E.J. demanded to know why Nicole didn't tell him that she was volunteering at a youth center for pregnant teens and why he had to find out about it from Tony. She accused Tony of being a blabbermouth, and said she brought Mia to the house because they had bonded. E.J. felt that, as her fiancé, he had the right to know what Nicole was doing. Nicole didn't think it was a big deal that she didn't tell him. He was upset that he heard it from his sarcastic brother, because it made him look like a fool. She asked him if he was accusing her of deliberately keeping information from him.

Nicole was upset that Tony was blabbing her business to E.J. She said she wanted to tell E.J. about her volunteerism, but he was at work and she had only been volunteering for a couple days. E.J. apologized to her. He said he had been withholding information from her, so he told her about the secret negotiations he was doing for Stefano.

Nicole said she was keeping something from E.J. She showed him the picture of the ultrasound of Mia's baby and pretended it was Nicole and E.J.'s baby. She said the other secret she had was that she'd been asked to speak at other centers and would probably be traveling in the near future. E.J. was supportive of Nicole's plans to speak to other pregnant teens, but said he planned to go with her. E.J. got a phone call, and she was secretly frustrated that Tony told E.J. about Mia, because she didn't want E.J. to go with her. Then Mia called saying she had gone into labor.

At the clinic, Mia told Nicole that everything was fine, and Dr. Baker explained that Mia had Braxton Hicks contractions and could go home. Nicole asked if Mia was dilated, and Dr. Baker said she was dilated a few centimeters and confirmed that Mia could go into labor at any time so Mia needed to be prepared. Mia said she had her bags packed.

Kayla warned John not to trust Charlotte based on a gut feeling that Kayla had. Kayla told John that Charlotte's behavior toward Marlena was inappropriate and that Kayla was afraid that Charlotte was going to hit Marlena. Kayla had doubts about Charlotte's mental state. John thought Kayla was saying that Charlotte was going nuts, but Kayla said that wasn't what she meant. She advised John to confront Charlotte.

At Charlotte's office, Charlotte discovered that someone had gained access to the computer containing John's videotaped hypnosis session. She asked the computer tech to find out who broke into her computer. The tech checked Charlotte's computer and said that the video file was emailed to Marlena.

Charlotte was angry, assuming that Marlena broke into her office. John came to her office to question her about her confrontation with Marlena, and Charlotte explained that Marlena asked her to talk about John's last session. Charlotte said she had refused because it was unethical, so Marlena got angry and Kayla intervened. John told Charlotte that Marlena was probably jealous that he and Charlotte were spending so much time together and that Kayla was just sticking up for Marlena as a friend.

Then, John told Charlotte he felt they should end their therapy sessions because it wasn't doing any good. Charlotte tried to convince John to continue with his therapy, but she changed her mind and said she'd accepted his decision.

At Marlena's house, Brady showed Marlena John's hypnosis session, and they realized that Charlotte had been lying to John about him regaining his memory. Marlena was upset with Brady and said it was unethical and illegal for him to sneak into Charlotte's office and get the videotaped footage of John's hypnosis. Brady wanted to confront Charlotte about John's progress, but Marlena stopped him. She wondered why Charlotte would keep information about John's memory coming back from them.

Marlena said that her prayers had been answered and that real John was coming back to her. She warned Brady that they needed to proceed with caution, but that she planned to confront Charlotte. Marlena called one of Charlotte's colleagues to ask him about her. What she found out just confirmed her suspicions.

E.J. tracked Brady down to the Brady Pub and asked him what he and Nicole had been talking about all the times that he came to see her, but Brady wasn't in the mood to talk about Nicole. Back at the DiMera mansion, Nicole tried to sneak out, but E.J. saw her and asked where she was going and whether she was going into labor.

Brady met with John at the pub and told him that Charlotte wasn't who she said she was. Meanwhile, Charlotte stopped by Marlena's place to talk to her.

Rafe got news about Hilda's murder, and when he got off the phone, Sami walked in, complaining about not having hot water. Sami was shocked when he told her that Hilda had been killed. Sami talked about how Hilda put on a tough act, but underneath it all, she was really sweet and caring. Sami wondered if Hilda was killed because of her, but Rafe said that Sami wasn't responsible because Hilda wasn't working on her case anymore.

Sami said that she had just seen Hilda the day that Rafe blacked out from his infection. Rafe said the day that Hilda was at the safe house was the day that Hilda was murdered and it was probably after she left their location. Sami assumed that meant that their location wasn't safe anymore, but Rafe said he was just speculating about when and how Hilda was killed. He said that if the killer saw Hilda leave the safe house, the killer would have already come back to kill him and Sami.

Rafe figured out that there was probably a leak at the bureau and they needed to go somewhere where even his supervisor wouldn't know about, so there would be no one leaking their location. He asked Sami if anything else happened the day that Hilda was at the safe house. Sami told him that she went to see Sister Theresa while Rafe was asleep. Rafe told her that she probably signed her own death warrant.

Sami was upset with Rafe's comment and said she went to Sister Theresa to protect her baby from the DiMeras. Rafe said that was the last time that Sami would see Sister Theresa. He said the killer was probably out looking around the neighborhood for Sami and could find out that she'd been at the convent.

Sami started crying, saying she felt responsible for Hilda's death and she was worried that the killer would find her and hurt her and her baby. Rafe calmed her down and said they would go to another safe location where the killer would never find them. Rafe promised to track the killer down and catch him. Sami went to look for her sweater when Rafe got a call from the bureau, saying that the killer used Hilda's ID to access the bureau's main computer before the bureau could cancel Hilda's accounts. The killer had discovered their location.

They started to leave, and Rafe said they needed to leave all their bags behind, but Sami stopped him. They went to the convent where Sister Theresa worked to hide out instead of a safe house, because the killer had access to all the safe houses in the bureau's computer system. He said he couldn't promise Sami that she would be safe until the killer was caught. The killer had accessed Hilda's file and found out the location of the safe house, but by the time he got there, Rafe and Sami were already gone.

Due to the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, today's episode of Days of our Lives was preempted.

There will be no "lost" episodes as a result of this programming change and broadcasting will return to a regular schedule on Wednesday, January 21, picking up where Monday, January 19's episode concluded.

Bo and Hope met on the pier, where he lamented that they never got to spend time together anymore. Hope smiled patiently as Bo complained about not being out solving cases with her, and about the long, boring meetings he had to endure. She kissed him, murmuring, "Poor Brady," but he announced that he was going to quit.

Hope sat Bo down on a bench, and he confessed that, while he was capable of doing the job, he simply missed his wife. Hope admitted she missed him, too, and missed working with him, but hadn't wanted to add to his stress by mentioning it. She urged him to give the decision some more thought, and invited him to join her at home. "I think you're in desperate need of a different kind of meeting," she teased, and they kissed.

The killer broke into the safe house and ransacked it, trying to determine where Rafe and Sami had gone. When he spotted the medallion Sami had gotten from the convent on the floor, he smirked. "You might as well have left a map."

Sami and Rafe sat together in the convent's chapel, and he urged her to be strong when she started crying about Hilda's death. He told her that Sister Theresa was aware of their need for privacy, and that the nun had promised to take good care of Sami. Rafe vowed to catch the killer, then started to leave to meet a friend who was also an FBI agent, but Sami burst into tears. She flung herself into his arms and begged him not to leave. She was terrified that the killer would get to him, but Rafe reassured her that he would come back.

At the cabin, Chloe was on the phone with her agent, arranging an audition, when another call interrupted. Chloe put her agent on hold briefly, but ignored the call when she saw that it was from Daniel. Lucas returned home and overheard part of the conversation, so Chloe explained that the two of them were leaving town that night, because she had an audition at the Vancouver Opera. She reminded him that he'd wanted her to continue her singing career, but Lucas was annoyed, especially when she told him that she'd already dropped Allie off with Julie.

Daniel hung up, disappointed, when he reached Chloe's voice mail. He then went to the Brady Pub, where he tried to drown his sorrows in a bottle of tequila.

Chloe confessed that she also thought they needed some time alone together. She was surprised when Lucas said he understood, and noted that his family had constantly been around. He agreed to arrange his schedule so they could go. Chloe apologized for the last-minute notice about the audition, and thanked him for understanding. She then noticed Allie's blanket on the bed, and realized she'd forgotten to pack it. Lucas suggested that she drop the "woobie" off at Julie's while he worked on clearing his schedule.

After Rafe left, Sami called Lucas, and couldn't hold back the tears as she told him about Hilda's murder. She added that they thought the mayor's assassin, who was also after Sami, had done it. Lucas flipped out when she told him that her guard was out searching for the killer, but she reassured him that Rafe had taken her to the Convent of the Holy Cross, where she-and the baby-would be safe. Sami asked Lucas to give Allie her love. Sami then made Lucas promise not to tell her dad where she was, and explained about the leak within the FBI. Lucas agreed, but wanted to know more. Sami only stated tearfully that she shouldn't have called, and abruptly hung up.

Chloe ran into Daniel on the waterfront, and tried to avoid him. Daniel urged her to talk about what was going on between them, because they couldn't deny their feelings any longer. Chloe refused, and told him she was leaving town with Lucas. "This is over, Daniel, and there's nothing you can do about it," she declared, and turned and walked away.

"Just tell Sami to call me back," Lucas was saying on the phone as Chloe returned to the cabin. "Anything she needs, just tell her to call me, and I'll take care of it." Chloe asked what was going on. Lucas explained that Sami had called because her guard had been killed, and declared that he couldn't go with Chloe to Vancouver. Chloe was furious that Sami was more important to Lucas than being alone with Chloe. Over Lucas' protests, Chloe declared, "Maybe I don't need time alone with you; maybe I just need time alone," as she stormed out the door.

Lucas was leaving a message for Chloe a little later, urging her to come home so they could work things out, when Daniel knocked at the cabin door. Startled to see him, Lucas immediately assumed that there was something wrong with Kate, but Daniel announced that they needed to talk about Chloe.

Sister Theresa tried to reassure a worried Sami that God would look after her friend. Once the nun had gone, Sami lowered herself onto the kneeling bench and made the sign of the cross. She prayed for God to keep Rafe safe, adding that it wasn't fair for Hilda to have been killed and Rafe to have been stabbed, just because they were protecting Sami. She pleaded with God to stop the killer.

Rafe crept into the safe house, gun drawn, and searched all the rooms for the killer-who was silently waiting in the exterior hallway. In the kitchen, Rafe suddenly seemed to sense that he was being watched, and announced, "I know you're here." In an instant, the killer was inside with his gun trained on Rafe's head. "Then you know you're a dead man." He ordered Rafe to hand over his gun. When Rafe complied, the killer briefly looked away as he put the gun in his pocket. Rafe quickly made his move, grabbing the man by the wrist and trying to knock the gun out of his hand. They fought violently, and then the two men fell to the floor, still wrestling for the gun.

E.J. caught up with Nicole in the foyer of the DiMera mansion just as she was leaving. She lied that she was on her way to Chicago for her youth center volunteer job, but E.J. forbade her to go. When Nicole angrily reminded him that they'd already discussed how much she hated his sexist authoritativeness, E.J. put his foot down-or tried to. When he at last offered to compromise and accompany her to Chicago, she replied that she would just cancel the trip. While E.J. listened and protested, she picked up the phone and did so-except that a very confused Dr. Baker was on the other end of the line.

After Nicole hung up, she told E.J. that his "compromise" was nothing of the sort, since it would only have benefited him. E.J. gently reasoned with her, explaining that he didn't want to miss out on the birth of their child as he had Johnny's, then proclaimed that his presence at the birth was "nonnegotiable." Nicole bristled at his choice of words, but finally agreed that it was a reasonable request-and that she wanted him to be there. When E.J. told her that he had to return to the office, and that he feared he would be home late, Nicole reassured him that she would be in a much better mood after a good night's rest.

Once E.J. had gone, Nicole dialed Dr. Baker, and explained why she'd had to pretend he was someone else when she'd called earlier: her fiancé had suddenly become overprotective. Dr. Baker cautioned her that she had to be ready to go the instant Mia went into labor, or the whole plan would blow up in her face. She then called Mia to check in, and as soon as she'd hung up, the doorbell rang.

Nicole answered the door and was surprised to find a visibly upset Chloe on the doorstep. Nicole tried to calm her down, while Chloe angrily described what had happened with Lucas. Chloe was sure Sami was using Lucas, blurting, "Ever since he found out she's pregnant-" before she remembered that Nicole wasn't supposed to know about Sami's pregnancy. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" asked an astonished Nicole.

At the Brady Pub, Brady informed John that Dr. Taylor wasn't who she appeared to be, adding, "You're getting your memory back. The hypnosis was successful; she just neglected to tell you." John reacted angrily at first, but Brady showed him the video from Charlotte and John's hypnotherapy session. John was completely floored. He and Brady were both at a loss as to why Charlotte would lie that John had no hope of getting his memory back. Brady then filled John in about how furious Marlena had been about it, adding that she planned to confront Charlotte. John was concerned for Marlena. "There's a piece missing." John mused, frowning. "Why? It keeps going back to 'why?'"

At Marlena's townhouse, Charlotte admonished Marlena about the sacredness of doctor-patient confidentiality, and stated that she should report Marlena to the board of ethics. Marlena countered that Charlotte should also report herself for withholding crucial information from a patient-because in doing so, she had also denied John hope. When Charlotte angrily told Marlena to "shut up," Marlena remarked that her initial suspicions had been right-whatever Charlotte was doing, it was personal.

Charlotte calmed down and settled herself into a chair, and reminded Marlena that breaking into patient files was illegal. Marlena asked why she hadn't gone to the police, and Charlotte replied that she'd hoped to do some damage control before ending Marlena's career. Marlena pointed out that Charlotte's father wouldn't approve of what she'd done. Charlotte snapped that they didn't have to worship at her father's altar any longer, because he was dead.

John called Marlena just then, and declared that he didn't want her to deal with Dr. Taylor on her own. Marlena told him that it was too late, but assured him that she could handle things. While John was urging Marlena to get out of the apartment, Charlotte rose and moved closer to Marlena, ordering her to hang up. Marlena noticed that Charlotte had something in her hand, and asked what it was. Charlotte violently grabbed the phone and threw it across the room, leaving John shouting, "Blondie! What's going on?"

Charlotte then said that she had to make Marlena pay for ruining her life, and was hurt when Marlena didn't remember her. Marlena asked Charlotte to explain, and Charlotte produced a hypodermic needle. "This is a big ol' dose of muscle relaxant," she explained, adding, "The heart is a muscle." Marlena, surprisingly unruffled, asserted that she'd never allow herself to be used as a pincushion again, and noted that Charlotte kept referring to herself as "crazy." Charlotte lightly replied that perhaps she was establishing an insanity defense. Charlotte then complained that her father had never had time for her, but he'd always had time for his brilliant student, Marlena. Marlena surmised that, in Charlotte's mind, since Marlena had kept Charlotte away from her father, Charlotte wanted to keep Marlena from John. Charlotte shrugged, adding with a laugh, "And when that didn't work, then I decided I would just keep you away from everybody!"

Charlotte then told Marlena to think about John being with Charlotte, while her heart was starting to relax. Marlena scoffed at that idea. Charlotte pointed out that she'd successfully hypnotized John, and could have given him almost any kind of post-hypnotic suggestion. She added, "So, you'll be dead, and you'll have lost-all across the board."

Marlena, still maintaining her composure, refused to accept the blame for Charlotte's unhappy childhood. She suggested matter-of-factly that Charlotte just hadn't measured up, and cited John's treatment as an example. Suddenly, Charlotte lunged at Marlena with the needle, calling her a bitch, and Marlena knocked over a lamp to block her. They struggled, Marlena's hand gripping Charlotte's arm to keep her from using the needle, and finally Marlena hurled Charlotte into the corner behind the front door-just as John burst through it.

As John hurried across the room to Marlena, Charlotte leapt out from behind the door and jabbed the needle into his neck. Horrified, Marlena helped him onto the sofa as he collapsed, while he mumbled, "It's all right. You're safe now."

A moment later, Bo and Hope rushed through the door, followed by Brady. Marlena had already taken charge, unbuttoning John's shirt and beginning CPR, while simultaneously ordering Bo to call an ambulance, and asking Brady to bring over her medical bag. Hope nabbed Charlotte, as Bo called the ambulance. Marlena continued CPR, vowing to John that she would not let him die.

Chloe accidentally spilled the beans to Nicole about Sami's pregnancy while complaining that Lucas was putting Sami ahead of their relationship, and Nicole incorrectly assumed that Sami was pregnant by Lucas. Nicole went on and on about how fertile Sami was and how Lucas couldn't keep it in his pants, but Chloe corrected her and told her that Sami was pregnant by E.J. Nicole assumed that Sami had to be lying, because E.J. wouldn't keep something like that a secret. Nicole said if Sami didn't tell E.J. about the pregnancy that was because she knew E.J. knew the baby wasn't his.

Nicole asked Chloe if she knew before Sami left about the pregnancy. Chloe admitted she knew but didn't say anything, because Nicole was happy and Chloe had promised Lucas not to reveal Sami's secret. Chloe told Nicole that Sami called Lucas because she was scared that the killer would find her after the killer murdered Hilda. Chloe told Nicole that Sami was hiding out at a convent, and Nicole realized that she and Sami had one thing in common - they both wanted to keep E.J. in the dark about Sami's baby.

Nicole asked Chloe for the name of the convent, and Chloe gave it to her then asked why she needed it. Nicole said she wanted to tell the killer where Sami was, but Chloe protested. Nicole fantasized about how much better things would be if Sami were dead and said Sami was trying to tear her world apart. Chloe didn't believe that Sami was trying to ruin Nicole's life, because Sami was trying to keep the baby a secret. Nicole assumed that Sami would use the baby as a bargaining chip to get custody of Johnny from E.J. Nicole asked Chloe not to tell Lucas that Nicole knew about Sami's pregnancy.

The killer tried to shoot Rafe, but he overpowered him and got the gun from him. The killer was able to get the gun back and threatened to shoot Rafe, but the killer wanted to know Sami's location first. Rafe claimed he'd never heard of Sami before, so the killer bragged about murdering Hilda.

Daniel showed up at Lucas' cabin to tell him that Chloe was going through something. Lucas demanded to know what he was talking about and how he knew something was wrong with Chloe, and Daniel said he ran into Chloe earlier at the pier. Lucas mentioned that he and Chloe had a fight, and Daniel asked him what the fight was about, but Lucas said it was none of Daniel's business. Daniel said Chloe had mentioned that she and Lucas planned to go away together and seemed to be in good spirits at the time. Lucas wondered why it was Daniel's business what was going on between him and Chloe.

Meanwhile, Lucas got a call from Julie and promised to go pick up Allie, since he wasn't going to Vancouver as planned. Daniel had second thoughts about revealing his affair with Chloe to Lucas. He told Lucas that he realized that it wasn't his business that Chloe was upset, and Lucas agreed and wondered why Daniel was so focused on Chloe. He asked if Daniel had a life.

Daniel made excuses about why he was interfering, and Lucas said he and Chloe had a fight but he wanted what was best for Chloe-and Daniel didn't need to worry about Chloe. He suggested that Daniel go home. Lucas asked Daniel for advice on whether he should tell Chloe not to go to Vancouver or tell her to get a checkup. Daniel said that Chloe needed to figure things out for herself. Then he left.

Chloe went to see Daniel at his apartment and mentioned the fight she had with Lucas. Daniel said he knew about the fight because he went by to see Lucas after she had left because he planned to tell Lucas about her and Daniel. Daniel had decided against telling Lucas about him and Chloe because Lucas's daughter needed her. Daniel realized that he and Lucas both loved Chloe, and he said when you loved someone, you didn't mess up their life. Chloe wondered if that meant that it was over between the two of them.

Sister Theresa tried to comfort Sami, who was worried about Rafe's safety, but she demanded to know Sami's real identity. Sami told Sister Theresa everything - from her and Rafe's identities to E.J. being the father of her baby. Sami told Sister Theresa that even if the authorities caught the killer, she still couldn't go back home, because she couldn't reveal that she was pregnant. Sami begged Sister Theresa for help hiding her baby. Sister Theresa told Sami to think longer about whether she wanted to give up her baby and to pray on it. Sami lit some candles and then realized her medal was gone and she must have left it at the loft.

Meanwhile, back at the loft, the killer was holding Sami's medal and threatened to kill members of Sami's family unless Rafe revealed her whereabouts. Rafe told him that Sami was right under his thumb. The killer looked down at the medal and was distracted long enough for Rafe to attack him. Rafe grabbed the gun, but the killer kicked it out of Rafe's hands and tied him up. Back at the convent, Sami prayed for God's help, unaware that Nicole had shown up.

Hope arrested Charlotte for trying to kill John by injecting him with an overdose of muscle relaxers. Charlotte bragged about what she did. Marlena and Bo did CPR on John, and they were able to revive him just as help arrived. At the hospital, Brady was angry that he didn't kill Charlotte before she attacked John. Marlena told Brady that John was a fighter and would never give up. Kayla examined John and wondered what Charlotte did to him.

Hope and Bo questioned Charlotte about why she stuck John with a syringe, and tried to trick Charlotte into telling them what substance was in the syringe. They told Charlotte that she would have a padded room in the psych ward. Charlotte said she didn't care what happened to her, but she was happy knowing that John would never be the same even if he did survive. Hope suggested Bo take Charlotte to the squad car before Hope did something unprofessional.

Kayla told Marlena that John seemed to have had a stroke, and Marlena filled her in on John's hypnosis session. Kayla found it helpful, because stroke victims could recover sooner if they could focus on their memories. Brady said he showed John the tape of his hypnosis and when the part came up where John remembered seeing Marlena, John squeezed Brady's hand and said something about seeing light.

Marlena panicked and ran into John's hospital room. She begged him to remember her and flashed back to when they first dated. She asked John if he remembered, and he blinked his eyes. After Marlena told him more about their life together, John went into seizure. Kayla was able to stabilize John, and Marlena asked Brady and Kayla to leave her alone with John. Marlena kissed John's lips, and John remembered their life together.

Chloe wondered what she and Daniel should do next since he decided their affair had to end. Daniel suggested they say goodbye, and they kissed passionately.

Kate stopped by the cabin to see Lucas, and to find out why Lucas had cancelled the trip he had just planned with Chloe. When Lucas told her about Sami's phone call, Kate was furious and exasperated. Lucas agreed that he'd screwed up. Kate urged him to call Chloe to apologize, but Lucas said Chloe had been avoiding his calls and messages. Kate suggested that maybe Chloe was with a friend. Lucas began calling Daniel, which puzzled Kate, so Lucas explained that Daniel had dropped by unexpectedly a short time before.

Lucas described how Daniel hadn't wanted Lucas and Chloe to go to Toronto, because Chloe had been so upset when they'd run into each other, but then had backed off when Lucas had pointed out that it was none of Daniel's business. Kate offered to go to see Daniel in person, because she'd been feeling guilty about how awkward things were between—and perhaps he knew where Chloe was. Kate reassured Lucas that Chloe would be fine, then kissed him goodbye and left.

In Daniel's apartment, Chloe pulled away from kissing Daniel, declaring, "We can't do this again." Daniel agreed, and reluctantly asserted that Chloe leave. She made it as far as the door, but then returned to him, and they began kissing again. Soon they were making love in front of the fire. "I love you," Daniel whispered breathlessly.

Afterwards, as they together lay on the sofa, Chloe confessed that what she felt for Daniel was more than lust. Daniel stroked her face and softly declared that he wasn't ashamed of his feelings for her, only of the deception. He wanted to tell everyone the truth about them, but Chloe asserted that it was her life, too. Daniel smiled and agreed, adding that she deserved to be happy—and that was why he refused to give her up.

After Chloe got dressed to go home, Daniel said that he wished they didn't have to hurt Lucas and Kate. Chloe agreed, adding a bit hesitantly that his kindness was one of the reasons she loved him. Daniel's phone began to ring right then, just as someone knocked on the door. He asked Chloe to answer the door, assuring her that it was probably only the lab dropping off results he was expecting. When he left to get the phone, Chloe went to open the door, but paused apprehensively—while Kate huffed impatiently in the hall.

Lucas was leaving another message for Chloe, telling her that he loved and missed her and wanted her to come home, just as Kate had decided that it was a bad idea to drop in on Daniel. Chloe opened the door mere seconds after Kate walked away, and, in a panic, ducked back into Daniel's apartment before Kate could spot her.

E.J. was searching the DiMera mansion for Nicole, and ran into Stefano in the living room. Stefano said that he hadn't seen Nicole, and informed E.J. that he was about to leave on a business trip to Italy. He asked E.J. to call him if Nicole went into labor early. As Stefano was on his way out, his cell phone rang. After answering, he exclaimed, "Dear God!"

E.J. brought a glass of water to a visibly shaken Stefano, who told him that he'd just learned that John Black had been poisoned and might not recover. "How the hell could this happen?" Stefano shouted angrily. He tried to rise from his chair, but lost his balance and fell back, growling in frustration. Seeing how distraught his father was, E.J. declared that he would go to the meeting in Rome in Stefano's place. Stefano was worried about E.J. leaving Nicole, but E.J. assured him that he would be back the next day, well before she was due to have the baby, and urged his father to go visit John.

Nicole arrived at the convent chapel, where Sami was praying, and had a fantasy in which she angrily confronted her rival. In it, she called Sami a "lying, two-faced whore," and then bashed her over the head with a statue of the Virgin Mary. Nicole shook herself out of her reverie, and was about to speak to Sami, when Sister Theresa arrived with a tray of food. Nicole hurried out the back entrance, and eavesdropped while Sami and the nun spoke. Sami was too worried about Rafe to eat, but Sister Theresa reassured her that he was a big, strong man who could take care of himself.

Sami then announced that, after a lot of thought and prayer, she'd decided she needed to leave the baby at the convent, but only until she could figure out what to do. Sister Theresa consented, if that were truly what Sami wanted, and asked where Sami planned to give birth. Sami admitted she hadn't thought about it yet, but knew she couldn't have the baby in Salem. She declared that she had to give birth somewhere nearby, where no one knew her. Nicole looked as though that had given her an idea, and tiptoed away.

Nicole found a nun and informed her that she needed to speak with Sister Theresa, adding that no one else must know that she was there. The sister gave her reassurances, and left to tell Sister Theresa that Nicole was waiting. E.J. called Nicole just then, and, fearing she'd gone to Chicago without tell him, demanded to know where she was. Nicole lied that she was merely taking a walk, and E.J. apologized for overreacting. He then informed her that he had an urgent meeting out of town, and Nicole pretended to be worried that he'd miss their baby's birth.

Sister Theresa entered at that moment, and when she said, "Bless you, my child," to Nicole, E.J. overheard. He wanted to know where Nicole really was, so she fibbed that she'd just passed a very sweet nun on her walk. She then urged E.J. to come home soon. After they hung up, Sister Theresa asked why Nicole had just lied. Nicole launched into a sob story about how her strict Catholic family would disown her if they found out about her pregnancy, and how she'd heard that the convent helped mothers in need. She added that it would be impossible to keep it from her family if she had the baby in Salem, and asked Sister Theresa to pray that they never found out. Sister Theresa confided that she knew a young lady who was in a similar situation.

E.J. left a note for Nicole by the front door, and then left with his suitcase.

Sami prayed for God to bring Rafe back safely—for her children's sake. When she heard footsteps outside the chapel, she turned, thinking it was Rafe.

In the hospital, Marlena pressed her lips against John's, and stroked his hair as she told him she loved him. Suddenly, he was flooded with memories of their life together. His eyes flew open, and he fought to form words. "I r-remember!" he whispered. Marlena asked what he remembered. "I remember all of it, Doc," John replied, his eyes filling with tears. "Especially you." Marlena beamed ecstatically, and then asked him to clarify what he meant by "everything." He said that he remembered the two of them from the beginning. He tried to say something else, but could only manage, "I...love..." Marlena smiled and assured him, "I love, too."

Kayla came in just then, and Marlena wiped away happy tears as she told Kayla that John had remembered everything. Kayla's reaction was more downbeat than Marlena had evidently hoped, and asked Kayla what was wrong. Kayla mentioned John's test results, adding that John's central nervous system had suffered a "catastrophic episode." Marlena reminded Kayla that she already knew John's diagnosis, but needed to know what they could do for him. Kayla replied that John's chances of recovery were slim if he remained at University Hospital any longer. Marlena was more than willing to take John wherever she had to, and declared, sobbing, "I didn't just get him back to lose him!"

Kayla informed Marlena that there was a clinic in Lugano, Switzerland, that specialized in cases like John's. She stated that they could fly him there by air ambulance, once he was stabilized and on mobile life support. Marlena went immediately into the hallway to send Brady in to see his father. Brady hesitantly approached John's bedside, and as soon as John called Brady "my boy," he knew John's memory had returned. John thanked Brady for what he'd done, and assured his son that he'd always loved him.

An overjoyed Brady went back outside, and waited with Roman while Marlena returned to John's room. She found him upset and breathing heavily. In a panicky whisper, he told her that he couldn't move his arms or legs. Marlena firmly reassured him that it was only a temporary effect of the drugs Charlotte had given him. When she confirmed that he couldn't walk—for now—John insisted that he was no longer any good to her. Turning his face away, he demanded that she walk away from him and never look back—but of course Marlena wouldn't hear of it. Her voice full of hopeful encouragement, she told him about the facility in Switzerland, and that he'd have the best chance of a full recovery if they went right away. John was surprised that she was willing to go with him, and argued that she couldn't leave her life in Salem—or her family—behind. Marlena steadfastly maintained that he was her life. She asserted firmly that they were going together, and that she would work harder than she ever had to get him well. She took his hand, and in a voice choked with tears, assured him, "Just being with you, having you in my life again, is all that I need. And I am deliriously happy just to be by your side."

John announced that he had to ask Marlena something before they left. "Will you marry me—again?" he whispered with a sly grin. Marlena momentarily buried her face in his neck, sobbing, then quickly rose again with her joyous answer, "Yes. Yes, I will!" John wanted to do it immediately, so, after a kiss, Marlena left to call the priest and their friends.

When an anxious Stefano arrived, Brady and Roman both turned and glared at him. A little later, after Stefano had made himself scarce, Marlena emerged from John's room. She happily announced to Brady, Kayla, and Roman that she and John were getting married right away, in his room, and asked if they would all be guests of honor. They replied with laughter and hearty congratulations, and the three of them went in to visit with John, while Marlena stayed behind to call Father Jansen. Stefano then reappeared and approached Marlena, and she cringed when she heard his voice. He swore that he'd had nothing to do with what had happened to John, but Marlena couldn't care less. Looking Stefano steadily in the eye, she confidently declared that he could never hurt her or John again, then turned on her heel and left him standing alone in the hall.

Soon Father Jansen was holding his Bible at the foot of John's bed, and Kayla, Roman, and Brady had gathered to witness the marriage. Marlena and John held hands while their dear friend performed the wedding ceremony. Stefano watched for a moment through the window, then gave John a smile and a little salute of congratulations. John acknowledged his half brother with a raise of the eyebrow, and then Stefano quietly walked away. Father Jansen announced to the group that John and Marlena wanted to say a few words, and remarked with a playful grin that it wasn't the first time they'd exchanged personal vows. John promised his old friend that it would be the last time—except for what was covered under "till death do us part."

Marlena proclaimed that she and John were simply meant to be together, and the two of them joked tenderly about how they'd always found their way back to each other, in spite of tremendous obstacles—like John's amnesia. Marlena affirmed that when John returned to her, she knew as soon as she looked into his eyes—and despite all the evidence to the contrary—that the love of her life was in there somewhere, and that they'd be together again. John replied that his recovery would have been impossible without her faith in him. Marlena noted that their bond had grown stronger each time they'd found each other again. John replied that their love meant everything to him, because without it—and her—he couldn't breathe. Marlena vowed that she would always be by his side. "You're my life, Doc," John declared; "the reason I wake up every morning. I love you." Marlena responded in kind, pledging, "I am never, ever going to let you go." Father Jansen then pronounced them husband and wife, and when he said, "John, you may now kiss the bride," John indicated with a jerk of the head that Marlena should come to him. Beaming, she whispered, "Stay there," and, while their joyful witnesses looked on, the newlyweds shared a tender kiss.