In Daniel's apartment, Daniel was packing for his trip to Chicago when he received an unexpected visit from Brady. Brady wasn't certain that it would be a good idea for Daniel to take Parker to visit Chloe right away, arguing that it would be better for Daniel to stay in Salem so that he could help Jennifer. Daniel disagreed, asserting that his presence would only make the situation worse for Jennifer.
Brady revealed that he and Jennifer had recently had a conversation about Madison and Jack's deaths the previous year. "We both never felt that we would be happy again, that we would never find someone to make us happy again. I found Kristen. I'm sorry, I just -- I hope to hell you and Jennifer find a way to work it out," Brady stated.
In Jennifer's office at the hospital, Theresa tried to convince Jennifer to reconsider her decision to fire Theresa. "That check -- I can -- I can explain. I was gon -- I was gonna tell you, but you -- you were out of the office, and you were upset, and -- uh, okay, what it is, is I found a way to -- to save the office a ton of money on equipment like paper and toner and stuff, and, um -- but the catch was that you had to pay cash," Theresa claimed.
Jennifer wasn't fooled, and she threatened to call the cops unless Theresa left immediately. Theresa panicked and decided to try a different approach, apologizing for her actions and vaguely protesting that she needed to keep her job because really bad things would happen to her if she returned to Los Angeles. Theresa also predicted that her family members would turn on her -- effectively ruining her life in the process -- if Jennifer fired her.
"You know what, Theresa? I cannot even begin to count how many chances I have given you. You have turned your nose up at this job so many times. You just drift in and out of here whenever you please. You lie to me; you manipulate me. But the worst part is you used my son, and you knew how young and vulnerable he was. And you know what? I hold you partially responsible for what he's become. Yes, I do, because you promised me you'd stay away from him, and you didn't. You played him; you made him your drug dealer," Jennifer stated.
Theresa promised that she would stay away from J.J. in the future, but Jennifer wasn't convinced and refused to change her mind about firing Theresa. Theresa indignantly observed that, while Jennifer had always claimed to be a fair person, the truth was that she had been out to get Theresa all along. Theresa added that Jennifer was only willing to give J.J. multiple chances to prove himself. "And look where it got me!" Jennifer snapped.
Jennifer said that she had only agreed to give Theresa a job because Kim and Shane were dear friends of hers. Jennifer admitted that she understood what Shane and Kim had been going through lately, since her own child was also troubled. Jennifer vowed to do everything that she could possibly do to ensure that J.J. wouldn't turn out to be like Theresa -- a lying, manipulative thief.
Theresa reiterated that her life would be ruined if Jennifer fired her, but Jennifer countered that if Theresa wanted to blame someone for ruining her life, she needed to look in the mirror. Theresa scoffed and stormed out of the office. Theresa found Kayla in the waiting area and revealed, after a brief conversation about the special prosecutor's decision to drop all of the charges against Sami -- one of the only people in Salem who had never judged Theresa -- that Jennifer had just fired her.
When Kayla asked for an explanation for the sudden termination, Theresa shrugged and theorized that Jennifer had simply always been jealous of Theresa's youth and beauty. Kayla wasn't convinced, informing Theresa that she had read the file that Jennifer had been keeping on Theresa. Kayla added that she just wanted to know what Theresa had done that had finally pushed Jennifer over the edge.
Theresa couldn't believe that Jennifer had been keeping -- and passing around -- a file on her. Kayla clarified that it was mandatory for Jennifer to keep a file on Theresa. Kayla added that she only had access to the file because she was the chief of staff. Theresa begged Kayla to help her get transferred to another area of the hospital so that she wouldn't get sent back to jail in Los Angeles.
Kayla said that there was nothing that she could do to help Theresa, who had barely qualified for the job as Jennifer's assistant before Theresa's poor job performance had been added to the equation. Kayla promised that she wouldn't say anything to Kim and Shane about the situation, reasoning that it would be best for Theresa to tell them herself. Kayla advised Theresa to break the news to Shane and Kim right away so that they could make travel arrangements for Theresa, but Theresa insisted that she would never leave Salem.
Later, Theresa returned to Jennifer's empty office to clear out her desk. As Theresa grumbled that Jennifer had simply been upset about the fact that J.J. had been attracted to Theresa, she suddenly got an idea. Theresa pondered the idea for a moment as she stared at a framed photograph of Jennifer, Abigail, and J.J., finally concluding that the idea just might work.
At the park, J.J. greeted Rory and Bev and asked if they would like to party with him that night. Taken aback, Bev and Rory wondered how it would be possible for them to party when J.J. was essentially homeless. "I was, but tonight, I'm gonna be living so large. Now, would you like to join me?" J.J. repeated. J.J. explained that Daniel's apartment -- which housed a well-stocked liquor cabinet -- was going to be empty that night.
"I mean, I hate the son of a bitch for ruining my life, so partying at his place would be like payback," J.J. reasoned. J.J. wasn't worried about getting caught, since he knew that Jennifer had a key to Daniel's apartment tucked in a drawer at the Horton house, meaning that he and his friends wouldn't actually have to break into the apartment. J.J. guessed that Jennifer had never returned the key because she had never really ended her relationship with Daniel.
Rory and Bev followed J.J. to the Horton house, where J.J. quickly located the key to Daniel's apartment. Bev and Rory celebrated the discovery, but it was clear that J.J. didn't share their enthusiasm. "She's just such a liar, man -- saying they were over, but never giving her key back," J.J. muttered, shaking his head with disappointment as he stared at a nearby photograph of Jack.
As J.J., Rory, and Bev exited the house, they ran into Jennifer, who was just returning home. At Jennifer's request, Rory and Bev agreed to wait for J.J. outside so that he and Jennifer could have some privacy. J.J. vaguely explained that he had gone to the house to get a few things, prompting Jennifer to wonder exactly what he had been looking for, since she didn't keep any cash in the house.
J.J. showed Jennifer the shirt that he was holding, reminding her that it was getting colder outside. J.J. bitterly guessed that Jennifer would want to check the shirt's pockets for drugs, and she confirmed his suspicion, grabbing the shirt and patting the outside of each pocket before returning it to him. Jennifer informed J.J. that he couldn't continue to just enter and exit the house at his leisure, since he was no longer living there.
"All right, fine -- I'll leave, and I won't be back," J.J. said as he headed toward the front door. Jennifer stopped J.J. and asked if he was living on the street. J.J. doubted that Jennifer really cared where he was living, but she insisted that he was wrong and that living on the street would be dangerous, especially since it was getting colder outside. "You're the one who called everybody in the family and told them to lock me out, so...where'd you expect me to stay, Mom?" J.J. wondered.
"I can't even tell you how much this hurts -- just to see you upset and -- and hear the anger in your voice. And I just feel like I just keep walking around, trying not to cry every second, because I can't figure out what happened to my little boy who loved me so much. And when I hear you talk about me -- I just want you to know that I love you. I love you so much; I always have, and I always will, J.J.," Jennifer tearfully stated. J.J. returned the sentiment before turning to leave, but Jennifer once again stopped him.
Jennifer asked J.J. to return the key. Taken aback, J.J. nervously patted his pants pocket as he wondered what Jennifer was talking about. When Jennifer reiterated that J.J. was no longer allowed to freely enter and exit the house, he realized that she wanted his house key. Jennifer assured J.J. that he would still be welcome in the house if he called before visiting so that she could let him in. J.J. handed the key to Jennifer as he bitterly summarized that he was essentially going to be treated like a stranger. Jennifer sobbed, clutching the key tightly, as she stood outside and watched J.J. leave the house.
Later, Jennifer received an unexpected visitor. Jennifer hoped that the visitor was J.J., but when she opened the front door, she found Theresa standing outside. "I'm here because there's something that I can do for you. I can get you your son back," Theresa announced as she entered the house.
At Club TBD, Kristen suspiciously observed that it was odd that Victor and Nicole, who hated each other's guts, were having what appeared to be a very civil conversation. "Well, not that we invited you into this private conversation, but I was just about to tell this son of a bitch -- you keep your wife on a leash, okay? If I think I need to go to A.A., I will go. I don't need Maggie or anyone else to tell me how to live my life," Nicole stated before impatiently asking the bartender for her bill.
Kristen seemed skeptical, but she excused herself after the bartender informed her that Chad had gone home earlier. After Kristen left, Nicole reasoned that her performance had proven that she could be a valuable addition to Victor and Marlena's alliance. "Nicole, I know you think you excel at talking yourself out of trouble, but in most situations, less is more -- less talk, more success," Victor replied before walking away, ignoring Nicole's attempts to stop him.
Victor found Kristen waiting for him outside the club. Kristen asked Victor to tell her the real reason that he had been talking to Nicole earlier, but he ignored her and silently walked away. Undeterred, Kristen chased after Victor.
Later, back inside the club, Brady found Nicole sitting at a table alone, drinking a martini. Brady made a not-so-subtle remark about the alcoholic beverage before claiming that he wasn't going to give Nicole a lecture about her drinking habits. Nicole didn't believe Brady, guessing that he was the person who had sent Maggie to talk to her about her drinking habits earlier.
Brady confirmed that he had talked to his sponsor, Maggie, about Nicole because he had been worried about Nicole. Nicole reminded Brady that Maggie wasn't her sponsor, but he countered that Nicole didn't need a sponsor to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Annoyed, Nicole wondered why the members of Alcoholics Anonymous always seemed to believe that everyone else had similar problems with alcohol.
Nicole insisted that Brady didn't know what was going on in her life, nor did he know why she had decided to enter the club and order a drink. Still unaware that Nicole had been faking her earlier drunken state, Brady conceded the point, but he added that he did know that she had consumed alcohol earlier that day and that she was still consuming it. Brady suspected that Nicole was drowning her sorrows because she still had feelings for Eric that refused to go away.
"I told you that in confidence, and it was a moment of weakness. And I also told you that I am past that now. But you can't stop, can you? You just keep throwing it back in my face -- Eric, Eric, Eric! You know, what I would really, really like is for just one person in this town not to see the worst in me," Nicole replied. Brady assured Nicole that he qualified as one of those people, adding that Eric also qualified.
Nicole nodded and reminded Brady that the mere act of mentioning Eric's name seemed to make Brady suspect that she had feelings for Eric. As Nicole started to accuse Brady of turning into Maggie, he interrupted and pointed out that she was suddenly receiving a lot of messages. Nicole glanced at her tablet computer, which had been steadily chiming with message alerts during the previous minute or two of the conversation, and dismissively explained that Eric had started receiving numerous requests for interviews, photo shoots, and radio segments shortly after everyone had learned that the charges against Sami had been dropped.
Pointedly holding up the nearly empty martini glass, Brady offered to give Nicole a ride back to the church. Hurt, Nicole assured Brady that she wasn't in the habit of drinking and driving. Nicole added that she was planning to stay at the club for a while longer. Brady urged Nicole to take care of herself, and she sadly assured him that she always had. After Brady left, Nicole ordered a double espresso. As Nicole started to read through all of the emails that Eric had received earlier -- emails that, as his secretary, she was going to have to personally answer -- she noticed one that seemed particularly curious.
Later, Nicole ran into Daniel and Parker in the town square. Daniel and Parker were on their way out of town for the night, but Daniel agreed to take the time to answer a question for Nicole before leaving. Nicole explained that Eric had received an email from a clerk at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, and Daniel confirmed that he and Eric had visited the hotel earlier. Nicole tried to probe for additional information, but Daniel advised her to talk to Eric about the matter instead. Meanwhile, J.J., Rory, and Bev entered Daniel's empty apartment and promptly proceeded to raid the liquor cabinet.
Kristen caught up with Victor in the town square. Kristen was certain that Victor and Nicole were involved in some sort of conspiracy together, and she demanded to know the details. "Okay, you got us. Nicole is deep into the Obama birth certificate thing. We're thinking of going to Kenya together to investigate," Victor dryly stated. Unamused, Kristen informed Victor that Nicole, who had a very bad habit of sticking her nose where it didn't belong, was trying to drive a wedge between Kristen and Brady. Victor innocently wondered why Nicole would want to destroy Brady and Kristen's relationship.
"Because she's stupid, Victor. She's too stupid to see what's coming. She's going to lose Brady -- her last best friend. He's gonna cut her out of his life, and all it's gonna take is one word from me. I would very much hate to see the same thing happen to you," Kristen pointedly replied. Victor observed that Kristen had to have a very high opinion of herself to believe that it would only take one word to convince Brady to disown Victor. Kristen shrugged and innocently hoped that Victor would never have to find out if she was right about her level of influence on Brady.
"My dear, Brady's family was around long before you, and it will be around long after you're gone -- and make no mistake, you will be gone," Victor assured Kristen as Brady approached them. Victor quickly excused himself after he and Kristen assured Brady that everything was all right. A short time later, Kristen and Brady decided to spend the night at a hotel so that Sami and E.J. could have some more time to privately celebrate Sami's return to the DiMera mansion.
At the Brady Pub, Eric vaguely informed Marlena that he had recalled some images during his earlier visit to the Capitol Plaza Hotel. Eric also revealed that Daniel suspected that Eric had gotten sick a few months earlier because someone had poisoned him. Concerned, Marlena tried to get Eric to elaborate on the things that he had remembered during his visit to the hotel, but he remained evasive.
Eric asked Marlena to recommend a hypnotist who could help him decipher the images, prompting her to recommend herself. "At the risk of seeming -- I don't know, immodest -- I am one of the best psychiatrists in this part of the country that deals with hypnosis. And as it happens, I'm free," Marlena pointed out, but Eric declined her offer because the idea made him uncomfortable.
Marlena explained that the images that Eric had recalled earlier could have been fragmented memories, which were extremely delicate. Marlena warned that if Eric didn't retrieve the memories right away, they could slip away for good, but he continued to insist that talking to her about the images would make him feel too uncomfortable. "Eric, my goodness. Seriously? Honey, you're a priest. I mean, what could be so bad?" Marlena wondered.
Avoiding the question, Eric wondered if Marlena could recommend another hypnotist. Marlena hesitated, doubting that she would be able to find anyone who could treat Eric on such short notice. Eric retrieved his cell phone and announced that he would just ask Daniel to recommend someone instead, but Marlena stopped him, recalling that a skilled colleague, Bill Altman, happened to be in town. Marlena agreed to find out if Altman was available to talk to Eric, but she warned that dealing with the repressed memories would not be easy.
Later, at St. Luke's, Marlena waited in the hallway outside Eric's office while Altman made several attempts to hypnotize Eric. Altman was ultimately unsuccessful each time, so he eventually admitted defeat and advised Eric to let Marlena handle the matter, since she was almost always able to successfully hypnotize her patients. Altman concluded that Eric didn't really have any other choice if he was determined to get some answers.
Eric reluctantly agreed, and Marlena was soon able to hypnotize him and get him to recall various details about the room that he had stayed in at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. Eric also recalled that a woman had been with him in the room. Eric told Marlena that the woman was the same one whom he had been seeing in his recurring dream, although he didn't mention that the dream had been sexual in nature.
Eric was unable to see the woman's face, so Marlena asked him to try to describe the woman's features instead, starting with her hair color. Eric suddenly recalled a new detail of his recurring sexual dream -- that the woman had blonde hair. Meanwhile, as Kristen and Brady were having sex in the hotel room that they had rented for the night, she suddenly pulled away, as if she were sensing that something bad had just happened.
At the Horton house, Theresa pleaded with Jennifer to make a deal. Theresa offered to convince J.J. to return home and improve his attitude if Jennifer would rehire Theresa at the hospital. Jennifer firmly declined the offer and ordered Theresa to leave. Upset, Theresa said that Jennifer was like Theresa's parents. Theresa warned Jennifer that she was taking every opportunity to make a wrong move with J.J. Theresa said that she pitied J.J. for having a mother who did not know what she was doing.
After Theresa left, Kayla dropped by the house to talk. Kayla backed Jennifer's decision to fire Theresa. With a groan, Jennifer informed Kayla about Theresa's attempted embezzlement of hospital funds. Citing Theresa's failure to cash the check, Jennifer said she would not press charges. Kayla stressed that Theresa was in plenty of trouble since she had been fired.
In the Brady Pub, Caroline informed Theresa that she had spoken with the family and that they had agreed to support Theresa only if she turned her life around. Caroline warned Theresa to clean up her act or else there would be no one to turn to in Salem. Annoyed, Theresa left the pub and wandered over to the square. Theresa cursed Salem and Jennifer.
Abigail walked through the town square, and Victor stopped her to talk. Victor begged Abigail to help reconcile Daniel and Jennifer. Nicole interrupted to ask Victor why he was harassing Abigail. With a shrug, Abigail admitted that she agreed with Victor. Abigail stressed that she wanted to give Jennifer and Daniel space to explore their feelings but that she would talk to Daniel about Jennifer.
After Abigail walked away, Nicole asked Victor if he wanted to meddle in the love lives of anyone else in Salem. Raising an eyebrow, Victor suggested that Nicole was after Daniel. Nicole scoffed at the idea and explained that she wanted to see Daniel happy with the love of his life, Jennifer. Victor called Nicole a pathetic romantic. With narrowed eyes, Nicole reminded Victor that he had survived a string of bad marriages before he had found Maggie. Nicole explained that she wanted to find her Maggie.
Nicole returned to her room at the convent and fell asleep. Nicole dreamed that Eric visited her in her room and asked her if he should leave the priesthood. When Nicole noted that Eric was needed at the church, Eric exclaimed that he was a human with wants and needs. As Eric kissed Nicole, she startled awake in her bed, alone. Nicole slid out of bed and kneeled on the floor. Nicole looked through a box of mementoes of Eric and murmured that the only thing she would have from Eric was gratitude.
In the DiMera mansion, while Brady and Kristen made love, she startled and shoved him away. "Something is happening. Something horrible," Kristen said. With a smile, Brady reminded Kristen that she was not clairvoyant. Kristen told Brady that she had a strong feeling that their relationship would be destroyed. Brady calmed her down then left to go to the Kiriakis mansion to retrieve a file for work. Kristen headed over to the rectory to talk to Eric about the Pre-Cana meeting.
At the rectory, Eric struggled under hypnosis to remember the night he had been poisoned in his hotel room. Marlena held Eric under hypnosis and guided him through his memories. Eric said that there was a blonde woman in the hotel room and that he knew her. Upset, Eric startled out of his hypnotic state and asked Marlena to tell him what he had said. Worried, Eric refused to admit that he had recovered any more memories, and he stressed that he was done with hypnosis.
"What are you hiding?" Marlena asked. Eric reminded Marlena that she had said that if Eric did not recover his memories soon that he could lose them forever. Eric announced that he had to have lost his memories of that night. Marlena reluctantly left at Eric's insistence. Father Matt entered the rectory to check on Eric, and Eric admitted to Father Matt that what he had envisioned under hypnosis was so bizarre that it had to be his imagination rather than his actual memories.
Father Matt recommended that Eric sit in silence and pray. Eric took Father Matt's advice. Alone in the rectory, Eric prayed at his desk. Kristen roused Eric from his prayer when she knocked on the door. Kristen asked about the Pre-Cana meeting, and Eric apologized for not emailing the appointment time sooner. Concerned, Kristen asked Eric if he was okay. Eric said he was tired.
After Kristen left, Eric continued to pray in silence. When Father Matt returned, Eric thanked him for the advice and admitted that he felt better. "God's gonna show me the truth," Eric said with a smile.
Kristen returned to the DiMera mansion and stared at the flash drive that contained the video of her having sex with Eric. Kristen wondered aloud if she should destroy the video file because she trusted Brady with her life. Shaking her head, Kristen said that she was not ready to let go of the video.
In the Kiriakis mansion living room, Marlena attempted to return the encryption flash drive to Victor. Victor ordered Marlena not to give up on hacking into Kristen's phone. Marlena confided that she had been so wrapped up in Sami and Kristen that she had not been there to help her son Eric. With a sad sigh, Marlena explained that Eric was tough but that he was only human and needed help. Victor urged Marlena to help him take down Kristen.
As Marlena noted how difficult her position was in the situation, Brady arrived at the mansion and asked why Victor was arguing with everyone. Citing her patients, Marlena excused herself to leave. Once Marlena was gone, Brady asked Victor to tell him what had happened with Marlena. Victor explained that as he aged, it was harder for Victor to talk to women without arguing. Victor urged Brady to ask himself whether Brady would be content to be married to the most extreme version of Kristen that Brady could imagine.
In Daniel's apartment, Bev, Rory, and J.J. sat on the couch and looked around the apartment. Rory wanted to steal Parker's handheld gaming system, but J.J. argued that it would be a bad idea because they would be unable to steal anything from the apartment without raising suspicion. While Bev, Rory, and J.J. discussed what music to play, someone knocked on the front door. In the hallway, Abigail yelled out, asking Daniel to open the door so that they could talk. Abigail yelled that Jennifer was miserable without Daniel.
Inside the apartment, Bev, Rory, and J.J. quietly gathered their belongings and crouched in the kitchen. A neighbor informed Abigail that Daniel had left town. With a suspicious look at the door, Abigail reluctantly left. Once Abigail was gone, Bev, Rory, and J.J. decided to get high. J.J. rooted through a drawer, looking for a lighter, and found a framed photo of Daniel and Jennifer. Aggravated, J.J. broke the glass of the photo and closed the drawer.
Abigail returned to her house and found a rattled Jennifer pacing the living room. Jennifer asked Abigail about J.J. Jennifer confided that she was worried about where J.J. would sleep, since the weather had turned cold. Abigail offered to call J.J., but J.J. did not answer when she dialed his cell phone. Changing the subject, Abigail said that she supported Jennifer's decision to fire Theresa. Abigail offered to help out around the office until Jennifer hired another assistant.
Abigail and Jennifer settled in on the couch to watch a movie. There was a noise outside. Hoping that J.J. had returned home, Jennifer ran to the front door. When Jennifer opened the door, she was disappointed to find nothing but the wind blowing outside. Breaking down in tears, Jennifer wondered aloud where J.J. was staying. Abigail comforted her mother and assured her that J.J. would be fine.
In a Chicago hotel room, Daniel packed Parker's bag and waited for Chloe to pick up Parker for their overnight visit. When Chloe arrived, she thanked Daniel for giving her a new beginning. Chloe informed Daniel that her therapy was working, and she admitted that she had learned that there was a time in a relationship to let go. After chatting, Chloe noted that is was odd that Daniel had not mentioned Jennifer's name. Uncomfortable, Daniel changed the subject.
Parker grabbed his Candy Land game. With a smile, Daniel noted that Parker liked to play the game with three people. Chloe beamed. After finishing a round of Candy Land, Chloe asked Daniel if she could spend extra time with Parker. Chloe offered to drive Parker home in the afternoon the next day so that Daniel could drive home that night. With a nod, Daniel agreed.
In the town square, Marlena walked and studied the encryption flash drive in her hand. Marlena worried aloud about Eric. With a nod, Marlena said that she wanted to concentrate on helping Eric but that she could not do that until she determined what Kristen was doing.
When Kayla arrived at the Horton house with muffins for the Deveraux family, Jennifer anxiously confided that she hadn't been able to sleep because of worrying about J.J. the night before -- and she didn't know if he would ever return home if he discovered that he could make it for one night on his own. Jennifer divulged that she had made J.J. return his house key, but she felt very guilty about it. "There's a reason they call it 'tough love,' although I think it's tougher on us," Kayla acknowledged.
Jennifer said that she even second-guessed her decision to have Justin help J.J. because J.J. had been released without bail. "I mean, look at Kim and Shane. They did everything to give Theresa a fresh start, and we all know how that turned out," Jennifer noted. A guilty Kayla apologized for asking Jennifer for such a huge favor by hiring Theresa when it had turned out to be a giant mistake.
Jennifer gently assured Kayla that she would have done the same thing in Kayla's position. Kayla divulged that working at University Hospital had been part of the deal that Theresa had made with the judge in L.A., and since Theresa no longer had the job, she would have to go to jail. Kayla worried that she had done a big disservice to Theresa -- and Jennifer -- by protecting Theresa.
After Kayla had gone, Jennifer wistfully gazed at a hand-crayoned birthday card that J.J. had made for her when he was a little boy. Jennifer sobbed as she recalled how little J.J. had proclaimed that she was the best mommy ever.
Jennifer was in working on her computer later when someone knocked on the front door. She rushed to answer it, clearly hoping that it was J.J. -- but instead it was Anne Milbauer. Furious, Jennifer demanded to know why Anne couldn't have waited until Jennifer got to the office. "Because you are never in your office," Anne pointed out lightly as she handed Jennifer the forms to sign to terminate Theresa's employment.
"And then you can get back to whatever the personal drama du jour you're in right now might be," Anne added. After Jennifer signed the papers, she asserted that Anne was wasting time on a personal vendetta. "This obsession that you have with hurting me is not normal, Anne. It's really sick, actually," Jennifer stated. Anne contended that she was merely conscientious about her job.
Jennifer maintained that Anne was "opportunistic, unscrupulous, and disgusting." She ordered Anne to leave. Before she left, Anne urged Jennifer, "You be very kind and loving to yourself, Jennifer, okay? Listen, you did the best you could. That's all any of us can ever do, right?" On the front porch, Anne muttered determinedly, "You're a hard nut to crack, Jennifer Rose, but crack you I will."
Theresa burst through the door of Jennifer's office at the hospital but found it empty. "Of course, the bitch isn't here," she sneered. When Roman entered, Theresa quickly turned on the charm and congratulated him on Sami's acquittal. Guessing that her Uncle Roman wanted to lecture her, Theresa pleaded with him for one more chance to do better. She pointed out that Sami had turned out well because Roman had never given up on her.
"I just need one person to believe in me," Theresa implored. Roman stated that Shane and Kim hadn't been kidding when they'd said that had been Theresa's last chance. "You violated the conditions of your probation. Now you've got to go back home and face the consequences... You're booked on a flight tonight back to L.A.," Roman added, handing Theresa a ticket on Salem Air.
Theresa was loudly freaking out when Kayla arrived a moment later. Roman informed Kayla that Theresa was returning to L.A. that night. On his way out, Roman told Theresa that he would pick her up that evening at eight. "Aunt Kayla, when Stephanie helped her friend hack into the hospital computers, you didn't pack her off to jail. You made sure to give her one more chance," Theresa pleaded. Kayla asserted that she had done the same thing for Theresa -- except Theresa hadn't taken the chance.
At Daniel's, J.J. awoke on the couch from a dream in which Daniel was furious when he returned home and caught J.J. there. J.J. jumped up and started getting dressed while shouting to Rory and Bev that they had to get out of there right away. "We've got to get out of here before Daniel comes home. We've got to leave the place exactly the way we found it," he instructed the others. J.J. cursed himself when he opened a drawer and found the picture of Jennifer and Daniel that he'd broken.
When someone knocked on the door, a panicked J.J. put his finger over his lips. The superintendent, Lou, hollered through the door that he'd heard Dr. Jonas was out of town but a neighbor had heard water running off and on all night. Pounding on the door, Lou demanded that whoever was inside open up immediately or he was calling the cops. J.J. tiptoed over to Bev and whispered something in her ear.
As she called out to the super that she would be right there, Bev took the towel that was draped over Rory's shoulder and wrapped her hair in it. The guys ducked into another room. Wearing only a man's shirt and the towel on her head, Bev opened the door and explained to Lou that she had been in the shower. Lou wanted to know who Bev was. "I'm Doctor Jonas' daughter, Melanie," Bev introduced herself.
Lou noted that Dr. Jonas' daughter lived in Europe, but Lou was new, so he was just getting to know everyone. Bev explained that she had just arrived for a quick surprise visit. Lou wondered how "Melanie" had gotten in, since Dr. Jonas was out of town. Bev showed the super the key that J.J. had swiped from Jennifer, and Lou was relieved because he'd been worried that someone had broken in. After the super had gone, Bev declared that J.J. was "a friggin' genius."
When Chloe returned Parker to Daniel's Chicago hotel room, she informed Daniel that she had been curious about why he'd changed the subject every time she had mentioned Jennifer, so she had called Anne Milbauer. Although Daniel was appalled that Chloe would go behind his back to dig up dirt, she assured him, "I know you don't love me, but I love you enough to want you to be happy." She chided Daniel for letting a "bratty juvenile delinquent" get between him and Jennifer. Daniel refused to discuss it.
Chloe was hesitant to send her son back with Daniel after learning what J.J. had done. Daniel firmly maintained that he would do what was best for Parker, and that included making sure that the boy knew that both his parents loved him. "I trust you to do what's best for our son, just like you need to trust me right now," Daniel stated.
Chloe assured him, "I do trust you, Daniel. But I just have to say that if I can't have you, then you'd better end up with someone really terrific. And maybe that's not Jennifer, but I hope it will be." Daniel wished for Chloe to end up with someone wonderful also. Chloe thanked Daniel for driving such a long way so she could see Parker, though she wished it could have been for longer because it was always hard to say goodbye. Daniel assured her that it wasn't goodbye.
When Daniel arrived home with Parker a little later, the apartment looked fairly neat. Parker asked to play his video game, but instead of in Parker's toy box, where it was supposed to have been, it was on a table in the living room. Lou called Daniel just then and informed him that Melanie had been there. Daniel excitedly looked around the apartment for signs of his daughter but didn't see her anywhere. Daniel then noticed that Parker was having difficulty with his game, so he opened a drawer to retrieve a new cartridge -- and found the picture that J.J. had broken.
Lou showed up a bit later and told Daniel that "Melanie" had said she'd wanted to surprise her dad. Daniel wanted to know what the girl had looked like. Lou described "Melanie" as pretty, and he had been able to tell that her hair was dark even under a towel. Daniel thanked Lou for stopping by. After Lou had gone, Daniel tried to call Melanie, with no luck. He paced around the apartment, trying to figure out what she'd been doing there, then looked again at the broken picture. "J.J.," Daniel realized, scowling.
As the teens wandered through the park, J.J. seemed worried that Daniel would run into the super. Rory and Bev urged J.J. not to worry because if the super said anything, they would think a girl, not J.J., had been in Daniel's apartment. Theresa called J.J. just then, so Bev and Rory went ahead while J.J. took the call. "Your mother, who lives to torture me, just fired my ass, and now I have to leave Salem!" Theresa complained.
Theresa blamed J.J. for her problems and insisted that he owed it to her to help her. J.J. didn't understand how he could help. "Suck it up, go to her, and tell her that she needs to hire me back," Theresa demanded. J.J. was still confused, since Theresa's Aunt Kayla had made Jennifer hire Theresa. "Look, I broke the rules, okay? It's something that you wouldn't know anything about," Theresa retorted snidely. J.J. wanted to know how it was his fault that Theresa had screwed up.
"I don't have time for this, J.J. You have to help me!" Theresa insisted. "Actually, no I don't," J.J. countered. A frantic Theresa reminded J.J. that she had tried to talk to Jennifer for him. "Hold on -- you did what? Theresa, I don't need your help. Why don't you go to hell?" J.J. snapped. Theresa snarled back, "You go to hell, you little loser creep!"
After the two hung up on each other, Theresa muttered to herself that even if J.J. had helped, it wouldn't have done any good. "Nobody's going to help me but me," she told herself. Looking at the plane ticket and the meager amount of cash in her purse, Theresa fretted, "I can't go home, but where can I go?"
J.J. was alone in the park when Daniel clamped a hand on the teen's shoulder and spun him around. "I know what you did," Daniel growled.
Cameron stopped by Club TBD, looking for Chad, but Sonny explained that Chad had worked late the night before so they had switched shifts. Sonny joked about Chad stealing Cameron's girl and how it had to bug Cameron. Cameron insisted that the three of them -- and all of them -- were friends, and he didn't want that to change.
E.J. found Stefano merrily smelling a rose on a park bench. When E.J. thanked his father for agreeing to meet there, Stefano guessed that E.J. hadn't informed Samantha about their agreement yet. E.J. admitted that he had only wanted to give Samantha a little more time to enjoy her homecoming before breaking the news to her. "Elvis, I am a patient man, as you know, but sooner or later, anything that I want is going to be mine," Stefano pointed out.
E.J. stated, "I plan on was taking Samantha and the children away tonight. I'll tell them then... I don't want her to hear about this from anybody else." Stefano knew that Samantha would hate it -- just as E.J. did. E.J. assured Stefano that he was a man of his word. Stefano said that he wanted the entire family to be living in the mansion when he returned -- and that included Chad. E.J. pointed out that he had already asked Chad more than once to move in, but Stefano urged E.J. to try harder. Stefano handed the rose to E.J. and strolled away.
Chad sleepily answered the door of his apartment for a coffee-bearing Abigail. He had clearly forgotten that the two of them had made plans. Abigail assured him that he could make it up to her and kissed him to demonstrate how. In bed a little later, Chad asked Abigail why she hadn't stopped by the club the night before. Abigail said that she'd spent the evening with her mom, trying unsuccessfully to track down J.J. She added, "Part of me kind of hopes that he did sleep on the street just so that he starts realizing how good he has it at home, you know?"
Chad assured Abigail that he would always be there to help however he could. After inquiring about how Abigail's mom was doing, Chad stated that Jennifer was lucky to have Abigail. Abigail admitted, "I hate feeling like I'm keeping this from her...it just didn't really feel like the right time to say, 'Hey, Mom, guess what. Want to hear about my great news?'" Chad got a text message alerting him that Sonny needed the time sheets that Chad had taken home from work. Abigail offered to drop them off so Chad could relax. They agreed to have lunch later.
A moment after Abigail had left, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Abigail returning to retrieve the earring she'd lost in the bed, Chad answered the door while holding up the earring -- but instead found Cameron in the hallway. Cameron said that he just wanted to talk to Chad about a couple of experimental studies -- one in New York, one in Seattle -- for Chad's type of tumor.
"Wow, that's great -- so you're going to ship me off to the other side of the country and pump me full of drugs with nasty side effects?" Chad replied dubiously, asserting that he wasn't going to put himself through hell for a few extra weeks at the end of his life. Cameron pointed out that Chad didn't know anything about the treatments. "My neurologist says that the polycefin has real promise and has the least amount of side effects of anything he can offer me," Chad countered.
Cameron said that he hadn't been aware that anyone in Salem was practicing that protocol. "I never said my doctor was in Salem," Chad pointed out. Cameron asked where Chad's doctor was, but Chad believed that Cameron only wanted to know so he could tell Kayla -- and get back together with Abigail. Cameron argued that Abigail deserved to know that Chad was sick. "Why should I worry her? I am fine, and we're going to be together for a very long time," Chad asserted.
At the hospital a little later, Cameron asked Kayla if she knew anything about a local clinical trial for polycefin. Kayla instantly knew that it had something to do with Chad. Cameron stammered that Chad had mentioned the treatment to him. Kayla believed that Cameron was upset that Chad hadn't told Abigail about the tumor. Cameron insisted that he hoped that Chad was undergoing the best available treatment, for both Chad's and Abigail's sakes. Kayla agreed, but added firmly, "He's not your patient anymore, Cameron, so any personal involvement now is inappropriate... You need to back off."
E.J. went to Club TBD to look for Chad and found Sonny reading a promo for Jack's new book, which was due out the following month. When E.J. learned that Chad and Sonny had traded shifts, he started to head out, but Sonny stopped him. "I want to tell you that I'm sorry... Between my mom going to the prosecutor with the evidence and me having to testify -- you'd think being a lawyer's kid, I wouldn't have messed things up so much," Sonny said.
E.J. replied that Sonny had only been honest, and the truth had exonerated Sami. E.J. added that he was grateful to Will and Sonny for letting Samantha spend the morning with Arianna. Sonny hinted that things at the apartment had been a little tense, but E.J. just chalked it up to "life with a newborn."
Abigail arrived just then and congratulated E.J. on Sami's good news. E.J. and Abigail chatted briefly about when she could babysit Sydney again. As E.J. left, he overheard Abigail explaining to Sonny that she had the time sheets because she'd seen Chad that morning. Sonny noticed that Abigail was missing an earring. "I think I know where I left it," Abigail said in a conspiratorial whisper. Sonny informed Abigail that Cameron had been there earlier, wanting to talk to Chad. "You have to admire that he wants all of us to be friends," Sonny noted. He added that he hoped Chad wouldn't hurt Abigail.
Chad was leaving his apartment, carrying a shoebox tied with a red ribbon when E.J. stopped by. "I bumped into Abigail at the club a few minutes ago. She seemed radiant," E.J. observed with a knowing smirk. Grinning, Chad acknowledged, "Yeah, we finally took the plunge." E.J. awkwardly used that to segue into asking Chad to move back into the mansion. Chad explained that he had been ready to move back in when Stefano had moved out, but then Chad's video had come to light.
E.J. acknowledged that it might be a bit awkward, but he thought it was time to put it behind them. Chad was relieved. E.J. reluctantly informed Chad that Stefano was moving back into the mansion, as well, although he wanted to keep that information private until it happened. Chad deduced that Stefano had somehow been involved in the police finding Bernardi's weapon, and E.J. owed his father for helping get Sami out of jail.
"E.J., I'd do just about anything for you, but I cannot move back in with Stefano. I'm sorry," Chad said. E.J. took a few steps around Chad's tiny apartment and pointed out that Chad's closet at the mansion was bigger than that place. "You're living in a bloody hovel," E.J. proclaimed disgustedly, casually picking up some papers on Chad's table and glancing at them. Chad ordered E.J. to give the papers to him, but E.J. looked more closely at them. "Chad, do you have a brain tumor?" E.J. questioned, alarmed.
In Rafe's room at the hospital, Jordan helped Rafe get into his wheelchair so that she could take him to his first session in the physical therapy center. Rafe was excited about the change of pace, but Jordan warned that she wasn't going to let him overexert himself, even if he tried to convince her that his body could handle the extra stress.
Rafe teased that Jordan had already lost the sense of humor that she had displayed earlier. As Jordan wheeled him out of the room, Rafe tried unsuccessfully to get her to crack a smile again. Later, Jordan returned Rafe to his room. As Rafe continued to make jokes in an effort to get Jordan to lighten up again, Kate entered the room, and Jordan quickly left without even bothering to greet Kate.
Kate observed that, with the possible exception of Victor, Jordan was probably one of the least personable human beings whom Kate had ever met. Rafe agreed that Jordan had a tendency to give people that impression. Rafe mused that it was difficult to read Jordan, and he wondered why people like her made such an effort to hide who they really were. Meanwhile, in the waiting area, Jordan watched Rafe and Kate through his room's window.
At the Horton Town Square, Theresa tore her plane ticket into several pieces and tossed them into a nearby trashcan, muttering that there was no way that she was going to return to Los Angeles, even if she did have to leave Salem. As Theresa started to walk away, she ran into Jennifer. "Well, you did it -- you've officially ruined my life. Now I have to leave town. Congratulations, evil bitch," Theresa said as she glared at Jennifer.
Jennifer said that she was sorry that Theresa's plan to get a fresh start in Salem hadn't worked out. Jennifer suggested that Theresa probably should have thought about the importance of having a job before she had decided to steal money from the hospital. Theresa conceded that she had made a mistake, but she added that Jennifer's decision to decline her earlier offer to help Jennifer reconcile with J.J. had also been a mistake.
Jennifer disagreed, reasoning that Theresa's departure from Salem might actually have a positive effect on J.J., but Theresa insisted that Jennifer was wrong. Theresa confidently asserted that J.J. hated Jennifer and that she had been Jennifer's last hope of getting him to ever return home. "You know, I may be leaving Salem, but I will never forget how you ruined my life, and trust me on this -- someday, somehow, I will find a way to make you pay for it. Sleep tight," Theresa sweetly added as Jennifer walked away.
Later, Theresa sighed as she realized that she didn't have enough money to purchase a plane ticket, and she shuddered when she thought about the idea of boarding a bus that "gross poor people" would be on. Desperate for another way to leave Salem, Theresa started flirting with a passing biker in an effort to convince him to give her a ride on his motorcycle. A short time later, as the biker started to explain that he was on his way to Chicago, Theresa spotted Anne nearby and suddenly devised a new plan.
Later, as Anne emerged from one of the stores, the biker grabbed her purse and tried to run off with it. As Anne screamed for help, Theresa attacked the biker from behind, kicking him a few times before warning him to leave immediately. The performance didn't fool Anne, who revealed that she had seen Theresa talking to the biker earlier. Anne guessed that Theresa had set the whole thing up as a way of trying to convince Anne to give Theresa's old job back to her.
"It's impossible. It's not gonna happen. Not now, not [ever]. However, while what you just pulled here was nutty as hell, sometimes 'nutty' can be another word for 'nervy,' or 'moxie,' or 'initiative' -- qualities I find in short supply at work, not to mention the universe at large. I also know that your point of view about your former boss -- well, that's -- that's pretty identical to mine, which I deeply appreciate, meaning...I think, perhaps despite whatever problems you may have with Jennifer, there may still be a place for you at Salem University Hospital after all," Anne added.
In the park, Daniel confronted J.J. about the break-in at Daniel's apartment the previous night. J.J. feigned ignorance, but Daniel wasn't fooled, predicting that if he showed his superintendent and neighbors some photographs of J.J., Bev, and Rory, they would recognize the teenagers. J.J. reluctantly admitted that he had spent the previous night in Daniel's apartment. J.J. stressed that he hadn't stolen anything, but Daniel reported that J.J.'s actions still counted as breaking and entering either way.
Certain that Daniel was dying to send him to prison, J.J. shrugged and defiantly encouraged Daniel to report the break-in to the cops so that they could add it to their ever-expanding file on J.J. Daniel insisted that he didn't want J.J. to get sent to prison, and he promised that he wouldn't tell the cops or Jennifer about the break-in. Daniel assured J.J. that there wasn't a catch to the promise, but he immediately contradicted himself, adding that he simply wanted J.J. to listen to him for five minutes.
J.J. reluctantly agreed, and Daniel urged him to return home. J.J. insisted that it would be pointless for him to do so, since Jennifer didn't care about him and had practically forced him out of the house with all of her crazy demands. Daniel countered that Jennifer had made those crazy demands because she loved J.J. and wanted to help him get his life back on track, but J.J. wasn't convinced.
In an effort to illustrate just how much Jennifer loved J.J., Daniel reported that Jennifer had bragged about J.J. constantly when he had been living in London. J.J. was skeptical, so Daniel recalled some of J.J.'s past accomplishments to prove that he was telling the truth. Daniel said that Jennifer had always been extremely proud of J.J., confidently adding that, despite all of the trouble that J.J. had recently gotten himself into, she was still proud of him.
Daniel once again urged J.J. to return home, guessing that the separation had been bothering J.J. just as much as it had been bothering Jennifer and Abigail. "Dude, even if I did, it wouldn't change anything. You're still gonna force your way into my mom's life and turn her against me again, so what's the point, man? You know what? You were right before, man -- my mom did love me until you came in and messed it all up, and you made her think that I'm this awful son because you kept badmouthing me all the time. I know you hate me -- I know you do. And the only reason why you're at the park and telling me to fix it is so you can score points. You know, it's actually pathetic," J.J. angrily replied.
Daniel interrupted, insisting that he loved Jennifer and wanted to be with her. "No, no -- shut up! Shut up! You are not my dad, and you never will be, okay? You will never take his place, ever," J.J. snapped. Daniel assured J.J. that he wasn't trying to take Jack's place, but J.J. wasn't convinced. J.J. refused to be used as a pawn in Daniel's latest attempt to get back together with Jennifer.
J.J. started to walk away, but Daniel grabbed J.J.'s arm and insisted that they weren't done talking yet. As J.J. warned Daniel to let go of him, Jennifer arrived and demanded to know what was going on. J.J. reminded Daniel that he had only promised to give Daniel five minutes and that he had kept that promise. Daniel reluctantly released J.J.'s arm as he explained to Jennifer that he had been trying to convince J.J. to return home. "But he blew it. Big surprise," J.J. bitterly added before walking away, ignoring Jennifer's attempt to stop him.
Jennifer demanded to know what Daniel had been thinking. Daniel explained that he had approached J.J. and encouraged him to return home. Daniel claimed that he had simply been trying to help, but Jennifer insisted that provoking J.J. had only made the situation worse. Jennifer wanted to know exactly how Daniel had managed to anger J.J., so he revealed that he had told J.J. that he loved Jennifer.
Jennifer insisted that Daniel shouldn't have said that -- or anything else -- to J.J. "You know how precarious this situation is. I may never get my son back, and for you to just get in his face like that -- listen, I am begging you right now -- I am begging you -- to stay away from my son. And I am begging you to stay away from me. I don't want to see you again," Jennifer tearfully stated before walking away.
In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, J.J. told Rory about his earlier encounter with Daniel. Rory admitted that it was cool that Daniel had agreed not to say anything about the break-in, and he suggested that Daniel might not be as bad as J.J. had initially suspected. "No, no, no -- Daniel's a jerk, man, all right? And what he's trying to do is use me to get close to my mom again. I ain't lettin' that happen. I'm never gonna accept the guy -- ever. Okay?" J.J. stressed.
In Chad's apartment, Chad tried to explain that his supposed brain tumor had been nothing more than a false positive on a CT scan, but E.J. was skeptical because Chad had just printed the information about experimental treatments the previous day. E.J. pointed out that he was on the hospital board, and he threatened to ask Kayla about the matter unless Chad explained what was really going on right away.
Chad reluctantly revealed the whole story to E.J., who realized that Chad had faked his brain tumor as a way of punishing Cameron for making a play for Abigail while Chad had been facing health-related distractions. "I wasn't planning on lying to him. I wasn't. I -- I -- I don't know what happened. I saw him making out with Abigail, and I -- I couldn't control myself. I was so angry, you know?" Chad explained.
E.J. assured Chad that he understood, adding that he believed that Chad had made a very wise decision. Chad was shocked, but E.J. shrugged and reasoned that lying about the brain tumor had allowed Chad to get exactly what he had wanted all along -- Abigail. E.J. proudly observed that Chad was starting to think like a DiMera. Chad wasn't certain that the observation was meant to be a form of high praise, but he decided to take it as such anyway.
E.J. suggested that Chad's ability to think like a DiMera was a good reason for him to move back into the DiMera mansion, but Chad remained resistant to the idea. After thanking E.J. for being supportive, Chad excused himself so that he could meet Abigail at the Brady Pub for lunch.
At Club TBD, Gabi overheard Sonny stating that he hoped that Chad wouldn't end up hurting Abigail. "Wow. If that's how you talk about your friends, I'd hate to hear how you talk about the people you don't like," Gabi pointedly mused. Abigail urged Sonny to explain why he had felt the need to warn her about Chad. Sonny prefaced his reply with an acknowledgement of the fact that Chad was his best friend and business partner. Sonny stressed that he would feel like a jerk if he ever said anything negative about Chad, prompting Gabi to interrupt and wonder why Sonny had just done exactly that.
Annoyed, Sonny impatiently told Gabi to mind her own business, but Abigail assured him that she didn't have a problem with Gabi's inclusion in the conversation. Abigail urged Sonny to continue, so he added that, while he believed that Chad was a great guy, it wasn't a secret that he had done some messed-up things in the past that had really hurt people. Gabi nodded and pointed out that, among other things, Chad had ruined her wedding.
"Yeah, that was pretty rotten, but at the time, I didn't know he had a very good reason for doing that," Sonny pointedly countered. As Abigail looked at her questioningly, Gabi admitted that Sonny was right -- revealing the truth about Arianna's paternity had been a very good reason for Chad to ruin Gabi and Nick's wedding. As Sonny remained silent, Abigail pointed out that it had still been wrong for Chad to announce Gabi's secret -- which had been none of his business in the first place -- during the wedding.
After conceding Abigail's point, Gabi added that everything had worked out for the best and that she and Chad had even managed to eventually put the past behind them. Sonny forced a smile as he continued to remain silent. Meanwhile, Abigail thanked Sonny and Gabi for their concern before assuring them that Chad had changed and would never hurt her again. Before Sonny or Gabi could respond, Abigail excused herself so that she could meet Chad for lunch.
After Abigail left, Gabi pointedly mused that it would be interesting to know how Will would respond to the news that Sonny had been trashing Chad earlier. "I don't know what you think you heard, Gabi, but I was not trashing Chad. I mean, how could I blame my friend for making a few mistakes, especially after you almost single-handedly destroyed his entire life?" Sonny countered.
Gabi guessed that Sonny couldn't wait to tell everybody about what she had done to Melanie. "Not everybody, but I would love to tell my boyfriend, because Will and I don't keep secrets from each other. But it's a legal thing; I promised my dad and Chad that I wouldn't say anything, so I won't say anything. But I know what you did affected Chad and Melanie's relationship. He lost her because he found out what you did and he kept it a secret," Sonny replied.
Gabi started to say something, but Sonny interrupted and confidently added that Chad still regretted the fact that he hadn't told Melanie or the cops the truth about Gabi's involvement in Melanie's kidnapping right away. "Yeah. Yeah, I bet you do, too, because then I'd be in jail, and I wouldn't be standing here talking to you. I'd be out of your life and Will's, and also, you wouldn't have a baby cramping your style," Gabi rudely replied.
"Now you're crossing the line. Don't you ever talk about Ari and me. You know I love that little girl," Sonny insisted. Gabi shrugged and pointedly replied that if Sonny really loved Arianna, it would be in his best interest to start showing Arianna's mother a bit more respect. Gabi stormed off without giving Sonny a chance to respond to the veiled threat.
At the Brady Pub, Will was surprised to see that Kate and Nick were sitting at a table together, having what appeared to be a friendly conversation. Will wondered if Kate had decided to rehire Nick. Kate clarified that Nick had simply been doing some freelance work for her. "To be honest, I was just trying to make up for the loss of the formula that your boyfriend and your mom stole from Kate," Nick added with a hint of condescension.
Will shook his head in disbelief, observing that Nick was apparently unable to resist the urge to seize every opportunity to take a shot at Will's loved ones. Kate pointed out that it was an established fact that Sami had stolen the formula, although she admitted that she hadn't been aware that Sonny had also participated in the theft. Nick conceded that he had deserved what Sami and Sonny had done to him, prompting Will to sarcastically praise Nick's surprisingly evolved attitude.
Taken aback, Kate admitted that she had been under the impression that everyone was getting along with each other again. Will reminded Kate that Nick had whined to a jury about how Sami had pulled a gun on Nick. Nick defensively stated that he wouldn't have had to tell the jury about that incident if Kate hadn't mentioned it during her testimony, and he added that everything that he had told the jury had been true.
Annoyed, Will abruptly changed the subject, reporting that he and Arianna were going to visit Caroline for a few minutes before going to the zoo with Sonny. Kate was eager to spend some time with her great-granddaughter before Will and Arianna left, so Nick took the hint and excused himself. After Nick left, Kate reminded Will that it really had been her fault that Nick had been forced to testify against Sami. "Oh, sure. Nothing that Nick does is ever his fault," Will sarcastically agreed.
Later, after Will and Kate left, E.J. entered the pub and took a seat at Chad and Abigail's table. E.J. claimed that he had decided that he simply couldn't let Chad continue to hide the truth from Abigail, and he urged Chad to do the right thing. "Come on, brother. Look, I understand your reasons for keeping her in the dark -- I do -- but if you think back to what it was that we discussed earlier, you'll realize that this is the right decision. Now, if it would be helpful in any way, I'm quite happy to tell Abigail," E.J. helpfully offered as Abigail struggled to figure out what was going on.
With no other options available, Chad was forced to announce that he had decided to move back into the DiMera mansion. Chad claimed that he had kept the information from Abigail because he had been conflicted about the decision and had also been worried that she might not approve. Abigail reasoned that the mansion was Chad's family's house, and she started to say something else about the fact that Stefano was no longer living there, but E.J. interrupted and clarified that Stefano might one day return to the mansion.
Abigail excused herself so that she could answer a phone call. "Oh, you son of a bitch," Chad muttered after Abigail left, glaring at E.J. as E.J. flashed an innocent smile at him. Chad summarized that E.J. had just blackmailed him, prompting E.J. to dismissively advise Chad to stop being melodramatic. Chad wondered what had happened to all of the supportive things that E.J. had said earlier. E.J. claimed that he had always been very supportive of Chad, and he insisted that it was time for Chad to return the favor.
E.J. pointed out that Chad's return to the DiMera mansion would make Stefano happy, which would make life easier for E.J. and Sami. Chad sarcastically reminded himself that he had been put on the earth to make life easier for E.J. and Sami. Annoyed, E.J. told Chad to stop whining and moaning. E.J. optimistically pointed out that Chad's return to the mansion would allow them to spend more time together, but Chad wasn't sure that he wanted to spend time with someone who had just manipulated him.
Chad wondered if E.J. would have followed through with his threat to tell Abigail the truth if Chad hadn't agreed to move back into the mansion. "Luckily for both of us, we will never know the answer to that question," E.J. said with a wink before exiting the pub. A short time later, Abigail returned and urged Chad to tell her what was really going on.
At Club TBD, Will and Sonny prepared for their trip to the zoo with Arianna. Sonny observed that Will seemed distracted, prompting Will to reveal that he had seen Nick earlier. Will declined to share the details of the encounter, stressing that he would prefer to focus on enjoying the day with Sonny and Arianna. "Do you think she's gonna be afraid of the monkeys? Because I'm afraid of the monkeys," Will joked as he stared at Arianna.
In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Nick stared at his tablet computer expectantly, grumbling that it was outrageous that none of the modeling agencies had responded to the applications that he had sent out on Gabi's behalf. Nick vowed that he was going to make Gabi's dream a reality -- for her sake and for his sake. Later, Nick went to Will and Sonny's apartment to visit Gabi, knowing that Will and Sonny wouldn't be there.
Nick and Gabi complained about their earlier encounters with Will and Sonny, respectively. Nick mused that it was going to be hard for him to get a fresh start while Will was around to constantly remind everyone of Nick's past mistakes, and Gabi agreed that she felt the same way about Sonny. Nick assured Gabi that Sonny would never reveal her secret to Will, reminding her of the consequences that Chad would face if Sonny did so.
Gabi gushed that Nick always knew just how to make her feel better, and he replied that he enjoyed doing so more than anything else in the whole world. Nick tried to kiss Gabi, but she pulled away, so he quickly apologized and claimed that he simply couldn't help himself when he was around her. Nick could tell that he was making Gabi uncomfortable, so he started to leave, but she stopped him and returned his earlier sentiment as she kissed him passionately.
"What the hell is going on?" Will demanded to know as he entered the apartment.
At the Brady Pub, Abigail questioned Chad about his decision to move back into the mansion after just getting a new place. Chad claimed that he was just trying to be supportive of E.J. and Sami after everything they'd gone through because of him, but Abigail was skeptical. Chad pointed out that he'd been an only child growing up, so it was nice to live in a mansion full of family, including a bunch of little kids. Abigail reminded Chad that E.J. had thrown Stefano out after taking over the family business.
Chad maintained that everyone was simply trying to move on and be a family, and he wanted to help. "I'll tell you one thing about living there though: not boring," Chad added. "You could say the same thing about Damascus," Abigail countered. To change the subject, Chad handed Abigail a gift. She removed the ribbon and lid eagerly. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she saw that the box contained an advance copy of her dad's book, The Forgotten Hostage. "How did you manage to do this? It hasn't even come out yet," Abigail asked.
Abigail began to cry as she thumbed through the pages. Chad hurried around to her side of the table to put his arms around her because he felt terrible for making her sad. Abigail explained that the book just made her realize how much she missed her father. "If my dad were here right now, he would know how to help J.J. and my mom," Abigail said tearfully. She asked again how Chad had gotten the book.
Chad explained that he had been trying for a while because they were friends, and he was even happier that he could get the book for her since they'd become much more than friends. "I would have given it to you no matter what, because being your friend, it really matters to me," Chad said. Abigail concurred that they were very lucky because being friends first made their relationship even better. Chad tried to give Abigail another gift but discovered that he'd left it at his apartment. He invited Abigail to go with him to get it.
When Chad and Abigail got to his place, he handed her an envelope of early reviews of Jack's book. He explained that he wouldn't have given them to her if they hadn't all been positive. As Abigail skimmed the reviews, Chad told her that her dad had written that he had only been able to survive his captivity because of his family. Abigail was moved when Chad explained that he'd read the whole book because it had been so good. She kissed him to express her gratitude.
In bed later, Chad tried to persuade Abigail not to answer her phone. She reminded him that she was helping out at her mom's office, not just as a temporary fill-in for Theresa but to provide moral support to Jennifer. "You really are something, you know that? No wonder your dad said all those great things about you," Chad praised.
After Abigail had gone, Chad reviewed the information about the anti-tumor drug that he was supposedly taking. "Just how long do I have to keep this up?" he wondered.
Will was aghast when he arrived at the apartment and found Gabi making out with Nick. "What the hell is going on?" Will demanded. Gabi immediately became defensive as she insisted that she didn't owe Will any explanation. Will shouted, "After everything that he has done, really? The only explanation is that you have lost your mind, Gabi!" Nick grabbed Will by the arm and told him not to talk to Gabi like that. Will whirled around and ordered Nick to never lay a hand on Will again.
Will growled that Gabi was about to repeat the biggest mistake of her life by hooking up with a disgusting person like Nick. Nick maintained that Will was blowing things out of proportion and urged Will to calm down. That only infuriated Will, so Gabi stepped between the guys and begged Will to let her explain. "Okay, please do explain why you're about to have sex on our couch!" Will shrieked. Gabi and Nick were incredulous.
Will insisted that he was just worried about Gabi because Nick had made Will's life "a living hell" for so many months and had almost ruined Gabi's life. "You get her pregnant when you know you're gay, and you're lecturing me and her?" Nick shouted. Will angrily reminded Nick, "I tried to do the right thing, okay? You had to blackmail me to get what you wanted." Nick acknowledged that they had both made mistakes.
"I swear to God, if you tell me that you've changed one more time, I will beat the living crap out of you," Will threatened. A defiant Nick dared Will to do just that. Gabi shrieked for them both to stop. She hotly warned Will that even though they shared a daughter, it did not give him the right to control her life. Will proclaimed, "You will not get involved with this guy again."
Nick interjected, "Again? You think this is the first time this has happened? [...] You don't believe me? Why don't you talk to your boyfriend, because he knows all about it." Will was taken aback. Gabi told Will that she wanted to talk about it when he was calmer. "I walked in on my worst nightmare crawling his way back in my daughter's life, okay? That's on you, all right? So if you think that I'm pissed off, it's because I am!" Will declared as he left, slamming the door behind him.
An irate Gabi confronted Nick, "I cannot believe that you just did that. It sounded like you were bragging in a locker room!" Nick apologized but maintained that Will's smugness had angered him. Gabi pointed out that Will had every reason to be furious with Nick, adding, "He's trying to fix things, and you're making it a turf war!" She asked Nick to leave, but he wanted to talk.
Gabi refused because she wanted time to think. "Not one person in this whole town wants to see us together. Maybe this thing is a big mistake," Gabi said uneasily. Nick apologized for his behavior, but begged Gabi for a chance to prove that he had changed and that their getting back together wasn't a mistake. After Nick had gone, Gabi said, "You have changed, Nick, but so have I. I have to move on with my life, and deep down, I know that doesn't include you."
Sonny was waiting in the park with Arianna when Cameron arrived and observed that Sonny was looking at a website full of German barmaids. Chuckling, Sonny explained that the club was doing an Oktoberfest celebration. Sonny thought Cameron should attend -- perhaps with Gabi. Cameron was curious as to why Sonny seemed to be looking after Gabi all of a sudden. Sonny explained, "I've just come to realize that she's a nice person, and it'd be cool if she could hang out with a nice guy."
Cameron was gone when an agitated Will showed up. "I just had a talk with Nick and Gabi. Sonny, have you been lying to me?" Will demanded. After summing up what had just happened, Will declared that Sonny should have told him about Nick and Gabi. Sonny began by saying that he'd been trying to protect Will, but Will continued unleashing his anger on Sonny. Finally Sonny snapped, "You know everything I've put up with from you?"
As Nick sat outside the Brady Pub, looking at pictures of Gabi on his tablet, he told himself, "Gabi's right. The problem is this judgmental town. We need to go somewhere else to be together, and I'm going to make that happen."
Abigail bumped into Cameron when she arrived at the hospital. After an awkward greeting, she started to head to Jennifer's office. Cameron stopped her to let her know that he was aware that she and Chad were together -- and Cameron was okay with it. Abigail assured Cameron that Chad was "very sweet" to her. Cameron said that he was happy for Abigail, and he hoped that they could all remain friends.
Gabi arrived at the hospital a bit later and told Cameron that she'd gotten his text message about Oktoberfest at the club. "I would love to go," Gabi declared. Abigail rounded the corner just in time to hear Cameron say, "Great, then it's a date."
Kristen was in the living room of the DiMera mansion, staring at the flash drive while thinking back on her "seduction" of Eric, when E.J. walked in. Kristen quickly stashed the drive in her purse. E.J. lightly accused her of hiding something and asked what she was hiding from Brady. Kristen bristled defensively when E.J. hinted that Brady was dim.
"What I'm keeping from him has nothing to do with trying to trick him," Kristen insisted. E.J. urged his sister to tell him what the secret was, but Kristen would only say that it was complicated. She added that she wanted to hear what Brady would say in their Pre-Cana session so she would know if their relationship was real. "Well, what if it's not real?" E.J. asked. "Then I guess a lot more is going to be revealed," Kristen replied cryptically.
E.J. offered Kristen a cocktail to loosen her tongue during her session. Kristen declined, since she said she was more interested in how Brady was feeling. Kristen wondered why E.J. wasn't more cheerful since his fiancée was out of jail. E.J. insisted that he was fine. Kristen accused him of being "gloomy" and guessed that their father was to blame -- and perhaps back in the picture.
E.J. snapped at Kristen, so she dropped the subject. On her way out, Kristen remarked to her brother, "E.J., I know what it's like to take a risk and then have to pay the price when you fail... I feel bad for you. It's horrible, isn't it, when you've worked so hard for something, only to have it end up ruined. It's almost enough to make you vow never to let it happen again."
At the end of Eric's session with a new hypnotherapist, Dr. Sanchez, Eric stated that he hadn't remembered anything new. He explained that he had only seen a few scattered images, which didn't make a complete picture. Eric was still frustrated that he was no closer to figuring out why he'd seen the same woman in both his session with his mother and his recurring dream of having sex with the woman in his hotel room. "Doctor, I have to ask you: do you think what I remembered with my mom could be, on some level, not at all real?"
Eric continued that he couldn't talk to his mother about the disturbing images he'd seen when she had hypnotized him. "If I'm going to figure out what this all means, I guess I'm going to do it on my own," Eric guessed. Dr. Sanchez understood that Eric had to be very upset that they'd reached a dead end. "Actually, doctor, I'm not," Eric said.
Nicole was working alone in the rectory when Brady showed up for his and Kristen's Pre-Cana session with Eric. Nicole informed Brady that Eric hadn't been there all morning and urged Brady to go away and leave her alone. Refusing to leave, Brady said, "We're going to talk about us, and then we're going to talk about you and Eric." Nicole maintained that there was nothing going on between her and Eric.
Brady contended that Nicole was unhappy and wanted to move on, but she never would if she stayed wrapped up in Eric. "He needs me," Nicole insisted. "That's not true. It's just not true, and the sooner you realize that, the happier you'll be," Brady stressed. Nicole didn't want to take relationship advice from Brady when he was about to marry a woman like Kristen.
Brady pointed out that his brother the priest was giving Kristen and Brady Pre-Cana counseling. Nicole argued that if that were true, Eric would have put it on the calendar. "Unless, of course, he didn't want me to know about it," Nicole acknowledged. "I think Eric is nuts for agreeing to this nutty idea, and some day, both of you are going to regret it," Nicole warned as she grabbed her purse and left.
Nicole headed to Club TBD, where she ran into Miles Malloy, a producer at Titan TV. Greeting Nicole warmly, Miles said that he had thought Nicole would have moved on to a bigger market since she was no longer at Titan. After Nicole filled Miles in on her new job working for the church -- and living in the convent -- she asked how his show was doing. Miles admitted that he had lost his star reporter to the competition.
"Now I'm looking for someone with sparkle and class to replace her, and look at this -- here I am, sitting across the table from someone with sparkle and class!" Miles said hopefully. Nicole was flattered, but maintained, "I haven't sparkled in a really long time." Miles gave her his card and urged her to consider whether what she was doing at that moment was what she really wanted to be doing.
Nicole was alone in the club, eyeing Miles' card, when E.J. entered. "Oh, Nikki, what would the good father say if he were to lose his Girl Friday?" E.J. asked snidely when he saw the business card. E.J. guessed that a job in television would be far more glamorous and pay better than Nicole's church position. Nicole ignored his comment about Father Eric not being her cohost. E.J. observed, "Nikki, this working in a convent seems to have had a rather profound and deleterious effect on your character. Watch out. Celibacy is looming."
E.J. added that Nicole had stopped being herself since taking the "silly job" with Father Eric. Nicole wondered aloud why E.J. was pestering her when he had so much going on in his own life. "You remind me of all the mistakes I've made and how colossal they were, and how they always had something to do with a man -- so maybe it's time I learn from my mistakes, and I learn to never, ever again make myself miserable with someone of the male persuasion the way I did with you," Nicole affirmed.
When Eric returned to St. Luke's, Brady observed that he seemed a little preoccupied. Eric admitted that it had been a strange day. Kristen showed up and indicated that she was ready to get to work. After they'd all settled in, Eric stated that although Brady and Kristen seemed to have answered their questionnaires very honestly, he wanted to ask them some questions. Eric began by asking Kristen why she loved Brady.
Admittedly a bit thrown, Kristen considered her answer carefully before responding. She then listed a few reasons why she loved Brady: he made her feel important by leaning in when she was speaking, he always stuck up for Nicole in spite of the effects it had on his life because she was his friend, and he was making Kristen attend "cockamamie counseling" because their marriage working was important to him. Kristen continued that Brady had taught her how to love again, and after a long stretch of being "hell-bent on revenge," she finally just wanted to be herself -- in love with Brady.
Brady said that he had been a complete mess, a zombie, after losing Madison -- until Kristen had awakened him. "You don't know that you're not living until you start to live again," he asserted. Brady continued that love had gotten them past everything that had happened. Eric asked how Brady felt about those things. "Is that something that's been forgotten? Forgiven?" Eric inquired.
Brady admitted that he didn't know how to answer that. After a moment's thought, he stated, "It still hurts me to know how you preyed upon me, and that I was attacked to further your plan. I mean, even with all the love in the world, how do you trust someone after that? How do you move on with someone, knowing that they wanted to harm you?"
Brady's words triggered something in Eric's memory, and he was suddenly flooded with flashes of seeing Kristen in the hotel lobby, being in bed with her, and lying on the bed, semi-conscious, afterward. Disturbed, Eric rose from his chair and crossed behind Kristen. With a look of horror on his face, he stared at Kristen.
