urged her to find Daniel at the hospital and talk to him before he went into the operating room. Overhearing, Vivian hurried outside. Chloe told Father Matt that she didn't think she and Daniel could work things out.
Vivian and Gus were soon at the hospital and eyed Nurse Greg from across the waiting area. Gus assured Vivian that Greg fit the right profile: he hated his job and needed the money. Vivian approached Greg and introduced herself. "I read about you in the paper," Greg replied, adding, "I can't believe I'm meeting you." With a grin like the Cheshire Cat's, Vivian purred, "Yes, well, it'll be all your pleasure if you do just what I ask you to do."
Dr. Yang entered the operating room, where Daniel was on the table, prepped for surgery, and Carly was dressed in surgical gear. "All right, let's do this," Yang announced. Carly reassured Daniel that she wouldn't leave his side and asked if he'd gotten in touch with Chloe. Daniel replied that he'd only been able to leave a message, but he vowed to make everything right with Chloe once he was out of surgery.
Chloe arrived at the nurses' station and asked Greg if she could leave a message for Daniel because she knew he always checked in after surgery. "Dr. Jonas isn't doing surgery," Greg informed her. Chloe was puzzled. Greg sighed with feigned reluctance and then divulged, "Look, I like you, so I'm going to be honest: Dr. Jonas was here. And Dr. Manning was here, too. But now they're gone."
Brady stopped during his jog to rest on the pier, where he ran into Justin. They chatted and caught up on one another's lives. When Brady divulged that he and Arianna had postponed their wedding, Justin reflected on the missed opportunities in his marriage to Adrienne and urged Brady not to pass up a chance at happiness. "I'm not," Brady assured Justin, "I'm just giving Arianna some time to figure out that Nicole can't change things between us." Justin wished him luck.
At the police station, Nicole and Arianna were both dismayed to learn that Arianna would be working as the production assistant to Nicole, the new roving reporter. Nicole declared that Arianna was fired, but Arianna argued that Nicole didn't have that kind of authority. Nicole admitted that was true but vowed to at least get Arianna reassigned. Abe arrived and told Nicole that if she still wanted the exclusive interview, they could do it right then.
Despite not having the proper wardrobe or makeup, Nicole agreed. Arianna informed Nicole that because of the short notice, Arianna would be the cameraperson. "But don't worry -- the guys in the truck, they kind of real quickly told me how to do this. And I took a TV course once in college," Arianna nonchalantly reassured Nicole. Arianna checked in with the production crew and then signaled Nicole to start the interview.
Nicole got off to a somewhat awkward start in asking Mayor Carver about his mugging and those of Justin Kiriakis and D.A. Charles Woods. When Nicole suggested that the mayor's office should be embarrassed because so many high-profile people had been attacked, an aggravated Arianna suddenly shouted, "Cut! Cut!"
Nicole furiously confronted Arianna, but Arianna argued that Nicole was handling the interview poorly by interrupting the mayor's replies and being downright rude. Nicole didn't care, but Abe just wanted to get the interview over with. So Nicole began the interview again; she repeated her original question but reworded it slightly.
Abe replied, "A crime isn't a worse crime because it happens to someone in power. There will be an end to this violence, and I can promise you that whoever is behind these attacks will be apprehended." He added that the department's best detective, Hope Brady, was putting together a task force to deal with the problem.
After the interview was finished, Nicole thanked Abe for being such a good sport. While Arianna was gathering up the camera equipment, Gabi called Arianna from outside the pub. Arianna told her sister about the new job, and Gabi asserted that Brady would be very proud of Arianna. Arianna then divulged that Nicole was the reporter but asked Gabi not to mention it until they had figured things out. "I won't. Good luck with the baby switcher," Gabi replied sarcastically -- just as Brady arrived outside the pub and overheard.
Brady pressed Gabi to tell who she'd been talking to and if the TV station was doing another story about Nicole. After some stalling, Gabi finally admitted, "Arianna's working for Nicole." A freaked-out Brady wanted to know where they were, and when Gabi informed him they were at the police station, he left in a hurry.
Nicole ordered Arianna to do some menial tasks and added curtly, "If you're the one who gets my coffee next time, get it right." Unperturbed, Arianna wondered, "Is this just something you do when I'm around, or are you always a bitch?" As Nicole calmly commanded Arianna to go back to the pub if she didn't like the way Nicole did her job, Brady arrived. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded.
Arianna merrily insisted that everything was going well, but Nicole disagreed. Brady offered to get Arianna a job elsewhere in the company, but Arianna politely declined, maintaining that she liked the job she had. Nicole cheerfully chimed in that Arianna should take one of the other jobs at the TV station.
"I'm not a quitter," Arianna declared to Brady. "Now, I accepted this job. I don't want you going to Philip and saying 'my fiancée is unhappy, and she wants another job.' And I have had rotten bosses in the past. I've handled them," she stated pointedly to Nicole. Arianna refused to run away because it would mean Nicole had won.
In Hope's room at the Kiriakis mansion, Ciara looked inside a box she'd pulled out from under Hope's bed and whispered to her stuffed bear, "Tommy Bear, I think my mommy has a secret." As Hope called upstairs to her daughter, Ciara quickly hid the box back under the bed. "There you are!" Hope exclaimed as she opened the door. "Sweetie, what are you doing in here?" Observing Ciara's reticence, Hope noted, "I feel like I don't know what's going on in your head."
Ciara replied, "I don't know what's inside your head either, Mommy." Hope admitted that she was worried about Ciara, who Hope believed was confiding in Tommy Bear instead of Hope or the therapist -- and making up stories. "Honey, why would I ever tell you that Justin was going to be your new daddy?" Hope wondered, explaining, "You already have a daddy who loves you." Ciara didn't answer, so Hope gave up and told the child that dinner was ready in the kitchen. As Ciara ran out of the room, she whispered to herself, "But Mommy, I didn't make it up!"
As a worried Hope sat in her room, thinking, Justin knocked on the door. Hope confided that she was worried because Ciara -- who had never lied or stolen anything -- had been making things up and stealing from her teacher's desk at school. Justin reassured Hope that she was a good mother, and Ciara was a normal kid, and then offered to help Hope with Ciara.
After they had tucked Ciara into bed, Hope and Justin went downstairs to the parlor. Hope confessed that Ciara had claimed Hope had told her that Justin was going to be Ciara's new daddy. They discussed how Hope didn't feel comfortable with Ciara spending much time with Bo because of Carly -- and Hope also didn't want Ciara to start thinking of Carly as her "step-mommy." Justin was sorry for what Hope was going through. Hope filled in Justin about Abe's mugging then declared that she had a splitting headache, and headed up to bed.
After changing into her pajamas, Hope opened a prescription bottle in her purse, and washed down a pill from it with a glass of water. Once she was in bed, she tossed and turned, but then suddenly her eyes flew open. Looking at the clock on the nightstand, she exclaimed, "Oh, God, I overslept. I don't have very much time." She jumped out of bed and began rushing around her bedroom.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Victor demanded when he arrived home and found Justin having a drink in the parlor. Justin presented Victor with some contracts for his signature. Victor snidely noted that Justin had only delivered the contracts that night because he had wanted the chance to see Hope. An annoyed Justin argued that Bo had chosen Carly over Hope.
Victor asserted that Bo would eventually see through Carly and return to Hope. Justin wondered what Hope and Ciara were supposed to do while they waited for that to happen and irritably pointed out that Bo could never be anything short of perfect in Victor's eyes. Justin then headed upstairs to check on Ciara and Hope.
Hope was soon dressed all in black with her hair done up. "Tonight is going to be the night," she declared with a sly smile as she gazed at herself in a hand mirror. Justin stopped outside Hope's door just as she was applying some bright red lipstick. "Perfect!" she murmured to her reflection.
Hope was dressed fancy and was ready to go out. She grabbed her gun, loaded it, and headed for the door when Justin knocked on the door to check up on her. Hope told him that she was okay, so he could go away. Hope left the house and called someone to ask if something was "on." She said she was on her way.
Hope was on a winning streak at a poker game. She wanted to cash in and go home, but someone stopped her and said that she owed him a drink. It was Dr. Baker. Hope said she was sorry Dr. Baker had had such a bad night. He said that was why she was going to buy him a drink -- to make up for his bad night.
At the Java Café, Philip called his assistant and asked her to cancel his meeting so he could go home to be with Melanie.
Melanie was about to leave when Nathan stopped by to see her. He wanted to know how Melanie really felt about him. He accused her of avoiding him. She said she wasn't avoiding him. She asked why he was pressing the issue about how she felt about him. He said if they didn't deal with their feelings, they would keep hurting each other. She admitted what she had really written in the letter that she had written to Nathan on her wedding day, which said that she would leave Philip for him if he still loved her.
Nathan was glad that she had finally admitted her feelings to him. She started to tell him that it didn't matter, anyway, because he hadn't shown up. He grabbed her mid-sentence and kissed her, while Philip watched them through the window. Melanie told Nathan that the kiss was a goodbye kiss. Melanie asked Nathan to leave.
Nathan was confused because she had just told him that she had been willing to leave Philip for him. He asked if she was afraid of what Philip would do if she left him. She said she wasn't afraid of Philip, and she wasn't going to leave him. She said her feelings had changed, and she and Nathan were through. She said she would always have feelings for him, but she decided not to act on them anymore.
Nathan asked if she could live that way, denying what they had. She said she could, and he had to also. Nathan hadn't predicted that she would say goodbye to him, but he was ready to accept that she had moved on and planned to do the same thing. They agreed to be colleagues and friends only. They hugged goodbye.
Philip went to the Kiriakis mansion and poured himself a drink. Justin asked what Philip was doing there and asked why he wasn't at home with Melanie. Philip said he wasn't with Melanie because he was an idiot. Justin asked if he'd had a fight, but he denied it. Philip said it wasn't that easy. He said everything he had believed about his wife and his marriage had been a lie.
Justin said something had obviously happened between Philip and Melanie. Philip said nothing had happened between him and Melanie. Justin pressed for the details, but all Philip would say was that Philip was an idiot. Justin suggested that whatever had happened between Philip and Melanie, Philip needed to be at home, talking to his wife. Philip asked if that was what Justin had done whenever he and Adrienne had had trouble, and he asked how that had worked out for Justin.
Sami tried to get Johnny to go to bed, but he refused to, saying that he wanted to see his father, E.J. She suggested calling E.J., but he wasn't satisfied with that. Sami offered to read him a story if he would go to bed afterward, but he was determined to see E.J. Meanwhile, E.J. looked at the pictures of his kids and thought about how adamant Sami would be against living in the DiMera mansion. E.J. contemplated whether Sami would be willing to move in with him.
Sami called E.J. on the phone to ask for help getting Johnny to bed. While she was talking to him, E.J. showed up at her front door. He helped put Johnny to bed. Afterwards, Sami praised E.J. for having the magic touch. She told him that Lucas had called and wanted Allie to join him in Hong Kong. She said that Lucas had flown back to pick Allie up, which was why Sami wasn't her "normal chipper self." Sami figured that was why Johnny had been acting out and maybe he had picked up on Sami's tension.
E.J. said he understood the choice that she had made to keep her pregnancy from him. "Now you understand it when I understand it less than ever. I mean, if I hadn't put everything into motion, if I hadn't lied to you, Nicole would never have been able to manipulate that sister, I would never have ended up giving birth in that sleazy clinic with Dr. Baker," Sami said. "He would never have been in a position to lie to me, to switch my baby with Grace. He was a doctor. I trusted the guy," she said.
E.J. calmed Sami down and reminded her that Dr. Baker was dead and that Sydney was doing well. He asked her to stop thinking about the past and to look to their future. Sami asked him what he had planned to tell her earlier. He reminded her that Will was staying at the mansion, and he said it was important that she was around her children. He said he had an idea of how she and he could do that together.
Sami said Johnny probably missed Rafe. E.J. asked if she missed Rafe and if Rafe was trying to get back together. Sami said that Rafe had said he wouldn't be able to forgive Sami for lying about Sydney's ransom notes. She pointed out that she had lied to E.J. about their child, and E.J. had forgiven her. She asked E.J. why.
E.J. said he had forgiven her because it didn't matter what had happened between them because they had children. E.J. compared him and Sami to Sami and Rafe. He said the needs of their kids superseded the need to hold on to any past resentment. Sami acknowledged all the ways that they had hurt each other, and she recounted all the things she had done to hurt E.J.
E.J. stopped her mid-sentence and reminded her that she couldn't fix the past. He said they needed to be grateful that they had two children who were happy and healthy. Sami said she wished she had never lied to him about being pregnant. He said instead of splitting the kids' time between her place and E.J.'s, Sami and all the kids should live with him at the DiMera mansion.
Daniel was getting ready to undergo eye surgery. Carly asked him to smooth things over with Chloe, but he wasn't able to reach her. He promised to smooth things over with her after the procedure. Daniel woke up from the procedure and called Chloe's name. Carly told him that Chloe would be there soon. Carly asked him to focus on the tip of her finger, and he said he didn't have double vision anymore. He was grateful to Carly and eager to tell Chloe the good news.
Chloe grilled the nurse about where Daniel was and why. The nurse claimed that Daniel and Carly had gone to a hotel together. She didn't believe him at first, but the nurse was convincing enough that Chloe went to the hotel to see if Daniel and Carly were there. After she left, Vivian gave the nurse money.
Chloe went to the hotel and asked the clerk if Carly and Daniel had checked in. She gave the clerk money, and he looked it up but said no one by their names had checked in. She asked if they had checked in under assumed names, and he said that was possible. She showed him a picture of Daniel, and he claimed he remembered seeing him. He said a guy like Daniel had taken a lady to the hotel for one reason -- and not to play checkers.
Chloe went home, devastated, thinking that Daniel and Carly were having an affair. Meanwhile, Philip was drunk as he walked by the pier and thought about how Melanie had pledged her love to him. He showed up at Chloe's place as she was about to leave.
Vivian told Gus that the hotel clerk had told Chloe exactly what Vivian had paid him to tell her. Gus asked why Vivian relished in Chloe's humiliation. Gus reminded Vivian that her animosity wasn't with Chloe. "As long as it ricochets back to Carly, I don't care who's humiliated, and when did you become such a bleeding heart?" she asked.
Gus said he was just worried about Vivian. He predicted that her plan would backfire on her, and she would be the one to suffer. Vivian scoffed at the idea. She said that since she was engaged to Victor, she couldn't touch Carly, so she had to get Chloe to do her dirty work.
Maggie arrived home and found a pensive Melanie sitting at the kitchen table. When Maggie asked what was wrong, Melanie proclaimed, "Actually, nothing's wrong. Something's right for, like, the first time: Philip and I are going to finally be happy, for the rest of our lives, forever." Melanie explained that Nathan had admitted he still had feelings for her, but she had told him that she was completely committed to Philip, so she and Nathan had to figure out how to be coworkers and friends.
Maggie asked if that meant Melanie no longer had feelings for Nathan. "No, I didn't say that," Melanie hedged, and clarified that she had chosen to love only Philip. She added that Nathan hadn't initially understood, and he had kissed her. She acknowledged that she should have pushed him away, but the kiss had actually been a goodbye and had given her "closure."
"So, the saga of Melanie and Nathan is over," Melanie declared. "We're going to be professional and friendly and nothing else -- forever." Maggie seemed skeptical, but admitted that Melanie's maturity and commitment to Philip impressed her. Although Melanie was relieved that she and Nathan had resolved things, she knew she had to tell Philip the whole story before she could be at peace with herself. She found her phone in her purse and began to dial.
After Daniel's surgery to correct his double vision, he wanted to try to call Chloe, since she hadn't returned his message from earlier. He reached for the phone next to the bed, but he fell back onto the bed and groaned in pain. Maxine and Carly cautioned him to take it easy, and then Carly administered a sedative into Daniel's arm. Daniel kept insisting that he needed to call Chloe because they hadn't talked since their argument. Carly warned him that too much physical exertion could negate the positive effects of the procedure and urged him to wait until later to call Chloe.
As Daniel fumbled with his phone a moment later, he mumbled, "Did somebody slip me a roofie? Is this real life? 'Cause I can't tell right now." Chuckling, Carly guessed that the sedative had taken effect and offered to send Chloe a text message for Daniel. Daniel dropped off to sleep, and his head lolled back on the pillow. Carly used his phone to enter the message: "Chloe, come to the hospital right away. Got news. Important."
An inebriated Philip showed up on Chloe's doorstep just as she was about to leave. She asked why he was there. "My wife," Philip slurred, "she's in love with another man. The whole thing was a lie. Our marriage? Complete and total sham. How could I have been such a fool?" A sympathetic Chloe tried to reassure him that he'd only been following his heart.
Philip pulled a flask out of his suit jacket and took a swig then loosened his tie, while Chloe pulled the cork out of a half-empty bottle of wine. As they discussed Philip's situation, she poured a glass for him and then carried the bottle and a second glass over to where he'd flopped on the couch. Philip grabbed the full glass out of her hand. Chloe tried to convince him that it was a good thing that he'd loved someone so passionately and that he couldn't have known that someone else had already had that woman's heart.
Chloe poured herself some wine and mumbled tearfully that the same thing had happened to her with Daniel and the mother of his child. "Coincidence, huh?" she added, "You and me, the people we love -- both cheating on us." Philip was dubious, so Chloe explained that Daniel and Carly had checked into a sleazy motel under fake names. "Probably having sex right now," she added, pouting miserably, and leaned her head against Philip's shoulder.
Philip argued that Daniel loved Chloe, and it didn't make any sense that he would cheat on her. Chloe recounted her argument with Daniel, and the message he'd left saying that he was going to be in surgery all night -- but she knew he couldn't do surgery because of his eyes. Chloe continued that when she'd gone to the hospital to apologize, a nurse had told her that Daniel had left with Carly to go to the Mercer Motel, where the clerk had confirmed for Chloe that Daniel and Carly had checked in.
Sighing, Philip pronounced, "Like father, like daughter, huh?" Chloe and Philip concurred that Daniel and Melanie had played them for fools. Philip slammed his flask and phone down on a side table as he bemoaned how Melanie had been "the one," but she'd repaid him by cheating on him. "Melanie does not deserve you," Chloe asserted firmly. She and Philip looked into each other's eyes, and then he leaned in to kiss her.
Chloe returned the kiss fervently, but as the kiss grew more intense, she suddenly pushed Philip away. "Philip! What are we doing?" she demanded, flustered. "I don't know," Philip replied, equally discomposed, "and I don't care." He grabbed Chloe, kissed her, and they fell onto the couch together. While Philip and Chloe ripped off one another's clothes, each of their phones began to vibrate to announce calls and messages.
After they'd had sex, Philip and Chloe lay panting on the floor, next to the sofa. Chloe noticed that her phone was buzzing and got up to check her messages. She read the text message from Carly. "Daniel. He went back to the hospital?" she murmured, confused. Meanwhile, Phillip checked his phone and saw that Melanie had called. "I have to call her back," he stammered.
When Philip called Melanie, she snatched up her phone and anxiously told him that she needed to see him. "Yeah, I need to see you, too," Philip replied.
Philip got dressed, downed a cup of coffee, and declared that he was going to have it out with Melanie. Chloe stated that she was going to the hospital to confront Daniel. Philip suggested that they check in with each other by phone in an hour. On his way out, he reassured her, "Chloe, you're a great person. And I'm not sorry about what happened here between us." He stroked her cheek and added, "I'm just sorry you're hurting. You don't deserve that." Chloe touched his hand tenderly, agreeing, "Neither do you."
After Philip left, Chloe picked up a photograph of her and Daniel. "You bastard-two-timing son of a..." She hurled the picture at the wall, where it knocked over a plant. She grabbed her purse and stormed out.
Philip entered Maggie's kitchen,and shouted for Melanie, who ran in from the living room and threw herself into his arms. "I'm so glad you're home," she declared, stating, "Something happened tonight that I have to tell you about." Philip tried to tell her that he already knew, but she stopped him and gently demanded that he let her finish. "I've finally chosen you to be in my heart, a hundred percent, completely," she announced shakily, "just you and only you."
Philip asked Melanie to clarify, so she stated that she hadn't been completely honest with him. She emphasized how embarrassed and ashamed she was, because she'd written a letter to Nathan on her and Philip's wedding day, to tell Nathan that she was willing to run away with him. Voice quavering, Melanie acknowledged how hurt Philip had to be to hear that, and she understood if he wanted to leave her -- but she hoped he wouldn't because she finally realized that she loved him and only him, and she wanted to spend her life with him.
"But why? Why now?" Philip wanted to know. Melanie explained that she'd told Nathan everything she had just told Philip. She added, for the sake of complete honesty, that Nathan had kissed her but insisted, "It was goodbye." Philip groaned softly with disbelief.
Melanie assumed that Philip was upset with her and tearfully tried to reassure him that she loved him and hoped that she was worthy of him. Philip couldn't even look her in the eyes. "I just wish I knew how you felt before," he said, dejectedly shaking his head. Melanie asked, "Before what?"
Chloe marched up to the nurses' station and asked Maxine where Daniel was. Carly appeared, still dressed in scrubs, and was happy to see that Chloe had arrived. Chloe turned to her and spat, "You miserable bitch!" Maxine sternly admonished Chloe for speaking to Carly like that. Carly quickly apologized for Chloe and surmised that there had been a misunderstanding. Chloe started to mouth off again, but Carly cut her off.
Carly excitedly informed Chloe that Daniel had just undergone surgery for his vision, and while it was too soon to be sure, everyone thought it had been successful. Carly said that Daniel hadn't been able to tell Chloe about it, and he hadn't wanted to worry her. She explained, "That's why he said he was in surgery, when in fact he was having surgery." Chloe declared that she didn't believe a word of it, because a nurse had seen Carly and Daniel leaving together. Maxine firmly attested that what Carly had said was true. Chloe was completely floored.
Chloe entered Daniel's room in disbelief, and sank onto the stool by his bedside. "Oh, my God," she exclaimed in a whisper, on the verge of tears, "I should have known you would never..." Daniel opened his eyes, and she managed to force a cheerful smile.
After the poker game, Hope and Dr. Baker enjoyed a drink together. Baker admitted that he wasn't displeased that Hope hadn't taken him out for a drink, since he wasn't a fan of public places. Hope concurred that she wasn't, either, and asserted that it was up to him to find out if they had even more in common than that. Baker asked if Hope would tell him her name before he took her up to his place.
"Whoa, whoa, big guy," Hope interrupted, "I'm not interested in that kind of action." She spread out her winnings from the game and pointed out that she'd had a lucky night -- but he hadn't. "When your luck runs out," she added, "it's always good to have another stream of income. Don't you agree?" She stated mysteriously that she liked to rescue people. Baker concluded, "But first I have to help you?"
Hope stated that reciprocity was all about being able to follow through. Baker replied that following through was what he did and added as an enigmatic explanation, "Let's just say that there's plenty of people who think I'm dead because of what I've done." Hope wanted to know more, but Baker suspected her of playing a game with him.
As she held up her pistol, Hope asked, "Look like a game?" Baker admitted that he was all too familiar with "desperate measures." Hope asked, "Then should we take this conversation to the next level?" Baker assented, so Hope wanted them both to be honest about what was really going on.
Later, Dr. Baker queried, "So, this theoretical idea we've been tossing around... I just have one question: when do we get started?" Hope countered, "You tell me."
At home in his bed, Rafe awoke with a start from a dream about making love to Sami. He tossed and turned but was unable to get back to sleep, so finally he got out of bed.
Sami was incredulous and appalled at E.J.'s suggestion that she and the kids move into the DiMera mansion with him. She disdainfully reminded him that Stefano and Kate -- E.J.'s "monster of a father and his homicidal maniac of a wife" -- lived there, as well. E.J. begged her to let him try to explain what he felt the advantages were. Sami argued that there were none, and that E.J. hadn't wanted to live there, either, until recently.
E.J. quietly noted that Stefano had softened, and had begun to value the time he had left more since learning how ill he really was, but E.J. understood why Samantha wouldn't want to live in the same house as Stefano. Sami admitted that she wanted nothing more than to give her children one stable home to call their own. E.J. acknowledged that it had to be tough for her on the nights he had the children, and Samantha was all alone.
While E.J. was in the other room, Sami answered the door. Rafe apologized for dropping by without calling first and began explaining that he wanted them to finish their conversation about Anna. E.J. returned right then, and learning that E.J. was there disappointed and dismayed Rafe. E.J. casually stated that he had just been leaving, but before he left, he asked Samantha to think about his offer.
As soon as E.J. was gone, Rafe wanted to know what E.J. had meant. He laughed when Sami told him of E.J.'s proposal for her and the kids to move into the mansion but flipped out when he saw that she was actually considering it. "Have you lost your mind?" Rafe demanded. Sami insisted that she and E.J. were only discussing what was best for their children.
A suspicious Rafe argued that E.J. was preying upon and manipulating Sami -- but for some reason, she couldn't see it. Sami didn't think she needed to justify her decisions to Rafe. Rafe wondered why E.J. suddenly wanted to reconcile with Stefano, when just the week before, E.J. would have rather seen Stefano die than let the old man back into his life.
"E.J. and I are trying to do what's best for our children!" Sami shouted. "I just want to be with them all the time. I hate sharing custody with him; it's frustrating. And if I was with Sydney all the time, maybe she would..." Sami stopped, but Rafe urged her to go on. "Maybe she would finally call me 'Mama,'" she admitted softly and pointed out that she hadn't been with Sydney for most of the little girl's life, and they had never really had the chance to bond.
Rafe gently assured Sami that he understood, but moving into the mansion -- and letting the DiMeras influence her children -- wasn't worth it. He started to leave but stopped in the doorway. "By the way, Stefano is up to something," Rafe asserted, "he's forcing E.J.'s hand, and for whatever reason, you're just oblivious." Sami reminded Rafe that Stefano was sick. "That's not it, Sami," Rafe replied, "no, it's something really, really bad. And deep down, you know I'm right." He left.
Over a game of chess, Stefano asked Will if he were enjoying life at the DiMera mansion. Will admitted that he liked his much larger room, and he'd had fun when his brother and sister had slept over. Stefano was pleased and stated, "If I were you, William, I would get used to it." He then declared, "Checkmate." Will was impressed. Stefano admitted that when he had been younger, he had played chess for money in Naples.
Will asked what Stefano had meant about Sydney and Johnny and pointed out that they all knew that their mom would never allow them to spend much time there because she hated Stefano. Stefano replied cryptically that life was complicated, and things could change in the blink of an eye.
Will was not in the parlor when E.J. returned and informed Stefano that Samantha had agreed to consider moving into the mansion. Stefano was happy to hear it, but E.J. cautioned that there could be a snag in the form of Rafael Hernandez.
Will's arrival at the townhouse took Sami by surprise. He asked, "I want to know if Sydney and Johnny are really going to be over at the mansion all the time?" Sami was furious when Will explained, "Stefano kind of hinted... and he had that Stefano attitude that everything was going his way. Why? What is going on, Mom?"
Disgusted, Sami muttered, "Rafe was right. Damn it, E.J.!" Hurriedly grabbing her purse and pulling on a sweater, Sami asked Will to watch the kids while she went out to talk to E.J. As she rushed out the door, she declared to a taken-aback Will, "We are going to deal with this right now."
As Rafe was having a beer at the Cheatin' Heart, Stefano called him. "What the hell do you want?" Rafe demanded. Stefano replied that he had information about Samantha.
On the pier, Dr. Baker approached E.J. to ask for directions. E.J. was astounded to see Baker. "You!" he pronounced accusingly, "You're dead." Suddenly, Hope appeared and bashed E.J. on the head with the grip of her sidearm. She looked down at his fallen body and declared with a smile, "Well, that went well." Horrified, Baker countered, "No -- no, it didn't. He knows me; he knows what I've done. And if he wakes up --" Hope interjected, "Well, maybe we need to make sure he doesn't."
