Rafe tried to get Sami to tell him the truth about E.J.'s shooting. She was reluctant at first. Rafe assured her that she wouldn't lose him. When Sami started to tell him the truth, Arianna and Gabi showed up with housewarming gifts, but Sami was less than enthusiastic. Arianna realized that they should have called first and that they had arrived at a bad time, but when she tried to leave, Sami insisted that they stay.

Arianna felt that they should tell her and Gabi the truth if it wasn't a good time to stop by. Rafe admitted that it was a bad time, so Arianna and Gabi got ready to leave. Gabi glanced at Rafe's computer and realized that they planned on going to Green Mountain Lodge to get married. Arianna asked if Rafe wondered what would happen to E.J. when he found out that Rafe and Sami planned to get married, but Rafe didn't care how it would affect E.J.

Rafe got angry with Arianna for accusing Sami of attempted murder. Arianna argued that Sami had tried to take E.J. off life support. Sami said that was what E.J. had wanted her to do and what the doctors had said was best. Sami refused to argue anymore, and Arianna apologized for arguing, but she refused to apologize for caring what happened to E.J. Rafe said they didn't plan to tell E.J. about their wedding until after they got married. Arianna agreed not to tell E.J., and Gabi considered it romantic. Arianna said that whoever had shot E.J. needed to pay.

E.J. and Stefano plotted to send either Sami or Will to jail and tried to decide which would hurt Sami the most. Roman stopped by the hospital to see E.J. and get his statement about the shooting. Roman wanted to question E.J. alone, but Stefano didn't want to leave. Stefano accused Roman of lacking objectivity in investigating E.J.'s shooting. E.J. told Stefano to leave so he could set the record straight. Once they were alone, Roman asked E.J. how much he remembered. E.J. said he remembered everything.

Roman asked exactly what E.J. remembered. E.J. said he remembered the wedding, and after that it was "hazy." Roman continued to question E.J. about what he remembered, but E.J.'s alarms went off on his medical equipment. Lexie reminded Roman that she had warned him not to push E.J. Roman said they hadn't even discussed anything controversial before the alarms went off. He asked if E.J. could make the machines go off intentionally. Lexie reminded Roman that E.J. was the victim, and she assumed that he would want to tell Roman who had shot him.

Meanwhile, E.J. gloated to himself that he was able to get out of Roman's line of questioning. E.J. was determined to make sure justice was served his way. Stefano told E.J. about Roman's theory that E.J. was able to manipulate the machines, and E.J. admitted that he had done it on purpose. Stefano pointed out the flaws in E.J.'s plan. E.J. wanted to buy some time until he could figure out how to get his kids back. E.J. wanted proof of exactly who had tried to kill him. He planned to make sure that Sami and Rafe didn't "live happily ever after." He also planned to make sure Johnny and Sydney never saw Sami or Rafe again.

After Arianna and Gabi left, Sami prepared to tell Rafe that she had shot E.J., but he told her he didn't want to know because once they got married, he couldn't be "forced to disclose anything that could potentially incriminate" Sami. E.J. called Sami and thanked her for allowing the kids to visit him in the hospital. She said she would check with Lexie first before letting them visit again. E.J. said he had suffered another medical scare, and he asked if she worried about him. "Of course I do," she said. E.J. said to tell the kids that they would be living together again soon.

After she got off the phone, Sami told Rafe that she wanted E.J. to know that she knew what he had done to her. Sami told Rafe that she didn't deserve him, but he said it was the other way around. "You're wrong," she said, and he pulled her into a kiss. After she left, Rafe said to himself, "Okay, so she knows Will shot E.J. Now we gotta figure out a way to get the kid off the hook." Sami vowed not to tell Rafe the truth, even after they got married. "I just can't do that to you," she said to herself.

E.J. told himself that once he found out who'd shot him, the charade would be over. Arianna stopped by to see E.J. in the hospital, and he was happy to see her. She gave him a book that she had liked to read in prison.

At the Brady Pub, Adrienne walked in while Justin was on the phone with Victor, who wanted Justin to speed up the divorce proceedings. Justin explained that he couldn't do that unless Vivian agreed to speed it up. Adrienne joked about Victor and Vivian's divorce. Justin considered Victor to be lucky because the divorce was just an inconvenience to Victor. "It hurts like hell when you divorce someone you really love," Justin said.

Adrienne and Justin were talking about their regrets when someone called him. He told the person on the phone that he was talking to a client, which irritated Adrienne. Justin explained that he didn't want to explain that he was too busy talking to his ex-wife about regrets. She pointed out that they had just said they didn't have any regrets. "I don't know about you, but I lied," Justin said.

Brady and Nicole started making out in the mausoleum, leaving Vivian frustrated that she was stuck in the sarcophagus again. They went to the mansion and had sex. Afterwards, Nicole noticed that Brady wasn't exactly overjoyed, so she asked, "Was it good for you?" Brady said it was good for him, and Nicole wanted to know whether he was happy that they had slept together. She questioned the timing of it, and Brady said that he had missed her and missed being with her. "Good answer," Nicole said.

While he was in bed with Nicole, Brady dreamed that Vivian was lying next to him. Brady told Nicole that he had to take care of something, but he wanted her to stay. Nicole noticed the Bluetooth on the bed and hid it from Brady. Brady rushed off to the mausoleum to receive Isabella's body. Meanwhile, Vivian tried to pass the time by counting, and she worried that Nicole hadn't called the police or that the police didn't believe Nicole. Nicole went downstairs and put on the Bluetooth to talk to Vivian. Vivian asked whether Nicole had called the police.

Vivian saw that Brady had returned to the mausoleum, and Nicole realized that Brady had ordered his mother's remains returned to the mausoleum. Nicole said that Vivian would get out of the sarcophagus but wasn't sure about the timing. "Not sure about the time? We're not talking about meeting for coffee. We're trying to get me out of the sarcophagus," Vivian said. Nicole agreed to try. "It's easy. Just pick up the phone and dial 9-1-1," Vivian insisted.

"Don't tell me what to do, you stupid cow. Okay, you not only have nothing to negotiate with -- you brought this on yourself," Nicole said. Vivian pointed out that she hadn't locked herself in the sarcophagus. Vivian insulted Brady to Nicole, and Nicole defended him and said she wouldn't "lift a finger" to help Vivian until Nicole made sure that Brady was safe. "Oh, my God, I thought you seduced him, but he seduced you to buy silence," Vivian realized.

Nicole denied that Brady had seduced her. She said they loved each other. "That was love? Getting all hot and bothered in a crypt?" Vivian said. Vivian insulted Nicole, calling her a "washed-up porn star." Then she quickly realized her mistake. "I was wondering what I should do about this situation, but you know what? You went ahead and told me your true feelings," Nicole said, adding that Vivian was exactly where she should be forever.

Brady talked to Isabella's casket and worried that she would be disappointed to find out that he was more like Vivian than Isabella. "See, at first it was all about protecting Maggie, but now it's much more than that," he said. Justin walked in and asked Brady what was going on.

As Brady stood next to his mother's coffin in the mausoleum, Justin entered. Curious, Justin asked Brady whom the coffin belonged to. Brady admitted that the coffin was Isabella's. "Well if she's in here, who's in that thing?" Justin asked as he pointed to the sarcophagus. Brady explained that Isabella's remains were in the sarcophagus but that the coffin was where her remains had been held before the sarcophagus. Justin recommended that Brady get rid of the coffin, noting that Victor would be upset to find the coffin was still on the property. Brady firmly told Justin that he would take care of the coffin.

Suspicious, Justin asked Brady why he was acting "so strange." Brady explained that he was unnerved because Justin had interrupted him during his "alone time." When Justin pushed Brady to answer his question, Brady told Justin that the coffin was still on the property because Vivian had not made any arrangements with the caretaker to dispose of it. Brady explained that if he appeared upset, it was because he was uncomfortable with the fact that his mother's remains had once been in the coffin. Justin offered to take care of the coffin, but Brady refused vehemently and ordered Justin to leave.

While standing in the Kiriakis living room, Nicole talked to Vivian over the Bluetooth phone. Vivian apologized for calling Nicole a "washed-up porn star" and begged Nicole to let her out of the sarcophagus. Coughing, Vivian claimed she was having difficulty breathing. Shrugging, Nicole turned off the earpiece, leaving Vivian to her prayers for help.

When Vivian turned on the closed circuit feed to the mausoleum, she saw Justin talking to Brady. "Tell me what is going on with you! And this time I want the truth," Justin demanded. Vivian thanked Lawrence for sending Justin to help her as Justin asked Brady whether he was taking drugs again. Brady denied the charge, and Justin apologized. "I can see you're very upset about something," Justin said quietly. "Yes. He is," Nicole announced as she walked into the mausoleum.

"Tell him the truth, Brady. You can't hide it anymore," Nicole said flatly. Nicole explained that Brady was upset because she was doing a story on Isabella for the news. Noting that Nicole worked for Titan TV, Justin said that he did not believe Philip would approve of Nicole's story. Turning back toward Brady, Justin demanded to know what was going on. Brady said that he had signed off on the news story when he was drunk, and that was why he was fighting with Nicole.

"What is wrong with you? Is this some desperate attempt to stay in Brady's life?" Justin asked Nicole. Furious, Justin stormed out of the mausoleum. "I need to tell you something," Nicole confessed. "Not now. We've got work to do," Brady said before brushing past Nicole. Brady retrieved some tools and, with Nicole's help, they returned Isabella's coffin to its wall space, sealing the marble face back in place. Brady thanked Nicole for helping him with the coffin and with Justin.

"Why did you do it? I thought you wanted to see Vivian out of here?" Brady asked Nicole. Nicole pulled out the Bluetooth earpiece and handed it to Brady. "I had a change of heart," Nicole said. Taking the earpiece, Brady realized that Nicole had spoken to Vivian. "I had forgotten what a truly evil woman she is. She deserves to rot in hell," Nicole said. Inside the sarcophagus, Vivian watched Nicole and Brady on the camera feed. "Like you're one to talk," Vivian groused.

Nicole promised Brady that she would not tell anyone about Vivian, no matter what Brady decided to do. Brady and Nicole stepped outside the mausoleum so that Vivian could not overhear their conversation about her. "I'm not going to leave her in there forever," Brady said. Brady admitted that he did not have a plan and was no longer sure whether he was doing the right thing. With a sigh, Brady explained that when his mother's remains had been returned to the mausoleum, he'd begun to have second thoughts about what he had done to Vivian.

"I think she's been punished enough, and maybe we should let her out," Brady said. Horrified, Nicole warned Brady that he might be sent to jail. "There's no way that I'm going to let that happen," Nicole said. "We're in this together now," Nicole said. Nicole promised to stay by Brady's side because she still loved him.

"You loved the man I used to be. Nicole, I think you need to know something. I am not that guy anymore," Brady said. Unfazed, Nicole argued that Brady was still the man she had always known. "The old Brady, would he have slept with you to keep your mouth shut? Cause that's what happened today. I was manipulating you," Brady said.

"No, really?" Nicole said sarcastically. "You knew I knew," Nicole added. "I do now," Brady said. Nicole admitted that she was hurt, but that she still believed that Brady was the man she had fallen in love with. "Then you're gonna keep getting hurt because I'm through being the doormat that you used to walk over," Brady said.

Brady asked Nicole to accept that he had changed. "I don't know what is going on here, but I am sincerely grateful that I'm not facing this situation alone," Brady said. "I will always look out for you, Brady. You ought to know that by now," Nicole countered. Nodding, Brady kissed Nicole.

Meanwhile, Vivian lay in the sarcophagus, stroking the remote control to her television. "It won't be long before I'm out of here. And then I will get my sweet revenge," Vivian whispered.

At Stephanie's apartment, Kayla informed her daughter about her plans to talk to Sister Anne about the paternity test. "I hope she tells you that it was a mistake and Daniel really is the father," Stephanie said fretfully. Kayla noted that if someone outside the hospital had changed the results then that person would have to know about the affair. When Stephanie pointed out that outside of Chloe and Philip, she was the only one that knew about the affair, Kayla assured her daughter that the problem was likely a clerical error. Kayla urged Stephanie to "stop acting like some desperate teenager" and to trust Nathan.

In the prison infirmary, the warden told Hope that Bo had made arrangements for an isolated cell and a job in the infirmary. Hope was upset to learn that Bo had pulled any strings to help her, but the warden informed Hope that she agreed with Bo because it would help keep Hope alive for the remainder of her sentence. After the warden left, Hope received instructions on her job from a prisoner named Lee. When Lee commented on how lucky Hope was to have a man like Bo, Hope agreed. "I want to make things right with him is all. This morning I took the first step," Hope said.

At the Brady Pub, Bo shared a sundae with Ciara. Noticing how quiet Ciara was, Bo asked her if she was okay. "I miss, mommy. When can we go visit her?" Ciara asked. Bo assured Ciara that she would get to visit her mother soon. Kayla arrived at the pub and gave Ciara a stuffed bear. As Ciara went to show her grandmother her new bear, Bo hugged his sister.

When Kayla mentioned that she was going to stay with Caroline while she was in town, Bo offered Kayla a place to stay. Noting that she did not want to stay in the house with Carly, Kayla declined Bo's offer. "That woman has zero integrity. She lies her head off as long as she gets what she wants," Kayla added.

"So the fact that I love her makes no difference to you?" Bo asked gruffly. Kayla said that she was worried about Hope. "Life hasn't been rosy for me either," Bo said. Kayla hugged Bo, and told him that she was going to see Hope at the prison. "Tell her I said hello," Bo said softly. With a nod, Kayla left.

In the park, Chloe showed Melanie the spot where she planned to marry Daniel. While Melanie talked about how perfect the wedding was going to be, Chloe's face fell. Melanie turned to find Father Matt standing nearby, staring at the two of them. Father Matt asked if he had heard correctly, and Chloe admitted that she was marrying Daniel. After Melanie left, Father Matt asked Chloe if she had told Daniel about her indiscretion. Chloe said that she had not told Daniel and that she did not plan to because she had learned that Daniel was the father of her baby. "It's a sign," Chloe claimed.

Chloe added that although Daniel might forgive her affair, she felt like Daniel could not forgive whom Chloe had slept with. Father Matt disagreed, but he wished Chloe well with her marriage and baby. With a nervous smile, Chloe asked Father Matt if he would baptize her child when it was born. After taking a moment to think, Father Matt agreed but warned Chloe that if the truth were revealed about the affair, "You will lose everything."

While standing in the hallway at the hospital, Daniel pushed Nathan to explain why he did not like Chloe. Nathan protested that his only reason for disliking Chloe was how she had treated his cousin Lucas. "That was a long time ago. I was wrong for saying anything bad about her," Nathan said. "You're hiding something, Nathan. And I want to know what it is," Daniel said accusingly. Nathan swore that he was not hiding anything, and that he was just upset on Lucas' behalf.

"What is it you have against Chloe?" Daniel asked. When Daniel point out that Chloe was fragile, Nathan scoffed at the notion. Angry, Daniel yelled at Nathan for acting like he knew Chloe any better than Daniel did. Backing away, Nathan apologized and, backpedaling, explained that he was complimenting Chloe and calling her tough.

"I don't want things to be awkward," Nathan said quietly. "It's a little late for that," Daniel huffed. Nathan apologized, but Daniel remained displeased. Daniel asked Nathan to be honest about why he did not like Chloe. "Why is it so hard to tell me the truth?" Daniel asked.

When Stephanie greeted Nathan, Daniel excused himself and stalked away. Seeing Daniel's stiff body language, Stephanie asked Nathan what had happened with Daniel. "I can't talk about it," Nathan said before hurrying down the hallway. Concerned, Stephanie followed Nathan.

Melanie returned to the hospital and noticed that Daniel was in a bad mood. Melanie pushed Daniel for details, and he admitted that he was annoyed by something someone had said. With a smirk, Melanie offered to badger the person until they changed their opinion for Daniel. "You're the best," Daniel said. "Somebody hurts you, I straighten them out," Melanie said seriously.

Down the hall, Stephanie followed Nathan in to a waiting room. "I screwed up. I look up to Daniel so much, and now he hates me," Nathan admitted. After swearing Stephanie to secrecy, Nathan told her that he had learned that Chloe had cheated on Daniel. Stephanie pretended to be surprised by Nathan's news. "What if the baby doesn't belong to Daniel?" Nathan wondered aloud. Nervous, Stephanie asked Nathan if he knew whom Chloe had had an affair with. Nathan admitted that he did not know who the man was.

When Stephanie asked Nathan how he had learned about the affair, Nathan explained that he had overheard Chloe on the phone and that when he had confronted her, she had not denied the accusation. As Melanie started to enter the waiting room, Nathan said, "She flat-out said that she'd cheated, she'd slept with another man. Chloe cheated on Daniel." Horrified, Melanie backed out of the room. "Oh, my God, no," Melanie whispered to herself.

After learning that Chloe was in the park, talking to Father Matt, Daniel went over to the park to find her. Chloe was standing alone in the park, fighting tears, when Daniel found her. Chloe informed Daniel that Father Matt had agreed to baptize their child. "That still doesn't explain why you look like you've been crying," Daniel said gently. Chloe explained that she was still fighting her insecurities. "I'll always be insecure, but I don't want that for our child," Chloe said. Daniel promised that their child would be fine.

In the prison infirmary, Hope talked to a patient about her arm injury. When the patient became upset, Hope consoled her. "I don't know how I ended up here. I was always the good girl," the prisoner cried out as she held her arm. Hope admitted that she had a similar journey as a prisoner, and Hope added, "I don't know who I am anymore." After Hope finished up at the clinic, the guards took her to the visitors' area. Once Hope was gone, the warden returned to the infirmary and asked Lee how things had gone with Hope. "Everything's gonna work out just fine," Lee assured the warden.

At the visitors' area of the prison, Hope was surprised to find Kayla waiting to see her. As Kayla rushed to greet Hope, the guard advised Kayla that she could not have contact with the prisoners. "You have my full support, and I love you. I always will," Kayla said softly to Hope. Kayla urged Hope to let Bo visit her. "His freedom? I'm going to give it to him," Hope said. Hope explained that she had asked Justin to deliver divorce papers to Bo. "You and Bo are destined to be together. I will never believe otherwise. Never," Kayla said.

Maggie stormed into the Kiriakis mansion to give Victor a piece of her mind. Victor was thrilled to see her, even when he saw how displeased she was with him. Maggie reproached him for spoiling Melanie and Philip's plans to buy a home, and declared, "You rained on their parade -- for the stupidest reason imaginable!" Eyes twinkling, Victor countered, "To get to see you? I don't think that's stupid at all."

Maggie furiously threatened to have Victor's head if he ever used Philip and Melanie to get to her. Victor teased, "Maggie Horton, you're beginning to sound more like a Kiriakis every day." Maggie denied that she was making Kiriakis-type threats but rather said she was making him a promise. Victor invited her to join him for some coffee, but she refused. "I've made my point; now I'll be on my way," Maggie stated and strode out, leaving an impressed Victor chuckling behind her.

After they had spent the night together, Brady kissed Nicole awake. She teased him that she had thought about waking him up in the night, but, "You kinda said another woman's name, so it turned me off a little bit." Brady asked whose name it had been, and she replied, "Vivian."

Brady maintained that he could only keep Vivian locked in the sarcophagus until he had time to weigh all the options. Nicole argued that Vivian would either have them killed or send them both to prison. "I just got you back," she added softly, "I'm not gonna lose you again." Brady urged her to relax and trust him because he would make sure everything worked out. Nicole wondered if Vivian's friends would become suspicious when they hadn't heard from her for a while.

Brady asserted that Vivian had no friends. "Who is going to miss Vivian Alamain?" he noted. "Have you seen the streets lately? People are dancing -- they're celebrating [because] she has disappeared." When Nicole carried in glasses of mimosas, Brady cautioned her not to drink too much because she was about to be a bridesmaid.

Nicole reluctantly told him, "I don't think that's going to happen, actually, not after what went down between me and Chloe at her shower." She wouldn't reveal more than that and then worried that Vivian wouldn't have enough air and water to survive the rest of the day. Brady said that he had an idea but wouldn't share the details. He asked Nicole to wait there while he took care of it.

In the sarcophagus, Vivian could hear Gus's voice emanating from her monitor. She called out hopefully to him, but he didn't respond. She remembered giving him an additional remote receiver and guessed with relief that he had turned it on but wondered why he could not hear her.

Meanwhile, Gus was entertaining a woman in his hotel room. The woman spotted a virtual shrine to Vivian on the nightstand and asked about the pictures. "That's my 'madame,'" Gus explained, elaborating, "Her name is Vivian Alamain. We had a falling-out recently, but I admit I miss her terribly." When Gus gushed about how full of life and passionate Vivian was, the woman asserted, "You sound like you're in love with the old bag!"

Vivian continued calling out for Gus to help her. She explained desperately that Brady had found out about her plan to lock Maggie in the sarcophagus and had put Vivian in it instead. "You're the only one who can get me out of here!" she cried, begging, "Gus, please tell me you can hear me!"

"Loud and clear," Brady's voice replied. A disappointed Vivian saw on the monitor that he was in her former bedroom at the Kiriakis mansion and irritably demanded to know what he wanted. Brady told her to "sit tight" because he had to be somewhere that afternoon. Suddenly, he heard Victor in the hallway. Brady snapped off the video monitor just as Victor entered. "Who were you talking to?" Victor asked, puzzled. Brady claimed that he'd just been talking to himself, but then Victor wanted to know why Brady was in Vivian's room. Brady lied that he had been packing up the rest of Vivian's things -- because he wanted a favor from Victor.

Once the two men were seated in the parlor, Brady asked if he could move into Vivian's old room -- with Nicole. "Good God, Brady, what has she done to you?" Victor demanded.

In the mausoleum, Vivian began calling out for help again. Back in Gus's hotel room, Gus yelled at Vivian's picture, "See what you've done? Another potential mate sent screaming for the hills, and all because I expressed my devotion to you! And why I'm devoted, God only knows." Vivian screamed, "Gus!" and suddenly, Gus was able to hear her voice from the receiver inside his bag. He looked around the room in confusion. "Madame?" he called.

As they sat on the couch, kissing, a beaming Daniel expressed his appreciation to Chloe for ignoring superstition and allowing them to spend the night before their wedding together. Chloe noted with a grin, "I think everything that could possibly have gone wrong already has... Today is going to be absolutely perfect!"

At Maggie's, Melanie was tormented over having overheard Nathan telling Stephanie that Chloe had cheated on Daniel. Sobbing, Melanie wondered what she was supposed to do with that information, since Daniel and Chloe were supposed to be getting married later that day. Finally, she strode decisively to the phone and dialed Daniel.

Voice quavering, Melanie told her dad that she needed to talk to him -- alone and before the wedding -- about something very important. Daniel reminded her that he had a lot to do before he walked down the aisle, but when he heard how insistent she was, he promised to talk to her before the ceremony.

Chloe asked Daniel if everything were all right with Melanie. He admitted that Melanie had sounded "pretty intense" and desperate to meet with him. They both hoped that nothing was wrong between Melanie and Philip, but Chloe was sure that some fatherly comfort would calm Melanie down.

Chloe then got a phone call from her dad, and when she hung up, she told Daniel, "My mom and my sister both have food poisoning. And my dad has to stay home and take care of both of them. Nobody from my family can come to this wedding!" Daniel asked gently if Chloe wanted to postpone the wedding, but she insisted that she didn't want to wait another day to get married. Daniel encouraged his upset bride to focus instead on the family they had created together and to remember how lucky they were. Once Chloe was calmer, Daniel left for Victor's to get ready for the wedding.

When Maggie retuned home, she immediately observed that something seemed to be bothering Melanie. Melanie admitted that she hadn't slept well, and Maggie wondered if it were because Philip and Melanie were moving out. Melanie asserted that moving in with Victor was the right thing to do -- and besides, they would only be a few minutes from Maggie's. "All good things come to an end eventually, right?" Melanie noted pessimistically.

Maggie wanted to know what was really upsetting Melanie. Melanie claimed that a patient at the hospital was lying to her husband about something that could hurt him a great deal, and Melanie believed that she should tell the husband the truth. Maggie urged Melanie not to do anything until she was absolutely certain she had her facts straight. "The cost of being wrong can be unbearably high," Maggie cautioned, "Melanie, it's someone else's life you're talking about here." Melanie acknowledged that Maggie was right and added, "I know what I have to do before I say anything."

Daniel dropped by Maggie's later to see Melanie. After informing him that his daughter wasn't home, Maggie told Daniel that Melanie had been upset about an ethical question at work. "Maybe you can give her a little guidance," Maggie suggested.

When Nicole showed up at Chloe's, Chloe was not happy to see her. She tried to slam the door in Nicole's face, but Nicole asked Chloe to hear her out. She gave Chloe a gift, and as Chloe unwrapped it, Nicole explained that she had intended to give it to Chloe at the shower. Nicole added imploringly, "I just wish I could have a do-over for that day because everything that I said, it wasn't me; it was the vodka." She emphasized that she only wanted Chloe to be happy.

Chloe countered, "No you don't -- you're jealous that I'm happy!" Nicole insisted that she wasn't jealous anymore. "You are the only real friend I have ever had," Nicole declared. "I want you to know how thrilled I am to see that your dreams are coming true. And this baby is already so blessed, and so loved. I wish you all the joy in the world -- truly." Chloe demanded to know if that meant she could trust Nicole not to blab that Chloe had cheated on Daniel. Nicole cautioned Chloe that secrets like that had a way of getting out but swore that she would never tell a soul.

Nicole then hinted that she still had her bridesmaid's dress -- and Chloe had an uneven number of bridesmaids and groomsmen. She was thrilled when Chloe agreed that Nicole was "back in" but taken aback when she learned Melanie was Chloe's matron of honor. Chloe explained that she hoped she and Melanie would someday become close friends because Melanie loved Daniel with all her heart.

At their apartment, Nathan declared to Stephanie that he wished he'd never heard Chloe admit that she'd cheated on Daniel. Stephanie guessed that Nathan had gotten involved because he was worried about Melanie. Nathan pointed out that Melanie had a "real family" for the first time in her life, and it would devastate her if she found out what Chloe had done. Stephanie wasn't very sympathetic, since she and Melanie were not friends.

Nathan apologized for having kept it from Stephanie when he'd found out, and Stephanie confessed that she had also been keeping something from him. She explained that although she had really tried, she wasn't completely over being insecure about Melanie, and she was still worried that she would lose Nathan to Melanie.

Nathan urged Stephanie to believe in his love for her and to have more confidence in herself. "Melanie is happily married to Philip, right?" he pointed out. "And more than that, I'm happy right where I am, here with you." Stephanie admitted that she didn't know why she sometimes felt so needy, and she was grateful to Nathan for believing in her.

Later, Stephanie met her mom at the Brady Pub, and asked if Kayla had talked to Sister Anne yet. Kayla replied that Sister Anne had pushed their appointment back until a couple of days later. Stephanie flipped out, and Kayla asked what was going on. Stephanie admitted that Nathan had found out that Chloe had cheated on Daniel, although he didn't know it had been with Philip.

Although Stephanie felt guilty for keeping from Nathan that she had known about it for a while, too, she was determined not to let him find out. Kayla expressed her disappointment in her daughter for continuing the lies, but Stephanie argued, "What good can come out of telling him the truth now?" Kayla cautioned her daughter that Nathan probably wasn't the only other person who knew.

Nathan was just getting out of the shower when Melanie knocked on his front door. Trying to ignore his wet skin peeking out from under his bathrobe, she announced that she needed to talk to him. After Nathan got dressed, Melanie reminded him that although things had sometimes been weird between them, they had always been friends -- and they always would be. A bemused Nathan concurred.

"We have each other's back? I mean, you would never do anything to intentionally hurt me?" Melanie questioned. "Of course not!" Nathan insisted, adding, "oh, my God, I can't even believe you're asking me this." Melanie spat angrily, "You're lying to me!" Nathan was completely floored, because he had no idea what Melanie was getting at.

An agitated Melanie pointed out that she'd told Nathan about "the birth-control thing with Stephanie," even though he had been furious with Melanie afterward. "I thought that I wouldn't be a good friend if I just sat there and let something like that happen to you," she reminded him. "So, is this about Stephanie?" Nathan asked, utterly perplexed. "No," Melanie replied hotly, "this is about you and what you've done to my father and me -- but more importantly, it's about what you're going to do to fix it."

Victor was enraged over Brady's plan to move Nicole into the mansion. Victor lectured Brady on Nicole. "Think, man. She's gonna lead you straight to hell and watch you burn," Victor said. Brady said that Nicole hadn't led him anywhere. Brady admitted that he was using Nicole because he needed her help for a project he was working on, but he refused to reveal the details. Victor felt it was never a good idea to have Nicole around, but Brady assured him that once she was done helping him, he would get rid of her.

Gus thought he was imagining hearing Vivian's voice and was determined to get her out his head. He started drinking as Vivian called his name. Gus finally realized that the voice was emanating from the remote that Vivian had given him before he'd left town. She told him that Brady had trapped her in the sarcophagus, and she urged him to rescue her.

Vivian complained about her living conditions, and Gus said, "I'm terribly sorry that you're uncomfortable, but isn't this sort of what you deserve?" He reminded her that she'd had the same fate in mind for Maggie just because she was jealous of Maggie, since Victor had favored Maggie over Vivian. "So?" Vivian said. "So, that's wrong," Gus said. Vivian said she'd had every right to act, because Maggie was a threat to Vivian's marriage.

"Apparently, that didn't work out. Fate, as they say," Gus said. Vivian asked if Gus planned to leave her to die. "I'm sorry, Madam. As the saying goes, you've made your bed. Now you have to lie in it," Gus said, and he hung up.

Daniel stopped by Maggie's place to see Melanie, but she wasn't there. Maggie mentioned that Melanie had been upset by some ethical dilemma at work, and she asked him to give Melanie some guidance. Philip returned home, and Daniel asked to speak to him about Philip's relationship with Chloe. Philip got nervous at first, and he asked Daniel what was going on. Daniel expressed his gratitude to Philip for standing by Chloe when Vivian had convinced her that Daniel had cheated on her with Carly.

"Actually, you need to know," Philip said, "Chloe did do something." Philip said that "something big happened" when Chloe had thought Daniel was cheating. "She realized that she loved you more than anything and always would. Losing you would be like losing her soul. Believe me. She'll never distrust you again," Philip said.

Nicole got jealous at the news that Chloe had asked Melanie to be her matron of honor. Chloe said that she and Melanie had bonded, and Chloe hoped that they could be friends. Nicole's attitude changed, and she sounded trusting and optimistic, to Chloe's surprise. Nicole said that nothing would go wrong on Chloe's wedding day. Chloe said she had assumed it was a bad omen when her family couldn't make it to the wedding, but she believed that everything would work out.

After Nicole left, Philip showed up to apologize to Chloe for them almost ruining each other's lives. Chloe told him not to apologize, because they had both been drunk when they'd slept together. She wanted to leave the past in the past. Philip said that Daniel had gone on and on about how much he loved Chloe, and Philip felt like scum for having slept with her.

Daniel went to the Kiriakis mansion to get dressed for the wedding, and Nicole showed up shortly thereafter. Victor left the room to tell Henderson to "hide the silverware." Daniel wondered what Nicole was doing there. Then he realized that Nicole and Brady might be dating again. Brady explained that he and Nicole had worked out some of their problems. Nicole also said she was back on the list as a bridesmaid for Chloe.

Brady left the room to take a phone call. Nicole thanked Daniel for letting her stay with him and Chloe when she had been in danger from the DiMeras. She told him that he was marrying the best woman in the world, and he agreed. Nicole left, and when Brady returned, Daniel tried to warn him that it wasn't a good idea to get involved with Nicole again, but Brady said he had it under control.

Daniel left for the hospital before the wedding. Nicole asked whether Victor would let her live in the mansion again, and Brady said, "He didn't kick your ass out, did he?" Nicole said no. "No, so that means we're cool," said Brady. He reminded her that they needed to "monitor our little boxed-up friend out there, and this happens to be the perfect place to do it." Brady showed Vivian's old room to Nicole and told her that they would be living in it. Nicole was happy to hear the news. Brady kissed Nicole.

Melanie confronted Nathan after she'd overheard him tell Stephanie that Chloe had cheated on Daniel. She demanded to know why Nathan hadn't told her. Nathan told Melanie to talk to Chloe about it, but Melanie said it was about Melanie and Daniel, and she needed to stop Daniel from making the biggest mistake of his life if Chloe had been lying. Nathan admitted that Chloe had cheated on Daniel.

Melanie asked how Nathan had found out, and Nathan explained how it had happened. Melanie started crying. Then she demanded to know how and why Nathan would keep the news to himself. Melanie chastised him. She was upset thinking about how Daniel would be crushed by the news, and she worried about how he would take it. "I thought I meant something to you," Melanie said. "You do," Nathan replied.

At the Brady Pub, Kayla advised Stephanie that other people besides Nathan might know about Chloe cheating on Daniel. Stephanie realized that it didn't matter whether or not Chloe had dealt with her infidelity. As long as Stephanie and Nathan were okay, that was all that mattered, Stephanie added. Kayla told Stephanie that she was aware that Stephanie had stopped taking her birth control pills in order to get pregnant and trap Nathan. Kayla asked how solid Stephanie's relationship was if she didn't believe that Nathan really loved her back.

Stephanie asked how Kayla knew about the birth control pills, and she said Adrienne had told her. Stephanie said nothing had happened, because she'd "fixed it." Kayla was appalled that Stephanie had felt she needed to "cheat" to get a man. "That was not how you were raised. That is not how you have ever been. What is going on with you?" Kayla asked. Stephanie was upset that Adrienne had broken her trust and told her mother. Kayla told her to forget about Adrienne, and she wanted to know if Nathan was aware that Stephanie had tried to get pregnant. Stephanie said she had admitted it to Nathan, and they had both agreed that they weren't ready to have kids.

Kayla asked Stephanie to have confidence in who she was and said that if Nathan didn't see that, he wasn't the right person for her. Stephanie assured her mother that she would be okay. After Kayla left, Adrienne walked in and spoke to Stephanie, who lashed out at Adrienne for betraying Stephanie's confidence. Adrienne explained that she had been worried about Stephanie, and she'd known that Stephanie needed help. Adrienne tried to say that if Stephanie were her daughter, she would want someone to tell her. Stephanie cut her off and said, "I am not your daughter, and I'm not even your friend anymore."

Victor took a walk through the park before the wedding, and he ran into Maggie. He confided in Maggie his concerns about Brady getting involved with Nicole again. Maggie said that Brady had gone through a major change when he and Arianna had broken up, and he'd become more reckless, assertive, and headstrong. Victor found those qualities admirable and perfect for running a business. "Nicole is not a risk. She's poison," Victor said. He worried that Nicole would destroy Brady. Maggie advised that Victor stand back, watch how things developed, and be ready to step in when Brady needed him. Victor thanked her and decided to take her advice.

Nathan admitted to still having feelings for Melanie. He apologized for Melanie finding out about Chloe's affair, but he felt that they needed to stay out of it. Melanie asked if Chloe's baby was Daniel's, and Nathan said he believed it was Daniel's, because he had no reason not to believe Chloe. Melanie pointed out that Chloe had cheated on Lucas and then on Philip, which made Chloe a liar. Melanie opened the door to leave, and he asked what she was going to do.

Melanie planned to find out the truth before Daniel made "the biggest mistake of his life." "I honestly. I thought that I was," Nathan began. Melanie interrupted him, "I don't care what you think. I don't care what you thought, and if you thought that you and I were friends, you are wrong. You are not the man that I thought you were. You are not the man that...I don't know who you are," she said.

Nathan told Melanie he was sorry she felt that way, and he would always care about what she thought of him. Stephanie walked in and asked what was going on and if Melanie was invited. Melanie said she was there to get the truth about the affair that Chloe had been having. Melanie said she'd had some questions for Nathan, and she knew that Stephanie had just found out, so Melanie wasn't going to hold anything against Stephanie.

Stephanie said that Melanie couldn't blame Nathan, because he hadn't known what to do, so he hadn't done anything. "Stephanie, as big a bitch as you usually are, you still deserve better than somebody with no spine," Melanie said and left. "She just called me a bitch," Stephanie said to Nathan. "At least you have a spine," he said, and he agreed with Melanie's conclusion that he should have "stepped up." Stephanie said that Melanie was wrong because it wasn't his job to "play tattletale with Daniel." Nathan continued to feel guilty.

"Daniel and Chloe's marriage is gonna blow sky high. Melanie's never gonna talk to me, let alone forgive me. I don't blame her," Nathan said. "If she believes that, she's not important enough to worry about," Stephanie said. She assured him that everything would work out.

Kayla saw Philip by the pier and told him that Stephanie had figured out who and what Philip was, and it was just a matter of time before Melanie did too.

Daniel stopped by the hospital and asked a nurse if she had seen Melanie. He realized he needed to go back to the apartment to get the marriage license. Meanwhile, at his apartment, Chloe was getting dressed for the wedding when Melanie knocked on the door. When Chloe opened the door, Melanie slapped her.

Over tea at the DiMera mansion, Kate and Lexie discussed the renovations Stefano wanted in order to get the house ready for E.J.'s return, including an elevator and a fully equipped hospital suite, if necessary. Kate seemed to find the plans a bit excessive. Lexie asserted that Stefano could not bear the loss of another son, but Kate maintained that Stefano was just as proud of Lexie as he was of E.J. "I know he loves me," Lexie replied, "but I also know that no one could ever replace E.J. in my father's heart.

After Lexie had gone, Chad dropped by the mansion to accept Kate's offer of a paid internship at DiMera Enterprises -- but he had some conditions. "I'll be taking the job because I need the money and because I know it's a great opportunity," Chad explained, "but I don't want you to think it's because I'm interested in you as anything more than a mentor."

An exasperated Kate reminded Chad that she had made it perfectly clear that she wasn't interested in him, either. "You just need to get over yourself," Kate declared, clarifying, "I offered you the job not for my sake, but for Stefano's." Chad had a hard time believing that Stefano cared if Chad worked for him or not.

Kate irritably said that because Stefano was busy taking care of E.J., she had assumed some of Stefano's responsibilities at DiMera Enterprises. "I do have a job, right?" Chad asked. "I'll let you know," Kate replied dismissively. When the door closed behind him, Chad mused, "You offered me a job for Stefano DiMera's sake. What's up with that?"

Stefano visited E.J. at the hospital, and reassured his son, "I got rid of that boy doctor. Soon, you are going to be home where you belong." E.J. admitted that he was glad Dr. Walters was keeping him a while longer because it gave E.J. time to investigate Samantha's part in his shooting. E.J. explained that he had the perfect operative to help with the investigation: Arianna Hernandez.

Stefano doubted that Arianna would produce evidence against her own brother and her brother's girlfriend. E.J. assured his father, "I have been working her for quite some time, and I think in time, she'll be quite happy to see some handcuffs slapped on Samantha or Will." Stefano was impressed with E.J.'s resourcefulness.

When Arianna arrived just then, Stefano made himself scarce. E.J. declared that Arianna's timing was perfect: "My father has been feeding me this pack of lies, and I'm not quite sure I can tolerate another word." E.J. said that Arianna was the only one he could really trust and asked whether she thought that Samantha or Will could have shot him.

Arianna was a bit taken aback, so E.J. explained that after having overheard a conversation, he believed that his father suspected Will or Samantha. E.J. feigned horrified disbelief at the very notion, but added, "If Samantha or her son tried to kill me, I need to know from somebody who I trust implicitly." He didn't want Stefano exacting revenge, although E.J. didn't know what he would do if Stefano's suspicions were correct.

At the new apartment she shared with Rafe and the kids, Sami confided to Will that she'd told Rafe that she knew who had shot E.J. -- although she had not admitted that she had done it. Will was worried that Rafe thought Will was guilty -- and that E.J. might, as well. Sami tried to reassure Will that Rafe had refused to let her divulge who the culprit was before they were married, in case he had to testify against her.

Will wanted his mom to make sure that E.J. never found out that she knew who had shot him. Sami assured Will that Rafe would never reveal that, but Will wanted to talk to Rafe about it. He flipped out when Sami told him that she had no idea where Rafe was at that moment.

Just then, Lexie knocked on the door to discuss E.J. with Sami. After Will had left the room, Lexie explained that E.J. had asked to see Sami and the children. Sami admitted that she was having a hard time pretending to be the loving wife of the man who had kidnapped her daughter. Lexie begged Sami to keep pretending for Johnny and Sydney's sake.

Sami agreed to try but reminded Lexie that E.J. was not stupid. "He's going to figure out that I don't love him," Sami asserted, saying, "I don't know how much longer I can continue to be convincing when the very effort makes my stomach turn."

After Arianna had left E.J.'s room, Stefano returned. E.J. informed his father that Arianna had agreed to try to find out if Will or Samantha had been the shooter -- and either way, E.J. would get his children back.

When Sami arrived to see E.J., Stefano left. Sami apologized for not taking Johnny or Sydney to the hospital, but Johnny had been upset after his last visit to see his dad. E.J. guessed that the real reason was that Sami was angry with him for the way he had treated her when he'd learned about her keeping their daughter from him. Sami didn't understand why E.J. was talking about something that had happened so long before

E.J. stated that being in the hospital had given him a lot of time to think, and he had realized how wrong and cruel it had been to threaten her -- at Grace's funeral -- to take Johnny away. He offered a sincere apology, and promised that nothing she could ever do or say could make him stop loving her. He acknowledged that the things she had done to him had just been reactions to what he had done to her.

"I forgive you for anything you may have done to me, and I am terribly, terribly sorry," E.J. declared softly. Obviously moved, Sami admitted, "I wish you'd said this sooner." She added that she regretted not allowing the kids to visit that day, but promised to take them the next time she visited. She kissed E.J. goodbye, and left to relieve Will, who was watching the younger kids. After she had gone, E.J.'s expression immediately turned icy cold. "Enjoy them while you can," he said.

Arianna stopped by the apartment to see Sami, but Will informed her that his mom had gone to visit E.J. Arianna claimed that she wanted to apologize to Sami, because when Arianna had learned about Sami and Rafe's wedding plans, she had accused Sami of not thinking about E.J.'s feelings. "E.J. doesn't have feelings," Will asserted.

Arianna wondered whether, despite everything E.J. had done, Sami might still be a little upset that someone had shot the father of two of her children. Will countered that it was more upsetting for Sami to let E.J. believe they were married -- although she certainly didn't want him to die from getting overly agitated. Arianna was thankful to God that Sami had left and taken the children with her the night that E.J. had been shot.

Sami returned home just as Arianna was saying, "Thank God you and the other children were over at your grandmother's house -- all night. You were, right?" Sami interjected, "Would you like to explain to me why the hell you're grilling my son?" Arianna maintained that she'd only been saying how lucky Sami's family was that they hadn't been home at the time of the shooting. A skeptical Sami ordered her to stay out of it -- and leave Will alone. After Arianna left, Sami warned Will not to ever trust Arianna.

Although Daniel was trying to hurry out of the hospital to his wedding, Dr. Walters insisted on discussing E.J.'s case before Daniel left. Daniel explained that he had discovered E.J.'s high blood pressure before the surgery to remove the bullet, but he'd had to operate, or E.J. would have died. Dr. Walters hoped to have the hypertension under control by the time Daniel returned from his honeymoon.

Carly arrived to talk to Daniel as Dr. Walters was leaving. An embarrassed Daniel admitted that he had forgotten his marriage license at home and had to hurry to retrieve it before the ceremony. Carly convinced Daniel to send Chloe a text message to ask her to take the license to the wedding site.

As Carly and Daniel walked on the pier, Daniel told her that Melanie had seemed desperate to talk to him before the wedding, and he was worried because he hadn't been able to reach her. Carly didn't think it was anything to worry about and guessed that Melanie had simply lost track of time while working on a surprise for the wedding.

Carly then produced a wedding gift for Daniel and Chloe. "It's a thank you for the gift you've given me: the gift of your forgiveness," Carly said warmly. She added that she still felt bad for keeping his daughter from him, but Daniel blamed Lawrence for that. Daniel declared that from that moment on, the past would stay in the past.

Carly was thrilled for Daniel that he would finally get the chance to raise a child from birth. Daniel asked, "Will you promise me something? That you will always be a part of our life." He assured her that the bad times were over, and there was no need for her to feel like she was intruding. "I'm not going anywhere," Carly replied gratefully as she embraced Daniel.

Chloe was at home, getting dressed for her wedding, when Melanie pounded on the door. As soon as Chloe opened it, Melanie slapped her -- hard. "Melanie, what is wrong with you?" Chloe cried. "You cheated on Daniel," replied Melanie accusingly. Chloe insisted that whatever Melanie had heard, it was a lie. Melanie countered that Nathan would have no reason to lie to his girlfriend about something like that, but Chloe maintained that Nathan had never liked her.

Melanie reminded Chloe that Nathan had saved Chloe's life, at the risk of his career -- and Chloe had been in a coma in the first place because Kate had found out about Chloe cheating on Lucas with Daniel. Chloe adamantly declared that Daniel was the love of her life. "Then prove it to me, Chloe!" Melanie demanded, "Prove to me you didn't cheat on Daniel!" Chloe pleaded, "Can't you see how much I love your dad? Come on, it's our wedding day."

Melanie pointed out all the times Chloe had canceled previous weddings to Daniel for very unconvincing reasons. Chloe asserted that trying to explain things to Melanie was pointless, since Melanie had obviously already made up her mind about Chloe. Chloe asked if Melanie planned to tell Daniel. Melanie replied sarcastically, "No, I thought I'd keep my mouth shut and let him marry a whore."

Chloe cautioned Melanie against forcing Daniel to choose which of them to believe and asserted that the burden of proof would be on Melanie. "And if you decide to start something," Chloe continued hotly, "it's going to be on Daniel's wedding day." On that subject, Melanie wondered why Father Matt wasn't performing the ceremony. Chloe maintained that the priest had a scheduling conflict, but Melanie suspected that Father Matt didn't want to do it because Chloe had confessed her affair to him.

When Melanie threatened to call the rectory to verify Father Matt's schedule, Chloe begged her not to. "I have my answer," Melanie concluded, stating, "You're loved by somebody like my dad, and you slept with someone else." All Chloe could manage was a sad, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Vivian Alamain tried poisoning you to pay Carly back, and that didn't work out," Chloe reminded Melanie, "[then] she set her sights on me." Chloe described how Vivian had tricked her into believing that Daniel and Carly were having an affair, in the hopes that Chloe would want to hurt Carly. Chloe had been so heartbroken that she had slept with someone else.

Melanie wanted to know whom Chloe had slept with, but Chloe maintained that it wasn't important. Melanie argued that it would matter to Daniel. Chloe implored Melanie not to break Daniel's heart by telling him about a stupid mistake that had only happened once and which Chloe swore would never happen again.

Chloe grabbed Melanie's hand and put it on Chloe's pregnant belly. "Do you want to do this to your brother or sister?" Chloe cried, asking, "Do you want this baby to be raised without a real family?" Melanie jerked her hand away and argued that the baby was only her sibling if Daniel were its father. Chloe revealed that she'd taken a paternity test to make sure.

Melanie demanded to see the results, but Chloe didn't have them in the apartment. "I'm not the only person who knows about the test," Chloe declared pleadingly. When Chloe wouldn't reveal who the other person was, Melanie furiously shrieked that she had absolutely no reason to believe a cheating liar like Chloe. She began to storm out, so Chloe shouted desperately after her, "It wasn't just somebody else -- it's your mother!"