At the Horton Town Square, Kate was talking to someone on the phone about Jordan. Refusing to believe that Jordan was "one hundred percent squeaky clean," Kate advised the person to dig deeper. As Kate ended the call, Nick arrived and impatiently demanded to know why she had asked to see him. Kate explained that she wanted to talk to Nick about his future.
Kate passed an envelope to Nick as she added that the project that he had done for Mad World had made the company a lot of money and that she wanted to share the wealth with him. Nick reached for the envelope with a smug smile, but his attitude quickly changed when he viewed its contents. Nick thanked Kate and took a seat next to her, suddenly much more willing to continue the meeting.
Kate was interested in rehiring Nick, but he declined the offer, revealing that he was actually planning to leave Salem in the near future. Kate admitted that, considering everything that had happened to Nick in Salem, she wasn't surprised that he wanted to start over elsewhere. After stressing that she still wasn't happy about the way that he had treated Will, Kate wished Nick luck and acknowledged that he was extremely talented.
"Although I don't know if I would be quite this forgiving if Will hadn't rebounded so well with Sonny and Gabi. The three of them are doing such a great job raising that baby," Kate added, prompting Nick to nod and claim that he was happy for Will, Sonny, and Gabi. Kate proceeded to brag about Will's recent fellowship offer before wondering when Nick was planning to leave Salem. Nick offered a vague response before excusing himself.
Kate once again wished Nick luck, adding that she believed that pursuing his dreams outside of Salem would be the best thing that he could possibly do for himself and everyone else. "Hmm...not sure you're gonna feel that way if this pans out the way I want it to," Nick muttered as he watched Kate walk away.
Gabi greeted Cameron when she spotted him in a secluded section of the town square, but he didn't respond until she called out his name on her second attempt to get his attention. Cameron apologized for being distracted, claiming that he had been thinking about something that he had done for a patient that had backfired. Gabi assured Cameron that everyone occasionally made mistakes, but he stressed that his mistake had been colossal.
"As colossal as getting pregnant with your best friend who's gay? I think I win," Gabi countered, adding that she no longer thought of that incident as a mistake because the end result had been a beautiful little girl who had proven that so-called mistakes can sometimes be blessings in disguise. After conceding her point, Cameron agreed to accompany Gabi to Club TBD so that they could continue their conversation over cups of coffee.
Later, at Club TBD, Gabi and Cameron shared some laughs as they traded stories with each other. Gabi observed that Cameron seemed much happier than he had been when she had found him in the town square earlier that night, and he replied that, like the medicine that he regularly dispensed to his patients, her own brand of medicine had made him feel much better. As Gabi smiled and casually stroked Cameron's hand, Nick entered the club.
Nick took a seat at the bar so that he could eavesdrop on Gabi and Cameron's conversation. When Cameron excused himself a short time later so that he could get back to the hospital, Nick strolled past him and brazenly claimed the seat across from Gabi that Cameron had just vacated. Gabi tried to excuse herself, but Nick ignored her hints and stalled her with a request to see some recent photographs of Arianna.
After viewing the photographs and showering Gabi with compliments about her parenting skills and Arianna, Nick revealed that Kate had told him about Will's fellowship offer. Nick hoped that Gabi would get a similar chance to pursue her dreams in the near future. Gabi assured Nick that she was already happy and in love, prompting him to quickly ask her to confirm that she was in love with Arianna. After she confirmed his suspicion, Nick reminded Gabi that she had once had modeling aspirations. Gabi dismissively stated that those aspirations had always been unrealistic, but Nick insisted that she was wrong.
Gabi once again excused herself after thanking Nick for the vote of confidence. Gabi returned to Will and Sonny's apartment, where she told Arianna about her earlier conversation with Nick. "What he doesn't understand is that I already had my miracle, and that's you. I couldn't wish for more," Gabi added as she gently rubbed Arianna's stomach.
Elsewhere, Nick replied to a job offer that he had received, vaguely explaining that he couldn't accept the offer until he learned more information about other matters that he was pursuing. "I could feel a connection today, Gabi. You and me and Arianna are gonna build a new life together, and nothing -- and no one -- is gonna get in the way of that," Nick muttered.
At the Brady Pub, Caroline happily greeted Rafe, who introduced her to Jordan. Caroline apologized for failing to visit Rafe in the hospital, explaining that she had assumed that he might not want to see her after everything that had happened recently. Rafe assured Caroline that he understood that she had not had anything to do with his attack or Sami's trial.
Relieved, Caroline said that she was glad that Rafe had moved on with his life, pointedly gesturing to Jordan as she added that no one deserved happiness more than he did. Flustered, Jordan looked at Rafe expectantly, hoping that he would help her correct Caroline's assumption, but he just watched with amusement as she stammered that she was his physical therapist. "Oh, that's too bad," Caroline replied.
Rafe laughed and properly introduced Caroline to Jordan. Caroline slyly asked if Jordan's husband was also in the medical field, prompting Jordan to clarify that she wasn't married -- a fact that Caroline declared was lovely. Caroline went to get some drinks for Rafe and Jordan, leaving them alone to talk about Jordan's reaction to Caroline's assumption that they were a couple. Jordan claimed that the matter hadn't bothered her, but Rafe wasn't convinced, and he wondered if the idea of being mistaken for his date really terrified her that much.
Jordan denied that Caroline's assumption had terrified her, adding that she simply believed that it was important to clarify that she was nothing more than Rafe's physical therapist. Rafe countered that he had been under the impression that he and Jordan were also developing a friendship with each other, but before she could respond, Caroline returned with their drinks. Despite Jordan's objections, Rafe decided to try to transfer himself from his wheelchair to one of the pub's chairs, wagering a glass of beer on his success or failure.
Rafe met his goal and triumphantly announced that Jordan owed him a glass of beer. Caroline happily congratulated Rafe on his achievement, but Jordan was quick to put things in perspective, stressing that he still had a long road ahead of him and that overexertion could jeopardize his recovery. As Jordan parked the wheelchair near the exit, Caroline quietly observed that Jordan was the serious type, prompting Rafe to reply that Jordan wasn't as serious as she wanted everyone to believe.
Kate entered the pub and greeted Rafe and Jordan, and a short time later, Jordan excused herself so that she could answer a phone call from the hospital. After Jordan left, Kate went to the bar to order a beer for herself, admitting that she was shocked that she had requested such a drink. Caroline said that she was surprised to see that Kate and Rafe were hanging out with each other. Knowing that Caroline had been having problems with her memory lately, Kate explained that she and Rafe were very good friends. "Believe me, sweetie, it wasn't the Alzheimer's that put that out of my mind," Caroline replied before handing Kate a beer and walking away.
Outside, Jordan learned from the person who had called her that someone had been asking questions about her past. Jordan thanked the caller for the information, reasoning that it was just some sort of routine inquiry and adding that she had nothing to hide anyway. When Jordan rejoined Kate and Rafe inside the pub, Kate said that she was glad that things were working out between her and Jordan, who smiled and returned the sentiment.
At the hospital, Jennifer tried to probe for additional information about Daniel's involvement with Theresa, but before he could respond, Anne interrupted and asked if it was true that Theresa had overdosed on a "sex drug." After impatiently telling Anne to shut up, Jennifer turned her attention back to Daniel.
Maggie entered the waiting area as Jennifer wondered why Daniel had been at Theresa's apartment at such a late hour. Daniel evasively stated that it didn't matter, but Jennifer argued that it mattered to her. Hope suddenly recalled her earlier visit to Theresa's apartment, where she had overheard Theresa talking to an unseen man. Hope realized that the name that she had heard Theresa use had been Danny, not Manny.
J.J. breathed a sigh of relief and quietly walked away as Jennifer asked if Daniel had been hiding in the bathroom when Hope had visited Theresa's apartment earlier. Daniel clarified that Hope had actually overheard Theresa recording a voicemail message for him. Daniel proceeded to play the message for everyone, but Jennifer only allowed it to play for a few seconds before she abruptly turned off his cell phone.
With nothing more to say to Jennifer, Daniel started to walk away, but Anne blocked his path. "This raises a lot of questions, Dr. Jonas, as you can imagine. You have access to prescription drugs here. Who knows? Maybe that girl was on something other than just her GHB. If you abused that access in any way --" Anne started to say, but Daniel interrupted and confidently predicted that she wouldn't find any prescription drugs in Theresa's toxicology report. Daniel added that Anne was welcome to give him a drug test right away, and she assured him that she planned to make arrangements to do so. "Fine. Go to hell when you're done," Daniel replied.
Daniel and Anne stormed off in opposite directions, leaving Maggie and Hope to try to comfort Jennifer. Hope invited Jennifer to spend the night with her and Ciara, but Jennifer insisted that she would be fine on her own. Jennifer vowed to focus on people who truly mattered, like J.J., but she immediately contradicted herself and turned her attention back to Daniel's vague explanation of the night's events.
Jennifer reasoned that Daniel's story didn't make sense, since Parker's babysitter wasn't available that late at night, and Daniel never would have left his son alone in his apartment so that he could spend time with Theresa. Maggie helpfully revealed that Parker was at Chloe's place, where he would remain for the next few days.
In Theresa's room, Anne told a sleeping Theresa that the doctors believed that she was going to be all right. "Listen, I don't know what you did, but you'll be really glad to know when you -- when you wake up that your plan to torment Jennifer totally worked. Oh, I just wish you could have seen her face when she, uh, put two and two together about you and world-renowned chick magnet Daniel Jonas. It was -- I mean, honestly, Theresa, it was as if the good doctor literally stabbed her in the back. It was priceless. So, you rest well, my sweet friend, and while you do, I will take every chance I can to twist that knife," Anne quietly assured Theresa.
Elsewhere, Daniel entered his office, where he found J.J. waiting for him. After assuring him that Theresa was going to be all right, Daniel urged J.J. to leave right away, insisting that no one could see J.J. at the hospital because the guilt about his involvement in the incident with Theresa was written all over his face. J.J. feared that Theresa might mention his name when she woke up, but Daniel vaguely promised to take care of that problem himself if it arose.
Daniel stressed that if J.J. wanted to stay out of prison, he would have to ensure that no one else ever found out that he had been with Theresa when she had overdosed. After confirming that he understood, J.J. started to leave, but Daniel stopped him and advised him to get rid of any remaining drugs that were still in his possession as soon as it was safe to do so. Meanwhile, Jennifer knocked on Daniel's office door and said that she needed to talk to him, adding that she wasn't going to leave until he answered her questions.
J.J. hid in the office bathroom while Daniel dismissively informed Jennifer that he had nothing else to say to her. Jennifer followed Daniel into the waiting area, insisting that he couldn't just walk away from her after everything that they had been through. As Hope and Maggie tried unsuccessfully to defuse the situation, Jennifer added that, while she understood that her decision to end her relationship with Daniel had left him free to see other women, she couldn't believe that he had chosen Theresa -- a woman who, according to Jennifer, hated her and spent every single day trying to destroy her son.
As Anne entered the waiting area, Jennifer concluded that Daniel had chosen to see Theresa as a way of intentionally hurting Jennifer because he hated her that much. Daniel remained silent as Jennifer lashed out at him, and she finally stormed off after she had said everything that she wanted to say. Later, Daniel submitted to a blood test as Anne watched. When Daniel returned to the waiting area later, Maggie and Hope confronted him, but he told them both to stay out of the matter and insisted that he was done talking about it.
At the Horton Town Square, Bev spotted J.J. and rushed over to give him a hug. When Bev asked if J.J. was all right, he shook his head and admitted that he wasn't before walking away, vaguely stating that there was something that he needed to do. J.J. went to the Horton house, arriving there just as Jennifer was about to unlock the front door. "Mom, I'm so sorry. And I'm home," J.J. quietly stated.
J.J. and Jennifer entered the living room, where he looked at a framed photograph of her and Jack. "I thought about everything tonight, and I realized that I was so, so wrong...about a lot of things -- mostly everything, really. I've been hurting you -- Abigail, too, and myself. The thing is, Mom, uh, I'm really messed up since Dad died, and I've been using that as some stupid excuse to just -- just -- to get away with stuff and to take chances. But, uh, I'm not that stupid, even though I acted that way for a long time. So I am done dealing; I am done acting out. Because, uh, I don't want to hurt anybody anymore. I love you, Mom," J.J. assured Jennifer.
Jennifer hugged J.J. and reasoned that they and Abigail were going to be all right because they had each other, which was all that mattered.
In the Brady Pub, Lucas and Allie were eating pancakes and chatting. Allie wanted to play a song for her father, and she realized that she had left her headphones at the DiMera mansion. E.J. entered the pub and placed the headphones on the table. When E.J. smiled and noted to Allie that she was lucky to have a wonderful dad like Lucas, Lucas sent Allie into the kitchen to play her song for Caroline.
Once alone, Lucas asked E.J. if Sami had sent E.J. to talk. E.J. admitted that Sami did not know that he was talking to Lucas. E.J. added that he was there to speak with Lucas as Sami's attorney. When E.J. reminded Lucas of Sami's rights under the custody agreement, Lucas interrupted to tell E.J. to "shove it." Lucas stressed that he did not want his daughter near E.J. or Stefano and that Lucas did not care about the law. Lucas added that he would take Allie out of the country if he needed to in order to keep Allie away from the DiMera family.
With a grin, E.J. turned his cell phone over and noted that he had been recording the conversation. When Lucas argued that the recording was not admissible in court because he had not been aware that he was being taped, E.J. assured Lucas that recordings were admissible evidence in family court. Lucas asked E.J. if he was attempting to intimidate him.
E.J. leaned forward and asked Lucas if he wanted to place Allie in the middle of a custody battle, which Lucas would lose. As Lucas sighed, E.J. told Lucas that Lucas was a good dad. E.J. remarked that if he had been in Lucas' shoes, he would have done the same thing. E.J. informed Lucas that he could keep Allie an extra night. "I'm not the bad guy," E.J. said as he left.
When Maggie arrived in the pub, Lucas was informing Allie that she would be staying with him an extra night. Allie realized that if she stayed an extra night that she would miss family game night at the mansion. Lucas assured Allie that they would do something fun. Nodding, Allie went into the kitchen to help Caroline. Once Allie was gone, Lucas pointed out to Maggie that Allie was disappointed to spend time with him.
Maggie asked Lucas if he felt threatened by E.J. Lucas admitted that his only concern was Allie's safety. With a nod, Maggie asked Lucas, "If it wasn't safe, wouldn't Sami leave? Is she so deluded by E.J. that she would put her kids at risk?" Lucas admitted that it was a tough call to decide whether Sami was blinded by her love for E.J. or not.
At Club TBD, Sami sat at a table and called the hospital on her cell phone to ask for news about Theresa. When the nurse on the line was not forthcoming with an update on Theresa's condition, a frustrated Sami slammed her phone on the table as Brady entered the club. Sami told Brady about Theresa's overdose. When Sami asked Brady if he could talk to his best man, Daniel, about Theresa's condition, Brady said that he had news.
Brady explained that Daniel was no longer his best man and that he wanted Sami to take Daniel's place. Curious, Sami asked if it was Kristen's idea. Brady grinned sheepishly. Brady added that E.J. would be Kristen's maid of honor, which made Sami chuckle. With a smile, Brady commented that an unconventional family like the DiMeras deserved an unconventional wedding. Sami reminded Brady that she loathed Kristen, and Brady countered that he could not stand E.J. but that he and Sami did not care what other people thought about their lives.
"I want you in my corner," Brady pleaded. Sami agreed. Laughing, Brady said that only he and Sami saw any good in the DiMera clan. When Brady noted that he did not believe that E.J. had changed, Sami was upset. Brady backed off when he saw Sami get agitated.
Sami informed Brady about Lucas' threat to keep Allie. Raising an eyebrow, Brady asked if the threat had soured Sami's relationship with E.J. Sami admitted that she and E.J. were stronger and happier than they had ever been. Sami asked Brady if he was sure that he did not want John at the wedding. Shaking his head, Brady explained that he did not want anyone at the wedding that wished the bride was dead.
Kristen paced the DiMera living room and talked to Stefano on the phone. Stefano broke the news that he would miss the wedding because he needed to accompany Chad to Boston for Chad's surgery. Kristen offered to postpone the wedding, but Stefano insisted that Kristen should enjoy her wedding. When Stefano mentioned what Kristen had done to Eric, Kristen growled that she only hurt Eric because she had been half out of her mind in grief over losing Brady. Kristen stressed that she would lose Brady forever if Eric or Brad learned the truth.
"You are marrying for love. What is better on this earth?" Stefano asked. Kristen noted that she had spent half her life consumed with her hatred of John and Marlena and that it had been a waste of time. Kristen looked forward to spending her life in love with Brady. "All's well that ends well," Stefano chirped.
At the hospital, Chad was asleep in his bed when Cameron walked in and checked Chad's vitals. As Cameron started to leave, Chad called out to him, and he asked Cameron how things had gone with Abigail. Cameron noted that if Chad believed things had gone well between Cameron and Abigail that Chad did not know Abigail. Cameron admitted that Abigail had been angry with Cameron for backing off of her when he had learned about Chad's brain tumor.
Chad suggested that Abigail might forgive both of them in time because both Chad and Cameron had acted out of love for Abigail. Shaking his head, Cameron said that Chad was stupid if he believed that.
After Cameron left, Kristen stopped by to visit her younger brother. When Chad admitted that Abigail was mad at him, Kristen wondered aloud how Abigail could be angry with Chad the same week he had been shot. Chad said E.J. knew about his problem and that E.J. had said that what Chad had done was "pure DiMera." Kristen laughed. Kristen told Chad that she hoped he would work things out with Abigail. Brady poked his head into the room and joked that Chad was going to extremes to avoid attending the wedding. Brady wished Chad well on his surgery in Boston.
After Brady and Kristen left Chad's room, they walked down the hallway. Kristen informed Brady that when she had learned that Stefano and Chad would not be able to attend the wedding, she had offered to postpone the wedding without consulting Brady first. Kristen apologized to Brady. Kristen stressed that she did not want to surprise Brady with any news ever again.
In the DiMera mansion, Sami picked up the kids' toys in the living room. As Sami picked up a doll and murmured Allie's name, E.J. returned home. E.J. updated Sami on Chad's condition. E.J. sat down at his desk to work, and Sami's cell phone rang. When Sami answered, she heard Lucas on the other end of the line. Lucas informed Sami that he had spoken to E.J. earlier and that E.J. had told Lucas he could have Allie an extra night.
Sami joked that she thought Lucas had called to tell her that he would never return Allie to the mansion. Lucas stressed that he only wanted to make sure that Allie was safe. "I don't want to start anything," Lucas said. Sami thanked Lucas, and she hung up the phone. With a suspicious gleam in her eye, Sami asked E.J. if he had threatened Lucas.
In the town square, Hope waved hello to Abigail as she spotted her across the way. The two stopped to chat, and Abigail said how excited she was to have J.J. back in the house. When Hope commented that everything was going well, including Chad's recovery, Abigail turned her face away. Hope asked what was wrong. Abigail explained that Chad had only viewed Abigail as a prize and that she did not mean anything to him.
Abigail said that she was tired of letting other people run her life. Abigail cited Chad and J.J. as examples. With a gentle smile, Hope advised Abigail to remember that other people would not always be in control of Abigail's life and that things would get better. Abigail noted thad she had believed things were getting better and then she had learned about Chad's lie. Abigail chastised herself for getting back together with Chad.
"You can't pick who you fall in love with," Hope said. Abigail countered, "What if the person you fall in love with is nowhere near the person you thought they were?" With a sigh, Hope put her arm around Abigail's shoulder.
In the hospital, Cameron returned to Chad's room to inform Chad that he had updated the surgeon in Boston on Chad's condition. Chad asked Cameron to promise that Cameron would not take advantage of his absence to make a play for Abigail. Annoyed, Cameron said that if he had not backed off of Abigail that she would never have slept with Chad. In the doorway, Abigail sighed and looked at Cameron with tears brimming in her eyes.
In the church, Eric prayed. Father Matt entered the room and asked Eric if he was guilty of a sin and if Eric wanted to confess. Eric said that he needed to know what had happened before he could ask for forgiveness. Nodding, Father Matt asked Eric if Eric had known that the act committed was a sin and whether Eric had committed the sin willingly. Eric admitted that he was confused and that he believed his true sin had been arrogance for believing that he could save anyone.
Father Matt asked Eric if his problems involved Kristen. Startled, Eric asked Father Matt what he meant. Father Matt countered that he knew Eric had issues with Kristen and that Eric had been working with Kristen in Pre-Cana sessions. Eric said his problem did not involve Kristen.
"Is your duty as a priest in conflict with your feelings as a man?" Father Matt asked. Eric admitted that he was working to understand what had happened. Father Matt apologized for assuming that Eric's problems involved Kristen.
Eric returned to the rectory. When Eric sat at his desk, he noticed his notes from his Pre-Cana meetings with Kristen and Brady. Eric called Brady on the phone and asked him to visit. When Brady arrived, Eric demanded to know the truth.
In the park, Nicole paced and thought about Eric's accusation that Nicole had raped him. Frustrated, Nicole looked at her phone, hoping to find an answer. Nodding, Nicole left the park and drove the apartment of the hotel clerk, Martha. Nicole confronted Martha and demanded to know what Martha had told Eric. Scared, Martha said that she had told Eric what she had seen the night Eric had been ill.
Nicole reminded Martha that she had called Martha about the fax and that Nicole could not have been in disguise at the hotel, since she had called Martha about the fax when Nicole was in Salem. Shaking her head, Martha said she did not remember the fax and that Nicole could have called from anywhere. Frustrated, Nicole yelled louder. Martha exclaimed that Eric had reached his own conclusion about the hotel room but that, based on Nicole's behavior at that moment, Martha believed she had done the right thing in telling Eric what she had seen in the hotel lobby.
After leaving Martha's apartment, Nicole returned to the park in Salem. Slumped on a bench, defeated, Nicole started to cry. Behind her, Kristen walked by and stopped. When Kristen realized that Nicole was crying, Kristen smiled.
As Will exited the Brady Pub, he ran into Nick. Extending his hand to shake Will's, Nick congratulated Will, but Will just stared at Nick's hand. Nick explained that he'd heard about Will getting into the writing program at Berkeley from Kate. Will seemed a bit puzzled, and Nick guessed that Will had assumed Nick had found out from Gabi.
With a shrug, Will said he didn't care if Nick and Gabi were still friendly as long as Nick remembered that she had moved on. Nick assured Will that he was well aware that he couldn't control Gabi, and neither could Will. Realizing how that might have sounded, Nick said, "We shouldn't even be talking about that. I just wanted to [...] congratulate my cousin."
Will noted, "Wow, you pull that cousin card quite a bit." He opined that Nick had taken advantage of Gabi twice when she had been very vulnerable. Nick flippantly pointed out, "Well, I guess you'd be the expert in that one, since there's a baby to prove it." Nick quickly apologized. Will asserted that he would not apologize for being protective of Gabi and his daughter. Nick maintained that Will didn't need to protect Gabi from Nick.
At the hospital Halloween party, Gabi fretted that she had seen several other children besides Arianna dressed as pumpkins. Sonny impishly pointed out that Arianna's costume would have been unique if Gabi had allowed him to dress the baby as Margaret Thatcher. When Hope arrived with Ciara, Sonny asked why Ciara wasn't in costume. "I'm going as the kid who hates Halloween parties," Ciara declared grumpily. Hope was sorry that Will hadn't arrived yet because she wanted to tell him that his cousin Theresa was in the hospital.
As Karin was setting up a punch bowl nearby, she spilled some of the punch onto the table and exclaimed, "Oh, shoot!" Hope rushed over to help before she realized whom she was helping. "You don't have to help me. I know you hate me," Karin said. Hope assured her that wasn't the case. Karin felt terrible for gossiping about Theresa before Theresa had overdosed. Karin explained that she had thought Theresa was her friend, although she hadn't known Theresa did drugs.
When Karin nearly burst into tears after spilling some more punch, Hope put an arm around the volunteer and reassured her that everyone made mistakes. Ciara trotted over and offered Karin some of her candy. Karin thanked Hope and Ciara, and she left to return to work.
Will arrived at the party a bit later and apologized for being tardy, but he would only say that he'd gotten "hung up." Sonny directed Hope's attention to Ciara, who was twirling her hair and talking to a little boy in a motorcycle jacket. "Like mother, like daughter," Hope said. A moment later, Ciara asked her mom's permission to go trick-or-treating at nurses' stations around the hospital with the boy, Tommy, and his mom. Hope offered to go, as well, but Ciara responded, "Kill me now." Trying not to show her disappointment, Hope gave her permission as long as Ciara stayed with Tommy's mother.
When Ciara returned a while later, Hope asked if she'd gotten a lot of candy. Ciara reluctantly admitted that she had traded all of her candy to Tommy. She pulled Tommy's jacket out of her bag and showed it to her mom. Hope completely understood when Ciara explained, "It reminded me of Dad. I miss him more and more."
As Abigail entered Chad's hospital room, she overheard Cameron asserting that she never would have slept with Chad if Cameron hadn't backed off. Abigail declared sarcastically that it was every girl's dream to have two guys fighting over her like a piece of meat. She pulled a quarter from her purse and flipped it to determine whether Chad or Cameron got to have her. "What a prize, hmm? The virgin. Does that get you extra points?" Abigail asked bitterly.
Cameron started to insist that neither he nor Chad thought of Abigail as something to win, but Chad interrupted. "We were competing for you -- because you set it up that way," Chad asserted. He reminded Abigail that she hadn't been able to decide between the two of them and had played them off of each other, while neither man could figure out where he stood. Abigail pointed out that she hadn't heard any complaints.
Chad contended that he hadn't wanted to do anything to jeopardize his chances with Abigail. Cameron said that he had thought that Abigail would eventually come to her senses and choose him. "But I did choose you," Abigail revealed, her voice breaking, then turned to Chad and reminded him, "Not you. Him." Cameron wanted to hear more of what Abigail had to say, but she said that it didn't matter anymore. She asked to speak to Chad privately, so Cameron left the room.
When Abigail explained that she didn't want to leave anything unfinished before Chad left for Boston, he guessed that it was over between them. Abigail quietly confirmed, "If I didn't know it before, I knew it when I heard the two of you arguing like that. It's over, Chad." His eyes brimming with tears, Chad admitted, "I just wish that I didn't absolutely deserve to lose you." Abigail assured him that he wasn't a bad person; he was just not the right person for her.
"I had to lie to get a person as great as you in my life, and I know what that says about me -- but I know what it says about you, too," Chad said softly, taking Abigail's hand. Abigail kissed Chad's cheek and wished him good luck in Boston. She left quietly but broke down as soon as she'd closed the door behind her.
Cameron had changed from scrubs into street clothes when Gabi spotted him by the nurses' station and teased him about his "costume." Cameron initially didn't get it then confessed to being "humorless." He asked to see pictures of Arianna, but before Gabi could get out her phone, Abigail appeared in the hallway. Cameron made an excuse and hurried off.
A puzzled Gabi remarked to Abigail, "That was kind of weird. He left when he saw you come into the room." After observing Abigail's downcast demeanor, Gabi worried that something had happened to Chad. Abigail reluctantly admitted that she had just broken up with Chad, but she didn't want to get into it right then. Gabi asked if it had something to do with Cameron.
"I know what you're wondering, but the answer is no. There is nothing going on between me and Cameron, and there never will be," Abigail said. She promised to fill Gabi in later about the whole "debacle." She added that she was going to take some time off from dating. The women concurred that it was okay to be single. "Some people, it's like they don't know how to not be involved with someone, and I think that that desperation is what leads to all kinds of bad decisions," Abigail posited.
Nick spotted Cameron in Horton Square, and because Cameron was distractedly fiddling with his phone, Nick was able to observe him without Cameron noticing. After reflecting on what he'd witnessed between Cameron and Gabi, and between Gabi and Nick, Nick told himself, "She still loves me. I know she does. When I finish getting everything set up, we're going to be together forever."
Will and Sonny took Arianna with them when they went in to say goodbye to Chad. Chad confessed that things were over between him and Abigail. "It's my own fault. She was actually kind of nice when she dumped me, considering," Chad added, smiling despite the tears in his eyes. Sonny and Will asked if there were anything they could do for Chad. Chad asked to hold the baby. "We don't have a baby, but you can hold this pumpkin if you want," Will teased as he placed Arianna in Chad's arms. Gazing down at the little one's face, Chad affirmed that Sonny and Will were very lucky.
At the DiMera mansion, Sami asked E.J. if he had threatened Lucas. E.J. barely looked up from his computer as he replied that he had merely talked with Lucas about what was best for Allie. Sami didn't buy it, since it was nearly impossible to change Lucas' mind about anything, especially when he thought his daughter's safety was at stake. "Tell me exactly what you did," Sami demanded.
E.J. assured Sami that he had simply cautioned Lucas that a judge wouldn't approve of Lucas' threat to take Allie out of the country and defy the judge's orders. "You threatened him with his greatest fear!" Sami said, stomping across the room and turning her back to E.J. in frustration. "I did it so you could get Allie back, Samantha," E.J. insisted. Sami refused to turn back around, so E.J. walked toward her and admitted that he might have gone a little too far.
With a toss of her head, Sami turned to glare at E.J. but could only maintain the glower for a moment before breaking into a grin. With mock fury, E.J. picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, then carried her upstairs while she shrieked with laughter and tried to free herself.
In bed a little later, Sami insisted that it was E.J.'s willingness to fight for her and the kids, rather than him threatening people, that had turned her on. She believed that Lucas would understand that they would always do what was best for Allie. E.J. agreed that Allie needed to be "part of the pack." Sami jumped out of bed and started getting dressed so she could say goodbye to Will before he left for Berkeley, but E.J. pulled her back into bed.
In front of Club TBD later, Sami fantasized aloud to Will about the dedication he would write for her in his first novel: "'She shared with me her deep love of the written word, and she guided me through life with her warmth and her wisdom.'" Will teasingly concluded, "'And she provided enough material for a hundred novels -- of the horror genre.'"
Sonny emerged from the club and announced that it was time to leave for the airport. Sami regretted that she couldn't go with them, but she assured Sonny that she would help if he and Gabi needed anything while Will was gone. Sonny referred to Sami as "Grandma Sami," but she instantly rejected that moniker. After running through a couple of other ideas, Sonny suggested "Grammy Sami." Sami declared that she loved it, high-fiving Sonny and Will happily.
While Sonny pushed Arianna's stroller to the car, Sami and Will said goodbye. Will admitted that he hadn't wanted to go to California, but Sonny and Gabi had "ganged up on" him. Sami concurred with Gabi and Sonny that Will should go. Sami relayed E.J.'s apologies for not being able to say goodbye to Will, who understood that E.J. was taking Chad to Boston. Will asked his mom if everything were all right between her and E.J.
"Yeah, actually, it is. That's something I couldn't have said a few days ago," Sami admitted. She explained that how well she and E.J. knew each other had finally paid off, and their relationship was working well. It didn't even matter to her that they hadn't set a wedding date yet. Will said that he was happy for his mom. "I am happy for all of us," Sami declared, beaming as she hugged her son.
Chad was dressed and ready to go when E.J. arrived at the hospital. Chad mused, "Karma really is a bitch." He explained that although Abigail didn't hate him, it was over between them. E.J. expressed his sympathy. After E.J. got a text message from Stefano, asking when Chad would be at the airport, E.J. cautioned his brother, "You do realize, whether you like it or not, you now are in the unenviable position of receiving all of father's attention."
Chad said that he was glad he wasn't going to Boston alone. E.J. reassured Chad, "You're a DiMera -- Stefano's son. You're my brother. You never walk alone. Know that." Karin entered just then with a wheelchair and announced excitedly, "A helicopter just landed on the roof! It was like something in a movie." After making sure that Chad and E.J. knew how to get to the roof, Karin parked the chair just inside the door and left.
E.J. extracted a promise from Chad to stay in constant contact, after which Chad made E.J. promise to send lots of pictures of the kids. E.J. helped Chad out of bed and into the wheelchair. When Chad mentioned Johnny, E.J. declared, "The kid's crazy about you. He's going to miss you." Chad said that he would miss all the kids, including Theo.
E.J. stated sincerely that he would be forever grateful to Chad for saving E.J.'s life. Chad replied, "Maybe you can return the favor one day. Don't feel you have to take a bullet to do it, all right?" E.J. declared that he was very proud to call Chad his brother. "Same here," Chad agreed as his eyes began to fill with tears again. The brothers shared an emotional embrace.
When Brady arrived at St. Luke's rectory at Eric's behest, Eric wanted to know why Brady thought Nicole had quit her job there. Eric's cold, demanding attitude caused Brady to wonder if Eric were mad at him. "Just one thing at a time, okay?" Eric said cryptically. Brady maintained that he wasn't comfortable discussing Nicole with Eric, plus the two of them weren't speaking. Eric's persistent questions about Nicole baffled Brady.
Finally Eric demanded, "Did you know that she had feelings for me -- feelings that go beyond friendship?" Brady still wouldn't talk about Nicole, so Eric divulged that he had overheard Nicole and Brady talking at the church. Eric angrily contended that Brady had known about Nicole's feelings for months but hadn't bothered to inform Eric. "Did it ever occur to you, just one time, that it's something that I needed to know?" Eric demanded.
Brady said he'd thought that Nicole was dealing with her feelings because she respected that Eric was a priest. Eric's vehement insistence that Nicole didn't respect it stunned Brady, who didn't understand what would have changed if Eric had known the truth. Unwilling to discuss it, Eric asserted that the real issue was whether he could trust Brady any longer. "Of course you can trust me," Brady insisted, explaining that he had been respecting Nicole's privacy.
Brady added that he hadn't felt it was his place to say anything, but he sincerely apologized because he could see how angry Eric was about it. He asked if Eric could get past it. "I don't think I can just get past this! I don't even think that I can get up in front of you and Kristen and perform your marriage! I don't think that I can even do this. Do you understand that?" Eric bellowed before storming out. Stunned, Brady chased after Eric.
Nicole was crying on a park bench when Kristen spotted her and stopped to ask what was going on. Nicole lashed out angrily at Kristen. Unfazed, Kristen guessed that Nicole had heard about Brady and Kristen's wedding being moved up. Nicole retorted that she hadn't been crying over Brady. Kristen needled Nicole about having "the hots" for Father Eric, and when Nicole reacted angrily, Kristen wondered if Nicole had told Eric about her feelings. "No, I didn't. Brady did -- and I tried really hard to keep it from Eric and Brady," Nicole snapped.
Kristen suggested that Nicole would soon find a way to fix things with Eric, but Nicole insisted that she couldn't -- and it was Kristen's fault. Kristen didn't see how she was to blame. Furious, Nicole contended that when she had tried to tell Brady that Kristen had been unfaithful, he'd lashed out at Nicole and said things that he shouldn't have, and Eric had overheard him. "And now things have gotten worse since then, all because of you!" Nicole roared.
After calmly urging Nicole to settle down, Kristen asserted that Nicole would eventually have to admit the truth, at least to herself. Nicole responded with sarcasm. With a gentle hand on Nicole's arm, Kristen maintained that she could have told Eric about Nicole's feelings for him, but she had chosen not to -- not because she didn't hate Nicole, but because she'd known how painful it would be fore Nicole.
Kristen explained that she understood all too well how much the lack of love could hurt, so she had allowed Nicole the space to figure out how to deal with things -- even though it hadn't worked out well because Nicole had let her feelings fester. Kristen assured Nicole, "The one thing I learned is that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right, Nicole?" Stroking Nicole's arm, Kristen asked, "Deal?"
Kristen was alone in the park when Brady showed up a little later. She started to warn him that Eric had overheard Brady and Nicole's conversation, but Brady interrupted to tell her that he had just been with Eric. When she saw how worked-up Brady was, Kristen asked what had happened. "Kristen, I have never seen him more upset -- ever," Brady said.
The church office was empty when Nicole arrived. She began looking through her drawers for something, but in the process, she knocked her purse on the floor. While she was bent over, picking everything up, Eric walked in. Nicole assured Eric that she would be gone soon. As she headed out the door, Eric grabbed her arm and warned her, "We're almost done. Almost done for good, but not quite yet."
At the Horton house, Maggie tried to persuade Jennifer to share her feelings about what had happened at the hospital the previous night, but Jennifer insisted that she didn't want to talk about Daniel and especially didn't want to talk about Theresa. J.J. entered the living room in time to hear the conversation, and Maggie excused herself after urging him to take care of Jennifer.
Noting the time of day, Jennifer admitted that she was surprised to see J.J., who explained that school had ended early. J.J. was glad that Jennifer was home, since he had something that he needed to tell her. "Oh, man. The look on your face and the fear that's in your eyes right now -- it's saying, 'What did he do now?'" J.J. observed. Jennifer tried to deny J.J.'s suspicion, but he reasoned that she had a right to fear the worst, since he had given her plenty of reasons to stop trusting him.
Before J.J. could continue, Abigail entered the house and started to nag him about remembering to give her enough room to park her car alongside the family car in the driveway. Jennifer clarified that she was the person who had done a poor job of parking the car earlier. Jennifer asked Abigail to refrain from giving J.J. a hard time about the matter, but he insisted that his sister didn't owe him an apology.
J.J. knowingly guessed that Abigail was just upset because she had been forced to say goodbye to Chad earlier. Abigail confirmed J.J.'s suspicion and assured him and Jennifer that she would be all right. Admitting that she wasn't in a very good mood, Abigail started to excuse herself, but J.J. stopped her and explained that he had been about to tell Jennifer something that Abigail might also want to hear.
Jennifer angrily slapped J.J. when she learned what he had done the previous night. "You were doing drugs with Theresa? She could have died! What is wrong with you?! You ran away? What are -- what are you? A coward and a liar? Get out of my house! Get out of my house right now!" Jennifer shouted at J.J. as Abigail watched in stunned silence.
Abigail asked if J.J. was all right, and he shook his head as he snapped out of the nightmarish fantasy. Jennifer observed that J.J. seemed sad, and he confirmed her suspicion. "I know how stupid I've been -- over and over -- and -- I don't know, it's like I finally woke up. Last night, when we were talking, I wasn't really clear enough, so here's the deal -- I am done doing drugs," J.J. adamantly stated.
"I -- I'm not gonna use; I'm not gonna deal. I actually saw how the drugs were ruining my life -- and yours, too. I'm sorry for how I acted, okay? And I'm sorry for how I treated you. How I -- how I talked to everyone. That -- I really wish that I could take it all back. I do," J.J. continued as Jennifer and Abigail sighed with relief. Jennifer assured J.J. that those things were in the past and no longer mattered, adding that they could simply move forward and focus on the fact that he had made a positive decision to change his behavior -- if he really meant what he had just said, of course.
J.J. confirmed that he was being sincere, although he added that he understood that it would probably take a while for Jennifer and Abigail to start trusting him again. Jennifer hugged J.J. and declared that she was really proud of him.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor welcomed Marlena, who informed him that she didn't appreciate being summoned. Victor countered that he didn't appreciate being kept out of the loop. "You don't call; you don't write. I have no idea what the hell is going on. All I know for sure is I haven't gotten a text from Brady saying, 'Wedding is off. Discovered bride-to-be is soul-sucking bitch. LOL,'" Victor dryly added.
Unamused, Marlena insisted that the situation wasn't funny, prompting Victor to assure her that he was quite aware of that fact. Summarizing that Marlena only had twenty-four hours left to stop the wedding, Victor demanded to know how she planned to accomplish that task. Marlena replied that she didn't appreciate being yelled at, since she already felt bad enough about the fact that she had blown her best chance to expose Kristen.
Marlena proceeded to tell Victor about the unwittingly acquired flash drive that Kristen had hired someone to steal from Marlena's purse. "Remember the good old days? Proof of an affair was lipstick on your shirt collar; an earring in the bed sheets," Victor wistfully recalled. Marlena informed Victor that he had just illustrated why she often chose not to confide in him.
Victor thought that it was odd that Kristen had kept proof of her affair on a flash drive that she had been carrying around in her purse, since most people would want to destroy any such evidence right away. Marlena reasoned that it was pointless for her and Victor to try to figure out what Kristen had been thinking, since Kristen had probably destroyed the flash drive the moment that her hired thug had retrieved it from Marlena's purse.
Victor still couldn't believe that Marlena had waited such a long time to tell him about the flash drive. Marlena said that she hadn't told Victor about the flash drive earlier because he had a tendency to get cranky when things failed to go his way. Victor complained that nothing was going his way, adding that if Brady and Kristen's wedding went off without a hitch the following day, it would be Marlena's fault. "Wow, you are really good at assessing blame, aren't you? I don't know how Maggie puts up with you," Marlena replied.
Entering the mansion in time to hear Marlena's statement, Maggie admitted that she asked herself the same question daily, and she wondered what was going on. Marlena abruptly excused herself after receiving a text message about an emergency at the hospital, leaving Victor to answer Maggie's questions on his own.
Victor urged Maggie to trust him, insisting that he and Marlena were not planning a heist or a coup and were simply trying to protect Brady. "Okay, I'll let it go for now, but whatever it is you're doing, it better not end up hurting anybody that I love, or you'll answer to me," Maggie warned Victor, who dryly replied that unless she loved Kristen DiMera, she had nothing to worry about.
At the hospital, a disoriented Theresa woke up and asked Daniel to explain what had happened to her. Daniel revealed that Theresa was in the hospital, but she couldn't remember how she had ended up there. Theresa admitted that, aside from a vague recollection of leaving work the previous day, the whole previous week was a bit of a blur. Daniel gently informed Theresa that, while she was going to be fine, she had overdosed the previous night.
Daniel claimed that he had gone over to Theresa's apartment to check on her after receiving a phone call from her the previous night, but his words failed to jog her memory. Daniel asked Theresa to call him right away -- before talking to anyone else about the matter -- if she happened to remember anything about the previous night at some later date, and she promised to do so before drifting off to sleep again.
Daniel exited Theresa's room and went to the waiting area, where Anne demanded to know how he was able to live with himself after what he had done to Theresa the previous night. Maxine rushed to Daniel's defense, prompting Anne to wonder why Maxine was willing to display such unswerving loyalty to someone who could single-handedly destroy the hospital's reputation.
Daniel reminded Anne that the blood test that she had forced him to submit to had confirmed that he hadn't taken any drugs the previous night, which meant that the hospital's reputation wasn't in jeopardy. "Oh, dollars to doughnuts, the lab clerk was female," Anne dismissively countered. Daniel wondered what Anne was implying, prompting her to ask if she really needed to spell it out for him. Daniel advised Anne to get a life of her own so that she could stop ruining the lives of other people. Daniel tried to walk away, but Anne followed him as a small crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the drama.
"Oh, I'm ruining other people's lives? This from the guy who's hanging out with a young woman who ODs and almost dies? This from the esteemed surgeon whose private life is a complete and utter catastrophe due to his apparent compulsion to seduce practically every woman in Salem. And yet he walks around like -- like the poor, put-upon victim -- a beleaguered soul who's been dealt a bad hand -- when, in fact, every single crappy thing that's ever happened to him has been because he makes stupid --" Anne said, stopping only when Daniel impatiently warned her to get away from him.
Anne reluctantly walked away, and Maxine approached Daniel to make sure that he was all right. Maxine noted that Anne's latest diatribe had been even more brutal than the typical ones that they had all learned to expect from her, but Daniel suspected that Anne hadn't said anything that Maxine hadn't already been thinking herself. Maxine tried to deny Daniel's suspicion, but he could tell that he had disappointed her.
Maxine admitted that Daniel had made it kind of hard for people to not be disappointed. Maxine urged Daniel to give her some sort of reason to feel different about the situation, but he insisted that he wasn't going to discuss the matter further. Daniel announced that he was going to take the rest of the day off, adding that he felt like Spencer Tracy in Bad Day at Black Rock.
Maxine optimistically assured Daniel that things couldn't possibly get any worse. "Uh, I think I spoke too soon," Maxine quickly added when she turned around and realized that Jennifer had just entered the waiting area. Daniel and Jennifer avoided eye contact and conversation with each other as he walked past her and entered the elevator.
Jennifer asked Maxine about Theresa's condition and learned that Theresa had been awake for a brief period of time earlier that day. Maxine reported that Theresa had been unable to remember anything about the previous night, prompting Jennifer to reply that she wished that she could say the same thing about herself.
In Theresa's room, Anne shook Theresa to rouse her from her slumber. Theresa drowsily told Anne to go away, but Anne refused to do so until Theresa revealed exactly what had happened between her and "Dr. Kildare," a reference that was lost on Theresa. Theresa said that Daniel had saved her life, but Anne continued to doubt his version of events and wondered if he had supplied Theresa with the drugs that she had overdosed on.
Theresa shook her head before admitting that she couldn't remember exactly what had happened the previous night. Theresa feared that she might lose her job, but Anne promised to protect Theresa, who was more useful to Anne as a hospital employee. As Theresa drifted off to sleep again, she drowsily acknowledged that she owed Anne. "You can say that again," Anne agreed with a smile.
Later, Anne caught J.J. standing outside Theresa's room and demanded to know what he was doing there. J.J. explained that he had gone to the hospital to visit Jennifer and had wanted to seize the opportunity to also check on Theresa. Anne wondered why J.J. cared. "Because she's a human being, Anne," J.J. replied, prompting Anne to counter that his mouth was the only smart thing about him. Feigning surprise, Anne added that Jennifer had gone home earlier. J.J. smiled and excused himself after admitting that it was always a pleasure to talk to Anne.
Anne returned to the waiting area, where Marlena greeted her and wondered what the emergency was. Anne explained that Daniel's behavior the previous night had placed the hospital's reputation in jeopardy and that, as the head of the ethics committee, it was Marlena's job to hold him accountable for his actions.
Marlena warned Anne to refrain from jumping to conclusions. Marlena added that, while she would definitely talk to Daniel about what had happened the previous night, she wasn't going to subject him to a witch hunt based solely on Anne's speculation about the matter in question. "That woman is a complete and utter pain in the ass," Marlena muttered as she walked away.
Later, Anne returned to Theresa's room, where Maxine told Anne to leave Theresa alone because Theresa needed her rest. After Maxine and Anne exited the room, Theresa opened her eyes and smiled mischievously.
In a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Brady told Kristen about his earlier encounter with Eric. Brady struggled to understand why Eric was acting like Brady's decision to keep Nicole's crush on Eric a secret had ruined Eric's life. Musing that Nicole had also acted like her life had been ruined during their earlier encounter, Kristen admitted that she had almost felt sorry for Nicole. Brady wished that he had kept his big mouth shut instead of lashing out at Nicole in the church earlier.
Brady wanted to apologize to Nicole, but Kristen reasoned that it would probably be best for him to give Nicole some space. Kristen suggested that Brady could instead go over to the Horton house to find out why Jennifer had tried to contact her earlier, since Kristen couldn't do so herself because she wanted to try to smooth things over with Eric right away. Brady wanted to accompany Kristen to her meeting with Eric, but she didn't think that would be a good idea because the brothers seemed to have a way of pushing each other's buttons.
After Kristen left, Brady spotted Hope passing through the area. Brady wondered if Hope was going to be able to attend the wedding, and she noncommittally replied that she was going to try her best to be there. Brady hoped that Ciara could be the flower girl, but Hope explained that, while Ciara would love to be a part of the wedding ceremony, she had made plans months earlier to attend a Broadway performance of Matilda in New York with Doug and Julie that night.
Brady sensed that Hope was kind of relieved that Ciara would not be able to attend and participate in the wedding ceremony. Hope gently confirmed Brady's suspicion, explaining that she didn't want Ciara to start idealizing and romanticizing Kristen, whom Hope still didn't trust. Brady understood, but he confidently assured Hope that he and Kristen were going to prove everyone wrong and have a good, solid marriage together. Despite her obvious doubts, Hope replied that she sincerely hoped that Brady's prediction would turn out to be accurate.
Later, at the Brady Pub, Hope and Abigail conversed over cups of coffee. Hope was pleased to hear that J.J. had promised to give up drugs for good, since Jennifer could use some good news after what had happened the previous night. Confused, Abigail asked Hope to elaborate, so she reluctantly told Abigail about Theresa's overdose and the fact that Daniel was apparently dating Theresa. Shocked, Abigail wondered why Jennifer hadn't said anything about the matter earlier.
Later, Brady went to the Horton house to talk to Jennifer, who apologetically revealed that she wasn't going to be able to attend the wedding. Jennifer explained that she simply couldn't be in the same room with Daniel, who had moved on with someone else.
At St. Luke's, Eric conceded that what had happened between him and Nicole had not been entirely her fault, since he should have been more aware of her feelings for him all along. Eric informed Nicole that she could stop feigning innocence because he didn't plan to tell anyone, including the police, about her crime, even if more evidence surfaced later.
Nicole insisted that she was innocent and that she could never do such a horrible thing to anyone, especially someone whom she loved. "Didn't you love E.J. when you faked a pregnancy just to stay with him? Didn't you love Daniel when you told him that Jennifer pushed you down the stairs? I think your track record speaks for itself," Eric countered. Eric couldn't believe that he had once thought of Nicole as his guardian angel.
"You hurt me in more ways that you can even imagine. Do you have any idea what you've done to me? I took a vow -- a vow of chastity -- and you defiled that. You defiled me," Eric angrily summarized. Frustrated, Nicole reached for a nearby Bible, placed her hand on top of it, and swore to God that she had not done the things that Eric had accused her of doing, but he snatched it out of her hands and warned her to refrain from taking God's name in vain after the despicable things that she had done.
"Eric, I know what you're going through. I know the -- the anger and I know the rage, and you know how I know that? Because I was abused as a kid. You know I was. I know what you're going through, and I would never, in a million years, do that to someone else. But you don't believe me. Some desk clerk's word means more than mine because I am what I've always been -- a lying slut," Nicole tearfully realized when Eric remained silent and refused to look at her. Nicole sadly grabbed her purse and stormed out of Eric's office.
Nicole went to Club TBD, ordered a martini, and deleted a photograph of Eric from her cell phone. Later, Nicole went to Daniel's apartment, but no one responded when she pounded on his door and loudly announced that she really needed to talk to him. As Nicole sadly started to walk away in defeat, Daniel exited the elevator and wondered what she was doing at his apartment. Nicole broke down in Daniel's arms as she admitted that she had been unable to think of another place to go.
Daniel invited Nicole into his apartment, where she tearfully started to explain what Eric had accused her of doing. Unable to say the actual words, Nicole changed her mind and instead simply stressed that Eric was wrong about her. Daniel tried to assure Nicole that everything would eventually work out, but she wasn't convinced and insisted that she could never see Eric again. As she continued to insist that she was innocent, Daniel escorted Nicole to his bedroom so that she could lie down for a while.
As Nicole tried to rest, she had a nightmare about Hope barging into Daniel's apartment and arresting her as Eric declared that she was going to spend the rest of her life in prison and the rest of eternity burning in hell. Meanwhile, J.J. visited Daniel to find out if Theresa had said anything about what had happened the previous night.
Daniel informed J.J. that Theresa's memory of the previous night was fuzzy, which meant that no one would know that J.J. had been with her when she had overdosed as long as J.J. and Daniel stuck to their original story. J.J. pointed out that Daniel was going to be stuck covering for him indefinitely and that everyone was going to believe that Daniel had gone to Theresa's apartment to sleep with her. "Yeah, well, that's a lot better than you going to prison," Daniel reasoned, unaware that Nicole was standing in the doorway to his bedroom.
At St. Luke's, Eric was staring at a book of matches from the Capitol Plaza Hotel when Kristen entered his office. Kristen admitted that she had also known about Nicole's crush on Eric and that she and Brady had each felt that it wasn't their place to share that information with him, but he refused to see their side of the matter. Kristen struggled to understand why Eric was uncharacteristically upset about an innocent little crush.
"Nothing about that was innocent! Do you have any idea what she did?" Eric angrily countered. Confused, Kristen wondered what Eric was talking about, but he quickly regained his composure and evasively stated that he didn't want to discuss the matter. Kristen's eyes happened to fall on the book of matches that was laying on Eric's desk, and she wondered if his anger had something to do with what had happened to him at the capital.
Recalling Eric and Brady's previous discussion about Daniel's suspicion that someone had poisoned Eric at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, Kristen innocently wondered if Eric had remembered something that had made him believe that Nicole was the culprit. Eric insisted that the matter was none of Kristen's business, and she conceded his point.
"But, I mean, if that was the case, then I would totally understand because it just kind of makes sense, you know? That's how Nicole is, right? I mean, she's so extreme and over-the-top, and if she, in fact, did poison you, she probably wanted to rescue you, you know? So she could be the big hero. And if she did something like that, I could totally understand why you'd be upset," Kristen innocently added. Eric remained silent, prompting Kristen to wonder if there was more to the story.
Eric once again refused to discuss the matter with Kristen, so she changed the subject and issued another apology on Brady's behalf. Kristen hoped that Eric would still be willing to perform the wedding ceremony the following day, but he was only willing to agree to consider changing his mind. Eric abruptly excused himself and told Kristen to show herself out.
After Eric left, Kristen picked up the book of matches and fearfully wondered how much he had remembered about the events that had taken place at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. "Whatever Eric remembers, he seems to think that it was Nicole, which works out great for me. Oh, God, wait -- if he remembered that much, is he gonna figure out that it was me? Yes! So I have to know exactly what's in Eric's head. The only person that he ever opens up to is Daniel, so that's what I need to do -- I need to pay a visit to Dr. Jonas," Kristen reasoned as she exited Eric's office.
Marlena entered Daniel's office, but Daniel wasn't there, so she decided to leave a note for him. As she searched Daniel's desk for a pen, Marlena discovered the flash drive and recognized it as the one that had once been in her purse because it was still coated with some of the makeup that she had spilled on it earlier. "Oh, my God -- Kristen's flash drive!" Marlena muttered as she laughed with delight.
As Kristen was leaving St. Luke's rectory to talk to Daniel about what Eric had remembered, she ran into Eric, who demanded to speak to her immediately. "After we talked earlier, I realized I was completely wrong about everything. Now I see the truth," Eric said very seriously. He explained that although he wasn't happy about Kristen and Brady not being honest with him about Nicole, he would still perform their wedding ceremony. A grateful and relieved Kristen offered to listen if Eric needed to talk about his problem with Nicole, but he urged Kristen to just forget anything he'd said about Nicole.
At the hospital, Kayla informed Theresa that she hadn't been able to reach Theresa's parents yet. "You screwed up big-time, kid, but I guess you get a second chance. Use it wisely, all right?" Kayla advised. She kissed Theresa on the forehead and left.
At the Horton house, Jennifer revealed to Brady that Daniel had taken his "latest fling" to the hospital when she'd overdosed. Brady quickly deduced that Jennifer was referring to Theresa. Jennifer confirmed it, "That's right: a vindictive little snake who just wants to make my life a nightmare." Jennifer believed that Daniel had been seeing Theresa just to hurt Jennifer, but Brady didn't think that sounded like Daniel. Jennifer maintained that Daniel was not the man either of them had thought he was.
When Kayla and Hope arrived, Jennifer admitted that she didn't know with certainty that Daniel had chosen to be with Theresa out of spite, but she did know that she didn't feel like watching Brady and Kristen pledge their love and fidelity to one another. Jennifer began to get emotional, so Hope put her arms around her cousin and reassured Jennifer that she didn't have to go to the wedding. Brady offered to talk to Daniel to try to figure things out.
After Brady had gone, Kayla told Jennifer, "Daniel said that Theresa called him, and he went over there, and he found her passed out." Jennifer acknowledged that she had hurt Daniel, but it was very out of character for him to choose to be with Theresa to hurt Jennifer. Hope suggested that there might be another explanation, but Jennifer asserted that if there were, Daniel would have given it already. Jennifer hinted that she needed to be alone, so Hope and Kayla left after giving Jennifer supportive hugs.
Once she was alone, Jennifer tried to convince herself, "It really, really doesn't matter," but she wondered, "Then why does it hurt so much?"
When Eric stopped at the hospital to check on Theresa, she admitted that she was embarrassed about what had happened, although she couldn't remember any of it. Eric reassured her that everyone made mistakes; what mattered was how they handled the mistakes. Theresa admitted, "I don't think I'm cut out to be as pure and saintly as you." Theresa observed that Eric didn't really seem like himself. Before he could respond, Hope arrived, so Eric took that as his cue to leave.
Theresa admitted that she didn't remember having drugs on her the night before. "For all I know, somebody could have slipped them to me," Theresa speculated, but Hope was skeptical. Hope asked, "Is there anything else you remember? Do you recall me coming by your apartment, and we had a conversation?" Theresa said she couldn't remember any of that.
As Maggie was wrapping a gift in the living room of the Kiriakis mansion, Victor presented her with a bouquet of flowers and reassured her that he and Marlena weren't planning to do anything that would hurt anyone. Maggie believed her husband as far as Marlena was concerned, but she suspected that Victor was trying to manipulate Marlena into doing something that Maggie wouldn't want him to do. However, Maggie accepted the flowers and agreed to a truce -- as long as Victor promised not to hurt anyone she loved.
Brady stopped by the mansion to talk to Maggie about what was going on with Theresa Donovan and Daniel. Maggie said that Daniel had refused to talk about it, and she didn't understand how he could have been so insensitive to Jennifer. Victor protested that Daniel had saved a young woman's life, and Victor wondered why Maggie wasn't on her son's side. As Maggie stepped out of the room to take a phone call from Chez Rouge, she insisted that she was on Daniel's side.
When Brady said that Daniel's actions had really upset Jennifer, an unsympathetic Victor pointed out that she had dumped Daniel. "He's family. He's my godson, Maggie's son. My loyalties are first and foremost to him, just as they are to you. Which means tomorrow, I'll be there at your wedding while you vow to honor and love the psychopath of your dreams," Victor declared irritably.
At Daniel's apartment, Nicole emerged from the bedroom in time to overhear a conversation between Daniel and J.J. in which they revealed that J.J. had been with Theresa when she'd overdosed. "Oh, my God, anyone but her," a dismayed J.J. muttered when he saw Nicole. After promising Nicole that he would explain later, Daniel took J.J. into the hall so they could speak privately.
"She hates my guts!" J.J. worried, convinced that Nicole would blab. Daniel urged J.J. to calm down. He instructed J.J. to meet him at Daniel's office in an hour and gave J.J. a key to let himself in via the back stairs if the door were locked.
After J.J. had gone, Daniel went back inside and briefly outlined what had happened with Theresa and J.J. for Nicole. Nicole was incredulous that Daniel had covered for J.J., but Daniel explained that he had done it to keep J.J. out of prison. Nicole wanted to know why J.J. had mentioned people thinking Daniel had slept with Theresa. Daniel said that there was no other way to explain his presence at Theresa's without implicating J.J.
"You are risking your reputation for a kid who hates you," Nicole worried, then quickly deduced, "Because you love his mother. That's why you're doing this, aren't you?" Daniel maintained that it would destroy Jennifer if her son went to prison. He pleaded with Nicole to honor all the times he'd kept secrets for her by not telling anyone. Nicole was worried for Daniel about how Jennifer would react if she heard that he had slept with "her son's little drug buddy." Daniel argued that Jennifer could deal with that much more easily than with losing J.J.
Daniel pleaded with Nicole not to tell anyone, and finally she promised him that she wouldn't. "Love sucks, doesn't it? [...] Isn't it fun when the person you love most in this world thinks that you're..." Nicole began. Although she stopped herself before finishing the sentence, Daniel caught it. He remembered that she had shown up there because she'd been upset about Eric. "The person you love most in the world is Eric? Oh, God," Daniel exclaimed.
Daniel asked how long Nicole had been in love with Eric. "Almost since the day he got back," Nicole admitted. When Daniel wondered why she had gone to work at the church when it meant she would have to spend endless hours with a man who was completely unavailable, Nicole confided sadly that Eric had been her first love, "the one that got away." "He was always sexy, but then he came back sexy and saintly -- Albert Schweitzer played by Ryan Gosling," she said with a sheepish smile.
Nicole continued that she had tried to keep her feelings from Eric, and the timing had been terrible when he had found out. "And now, in his eyes, he thinks I had motive to do what I did," she added. Daniel asked what Eric thought Nicole had done. "He thinks I drugged and raped him," Nicole admitted, anguished tears filling her eyes.
A horrified Daniel asserted that Eric should fill in more details in his hazy memory before accusing Nicole of something like that. When Nicole said that Eric wasn't thinking straight and she was worried about him, Daniel was incredulous that she would defend the man who had accused her of rape. Nicole countered that Jennifer had dumped Daniel, but he'd still taken the rap for her kid. Nicole fretted tearfully, "Something happened to Eric that night. Someone did something to him."
While Daniel recalled details about the night Eric had gotten sick, Nicole revealed that the hotel desk clerk had told Eric that the dark-haired woman in the lobby had been her -- plus the woman had used the name "Fay Taylor," the names of Nicole's mother and sister. "Yes, I have done some horrible, terrible things, but I did not do this, Daniel. I swear. I swear I didn't. Please tell me you believe me. I know how many times that I've lied to you, Daniel, but I swear -- I swear I did not do this," Nicole pleaded, breaking down in sobs.
Daniel assured Nicole that he believed her, because he knew she wouldn't do something like that. Embracing him gratefully, Nicole cried that she felt very alone. Daniel offered to talk to Eric. "Not yet, okay? I mean, there's more I should tell you, but I just don't feel like it right now," Nicole admitted. She asked if she could stay there while Daniel went to talk to J.J. Daniel encouraged her to stay in the guest room, because he didn't think she should be alone. He tried to reassure Nicole that Eric would soon realize the truth and know that she hadn't done anything wrong, but Nicole didn't see how that was possible.
While Sonny worked behind the bar at Club TBD, Abigail vented to him about what an "evil bitch" Theresa Donovan was. When J.J. arrived, Abigail informed him that not only had Theresa overdosed, but she had also been "having a thing" with Daniel. Abigail believed that Theresa had only been after Daniel to get back at Jennifer. J.J. asserted, "Theresa's a user in every meaning of the word. She takes drugs, and she uses people. She doesn't care what happens to them or if it ruins their lives."
Taken aback, Abigail said that she'd thought J.J. liked Theresa. J.J. explained, "Now that I have my head on straight, I can see what she was really like. And even before, I never liked the way she treated Mom." Abigail maintained that Daniel should have exercised more restraint about Theresa. When J.J. didn't respond, Abigail wondered why he hadn't used the opening to malign Daniel.
With a shrug, J.J. said that it would be pointless because Daniel was going to pay for what had happened. Changing the subject, J.J. asked Sonny about Will, and Abigail wanted to know if Sonny had told Will about Theresa. Sonny said that he hadn't wanted to worry Will, since he had just gotten to Berkeley. J.J. asked why Abigail and Chad had broken up, but she would only say that things just hadn't worked out.
When Sonny stepped away to respond to a text message from Will, J.J. jokingly offered to beat Chad up if it would help his sister feel better. Abigail declared that she was glad to have her brother back, and she was relieved that he'd wised up before he'd gotten into any more trouble. As he headed out, J.J. reassured his sister that she didn't need to worry about him anymore.
Marlena was so elated when she found Kristen's flash drive on Daniel's desk that she threw back her head and giggled with glee. She was hopeful that whatever was on the drive would make Brady leave Kristen for good. Before Marlena could do anything with the drive, Anne walked in, so Marlena furtively slipped the drive into her pocket -- except that it fell on the floor instead. Anne demanded to know why Marlena wasn't leaving a note for Daniel, as discussed. Marlena said that she'd decided to call Daniel the next day.
Anne insistently asserted that what Dr. Jonas had done was unethical and possibly criminal. Marlena accused Anne of having a vendetta. When Anne refused to let Marlena leave, Marlena reminded Anne that she was Anne's superior. "You have challenged my authority and questioned my integrity," Marlena admonished the woman. Marlena continued that Anne had openly attacked Dr. Jonas, a doctor with a sterling reputation who saved lives, while Anne, a "person who files," antagonized or intimidated nearly everyone at the hospital.
Anne became defensive about her job and reputation. Marlena asserted that Anne was insecure and manipulative, and Marlena would not allow Dr. Jonas to become Anne's victim. "If you don't back off, you will find yourself up on charges," Marlena warned. Anne countered that Marlena could take her complaints to the chief of staff or hospital board. "I happen to be a highly respected senior executive here at this hospital, Doctor Evans -- your vicious and self-righteous rant notwithstanding," Anne spat before storming out.
After he left Theresa's room, Eric stopped to get a cup of coffee near the nurses' station. Anne showed up and introduced herself as Theresa's boss and friend. Anne cautioned Eric that his mother seemed determined to let Daniel get away without taking any responsibility for what had happened to Theresa. Eric was confused about what Daniel had to do with it. Anne explained that Daniel had been with Theresa when she'd overdosed. "From what I hear, he was working on his bedside manner, if you get my meaning," Anne said conspiratorially before walking away.
When Kayla stopped at the nurses' station, Eric approached her and began, "I just heard some very vile innuendo." Kayla immediately deduced that he'd been talking to Anne Milbauer. Eric asked why Daniel had been at Theresa's apartment, but Kayla said that she didn't really know.
When Marlena realized that the flash drive wasn't in her pocket, she searched the floor of Daniel's office until she spotted it next to the desk. Before she could retrieve it, Kristen walked in. Surprised that Marlena was in Daniel's office, Kristen asked where Dr. Jonas was. Marlena informed her that Daniel had left for the day. After the women exchanged their customary barbs, Kristen started to leave but first asked why Marlena seemed a little jumpy.
Although she was still trying to retrieve the flash drive with her foot, Marlena maintained that she was simply edgy because she'd run into Kristen. Kristen got a text message from Brady and taunted Marlena about the wedding a little. "I wouldn't be so cocky if I had as many skeletons in my closet as you do. Wouldn't it be a shame if one of those fell out right before the wedding?" Marlena mused. Kristen maintained that she no longer kept secrets from Brady, but Marlena countered that they both knew that wasn't true.
"If you're referring to the trash that Nicole is spreading, it's all a bunch of lies," Kristen insisted. Marlena kept needling her about the affair. Finally, a clearly uncomfortable Kristen adamantly declared that it didn't matter what anyone else believed, because Brady believed her -- and nothing would ever convince him otherwise. After Kristen stomped out, Marlena picked up the flash drive. "Not so sure you're right about that," Marlena chirped to herself.
As Kristen got off the elevator at Daniel's apartment building, she muttered, "Daniel, I hope you can tell me what's going on in Eric's mind, how much he remembers." She was taken aback when Nicole answered Daniel's door. "What the hell are you doing here?" Kristen demanded. "I could ask you the same question," Nicole countered, wrinkling her nose in distaste.
J.J. was waiting in Daniel's office in the dark when Daniel arrived. Daniel reassured J.J. that Nicole wouldn't say anything, but J.J. started worrying about what Theresa might say. Just then, Jennifer stuck her head in the door and was stunned when she saw her son there. "J.J., what are you doing here?" she asked.
Back in her office, Marlena wondered aloud why the flash drive had been in Daniel's office, since she didn't believe he would ever get involved with Kristen. She inserted the flash drive into her computer to see if it contained evidence of Kristen's affair. As Marlena stared at the screen, suddenly she gasped. "No! No, it can't be!" she exclaimed.
