Melanie received a note that said someone saw her in the cemetery and knew what happened, so she burned it. Nick knocked on the door and noticed the smell of smoke, but Melanie lied, saying she had smoked a cigarette. Nick said he saw Melanie's video blog and noticed how sad she was, so he came over to see if he could help. That's when he noticed her suitcase and asked what was going on.

Melanie said she was leaving Salem, because the whole town thought she was a murderer. Nick believed she didn't kill Trent, and he wanted to help her. He promised to be by her side through it all to protect and defend her, because he thought they had a connection.

Chelsea went to the Java Café to research lung cancer. She confided in the owner of the Java Café that her grandmother, Kate, never smoked, and Chelsea felt guilty for telling Kate that she wanted Kate out of her life for good. Chelsea felt sad because she thought she might have gotten her wish.

At the DiMera mansion, Nicole read up on pregnancy and got more information than she had bargained for. She found out the reason why she was having cramps - because her uterus was expanding to fit the baby - but other issues like varicose veins and an episiotomy grossed her out. She wondered where E.J. went and said E.J. had better not be holding Sami's hand while Nicole was pregnant with his baby.

E.J. asked Sami why his son, Johnny, mentioned the word baby when Johnny touched her stomach. Sami put Johnny down for a nap, but E.J. wouldn't drop the subject. He sensed she was acting shifty, and Sami blamed it on getting ready to go into witness protection. Lucas discreetly reminded Sami to relax because she was pregnant, when Chloe walked in demanding to know why Sami was still there. Lucas explained that Sami was having a hard time saying goodbye to her children.

E.J. still wouldn't drop the subject about Johnny saying "baby," and Sami explained that he was probably referring to Johnny's sister, Allie, because Sami and her twin brother, Eric, had a special language, too. Roman agreed with Sami, saying that Eric used to call her baby, because he didn't know how to say her name.

Sami asked Lucas and E.J. to make sure the twins spent a lot of time together while she was in witness protection. Lucas said he had no problem with that, and neither did E.J., who added that he'd never try to separate a child from his flesh and blood.

Roman said it was time to leave, and while Sami was saying a heartfelt goodbye to her babies, E.J. slipped something into Sami's purse. E.J. said goodbye to Sami and left with Johnny, and then Lucas took Allie and said goodbye to Sami. Sami walked out crying, and Roman tried to comfort her. Then he introduced her to her police guard, Darrell. Sami was to do whatever Darrell told her to do, Roman explained. Roman said she couldn't have any contact with family or friends, especially E.J. and the DiMeras.

After Sami left, Lucas put Allie down for a nap, and he told Chloe that his daughter was mumbling about Sami. Chloe noticed that Lucas seemed heartbroken, but he covered and said he was sad for Allie's sake. There was no love lost between Chloe and Sami, Chloe said. And then she accused Lucas of being heartbroken that Sami was gone and being mad at Chloe because she was glad Sami left.

Back at the mansion, E.J. returned to an upset Nicole, and Nicole accused him of playing Sami's protector. E.J. said he went to the Horton cabin to check on his son to make sure he was safe. Nicole asked how Johnny was doing and then apologized for being snarky and impatient. She asked what happened, and E.J. told her that someone tried to kill Sami while he was visiting her at the cabin. Then he excused himself and left to get some fresh air. He asked Nicole to watch Johnny while he was gone, and she agreed, but right after he left, Johnny started crying.

Roman and Darrell took Sami to her new place under the witness protection program. After Roman left, Darrell explained to her that he was going to run all her errands and she could not go anywhere. Sami was shocked that she was not allowed out of the house even if she was disguised. Meanwhile, the killer was outside looking for her.

Darrell wanted to light up a cigarette inside, but Sami told him she was allergic to smoke, so he agreed to take it outside, and, to make Sami feel more comfortable, he left her with a pair of handcuffs. Sami found the envelope that E.J. had left for her with pictures of her kids. Darrell walked in and saw Sami with the photos and questioned her. He started to search Sami's bag in case E.J. had hidden a tracking device among her things when they heard a noise outside. Darrell went out to look into it. Meanwhile, the killer was on the phone, explaining to someone that Sami had dropped out of sight, but he promised that Sami would not get away.

Nicole tried to entertain Johnny to get him to stop crying, but nothing worked. Then it occurred to her that he might need a diaper change. Nicole changed his diaper, but Johnny started crying again, so she gave him his sippy cup, and Johnny threw his milk at her. When E.J. returned, Nicole was holding Johnny on her lap, and she was asleep.

Nicole woke up holding her dog instead of E.J.'s son, and she freaked out, calling for him and looking for him in the living room. E.J. walked in and asked her what she did with his son, and then he laughed and admitted that he'd just put Johnny upstairs in bed. E.J. asked how Johnny was, and Nicole lied and said Johnny was no problem at all. E.J. tried to kiss Nicole, but they heard over the baby monitor that Johnny woke up again. Nicole asked him when Sami was coming back, and E.J. said Sami wasn't coming back for a very long time.

Chloe went on and on about how thrilled she was that Sami had left, and when Lucas was finally able to get a word in edgewise, he said he felt the same way, because Sami had driven him nuts his whole life. Chloe asked Lucas to forgive her for being paranoid. She said they might have to accept that the killer might be caught and Sami might be back soon, but Lucas didn't think so. Chloe realized that Sami was using the witness protection program as an excuse to stay away long enough to have her baby in secret.

Lucas swore Chloe to secrecy over Sami's pregnancy. Chloe brought up all of Sami's past schemes and asked Lucas why Sami would keep her pregnancy from E.J., but Lucas couldn't understand it himself.

Melanie and Nick went to the Java Café, and she told him he was one of the only people who wanted to help her. Melanie excused herself and went to the bathroom, and Chelsea noticed Nick sitting by himself. The owner of the Java Café suggested Chelsea talk to Nick about what she was going through, but when she went over to talk to him, Nick blew her off.

Chelsea looked over her shoulder and saw Melanie, realizing Nick was in the middle of a date. Chelsea realized she and Nick weren't as close as she thought they were. Then Chelsea asked Melanie if she was having fun with Chelsea's ex-boyfriend, and Melanie said she was. Then Chelsea told her that Nick didn't see her for the loser bitch that she was. Nick defended Melanie to Chelsea, but Chelsea had no sympathy, and accused Melanie of murdering her own father.

Then Melanie took the gloves off brought up how Chelsea mowed down her own brother and left him to die on the side of the road, so Chelsea slapped her. Chelsea brought up how she once dated Max and how Max deserved better than to have a sister like Melanie. Chelsea told Nick she felt bad for him and stormed off. Melanie wanted Nick to take her home, but he convinced her to stay and have some tea. While Nick was off getting her tea, Melanie looked up information on a flight out of Salem.

At Salem Hospital, an emotional Chelsea asked Daniel whether Kate would die. Reluctant to discuss Kate's prognosis, Daniel gently warned Chelsea that there was no way to know how Kate would respond to treatment. When Chelsea talked about regretting the things she said to Kate before her diagnosis, Daniel attempted to comfort Chelsea by telling her that Kate would surely forgive her. Almost in tears, Chelsea explained to Daniel that she needed to tell Kate how important she was to her. Chelsea further explained her desire to put aside her "petty feelings" about Kate's affair with Daniel in order to support Kate. After Daniel set off to pick up Kate, Chelsea thought about when Kate sat at her bedside while she was sick after the transplant. "I have to help her. I have to help her the way she helped me," Chelsea cried.

In the park, Kate explained to Philip and Lucas that she needed their help with her future. Immediately understanding what Kate meant, Philip asked Kate if the biopsy results had come in. Kate explained that she had lung cancer and both sons immediately rallied around her for support. When Philip asked how he could help, Kate asked Philip to release Lucas from his contract so that he would be free to run her company while she took a leave of absence. Lucas was not convinced that Kate should accept her diagnosis right away, and urged her to get a second opinion. Kate was resistant to Lucas' protestations and urged him to accept her decision to move ahead with the chemotherapy treatment. Daniel arrived to pick up Kate and, while Lucas pulled Daniel aside to talk, a teary-eyed Philip hugged Kate.

Off to the side, Lucas pushed Daniel to get a second opinion on Kate's diagnosis. When Lucas suggested that Daniel's feelings for Kate were clouding his judgment, an offended Daniel snapped at Lucas. Lucas apologized for getting protective, but warned Daniel that inside, Kate was quite fragile, and he felt like he needed to protect her. Daniel told Lucas he understood and the two rejoined Philip and Kate to accompany her to the hospital for treatment.

At the hospital, the doctor explained the treatment and side effects to Kate, while Philip and Lucas sat at her bedside. Once the doctor left the three alone, Lucas and Philip did their best to cheer Kate up. With a tired smile on her face, Kate begged her sons to give her some alone time. Philip headed out the door but Lucas lingered behind. When Lucas refused to leave Kate's side, Kate ordered him to check on her company, and Lucas reluctantly agreed. With tears slowly sliding down her cheeks Kate sat in bed alone. Suddenly, Chelsea rushed in and pressed a St. Sophia medal into Kate's hand explaining that Victor had given it to her when she was in the hospital. Before Kate could respond, Chelsea hurried back out the door and down the hallway.

At the Java Café, a reporter from the Spectator explained his "Day in the Life" story plans to Abe and Lexie. Lexie began to get nervous and told Abe that she was afraid how Theo would react to the photo shoot for the story. Upset about Lexie's change of heart, Abe demanded that she explain why she had brought Theo down to the photo shoot if she had no intention of going through with the story for the paper. Trying to explain her fears, Lexie told Abe that she worried that Theo might act out during the photo shoot and that their plan for a positive story in the Spectator would backfire. After giving Theo a toy to play with, Lexie pulled Abe aside to discuss her fears of how people would comment on them as parents.

While Abe tried to assuage Lexie's fears, Theo wandered over to a nearby table and threw a full coffee mug on the floor. When the owner of the coffee tried to grab Theo's arm, Theo howled. Lexie and Abe darted over to their son, and Lexie began to bicker with the woman who had confronted Theo. As the woman noted that she had remembered them from the press conference and what the babysitter had said about their child, a furious Lexie lashed out at the woman in order to protect her son. Abe pulled Lexie aside and passionately told her how proud he was of her as a mother, and finished, "The three of us, we stick together." When the reporter came over to explain that the photo shoot would be delayed, Abe told Lexie to head home with Theo, but if she decided not to return, he would understand. Smiling softly, Lexie responded that she would return, "Because we're a family and we stick together."

At the Salem Pub, Bo and Hope stopped by to visit Melanie. When Hope headed upstairs, Max pulled Bo aside and warned Bo that that he was starting to believe he made a mistake in believing Melanie. "I think Melanie is the one who killed Trent Robbins," Max said.

Melanie woke up in bed and noticed a note that had been slipped under the door. Melanie picked it up and opened it. It read, "I saw you at the cemetery. I know what happened." Scared, Melanie balled up the paper and threw it in the trash. When Melanie turned around, she found another note with the same message on her pillow and another on the foot of her bed. Suddenly, Melanie sat up in bed and realized she had only been dreaming about the notes, and that someone was knocking on her door. Melanie opened the door to find Hope, who ordered her to get dressed and meet her downstairs.

Hope returned to the pub and listened to Max confide in Bo that he was beginning to believe Melanie was guilty of murdering Trent. Max suggested that he understood why she might have done it, and told Bo that he was not defending her; he was only worried that Melanie might do something desperate. Right on cue, Melanie walked by the front windows of the pub with a suitcase in tow. Bo and Hope hurriedly rushed out to stop Melanie from leaving, just as she was calling a cab to pick her up. When Bo reminded her that she was not to leave town, Melanie countered that since there was no proof, she could go wherever she wanted. Just as Melanie attempted to prove her point by walking off, Bo stopped her cold in her tracks by announcing that Trent's lawyer was about to read Trent's will.

At the police station, Trent's lawyer read the will, which announced that all of Trent's possessions and interests would go to Melanie. The lawyer then told the group that there was a codicil to the will that bequeathed a box to Max. Still resistant to accept anything from Trent, Max declined to accept the gift and walked out of the station. Melanie offered to take the box, but Bo interceded and offered to give the box to Max himself. Bo headed outside to talk to Max, and left the lawyer alone with Melanie. The lawyer advised Melanie that he had an envelope that was to be opened during the reading of the will. Melanie urged the lawyer to give her the envelope, and he finally relented, but made her promise to do the right thing and pass it on to the cops after she read it. When the lawyer left, Melanie tore open the envelope. Before Melanie could read the contents of the mysterious envelope, Bo and Hope returned and grilled her about her discussion with the lawyer. When Melanie made it clear that she was not going to tell them anything, Bo said, "The letter. Aren't you at least gonna tell us what's in it?"

At the safe house, Sami tried surreptitiously to call the clinic regarding her prenatal appointment, but Darrell caught her and wrestled the phone away from her. When he saw that she'd called the clinic, he asked why, so Sami claimed she thought she had food poisoning. Just as he was accusing her of faking, she made a mad dash for the bathroom to throw up. When she emerged, Darrell confessed he was surprised, explaining that a lot of people in witness protection faked being sick just to have some contact with the outside world. Sami asked if he would take her to the clinic, since she really was sick. He refused, but offered to get her some ginger ale to settle her stomach. Sami, miffed, pointed out that her dad would not be happy to learn Darrell had refused to help her when she was sick. Darrell reluctantly agreed to see what he could do, and went outside with a cigar. "Way to deliver on the morning sickness," Sami muttered to her swelling midsection, "but let's not do that again, okay?"

A little later, Sami was lying on the couch looking miserable when Darrell returned with a bottle of ginger ale. Sami asked if he'd changed his mind about taking her to see a doctor. Before Darrell could explain why not, a blindfolded man appeared in the doorway, startling Sami. Darrell led the man in and introduced him as Sami's doctor.

As Darrell removed the doctor's blindfold, Sami started complaining again, questioning whether the man was even a real doctor. "My diagnosis is that she's a spoiled bitch," Darrell told the doctor, loud enough for Sami to hear. The doctor produced his license for Sami to inspect, and she apologized for being rude. When he asked about her symptoms, Sami realized that Darrell was listening and told him to leave. Darrell refused, but the doctor agreed with Sami that a medical exam required privacy, and threatened to turn Darrell into the AMA and the FBI. Darrell grudgingly left to wait outside.

As soon as Darrell was out of earshot, Sami confessed that she wasn't really sick-but she was pregnant, and very concerned about her baby. After the doctor had examined her, he pronounced both Sami and the baby in good health. He reminded her to keep taking her prenatal vitamins, and was recommending that she not keep her pregnancy a secret any longer when Darrell came back in. The doctor admonished Darrell to keep Sami's stress to a minimum, and to make sure she ate a good diet and got regular exercise-and that she got follow-up medical care. Darrell agreed, but impatiently insisted that he take the doctor back immediately. The doctor warmly told Sami to take care of herself, and as Darrell was putting the blindfold back on, Sami mischievously suggested that the doctor use the car ride to lecture Darrell about smoking. Darrell shot her a dirty look as he led the doctor out.

Darrell returned later to find Sami doing yoga poses, but she confessed that exercising was only making her hungry. When she went into the kitchen to look for pickles, Darrell accused her again of faking her illness. He pointed out that if Sami really had food poisoning, the doctor would have asked him about what she'd eaten, adding that every person they came in contact with increased the risk of someone finding her. Sami dismissed his concerns as paranoia, but Darrell replied that he didn't have to care anymore because he'd been reassigned.

When they heard a knock at the door later, Darrell went to answer it, declaring he was leaving. Sami, still munching pickles, replied, "Huzzah! Nice knowing you. Have fun on your next stalag." Darrell opened the door and admitted his replacement, advising her, "Put in for hazard pay. She's a real pain in the butt." He left, closing the door behind him. Sami rose and extended her hand as she introduced herself. The guard shook Sami's hand. "I'm Hilda, your worst nightmare," she declared, and Sami chuckled uncertainly.

Philip was working on his laptop at the Java Café when Chloe came in and joined him. He quickly closed his computer and Chloe apologized for interrupting, but asked if Philip had seen Lucas. Philip took a deep breath and informed Chloe that he and Lucas had just been at the hospital, because their mother had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He added that he didn't know where Lucas was because Kate had asked them to leave. Philip confided that he was scared to death, although Chloe reminded him that she had beat cancer. Philip vowed to read as much as he could about cancer, which Chloe said was a good idea, as long as he balanced any scary statistics he found with more positive, hopeful information. They agreed that Kate's strength and tenacity would go a long way.

Philip said he was glad Lucas had Chloe, because the Roberts family wasn't great about talking to each other when times were tough. Chloe realized that Philip didn't really have anyone to confide in, and reassured him that she would be there for both him and Lucas. Philip maintained that he didn't need anyone, and besides, he didn't want to screw up what she had with Lucas. Chloe lightheartedly retorted that Philip was mighty arrogant if he thought he was so irresistible that she wouldn't be able to keep her hands off of him. He laughed and said she never let him get away with anything. Chloe replied that, despite being crazy about Lucas, she could still be a friend to Philip when he needed her.

Nicole was in the living room of the DiMera mansion, going over plans for decorating the nursery with a rather demanding designer, when E.J. came in. When he heard what the women had been discussing, he asked to speak to Nicole in private. Cynthia, the designer, cautioned that she would bill Nicole for a full consultation, and left-after deeming the mansion's décor "gothic gangster." Nicole then apologized to E.J. for overstepping her bounds, but he assured her that he wasn't angry-though he thought they should discuss marriage before they discussed redecorating.

Nicole was surprised and thrilled when E.J. assured her that marriage was a possibility for them, but her face fell when he pointed out that they'd need to work out a custody agreement if they didn't get married. E.J. reminded her that they were both practical, and Nicole replied that above all else, she wanted their child to be happy. E.J. agreed, adding that he wanted to discuss marriage because he worried about what sharing custody with Sami was doing to Johnny in the long run. Nicole declared that if he were trying to claim ownership of the baby by proposing marriage, she would have to think about it. E.J. chuckled and happily pointed out that she had just put someone else's needs above her own. Surprised, Nicole asserted that the baby was very lucky to have E.J. for a father.

At the police station, Bo and Hope interrupted Melanie as she tried to read the letter her father had left her with his will, so she stuffed it in her purse. They tried to get her to at least acknowledge the letter's existence, and when she played dumb, they informed her that they had set her up-with the help of Mr. Berman, her father's lawyer. Bo and Hope let Melanie know in no uncertain terms that they were tired of her games, and Bo asked her again to hand over the letter. Melanie reluctantly complied. Bo donned gloves to open the envelope, and then he and Hope fell silent as they read it.

Melanie asked what it said, but Bo and Hope wouldn't tell her. They pointed out that it was evidence, and told her she could leave. They went about the business of sealing it in an evidence bag and logging it into the computer, ignoring Melanie as she declared that the letter must have cleared her, otherwise she'd be wearing handcuffs. She went on, ranting that she was going to file a harassment suit against them, but Hope only calmly handed Melanie the phone number to call to complain. Melanie ripped the card in half and told them to go to hell, then left, slamming the door behind her. As Bo was placing the letter in an evidence bag, he suddenly found another envelope inside it.

A short time later, Hope returned from the lab with the envelope. She announced that the lab had confirmed the handwriting to be Trent Robbins', and only Trent's fingerprints were on the second envelope and letter, while Melanie's and Mr. Berman's had been on the outer envelope. Bo asked Hope what she thought about the new evidence. "I think we need to pay someone a little visit," she replied. Bo agreed, so they left together.

Chloe and Philip were laughing and jokingly bumping fists, agreeing to always stay friends, when Melanie walked in. "So, Philip, who are you hitting on now?" Chloe instantly disliked Melanie and had no problem telling her so. Philip handled the introductions, explaining that Melanie was a little stressed, since she was a suspect in her father's murder. As Chloe rose to leave, she turned to shake Melanie's hand. "It was really fun making your acquaintance," Chloe said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "and if you don't get sent up the river, let's spa sometime." She left after warmly urging Philip to call her if he needed to talk.

Melanie sat down and grinned smugly at Philip. While he maintained an air of complete indifference, she informed him that, despite his efforts to get her in trouble with the law, she'd just walked out of the police station. She filled him in about the letter and how she believed it cleared her, but Philip was skeptical. "So, let me get this straight: before he died, your father not only knew someone was out to get him, but he knew who it was?" He pointed out that Trent never would have gone to the cemetery alone, in the middle of the night, if that were true, and that letters from dead people proved nothing. He reminded Melanie that she still couldn't remember what had happened that night, and therefore only someone else's highly unlikely confession could clear her.

As Melanie left in a huff, Chloe returned, explaining that Lucas had just called and that they were meeting later. While Melanie eavesdropped, Chloe invited Philip to join her and Lucas. Philip declined, so Chloe reminded him that his mother had cancer and that he shouldn't try to handle it by himself. After she gave him a friendly kiss and left, Philip opened his computer with a tired sigh. Melanie came over and acknowledged that she'd overheard. Philip told her to leave, but she sounded genuinely sincere when she said gently, "I'm not such a bad person that I don't understand how awful you probably feel. I'm sorry. I really am."

E.J. and Nicole had just begun kissing when the doorbell rang. Nicole volunteered to answer it, and was less than thrilled to find Bo and Hope on the doorstep. They informed her that they needed to ask her some more questions about Trent's murder. Nicole defensively replied that she'd already told them everything she knew, but Hope said they needed her help interpreting some new evidence. Bo tried to get E.J. to leave them alone, but he reminded the cops that he was Nicole's lawyer. Bo just shrugged, adding, "We need to know what really happened the night of Trent's murder."

Bo produced Nicole's original statement from a file and asked if she would sign and date it again-unless she wanted to amend it. A befuddled Nicole asked E.J. what they were trying to do, so Hope clarified that they were documenting that they'd given her the opportunity to change her statement. Bo added that perhaps she wanted to add that she and Trent had argued in the cemetery that night, but Nicole insisted her original statement was true. E.J. declared that Bo and Hope were harassing Nicole, and Nicole asked, "Why are you doing this to me?" Bo replied, "Because we know you're lying-and we've got proof."

Sami and her new guard, Hilda, butted heads over the guard's rules for witness protection. Hilda's food made Sami's stomach turn, and she tried to convince Hilda to patrol the perimeter, but Hilda said she wouldn't ever leave Sami alone. When Sami wanted to take a shower, Hilda told her to keep the door open so Hilda could keep an eye on her. When Sami was done showering, she saw Hilda in a facial masque with earplugs. Hilda explained that she was a light sleeper who snored, and she told Sami it was bedtime for both of them. Sami was surprised that Hilda was going to bed at 7 p.m., but Hilda said she had a tendency for insomnia, so it was best she went to sleep early.

While they were talking, the doorbell rang, and Hilda went to answer it. She told Sami to hide, but the person at the door turned out to be a trick-or-treater. Hilda showed Sami pictures of her children. While Hilda babbled on about her kids, Sami searched Hilda's bags to find earplugs, but instead discovered sleeping pills. Sami put the pills in a cup of tea and offered it to Hilda. After drinking it, Hilda fell asleep quickly. As Sami rejoiced in seeing her plan come to fruition, a mysterious figure got off the elevator outside her apartment.

Nicole wanted to know why Bo and Hope accused her of lying about Trent's murder, but they had evidence that made her look guilty. It was a torn up copy of Nicole's marriage certificate to Trent, and Hope wanted to know how it got that way. Nicole tried to lie, saying she hadn't touched it recently, but Hope said the forensic evidence said otherwise.

E.J. stood by Nicole, saying that a torn piece of paper wasn't proof that she murdered anyone, and he ordered Bo and Hope to abandon their line of questioning. As E.J. tried to defend Nicole, Nicole got fed up and agreed to tell Bo and Hope everything. She said she threatened Trent the night he was murdered and tore up their marriage certificate, but she didn't kill him.

E.J. accused Bo and Hope of harassing Nicole, and Nicole said they were too busy harassing her to worry about solving the mayor's murder. Then Bo and Hope filled E.J. in on Nicole's history with Victor Kiriakis and Colin Murphy - she tried to kill both of them. Bo showed Nicole the letter that was found in the envelope with Nicole's marriage license.

The letter said if Trent turned up dead or mysteriously missing, the police needed to know that Nicole finally followed through on her threats. Bo and Hope produced a search warrant, saying they had probable cause. Hope found a dress that was missing a bead and revealed the missing bead was discovered in the cemetery. Nicole admitted she argued with Trent and threatened to kill him, but she didn't murder him. E.J. reminded Nicole not to say anything, and Bo read Nicole her rights before he arrested her.

Kate received her first round of chemotherapy, and Lucas stopped by the hospital with Chloe to talk to Daniel about Kate's odds of beating lung cancer. Daniel said he couldn't give specifics about Kate's chances of survival. After Lucas pressed him on it, Daniel admitted that Kate's chances weren't good. Daniel gave Lucas some reading material on lung cancer and said that Kate had decided to do an aggressive form of treatment for her illness.

Chloe offered Lucas moral support and then agreed to wait outside Kate's hospital room while Lucas went in to see his mother. Lucas told Kate not to try to prove to him how strong she was. He said she needed to use her strength for fighting the cancer. After their visit, Lucas asked Chloe to talk to Kate about how Chloe handled her cancer diagnosis, but Chloe was apprehensive, since Kate wasn't her biggest fan. Lucas went to the gift shop while Chloe talked to Kate, but before Chloe could say much, Kate told Chloe to get out.

Kate realized that her illness would be hardest on Lucas, so she and Chloe agreed to a temporary truce. Kate hadn't forgiven Chloe for breaking Philip's heart, but Chloe said she understood that it was about Kate getting better, and that Kate wanting to break up her and Lucas would be good motivation for getting better. Outside of Kate's hospital room, Chloe leaned up against the wall, and Daniel walked up and asked if she was okay.

Chloe explained that seeing Kate getting chemotherapy reminded her of the time Chloe battled cancer before she got a bone marrow transplant from her baby sister. Daniel praised Chloe for opening up to Kate about her bout with cancer.

Lexie and Theo went to the Java Café to support Abe in his interview with the Salem Spectator. The reporter, Mona Roy, tried to introduce herself to Theo, but he pushed her hand away. She offered it again, and Theo ran to Mona and hugged her. She was amazed at how affectionate Theo was. Mona started to make a generalization about autistic children, but Lexie corrected her and said all autistic children were different.

Mona said she understood, because her oldest daughter was extremely strong-willed, and she realized that her tenaciousness was her strength and weakness. Lexie said she and Abe wanted to convey that autism didn't define Theo. Abe told Mona about his plans to set up a program to encourage volunteerism. Then Mona asked Lexie how she balanced being a doctor, mother, and wife, and Lexie said she didn't know how she handled it, because it was overwhelming most of the time.

Mona talked off the record about how she felt it was important for the city to have a mayor who understood what regular people had to deal with. While they were talking, Theo got excited because he got the high score on his video game. Theo also beat Mona at the video game, and before Lexie and Abe left, Mona asked if she could ask Theo some questions. She asked what his favorite food was, but instead of answering her, Theo spun around in circles. Lexie apologized and said Theo's behavior was probably because he had some food aversions. The reporter ended her interview and left.

Stephanie found Philip on the back patio at the Kiriakis mansion, and told him she'd come by because she needed a friend. He asked how things were going with her and Max, and she confided that she was worried she'd lost Max forever. She tearfully admitted that she hadn't been able to sleep because she kept replaying the details of their breakup, adding that Max still hadn't apologized for making her look like a liar to Bo and Hope. Philip encouraged her to at least try talking to Max, but Stephanie was convinced that, even if they worked things out, Max would always take Melanie's side. Philip asserted that Melanie was relatively harmless, albeit a bit of a schemer, and not the cause of all of Max and Stephanie's problems. Stephanie was miffed that Philip was defending Melanie, and pronounced her to be amoral and devious-and capable of anything.

When Philip continued to play devil's advocate, maintaining that Melanie was just a brat who was acting out, Stephanie accused him of having a crush. Philip confessed that he found Melanie interesting, if a little abrasive, because he believed that her manipulative behavior came from fear and insecurity. While Stephanie was declaring that he was just as deluded as Max, Philip's cell phone rang. When he hung up, he told Stephanie that the D.A. was dropping the charges against Caroline, and that they'd arrested Nicole for Trent Robbins' murder. Both of them expressed disbelief that Nicole could have committed murder, but Stephanie was more stunned that it hadn't been Melanie who'd done it.

Bo and Hope dragged a handcuffed Nicole into the police station, where she angrily protested that she hadn't killed Trent. They took Nicole into Bo's office and removed her handcuffs, then, when she deemed their case against her "weaker than a wine cooler," reviewed the evidence against her: She had motive, because Trent had cost her millions of dollars by invalidating her divorce settlement from Victor; the missing bead from her dress placed her at the scene of the crime; and Trent had left an envelope containing a hand-written note that implicated her in the event of his death, as well as his and Nicole's torn-up marriage certificate, for the police. Nicole was confidently declaring that E.J. would never allow his baby to be born in prison when E.J. arrived.

Bo and Hope left the two of them alone, and E.J. cautioned Nicole that, because of her history, things didn't look good. He recounted how she'd allegedly shot Colin Murphy and tried to kill Victor. Nicole maintained that both men were alive, and besides, she'd never been convicted of anything. He asked her to tell him the "unfiltered version" of what had happened with Trent. She told him how she'd argued with Trent outside the Brady Pub the day before he was killed, and again the next night in the cemetery-but he'd still been alive when she'd left. E.J. asked why she hadn't told him before, and Nicole replied that she hadn't thought it mattered. Her voice shaking, she asked if he thought she'd killed Trent.

E.J. coldly replied that it didn't matter what he believed; all that mattered was that he could keep her out of prison. Nicole became even more upset, and asked what kind of future they were going to have if he didn't trust her. He lashed out, angrily pointing out how she hadn't told him Trent had been harassing her, or about the argument in the cemetery, and how her decisions no longer affected only her, but also him and their unborn child. Nicole tearfully apologized, but E.J. didn't soften.

In the outer office, Bo hung up the phone and excitedly told Hope that the district attorney was dropping the charges against his mother. He left to go tell Caroline the good news, but first wished Hope luck with Nicole.

When E.J.'s office called, he stepped into the outer office to take the call, and Hope came in. Nicole pleaded for help, imploring Hope that prison was no place for a baby to be born. Hope, completely unmoved, replied, "Maybe you should have thought of that before killing a man in cold blood." E.J. returned and took Nicole's side, arguing that she needed to be someplace comfortable and not out on work detail. Though Hope retorted that Nicole wouldn't have much else to do in a jail cell besides sit or lie down, she did agree that she'd do what she could to make sure Nicole and her baby weren't harmed.

When Hope stepped back into the outer office, E.J. followed to ask if she'd heard anything about Samantha, or whether the police were any closer to catching the mayor's killer. Hope refused to comment, so E.J. returned to Nicole. Furious, she reproached him for caring more about Sami than about Nicole and her unborn child. But when she pointed out that while Sami had an entire team to protect her, Nicole needed his help right then, E.J. exploded. He railed at her, reiterating that Samantha was the mother of his son and would always be part of his life, adding that if Nicole couldn't live with that, then they had nothing in common besides their unborn baby. She tried to remind him about the plans they'd made for a life together, but he'd had enough. He vowed that his child would not be born in prison, but after that, he didn't care what happened to Nicole. He stormed out, and when she tried to run after him, a guard stopped her. She returned, crestfallen, to the office. She put a hand to her abdomen, whispering, "I didn't kill Trent. I swear I didn't. It was someone else," before breaking down in sobs.

Melanie went to see Max as he tended bar at the Brady Pub. Around a mouthful of Halloween candy she grabbed from the bowl on the bar, she told him about the note from her father and how it had cleared her, as she was no longer the prime suspect in Trent's murder. When Max appeared indifferent, she asked if he'd gotten the box Trent had left him. He angrily replied that he didn't care what was in it, and that he'd prefer to forget the past few months had even happened. Melanie, stung, asked if that meant he wanted to forget meeting her. Max assured her that he was glad about that, but also acknowledged that things would have been easier if she hadn't lied to him. She apologized and said she felt bad that he and Stephanie had broken up. They then began discussing where she would live, since she said she didn't feel comfortable living over the pub anymore. Nick came in and overheard, and offered to let Melanie stay with him at his Aunt Maggie and Uncle Mickey's.

Max didn't think that was appropriate, but Nick reassured him and Melanie that it would be as friends only. Melanie asked if she could talk to Max privately before she decided. Nick agreed, and while the two siblings were talking, Nick opened a prescription bottle, removed a pill, and chewed it up. Meanwhile, Max was giving his reluctant okay for Melanie to move in with Nick, but only after Melanie promised it would be strictly platonic.

Bo came in just then and informed Max and Melanie that the police had arrested Nicole for their father's murder, and that they had a strong enough case to get the charges against Caroline dropped. As Bo was going upstairs tell Caroline, Melanie warned him that she still planned to file a harassment suit against the Salem Police Department. Bo reminded her that she would still be a suspect were it not for the evidence against Nicole, and urged Max to wise up about how manipulative Melanie was.

After Bo had gone, Melanie said goodbye to Max, and apologized again for what had happened with Stephanie. Max seemed unmoved by Melanie's overtures-but, on his way up to see Caroline, he thanked Nick for looking out for his sister.

As Melanie and Nick were leaving with her luggage, she suddenly remembered she'd forgotten her purse. Nick went to pull the car around, and Melanie picked up a knife, which was on the table next to her purse. "You are a lucky little girl," she said to her reflection in the knife's blade.

Hilda was snoring noisily on the sofa at the safe house, prompting Sami to declare that the woman was even more annoying asleep than awake. As she was searching for a scary movie on TV to drown out the noise, the doorbell rang. Believing it to be more trick-or-treaters, Sami got up to find something in the kitchen for them, then panicked when the doorknob began rattling. She ran over and frantically tried to rouse Hilda, while the man outside pulled out a pistol and began unlocking the door. He flung the door open, and Sami scrambled to the floor behind the couch, cowering in fear.

When he commanded, "Come out slowly, hands in the air!" a terrified Sami obeyed, keeping her back to him and pleading with him not to kill her. She then complied with his order to turn around, and found a handsome man pointing a gun at her head. Determining that she was, indeed, Samantha Brady, he put his gun away and closed the door. He produced his FBI badge and introduced himself as Agent Rafe Fernandez, then informed her that he'd been bringing some mug shots for her to go through, but Hilda hadn't answered her phone when he'd called. Sami sheepishly apologized, explaining that she'd switched Hilda's phone to vibrate earlier because Hilda had said she was an insomniac. Rafe shouted Hilda's name, but she just kept snoring away, and he quickly determined that she'd been drugged. Sami lied that she'd seen Hilda having a nightcap earlier, but Rafe found residue in the bottom of Hilda's teacup. He accused Sami of drugging Hilda, and she reluctantly admitted that she'd put sleeping pills in the woman's tea. Though she tried to justify it by blaming Hilda for being mean and talking too much, Rafe pointed out that Sami had put both their lives in danger.

Hilda finally woke up and was surprised to find Rafe sitting next to her. Slowly, it dawned on her that Sami had drugged her tea. She rose and began lecturing Sami, backing her into the kitchen. Sami weakly asked Rafe for help over Hilda's shoulder, but he only mouthed for her to apologize. When Sami said she was sorry, Hilda called her a bleached-blonde bimbo, then said she quit. As she gathered up her belongings, Rafe tried to convince her to stay, but she strode out the door, anyway-still in her pajamas and green beauty masque-and slammed it behind her.

Rafe yelled at Sami for driving another bodyguard away, but she argued that both Darrell and Hilda had been awful, and she deserved someone more professional. Rafe scoffed, retorting, "You'll be lucky if they send you a Rottweiler next time." He started to call Roman to tell him what had happened, but she pleaded with him not to, and when he saw that she was genuinely concerned about upsetting her dad, he agreed. He added that he still had to find a replacement for Hilda, cautioning her, "They're going to be a little bit savvier, and they're going to see right through your little games." Sami suggested he be a little more sympathetic, reminding him that she'd been taken away from her children, but Rafe said he had more sympathy for whoever would have to baby-sit her.

On the phone with his superiors later, Rafe laughed and said he didn't blame Hilda for quitting, but suddenly his tone changed, and he ended the call after one final "yes, sir." "Is there a problem with Hilda's replacement?" Sami asked. "You might say that," Rafe replied with an ironic chuckle. "I'm the replacement."