At the DiMera mansion, Chad and Jennifer struggled to process Abigail and Stefan's unexpected announcement. "Gabby?" Chad assumed, unable to think of any other explanation that made sense. "I'm not Gabby," Abigail tiredly replied. "That's right. This woman is completely sane...and she is now Mrs. Stefan DiMera," Stefan cheerfully added. "We got married this morning," Abigail elaborated.
"It's all legal," Stefan promised, producing the paperwork that confirmed that Abigail and Chad's marriage had ended earlier that day -- and a new marriage had begun shortly thereafter. Chad and Jennifer each took a quick look at the paperwork and were both forced to admit that it did indeed look authentic; however, that didn't make the shocking development any easier for either person to comprehend.
"We love each other!" Chad desperately reminded Abigail. "If you love me, then believe me," Abigail coldly challenged Chad.
"What about Thomas?" Chad asked. "Don't use our son to try to guilt me. You wanted me locked in an institution. How [would I have cared] for Thomas then? At least now I'm gonna get to be a part of his life," Abigail countered. "And don't even think about starting a custody battle, [because] I'll hire the best lawyers in the business to make sure Abigail spends plenty of time with her son," Stefan added.
"Abigail, can we please just sit down and talk --" Jennifer began to beg. "There's nothing to discuss! You and Chad were getting ready to haul me off in a straitjacket! If it weren't for Stefan, I'd be in a padded cell right now!" Abigail snapped while glaring at Chad and Jennifer with obvious distrust. Chad was quick to argue that Stefan had ulterior motives, but Abigail wasn't concerned. "Gabby is gone for good. [And] Stefan's not in control; I am. [See, this] plan was my idea," Abigail clarified. "[Now], I would really love it if [you two] would get the hell out of here!" Abigail concluded with finality, pointing Chad and Jennifer toward the front door.
"Please don't make me call security and have you escorted out," Stefan added with obvious glee. "This isn't over," Chad promised Abigail and Stefan before reluctantly exiting the mansion, with Jennifer close behind.
At the hospital, Eric and Sami watched from a hallway as Kayla got the burn victim settled in one of the rooms. "How are you holding up?" Eric asked, putting a comforting hand on Sami's shoulder. "I'm pretty close to losing it, actually," Sami admitted with a sigh. "I just want to know [if that's really E.J. in there]. I mean, I'm hoping [it is], but maybe I shouldn't; [after all], they don't even know if [the man's] gonna survive," Sami added.
"How is Holly?" Sami asked, eager to change the subject. "[Kayla] had one of the nurses take her down to the playroom. Last time I saw her, she was playing with blocks, [and] she seemed fine, considering everything that she's gone through...[but] she keeps asking me where her mother is," Eric sadly revealed. Sami advised Eric to talk to Marlena, who would surely know the right things to say to Holly, but Eric guiltily argued that the only thing Holly needed to hear was the one thing that couldn't be said. "[I should be able to tell her] that her mother's fine, because I should have got her out of that burning building," Eric added, sighing. Sami insisted that if Eric had gone back inside the building to try to save Nicole again, Holly would have been left with no one at all. Sami guessed that Nicole had found peace in the knowledge that Eric was going to be looking after Holly.
Kayla soon emerged from the burn victim's room and joined Sami and Eric. "The transfer from Nashville went smoothly. He's critical, but he's stable," Kayla announced. "Can I see him?" Sami asked hopefully. "Not right now. You need to let him rest," Kayla apologetically replied, adding that the man probably wouldn't wake up anytime soon, anyway. "[Which] really is for the best. His burns are very severe, and any movement would be excruciating. It's gonna be a long recovery," Kayla elaborated. Just then, Kayla received a message from the nurse who was watching Holly. After reading it, Kayla informed Eric that the nurse's shift was about to end.
Eric rushed off to relieve the nurse of babysitting duties, leaving Sami alone with Kayla. "Be straight with me -- how serious is it?" Sami asked. "Very," Kayla admitted. "Over 90% of his body [was burned], and in addition to the acute pain, he is at high risk for complications: pulmonary distress, respiratory issues --" Kayla continued. "Okay, okay, I get it, all right -- he's in bad shape," Sami concluded, not wanting to hear any more.
"But, um...he's going to recover, right?" Sami asked. "Well, that is our hope..." Kayla noncommittally replied. "Okay, so...when they do take the bandages off...will I recognize him?" Sami wondered. "My guess? [No] -- not right away, anyway. But, eventually, maybe we'll do some skin grafts --" Kayla began to explain. "Eventually?" Sami repeated, clearly disappointed.
"Kayla, you have been in this position -- you've lost the man that you loved, and you got him back -- but imagine just being on the brink of it [and] just waiting to find out if it's really him... I mean, I -- I don't know how to feel! I can't let myself be happy, [and] I can't celebrate; I can't do anything until I know for sure!" Sami fretted. Kayla sympathized with Sami but insisted that the recovery process couldn't be rushed.
"Couldn't we just...I don't know, peel back a little bit of the bandages and check his fingerprints?" Sami suggested. "No. The risk of infection is too high," Kayla apologetically replied. "Okay, [then] why don't you draw blood [and] run a DNA test?" Sami continued, not yet ready to give up. "Kayla, you gotta give me something! I need to know if the man in that bed is the man that I love!" Sami added.
"[Well, I'd] need a sample from one of the DiMera family members to compare it to --" Kayla began to respond as a nurse emerged from the burn victim's room. "We need you, Dr. Johnson! It's an emergency!" the nurse announced. "Stay right here, Sami," Kayla instructed before rushing off with the nurse. Alarmed, Sami chased after Kayla and the nurse, calling out, "Are you kidding me? Like hell!"
A few minutes later, Kayla finished examining the burn victim then informed Sami, "His blood pressure dropped suddenly, but he's stable now. He just needs to rest." Sami, who was already in the burn victim's room, asked to stay with the man for a while. Kayla reluctantly agreed. "Don't touch him," Kayla warned Sami before exiting the room.
Sami took a seat next to the man and began talking. "E.J. -- if that is you in there -- I just want you to know that I'm here. [And] that I brought you home. [And that] I am making sure that you get the best possible care. I'm taking care of everything, [so] the rest is up to you. [I want you to] focus on getting strong and getting healthy -- for me and for our kids, [who] miss you so much," Sami stressed, resisting the urge to grasp one of the burn victim's hands. "You know that, uh, patience isn't really my best event, right? So, I'm gonna stay on everybody here and make sure they do everything they can to get you healthy, okay?" Sami promised.
"[And] I am going to be right here -- for as long as it takes," Sami concluded, managing a hopeful smile.
Brady entered the Brady Pub, approached the bar, and slumped down on one of the stools with a heavy sigh, not paying any attention to the other man who was sitting at the bar. "Brady? It's -- it's me," Rex began, also providing a first name for good measure. Brady still didn't recognize Rex right away. "Rex! Rex Brady!" Brady eventually remembered.
"Sorry -- I, um -- I've had a lot on my mind," Brady vaguely explained. "Well, how 'bout I buy you a beer, and you can tell me all about it?" Rex offered. "A beer? Why the hell not? Sounds good!" Brady enthusiastically replied.
Rex ordered two beers and placed one in Brady's line of sight. Brady stared at the beer as Rex began probing for information. "A woman I know just died," Brady sadly explained. "Friend? Colleague?" Rex asked curiously. "She was a lot of things, but mainly she was just -- she was someone I loved," Brady vaguely clarified. "I'm sure she knew," Rex guessed. "I'd like to think so, but I don't know. You see, I had -- I had the -- I had the opportunity to be good to her, and to be kind to her, and [to] do the right thing, and I just...didn't. And, uh, now I'm never gonna get the chance to," Brady elaborated, sighing again.
Rex offered to make a toast to the woman, but Brady hesitantly declined. "I shouldn't be drinking right now. It's not a good idea," Brady explained before rushing off, leaving Rex somewhat confused.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Maggie admitted to being shocked to see Sarah, who hadn't mentioned anything in recent days about a planned trip to Salem. "You know I like surprises," Sarah reminded Maggie with a shrug.
After a quick tour of the mansion, Maggie and Sarah settled in the living room. "Mom, this place is gorgeous! [It's] a palace!" Sarah raved. "And I hope Victor is treating you like a queen," Sarah added. "Well, like most couples, we hit an occasional speed bump...but yes, he makes me very happy," Maggie confirmed. "I'd be even happier if I saw more of my daughter," Maggie continued. "Guilt trip already?" Sarah asked, laughing.
"No, no -- it's just that when you moved to Chicago, I thought I'd see you all the time...and then you ended up halfway around the world," Maggie clarified. "Yeah, well, when the opportunity came to join Doctors Without Borders, I just couldn't say no," Sarah apologetically replied. Nodding, Maggie revealed, "Neil... He always wanted one of his children to be a doctor. [He] would be so proud of you [for following] in his footsteps -- as am I."
Touched, Sarah thanked Maggie for the kind words -- and for always being supportive, even when being supportive had been hard. "I assume [you're talking about] when you followed Melissa to Nashville. [Look], I knew [that was about you] finding yourself," Maggie replied. "I don't know what I was doing...but I had fun doing it," Sarah admitted. "The music scene down there is wild," Sarah added. "As I recall, you were wild yourself," Maggie countered. Sarah conceded the point with a laugh. "[But] once I got that all out of my system, you know, I was ready to focus...and [now] here I am," Sarah concluded with a shrug and a smile.
"Now that you're back from your overseas adventure, what is next?" Maggie asked curiously. "Actually, um...I have some pretty big plans...and not just for my career," Sarah admitted before flashing an engagement ring.
Maggie was stunned to learn that Sarah was engaged to Roman and Kate's son, of all people. "Tell me everything!" Maggie urged Sarah. "[Well, we met while doing] our residencies at the same hospital in Chicago. [And] it was my worst day ever as a med student -- [see], I was actually hiding in a supply closet, [and I was] beyond furious because my chief resident [had] just chewed me out for daring to remind him that the patient he was about to give penicillin to was severely allergic -- [and] Rex talked me off the ceiling [and then] took me to his favorite deep-dish pizza place, and that's where we discovered that we were both from Salem and that we knew a lot of the same people, and after that, he asked me on a second date, and then a third, and soon enough we fell in love," Sarah explained. "Small world!" Maggie mused with a shake of the head.
Rex arrived a short time later, while Maggie was preparing tea and cookies for Sarah in the kitchen. While waiting for Maggie to return, Rex and Sarah agreed that it was great to be back in Salem, which hadn't changed much at all. Maggie soon carried a tray of goodies into the living room and warmly greeted Rex, who breathed a sigh of relief. "I have to admit, I was a little nervous about coming back here. [I mean], I didn't know how you'd react to me being engaged to your daughter -- 'cause, you know, I was once accused of that...thing..." Rex awkwardly began to explain. Realizing where Rex was heading, Sarah quickly interrupted. "[You're] not the Salem Stalker," Sarah told Rex. "[And you're] alive," Sarah told Maggie. "So, it's all good, right?" Sarah concluded with a nervous chuckle. Maggie agreed that it was water under the bridge.
Rex was pleased to hear that but was quick to acknowledge that there was another thing that wasn't water under the bridge. "I'm old-fashioned, and I'm sorry -- I did not ask for your blessing [before] I proposed," Rex apologetically began to elaborate. "That's very thoughtful, Rex...but trust me -- my daughter makes [her own] decisions," Maggie assured Rex. "Having said that...I approve," Maggie added, flashing Rex a smile.
Just then, someone rang the doorbell. Maggie opened the front door and found Eric standing outside. "Where are they?" Maggie asked while looking around the property, expecting Nicole and Holly to be with Eric. "I have news..." Eric gravely announced. "I brought Holly back home with me, [and when] we were heading up the driveway, [she] saw Ari and Thomas and the nanny playing in the leaves, [and] she begged to join them, so I let her..." Eric continued before starting to share the bad news about Nicole. Maggie was devastated to learn that Nicole was dead. Eric helped Maggie get settled in a chair in the living room, greeting Rex in the process.
"I had no idea you were in town," Eric said to Rex before focusing on Maggie again. "Mom, are you okay?" Sarah asked worriedly. Maggie shakily informed Sarah that Nicole was dead. "Oh, my God! [But] I just spoke to her a few weeks ago!" Sarah exclaimed. "Nicole is the woman who sublet my apartment in Nashville when I moved to Chicago," Sarah explained to Rex. "Sarah?" Eric realized, prompting Rex to apologetically introduce Eric and Sarah to each other in a more formal way. Maggie soon rushed off, wanting to see Holly right away. Sarah went with Maggie, leaving Rex alone with Eric.
"Dad told me about how much you loved Nicole. I'm so sorry, man," Rex told Eric. "Nicole asked me to take care of her daughter, [but] I don't know if I can do that, 'cause I can barely look at that little girl without falling apart," Eric admitted. "Well, clearly, Maggie adores this child, [so she'll] do whatever she can to help...[and] I know we haven't connected much over the years, but we're family, so whatever you need from me, you got it," Rex assured Eric. "Thank you. It's good to know I have a brother I can count on," Eric replied.
Brady went to the Salem Inn to see Eve. "You're the last person I expected to be knocking at my door," Eve admitted to Brady in lieu of a greeting. "Can I come in?" Brady asked nervously, as if expecting Eve to slam the door at any moment. Despite obvious reservations, Eve reluctantly stepped aside to let Brady in. "I just want to talk," Brady explained. "I really don't know what's left to talk about," Eve replied.
Brady hesitantly began to tell Eve about everything that had happened in Nashville. Eve insisted that Brady wasn't responsible for Nicole's death, but Brady argued that blackmailing Nicole was what had put the whole ordeal in motion. "[Anyway], listen, I did -- I did not -- I did not come here for absolution. I just wanted to -- I wanted to say something to you about the last time that we saw each other," Brady explained. "When everything blew up at the hospital?" Eve recalled. "You told me that I was -- I was in no position to judge you for making one mistake, given all the terrible things that I have done," Brady elaborated.
"And I don't blame you if you can't forgive me for my reaction, 'cause it was unforgivable, [but] I just wanted to look you in the eye [and] tell you that you were right [and] I was wrong. And I am sorry, because I was hypocritical, and I was unfair. [So], I just -- I needed to look at you, and I needed to say that. [But] now I can go, 'cause that's [all] I wanted to say," Brady added before starting to exit the hotel room.
Eve tried to stop Brady. "No, no -- look, my brother is right. I am a pathetic excuse for a man. [And] that is -- that is how it is," Brady insisted with a shrug. Eve argued that Brady had made some bad choices but wasn't a bad person. Brady disagreed. "Remember what I did to you -- to the woman that I professed to love? [I mean], is that [what] a good guy [does]? No! [And] I'm so sorry, because I care about you, [but] I just -- I don't know how to be --" Brady tearfully began to add. Eve shut Brady up with a hug and said that everything was going to be okay. "[How]? Eric hates me; the whole town hates me!" Brady protested.
"That's not true. I could never hate you. Despite everything [that] we've been through...I still love you," Eve admitted. Surprised, Brady spontaneously kissed Eve.
At the hospital, Roman convinced Hattie to drink his hangover cure so that she would feel better. With a grimace, Hattie chugged back a cup of Roman's brew. While Hattie waited for the treatment to work, Roman went into the hallway to tell John that he was working on his plan to woo Hattie. Elated, John told Roman to get back to work. With a laugh, Roman went back into Hattie's room. With a smile, Roman asked Hattie if she was feeling better. Hattie giggled and nodded yes.
"I know a lot of ways to make you feel better. Much better. I just can't wait until you get out of this hospital so that we can try them," Roman whispered. Hattie asked why they had to wait. Roman reminded Hattie that they needed to keep up appearances at the hospital. Hattie threw her arms around Roman, but he pushed her away.
"Hattie, look, it just doesn't feel right," Roman said. Suspicious, Hattie asked if Roman was "into her." Roman said he wanted to make love to Hattie but that he could not because Hattie was married to John. Hattie argued that her marriage was a sham, but Roman said he still believed that marriage was a sacrament.
"I want to be with you so bad it hurts, but sweetheart, it can't be. It can't be until you divorce John," Roman stressed. "I want you, mind, body, and soul," Roman said. As Hattie smiled dreamily, John walked in. John asked what he had walked in on. Roman stammered that he was sitting with Hattie. John told Hattie that Marlena was furious about the marriage. John asked Hattie to sign the annulment papers.
"Do it, sweetheart. Then you will be free, and we can be together," Roman told Hattie. Hattie asked for a pen. John handed a pen to Hattie. With a glance at John and then Roman, Hattie ripped up the papers. "How stupid do you two think I am?" Hattie asked. Hattie threw the tattered remains in the air and complained about John and Roman conspiring together. Hattie added that she was surprised that Roman had toyed with her feelings.
"If you have any decency at all, just tell me the truth. Do you have any feelings for me at all?" Hattie asked. Roman said he did have feelings for Hattie. Hattie demanded that Roman sleep with her to prove his interest. Shocked, Roman asked Hattie if she wanted John in the room during the act. Hattie said she did not care if John stayed. With a shake of his head, Roman apologized to John.
"I can only go so far. You've got to understand that," Roman told John. "And you are out of control," Roman said to Hattie. Hattie screamed at Roman to get out. With a shrug, Roman left. John told Hattie they had not intended to hurt her feelings. Hattie countered that she would never end her marriage to John. With a nod, John said that Hattie would need to be Marlena for the rest of her life if she did not sign the papers.
"You really want to live your life with nobody loving you for who you really are? You got it. But if you ask me, it sounds like another prison," John said.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Jennifer was surprised to see Eric open the front door when she stopped by for a visit with Maggie. "You and Nicole are back together?" Jennifer asked hopefully. "No. Nicole is dead," Eric said. Eric invited Jennifer into the living room, and he told Jennifer what had happened in Nashville. Eric said he had not talked to Holly about her mother's death yet because he could not believe Nicole was gone. In tears, Jennifer said she was sorry for not telling Eric about Nicole sooner.
"I wish I could have gotten to Nicole earlier, but I don't blame you. It's Brady. It's his fault," Eric said. Eric explained that he had found the recording to save Nicole, but it had been too late. "Brady was the reason that Xander had been able to keep Nicole and Holly captive," Eric complained. When Eric added that Brady had killed Nicole when he had knocked Eric unconscious, Jennifer told Eric that it was fortunate that Holly was safe.
"How do you tell a little girl that her mother is gone, and she is never coming home?" Eric asked. Jennifer encouraged Eric to rely on Marlena for guidance. Jennifer added that she was there if Eric needed her help. Uncomfortable, Eric said he needed to check on Holly. "I'm so sorry," Jennifer said. "I know," Eric countered. With a sigh, Eric walked out.
In Eve's hotel room, Brady and Eve lay in bed together. Brady lamented that he had caused Nicole's death. Eve promised to help Brady get through it. Eve reminded Brady that Kristen was the cause of Nicole's death. "I went and did everything I could to get Kristen to trust me. I wanted her to believe that we could have a future together," Brady said. Eve asked Brady to clarify.
"If you're asking me if I slept with her, I did," Brady said. Furious, Eve yelled at Brady for sleeping with the woman that had attempted to kill her. Brady said he had wanted to do something good, and he had chosen to sleep with Kristen in order to help Sami. "You still have feelings for Kristen?" Eve asked. Eve suggested that Brady was mourning Kristen's death as well as Nicole's. With a shake of her head, Eve chastised herself for believing that Brady wanted to be with her. Brady assured Eve that their relationship was real.
"I don't want to see you anymore. You need to deal with Nicole, Kristen. I need to move on," Eve said firmly. Brady reminded Eve that they needed to work together at Basic Black. Eve said no. "Everybody is fired, Brady. I got a letter from Stefan this morning, and Basic Black is done. Just like us," Eve said. Eve explained that the board had decided to drop the company.
"Some things are too broken to be fixed, Brady," Eve said. Brady asked what Eve planned to do next. Eve said she wanted to leave town. "There is nothing left for me here," Eve said. Brady asked Eve if she was sure. Eve explained that she had already packed her bags.
"I waited my whole life for someone like you. I guess I'm just not meant for happily ever after. Guess you're not either," Eve said. Eve took off her engagement ring and dropped it on the table. "I'm sorry," Brady whispered. "Me too," Eve said as she ran out of the room. Brady wiped tears from his eyes.
In the square, an angry Claire asked Ben why he had not responded to her text. Ben said he had been busy. Claire asked Ben if he had second thoughts about their plan. "I don't like lying to Ciara," Ben said. "What exactly is it you are lying to me about?" Ciara asked as she walked up with Tripp.
"I know you had your doubts about me. That's why I want to always tell you the truth," Ben said. Ciara pushed for Ben to tell the truth about his conversation. Claire interrupted to explain that the café had not hired Ben. Tripp joked that "Necktie Killer" was not the best thing to have on a résumé. Claire defended Ben to Tripp.
"One thing hasn't changed, and that is that Tripp doesn't like me," Ben said. Tripp agreed. Tripp kissed Ciara goodbye, and he headed into the café to clock in. Ciara apologized to Ben, but Ben said he understood. Ben lamented that he could not find work. Claire asked Ciara to help Ben find a job. Ben argued that he would never escape his past. Claire asked Ciara if she could convince someone to hire Ben.
Ben was reluctant to ask for help, but Claire insisted. Ciara said she had ideas. With a grin, Claire said she was excited to hear what ideas Ben and Ciara settled on. With a nod, Ciara left with Ben. A worried Tripp rushed out of the café and asked Claire where Ben was going with Ciara. With a devilish grin, Claire hinted that she had a secret.
"Ciara insisted on helping Ben find a job," Claire said. Tripp fumed. "Some girls are just drawn to bad boys," Claire said. When Claire reminded Tripp that he had been bad when he'd arrived in town, Tripp countered that Claire could not compare his behavior to a serial killer. As Claire wondered aloud who hated Ben enough to plant evidence against him at the cabin, Tripp shifted his eyes away. "It was you! You planted the evidence at the cabin," Claire exclaimed.
At the police station, Rafe and Hope worked to establish a case that Ben had framed himself for the fire. Rafe found a lead at the company that manufactured the accelerant used at the fire. Rafe explained that the lot number on the can could be traced to the store in which it was purchased. Rafe called the store and learned that only one person had purchased the accelerant in recent months, and it had been a young man. Rafe told Hope that the store owner had asked to look at photos to confirm who had purchased the accelerant.
At the Brady Pub, Ben told Ciara that he did not believe she could convince anyone to hire him. Ciara reminded Ben that she was likable and charming. Ciara added that she was close to Roman. With a shake of his head, Ben argued that Roman would not forget what Ben had done to Will. Ciara urged Ben to let her handle things. As Ciara looked around, she wondered aloud what had happened to Roman.
While waiting for Roman, Ben and Ciara sipped coffee. Ben thanked Ciara for believing in him. When Ben mentioned that he had not felt that safe since he had been seven, Ciara asked what had happened to change Ben at that age. Ben told Ciara that he had worked odd jobs to make money to buy a present for his father then had bought his father a birthday gift. Ciara listened closely as Ben told Ciara that he had witnessed his father torture a man in their yard the night of Clyde's birthday. Ben explained that Clyde had wanted Ben to see the torture to teach him a lesson about power. Ben admitted that he had helped Clyde bury the man in the woods.
"You never told anyone about this?" Ciara asked. "It was my dad. He was a menace, but he was my world, and I loved him. But after that day, I never felt safe again. Not a single moment in my life," Ben said. "And the gift?" Ciara asked. "I never gave it to him. It was a necktie," Ben said. With the realization, Ben crumpled forward onto the table. Ciara reached out and clasped Ben's hands in hers. Ben looked up and into Ciara's eyes. Ben reached out and touched Ciara's hair. As Ben leaned forward to kiss Ciara, she pulled away.
"I'm sorry. I can't. I can't do this. I'm with Tripp. I'm sorry," Ciara said. Overwhelmed, Ciara ran out of the pub. Outside the pub, Roman spotted Eric sitting alone on a bench, crying. Roman sat down next to Eric, and Eric put his head on Roman's shoulder.
In the square, Eve ran into Jennifer. "I certainly hope you're happy, Jennifer, now that you've ruined everyone's lives," Eve growled. Eve blamed Jennifer for Nicole's death and the death of Eve's relationship with Brady. Eve told Jennifer that she would regret her actions.
At the hospital, Hattie awoke with a scream of panic. John soon peeked in Hattie's room and wondered what was wrong. "Nightmare," Hattie stressed, shuddering at the memory.
"It was like I was playing Marlena Evans, [and] her patients began coming in to see me, one...after the other...after the other...after the other..." Hattie explained. "I told you [you'd] regret playing her," John reminded Hattie with an unsympathetic shrug. John again offered a way out, but Hattie remained unwilling to agree to a divorce that would likely facilitate a quick return to Statesville.
"All right -- we'll play it your way. Get dressed," John told Hattie. "What?" Hattie asked, confused. "We're going home," John elaborated. Hattie gulped as John pointed to one of Marlena's signature outfits.
A short time later, Hattie settled in a wheelchair and waited expectantly for John to begin steering it. Hope and Eli were standing at the nearby nurses' station when John emerged from Hattie's room with the wheelchair and its occupant. "We were just coming to get you both," Eli began to explain. "Something terrible has happened," Hope added. "They canceled The Good Place?" Hattie asked worriedly, confusing Hope and Eli. "She's making jokes because she's starting to feel so much better...right, Marlena?" John interjected. "Oh...that's right..." Hattie replied.
John -- and, by extension, Hattie -- followed Hope and Eli to the hospital's chapel, where a corpse was sprawled out on the floor, covered with a sheet. Hattie gagged and recoiled when Hope pulled the sheet off the corpse. "Kristen?" John observed, stunned. "[Guess she] didn't die in Nashville, after all... Surprise, surprise..." John added.
"Who would do a thing like that?" Hattie asked after daring to take another peek at Kristen, whose face was frozen in wide-eyed, open-mouthed horror. "I'm hoping you can give me the answer to that," Hope replied, confusing Hattie. "She must have been pretty damn driven to get back here...[maybe to] settle the score with you?" Hope continued. Still confused, Hattie wondered how Kristen had been killed. "Someone bashed in the back of her head," Hope reported. "Like Alf--" Hattie began before stopping abruptly. "Like Andre," Hattie said instead. "You oughta put out an APB on those burial urns that look like cocktail shakers!" Hattie suggested.
John noted that "666" had been written in blood on Kristen's forehead. "Sign of the devil," John mused. "Almost like what happened years ago," Hope recalled. "Right? I mean, you couldn't have forgotten that, Marlena," Hope added, eyeing Hattie suspiciously. "Well, Kristen did so many terrible things, it's hard to know which one you're talking about..." Hattie nervously replied.
"[I'm talking about something that] happened to Kristen. She was left in a church, stripped naked, and pentagrams were painted all over her body," Hope clarified. "Who would do such a thing?" Hattie asked with a gasp of horror. "Marlena, it was you," Hope declared. "No! I wouldn't do that!" Hattie protested. "I think what she means is that she wasn't found legally responsible because, at the time, she was...possessed by the devil," John interjected.
"Yeah, well, you know, being possessed by the devil is a pretty hard thing to remember..." Hattie hesitantly conceded, stunned. "Can anyone vouch for your whereabouts tonight?" Hope asked suspiciously, eager to move on. "There was a guard outside my door! All night long! And I stayed in my hospital bed the whole time!" Hattie defensively insisted. "Stay in town and don't leave this jurisdiction -- just in case," Hope demanded before walking away. "The nerve of that dame, trying to hang this thing on me!" Hattie complained to John, who clarified that Marlena was the true suspect.
After leaving the hospital, John took Hattie to the DiMera mansion. "You've got that cute little townhouse, [so] what are we doing here, at the House of Frankenstein?" Hattie asked, shivering. John explained that Abigail, who was like a niece to Marlena, lived at the mansion and was in desperate need of around-the-clock care at that time. "That's why she and her husband have invited us to move in," John added, stunning Hattie. "[I'd better be getting] overtime pay [for this]!" Hattie grumbled as John rang the doorbell.
Stefan opened the door and led John and Hattie to the living room, where Abigail was waiting. "Stefan, I'm afraid I have some terrible news about your half-sister..." John began to announce. "Yes, I know -- the police [have] already called me," Stefan replied with a sigh. Meanwhile, Hattie looked around the lavish living room in stunned silence.
"Marlena! It's so good to see you! I guess you must have been pretty surprised [to learn that] I'm married to Stefan now..." Abigail began. "Yes, well, I read it in the Intruder," Hattie replied. "So, is it true? Are you sort of like 'The Three Faces of Abigail' again?" Hattie asked curiously. "Well, everybody else thinks so, but I don't. [See], I'm being set up -- and I was hoping you could help me prove that," Abigail explained.
"I've been in the hospital for a while, so I'm a little bit rusty..." Hattie tried to protest. "I think you can handle it, honey," John insisted, delighting in watching Hattie squirm.
Stefan led John to the study for a cigar break, leaving Abigail and Hattie alone together in the living room. Once the coast was clear, Abigail confided, "[Actually, something is wrong -- but not with me]. It's the baby I'm worried about. [See], I don't think Stefan's the father -- [or Chad]. I'm afraid one of my alters may have slept with someone else. [I mean], I just keep having dreams that I'm making love to someone, but I can't tell who it is -- I wake up [before I] see his face -- so I was hoping maybe you could hypnotize me, [because that] might help me remember. [You know], like you did before."
"Sure, I'd be glad to do that...[but] the coma has left me, uh, kind of sketchy on some details -- some parts of my memory..." Hattie claimed, laughing nervously. "Oh, don't worry -- I can tell you [how to hypnotize me]," Abigail dismissively insisted before beginning to demonstrate a technique that involved stirring a spoon inside a cup of tea. "Is that how we did it before?" Hattie asked. "I don't have a clue how you did it before, but I saw this in a movie," Abigail clarified, shrugging. "Works for me!" Hattie declared before beginning to replicate the technique. Abigail soon adopted a blank stare. "Looks hypnotized to me," Hattie concluded, surprised.
Just as Hattie began trying to help Abigail remember the night of the unborn child's conception, Doug and Julie burst into the living room. "Sorry! Are we interrupting?" Julie asked, speaking with an accent that no one seemed to notice. "Oh, that's okay, Julie," Abigail replied, suddenly emerging from Hattie's spell. "What are the two of you doing here?" Abigail asked. "[We're here] to check on you, dear -- and that unborn baby, of course," Doug explained.
"I brought you something," Julie revealed, handing Abigail a cocktail shaker. "Vitamin drink -- better than any pill on the market," Julie elaborated as Abigail unscrewed the lid and sniffed the concoction. "Ugh! What is this?" Abigail asked, cringing. "Oh -- snips and snails, puppy dog's tails..." Julie vaguely claimed. "A raw egg, glycerin, herbs from my garden...and, uh, tannis root," Julie added, being more serious.
Hattie, not wanting to sound uneducated, pretended to be familiar with tannis root. Sighing, Abigail reluctantly gulped down the concoction as Julie and Doug watched with great interest. Hattie waited until Abigail was done then asked Doug and Julie to leave. "We were in the middle of something here!" Hattie vaguely explained. "What kind of a 'something'?" Julie asked suspiciously. "Marlena's helping me figure out who fathered my baby," Abigail clarified. "I don't think that's a good idea..." Doug began to protest -- just as Eli entered the mansion.
"What a surprise!" Julie exclaimed while giving Eli a hug. "What are you doing here?" Julie nervously added. "I was just at Doug's Place, looking for cocktail shakers..." Eli began to explain. "You need a drink that badly?" Julie asked casually while hiding the cocktail shaker that Abigail had just returned. "The one I'm looking for could be the blunt object that was used to kill Kristen DiMera tonight. Chloe said that the club was missing one," Eli clarified. "Well, don't look at us!" Doug insisted with a shrug.
Eli, who was actually more interested in questioning Abigail, suspiciously pointed out that Andre had been killed with a cocktail shaker, too. "Mind if I take a look in the [secret tunnels]? I believe that Kristen was there last time she was here. Maybe [there's] some evidence [there] that might link us to her killer," Eli added. "Go for it. I have nothing to hide," Abigail replied while opening the false panel that led to the secret tunnels. "Sweetheart, I don't think you should go in there..." Julie began to protest. "I'll be fine," Eli dismissively insisted before disappearing from view.
"This place is starting to give me the creeps!" Hattie declared, shivering. "Really? I think it's lovely!" Julie countered, gleefully adding that many horrible things had occurred within the mansion's walls. "What a freak!" Hattie whispered to Abigail as Julie waxed nostalgic about some of those horrible things. Just then, a sudden burst of gunfire rang out from somewhere within the secret tunnels. "Stay where you are! Get back!" Eli shouted at someone as another shot rang out. Hattie, Abigail, Doug, and Julie each ducked behind a piece of furniture in a panic. As Eli emerged from the secret tunnels, John and Stefan burst into the living room and wondered what was going on. "Someone was down there, [and] whoever it was started coming after me, so I fired two shots to keep 'em off," Eli explained between gasps for breath.
John and Stefan started to head into the secret tunnels to investigate, but Eli insisted that the person was already gone. "Maybe you should hypnotize [Eli to help him remember what he saw]!" Abigail suggested, turning to Hattie. Doug and Julie tried to protest, but Eli immediately claimed a chair and waited expectantly for the impromptu session to begin, wanting to do whatever it took to find Kristen's killer.
Hattie reluctantly began trying to hypnotize Eli -- and was again surprised when Abigail's technique seemed to work. "I'm in the tunnels...[and] there's a door to the secret room...[and] it's dark, [and] it's cold, [and] I can see my breath... [When I] open the door, [I see] someone crouched in the corner, [and] I can tell they want to hurt me -- maybe even kill me..." Eli nervously recalled with Hattie's help. "I know -- it's that Gabi Hernandez! She just loves killing people!" Julie interjected. "No -- no, it's -- it's..." Eli tearfully tried to clarify, gripping both sides of the chair in wide-eyed horror. "GET OUT!" Julie suddenly screamed at Eli.
"I hope John can get Eli home safely," Abigail mused a few minutes later, after John helped Eli out of the mansion. "Say, uh, what was that whole 'get out' business?" Hattie asked Julie curiously. "Oh, he's my flesh and blood. I gotta protect him," Julie explained with a shrug. "From what?" Hattie asked, confused. "From you -- and that hypnosis!" Julie snapped.
Just then, Abigail cried out in pain. "I think I'm in labor!" Abigail announced. "It's time!" Doug excitedly whispered to Julie in a singsong voice. Abigail turned to Hattie while worriedly insisting that there was no time for a trip to the hospital. Hattie gulped and reluctantly prepared to deliver the baby but soon passed out. Stefan carried Hattie to the foyer. When Hattie regained consciousness, Stefan revealed that Julie had delivered the baby instead.
"Guess John was right -- living Marlena's life is no day at the beach..." Hattie mused after Stefan headed upstairs to make a few phone calls. Hattie returned to the living room and found Abigail resting on the couch, with no one else in sight -- except the baby, who had been placed in a bassinet. "What did you, uh, have -- a boy or a girl?" Hattie asked curiously. "It's a boy, but I haven't seen him yet," Abigail groggily replied. "Oh -- well, then, we should just get a gander at him, don't you think?" Hattie suggested while approaching the bassinet.
"What's wrong?" Abigail asked when Hattie suddenly gasped. "I don't know how to tell you this, honey, but...your baby is the spitting image of...Andre DiMera!" Hattie revealed. "That's because he takes after his daddy," Andre explained, emerging from the secret tunnels. "You can't be the father!" Abigail protested as Andre picked up the baby.
"Yeah -- you're dead!" Hattie agreed. "Someone brought me back to life," Andre explained with a shrug. "Somebody with a pretty sick sense of humor..." Hattie grumbled. "That would be me," Rolf clarified, emerging from the secret tunnels. Abigail and Hattie assumed that either Andre or Rolf had frightened Eli earlier -- and had also killed Kristen. "I have no interest in answering your mundane questions," Andre dismissively insisted.
Andre excitedly informed Abigail that their child would one day rule the world. "So, you're not angry at me for bashing your head in?" Abigail asked, confused. "The only person I blame is Hattie Adams," Andre replied with a scowl. "What the hell did I -- what did she do?" Hattie wondered. "She goaded Anna DiMera to go after me, [and] that's why Anna came to my office with that urn with my brother's ashes in it, [and that's the only reason] Abigail was able to use that as the murder weapon," Andre explained. "Why don't you just blame Anna?" Hattie suggested. Andre maintained that Hattie was the one who had started the whole chain of events.
"I will not give up until I find Hattie Adams -- and when I do, she's gonna suffer the horrors from hell..." Andre vowed. "Good thing that I just resemble her..." Hattie stressed, gulping. Unconvinced, Andre asked for Rolf's opinion on the matter. "It's hard to tell [if this is Marlena or Hattie]... My work is of such high caliber..." Rolf admitted while leaning in to scrutinize Hattie.
"Get away from me! I will swear on a stack of Bibles that I am Dr. Marlena Evans!" Hattie nervously insisted, backing away from Rolf.
"I want to hold my son!" Abigail interjected. "All in due time," Andre dismissively replied before handing Abigail a book -- How to Raise a Wise-Ass. Andre raved that it was a brilliant guide to child-rearing. "Who's Jean Claude Xavier?" Abigail asked, confused. "The answer to all your questions," Andre cryptically replied before rushing off with the baby. Rolf produced a gun to keep Abigail from trying to chase after Andre.
Hope soon burst into the mansion. "Hope! Thank God you're here! We know who killed Kristen!" Hattie exclaimed. "Yeah, yeah -- so do I. Celeste Perrault just called me. She had a vision of the killer," Hope breathlessly replied. "What, now we're listening to visions? What is this -- 'Law and Order: Salem's Victims Unit'?" Hattie asked incredulously before telling Hope that Kristen's killer -- Andre -- wasn't the only person who needed to be arrested because Andre's bodyguard, Rolf, had surely been involved, too. "Andre is not Kristen's killer," Hope clarified. "Who is?" Hattie wondered. "You're gonna be surprised when you hear --" Hope began.
"Activate satellite!" Rolf suddenly shouted into a wristwatch. "Oh, come on -- not again!" Hope tiredly protesting before suddenly transforming into Princess Gina.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing? Hope thinks she's some kind of a princess?" Hattie whispered to Abigail as Rolf produced a tiara and helped Hope put it on. "Well, I thought I was my grandmother and my best friend at the same time, so..." Abigail replied with a shrug. Just then, John returned -- and immediately caught Gina's attention. Groaning, John pointed at Hattie and told Gina, "You remember Marlena, right? [Well], I'm married to her now." Shrugging, Gina insisted, while taking Rolf's gun, that the problem could easily be solved. John tried to protest, but Gina had waited years to be with the Pawn and wasn't willing to wait any longer.
Hattie chastised Gina for having waited around for a man for such a long time. "I love him!" Gina sadly explained. "Maybe you oughta try loving yourself!" Hattie suggested. Realizing that Hattie had a point, Gina returned the gun and proudly declared that a princess didn't need a man to be happy. Just then, Stefan returned -- and immediately caught Gina's attention.
"What happened to not needing a man?" Hattie asked. "Needs and wants are two very different things," Gina explained with a shrug. "Have him washed and brought to my chamber," Gina added, eyeing Stefan hungrily. "That's my husband, Stefan," Abigail revealed. "The good ones are always taken..." Gina grumbled. "[If] you want him, he's yours," Abigail clarified. Confused, Stefan interrupted to announce that Andre was the father of Abigail's child -- and that was okay.
Just then, Doug and Julie returned. John explained that Hope had been turned into Gina again. "We've met before," Julie reminded Gina. "I know, I know -- you're old what's-her-name's sister-mother," Gina tiredly replied. Doug vowed to have a talk with Rolf later about the inappropriateness of turning Hope into Gina at random times. "But for now, Andre needs you upstairs," Doug told Rolf. "[And] he said everyone [else] can leave if they want to," Doug added. Thrilled, Hattie rushed off with John, wanting a stiff drink. A shrouded figure followed the fake couple to the Brady Pub and watched through a window as they began playing a game of Scrabble.
Hattie remained curious about the true identity of Kristen's killer. "I asked Eli about it in the car, and all he could say, over and over again, was, 'The answer to your question is an anagram,'" John revealed. "What's an anagram?" Hattie asked, confused. "It's where you rearrange the letters in one word to make another word," John clarified. "Jean Claude Xavier!" Hattie blurted out, remembering what Andre had said earlier.
At the police station, Eli -- still muttering the same thing about anagrams -- received an unexpected visitor. "Kristen DiMera? [But] you're dead!" Eli protested. "That was Susan Banks. Dumb cluck dressed up as me for Halloween. The killer thought she was me," Kristen explained. "How do you know?" Eli wondered. "I saw the murder -- and the murderer. I looked her right in the face," Kristen clarified. "Her?" Eli repeated.
Back at the DiMera mansion, Abigail wondered when Andre was going to return with the baby. "Is she always such a buzzkill?" Gina tiredly asked Stefan. "Always," Stefan confirmed. "Drop her," Gina flirtatiously suggested. Just then, Rolf returned with the baby -- and a short time later, Kristen entered the mansion with Eli, who seemed to be in a trance.
"I thought you were dead!" Julie told Kristen. "The dead woman is Susan Banks," Eli robotically clarified. "We're here to celebrate the baby," Eli added. "I haven't even seen him yet! And Marlena says he looks a lot like Andre..." Abigail began to explain. "That wasn't his true face, darling," Julie revealed.
"If you want to see what he really looks like, come closer," Julie excitedly encouraged Abigail. "What have you done to him? What have you done to his eyes? You maniacs!" Abigail asked with a gasp of horror. "It's his mother's eyes -- his real mother," Doug gleefully explained as Abigail began screaming.
Back at the pub, Hattie began arranging the Scrabble tiles in various ways, trying to turn "Jean Claude Xavier" into another name. John was surprised -- and somewhat impressed -- when Hattie eventually landed on the name "Anjelica Deveraux." John doubted that Hattie had truly solved the puzzle, though, since Anjelica was dead and therefore couldn't kill anyone. "Not tonight, I'm not," the shrouded figure clarified, entering the pub.
"Anjelica?" Hattie asked, stunned. "Oh, let's not stand on ceremony. Call me what everyone does," the shrouded figure replied. "Satan," the shrouded figure added, suddenly adopting a demonic voice and glowing red eyes.
"I've come back for you, Marlena," the shrouded figure continued. "I've thought a lot about you over the years, Marlena. Yours is the one soul that got away...thanks to him," the shrouded figure added while scowling at John, who guessed that the shrouded figure was the murderer -- and also the thing that had practically shattered Eli's sanity. "True...although at the time, I was in possession of Andre DiMera's body...and now I want to possess Marlena!" the shrouded figure replied. "I'm not Marlena! I'm Hattie Adams!" Hattie fearfully revealed. "Nice try, Marlena, [but] back at the mansion, you said that you would swear on a stack of Bibles that you were Dr. Marlena," the shrouded figure countered. John tried to step forward to protect Hattie, but the shrouded figure bashed John's head a few times with a cocktail shaker then proceeded to possess Hattie, who cried out in vain.
Hattie awoke with a start and breathed a sigh of relief while looking around a familiar hospital room. John soon peeked in and wondered what was wrong. "You know what? You're right! I can't do this! I can't be Marlena! I don't want to be her anymore! [Look], I want a divorce!" Hattie frantically demanded. "Hallelujah! Happy Halloween, Hattie Adams!" John declared, pleasantly surprised.
At the Salem Inn, Bonnie awoke with a groan, rolled out of bed, and headed straight over to the minibar, stumbling every step of the way. "Do we have any tomato juice?" Bonnie groggily asked Mimi, wanting to make a Bloody Mary. "You're really going to drink again -- first thing in the morning?" Mimi asked incredulously. "Hair of the dog, baby -- best hangover cure God ever made," Bonnie explained with a shrug.
"You truly are unbelievable!" Mimi declared with a shake of the head. "Not only are you using me and my baby to keep yourself from going back to prison, but you're also sabotaging your own case [by] acting like a terrible mother! [I mean], what rational judge is gonna hand over a baby to someone who doesn't even care about her?" Mimi continued, shouting despite being aware that Bonnie had a headache.
"I care about her! I love [her]!" Bonnie insisted. "Like hell you do! If you really loved my baby -- if you really cared about her -- then you wouldn't be putting her through this sham of a custody battle!" Mimi countered -- just as someone knocked on the hotel room door. "What the hell is going on in here?" Lucas asked when Mimi open the door. "I could hear you guys arguing all the way down the hall!" Lucas added while entering the hotel room with the baby, who was in a stroller. "What...exactly...did you hear?" Bonnie asked nervously.
"[Nothing specific], but I could definitely tell you two were arguing!" Lucas replied. As Bonnie breathed a sigh of relief, Mimi claimed that the argument had been about what had happened the previous day. "Well, please don't [argue] around my daughter, okay? You know how babies are -- they can feel all that negative energy," Lucas warned before handing the baby over to Mimi -- the Lockhart who hadn't spent the previous day in a drunken stupor. Bonnie apologized to Lucas, who vowed to go to the judge if anything like that ever happened again.
Bonnie flirtatiously praised Lucas for being so protective of the baby. "[You know], every time I look at her, I am just filled with awe! I mean, think about it -- you and I, we made that beautiful little baby together! I knew something special came of that night!" she added while rubbing his arms. "I, uh -- I gotta go. I'll be back [later]," he replied before rushing off, clearly uncomfortable.
"Could you be any more obvious when you throw yourself at someone?" Mimi asked Bonnie once the coast was clear. "What can I say? The man is sexy!" Bonnie replied with an unapologetic shrug. "And he's in a relationship with Chloe!" Mimi pointed out. "Oh, please -- we all know how that's gonna end up! You and I [have been] onto Ghoul Girl [since] you two were in high school, remember?" Bonnie dismissively countered. Mimi wasn't proud of the past and didn't want Bonnie to use such a horrible nickname when referring to Chloe, but Bonnie wasn't interested in being politically correct.
"[Look], we all know that she's [eventually] gonna get some obscure opera role in some way-out part of the world and leave poor Lucas in the dirt again!" Bonnie continued. "You sound jealous," Mimi observed. "Of Chloe? I don't think so!" Bonnie insisted, scoffing. Mimi wasn't convinced. "I've seen the way you look at him. [You'd better not be getting] some crazy idea that you're going to ride off into the sunset with Lucas -- and my baby!" Mimi warned. "When did you get so paranoid?" Bonnie asked evasively. "Maybe I've just learned my lesson!" Mimi replied, eyeing Bonnie suspiciously.
"I'm going for a walk -- and I'm taking my baby with me," Mimi spontaneously declared while returning the baby to the stroller. Mimi added that Bonnie wasn't invited. "What am I supposed to do [while you're gone]?" Bonnie asked, hurt. "Take a shower, drink some strong coffee, [and] reevaluate your life -- because if you don't pull it together, I swear, no matter how much you threaten [to rat me out to the cops], I will take her and go! I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe! She comes first!" Mimi stressed before leaving with the stroller and its occupant.
At the hospital, Kayla found Sami in the burn victim's room. "Have you been here all night?" Kayla asked, surprised. Nodding, Sami tearfully told Kayla, "I can't take it anymore! I just need to know if this is my husband!" Kayla was willing to put in a rush order for a DNA test if Sami could obtain a sample from one of E.J.'s close relatives for comparison. "Like...how close?" Sami wondered. "The closer the better. A parent or a child would be your best bet," Kayla clarified before exiting the room with a sample of the burn victim's blood.
As Sami was debating whether to leave the burn victim's side to get a comparison sample, Lucas entered the room. "How you doing?" Lucas asked. "I'm okay. Thank you for coming," Sami replied while giving Lucas a hug. "Is that him?" Lucas wondered, eyeing the burn victim. "Well, I'm not sure... I'm trying to find out..." Sami admitted, shrugging.
"Listen, I'm sorry I haven't been around lately. Um...I've been kind of busy..." Lucas began to explain. Sami was stunned to learn that Lucas had another daughter -- and that Bonnie Lockhart was the mother. "I thought she was Adrienne, and I was drinking..." Lucas clarified with a slight cringe before proceeding to show Sami a few pictures of the baby.
"Um...no offense, but...you remember that both of our kids -- they look a lot like you...[and they especially did] when they were born. I mean...uh, you know, since Bonnie was lying to you about being Adrienne...do you think maybe you should...get a...paternity test?" Sami carefully suggested. "We [already] took the DNA test, and it proved I was the father, so..." Lucas clarified, shrugging. "And you made sure she didn't mess with the test? We both know that's possible..." Sami pointed out. "As far as I know, yeah," Lucas confirmed with a nod.
Satisfied, Sami changed the subject, informing Lucas that the hospital's lab technicians would hopefully be performing another important DNA test in the near future.
"[Kayla already drew blood from the burn victim], but now I have to get someone for her to compare it to," Sami continued. Lucas was quick to point out that Johnny and Sydney were both viable candidates, but Sami didn't want to involve the kids. "They don't know how close we are [to possibly finding E.J.], and I don't want to get their hopes up," Sami reasoned. Lucas suggested that Sami could just steal a toothbrush from Johnny or Sydney to keep both kids in the dark about what was going on, but Sami didn't like that idea, either. "They're really far away, [and] I kind of want to get answers now," Sami explained.
"Well, since we don't know if Stefano's alive, uh...that leaves one person..." Lucas concluded. "Right -- my least-favorite loony bird, Susan Banks," Sami confirmed with a sigh.
"How are you gonna get her DNA?" Lucas wondered. "Jam a swab in her mouth...or maybe just rip some hair off her nutty head..." Sami decided, shrugging. Lucas laughed and sarcastically agreed that Sami had a solid plan in place. "[Just] don't get thrown in jail this time," Lucas advised. "I'll do my best," Sami promised, flashing a mischievous grin.
"I hope everything works out for you," Lucas stressed while exiting the burn victim's room with Sami. "Congratulations on your little girl. I'm happy for you," Sami replied before parting ways with Lucas in the hospital's halls.
Chloe passed through Horton Town Square while having a phone conversation with Eric. "Please give [Holly] a kiss for me, and tell [her] that her mother loved her more than anything in the whole world. [You know], I just hate thinking about all that time that [Nicole and I] wasted fighting with each other. I miss [her] already. [Anyway], if you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me -- it doesn't matter what time of day or night," Chloe said.
After ending the call, Chloe noticed that Belle was sitting alone at a nearby table, doing prep work for the custody battle. Chloe approached Belle and began to share the theory that Mimi, not Bonnie, was the baby's mother -- and that Lucas therefore wasn't the baby's father. Taken aback, Belle began to squirm, leading Chloe to conclude that Belle had suspicions about the baby's true parentage, too.
"Listen, there's one giant hole in your theory, [and that's] that Mimi can't have children. You know as well as I do that [she] had complications after the abortion, and every one of her doctors told her she was infertile," Belle pointed out. "Doctors are wrong sometimes. I mean, they told me that I couldn't get pregnant again, and we all know how that turned out," Chloe countered.
"Chloe, there was a DNA test done, [and] it showed that the parents were Bonnie and Lucas!" Belle pointed out. "Well, look, I don't know how DNA works, but Bonnie and Mimi are mother and daughter, [so] maybe it was a close enough match," Chloe countered. "Then how do you explain the Lucas part?" Belle wondered. "I don't know. I -- I -- I guess I can't," Chloe conceded.
Just then, Mimi entered the town square with the baby and took a seat on a bench, failing to notice that Chloe and Belle were nearby. "Okay, tell me that that doesn't look like a mother [with her child] to you," Chloe challenged Belle as Mimi lovingly bounced the baby on one knee. Chloe rushed off to confront Mimi, ignoring Belle's protests. Sighing, Belle chased after Chloe.
"So, I see you're here alone -- again -- with the baby. Where's her mother -- nursing a hangover?" Chloe asked. "Why is it any of your business?" Mimi countered. "Chloe and I were just discussing the custody case..." Belle began to explain. "Yeah -- and why your mother doesn't really seem to care about this baby. Seems like she'd rather be...I don't know -- drinking, playing on her phone, doing anything other than being a mother... All [that] responsibility seems to be falling on your shoulders," Chloe suspiciously elaborated for Belle. Mimi nervously glanced at Belle in a silent plea for help.
"Mimi, why don't you let me walk you guys back to the [hotel]," Belle suggested, taking the stroller from Mimi. "Listen, Chloe...I heard what you said, [but] you're wrong, and I think you just need to let it go and let the court decide what's best for the baby," Belle added as Mimi tossed a bottle of water in a nearby trash can. Sensing an opportunity, Chloe quickly backpedaled, apologetically claiming that Nicole's unexpected death had led to some regrettable outbursts of misplaced emotion in recent days, and Mimi had simply been the latest victim. Satisfied, Belle led Mimi and the baby out of the town square.
Once the coast was clear, Chloe retrieved the bottle from the trash can and placed it in a reusable bag from her purse -- one that usually held dry cereal instead.
In the park, Belle told Mimi about Chloe's theory. Mimi was worried that Bonnie was going to blow the whole scheme then tell the cops the truth about a certain murder as a last-ditch effort to stay out of prison, but Belle promised to stop that from happening. Meanwhile, Lucas returned to the Salem Inn to get the baby. Bonnie explained to Lucas that Mimi had taken the baby out earlier for some fresh air. Bonnie assured Lucas that Mimi would be back with the baby soon enough. Bonnie then began flirting with Lucas again, wanting to take full advantage of the private time.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Susan entered the living room in search of food, knowing that Maggie always ate breakfast there. Maggie, who had been chatting with Sarah and Rex, introduced Susan to the happy couple.
"'Rex'? Like the dog?" Susan guessed. "Sure?" Rex confirmed, shrugging. Susan eyed Rex suspiciously. "Why is she looking at me like that?" Rex nervously asked Maggie. "Oh, 'cause it's just fascinatin'!" Susan explained for Maggie. "What is it, Susan?" Maggie wondered, trying to be patient. "You introduced Rex here as your daughter's fiancé...but don't you mean her baby daddy?" Susan replied.
Confused, Rex wondered what Susan was talking about. "I took one look at that chiseled face of yours, and I just got this overwhelmin' vision of you holdin' a bambino in your arms!" Susan explained. Rex assumed that Susan was talking about Lucas and Bonnie's daughter, but Susan insisted that the baby in the vision had been Rex's biological child. "Sure as I'm lookin' at those cheekbones [of yours], you have a baby in your future -- near future!" Susan assured Rex. "Thank you for the heads-up?" Rex replied, still confused.
"Now, Maggie, I may be old-fashioned, but if I were you, I'd be pushin' these two into ringin' the weddin' bells sooner rather than later! [That is], unless you [want 'em] to have that baby out of wedlock -- I mean, not that anybody gives a hoot about that anymore..." Susan continued. "Sarah? Are you pregnant?" Maggie asked, suddenly concerned. "No! I am not pregnant! This woman is clearly insane!" Sarah insisted. "Oh, I'm tellin' ya -- there's a baby! And I'm never wrong!" Susan maintained.
Rex and Sarah waited until Susan was gone then started laughing hysterically at the absurdity of what had just happened. "Please tell me that Susan's room is not next to ours," Sarah begged. "I think you're at a safe distance," Maggie confirmed. "She is extremely odd," Rex observed.
"But I have to say, she wasn't entirely off about all that baby talk. [I mean], when I was holding [my niece] in my arms, there was a really strong connection there," Rex added. "That means you're gonna make a wonderful father someday," Maggie declared. "I hope so, 'cause I -- I really want that..." Rex admitted.
"Are we really having the baby conversation in front of my mother? I mean, that's like waving honey under the nose of a bear..." Sarah warned Rex. "Oh, come on, now! I'm not pushing you to have kids! I have my Holly to satisfy my grandmotherly urges...for a while," Maggie assured the couple.
"Good, [because] before we [can] talk about babies, [we need to] focus on the wedding," Sarah pointed out. Nodding, Maggie spontaneously offered to throw Rex and Sarah an impromptu engagement party later that day. Sarah didn't think it would be right to have a party so soon after Nicole's death, but Maggie was certain that Nicole would want everyone to keep living life to the fullest.
"I guess we're having a party," Rex told Sarah after Maggie rushed off to start making the necessary preparations.
Meanwhile, Susan opened the front door and found Sami standing outside. "What are you doin' here?" Susan asked with a gasp. "I'm here to see you," Sami explained. "Oh, please, Sami -- please don't kill me!" Susan begged. "I'm not here to murder you, Susan," Sami promised. "I came here because...I want you to know that I...forgive you...for what you did to Will," Sami claimed. Stunned, Susan apologized to Sami for that whole mess.
Sami reached out to hug Susan, planning to yank out a strand of hair in the process, but Susan recoiled in fear. "I can't hug you, 'cause I got a cold, and it's just very, very contagious!" Susan claimed, faking a cough. "That's okay. I have a very strong immune --" Sami began while trying to hug Susan again. "No way, no way -- I'm not gonna get you sick and [have you] go around blamin' me!" Susan insisted, recoiling again.
Sighing, Sami changed the subject, asking about the doll that Susan was holding. "Oh, my God, that's crazy --" Sami began when Susan held up the doll for inspection. "Crazy...likeness...of my mother..." Sami quickly added, not wanting to hurt Susan's feelings. "Oh, thank you, Sami -- thank you so much! I -- I -- I made it myself -- [you know], for your mama and John, [as a] weddin' present!" Susan explained.
"That is such a...thoughtful...gift..." Sami hesitantly replied. "Did ya notice the hair? Looks just like her real hair, doesn't it?" Susan proudly pointed out. "Wanna know a secret? It is real hair -- my hair!" Susan revealed. "Tugged it out myself, and then I dyed it to match Dr. Marlena's color, ['cause] I just thought it would be real nice to have somethin' of me in [the doll]..." Susan explained.
"I was actually about to bring it to Dr. Marlena in the hospital when I ran into you..." Susan continued. "[But] you just told me you have a cold, [and] my mother's been through a very serious surgery! You wouldn't want to get her sick!" Sami protested. "Heavens, no! I know she's suffered enough from you pumpin' a bullet into her chest..." Susan conceded. "I was cleared of that," Sami clarified. "Oh. Well, isn't that nice for you?" Susan replied.
Sighing, Susan reluctantly asked Sami to deliver the doll to Marlena. Sami happily agreed, declaring that the thoughtful gift would make Marlena feel much better.
"Thank you, Sami! [You know], you have been surprisingly kind! [And to think that I was afraid] you were just here to murder me..." Susan mused with a shake of the head. Sami dismissed Susan's concern with a laugh. "Your son is -- was -- the love of my life," Sami added, as if to explain why murdering Susan wasn't a possibility. "And I have to admit that you were the love of his," Susan replied before handing over the doll.
"Oh, my God!" Sami exclaimed with a cringe after exiting the mansion with the doll. "She used her own hair! Which is super creepy...but amazing, because it'll be exactly the DNA I need..." Sami added.
Sami and Chloe coincidentally arrived at the hospital at the same time, each entering through a different door. "I need you to run this DNA test -- right now!" Sami and Chloe simultaneously declared while running toward Kayla from opposite halls.
In Bonnie's hotel room, she dreamed about sleeping with Lucas. "I guess we just have undeniable chemistry, babe," Bonnie purred to Lucas. Bonnie wondered aloud if they had made another baby. With a chuckle, Lucas suggested that they try again. Mimi woke Bonnie from her dream because Bonnie was kissing the pillow in her sleep. Bonnie smirked and noted that a happy fantasy life was good.
Mimi warned Bonnie to act more motherly because Bonnie had made Chloe suspicious. Bonnie argued that Mimi had been the one to tell Belle the truth. Mimi countered that Belle could be trusted, but Bonnie was likely to tell a stranger in a bar. With a sigh, Bonnie reminded Mimi that she loved her. Bonnie suggested dinner together to bond, but Mimi said she preferred to spend bonding time with her baby. Bonnie joked that she might have dinner with a stranger and spill the beans, so Mimi relented and agreed.
In the square, Lucas gave Belle the cold shoulder when he saw her with Shawn. Belle stopped Lucas as he started to walk away. Belle said her decision to represent Bonnie had been difficult. "Judges almost always rule in the favor of the mother. Do you really want to follow this up in court?" Belle asked. "Yes, I do. Why would I give up on my own kid?" Lucas retorted.
"Bonnie Lockhart isn't good for anything, and that includes motherhood. I am going to give my daughter the life she deserves," Lucas stressed. Lucas turned the tables and asked Belle if she had talked to Sami or apologized for accusing her of shooting Marlena. Shawn defended Belle. With a huff, Lucas said he was headed to the engagement party and left. Shawn asked Belle what was going on with her. Belle said she was worried about the custody case.
Mimi and Bonnie walked around the corner and greeted Belle and Shawn. Nervous, Mimi said she would talk to them later. After Mimi and Bonnie left, Shawn asked Belle why Mimi had been anxious to avoid him. "Trust me, it's not you," Belle said. Shawn asked Belle if she was okay. Belle said Lucas had made her think about Sami, and she felt she should reach out to her sister. "When Sami is desperate and alone, bad things can happen," Belle said.
Sami sat at the bedside of the burned man in Salem hospital as she waited for Kayla to return with the DNA test results. Sami promised to stay by the man's side. Kate entered. Sami told Kate that she had secured DNA from Susan via a doll that Susan had made of Marlena. Sami explained that Susan had used her own hair on the doll. With a groan, Sami said she was anxious to see the results.
"This place has a less than accurate track record, so I think we should look under the hood," Kate said as she walked over to the burned man and reached for the sheet. Uncomfortable, Sami laughed nervously and told Kate it was a bad idea. With a shrug, Kate remarked that she had seen E.J. naked before. As Sami's eyes went wide, Kate laughed.
"I know you are hoping this is E.J., but if it is, I know he is in terrible shape. But if this is E.J., he is alive, and that means hope," Kate said. Sami nodded yes. Sami said she worried about her brother Eric and whether he would ever get over losing Nicole. Kate told Sami that she wanted to wait with Sami for the test results, but she needed to go to Rex's engagement party instead. Sami sent her regards to Rex and Sarah, since she could not make it.
"I don't think there will be any fireworks. I'm afraid it will be a bit of a dud," Kate said. "There is always fireworks with you!" Sami joked. Kate hugged Sami and told her she loved her. With a nod, Kate left.
By the nurses' station, Chloe confided to Kayla that she did not believe that Bonnie was the mother of baby Bonnie. Kayla asked Chloe if the DNA test on the water bottle was for Mimi and not Lucas. With a shrug, Chloe said that Mimi and Bonnie had been acting suspicious. Kayla was reluctant to run the test with such bare suspicions.
"I see it, but it is still unethical," Kayla said. Kayla refused to run the DNA test. Chloe argued that Kayla had permission, but Kayla clarified that Mimi had not given her permission. Chloe added that the bottle was already in the lab, getting tested. Chloe begged Kayla not to cancel the test because Lucas deserved to know if the baby was his daughter or not. Kayla reluctantly agreed, stating if she canceled the test, Chloe would run the test at another lab.
"Have you thought about how Lucas would react if he finds out you went behind his back to run this test?" Kayla asked. Before Chloe could answer, Sami walked around the corner and asked Kayla about the DNA test. Sami saw Chloe and asked if Chloe's test was ready yet. Sami then hurriedly reminded Kayla that her test was a priority over Chloe's test. When Chloe bristled at Sami's sense of entitlement, Sami asked Chloe if her DNA test was for baby Bonnie. Chloe did not answer, so Sami walked away.
When Sami returned to the room of the burned man, she talked to him as if he were E.J. Sami recounted a story about their children and how E.J. had told Johnny that he was a good big brother. "We have been on the craziest journey, the kids and I, just trying to find you. And the whole time, Johnny has been such a rock for his sisters. You will be so proud of the man that Johnny is becoming. You really will," Sami said. Belle entered the room. Wiping away tears and with an edge in her voice, Sami said she was fine.
"I don't need your help, so stop feeling sorry for me. It's the last thing I need. Especially from you!" Sami said. Belle offered her help. Sami refused to accept any help from Belle. As Sami started to cry, Belle hugged her. Kayla walked in with the DNA test results.
In the Kiriakis living room, Rex complimented Sarah on her dress for their engagement party. Sarah wanted to stay home with Holly because she felt guilty that people were suffering through the loss of Nicole. Rex told Sarah that he loved her compassion for other people.
"I try not to feel guilty about being happy. Because at the end of the day, that's just life," Rex said. Rex encouraged Sarah to enjoy her happiness, and he added that their loved ones would want them to be happy. With a grin, Sarah told Rex that he had changed her perspective. Sarah agreed with Rex that they should enjoy themselves at the party. Changing the subject, Sarah asked Rex if her dress was too tight.
"[Susan] said I looked pregnant," Sarah complained. Rex told Sarah that she did not look pregnant but that he was eager to see her pregnant in the future. The happy couple kissed then left for the party.
At Doug's Place, Maggie chatted with Roman about Sarah and Rex. Maggie marveled at the fact that Rex and Sarah had never met when they had lived in Salem. Roman and Maggie traded stories about their children. With a sigh, Maggie told Roman that she was hopeful that Sarah and Rex would settle down in Salem. Roman agreed.
Lucas arrived at the restaurant and helped Roman set up for the party. Lucas told Roman that Sami was struggling with whether E.J. was alive. Baby Bonnie babbled, and Roman rushed over to coo over the baby. Proud papa Lucas told Roman he could not remember the last time he had been so happy.
When Kate arrived, Maggie thanked her for joining the party. Kate asked about Victor. Maggie said Victor had been too tired to attend. Kate asked if Susan was going to crash the party. With a shake of her head, Maggie said that no one would crash the party because it was a small party for family and friends.
Outside Doug's Place, Bonnie complained that the restaurant was closed for a private party. As Bonnie and Mimi turned to leave, they ran into Rex and Sarah, who had arrived for their party. Mimi introduced herself to Sarah. After an awkward pause, Rex introduced Sarah to Mimi and Bonnie. Bonnie's face lit up, and she told Sarah that she was excited to meet "my Mickey's daughter." Sarah reminded Bonnie that she was not Mickey's biological daughter. Bonnie nodded.
Sarah asked Bonnie and Mimi if Maggie had invited them to the engagement party. With a shrug, Mimi said no. Sarah invited Bonnie and Mimi to join the party. Mimi attempted to bow out, but Bonnie gratefully accepted the invitation. Uncomfortable, Rex grimaced through his smile.
Rex took Sarah aside inside Doug's Place and explained to her that Mimi was his ex. Taken aback, Sarah told Rex that he had not mentioned Mimi before. Rex noted it was ancient history, but Bonnie and Lucas were suing one another, so the situation was awkward. Sarah asked if she should rescind the invitation. Rex noted they were all adults, and he let the offer stand.
Outside the club, Mimi told Bonnie she was insane for accepting the party invitation. Mimi added that she was worried about facing Lucas. Bonnie pointed out that baby Bonnie would likely be at the party, and Mimi would get to spend time with her. Mimi's frown disappeared into a smile.
Inside the restaurant, Sarah and Rex chatted to Roman at the bar as Bonnie and Mimi walked in. "What the hell?" Lucas wondered aloud as he saw Bonnie. Kate promised to take care of the intruders. When Kate approached Bonnie, Bonnie said they had been invited. Mimi walked over to the baby and picked her up. Rex fished out the baby bootie Mimi had dropped outside the pub, and he gave it to her. Mimi apologized for Bonnie pushing her way into the party.
"There is nothing that could ruin this night for me," Rex said. Maggie called attention to the front of the room to propose a toast. Kate handed apple cider to Lucas and Bonnie. "Bonnie Lockhart doesn't do virgins," Bonnie said gruffly. Maggie took the glass of cider instead. Maggie toasted to Rex and Sarah "for sharing their wonderful, life-affirming news."
"Mickey would be so proud of you today and happy that our families are being joined together in marriage. Again. A toast wishing you a wonderful future together," Maggie said. Rex toasted to Sarah. "You're everything to me. You're obviously beautiful and brilliant and fearless and funny, but most important to me, you have a kind and loving heart. You are more important to me than you know, and I can't wait to make a life with you," Rex said.
"In Salem!" Maggie interrupted. The room erupted in cheers. Baby Bonnie cried. Lucas scooped the baby up in his arms. Rex toasted to Lucas and baby Bonnie. "May you always be as happy as you are right now," Rex toasted. Mimi looked longingly at her baby. Chloe walked into the restaurant with the DNA results in her hands.
