Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of February 24, 2014 on DAYS

Jennifer and Daniel cleared the air and were back together again. Nicole felt guilty for destroying the evidence that could have cleared Eric's name. Sami and E.J. decided on a May wedding. Nick prevented Gabi from going out with T. Ben, someone from Jordan's past, showed up in Salem. Abigail and E.J. agreed that they could never be together.

Monday, February 24, 2014

by Mike

At the Brady Pub, Eric informed Caroline that he had decided to leave the priesthood. Eric stressed that he had prayed about the matter and was confident that he was making the right decision, and he hoped that Caroline could be happy for him.

Outside, Marlena continued to question Nicole about Eric's decision to leave the priesthood. Nicole guessed that Marlena was looking for someone to blame, but Marlena stressed that she didn't blame Nicole. Marlena clarified that she was simply trying to understand why Eric had suddenly decided to leave a vocation that he loved. "Eric is doing what?!" Sami asked as she approached Marlena and Nicole.

Marlena apologetically explained that Eric had wanted to give Sami the news himself. Sami wondered if the church officials had asked Eric to resign from the priesthood. Marlena shook her head and clarified that Eric had reached the decision on his own, but Sami wasn't convinced. "This reeks of you, Nicole. What did you do to Eric?" Sami demanded to know as she glared at Nicole.

Nicole protested that, while she was almost willing to tolerate an interrogation from Marlena, she certainly wasn't going to tolerate one from Sami. Nicole wished that someone would acknowledge the fact that Eric was fully capable of making his own decisions. Sami countered that Eric had previously made the decision to do everything that he could possibly do to clear his name so that he could return to the priesthood.

Sami guessed that Nicole had sabotaged Eric's television interview, pointing out that it had never actually aired. Sami theorized that Nicole had never wanted Eric to return to the priesthood in the first place, but Nicole denied the accusation. Unconvinced, Sami vowed to find out what Nicole had done so that it could be undone. Marlena started to defend Nicole, but Sami interrupted and said that she could handle Nicole on her own.

Sami summarized that Nicole had been a nightmare for Eric since their teenage years, when Nicole had broken his heart and wrecked his life. Unimpressed, Nicole wondered how long Sami had been practicing that particular speech, but Sami ignored the question. "Finally -- finally -- [Eric] managed to pull himself together; he managed to find a true passion for something good and decent...which, obviously, you would know nothing about -- I get that. But you couldn't just let it go, could you? The second he came back to town, when you had to be all over him with your claws out --" Sami continued to rant, stopping only when Eric exited the pub and firmly instructed her to leave Nicole alone. Sami complied with Eric's request, but she was still confused about his decision to leave the priesthood, so he promised that he would answer all of her questions elsewhere.

"Thanks for jumping in there, Mar," Nicole dryly stated after Eric and Sami left. Marlena objected to the nickname, but she conceded that she did owe Nicole an apology. Nicole braced herself, unsure that she could handle receiving two apologies from Marlena in a single day. "It's okay -- you've earned it. Sami should never have gone after you that way, and you didn't deserve that. And we both know that when Sami gets on a roll, it's sometimes hard to stop her. But Eric will talk to her; he will explain what happened, and then I'm sure that -- I'm sure she will apologize to you," Marlena assured Nicole, but after considering the prediction for a moment, both women simultaneously agreed that it would never happen.

Marlena summarized that the point was that she, Roman, and Sami had each been completely surprised to learn that Eric had decided to leave the priesthood, which was why they had not treated Nicole as graciously as they should have. Marlena sadly mused that the efforts to clear Eric's name suddenly seemed irrelevant. Nicole protested that those efforts had been relevant because they had led to a confession from Chyka, but Marlena knew that wouldn't be enough to clear Eric's name.

Marlena wished that some sort of concrete evidence would surface that could prove Eric's innocence. Nicole shrugged and optimistically suggested that the police might eventually find something, since they finally knew where to look for the evidence. Marlena conceded the point and noted that it would be helpful for the police to know as much as they possibly could about the situation. Nicole stressed that she and Daniel had already given their statements to the police earlier, but Marlena recalled that Nicole had also dodged some of Marlena and Roman's earlier questions about what had happened at Chyka's cabin.

Nicole innocently claimed that she had assumed that the answers to those particular questions wouldn't help the investigation, but Marlena reasoned that Nicole couldn't possibly be certain about that. Marlena observed that it seemed like extended conversations about the events at Chyka's cabin made Nicole uncomfortable, but she protested that she wasn't uncomfortable at all. Marlena shrugged and casually suggested that what she had misinterpreted as discomfort could have been guilt instead. "Oh, don't you -- uh-uh. Don't you try to shrink me," Nicole warned Marlena.

Marlena observed that it seemed like she was upsetting Nicole, and she curiously wondered what Nicole was afraid of. Nicole silently recalled the moment when she had discovered the packet of evidence in Chyka's cabin safe, but she simply replied that she wasn't afraid of anything -- especially not Marlena. Marlena mused that it seemed like Nicole was more willing to talk to Roman than Marlena, and she reminded Nicole that they were both Eric's parents and that they cared about him equally. Nicole countered that she also cared about Eric, and she wondered why it was hard for everyone to believe that she only wanted him to be happy.

As Eric led Sami to a secluded section of the town square, she protested that he was too good for Nicole, whom he had never been able to see for who she really was. Sami admitted that she had assumed that Eric would be safe from Nicole as a priest, and she muttered that she should have known that Nicole wouldn't let that sort of obstacle stop her. Sami mused that Eric was dealing with the kind of situation where it was nice to have a sister like her, since she could see a woman like Nicole approaching from a mile away. Eric, who had already made several attempts to stop Sami's rant, impatiently threatened to leave if she continued to disparage Nicole.

Eric stressed that he had made the decision to leave the priesthood on his own. Sami was skeptical, guessing that Nicole had simply made it seem like Eric had made the decision on his own, but he insisted that he wanted Sami to be quiet and listen to him for a moment. Eric told Sami about his spiritual retreat, explaining that he had spent a lot of time praying for guidance while he had been there. Sami thought that Eric's decision seemed a bit rushed, but he clarified that he had wanted to leave the priesthood right away so that he could stop living in limbo.

Eric said that he was at peace with his decision to leave the priesthood, adding that he was confident that it was God's will for him. Sami wondered if Eric was absolutely certain that leaving the priesthood wasn't Nicole's will for him, but he insisted that Sami needed to forget about that particular theory. Sami started to protest, but Eric interrupted and insisted that she didn't know what Nicole had done for him. "I know what she'd like to do for --" Sami started to counter before stopping herself and reluctantly agreeing to listen to what Eric had to say about Nicole.

Eric proceeded to tell Sami about Nicole and Daniel's adventure with Dr. Jakub Chyka, the man who had tried to kill Eric and Nicole a few weeks earlier. Eric explained that Chyka was a "doctor for hire" who had been on the DiMera payroll and had admitted to working for Kristen. Sami nervously wondered if Chyka had told Daniel and Nicole anything else during their interrogation. "No, he got away before they got more details. The point is -- is that Daniel and Nicole, they risked their lives trying to help me. If they had gotten him, they would have had Kristen dead to rights, and anybody -- anybody -- who might have helped her," Eric replied.

At DiMera Enterprises, E.J. pushed Abigail against a conference room table as he continued to kiss her. "This is what you want, isn't it?" E.J. asked as he pulled away from Abigail and ripped off his suit jacket. Abigail breathlessly confirmed E.J.'s suspicion as she started kissing him again. "Good, because this is how it's gonna have to be," E.J. whispered in Abigail's ear as she helped him remove his tie.

E.J. continued to alternate between kissing Abigail and whispering in her ear as he started to undress her. "Oh, Abigail, we can do it here today, and then next time, by the loading dock. Yeah, there's this corner right under the ramp -- nobody can see us. It's wonderful. You know where I'd like to do it? I'd like to do it in the hospital. That'd be so much fun -- your supply closet. Or by the pub -- in the alley behind the pub. How would you like that, huh? That would be so good. We'd be able to hear people inside. Can you imagine? Your family in there, just by to eat, [and] their precious little daughter just a few feet away, up against the wall," E.J. fantasized, ignoring Abigail's occasional confused protests until she finally pushed him away and told him to stop.

E.J. shushed Abigail and leaned forward to kiss her again, reminding her that he was simply giving her what she had previously claimed that she wanted. Abigail dodged E.J.'s advances and started to protest that things weren't happening the way that she had envisioned, but he interrupted and gleefully informed her that after they had sex on the conference room table, he planned to conduct a business meeting at that same table and think about what they had done on it earlier. Abigail started to put her clothes back on, insisting that she didn't want things to happen the way that E.J. was suggesting that they would happen.

"What, exactly, do you think an affair looks like?" E.J. wondered. Abigail accused E.J. of focusing solely on the sexual aspect of their relationship to make it sound cheap and degrading. Abigail insisted that her and E.J.'s relationship had been about more than sex, and he agreed, summarizing that it had been about him being a selfish idiot. E.J. acknowledged that Sami had been upset with him for perfectly legitimate reasons but had stayed with him despite her concerns. Abigail reminded E.J. that Sami had kicked him out of their bed, but he clarified that Sami had done that not because she had stopped wanting to share her bed with him but instead because she had known that their intense sexual relationship would have blinded them to the real issues that they needed to deal with.

"No two humans on this earth make love like you and Sami do -- I get it. And now you just want to pretend like I don't exist -- like nothing ever happened between us," Abigail angrily replied as she started to gather her belongings. E.J. conceded that Abigail had been right earlier, adding that what had happened between them had been much more than just sex. E.J. summarized that Abigail had found him at a time when he had felt lost, and he stressed that he would always be grateful for what she had done for him. Abigail warned that she would throw something out the conference room window if E.J. proceeded to thank her for her services.

E.J. clarified that he hadn't meant to imply that Abigail had offered him a service, but she wasn't convinced, summarizing that having sex with her had simply helped him get through a rough patch with Sami. Abigail started to add that E.J. never wanted to have sex with her again because he believed that she was disgusting, but he interrupted her. "For God's sake, if anyone was disgusting, Abigail, it was me! I cheated on the woman who I love more than my own life! This doesn't happen again...ever!" E.J. firmly stressed.

E.J. apologized to Abigail as they each finished getting dressed, knowing that he had just hurt her and that she deserved better than that. Struggling to maintain her composure, Abigail interrupted E.J. and insisted that he was in no position to throw compliments her way. Abigail pointed out that she could ruin E.J.'s life if she ever chose to tell Sami the truth, but he quietly countered that Abigail would also ruin Sami's life in the process, not to mention the lives of their children -- and even Abigail's life, since she would feel miserable afterward. E.J. assured Abigail that no one would be happy if she chose to go that route, but he added that either way, he wasn't going to continue their relationship. E.J. wished Abigail the best and calmly exited the room. After E.J. left, Abigail started to sob.

J.J. entered Club TBD to get some breakfast before heading to school, and Theresa sighed as she watched him greet Sonny and take a seat at the bar. Theresa pushed her drink away and started to excuse herself, but Brady urged her to return to her seat. As Theresa complied with the request, Brady eyed J.J. and pointedly promised that he wasn't going to let anyone spoil her day.

Brady wanted to know the story behind Theresa's animosity toward J.J., so she dismissively replied that J.J. was a delinquent and a thug. Brady guessed that J.J. was one of the enemies Theresa had recently fantasized about completely destroying, but when she shook her head and clarified that J.J. wasn't even worth her time, Brady decided that she was instead plotting revenge against someone who was connected to J.J. Theresa remained evasive, so Brady threatened to get the desired answers from J.J.

Meanwhile, J.J. approached Theresa and asked to talk to her privately. Brady started to refuse the request, but Theresa assured him that it was all right, so he went to the bar to get some refills. As J.J. took the seat that Brady had just vacated, he muttered that it wasn't surprising that Theresa and Brady were hanging out together. Theresa impatiently demanded to know what "Junior" wanted, so he replied that they both needed to dial things back a bit, since they had reached a stalemate where neither of them could burn the other person to the ground without getting caught in the crossfire -- a risk that he assumed neither of them was willing to take.

Theresa stubbornly suggested that she might not be willing to back down peacefully. "Then you can be afraid every frickin' time you see me, 'cause I am done being scared of you," J.J. confidently replied. Theresa wondered what had prompted J.J.'s snarky attitude. Theresa innocently reminded J.J. that she had been minding her own business when he had approached her earlier, and he knowingly countered that she had also been foaming at the mouth due to his mere presence in the club.

Meanwhile, Brady returned and placed a drink in front of Theresa before pointedly asking J.J. how things were going at the park. J.J. replied that he didn't know the answer to that question, but Brady skeptically stated that the judge who had handled J.J.'s case was the only person in Salem who was clueless enough to believe J.J.'s innocent act. J.J. stood as he countered that the judge was the only person in Salem whom Brady had neglected to tell about their encounter in the park the previous December.

Brady claimed that Jennifer had deserved to know the truth because there was only one reason for J.J. to go to that part of the park, prompting J.J. to counter that Brady was speaking from experience. Brady mused that J.J. was a lucky kid, crassly adding that someone would have made J.J. their afternoon snack on J.J.'s first day in prison because bad attitudes weren't welcomed there. J.J. acknowledged that he was indeed a lucky kid, and Brady disgustedly replied that Jennifer deserved better. "Yeah, she does, and I'm going to see that she gets it. Well, you two, enjoy your...breakfast? Lunch?" J.J. wondered before rejoining Sonny at the bar. Theresa smiled as Brady reclaimed his seat, admitting that she liked the way that he had handled J.J.

Later, Theresa excused herself and started to pay for the bill, but Brady stopped her and jokingly reminded her that he was rich. Theresa smiled and promised to pay for the bill the next time that she and Brady hung out together. After Theresa left, Sonny approached Brady's table, and Brady asked for another refill, joking that he was happy to support the family business. "Are you driving?" Sonny wondered. Annoyed, Brady sighed, drained his glass, slammed a one hundred dollar bill down on the table, and started to walk away. Sonny offered to call a cab for Brady, but Brady replied that he was going to walk because it was a beautiful day.

Brady returned later to retrieve some gloves that he had accidentally left behind. After Sonny returned the gloves, Brady wondered if Sonny had called Maggie or Victor after Brady had left the club earlier. Sonny shook his head and wondered what had led Brady to suspect that. "Well, when I left here, someone was following me," Brady revealed.

Eric returned to the Brady Pub as Marlena was warning that if she ever learned that Nicole's intentions toward him were less than honorable, there would be no place for Nicole to hide from Marlena in Salem. Eric wondered if everything was all right, and Marlena nodded before walking away. Eric wondered if Nicole was all right, and she assured him that she was fine. Eric started to say that the good news was that he didn't think that any of his other family members would blame Nicole for his decision to leave the priesthood, but she interrupted and informed him that she had done something terrible.

Eric stopped Nicole and insisted that she couldn't let anyone get to her, adding that he never should have left her alone with Marlena. Nicole started to protest that she didn't deserve to have Eric defend her all the time, but before she could continue, Theresa arrived at the pub. Nicole groaned and quickly excused herself, promising to call Eric later. After Nicole left, Theresa wondered what had just happened, and Eric replied that the Bradys were giving Nicole a hard time for no good reason. "What? That never happens," Theresa sarcastically replied.

Eric informed Theresa that he had decided to leave the priesthood, and she shrugged and reasoned that he could do whatever he wanted to do with his life because it was his life. Theresa wondered if that was why Nicole had been "bitchy" earlier. Ignoring the question, Eric admitted that he had been unaware that Theresa and Nicole knew each other. Theresa clarified that she had met Nicole at Daniel's apartment a few weeks earlier. Theresa started to insult Nicole again, but Eric interrupted and politely asked her to stop. Eric said that Nicole was a wonderful woman whom Theresa could learn a lot from.

In Nicole's office at the television station, Nicole sighed as she paced the floor. "I don't know what's worse -- Marlena looking at me like she knows, or Eric thinking I'm some kind of hero. I've got to make this right. Maybe I can. Maybe there's still a way I can fix this," Nicole mused.

J.J. returned to the Horton house and called out for Jennifer, but he instead found Abigail rummaging through the couch cushions in the living room. Abigail explained that she was looking for a credit card that she had lost earlier, and she sighed with frustration as she admitted that she had been a mess lately. J.J. agreed and wondered when Abigail was finally going to tell him what was going on with her. Abigail reminded J.J. that she had previously told him that she was simply stressed because of her work responsibilities, but J.J. wasn't convinced. "This has nothing to do with work. I know all about the older man you were seeing," J.J. revealed.

Shortly after E.J. returned to the DiMera mansion, Sami stormed in and announced that she had just learned that Eric was no longer a priest. Stunned, E.J. wondered if the church had kicked Eric out. "No, this is not the church's fault -- this is about the people who live in this house. The DiMeras strike again," Sami angrily replied. E.J. started to apologize when Sami revealed that Eric had told her about the doctor Kristen had hired to drug Eric, but Sami interrupted and continued that it was obvious that Eric didn't blame her for what had happened to him.

Sami admitted that she didn't think that she could have been as fair to Eric if their roles had been reversed. "I live here. I'm here, under this roof, with the same people who destroyed his reputation, who took away from him the thing he loved doing most in the world. It's high time the DiMeras paid, and I am going to see to it," Sami vowed before rushing back out of the mansion.

Daniel tried to send Jennifer away when he found her standing outside his apartment, since their previous conversation hadn't ended well, but she insisted that she needed to talk to him about something important, so he reluctantly invited her in. Jennifer entered the apartment and proceeded to tell Daniel about J.J.'s earlier confession. Jennifer summarized that J.J. had told her the truth because he had gotten tired of seeing her think the worst about Daniel. Jennifer didn't approve of Daniel's decision to handle the matter on his own instead of telling her what had happened, but she assured him that she understood that his heart had been in the right place.

Daniel said that he wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he hadn't done everything that he could have possibly done to protect J.J., who didn't belong in prison. Daniel added that Jennifer's happiness had always meant more to him than anything else. Daniel assured Jennifer that he wasn't upset with J.J. for revealing the truth to her, but he vaguely added that the whole thing was still a huge mess. Jennifer promised that she wouldn't make the situation worse, assuming that Daniel had kept the truth from her because he had felt a need to protect J.J. from any potential overreaction that she might have had to the situation. Daniel denied the suspicion, but Jennifer still conceded that her involvement probably would have made the situation worse.

Jennifer said that she was glad that Daniel was in J.J.'s corner, and Daniel acknowledged that J.J. was a good kid, although he added that it hadn't always been easy to see that side of J.J. "In the last few months, I've seen what [J.J.'s] made of. I may have been here, but he's carried a lot on his own. He's -- he's proved to himself that he can do this by sheer force of will, because, you know, he wants to be the son that you deserve," Daniel explained, and Jennifer stressed that J.J. would always be that son to her. Jennifer guessed that Daniel had no idea how much it meant to her to know that he cared about J.J., but Daniel assured her that, thanks to Parker, he understood exactly how she felt. Daniel summarized that he wanted nothing more than for Parker to be happy and safe, adding that he felt the same way about Jennifer and her kids.

Jennifer approached Daniel as she gushed that she was lucky to know him, but he uncomfortably sidestepped her and replied that she needed to leave in order to keep J.J. safe. Confused, Jennifer said that J.J. had told her that Theresa had been neutralized, and Daniel replied that, while J.J. might have convinced himself that the whole ordeal was over, it was never easy to tell what Theresa was thinking, since she was a piece of work. Daniel explained that Theresa was obsessed with hurting Jennifer. Jennifer found it hard to believe that Theresa would risk her own freedom just to hurt Jennifer, but Daniel stressed that Theresa wasn't a rational person. Daniel added that Theresa had the power to not only wreck his career, but also put J.J. in prison -- the latter of which Daniel would never allow to happen because he knew that it would kill Jennifer.

Jennifer insisted that she could take care of herself, adding that she wasn't going to let Theresa have any power over her. Jennifer said that she had promised J.J. that she wasn't going to go after Theresa, and she assured Daniel that she intended to keep that promise. Jennifer urged Daniel to trust that she knew how to keep a secret and would never do anything to jeopardize his career. Daniel replied that he did trust Jennifer, but she could tell that he was still worried about something, and she wondered if he was exhibiting some sort of protective reflex.

Daniel wasn't sure how to respond to Jennifer's question, so she informed him that she regretted the way that she had treated him lately. Jennifer admitted that, while she would love to go back to the way that things had been before, she wouldn't blame Daniel if he no longer felt the same way about her. "If that's where we are, I totally understand. If I hadn't pushed you away in the first place, we wouldn't be at this point. And I made it worse, because I thought the worst about you, when you're really the best. So if I killed it -- if I killed us -- then I am so, so sorry," Jennifer told Daniel, who responded with a passionate kiss.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

by ChickenGrrl

At the DiMera mansion, a furious Sami blamed the DiMera family for destroying her brother's life. E.J. tried to get a word in, but Sami began ranting about how both Kristen and Nicole had wronged Eric, referring to her brother as "catnip to women." "Someone should have warned me about what was going on!" Sami fumed. Fed up, E.J. declared that he didn't want to have the same argument again and headed for the door.

Surprised, Sami asked where E.J. was going. He snapped that it was obvious that their reconciliation was over, so he was just waiting for whatever Sami decided his next punishment would be. "What are you talking about? How could you even say that?" Sami demanded, incredulous. E.J. pointed out that they had been down that road before. "I am mad at the DiMeras, not at you," Sami reassured him. E.J. reminded her that he was a DiMera. "You're not your father, and you're not Kristen," Sami countered, pulling E.J. into a chair.

Sami apologized if E.J. had felt that she'd been attacking him, explaining that she'd had to keep a lid on her anger around Eric. E.J. sullenly teased that she couldn't even keep a lid on the ketchup bottle. Sami promised E.J. that she would try to do better because she didn't want anything to get between them, not even ketchup -- and especially not his family. As she sat in E.J.'s lap, Sami reiterated her apology. Putting her head on his shoulder, she purred, "Now you have to tell me that it's okay. Tell me that after everything we've been through, nothing will ever come between us."

E.J. declared that he was glad they had resolved the ketchup issue. More seriously, he told Sami that she astonished him. Pleased, Sami pointed out that they seemed to have settled all of their problems, and there was nothing more to talk about. "I love it when there is nothing left to talk about," E.J. said, kissing her.

Sami and E.J. moved to the bedroom, fell on the bed, and began removing one another's clothes. Later, as they lay in bed together, E.J. told Sami that he felt bad about what had happened to her brother -- not just because Eric was her brother, but because he was a good man who hadn't deserved what had happened. A grateful Sami thanked E.J. for being patient with her for keeping him out of her bed, when other men might not have been.

Sami got a text message from Ciara just then. "She's insisting that I take her shopping for those earrings I promised her," Sami read. She replied that she would meet Ciara in the town square in an hour. Before she got out of bed, Sami suggested, "How about a May wedding?" E.J.'s eyes grew wide with disbelief, and he swore that they would get married in May if that were what Sami wanted. "We're getting married in May!" E.J. declared, kissing Sami to demonstrate his enthusiasm.

As Maggie and Victor were trying to decide how to enjoy some rare time alone in the Kiriakis mansion, Brady stormed in. "Are you two having me followed?" Brady demanded. Victor was indignant and livid that Brady would accuse them of such a thing. Brady revealed that he'd overheard Victor admitting that he was keeping tabs on Brady with cameras in the corporate suite. "I wouldn't put anything past you, especially having me tailed," Brady said.

When Brady left the room to take a business call, Maggie asked if Victor really were having Brady followed. Without answering the question, Victor countered, "Don't you think I'd tell you if I were having him followed?" Maggie reminded him, "Like you told me what you were up to when you gave Marlena that video?" Brady returned and commended himself for fixing a problem with the China deal. "Thank you, Brady, for doing your damn job. I hope it didn't cut into your drinking time," Victor snarled before leaving the room.

Brady guessed that Victor had, indeed, been having him followed. "Brady, we don't have to have you followed to know that you're drinking," Maggie pointed out, adding that Brady had to find the bottom on his own. Brady crossly insisted that he wasn't hitting bottom because he hadn't touched cocaine since the year had started. "I had a couple drinks. It's not a big deal," he added defensively. "No? And it's not even lunchtime yet," Maggie noted sarcastically. "Go to hell, Maggie," Brady grumbled on his way out.

Outside the Brady Pub, Eric noted that Theresa could learn a lot from Nicole, who was a wonderful woman. Theresa cautioned Eric that Nicole was "no saint." Eric informed his cousin that he had known Nicole had been his first love. "She's selfless -- she's brave, actually -- and those are two words that I've never heard used about you," Eric said. Theresa acknowledged that she'd heard all about how Nicole had dumped Eric for "some rich dude," but it was up to Eric if he wanted to trust Nicole again.

Eric pointed out that Theresa was hardly an expert on trust. Theresa countered that because she could be a bitch, she could recognize others. She blamed Nicole for Daniel's problems, but Eric wanted to know why everything was Nicole's fault. "It's not...you're right. That little creep J.J. has something to answer for, and so does Jenn. I'm not a fan of those two, either." Eric warned Theresa that he never wanted to hear her say anything about Nicole. "I love her," he explained.

With a smile, Theresa assured Eric, "If that's what you want, then Nicole is officially off-limits." She gently cautioned her cousin, "I've learned the hard way, okay? It doesn't really pay to be in love... I may not know Nicole, but I know people, and they always let you down in the end."

At the Horton house, J.J. tried to get Abigail to open up about the older man she'd been seeing. Although Abigail irritably refused to talk about it, J.J. asked who the man was. Abigail insisted that it didn't matter who he was because it was over, but she reacted with such intensity that J.J. wasn't sure about that. Abigail reassured her brother that she was more certain than ever that it was over. She asked what he had been about to tell her when he'd entered.

J.J. filled his sister in on how he'd confessed everything to their mom. Abigail praised J.J., but he still felt bad about being a coward and letting Daniel take the rap for him. J.J. asked Abigail to keep the conversation between the two of them. Abigail said she was sorry that J.J. had had to go through Theresa's blackmail and manipulations alone. J.J. said that Daniel had been there for him, and not just the night of Theresa's overdose.

Nicole paced in her office at Titan TV, feeling guilty about shredding the documents that could have proved Eric's innocence just to get what she'd wanted. "Now it is too late to undo what you just did," she fretted. Struck by inspiration, she opened the shredder and pulled out the ribbons of paper inside. "Maybe it's not," she mused. She wondered if she could actually manage to reassemble the documents, and if she could, how she would explain their condition.

Nicole fantasized about proudly showing the papers to Eric and Daniel with the explanation that someone had sent them to her anonymously. "You're name is cleared. You can be a priest again," Nicole excitedly told a grateful Eric in her fantasy. "One step at a time, and the first step is to get this stuff out of here," she told herself as she snapped out of it. She grabbed a large plastic bag from her desk drawer and filled it with the strips of shredded paper.

At Daniel's apartment, Jennifer and Daniel kissed, reveling in their reunion. They agreed that they had missed being together. Daniel pulled Jennifer onto the couch, on top of him. Nicole's arrival startled all three of them. "Oh, my God! What are you doing?" Nicole blurted. She quickly stammered an awkward apology and expressed her happiness at seeing Daniel and Jennifer back together.

Nicole started to leave to give them some privacy, but Daniel offered to walk Jennifer out instead. Nicole felt bad about that, but Jennifer assured her that it was all right. In the hallway, an understanding Jennifer noted that Nicole obviously needed Daniel's help. "She looks like she's been crying," Jennifer said. Daniel promised to fill Jennifer in on Nicole and Eric's ordeal later.

Since Parker wouldn't be home until the next day, Daniel hoped that he and Jennifer could spend the evening together. "You were asking me if my feelings for you had changed through all of this stuff... Nothing could ever change how I feel about you," Daniel reassured Jennifer. They kissed goodbye, and Jennifer boarded the elevator.

Soon, Jennifer was back at home, telling her kids that she was going to be at Daniel that night. Abigail and J.J. were very happy for their mom. Jennifer warned Abigail that Theresa could still do something to hurt J.J. Jennifer praised J.J. for handling things like a man. She declared that she was happy not just about Daniel but also because the family was closer than ever, with no secrets or lies between them.

After an uncomfortable Abigail hurried out of the room to make a phone call, J.J. urged his mom to talk to Abigail. "She hates talking to me...about personal stuff -- unless it's my personal stuff," J.J. noted. He asked Jennifer not to tell Abigail that he'd mentioned it. J.J. left to run some errands. When Abigail returned, Jennifer asked if Abigail were doing all right. "Yes, I'm fine. J.J. has a big mouth and an overactive imagination," Abigail said. She urged Jennifer not to worry about her or J.J., both of whom were happy, and to focus on Daniel instead.

Nicole had stashed the bag of paper shreds under the dining table when Daniel returned. She embraced him and told him how happy she was for him. Daniel noted that Nicole had seemed upset when she'd walked in, and she admitted that he was right. Nicole prefaced her explanation by confirming that she could tell him anything because he knew everything about her, good and bad. "I'm just not sure I'm doing the right thing, and I really need your help," Nicole said.

Daniel acknowledged that Nicole had fought hard for Eric to be a priest again, but then Eric had given it up. Daniel asked if Nicole and Eric were moving forward. "I think so," Nicole replied uncertainly. Wondering if Nicole were feeling remorseful about Chyka getting away, Daniel reassured her that she had done everything she could. Nicole started to say something about Chyka, but Daniel maintained that Chyka was no longer important, since Eric had decided to leave the priesthood.

"Maybe it was meant to be, and maybe you should just accept being happy," Daniel suggested. Before Nicole could confide in Daniel, Eric arrived. Daniel made a hasty excuse and left.

A little later, Daniel showed up at Theresa's apartment and informed her that he and Jennifer were getting back together. "As I've said before, but you seem to have a problem with retention: you hurt Jennifer, J.J., or Abigail, and I will destroy you," Daniel firmly warned Theresa, urging her not to make him regret saving her life. He left without another word.

Daniel was buying flowers for Jennifer in Horton Square a little later when he ran into J.J. "Those are my mom's favorite," J.J. declared, grinning. He told Daniel that he thought it was great that Daniel and Jennifer were spending the evening together. "You've been thanking me a lot lately. I think I owe you a big thank you," Daniel declared, shaking J.J.'s hand.

Brady went to Club TBD but stopped before entering. He told himself, "Drinking is not what you need to be doing right now, Brady. You've got better things to do. Like what?" He called Theresa and asked if she wanted to hang out later, as long as they didn't go back to the club. Theresa invited Brady to go to her place.

Back at the Kiriakis mansion, Victor got a phone call. "Yes, he was here," Victor said.

Once Nicole and Eric were alone, he observed that she looked upset and asked if she were having second thoughts about the two them. "Yes, I am," Nicole admitted quietly. She explained that she was afraid that she wasn't good enough for Eric. Eric said that his mom and sister were "full of it." He added that if he wouldn't let others badmouth Nicole, he wasn't about to let her do it, either. As Eric embraced Nicole, he noted happily that it felt good just to hold her in his arms again.

Nicole admitted that Eric had always made her feel beautiful when everyone else had made her feel ugly. He assured her that she was beautiful inside and out -- and that being with her hadn't been a rebound. Nicole asked, "Would you choose me if you still had a chance of being a priest?" Eric affirmed that his feelings for Nicole were very real, and he had no doubts about his decision. That seemed to satisfy Nicole, so Eric suggested that they discuss their first date.

Nicole thought they should do it that night because she was sure that Daniel and Jennifer didn't want company. Eric joked about taking Nicole bowling, and she promised to try to make him happy. When Nicole went into the bedroom, Eric finally took off his coat. He pulled out a dining chair to have a seat while he waited -- and the bag of shredded paper fell over. Curious, Eric picked it up and puzzled over the contents.

Nicole returned and announced that she had informed Miles that she would not be working late that night. "What is all this?" Eric asked with a bemused chuckle.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

by Spalding

At the Brady Pub, Hope's friend Helen informed her that she was leaving Salem on a business trip. When Hope bemoaned Helen's absence from the PTA, Helen told Hope that she had found a replacement for her to help Hope with the bake sale. Helen waved at Aidan as he walked in, and she said that he would be her replacement. Hope repeatedly muttered no in frustration. Sensing the tension, Helen wondered aloud if Hope and Aidan had met. Aidan admitted that he was acquainted with Hope.

Helen assured Hope that she would make a great team with Aidan. Aidan's face fell. With a smile, Helen assured Aidan and Hope that they would be able to work well together to pull off a successful school bake sale. Hope offered to find someone to take Aidan's place, but he declined, citing his promise to Father Louis to be more active at the school. When Aidan offered to replace Hope, she smiled and refused.

Hope warned Aidan that it had grown heated at the sale the previous year, and they joked about the sister that had tussled with someone over a pie. When Aidan noted that Hope seemed well prepared to handle the bake sale, she quipped that the years she had spent on the SWAT team had honed her skills. Aidan asked Hope to train him. Nodding, Hope gave Aidan tips on working at the bake sale. Aidan smiled and asked Hope to write down her email address.

"I think that Father Louis is going to be quite surprised when he sees the two of us working together. A sign that maybe miracles can happen perhaps?" Aidan said. After Aidan left, Hope shook her head.

Out shopping in the town square, Sami and Ciara talked about where they would buy the ten pairs of earrings that Sami had promised Ciara. When Sami announced that she was taking Ciara to a local boutique, Ciara objected, noting that she wanted earrings from Baron's. As Ciara stressed that Sami had promised to buy her nice earrings, Nick walked by and asked what was wrong. Ciara said that Sami was attempting to back out of her promise.

Nick told Ciara that Sami would not back out of a promise. Leaning closer to Ciara, Nick asked Ciara why Sami had promised to buy the earrings. Ciara explained that Sami had lost an earring down by the river, and Theo had found it. As Sami rolled her head in frustration, Ciara continued that Sami had promised to buy ten pairs of earrings for her if Ciara agreed to return the earring that Theo had found by the river and had given to Ciara.

Grinning, Nick noted that Sami was lucky that her earring had been found. Sami turned to Ciara and remarked that they should leave for Baron's. With a smug smile, Ciara said that she knew exactly which earrings she wanted. Nick noted that he had seen the same earring in the woods that Theo had found. Sami narrowed her eyes. Nick hugged Ciara, and Sami ushered Ciara away from Nick.

As Gabi worked on homework at Club TBD, T carried over a cup of coffee. When Gabi complained that she was struggling with the math, T suggested that she find someone to help her. Gabi thought about Nick's offer to help. Nodding, Gabi texted Nick and asked for help with her calculus homework. When T returned to the table, he chatted with Gabi about work. T mentioned that he was going to a Calvin Harris concert. Gabi's eyes lit up, and she said that she loved Calvin Harris.

Nodding sheepishly, T admitted that he had purchased a ticket for Gabi after she had agreed to go on a date with him. Gabi apologized for backing out of their date. When T asked if she wanted to go to the concert with him, Gabi smiled and said yes. An elated T returned to the bar to wait on a customer named Ben. Ben asked T if he was hiring at the club. T explained that there was a job opening but that Ben would have to talk to Sonny.

Nick arrived at the club and helped Gabi with her calculus homework. At the bar, T watched suspiciously. When Gabi urged Nick to return to work, Nick claimed that he worked better at night and wanted to hang out with Gabi. Gabi pointed out how odd it was to work on math homework with Nick again. When Nick smiled wistfully at Gabi, T interrupted to talk to Gabi about their concert date.

"Are you going on a date with him?" Nick asked with a furrowed brow. Shrugging, Gabi said she was going to a concert with T. Nick talked about when Gabi had been pregnant and the baby would kick when she listened to Calvin Harris. Caught in the moment, Nick and Gabi stared silently at one another, smiling sadly. Gabi's phone beeped with a text message from Will, so she gathered up her stuff to leave. Nick swiftly stole her notebook, and she left the club without it.

While T was cleaning tables in earshot, Nick pretended that Gabi called him on his phone about the notebook. Nick loudly announced that Gabi had left her notebook and that he would hang on to it for her. Smiling, Nick said, "It was really good seeing you too. We should hang out more. Like before." Worried, a wide-eyed T stared over at Nick. Nick continued his charade and commented on how nice it was that Gabi was going to the concert because she felt sorry for T.

Adrienne visited Sonny at his apartment. When Adrienne asked what was wrong, Sonny asked if Justin was in town. Adrienne said no. As Adrienne knitted her brown in concern, Will joked that Sonny was being mean dragging out the news. Sonny informed Adrienne that he was engaged to Will. Stunned, Adrienne remarked that the engagement was sudden. Sonny bristled at Adrienne's blank face, and Will excused himself to check on the baby.

When Sonny asked Adrienne if she cared about Will's feelings, Adrienne responded that she was happy about the engagement but that she felt Sonny was rushing into marriage. Adrienne stressed that she was happy about the news. When Adrienne asked where Sonny and Will planned to live after they married, Sonny said they wanted to continue to live with Gabi.

Raising an eyebrow, Adrienne theorized that Sonny had not told Gabi about the engagement. Adrienne wondered aloud if Gabi would feel like a third wheel. Sonny argued that Gabi already lived with a couple and that she did not feel like a third wheel. Shaking her head, Adrienne countered that Sonny had not told Gabi about the engagement yet because he knew that it would upset Gabi. Will returned to the living room and noted that Adrienne had a point.

Adrienne turned to Will and stressed that she was happy that Sonny and Will were together. Adrienne explained that her worry was that marriage was difficult at a young age. Nodding, Will said that Sami had raised the same objection. Will added that he and Sonny were not their parents and that they wanted to marry. Adrienne noted that she and Justin would support Sonny, but that Sonny needed to talk to Gabi before they decided whether to get married.

After Adrienne left, Will and Sonny talked about Gabi. Will worried aloud that Gabi would want to move out of the apartment with Arianna. Sonny said that they should talk to Gabi and attempt to work out the situation as soon as possible.

When Gabi returned home, she asked Will if he had texted because T had told him that Gabi had been at the club with Nick. Startled, Will asked Gabi why. Gabi explained that Nick had been helping her with her homework. Stuttering with anger, Will noted that they would find a tutor that was not a criminal. As Gabi sighed, Sonny urged Will to back down.

"Nick is back in our lives, and we just have to figure out a way to deal with it as best as we can," Gabi said. "No, Gabi. Don't say that," Will countered. Will argued that Nick was blackmailing Kate and that it proved that Nick had not changed. Overcome, Gabi ordered Will and Sonny not to rant about Nick. Sonny promised that they wanted to talk to Gabi about good news. Sonny showed Gabi his ring and announced that he was engaged to Will.

After leaving Baron's, Sami and Ciara returned to the town square. Ciara cheerfully looked at her new earrings and put a pair on. Abe met with Sami to pick up Ciara, and he invited her to join them for ice cream. Sami declined, noting that she had plans.

In the park, Jordan met with Rafe at the bench. Rafe rose to his feet and smiled. Jordan was thrilled to see that Rafe was standing without his cane. As Jordan and Rafe kissed, someone watched them from the bushes. Jordan told Rafe that she was proud of him. Grinning, Rafe informed Jordan that he was scheduled to work at the police station on a part-time basis. Rafe thanked Jordan for helping him get his life back.

Jordan walked with Rafe back to his apartment, and they made love there. After, Rafe talked about how he looked forward to moving out of the rehab facility and back into his loft. Rafe talked about how lucky he was to have been attacked because it meant he was able to meet Jordan. Smiling, Jordan said that Rafe had been a blessing for her. The two walked over to the pub to eat. While there, Rafe commented that he enjoyed seeing Jordan happy.

"I am the happiest I have been in my whole life. And you know why. And nothing is going to change that," Jordan said. Outside the pub, Ben looked through the window at Jordan.

When Abe dropped Ciara off at the police station, Hope was surprised to see such pricey earrings on Ciara's ears. As Ciara showed Hope the other earrings, Hope saw the receipt in the bag, and her eyes widened. Hope gasped and said that Sami had spent almost $4,000 on earrings. Startled, Hope asked Abe to give her a moment alone with Ciara. Hope told Ciara that the earrings were too expensive and inappropriate for a girl her age.

Whining, Ciara begged Hope to let her keep the earrings. Hope nodded and announced that Ciara could have the earrings she was wearing when she turned 16 but that the rest of the earrings would be donated to charity. Upset, Ciara grabbed the bag of earrings and cried out no. Begging, Ciara hugged her mother and said, "I know they cost a lot of money, but I love them. And I love you for letting me keep them." In the doorway of the precinct, Aidan watched Hope with Ciara.

In Daniel's apartment, Eric knocked over Nicole's bag of shredded evidence that showed what Dr. Chyka had done to Eric. When Nicole returned to the living room, Eric asked what was in the bag. Nicole admitted that the paper was material that she should not have shredded. When Eric asked what the paper was, Nicole said that she had made a mistake and hoped to put the paper back together.

"I'm pretty good at puzzles. I'll take a whack at it," Eric chirped. Startled, Nicole yelled no and grabbed the bag. Nicole declined Eric's offer and noted that she was going to put the bag in her car. Eric called out to Nicole to stop her as she opened the front door. Nervous, Nicole turned to face him, and he asked to talk about the plans for their date. When Nicole suggested plans outside of Salem, Eric asked if she was hiding their date.

As Eric assured Nicole that everyone would get used to seeing them together, Sami walked through the cracked open front door of the apartment. Disappointed, Sami asked Eric why he was returning to Nicole after Nicole had previously broken his heart. Eric's phone rang, and he ordered Sami to leave before he finished his phone call. While Eric was in the other room, Sami accused Nicole of preying on Eric in his vulnerable state.

When Eric returned, he ordered Sami to stop attacking Nicole. Eric explained that Nicole had worked to help him clear his name. Unfazed, Sami reminded Eric that Nicole had stolen her baby and that Eric was too good for Nicole. Annoyed, Eric opened the door and asked Sami to leave. Once Sami was gone, Eric argued that what Sami had said was not true.

"Actually, it is," Nicole said as she stared at the bag of shredded paper. Eric hugged Nicole tightly and asked her to ignore Sami. Eric assured Nicole that she had hurt him in the past but that they were meant to be. As Eric and Nicole hovered near a kiss, Lou, the building manager, knocked on the door and asked to check the water pressure. Eric promised to text Nicole later then he left. When Lou saw the bag of paper near the door, he offered to take the "trash" downstairs. Nicole yelled, "It's not trash. I'm just not sure what to do with it."

In the town square, Sami ran into Adrienne. When Sami asked if Adrienne had heard the good news, Adrienne commented that she believed Sami agreed with her that the news was unfortunate. Adrienne noted that she loved Will and Sonny together but that she was worried that the marriage would be a strain on Will's and Sonny's relationship with Gabi. Sami assured Adrienne that everything would work out fine.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

by Mike

As Ciara was trying to convince Hope that it would be okay to keep all of the expensive pairs of earrings from the earlier shopping spree with Sami, Abe interrupted to give Hope an update on a case that they were working on. Meanwhile, Aiden shook his head as he watched Ciara admire each of the pairs of earrings.

Abe left the room after finishing his conversation with Hope, and Ciara agreed to go to the break room to get a drink from the refrigerator so that Hope could have a moment alone with Aiden. After Ciara left, Aiden approached Hope, who was working on closing each of the jewelry boxes, and explained that his earlier attempt to send her an email had failed because the email had bounced back to him. Aiden handed Hope his business card so that she could initiate their email correspondence herself, guessing that she was probably better at sending emails than he was. Hope promised to email Aiden as soon as she found a spare moment to do so.

Aiden started to leave, but he was unable to resist the urge to say something else to Hope before doing so. After acknowledging that the matter was none of his business, Aiden proceeded to state that he knew good jewelry when he saw it. Aiden reminded Hope that Ciara was just a little girl, and he suggested that Ciara and Chase might be having problems with each other because Aiden and Hope had different values.

When Hope asked Aiden to elaborate, he explained that, while he loved Chase, he wasn't willing to buy the boy a watch that was worth one thousand dollars just to express that love. Hope laughed and assured Aiden that he had completely misunderstood the situation. "I don't know what's to misunderstand. I mean, I just heard Ciara say that's all her stuff, so if that's how you're raising her, no wonder she's such a holy terror," Aiden replied.

Remaining calm, Hope wished Aiden a good day and reiterated that she would email him later. Aiden took the hint and exited the police station. After Aiden left, Hope tossed his business card aside and started to place the jewelry boxes back in the shopping bag. Meanwhile, Ciara returned and protectively placed her hands over a few of the boxes that were still on Hope's desk, protesting that they were her earrings.

Hope gently explained that, while it was true that Ciara deserved a reward for returning Sami's earring, it wasn't appropriate for a little girl like Ciara to have such expensive earrings, since she was too young to wear them or be held responsible for them. "So, what if I give [Sami] these earrings, and she gives me the one that Theo found?" Ciara suggested, but Hope shook her head and firmly stated that the matter wasn't negotiable. Hope said that she would donate the earrings to charity on Ciara's behalf if Ciara wasn't willing to do so herself.

Ciara complained that Hope sounded just like Bo. Hope calmly thanked Ciara for the compliment and asked her to take off the earrings that she was wearing so that Hope could save them for Ciara's sixteenth birthday. Ciara hesitated, muttering that the situation was dumb and that she didn't want to take the earrings off. Hope pointed out that she hadn't asked for Ciara's opinion on the matter, and she wondered what had prompted Ciara's behavior. "I don't get to keep anything! I can't have these earrings, and I don't even have a dad anymore," Ciara sadly replied.

Hope insisted that Ciara had a dad and a mom who each loved Ciara very much. Hope said that she understood that Bo's absence was hurting Ciara, and she added that his absence was hurting her, too. As Ciara reluctantly handed over the earrings that she had been wearing, Hope explained that it simply wasn't right for Ciara to keep every pair of earrings that Sami had purchased for Ciara. Hope hugged Ciara and confidently predicted that donating the earrings to charity was going to make Ciara feel really good inside, but Ciara morosely muttered that she didn't feel very good at that particular moment.

Meanwhile, Abe returned and wondered if Ciara was ready to leave so that they could pick up Theo. Ciara nodded and followed Abe out of the police station, leaving Hope staring at the pair of earrings that Ciara had been wearing. "You owe me big, Brady. And Samantha -- ooh, I have a few words for you," Hope muttered with a sigh before returning to her desk and placing the remaining jewelry boxes back in the shopping bag.

Ciara was still in a foul mood when she and Abe arrived at the town square, so she decided to wait near an empty table on one side of the town square while Abe went to meet Theo and the babysitter on the other side. Abe was okay with that arrangement, but he hoped that treating Ciara to some ice cream later that day would cheer her up. After Abe left, Ciara sadly reached a hand to one of her unadorned ears.

Meanwhile, Aiden spotted Ciara as he was ending a business call, so he greeted her and wondered how she was doing. Ignoring the question, Ciara accused Aiden of saying something to her mother earlier about the earrings that Ciara's cousin had purchased for Ciara. Ciara bitterly revealed that Hope was making her give the earrings away, and she walked away from Aiden before he could respond.

Later, Aiden returned to the police station and told Hope about his earlier encounter with Ciara. Aiden apologized for initially assuming that Hope was the person who had purchased the earrings for Ciara, and Hope suggested that he might also want to apologize for failing to give her a chance to explain the situation before rushing to judgment. Aiden admitted that he had been a "jackass," and he assured Hope that he understood how difficult it was to raise a child in an increasingly crazy world. Hope nodded and accepted Aiden's apology.

Aiden started to leave, but before doing so, he mused that his decision to shoot his mouth off earlier might have been a good thing, since it had convinced Hope to rethink her decision to let Ciara keep all of those extravagant pairs of earrings. Hope clarified that Aiden's interference hadn't had a single thing to do with her decision, but he was skeptical, reminding her that when he had entered the police station earlier that day, Ciara had been in the midst of telling Hope how great she was for letting Ciara keep the earrings. "Do you have any idea...how sick and tired I am of your smug, self-righteous judgments about my daughter and me? Because the only time you were right -- correct -- about anything today is when you said the situation was none of your business...because it damn well isn't," Hope irritably stated before walking away.

Outside the Brady Pub, Ben moved over to a side window so that he could watch Jordan and Rafe interact with each other without risking the chance of being seen himself. After observing the couple for a few minutes, Ben briefly considered entering the pub before checking his watch and walking away instead. Meanwhile, inside the pub, Rafe received a text message from Abe, revealing that an arrest had just been made in a case that Rafe had been working on. Rafe was somewhat disappointed to learn that he would no longer be needed at the police station that day, and he was even more disappointed to learn that Jordan would not be able to skip work to spend the day with him because she had too many things to do.

Rafe decided that he would just spend some time with Gabi and Arianna instead. At Jordan's request, Rafe promised to forward her all of the pictures of Arianna that he took for his mother that day. Rafe somewhat sadly mused that it was hard to believe that Arianna was almost one year old and had not yet met his mother. Jordan thought it would be a good idea for Rafe and Gabi to take Arianna to see their mother at some point, since their mother didn't like to travel herself, and he suggested that Jordan could accompany them on the hypothetical trip. The invitation seemed to touch Jordan, who smiled as she grasped Rafe's hand.

At the Horton Town Square, Kate ran into Marlena, who wondered how anyone -- especially Kate -- could ever be crazy enough to hire Nick. Marlena reminded Kate that Nick was the man who had tried to keep their grandson and their grandson's daughter from ever seeing each other. Kate confirmed that she was aware of that fact, and she explained that, while she couldn't stand Nick as a human being, she was still willing to admit that he was a brilliant chemist. "You know I never let personal feelings get in the way of making money," Kate joked, adding that if she hadn't hired Nick, Sami and E.J. would have jumped at the opportunity to do so.

Marlena insisted that there was no way that Sami would ever agree to work with Nick, but Kate reasoned that self-preservation always trumped integrity and pride -- at least as far as business matters were concerned. "That is so sad," Marlena replied. Kate laughed and encouraged Marlena to ask Sami about the matter, predicting that Sami would agree -- at least grudgingly -- that hiring Nick had been a good move.

Later, Kate walked past the pub and paused when she caught a glimpse of Rafe and Jordan through the front window. Kate entered the pub as Rafe was telling Jordan that he was going to track Caroline down in the kitchen so that he could say hello to her before leaving, predicting that if Caroline learned that he had visited the pub and hadn't talked to her while there, she would never let him hear the end of it. As Rafe rose from his chair, Kate greeted him and happily observed that he was walking without the use of a cane. Rafe confirmed that he had ditched the cane for good.

After Rafe left, Kate observed that Jordan looked happy, and Jordan confirmed that she felt happy, too. Kate guessed that Jordan liked living in Salem, and as Jordan nodded, Kate added that Rafe was back to his usual self -- something that she owed Jordan for. Jordan insisted that Kate didn't owe her anything, but Kate disagreed. "And if there's one thing you should know about me, I always pay my debts," Kate revealed. Kate took a seat at Jordan's table and said that she hoped that Jordan could understand that Kate still felt protective of Rafe because of what he had been forced to endure due to his involvement with Kate.

Jordan nodded and confirmed that Kate's feelings of protectiveness were understandable. Satisfied, Kate changed the subject and said that there was one other thing that she wanted to ask Jordan to do for her -- promise to never, ever hurt Rafe. Jordan said that wouldn't be a problem at all, since she only wanted to make Rafe happy. "Good. Because if you don't, I'll --" Kate started to say, but Rafe returned before she could continue. Rafe encouraged Kate to finish her sentence, so she innocently clarified that she had been about to say that she would be very disappointed if he ended up unhappy, since he deserved the very best. Rafe returned the sentiment.

After Rafe reported that Caroline was doing well and that he envied her energy, Jordan excused herself so that she could get to work. Rafe claimed Jordan's vacant seat and observed that it had seemed like Kate and Jordan had been in the middle of a rather serious conversation when he had returned to the front section of the pub. Kate clarified that she had done all of the talking, and she reiterated that she had been telling Jordan that she hoped that Jordan would continue to make Rafe happy. Rafe said that Kate's words had sounded like a warning to him. "Because that's exactly what it was," Kate matter-of-factly replied.

Rafe assured Kate that he was a big boy and could take care of himself. Rafe added that he was also a really good judge of character, and he insisted that Jordan wasn't going to hurt him. Kate shrugged and claimed that she understood, explaining that she had simply been concerned because Jordan had always seemed really secretive. Kate conceded that Jordan was apparently not that way with Rafe. Kate excused herself and exited the pub. "You poor thing. Jordan hasn't told you anything," Kate muttered as she watched Rafe through the front window.

At Club TBD, Nick continued his fake phone conversation with Gabi while T listened from a few feet away. "No, you know what? I think it'll actually be a really nice boost for [T's] ego, you know, just to be seen at a -- at a concert with you. At the same time -- at the same time, Gabi, I -- I will say, it just seems like he kind of only dates, like, lame girls, you know what I mean? Like -- like bimbos, really. And it's just -- you're -- it's so far from who -- who you are, you know what I'm saying? Exactly. Exactly. So it just might be a matter of time before he realizes that -- you know, that you just want to be friends, and it just might be that -- that the kindest thing that you can do for the guy is to just -- you know, to -- to kind of...just not get his hopes up," Nick said before casually turning his head and feigning shock as his eyes fell on T.

After pretending to abruptly end the call, Nick approached T and feigned embarrassment as he apologized for the things that T had just overheard. Nick innocently claimed that he had assumed that T had been busy doing something in the back of the club. T was hurt to learn that Gabi had apparently been talking to Nick about T. Nick nodded and apologetically confirmed that he and Gabi had started bonding again.

Nick stressed that Gabi had mentioned that she really cared about T, but that failed to make T feel better about the fact that Gabi had supposedly only agreed to attend a concert with him because she felt sorry for him. Explaining that he didn't want Gabi to get upset, Nick begged T not to say anything to her about what had just happened. "You think she's gonna hear that garbage from my mouth?" T asked incredulously.

T started to walk away, but Nick followed him to the bar. Nick reported that it seemed like Gabi was going to give him another chance, even though he didn't deserve one. T guessed that Nick was dreaming, but Nick insisted that he was being "dead serious." Nick pointedly added that he and Gabi were going to be sharing everything with each other in the future. "You know, maybe I'm not deserving of a girl like her, but if she goes back with a creep like you, that's her loss, not mine," T reasoned before turning his attention back to his job.

In Will and Sonny's apartment, Gabi hugged Sonny and Will and happily congratulated them on their engagement. "Oh, my gosh. You guys are gonna be newlyweds! That's awesome. Um, okay -- uh...well, when do you want me to start looking for a place for me and Arianna?" Gabi wondered. Will and Sonny stressed that they didn't want Gabi and Arianna to move out of the apartment, but Gabi was certain that Sonny and Will were going to want their privacy once they got married. Will assured Gabi that the group would find a way to work that out together. "Will, there's no way Arianna and I are staying here now," Gabi insisted.

Will and Sonny maintained that there was no reason for anything to change after they got married. Meanwhile, Will received a text message from Marlena, which reminded him that he was running late for a visit with her. Will didn't want to leave in the middle of a conversation about Gabi and Arianna potentially moving out of the apartment, but Gabi claimed that there was nothing to worry about and that she had simply misunderstood the situation. Gabi reiterated that she was extremely happy for Sonny and Will.

Sonny, who had been unaware of Will's plan to spend some time with Marlena that day, was needed at the club, so Gabi assured them that she wouldn't mind watching Arianna for a while. Will stressed that the group would continue their earlier conversation later, and Gabi nodded in agreement. Gabi went to her bedroom, and Will and Sonny exchanged looks of concern before exiting the apartment.

After Will and Sonny left, Gabi received a text message from Nick, who wanted to know if it would be okay for him to head over to the apartment to drop off the notebook that he claimed she had left at the club earlier. After responding to the text message, Gabi turned her attention to Arianna. "Okay, so, Nick is coming over. No big deal -- he's just gonna, you know, drop off my notebook. Your daddy's still not gonna like it, though. But you know what? Your daddy does things -- he -- he changes his life without asking me permission -- and I don't really like that, right? Besides, they're not even here, so whatever they don't know won't hurt them. Isn't that what they say? Yeah, that's what they say," Gabi reasoned.

When Nick arrived a short time later, he handed Gabi her notebook and abruptly started to excuse himself, but she stopped him and invited him to stick around for a while. Nick happily accepted the offer, and as he entered the apartment, removed his coat, and headed straight toward Arianna, Gabi nervously glanced around the outside hallway to make sure that no one had witnessed what she had just done.

As Nick watched Gabi play with Arianna, he observed that it seemed like something was wrong. Gabi claimed that she was fine, but Nick wasn't convinced, so she decided to tell him that Will and Sonny were engaged, reasoning that Nick was going to find out eventually, anyway. "Wow. Wow. That's, um -- that's great. I'm -- I'm really happy for them," Nick claimed. Nick's reaction surprised Gabi, since he had previously felt quite different about the subject, but he assured her that he had gotten past his prejudices toward gay people, which he said had stemmed solely from being messed up because of what had happened to him in prison.

Nick claimed that he was glad that Will and Sonny were allowed to get married if they wished to do so, and Gabi agreed, but Nick observed that she still didn't look particularly happy for some reason. Gabi explained that Sonny and Will seemed to be under the impression that things were going to stay the same at the apartment after they got married, while she doubted that would be possible. Gabi argued that people usually got married so that they could live alone together. Gabi said that was certainly what she had wanted when she had gotten married, and Nick assured her that he remembered.

Later, while Nick was holding Arianna, Gabi received a phone call from T, who informed her that he wouldn't be able to take her to the concert after all. T claimed that his attempt to secure some tickets to the concert hadn't worked out the way that he had been assured that it would, and Gabi said that she understood, reasoning that there was nothing that he could do about that. Gabi suggested that she and T might be able to get together some other time instead, but he abruptly ended the call instead of responding to her suggestion, claiming that things were getting busy at the club.

When Gabi told Nick about the turn of events, he feigned shock and disappointment, reminding her that she was going to miss her opportunity to see Florence Welch, whom she loved, perform. Gabi shrugged and reasoned that there was nothing that she could do about the matter, but Nick casually suggested that Kate might be able to obtain a pair of tickets so that he and Gabi could go to the concert together. Gabi seemed hopeful, and she wondered if Nick really believed that he could make that happen. Nick assumed that Gabi's response meant that she was interested in attending the concert with him if he could secure some tickets.

Gabi hesitated, realizing that it might not be a good idea for her to go to the concert with Nick because Will and Sonny still had not been able to recognize how understanding and forgiving Nick had been toward her. Nick reminded Gabi that he was the person who needed to be forgiven, not her, and he assured her that he understood Sonny and Will's point of view on the matter. Nick reasoned that Sonny, in particular, was probably feeling more protective of Arianna because he would soon be her stepfather.

Nick handed Arianna to Gabi and excused himself, promising to talk to Gabi soon. After exiting the apartment, Nick stood in the hallway for a moment, grinning triumphantly. Meanwhile, back inside, Gabi told Arianna that she didn't care what Will and Sonny wanted, and she vowed that she was never going to lose Arianna.

At Club TBD, Sonny happily shared his engagement news with T, who had a more subdued reaction than Sonny had expected. Sonny wondered if something was wrong with T. "No, no. Everything -- everything's great. My two best friends are getting engaged. What could be better than that?" T evasively replied as he gave Sonny a congratulatory hug. Meanwhile, Ben returned to the club, and T introduced him to Sonny, explaining that Ben was interested in applying for the available bartending job.

Ben revealed that he had just heard T mention that Sonny was engaged. Ben wondered if Sonny was hiring an extra person because Sonny and "the lady" were planning to go on an extended honeymoon after the wedding. T stifled his laughter and shot Sonny a knowing look before walking away. "Uh, we haven't even thought of a honeymoon yet, but, uh, there's no lady. I'm marrying a guy," Sonny clarified.

Ben seemed a bit surprised, and he repeated what he had just heard to make sure that he hadn't misunderstood. "Cool. Yeah, I just -- I didn't know you could do that here," Ben explained after Sonny confirmed that Ben had heard correctly. Sonny assumed that meant that Ben was new to Salem, and Ben confirmed the suspicion, elaborating that he had just arrived in Salem a few days earlier. Sonny wondered what had prompted Ben to pick Salem as his new home, and Ben vaguely replied that he'd had a couple different reasons.

After interviewing Ben, Sonny excused himself so that Ben could have some privacy to fill out the club's job application. Sonny promised to give Ben a call later to let him know if he had received the job or not. Ben thanked Sonny and congratulated him again on the engagement. After Sonny left, Ben started to fill out the application, listing his surname as Rogers.

In Marlena's office at the hospital, Will informed Marlena that he had finally accepted Sonny's marriage proposal. Marlena was happy for Will, but she observed that he didn't seem as excited as he had seemed during their earlier phone conversation. Will told Marlena about Gabi's reaction to the news about the engagement. Will stressed that he and Sonny didn't want their marriage to change things between them and Gabi and Arianna at all. Will said that he and Sonny had told Gabi as much, but Marlena could tell that Will wasn't completely sure that Gabi had gotten the message.

Will sighed, and Marlena observed that it was obvious that the matter was very important to him. "I want to live under the same roof as my little girl. If marrying Sonny means that I can't do that --" Will started to say, but Marlena interrupted and assured him that she didn't think that he would ever have to make that choice. Marlena added that Will would always have his daughter in his life. Will reminded Marlena that he had grown up in a house with parents who hadn't lived together with him, and he stressed that he never wanted his daughter to have that kind of life.

"I understand. [But] sweetie, you're getting married. And Gabi will [eventually] find somebody. And you will always share parenting, but you and Gabi and Arianna will not always live together," Marlena gently pointed out. Will assured Marlena that he realized that he, Sonny, Gabi, and Arianna couldn't live together forever, but he added that he didn't want to miss out on a moment of Arianna's early years, since that was such an important time in a child's life. Marlena knowingly advised Will that there was never an unimportant time in a child's life.

"Yeah. I'm beginning to see that. You know, I look at my life -- I mean, maybe Mom and Dad weren't together, but...I always knew how much they cared about me, every minute of every day. I want Arianna to feel that way for me. I will never let anyone or anything come between me and my little girl," Will vowed. Changing the subject to a lighter topic, Will told Marlena that Arianna had started refusing to let him hold her spoon for her when he was feeding her, instead insisting on holding it herself. Will admitted that Arianna "sucked" at the task but didn't seem to care about that fact at all.

Will mused that Arianna's early exhibits of stubbornness probably meant that her teenage years were going to be particularly interesting. Marlena advised that the only way for Will to ensure that Arianna would make good decisions and live her best life would be to set a perfect example for her in his own life. Marlena said that she was very pleased about Will and Sonny's engagement, and she confidently assured Will that he and Gabi would find a way to work everything out together.

Will thanked Marlena for the advice and stood to give her a hug before leaving. "I know that I have to live my own life...but knowing and doing are two very different things. I still want to do everything for Arianna," Will explained, his voice wavering slightly as he spoke. Marlena nodded and summarized that, while it was perfectly fine for Will to maintain that desire to do everything for Arianna, his daughter was already starting to tell him, in her own way, that she wouldn't always let him do everything for her.

Later, Will went to Club TBD and told Sonny about the earlier visit with Marlena. Will said that he was glad that he had confided in Marlena about Sonny's proposal, since she was the person who had convinced Will that he wanted to go ahead and accept the proposal. Sonny joked that he had always liked Marlena. Will wished that Adrienne could be just as enthusiastic about the impending wedding, and Sonny agreed, although he also acknowledged that she was entitled to her opinion.

Will wondered if Sonny was having second thoughts about getting married. "Do I look like I'm having second thoughts? I feel like the luckiest man in the world," Sonny declared, and he hugged Will tightly as T watched nearby. Will excused himself, explaining that he had promised to take Caroline to a quilting class, and on his way out of the club, T approached him and congratulated him on the engagement. After Will left, T wondered if Sonny was aware that T was really psyched about Sonny and Will's engagement, and Sonny confirmed that he was indeed aware of that fact. "So I have something to say -- don't let Nick Fallon screw everything up for you," T advised Sonny before walking away.

As Jordan was passing through a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Ben stopped her, and she gasped when she saw his face.

Friday, February 28, 2014

by ChickenGrrl

When Marlena stopped by the DiMera mansion, Stefano was admittedly surprised because he knew that she would never show up there unless it were very important. Marlena explained that it would make a huge difference to Eric if the truth were revealed about what had happened between him and Kristen. Marlena said that Eric's future was in Stefano's hands. She noted that both she and Stefano would do anything to protect their families, and there was still a lot that Eric could do to help people.

"Stefano, if you can help my son, if you can find a way to right this wrong, I would be forever grateful," Marlena said. Stefano found Marlena's passion moving, but he said that he couldn't do what she'd asked. Fed up, Marlena started to leave, but then she had an idea about how Stefano could help. She explained that she wanted to have a conversation with Dr. Chyka, and she didn't even need to see the man in person -- they could videochat, for example -- but she would not rest until she'd gotten the answers she needed.

Although Stefano would not admit that he knew Chyka, he offered to discuss it with Marlena hypothetically. She continued that she only wanted information that could help Eric -- but not hurt Kristen. "Oh, I see: you want to talk to him about Nicole," Stefano deduced. Marlena admitted that he was right. She explained that Daniel and Nicole had cornered Chyka, who had escaped on Nicole's watch, allegedly with all of the evidence to clear Eric, and Marlena wondered if Nicole had let Chyka escape.

Marlena assured Stefano that he could be present for her conversation with Chyka, and she promised not to ask any questions that would harm Kristen or Chyka. "Will you help me?" Marlena asked. Stefano agreed to think about it and get back in touch with Marlena.

In Jennifer's office at the hospital, J.J. asked his mom if she'd pulled strings to get him assigned community service at the hospital. She assured him that she hadn't. They both wondered if Daniel had put in a good word for J.J., who told his mom that he was happy that she and Daniel had reunited.

When Eric arrived, J.J. headed out. Although Eric had gotten a message from Jennifer, first he wanted to plead Daniel's case and try to persuade her to give Daniel another chance. Jennifer happily informed Eric that she and Daniel were seeing each other that night. She then explained that the reason she'd called Eric was that she had a story that she thought would be better told as a photo essay. She cautioned him that it wouldn't pay much and the hours were bad, but Eric was grateful for the work. After he thanked Jennifer, he left so she could get ready for her date with Daniel.

After pacing in the waiting area, J.J. approached a woman at the nurses' station about his community service. The woman hadn't heard anything about it. Anne appeared and informed J.J. that she had canceled his assignment. "I can't do anything about the glut of other lazy and felonious Hortons populating this place, but when I pointed out to the court that perhaps a known drug dealer should not have access to the hospital pharmacy, they saw my point immediately. So you've been reassigned," Anne explained smugly as she handed J.J. a slip of paper. Already late for the assignment, J.J. took off running.

In front of the Brady Pub, J.J. hurried up to a man wearing a yellow reflective vest and asked, "Are you Russ?" J.J. tried to explain that he'd been sent to the wrong assignment, but Russ wasn't interested. After ordering J.J. to go home, Russ said that he had added another day to J.J.'s community service. J.J. apologized sincerely and offered to work for the rest of the day and make up the time he'd missed. Russ handed J.J. a vest and his assignment: erasing graffiti in Horton Square and cleaning public toilets. Although far from thrilled, J.J. headed in that direction.

Bucket and garbage bag in hand, J.J. spotted some trash in Horton Square and began clearing it away. Bev and Rory appeared and gave J.J. a hard time about his assignment change. Rory suggested, "When you're done, you should take that brush and tell your boss to shove it up his --" Russ overheard and demanded, "Up my what?"

Bev and Rory quickly made themselves scarce. J.J. apologized to Russ for what Rory had said, but Russ just ordered J.J. not to be late the next day. After Russ had gone, Bev returned and asked if J.J. were finished. "I guess... It's just one of those days," J.J. grumbled. "Well, maybe we can do something about that," Bev suggested slyly.

Nicole emerged from the bedroom at Daniel's and found her roommate polishing candlesticks and chilling wine in preparation for his date with Jennifer. Nicole had packed a bag to stay at a hotel in order to give Daniel and Jennifer some privacy. Daniel remarked that Nicole hadn't seemed like her usual perky self since returning from the office, and he wondered if it had anything to do with the trash bag she'd been carrying.

Nicole maintained that the bag had merely been filled with "work stuff," which she'd stashed in her car to keep Daniel's place neat. Daniel didn't buy it, but he obeyed Nicole's order to "zip it." Nicole admitted that she was a little worried about how people might react to seeing her with Eric. Guessing that Nicole was mostly worried about what Marlena thought, Daniel offered to set Marlena straight about how Nicole had put her life on the line for Eric.

Nicole pointed out, "So did you, and you could have been killed -- and for what?" Daniel assured Nicole that what they had done hadn't been for nothing, and she had been completely selfless in helping Eric. Daniel asserted that a year at St. Luke's had changed Nicole for the better, but she wasn't convinced. "You are an amazing woman. You are a good friend, you hear me?" Daniel declared firmly. A grateful Nicole left to let Daniel return to getting ready for his date.

In the hallway, Nicole's eyes filled with tears. "No, Daniel, I am not a very good friend -- but maybe there is something I can do," she said to herself.

When Nicole went to the Horton house, Jennifer answered the door. Nicole told a surprised Jennifer, "Hi. I don't mean to bother you, but I just wanted to say -- thank God you finally came to your senses!" Both women laughed. Nicole assured Jennifer that she and Daniel would have the place to themselves. Jennifer found Nicole's support touching, but she worried about putting Nicole out of the apartment.

"Well, you're not the only one with a date tonight," Nicole said, grinning. Deducing that Nicole was going out with Eric, Jennifer said that she was pleased because when she'd seen Eric earlier, he'd been happier than she'd seen him in months. Nicole and Jennifer marveled that they seemed to have become friends. "Life is strange, isn't it?" Jennifer mused. "But strange in a good way -- for this week, anyway," Nicole agreed. They wished each other well on their dates later.

Outside, Nicole thanked God and begged Him, "Please, don't smite me now."

After changing into dressier clothes, Nicole was waiting nervously at Club TBD for Eric when her cell phone chimed. She immediately assumed that Eric was canceling, but the text message from Eric read, "Turn around." Nicole did so and saw Eric behind her with a single long-stemmed rose.

Daniel had just opened a bottle of wine when there was a knock at the door. Taking a deep breath, he opened it and found a beaming Jennifer on the doorstep.

Abigail spotted E.J. across Horton Square, on his cell phone. She approached him as soon as he'd hung up and asked if they could talk. She assuaged his obvious discomfort by pointing out that people knew that they were friends so it wouldn't be unusual for them to be talking. E.J. reluctantly joined Abigail on a bench. Abigail began by saying that it was time to be brutally honest, but she noted that E.J. had not been honest with anyone, especially not about the night at the cabin.

E.J. admitted that Abigail was right, but while he couldn't be completely honest about that night, he had otherwise worked hard to be truthful with her. Abigail admitted that E.J. had at least been honest about how much he loved Sami, but Abigail hadn't been honest with herself about that, especially when E.J. and Sami had reconciled. Abigail continued that she had been so ashamed of what she'd done with E.J. that she'd tried to convince herself that it had been special or meant something, but she'd since realized that it had not.

"It's hard for me to accept that, but I know that it's over because it has to be," Abigail said. E.J. assured her that she would be fine. Abigail agreed that she would be, eventually, after she found a way to like herself again. She vowed never to get involved with someone in E.J.'s "situation" -- but E.J. seemed to have a better handle on who she was than she did. "But it's time for me to start figuring it out," Abigail added before walking away.

Rafe was turning away from the bar at the Brady Pub when Sami ran right into him. After she apologized profusely, she noticed that he didn't have his cane. Rafe informed her that he no longer needed it. Thrilled, Sami threw her arms around his neck. She acknowledged regretfully that she would have known how much better he was doing if she'd checked on his progress. Rafe said that he hoped things were going well for Sami, too.

Beaming, Sami informed Rafe that she and E.J. had set a May wedding date. Rafe held his tongue as he assured Sami that he was happy as long as she was happy. Sami said that she'd heard about Rafe and Jordan, and Sami thought it was nice that she and Rafe could be happy for each other. Rafe cautioned Sami that, despite his wish for Sami's happiness, he would never stop trying to take down Stefano and E.J.

Rafe declared that Sami and the kids deserved better. Sami insisted that E.J. and the kids loved each other, and E.J. would not hurt her again. She maintained that E.J. had changed. "He's like a regular Nick Fallon, huh?" Rafe noted sarcastically. Bristling, Sami said that she was genuinely happy for Rafe and she wished he would be happy for her, as well. Rafe predicted that Sami would not find happiness with E.J.

Sami countered, "You are so sure that you are going to find happiness with Jordan? ... So how well do you really know her?" When Sami learned that Jordan was from Birmingham, she remarked that Jordan didn't have an accent. Unfazed, Rafe cautioned Sami that E.J.'s history would repeat itself and Sami -- and the kids -- would get hurt again. Sami insisted that Rafe was wrong -- but as he was leaving, she assured him that she was really glad he was all right.

In the park outside Horton Square, Ben put his hand on a distracted Jordan's shoulder, startling her. "What are you doing here? I told you not to come," she hissed. Ben pointed out that she had disappeared without a word other than where she was going. "Did you honestly think that I would stay away?" he asked.

Ben said that he had seen Jordan kissing a guy in that very spot -- and he was pretty sure that she wouldn't want the guy to see her talking to Ben. A perturbed and irritated Jordan had to leave for work, but Ben cautioned her, "We're not done. I just got here, and I'm not leaving."

Later, Jordan was at work when Rafe emerged from the elevator and gently put his hand on her shoulder. "What?" she snapped, whirling around. Chuckling, Rafe apologized for startling Jordan. She claimed that she had been lost in thought about a case. Rafe explained that he was there to fill out some insurance paperwork -- again -- and hoped that Jordan would go to dinner with him. Citing a heavy workload, Jordan said that she didn't want to keep Rafe waiting, so she wished him a good evening and kissed him goodbye.

Sami was working on her tablet and scribbling notes on a pad when E.J. arrived at the pub. E.J. responded with sarcastic enthusiasm when Sami informed him that Rafe no longer needed the cane. Sami advised E.J. that Rafe had promised to keep going after E.J. and Stefano, and he had warned Sami that E.J. would only end up hurting her. "He has no right to say that, Samantha. He's the one who screwed this up in the first place," E.J. sniped.

Sami pointed out that it wasn't Rafe's fault, but E.J. reminded her that she had nearly gone to prison for saving Rafe's life. Sami countered that E.J. couldn't blame Rafe for her being unhappy with E.J.'s family. Sami continued that she knew E.J. wasn't his father or sister, and she knew that he loved and was committed to her and the kids. "I trust you... I don't have one single doubt," she assured E.J., kissing him.

Meanwhile, Abigail couldn't stop thinking about all the times she'd had sex with E.J. "Just forget it, Abigail. It's over. It has to be," she told herself -- while elsewhere, someone was looking at pictures of E.J. and Abigail taken at the cabin.