Melinda forced Abe to testify against Sami so that the judge would deny her bail. Kayla found a discrepancy in an autopsy report that might help with Sami's case. Stefano vowed to Chad that he had not sent Bernardi to murder Rafe. Will worried that he was holding Sonny back. Cameron gave Chad bad news about Chad's health.

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

by Mike

At the Kiriakis mansion, Maggie told Nick to join her in the living room. Nick declined the invitation, stating that he was extremely busy and didn't have any time to spare.

"It wasn't a question. It was an order," Maggie clarified, adding that she was worried about Nick, who had been avoiding her since the night that they had talked in the town square about what had happened to him in prison. Maggie reminded Nick that he had promised her that he would talk to a therapist, prompting Nick to quickly reply that he had fulfilled that promise.

Nick assured Maggie that he was trying to make amends for his past misdeeds, adding that he and Gabi had worked everything out earlier. Maggie refused to believe that all of Nick's problems could have possibly disappeared in such a short amount of time. "Look, if you stay in denial about this, your past is gonna repeat itself over and over. And your past -- it isn't that great," Maggie pointed out.

Maggie said that Nick had only had one session with his therapist. Shocked, Nick insisted that his therapist never should have revealed privileged information like that to Maggie. "He didn't. You just did," Maggie replied. Maggie's manipulative behavior offended Nick, but she didn't care, since treating him with patience and kindness hadn't been working.

Maggie stressed that she wasn't attacking Nick and that she simply wanted him to be honest with her and with himself. Nick insisted that he was dealing with the things that he had done to people, but Maggie was more concerned about getting him to deal with the things that had been done to him. Nick didn't want to talk about the subject, but Maggie refused to believe that everything was fine.

Maggie was certain that, despite Nick's claims to the contrary, he had truly loved Gabi and Arianna. Eager to end the conversation, Nick abruptly excused himself, prompting Maggie to advise him to refrain from running away from his problems. "I'm not. My life with Arianna and Gabi is over, okay? This is not me running away; this is me moving on," Nick tearfully insisted before exiting the mansion, leaving Maggie thoroughly unconvinced.

In Rafe's hospital room, Rafe found it hard to believe that Sami had shot Bernardi to protect Rafe, since he had always thought of Bernardi as a friend. Before Kate could clarify the situation for Rafe, Bernardi's widow, Marge, entered the room. Marge was pleased to hear Rafe refer to Bernardi as a friend, since it seemed to confirm her belief that Bernardi never would have tried to hurt Rafe.

Kate was worried that Marge's presence could jeopardize Rafe's recovery, so she asked Marge to leave, but he wanted Marge to stay. Rafe questioned Marge about her son, Timmy, whom Bernardi had often talked about. Marge reported that Timmy didn't understand why Sami had not only killed Bernardi, but had also claimed that Bernardi had been a dirty cop.

Noting that Rafe wasn't obligated to protect Sami, whom he was no longer married to, Marge begged him to tell everyone the truth about Bernardi's character. Rafe noncommittally stated that he was glad that Marge had visited him. Marge echoed the sentiment, admitting that she felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. After Marge left, Kate warned Rafe that he had given Marge the impression that he was on her side.

Rafe told Kate that he needed to talk to Sami. Kate sarcastically agreed that talking to Sami would be a great idea, especially since Rafe's doctors wanted him to avoid stress and drama. When Rafe repeated his request, Kate jokingly reminded Rafe that prisoners weren't allowed to have cell phones, momentarily forgetting that he wasn't supposed to know that Sami was in jail.

Frustrated, Rafe snapped that he was sick of being kept in the dark about certain things. Meanwhile, Maxine entered the room to check Rafe's blood pressure and give him a mild sedative. After Maxine left, Rafe reiterated that he wanted to talk to Sami. Kate insisted that Rafe couldn't help Sami, and she advised him to focus on getting released from the hospital so that he could help Gabi and Arianna instead.

After Rafe drifted off to sleep, Nick entered the room and quietly informed Kate that he wanted to apologize to Rafe for everything that he had done to Gabi and Will. Kate whispered that Rafe needed rest more than he needed to hear an apology from Nick. At Nick's request, Kate reluctantly agreed to contact him when Rafe was once again alert enough to receive visitors. Later, as Rafe continued to sleep, Kate held his hand and muttered that she was never going to lose him again.

In Will and Sonny's apartment, Will informed Sonny that Justin had decided not to represent Sami. The news stunned Sonny, but Will admitted that he understood Justin's point of view, since Sami had kept important details about her case hidden from Justin. Will predicted that Justin's departure was just going to make Sami seem even more guilty that she had previously seemed.

Meanwhile, someone knocked on the apartment door. Will didn't feel like talking to anyone, so he asked Sonny to take care of the visitor. After Will left the room, Sonny opened the door and found Adrienne standing in the hallway. Sonny started to close the door in Adrienne's face, but she stopped him and begged him to listen to her.

Adrienne asserted that things would have ended differently if Sonny had listened to her instead of walking out on her the previous time that she had visited him. "I walked out because I was late for something important -- something that was important to Will and his family. And that's all you needed to justify hauling ass down to the police station!" Sonny angrily shouted. As Adrienne insisted that Sonny was wrong, Will entered the room.

Sonny didn't want Will to get involved in the argument, but Will asserted that he was already involved, since being in a separate room hadn't prevented him from hearing everything that they had said to each other. Adrienne stepped into the apartment and told Will that, while she wasn't sorry for protecting Sonny, she was sorry for the way that the situation had been handled.

Sonny snapped that he wouldn't have needed protection if she had stayed out of the situation. Will started to acknowledge that his mother had also done a lot of crazy things to protect him, but Sonny interrupted and asked Will to refrain from defending Adrienne. Insisting that she didn't need anyone to defend her, Adrienne wondered why her whole family had apparently turned against her for doing the right thing.

Adrienne stressed that she had turned the evidence over to the police so that she could get immunity for Sonny, not so that she could hurt Sami. "I understand. [In my head], I understand that. But [in my heart], you hurt my mom. You hurt my mother, okay? Because of you, she could go to jail for a long time. I think you could have waited. You could have waited a second until we got back, and you maybe could have talked to Sonny about it. But instead, you had my mom dragged out of my uncle's church in handcuffs," Will quietly, calmly stated before leaving the apartment.

Sonny wasn't willing to cut Adrienne as much slack as Will had. Adrienne insisted that she didn't need to justify her actions. Adrienne explained that she had gotten scared when Sonny had refused to listen to his own mother after being perfectly willing to hide evidence to protect Will's mother. "Maybe that was a mistake, but I'm not sure there was anything I could have said that would have stopped you. You know what I think the problem is? You wanted to do it, and you enjoyed doing it," Sonny theorized.

Adrienne tried to deny Sonny's accusation, but she was unable to convince him that he was wrong. "I remember I asked you not to make me choose. And that's exactly what you've done. You've made your choice. Now I've made mine. Goodbye, Mom," Sonny said before leaving the apartment, ignoring Adrienne's attempts to stop him.

In a holding cell at the police station, E.J. informed Sami that he had hired a new lawyer, Lawrence McHenry, to represent her. Sami quickly deduced that McHenry was on the DiMera payroll. Sami feared that McHenry's involvement could send the wrong message, since he had previously defended mobsters, but E.J. insisted that McHenry was a good lawyer who would be able to get her released from prison before the end of the day.

Eager to take Sami's mind off of her dire situation, E.J. showed Sami a brief video message that he had helped Johnny, Allie, and Sydney record for her. After watching the video, Sami started to cry, so E.J. urged her to think about Adrienne, reasoning that he wanted her to focus on being angry instead of being sad. Taking the bait, Sami groaned with frustration as she wished that she could have five minutes alone with Adrienne.

E.J. promised Sami that they would eventually deal with Adrienne. E.J. said that he and Sami needed to figure out a way to let everyone know that Justin's wife was the person who had released the video of Sami's argument with Bernardi. E.J. reasoned that he and Sami could imply that Justin was the person who had advised her to hide the evidence from the police in the first place, and that Justin had dropped her case to distance himself from her after the evidence had surfaced. After E.J. left, Sami quietly muttered that she was going to spend the day dreaming of ways to make Adrienne pay for messing with her.

Later, Sami received a visit from Will, who gave her a photograph of Arianna. Will started to tell Sami about Arianna's earlier visit with Rafe, but he quickly realized that the story was just making her feel sad. Sami wondered if Will knew why Rafe had gotten agitated when he had seen Sami at the hospital earlier. Will reluctantly revealed that Rafe had been under the impression that Sami had shot him. Will stressed that it didn't matter what Rafe believed, since Sami knew the truth -- that she had been protecting Rafe when she had shot Bernardi.

In Hope's office, Hope was surprised to learn that Justin had decided not to represent Sami. Hope wondered if Justin was trying to punish Sami for lying to him about an important aspect of the case. "It wasn't just about the lying. My wife was scared that Will being Sami's son could somehow threaten Sonny. I thought it was just maternal possessiveness. As it turns out...she wasn't wrong about that," Justin explained.

Hope tried to assure Justin that Adrienne had simply been trying to protect Sonny, but Justin wasn't interested in discussing the matter with Hope. After stating that he hoped that Hope would be able to find a way to help Sami, Justin abruptly excused himself. Hope quietly muttered that she wasn't sure if anyone would be able to help Sami.

Later, Hope received a visit from E.J. Hope asked E.J. if Bernardi had been on the DiMera payroll. E.J. initially claimed that he wasn't sure, but he quickly backpedaled and admitted that, while he couldn't prove it, he was certain that Bernardi had been one of Stefano's employees.

At the Horton Town Square, Chad assured Abigail that if anyone found out that they had known and neglected to tell the police about the video of Sami's argument with Bernardi, he would accept full responsibility for the crime in order to protect Abigail. Chad insisted that the whole situation was his fault, since he was the person who had created the video and had later convinced Abigail to hide it from the police.

Abigail assured Chad that he didn't have to protect her and that they would continue to handle the situation together. "Okay, we're in this together -- until someone talks jail time, and then you bail," Chad replied. Later, Sonny met with Chad and Abigail to discuss the video. Sonny stressed that he was going to take full responsibility for keeping the video from the police, since he already had immunity.

As Justin approached the group, Sonny quietly told Chad and Abigail to stop talking about the video. Justin stared at Sonny, who jokingly recalled that he had last seen that stare when he had taken Victor's limousine for a joyride. Unamused, Justin warned that if Sonny had arranged a meeting with him in a public place so that he would be unable to unleash the full fury of his wrath on Sonny, Sonny was going to be sorely disappointed.

Before Justin could continue his lecture, Sonny interrupted him. "I love him, Dad. I love him. And he was scared about his mom. And I knew that she did not mean to kill that guy. I love him, Dad," Sonny sincerely stated, referring to Will. Sonny stressed that he was the only person who had known about the video, but Chad contradicted Sonny's statement. Chad admitted that he was the person who had filmed the video.

Chad stressed that Sonny had only lied about Chad's involvement to protect him, prompting Justin to respond that lying never protected anyone. Abigail started to say something, but Chad stopped her and led her away so that Sonny could talk to Justin privately. Sonny said that, while he was sorry that he had lied to Justin, Adrienne was the one who had screwed everything up. Justin warned Sonny to refrain from going there.

Sonny conceded that he was the person who had screwed everything up, but he added that the situation was killing Will. Barely containing his emotions, Sonny begged Justin to help Sami. Justin said that he couldn't represent someone who had lied to him. "She wasn't lying to protect herself, Dad -- you know that. She was lying to protect Will, just like Mom would have done and just like you would have done. So how are you gonna give up on a woman like that, that would go through all that to keep her son out of prison?" Sonny pointedly asked Justin.

Elsewhere, Abigail noticed that Chad was rubbing his forehead, and she realized that he was suffering from another headache. Chad insisted that he was fine, but Abigail wasn't convinced. Abigail threatened to tell Justin that she had known about the video all along unless Chad agreed to go to the hospital to get some tests performed right away. Abigail asserted that if Chad was going to look after her, she was going to return the favor. Chad reluctantly agreed to Abigail's terms.

Chad and Abigail followed Sonny back to his apartment, where they were waiting when Will returned. Sonny wondered how Sami was doing. Will sarcastically replied that Sami was feeling fantastic, but Sonny wasn't amused. "Listen, I'm not mad at you at all, okay? And I'm trying really hard not to be mad at your mom. But I am angry. Yeah, she shouldn't be in there," Will quietly told Sonny.

Sonny informed Will that he had tried to convince Justin to represent Sami again, apologetically adding that he didn't think that Justin had heard a single word that he had said. Will appreciated Sonny's attempt to change Justin's mind. "If your mom doesn't get out, I will never forgive myself," Sonny insisted, but Will didn't want him to blame himself.

Changing the subject, Will encouraged Sonny and Chad to continue to work on the Common Grounds renovation project. Sonny didn't want to work on the project while Will was upset, but Will reasoned that they were both going to be pretty upset for a while and would simply have to find a way to get through the ordeal together.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Maggie tried to comfort Adrienne, who tearfully recalled the fights that she and Justin had once engaged in because she had been worried about him getting involved with Victor's illegal activities. Adrienne bitterly informed Maggie that history was repeating itself, since Sonny had practically made himself an honorary member of the DiMera family.

Adrienne hoped that she would be able to work things out with Justin, since he had decided to drop Sami's case, and that after they repaired their relationship, he would be able to help her mend her relationship with Sonny. Adrienne could tell that Maggie seemed skeptical, forcing Maggie to reluctantly admit that she believed that the situation was probably going to get worse before getting better.

In a holding cell at the police station, E.J. informed Sami that Hope was going to help them prove that Bernardi had been a dirty cop. The news lifted Sami's spirits, but she was still worried about her new lawyer. Sami wondered how everyone was going to react when they realized that one of the most prominent lawyers in the country had dropped her case. "One of?" Justin asked as he entered the room.

"Do you know who Cassandra is? Apollo gave her the ability to see the future, but she ticked him off, so he cursed her. So she could see the future, but no one would ever believe her. Adrienne kept telling me over and over, 'It's not Will. It's the family. They're trouble. Sami is trouble. Sonny is going to get in trouble.' But I didn't believe her," Justin said, summarizing one of the Greek myths.

Sami tried to apologize to Justin, but he didn't believe that she and E.J. were truly sorry for their actions. "If my son is ever put in a situation even remotely close to the one you put him in, I'm coming after you. Is that understood? The Greeks didn't invent revenge, but we made it into an art form," Justin warned E.J., who confirmed that he understood the threat. Satisfied, Justin advised Sami and E.J. to stop lying through their teeth so that he could start helping them with her case again.

Later, a police officer arrived to escort Sami to her arraignment hearing. Sami promised Justin that she would let him do all of the talking. As the police officer led Sami out of the room, E.J. asked if Justin, who was obviously still upset with her and E.J., really believed that he could properly defend her. Without hesitation, Justin confirmed that he believed that he could set his feelings aside to help Sami.

"Right now, I couldn't care less if Sami spends the rest of her life in prison...although I would prefer it to be you," Justin admitted, but he added that exonerating Sami would be the best thing that he could possibly do for Sonny and Will. As Justin walked away, E.J. rolled his eyes and shook his head dismissively, clearly annoyed with Justin.

In Rafe's hospital room, Kate told Hope about Marge's earlier visit. Certain that Marge would tell Melinda about the conversation, Hope predicted that Rafe would be asked to testify during Sami's trial. Kate assumed that Hope meant that Rafe would be a witness for the defense. "No. I think he'll be a witness for the prosecution," Hope clarified.

^ back to the top

by Mike

Outside the Brady Pub, Chad suggested that he and Abigail could visit Common Grounds to find out if the workers had started the demolition phase of the renovation project yet. Abigail declined the invitation and told Chad to follow her, cryptically stating that there was another place that he needed to visit first.

Abigail dragged Chad to the hospital so that he could see Cameron, who was talking to Gabi about something when they arrived. Observing that it looked like Gabi was flirting with Abigail's boyfriend, Chad dryly encouraged Abigail to defend her turf. As Abigail clarified that Cameron wasn't her boyfriend, Gabi received a phone call. After Gabi left, Abigail approached Cameron, with a reluctant Chad in tow.

Abigail announced that she had finally managed to convince Chad that his head needed to be examined. Cameron said that he had reached the same conclusion the first time that he had met Chad, who feigned amusement and praised Cameron for making a joke. Cameron excused himself so that he could find out if Kayla had time to examine Chad.

In Kayla's office, Abe asked Kayla to tell him what her initial assessment of Bernardi's injuries had been. "Well, when I, um, got my first look at his wound, I -- I thought he probably was gonna make it. I mean, it didn't seem like any vital organs were hit. He wasn't bleeding out. We got him stabilized and to the O.R., and he made it through the surgery. The surgeon's reports were very positive. And then it just...went south," Kayla summarized.

Kayla admitted that the sudden turn of events had surprised her, since Bernardi had been a fairly young and otherwise healthy man who had survived the surgery. Abe said that Bernardi's autopsy report had made a vague reference to some sort of excessive internal hemorrhage. Kayla offered to inspect the autopsy report herself to see if she could glean any additional information from it.

Abe thanked Kayla and stressed that he needed her to be discreet, since he didn't want Melinda or the mayor to know that he had been asking questions about the case. As if on cue, Abe received a text message from Melinda. Abe excused himself, vaguely stating that he was being summoned. After Abe left, Kayla placed a phone call to someone and explained that she needed to discreetly obtain Bernardi's medical file.

Later, Cameron entered the office and told Kayla about Chad's situation. Kayla asked Cameron to handle Chad's examination, apologetically explaining that she was busy. Cameron admitted that it would feel weird to examine Chad, whom he knew personally. Kayla advised Cameron that in a town like Salem, he would soon be out of a job if he always refused to treat friends and family members.

In the waiting area, Gabi greeted Chad and Abigail. Chad knowingly observed that Gabi's earlier conversation with Cameron had seemed really friendly, but she insisted that Cameron was just a good friend who only had eyes for Abigail. A short time later, Cameron returned and asked Chad to follow him to one of the examination rooms.

After Cameron and Chad left, Gabi and Abigail started to talk about Arianna. Gabi admitted that, while Arianna had drastically changed her life in ways that were sometimes overwhelming, the infant also had the power to make Gabi happier than she had ever been before with just a single look.

Elsewhere, Cameron examined Chad, who questioned Cameron about his relationship with Gabi. Cameron claimed that, aside from the fact that he had never ruined one of Gabi's weddings, his relationship with her was just like Chad's relationship with her. Chad said that he and Gabi had put that incident behind them. Cameron observed, somewhat bitterly, that people always seemed to forgive Chad for making mistakes.

Chad guessed that Cameron was talking about Abigail, but Cameron claimed that Chad was wrong and abruptly changed the subject. Cameron concluded the examination and announced that, pending the results of Chad's blood work and CAT scan, everything seemed to be okay. A short time later, Chad left the hospital after assuring Abigail that everything was fine, vaguely stating that he needed to take care of something.

After Chad left, Gabi questioned Abigail about her relationships with him and Cameron. Abigail said that she wasn't in a relationship with either man, although she vaguely added that she was hoping that would soon change. Abigail thought that it was wrong for her to like both men, but Gabi insisted that Abigail was lucky and advised her to savor the moment.

At the Horton Town Square, Kate ran into Stefano, who was laughing boisterously at something that his companion, Cecily, had just told him. "Well, well, well...your friend must be quite witty. After everything you've lost and the joke that you have become, what could you possibly have to laugh about?" Kate asked Stefano, who was smoking a cigar. Stefano happily boasted that he and Cecily often shared a laugh with each other.

Observing that Kate seemed slightly dyspeptic, Stefano wondered if she had recently consumed some bad food. Ignoring Stefano's comment, Kate asked Cecily if he was still just as attractive as he had been before he had lost most of his money and been reduced to flying in commercial planes and dining in places like the town square. Stefano explained that he and Cecily frequented the town square because he was allowed to smoke there.

Stefano exhaled some smoke in Kate's face to emphasize his point. Kate laughed as she plucked the cigar out of Stefano's hand. "Did I ever tell you that I don't like the smell of smoke -- cigar smoke? Oh, sorry -- I hope that wasn't the last of your Cubans," Kate sweetly stated as she dropped the cigar on the ground and stepped on it. Stefano laughed and informed Kate that there was nothing that she could do or say to ruin his good mood.

Kate found it hard to believe that Stefano could possibly be in a good mood when his beloved son, E.J., had recently bilked him out of everything. As Stefano removed a fresh cigar from his cigar case, he shrugged and matter-of-factly stated that E.J.'s recent actions had simply proven that E.J. was a chip off of the old block. Unconvinced, Kate guessed that Stefano was secretly plotting E.J.'s demise while pretending to enjoy the forced retirement.

Stefano chastised Kate for suggesting that he could ever treat one of his own children with such callousness. Kate laughed incredulously, prompting Stefano to state that he was glad that he had managed to put a smile on her face. Stefano reasoned that it was the least that he could do for a woman who was going to spend the rest of her miserable life alone. Stefano kissed Cecily and pointedly added that he was lucky to have her, but after Kate walked away, his smile quickly faded.

Later, Chad found Stefano and Cecily in a secluded section of the town square. Stefano introduced Cecily to Chad, his youngest son. "That you know of," Chad clarified. Cecily left so that Stefano and Chad could have some privacy. Chad demanded to know what Stefano wanted. Stefano didn't appreciate Chad's tone, but Chad believed that it was an appropriate way to talk to someone who had tried to kill a decent man who had been in a coma at the time.

Stefano sensed hatred in Chad's voice, and Chad incredulously asked if Stefano really expected him to love Stefano. "Yes. I have loved you from the moment I knew that you were mine. I have treated you with love, even when you act like a ridiculous brat all the time!" Stefano snapped. Unfazed, Chad said that he would pass on Stefano's famous brand of love, since he had seen what that love had done for E.J. and Kristen.

Chad said that Stefano's love was nothing but a lie. Stefano assumed that Chad wanted the truth, and Chad agreed that receiving the truth from Stefano would be a refreshing change of pace. "Fine. You have one question. Ask anything that you want to know, right? One question, and I swear to you that I will tell you the truth...no matter what the result is," Stefano replied. After giving the matter some consideration, Chad nodded. "Okay, here's my question -- did you send Bernardi to kill Rafe Hernandez?" Chad asked.

At the hospital, Kate barged into Kayla's office. Kayla said that she was busy, but Kate countered that, considering the sizable amount of money that she had donated to the hospital, it would be in everyone's best interest for Kayla to make time for her. Kate wanted to know if Rafe's physical therapy sessions would have to take place at the hospital. Kayla nodded and explained that Rafe wasn't ready to be sent home yet.

Kate announced that she wanted to hire an outside source to treat Rafe instead of using someone who was already a member of the hospital staff. Kayla protested that the hospital's staff members were very dedicated and capable people. "Yes, well, so is the Salem P.D., and yet Stefano managed to infiltrate them, didn't he?" Kate countered.

Kate believed that Stefano could easily find a physical therapist to finish the job that Bernardi had started. Kate promised to pay the new physical therapist's salary, meaning that the hospital would get a new staff member for free. Kayla stressed that she would need to approve the selection, which Kate took as Kayla's way of granting the request. Kate exited the room, leaving Kayla free to finally review Bernardi's medical file.

At the courthouse, E.J. asked Justin for confirmation that Sami's bail hearing was just a formality and that she would soon be back at the DiMera mansion with her kids. Justin promised to do his best to convince the judge to grant the bail request, but he warned that when Melinda was involved, there were never any guarantees.

Sami was surprised that Eric had chosen to attend the hearing. Sami believed that it would be best for Eric to distance himself from her, but he assured her that he would never stop loving and supporting her. When the judge entered the room a short time later, he admitted that he was getting an odd feeling of déjà vu. Looking to Justin for confirmation, the judge noted that it seemed like Sami's case had already been resolved earlier.

"Yes, Your Honor, but then damning evidence came to light, so now the charge has been changed to murder...in the first degree," Melinda announced as she sauntered into the room, apparently more concerned about making a splashy entrance than she was about being punctual. Unimpressed, the judge reminded Melinda that she had previously failed to convince a grand jury to indict Sami for second-degree murder.

When Justin asked for Sami to be released on her own recognizance, reasoning that the terms of her previous bail agreement didn't need to change just because the charges against her had changed, Melinda laughed in his face. Unamused, the judge waited for an apology from Melinda before allowing her to argue her stance on Sami's bail agreement. Justin was stunned when Melinda requested remand.

The judge asked Melinda to explain herself. Melinda claimed that she could prove that Sami was a flight risk who also posed a threat to the community. Melinda started to rant about Sami's version of the events that had led to the shooting, but the judge impatiently interrupted and reminded her that they were conducting a bail hearing, not a trial. Melinda summarized that there was new evidence that contradicted Sami's version of events.

The judge issued a ten-minute recess so that he could view the video of Sami's argument with Bernardi. After the judge left, Abe entered the room. Abe's presence at a bail hearing concerned E.J., who quietly asked if Justin knew why Abe was talking to Melinda. Justin predicted that Melinda was probably setting up the next act of her dog-and-pony show.

Meanwhile, Melinda pointedly reminded Abe that the mayor had instructed him to assist her in every possible way. "I arrested the daughter of my friend Roman Brady in front of a crowd of reporters with a bishop and priest nearby. Now, weren't those headlines big enough for you?" Abe asked, clearly annoyed. Melinda cryptically replied that, unless things changed at some point, she simply needed Abe to remain in the room for the duration of the hearing. Melinda abruptly walked away, leaving Abe confused about how his presence could possibly make a difference.

Eric told Sami that Roman had decided not to attend the hearing because he had been afraid that his presence might just give Melinda more ammunition to use against Sami. Sami wondered how the bishop had felt about the fact that she had turned the St. Luke's Academy reception into a three-ring circus. Eric asserted that Melinda was the person who had turned the reception into a spectacle.

Sami feared that the bishop might assign Eric to another parish to punish him for what had happened. Eric assured Sami that he wasn't going anywhere, and she sincerely apologized for everything. "You just apologized for being in the spotlight. You must be really scared," Eric dryly observed.

A short time later, the judge returned and started to announce the amount of Sami's bail, but Melinda interrupted and insisted that he needed to deny the bail request. Justin objected to Melinda's histrionics, pointing out that the judge had already taken into account all of the new evidence that she had presented him with. Melinda countered that she had not yet finished her argument, prompting the judge to dryly state that he found that hard to believe.

"The state has reason to believe that if bail is set at any amount, Samantha Brady will flee this jurisdiction. And we have a witness who can substantiate that," Melinda announced with a smug smile. Justin pointed out that Sami's four children, three of whom were minors, lived in Salem, along with many of her extended family members who had long-standing ties to the community.

Melinda made several arguments to support her belief that the judge needed to deny the bail request, but Justin pointed out that none of them were appropriate for a bail hearing. Melinda vowed to do whatever she had to do to keep Sami off of the streets. E.J. jumped in and accused Melinda of having a personal vendetta against Sami, and Melinda replied that he knew more about personal vendettas than she did.

The judge finally lost his patience and started pounding his gavel, demanding order. When the judge gave Melinda permission to proceed, she pointed out that Sami was engaged to E.J., who had recently seized control of DiMera Enterprises -- a move that had left him with a private jet and a private compound in Morocco, a country that did not share an extradition treaty with the United States.

Melinda said that E.J. had the resources to move Sami, her children, and her extended family to Morocco and host them there in splendor for an indefinite period of time. Justin objected to Melinda's meaningless speculations, but she countered that she wasn't speculating. Melinda revealed that she had heard E.J. tell Sami that he knew what it would take to get her out of her predicament and keep her safe.

Justin argued that it sounded like E.J. had made an innocent statement that Melinda had twisted to suit her own purposes. "Surely the word of Salem's former mayor and current police commissioner carries some weight. Commissioner Carver was present when E.J. DiMera made that promise to the defendant. He can confirm that every word I've told you is the truth," Melinda announced.

Abe took the stand and confirmed that he had overheard the statement that E.J. had made about keeping Sami safe. Justin pointed out that no one could possibly know exactly what E.J. had been referring to when he had made that vague statement. "I disagree with that, Your Honor, given that when Mr. DiMera himself was accused of a capital crime a few months ago, he disabled his court-mandated tracking device and fled. And he was aided and abetted by Ms. Brady, who seemed to have no problem leaving those three minor children behind," Melinda countered.

Annoyed, the judge stopped Melinda and stated that he had heard enough. After a long pause, the judge reluctantly denied the bail request, although it clearly pained him to do so. Melinda grinned triumphantly as Sami struggled to maintain her composure. Justin offered to surrender Sami's passport, but the judge refused to change his mind.

As soon as the hearing was adjourned, E.J. angrily declared that the judge's verdict was an outrage. Melinda smugly countered that she believed that the cold-blooded murder of a cop was an outrage. Sami tearfully denied the accusation as two police officers dragged her away. E.J. turned to Justin and demanded to know what had just happened. "I'd say the past came back to bite you and Sami," Justin matter-of-factly replied.

E.J. said that he had fled the area because he had been innocent, just like Sami was innocent. "E.J., you took the law into your own hands, just like Sami did. You also shot off your mouth in front of the prosecutor and a room full of cops. Sami lied to the cops and to the grand jury. And you're demanding to know how the hell this happened?" Justin incredulously summarized.

E.J. wondered what he and Justin were going to do to resolve the situation. "For starters, just try to stop talking," Justin advised E.J. Meanwhile, Justin received a text message from Kayla that stated that she had something very important to tell him about Sami's case. Justin looked at E.J. expectantly. E.J. shrugged and said that Justin already knew everything that E.J. knew, but Justin found that hard to believe.

After E.J., Justin, and Eric left, Abe warned Melinda to refrain from putting him in a similar position in the future. Melinda unapologetically replied that she would do whatever she had to do to get the job done. Meanwhile, Eric visited Sami, who feared that if Justin failed to find the razor and connect it to Bernardi, Eric would soon be administering the last rites to her.

At the hospital, Cameron received the results of Chad's CAT scan -- results that seemed to shock and concern him. Meanwhile, E.J. entered Kayla's office and informed her that Justin was filing an appeal for Sami, whose bail hearing had not gone well. Kayla announced that she might have some badly needed good news for E.J. Kayla explained that she had reviewed Bernardi's medical records and autopsy report earlier.

"E.J., there's a good chance that Sami's bullet isn't what killed him," Kayla revealed, referring to Bernardi.

^ back to the top

by ChickenGrrl

In the park, Chad demanded to know if Stefano had ordered Bernardi to kill Rafe. Stefano was surprised and disappointed that Chad would waste his one question to ask that, but Chad wanted an answer. Stefano emphasized, "My dear son, you should know by now that when a DiMera gives his word, it means everything to him." Stefano gave Chad his word that he had not sent Bernardi into Rafe's room to kill him.

Chad didn't buy that Stefano hadn't been involved because he knew that Bernardi had worked for Stefano. Chad pointed out that Stefano had sat at the coffeehouse for hours the night Rafe had been attacked. "If you want to stick with your brother, fine; it's all right with me. But for you to turn your back on me, that's a bad mistake, because I can teach you an awful lot, my son," Stefano warned before strolling away.

Dozing in his hospital bed, Rafe dreamed that Stefano was trying to strangle him. When Rafe opened his eyes, he was relieved that a nurse was the only other person in the room.

In the waiting area, Kate informed Gabi that Joe Bernardi's widow had visited Rafe -- and Hope had guessed that the prosecution was going to call Rafe to testify against Sami. Gabi didn't understand how Rafe could help when he'd been in a coma at the time of the shooting. Kate explained that Rafe could testify that he'd never suspected that Bernardi had been dirty and there was no reason that Bernardi would have wanted Rafe dead.

The nurse exited Rafe's room and informed Gabi and Kate that Rafe was awake. Kate urged Gabi not to say anything to Rafe about the topic of their conversation. After spending a few minutes in Rafe's room, Kate left to give Gabi and Rafe some time alone. Rafe told Gabi that he couldn't wait until he was strong enough to hold Arianna. As Gabi showed Rafe pictures of the baby on her phone, she found some photos of her and Nick that she thought she'd deleted.

"Listen, if you want to get this thing over between me and Nick, why don't you just give him a call?" Rafe suggested. Gabi agreed but asserted that she didn't hate Nick, and she'd realized that she had messed up, too. Rafe asked if Gabi thought it was really over between her and Nick. "Well, I'm not sure of that, but it's starting to feel that way," Gabi replied.

When Vargas ran into Nick outside the Brady Pub, he wondered where Nick had been since suggesting they do business together. Vargas noted that Nick hadn't been the same after being attacked on Smith Island, but Nick insisted that he was okay. Vargas asserted, "You're anything but okay, and what? All because you let that S.O.B. take everything away from you all over again?" Nick asked what Vargas was talking about.

"I'm talking about Jensen. He messed up your life once in prison. Are you going to let him do it again?" Vargas asked. Nick replied sarcastically, "Oh, wow, so now you've decided to become all sympathetic about what happened to me in there? Did you just totally forget that you tried to use it against me when you got out, when you needed something?"

Vargas acknowledged that it had been wrong of him to do that, and he was very sorry about it. He added that a lot of men wouldn't have handled things as well as Nick had, but Nick was a survivor. "You're stronger than you know, man," Vargas asserted. After Vargas had gone, Nick got a text message from Gabi, so he headed in the direction of the hospital.

Gabi was in the waiting area when Nick arrived a little later. Gabi explained why she had contacted Nick, "Rafe knows that you were here, and now he wants to see you." Nick said that he missed Gabi. "I miss you too -- the good times," Gabi agreed.

When Gabi led Nick into Rafe's room, Rafe asked to speak with Nick alone, so Gabi left. Nick began to speak, but Rafe cut him off, "I'm the one who's going to do the talking, not you." Rafe acknowledged that he knew what had happened to Nick in prison -- but Nick had been there because he'd committed a crime. "When you got out, your actions weren't the actions of a reformed man," Rafe asserted.

Rafe added that he had believed Nick's promises about how much he'd changed and how important Gabi was to him. However, Nick had plotted to separate Will from his own child and treated Will and Sonny "like crap" behind Gabi's back. So Rafe was going to observe how Nick treated people to see if Nick could prove that he was a different man. A frustrated Nick reminded Rafe, "You know, I'm not the reason that you're here, Rafe." Rafe replied, "I know. It's about the only thing I'm not blaming on you."

Gabi was sitting alone in the waiting room when Nick left Rafe's room. She didn't see Nick, so he headed for the elevators without a word.

Brent left Sonny and Will's place after he'd presented some design ideas to Sonny. Once they were alone, Will wondered why his mom hadn't shown up as planned after her bail hearing. After talking to Roman, Will informed Sonny that Sami hadn't made bail. Will asked Sonny to watch Arianna for a little while and then hurried out.

As Cameron reviewed Chad's brain scans, he noted with concern, "This can't be right."

In Kayla's office at the hospital, Kayla informed E.J. that after poring over Bernardi's medical records and autopsy report, she believed that Sami's bullet might not have been what had killed Bernardi. A skeptical E.J. reminded Kayla that Sami's life was on the line. Kayla explained that Bernardi had gone into cardiac arrest in recovery after making it through a complicated surgery, and it had made her wonder, so she had ordered his autopsy report and compared it to the surgeon's notes.

"Bernardi shouldn't have died, not from that gunshot wound," Kayla concluded, noting that the autopsy findings didn't match the surgeon's report. Since they didn't have enough information to change the medical examiner's findings, Kayla wanted to exhume the body and perform another autopsy. E.J. wanted to be sure that Kayla would supervise the autopsy, and she assured him that she would. "Kayla, this may be the one chance we have to save Samantha," E.J. declared.

After E.J. had gone, Cameron arrived to ask Kayla to take a look at Chad's CT scans. As they looked together at the area of the brain that concerned Cameron, he noted, "I realize it could be nothing." Kayla pointed out, "Or it could be something serious." Cameron said that although he had a consultation scheduled with Dr. Ando the following morning, he was worried that he should have booked it for that day.

Kayla assured Cameron that one day wouldn't make a difference. Since Cameron and Chad shared a nephew, Kayla offered to talk to Chad for Cameron if necessary. Cameron said that he wanted to handle things himself.

Chad was sitting on the bench in front of the Brady Pub when Kate walked up. She observed that he seemed troubled, and he admitted, "I just saw Stefano, and I asked him to his face if he sent Bernardi to kill Rafe, and he swore he didn't." Kate pointed out that Stefano was hardly going to admit that he'd ordered a hit on Rafe. Chad wanted to know, "When you were married to him, did he ever give his word about something as a DiMera and then lie to you about it to your face?" Kate admitted that Stefano had not.

"Even if Stefano claims to be telling you the truth, the man is capable of --" Kate began, but Chad interrupted to assure her that he knew what his father was capable of. "But I also know that nothing is more important than his word, and he gave me his word that he did not send Bernardi to kill Rafe that night," Chad declared, adding, "As much as I hate to say it, I think Stefano was telling me the truth."

Cecily lit a cigar for Stefano in Horton Square and asked how his visit with his son had gone. "Better than expected," Stefano replied confidently. On the phone a few minutes later, Stefano said, "When did this happen? So that's their next move." Laughing, he added, "Well, they're going to need a hell of a lot more luck for that idea."

As Lucas delivered the newspaper to Sami in jail, he made a joke about her being front-page news. The guard seemed tense about Lucas handing the paper through the bars, but Lucas reminded him that it had already been checked twice. Lucas reassured Sami that although the kids missed their mom, they were otherwise doing well. Sami agreed to try not to worry about them, but fretted, "Lucas...how the hell am I going to get out of this one?"

Lucas asked the guard for a little privacy, so the guard stepped a few feet away. Whispering, Lucas asked Sami if she could prove that Bernardi had gotten the evidence against Will. Sami said that she couldn't, but she was sure that Stefano had sent Bernardi to kill Rafe. Lucas assured Sami that he believed her, and he blamed himself for not getting the evidence and destroying it when they'd had the chance. Sami reminded him that they had been in on botching that job together.

Sami declared that she hated what her predicament was doing to everyone -- but if she were given another chance, she would do the same thing again to protect Rafe. She noted wryly that the special prosecutor, Melinda Trask, was out for blood -- but E.J. and Justin were not giving up. Lucas vowed that he would be there for Sami if she needed anything at all. Fighting back tears, a grateful Sami stroked his face through the bars.

After Lucas had gone, Sami asked the guard for some water, but he ignored her. Rephrasing the question, she asked politely, "Could I please have some water, sir?" The guard retrieved a bottle of water, but instead of handing it to Sami when she reached through the bars, he dropped it on the floor outside her cell.

As Will was heading to the police station, he ran into his dad in the park, and Lucas said that he had just been to see Sami. Lucas urged Will to stay calm while he was visiting his mom. Will maintained that it was his fault that Sami was in jail in the first place, but Lucas ordered him not to blame himself. Will was still worried about everything that Sami was going through, but Lucas asserted that Sami was a survivor who would land on her feet.

When Will arrived at the jail, Sami explained that she probably hadn't made bail because the special prosecutor had it in for Sami. Will was worried that someone might have tried to hurt Sami since she had killed a cop, but she assured him that she was fine, plus Hope and Abe were looking out for her. "We're going to find a way to fight this," Will asserted.

"We already have," E.J. declared as he joined them. A hopeful Will left to give his mom and E.J. some privacy. Whispering so that the guard couldn't hear, Sami said that she could tell by E.J.'s face that something had happened, but he was worried about getting her hopes up. She assured him that she could take it. E.J. informed her, "Kayla thinks there is a real probability that the gunshot is not what killed Joseph Bernardi."

Sami excitedly pointed out that it made sense, because there had been countless medical personnel around when she'd shot Bernardi, who should have survived -- unless someone had made sure that he didn't. "That same person could have taken the razor. They wanted to make sure that Joe Bernardi did not wake up and tell them who he was really working for," Sami asserted. E.J. declared that they had to figure out how to beat Stefano at his own game.

"So can Kayla prove it with an autopsy?" Sami asked hopefully. E.J. said that Justin was going to petition the judge to have Bernardi's body exhumed as soon as possible. "Now, if we are able to expedite that, it's possible this could be the last night you spend in here away from me," E.J. declared quietly. "E.J., please -- please let that be true," Sami cried.

Meanwhile, in her office, Kayla reviewed Bernardi's files again. "God, I hope I'm right about this," she said to herself.

Brent returned to Will and Sonny's because he'd forgotten his tablet -- plus he'd gotten another idea about the design for the coffeehouse. Sonny revealed that Will had just left, so Brent spread out some blueprints on the kitchen table. After they had looked over the designs, Sonny and Brent reminisced about a hike they'd taken in Joshua Tree. Sonny went to check on Arianna, and when he returned, Brent was looking at a brochure for a hiking tour in Bryce Canyon.

Brent said that he and some buddies were talking about going on a camping trip there, although he was hesitant because a lot of the others had paired off, and he didn't want to go alone. Brent invited Sonny to go along. Sonny asserted that he and Will couldn't plan any trips because of Arianna, but Brent suggested that Gabi take care of the baby by herself for a couple of weeks. Sonny explained that everyone pitched in to help with the baby. "So maybe you'll see Bryce Canyon when Arianna's thirteen, complaining her way up the trail about the heat," Brent suggested affably.

Sonny and Brent were laughing together when Will returned home just then. Brent left moments later, and Sonny explained that Brent had forgotten his tablet. Will spotted the brochure and asked about it. Sonny said that Brent wanted to go to Bryce Canyon but didn't have anyone to go with, so Brent had asked Sonny -- but Sonny had declined because he wouldn't go without Will.

Will encouraged Sonny to go if he wanted to. "What I want to do is be with you. You're my partner. This is our life, and you're my home... I have no desire to travel or do anything without you. Nothing can take me away from you," Sonny assured Will, kissing him. Arianna began to cry, so Will headed for the bedroom to check on her. He paused in the doorway and saw Sonny looking wistfully at the brochure.

^ back to the top

by Mike

Jennifer was passing through the Horton Town Square when she received a phone call from Hope, who was looking for her at the hospital. Hope wanted to talk about Daniel, but Jennifer insisted that she didn't want to talk about or see him and would be working from home that day so that she wouldn't have to do either.

At the Horton house, Lucas greeted J.J., who had ostensibly arranged the visit so that he could talk to Lucas about Will. J.J. guessed that Will was probably freaking out about Sami's arrest. J.J. hoped that Will knew that he could call or visit J.J. if he ever needed someone to talk to. When Lucas suggested that J.J. could just visit Will himself, J.J. admitted that, while he really wanted to visit Will, he couldn't because he was stuck at the house.

J.J. claimed that he had made at least ten recent attempts to contact Will. J.J. assumed that Will had permanently silenced his phone's ringtone so that it wouldn't disturb Arianna, but Lucas said that he had never had any trouble reaching Will. "Ah, well, whatever. Just -- just let him know that I'm trying to reach him. I guess, you know, he and Sonny are too busy to return calls," J.J. replied, somewhat bitterly.

Lucas admonished J.J. for the shoplifting incident that had occurred a few weeks earlier, deducing that J.J. was stuck at the house because Jennifer had grounded him. With a hint of embarrassment, J.J. confirmed Lucas' suspicion and claimed that he had simply let his friends talk him into doing something stupid. J.J. stressed that he had paid for his crime, prompting Lucas to infer that J.J. had arranged to see Lucas so that he could try to convince Lucas to talk to Jennifer about ending J.J.'s punishment.

After insisting that he really was worried about Will, J.J. hesitantly admitted that Lucas was right about J.J.'s ulterior motive. Lucas refused to grant J.J.'s shameless request. J.J. apologized and explained that he was simply frustrated because Jennifer didn't seem to be the least bit interested in listening to him or giving him a chance to prove that he could be trusted. Lucas wondered if J.J. knew why Jennifer was reluctant to do so.

"Because I ragged on her boyfriend," J.J. replied. Lucas was pleasantly surprised to hear that J.J. didn't like or trust Daniel. J.J. admitted that he probably shouldn't have said anything to Jennifer about Daniel, since she clearly didn't want to hear J.J.'s honest opinion about the subject. Reiterating that he simply wanted to visit Will, J.J. asked Lucas to consider talking to Jennifer about giving him just enough freedom to do so.

J.J. excused himself so that he could retrieve a textbook from his bedroom. After J.J. left, Jennifer entered the house. Jennifer was initially pleased to hear that Lucas and J.J. had spent some time together earlier, but her mood quickly changed when Lucas vaguely stated that there were some things that she needed to know about J.J. "What has my son done now?" Jennifer asked with a sigh.

Lucas assured Jennifer that J.J. had done nothing wrong, but when he wondered why she had immediately assumed otherwise, she took the question as an attack on her parenting skills and lashed out at Lucas. "I really want to stop talking about the subject of my parenting with my son and whether I'm doing it right or whether I'm doing it wrong. Or if he's unhappy, is it my fault [or] is it his fault? I am so tired of everybody judging me and weighing in on whether I am smart enough, sane enough, or whatever enough to figure this out on my own!" Jennifer snapped.

Lucas clarified that he hadn't intended for his question to sound judgmental. Lucas assured Jennifer that he understood that she was a single parent who was doing her best to take care of her family. Jennifer apologized for lashing out at Lucas, who encouraged her to feel free to lash out at him whenever she needed to. In an effort to make Jennifer feel better, Lucas informed her that J.J. seemed to understand why she had grounded him.

Jennifer wanted J.J. to understand that he needed to change his behavior. "He's a teenager with a pulse. Give him a break," Lucas advised Jennifer. Lucas told Jennifer about his earlier conversation with J.J., and he suggested that it would be a good idea to let J.J. spend some time with Will. Lucas pointed out that Will and Sonny's apartment was a pretty safe place for J.J. to visit, since a baby also lived there.

Later, after Lucas left, J.J. returned to the living room. Jennifer revealed that Lucas had talked to her on J.J.'s behalf earlier. Jennifer wished that J.J. had talked to her about his desire to visit Will instead of seeking Lucas' help, but she agreed to grant J.J.'s request. Jennifer said that J.J. was also allowed to go to the coffeehouse to get a cup of coffee while he was out, as long as he kept in contact with her so that she would know where he was at all times.

Elated, J.J. hugged Jennifer tightly, lifting her off of her feet in the process. "Oh, my goodness! No! Oh, my word. Put me down right now. I cannot take that you are old enough to do that," Jennifer said with a laugh as J.J. returned her to her feet. J.J. offered to do some grocery shopping for Jennifer after visiting Will later that day, although he stressed that she would have to handle the cooking. Jennifer agreed and returned J.J.'s cell phone to him before excusing herself so that she could get back to work.

After confirming that Jennifer was gone, J.J. placed a phone call to Rory. "Dude! I'm sprung, man. Please tell me you got the stuff. It's party time," J.J. said when Rory answered the call. Later, at the high school, Rory handed J.J. a calculator and thanked J.J. for letting him borrow it. "You might want to check out the battery compartment, though, when you get out of here. You know, maybe -- maybe change 'em out," Rory suggested.

J.J. appreciated Rory's clever way of hiding the cocaine. "You wanna get super measured with this stuff, right? I mean, look, the guy who sold it to me -- he's super sketchy. Personally, I'm sticking with the weed," Rory warned J.J., who dismissed the concerns and insisted that he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Certain that Jennifer would check his call log later, J.J. asked to borrow Rory's phone for a while.

Rory realized that J.J. was going to skip school to hang out with Theresa -- a plan that J.J. referred to as a chemistry project. "You're my favorite action hero...currently," Rory said with a laugh before walking away. After Rory left, J.J. removed the cover of the calculator's battery compartment. Tucked between two AAA batteries was a small vial that was filled with cocaine.

At the hospital, Cameron showed Chad's CT scan to Dr. Ando, who advised Cameron to send Chad to a specialist right away. Dr. Ando stressed that if the abnormality that had appeared on the scan was indeed a tumor, there wasn't any time to waste. After Dr. Ando left, Cameron received a visit from Abe, who revealed that Theo was at the lake with Chad and Abigail. Abe encouraged Cameron to join Theo, Chad, and Abigail at the lake, but Cameron declined the offer, claiming that he was too busy to do so.

Elsewhere, Daniel showed Maxine and another nurse some photographs from his recent trip to the beach with Chloe and Parker. As the unidentified nurse openly drooled over a shirtless photograph of Daniel, Theresa passed through the area and caught her own glimpse of the image. Maxine and the other nurse started to tease Daniel, who shooed them away after retrieving his photograph.

Meanwhile, Anne dragged Theresa into Jennifer's office, where she proceeded to yell at Theresa for repeatedly failing to fill out the human resources department's paperwork. "I'll tell you what -- I'm gonna go to my office now, and if you don't get your skinny ass there in ten minutes, then we have a problem," Anne concluded before exiting the room.

After Anne left, Theresa retrieved a cigarette from her purse and started to search the office for a book of matches. Meanwhile, Hope entered the room and snatched the cigarette out of Theresa's mouth, reminding her that she couldn't smoke inside the building. Hope revealed that she had overheard Theresa's earlier conversation with Anne, prompting Theresa to joke that Anne had apparently consumed too much caffeine.

Pointing out that Anne had simply been doing her job, Hope advised Theresa to refrain from making things more difficult than they needed to be. Theresa wondered if Hope had ever considered the possibility that Anne was the person who needed an attitude adjustment. Hope reasoned that it didn't matter either way, since Theresa would occasionally have to do things that she didn't want to do for people whom she didn't like.

"Really? Gosh. I have no idea what that's like, 'cause my life is just a dream from one moment to the next," Theresa sarcastically replied. Ignoring the comment, Hope revealed that she had recently talked to Kimberly, who had mentioned that Theresa's life had been kind of rough lately. Realizing that people had once again been gossiping about her, Theresa admitted that she felt like she was living under a microscope.

Hope asserted that everyone was simply trying to help Theresa, who needed to start trying to help herself and care about things. Theresa insisted that she cared about many things, citing Sami's arrest and Ciara, whom Theresa hoped to meet in the near future, as two quick examples. "I just -- I can't be a phony, Aunt Hope. I can't pretend to care about someone or something stupid just because other people expect me to," Theresa added.

Hope advised Theresa to refrain from pushing her loved ones away, since they were only trying to help her because they truly cared about her. Hope started to say something else, but Theresa interrupted her. "Please don't say 'last chance,' okay? I -- I will scream if I hear somebody say that one more time," Theresa warned Hope. Theresa stressed that she made her own chances. Hope agreed, but she added that Theresa also needed to think things through.

Meanwhile, Jennifer entered the office, and Theresa used the interruption as an opportunity to make a hasty exit, claiming that she needed to visit the human resources department right away. After Theresa left, Jennifer told Hope that if Kimberly asked, Hope could report that Theresa had turned a corner and was finally headed down the right path.

Jennifer dismissively stated that she had a lot of work that she needed to take care of, but Hope refused to take the hint. Hope was determined to talk to Jennifer about Daniel, but Jennifer insisted that Hope needed to respect her decision to put J.J.'s needs ahead of her own.

"Oh, my God. This is like a flashback. You know who you sound like? Jack. Yeah, you sound like Jack. Cuz, don't you remember how crazy it used to make you when he made decisions for the two of you? Even if it was just for you. He'd just do it; he wouldn't ask how you felt. And as I recall, that included walking away from you. Did you put up with it? Why should Daniel?" Hope asked before walking away, satisfied that she had made her point.

Elsewhere, Theresa asked a nurse -- the same one who had teased Daniel earlier -- for directions to the human resources department. After the nurse answered the question, Theresa thanked her and admitted that she was finding it difficult to keep up with the names and faces of all of the hospital staff members. Theresa casually asked the nurse for the name of the doctor who had shown the nurse some photographs earlier.

The nurse revealed that the doctor's name was Dr. Jonas, adding that most women learned his name fairly quickly. Theresa agreed that Daniel was really hot, and she wondered if he was gay. After assuring Theresa that Daniel wasn't gay, the nurse started to gossip about Daniel's scandalous relationship with Chloe, but Maxine interrupted and told the nurse to get back to work.

Meanwhile, Daniel entered the area and informed Maxine that he was headed out for lunch. Theresa grinned as she followed Daniel out of the hospital. Later, outside the Brady Pub, Theresa received a phone call from J.J., who revealed that he had acquired the stuff that she had been looking for earlier.

J.J. wanted Theresa to meet him right away, but she dismissively stated that she was going to be busy for a while, adding that she was going on a date with someone. Theresa abruptly ended the call, entered the pub, and confidently approached Daniel's table. Meanwhile, in a secluded section of Horton Town Square, J.J. groaned with frustration and started to walk away, bumping into Nicole in the process -- and dropping his vial of cocaine on the ground.

At the hospital, Anne barged into Jennifer's office and demanded to know where Theresa was. Jennifer said that Theresa had left earlier, claiming that she had been headed to the human resources department, but Anne insisted that Theresa had never shown up. Jennifer shrugged and said that it wasn't her problem, but Anne disagreed, since Jennifer was Theresa's boss.

At the lake, Abigail smiled as she watched Chad impress Theo with his ability to pull a quarter out of Theo's ear. When Theo spotted Abigail, he happily greeted her, and Chad assured her that Theo wasn't the only person who was pleased that she had been able to join them. Theo asked about Cameron, noting that it was always fun to hang out with him. Chad agreed and wondered if Theo would rather hang out with a doctor or a magician.

Abigail advised Theo to refrain from answering Chad's question, reasoning that it was a trick question because doctors sometimes made illnesses disappear in seemingly magical ways. Theo noted that Lexie had been a doctor, prompting Chad to proudly state that she had been a real magician. Theo suddenly spotted a frog nearby, and he and Chad rushed off to try to catch it, hoping to fulfill one of their goals for the day.

Later, Abe arrived to take Theo to his speech therapy session. Abe said that he had talked to Cameron earlier, adding that Cameron was sorry that he had been unable to join Theo at the lake. "I bet he is," Chad muttered, prompting Abigail to ask him to be nice. After Abe and Theo left, Abigail observed that it was quite obvious that Chad really loved Theo. Chad replied that it was easy to love Theo, who had a lot of Lexie in him. Chad mused that it was hard to believe that Lexie had been a member of the DiMera family.

Abigail tried to ask Chad about his earlier conversation with Stefano, but Chad didn't want to talk about the subject. Chad invited Abigail to accompany him to the coffeehouse so that he could find out how the renovation project was progressing, but before they could leave, he received a phone call from Cameron, who said that they needed to discuss Chad's test results.

Chad promised to visit the hospital the following week, but Cameron stressed that their conversation needed to happen right away, so Chad reluctantly agreed to cancel the plans that he and Abigail had previously made.

At St. Luke's, Nicole entered Eric's office as he was ending a phone conversation with the bishop. Nicole assumed the worst, but Eric assured her that he wasn't being reassigned. "One problem down, one to go. What about you and me?" Nicole wondered, referring to her and Eric's earlier argument about Sami. Eric conceded that Nicole was entitled to her opinions, and she acknowledged that she could have chosen a better time to express them.

After Eric accepted Nicole's apology, she changed the subject, insisting that they needed to find a way to get Brady away from Kristen. "No. If someone feels that deeply, we can't trick 'em out of it. The heart wants what it wants. If what Brady wants is hurtful, then let him be the one who decides. That's the way it works, isn't it?" Eric pointedly asked. Conceding Eric's point, Nicole acknowledged that it was none of her business.

Meanwhile, Hope entered the office, and Nicole seized the opportunity to abruptly excuse herself. Eric assured Hope that Nicole's hasty departure had not had anything to do with Hope's arrival. After handing over Ciara's medical paperwork for St. Luke's Academy's records and giving Eric an update on Sami, Hope started to leave, but Eric stopped her and revealed that he could use some advice.

Eric stressed that the conversation would need to be kept confidential, and Hope agreed. Eric explained that he needed an objective opinion because someone had recently said something to him that he had been unable to make sense of. "It's about Nicole...and me. Is she, um -- do you think it's possible that she's developed inappropriate feelings for me?" Eric wondered.

Hope exclaimed that she loved Eric, prompting him to wonder if that was her way of telling him that he was being ridiculous. "No, no! That's me admiring the fact that you'd have to get hit with a two-by-four to even suspect anything inappropriate from Nicole," Hope clarified. Eric didn't want Hope to insult Nicole, but Hope insisted that she hadn't intended for her comment to be an insult.

Hope admitted that she truly believed that Nicole was trying to do and be exactly what Nicole had claimed that she was trying to do and be. Hope recalled that Nicole had planned to leave town several months earlier and that she had changed those plans after Eric had been attacked. Hope guessed that Nicole might have been trying to run away from her true feelings for Eric.

Eric wondered how Hope could be certain that her assessment of Nicole's feelings was accurate. "Oh, Eric, I've seen the way she looks at you. I mean, of course, I could be completely wrong -- it's just a girl's instinct; her gut feeling. But the point is, you were asking the question, so...maybe that's the answer," Hope suggested.

At the hospital, Chad accused Cameron of purposely interrupting Chad's date with Abigail, recalling that Abe had informed Cameron earlier that Chad would be at the lake with Theo and Abigail. Cameron insisted that Chad was wrong, adding that they needed to talk about Chad's CT scan. Chad impatiently urged Cameron to give him the results and some aspirin so that he could leave.

"Chad, stop. This is serious. This is very serious," Cameron announced.

^ back to the top

by ChickenGrrl

At the hospital, Cameron advised Chad that the news about Chad's CT scan could be serious. A skeptical Chad started to leave because he thought that Cameron was playing games to keep Chad away from Abigail. Stepping in Chad's way, Cameron emphasized, "Give me a little credit here, would you? I don't play games with people's lives. I'm not so pathetic or unprofessional that I would make up a medical condition in order to advance my own agenda."

Cameron revealed that he thought he had found something on Chad's CT scan. Chad asked what that meant, and when Cameron hedged that he didn't want to speculate, a freaked-out Chad demanded the worst-case scenario. Cameron admitted, "A worst-case scenario is a brain tumor." Chad asked, "Do you think I have what Lexie had?" Cameron explained that it was impossible to tell because a CT wasn't the best way to make a diagnosis, and he thought that Chad should see a specialist.

Chad was furious when he learned that Cameron had consulted another doctor before talking to Chad. Chad made a nasty remark about Cameron having Abigail to himself if Chad were dying, but he quickly backpedaled. Cameron offered to refer Chad to a neurosurgeon, but Chad wanted to find his own. Chad asked Cameron for his medical file, and Cameron said that Chad would simply have to sign for it at the front desk.

"What you just told me doesn't leave this room, okay? You don't say a word to Abigail, to my father, to my brother," Chad ordered. "Of course not," Cameron said gently. Softening, Chad explained that after Lexie's death, he didn't want to worry anyone needlessly -- because it was going to turn out to be nothing. "I can't wait to prove you wrong," Chad declared with a defiant half-smile. Cameron said that he hoped Chad would.

When Adrienne arrived at the Horton house, Abigail informed her aunt that Jennifer was at work. Adrienne observed that Abigail looked a little pale, and Abigail admitted that she hadn't slept well because she was worried about J.J. and her mom. Adrienne confided tearfully that she, too, hadn't been sleeping because her husband and son were so angry with her. Abigail embraced Adrienne comfortingly.

Adrienne explained that Justin and Sonny had assumed that she'd given the video to the special prosecutor to stick it to Sami, but she had done it to protect her son, because Sonny had broken the law by hiding the video. "In my experience, the truth would have come out one way or the other. It always does," Adrienne declared.

A stunned Chad was wandering near the Brady Pub, carrying his medical file, when Abigail walked by. She asked how his appointment with Cameron had gone. Chad replied unconvincingly, "It's all good." He claimed that he was in a hurry to meet with a contractor at the coffeehouse but suggested that Abigail stop by later for a latte. Abigail looked utterly perplexed when Chad rushed off.

When Abigail arrived at the hospital a little later, she reminded Cameron that they had talked about going to lunch. Cameron claimed that he was swamped and asked for a rain check. Abigail remarked that it was a relief that Chad's appointment had gone well. Without acknowledging the remark, Cameron said that he was late for a staff meeting and hurried off.

Meanwhile, Chad was on the phone, trying to make an appointment with a specialist. When he learned that it took months to get in to see that doctor, Chad dropped the DiMera family name. "Yes, thank you. I'll be there," Chad stated with relief.

Mason Ventura, the private forensics investigator Daniel had hired, called Eric with an update about the case. Mason stated that he didn't know anything definitive yet, but added, "I'm making good progress. I really think we'll be able to find out what happened to you in that hotel room." As Eric hung up, Father Matt stopped by the rectory. Eric informed the elder priest, "I'm happy to say [Bishop White] has asked me to stay on at St. Luke's."

Father Matt reassured Eric no one believed that Sami's troubles had anything to do with Eric. Eric confided that he'd recently learned that someone there might have feelings for him, and he asked Father Matt what he should do. Father Matt believed that it was always best to confront problems head-on. Eric admitted that he didn't want to subject the parish to rumors or scandal. Eric had to excuse himself and step out when he got an important phone call.

Affecting the Southern accent she'd once used to impersonate Susan, Kristen called Mason and declared that she needed to see him right away. He tried to tell her that he was booked up, but after determining that he was in his office, Kristen quickly hung up. "Mister Forensics Fella, you are in for such a treat," Kristen said to herself as she grabbed her purse and a garment bag and headed for the door -- but Brady was on the doorstep, about to knock, when Kristen flung the front door open.

Kristen claimed that she was on her way to work, and she was taking the dress in the bag for a possible lunch date with a client. Before Kristen left, Brady wanted to make sure Kristen knew that he thought they had a real shot, because he had never stopped loving her -- although he'd meant it when he'd said he wanted to take things slowly. Touched, Kristen kissed him.

Brady stressed that the most important thing was that they were honest with each other. Kristen assured him that she had never stopped loving him, either. After they kissed again and it began to grow more passionate, Brady begged Kristen not to go to work, but she insisted that she had to go to a meeting. As she hurried out, Brady closed the door behind them.

In Jennifer's office, Anne threatened to complain to Mr. Burns about what a lousy job Jennifer was doing, since Jennifer didn't know where her own assistant was. Unconcerned, Jennifer pointed out what a mistake it would be to report a minor H.R. issue to upper management and reminded Anne that Theresa was the niece of the chief of staff. Anne argued that the real issue was not Theresa; it was Jennifer.

Anne said that there was a delay with the magazine article about Dr. Jonas, and blamed it on Daniel and Jennifer's constantly up-and-down relationship. Jennifer argued that it was none of Anne's business, but Anne contended that the hospital desperately needed some good PR. Jennifer tried to shut down Anne's tirade, but Anne snarled that Jennifer had to start playing by the same rules as everyone else.

Brady strolled in just then and asked loudly and pointedly, "Hi, Jenn! Is everything okay?" Anne ordered Jennifer to send Theresa to H.R. -- if she ever bothered to show up. After Anne left, Brady asserted, "I know what that woman's problem is. She's had no sex since approximately 1923 -- and from the looks of it, it doesn't look like that situation's going to resolve itself anytime soon." Jennifer cracked up in spite of herself. Brady offered Jennifer the chance to get out of the office for a little while because he could tell that she needed a break -- plus he needed to talk to her about Kristen.

A few minutes later, Jennifer led Brady into the Horton living room. Brady confessed that he had just told Kristen that he still loved her. He thanked Jennifer for being the only person in the world who had always viewed Kristen the same way he did. Jennifer asked why Brady wasn't with Kristen at that moment. Brady explained that Kristen had said she was going to work -- and he'd felt like there was something she hadn't been telling him.

Jennifer asked Brady what made him think that Kristen was keeping secrets from him. He admitted that it was just a gut feeling. "I hate to say this because you know that Kristen is my friend -- but if you feel like she is being less than honest with you, she probably is," Jennifer said.

As he looked at a vial of cocaine, J.J. called Theresa from a park bench to let her know that he had what she wanted. Theresa was watching Daniel from outside the Brady Pub and informed J.J. that she had a date then abruptly hung up. J.J. got up to leave and ran right into Nicole, knocking the vial onto the pavement. J.J. quickly picked it up and started to leave, but Nicole recognized him from his pictures and said, "I know who you are -- you're Jennifer Horton's son, J.J."

J.J. hid the cocaine in a closed fist and apologized for bumping into Nicole. He made an excuse and tried to leave, but Nicole wanted to know what was in his hand. Avoiding the question, J.J. asked, "Do I know you?" Nicole introduced herself as a friend of J.J.'s mom, and J.J. quickly realized that she was the same Nicole who had tried to send his mom to prison by lying that Jennifer had killed Nicole's baby. J.J. couldn't believe that Nicole had the nerve to call herself Jennifer's friend.

As J.J shoved the vial into his pocket, Nicole wondered where a "nasty piece of work" like him had originated, since Jennifer was much more demure. "I guess I'm my father's son," J.J. offered insolently. Nicole retorted that she had known and liked Jack, who would never in a million years have been rude and mean to someone he'd just met. Nicole added that Jennifer was a very forgiving woman, but J.J. maintained that Jennifer was a "complete wimp" if she'd forgiven Nicole.

After informing Nicole that Jennifer and Daniel were taking another break, J.J. suggested, "I know you're alone and miserable, and he's free, so what are you waiting for?" Narrowing her eyes, Nicole demanded incredulously, "Your mother loves Daniel -- and you're pimping him out to me?" She warned J.J. never to play a player and ordered him not to involve her in whatever head games he was playing.

Smirking, J.J. asked what Nicole would do. "I'll tell your mother to check your pockets when you get home. We'll see how forgiving she is," Nicole snapped as she turned and stalked away. As the smirk fell from his face, J.J. patted his front pocket to make sure the vial was still there.

When Nicole returned to St. Luke's a little later, Father Matt was still waiting in Eric's office to talk to Nicole. "I'm sure you're aware of the negative publicity that has recently been visited on our church," Father Matt said. He explained that he had reassured Eric that Sami's actions would not reflect badly on Eric, but Father Matt knew that there were other potential problems. Confused, Nicole said that she thought everything was fine.

"Everything is fine -- for now. But Nicole, we cannot have any more appearances of impropriety here at St. Luke's," Father Matt explained. He reminded Nicole that when she'd been going through some problems, he had suggested that she try going to confession. "You know, Nicole, that option is always open whenever you need it," Father Matt pointed out. After the priest left, Nicole gazed thoughtfully at the altar.

At the pub, Theresa plopped down uninvited in the chair across from Daniel with an excuse about how she didn't really know anyone, since she was new in town. Theresa got a call just then from Jennifer, but ignored it. Daniel struggled to remember Theresa's name -- but she took it as a good sign that he eventually got it. Although Daniel tried to politely extricate himself from the conversation, Theresa nattered on nonstop about how she hated to eat alone.

Theresa confided that people hadn't been very nice to her since she'd arrived in Salem. Daniel tried to find something kind to say about that -- but his chirping cell phone saved him from further conversation, and he stepped away to deal with the message he'd gotten. When Daniel returned, Theresa informed him that she'd asked the waitress to get him some more coffee. Since she knew Daniel had to get back to the hospital soon, Theresa headed to the bar to check on it.

Eric entered just then and sat down with Daniel so they could discuss the email they'd each received from Mason. Theresa was disappointed when she started back across the pub with two to-go containers of coffee and saw Eric sitting with Daniel. After regrouping for a moment, Theresa walked over and greeted her cousin pleasantly. He politely let her know that he and Daniel were discussing business, so Theresa handed a distracted Daniel his coffee and returned to the bar.

When Eric stepped away to take a phone call from the bishop's assistant, Theresa walked back over to Daniel's table and asked if he were headed back to the hospital soon. Daniel urged her return without him, since he and Eric still had business to finish up. Daniel added encouragingly that Theresa wouldn't be lonely for long, because she had plenty of family around and she would make lots of friends in no time.

When Daniel immediately returned to looking at his phone, Theresa tried to get his attention by sticking her bottom out and faking a twinge in her back -- but Daniel didn't even look up. Thwarted, Theresa scowled as she slunk out the door. Outside, Theresa called J.J. and asked him to meet her right away.

A few minutes later, Theresa met up with J.J. in the park. He reached in his pocket for the cocaine -- but discovered that the vial had broken open in his pocket. The vial was empty and his pocket was full of white powder. Theresa complained that J.J. should have been more careful. He countered that the stuff was not cheap -- plus she wasn't even paying for it, so perhaps she should ask her date to get her some more.

Theresa stated defensively that her date hadn't been "some random guy." J.J. wondered how she had met someone so quickly after arriving in town. "What? You think I'm making him up or something?" Theresa asked. "I don't know. Are you? Who is he?" J.J. countered.

As Daniel and Eric strolled through Horton Square, Eric noted that Mason had found blood on the floor of the hotel room, but Eric didn't know how it could be his because he hadn't seen any kind of wound on himself. Daniel said if there had been an injection site anywhere on Eric's body, it could explain the trace amounts of blood that Mason had found. "That might also explain the non-genetic material we found in the samples," Daniel added.

Eric wondered why no drugs had shown up in his blood work. Daniel pointed out that some time had elapsed before they'd run toxicology tests on the blood, so DNA testing to make sure the blood was Eric's would be the next step. "Meanwhile, Mason's going to run some prints, and if anybody was in that hotel room and has a criminal record, we will know soon," Daniel said.

Wearing her "Susan" false teeth, a ratty brown wig, and unflattering eyeglasses and using the same Southern accent, Susan sat across the desk from Mason in his office and complained that her husband was cheating on her. A large manila envelope labeled "ERIC BRADY -- BLOOD AND PRINTS" sat open on the desk next to Mason. Introducing herself as "Mrs. Winston," Kristen raved that everybody on Google said Mason Ventura was the best at what he did.

"You're gonna help me get that son of a bitch. We're gonna kick him to the curb. We're gonna take him for everything that bastard's got!" Kristen declared. Mason informed "Mrs. Winston" that he wasn't that kind of investigator because his specialty was forensics -- fingerprints and the like. Mason offered to get the names of two excellent private investigators who could help "Mrs. Winston," and while his back was turned, she pretended to knock his cup of coffee all over his desk.

Mason rushed over as Kristen was trying to clean it up, but she was really only making the problem worse. She apologized profusely, and while Mason ducked into the bathroom to grab some paper towels, Kristen pulled out her purse to get some tissues -- but spilled something else on the papers on the desk. She continued to apologize, but a furious Mason ordered her to leave his office immediately.

Grumbling, Kristen made her way to the door -- but spotted Eric and Daniel arriving outside, so she pretended that she needed to use the bathroom. Mason tried to send her down the hall, but Kristen ducked into the bathroom in his office and locked the door. As Mason pounded on the door and ordered "Mrs. Winston" to open up, Daniel asked curiously, "What is going on?"

While Kristen listened from the bathroom, Mason picked up the soaked papers and things on his desk. "You're not going to believe this. All the evidence I collected from the hotel room, it's ruined," Mason said dejectedly. Daniel wanted to know how it had happened. Indicating the bathroom door, Mason said, "Ask her."

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