Abe entered the Team Price headquarters while Paulina was slamming the receiver of an office phone into its cradle. "I try to talk policy, but all those vultures want to ask me about is Chanel," Paulina explained to Abe with a sigh.

Paulina shook off the frustration then changed the subject, bragging to Abe about having had an epiphany since their previous conversation. Abe probed for more details, prompting Paulina to clarify that the epiphany had been about a surefire way to make the scandal go away. Abe urged Paulina to hurry up and get to the point so they could put the plan into motion. Paulina admitted that it was a relief to know that Abe was so eager to help. "Because you're the only one who can," Paulina teased before adding that what Abe needed to do was really quite simple. "Fire Melinda Trask," Paulina elaborated, amusing Abe.

Abe stopped laughing after realizing that Paulina was being serious. Paulina shrugged then pointed out that Abe was still the mayor and was therefore still the district attorney's boss. Paulina reminded Abe that Trask had a grudge against their family then suggested that Belle would be more likely to handle Chanel's legal predicament fairly. "So, you want me to rig her case by hiring her own lawyer to prosecute her," Abe summarized. "Well, it sounds bad when you put it that way," Paulina conceded. "It is bad," Abe insisted. "Well, then, just find someone else -- appoint the cast of Law and Order: Salem, for all I care! Just get rid of Melinda Trask's sorry ass before she can do any more to hurt my baby!" Paulina begged.

Abe rejected Paulina's idea. "I would do it if I thought it would make things better," Abe stressed. "But if I did this, the press would be all over it -- they'd be all over you -- and the city council would impeach me," Abe continued. "Politicians have been sent to prison for less. Now, if we try to help Chanel in this way, we'd be in the cell right next to her," Abe concluded.

Paulina sighed then conceded that Abe was right about the plan being a bad idea. Abe assured Paulina that the situation could be handled without the use of dirty tactics. "If anyone can outfox Melinda Trask, it's Belle," Abe declared.

Belle tracked down Trask outside the Brady Pub and insisted that it was time for them to finally have another conversation about Chanel's case. "You've been ignoring my calls, and you're holding my client without an arraignment or a bail hearing -- it's outrageous and unethical, and you're not gonna get away with it anymore!" Belle snapped. "The courts are just a little backed up right now," Trask claimed.

Trask tried to enter the pub, but Belle blocked the doorway. "We both know why you're holding her without bail -- it's so you can feast on all this publicity," Belle argued, drawing a gasp from Trask. "You think I'm purposely slowing down the wheels of justice?" Trask challenged Belle, who didn't buy the innocent act. "You filed to put a stay on a bail hearing and then made sure the busiest judge on the circuit got it late on a Friday afternoon," Belle noted, prompting Trask to concede the point with a shameless shrug. "Looks like you figured me out, eh? Too bad there's not much you can do about it," Trask teased before ordering Belle to step aside.

Belle sighed then started to walk away, admitting that Trask was right about having the upper hand. "Oh, wait..." Belle backpedaled before producing a document and shoving it at Trask. "A writ of habeas corpus?" Trask sputtered. "Commanding you to appear in court and justify your reasons for holding Chanel indefinitely," Belle confirmed. "In front of an impartial judge," Belle continued. "My client has constitutional rights, and you are duty-bound to explain why you've decided to take them all away," Belle concluded. "You think you're so damn smart, don't you?" Trask grumbled. "I think I'm doing what's right for my client. Ms. DuPree is getting bail today, Madam D.A. Can I give you a ride to the courthouse?" Belle responded with a smile.

Allie headed over to the police station and arranged a visit with Chanel. "I miss you so much," Allie stressed while alone with Chanel in one of the conference rooms. "On Thanksgiving, when I went back to my cell...for the first time, I felt like I'm never gonna get out of here," Chanel admitted to Allie with a sigh.

Shawn entered the conference room with Sloan while Allie was trying to convince Chanel that everything was going to be okay. Shawn made it clear that Chanel didn't have to consent to a visit from Sloan, prompting Allie to recommend taking that advice. "No, it's fine -- let's hear what she has to say," Chanel decided.

Shawn nodded then exited the conference room, leaving Sloan alone with Chanel and Allie. "I guess I should say 'thank you'...but I'm not really feeling that grateful, seeing as how you slept with my father and murdered my mother," Sloan began before flashing Chanel a fake smile and extending a hand. "We've never formally been introduced -- Chanel DuPree, I'm your worst nightmare," Sloan continued, drawing a gulp from Chanel, who left the lawyer hanging. "You must be the girlfriend," Sloan concluded after turning to face Allie, who was quick to object that Chanel wasn't a murderer.

Sloan admitted to Chanel that Allie seemed like a keeper. "She's passionate, loyal, a lot younger than my dad..." Sloan summarized. "If only you had figured out you liked girls a little bit sooner -- maybe my mother would still be here," Sloan grumbled.

Sloan informed Allie that Chanel had actually confessed to being a murderer at one point. "My words were misinterpreted," Chanel insisted. "Maybe by now you've convinced yourself that it was an accident," Sloan conceded. "Or maybe your mother convinced you -- I mean, she sure did work hard to cover it up," Sloan continued. "Must be nice to have a mother that works that hard to fight for you. My mother would have...until you took her away," Sloan concluded.

Allie urged Sloan to consider how young Chanel had been during the incidents that were being discussed. Sloan wanted Allie to butt out of the discussion but seized the opportunity to argue that Chanel had been old enough to live alone in a foreign country and therefore couldn't use age as an excuse. Allie maintained that Chanel had been a victim in the situation, but Sloan wasn't convinced. Chanel declared that Allie and Sloan were both right. "I shouldn't have had the affair...but that doesn't change the fact that your dad had all the power in our relationship," Chanel elaborated. "For someone who says that they have no power, you sure did have enough to destroy my life," Sloan countered.

Chanel sighed then apologized for everything that had happened, but Allie maintained that Sloan was blaming the wrong person. Allie added that Chanel's legal predicament seemed to be about money and revenge instead of justice, prompting Sloan to admit to feeling owed all three things. Shawn interrupted just then to announce that Chanel had been granted bail and was therefore free to leave. "You hired the right lawyer," Shawn proudly explained while removing Chanel's handcuffs.

Chanel rushed out of the conference room and greeted Paulina and Abe then thanked Belle for the help and wondered how the victory had been secured. Sloan fumed while listening to the story then perked up when Trask stormed into the police station and interrupted the celebration. Trask glared at Belle then shoved a document at Shawn. "Paulina Price, you're under arrest for criminal conspiracy and obstruction of justice," Shawn summarized with a sigh after reading the document.

Kate emerged from the kitchen of the Brady Pub with a box of tea then headed upstairs and knocked on the door to Jada's room. "Eric, I told you -- I don't want to talk!" Jada snapped. "It's not Eric," Kate clarified.

Jada opened the door and greeted Kate, who tried to hand over the box of tea while explaining that it was a great treatment for morning sickness. Jada thanked Kate for the kind gesture then declined the gift, insisting that it wasn't going to be needed. Kate started to protest that there was no way to avoid having morning sickness, but Jada interrupted. "I'm not going to have morning sickness...because I'm not going to have a baby -- I ended my pregnancy," Jada explained.

Jada told Kate about everything that had happened since their previous conversation. "One day, I would love to be a mother -- I really would -- but just not like this," Jada concluded.

Kate insisted that Jada's reasons for deciding to have an abortion were understandable and valid. "I know that you pride yourself on being independent and not needing anyone, but I really hope that we can remain friends, 'cause I really like you," Kate stressed. "I feel the same way about you," Jada responded. "Great -- that's important, because with my history, I really need a friend in the Salem P.D.," Kate joked. "I've heard some stories about you," Jada admitted. "Yeah, well, don't believe them. I mean, they are true...but don't believe them," Kate begged.

Kate started to leave so Jada could get some rest. Jada stopped Kate at the last second. "Even though I know I did what was right for me, that still doesn't make it any easier," Jada confessed before seizing a hug from Kate then breaking down.

Nicole, still alone with Eric in the CEO's office at Basic Black, struggled to process the accusation that had just been made. "You actually think I went over to scare your ex-girlfriend into ending her pregnancy?" Nicole sputtered. "What else am I supposed to think? You were the last one who talked to her before she made the decision! Actions have consequences, Nicole -- but you never learn, do you?" Eric countered.

Nicole insisted that abortion had never even been mentioned during the conversation with Jada, but Eric saw that as nothing more than a technicality. "You knew your words could sway Jada's decision about getting an abortion or getting rid of the child -- and when she did, you got exactly what you want, didn't you?" Eric guessed.

Eric grumbled that Nicole had acted on impulse yet again. "Are you talking about me jumping into bed with Xander?" Nicole wondered. "Why would you even be bringing him up?" Eric responded. "Because this whole speech about my impulses was just sitting in the holster," Nicole explained before guessing that Eric still wasn't over that incident.

Nicole fretted that it was never going to be possible to live up to Eric's high standards. Eric advised Nicole that it wasn't the appropriate time for self-pity. "I'm not feeling sorry for myself -- if anything, I'm feeling guilty!" Nicole clarified. "I was feeling threatened by Jada's pregnancy!" Nicole continued. "I was hoping that she wouldn't keep the baby!" Nicole continued. "There, I said it -- are you satisfied?" Nicole concluded.

Eric muttered that it was nice to hear Nicole say something honest for a change. Eric started to say something else about how perfect things could have been, and Nicole was quick to put a finer point on the statement. "You want to be a father, but you chose someone who can't make that happen," Nicole noted. "How could you believe I was gonna say something so hurtful?" Eric protested. "A few minutes ago, you were willing to think that I talked Jada into ending her pregnancy, and you didn't seem to care that you hurt me then," Nicole reasoned with a shrug before summarizing that Eric had seen the baby as a solution to the dilemma of being in love with a woman who couldn't bear children.

Eric tried to insist that being a father to Holly had always been enough, but Nicole maintained that Jada's pregnancy had caused a different level of excitement. "Did you call me over to let me in on the plan? Did you even mention me in your big announcement? No -- you didn't think of me at all," Nicole reminded Eric. "I never meant to make you feel like you didn't matter," Eric assured Nicole.

Nicole conceded that Eric might not be trying to do that on a conscious level. "But you can't help it, can you? Jada decided to end her pregnancy without telling you, and you can't be mad at her, so you have to take it out on me because I am an easy target -- I mean, after Xander and all the other mistakes I've made, this is just one more way to disappoint you," Nicole elaborated. "You broke a trust, and that can't be undone -- we can't go back. Jada's baby is gone now, and I have to find a way to live with that," Eric responded. "Live without being a father, or live with my role in it?" Nicole wondered. "Both, I guess," Eric clarified with a shrug.

Eric started to leave, but Nicole objected that they still had more to discuss. "Where do we go from here?" Nicole wondered. "I don't know," Eric answered.

Eric fought back tears then exited the CEO's office without saying another word, and Nicole broke down once the coast was clear.

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