Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of March 21, 2011 on DAYS

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

Monday, March 21, 2011

by LaDaisia

At the police station, Sami told Fake Rafe that she had agreed to let Dario stay at their place, because she could tell that Fake Rafe was upset that he couldn't help his brother. Fake Rafe lost his temper and told her that he would never be the man that she wanted him to be and for her to leave him alone. She said all she had done was ask Dario to stay with them. Rafe said that "this whole thing is not working out" and it had nothing to do with Dario -- it was about him and Sami.

Fake Rafe thought that Sami had undermined him, but she didn't think it was undermining him to invite Dario to live with them. He asked if it had occurred to her that there was a reason why he and Dario didn't get along. She thought it was a chance for them to "mend fences." He said that he was under a lot of pressure, having to deal with his brother on his first day back to work and then having to deal with Dario moving in with them. Sami pointed out that Dario was his brother.

Fake Rafe said that Dario had been worthless since the day that he was born, and he warned Sami that if she kept undermining him, he didn't think their marriage would work. She agreed that it wasn't working for her either. She said she couldn't "do this" anymore. "Do what anymore?" he asked. She said she loved him, but he wasn't himself anymore.

Fake Rafe said he was the same man he had always been. She said she was never afraid of him "until now." She said that when Allie said she was afraid of him, Sami thought the girl was exaggerating, but Sami felt the same way. She started to walk away, but he stopped her and told her that he'd had an intense headache for the past couple hours. Then he passed out.

Melanie stopped by Sami and Rafe's apartment to speak to Rafe. Dario answered the door with his shirt off. She asked why he was dressed that way, and he explained that he had been working out. She wanted to talk to Rafe to make sure he stayed impartial in Dario's case, but she realized that with Dario staying there, it was too late for that. Dario said Melanie had no right to judge him, because she didn't even know him. Melanie responded, "That's where you're wrong." Dario asked what she knew about him. Melanie told him to put a shirt on, because she wasn't impressed.

Melanie said that he was one of those guys who thought of her as "a judgmental bitch" for wanting to see him pay for stealing her necklace. She said that he "sucked" as a thief. He said that should prove to that he wasn't a pro. He asked if she had ever paid for her misdeeds, and she said yes. He asked how, and she deflected, saying her experiences helped her spot con artists like him. She said Rafe might look the other way, but she wasn't going to.

Dario leaned in and said, "Why? Because you like what you see?" She tried to hit him, but he grabbed her hand, and said she didn't know who she was messing with. Then he poured a bottle of water on her head. Melanie asked if he had gotten that out of his system. "Somebody had to make you chill," he said. He asked why she was up in his face, even after he had given back her necklace. She said that so many things had been taken from her in the last few months, that when Dario had stolen her necklace, it was the last straw. Dario accused her of wanting him to pay for what some other guy had done to her.

Dario said that he would pass Melanie's message along to Rafe, and he was going to take a shower and wanted her gone by the time he was done. When he returned to the living room, Melanie was still there. He asked why she didn't leave, and she said she needed a blow dryer since he had dumped water on her head. "What, you can't go down the street looking your best?" he asked. She asked what was with his attitude, and she advised him to drop it before he went before the judge. She asked why he was stealing from people. He said he needed money fast, and she asked if he was a drug addict.

Dario said he had no physical signs of being a drug addict. He said he was using the money for his sister. At first Melanie thought he was going to use the money from her necklace to pay Gabi back for stealing her earrings, but he said, "Not Gabi, Arianna." Dario explained that he was trying to find out who had hit Arianna and had to pay a private detective, because the police and Rafe had given up on finding the driver. Melanie denied Dario's accusation that she had forgotten about Arianna's death, saying that Arianna was her best friend. "Best friend? Friends don't let people kill their friends and get away with it," he said.

Carly went to the Java Caf, saw Vivian, and immediately flashed back to when Vivian had buried her alive. Carly sneaked past Vivian, and at the same time, Vivian flashed back to when she herself had been trapped in the sarcophagus. Vivian said that if she was able to read tea leaves, life might have turned out better for her. Carly overheard and said that if the tea leaves had foretold something Vivian didn't want to hear, Vivian would have dumped them out and started over again. Vivian agreed with Carly's assessment. Carly was surprised that Vivian had agreed with her.

Vivian revealed to Carly that while people thought Vivian had left town, she had really been kept in Isabella's crypt. Vivian suggested that Carly tell Bo what his father had done to Vivian, but then she rubbed it in Carly's face that she couldn't do that because Bo had left Carly for Hope once again. Carly said she knew that Vivian was setting Carly up to stick it to her about Bo. Vivian said it wasn't Carly's fault, because Hope was obviously more exciting to Bo from her time in prison.

Carly said she had nothing but good memories of her and Bo together, and she was impressed with what lengths Bo went to in order to save Carly from Vivian. Vivian said she was responsible for Carly and Bo's relationship and maybe she should focus on Carly again so that would force Bo and Carly back together again. Carly pointed out that all Vivian had was Gus, and that Vivian would be alone, since no one cared enough about her to save her from herself.

As Carly left, Maggie entered the Java Caf. When Vivian greeted Maggie, Maggie decided she didn't need coffee after all and started to leave, but Vivian told her not to go, because Vivian had something important to say. "Congratulations. You win," Vivian said. Maggie asked what she had won. Vivian said Maggie had won Victor, and she praised Maggie's strategy. Maggie said she didn't have a strategy. "Exactly," Vivian said, adding that she had thought she had needed to trick Victor into marrying her, while Maggie had done nothing to win Victor; she was just there, grieving over Mickey, and "so beautifully unavailable, unattainable." Vivian admitted to looking desperate in comparison.

Maggie said, "There isn't and there wasn't any competition." Vivian said there had been to Vivian. Vivian said she was out of the picture so Maggie and Victor could be together. Maggie said there was no Maggie and Victor. Vivian pointed out that Maggie hadn't thrown herself on "Mickey's funeral pyre" -- she was very much alive.

Vivian said that Victor had helped Maggie get through the last year. Vivian said she had loved Victor, but Victor hadn't wanted to be with her -- he wanted to be with Maggie and to be the man he was when he was with Maggie. "He doesn't want that 100 percent of the time," Maggie said. Vivian mocked Maggie, saying Maggie wanted to be at home all the time with her memories of Mickey. That wouldn't be enough for Vivian, Vivian said.

Nathan spoke to his contact at Johns Hopkins and thanked the doctor for allowing him to apply for the residency again. Stephanie overheard Nathan's phone call and asked him about it. Nathan said he was leaving. Stephanie assumed that he was going to another hospital, because it was too awkward to be around her. He said it had nothing to do with her. She asked what Melanie thought about his decision, and he said that Melanie didn't know about it.

Stephanie said that Nathan couldn't just drop his decision on Melanie, because Melanie had family in Salem and a job. Nathan said that Melanie thought it was too late for them, so she wouldn't mind. Stephanie assumed that it was her fault that Nathan and Melanie weren't together, because if Stephanie hadn't been so desperate to hang on to him, Nathan and Melanie might have been together the whole time. Nathan said he was to blame, because he should have fought for Melanie, instead of trying to convince himself that he was in love with Stephanie. "At least you can admit it," Stephanie said.

Nathan said it wasn't fair to anyone, least of all her. She asked if he really was leaving, and he said it wasn't for sure, but he was hopeful. She wished him good luck. Nathan said he thought Stephanie was a "great girl" who deserved someone who loved her.

Stefano's henchman told Stefano that Rafe was being transported to his new destination and assured Stefano that there would be no security problems. Stefano warned his henchman not to underestimate Rafe. When the henchman left, Kate walked in and asked what was going on and how she could help. Stefano thanked her for her concern and told her that there wasn't anything that she could do.

Kate told Stefano it might help him to unburden himself. She expressed concern over how distraught he seemed. He said one of his enemies had been making trouble for him, but he had done what had to be done by altering the enemy's life. Kate could tell Stefano was still doubtful, and Stefano said he didn't think he had made the right move this time. Kate said she couldn't assure him that he had done the right thing if Stefano wouldn't tell her what he was talking about.

Stefano mentioned Chad, and Kate surmised that Stefano was afraid that Chad would find out what Stefano had done to Stefano's adversary and would turn against him. Kate pointed out that Lexie knew who Stefano was, but she was still there for him. Kate said that her kids hated the things that she had done, but they knew that she loved them and would die to protect them. She said his children knew the same about him. Stefano had his doubts about whether Chad knew that. Kate assured him that Chad would learn that about Stefano and then Chad would be Stefano's forever just like Kate was.

Stefano thought it was important to gain Chad's loyalty or else Chad would be a liability. Kate asked Stefano not to change who he was. Kate was confident that Stefano would find a solution. She said it was very boring when they were separated. Stefano said he needed to be able to trust her. She said he could trust her. Stefano said he'd felt like a "pauper" without Kate in his life. She told him she loved him, and they kissed.

Carly examined Fake Rafe and ordered a test to determine if he had an embolism. He woke up and asked where he was. Sami said he was in the hospital. Carly said, "Hey stranger, it's about time you woke up," and he asked, "Who the hell are you?" Sami asked if he remembered Carly. He didn't, so Sami explained that Carly had saved his life before and also assisted in Johnny's surgery. He pretended to remember. Carly asked if he remembered why he had blacked out. He said he only remembered being at the police station with Dario.

After Carly left the room, fake Rafe asked if Sami had been there when he fainted, and she said she had been and thought it was her fault. He started to have a headache, and his machine started beeping, so Sami yelled for help. Nadine checked his vitals then asked Sami to fill out paperwork for him, so he called E.J. and left a message, telling him they had a problem. He then called Stefano and told Stefano to visit him in the hospital, so he could explain what happened. Fake Rafe worried that he had blown it.

Carly told Sami that she had gone over Rafe's scans and hospital records and something was not adding up. Carly noticed that this time his blood pressure was up, his follow-up MRI was normal, and he didn't recognize Carly. Carly thought that Rafe noticed that something was off and was in denial about it. Stefano lurked in the hallway near Fake Rafe's room, eavesdropping on Carly and Sami. Sami said she hoped that Carly could find something physically wrong with Rafe and could cure it, because the guy in the hospital room was not Rafe.

Maggie stopped by to see Jennifer, who wasn't there, so Maggie asked what Nathan was doing there in the middle of the day. He said he had some things to take care of. He told Maggie that he was planning to take the job at Johns Hopkins if they would accept him. Maggie asked if Melanie was a part of his decision. Nathan said that Melanie didn't want him to be a part of her new life.

Maggie said that Nathan deserved to be with someone who loved him and only him. He wanted that to be Melanie. Maggie asked if Nathan's mother knew about his plans, and he said that she knew everything except the part about Melanie. He was worried about leaving Maggie, but she assured him that Jennifer and other family members would look after her. He promised to tell her as soon he knew about the job.

Kate ran into Vivian down on the pier, and Vivian complained about Kate laughing at her when Vivian was locked in the sarcophagus. Vivian asked how Stefano felt about her returning home. Kate said they were happy. Vivian said that Kate's arrogance was her fatal flaw, and Kate said Vivian's habit of making enemies of the wrong people was Vivian's fatal flaw. Vivian said Kate couldn't do anything to her. Kate said she could threaten to do something to the people who loved Vivian, and then she mocked Vivian for not having people who cared for her. Kate said she'd have to focus directly on Vivian.

Vivian pointed out that Kate had people that cared about her. Kate said Vivian couldn't touch Stefano and wouldn't get in between them; Kate added that her children were spread all over the world except Philip, and Vivian wouldn't hurt him. Kate advised Vivian to "go back to Lawrenceland" or crawl back into the sarcophagus and disappear. After Kate left, Vivian thought to herself that Stefano was up to something big but didn't trust Kate, so he was keeping her at arm's length. Vivian vowed to find out what he was up to and make him pay with Kate's life.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

by Spalding

Chad was staring at his laptop in the Java Caf when Abigail and Gabi walked in. Shocked by what he was looking at, Chad asked Abigail and Gabi if they would watch his computer while he went outside for air. Curious, Abigail and Gabi looked at the laptop screen and learned that Chad had been looking at the Salem University website. Chad returned and apologized for running out of the caf. Chad explained that he was behind on his tuition but that when he went online he had learned that his late fees and tuition had been paid.

Curious, Chad called his adoptive father to inquire about the payment. After a terse conversation, Chad promised not to call his adoptive father again. Turning toward Abigail, Chad explained that he'd believed his adoptive father had paid his college tuition but that his instinct was off-base. When Chad made a joke about his father, Abigail made a joke about her father as well. With a grin, Chad noted that Abigail understood how he felt.

Curious about his tuition, Chad called the university and learned that he had won a scholarship. Chad explained that the scholarship he had won was actually from Stefano. Chad admitted that he wanted to turn down the scholarship because he felt like there would be strings attached to accepting the money. Abigail warned Chad to talk to Stefano before he turned down the scholarship.

Chad went to the DiMera mansion and informed Stefano that he had been awarded a scholarship. When Stefano congratulated Chad on the good news, Chad noted that he believed the money was from Stefano. "You bought my mother. Maybe you want to try and buy me," Chad said. With a sigh, Stefano asked Chad to respect Madeline's memory. Chad agreed with Stefano's suggestion, then turned the conversation back to the scholarship.

"It's not like one of those R.O.T.C. programs, is it? I'm not gonna owe the DiMera family a couple years of service after I graduate?" Chad asked. With a chuckle, Stefano retorted, "I like that you think like your mother and you have her shrewd mind." Stefano invited Chad to join him in a game of chess. When Chad asked whether chess was an attempt by Stefano to bond with his son, Stefano said, "I want you to know exactly who you are dealing with here."

While Chad and Stefano played chess, Stefano suggested that Chad should move into the mansion. Chad asked if Stefano was attempting to manipulate him. Stefano reminded Chad that "I always get my way in the end." While Stefano smiled at Chad, Chad grinned back and said, "Checkmate." Stefano congratulated Chad on his win, and Chad said he believed Stefano had let him win. "You said playing against you I'll find out who I'm up against. You are a formidable opponent," Chad said. Stefano assured Chad that no matter how much Chad denied being a DiMera, he was part of the family.

At the hospital, Sami talked to Carly about the oddities of Rafe's behavior. "He's not Rafe. He's a stranger. One I don't like very much," Sami confided to Carly as Stefano eavesdropped from a nearby hallway. Guilty, Sami surmised that Carly thought Sami was a "fair-weather wife" to Rafe. Shaking her head, Carly noted, "Sami, no. I think that's what you're thinking. I think you feel guilty that you need to accept all these changes." Carly told Sami that if Sami felt so ill at ease around Rafe, then Carly was concerned. Carly offered to rerun the tests on Rafe.

"You love him, you want what's best for him, which tells me you're right; something is wrong," Carly said. Carly added that if the tests were inconclusive then she would order a psychiatric evaluation on Rafe as a precaution. With a sigh, Sami thanked Carly for listening to her. "I'm not going to stop until I get Rafe back. For real," Sami said. Sami wondered aloud whether she could convince Rafe to submit to more tests, and Carly told Sami that she would do what she could to convince Rafe that he needed to undergo more testing.

As Carly went to check on a patient, Sami called Gabi and informed her that Rafe had suffered a seizure. After her phone call, Sami paced the hospital hallway and thought about when faux Rafe had thrown the mug. "Great. What's gonna happen when I tell him he needs more tests?" Sami wondered aloud.

Faux Rafe leaned against the door of his hospital room, attempting to hear Carly and Sami's conversation. "How am I going to get out of this one?" Faux Rafe wondered aloud. As Carly and Sami talked in the hall, Stefano sneaked into faux Rafe's hospital room and asked what he had done. Faux Rafe explained that Sami had invited Dario to stay at the loft and faux Rafe had become so enraged that he threw a coffee cup. Faux Rafe continued that in order to justify his tantrum, faux Rafe had faked a seizure.

Stefano informed faux Rafe that he had heard Sami tell Carly that she believed there was something wrong with Rafe. When Stefano exclaimed that he was going to "pull the plug on the whole operation," faux Rafe refused. Angry, Stefano warned faux Rafe not tell him what to do. Backpedaling, faux Rafe explained that he believed the fake seizure had worked. Stefano countered that faux Rafe's ruse had failed and that Sami was getting closer to the truth.

"I'm telling you, you give me a week, Sami will be begging for that divorce," faux Rafe said confidently. "You screwed up big time, and anybody who works for me and screws up, they pay," Stefano growled. Faux Rafe promised to fix the situation with Sami. "I know how to take care of Sami," faux Rafe said. "Good God. She's gotten to you," Stefano lamented. When faux Rafe protested, Stefano rolled his eyes. "That's exactly what Elvis says when he's not in a relationship with her," Stefano said. Stefano ordered faux Rafe not to improvise and to follow orders. Stefano ordered faux Rafe to undergo the tests and act however Rafe would act.

After Stefano had slipped out of the room, Carly and Sami entered through the other door. When faux Rafe asked what was wrong, Sami admitted that she needed to ask Rafe something and she was worried that the question would make him angry. Carly explained that she wanted to run some additional tests. With a sigh, faux Rafe asked to talk to Sami privately.

Once Carly was gone, Rafe explained that he would do the tests if Sami thought it was for the best. Rafe added that he wanted to talk to Sami privately in order to apologize. Rafe apologized for getting angry. "I'm scared. I don't know why I freak out all the time," faux Rafe whispered. Sami promised faux Rafe that they would work with the doctors to fix him.

Maggie called Victor but flustered, she hung up when Victor said hello. Victor called Maggie back and asked her if she was conflicted. Maggie asked Victor to have lunch with her at Chez Rouge. Pleased, Victor eagerly accepted Maggie's invitation. "Good. 'Cause there is someone I want you to meet," Maggie said. On the other end of the phone, Victor's face fell in disappointment.

At the Brady Pub, Philip walked in and noticed Chloe on the phone. As Philip approached the table, Chloe hung up the phone and smiled. Chloe explained that the Seattle Opera Company had offered her a role in their upcoming production. Chloe's smile faded as she admitted that she needed to go to Seattle the following week. As Philip told Chloe how proud he was of her, Chloe looked at Parker. When Philip inquired about the part, Chloe admitted that the role in the production was a big role but that she could not take the part.

Surprised, Philip assured Chloe that he would visit her in Seattle with Parker. "I don't want to visit him. I want to raise him," Chloe explained. Philip countered that if Child Protective Services did not let her have access to Parker, then Chloe would be turning down a dream job. "It wouldn't be for nothing. Philip I promised you I wasn't going anywhere, but I didn't just make that promise to you. I made it to him too. I'm never leaving him ever again," Chloe said about Parker. Chloe noted that she wanted to find a job in Salem. When Philip inquired about Chloe's plan, she countered that she had put up flyers offering voice lessons.

After Philip left, Justin met Chloe at the Brady Pub. Justin inquired about Chloe's divorce papers, and Chloe explained that there was a problem. When Justin assured Chloe that Daniel's offer for alimony was generous, Chloe corrected Justin and explained that she did not want to take any money from Daniel. "He was a really wonderful husband, and I put him through hell. I think it's better if we have a clean break and we both just have a fresh start," Chloe said. When Justin asked Chloe whether she was sure, Chloe noted that she needed to stand on her own for the sake of her son. Amazed by the change in Chloe's demeanor, Justin commented on well Chloe appeared to be doing. Chloe explained that Philip had helped her.

At the loft, Dario told Melanie that she should be ashamed of herself for not investigating Arianna's death. "You say you were her friend, and you did nothing!" Dario yelled. Stunned, Melanie stared at Dario with her mouth agape. "You should be ashamed to keep saying you were her friend when you weren't. Living your fat, rich life like nothing ever happened," Dario added. Furious, Melanie reminded Dario that Arianna's brother was a police officer, so Melanie had not felt compelled to "act like Nancy Drew."

"She never even mentioned you. I guess she didn't want anyone to know she had an arrogant, judgmental son-of-a-bitch for a brother!" Melanie argued. Collecting herself, Melanie took a deep breath and explained that she was pained by the death of Arianna. Melanie noted that Arianna's death had been an accident. Still angry, Dario retorted that the driver needed to pay for hitting Arianna and then driving away from the scene. Melanie reassured Dario that the police were looking for the driver, but Dario argued that the police, including Rafe, were not doing enough to find Arianna's murderer.

In a soft, soothing voice, Melanie urged Dario to talk to his brother about the investigation. Dario countered that Rafe did not care about finding the driver. "You know what? You're right. You're the only one that cares. You're the one who is grieving. You're the one with all the answers. I guess when Rafe fell apart at her memorial, that was fake, right?" Melanie said. Melanie reminded Dario that he had not been there when Arianna died or when Rafe made the decision to donate Arianna's heart.

"It's not that you're the mistake of the family. Or that you're so wrapped up in yourself and whatever is going on in your life that you didn't care about Arianna. She was nothing to you when she was alive, but dead, you're the man, right?" Melanie said defiantly. "Those of us that were there had to deal with feeling helpless. But not you. What you did was steal a bunch of jewelry and then point the finger at everybody else. And to me, that makes you so much worse than the rest of us," Melanie said.

Stung, Dario asked Melanie to leave. As Melanie grinned, Dario's phone rang. Gabi was calling Dario to inform him that Rafe was in the hospital after suffering a seizure. When Melanie asked what was wrong, Dario muttered that it was none of her business, and he walked out of the loft.

Victor met Maggie at Chez Rouge and was surprised to find that he was having lunch with Maggie in a private dining room. Frustrated, Victor argued that he wanted to have lunch with Maggie and that he did not want to be fixed up with anyone. When Victor rambled on about how he was not lonely, Maggie interrupted and said, "Don't you ever shut up? The person I wanted you to meet was me."

Once Victor seated Maggie at the table, she collected her courage and looked Victor in the eye. "Remember when you got me out of the sarcophagus? Well I realized today that you've been trying to do that all year," Maggie said. Maggie explained that a part of her had died when Mickey passed away. "You kept pulling me back to life, out of the damn coffin," Maggie said. Victor gave Maggie credit, but Maggie thanked Victor for helping her.

"Around you, I feel young and stupid and mixed up and angry and happy and scared and curious. I can't help it. Around you, I feel alive. Mickey would be so furious with me if I turned my back on that," Maggie said. "It's hard to fend you off, Victor. I've tried. I think this lunch was my way of saying that I'm giving up trying," Maggie said quietly. Overjoyed, Victor was left speechless by Maggie's announcement.

After recovering his voice, Victor told Maggie that he was happy. "I can tell you one thing that's going to happen; we are going to have fun!" Victor said. When Victor toasted to Maggie, she corrected Victor and noted that she wanted to toast to "us and our future."

Philip returned to the Kiriakis mansion with Parker and met up with Melanie. As Melanie stared adoringly at Parker, Philip assured Melanie that it was not too late for her to be a part of Parker's life. Shaking her head, Melanie noted that it was too late. "We have to move on with the divorce," Melanie said softly. Philip promised not to attempt to change Melanie's mind because he wanted her to be happy. "I hope one day you'll be happy again with someone who loves you, because you deserve to be loved," Philip said. "I want that for you too," Melanie returned.

Gabi and Dario rushed over to the hospital and met with Sami in the hallway outside of faux Rafe's hospital room. Dario promised to move out of the loft, but Sami assured Dario that it would not be necessary. Sami explained that faux Rafe did not remember getting angry and that Carly was going to run tests. "What if they don't find anything?" Dario asked. "I don't want to think about that," Sami said worriedly. Sami sent Gabi and Dario in to see faux Rafe.

When Gabi and Dario walked into faux Rafe's hospital room, faux Rafe apologized to them for his behavior. "It wasn't me talking. I'm glad you're here. You're my bro. I want you to stay with us," faux Rafe said. In the hallway, Sami muttered to herself, "Once again everything looks like it's back to normal but it's not, and I know it's not. Something is off. I'm not going to rest until I get Rafe back." Across the hallway, Carly reviewed the test results for faux Rafe. "What? No that can't be right," Carly exclaimed.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

by ChickenGrrl

At the Java Caf, E.J. was sending a text message to Allie for Johnny, while Johnny and Sydney colored in their coloring books. Johnny wanted E.J. to tell Allie about how pretty Aunt Taylor was, and E.J. fell silent for a moment -- which Nicole immediately noticed. She asked why he still didn't like Taylor, but E.J. maintained that Taylor didn't like him, either. When Nicole pressed, a clearly uncomfortable E.J. changed the subject by asking her to take Sydney to the restroom.

After Nicole and Sydney had gone, Johnny said that he'd forgotten to tell Allie that Rafe had taught him how to fight. "He is so cool! Even cooler than he used to be," Johnny declared, adding, "Text Allie -- tell her how fun Rafe is!"

Taylor and Brady were going over some Titan financial statements at the Brady Pub. Taylor objected to the layoffs Brady had proposed to make up for budget shortfalls, and suggested that he fire her before other people who had been with the company for years, since she had been the last person hired. Brady teased that Taylor only said that because those people had complained that she'd gotten the job because they thought she was his girlfriend, and Taylor laughed. Brady pointed out that many of the people Taylor had referenced would have already lost their jobs if it hadn't been for her good ideas, and urged her to devise some new ones to prevent the layoffs.

After she left the Java Caf, Nicole headed to the Brady Pub with Chloe. Just as Nicole was admitting that she and Taylor were getting along surprisingly well, she spotted Taylor and Brady across the restaurant. Taylor greeted Chloe warmly, and Nicole explained that Chloe hadn't quite been herself when Taylor and Chloe had met the first time. Brady was icy toward Nicole but friendly to Chloe, so Nicole suggested to Chloe that they go elsewhere.

Once Chloe and Nicole had arrived at the Java Caf, Nicole admitted that she hated seeing Brady so unhappy. Chloe noted that Brady probably thought Nicole's marriage to E.J. was a mistake. Nicole insisted that the marriage was turning out better than she had expected, because she had started to fall in love with E.J. again, and she believed that it was only a matter of time before he felt the same way. Chloe admitted to feeling a bit cynical about romance, but Nicole urged her friend not to give up hope.

Changing the subject, Chloe said that she was glad everyone at the DiMera mansion was getting along well. Nicole reluctantly confided that Taylor and E.J. were "like two pieces of flint," although she was working to improve things between them. She added that she was worried that it would be hard on her mom to witness the strain between Taylor and E.J. -- but she was determined for everyone to get along.

At the DiMera mansion, Stefano was on the phone with a doctor at the mental institution where Rafe was being held. The doctor assured Stefano that Rafe had shown no signs that his memory was returning. In the padded cell, a handcuffed Rafe asked where he was. The doctor explained that Rafe was in a mental ward because he couldn't remember who he was -- and if the doctor had anything to say about it, Rafe would never remember, or get better.

E.J. arrived home and immediately downed a glass of scotch. When Stefano commented that it was a little early for alcohol, E.J. snapped that Johnny had grown excessively fond of the ex-con whom Stefano had hired to replace Rafe. E.J. pointed out that the plan was supposed to have been for the imposter to alienate the children and Samantha. Stefano reluctantly divulged that the impersonator had faked a seizure to cover for a violent outburst, and at the hospital, Stefano had overheard Sami asserting that something was off with her husband. Stefano believed they had to speed up their plan. E.J. strongly disagreed, pointing out that if the imposter divorced Sami too soon, she would only think it was because of his head injury.

Later, Stefano asserted that he thought he had made some progress in talking Chad into moving into the mansion. Stefano then asked E.J. when Taylor and Fay were moving out, but E.J. replied that it would not be until Fay got better.

After Chloe and Nicole had left the pub, Taylor remarked to Brady that Nicole didn't approve of their working together. "You still love her, don't you?" Taylor asked softly. Brady grumpily pointed out that her question was not work-related. Taylor countered that she'd believed from what Nicole had said that Brady was some kind of a knight in shining armor, but so far, he'd acted "like a total Kiriakis." Brady argued that it was better than acting like a DiMera, but Taylor refused to badmouth the DiMeras, since they had taken her sick mother in. Brady warned Taylor to watch her back, because E.J. never did anything good without an ulterior motive.

Taylor noted dryly that Brady's warning was not business-related. The mood lightened, and the two of them got back to crunching numbers to prevent layoffs. Taylor pulled her chair around the table, next to Brady's, so they could go over some figures together -- just as E.J. entered and witnessed the seemingly intimate moment between them.

As Sami sat on imposter Rafe's hospital bed, she commended him for having mended fences with Dario. Carly entered and informed Rafe and Sami that after reviewing Rafe's preliminary test results, she had noticed that his blood sugar was significantly lower than it had been right after his accident. Carly continued that hypoglycemia could cause irritability, memory loss, and even seizures, and advised Rafe to eat frequent, high-protein meals to combat it. Sami was just relieved that there was an explanation for Rafe's behavioral changes.

Carly wanted to prescribe an antianxiety medication for Rafe, but the impersonator didn't want to take it. When Carly left to get Rafe's discharge papers ready, Sami made an excuse about wanting to call Gabi and Dario, and followed Dr. Manning out. In the hallway, Sami asked Carly for more information about the antianxiety medication, and Carly explained that the drug could help with Rafe's mood swings. Sami wanted to talk to Rafe again later about the medication, so Carly offered to give Sami the prescription in case she could persuade Rafe to take it.

Daniel found Jennifer as she was volunteering at the hospital, because he wanted to tell her about a job in the P.R. department that Lexie thought Jennifer would be perfect for. Jennifer pointed out that she was a journalist, and had no experience in public relations. Daniel countered that the job would allow Jennifer to help people by getting important health information to the public, and urged her to consider taking it.

Later, Carly also tried to talk Jennifer into taking the P.R. job, and they laughed about their days in boarding school. Daniel arrived and reiterated his encouragement for Jennifer to take the job. Jennifer realized that both Daniel and Carly's shifts were ending, so after Carly left, Jennifer invited Daniel to drop by later with more information about the job. Since Daniel had no plans, he agreed.

When they arrived at Alice's later, Daniel and Carly were surprised that Jennifer wasn't there. They quickly realized that Jennifer had asked both of them to deliver the same information about the job, and Carly guessed that Jennifer wanted Daniel and Carly to spend more time together. Jennifer soon rushed in, her arms full of groceries. She apologized for her tardiness, and promised to get started making lunch right away. Carly and Daniel wanted to know why Jennifer hadn't simply invited them over for lunch if that was her intent, but she pointed out that they probably would have just said no.

Trying not to explode, Carly asked Daniel if she could speak with Jennifer privately. Daniel was more than happy to oblige, and carried the groceries into the kitchen. Jennifer asked Carly what the problem was, since it was obvious that Carly and Daniel liked each other. Carly demanded incredulously, "Jennifer, are you ready to move on from Jack?" Surprised, Jennifer replied, "No! Of course not! I just filed for divorce a couple of days ago." Carly wanted to know, then, why Jennifer would think that either Carly or Daniel was ready to move on. Jennifer sheepishly admitted that she just wanted Daniel and Carly to be happy, but agreed to stop trying to fix them up.

Carly was on her way out when Daniel returned from the kitchen. "Do you hate me?" Jennifer asked him, and Daniel teased her good-naturedly about how much fun it was to be back in junior high. Jennifer then declared that she'd decided to take the P.R. job, and they concurred that it would be "interesting" to work together.

As Sami and faux Rafe returned to the loft, she offered to make a protein-heavy lunch for him, but quickly realized that they had nothing to eat in the house. After fake Rafe reassured her that he would be fine, Sami left to get some groceries. E.J. called just then, and warned the imposter to get the plan back on track. Faux Rafe bristled at the threat, but E.J. gave him two weeks to fix things. "You don't want to break a contract with the DiMera family. Don't forget what happened to the other Rafe," E.J. warned.

Enraged, imposter Rafe hurled his phone at the couch -- just as Sami returned with a carton of eggs she'd borrowed from a neighbor. Faux Rafe lied that he was frustrated because he'd been trying -- unsuccessfully -- to reach Dario. He joked that all he needed was a stiff drink, but Sami reminded him that he wasn't supposed to have alcohol because of the hypoglycemia. She then urged Rafe to relax while she made lunch for him. While Rafe's back was turned, Sami dropped one of the pills she'd gotten from Carly into a cup of coffee, which she then delivered to her husband. As soon as Sami returned to the kitchen, faux Rafe furtively pulled out a flask and spiked his coffee.

When she was finished cooking, Sami took Rafe a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage and a bowl of fruit. Playfully holding out a piece of sausage, faux Rafe declared that when he was finished eating, they had some making up to do. Sami reluctantly humored him and took a bite, and admitted she was glad that he seemed to be feeling better. A giggly imposter Rafe began rambling about what an awesome job he had. Puzzled, Sami asked what he was talking about. "My mission!" faux Rafe explained, confusing Sami even more. "I have a secret," Rafe whispered. "I'm dying to tell you exactly what it is."

At the asylum, the doctor fed some broccoli to Rafe, who was still handcuffed in the padded cell, although Rafe wanted to feed himself. The doctor couldn't release Rafe from the cuffs without permission. When Rafe asked whom the doctor needed to ask, the doctor testily reminded Rafe that questions were forbidden. When Rafe continued obediently eating what the doctor fed him, the doctor conceded that there might be painting lessons in Rafe's future if he continued to behave.

After Rafe was finished eating, the doctor declared that because Rafe had been so cooperative, he would be rewarded with a star on his behavior-modification chart -- and Rafe only needed 99 more to earn his first privilege. When Rafe talked back, the doctor took the star away. The doctor snippily explained, "I humiliate you at will to make you completely obedient to me. I modify your behavior. We are now in a very long-term relationship, and it's important that the roles are clear." Rafe asked resignedly, "I'm never getting out of here, am I?" The doctor replied, "Probably not alive."

After the doctor had gone, Rafe used a tine broken from his plastic fork to pick the lock on his handcuffs. When the cuffs opened, he looked at his bare wrists with amazement. He gazed at the key he'd found in his cell in the dungeon, and remarked, "So this is the key to my old life. And somehow I know how to pick locks. Well, it's a start." Rafe heard the doctor outside, so he quickly snapped the handcuffs back on. The doctor entered and asked suspiciously, "Is everything all right in here?" Rafe obediently replied, "Yes, sir."

Thursday, March 24, 2011

by Mike

At the Horton house, Theo and Ciara helped Bo and Hope carry some boxes into the living room. Hope explained that the boxes contained some of Alice's keepsakes. Bo told Ciara and Theo that they could go to the kitchen for some cookies while he and Hope looked through the boxes. After the children left, Bo and Hope flipped through a photo album and recalled their wedding in England. Bo told Hope that she had looked beautiful that day -- and, he added, every day since then.

Hope pointed out another photo and reminisced about their voyage on the Fancy Face. Hope told Bo that she remembered that she had felt extremely lucky to have married her best friend. Hope sighed and admitted that things had been much less complicated back then. Bo pointed out that things had not always been easy at the start of their relationship, either. Hope recalled that she had tried to convince everyone -- including herself -- that she couldn't stand Bo.

Bo admitted that he had been obsessed with Hope, even though he had tried to deny it during the early stages of their relationship. Hope smiled and told Bo that there had been times when she had been angry at him every minute of every day. Bo noted that it had been their differences that had ultimately caused them to fall in love with each other. Hope told Bo that she loved him, and the couple kissed passionately. Ciara walked back into the living room with a plate of cookies; when she saw that her parents were kissing, her face lit up as she started to grin from ear to ear.

Unaware that Ciara had been watching them, Hope pulled away from Bo and said that she had been thinking about what had caused their marriage to fall apart. "Our initial problems started when we lost Zack, and then our marriage really fell apart -- I mean, completely imploded -- because of everything that happened with Ciara," Hope said. Bo agreed with Hope's assessment. Hope added that all of the resentment and anger that they had been harboring had reached a boiling point during that difficult time. Ciara hung her head in shame as she listened to her parents' conversation.

Ciara quietly exited the room before Bo and Hope even realized that she had been listening. After Ciara left, Bo pointed out that their daughter had been the one who had suffered the most. Bo assured Hope that they would be able to work through those issues. Hope agreed, but she reminded Bo that they needed to take things slowly this time so that they could get it right. Bo told Hope that there was no need to rush -- they had the rest of their lives together to figure it out.

Later, Bo and Hope called out to Ciara and Theo, who were still in the kitchen, and told them that they were carrying some boxes out to the car and that they would be right back. After Bo and Hope left, Ciara entered the living room and watched them from the window; Theo followed her into the room and noticed that she was sad. Ciara explained that her parents had broken up because of her. "Now there's only one thing to do -- I have to run away, so it won't happen again," Ciara said. Ciara made Theo pinky-swear that he wouldn't tell anyone; Theo promised and said that he would run away with her.

At Sami and Rafe's apartment, fake Rafe continued to feel the effects of the prescription drugs and alcohol that he had consumed. Fake Rafe made Sami promise that she would believe him even if his secret sounded far-fetched. Fake Rafe's speech grew increasingly slurred as he explained that he had done something that he wasn't proud of. Fake Rafe silently recalled beating Rafe up in the dungeon the night that Rafe had tried to escape. Fake Rafe told a confused Sami that he had not had any choice in the matter.

Sami tried to coax Rafe's confession out of him, but fake Rafe's attention span continued to decline as he grew more inebriated. Fake Rafe said that he had loved living with her and the kids; he admitted that his life was the best that it had ever been and said that he didn't want it to end. Sami wondered why Rafe was worried that their life together was going to end. Fake Rafe asked if Sami loved him as much as he loved her. Sami was having a difficult time taking Rafe seriously in his drunken state, but she assured Rafe that she loved him, too.

As fake Rafe continued to speak incoherently, Sami recalled the medication that she had spiked his drink with and suggested that he should get some rest. After fake Rafe stumbled off to their bedroom, Sami grabbed her phone and called Carly. Sami told Carly about Rafe's behavior. Carly asked if Rafe had consumed any alcohol. Sami started to deny that possibility, but then she glanced at the sofa and noticed a flask wedged between the seat cushions.

Sami quickly ended the call as she realized that Rafe had spiked his drink. Meanwhile, fake Rafe waited for Sami in their bedroom and happily reminded himself that Sami had professed her love for him. Fake Rafe decided that he was going to tell Sami that he wasn't the real Rafe Hernandez. Fake Rafe emerged from their bedroom and wondered what had been taking Sami so long. Sami told fake Rafe that she had figured out what it was that he had been trying to tell her.

Fake Rafe was impaired enough to believe that Sami really had figured out his secret; he anxiously asked if Sami hated him. Sami assured her husband that she didn't hate him. Fake Rafe cheered and said that he was relieved that everything was out in the open. "Now it's just you and me. Forget about that other loser, right?" fake Rafe said as he kissed Sami. Sami wasn't sure who fake Rafe had been referring to, so he told her that he had been talking about her ex.

Sami assumed that Rafe had been talking about E.J., but fake Rafe corrected her and said that he had been talking about her other ex. Sami showed her husband the flask that she had found and wondered if that had been the secret that he had been trying to tell her, but fake Rafe assured her that his secret was much more mind-boggling. Fake Rafe said that Sami had been really understanding about his alcohol consumption; he was hopeful that she would be equally understanding about his real secret. Sami assured him that she would be understanding because she loved him.

Fake Rafe grinned and kept telling himself that Sami really loved him, and Sami wondered why he had been doing that. Fake Rafe told Sami that he was doing that because he wasn't his old self. Sami thought that he was referring to the accident, but fake Rafe insisted that he really was not his old self. Fake Rafe wondered if Sami could tell the difference. Fake Rafe started laughing and cryptically declared, "I'm me!"

At the Brady Pub, E.J. listened as Brady and Taylor discussed a business deadline that they would only have 24 hours to meet. E.J. walked over to their table and told Brady that it was cruel to give Taylor a 24-hour deadline on her first day of work. Taylor insisted that she could handle the pressure, and she told E.J. to mind his own business. E.J. described Titan as a totalitarian dictatorship and warned Taylor that life as a Titan employee was going to be rough. Taylor told E.J. and Brady to stop fighting with each other.

Before E.J. could respond, he received a phone call and excused himself so that he could answer it. After E.J. left, Brady wondered why E.J. had been so protective of Taylor. Taylor claimed that E.J. was protective of her because she was Nicole's sister. Brady asked if Taylor was going to allow E.J. to continue to interfere with her life. Taylor assured Brady that she had been planning to get out of E.J.'s house -- and out of his sight -- as soon as possible.

After his phone call had ended, E.J. watched Brady and Taylor through the window of the Brady Pub. E.J. placed a phone call to Fay and asked if she was feeling all right. Fay told E.J. that she had been feeling better and that it had helped to know that her family was nearby. E.J. told Fay that he had been concerned about her living alone in the guesthouse. Fay insisted that she would be fine, but E.J. wondered if Fay would feel better if one of her daughters was living at the guesthouse with her.

Unaware that she was being manipulated, Fay conceded that it would be nice to have one of her daughters living under the same roof with her. E.J. assured Fay that he would make that happen for her. E.J. walked back into the pub and told Taylor that he had just spoken to Fay. E.J. claimed that Fay had been trying to call Taylor and that Taylor had not been answering. E.J. pretended to be worried and insinuated that Fay was in trouble.

Brady was skeptical, but E.J.'s ruse managed to fool Taylor; she apologized to Brady and rushed off to check on her mother. After Taylor left, E.J. smugly said that he was sorry that he had ruined Brady and Taylor's business meeting. Brady told E.J. that he had not been fooled by E.J.'s innocent act. Brady said that it was obvious that E.J. had been trying to sabotage Taylor's job at Titan. E.J. laughed and said that he couldn't understand why Taylor had accepted Brady's job offer in the first place.

E.J. added that Taylor was a smart woman and that she should have realized that Brady had been using her to get to E.J. Brady assured E.J. that he had hired Taylor because she had been highly qualified for the position, and because Brady liked Taylor. Brady added that it was obvious that E.J. was going to end up hurting Nicole again. E.J. taunted Brady and accused him of still being in love with Nicole. E.J. wondered if Brady had been hurt by the knowledge that Nicole had dumped him to be with E.J.

"Does it hurt you to know that you'll never know the kind of love that Nicole and I had?" Brady asked. E.J. laughed and tried to mock Brady, but Brady ignored him. "All you do is manipulate women for your own sordid purposes. You wouldn't know love if it bit you in the ass," Brady added. Brady grabbed his briefcase and walked off before E.J. could respond.

At the guesthouse, Fay assured Taylor that she was all right. Taylor told her mother that E.J. had made the situation sound far more serious. Fay apologized and explained that E.J. had called her and coaxed her into admitting that she had been feeling a bit lonely. Taylor realized that E.J. had lied to her when he had claimed that Fay had called him. Fay admitted that she was afraid that E.J. would hurt Nicole again.

Taylor assured her mother that she wasn't going to let that happen. Fay said that she was happy that Taylor had agreed to live at the mansion, because it meant that Taylor would be able to help Fay protect Nicole. Taylor promised Fay that she would look after Nicole. Taylor stared at a photograph from E.J. and Nicole's wedding day as she stated that Nicole's life had finally turned out the way that Nicole had hoped that it would. Taylor vowed that she wasn't going to let anything ruin her sister's happiness.

Later, Taylor called E.J. out for the stunt that he had pulled at the pub. Taylor warned E.J. that she wasn't interested in his games. "You concocted all of that drama just to get me away from Brady. You broke our deal, E.J., proving that you are, in fact, the liar everybody says you are," Taylor snapped. E.J. insisted that Taylor was wrong about him; Taylor observed that E.J. couldn't even admit that he had purposely deceived her. "Fine! Do you want me to admit it? 'Cause I will. I just seem to lose control when I'm around you," E.J. angrily conceded.

Kate walked into the Java Caf and noticed that Vivian and Gus were seated at a nearby table. Kate ignored them and proceeded to place her order at the counter. After Kate was out of earshot, Vivian whispered to Gus that she had a mission for him. Vivian asked Gus to create a list of all of Stefano's past crimes and misdemeanors. Gus pointed out that a list like that would be quite extensive, but Vivian wasn't concerned.

"Wicked people usually use the same patterns of destruction over and over again; I want to know Stefano's pattern," Vivian explained. After Gus left, Vivian walked up to Kate and attempted to apologize for the way that she had treated Kate during their previous encounter. Kate assured Vivian that there was no need to apologize. "Your behavior is perfectly understandable -- you're a bitter, lonely woman who only has a paid servant to console her; I'd be testy, too," Kate joked. Vivian smirked and sarcastically implied that she was envious of Stefano and Kate's open and honest marriage.

Kate assured Vivian that her marriage to Stefano was open and honest. Kate confidently stated that the couple shared everything with each other. Vivian said that she was sure that Kate was right. "You make a great team, especially now that Stefano has this new scheme; it must be just so thrilling to work side by side on this marvelous sinister endeavor," Vivian taunted. Vivian joked that she was curious about whether Stefano and Kate's latest plot had been Kate's idea or if it had been a collaboration of the minds.

Kate rolled her eyes and told Vivian that she didn't have time to chat because she had an appointment to watch paint dry. Kate started to leave, but Vivian stopped her and claimed that she knew exactly what Stefano had been up to -- and that it concerned Allie. Kate demanded to know what Vivian had been talking about. Vivian gloated that Stefano hadn't been as open and honest as Kate had suspected. Kate accused Vivian of bluffing in an attempt to get under Kate's skin.

Vivian assured Kate that she had not been bluffing. "There is something rotten in DiMera land, and I thought if I knew it, you certainly would," Vivian stated. Vivian claimed that she was protecting Stefano's confidence -- Stefano obviously didn't want Kate to know, and Vivian didn't want to betray Stefano by telling Kate. Vivian tried to rush off, but Kate grabbed her arm and tossed the contents of her coffee cup onto Vivian's shirt. A catfight ensued as Kate shoved Vivian into a nearby table, where a birthday cake and balloons had been placed; soon, both women were covered in cake and icing.

One of the store employees stepped in to break up Vivian and Kate's catfight. After warning Vivian not to mess with her and Stefano, Kate stormed off. Vivian muttered that she might be able to have her cake and eat it, too -- she would just have to find out what Stefano had been up to with Sami and Rafe.

Dario went to the hospital to look for his brother. When he realized that Rafe's room was empty, Dario started to get worried and demanded an explanation from a nearby nurse. Dario was shocked to discover that the nurse was Melanie; she explained that Rafe had been discharged, and Dario quickly tried to leave. Melanie stopped him and chastised him for being rude and disrespectful during their last encounter. Dario laughed and wondered if Melanie had been referring to the bottle of water that he had dumped on her head.

Melanie said that she had been more upset about Dario's accusation that she didn't care about Arianna. "I cared about your sister more than I can even put into words; I could always talk to her, and she always knew the right thing to say to me. I loved her, and I miss her with all my heart," Melanie stated sincerely. Dario admitted that he had not realized that Melanie and Arianna's friendship had been that important to Melanie. Melanie noted that she had learned to like herself more because Arianna had accepted her for who she really was. Dario agreed and said that Arianna had done the same thing for him.

Stephanie interrupted and observed that Melanie had seemingly gotten over both Nathan and Philip pretty quickly. Melanie refused to take the bait; instead, she excused herself and went to take care of her patients. After Melanie left, Stephanie sighed and called Melanie a slut. Stephanie told Dario that she was disgusted by Melanie's actions; she explained that Melanie had been in love with one guy while she had been married to another, but that she had dumped both of them in the end.

Stephanie was incredulous that Melanie had already started flirting with Dario. Stephanie warned Dario that Melanie was trouble. Stephanie told Dario about Melanie's past as a con artist and a call girl. Stephanie claimed that Dario seemed like a nice guy, and she told him to watch his back around Melanie. "First of all, I'm not that nice; and second, I can handle myself -- and Melanie," Dario assured Stephanie.

After her encounter with Stephanie at the hospital, Melanie ran into Brady and started to vent her frustrations to him. Melanie said that Dario had believed that everyone else in Arianna's life had failed her. Brady assured Melanie that Dario's assumptions were ridiculous; he thought about Arianna every day. Melanie agreed and said that Arianna had been her best friend -- she had never had one of those before, and she was worried that she was never going to have one again. Brady assured her that she would always have him; Melanie said that guys usually weren't best friend material, but that she would make an exception for him.

Friday, March 25, 2011

by ChickenGrrl

Jennifer was packing some things at Alice's for her first day at work when the doorbell rang. She shouted that the door was open, but she was taken aback when Chad entered. Jennifer stood up warily, so Chad explained that he was there to drop off some class notes for Abigail. Jennifer seemed relieved -- until Chad introduced himself as Chad DiMera.

When Abigail went downstairs, Chad handed over the notes, and she thanked him sincerely. Chad then went in the kitchen, where the Deveraux women had told him the cell reception was best, to make a phone call. Jennifer tried to be nonchalant as she asked Abigail how long she'd known Chad. Abigail asserted, "I thought he was a tool at first, but turns out he's not." When Jennifer returned to putting things in her box for the office, Abigail pointed out that Jennifer had been repeatedly packing and unpacking the same things, and asked if her mom was either anxious about the job or upset about Jack. Jennifer insisted that it was neither one.

Abigail observed that Jennifer had removed her wedding ring, and Jennifer asserted that she had done it because she was at peace with her decision to move forward with her life. Abigail could tell that her mom was still upset about something. "It's you!" Jennifer declared, noting that Abigail was in over her head by being friends with a DiMera. Jennifer became even more worried when she learned that Chad was Stefano's son, even though Abigail insisted that Chad was nothing like any of the DiMeras except perhaps Lexie.

"I can't tell you who your friends should be, or who your boyfriend should be," Jennifer began, her voice low so Chad wouldn't hear. Abigail interrupted to object that Chad was not her boyfriend, but Jennifer continued, "Okay, but I am your mother, and I need to make you realize that if you get involved with someone like him, you're not gonna be able to get away from it when you figure out what a mess it is." Although Abigail insisted that her mother didn't have to worry, Jennifer maintained that she couldn't help it.

When Chad returned, he offered to help Jennifer take the box out to her car, but she politely declined. After Jennifer had gone, Chad remarked that Abigail and her mom seemed close. The moment turned awkward, so Chad changed the subject to the notes he'd given Abigail. With a warm smile, she asked him to stay to make sure she understood them.

A bit later, Abigail offered to return the notes to Chad's dorm the next day, and he admitted that he wouldn't be there, because he was moving into the DiMera mansion. Abigail tried to convince him that it was a huge mistake, but Chad wouldn't let her dissuade him. As he left, he reminded her that Stefano was his father, so she simply wished him luck.

As Dario waited for an elevator at the hospital, he recalled his conversation with Stephanie, who had warned him that Melanie was nothing but trouble. Just then, Daniel and Melanie walked in, arm-in-arm and laughing together. "Now she's scamming that old guy, the doctor," Dario muttered incredulously, and then ducked behind the corner to watch as Melanie hugged Daniel goodbye.

After Melanie left, Dario approached Daniel. "You look like a guy who knows the local talent," Dario remarked. He warned a perplexed Daniel that Melanie liked to con older men out of their money, and steal men from other women. Trying to contain his rage, Daniel pressed Dario for more details, which Dario was more than willing to share. When Dario concluded, "This nursing thing? It's just a way to get old rich doctors, and you're not the only one." Just as Melanie rounded the corner, Daniel finally exploded, and punched Dario with enough force to knock him halfway across the room. "She's my daughter, you son of a bitch," Daniel growled.

As two security guards rushed in to pull Daniel off of Dario, Daniel demanded from Melanie, "Who is this idiot?" Melanie somewhat reluctantly admitted that Dario was Arianna's brother. Daniel became even more enraged, but the security guards urged him not to make things worse by getting arrested for assault. Although also furious, Dario maintained that he would not press charges, and the security guards escorted him out. Melanie demanded to know what Dario had said to make Daniel so mad.

Melanie and Daniel went into a waiting room, where she bandaged his hand. Daniel admitted that Dario seemed to know more things about Melanie's days in Europe than Daniel did. Melanie was embarrassed, but Daniel reassured her that everyone made mistakes, and she was still his "perfect angel."

Jennifer arrived at the hospital with her box of office supplies, which Daniel grabbed to carry for her without her asking. Jennifer spotted the bandage and asked what had happened. "Someone's face hit my fist," Daniel joked, and then explained that he'd had to take care of someone who'd insulted his daughter. "Are you out of your mind?" Jennifer demanded.

Jennifer read Daniel the riot act for hitting someone when he was scheduled to perform surgery the next day, because people trusted him with their lives. Daniel insisted that he was fine; he'd just lost his temper. Softening, Jennifer reminded him that she wouldn't be alive if not for him, and asked if his hand were really all right. She then noticed that he, too, had removed his wedding ring, and asked how it felt. Daniel admitted that it felt weird. Indicating her bare ring finger, Jennifer agreed that she felt weird, as well.

When Dario ran into Stephanie at the Java Caf, he reproached her for not having told him that Melanie's dad was a doctor at the hospital. Stephanie informed Dario that Melanie's mother was also a doctor there, and Dario realized that had to mean that Melanie was "loaded." With a derisive chuckle, Stephanie replied, "Yeah, she's loaded, but her parents really aren't the reason why." Dario was stunned to learn just how wealthy Melanie's husband was. "Her payday is coming; trust me," Stephanie asserted.

Just then, Melanie walked in, so Stephanie quickly left. A livid Melanie correctly guessed that Dario had heard gossip about her from Stephanie and then shared it with Daniel. Dario countered that Melanie was a hypocrite for judging him, when her behavior was even worse. He expressed his belief that her rich husband had dumped her after figuring out her game. Melanie ordered Dario to stay away from her personal life, and from her father.

As Melanie walked away, Dario maintained that Daniel clearly hadn't raised Melanie well. Melanie whirled around with fire in her eyes, hissing, "I officially hate you." With a shrug, Dario declared that he didn't care. Melanie accused him of using his sister's death to continue to steal, and promised to make his life a living hell if he stayed in Salem. Melanie returned to the hospital with coffee for Daniel, who was still chatting with Jennifer. When Melanie learned that Jennifer was starting a new job the next day, she got a little too excited, so Daniel took her coffee away from her.

A man went to the Java Caf to interview Dario for a job working on the docks. Dario seemed eager to start, but the man warned that the job started at dawn the next morning. Dario promised not to be late. After the man left, Dario recalled Stephanie's words about how Melanie's marriage to her wealthy, soon-to-be ex-husband was about to pay off.

At Rafe and Sami's loft, imposter Rafe declared to a bemused Sami, "I'm me --and I'm not me." When she called him "Rafe," he asked her to call him "Baby" instead, because it was romantic. Sami acknowledged that he had to feel frustrated that he couldn't remember some things since the accident. Faux Rafe slurred, "That's not the whole story." Sami demanded that he stop being so cryptic and tell her what he was talking about. Grabbing at her, phony Rafe suggested that they go into the bedroom so he could show her.

Sami pushed him gently away, but he became more forceful, until finally she had to shove him off of her. Chagrined, Sami asked what was wrong with him, and faux Rafe reminded her that he was going through a rough time. Sami asserted, "This isn't about your accident -- this is about you not being you. God! I can't stand it!" Imposter Rafe declared that he couldn't stand it, either -- and that he couldn't take any more. Holding his head in his hands, he sank onto the couch, and muttered that he didn't know why he couldn't think straight.

As she guiltily showed him the antianxiety pills that Carly had prescribed for Rafe, Sami stated that she hadn't thought it was possible for them to make him worse. Fake Rafe was incredulous -- and furious -- that she had drugged him. Sami tried to apologize, but he accused her of reverting to her old ways of lying and hiding things from him. He declared that he needed time alone to think, so Sami went into the bedroom. "This is too close," he muttered to himself, and then lay on the couch with an exhausted sigh.

Sami returned a little later, and sat next to her husband's sleeping doppelganger. "Rafe, I'm sorry," she said quietly, although he didn't wake. "I don't understand how you can be so similar and so different. I tried to help, but all I did was make things worse -- as usual. So what happens now? Is there any way to make it right between us, or is it just too late?"

An upset Taylor ran out of the living room at the DiMera mansion, with E.J. right behind her. E.J. earnestly explained that despite having tried to ignore his feelings, he could not stop thinking about her. Taylor demanded to know why he was telling her that. "Because you asked me to be honest with you!" E.J. replied. He grabbed Taylor roughly and pulled her to him. Taylor protested tearfully for E.J. to let her go -- while she put her arms around him. When she pulled away, E.J. urged her to admit what she felt for him.

"For God's sake, why? You're married to my sister!" Taylor complained. E.J. violently backhanded the vase on the entry table, and Taylor flinched when it shattered against the floor. When E.J. calmed down, he reminded her that she had asked him for the truth. Taylor tried to insist that he needed to let go of the idea that they could ever be together, but E.J. stormed out without even letting her finish her sentence.

E.J. was pacing on the pier when Stefano found him. Stefano asked why E.J. was so agitated, and E.J. tried to maintain that everything was fine. Not buying it, Stefano pushed, so E.J. finally admitted that he was in love with Taylor. Stefano couldn't believe that E.J. was already in love with someone he'd just met, and so soon after E.J. had gotten married. E.J. explained that he had met Taylor briefly on the pier, a few days before the wedding. Grinning sheepishly, he fumbled for words to describe how he'd felt upon meeting her, and how terrified he'd been that he would never see her again.

"In that brief instant, every moment of my life up to that point just fell away," E.J. said. "I looked at her, and I just knew that everything I needed in my life was standing in front of me... I just never expected she was going to be the maid of honor at my wedding!" Stefano acknowledged that he'd witnessed the moment of recognition between E.J. and Taylor during the wedding, but urged his son to get his feelings under control. E.J. asked how he was supposed to do that.

Stefano admitted to having been passionate about, even obsessed with, women in his past, and he'd learned that there was only one way to deal with those feelings. He said something in Italian, and then translated it for E.J.: "If you have an itch, scratch it." He explained that E.J. had to show the world that he was a happily married man. "What about Taylor?" E.J. asked, and Stefano replied, "Give in to her." Stefano emphasized that E.J. had to make sure that no one found out about it. With a smile, E.J. said that he understood.

Back at the mansion, Taylor found herself fantasizing that she was getting ready for a night out, but she couldn't zip her beautiful purple gown. In the daydream, she called for Nicole to help her, but E.J. entered her room instead. He helpfully zipped up the dress, but then kissed her on the neck. Taylor shook herself out of her reverie, and left a note for Nicole and Fay that read, "Don't worry about me; just need a little thinking time. Spending the night at the hotel. Back soon."

Taylor left the note on the table in the foyer, and headed out the door -- just as E.J. walked in through it. He asked her not to leave, because he had a solution that he wanted to discuss with her. E.J. explained that although they had both been struggling to deny their feelings, it wasn't working, and he didn't think either of them could live the rest of their lives in denial. "E.J., what are you saying?" Taylor asked softly. E.J. admitted, "I don't know what I'm saying. Just come here. Let me show you." She went to him willingly, and he took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.