Carly and Nathan tried to revive a patient, but the patient died anyway. Outside in the hallway, Bo was waiting to question Carly's patient, but she had to tell him that the boy had died. Bo said he was sorry. Bo continued to question Carly about whether the patient had said anything about who had shot him. Carly relayed to Bo that the patient had been scared and had asked her to help him because he didn't want to die. The mother of Carly's patient arrived, and Carly had to break the news to her. Bo asked Carly if she would be okay. Carly said she wasn't worried about herself.

Jennifer and Hope looked through boxes that were in Alice's attic. Hope thanked Jennifer for insisting that Hope and Bo go through old photo albums, because it had drawn them together. Theo and Ciara overheard them talking, and Ciara said maybe they didn't have to run away after all. Jennifer told Hope that she had tried to fix up Daniel and Carly, but they hadn't appreciated it. Theo and Ciara ran into the room, and Hope said she needed to take the kids to meet Abe and Lexie. Ciara told Theo that as long as Bo and Hope were happy, they didn't need to run away.

Hope drove Ciara and Theo to the hospital, and Ciara asked if she could buy a doll she had seen. Hope reminded her daughter that they had already discussed how expensive the doll was and that Ciara was planning to buy it when she saved up her allowance. Ciara saw Bo, and he explained to Hope that he needed to fill out some paperwork regarding someone who had been shot in a drive-by. Ciara asked Bo if she could buy the doll that she had just asked Hope for. Hope reminded Ciara that they had just talked about it. Bo was distracted with paperwork, so he told Ciara that he didn't see a problem with her buying the doll. Bo gave Ciara some money for the doll.

Hope asked to speak to Bo alone, and she explained that Ciara had needed to buy the doll. Bo explained that he had been distracted. Hope understood, but she said she would look like the bad guy if she was the only one saying no to Ciara. Bo agreed with Hope, and he said that if Ciara wanted something special from then on, Ciara needed to "save her pennies." Hope asked if he was upset with her and whether he thought she was being petty. He didn't think she was being petty, because there was nothing more important than raising their child. Hope said that he was a good dad.

Bo felt that he and Hope had grown apart after losing Zach and after Ciara's kidnapping because they hadn't confronted their feelings and their differences, but they couldn't let that happen again, he said. Ciara assumed that Bo and Hope were sad again because of Ciara, and she thought she had to run away or they wouldn't be happy. Bo and Hope handed the kids off to Abe, and Bo had finished his case work, so he suggested they spend some alone time. Carly saw them get on the elevator together and ordered the wrong dosage of medicine for a patient. Nathan overheard her and corrected her, and Nadine agreed that Carly had ordered the wrong dosage.

Carly thanked Nathan for covering for her. He asked if she was okay, and she said she wasn't. Carly got upset about losing a patient, and Nathan tried to convince her that she had done all that she could. He explained that she might be stretching herself too thin by working too many double shifts. Nathan suggested that she take a few days off, and she said she would think about it. Nathan told Carly that it was his last day. Carly told Nathan that he was a great doctor and would be missed. She said she was sorry that things hadn't worked out between him and Melanie. Carly could relate to how Nathan was feeling.

Nicole accompanied Fay into the hospital for some tests. When Fay went downstairs for testing, Lexie asked how things were at the mansion. Nicole told Lexie that Taylor wasn't doing so well because of what was going on between Taylor and E.J. "You know?" Lexie asked. Nicole said of course she knew that E.J. and Taylor couldn't stand each other. Judging my Lexie's reaction, Nicole suspected that Lexie might be talking about something else. Lexie said she had just been asking a question. Nicole felt that Lexie had looked at her like she expected Nicole to say something else.

Lexie covered by saying that she knew that Taylor was uncomfortable around E.J. and that he had issues about her moving into the mansion. Lexie admitted that E.J. and Taylor had mentioned it to her, but she didn't feel comfortable speaking for E.J. or Taylor. Nicole was perplexed that E.J. and Taylor were confiding in other people, and she thought that Taylor wasn't happy about Nicole marrying a DiMera. Nicole said that E.J. had an issue with Taylor taking a job with Brady, and she assumed it was because E.J. hated Brady and was offended that Taylor would be working for Brady. Nicole just wanted everyone to be happy so they could live in peace.

Fay found Nicole and said that her test results were good. She also told Nicole that she was proud of Nicole for the way Nicole had turned her life around. Fay was relieved that Nicole was finally happy. Nicole thought that was because she had married E.J. with both eyes wide open. Fay pointed out that Nicole hadn't married E.J. for love. Nicole said that E.J. hadn't married her for love, and she admitted that she was falling in love with E.J. again.

Nicole said that E.J. didn't know how she felt, and she was convinced that their relationship would work this time, because they had low expectations. Nicole thought it was because they had taken the pressure off, they were more mature and direct with each other, and they held no secrets. Nicole tried to convince Fay to move into the mansion and out of the guesthouse, but Fay was concerned that the house would be crowded. Fay agreed to move into the mansion to please Nicole.

At the DiMera mansion, E.J. told Taylor that they had been fighting to deny their feelings for each other. She asked what he was saying, and he kissed her. They started making out in the living room. E.J. and Taylor each felt they had no control over their emotions. Taylor stopped E.J. when she looked at E.J. and Nicole's wedding photo. She told him that she couldn't mess up what Nicole and E.J. had. She assumed that E.J. was planning to leave Nicole to be with Taylor, but he said that wasn't the plan.

E.J. suggested that Nicole didn't have to know about him and Taylor. Taylor asked if he was suggesting they have an affair. He said he wasn't asking her to do anything, but he felt they both knew it would lead to that.

Abe ordered hot chocolate for Ciara and Theo at the Java Café. Ciara told Theo to keep his jacket on, because it was their chance to run away. Ciara plotted how to get away, but Theo said he couldn't leave his daddy. Ciara said it was okay for Theo to stay behind, because his parents were happy and would be sad if Theo left. Theo hugged Abe and Lexie when she walked in, and he told his parents that he loved them. Abe was perplexed by Theo's sudden show of affection. Ciara told Theo that she planned to run away the next day after school before Hope picked her up.

Jennifer invited Carly over to apologize for meddling in Daniel and Carly's personal lives. Jennifer felt that she should have realized that Carly was still hurting from her breakup with Bo and didn't want to move on with Daniel. Jennifer admitted that she was happy that Bo and Hope were back together, but she still felt empathy for Carly's pain. Carly felt she needed to move on from Bo, and she would be fine. Nathan interrupted their chat to say he was getting ready to leave town. Jennifer decided to take Carly to dinner at Chez Rouge when she heard how much Carly had been working. Carly agreed to call out for the rest of the evening.

Jennifer told Nathan that she would miss him, and she gave him a picture of Alice and Tom. Nathan said he would do his best to be the next Tom Horton. Jennifer got a phone call from Abigail, and Nathan looked at the picture of his grandparents and said goodbye to Salem.

Bo and Hope took a walk by the pier, and they both agreed that they were in it together raising Ciara. Hope thanked him for being understanding. He said he wanted to spoil Ciara once in a while. Hope posed a scenario to him of Ciara bringing home a biker with long hair and an attitude when she got older. Bo said he would kick the guy's butt. He was confident that Ciara wouldn't date someone like him, and if she did, Bo would order her to her room.

Hope suggested that they use some techniques that the therapist had suggested to help Ciara understand their point of view, but Bo had a better idea. He kissed Hope. Bo told Hope that Ciara would see that he and Hope were a team who loved each other and made all their decisions together. They kissed again, and Carly happened to be walking nearby and saw them, so she walked away. Bo told Hope that he wanted to take things to the next level whenever Hope was ready. She said she wasn't ready for that yet, but she believed that their best days were ahead of them.

When Carly returned to the hospital, her hands were shaking. Nadine was about to give a sleeping patient a mild tranquilizer to help the patient with anxiety. Carly told Nadine to take the patient to x-ray and give the tranquilizer to her later. Carly took the tranquilizer and sat down in the hospital room, thinking about how she had murdered her husband, and she reminisced about reuniting with Bo afterwards. She also thought about how much it hurt to watch Bo and Hope kissing on the pier. She injected herself with the tranquilizer.

Nicole returned home with Fay and suggested that they surprise Taylor.

In the living room of the DiMera mansion, Taylor and E.J. made out on the couch. When Taylor pulled back from E.J.'s embrace, she asked E.J. if he was suggesting that they have an affair. As E.J. put his shirt back on, Taylor noted that E.J. had her "figured all wrong." Taylor stressed that she would not have an affair because, as Nicole liked to joke, Taylor was "the good sister." While Taylor pulled her boots back on, E.J. asked her how long she could pretend that they were casual acquaintances.

On the front porch of the DiMera mansion, Fay worried about whether she should move into the mansion. Nicole assured her mother that E.J. would approve of the move, especially since Lexie supported the plan. Nicole walked into the foyer with Fay while Taylor and E.J. continued to get dressed in the living room. As Taylor rushed to leave the living room, the door began to rattle as Nicole attempted to enter the room. "Why would this door be locked?" Nicole wondered aloud.

In the living room, a panicked Taylor and E.J. exchanged worried glances. As Nicole called for Harold in the foyer, Sydney began to cry upstairs. Worried, Nicole asked Fay to wait for her while she went to check on Sydney. While Fay stood in the foyer, E.J. opened the door and acted surprised to see Fay. When Fay began to explain that Nicole had gone upstairs, Fay looked across the room and spotted Taylor adjusting her sweater.

"What are you two doing in here with the door locked?" Fay asked suspiciously. Noting that the door to the living room got stuck sometimes, E.J. changed the subject to Fay's hospital visit. Fay explained that her medication was working and that her test results showed improvement in her health. While Taylor congratulated her mother, Fay asked Taylor to convince Nicole that the news was good. Fay explained that Nicole was insisting that she move into the mansion.

E.J. assured Fay that Nicole did not need to clear the move with her because Fay was family. When Fay noted that Nicole was upstairs checking on Sydney, E.J. thanked Fay and ran upstairs. Turning back toward Taylor, Fay demanded to know what she had walked in on in the living room. Taylor explained that she had been arguing with E.J., and she begged Fay not to tell Nicole. "When you dislike someone, you have a very good reason," Fay commented.

Fumbling for an excuse, Taylor muttered that E.J. rubbed her the wrong way. Picking up on Taylor's nervousness, Fay asked Taylor if E.J. was cheating on Nicole. Taylor answered that E.J. was not cheating on Nicole, and Fay asked Taylor if E.J. was in love with Nicole.

Out in the foyer, Nicole walked Sydney downstairs with E.J. Nicole explained that Mary had failed to go through the bedtime ritual with Sydney, so Sydney was having trouble sleeping. When Nicole noted that Sydney lit up when Nicole returned home, E.J. offered, "I think she misses you when she's with Samantha." "I know she loves Sami. I do. But I bring the fun in, don't I? I love being a stepmom. I flat-out love my life," Nicole said as she beamed at E.J.

When E.J. and Nicole returned to the living room, Taylor announced that since Fay was moving into the mansion, she had decided to move out. Fay started to cough and asked Taylor to get her some water. As Taylor headed into the foyer, E.J. excused himself to go check on Johnny. E.J. closed the door to the living room on his way out, and Nicole asked Fay to help her convince Taylor to stay in the mansion.

In the foyer, Taylor stood in the corner and stared at the wall as E.J. walked up behind her. Shaken, Taylor asked E.J. if he could get Fay some water so that Taylor could collect herself. E.J. asked Taylor to talk about what had happened. Taylor noted that Fay had asked her about what she had walked in on and that Taylor had been forced to lie to Fay for the first time in her life. "I'm becoming this person that I don't even recognize anymore, and it's because of you!" Taylor said in frustration.

"It doesn't bother you that the people we care about might find out?" Taylor asked E.J. "The people that we care about are already aware of the tension between the two of us. All I'm suggesting is that we do something to alleviate the tension," E.J. stated calmly. "Alleviate your own tension, E.J. I plan to stay as far away from you as I can," Taylor retorted. Taylor swore to move out, then ran upstairs.

Once upstairs, Taylor paced her room until she heard a knock at the door. E.J. entered, and Taylor asked him to leave. E.J. warned Taylor that Fay and Nicole would be expecting Taylor at dinner. Uncomfortable, Taylor asked E.J. to make up an excuse for her. "As you wish," E.J. said in frustration, then left. Alone in her room, Taylor fretted about what she should do.

At the loft, faux Rafe awoke facedown on the couch when his cell phone started vibrating. Faux Rafe sleepily answered the phone call from Stefano, and faux Rafe assured Stefano that he would follow directions. As faux Rafe hung up the phone, Sami returned home. Faux Rafe approached Sami and began to kiss her. Uncomfortable, Sami pushed faux Rafe away and told him that she was not interested in having sex with him. When faux Rafe pressured Sami to have sex with him, she angrily told faux Rafe no and pushed him away.

Faux Rafe pushed Sami down on the couch as she struggled against him. When faux Rafe failed to stop when Sami ordered him to, Sami slapped faux Rafe across the face. "I said no. Don't you ever touch me again," Sami said firmly. Confused, faux Rafe asked what had happened. Faux Rafe noted that although he had changed, his feelings for his wife had not. When Sami admitted that she was scared of him, he argued that he was dealing with his medical problems and had no intention of hurting Sami.

"I want you to take it easy," Sami said. "Take it easy? Is that code for no sex?" faux Rafe asked bitterly. Frustrated, Sami reiterated that she wanted to get the old Rafe back. "Ever think that you should try being different?" faux Rafe joked. Sami countered that she had attempted everything to restore her husband but that she did not believe she could rediscover the feelings she had for Rafe before the accident.

"So this is what I get for standing by you through everything? I hit a rough patch and all the sudden you don't feel the same way about me anymore," faux Rafe said. When Sami argued that she needed to think of her children, faux Rafe countered that the kids were "their kids." "Unlike you, those kids still love me," faux Rafe said. Sami noted that Allie no longer loved Rafe and that was the reason she was with Lucas in China. Sami explained that she did not want to believe that Rafe would hurt the children but that she needed to be cautious.

"Stick a knife in my heart, why don't you, because that would hurt less than what you just said to me," faux Rafe said hollowly. Sami stressed that she was not pushing Rafe away to hurt him. Faux Rafe put a blanket on the couch and noted that he would sleep there for the night. "It's probably for the best," Sami said. Once Sami left, faux Rafe smiled to himself and said, "Well Mr. D., I might make that schedule, after all." Inside the bedroom, Sami punched a pillow in frustration and fought back tears.

In a hospital room, Carly broke down in tears. Alone, Carly stared at a syringe filled with a sedative. Weeping openly, Carly grabbed the needle and plunged it into her leg.

At the hospital nurse's station, Jennifer asked Daniel whether he had seen Carly. Disturbed that Carly had missed their dinner date, Jennifer told Daniel that she was worried. Jennifer peeked into the nearby hospital room and found Carly. Calmer since the injection of the sedative, Carly greeted Jennifer and Daniel, and curious, Daniel asked Carly why she was holding a syringe. Carly explained that she had entered the room to administer a sedative to a patient but that the patient had been taken down to x-ray before Carly had arrived.

When Daniel reminded Carly that a nurse could handle the injection, Carly countered that the patient was elderly and mistrustful. Changing the subject, Carly asked why Jennifer was at the hospital. When Jennifer smiled awkwardly, Carly remembered that she'd had dinner plans with Jennifer. Carly apologized, and Jennifer explained to Daniel that she was not going to invite him to dinner so that he could not accuse Jennifer of matchmaking. Before Daniel could respond, Jennifer received a text message from Abigail and had to excuse herself to go home to talk to the plumber.

After Jennifer left, Daniel noted that Carly had been crying. Carly denied Daniel's accusation, but Daniel was not fooled. Pressured to talk, Carly explained that she had lost a patient that had reminded her of her son. Daniel asked Carly if she was sleeping well, and Carly noted that she was having nightmares about Lawrence and not sleeping through the night. "I wake up and I tell myself that it's over but then I'm afraid to go back to sleep," Carly noted. When Daniel asked about Bo, Carly admitted that the nightmares had subsided when she lived with Bo because she had felt safe. "I had a little meltdown, but you know what? I think that's exactly what I needed because I feel a lot better now," Carly said.

"You are one of the strongest people I have ever met," Daniel commented. "I've kind of let you have it on numerous occasions about keeping Melanie a secret from me but I don't know if I've ever said I'm sorry about what happened to you," Daniel added. "In the end, it was all worth it," Carly said as she fought back tears.

Jennifer returned home to talk to Abigail about the heater, and Abigail explained that though the radiator was fixed, the boiler might need to be replaced. Abigail asked Jennifer whether she was interested in selling the house, but Jennifer noted that since returning to Salem, she had decided to stay. "This house, honey, for me, has some of the sweetest memories of my life. I think really great things are going to happen for us here," Jennifer said.

Pleased at how hopeful Jennifer sounded, Abigail suggested that her mother should go out on a date. "I've accepted the fact that this little disappearing act that your dad has done was his way of telling me that our marriage is over," Jennifer said. Jennifer assured Abigail that they would figure out how to move forward as a family and that she did not want to think about dating. "You've been alone for a long time, and you're still hot," Abigail joked. Jennifer explained that she needed to figure out who she was before she contemplated dating.

Abigail informed Jennifer that Chad was moving into the DiMera mansion. "You were right. It's way too complicated for me," Abigail said solemnly. "Is it okay that I'm really relieved by that decision?" Jennifer asked jokingly. Jennifer explained that although she did not know Chad, she was worried that Stefano might influence Chad. "I'm just telling you after years of experience, you cannot change a man," Jennifer said. Jennifer assured Abigail that she would meet the right guy someday.

At the Brady Pub, Vivian called Gus to inform him of her plan to have Gus chat up Mary the housekeeper at the DiMera mansion. Vivian's call was interrupted when a waitress delivered Vivian a slice of cake. When Vivian noted that she had not ordered cake, the waitress explained that the gentleman in the corner had purchased the slice of cake for Vivian. Confused, Vivian turned around and saw Stefano sitting in the corner waving at her.

Vivian shook her head as Stefano marched over and sat at her table. Vivian asked if Kate had told Stefano about her cake fight at the Java Café. With a grin, Stefano noted that Kate had relayed the story of the battle and that he was not pleased that Vivian was butting into his personal and professional life. "Knock it off, Vivian. Or your next piece of cake will be your last," Stefano said ominously. "What reason would I have to poke around in your business?" Vivian countered.

Stefano admitted that he did not know what Vivian was up to but he reminded her that while she had Gus at her disposal, Stefano had a network of henchman to do his bidding. "Please leave Katherine and me alone. It will be much better for you in the end," Stefano warned. When Vivian reminded Stefano that Kate had left her in a crypt to die, Stefano countered that he would do worse to Vivian if she did not leave Kate alone. Stefano assured Vivian that she could not get between him and his wife. After Stefano left, Vivian muttered to herself that she needed to find out one of Stefano's secrets.

Chad was walking down on the pier when his phone began to beep. As Chad examined his phone, he realized that the beep was from his calendar to remind him that it was his mother's birthday. Upset, Chad poured his heart out to his mother and berated himself for arguing with Madeline before her death. "I know you had all these dreams for me, but now you're gone. And I have to know who I am, and is it possible that maybe I could do that and still be the man you want me to be?" Chad said aloud.

As Chad stared out of the water of the river, Abigail walked onto the pier. Noticing that Chad was crying, Abigail asked him if he was all right. Chad explained that it was his mother's birthday and that he was having a difficult time. Abigail silently took Chad's hand in hers and nodded at him in support.

After work, Daniel stopped by Jennifer's house to ask about her plumbing problems. Jennifer invited Daniel in and informed him that the plumber had fixed the radiator. Jennifer told Daniel that she was worried about Carly, and he admitted that he was concerned about Carly as well. Daniel explained that Carly was having difficulty sleeping but that she appeared to have calmed down before he left the hospital. "Carly is my sweetest, dearest friend, but I wish that she could make better choices with who she falls in love with," Jennifer said.

At the hospital, Maxine updated Carly on her patient and noted that the patient's sedative had disappeared. "I hope it didn't fall into the wrong hands," Maxine lamented. Carly explained that she had contaminated the needle when she dropped the syringe and had failed to mark it on the chart. Maxine offered to prepare another shot for the patient. When Maxine was gone, Carly muttered to herself, "What am I doing? That can't happen again."

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady was shouting at an underling on the phone about a merger that hadn't gone through. Victor entered and revealed that he had been the one who had "undone" the deal. A livid Brady hung up, and called his grandfather a "son of a bitch." Victor nonchalantly noted, "I am. And you made a big mistake when you forgot that." Victor asserted that what Brady had done was simply wrong, because the merger would have caused so many people to have lost their jobs. Snorting incredulously, Brady pointed out Victor's hypocrisy.

Maggie arrived, and listened from the foyer as Victor maintained that he had changed. Maggie then entered the living room, and declared that she believed Victor. Brady took that as his cue to leave, but on his way out, he proclaimed that he was more certain than ever that taking the company from Victor had been the right thing to do.

As Maggie poured coffee for Victor, he admitted that he was worried Brady was trying to live up to Victor's ruthless image. Maggie asserted that Victor was trying to shed that image not to impress her, as Brady believed, but because he wanted to protect his family. Victor confided that he had lost about 47 million dollars, and Maggie nearly choked on her coffee. "Living up to your moral code could prove to be a very expensive proposition," Victor teased. Eyes twinkling, Maggie assured him that she would stick by him when he was in the poorhouse. When Maggie kissed him, Victor declared that it was worth every penny he'd lost.

When Vivian and Kate ran into each other at the Java Café, they exchanged barbed references to their altercation there that had landed them on top of a child's birthday cake. Vivian then threatened to blow Kate's world apart. Kate calmly countered that Stefano could crush Vivian like a bug. Kate breezed out, while Vivian muttered to herself that Stefano wouldn't be in Kate's corner for long.

Gus then joined Vivian, and cautioned her that she should back down. Vivian countered that Stefano's threats only meant that she had rattled him, because he was hiding something big. "Kate will never know what hit her," Vivian declared.

On the pier, Stefano fretted to E.J. about imposter Rafe's latest stunt, but a distracted and obviously unhappy E.J. wasn't listening. Stefano guessed that Taylor had rejected E.J.'s advances. An irked E.J. maintained that despite their mutual attraction, Taylor was far too principled to hurt her sister. Stefano asserted that it was just as well, because E.J. already had enough on his plate.

After E.J. had gone, Kate met Stefano on the pier, and informed him that she had just run into Vivian. Stefano explained that he had warned Vivian about what would happen if she continued to harass Kate. He playfully asked if he had undermined Kate's authority as a powerful woman. Kate admitted that he had -- and she had liked it.

As Kate and Stefano strolled past the Brady Pub, she told him that although Allie was having a good time with Lucas in Hong Kong, she missed her mommy -- but she didn't want to return home if Rafe were still there. Kate noted that Rafe's behavior had been very out of character for him, but Stefano pointed out teasingly that she had seen what happened to men who married Samantha. Kate rewarded him with a kiss for making her laugh.

Stefano and Kate continued on their way, and Vivian and Gus emerged from where they had been spying on the DiMeras. Vivian instructed Gus, "You follow Romeo, and I'll stay here, and I'll find out what Stefano's up to if it kills me."

At the DiMera mansion, Taylor was getting dressed for work when Nicole arrived with a breakfast tray. Nicole was relieved to see that Taylor seemed to be feeling better than she had the night before, when Taylor had refused to even allow anyone to take her dinner. Fay arrived then to check on Taylor, too.

After Nicole left to take Sydney and Johnny to Sami and Rafe's, Fay confronted Taylor about faking her illness. Taylor remained evasive, so Fay demanded, "I asked you before if E.J. was having an affair. Now I want to know -- is there something going on between you and E.J.?" Taylor insisted that nothing was going on except a bit of tension over her working for Brady. Fay didn't buy it, but Taylor cut the conversation short because she was late for work.

As she was heading out the front door, Taylor ran into E.J. He tried to talk to her about what had happened between them the night before, but she hurriedly brushed past him. Fay suddenly appeared in the foyer, startling E.J., and asked what his intentions were for her daughter. Trying to keep the sarcasm in check, E.J. replied that his intentions were for Fay's daughter to be happy and a part of his family, and for the two of them to have a future together.

Fay demanded to know which of her daughters E.J. was talking about. She pointed out that the relationship between Taylor and Nicole was very new, and still very fragile. E.J. promised to do whatever he could not to damage Nicole and Taylor's relationship. As E.J. prepared to leave, Fay pointedly noted that she was a very light sleeper -- and she could hear everything that went on in the mansion.

When Brady met Taylor at the Java Café, she asked if he had seen the CNBC website. After he looked at it on at her computer, he groaned, "Great. He not only squashed the deal, he let the whole damn world know about it." Taylor expressed her belief that Victor had only blocked the merger to keep Brady from making some powerful enemies, but Brady just wanted to keep Victor far away from Titan.

E.J. arrived at the Java Café just as Taylor was leaving. Stopping her outside, E.J. stated that it was time for them to clear the air. Taylor agreed.

Imposter Rafe awakened on the couch at the loft to find Sami glaring at him. She noted with dismay that although she had barely slept, he appeared to have had no trouble sleeping, despite the events of the night before. "So now I don't even sleep right," faux Rafe grumbled. Sami declared, "Something happened last night. It was terrible, and we need to talk about it." Fake Rafe maintained that he was sick and tired of not measuring up to her expectations. He added that she hadn't done anything in a long time to make him think that she still wanted him around. Sami stomped into the bedroom in furious disbelief, and slammed the door.

Just then, Nicole arrived with Johnny and Sydney. She immediately deduced that Rafe had slept on the couch, and asked if he and Sami were having trouble. Sami emerged from the bedroom and declared that it was none of Nicole's business. Faux Rafe asked Nicole if she could keep the kids for a couple more hours, and she was more than happy to -- although Johnny complained that he wanted to stay with Rafe. Imposter Rafe joked that they'd have to hang out later, because Johnny's mom was taking "crazy pills."

After Nicole and the had gone, Sami furiously lit into Rafe for the way he'd talked about her in front of her children. Phony Rafe calmly poured himself a cup of coffee, and then noted that although he had told Sami that he loved her the night before, she had yet to say it back. Sami was peeved that he was questioning her love for him.

Maintaining that Sami's attitude toward him had changed even before his accident, faux Rafe reminded her, "You ran out of here that night; you didn't want to tell me what the hell you were doing. You didn't want to share anything or confide in me or talk to me about it -- like you have done a million times before!" Sami stormed into the bedroom again, so imposter Rafe grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. He called Stefano, and declared that they needed to talk.

Stefano was talking to Marco on the pier when Nicole arrived with the kids. While Johnny greeted his grandfather enthusiastically, Stefano asked Nicole why the children weren't with Sami and Rafe as scheduled. "Change of plans," Nicole replied. Stefano sent Johnny and Sydney with Marco to get hot chocolate, and then demanded to know what had happened at the loft. Nicole explained that it appeared as if she'd interrupted a huge argument between Sami and Rafe.

Vivian arrived, and eavesdropped while Stefano ordered Nicole to tell him what the fight had been about. Taken aback, Nicole wondered why Stefano cared. He irritably reminded her that the children were his grandchildren, but Nicole reassured him that the kids would be just fine. Stefano growled that Nicole should not get too comfortable as the stepmother to his grandchildren.

After Stefano left, Vivian approached Nicole. "I know something that you should know about Stefano," Vivian declared cryptically. "Why are you talking to me? You hate me. You want to kill me," Nicole said suspiciously. Vivian conceded that she was more interested in getting revenge on Kate than on Nicole, and she hoped Nicole would work with her, since they both loathed Kate.

Stefano and imposter Rafe met outside the Brady Pub. The impersonator declared gleefully, "I've got Sami right where you want her: in hell!" Stefano was dubious, but faux Rafe was confident that Sami was about to break.

Kate went to the loft on the pretense of talking to Sami about Allie. When Kate saw how distracted and cross Sami seemed to be, she started to leave again, but Sami demanded, "If you have something to tell me about Allie, you're going to tell me right now!" Kate explained that she only wanted to relay how happy Allie was with Lucas, and with the new nanny Lucas had hired. Sami countered that in her daily talks with her daughter, Allie had complained that the nanny was "a total meanie." Sami then ordered Kate to leave. Kate asked gently if there had been any improvement in Rafe's condition, and Sami reluctantly admitted that things had actually gotten worse.

Kate urged Sami to confide in her -- because the children needed their mother, and Kate sincerely wanted to help. Fighting back tears, Sami confessed that she'd sent Allie to Hong Kong because Allie had been afraid of Rafe, who had changed into someone aggressive and angry since the accident. Nodding understandingly, Kate expressed her sympathy. Sami admitted that Rafe was no longer the man she had fallen in love with, and he refused to try any of the doctors' suggestions -- and she didn't want her kids to be around him anymore. "It's probably over for us," Sami concluded.

Outside the Brady Pub, fake Rafe gave Stefano an update on his relationship with Sami. Stefano was pleased to learn that Sami had started to lose faith in her husband. Fake Rafe assured Stefano that Sami still had no idea that he was an impostor. Stefano said that he was going to call E.J. and set the final stage of their plan into motion. Stefano reminded fake Rafe that they had reached the final moments of their plan and that there wasn't any room for error.

Fake Rafe cracked a joke, and Stefano chuckled and admitted that fake Rafe was much more amusing than the real Rafe had been. "Yeah, well, I can stop making you laugh in a heartbeat, too," fake Rafe cryptically responded. Stefano's smile faded; fake Rafe quickly tried to explain that his comment had been meant as another joke, but Stefano was no longer amused. "If I were you, I would not show me that side of your personality; you would not like what happens to you," Stefano warned fake Rafe.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Melanie stopped by and asked Philip if she could see Parker. Melanie smiled as she held Parker; she noted that Parker had gotten bigger since the last time she had seen him. "You're gonna have such a good life -- your mom and dad are gonna see to that, yeah? You will always be so special to me, even if I don't get to see you very often. I loved you before you were even born, even if things didn't work out the way they were supposed to," Melanie tearfully stated as she handed Parker back to Philip. Melanie tried to hold back her tears as she removed her wedding ring and placed it in Philip's hand; before Philip could protest, Melanie grabbed her purse and left the mansion.

Dario walked into the Java Café while Brady was barking orders at someone on his phone. After Brady ended his call, Dario joked that the person that Brady had been talking to had probably been shaking in his loafers. Brady half-heartedly chuckled and said that he had heard that Dario had been planning to leave Salem. Dario said that he had decided to stay in Salem; Brady suggested that Dario might want to reconsider that decision. Dario wondered if Brady had been making a threat.

Brady said that Dario would be doing everybody a favor if he left town. Dario said that he couldn't leave until he had figured out who had killed Arianna. Dario reminded Brady that he had doubted Arianna's innocence when the cops had arrested her for crimes that one of their own officers had committed. Dario suggested that Brady had given up on Arianna; Brady lunged at Dario and grabbed him by his shirt collar. "Listen, punk -- you don't tell me how I feel about Arianna or the way she died, you got it?" Brady said as he glared at Dario.

Dario suggested that Brady had wanted Dario to leave town because Brady felt guilty about the way that he had treated Arianna. Dario said that Brady would have to deal with the guilt because Dario wasn't going anywhere. Brady warned Dario not to make assumptions about Brady's relationship with Arianna. Brady stuffed some money into Dario's shirt pocket and told Dario to use that money to start a new life somewhere far away from Salem. Dario reiterated that he wasn't going to leave town until he had figured out who had killed Arianna.

Later, Melanie walked into the café and greeted Brady. Melanie explained that she had gone to see Parker; she said that she had wanted Parker to understand that she loved him even though she couldn't be involved in his life. Brady dryly pointed out that Melanie had said that to a baby. Melanie admitted that she had probably said it for her own sake instead of Parker's. Brady suggested that Melanie might have been saying it to Philip.

Melanie admitted that leaving Parker had been a lot harder than she had thought that it would be. Brady pointed out that Chloe and Philip had offered to let Melanie be involved in Parker's life. Melanie said that it would have been awkward when Parker got older and he started to wonder why Melanie wasn't with Philip. "Somehow I don't think I'm civilized enough to be Aunt Melanie to the child my husband had with my father's wife," Melanie joked as she managed a weak smile. Brady told Melanie that she shouldn't blame herself for Philip and Chloe's affair, but Melanie said that it was easier than feeling like a fool.

Melanie admitted that she just wanted to feel like herself again. Brady advised Melanie to clear her conscience. Melanie asked if Brady had been referring to Arianna; she wondered if Brady had any regrets about how things had ended with Arianna. Brady conceded that he had been thinking about Arianna more than usual since Dario had arrived in town. Brady wondered why his relationship with Arianna had changed so quickly.

"That's just the way it goes sometimes; I can never trust Philip again no matter what he says, 'cause what he did -- I see it every time I look in my dad's face when he doesn't know I'm watching, or every time I look at Parker. And that's never gonna change, you know? That's why I can't be with Philip, that's why I can't be in Parker's life," Melanie said as she choked back her tears. Brady assured Melanie that she had done the right thing, but Melanie wasn't convinced. Melanie admitted that she had almost agreed to forgive Philip just so that she could be in Parker's life, but she knew that it would not have worked.

Brady comforted Melanie and assured her that everything would be all right. As Melanie cried on Brady's shoulder, Brady noted that there had been a long period of time when he had not seen Melanie very often. Brady said that he was glad that those days were over. Melanie agreed and said that she really needed a friend. Brady promised that he had that role covered.

At the pier, Vivian tried to forge an alliance with Nicole. Vivian said that she would be willing to forgive Nicole for the part that Nicole had played in Vivian's coffin nightmare; in exchange, Vivian wanted Nicole to agree to help her ruin Kate's life. Vivian insisted that Stefano had a big secret that he had been hiding from Kate. Vivian suspected that Nicole had known that Stefano had been up to something, as well. Vivian said that she was reasonably certain that Nicole wasn't very fond of Kate.

Nicole said that Kate had treated her like she was a hooker that E.J. had invited to live at the mansion. "Well, you see, we could be a really good team together. We could knock Kate and Stefano off their respective thrones, and you and your handsome husband could replace them," Vivian stated. Vivian explained that she needed inside information that she could use to dislodge Kate from Stefano's life. Vivian added that she would be able to use that same information as leverage against Stefano. Vivian said that Nicole and E.J. would be able to run the DiMera empire while Vivian had Kate and Stefano distracted.

Nicole said that she wasn't interested in joining forces with Vivian. "You're delusional; you act like getting Stefano and Kate is no big deal, like scamming some poor widow out of her pension check or something," Nicole pointed out. Vivian realized that Nicole was afraid of Stefano. Nicole said that she could only imagine what Stefano's reaction might be if he found out that Vivian had been plotting against him. Vivian laughed and said that Stefano already knew about her plan.

"We had a little chat last night; he asked me to stop making inquiries about him," Vivian stated. Vivian said that she wasn't afraid of Stefano. "Well, you should be; you might have hated being in that coffin while you were alive, but it sure as heck beats being in one when you're dead," Nicole pointed out. Vivian admitted that Stefano was a formidable opponent, but she warned Nicole not to underestimate her. Nicole said that her money was on Stefano.

"Stefano has a lot of enemies, right? Much like you do. But have any of them locked him in a sarcophagus?" Nicole asked as Vivian nervously cleared her throat. Nicole observed that the Salem River was probably full of the bodies of people who had crossed Stefano and his loved ones. Nicole said that if Vivian valued her life, she would leave Kate alone. "Thank you so much for your sage advice about Stefano, but the fact is, I offered you a way out of the crosshairs, and you laughed in my face, so after I've finished with Kate, I'm coming after you," Vivian warned Nicole. Nicole reminded Vivian that she was married to E.J., and he would protect her; Vivian laughed at Nicole's naïveté and walked off before Nicole could respond.

E.J. took Taylor to a secluded area on the DiMera grounds so that they could talk privately. Taylor said that she was sick of having the same conversation with E.J. over and over again. E.J. admitted that Taylor was right. E.J. said that he admired Taylor's integrity, and he admired her loyalty to her sister. E.J. promised that he was going to respect Taylor's wishes. "I will not pursue you anymore, and I will just be your brother-in-law. I will be polite and courteous, I won't hold any lingering looks, I won't try and kiss you. I think this should probably be our last private conversation," E.J. said as his voice started to break.

Taylor questioned E.J.'s sincerity; she told E.J. that he couldn't change her mind with reverse psychology. E.J. admitted that he had considered that scenario, but he insisted that his intentions were pure. E.J. said that he had realized that Taylor was a good person and that it would have destroyed her if she had compromised her integrity because of his advances. "I realized that I had to let you go, even though I've never had you, because I...couldn't do that to somebody...that I love," E.J. quietly stated. Taylor was shocked by E.J.'s admission.

E.J. said that he had loved Taylor since the first moment that he had seen her. E.J. told Taylor that she had made him want to be a better person. Taylor begged E.J. to change for her sister's sake instead of Taylor's. E.J. said that he would make Nicole happy if that was what Taylor wanted, but he made it clear that he wouldn't be doing it for Nicole's sake. E.J. suggested that they should leave before his resolve broke; E.J. walked off before Taylor could respond.

Meanwhile, inside the mansion, Fay grew agitated as she continued to suspect that something was going on between Taylor and E.J. Delia noted that Fay had not eaten her food; Fay explained that she was too upset to eat, and she insisted that she needed to talk to her daughters immediately. Later, Delia gave Fay some sedatives to calm her down; Fay refused the pills, but Delia insisted that Fay should take a nap while she waited for her daughters to return home. Fay pretended to take the pills, then spit them out after Delia had left the room.

E.J. returned to the mansion and told Stefano that he had agreed to stay away from Taylor. Stefano suspected that E.J. had ulterior motives, but E.J. insisted that he was going to stay away from Taylor because it was the right thing to do. Stefano reminded E.J. that the last time he had chosen to do the right thing, Sami had ended up with shared custody of Stefano's grandchildren. E.J.'s temper flared as he asked Stefano to back off. E.J. insisted that he had been trying to get his life back under control.

Stefano told E.J. that they were ready to move on to the last phase of their plan for Sami. Before E.J. could respond, fake Rafe entered and noted that he had arrived just in time. E.J. didn't want to discuss their plan at the mansion because he was afraid that someone might overhear their conversation. Stefano assured E.J. that Nicole and Taylor were gone, and he said that he had asked Fay's nurse to give her a sedative so that she wouldn't be a problem. Stefano added that he had given the staff the morning off, so it would be safe for them to discuss their plan inside the mansion.

E.J. shrugged and wondered what had been so urgent that they had needed to discuss it right away. Fake Rafe proudly announced that he had spent the previous night on the couch, but E.J. wasn't impressed. E.J. said that he was tired of fake Rafe's arrogance, and he wondered whether fake Rafe wanted input or praise. Fake Rafe said that he wanted E.J. to make himself useful for once. As Stefano quietly watch the argument, E.J. told fake Rafe to remember what his life had been like before they had hired him.

Fake Rafe insisted that he had been doing a good job under the circumstances; he shoved E.J. as he added that if anyone had screwed up, it was E.J. As Stefano continued to watch, E.J. shoved fake Rafe back and reminded him that he worked for the DiMera family. E.J. and fake Rafe continued to argue until Stefano finally stepped in and shouted at them to stop. After E.J. and fake Rafe had returned to their separate corners, Stefano said that fake Rafe's next step was going to be to ensure that Sami was ready to take a break from her husband. Stefano reminded fake Rafe that it was imperative that Sami believed that the separation had been her idea.

Fake Rafe agreed, and Stefano walked over to the bar to pour some drinks. Fake Rafe half-heartedly apologized to E.J. and extended his hand for E.J. to shake it; as E.J. contemplated fake Rafe's olive branch, someone watched through a crack in the door. E.J. shook fake Rafe's hand as Stefano returned and offered each of the men a drink. "The stakes are higher than ever, especially now that our endgame with Samantha is at hand," Stefano said. E.J. raised his glass to fake Rafe and said that he had done an excellent job of convincing Sami and the children that he was the real Rafe. As the three men toasted their success, Fay stood behind the door and listened to every word of their conversation.

At the pier, Dario met with Justin and asked Justin to recommend a private investigator for Dario to hire. Dario offered Justin the cash that Brady had stuffed in his pocket earlier; Dario assured Justin that someone had given him the money voluntarily. Justin cautioned that Arianna's case was cold, and it would take a lot of time and money to find her killer. Dario explained that he had gotten a job working at the docks, so he would be able to pay for it. Justin agreed to help Dario find a private investigator.

As Dario walked off, Philip arrived at the pier and thanked Justin for meeting with him. Philip said that he needed to talk to Justin about Melanie; when Dario overheard Melanie's name, he paused and decided to eavesdrop on Philip and Justin's conversation. Justin pointed out that Philip's plan wasn't going to ease Melanie's pain. Philip said that it would make Melanie's life easier, and it would give her a chance at a fresh start. "Yeah, I'd say. Five million dollars -- plus what you already gave her in the settlement. Money is not going to be one of her problems," Justin said as Dario listened. After Philip and Justin left, Dario muttered that money wasn't going to be a problem for him, either.

Vivian met with Gus and asked him for an update on his investigation into Stefano's past misdeeds. Gus handed Vivian a piece of paper; Vivian was confused when she realized that the paper contained a series of numbers. Gus said that Vivian was looking at the security code for the DiMera mansion. Gus explained that he had befriended the DiMera housekeeper and had followed her home.

Gus said that when Mary had punched the code into the security system, he had noticed that each number had a tone that was associated with it. The tone had been consistent with the theme song of an old sitcom that Gus had been familiar with, so he had tried various sequences on his cell phone until he had managed to replicate the tone perfectly. Gus assured Vivian that he had already tested the code, and it had worked. Vivian smiled and praised Gus's ingenuity.

At the hospital, Taylor talked to Lexie about Fay's condition. Lexie could tell that Taylor had been upset about something; Lexie wondered what E.J. had done to upset Taylor. "He made me love him even more than I already did," Taylor admitted. Taylor explained that E.J. had told her that he was in love with her. Taylor added that E.J. had agreed to keep his distance; Taylor assured Lexie that E.J. was going to keep his promise, but Lexie wasn't convinced.

"Taylor, look -- I love my brother, but loving him means knowing his flaws; E.J. isn't big on self-sacrifice," Lexie warned Taylor, but Taylor was certain that E.J. had been sincere. Lexie sighed and wondered what Taylor was going to do. Taylor said that she couldn't be with E.J. because it would hurt her sister and her mother, so she was going to have to move out of E.J.'s house -- and out of his life -- for good. Lexie invited Taylor to move back into the Carver house.

Taylor thanked Lexie for her offer and explained that she was going to have trouble convincing her sister that she needed to move out of the mansion. Lexie suggested that Taylor could claim that she needed more privacy, but Taylor knew that Nicole wasn't going to believe that. Taylor said that there was only one thing that she could do -- tell Nicole the truth, then leave Salem forever. Later, Taylor met Nicole at the Brady Pub and said that she had something urgent that she needed to tell her sister.

Hope was helping Bo with a case at the police station when she realized that Jocelyn, a detective, was an hour late returning from picking up Ciara and Theo from school. Hope used a department phone to call Jocelyn to check in. "What do you mean, you can't find the kids?" Hope asked, alarmed. Bo rushed to Hope's side, while she asked Jocelyn to look in on the after-school programs for the kids. Just as a panicked Hope was about to leave for the school, Jocelyn said that she saw Ciara and Theo. She assured Hope that the kids were fine, but hung up before Hope was finished asking questions.

As Bo put his arms around Hope, she admitted that she had immediately feared the worst -- that they had lost their daughter. Bo tried to reassure her that everything was going to be all right. When Jocelyn arrived with Theo and Ciara, a relieved Hope ran over and hugged them both. Ciara instantly noticed that her mom had been crying, but Hope insisted that she was just glad to see the kids. Jocelyn divulged that when she had spotted the kids, they had been trying to scale a fence.

Bo sternly asked the children why they had been climbing a fence at pickup time. Ciara claimed that they had seen some older kids doing it and thought it would be fun -- plus a little girl had dared Ciara and Theo to do it. Bo reminded his daughter that she knew she wasn't supposed to do things just because other kids told her to. Ciara promised she would never do it again, and apologized for making her parents mad. Taking Ciara in her arms, Hope assured the little girl that all that mattered was that the kids were safe. Bo shot Hope a disbelieving glare.

Bo asked Jocelyn if she would take the kids into an interrogation room for a few minutes. Theo fretted, "No jail! No jail!" Bo reassured the children that he just needed to talk to Ciara's mommy. Jocelyn led the kids away with promises to find some paper and pencils for them. Bo reminded his wife that she'd recently accused him of being too easy Ciara, but Hope had just essentially done the same thing. Hope conceded that Bo was right.

Jocelyn got Ciara and Theo settled in the interrogation room, and then left the kids alone to draw. Ciara whispered to Theo that they had almost gotten away. Theo insisted that he didn't want to run away, and begged Ciara not to go. As Ciara spied on her parents through the blinds, Theo noted, "Your mommy looks sad." Ciara declared that her parents were always sad because of her, and that was why she had to run away. Ciara began to cry, and Theo tried to comfort her. Ciara said, "Don't you see, Theo? That's why I have to run away. Mommy and Daddy can't be happy until I'm gone."

Bo thought that he and Hope should punish Ciara by not letting her go to a classmate's upcoming skating party and sleepover. Hope countered that the punishment was a little too harsh, especially after everything Ciara had been through the previous couple of years. She offered that they compromise and ground Ciara from the computer instead. Bo agreed.

At the Java Café, Melanie was crying as Brady held her comfortingly in his arms. Melanie expressed her gratitude for his friendship, and Brady assured her that he would always be there for her. Chloe walked in and spied the two of them together; she got some coffee and went over to greet them. Melanie quickly made an excuse and hurried out.

Brady asked Chloe how Parker was. Chloe was happy to talk about the baby, but then she scolded Brady, "I thought you had more class than that. The girl isn't even divorced yet. Do you really think it's such a smart idea to move in on Philip's wife?"

Brady hotly pointed out that Chloe was hardly one to throw stones. He wondered sarcastically if she and Philip were sharing a bed again, since they already shared a child. Chloe conceded that she didn't like Brady's "sleazy" accusation any more than he had liked hers -- but she still cautioned him against getting involved with Melanie. "Wherever Melanie goes, trouble follows," Chloe asserted.

An exhausted Dario was guzzling an energy drink on the pier when Melanie walked by. She casually cautioned him, "That stuff's terrible for you." Dario wondered why Melanie cared, and she admitted that she didn't. Dario maintained that he needed an energy boost after working nonstop for two days. Melanie was surprised to hear that he had a job working on the docks, and asked if he were a drug dealer. "No, I smuggle unsafe toys for small children," Dario quipped, and then immediately agreed with her that his joke hadn't been funny.

Dario explained that Gabi had nearly choked to death on a marble when they were kids, but he had saved her. A skeptical Melanie noted, "I have a hard time seeing you as a hero." Dario countered that it was a good thing, since she wasn't into heroes. Moving closer to her, he remarked that her heart was racing, and took her by the wrist as if to prove it. Brady arrived just then and demanded to know what Dario was doing. Melanie ran up to Brady and kissed him like a long-lost lover.

Although clearly disconcerted, Brady kissed her back. Melanie then asked if he were ready for their date, and Brady stammered his assent. Dario left after trading insults with Brady. As they stood with their arms around each other, Melanie apologized to Brady, and they laughed a bit awkwardly about who had been better at pretending. Brady suggested that -- for appearances' sake -- he should take Melanie out on a date. They left together, arm in arm. As Dario watched them from a distance, he muttered to himself, "Ah, Nurse Melanie. Five mil is too much to keep to yourself. It's time to share the wealth."

At the DiMera mansion, Stefano, E.J., and faux Rafe toasted to nearing the end of their plan for Samantha. In the foyer, Fay overheard their conversation, during which they revealed that the man she believed was Rafe Hernandez was actually an imposter, and the real Rafe was locked up in a mental institution with his memory erased. Fay let out a gasp, which fake Rafe heard, but by the time the men went into the hallway to investigate the noise, Fay had hidden at the top of the stairs.

Stefano pointed out that they were alone in the house, except for Fay, who was sedated and wouldn't have been able to make it down the stairs. Stefano got a phone call just then, after which he informed E.J. that the two of them had an appointment. Imposter Rafe reassured the DiMeras that he understood that the remainder of his job entailed getting Sami to dump him. E.J. added that the impersonator was to leave town immediately afterwards.

E.J. and Stefano then went to a clearing in the woods. E.J. was worried about what their Rafe impersonator might do, and pointed out that that he had seen no evidence that the real Rafe's memory had been erased. Stefano completely understood his son's need for proof. "It's time that you see Rafael, the amnesiac, for yourself," Stefano declared.

A DiMera henchman appeared with a laptop. He showed E.J. a video, taken through the window of Rafe's cell on the mental ward. In the video, Rafe pleaded, "Tell me why I'm here. Please? Please tell me who I am!" Stefano asked if the video provided satisfactory evidence to E.J. that the Rafael Hernandez whom Samantha had married was gone forever. Chuckling with incredulous glee, E.J. declared that he was a believer.

At the Brady Pub, Taylor reluctantly told Nicole that she was moving out of the DiMera mansion. Nicole became upset, and asserted that Taylor was going to ruin everything just because she and E.J. couldn't stand each other. Taylor insisted that she and E.J. had been trying very hard to get along for Nicole and Fay's sake, but they just hadn't been able to. Nicole declared that she was going to have a talk with E.J., but Taylor implored her not to talk to him yet.

"I want you to hear it from me first," Taylor began. Nicole searched her sister's face for clues, and worried that E.J. had hurt Taylor. "Nikki, it's you who's going to get hurt," Taylor cautioned softly, but then she couldn't bring herself to tell Nicole the whole story. She just let Nicole believe that E.J. and Taylor hated each other, and that Taylor feared the discord would hurt Nicole. Nicole became even more emotional about wanting her family to live under one roof, but Taylor promised that she would visit Fay twice a day after she moved out.

After E.J. and Stefano had left the mansion, Fay crept back down the stairs, utterly aghast at what she had witnessed. She wondered if Nicole were aware of what E.J. was up to, but quickly theorized that Nicole would never stand for something so purely evil. As she paced in the living room, Fay tried to calm herself, but her breathing grew even more shallow and ragged. In a panic, she dialed Nicole.

While Nicole was pleading with Taylor to reconsider, Nicole's cell phone rang. "Nikki, thank God you picked up!" Fay blurted breathlessly when Nicole answered. "Honey, I need you to listen to me," Fay continued, but suddenly imposter Rafe appeared and yanked the phone out of her hand. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded. Nicole immediately tried to call her mom back, but faux Rafe refused to hand over the phone to Fay.

Fake Rafe snidely referred to Nicole as "Misty Circle," her adult film stage name, and declared that Fay had to be very proud of her daughter. A furious Fay warned imposter Rafe that if she didn't answer the phone, Nicole would show up to check on her. "Maybe that'd be good. I wouldn't mind getting me a piece of that little Nikki-Nikki, you know what I'm sayin'?" faux Rafe taunted. Fay spat that she would die before she let him touch her daughter.

Nicole continued trying to reach Fay, but got no answer, so Taylor called Fay's nurse, Delia. When Taylor hung up, she anxiously filled Nicole in that Delia had given Fay a sedative, and when Fay had gone to sleep, Delia had left to tend to another patient. Nicole was uneasy because even though Stefano had been at home when Delia had gone, no one was answering the phone. "Mom did not sound right. We need to go over there and check on her right now," Nicole declared. Nicole tossed some cash on the table to pay for their coffee, and Taylor and Nicole hurried out.

Phony Rafe accused Fay of listening in on his conversation with Stefano and E.J., but she shakily insisted that she had been upstairs the entire time. Fake Rafe menacingly ordered her to tell him exactly what she'd heard. With a defiant scream, Fay shoved past him and ran into the foyer. Faux Rafe quickly caught up with her, and grabbed her violently from behind. He restrained her as she struggled to get free, and when she continued to shriek, he clamped a hand over her mouth, and declared that he had to make sure she never made another peep.

The imposter demanded, "You know, don't you? You know I'm not the real Hernandez dude." He dragged Fay up the stairs, while she screamed and fought furiously to get away, knocking a vase off the entry table and losing her slippers in the struggle. "It's time for you to have a little accident!" faux Rafe declared when they reached the top of the stairs, and then shoved her back down them. Fay tumbled down the staircase, and landed in a heap on the marble floor below -- just as Nicole and Taylor arrived outside the front door.