In Maggie's kitchen, Melanie claimed to be flattered that Mark had traveled all the way from Europe to visit her. Mark reminded her that the last time they'd been together, Melanie had left him in the middle of the night. He grabbed her menacingly by the arms, declaring, "You're not getting away from me this time, Melanie, not until I get what I came here for." Melanie broke free, promising with an uncomfortable laugh to pay him back.
Mark gruffly agreed, and took hold of her arm, yanking her toward the front door. Suddenly Philip appeared at the back door, demanding to know what was going on. Mark ordered him to mind his own business or risk being hurt. "Who is this dude?" Philip asked somewhat disparagingly, noting Mark's accent and greasy hair. Melanie made hasty, reluctant introductions. Philip surmised that Mark must be one of Melanie's old friends from "back in the day" in France—and based on the way Mark was manhandling her, she owed him money.
Mark informed Philip that, indeed, Melanie owed him $10,000. Philip was impressed. He took off his watch and handed it to Mark, noting that it was worth about half that amount. While an unconvinced Mark scoffed and inspected the watch, Philip asked, "Tell me something—you ever hear of the Kiriakis family where you come from?" Mark replied that everyone in Europe knew who the Kiriakises were, adding, "Everybody knows those they must respect, or they don't live very long, no?" Philip declared simply, "My name is Philip Kiriakis."
Mark's demeanor instantly changed. He thrust out his hand, proclaiming that it was a pleasure to meet Philip, and tried to return the watch. Philip told him to keep it. "Fifty cents on the dollar ain't bad in a recession, but if you ever bother Miss Layton again..." Mark assured him, "Not to worry, my friend!" Mark kissed Melanie on both cheeks, then embraced Philip, thanked him, and left in a hurry.
Melanie, relieved, expressed her gratitude to Philip, adding, "I owe you." Philip took off his coat and stated that he knew exactly how she could repay him. Melanie replied sarcastically that he probably wanted her to kiss his ring and then take him upstairs to the bedroom. Eyes twinkling, Philip only wanted to know how she'd scammed Mark out of $10,000. Melanie chuckled, explaining that she'd told Mark that she could get him an Arabian horse for that price. They agreed that Mark were that gullible, he deserved to be conned. "I've got to wonder, though," Philip noted seriously. "How many other Marks are out there, waiting to get even?"
At the hospital, as Nathan finished wrapping Stephanie's ankle, she fantasized about kissing him. Snapping her out of her reverie, Nathan instructed her to keep ice on her ankle while she was at her desk. When he started to leave, Stephanie blurted that he was making a big mistake. Nathan asked what he meant, and she covered, claiming that he'd simply wrapped her ankle too tightly. Nathan agreeably began rewrapping it, but wanted to know what Stephanie had really meant.
Stephanie insisted that she was just having one of those days, and everything was fine with the two of them. Nathan had to leave, but promised that they would talk soon. Stephanie overheard a phone call at the nurses' station and asked what was going on. A nurse informed her that there had been a bus accident, and their department needed to send a doctor down to the emergency room. When the nurse said that it would be "an all-nighter," Stephanie piped up that Dr. Horton was still in the hospital. The nurse immediately paged Nathan.
Stephanie commiserated with Nathan when he returned to the floor for a cup of coffee later. Nathan was disappointed that the long night would mean he'd have to cancel his date with Melanie, and left to call her. "I hated doing that; I really did," Stephanie said to herself. "But Melanie just doesn't deserve Nathan."
Melanie was sorry to hear that Nathan would be stuck at the hospital all night, but knew that she would have to get used to it if she wanted to date a doctor. Nathan thanked her for understanding.
Nathan was surprised to find Stephanie still at the nurses' station later. She stated that she'd wanted to hang around in case she could help out in some way. "What you're doing, Stephanie, is a really nice thing," Nathan remarked, thanking her on his way back to the emergency room.
After Melanie hung up, Philip wondered what Nathan would think about all the scams she'd pulled in Europe. Melanie hinted that she didn't want Nathan to know. Philip asked, "What do you care what anyone thinks, including Nathan Horton?" Melanie replied that she cared about Nathan. "You want to keep telling yourself that, go ahead," Philip said with a shrug. "But things would be working out a lot better for you if you'd just be honest with yourself." Melanie shook her head, but soon found herself kissing Philip anyway despite her objections.
At the Brady Pub, Rafe informed Arianna that he'd found Sydney and returned her to Sami, and Nicole had been arrested. An ecstatic Arianna ran out from behind the bar and hug her brother proudly. Rafe continued that Caroline and Roman were with Sami and Sydney, so he'd left the townhouse to give them all some space. Arianna gushed about what a hero Rafe was, but he shrugged it off. While they chatted, someone eavesdropped from behind the pages of the Salem Spectator.
Rafe wondered why the DiMeras would want to kill him, when he was trying to prove that E.J. was Sydney's father, thereby returning her to the family. Rafe then announced that he was headed back to Sami's. On his way out, he walked right up to the mystery person and yanked down the newspaper. He and Arianna were stunned to see their little sister, Gabriela. "Gabi, what the hell are you doing?" Rafe demanded. "Mom told me to come," Gabi replied with a shrug. "She was worried about you guys."
Gabi explained that the family was worried because neither of her siblings had called home in a long time. Rafe and Arianna asked why Gabi wasn't in school. Gabi retorted that she was on winter break—and besides, she hadn't been the one who'd been in prison for drugs, like Arianna. Rafe chided her, and Arianna acknowledged that she'd let everyone down, so Gabi apologized. Rafe promised that he and Arianna would call their mom the next morning, and go home for a visit soon.
Gabi was happy to hear it, but couldn't return home yet, because their mom was spending Thanksgiving with their grandmother. Arianna reacted badly to the news that Gabi was sticking around for a few days, so Rafe pulled Arianna aside. Arianna pointed out that her room was too small for Gabi to stay with her, and Gabi surely couldn't stay at Sami's townhouse. Rafe countered that there was a vacant room down the hall from Arianna's, and wondered why she was so reluctant to have their little sister spend Thanksgiving with them. Arianna conceded that Rafe could ask Caroline if Gabi could use the vacant room.
In the park later, Rafe explained to Gabi that Arianna had a new boyfriend, and that was probably why she hadn't initially been too thrilled about Gabi's visit. Gabi asked, "Does this new boyfriend know she's a jailbird?" Rafe cautioned Gabi that no one could know about that, but Arianna's boyfriend was a nice guy. "I hope so," Gabi replied. "I don't want to see her get hurt again." Rafe concurred.
At the jail, Brady explained to a relieved Nicole that Chloe had sent him a text message, telling him that Nicole had been arrested. Nicole was surprised that Chloe had bothered, but completely floored that Brady seemed to have forgiven her so easily, since everyone else hated her. Brady replied that he understood that everything Nicole had done had been out of love for E.J. and Sydney. Nicole caressed his face with wonder and disbelief. "Why couldn't I have tried to build a life with you?"
When Nicole sadly stated how much she missed Sydney, Brady referenced the paternity test. He assumed the results had shown that Chad was Sydney's father, and that Nicole had been arrested for illegal adoption. Startled that he didn't know the truth, Nicole wanted to know what the cops and Chloe had told Brady. He immediately concluded that there was more going on, but Nicole denied it. Brady asked how he could help Nicole, and she begged him to post bail for her. She became emotional about how lost she was without her daughter, and Brady quickly agreed to post her bail.
Brady returned to the cell later and informed Nicole that she would be free to go as soon as they processed her paperwork. Brady continued that he would arrange for her to stay at a motel out in Graymore, and he would take care of her financially. Nicole was grateful, but cautioned, "When everything comes out, and everyone does hate me, I hope you still understand that anything I did, I did because I loved E.J., and I loved that baby girl." Brady reassured her that he was her friend, and nothing could change that. "You want to bet?" Nicole whispered after he'd gone.
A guard soon released Nicole from the cell, and had her sign for an envelope containing her personal effects. As the guard walked off, Nicole pulled out her wallet and opened it to a picture of Sydney. "I'm going to find my baby and do what has to be done," she vowed.
Brady stopped by the pub to tell Arianna about posting Nicole's bail. "After everything she did?" replied an appalled Arianna. "Are you out of your mind?"
As E.J. returned to the DiMera mansion, he left an angry message for Stefano, accusing Stefano of ordering Mateo to say that E.J., not Stefano, had ordered the hit on Rafe. Suddenly, Stefano appeared in the parlor behind E.J. Stefano admitted that he had returned because he'd learned the police no longer held him accountable for Rafe's attempted murder. E.J. was incredulous that Stefano had let him take the fall, but Stefano assured him that Mateo would continue to change his story about who had hired him, naming different people on a daily basis, until the DiMeras were off the hook.
E.J. pointed out that Samantha could still use the charges against him in a battle for custody of Sydney. Stefano was unconcerned. Citing his position as head of the family business, E.J. asked if Rafe were a threat to it—and if Rafe's life were still in danger. Stefano maintained that Rafe was not a threat. E.J. then informed his father that the day of the hit, Rafe had been carrying DNA evidence that proved that Samantha was Sydney's mother, and E.J. her father. Stefano feigned shock: "DIo mio!"
E.J. filled Stefano in about the baby switch, while Stefano sputtered indignantly about how Nicole should be in prison for such an outrageous deed. E.J. accused Stefano of playing a part in the plot. Stefano replied that it didn't matter as long as Nicole had been arrested, and Sydney would soon return to "la famiglia." E.J. theorized that no one would have ever learned the truth had the hit on Rafe been successful—and that was precisely why Stefano had ordered it, concluding, "That means you knew her secret, and you knew from day one."
Stefano tried to claim that he'd thought Rafe was investigating their family. E.J. didn't buy it, pointing out Stefano's inexplicable loyalty to Nicole—and his hatred of Samantha. He reminded Stefano that he'd been planning to tell E.J. something in the hospital, until Samantha had angered him to the point where he decided he didn't want her to be any further involved in E.J.'s life. Finally Stefano conceded, but argued that because of the switch, Nicole had allowed E.J. to raise his biological daughter, because Samantha would never have told E.J. that Sydney was his child.
E.J. became enraged, choking back hot tears as he lamented how Stefano—the one person E.J. thought he could trust—had lied to E.J. and allowed him to mourn the death of a child who wasn't even his. Stefano earnestly insisted that he'd only wanted to help, because if E.J. had known the truth, he would have run back to "that lowlife Brady bitch." "But it's my life, Father!" E.J. cried, then grew eerily calm as he took Stefano's face between his hands. "I love you, but you can't do this." His hands moved to his father's throat, and an astonished Stefano could only struggle in vain as E.J.'s grip got tighter and tighter.
