At the DiMera mansion, Roman told Sami that Hope had been arrested in the muggings and the attack on Bo and that Dr. Baker was alive. Sami couldn't believe what Hope had done, but she was also shocked that Dr. Baker was still alive, because she and Rafe had seen Dr. Baker when he was supposedly dead. Roman said that Dr. Baker was able to pull it off because he was a doctor. Sami knew that when E.J. found out, he would make Dr. Baker wish he were never born.

Roman changed the subject to Sami and E.J. Sami knew that Caroline had told Roman about E.J.'s marriage proposal. Roman asked Sami what was going on between her and E.J., and she said they both loved their kids and wanted them to be happy. Roman was hopeful that Sami didn't accept E.J.'s proposal. Sami said she told E.J. that she wasn't ready to get married yet. Roman was frustrated watching Sami "get sucked back in." He said that if she was "stupid enough to marry this man," she wouldn't be the only one to suffer -- so would her kids.

At the police station, Dr. Baker asked for a lawyer, and officers left him in a room with E.J. Dr. Baker ordered E.J. to leave, saying that he didn't need E.J.'s legal counsel. E.J. asked Dr. Baker if he preferred being alive or dead. Then he told Dr. Baker to remember what it was like being dead. Dr. Baker called for a guard. E.J. asked if Dr. Baker actually thought that he would get away with it.

E.J. tore into Dr. Baker for the pain that he had caused E.J. and Sami when he switched the babies. Dr. Baker said E.J. was living in a glass house and shouldn't throw stones. "So, how are the renovations going on your glass house," Dr. Baker said. "My glass house?" E.J. asked. Dr. Baker pointed out that E.J. had knocked up two women at the same time. Dr. Baker felt that E.J. owed him, because without Dr. Baker's intervention, E.J. wouldn't have been able to spend the first year of Sydney's life with her.

E.J. didn't think there was much logic to Dr. Baker's claim, but Dr. Baker said that E.J. couldn't deny that fact. E.J. agreed to spare Dr. Baker's life in return for a favor -- keep Nicole's name out of it. Sami walked in and overheard Dr. Baker say, "I thought you hated that woman." Sami tried to attack Dr. Baker, but E.J. held her back, saying that the doctor couldn't hurt them anymore. Dr. Baker laughed with the realization that E.J. and Sami were together. He warned her that if she stayed with E.J., her life would be "shot to hell."

Sami accused Dr. Baker of ruining her life. Dr. Baker said she was lucky she ended up with a baby to raise after her machinations. He reminded her that he protected her from E.J. Dr. Baker mocked Sami's feelings for E.J., and E.J. grabbed Dr. Baker and said he would validate Dr. Baker's death wish. Roman interrupted them, and Sami said that E.J. was just defending her.

When Sami and E.J. returned home, Sami said that if E.J. had murdered Dr. Baker on the spot, she would have cheered. She left the room, and E.J. said to himself "like a true DiMera." After Sami and E.J. tucked Johnny and Sydney into bed, they laughed at Johnny's reaction to E.J. singing a lullaby to Sydney. They bonded over their kids. Sami said at least Johnny was being honest, and she found it ironic that they were raising honest kids. "When I think about everything that's come between the two of us, that's separated us, and now the only thing that we have between us is the truth," E.J. said.

Carly returned home to Bo's house where Julie was babysitting Ciara. Carly asked where Bo was, and Julie said that he had left with Hope, but Julie didn't know what was going on and was worried. Julie asked Doug what they should tell Ciara, because she was growing restless wondering where her mother was and why she wasn't home. Doug needed to break the news to Julie.

Bo tried to convince Hope to seek legal counsel, but Hope didn't want a lawyer. She said she didn't deserve to be defended. Bo reminded her that she wasn't in her "right mind" when she committed the muggings and the attack on Bo, but she was determined to pay for what she did. Hope felt like she was a danger to Bo and their friends and family. She urged him to do what was best for Ciara and not stand in Hope's way.

Bo reminded Hope that the drug was to blame, but she disagreed. She said it was because of the repressed anger that she felt. She got emotional thinking about how she had let Ciara take the blame for her lies. Ciara knew that Hope loved her, Bo said, and he urged Hope to fight. Hope said that she always fought for Ciara and made sure that she put Ciara first. Hope remembered how she once felt that Ciara would have been safer away from Bo, when in reality Ciara would have been better off without Hope all along. Carly overheard Bo tell Hope that he had always believed in Hope and always would.

Carly interrupted Bo and Hope, and Bo asked Carly for some time alone with Hope. However, Hope said it was okay, because Hope and Bo were done. Justin walked in, and Hope decided to tell him what she did to him. Hope told Justin privately that she was still responsible whether she took the pills or not, and she deserved to suffer for what she had done. She apologized for what she did to him, and said she didn't want a lawyer or a trial, because she didn't want Ciara to suffer any more than she already had.

Justin asked how much Ciara knew, and Hope said she knew that her mother was going away for a long time. Justin promised to help Ciara and said he would do whatever Hope needed him to do. Hope asked him to help her face the people she loved, something she felt was impossible to do.

At the pier, Carly asked Bo why he didn't tell her what was going on with Hope, but then she realized what a stupid question that was. He asked whether Hope would stop the erratic behavior since she stopped taking the pills. Carly said that Hope's behavior would stop eventually, but she would still have to find a way to deal with her anger.

Carly was worried about Bo, but he said that Hope and Ciara were the ones suffering. Carly was hopeful that Ciara, Bo, and Hope would get through it, because they were family and they loved each other. Carly felt partly responsible for what had happened. She called it "a chain of events that took a terrible turn." She didn't want to ask Bo to forgive Carly's role in it, because that would force him to take care of Carly when he needed to focus on Hope and Ciara. He thanked Carly for understanding. She told him she loved him, and he said he loved her too.

When Bo returned to the station, he told Justin that he felt that he should have realized what was going on with Hope. "You're damn right you should have," Justin said.

At the Brady Pub, Brady took a swig of alcohol, recalling how he had dumped Nicole. Arianna walked in and grabbed the drink out of Brady's hand. Brady yelled at Arianna to leave him alone and give him back his drink. Melanie walked in and heard him yelling. Melanie interrupted their argument, and Brady took his drink back, saying he could handle it. Arianna realized that Nicole was responsible for Brady's pain. She asked what Nicole had done to him.

Arianna urged him to tell her what had happened. Brady said he felt better than he did in a long time, because Arianna and Nicole opened up his eyes. He wondered if Melanie and Arianna had something better to do than monitor his sobriety. Arianna said she didn't because she didn't have a job or a social life ever since she had been released on bail. He told Arianna that she should get a job. She was confused, and he realized that E.J. hadn't told her that the police had caught the mugger. Arianna asked who it was. Brady told them it was Hope, and they were shocked.

Brady and Melanie agreed that it was good news for Arianna. He urged Arianna to go to the police station, and she thanked him for telling her. Melanie got a text message from Carly asking her to meet Carly at home. Brady promised Melanie that he would take care of himself, and Melanie said she would always be there for him.

Justin saw Brady at the pub, and they commiserated about what Hope had done. Justin said that Hope was being brave and was more concerned about Ciara than herself. Brady asked how and why Hope had attacked her victims. Justin said it was because of the pills, but the anger and pain had been there, and the pills drove it to the surface. Brady could relate to the anger and pain.

Roman apologized to Arianna for her being falsely accused. She accepted his apology, but she felt that Hope needed to apologize. Meanwhile, Bo insisted on staying while Hope went through booking. Hope was fingerprinted, and she took off the necklace she was wearing with Ciara's picture and asked Bo to keep it safe for her.

At Maggie's house, Carly felt it would be inappropriate for her to reach out to Ciara. Melanie felt Carly was being kind -- thinking about everyone else's problems. Carly said that it would be wrong for her to focus on herself. Melanie acknowledged that it was sad and confusing for Carly too.

Melanie tried to assuage Carly's guilt. "It's not your fault, you know. You just fell in love with somebody who was single. Bo and Hope were separated when you guys got together," Melanie said. Carly corrected Melanie, saying that Bo and Hope were married, had children together, and might have been able to work things out if Carly hadn't been in the way.

Melanie said Carly was an "amazing person with a very big heart," and Melanie urged Carly to give herself a break and see herself the way that Melanie saw her.

Arianna went with Gabi to the FBI office to inform Rafe that she had been cleared of all charges related to the muggings, but her dour face showed that she was less than thrilled. Rafe asked why Arianna seemed sad in light of the good news. Angry, Arianna reminded Rafe that a cop had framed her. Rafe noted that Hope had not been aware of what she was doing. "And you buy that?" Arianna asked firmly. When Rafe inquired whether Arianna believed that Hope was faking her memory issues, Arianna decided to talk to Hope.

Dressed in her new jail-issued blues, Hope openly wept as she sat in the interrogation room. When Julie rushed in to visit with Hope, Hope wiped her eyes. Julie objected to the presence of the police officer during her conversation with Hope, but Hope noted that it was standard procedure and Julie should not worry. Julie sat across from Hope and grasped her hand, causing Hope to start crying again. Hope asked Julie to watch over Ciara and Bo. When Hope worried about how she had destroyed Bo's life, a stern Julie reminded Hope that Bo hurt her as well.

Wiping her eyes, Hope asked Julie to leave and not come back. "Stay with my baby, okay?" Hope said through her tears. As an officer started to lead Hope back to her holding cell, Arianna arrived at the police station. "You owe me, detective. You owe me big time," Arianna said curtly. "Yes. I do," Hope responded. An officer led Hope back to the interrogation room to talk to Arianna, and Arianna asked why Hope had framed her. "Why do you hate me so much?" Arianna asked.

Still angry, Arianna accused Hope of using the drugs as an alibi so that she would have a defense for the muggings. Hope denied the charge, but Arianna demanded that Hope pay for her crimes. As the tears streamed down Hope's face, she agreed with Arianna's statement. Still furious, Arianna maintained that Hope was acting. "I'm not going to let you play the victim," Arianna said firmly. "There isn't a pill in this world that makes anyone that evil, that sick, that venal, unless it was always there before," Arianna said.

After Arianna left, Doug went into the interrogation room to talk to Hope about her lawyer. Hope refused to talk about a legal defense and explained that she intended to plead guilty. Scared, Doug begged Hope to accept his help and fight for her freedom. "I'm so sorry for what I'm putting you through. You must be so ashamed of me," Hope said as she fought back tears. Hurting, Doug pulled Hope in to his arms and told her that he was ashamed that he did not see how much she was hurting sooner. Doug told Hope that everyone was going to fight for her so that her life was not undone because of the drugs.

At the DiMera mansion, Will talked to Kate about his interview with Stefano for the internship. Will admitted he was nervous about meeting with Stefano. "Stefano never does anything he doesn't want to do. He likes you," Kate confided. "I like him too," Will said with a small smile.

At the Brady Pub, Stefano called an employee at his company to make arrangements for Will to start work there. "I want that young man treated as if his name was DiMera," Stefano growled. As Stefano finished up his phone call, Chad interrupted and asked Stefano if they could talk about his mother. "She was like two completely different people, and I only knew one of them," Chad commented. "Perhaps that is as it should be," Stefano said kindly. Chad asked if Stefano knew Madeline when she was younger, and ruffled, Stefano excused himself.

Stefano headed back to the mansion and informed Kate that Chad was still pushing him for information about Madeline. Kate advised Stefano not to worry and to hope that "all of Madeline's secrets were buried with her."

When Will arrived at the Brady Pub, he walked over to Chad's table to say hello and ask him if Chad had seen Stefano. "That's my bad I think," Chad mumbled. Chad explained that he had attempted to talk to Stefano about his mother, but that Stefano had appeared uncomfortable and walked out of the pub. Will asked Chad why he was pursuing answers about his mother's past when it would only hurt him. Will encouraged Chad to make a fresh start at school, but Chad noted that he needed business experience in order to take a business class he was interested in at school.

Shaking his head, Will noted that Stefano had just given him an internship, which was exactly the kind of experience that Chad needed. "Actually, take a look at this," Will said as he handed a portfolio to Chad that detailed a project that Will would be working on. Will asked if Chad worked on the project with Will whether it would meet the criteria that Chad needed for his class. "Absolutely," Chad said with a wide smile. "Consider it done," Will said brightly.

Charles Woods interrupted Chad's conversation with Will to tell Chad that he would be moving away to work on a task force. "There's a possibility I won't be back before you leave," Charles noted. Upset, Chad wondered aloud whether he should go to Wake Forest. When Charles asked what Chad meant, Chad explained that since Madeline was dead, he felt like they should keep the family together. With a grunt, Charles got up from his seat and advised Chad to do whatever he wanted to do.

After overhearing Chad's conversation with his father from the bar, Kate approached Chad once Charles was gone. Kate advised Chad to remember that "grief brings out the worst in people." After citing a few moments from his childhood where his father had failed to support him, Chad noted "it's just time for me to face facts that he just doesn't want me around." Kate offered to help, but Chad politely turned her down, noting that they were not family. Once Chad walked away, Kate muttered under her breath, "You're wrong about that."

Will came home to the mansion, looking for Stefano. Stefano explained that he had left the pub in order to collect some information for Will's project. Will noted that he felt overwhelmed by the project and wanted to have Chad help him. Shaking his head and chuckling ruefully, Stefano torpedoed Will's idea and stated that Chad could not have any part in the project.

"This is something that you must do on your own," Stefano said. Will apologized for not discussing the idea with Stefano sooner, and then asked him whether Stefano's issues with Chad were because of Madeline. "You don't seem to see it. That I would have reservations about bringing the son of the District Attorney into the inner workings of my organization," Stefano explained. Will nodded, and then asked why Stefano had left the pub when Chad mentioned his mother.

After swimming in the lake, E.J. joined Sami up on the shore. "It is awesome to be out here with the family," Sami said. "It doesn't get any better than this," E.J. said brightly. Upon hearing E.J.'s comment, Sami became very quiet. When E.J. repeated himself, Sami noted that she knew that E.J. was attempting to convince her to accept his proposal, but that she was not ready. E.J. said that he did not want Sami to feel any pressure. "I can't pretend that a day at the beach with the woman that I love more than anything else in the world, the mother of my children, doesn't make me one of the happiest men on the face of the planet," E.J. said with a smile. Laughing, Sami asked E.J. if he was attempting to seduce her into a family life with him.

E.J. joked, "Your smile says push me and your head says don't push me." Laughing in spite of herself, Sami asked E.J. whether he was paralyzed by her beauty. "Completely. That and the wonderfully twisted way you look at the world," E.J. said with a devilish grin. Unsure, Sami turned away from E.J. and imagined meeting Rafe on the beach. In her fantasy, Rafe told Sami that they belonged together. Shaken by the daydream, Sami shook her head and grabbed a soda. Noting her demeanor, E.J. asked Sami what was bothering her.

With a sigh, Sami explained that she felt like her lie about Sydney's paternity was an "original sin" that had spread and caused all the pain they had suffered since. "I look at how you are with your kids and I realize that it was a mistake in the first place," Sami said. E.J. assured Sami that he understood her reasoning for not telling him about Sydney, but Sami said she did not think she would be able to forgive herself for lying. "I know that you will forgive yourself because you are the strongest person I have ever met," E.J. said encouragingly.

"Yes," Sami said quietly. Confused, E.J. asked her what she was talking about. "Yes I'll marry you," Sami said confidently as E.J.'s eyes grew wide in amazement. "You just said yes," E.J. stammered in shock. Thrilled, E.J. pulled Sami into his arms and called out to the children to join them. Sami pleaded with E.J. to wait until they could tell the whole family together. Nodding, E.J. said that he understood and agreed to wait to share the news with anyone. Staring into her eyes, E.J. asked, "Can I kiss the bride?" "Please," Sami said softly as she leaned in to kiss E.J. passionately.

Working on a case, Rafe went up to the lake to follow a lead. While Rafe stood on the beach, Sami started to walk by, then stopped when she spotted her ex-lover on the shore. After an awkward greeting, Rafe apologized for his behavior at the pub. Sami apologized for overreacting over his phone call. "I really don't want to fight with you," Rafe said earnestly. With a glowing smile, Sami noted that were not fighting. Rafe asked Sami what was new, and Sami's awkward chuckle made Rafe suspicious.

When Rafe pushed Sami for information, Sami mentioned that she had talked to Dick Baker at the police station. Rafe reminded Sami that Sydney was safe and that she no longer needed to worry about Dick Baker. "It's not enough that she's safe now. She was hurt because of me. It's my fault," Sami admitted. Chuckling to himself, Rafe told Sami that her guilt "works out really well for E.J." Bristling at the mention of E.J.'s name, Sami asked Rafe why they could not talk to one another without E.J.'s name coming up.

When Rafe pointed out that Sami's guilt allowed E.J. to steer her where he wanted her, a frustrated Sami cried out, "It's none of your business! None of it is your business because that's how you wanted it." Frustrated, Sami argued that she did not feel like she could talk to Rafe, adding, "I don't feel like I even know you anymore." Stunned by Sami's statement, Rafe reminded Sami why she was in witness protection. "He would do anything to own that kid," Rafe exclaimed. "I was wrong about E.J.," Sami countered. Rafe warned Sami that she was not wrong, and that she needed to face the truth about who E.J. was.

"What you think is true," Sami said. "You're so wrong about him," Rafe said as he shook his head. Sami accused Rafe of still being in love with her, and he admitted she was right. "You said that it wasn't enough but I think it's that you don't love the real me. You have this idealized version in your head of who I should be and I can't live with that," Sami said. "That's such a cop-out," Rafe argued before storming off.

After leaving the police station, Arianna went with Gabi down to the lakeshore. Gabi advised Arianna not to let her emotions get away from her. When Gabi said that she learned from her experience, Arianna joked about someone at school picking on Gabi. With a serious look on her face, Gabi informed Arianna that when Arianna was sent away to prison for selling drugs, Gabi had to deal with her anger and that their mother had advised Gabi to forgive Arianna for her own sake. "You're saying that I should forgive Hope," Arianna said flatly. "So you can, as they say, move on," Gabi advised. "What's the point of moving on? I lost everything," Arianna said sadly.

After her argument with Rafe, Sami went back to the DiMera mansion and found Will sitting in the living room. When Sami asked Will what he was doing, Will hurriedly put the work for his project away and shrugged it off. Preoccupied, Sami was not suspicious of Will's actions or demeanor, but instead asked to talk to him. Struggling with how to broach the subject, Sami stammered out that E.J. had proposed to her and she had said yes.

While walking on the pier, E.J. called Stefano at the mansion and asked if Sami was home. After noting that he had heard Sami enter the house, Stefano asked E.J. what was wrong. Behind E.J., Rafe stepped around the corner and spotted E.J. on the phone down by the water. "I asked Samantha to marry me. She said, yes," E.J. informed his father on the phone. Behind E.J., Rafe's face fell as he overheard E.J.'s announcement.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Vivian and Henderson were both annoyed with the media's constant intrusions in the wake of Hope's arrest. Vivian was also upset because Victor was not home and had not sought her out for comfort. Brady was far from sympathetic, and Vivian petulantly pointed out that he should show his grandfather's wife more respect. Brady asserted that while Victor was worried about what was happening to his family, somehow Vivian had made it all about her.

Brady hoped that if one good thing could come out of the family's dreadful circumstances at that moment, it would be for Victor to take a hard look at his marriage and kick Vivian out. After Brady left, Vivian tried to reach Victor on his cell phone, but he ignored her call. "All right, Victor, don't answer," she said. "But thanks to modern technology, I am now your own private stalker."

As Victor arrived at Bo's, he irritably shouted at the paparazzi to go away, and then demanded to know why Bo hadn't told him about Hope yet. An obviously weary Bo stated that he just wasn't up to dealing with Victor's anger right then. Victor apologized. Bo described how Hope had acted like a different person on the sleeping pills, and he blamed himself for everything. Victor maintained that it was all Carly's fault. "Blaming Carly, that's not going to help Hope," Bo argued. "And helping her and my daughter is all that matters right now."

Maggie walked in just then and declared that it was the first sensible thing she'd heard either man say. When she learned that Hope was refusing to talk to a lawyer, Maggie urged Bo not to let Hope push him away. Victor offered to pay for the best lawyer Bo could find. "I don't need your damn money!" Bo snapped, suddenly enraged. He immediately apologized. "What I meant to say was thank you, and I love you too," Bo stated sincerely, and then left for the police station.

"Bo and Hope... I just misjudged everything," Victor admitted to Maggie sadly. "I figured, 'they'll get through it; they always do.' But I was wrong-arrogant and wrong." Instead of gloating over his admission that he was wrong, Maggie suggested that the two of them go for a walk. Agreeing, Victor's mood instantly brightened.

On the pier, Maggie and Victor commiserated over not having recognized what Hope was going through. Maggie confessed that she had missed Victor's company and friendship, and he concurred. She began to weep about Hope, and Victor put his arm around her comfortingly. Vivian arrived just then and spotted them. "Are you kidding me?" she complained silently, and hung back to eavesdrop.

When Maggie chided herself for falling apart, Victor offered, "You take care of Hope, and I'll take care of you." He then suggested that they finish their conversation over a cup of coffee. As Victor escorted Maggie away, Vivian emerged from her hiding place. "You were warned to stay away from what was mine," Vivian grumbled, scowling. "Now I'm going to have to teach you a lesson."

As Maggie put on the teakettle in her kitchen, she admitted to Victor that she had been wrong to ask him to stay away. "We didn't stop being friends; we just didn't see each other," she stated. "That kind of defeats the purpose of having friends." Victor asserted that if friends could help each other through bad times, they should also be able to simply enjoy each other's company during the good times.

Gus met Vivian at the Kiriakis mansion, at her behest. Vivian complained bitterly about how much Maggie vexed her, and then declared, "She doesn't know what she's up against. I gave her fair warning, she blew it, and now she has to pay for it."

An officer led Hope to a conference room at the police station, and she was dismayed to find Abe waiting to lecture her for refusing legal help. Hope insisted that she deserved to be punished for what she had done to him and her other victims. Abe argued that she deserved a fair trial with an affirmative defense, because she was under the influence of sleeping pills when she committed the crimes.

Hope contended that even if a jury bought that, "How do you think my children are going to feel?" Abe angrily pointed out that after everything Ciara had been through, Hope's throwing in the towel would only give Ciara "concrete proof that you don't give a damn about her." Lexie arrived then and ordered Abe to stop, but Hope quietly maintained that Abe was right.

After Abe left to give the women some privacy, Lexie apologized for her husband. She took Hope in her arms, and they cried together for a minute. Lexie urged Hope to take care of herself, for Ciara's sake if nothing else. As Lexie left to supervise Theo and Ciara's play date, Hope assured her friend, "Tell Abe I heard what he said." She hugged Lexie goodbye and added tearfully, "Kiss Ciara for me? Tell her I love her."

At the DiMera mansion, Will reacted to Sami's announcement that she had accepted E.J.'s proposal with a disinterested, "Cool." An exasperated Sami asked him to be honest with her about how he felt. Will maintained that his feelings didn't matter, because despite what she had always preached, she had never put her kids first. He asserted that she had changed since living at the mansion, and not in a good way.

"I don't want to talk about you and E.J. anymore," Will added as Sami started to leave the room in frustration. "I think we should talk about you and Rafe." Sami reminded him that her relationship with Rafe was over, because they couldn't spend any time together without fighting. Will maintained that she was lying to herself. Sami insisted that she wasn't marrying E.J. to get back at Rafe. "I am marrying E.J. because he has changed," she declared. "Because he is being honest with me-totally honest."

E.J. called his father from the pier, while an unseen Rafe listened. "I asked Samantha to marry me, and she said yes," E.J. stated. Dismayed, Rafe walked away, declaring to himself, "It's not gonna happen, pal." E.J. asked Stefano not to mention the engagement to anyone until Samantha had a chance to tell Will and the twins. E.J. then called the uniformed officer who had been guarding Hope, and told the cop he needed get in to see Hope. The officer was reluctant, until E.J. threatened to tell Roman about their "little arrangement."

Later, E.J. entered the conference room and quietly closed the door behind him. "Hello, Hope," he said. "Think it's about time you and I had a chat, don't you?" Hope offered a sincere apology, but E.J. responded with sarcasm. "You're wasting your time," Hope cautioned him. "You're trying to make me feel bad, but you can't make me feel any worse than I already do."

E.J. declared snidely that while Hope's other victims might be lining up to forgive her, he would make sure that she paid for what she did. Bo arrived just then and warned E.J., "Don't you threaten my wife!" He ordered E.J. to leave. E.J. calmly complied, but first cautioned Hope, "You don't get the Horton/Brady 'get out of jail free' card. Not this time."

After E.J. left, Bo complained that E.J. shouldn't be harassing Hope, but she maintained that E.J. had every right to tell her off. Hope urged Bo to keep his distance from her case, because it could look bad for him professionally. Bo didn't care what anyone else thought.

As Bo was leaving, Brady arrived to visit Hope. Hope apologized to Brady, but he offered gently, "I thought maybe you should talk to somebody who understands." Brady explained that he knew that she was beating herself up, and that her family was glossing over Hope's reasons for taking the pills in the first place. "But those feelings, they always come out somehow," Brady pointed out. "Just watch out for that voice that says you can't come back. It's pretty hopeless." He urged her to think about not just the few people she'd hurt, but also the many people she had helped-and not to give up.

Rafe went to the gym and took out his anger by donning boxing gloves and punching a heavy bag. "You idiot," he berated himself, panting. "All you needed to do was prove the Anna/E.J. connection. All you needed was proof!"

At the lake, Abe and Lexie set up beach chairs and spread out a picnic, while Ciara and Theo played nearby. Lexie admitted that she couldn't really tell how Ciara was doing, and reminded Abe of a conversation they'd had about whether they had enough love for another child. "We know one who's definitely going to need it," she said sadly.

Abe and Lexie observed how much Ciara and Theo loved to play together, and Lexie noted that Hope had a whole network of people who would love to help look after Ciara. Abe said that Mrs. Horton had taught him that family didn't just mean people you were related to. He asserted that since their relationship was stronger than ever, "We're ready to think about more than Theo and ourselves. Expand our horizons." Lexie wholeheartedly agreed.

E.J. answered the doorbell at the DiMera mansion, and was surprised to find Bo on the doorstep. "If anything happens to Hope," Bo declared evenly. "If you or any of the DiMeras do anything to retaliate against her, I will kill you." E.J. calmly suggested that it wasn't wise for the police commissioner to threaten a private citizen.

After an icy exchange of pointed remarks, Bo emphasized that he'd meant what he said. "I hear you," E.J. assured him. "If I do anything to Hope, I'm going to incur the wrath of the man she tried to set on fire." As he turned and left, Bo stated, "I don't want to see you at the station again-unless, of course, you're in handcuffs."

As Will and Sami walked along the water together, he apologized for his earlier reaction, and insisted that he really just wanted his mom to be happy. Sami was pleased, but asked Will to keep her engagement quiet for the time being. After Will left for the pub, Sami bumped into a sweaty Rafe as he was out for a run. "Well, I hear congratulations are in order," he stated, and then continued jogging. A stunned Sami could only gape after him.

Rafe had just finished showering and was wearing only a towel when Sami appeared in the locker room. She demanded to know what he meant when he'd congratulated her. "You are getting married, right?" Rafe replied. "If I am, what's it to you?" Sami retorted. Rafe declared that it only meant that she was out of her mind-and obviously not the women he'd fallen in love with. Sami tried to apologize, because she had wanted to be the one to tell him, but she was glad that he knew.

"Now you will have to accept that we are over," she continued, irritated by his nonchalant reaction. "And that I don't care what you think about me or what I do or what I say-it doesn't matter to me!" Rafe just shrugged and turned back to his locker. Slamming his locker shut furiously, Sami ordered him not to turn his back on her. Rafe scoffed that it was just typical Sami behavior to remind him that he was out of her life but still demand his undivided attention.

Sami argued that Rafe needed to acknowledge that he had pushed her away by not accepting her for who she really was, the way E.J. did. Rafe countered crossly, "He's conned you, and you can't admit it, so you're blaming me for it!" Sami insisted that E.J. loved her and she loved E.J. "I don't think you do!" Rafe argued. "I think you're lying to yourself, and I can prove it!" He grabbed her roughly and kissed her, shoving her against the lockers-and Sami kissed him back just as fervently.

Philip returned to town and found out about Hope being arrested. He stopped by the hospital to discuss the matter with Justin, but Chloe called him and asked him to meet her at the pier to discuss the baby. Meanwhile, as Chloe was getting ready to leave Daniel's apartment, there was a knock at the door. It was Nicole, who needed a shoulder to cry on.

Chloe tried to make up an excuse as to why she couldn't stop and talk to Nicole, but Nicole felt that Chloe was being insensitive. Chloe asked Nicole to stay at the apartment while she ran out for a little while. Nicole blurted out that she had lost Brady for good and that he was the only man Nicole really loved. Nicole got upset with Chloe for not having time for her, and she stormed out.

After Philip left the hospital, Daniel asked Justin how Victor was taking the news of Hope's arrest, and Justin said Victor had a "very sensitive and nuanced take on the whole thing." Daniel asked how Justin was handling it, and Justin didn't really know what to say. Justin asked how Daniel and Chloe were doing, and Daniel said that things couldn't be better between them.

Stephanie told Adrienne that she'd decided to be more secure about her relationship with Nathan. Adrienne pointed out that Nathan had given up a fellowship to stay in town with Stephanie and that Melanie was happily married to Philip. Stephanie had to leave to drop something off at Maggie's house.

Nathan stopped by Maggie's house to see his grandmother. Maggie left to take care of a matter concerning Chez Rouge when Melanie returned home. Nathan and Melanie discussed Hope's arrest. Melanie hugged Nathan. Stephanie saw them hugging through the window. Maggie walked in the kitchen and asked if she was interrupting, but Nathan said no. Maggie said that she was glad that Hope's actions were out in the open and no one had been permanently injured.

Melanie went into the other room, and Maggie took the time to grill Nathan about what was going on between him and Melanie. Nathan said he was with Stephanie and he loved her. Nathan said that Melanie was happily married with Philip anyway. Maggie and Nathan went to the Brady Pub, and she expressed to Caroline her concern for Hope.

Maggie asked if Caroline needed help with anything. Nathan noticed Caroline's icy demeanor towards Maggie, and he asked Maggie about it. Maggie explained that Caroline felt that Maggie had been intruding with Victor when Bo was attacked. Nathan asked Maggie if Victor was married to Vivian, and he said that Maggie had some explaining to do.

Stephanie returned to the Cheatin' Heart to tell Adrienne about what she'd seen at Maggie's house. Adrienne tried to explain it away, but Stephanie was still worried about losing Nathan to Melanie.

Daniel stopped by Maggie's house to see Melanie and ask her to look out for Carly because Carly was having a tough time with Hope's arrest. Melanie said that Carly blamed herself for what Hope had done. Melanie felt that it was a miracle that they had "each other's back." Daniel said he didn't think it was good for two people to stay together when one of them had been unfaithful, because they would just be living a lie.

Chloe met Philip at the pier to tell him that she had taken the paternity test. Philip reminded her that if it were his baby, he would take care of them. Chloe appreciated that, but she said that even if the baby was Daniel's, she could still lose him. She explained that she had almost gotten caught waiting for the paternity test, because Daniel had showed up.

Philip said he would make sure the test results stayed confidential. They hugged, and Stephanie showed up. She asked Chloe and Philip whether she was interrupting something. Philip explained that they were discussing Hope's arrest, and Stephanie wondered why that would be personal for Chloe.

Stephanie noted how stressed out Chloe was. Philip gave an excuse to leave. Stephanie grilled Philip about what was going on, and he excused himself so he could go home to Melanie. Stephanie realized that Chloe and Philip had a secret that they were hiding, so she felt it was her job to uncover that secret.

E.J. wondered to Sydney whether she had detested E.J. for what he did to Sami, and he promised to spend the rest of his life making it up to Sydney.

Rafe and Sami shared a steamy kiss, which led to a make-out session in the police station locker room. They stopped kissing, and he said it was a mistake. Then he told her that she should leave. She started to leave, but he stopped her and started to make out with her again. Rafe stopped and apologized. Sami got mad and said if Rafe loved her, he would stop her from marrying E.J. He mocked Sami's plans, saying he didn't want to stand in the way of true love.

Sami asked how Rafe had found out, and he said he had not found out from her. He asked why she didn't want anyone to know, and she said he didn't deserve an answer -- not anymore. Rafe agreed and then asked if Sami would tell E.J. about what had almost happened between Sami and Rafe. Sami asked if E.J. had told Rafe about the proposal, and Rafe told her to ask E.J. She left with the intention of doing just that.

When Sami got home, she told E.J. that they needed to talk. E.J. denied telling Rafe about the engagement, and he wondered why she was making a big deal about it, since people were going to find out anyway. Sami said she needed time to get used to the idea of being his fiancée. E.J. said he knew that she still had feelings for Rafe when he had proposed. He said it wasn't enough that they had children, trust, and great affection for each other, but he felt that the odds were in their favor.

Rafe went to the Cheatin' Heart for a drink, and Nicole showed up. She asked him to buy her a drink. Rafe asked if she was afraid that he would slip her a "Mickey," but she said that wasn't his style -- he was a straight shooter. She asked him if he wanted to drink together, and Rafe ordered her a drink. Nicole and Rafe toasted to the future. "To the future -- may it not suck as much as the present," he said.

Justin remembered his conversation with Hope when he had mentioned their kiss and Hope had no idea what he was talking about. Adrienne followed Justin to the beach, and they talked about how awful it was that Hope was behind the muggings and the attack on Bo. Adrienne expressed her sympathy to Justin for the pain that he was feeling. Justin didn't want to discuss it with her. She just wanted to make sure he was okay, and he said he was -- or would be.

At the Brady Pub, Melanie saw Chloe and called her name, startling her. Melanie asked to sit with her, and told Chloe about her conversation with Daniel. Melanie said that Daniel had been worried about what Carly had done. Chloe said it wasn't that simple. Melanie mentioned the consult that she had done with Daniel to reconstruct a woman's face, but Chloe didn't want to hear the details.

Melanie started to leave, thinking she'd offended Chloe, but Chloe told her to stay. Melanie mentioned that she and Daniel had seen Carly at St. Mary's Hospital and that Carly's patient was a pregnant woman who was getting a DNA test because she didn't know who the father was. Chloe told Melanie that she didn't think it was right for Melanie to discuss a woman's private business. Chloe excused herself, and after she left, Melanie said to herself that Chloe had better start telling people that Chloe was pregnant, or they'd just assume that Chloe was a "bitch."

When Melanie got home, she saw the flowers that Philip had bought for her. When he walked in the kitchen, she jumped into his arms and was excited to see him. He said that nothing mattered to him as much as she did.

At the hospital, Stephanie asked Daniel to sign a press release regarding the facial reconstruction surgery that he had done at St. Mary's. She told him that their insurance provider had some questions about Chloe's claim and whether Chloe's accident had been work-related or not. She said the insurance provider needed to know exactly why Chloe was at the hospital that day. Daniel said it was because she had gone there to give Daniel a watch, and she had left it in her hospital desk drawer. After Daniel left, Stephanie said to herself, "One watch, two different places, somebody's lying."

Maggie asked Daniel if he knew where Stephanie was. Chloe walked up and asked Maggie and Nathan who they were looking for. When Nathan said that they were looking for Stephanie and asked whether Chloe had seen her, Chloe lied and said no. Daniel asked Chloe privately when she was planning to tell people about her pregnancy, and she said she wanted to wait until her parents called her on her birthday. Daniel said it was a good thing that her birthday was the next day, because people would figure it out quickly anyway.

Nathan thought about his earlier conversation with Melanie and about their hug. Maggie asked him if he had heard from Stephanie, but he seemed distracted. Maggie picked up on it and thought that something was upsetting him, but he denied it.

At the Brady Pub, Caroline and Adrienne talked about how Bo was handling Hope's arrest. Adrienne said that Stephanie had felt her world was turned upside down and that she had seemed to be having problems with Nathan, and Adrienne was worried about her.

Stephanie broke into Chloe and Daniel's apartment, looking for evidence that would tell her what Philip and Chloe were whispering about. She tried to hack into a laptop, and she questioned herself for having taken such drastic measures. Caroline called her on her cell phone. Stephanie tried to rush her off the phone, but Caroline demanded to know where Stephanie was and how she was doing. Stephanie heard Chloe and Daniel in the hallway as they started to enter the apartment.

Stephanie was snooping in Daniel and Chloe's apartment when she heard their voices in the hallway outside. She quickly hid in the closet before Daniel and Chloe entered. Stephanie eavesdropped while Chloe and Daniel chatted about how they would spend Chloe's birthday the next day. When Chloe seemed content to stay at home, Daniel reminded her, "I thought that we decided we were going to tell our family and friends on your birthday that we are getting married-for real this time-and that you are pregnant with my child."

Chloe and Daniel happily discussed what Chloe planned to tell her parents, and then talked about possible baby names. When Daniel got a call from the hospital to perform an appendectomy, he asked the nurse to let Melanie know, so she could observe.

At Maggie's, Melanie confided to Philip that while he was out of town, she'd run into Brady-and he'd been drinking. "He's got some weird thing going on with Nicole," Melanie added. Both things worried Philip. Melanie then got a text message about the appendectomy, and excitedly ran upstairs to get dressed.

As soon as Daniel had left the apartment, Chloe called Philip to invite him over. "I'm a wreck right now, and you're the only one I can talk to about this," she confessed.

After Philip arrived, Chloe explained that she wanted to meet there because they always ran into people they knew when they met in public. Philip admitted that Stephanie had asked him why he had been with Chloe and not Melanie earlier. "Daniel is dying to tell people that I'm pregnant, and I had to agree," Chloe fretted. "But what if he's telling everyone right now that he's going to be a father, and we find out that this baby is yours?" In the closet, Stephanie pressed her lips together as if to stifle a shocked yelp.

Chloe continued that she was supposed to get the results of her paternity test from St. Mary's the next day. She added that although she had used an alias, Dana Scott, at the hospital, she'd used her real cell-phone number. Philip tried to reassure her that he would take care of things with Stephanie, but Chloe was sure that if Philip turned out to be the father, it didn't matter what Stephanie knew. "I'm going to lose Daniel anyway, and your marriage will be over," she maintained.

Philip concurred that Melanie would never forgive him, and would "go right back to Nathan." Chloe showed Philip the christening gown that Daniel had retrieved from storage for their baby to wear, but then admitted that she was suddenly starting to feel anxious. "Can we get out of here?" she asked.

Stephanie waited until Philip and Chloe had gone, and then exited the closet. "Oh, my God, I was right!" she muttered breathlessly to herself. "Even [Philip] thinks that Melanie is going to go running back to Nathan, and I'm going to lose him." She called the hospital and invented a story about how the PR department wanted more information on Daniel's burn patient at St. Mary's, and asked how she could access the records. Once she had an answer, she rushed out.

As they walked on the pier, Chloe stated sadly, "Tomorrow we could lose everything." Philip pointed out that they might learn they made a baby together, and they would raise it together. "You're right; that's not nothing," Chloe agreed, and thanked him for being such a good friend.

Melanie and Daniel went to the Brady Pub when the appendix he was supposed to have removed turned out to be merely a soccer injury. Melanie remarked somewhat snidely that she wouldn't be surprised if Stephanie had told the intern to call Daniel, just to ruin someone's day. Daniel wondered what was up, when Melanie and Stephanie were friends. "We were; we're not now," Melanie admitted with a shrug.

Daniel asked if Stephanie had done something, or if Melanie were jealous because Stephanie was with Nathan. Melanie insisted that she was over Nathan, and she was very happy with her life. She then told Daniel that she had a job interview at St. Mary's that day, because she'd realized that people might think she got the job at University Hospital because Daniel and Carly were her parents.

Melanie hoped that Daniel would be okay with it if she got the job. Daniel assured her that he was proud of her no matter what, and if they offered the job, she should take it if she wanted it. After Daniel wished her luck on the interview, Melanie left.

Later, Daniel stopped to look at a diamond bracelet he had bought for Chloe. "She'll like it," he told himself happily. "Today is going to be a great day."

Stephanie arrived at St. Mary's Hospital during a shift change, and took advantage of the time by logging onto a computer at the nurses' station to look for Chloe's test results. Suddenly she heard Melanie's voice behind her saying, "What are you doing here?"

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady poured himself a drink after having gone for a swim. Victor didn't think that was such a great idea, and guessed that a woman had driven Brady to drink. Brady didn't want to discuss his drinking or his love life, so Victor tried to guess who had upset Brady. He suddenly realized with dismay that it could only have been Nicole, and demanded to know what the "she-monster" had done. Again, Brady refused to discuss it, and insisted that he could handle Nicole. When Victor called Nicole a "gold-digging slut" and Brady defended her, Victor was appalled that Brady apparently still had feelings for her.

Over drinks at the Cheatin' Heart, Nicole guessed that Rafe was drowning his sorrows because he'd lost Sami to E.J. Rafe denied it, maintaining that he was celebrating because Arianna had been exonerated, even though she had lost Brady. Nicole countered that Brady had broken up with Arianna because he was in love with Nicole. "Then why are you sitting here having drinks with me?" Rafe asked skeptically. "Because I blew it-just like you did," Nicole replied.

Tim called from the FBI office to let Rafe know that the computer disk Nicole had sent to Fay was back from the lab, and he thought Rafe should be the first to listen to it. Tim hoped there was enough on the disk to nail E.J. DiMera, and Rafe agreed. As Rafe left money for the tab, he advised Nicole to try doing the right thing for a change, since so far, not making a move without thinking about what it could get her hadn't worked out too well.

After Rafe left, Nicole pulled out a copy of the disk from her purse. "Brady hates E.J., and this is E.J. admitting that he stole his own baby," she contemplated aloud. "It would make Brady really happy, and I would be doing the right thing. But then E.J. would have me arrested for blackmailing him, and Sami would have me arrested for trying to cover up what E.J. did." Shoving the disk back in her purse, she shouted irritably toward the door, "No wonder I don't do the right thing, Rafe; it's a bitch!"

At the DiMera mansion, Sami announced to E.J. that she was ready to set a date for their wedding. E.J. was thrilled, but pointed out that her family might not be as excited. "Then that's their problem," a beaming Sami assured him. She retrieved the engagement ring from her purse, and as E.J. slipped it onto her finger, she asked when he wanted to get married. He admitted that he wanted to get married that very night, but he knew that was impractical. He thought they should have a small wedding that weekend, just for their family.

Sami confessed that she wanted Father Matt to marry them at St. Luke's, because even though some bad things had happened between them there, it was also full of happy memories for her. E.J. had just agreed to have a big, fancy wedding when Stefano and Kate walked in. E.J. informed them that Samantha had just accepted his proposal, and Kate immediately had a coughing fit.

Stefano congratulated them heartily, but Sami didn't buy it. Gesturing at E.J., she said to Stefano, "Get it off your chest: tell him that you think it's a terrible idea and he's making a huge mistake." Stefano diplomatically pointed out how well all of them had been getting along, and how much E.J. obviously loved Samantha. He wanted to open a bottle of vintage champagne that he'd been saving for a special occasion, so they could all drink to Elvis and Samantha's happiness.

Once the champagne had been poured, Stefano toasted with a simple "Salud," and Kate added, "May they get everything they deserve in life." E.J. then left to book the church. Stefano volunteered Kate's services as an event planner, and then left the two women alone. Sami downed her champagne silently.

Stefano entered the foyer just as E.J. was leaving a message for Father Matt. Stefano commended his son for getting Samantha to accept his proposal, but worried what would happen if she ever found out the truth about the kidnapping. E.J. asserted that with every day that passed, the chances of that happening grew even slimmer.

Later, Sami found E.J. at the computer, sending an email to Father Matt. Grinning, Sami told him that Allie wanted her and Sydney's bridesmaid dresses to match. Sami thought she should carry Sydney down the aisle, since their daughter had reunited them. "I think we really have a chance at being happy, E.J.," Sami added softly. Agreeing, he took her in his arms.

When Rafe arrived at the FBI office, Tim gave him the disk and a transcript of what the lab had been able to decipher from it, but admitted it wasn't much. "Yeah, but they don't know what they're looking for; I do," Rafe declared. Tim wished Rafe luck, and left. At first, Rafe could hear only E.J.'s garbled voice on the recording, but as it became clearer, he heard E.J. saying, "I can't believe I did that. I must have been out of my mind. I was just so angry with you..."

Rafe wondered what E.J. had done. He speculated that Nicole had managed to record E.J. admitting that he paid Anna to kidnap Sydney, and then Nicole had blackmailed E.J., because she knew he would do anything not to lose Sami. He guessed that she had made more than one copy of the CD, one of which she'd sent to her mother. "I've gotta find one of the other CDs," Rafe surmised. "I've gotta find it before Sami marries her baby's kidnapper."

Brady answered the door when Nicole rang the doorbell at the Kiriakis mansion. She asked him to go with her to the police station so she could tell them about the money and turn herself in. Brady was skeptical. "I love you and I want you back," Nicole insisted. "And if that means going back to prison to convince you of that, then I will." Brady asked if that meant Nicole had gotten the money illegally.

Nicole claimed that a local contractor had offered her a bribe to keep quiet when she'd uncovered his shoddy business practices while working on a story, and she'd kept the money as proof. Brady wondered why she hadn't just told him that in the first place-and why he should believe her. Nicole told him that she'd been afraid of going to the police because she'd been in fear for her life. She added that her producer would not lie for her, and offered to let Brady use her phone to verify her story.

Brady declined, so Nicole pleaded with him to admit that he still loved her. When her cell phone rang, she looked at the screen, and then silenced the ringer. She confessed to Brady that it had devastated her when he had left her. "I don't want to lose you, and I know you don't want to lose me either. We belong together, don't we?" Nicole implored. Softening, Brady admitted that she drove him nuts, and then kissed her.

"You can turn off your phone if you want, Nicole," Rafe muttered as he hung up. "But you're about to find out that I can be a bigger son of a bitch than E.J. DiMera."