Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of July 11, 2011 on DAYS

Comprehensive daily recaps for Days of our Lives, dating back to 1996.

Monday, July 11, 2011

by Mike

At the pier, Phelps tried to offer his services to Carly. Carly insisted that she wasn't interested, but Phelps wasn't convinced. Phelps claimed that it would only take ten minutes for his product to take away all of Carly's problems. Before Carly could respond, she received a phone call; she took the opportunity to excuse herself, and she assured Phelps that he had the wrong girl. "Oh, I don't think that's true...Dr. Manning," Phelps quietly stated, as Carly exited the pier.

Later, at the hospital, Carly greeted Maxine. Carly explained that she had been called in for a consultation. Maxine handed her a chart, and she said that Carly was going to be assisting with a patient who had overdosed. Carly was visibly shaken by the news, but she quickly regained her composure.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Jennifer greeted Adrienne; she claimed that she had stopped by the mansion to return a book that Adrienne had loaned her, but Adrienne wasn't convinced. Jennifer reluctantly admitted that Jack had sent her an email earlier. Adrienne wondered if Jack was aware that Jennifer and Daniel were dating. Jennifer explained that Jack was not aware of her relationship with Daniel, because he had not bothered to ask her anything about her life.

Adrienne wondered if Jack was going to be returning to Salem in the near future. Jennifer said that she was doubtful, and she added that she didn't want him to return to Salem. Adrienne conceded that Jack was being a jerk, and she wondered what he had said in his email. Jennifer used her phone to access Jack's email; when Adrienne saw the email -- which simply read, "All's well here; say hey to the kids" -- she was visibly disgusted. "Oh, God, Jen...I'm sorry. 'Ass' is not a strong enough word to describe my brother right now," Adrienne admitted.

"Is your brother insane, Adrienne? Really? He's been gone longer than I can count; there are conversations about us that we need to have, that we have never had. And, not for nothing -- I almost flipping died; do you think he mentioned that in there? What about our divorce -- he didn't even mention that our divorce was finalized, Adrienne," Jennifer stated incredulously. Adrienne said that she would always love Jack, but she added that Jennifer was better off without him.

Adrienne wondered why Jennifer had chosen to talk to her about Jack's email, instead of going to see Daniel. Jennifer admitted that she and Daniel had broken up. Jennifer reluctantly explained that she had backed off so that Carly could be with Daniel. Adrienne pointed out that Daniel didn't want to be with Carly, but Jennifer insisted that the situation was more complicated than Adrienne realized. Jennifer said that losing Daniel had been devastating for Carly.

"God, Jen, this is so you -- taking a back seat because someone else is hurting, but you know what? Listen to me -- you're making a huge mistake. Please don't do this to yourself, and don't do it to Daniel. It's wrong," Adrienne insisted. Adrienne told Jennifer to follow her heart. Adrienne pointed out that Carly was a big girl, and she assured Jennifer that Carly would be able to take care of herself. Adrienne wondered if Jennifer really wanted to risk losing Daniel just because she felt guilty about Carly. Jennifer admitted that she didn't want to lose Daniel.

At the Cheatin' Heart, Melanie greeted Daniel, who was noticeably agitated. As Daniel started to drink, Melanie tried to find out what was bothering him. Daniel started to rant about women, and he claimed that they were impossible to deal with. After rambling for a few minutes, Daniel started to talk about Jennifer. "She is on a whole 'nother planet -- a planet of her own, a planet where she's impossible, complex, confusing, infuriating," Daniel explained.

As Daniel continued to vent his frustrations, Melanie interrupted him. "We women may be confusing, but do you know what we'd be if you took that away from us? We'd be men," Melanie pointed out. Melanie wondered what had happened between Daniel and Jennifer. Daniel was reluctant to discuss his love life with his daughter at first, but Melanie stubbornly assured Daniel that she wasn't going to give up. Daniel started to tell Melanie about his earlier conversation with Jennifer, and he explained that Jennifer had refused to tell him what she was worried about.

Melanie suggested that Jennifer was probably worried that Daniel was going to leave, the same way that Jack had left. "Be the anti-Jack. Do what Jack didn't do, and stick it out with Jennifer," Melanie advised Daniel. Later, Melanie decided that Daniel needed a distraction, so she told him that she had a surprise for him. Melanie announced that she had changed her name to Melanie Jonas. Daniel was overwhelmed by Melanie's news; as he embraced Melanie, Carly entered the bar.

Carly was delighted when she heard that Melanie had changed her surname. As Carly, Daniel, and Melanie continued to bond, Melanie realized that Carly was upset about something. Carly told Daniel and Melanie about the patient who had overdosed, and she explained that the woman had been the same age as Carly. Carly wondered if things would have been different if the patient had been able to lean on someone for support.

Daniel reminded Carly and Melanie that they would always be able to rely on each other for support. As Daniel, Carly, and Melanie hugged, Jennifer walked into the bar. After witnessing the tender moment between the three, Jennifer quietly exited the bar.

At the Sapphire Club, Vivian wondered if Quinn was trying to manipulate her. Quinn pointed out that he was giving Vivian the benefit of the doubt, and he asked her to return the favor. Later, Vivian told Gus about her meeting with Quinn. Vivian admitted that she had been very affected by her conversation with Quinn. "Well, you know, it was the obligatory joust and parry, and then...underneath it, there was...some kind of honesty. I felt connected...I don't know how to say this, it's just been a long, long time since I've...can't you be happy for me, Gus?" Vivian asked.

Meanwhile, back at the pier, Phelps told Quinn about his earlier encounter with Carly. "Quinn, I know users -- I know when they're hungry. She was starving," Phelps said. Quinn wondered if Carly had purchased anything; Phelps admitted that she had not, but he added that she had been extremely tempted.

Back at the Sapphire Club, Gus admitted that he was happy for Vivian. Gus added that forging a relationship with Quinn was a terrible idea. Vivian told Gus that he needed to learn to be more trusting of people. Before Gus could respond, Vivian received a call from Quinn; she smiled and told Gus that Quinn was checking on her. "What would you say if I told you Carly Manning had a drug problem?" Quinn asked Vivian.

At the DiMera mansion, E.J. tried to convince Taylor that Sami and Rafe's allegations were false, but Taylor remained skeptical. "The truth is, if you are not responsible for my mother's death, or any of the other horrific things that these people have said about you tonight, then you would say it," Taylor pointed out.

E.J. tried to remind Taylor that fake Rafe had killed Fay, but Taylor realized that E.J. was dodging the question. Taylor pointedly asked E.J. if he was the reason that fake Rafe was in Salem, but E.J. refused to answer her question directly. Sami told Taylor that E.J. was lying to her, because he was aware that he would lose her otherwise. "You're in love, and you're so desperate to believe what you know in your heart not to be true, but it is. Love can't fix this, Taylor; all it can do is blind you to the truth. Don't let it," Hope gently added.

Bo told Taylor to trust her instincts. "You know what that means? Could there be a more heartless person? Could I be in love with him? Oh, my God...it's true -- you're lying. My mother is dead because of you," Taylor realized, as she turned to face E.J. E.J. tried to convince Taylor that she was wrong, but Taylor refused to listen. Taylor admitted that she could tell that E.J. was lying, because he wasn't even willing to look at her.

"God, you're empty -- there is nothing, nothing that -- your whole life is a lie! You thought that you could just skate through this catastrophe, the way you always, always have; you thought that I would be some stupid woman who was so in love with you that I wouldn't see the truth? Is that what you think of me? My mother is dead because of you! And do not say that you're not responsible because that pig you hired to impersonate your ex-wife's husband killed her. You are disgusting, and you dare to say that you love me?" Taylor asked incredulously. E.J. insisted that he did love Taylor.

Taylor said that the only person that E.J. loved was himself. As E.J. begged Taylor to believe that he was telling the truth, Taylor added that E.J. was worse than Stefano. Rafe agreed, and he started to lash out at E.J. Meanwhile, Johnny crept down the stairs. "You kill people -- you don't even give a damn. Your own fiance's mother? And you know what? You know who I feel sorriest for? Your own children, 'cause they have to grow up knowing their father, who supposedly loves them, loves nothing more than power, and will do anything to get what he wants," Rafe shouted, as Johnny listened from the foyer.

Before E.J. could respond, Johnny ran into the room, and he wondered what was going on. As Sami and Rafe rushed to Johnny's side, Bo and Hope quickly stepped in front of fake Rafe. "Why did you hurt people, Daddy? Rafe said you were evil," Johnny said. Meanwhile, Taylor grabbed her purse, and she quickly rushed out of the mansion. As Rafe and Sami tried to comfort Johnny, fake Rafe peeked his head out from behind Hope's back, and Johnny caught a glimpse of the impostor.

Bo and Hope dragged fake Rafe out of the mansion, and Bo warned E.J. not to go anywhere. E.J. tried to assure Johnny that everything was going to be all right; he reached out to grab Johnny, but Johnny ran away from him. Sami and Rafe rushed after Johnny. E.J. started to follow them, but Stefano grabbed his arm. "Don't you think you've caused enough damage tonight?" Stefano asked.

E.J. started to tell Stefano that he wasn't in the mood for a lecture, but Stefano angrily interrupted him. "My son...effectively took our family down tonight, and I let him. Look...you came to me with a problem, hmm? I was very happy to help you. But did you let me run the operation my way? No, because you had too many limitations on how the job was supposed to be done. And then, finally, when the time came that the operation had to be closed down, because your plan was falling apart...you blinked -- you faltered, and now look at where we are," Stefano said, through gritted teeth.

E.J. insisted that he would handle the situation. "You'll handle what? The police? The same police that now have someone who is willing to sing for his freedom? You did this, you stupid fool! And for what? For what? A woman! The most predictable trap a man could fall in, and you fell for it. I am disgusted with you, Elvis," Stefano snarled, as he headed for the terrace doors. E.J. wondered where Stefano was going. Stefano said that he needed to breathe some fresh air.

After Stefano left, E.J. went into the foyer, where Rafe and Sami were helping Johnny put his jacket on. E.J. refused to let Sami and Rafe take Johnny out of the mansion. Rafe explained that Johnny had asked to go home with Rafe and Sami. E.J. tried to convince Johnny that everything was going to be all right. E.J. reached out to grab Johnny's arm, and he told Johnny to remember that his father loved him. "I said I want to go! You did bad things. Take me home, Rafe," Johnny said, as he continued to cling to Rafe's neck. Sami, Rafe, and Johnny exited the mansion.

As the night ended, Bo and Hope escorted fake Rafe to a prison cell. Over at Sami and Rafe's apartment, Sami, Rafe, and Johnny laughed together. At the pier, Taylor finally broke down. Back at the DiMera mansion, Stefano sat in Johnny's room, looking at a picture of the two of them together. Downstairs, E.J. sank to the floor with a glass of scotch; he clutched photographs of Johnny and Sydney, as he wept defeatedly.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

by Spalding

At the DiMera mansion, Kate asked Stefano and E.J. what had happened the evening before. When Stefano noted that he and E.J. might go to prison, Kate offered to help. "No you can't. Nobody can," E.J. said sulkily. Furious, Stefano shoved half the chess pieces off the table as Chad walked into the room. When Kate urged Chad to leave, Stefano asked Chad to stay.

"I want you to hear from me how your brother single-handedly destroyed our entire family," Stefano said. Kate pleaded with Stefano to calm down, but frustrated, Stefano told E.J. that E.J. had destroyed his family. "I can't even stand to look at you!" Stefano said. "Fine," E.J. whispered. Enraged, Stefano asked E.J. for a stronger response. Chad pleaded, "I don't know what you did, but you deserve better than this. And Stefano, I thought you were all about family. Guess I was wrong." As Chad walked out of the room, Kate urged Stefano, "whatever has happened, do not lose your son."

Once Kate was gone, Stefano glowered at E.J. "I have indulged you, Elvis. I've given you everything that I have. And when you wanted more? I gave you more. I even created a double so that you could destroy Rafael," Stefano growled. Stefano argued that he had planned everything perfectly until E.J. had fallen in love with Taylor. "You handled nothing! And you lost everything," Stefano said.

Stefano informed E.J. that he had been on the phone most of the night with his informant at the police department. Stefano confided that the informant was keeping faux Rafe quiet but that he was unsure how long that would last. "I am telling you all this so that you know where everything stands, but it is the last thing I'm going to tell you. One more order, and you will never have to obey me again," Stefano said. E.J. refused to do anything for Stefano. "You are no longer my son," Stefano announced. With tears in his eyes, Stefano shakily ordered E.J. to leave and never return.

At the loft, a well-rested Sami awoke to a smiling Rafe. "They're gonna pay," Rafe said. After Rafe and Sami made love, Sami started to get out of bed to see to the kids. Rafe pulled Sami close to him and began to laugh. Rafe admitted that he had checked on the kids earlier and had given them a movie and bowls of cereal to keep them occupied. Laughing, Sami joked, "That's great parenting."

With a sigh, Rafe apologized for his terrible parenting, explaining that he wanted to spend time alone with Sami. Sami stressed that Rafe was a wonderful parent and husband. Eager to see the children, Sami went to check on them while Rafe took a phone call from Bo. Rafe informed Sami that faux Rafe had not talked to the police but that Bo believed there was a good chance that faux Rafe would talk soon. As Sami's face fell, Rafe asked Sami what was wrong. Sami admitted that she missed Allie and wanted her to return home.

As Stefano stood in the living room, staring at a photo, Kate wandered into the room and asked Stefano how he was feeling. Stefano apologized for lashing out at Kate earlier. "I know you're devastated. I know you love E.J. I'm sorry," Kate said.

Justin stopped by the Kiriakis mansion with Adrienne to drop off some papers for Victor and to inform Victor that Sonny was in Salem. When Adrienne explained that Sonny had visited her parents, a hurt Victor noted that he did not need to make time for someone who did not want to see him.

At the lake, Will, Tad, Kinsey, and Gabi were unpacking a breakfast picnic when Sonny showed up with the volleyball that Kinsey had thrown into the bushes. Sonny talked about traveling the world, while Kinsey mooned over him. After chatting, the teens played volleyball down by the water. When the game was over, Sonny excused himself to go meet his parents for breakfast. Before Sonny left, Tad asked Kinsey to take a picture of him with Sonny. After Kinsey took the photo, Sonny jogged off while Kinsey stared dreamy eyed after him.

While Tad and Kinsey went to get coffee, Gabi and Will discussed messages they had received from Sami and Rafe. Will admitted that there was a calm energy at the loft for the first time in a while. "I hope it stays that way," Gabi said as she kissed Will. As Gabi and Will made out, Kinsey and Tad returned to the picnic area with coffee and gave Gabi and Will a hard time about their public display of affection. With a grin, Kinsey informed Will, Gabi, and Tad that her next boyfriend would be Sonny. "Hot, rich, and available," Kinsey cooed.

Sonny met up with Justin and Adrianne at the Brady Pub and apologized for being late. Justin and Adrienne told Sonny that they had informed Victor that he was in Salem. When Sonny guessed that Victor was upset that Sonny had not visited Victor, Adrienne reminded Sonny that it was her idea to hold off on reuniting with Victor. "Did you tell him about me? I guess not. What are you so afraid of?" Sonny asked.

"We just don't know how he's going to react, honey," Adrienne said. "Well, clearly not well. All right, so what do you think we should do?" Sonny asked. Justin wanted to talk to Victor as a family, but Sonny argued that it was his duty to tell Victor his news on his own. "You know we're incredibly proud of you, Sonny," Justin said. With a smile, Sonny noted that he was going to tell Victor the news right away.

Nicole was sleeping fitfully in her hotel room when Taylor knocked on the door. Nursing a hangover, Nicole gingerly answered the door and was surprised to find Taylor. "I came here to tell you that you were right about E.J. and I was dead wrong," Taylor blurted out. When Nicole showed no reaction, Taylor explained that she had left E.J. Taylor continued that E.J. had kidnapped and replaced Rafe. When Nicole stared at the floor, Taylor asked if Nicole knew about what E.J. had done.

"Most of it. How did you find out?" Nicole asked. Taylor told Nicole that she had been tipped off when the two Rafes entered the DiMera living room at the same time. Taylor lamented that she had fallen for E.J. and let him sway her away from Nicole. "So I'm here right now to give you the chance that I know you've been waiting for. To tell me what a rotten and foolish person I am," Taylor said. Avoiding the question, Nicole asked Taylor who had found the double.

When Taylor noted that Sami and Rafe had found the double and stashed him at a warehouse, a stunned Nicole realized that she had set the faux Rafe free from the warehouse. Taylor babbled on about how E.J. had denied the charges when she had confronted him with the two Rafes. Shaking her head, Taylor admitted that unless both Rafes had been standing in front of her, she would not have believed that E.J. could have lied to her with such ease. Noting the strange look on Nicole's face, Taylor asked what was wrong.

"I'm the one who let the other one go," Nicole admitted. Nicole explained how she had followed Rafe and found him tied up at the warehouse. "E.J. created this whole elaborate, crazy, dangerous plan just to make Rafe look bad?" Taylor asked. "Yeah. To keep Rafe away from his kids," Nicole clarified. "What the hell is wrong with him?" Taylor wondered. "A lot," Nicole quipped. Nicole reminded Taylor that they were not the first two women to "love an awful guy."

Taylor was saddened that she had chosen E.J. over her sister and, because of her choice, Fay had been murdered. "I hate him so much! I hate him more than anybody," Taylor cried out. Nicole noted that she hated E.J., too, but that she was not angry with Taylor. When Taylor asked Nicole why she was not worked up over E.J.'s treachery, Nicole countered, "Because I always knew what E.J. was capable of." Nicole explained that she was jaded.

Concerned, Taylor asked Nicole why she had a hangover. Nicole admitted that she had been drinking a lot recently but noted that considering the circumstances, Nicole did not believe her behavior was unwarranted. Taylor apologized to her sister, and Nicole suggested that they drink a toast to "letting this all go." Nicole stressed that she and Taylor were family and needed to band together. Nicole suggested that she and Taylor start to take care of one another.

"I won't forget, but I will forgive; you, not E.J. You because you're family, okay?" Nicole said. As Taylor agreed, there was a knock at the door. Expecting room service, Nicole rushed over to the door and was shocked to find E.J. in the hallway.

Abigail visited Maggie at her house to inquire about the intern schedule at the hospital. As Maggie poured Abigail a cup of coffee, Abigail inquired about working the night shift. Curious, Maggie asked Abigail what Chad thought about her plan to work nights. Surprised, Abigail asked how Maggie had learned about Chad. Abigail admitted that she had broken up with Chad after she spotted Chad running an errand for Stefano.

Abigail explained that she was concerned that Chad's loyalty to Stefano was growing. With a sigh, Maggie sympathized, noting that she was having the same internal conflict over Victor that Abigail was having over Chad. Abigail said that Chad was a good person, but Abigail was worried that Chad's family would hurt her. "If that's how you really feel, dump him," Maggie said. "Dump him?" Abigail asked. Maggie counseled Abigail that the only way to avoid getting hurt was to never get involved with anyone. Abigail countered that she was not talking about love.

"Yet. Abigail, the bad always comes with the good. Would I have traded one second of the time that I loved Mickey to be free of the pain of losing him? Not a chance," Maggie said. Maggie advised Abigail not to build a wall around her heart but to be careful.

Abigail called Chad and asked him to meet her down on the pier. When Chad found Abigail, he asked her why she had asked to meet him at the pier. "Because this is where I saw you," Abigail said. Abigail warned Chad that running errands for Stefano could get Chad into trouble and that one day, Stefano might change who Chad was. "A thug. Is that who you really want to be?" Abigail asked.

Chad reminded Abigail that Stefano was his father. When Abigail urged Chad to let E.J. handle Stefano's business, Chad countered that "after this morning, I don't think E.J. is really Stefano's go-to guy any more.... Stefano needs me now. He told me that. Now can you live with that or not?" Chad asked.

Abigail admitted that she was not sure what she could live with but that she could not stop thinking about Chad. "I'll be honest with you completely about everything, all right, and then you can decide what to do," Chad said. Abigail agreed to Chad's offer and promised to be honest as well. With a grin, Chad asked Abigail to go out with him that night. Abigail pulled Chad close and kissed him.

When Sonny arrived at the Kiriakis mansion, he found Victor in the living room, pouring a cup of coffee. "So what happened? Your parents threaten to cut off your allowance if you didn't come to see me?" Victor joked as a smiling Sonny hugged him. Annoyed, Victor pushed Sonny away and noted that he did not appreciate that Sonny had kept his distance. Sonny started to apologize, but Victor interrupted.

"What's her name? The girl who's got you so distracted since you've come back to Salem that your great uncle has been reduced to an obligatory afterthought," Victor said. When Sonny noted that there was no one, Victor scoffed and countered that Sonny's absence was "even more loathsome." When Victor remarked that Sonny probably had a string of girlfriends, Sonny countered that Brady and Philip had not been able to find a woman to live up to Victor's expectations. "I don't know if I can pull that off either," Sonny said.

"Well, so far my boys haven't brought home anyone who is entirely suitable. Not that that's stopped them from doing whatever they wanted to do with whoever they wanted to do it with whenever they wanted to do it. As I'm sure you will," Victor said. With a chuckle, Victor continued, "Carrying on the old tried and true Kiriakis tradition of loving and then marrying the wrong woman."

"Well, if I do get married, it won't be in this state," Sonny said. When a puzzled Victor asked Sonny what he meant, Sonny noted that Victor never had to worry about him marrying the wrong girl. "The thing is, I'm gay," Sonny said.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

by Mike

In Nicole's hotel room, E.J. tried to convince Taylor to talk to him. Nicole tried to slam the door in E.J.'s face, but E.J. refused to leave. E.J. told Taylor that he loved her, and he insisted that there was still a part of her that loved him. Nicole warned E.J. that Taylor was not dumb, and she added that Taylor had finally started to see E.J. for who he truly was.

Taylor tried to claim that she could take care of herself, but Nicole refused to believe her. "I know E.J. better than you, and I can see that he still thinks that he can get through to you. But one of us needs to take a two-by-four and smack him with it until he accepts reality, and I know you're not up for it, but I sure as hell am," Nicole said. E.J. insisted that he would have done everything in his power to protect Fay, but Nicole wasn't convinced.

"All you care about is covering your tracks, and preserving what little life you have left, but you need to understand that life as you know it is over," Nicole said. E.J. quietly apologized for anything that he might have done to hurt Nicole and Taylor. "You know what? Don't worry about the hell you put us through, E.J., because guess what? Now we get to look forward to what's in store for you, because your hell is just beginning," Nicole promised.

"Look, this hell that you've imagined for me -- I'm already there, okay? Samantha and Rafe have taken Johnny and Sydney away from me, and they're trying to get a restraining order; the police are working day and night to put Father and me in prison; and the woman who I love detests me," E.J. said. Taylor confirmed the latter part of E.J.'s statement. E.J. sighed, and he admitted that he wished that he had met Taylor earlier in life.

Nicole started to lose her patience, and she told E.J. to leave. E.J. started to walk away, but Taylor stopped him. Taylor asked Nicole to give her some time alone with E.J., and she assured Nicole that she would be all right. After Nicole left, Taylor demanded to know why E.J. had lied to her. E.J. insisted that he had never lied to her about his feelings; Taylor interrupted him, and she asked him to tell her the truth for once.

E.J. said that he just wanted a chance to explain his actions to Taylor. Taylor wondered if E.J. was hoping that she would forgive him after she had heard his excuses. E.J. conceded that a man could only hope. E.J. claimed that he had been desperate, and he added that he had been afraid that Sami and Rafe were going to take his kids away from him, but Taylor wasn't convinced. Taylor pointed out that E.J. had been granted full custody of the kids. Taylor insisted that Rafe never could have replaced E.J. in Johnny and Sydney's lives.

Taylor asked E.J. to leave. E.J. wondered if he was ever going to see Taylor again. Taylor said that she hoped that they would never see each other again. E.J. offered to do everything that he could possibly do to take Taylor's pain away. "There is something I want -- I want my mother back," Taylor snapped, as she slammed the door in E.J.'s face.

At the police station, Abe explained that the D.A. was upset because a convicted felon had been named as the lead investigator on the DiMera case, and he announced that the D.A. had threatened to contact Internal Affairs. Abe asked Bo to remove Hope from the case, but Bo refused to do so. Bo pointed out that the D.A. was going to forget all about his temper tantrum after the DiMeras were behind bars.

Meanwhile, down in the prison cells, Hope tried to convince fake Rafe to turn on the DiMeras. After toying with fake Rafe for a while, she offered him a new solution for his problems -- the Witness Protection Program. Fake Rafe took the bait, but before Hope could tell fake Rafe about the terms of the agreement, Roman stepped into the room. Roman dismissed Hope, and he explained to fake Rafe that he was going to be handling the situation from that point forward. Roman added that Hope was not an official member of the police department.

Roman tried to intimidate fake Rafe. Roman implied that they had restored the corrupted video of fake Rafe's earlier confession. Fake Rafe refused to believe that Roman was telling the truth. Roman started to leave, but fake Rafe stopped him. Fake Rafe asked Roman about Hope's offer to join the Witness Protection Program. Roman reminded fake Rafe that Hope had been removed from the case.

Meanwhile, Hope learned that the D.A. was upset about her involvement in the case. Hope admitted that she had been making progress with fake Rafe. Bo told Abe that they were trying to convince fake Rafe that witness protection was an option. Bo explained that they were hoping that fake Rafe would insist that he would only deal with Hope, because that would force the D.A. to cooperate.

Later, Roman announced that fake Rafe was refusing to talk to anyone other than Hope. Meanwhile, Bo asked Detective McCarthy to try to recall important details about her interactions with fake Rafe. McCarthy managed to remember a particular mug shot that fake Rafe had been interested in one day at the police station.

Back in the prison cells, fake Rafe wondered why Hope had been removed from the case. Hope admitted that she had a prison record. Hope said that she wanted to help fake Rafe, because she knew what it was like to wish for a second chance. Hope promised that she would help fake Rafe, if he agreed to help her. Fake Rafe refused Hope's offer, and he explained that he didn't trust Roman to honor Hope's pact.

At the Brady Pub, Maggie was pleased to learn that Sonny was back in Salem. After reminiscing about Sonny's childhood, Maggie noted that Victor would probably love to work with Sonny at Titan. Adrienne muttered that Victor might not want Sonny to work at Titan. Maggie wondered what Adrienne was talking about. Justin reminded Adrienne that Sonny wanted people to know the truth.

Adrienne agreed, and Justin and Adrienne told Maggie that Sonny was gay. Maggie wondered if it had been difficult for Adrienne and Justin to accept that fact. Together -- finishing each other's sentences in a way that suggested that they had told the story hundreds of times before -- Justin and Adrienne recounted the moment when Sonny had told them that he was gay. "You know, when he first came to us with such a serious look on his face and said he had something to tell us...we were like, 'Oh, my God, he's on drugs,' or, 'He's gotten a girl pregnant.' And when he said he was gay, we were like, 'That's it? That's all?' But then it hits you...that your son is different from you in a way that you just didn't plan on," they explained.

Justin said that they had joined a support group; Adrienne added that the support group had been Sonny's idea. Maggie wondered if Sonny had ever mentioned how long he had known that he was gay. Justin said that Sonny had told them that he had always known. "He reminded me of these curtains that I got for his room when he was just a little kid. They had this western theme, you know -- cactus and buffalo roaming...but part of the pattern was these two cowboys walking together, and Sonny said that when he was about five or six years old, he would look up at those two cowboys and say, 'They're like me,'" Adrienne explained.

"Rejecting your son for being gay would be like rejecting him for having brown eyes," Justin concluded. Maggie agreed, and she wondered if Victor was aware that Sonny was gay. Justin said that Sonny had gone over to the Kiriakis mansion earlier to tell Victor himself.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor was taken aback by Sonny's statement. Victor wondered if Brady had enlisted Sonny's help to play a prank on Victor. "No, no one put me up to this, okay? I said I was gay because I am," Sonny said. Victor wondered if Sonny was certain that he wasn't just going through a phase. Sonny laughed, and he assured Victor that he wasn't going through a phase.

Victor admitted that he didn't know how to react, because he had never had anyone in the family who was gay before. Sonny insisted that Victor wasn't that nave. Victor wondered if Adrienne and Justin were aware that Sonny was gay. Sonny said that he had told his parents a few years before. Victor wondered how Adrienne and Justin had handled the news.

"You know, not bad. It was kind of a shock, but then I told them about PFLAG -- Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. They do support groups, and it really helped them understand," Sonny said. Victor wondered why Adrienne and Justin had never said anything to him about Sonny's sexuality. Sonny explained that his parents had been worried that Victor might not have been supportive. Sonny added that he was glad that his parents had not told Victor; Sonny said that he needed to be the one to tell Victor the truth.

"You know, a man fights his own battles; isn't that what you're always saying?" Sonny asked. Victor realized that Sonny had expected a battle. Sonny admitted that he had, but Victor assured Sonny that he didn't want to do battle with Sonny. Victor said that he felt sorry for Sonny. Victor explained that it would be better if Sonny preferred women, simply because that would make his life less difficult. Sonny pointed out that Victor preferred women, and he knowingly asked if Victor's life had been less difficult. Victor said that he could get married. "Oh, and you do -- over...and over...and over," Sonny joked.

"Listen, you know what I mean. I mean, I hate to think of you in a hospital, hurt or injured somehow, and your partner doesn't have the legal right to be by your side, or even to get information on your condition," Victor explained. Sonny pointed out that things were changing, but Victor claimed that the changes were happening slowly. Sonny disagreed, and he noted that when Victor had been Sonny's age, most gays and lesbians had been in the closet. As a comparison, Sonny said that his school had started a gay and lesbian club when he was in the fifth grade.

Victor said that he hated the idea of a Kiriakis being subjected to bigotry and intolerance. Sonny assured Victor that he was strong enough to handle those challenges. "Well, if you decide to stay in Salem, we'll find out about that. This is not New York or Los Angeles; there may be people in this town who can't stomach the fact that you're gay," Victor said, as Adrienne, Justin, and Maggie walked into the mansion.

Adrienne said that she hoped that Victor was not one of those people. Victor said that he had just been explaining to Sonny that some people were not going to be as supportive and understanding as Sonny's family was. Adrienne said that she did not think that Victor was being very supportive and understanding, but Sonny defended Victor. Sonny pointed out that Victor just called things as he saw them. Justin dryly stated that Victor obviously needed glasses.

"Look, I don't need Uncle Victor to tell me there's gay bashing in the world, okay? But I'm lucky enough to have two good people as parents, and an old shark as a great-uncle, so I know how to navigate through the rough waters. Uncle Vic's not gonna change; neither am I, and that's okay," Sonny said. Maggie hugged Sonny, and Victor asked Maggie to accompany him on a walk around the property.

After Victor left, Sonny joked that Victor might be afraid of Adrienne. Justin noted that Sonny seemed to have been able to hold his own with Victor. Sonny said that Victor was okay. Adrienne said that Victor had better continue to be okay, or he was going to have to deal with her.

At the Brady Pub, Kinsey greeted Nicole, who was busy painting her nails. Kinsey said that she had meant to call Nicole to apologize for what had happened at the park the previous summer. Nicole recalled that Kinsey had told Sami about Nicole's visits with Sydney. Nicole said that she wasn't interested in Kinsey's apologies, but Kinsey was persistent. Kinsey said that she had been feeling terribly guilty about the things that she had said about Nicole, and she claimed that the guilt had been keeping her awake at night.

Nicole reluctantly agreed to accept Kinsey's apology. Kinsey thanked her, and invited herself to join Nicole for a cup of coffee. Nicole said that she wasn't in the mood for company, but Kinsey refused to give up. Kinsey noted that Nicole's life was a complete disaster, and she guessed that Nicole needed a friend. Kinsey begged Nicole to let her be that friend.

Later, the two women started to bond. Nicole told Kinsey about everything that was going on with E.J. and Taylor. Meanwhile, Kinsey told Nicole about her father's financial crisis, and she admitted that she didn't have any money for college. Nicole said that she knew all about being poor. Before Nicole left the pub, she told Kinsey to let her know if there was anything that she could do to help.

At the DiMera mansion, Kate was dodging phone calls from various media sources when Chad walked into the living room. "This -- this is all made up, right? My father and E.J. didn't really kidnap Rafe and replace him with a double they made?" Chad asked, as Lexie walked into the room. Lexie said that she would also like to know the answer to that question.

Kate started to respond, but Lexie stopped her. Lexie said that she wanted to hear the truth from Stefano. Kate explained that Stefano was resting; Kate added that she didn't want to disturb Stefano, because he had been very upset earlier. "Seems like the appropriate reaction for someone who's just been caught red-handed," Lexie dryly stated.

Kate laughed, and she pointed out that they were living in a country where people were innocent until they were proven guilty. Kate added that the police had not arrested E.J. and Stefano. Kate said that the only thing that the cops had was a man who had been passing himself off as Rafe Hernandez. Lexie wondered how long it would take for fake Rafe to turn on E.J. and Stefano.

"Well, if that does happen, then I expect every member of this family to stand behind Stefano. Do I make myself clear?" Kate asked firmly. After Kate left, Chad wondered if Lexie believed that the allegations against E.J. and Stefano were true. Lexie implied that she had seen Stefano and E.J. do similar things in the past. Lexie hoped, for Chad's sake, that E.J. and Stefano would not get away with their crimes again.

Later, Kate returned to the living room; she wondered where Lexie was, and Chad said that Lexie had left earlier. Kate wondered what Lexie had said to Chad after Kate had left the room. When Chad remained silent, Kate realized that she probably didn't want to know. Kate hoped that Chad had decided to stand by his father. Kate said that being abandoned by Chad might be enough to kill Stefano.

Chad was certain that Stefano didn't care about his opinion, but Kate insisted that Chad was wrong. Chad wondered if Kate would stand by Stefano, if the allegations against him turned out to be true. "He's my husband; I love him, no matter what. But it doesn't matter how I feel -- this is up to you. But let me remind you that you were raised by a law-abiding man who didn't give a damn about you, and now a man like Stefano is your father. You need to choose," Kate said.

Before Chad could respond, the phone started to ring, as another reporter called the mansion. Chad said that he would take the call. "Hello? Yeah. No comment," Chad said, as he made his choice.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

by Mike

At the DiMera mansion, Chad asked E.J. to tell him the truth about what E.J. and Stefano had done to Rafe. E.J. dryly stated that his attorney had advised him not to say anything about the incident. "Oh, you know what? That's -- that's cool, because you know what? I have a feeling that anything you tell me is just gonna be a bunch of bull," Chad said.

E.J. claimed that he didn't have any reason to lie to Chad, and he pointed out that Chad was a member of the family. E.J. sarcastically stated that Chad could be the good son -- the Michael Corleone of the DiMera family. Chad realized that E.J. wasn't going to be honest with him. Chad wondered if E.J. was afraid that Chad was going to call the cops. E.J. claimed that he didn't care about his own fate.

Chad pointed out that E.J. could go to prison. "Chad, I've already lost...everything that matters to me. I lost my father's respect, I lost the woman that I love, and I've lost my children -- most of all, I lost my children. So...in answer to your question, yes. I...arranged for Rafe to be kidnapped, and I was involved in the impostor taking his place. I did it because I wanted to end Samantha's marriage to Rafe, and I did not want him to become a father to my children. So here, brother -- you go ahead, you call the police, you tell them what I just told you," E.J. said, as he offered the phone to Chad.

Chad said that he didn't think that he should be the one to call the police. E.J. angrily shouted at Chad to make the call. Chad stared at the phone for a moment, then he tossed it onto a nearby table. "Well, that makes it official. You made up your mind -- you decided to become a DiMera," E.J. said, as he offered to shake Chad's hand.

Chad asked if Stefano had been involved with the operation. E.J. wondered if Chad loved Stefano. "He saw a set of test results, and he took me in -- tried to get to know me, made me part of the family. Guy who raised me wasn't like that -- not even when he believed I was his biological son. Yeah, guess I do," Chad admitted.

"Then it may interest you to know that when I go to prison, Father will be sharing the cell with me. This other Rafe...this creation...was his idea. Chad, the only difference between Father and me is that I feel some sort of remorse for what I did, and he's just sorry that he got caught," E.J. claimed, but Chad wasn't convinced. Chad wondered if E.J. was planning to place all of the blame on Stefano.

"You say you did this for Johnny and Sydney? You did this so you could stick it to Sami and Rafe. And you and Father are headed to jail; Johnny and Sydney won't have a father, or a grandfather; I won't have a brother, or a father; Kate won't have a husband; and you made this happen because it pissed you off that Sami wanted another man?" Chad asked incredulously. E.J. muttered that Chad seemed to have him all figured out.

"I thought I did. I thought you were this powerful, sophisticated guy who could get anything he wanted, and I was the jerk who knocked up his girlfriend and disappointed just about everyone, but at least I had some sense enough to realize what I got when I became part of this family. You had it all, but you blew it all to pieces for every one of us! You're the jerk," Chad shouted. Before E.J. could respond, Chad stormed off.

At the Brady Pub, Abigail and Jennifer talked about Stefano and E.J.'s crimes. Abigail admitted that she was worried about Chad. "I saw Chad at the hospital when E.J. was a patient, and he told me that Stefano already has made him feel more a part of a family than he ever felt with his mother and the guy that he thought was his father," Abigail said. Jennifer pointed out that Charles Woods -- the man who had raised Chad -- might end up prosecuting Chad's real father. Abigail wondered what that was going to do to Chad.

Jennifer pointed out that Stefano and E.J. had not been charged with anything. Jennifer optimistically added that Chad had not been involved with E.J. and Stefano's schemes in any way, and she suggested that the situation might give Chad an opportunity to see what the DiMera family was really about. Abigail admitted that Chad had told her that Stefano was really starting to rely on him. "If Stefano and E.J. go to prison, then...does that mean that Chad becomes the head of their family?" Abigail wondered.

Jennifer wondered if Abigail had talked to Chad about the situation; Abigail admitted that she had not. Jennifer pointed out that Abigail had taken things slowly with Chad at first. Jennifer noted that Abigail had started to trust Chad. Abigail agreed, but she added that Chad had convinced her that the DiMeras had changed. "All right, but it doesn't change the fact that you are a smart cookie, and you think Chad's a good guy, so a good guy is going to keep his distance from a bad family," Jennifer said.

Abigail agreed that Chad might try to keep his distance, but she admitted that she wasn't sure if he would be able to succeed in doing so. Jennifer said that her money was on Chad. Abigail sarcastically pointed out that Jennifer had also believed in Jack. Jennifer told Abigail to stop talking about Jack that way. Abigail wondered why Jennifer suddenly wanted to pretend that Jack was a good guy.

"It's really complicated to end a marriage with the father of your children. I wouldn't even have you right now if I hadn't been so in love with your dad, and he with me. So listen to me...just because something ends, that doesn't mean that it didn't have great value. I love your dad, because he gave me you and your brother, and you are the two greatest blessings in my life," Jennifer explained. Abigail jokingly wondered if Jennifer was already preparing herself for the possibility that Abigail and Chad might start a family of their own; Jennifer said that she didn't even want to think about that for at least ten more years.

Abigail took the opportunity to tell Jennifer about Chad's daughter, Grace. Abigail assumed that the news would negatively impact Jennifer's opinion of Chad, but Jennifer assured Abigail that she wasn't going to judge Chad. Abigail told Jennifer that Maggie had advised her to never be afraid of love. Jennifer said that Maggie was always right. Abigail wondered why Jennifer had ignored that advice in her relationship with Daniel.

Jennifer tried to evade the question, but Abigail was persistent. Abigail insisted that Carly and Daniel were never going to get back together, because Daniel was only interested in Jennifer. Jennifer admitted that she didn't want to hurt Daniel, but she added that Carly's sanity was the most important thing.

Abigail conceded that she wasn't any different than Jennifer. Abigail explained that she had been thinking about breaking up with Chad, instead of giving the situation a chance to play itself out. Jennifer pointed out that Abigail was trying to avoid being hurt. Jennifer said that she understood why Abigail was trying to protect herself. Abigail wondered if Jennifer was trying to protect Carly, or if she was just trying to stay true to Jack.

At the police station, Hope reluctantly admitted that she had not been able to convince fake Rafe to turn on the DiMeras. Bo asked Detective McCarthy to tell Hope about the suspicious mug shots that she had seen fake Rafe staring at. As McCarthy described fake Rafe's behavior to Hope, Hope theorized that fake Rafe might have been looking at his own mug shot. Bo agreed with Hope's suspicions, and he asked McCarthy to search for the mug shot. Meanwhile, Bo and Hope headed over to Sami and Rafe's apartment.

At the hospital, Lexie and Daniel discussed E.J. and Stefano's latest misdeeds. Daniel admitted that he didn't know what to say to comfort Lexie. "Oh, you mean there's nothing in the card store that says, 'Thinking of you after your father created an exact double of his grandchildren's stepfather'?" Lexie asked dryly. Daniel joked that, in Salem, they could probably make a lot of money off of a card like that.

Daniel wondered how Lexie had turned out to be a good person, despite the fact that she was a DiMera. Lexie admitted that she had flirted with the dark side, and she added that it had not turned out well. Lexie said that she wanted to strangle E.J. and Stefano for what they had done to Sami; she added that the media was giving Abe a hard time, because he was married to a DiMera. Lexie said that she wished that she could convince Abe to take a leave of absence, so that they could get away from Salem for a while. Daniel insinuated that leaving Salem would be like running away.

Lexie insisted that wanting to shield Theo from her family's criminal activities was not the same as running away. Daniel pointed out that Lexie, Abe, and Theo were not the ones who needed to leave town, because they had not done anything wrong. Daniel noted that Lexie seemed to be certain that Stefano and E.J. were guilty. Lexie said that she knew that Stefano and E.J. were capable of doing the things that they had been accused of.

"But Theo doesn't, you know? My baby doesn't, and because he's so young, and because he's...on the spectrum, I don't know how to tell him why I want to take him away from his uncle and his grandfather, you know? I mean, to him, I'd be the bad guy," Lexie explained. Later, Maxine wondered why Daniel had scheduled himself to work the entire weekend. Maxine pointed out that Daniel would be working six days in a row. Daniel assured Maxine that he was all right with that schedule. After Maxine left, Lexie wondered why Daniel had cancelled his plans to take Jennifer to San Francisco.

Daniel told Lexie about his earlier conversation with Jennifer. Daniel said that he had decided to respect Jennifer's wishes, because he didn't have any other choice. Lexie pointed out that Daniel had just finished lecturing her about running away. Lexie offered Daniel some advice about women, and she suggested that it might be best for Daniel to find out exactly why Jennifer had decided to end their relationship.

At Sami and Rafe's apartment, Rafe and Sami prepared for Allie's return to Salem. Sami admitted that she was feeling guilty, because she had ignored Allie's concerns about Rafe. As Rafe tried to comfort Sami, Bo and Hope arrived at the apartment. Bo quickly updated Sami and Rafe, and Bo asked Sami to help them figure out fake Rafe's real identity.

Rafe started to protest, but Sami assured Rafe that she was eager to help. Bo asked Sami to think about all of fake Rafe's interactions with the DiMeras. Sami started to recall past encounters between E.J. and fake Rafe, and she remembered that fake Rafe had tried to hit on Stephanie. Rafe added that fake Rafe had tried to hit on Nicole, as well. "I will scratch her eyes out. Did he hit on everything that moved?" Sami asked incredulously.

Sami suggested that Bo and Hope might want to talk to Dario, and she told them about the woman that fake Rafe had picked up at a bar. Rafe added that her name was Alicia; he gave Bo and Hope a description of the woman, and he said that Dario might be able to give them more information. As Bo and Hope excused themselves, Sami added that there was one more thing that she could do to help them. Sami told Bo and Hope to give her thirty minutes alone with fake Rafe. Sami promised that she would be able to get them all of the information that they would need.

After Bo and Hope left, Johnny ran into the living room. "It was on TV! It said that Daddy and Nonno might go to jail. It's a lie," Johnny said. Sami wondered if Sydney had seen the television announcement; Johnny said that Sydney was asleep. "You know what? No matter what Daddy has done, it doesn't change how he feels about you. Johnny, look at me -- he loves you, and he always will, sweetheart," Sami assured Johnny. Sami quickly changed the subject, and she reminded Johnny that Allie was on her way back to Salem.

Back at the station, Detective McCarthy announced that she had found something. As Bo and Hope stared at the mug shot of the man who had been transformed into fake Rafe, McCarthy explained that his real name was Arnold Feniger. Hope was certain that she could use that information to convince fake Rafe to turn on the DiMeras.

Back at the hospital, Daniel tried to talk to Jennifer. Jennifer claimed that she was on a deadline; before Daniel could protest, she quickly walked away. Meanwhile, at the Brady Pub, Chad walked in and greeted Abigail. Chad realized that Abigail had heard about E.J. and Stefano's crimes, and he braced himself for a lecture.

At the pier, Sami and Rafe played with Johnny and Sydney. As Johnny watched Sami and Rafe, he wondered if they were going to kiss. Johnny said that kissing was gross. Sami quickly kissed Rafe, and she warned Johnny that she was going to kiss him next. As Sami started to tickle Johnny, E.J. stepped onto the pier.

Friday, July 15, 2011

by ChickenGrrl

At the Brady Pub, Chad defensively expected Abigail to say, "I told you so," about his family, but instead, she put her arms around him. Chad noted that everything Abigail -- and everyone else -- had tried to tell him about his family had been true, because the whole time he'd been trying to get to know them, they'd been holding Rafe Hernandez captive, and then they'd unleashed the imposter on the world. Chad didn't even know if Fay Walker's death had affected the DiMeras.

Abigail wondered whether Chad had heard from Charles Woods, the man Chad had grown up believing was his father, and Chad admitted that he hadn't. Abigail confessed that she hadn't seen her own dad in almost a year. Chad confided that considering what had happened, he felt really bad for Johnny -- and for what Sydney would experience later on. Abigail pointed out that the children had Sami and Rafe, and Chad had Abigail to lean on.

Taylor arrived at the Kiriakis mansion to talk to Brady, who was reading the newspaper stories about the Rafe imposter in utter disbelief. Taylor admitted that she already knew the whole story -- and she never wanted to see E.J. again. Brady offered a sympathetic ear, but Taylor berated herself for having been such fool a fool about E.J. that she couldn't have prevented her mother's murder. Brady only wanted to know if the DiMeras were going to pay for their crimes, but Taylor didn't think so. She added sarcastically that E.J. had promised never to do anything illegal again.

Brady stated softly that E.J. had probably had good intentions when he'd said that, but Brady noted that he'd snapped when he'd learned that E.J.'s employee had been responsible for Arianna's death. He confessed that he had been the one who'd beaten E.J. within an inch of his life. Taylor worried what would happen to Brady when E.J. remembered what had happened. She admitted that even though she knew intellectually who and what E.J. was, she still loved him.

Sami and Rafe were goofing around with Johnny and Sydney on the pier when E.J. appeared. Obviously stricken and uncomfortable, E.J. started to head off in the opposite direction, but Sami stopped him. Sami pointed out that E.J. couldn't run away every time he saw her or the kids, and urged him to say hello to his kids civilly. E.J. bent to give Sydney a big hug, but Johnny shouted, "I'm not your son anymore!" Sami tried to reassure Johnny that his daddy loved him very much, but Johnny only shouted that he'd seen on TV that his daddy was a liar. E.J. quietly noted that Sami had played him up as the villain beautifully, so she asked Rafe to take the kids to watch the sailboats in the harbor.

As soon as Rafe and the children were gone, Sami argued that she had not done anything to turn the kids against E.J. -- but she hadn't had to. E.J. had been the one who had replaced the children's stepfather with a "freak show." Sami acknowledged that although E.J. loved his children very much, he still did things that hurt them deeply. She continued that Johnny knew what E.J. and Stefano had done, and it had broken his heart; she also pointed out that Sydney would eventually learn that her father had kidnapped her. As she left the pier, Sami urged E.J. to consider what was best for his children.

Just as Sami left, Stefano arrived. He apologized for having declared in anger that Elvis was not his son. E.J. was worried what would happen when the imposter decided to talk. Stefano asked E.J. to trust him about that. E.J. pointed out, "How can I trust you? You come up with this entire plan, and the moment it backfires, you turn around and blame it on me." An exasperated Stefano reminded his son that regardless, they still didn't know who had attacked E.J. E.J. still believed that it had been Rafe, but Stefano did not. Stefano vowed to make whoever it had been regret it, "DiMera style."

Just then, Taylor arrived, and witnessed the exchange between the DiMeras. As Stefano left, E.J. turned and spotted Taylor, the disgust evident in her expression. After expressing her revulsion for having trusted E.J., Taylor turned to leave again, but she wondered who had attacked him if it hadn't been Rafe. E.J. admitted that he'd gone to the pier to see if it might trigger his memory. Taylor noted that E.J. wouldn't even have to seek revenge for the attack, because his father would do it for him. E.J. said that Taylor didn't have to worry about that, because he had no memory of who'd attacked him. As Taylor turned to leave again, E.J. had a vague memory of what had happened that night.

Stefano was on his cell phone as he returned home to the DiMera mansion. "So everything is set? Good. It's time we showed that two-bit punk who he's been dealing with," Stefano growled.

Back at the loft, Sydney and Johnny went to play, while Sami and Rafe tried to explain to Allie what had happened. Allie understood that there had been two Rafes, and Rafe reassured her that he was the original. Allie still seemed a little leery, so Rafe suggested that they start over at the very beginning. He introduced himself formally to her, and shook her hand. Allie laughed and admitted to Sami, "He's funny like before." Sami promised that the bad Rafe would never bother Allie again. Grinning, Allie asked Rafe if the two of them could go ice-skating again. Allie then wondered what would happen to E.J. "I guess he's gonna get what he deserves," Sami admitted.

At the police station, McCarthy showed Bo and Hope the mug shots and long, storied rap sheet of Arnold Feniger, also known as imposter Rafe. As Bo and Hope were discussing how to use the information against the imposter, an irate D.A. Woods entered the squad room, fuming about how Internal Affairs wanted Hope off the case immediately. Hope quickly made herself scarce, while Bo pointed out that Hope had been deputized, so the D.A. couldn't remove her from duty without a written request. D.A. Woods promised to have the paperwork on Bo's desk within the hour. When the two of them were alone, Abe hinted that Bo could count on Victor's help, so Bo reluctantly called his father.

Outside, Hope and Detective McCarthy overheard Woods's ranting. McCarthy asked Hope what she could do to help, and Hope instructed McCarthy to follow her with Feniger's file

Abe soon produced a document that required Bo to relieve Hope of her duties. Hope returned, and Bo filled her in on what had happened in her absence. After Abe left the room, Hope got what seemed like a promising text message about the faux Rafe investigation, but before she could reveal anything, Brady arrived. "I need to talk to Bo about what I did to E.J.," Brady explained.

After Hope left the men alone, Brady admitted that he didn't regret what he had done; he only regretted having put other people, like Bo, in bad positions. Brady worried that Bo would be in hot water if people found out he'd known that Brady had attacked E.J. With a shrug, Bo suggested that Brady should pray E.J. never remembered what had happened, but he hoped that Stefano and E.J. would be behind bars before that occurred.

A uniformed officer threw a loud, angry woman into the cell with Arnold Feniger. She cursed at the officer in Spanish, and swore that her very important father would have the officer's head for what he was doing to her. After the officer left, the woman turned to the imposter. "What do you think you're looking at?" she spat. "Ay, yi yi! One hot piece of property; that's what, babe," Arnold leered.

Abe returned to Bo's office and declared, "Victor came through." The two of them found Hope in the squad room. Abe and Bo informed Hope that the governor had just given her a full pardon, and expunged her record of all of her crimes. Bo added excitedly that there was nothing to keep him from reinstating her on the force. Overcome, a tearful Hope threw her arms around her husband and kissed him. Abe produced a Bible, and immediately swore Hope in as a police officer.