In Theresa's apartment, Brady wondered how much cocaine Theresa had been planning to purchase. Theresa clarified that she hadn't been planning to purchase any cocaine at all, reiterating her earlier claim that she could take the drug or leave it. Theresa said that she had only gotten the idea after Brady had discovered her drug dealer's contact information in her cell phone. "Just in case you decided not to 'leave it,' right?" Brady skeptically summarized, prompting Theresa to defensively repeat her other earlier claim that she had simply forgotten to delete the drug dealer's contact information.
Brady wondered if Theresa was saying that she would only use cocaine if he agreed to join her. Theresa confirmed Brady's suspicion before pointedly adding that she was game for an eight ball if that was what he wanted. "If it's what I want?" Brady asked with a hint of amusement, and Theresa shrugged as she disinterestedly stressed that the decision was his to make.
Brady said that it wasn't a good idea for him to drink and talk about cocaine at the same time. Theresa told Brady that he didn't have to make a decision right away, but he replied that he already had made his decision. "I don't -- I don't -- I don't want the stuff. I don't need it. It's...a bad combination, cocaine and me -- it's not good," Brady admitted. Theresa nodded and promised Brady that she wouldn't mention the drug again.
Brady abruptly excused himself and started to get dressed, explaining that he had a lot of work to do. Theresa feared that she had messed everything up when she had started talking about cocaine, but Brady assured her that he wasn't upset with her. Theresa apologized for mentioning the drug and reiterated that it wouldn't happen again, insisting that drugs weren't really a big deal for her and that she didn't even like cocaine. "Well, you're lucky," Brady quietly replied before draining his glass of whiskey. Theresa added that she did like Brady, and she hoped that her earlier suggestion wouldn't interfere with their efforts to get to know each other better. Brady assured Theresa that everything was cool between them, and he left after kissing her forehead and promising to call her later.
"Oh. 'You know, I just -- I want you to know that drugs have never really been a big deal for me, and I don't even like coke.' I freaking love it! Oh, Mr. Black. You sounded so cool and collected, but I saw your face -- I saw it in your eyes when I started talking about coke. It won't be long before you crack, and when you do, I have you right where I want you," Theresa mischievously muttered as she snorted lines of cocaine after Brady left.
At Club TBD, Father Louis praised Hope for somehow managing to help the church raise almost twice as much money during the bake sale as they had deemed possible. Father Louis wanted to put Hope in charge of handling all of the future fundraising efforts at St. Luke's Academy, but she politely declined because, while she was flattered, she didn't think that she would have the time to handle that sort of responsibility.
"Well, I know you're busy, and, uh -- and I don't mean to pressure you, but, um, you know, if you look at everything that your nephew, Eric, did to put that school up and running, I mean, it would really, really mean a lot to him if you kept it going," Father Louis pointedly stated. Amused, Hope sighed and conceded that she might be able to manage the workload, since she did have two free afternoons and one day off every weekend to play with.
Hope started to stipulate that there was one person she simply couldn't work with, but before she could finish her sentence, Father Louis interrupted to announce that her partner had just entered the club. Hope turned her head toward the entrance, where Aiden was standing, and she sighed as he approached her and Father Louis' table. Father Louis greeted Aiden and started to pitch the fundraising partnership idea to him, but Hope interrupted and pointed out that Father Louis had never mentioned anything about a partnership during their earlier conversation, let alone suggesting that the partner in question would be Aiden.
Father Louis apologized and said that he had thought it would be obvious that Aiden would continue to be involved with the fundraising efforts. Hope informed Father Louis that she and Aiden didn't exactly have the best history, but Father Louis was confident that they could find a way to resolve their minor differences, especially since their collaboration would have an enormous impact on the school and, more importantly, the students. Aiden suggested that it would be better for Father Louis to pick either Aiden or Hope to handle the fundraising efforts, but Father Louis insisted that the job involved too much responsibility for one person to handle.
Meanwhile, Father Louis received a phone call, and he abruptly excused himself so that he could answer it, ignoring Hope's protests that neither she nor Aiden had agreed to anything yet. After Father Louis left, Hope predicted that if she and Aiden were forced to work together for an entire year, one of them would eventually end up killing the other, which wouldn't be good for the students. Aiden agreed and promised to talk to Father Louis and get himself and Hope out of the predicament. "Oh, perfect. After all, you are the one who got us into this," Hope pointed out.
Aiden was confused, so Hope explained that Father Louis only believed that she and Aiden were fundraising geniuses because Aiden had written a big check to the church and added it to the bake sale profits -- an act that Hope believed had been Aiden's way of showboating. Hope said that she couldn't blame Father Louis for wanting her and Aiden to work together again, since Father Louis was under the impression that they had made financial history off of lemon meringue pies when, in fact, Aiden had simply cooked the books instead.
Hope was surprised when Aiden admitted that she was absolutely right. Aiden assured Hope that he would talk to Father Louis, tell him the truth about the check, and convince him that Hope's help wasn't integral to the success of St. Luke's Academy's future fundraising projects. Aiden explained that he wasn't trying to offend Hope, and as she countered that he never had to try to do so, he added that he simply had the time and the drive to handle the project on his own and was also determined to raise more money for the church than anyone else had ever raised -- even if that meant donating more of his own money to the cause. Hope shook her head in disbelief and observed that Aiden defined the word "competitive," and he left after replying that she had no idea how right she was.
Later, Brady entered the club and spotted Hope, so he approached her table and asked if he could talk to her about Theresa. Brady explained that he had been seeing Theresa lately and had heard some vague comments about her problems in Los Angeles. Brady wondered if Theresa's problems had been drug-related. Hope replied that she didn't really feel comfortable talking to Brady about Theresa's legal problems, and he took that as confirmation that drugs had indeed been involved. Hope advised Brady to talk to Theresa about the matter himself.
Hope guessed that what Brady really wanted to know was whether she thought that it was a good idea for him to hang out with Theresa, but her phone started to ring before she could answer the question. Brady urged Hope to answer the call and abruptly excused himself, ignoring her assurances that the phone conversation would be brief.
At the hospital, Nicole continued to lash out at Marlena. "You are such a damn phony, pretending you're fine with Eric and me! You just don't stop, do you? You're trying to poison him against me, trying to get me out of his life. Well, I've got news for you -- if it didn't work before, it is certainly not gonna work now. Eric and I are getting married, whether you like it or not!" Nicole snapped as Marlena tried to advise her to lower her voice.
"Nicole, I don't know what you're talking about, but more to the point, neither do you," Marlena calmly replied, but Nicole remained convinced that Marlena was the person who had put "that stupid idea" in Eric's head about getting married in a church. As Nicole continued her tirade, Eric arrived and intervened, taking her and Marlena to an unoccupied break room so that he could figure out what was going on without making more of a scene.
Nicole shared her suspicions about Marlena with Eric. Confused, Eric informed Nicole that Marlena didn't even know anything about their wedding discussions yet, but Nicole refused to believe that because of the voicemail message that she had overheard Marlena recording for Eric earlier. Marlena explained that the message had been about Eric's decision to turn down a job offer. Nicole wondered why Marlena hadn't just said that in the first place, and Marlena pointed out that she had never been given a chance to do so.
Marlena started to ask about the wedding discussions that Nicole and Eric had alluded to earlier, but he said that was a private matter. "Yeah. So for once in your life, butt out," Nicole irritably added. Marlena acknowledged Eric and Nicole's need for privacy and started to leave, but he stopped her and apologized for the misunderstanding. Marlena assured Eric that it was all right and that she understood why Nicole had been upset earlier. Marlena urged Eric to call her if he ever needed to talk to her, and she left after adding that she was certain that whatever decision he made would be the right one.
Nicole mockingly repeated one of Marlena's earlier statements, and she groaned with frustration as she admitted that she could strangle Marlena. Eric shook his head in disbelief and acknowledged that he and Nicole had a lot of problems to work through, such as the fact that she had just threatened to strangle his mother to death. Using a phrase that he had often heard Nicole use, Eric added that she had also screamed at his mother in public based on suspicions that had turned out to be "dead wrong."
Nicole conceded that she was often wrong and also often flew off the handle, but she added that Marlena hadn't exactly been heartbroken to learn that Eric and Nicole had encountered some obstacles in their quest to one day get married. Eric protested that Nicole was making assumptions and that if she hadn't flown off the handle earlier, they could have been having a discussion about themselves at that moment instead of having one about Marlena. Nicole said that she hadn't realized that Eric hadn't already told Marlena about the matter, since he hadn't been shy about confiding in a priest and Daniel.
Eric explained that he had talked to Daniel and Father Louis about the matter because he had needed their guidance. Nicole countered that Eric needed something other than guidance, and she added that she wasn't thrilled that the man she wanted to marry had immediately sided with his "mommy" upon witnessing an argument between the two women. "I'm sorry. I screwed up. I'm unhappy, and I'm hurt, and I'm scared to death that I'm gonna lose you. But that doesn't matter, does it? All that matters is what I did wrong. So why don't you give me my penance and go talk to some priest to tell you what to do next?" Nicole irritably suggested.
As Nicole slumped down on a nearby couch, Eric assured her that he understood that the situation was hard for her to accept, and he added that he didn't want her to doubt for a moment that he loved her. "Just not enough to marry me," Nicole sadly concluded. Eric said that he was sorry that Nicole was hurting because of the problem that they were facing -- a problem that he hoped they would be able to face together -- but he added that his faith was a part of who he was. "It's not your faith that I have a problem with -- it's your church," Nicole clarified, prompting Eric to reply that, to him, those two things were different sides of the same coin.
Nicole reminded Eric that the church had turned its back on him after Kristen had tried to ruin his life, but he explained that he didn't see the situation the same way that Nicole did. Eric summarized that he had gotten lost in Africa and that the church had helped him find his way back again, and he added that he didn't believe that he had the right to choose the parts of the church that he would and would not follow. "I get that this isn't easy for you, either, but you need to understand there's a limit. We can't sleep together until we're married -- your decision, and I accepted it -- but now we can't get married? I'm sorry, but I'm not the platonic type. We know what the church says, so here's what I say -- if we can't be a couple in every way, then we are done," Nicole firmly stated.
Eric sighed and admitted to Nicole that he felt like he was one of their problems. Eric acknowledged that he wasn't very good at the "man-woman stuff" and that he had probably been a better seminarian than boyfriend. Eric added that Nicole's feelings often managed to surprise him, even though they weren't that difficult to understand. Nicole insisted that Eric shouldn't have given her hope when there wasn't any, but he wasn't ready to accept that the situation was hopeless.
"You know the church's rules. You knew I was married. God knows I -- I'm not annulment material. You had to have seen this coming. Oh, my gosh -- this -- this is worse than having to hide my feelings from you when we worked together at the rectory. At least then I knew there was absolutely no hope. But now that I have the chance of being with the man I love, just to have it ripped away from me? That is way too much. I respect your dilemma -- I really do -- but you need to respect mine, and I can't live like this. I'll give you some time to think about it, but not forever, okay? Actually, not that long at all," Nicole said before exiting the break room.
Elsewhere, Aiden thanked Marlena for a very helpful evaluation she had done on one of his clients. Marlena gave Aiden her business card so that he could contact her if he needed anything else for the case. Marlena started to excuse herself, but Aiden stopped her and wondered if she was accepting new patients at that time. Marlena said that she had a pretty heavy caseload already, but she agreed to make some room in her schedule for anyone Aiden personally referred to her. As Marlena walked away, Aiden muttered that it was good to know that information. Later, at Club TBD, Aiden inspected Marlena's business card.
Nick wasn't fazed when Sami started knocking on the door to Will and Sonny's apartment, reasoning that she would eventually go away if he and Gabi ignored her. Nick tried to kiss Gabi again, but she stopped him and worriedly explained that Sami had a key to the apartment. Nick carefully but quickly crept over to the door and quietly slid the security chain in place just before Sami unlocked and attempted to open the door.
Confused, Sami reached her arm through the small opening between the door and doorframe and tried to free the chain from its track as she called out to Gabi and asked her to open the door. Gabi replied that she would need a few seconds, and she rushed into her bedroom, grabbed a bathrobe, and slipped into it as she quietly told Nick to escape through her bedroom window. Nick entered Gabi's bedroom and closed the door behind him, and Gabi proceeded to open the apartment door for Sami, who wondered why it had taken Gabi such a long time to open the door.
Gabi tied her bathrobe as she breathlessly replied that she had been changing out of her bridesmaid's dress. Sami entered the apartment and started to explain that she was there to drop off Will and Sonny's wedding gift so that it would be waiting for them when they returned from their mini-honeymoon, but she paused when she spotted a shoe laying near the couch. Gabi nervously started to stammer out an explanation, but Sami interrupted and complained that Will was such a slob. Sami apologized on her son's behalf as she tossed the shoe in Will and Sonny's bedroom, and Gabi played along, joking that she had incorrectly assumed that living with two gay men would mean that the apartment would always be nice and tidy.
Sami asked about Arianna and started to enter Gabi's bedroom, but Gabi quickly stopped her and shut the bedroom door, explaining that Arianna was sleeping. Sami seized the opportunity to try to find out how Gabi was doing, guessing that Gabi had probably been feeling pretty lonely lately and that Will and Sonny's wedding had only exacerbated those feelings. Sami encouraged Gabi to lean on her or Kate for support instead of turning to an outsider, prompting Gabi to irritably ask if Nick was the outsider Sami had in mind.
Gabi insisted that she didn't want to hear another lecture about Nick. Sami said that she hadn't been planning to give Gabi another lecture anyway, since Gabi already knew how Sami felt about all of the horrible things that Nick had done to Gabi. Gabi sarcastically agreed that Nick's decision to refrain from pressing charges against her, Sami, and Kate for trying to kill him had been horrendous. Sami countered that Nick had decided that it would be more effective to blackmail and torture the women instead, but Gabi argued that making a ton of money for Kate's company and giving Sami and E.J. the idea to hire Gabi to be Countess Wilhelmina's new model -- an idea that E.J. himself had admitted had been fantastic -- were strange ways for Nick to blackmail and torture the women who had tried to murder him.
Sami reminded Gabi that they had not tried to kill Nick but had instead been trying to get rid of a dead body so that Arianna wouldn't have to grow up without a mother and Gabi wouldn't have to spend the rest of her life making license plates in an orange jumpsuit. Sami wondered if Gabi remembered why Nick had gotten his head injury in the first place, but Gabi avoided the question and instead irritably replied that she was really glad that Sami wasn't lecturing her and was available to talk to at any time about how Gabi always did everything wrong. Sami maintained that Gabi was wrong about Nick and that it was absolutely crazy for Gabi to even consider making small talk with him. Gabi countered that, since Sami was repeating herself, she was also going to repeat her previous argument that Sami had no room to disparage Nick while engaged to E.J.
Sami insisted that E.J. was nothing like "that creep," Nick, but Gabi maintained that, based on what she had heard, E.J.'s list of sins was much worse than Nick's list. Gabi urged Sami to ask Rafe to refresh her memory, summarizing that he'd had a swell time in the DiMera dungeon -- or guest room, as the DiMeras probably preferred to call it. Gabi guessed that Sami was about to protest that E.J. had changed, so she preemptively pointed out that Sami hadn't listened to any of the people who had tried to convince her that he was incapable of changing. Gabi added that she planned to ignore the naysayers who believed that Nick was incapable of changing, too.
Sami said that she was simply worried about Gabi and was afraid that if Gabi let Nick back into her life, he was going to end up hurting Gabi again. Gabi pointed out that she had never said that she was going to get back together with Nick, but she defiantly added that either way, it was her decision to make. Gabi opened the front door and dismissively stated that she wanted to take a nap before Arianna woke up, and Sami took the hint and left.
Once the coast was clear, Nick emerged from Gabi's bedroom and thanked her for defending him. Gabi was surprised to see Nick, since she had assumed that he had left earlier, but he claimed that he had stayed because he had left one of his shoes behind. Gabi retrieved the shoe from Will and Sonny's bedroom and handed it to Nick. As Nick started to kiss Gabi, Arianna woke up and started crying, so he reluctantly excused himself, promising that he would see Gabi again soon. After Nick left, Gabi smiled before heading into her bedroom to attend to Arianna. Meanwhile, outside, Nick silently celebrated his progress.
At the DiMera mansion, E.J. ended a phone call as Stefano entered the living room and observed that it looked like E.J. had high hopes for his wedding to Sami. E.J. confirmed that he had very high hopes for the wedding. "My hope is that you will not end up being disappointed," Stefano revealed.
"I'm so glad that we're all under one roof again, Father. You know, I have to say, I missed you lurking around the place, never quite knowing who you were listening in on. You know what I missed the most? Your gloomy rhetorical pronouncements. 'I do hope you won't be too disappointed.' Heh. How's the, uh, blood sugar -- the blood pressure, right? Is that it? I do hope that you don't have a stroke," E.J. sarcastically countered.
Stefano poured himself a glass of scotch and agreed that it was nice that he, E.J., and E.J.'s kids and fiancée were all under one roof together. E.J. refused to let Stefano's gloominess spoil the wedding, insisting that the mansion would be filled with laughter and love on that particular day and that Stefano would not be able to do anything to change that. "You know something? I have nothing against love and laughter, all right? I just hope that all of this is not going to blow up in your face," Stefano clarified.
As Stefano moved pieces around on his chessboard, E.J. insisted that, despite Stefano's wishes to the contrary, the wedding was going to be perfect. "Like the first time, hmm?" Stefano pointedly asked. E.J. poured himself a glass of whiskey as he argued that he and Sami had grown stronger as a result of their adversity, and he teasingly theorized that Stefano had only mentioned E.J. and Sami's first wedding because Stefano was feeling left out of love at the moment due to the fact that his dinner with Kate hadn't gone well. E.J. summarized that he and Sami had never been in such a good place before and that the children would soon be a part of a real family with two full-time parents, and he urged Stefano to share the joy and be happy for him.
Stefano smiled and conceded that E.J. had painted a very pretty picture of the future. E.J. declared that his wedding day was going to be the happiest day of his life, and he added that he wanted Stefano to be there to see just how pretty the picture was going to be. Stefano nodded and agreed that E.J. was absolutely right and that everything was going to be fine. "As long as Samantha doesn't find out that you have been banging Abigail Deveraux," Stefano matter-of-factly added as E.J. started to walk away.
Stunned, E.J. rushed to close the living room doors as he demanded to know what Stefano was talking about. Stefano succinctly replied that he was referring to E.J.'s "little piece on the side." E.J. indignantly insisted that he would never be unfaithful to Sami and that Abigail was a lovely girl. "Oh, absolutely -- a lovely young woman that you were scared to death that you knocked her up. You certainly dodged a bullet there, huh? Let's keep our fingers crossed, all right, that Samantha never stumbles on your tumble in the hay. Now, you know better than anyone what an aim she's got, right?" Stefano said as he laughed heartily.
Stunned, E.J. sank into a chair as he realized that one of Stefano's employees had been following E.J. "I only want you to know that I am here to help you with Samantha, just as I know you are going to help me with Katerina," Stefano explained. Stefano promised that no one else would ever find out about E.J.'s indiscretion if E.J. agreed to help Stefano with Kate, and he assured E.J. that the only people who knew about the matter at that time were the two of them, Abigail, and Dr. Garcia, who was very loyal to him and would do anything he asked her to do. "No, wait -- wait a minute -- did she lie to me? Is Abigail pregnant?" E.J. nervously asked.
Stefano laughed and assured E.J. that Abigail was not pregnant, and he reiterated that Dr. Garcia would never say a word to anyone about the matter. E.J. breathed a sigh of relief and tried to change the subject, explaining that Abigail wanted to put the whole situation behind her just as much as he did. "Have you learned nothing, my son, hmm? When it comes to women, nothing is certain," Stefano warned -- just as Sami entered the living room and wondered what was going on.
E.J. claimed that he and Stefano had simply been having a casual conversation, but Sami wasn't convinced because both men seemed tense and had been unaware of her return until she had entered the living room and interrupted them. Sami once again wondered what was going on, and Stefano replied that he and E.J. had simply been discussing E.J.'s big secret. Sami scoffed and insisted that she and E.J. didn't have any secrets between them, but Stefano laughed and assured her that every marriage had secrets.
Stefano said that secrets kept marriages from getting dull, but Sami pointedly argued that she and E.J. would never have to worry about being dull. E.J. dismissively stated that Stefano was just being his usual provocative self. E.J. admitted that he did have a secret that he was keeping from Sami, but he claimed that it was a good secret. Intrigued, Sami wondered if the secret had something to do with her and E.J.'s wedding. "You could say that," Stefano coyly muttered.
Sami, who had just returned to the mansion to retrieve a permission slip that Allie needed for a school field trip, excused herself and exited the mansion again. After Sami left, E.J. stressed that she could never find out the truth about his indiscretion because it would destroy her, and Stefano sighed as he agreed that it would probably do just that.
In the garden outside St. Luke's, Eric ran into Brady, and they were equally surprised to see each other. Brady started to leave so that Eric could pray in peace, but Eric protested that Brady didn't have to leave. Brady paused for a moment and ultimately decided to ask for Eric's opinion about Brady's relationship with Theresa. Eric replied that, while he loved Theresa, she had some serious problems -- problems that she and Brady might have in common with each other -- and it therefore wasn't a good idea for Brady to get involved with her. Brady nodded and admitted that he believed that Eric was right.
Brady thanked Eric for the advice and started to leave, but Eric stopped him and asked him to let Theresa down gently, explaining that, while she acted tough, she could actually be quite vulnerable at times and might have a hard time hearing that Brady planned to stop seeing her. "Who said I'm gonna stop seeing her?" Brady asked before walking away.
At the Horton Town Square, Hope ran into Marlena. Hope could tell that Marlena was distracted, so she inquired about the matter, and Marlena proceeded to recap her earlier encounter with Nicole. Marlena revealed that she suspected that Nicole was hiding something, explaining that Nicole had been acting really concerned and guilty lately.
At the park, Father Louis had an icy encounter with Nicole, who complained that, while he claimed that he hadn't been judging her when he had talked to Eric about their relationship, it certainly felt like that was what he had been doing. After Father Louis left, Nicole quietly mused that her issues with Eric might be God's way of punishing her for what she had done to keep Eric. Nicole reasoned that there was nothing that she could do to change the past, and she assured herself that the evidence was gone for good and that no one knew that she had ever had it to begin with.
Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, someone carefully pieced together shredded pieces of a document, revealing Chyka's name in the process.
Hope visited Caroline at the Brady Pub. Caroline expressed her dismay that Bo had not attended Will and Sonny's wedding. When Hope asked Caroline if she needed help with anything around the pub, Caroline told Hope that Father Louis had called her about the school. Hope was annoyed that Father Louis had called Caroline to talk about Aiden, and she told Caroline that she refused to work with Aiden.
"Aiden Jennings is a domineering, judgmental individual," Hope said. Hope added that Aiden had volunteered to handle the fundraising efforts on his own. Caroline urged Hope to set aside her reservations and work with Aiden.
In the park, Abigail ran into Paige and knocked her to the ground while she was jogging. After introducing themselves to one another, they discussed that they were both training for a half marathon. Paige realized that she had dropped her phone, and Abigail was apologetic when she spotted the phone on the ground and realized that the screen had been cracked. Abigail offered to pay for the phone. Abigail invited Paige to follow her home to retrieve the money.
In the Horton house, J.J. obsessed nervously about Paige and spilled a soda on his shirt. J.J. answered a knock at the door and found Aiden on the front porch. Smiling, Aiden informed J.J. that he had spoken to the judge about J.J.'s community service. J.J. told Aiden that he was not interested in changing his community service assignment. J.J. thanked Aiden for intervening but declined the offer. With a smirk, Aiden asked if J.J. had met a girl at his community service. When J.J. smiled, Aiden wished J.J. luck and left.
E.J. and Sami sat in the café in the town square. When Sami asked E.J. about Stefano's behavior, E.J. thought about his conversation with his father about Abigail. E.J. changed the subject, and a suspicious Sami wondered aloud what E.J. was hiding from her. Nodding his head as he stared across the square at Kate, E.J. noted that Stefano was still interested in his ex-wife. Sami left to run errands, and E.J. promised to meet her at home.
While standing in the town square, Kate called her private investigator about Jordan. As Kate stood in the square, checking messages on her phone, E.J. approached Kate and said hello. Suspicious, Kate warned E.J. that whatever he wanted from her, he would not get it. E.J. promised that he only wanted to know how Kate was doing. Kate said she was fine. When E.J. noted that Stefano was hopeful about a renewed relationship with Kate, Kate asked E.J. to get to the point. E.J. said that Stefano was upset that he had hurt Kate.
Kate noted that she would never reconcile with Stefano. When Kate reminded E.J. that Stefano had ordered his henchman to emasculate Rafe, E.J. smiled and noted that Stefano's actions were a sign of how much Stefano cared for Kate. Kate countered that Stefano's actions showed that Stefano was a psychopath and that she would never forgive Stefano.
"In as long as I have known you two, you have been happier together than I have ever seen you apart. And he's not asking for a miracle, Kate. He is asking for a chance," E.J. said. Kate said no. E.J. warned Kate not to choose anger over love.
At work, Lucas and Sheryl reviewed her work on the computer. As they chit-chatted, Lucas deftly put his hand on top of Sheryl's, and he smiled at her. "I feel like we've been dancing around this ever since we met," Lucas said. "It's been a nice dance," Sheryl responded. When Lucas asked Sheryl if she was wearing the new lip gloss product, she kissed him. Lucas asked Sheryl if she was sure that she was interested in him. Sheryl said that she was interested in Lucas and not just because he was her boss.
Sami knocked on the office door and demanded that Lucas unlock it. When Sheryl suggested they ignore Sami, Lucas groaned and explained that much like malaria, Sami would not go away that easily. Lucas opened the door, and a pleased Sami noted that Sheryl's lip gloss was smudged. After Sheryl left, Sami wiped lip gloss off of Lucas' face. Lucas demanded to know why Sami was at his office, and Sami handed Allie's permission slip to Lucas to sign.
"I'm glad she's pretty. I'm glad the door was locked. I really hope you're happy," Sami said softly. When Sami stressed that she wanted Lucas to be happy, he returned the sentiment and joked, "but you're with E.J." Sami told Lucas that he would eat his words because she and E.J. would be happy together. Sami changed the subject to Will's wedding, and the two parents gushed about their children.
"You're a great mom and a good friend," Lucas said. Sami wished Lucas good luck with Sheryl, and she left. When Sheryl returned to the office, she commented on how well Lucas got along with his ex-wife. Lucas shrugged and noted that it had taken time to build a civil relationship with Sami. Smiling, Sheryl suggested that Lucas join her for lunch.
In the park, Jordan ran into her brother, Ben. Ben said that it was awkward that he could not talk to his sister in public. Jordan cryptically noted that Ben knew why their relationship had to be kept secret and that she trusted Rafe to keep the secret for them. Ben lamented that they had to keep apart. Jordan stressed that Ben knew why they had to keep their relationship a secret. "I'm sorry I made things worse for you. Again," Ben said.
In his apartment, Rafe searched the Internet for information about Jordan's brother. After confirming that Ben did not have a criminal record, Rafe commented to himself that it was weird that Ben did not have a driver's license listed anywhere. With a sigh, Rafe entered Jordan's name in to the search box on his computer. Rafe hesitated to push enter and commence the search. After a moment, Rafe deleted Jordan's name and closed the laptop computer.
At the Horton residence, Paige was surprised when she realized that Abigail was leading her to J.J.'s house. Abigail was shocked to learn that Paige knew J.J., and Abigail insisted that Paige join her inside because the house was empty. As Abigail ran upstairs to retrieve her purse, Paige mumbled to herself to remain calm because J.J. was at the library. When Paige turned around, she saw a shirtless J.J. walking out of the kitchen.
Paige awkwardly commented that she was not stalking J.J. With a nervous laugh, J.J. remarked that he was cleaning up a mess he had made. Abigail walked downstairs and noted that it appeared Paige and J.J. already knew one another. Abigail handed Paige money to fix the phone and the number of a man who had previously fixed Abigail's phone. Off of J.J.'s puppy-eyed look, Abigail hurriedly said goodbye and left. J.J. offered to show Paige where the phone repair shop was in the square.
After changing his shirt, J.J. walked with Paige to the square to drop off her phone. While her phone was being repaired, Paige and J.J. talked at the café. J.J. asked Paige out on a date. Giggling nervously, she said, "I'd love to." J.J. picked up a piece of trash, and when he stood up, he stood close to Paige.
In Club TBD, Abigail talked to Ben at the bar. Ben apologized for his awkward behavior when he had met her the day of the wedding. Ben noted that she had looked beautiful. Blushing, Abigail thanked Ben for the compliment, and he introduced himself. Abigail shook his hand and left.
In the DiMera living room, E.J. was working at his desk when Allie asked him for help with her math homework. E.J. explained her long division problem in terms of equally dividing bananas among a group of cranky monkeys. While Allie giggled, Sami watched from the doorway. Once the lesson was over, Sami handed Allie her permission slip for school. Allie thanked E.J., and she ran upstairs.
Sami walked over to E.J. and fell into his lap. E.J. pulled her into a passionate kiss. Sami thanked E.J. for getting along so well with Allie. Sami and E.J. agreed that they were lucky to have each other.
In the park, Aiden talked to his son, Chase, about school. When Aiden asked about Ciara, Chase said that he did not talk to Ciara. Aiden advised Chase to take time to adjust to the new school. With a sigh, Chase asked his dad when they could move back to Portland. Aiden reminded Chase that they could not return to Portland. Upset, Chase complained that he'd had to leave his friends behind and that he had not been able to make new friends in Salem.
As Hope walked through the park, she wandered into the clearing where Aiden was talking to Chase, and she overheard their conversation. Aiden told Chase that they could not return to Portland. As Aiden looked to the side, he saw Hope standing nearby, listening. Aiden told Chase to play on the swings. After Chase left, Hope explained that she had not meant to eavesdrop. Upset, Aiden asked Hope to "get a life and stay out of mine."
Jordan met with Rafe at the Brady Pub. Suspicious, Jordan asked Rafe what was wrong. Rafe shook his head and said he was looking forward to eating a meal with her. Worried, Jordan knitted her brow and stared at Rafe. After eating, Jordan asked Rafe again what was on his mind.
Back at the office, Kate found Lucas' cell phone on his desk. Ortiz, the private investigator, called Kate with information about Jordan.
In Lucas' apartment bedroom, Sheryl and Lucas undressed one another. After having sex, Sheryl reminded Lucas that they needed to get back to the office for a meeting. While Lucas was in the shower, the phone rang. Kate left a voicemail while Sheryl listened. Kate commented that she knew Lucas would be at the meeting, since he would not want to miss a chance to see Sheryl.
"By the way, that information that Sheryl gave us about Jordan in the Ozarks, well, I think it might pay off. My detective thinks he may have a lead," Kate said. Sheryl gasped at Kate's declaration.
Will and Sonny returned to their suite at the Salem Inn after getting massages. While Sonny opened a bottle of champagne, Will checked his phone messages and found a picture that Gabi had sent of Arianna holding a sign that read, "Happy honeymoon, Daddies." After voicing his suspicions that Gabi was spending the evening with Nick, Sonny said that they needed to do something about Nick. Will pointed out that the more people tried to convince Gabi that Nick was bad news, the more determined she was to give him a second chance -- but she would eventually see Nick for what he really was.
Sonny asserted that Will should protect Arianna by getting a formal custody agreement as soon as possible. Will argued that Nick wasn't causing problems where the baby was concerned, plus Gabi loved Sonny and Will being part of Arianna's life. Will was ready to talk about anything else besides Nick, but Sonny stressed that Will shouldn't waste any more time. Sonny explained that he had become Arianna's stepfather when he and Will had gotten married, and he didn't want anything or anyone to separate them from her.
Will reminded Sonny how Gabi had flipped out when Sami had broached the subject of custody before. Sonny pointed out that Gabi's life had become much more secure since then, and it was possible that she wanted a custody agreement as much as Will did. "We need to get to her before Nick turns her against us," Sonny cautioned. Will worried that the mere mention of the word "custody" would freak Gabi out -- and Nick would only reinforce her anxieties.
Sonny apologized for causing Will stress on their honeymoon. As Sonny poured his new husband a glass of champagne, he suggested that they pretend that the outside world didn't even exist. Will said, "Except I don't have to pretend anything, because my reality is so amazingly perfect." Will admitted that he had never understood the idea of a big wedding until he and Sonny had gotten married. Sonny asked what Will's favorite part had been. Will replied, "That's easy: the part where I looked at you and said 'I do,' and then did this." Will kissed Sonny to demonstrate.
Sheryl was in bed at Lucas' place while Lucas took a shower. She overheard Kate leaving a phone message for Lucas: "You know that information that Sheryl gave us about Jordan and the Ozarks? Well, it might pay off. My detective thinks he may have a lead." Before she hung up, Kate said that she was waiting for Lucas in his office. An upset Sheryl bolted before Lucas got out of the shower.
When Lucas returned to the bedroom, he was surprised to find Sheryl gone -- until he listened to his answering machine. Fuming, he hurriedly got dressed.
Sheryl charged into Lucas' office and confronted Kate about the message she'd left for Lucas. Sheryl angrily accused Kate of using her as a pawn to "nail" Jordan. Kate pointed out that they had treated and compensated Sheryl well -- and she knew that Lucas' answering machine was next to his bed, so she knew that he and Sheryl were having sex. "If you think that I am going to stand by and let you try and ruin my friend's life, you are dead wrong," Sheryl cautioned.
Before Sheryl could storm out to warn Jordan, Kate offered her two options: Sheryl could blab to Jordan and every corporate headhunter and human resources in the country could hear that Sheryl had slept her way to the top, or Sheryl could keep her mouth shut and get a promotion -- to the Houston office. A horrified Sheryl exclaimed, "You're a vindictive, cold-hearted --" She stopped, but Kate finished for her, "Bitch. Now you've got it."
Lucas burst in just then and tried to explain. On her way out the door, Sheryl wryly assured him that Kate had made everything crystal clear. "I knew it. I knew it! I told you this would blow up in both of our faces!" Lucas shouted at his mother. Kate just ordered him to zip his fly and help her catch Sheryl.
Sheryl wandered into Horton Square, and with trembling hands, she sent a text message to Jordan.
In the park, Rafe told Jordan that her secrecy about her past was driving him "nuts." He reminded her that she had once told him that she didn't have any siblings then he'd learned she had a brother -- but only after Ben had shown up. After accusing Jordan of not trusting him enough to share the details of her life before him, Rafe pointed out that he had pushed aside his cop instincts because he was invested in their relationship. He wondered aloud if Jordan would actually go through with it the next time she decided to leave town.
"I don't know if I can do this anymore. Now you say that you're entitled to your privacy. What am I entitled to?" Rafe asked. "You are not the only one who invested in us," Jordan reassured him, noting that she hadn't been able to walk away from him. Rafe asked if she were afraid of something. Jordan replied, "Not when I'm with you, and isn't that enough?" Rafe acknowledged that he was glad Jordan felt safe with him and that she hadn't left town, but he couldn't say that it was enough.
Before Jordan and Rafe could continue their discussion, Jordan got a text message. "It's Sheryl; she says it's an emergency," Jordan explained as she quickly dialed her friend's number. The distress apparent in her voice, Sheryl asked to see Jordan right away, so Jordan agreed to meet her. Rafe followed as Jordan headed out of the park.
When Jordan and Rafe got to the square, Sheryl started to tell them what was going on, but Kate and Lucas showed up. Kate just glared wordlessly at Sheryl. When Rafe noticed that Kate and Lucas had arrived, Kate asked if Sheryl were telling Jordan and Rafe the good news. Sheryl tearfully explained that it was good news and bad news: she'd gotten a promotion, but it was in the Houston office. "I can't tell you what Sheryl did to earn this opportunity," Kate declared as if she were praising Sheryl.
Jordan admitted that she had liked having Sheryl around. Kate revealed that Sheryl had to leave the next day to launch a new product. Meanwhile, Lucas grudgingly backed up everything his mom said, though he admitted that he would be sorry to see Sheryl go. As Jordan and Rafe left, Sheryl embraced them both.
After the others had gone, Lucas begged Sheryl to let him explain. He insisted that he hadn't used her and that he cared about her. Sheryl didn't want to hear anything Lucas had to say. Turning to Kate, an incredulous Sheryl remarked, "You really think that by getting rid of me, you have all your bases covered." With a nonchalant shrug, Kate said, "Well, I should hope so. You know, why don't you think of it this way: if Jordan is the paragon that you claim she is, then she has nothing to worry about."
Sheryl simply walked away without another word, despite Lucas' protests. Lucas turned to Kate and snarled, "You know what, Mom? That's it. This tears it. We work together from now on, and that's it. I want you to stay the hell away from me. You're on your own." With one last longing, frustrated glance in the direction Sheryl had gone, Lucas stormed off.
In the park outside the square, Jordan lamented Sheryl's departure from Salem. Rafe reiterated his discontent with how little he knew of Jordan's past. Acknowledging that there were parts of her life that she wanted to keep off-limits, Jordan pointed out that Rafe also didn't like talking about his late sister, Arianna -- because it was too painful to talk about. Jordan guessed that there was nothing she could say that would make Rafe feel better about his sister's death, and talking about it might only open old wounds.
"Sometimes keeping the lid on memories like that is the only way that you can go on," Jordan suggested. Nodding, Rafe acknowledged, "I hear where you're coming from, and I'm going to do my best to try and be all right with that." A grateful Jordan promised that she would never take off again. Rafe joked that if she did, he would go with her.
J.J. and Paige were in Horton Square, waiting for her cell phone to be repaired, when Jennifer and Daniel arrived. Jennifer asked her son to introduce her to his friend, so J.J. obliged -- but Jennifer wanted to know how the two teens knew each other. J.J. and Paige explained how Abigail had accidentally broken Paige's phone, and J.J. had walked Paige to the repair shop. J.J. added that he was going to walk Paige home after her phone was fixed.
Before J.J. and Paige could leave, Jennifer introduced Paige to Daniel. Paige recognized that he had been the surgeon who'd done the appendectomy on her friend's mom. A clueless Jennifer offered to drive Paige home so J.J. could study for a test, but Daniel lied that he and Jennifer were late for a "thing" they were supposed to do. Daniel hustled Jennifer away before she could protest too much. J.J. apologized for his mom, but Paige insisted that she'd thought Jennifer was nice.
Paige confided that the paramedic had said that her friend's mom might have died if Dr. Jonas hadn't been the doctor on call the night of her appendectomy. Paige added that she was thinking about majoring in pre-med because she wanted to be a doctor. J.J. said that he and Daniel were pretty close, and he could "make it happen" if Paige wanted to talk to Daniel about being a doctor. When Paige responded enthusiastically, J.J. suggested that they try to catch up with his mom and Daniel to ask Daniel when a good time would be.
In the park outside the square, Daniel explained to a puzzled Jennifer that J.J. liked Paige. Jennifer was dubious because J.J. had never even mentioned Paige's name. Daniel reminded Jennifer that he had been a teenage guy once.
Jennifer was still arguing that she would know it if her son were interested in Paige when J.J. and Paige rushed out the gate from the square. When J.J. explained what he and Paige had just been talking about, Daniel agreed that he would he happy to sit down and talk with her some time. Jennifer suggested that the four of them go back to the house right then, since Daniel had the time because their "thing" had been canceled.
Liam sat on his bed with his laptop open and perused the files that he'd copied from Jennifer's computer. As he combed through Jennifer's emails, Liam read an email she'd written to her mom a few weeks back, complaining about how wrong Jennifer had been about Daniel and how much easier it would be to get over it if she knew she never had to see him again. "Not a problem, honey. Your wish is my command," Liam said.
Liam imagined lying in bed with Jennifer and comforting her while she stewed about Daniel leaving town without any explanation. In his fantasy, Liam reassured Jennifer that he would never, ever leave her.
Jennifer, Daniel, J.J., and Paige had coffee and cake at the Horton house, and Liam listened in while Daniel advised Paige that medical schools no longer required people to major in science as long as they could pass the MCAT -- but Paige could expect to say goodbye to her social life for a long time. Paige thought that it would be worth it if she could save someone like her friend's mom. Daniel got a page and said that he had to go in for a consult. Jennifer was worried because he had surgery at five the next morning.
Awed, Paige wondered how Daniel managed such a hectic schedule. Daniel explained that he usually dropped off his son at the boy's grandma's house the night before an early surgery; Daniel always tried to get a good night's sleep, and he usually had a protein drink with some orange juice. Meanwhile, Liam scribbled some notes on a legal pad. When Daniel learned that Paige might be interested in becoming a surgeon, he offered to get her into an operating room to observe. She was thrilled. When Paige had to leave, J.J. went with her to walk her home.
Jennifer admitted that J.J. had seemed eager to see Paige home. "You stick with me -- I will teach you the mind of a teenage boy," Daniel joked. When Liam heard Daniel and Jennifer smooching, he scowled but reviewed his notes: "Kid not around. Protein drink. Orange juice. ... I ought to be able to do something with that," Liam muttered to himself. He put the laptop aside and picked up his pharmaceutical sample case from next to the bed.
When Jennifer walked Daniel to the door, she offered to show her gratitude for his insight by forgetting about their disagreement regarding her checkbook. She added that since things were going well between them -- and J.J. had a very sweet new girlfriend -- Jennifer wanted to find a way to surprise Daniel so they could celebrate. "Did I tell you how much I love surprises?" Daniel said, leaning in to kiss Jennifer. When Daniel suggested that they have lunch after his surgery, Jennifer proposed that they take the rest of the afternoon off and spend it with Parker and Abigail.
As J.J. and Paige neared her house, she said that she would have to try to finish her run the next morning before school. J.J. offered to accompany her so it would be safer. Although Paige warned him that it would be very early, J.J. offered to meet her in front of her house the next morning. Paige gave him an impulsive kiss on the cheek before hurrying off.
With gloved hands and carrying a flashlight, Liam let himself into Daniel's apartment and looked around the kitchen. He found a container of protein powder in a cabinet and grabbed an open bottle of orange juice from the fridge. "Sometimes life is almost too easy," Liam said to himself, smirking. He opened a vial and poured some of its contents into the juice. As he swirled the carafe to stir it, he said, "That should do the trick... But why take chances, right?" He reopened the vial, dumped the rest of the contents into the orange juice, and shook the bottle.
At the Brady Pub, Hope observed that she had never seen Ciara eat such a large breakfast before. Ciara explained that she needed fuel for her judo class. Hope mused that it seemed like Ciara was really focused because she had also woken up on her own early that morning so that she and Hope would have time to eat at the pub before the judo class began. Ciara matter-of-factly reasoned that it was important to be ready, prompting Hope to wonder what Ciara wanted to be ready for. "To give somebody a kick where it counts," Ciara replied.
At the Horton Town Square, Chase assured Aiden that he didn't mind attending an early-morning judo class because he loved judo. Aiden wondered if Chase was feeling any better about living in Salem. Chase shrugged and conceded that, while he still didn't like Salem, his judo class was cool. Aiden laughed and decided to accept that response as a small step in the right direction. Meanwhile, Aiden received a phone call, so he quickly pointed Chase toward what seemed to be the new venue for the judo class before walking away to answer the call.
A short time later, Chase emerged from the building after learning that the judo class was being held elsewhere. Chase called out to his father but didn't receive a response, so he retrieved his cell phone and started to call Aiden. Meanwhile, a passerby spotted Chase and, sensing an easy target, grabbed the boy from behind and ordered him to hand over the phone. Chase refused to comply and tried to defend himself against the mugger, and in the ensuing struggle, the man picked up Chase and threatened to break the boy's "scrawny neck."
As Chase screamed for help and tried to free himself from the mugger's grasp, Hope arrived and drew her gun on the man, ordering him to free and step away from the boy. The mugger futilely tried to claim that he and his son were simply having a disagreement, unaware that Hope and Chase knew each other. After making sure that Chase was all right, Hope handcuffed the mugger and called the police station to ask them to send someone to the town square to pick up the man. Meanwhile, Aiden returned and was shocked to hear Hope tell the police station operator that "some lowlife" had just tried to mug a little boy.
A short time later, a police officer arrived to transport the mugger to the police station, and Aiden promised that the man would never be able to hurt Chase again. Aiden offered to let Chase skip school that day so that they could do something fun together instead, but Chase still wanted to attend his judo class, especially after spotting a friend entering the correct building that would be housing the class for the foreseeable future. Aiden was reluctant to allow that after what had just happened, but he changed his mind after Chase pointed out that Aiden was always saying that Chase needed to learn how to defend himself.
After Chase left, Aiden thanked Hope for saving Chase earlier. "This was my fault, you know? This was my fault. See, from day one, I -- I -- I've told my son, you know, to stand up for yourself, you know? To fight back. Which is no surprise to you -- everything that happened with your daughter and those other kids at school, right? I just never taught him when to use judgment, 'cause sometimes -- sometimes it's a matter of survival not to fight. You know, maybe he wouldn't have his phone right now, but...he wouldn't have been in danger, and I did that. I -- I -- I -- I put him there. The worst things can happen in the blink of an eye. If anything was to happen to him, too -- I mean, he's my son. I just want to protect him, you know? He's -- he's my life," Aiden said, his voice shaking as he spoke.
Aiden apologized for lashing out at Hope after she had overheard part of his conversation with Chase the previous day, admitting that it had been rude and downright cruel. Hope assured Aiden that it was okay and that she had heard worse in her life. "Not -- not from me. And you're not gonna hear me talk like that again. I mean, quite frankly, I've been wrong about you from the start. I judged you without even trying to get to know you. I just want you to know, today, you know -- my -- my opinion has changed," Aiden replied. Hope started to say something, but Aiden stopped her and asked her to let him finish first.
"I'm not trying to say that we're suddenly two different people standing here, but I do have this newfound respect for you, and, uh -- well, whether or not you'll forgive me for what I said to you yesterday...I would like you to accept my apology," Aiden sincerely added. Hope accepted Aiden's apology and assured him that things between them were good. Aiden thanked Hope for her understanding, and she checked her watch as she changed the subject, noting that the judo class would soon be ending.
As Hope and Aiden waited for their kids to return, he suggested that he and Hope might be able to work together on St. Luke's Academy's future fundraising efforts after all. Aiden explained that, while he still had a desire to help the school raise money, Father Louis had made it quite clear that he didn't want Aiden to handle the project alone because Aiden didn't have the extensive connections that Hope had. Hope evasively offered to put Aiden in contact with some of the other wonderful parents who were also longtime residents of Salem and were therefore similarly equipped to team up with him and offer the connections that he lacked.
"No, no, no, no -- I want to work with you. I want to get to know you better. What do you say?" Aiden asked. Hope agreed, and she and Aiden shook hands to seal the deal. Meanwhile, Ciara rushed over to Hope and excitedly revealed that she had mastered the uchi mata earlier. Hope uncertainly congratulated Ciara, and Aiden explained that the move was a grab-and-pull technique. Hope asked about Chase, and Ciara reported that he had stayed behind so that the judo instructor could spend a few minutes helping him work on his front kick.
Ciara said that Chase had told her about what had happened earlier, and she raved that Hope was a hero. Hope humbly objected that she had simply done what any other parent would have done, but Aiden agreed with Ciara's assessment of the situation. Ciara demonstrated one of her judo techniques and wondered if Hope had used a similar technique on the bad guy, but Hope laughed and explained that she had simply used her badge instead. Hope picked Ciara up and hugged her, praising her for the perfectly executed judo move, and Aiden smiled as he watched the interaction.
At the park, J.J. and Paige paused for a moment during their run to catch their breath. J.J., who was sweating, observed that Paige still looked perfect after a two-mile run, and he wondered what her secret was. When Paige protested that she wasn't perfect, J.J. agreed and reached out to correct the one flaw that he could find -- a single strand of hair that was out of place. J.J. tucked the strand of hair behind Paige's ear, and his hand lingered on her cheek for a few seconds afterward.
Paige eventually ended the moment with a reminder that she and J.J. were going to be late for school. J.J. invited Paige to hang out with him at his place later that day, explaining that he would simply be working on music after school until it was time to attend to his community service duties. Paige was excited about the prospect of being right next to J.J. when he was playing his guitar instead of having to listen from afar, but the assumption that he would be willing to play something for her seemed to make him a bit nervous. As J.J. started to stammer out a response, Marybeth arrived and demanded to know if he was harassing Paige again.
J.J. advised Marybeth to mind her own business, but she ignored him and pulled Paige aside to give her a lecture. "Your rep is gonna be in the trash! You can't hang out with that criminal. I don't care how cute he is -- you need to ditch him, like, now," Marybeth insisted. Paige said that she knew what she was doing and didn't want to fight with Marybeth about the matter. Marybeth didn't appreciate her "best friend's" dismissive response to her advice, and she maintained that J.J. was bad news and that Paige could wind up with a criminal record due to her association with him. Marybeth dramatically added that she was simply trying to help Paige save her own life, and she stormed off after sarcastically wishing Paige luck.
After Marybeth left, Paige rejoined J.J., who had occupied himself with some stretches nearby during Marybeth's lecture. Paige tried to apologize for Marybeth's behavior, but J.J. insisted that it wasn't necessary for Paige to do that, adding that he had already known what Marybeth was like before that particular encounter. Paige excused herself so that she could change her clothes and get ready for school, but before leaving, she asked if she would see J.J. later that day, and he happily confirmed that she would. J.J. watched as Paige walked away, oblivious to the fact that Rory and Bev were watching him from a short distance away.
"You know what, Bev? You're not gonna like it, but you're dead right about J.J. -- he's totally into Paige Larson, and she's into him just as bad," Rory quietly but confidently observed. J.J. and Paige's interest in each other seemed to amuse Rory, but Bev clearly didn't feel the same way about the situation. "That bitch has got him so turned around, it's pathetic. And they're not even right for each other!" Bev complained after J.J. left. Rory doubted that J.J. would agree, so Bev shrugged and reasoned that she would simply have to change J.J.'s mind.
Intrigued, Rory wondered how Bev planned to accomplish that goal. "By making Paige see how wrong he is for her," Bev replied. Rory grinned and raved that Bev could be really smart about stuff sometimes -- like knowing how to get exactly what she wanted -- and she agreed that she was indeed clever in that respect.
Theresa was disappointed when Brady opened the front door of the Kiriakis mansion to greet her, since he had sent her a text message the previous night to inform her that he would be going out of town to take care of a work-related matter. Theresa observed that it seemed like Brady had never actually left Salem, and she wondered if he was really just gearing up to dump her. Confused, Brady wondered what had given Theresa that impression.
"When we made love, Brady, it was...incredible, okay? And I've never been so happy -- so deep into it -- and I just -- the thing is, is when I really start to like some guy, we, uh -- we hit the bedroom, and then...I'm history. Just -- he walks. So...are you gonna walk, too?" Theresa asked. Brady clarified that he had left Salem the previous night and had returned a short time before Theresa had arrived at the mansion earlier. Brady assured Theresa that he wasn't trying to blow her off or dump her, adding that he liked being with her and didn't care whether anyone else in Salem believed that being with her was a good idea.
Theresa laughed and admitted that she had just made a complete fool of herself and could be such an idiot sometimes. Brady disagreed and asked Theresa to stop putting herself down, and as he kissed her, she playfully stated that the one thing that she wasn't going to stop doing was having fun, since she was great at that, and Brady was, too. Theresa started to suggestively offer to go somewhere with Brady so that they could have some fun together, but before Brady could respond, he spotted Maggie entering the living room.
As Maggie approached the bar and started to pour herself a cup of coffee, she expressed her disappointment that Brady had not yet found himself a new source of amusement, prompting Theresa to wonder if she had just been compared to a movie. Meanwhile, Brady received a phone call and excused himself to answer it, leaving Theresa alone with Maggie.
Maggie suggested that Brady's departure from the room should have been Theresa's cue to leave the mansion entirely, and Theresa feigned shock at the realization that Maggie didn't want her to stick around. "Oh, but, by the way, Maggie...I heard what you've been doing -- badmouthing me all over town -- and I just wanted to say thank you. You know, Maggie, the great thing about Brady is...the more you tell him not to hook up with me, the more he wants to. So thanks," Theresa added.
"Oh, I see -- reverse psychology. Is that what you think this is about? Well, here's a newsflash, Theresa -- he's not with you because he wants to go against everyone who's telling him not to. No, he's lost -- horribly -- and with you just flitting around -- his little drinking buddy, easy sex, late-night games -- he doesn't have to face that fact," Maggie countered. Meanwhile, Brady returned, cleared his throat, and wondered if everything was all right. Theresa confirmed that it was, and after urging Brady to contact her later so that they could hook up, she abruptly excused herself.
Later, Maggie wondered if she could ask Brady a question -- one that had nothing to do with alcohol or Alcoholics Anonymous. When Brady didn't object, Maggie admitted that she simply didn't understand why he had chosen to get involved with Theresa, of all people. Maggie acknowledged that Theresa was attractive, but she added that there were plenty of other attractive women in the world and that Brady, as a very handsome guy, could just as easily get those other women to pay attention to him instead. Maggie insisted that Theresa was a tragedy waiting to happen, and Brady agreed that Maggie might be right about Theresa.
Brady assured Maggie that he was quite aware of the fact that many of his loved ones were concerned about his involvement with Theresa. "But here's the thing, Maggie -- here's the thing that she has going for her that no one else does. Every person in this town -- every coworker, every peer, every family member -- they all knew Kristen. They all knew what she did to me. They all knew how she betrayed me. They all watched her make a fool out of me. Everyone...except Theresa," Brady explained.
Brady's reasoning seemed to surprise Maggie. "I get it. I get it, okay? I know who she is; I know what she is. Self-involved doesn't begin to describe her. But...she doesn't give a damn about Kristen, Maggie, or what she did to me. Theresa doesn't ask me why my life is so screwed up all the time. She -- she doesn't pity me. Maggie, I got to tell you, that is -- that is the best gift anyone can give me right now," Brady elaborated.
After failing to catch Nicole before she left her hotel room, Eric tracked her down at Club TBD, knowing that she went there every morning to get a cup of coffee. Eric said that he had something important and life-changing to tell Nicole and that, while it was going to be difficult for him to find the words to do so, it was something that needed to be dealt with right away. Eric started to say something else, but Nicole interrupted and impatiently stated that she didn't have time to talk to him because she only had a small window of opportunity to catch Seth Burns at the hospital. Nicole abruptly walked away, and Eric chased after her when she ignored his attempts to stop her.
At the Horton house, Jennifer and Abe were trying to decide the best date to have a party at the hospital in honor of Lexie. Jennifer was certain that the hospital staff members would all be thrilled to participate, since Lexie had been a beloved colleague. Abe agreed and admitted that, while he still missed Lexie terribly, he was thinking about moving on with his life and wanted to talk to Jennifer about the matter.
Abe reported that, while Maxine was a nice lady, he had found himself feeling guilty about having a good time with her at Will and Sonny's wedding. Jennifer understood and admitted that she knew that feeling very well. Jennifer explained that a lot of people believed that she had handled a lot of things the wrong way after Jack's death, prompting Abe to make it clear that he was not one of those people.
"I just think they expect a widow to let a certain amount of time pass, and...I just knew what I felt for Daniel was right...even though the guilt was just popping up every day -- and probably because we did move a little too fast," Jennifer acknowledged. Abe pointed out that the memories of and the love for Jack and Lexie were still there and would never go away, and Jennifer agreed. "You can never, ever replace Lexie, no matter what happens. You're just simply living the life that you have now, and now is all we've got," Jennifer summarized, and Abe nodded and thanked her for the advice.
After drinking a protein shake, Daniel left his apartment and went to the hospital to get ready for his scheduled early-morning surgery. Maxine tried to strike up a brief conversation with Daniel, but he yawned throughout the conversation, making her somewhat concerned. Daniel approached the nearby coffee station as he assured Maxine that he would be fine after getting some caffeine in his system. Meanwhile, Liam lurked nearby and watched with amusement. Daniel drained his coffee cup and walked away after confirming Maxine's suspicion that it had given him the boost he had needed to be able to conquer the world -- or, at least, perform a double bypass.
Elsewhere, Anne found Nicole in one of the break rooms and informed her that Seth Burns was too busy to see her that morning. Nicole protested that she simply needed Seth to sign off on and provide her with a couple of promised quotes for a story about the hospital that she was working on. "Okay. Well, I will see that he gets this, and then, if he signs it, I'll return it to you...when it's convenient," Anne dismissively stated as she snatched a document from Nicole's hand. Nicole wasn't happy with that arrangement, insisting that she wanted to personally deliver the document to Seth, but Anne didn't seem to care, and she walked away with the document after insulting Nicole's outfit.
When Nicole entered the waiting area a short time later, she was on the phone with Miles, complaining about the "bitch" in the human resources department. As soon as Nicole ended the call, Liam approached and greeted her, and when she didn't immediately recognize him, he reminded her that they had met a few nights earlier at a roadside rest stop. Liam tried to engage in a round of small talk with Nicole, musing that her job as a television reporter was probably really fascinating, but she pointedly stated that the downside was that perfect strangers often felt that they had the right to approach and talk to her just because she was a public figure.
Liam took the hint and excused himself so that Nicole could get back to what she had been doing before he had interrupted her. After Liam left, Nicole asked Maxine to give Seth a message about Nicole's desire to reschedule her meeting with Seth that had been canceled earlier that morning. Eric arrived in time to hear Nicole's request, and he concluded that there was no longer anything stopping him and Nicole from having the conversation he had wanted to have with her earlier that day. Nicole tried to clarify that she was still too busy to talk to Eric, but he refused to be ignored a second time, insisting that the matter was too important to postpone any longer.
Eric dragged Nicole to a secluded section of the town square, where he reminded her that he had joined the priesthood because the church had saved him and restored meaning to his life after the horrors that he had witnessed in Africa. Eric pointed out that the church had also provided him and Nicole with a connection that had been the basis of most of the time that they had spent together since his return to Salem. Eric admitted that he wasn't sure that he could simply sweep all of that aside. Eric added that, while getting married in the church was something that was very important to him, he was terribly sorry if he had pushed that desire on her and made her unhappy in the process, because he never wanted her to be unhappy.
Nicole sighed impatiently, grabbed a tissue from her purse, braced herself for the bad news that was sure to follow, and urged Eric to just put her out of her misery already. "Nicole, you know that my faith means a great deal to me. As much as I've come to realize that's true, I can't imagine my life without you in it. I love you...as much as I know you love me. I want you to marry me...if you'll have me. Even if the church doesn't give us their blessing," Eric said.
Stunned, Nicole wondered if Eric was absolutely certain about his decision, admitting that, while she was selfish and wanted everything to go exactly the way that she wanted it to go -- which, in that particular case, meant being able to marry him -- she knew that his faith was much more important than her and that he wanted to stay close to the church. Eric assured Nicole that he was positive and that he wasn't going to let anything keep them apart ever again.
Eric reasoned that, after doing a lot of praying about the matter, he had reached the conclusion that God wouldn't have given him romantic feelings for Nicole unless God wanted him to commit himself to her. Eric assured Nicole that being together was the right thing for both of them, and she tearfully admitted that she had never truly believed that she would hear him say those words. Eric added that he knew that God no longer wanted him to be a priest, since no evidence had ever been found that could clear his name and make that possible again.
Nicole was overjoyed and told Eric that he had just given her the only thing she had ever wanted, but she quickly regained her senses and realized that, as she expected that Daniel would be sure to tell them himself in the near future, they couldn't rush things. "Plus, we don't want to steal any thunder from E.J. and Sami's wedding," Nicole jokingly added as Eric wrapped his arms around her and said that they were going to first focus on the most important thing -- their love and the planning of their future, which would involve spending the rest of their lives together.
Eric and Nicole happily kissed each other a few times before he reluctantly excused himself so that he could get to work, promising to contact her later so that they could have lunch together. After Eric left, Nicole struggled to contain her excitement as she retrieved her cell phone from her purse so that she could contact Daniel and tell him the good news, but she ultimately changed her mind and decided to just visit him at his apartment instead.
In one of the operating rooms at the hospital, a nurse and an assisting surgeon each observed that Daniel was acting a bit odd, but he assured them that he was fine and was ready to perform the surgery. However, when Daniel gripped a scalpel and prepared to make his first incision, he realized that he wasn't fine at all, and he abruptly placed the assisting surgeon in charge of the surgery before stumbling out of the room.
A short time later, Liam lurked outside a break room and gleefully watched as Daniel, who was sprawled out on a couch, trembled as he told Maxine that he had to get back to his patient right away. Liam crept away as Maxine, who was getting blood samples from Daniel, reported that she had heard approximately two minutes earlier that the assisting surgeon was handling the surgery on his own without any complications. Meanwhile, Jennifer arrived and said that she had just heard that Daniel had been forced to leave the operating room. Jennifer wondered what was wrong with Daniel, who replied that he wished that he knew the answer to that question.
After Maxine left to deliver the blood samples to the laboratory, Daniel told Jennifer about what had happened earlier. Jennifer suspected that Daniel might have contracted some sort of virus, but he feared that something much more serious might have occurred, and he extended his trembling hands as he wondered if his tremors had suddenly returned. Jennifer grasped and helped Daniel steady his hands, pointing out that they could simply be trembling because he was upset. Jennifer reminded Daniel that the doctor who had treated his tremors had said that they would never return, but Daniel no longer knew if he could trust that doctor's original diagnosis.
Daniel admitted that what he remembered the most about that trying time in his life was that Jennifer had been with him every step of the way. Jennifer assured Daniel that she was also going to be with him every step of the way during his latest struggle and that they were going to be just fine. Jennifer released Daniel's hands from her grasp, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that they had stopped trembling. Jennifer once again theorized that there was a simple explanation for Daniel's condition, such as food poisoning or an allergic reaction to something, but he told her that the only thing he had consumed that day was a protein drink he had made himself.
Elsewhere, Theresa entered the waiting area as Abe and Maxine were talking about what had happened to Daniel earlier. Intrigued, Theresa lurked nearby so that she could eavesdrop. Abe received an important phone call and had to excuse himself so that he could answer it, but shortly after he left, Eric arrived and asked Maxine about the matter, which he had overheard people talking about when he had entered the hospital. Maxine admitted that, while no one knew exactly what had happened to Daniel yet, it was obvious that something bad had happened to him. "Good," Theresa happily muttered.
Back in the break room where Daniel had been recovering, a lab technician informed him and Jennifer that Kayla would soon be arriving. The technician somewhat smugly revealed that Daniel's symptoms weren't the result of a virus, an infection, or an allergic reaction, prompting Daniel and Jennifer to wonder what had caused the symptoms. "Dr. Jonas, you had fifteen milligrams of Dilaudid in your system," the technician revealed before handing Daniel the lab report and walking away. Jennifer vaguely recognized the name of the drug, and Daniel confirmed that it was an opiate -- a painkiller.
"Well, well, well...our own Dr. Jonas -- oh, he of the stellar reputation -- turns out to be a prescription drug abuser. Wow, I -- I just -- I wonder -- I wonder what Public Relations is gonna do with that one. You got any ideas, Jenny?" Anne, who had been eavesdropping in the doorway, asked as she entered the room.
In Daniel's apartment, Liam swapped a brand-new bottle of orange juice for the spiked bottle, pouring some of the new bottle's contents in the sink so that the levels of the two containers roughly matched each other. Liam stuffed the spiked bottle in his briefcase before turning his attention to the only glass that was on Daniel's rack of recently used dishes. It seemed like Daniel had already cleaned the glass after using it, but Liam rinsed it again with soap before placing it back where he had found it. Satisfied that he had left no trace of his presence behind, Liam grinned and wondered how things were going at the hospital.
Liam exited the apartment and waited for the elevator to arrive, but when it did, he was shocked to see that Nicole was aboard.
At the DiMera mansion, Gabi reviewed the pictures from her most recent photo shoot. Sami and E.J. revealed that the client had offered to pay Gabi a great deal of money to shoot for two weeks in Buenos Aires. Gabi was ecstatic. Sami cautioned that the client first wanted to make sure that Gabi spoke fluent Spanish -- so Gabi proved that she did by translating parts of the contract from Spanish into English.
Sami suggested that they make a video of Gabi thanking the client and talking about how excited she was to go to Argentina. Gabi said, "I have to thank Nick because without him, none of this would've ever happened." Sami and E.J.'s smiles quickly faded. Through gritted teeth, Sami asserted that Nick hadn't had anything to do with Gabi's job offer. E.J. urged Sami to let Gabi make her own decisions regarding her personal life.
Gabi insisted that she and Nick were taking things slowly -- plus she was sure that Sami agreed Nick deserved a second chance if he really had changed. Sami asserted that Nick was manipulating Gabi, but E.J. gently assured his fiancée that she had made her point. Sami had to leave to drop off something at the pub, but first she gave her sincere congratulations to Gabi on the job.
Once E.J. and Gabi had finished reviewing her contract, Gabi expressed her gratitude for everything E.J. and Sami had done. E.J. stressed that Sami truly only wanted what was best for Gabi -- and she was worried that Nick would hurt Gabi. Ignoring that last comment, Gabi retrieved Arianna's stroller and wheeled the tot out.
After returning from her most recent cruise, Julie met Nick at the Brady Pub. She noticed a wrapped gift on the table, and Nick explained that it was a wedding gift for Will and Sonny. Julie wanted to hear all about the wedding, but Nick informed her that he hadn't been invited. Although Nick insisted that he was fine with it, an appalled Julie blamed Sami. Before Julie could get too much more worked up about it, Nick changed the subject to how well things were going for him at work -- and with Gabi. Julie strongly advised Nick to move on because Gabi was trouble.
"Gabi is the best thing that ever happened to me," Nick declared. Julie and Nick began arguing about Gabi's character. As Nick was trying to persuade Julie what a good person Gabi was, Sami walked in, and Julie beckoned her over. "Sami, I have a bone to pick with you," Julie began when Sami walked up. Julie accused Sami of making sure that Will and Sonny hadn't invited Nick to the wedding. Sami assured her that it had been the boys' decision, although she had agreed with it.
Nick reminded Sami that he had told her that he'd been totally fine with not being invited. "If you are 'totally fine' with it, then why is Julie making such a big scene out of this?" Sami wanted to know. Julie complained that Sami had made a multitude of mistakes, but everybody in Salem had given Sami a second -- or third or fourth -- chance. Sami pointed out that no one was denying Nick his second chance. "In fact, I think that Nick has gotten everything he's asked for since he came back to town...and I hope someday he gets exactly what he deserves," Sami added cheerfully with a pointed look at Nick.
Julie left after advising Nick not to let Sami get to him. Sami remarked that Nick really knew how to play Julie. Unconcerned, Nick squatted next to the table to retrieve his satchel. Sami glanced down at him and noticed his shoes -- which were identical to the one she'd picked up off the floor of Will and Sonny's apartment when Gabi had supposedly been there alone. "Bastard!" Sami muttered as Nick left then she grabbed her purse and headed out.
E.J. was sitting alone at Club TBD, reading the paper, when Nick walked in. E.J. spotted the wedding gift in Nick's hand and noted that Nick was clearly trying to impress Gabi by showing her that he was reaching out to Will and Sonny. Plopping into the chair across from E.J., Nick snarled, "Guess what, E.J.? I don't give a damn what you think about me, but you better put your fiancée on a leash before she screws things up for everybody."
At the apartment, Gabi had just put Arianna down for a nap when someone pounded on the front door. Trying to shush the offender as quietly as possible, Gabi hurried to answer it before the baby woke up. Charging into the apartment, Sami roared, "You! You are unbelievable -- unfreakingbelievable! Oh, you are the same selfish, lying little bitch that you --" Before Sami could get another word out, Gabi slapped her.
While Theresa was lurking nearby to eavesdrop, Eric waited near the nurses' station to find out what had happened to Daniel. Kayla rushed past to discuss the lab's findings with Daniel. A nurse gossiped to Maxine, "Did you hear? Doctor Jonas has been abusing Dilaudid. Probably high all the time." Maxine grabbed the nurse by the arm and ordered her to keep her big mouth shut.
Maxine got on the phone and demanded confirmation of Dr. Jonas' lab results. Maxine hung up and sadly informed Eric, "Doctor Dan did test positive for opiates, just like that bigmouth said." Theresa grinned, and her eyes lit up. After Maxine left to order another test on Daniel's blood, Theresa emerged from her hiding spot and asked Eric if he'd heard the news about Daniel. "And he was going to operate on this guy while he was high? Wow," Theresa said disapprovingly. After chiding his cousin, Eric voiced his suspicions that Daniel had not willingly taken the drugs. Eric left to find Jennifer and notify Nicole of what was going on.
Theresa recalled how she had given Liam her purloined key to Daniel's apartment. "Wow. Well, if it was Liam Frazer, that guy does not mess around," she muttered, her eyes wide.
In the break room, Anne snidely wondered aloud how the hospital hadn't found out sooner about Daniel's prescription drug abuse and fired him for it. Jennifer asserted that Daniel had not taken the Dilaudid knowingly. Anne scrolled through her tablet until she found the employee handbook and informed Daniel that he was guilty of two violations: abusing prescription drugs and trying to operate on a patient while impaired. "I don't abuse prescription drugs," Daniel declared.
While Anne was telling Daniel that he would be suspended immediately, Kayla entered the room and cut Anne off. Kayla asked to speak to Daniel privately, but he pointed out that the news would be all over the hospital in minutes anyway. Kayla reluctantly informed Daniel that he would, indeed, be suspended while the hospital investigated. Jennifer was concerned about Daniel's reputation, but Daniel accepted his fate.
More than once, Kayla had to order a smug, smirking Anne to shut up. After Daniel took off his ID badge and handed it to Kayla, Anne started to head back to her office, but she couldn't resist a final dig at Daniel. Finally, Daniel got fed up and rose to confront her, but his legs gave out, and Kayla and Jennifer had to catch him. Maxine entered just then. "He's still high," Anne declared. Maxine asked for Kayla's permission to admit Daniel to get him hydrated and do some more tests. Kayla agreed, so she and Maxine helped Daniel out.
Once Maxine had helped get Daniel settled in a room, Kayla told him that she had ordered a complete toxicology screen. After Maxine and Kayla had gone, Jennifer asked Daniel to review everything he'd done that morning. Daniel said that after his shower, he'd made his protein drink at home, plus he'd had coffee at the hospital because he'd already felt tired when he'd arrived. Jennifer informed him that a medical investigation team was going to Daniel's after they finished testing the coffee.
Daniel acknowledged that he'd signed a consent form that said the team could examine every inch of his apartment. Jennifer agreed to be there while the team searched Daniel's place. Daniel wondered if someone had drugged him deliberately. "Anne did seem strangely pleased," Jennifer noted. Daniel asked if anyone had seen Theresa. "No, I haven't seen her -- but I am telling you, if someone is behind this, we are going to find out who it is and they are not going to get away with it," Jennifer vowed.
Liam let himself out of Daniel's apartment and pushed the button for the elevator. He was startled when the elevator doors opened, and Nicole exited the car. "What are you doing here?" Nicole demanded. Liam joked about how the two of them kept running into each other. Nicole pressed him for an answer when he continued to evade her question. Liam lied that he had been there to see Dr. Colleen Weeks, insinuating that they were sleeping together. He asked Nicole to keep it quiet, since it might appear that, as a pharmaceutical rep, he was giving preferential treatment to Dr. Weeks.
Liam guessed that Nicole dealt with privacy issues frequently in her line of work -- and he pointed out that her seeing him there was like him seeing her at the rest stop. "I got the feeling that you didn't want people to know you were there, doing whatever you were doing," Liam added, smiling ominously. Nicole politely said that she was on assignment, so Liam left her to get back to work. As soon as Liam had boarded the elevator, Nicole began pounding on Daniel's door. Just then, she got a text message from Eric, telling her that Daniel was sick, so she rushed back toward the elevator.
In the hall outside Daniel's room, Eric informed Jennifer that he'd told Nicole that Daniel was in the hospital. Jennifer asked Eric if he would accompany her while the medical investigation team checked out Daniel's apartment.
Maxine was wiping her eyes with a tissue when Abe arrived at the hospital. Abe acknowledged that he'd heard about Daniel and offered to take Maxine to get something to eat to take her mind off things. Kayla overheard and encouraged Maxine to take a break and get out of there for a little while.
Over lunch in Horton Square, Maxine confided to Abe that Daniel had made working at the hospital fun -- and he'd helped her put her life back together. "I'm so worried about him," she confessed, fighting back tears. Maxine said that Jennifer and Daniel had called her their biggest cheerleader -- but Maxine pointed out that it was hard not to root for a couple who obviously made each other so happy. Abe concurred. Maxine thanked Abe for cheering her up.
Anne pulled Theresa into the break room to discuss Daniel's predicament. Although Anne was utterly gleeful about it, Theresa asserted that she didn't think Daniel was a "true druggie." Anne warned Theresa, "If you dropped something in his coffee and they trace it back to you, we're both going to come out looking pretty bad." Theresa insisted she'd had nothing to do with what had happened to Daniel. Anne just cautioned Theresa that Jennifer was going to be looking for suspects, so they both had to be very careful.
Jennifer and Eric waited while a team of men with clipboards and latex gloves examined items in Daniel's kitchen before moving on to other rooms. Eric concurred with Jennifer that someone might have drugged Daniel, who was too conscientious to accidentally take any kind of medication right before performing surgery. Eric asked if Jennifer had any suspects. Jennifer said that Anne Milbauer despised her -- as did Anne's assistant: Eric's cousin, Theresa. Jennifer believed that Anne and Theresa might hurt Daniel in order to hurt Jennifer.
Jennifer filled Eric in a little on her "complicated" history with Theresa, but she acknowledged that she didn't have any proof against Theresa. "Anne and Theresa may not be the answer to this whole mess, but they are definitely a question," Jennifer noted thoughtfully.
Liam approached Anne near the nurses' station and asked if the rumors about Daniel Jonas were true. Anne confirmed that Daniel had tried to perform surgery while high on Dilaudid. Theresa walked up and overheard, but she scurried away before the others spotted her. Feigning shock, Liam said that Dr. Jonas seemed like a great guy. "Let me tell you something about that pompous, two-faced weasel: he is nothing like the image he tries to project," Anne declared.
A little later, Theresa was sitting alone at the Brady Pub when Eric arrived. Theresa assured her cousin that she wasn't going to gossip about Daniel anymore. Eric pointed out that because of Theresa's history with both Daniel and Jennifer, both Theresa and Anne could be considered suspects. Theresa defensively insisted that she'd been nowhere near the hospital that morning -- plus if Daniel were really innocent, it should be easy to prove. Eric just looked at her dubiously. Finally he warned her that if she knew anything at all about who had drugged Daniel, she had better step up.
When Kayla returned to Daniel's room to check on him, he said he was starting to feel a little better as the drugs cleared his system. Kayla informed him that the coffee pot and Daniel's cup had tested negative. "I didn't do this to myself, Kayla," Daniel stated. Kayla assured him that she knew that.
Jennifer returned to the hospital and spoke to a reporter who'd been waiting on a press release from her about Daniel. She advised the reporter, Cory, that they would have to wait because they still didn't know what had happened. After Cory left, Jennifer sank into a chair and put her head in her hands. Liam entered just then and offered Jennifer his sympathy about what was going on with Daniel.
Liam asserted that there had to be a logical explanation for why a doctor with a reputation like Daniel's would have been using that drug. Liam added that he knew how much stress doctors were under, and he knew that when they were overtired, they could grab the wrong medication and make a tragic mistake. Jennifer stared at him incredulously. She stated firmly that Daniel didn't take drugs of any kind.
Couching his statement as concern, Liam pointed out that, as a pharmaceutical rep, he knew that doctors got lots of free samples from the drug companies -- and sometimes doctors looked for help when they demanded too much from themselves. "Clearly, you don't know Daniel," Jennifer said confidently. "No, I don't," Liam admitted but added, "Are you sure you know Daniel as well as you think? I mean, how well can any of us really, truly know another person?"
Daniel was alone and resting with his eyes closed when Nicole tiptoed into his room. She told him quietly how sorry she was that he was sick. Daniel murmured thanks and opened his eyes. Relieved, Nicole asked what had happened. "Someone deliberately drugged me," Daniel replied. He explained that Dilaudid had been found in his system, but he hadn't consumed anything except coffee at the hospital, which had tested negative, and a protein drink at his apartment, so he didn't know how it could have happened. Nicole gasped and her brow furrowed when she remembered running into Liam in Daniel's apartment building. "Nicole, what is it?" Daniel asked.
