Sami yelled at her father, Roman for ignoring his dead mother's warnings about John killing Marlena. Roman told Sami to lay off John and Kate as they were not the killers. He was convinced that Sami was concocting this scheme in order to get her parents back together and to shift the suspicion off herself. As Sami stomped out, she vowed that if Roman wouldn't take care of her mother then she'd have to do it herself. Back at her apartment, Sami answered the knock on her door only to find Lucas there. He asked Sami for a permission slip for Will, but when Sami couldn't find it she began to get upset. When she told Lucas that she wouldn't stand around when her mother's life is in danger, Lucas began to laugh. Lucas wrote her off as a "lethal nutcase" and then left. He returned a little while later to find Sami sobbing on her sofa. She admitted that she was afraid to be alone and Lucas reminded her that she had Will and him and that she shouldn't feel sorry for herself anymore. With that, Lucas grabbed her and kissed her.
At the jail, Kate paced inside her cell while Lucas apologized for being angry with her. He asked for her forgiveness, but asked why she had had a knife in her hand at Cassie's murder scene. Kate explained that as she walked through Salem Place she saw the bloody knife on the ground and picked it up so the kids didn't get hurt on it. Lucas then assured Kate that he was trying to shield Will from all the media regarding Kate being arrested. After Lucas left, Roman arrived and entered Kate's cell. At first Kate thought that Roman saw her as guilty, but then was relieved when she found out that Roman believed in her innocence. Roman informed Kate that John was the new suspect in the murder cases since he had no alibis during any of the occurrences and also was programmed by Stefano at one point. Kate figured that Sami had filled Roman's head with this idea, but Roman told her that the premonition came from Celeste.
At the loft, Rex looked at Cassie's picture and ignored a knock on the door. Mimi would not go away even when Rex told her that he didn't need her or anybody else. Annoyed that she kept knocking, Rex finally unbolted the door and Mimi walked in and proceeded to heat up the food she had brought. While Rex mourned his lost sister, Mimi told him about her "Grammie" that she had lost when she was younger. They compared Cassie and Grammie, and then shared a bonding moment. Rex admitted that it angered him that Shawn still thought he was the killer. He was undecided as to whether Kate was Cassie's murderer or not since she had looked so surprised when Cassie's body fell from the piñata.
Hope begged Bo not to let the murder investigations take over his life. He told Hope that he couldn't deal with losing her and the boys and that he would never let it happen. Bo tried to convince Hope that he had seen his mother in a dream and that he thought the killer would go after Shawn next in order to get to Hope and Bo. They both panicked when they couldn't reach Shawn on his cell phone.
In Paris, Belle sat up in her bed and looked at her phone. She smiled when she saw that Shawn had called and happily listened to his message. Meanwhile, Shawn walked through an alley and turned when he heard a noise behind him. Seeing nothing, he quickly answered his cell phone to find Belle on the other end. Crouched behind a dumpster, Jan Spears listened to Shawn profess his love for Belle, but was a surprised as Belle was when Shawn told her that he was glad Belle wasn't there with him. Shawn explained to Belle that it was too dangerous for her to be there with him. He went on to tell her about Cassie's death and Belle was surprised to find out that Rex and Cassie weren't really her sister and brother. After Shawn told her that Kate was the main suspect in Cassie's murder, Belle wondered if she should go back home to be with her friends and family, but Shawn told her that he needed her to be safe. Jan rolled her eyes when Shawn told Belle he wished he could hold her. While the couple talked on their phone, Jan made a break for the door to the shipping/receiving area. Shawn hurried to hang up his call when he heard the door close and he headed over to check out the situation. Behind the door Jan held a dagger ready to strike if needed, but Shawn stopped when his parents appeared and asked him why he wasn't answering any of his calls. Hope begged him to stay at home with them at least for the night, and as they all left together, Jan peeked out the door. Back at the Brady's home, Shawn called Belle back and they joked as Jan listened outside the window. Shawn slipped and told Belle that his grandmother had appeared to his dad and had said that Shawn was in danger. Belle worried and asked him to move home until it was all over. Outside the window, Jan thought to herself that if Belle came back, it would be a fatal mistake.
At St. Luke's, family prepared for Caroline's funeral while Marlena stopped at Caroline's gravestone. Recalling Sami's warning about John, Marlena imagined seeing her own name on the stone. In fear she fell back into the newly dug grave. Marlena looked up to see John who pulled her out. But John suspected Marlena was still uneasy, and persuaded her to admit her fears that he had pushed her in.
Roman surprised Kate getting her released on bail. The couple shocked everyone, particularly Shawn Senior, when they walked into St. Luke's. Mimi convinced Rex to accompany her to the funeral. Shawn D. was quick to make Rex feel unwelcome saying Rex is not a Brady. Bo was displeased with Kate's presence. But Roman extended a welcome to Caroline's grandson, Rex. And to Bo he compared Victor's presence, as equally disturbing to Shawn, Sr. While Bo said Victor had cleared his attendance with Shawn, Sr., Roman believed Caroline would have wanted Kate there, just as Victor was there.
When Marlena stepped outside for air, she ran into Jan, who still asked to keep her presence in Salem a secret. Pretending to pay her respects to Caroline, Jan was stalking Shawn. Still furious that her parents were not getting back together, Sami continued her accusations against Kate. But Kate was touched by Rex's confidence that she did not kill Cassie.
Will overheard Sami say Kate would be dead next if she married Roman. He challenged both his parents at being the killers. Sami eavesdropped on Roman warning John he would be watching him as a suspect like everyone else. Victor was somber and alone through the touching and heartfelt eulogies as Caroline was laid to rest. But he caught Sami listening in on Roman and John. Victor warned he would fulfill his promise to Kate to deal with Sami. Reminding Sami of her lying under oath about Lucas hitting Will, Victor planned to have her jailed for perjury. When Sami mentioned her grandmother, Victor said even Caroline would agree with his actions: that people reap what they sow. With that, a frightened Sami felt she had to get rid of Victor before the New Year.
Rex had come to the conclusion that the next victim might be Roman, and Marlena and Sami took it badly when Rex told Roman. Meanwhile, Bo's PDA was receiving another message. "A murder is announced" was the introduction to an obituary headed, "Veteran Salem Cop Killed in the Line of Duty." Roman's picture appeared below.
Brady and Nicole spoke about true love, agreeing that once you've found it, you must never let it go. Brady went to spend a few moments at Caroline's tombstone, where he said goodbye to the woman who'd always treated him as if he were her own grandson. He also spoke of his mother Isabella, and wondered if he had made the right choice in letting Chloe go.
Victor and Nicole argue over his motives for bringing Chloe back to Salem. Victor's phone rings, and he leaves instructions for a limo to meet the private jet and take its passenger back to the Kiriakis mansion.
Once home, Brady confided in Nicole that he can't imagine living his life without Chloe. Nicole was worried that he wouldn't have to. Victor announced that there was a surprise for Brady, and Nicole feared that it was Chloe, already back in Salem.
In the church lobby after Caroline's funeral, Rex announced his carefully-calculated prediction that Roman would be the killer's next target. Mimi scolded Rex for being so matter-of-fact about predicting the death of his father, but Bo and hope confirmed his prediction. They had just received another PDA message - an obituary with a photo of Roman. At this, Sami freaked out, begging her father to arrest John for the murders. Out of control, she tried to fight Rex, but Roman pulled her away. Kate started a yelling match with Sami, and Lucas backed up his mother. Rex joined in yelling at Sami. Soon everyone was arguing loudly with everyone else. Hope broke it up, reminding everyone that they wouldn't be able to get through this without some sort of sense of community.
Roman not only refused Bo's recommendation that he take himself off the case, but he also refused his proposal for around-the-clock protection. Marlena begged Roman to take the threat against his life seriously, for her sake, and for his children. Tony interrupted them with a sneer at Roman for being in love with his ex-wife as well as with Kate. Marlena was infuriated by Tony's tasteless joke, but Tony was not to be chastened. He stated his belief that Roman would soon end up in the morgue.
In the church, Lucas overheard Sami praying. She asked God to help her keep her father safe, and to help her find a way to bring her parents back together. Lucas was appalled that she would be so selfish, praying for help to wreck four lives. But the prayer seemed to work - she was inspired with an idea to solve both problems, and ran up to her parents with the suggestion. To save each other from the killer, they must leave town together.
When Marlena and Roman refused to consider this option, Sami cried to her grandmother's tombstone. She didn't want to be alone. She'd lost Austin, Brandon, her grandmother. What if her parents were next? Lucas, overhearing, told her that she wouldn't be alone. She'd have him. Meanwhile Kate, watching this interaction with John, worried about her son getting too close to Sami
Mimi was shocked by Rex's assertion that he had no emotional attachment to Roman whatsoever. Tony overheard Rex, and asked if he wouldn't have some regrets about not knowing his father, now that he had become the killer's next target.
Roman announced to a shocked Bo, Hope and Marlena, that he plans to use himself as bait in order to trap the killer.
Victor revealed his three-fold surprise for Brady: Stevie Grossman, Isabella's best friend from college, was commissioned to design the Isabella Toscano Black Concert Hall, a world-class opera house; The Salem Philharmonic had offered Brady a seat on the Board of Directors - perfect timing, since he was just beginning the Titan Music classical division; And Chloe had been chosen as the recipient of the Artist in Residence grant at the new concert hall.
Brady expressed some apprehension, but Victor, remembering that Brady had felt the presence of Isabella when Chloe was sick, informed Brady that he'd felt her presence at the same time. He'd just been approached by the Salem Philharmonic, who wanted him to fund an opera house in return for naming it as his daughter's memorial. While he thought it over, he got a fortune cookie which said "Angels are near." This excited Brady, but he didn't believe that Chloe's pride would allow her to take a residency she hadn't earned. Victor read some rave reviews about Chloe and explained that she had been nominated and voted for by the Salem Philharmonic on her own merits. Being Brady's girlfriend had nothing to do with it. Victor had been approached by the Maestro, not the other way around. When Brady realized that the Maestro is the foremost Maestro in Europe, and is looking for a new recording label, he was completely sold on the idea of bringing Chloe back.
Nicole, sensing defeat, blurts out, "Angels, my ass!" This completely alienates Brady, who wants to know why she is so negative. He goes to the phone to tell Chloe the news. Victor had arranged for it to be kept from Chloe until Brady could tell her himself.
Lucas and Sami were still at the cemetery after Caroline's funeral. Sexual tension built between them as they argued about anything they could find to disagree about - their parents, Sami's night-time apparel, and their fantasies. "Only an idiot would have a fantasy about you," Sami told him. "Well, thank God that you're an idiot," Lucas retorted. Then he suggested a truce, offering to be Sami's friend, but she refused and walked away - walked right into an open grave. They kept arguing, until Lucas asked her when she was going to stop hating herself. He zeroed in on Sami's emotional problems, realizing that she'd never forgiven herself for loving John when he had been programmed as Roman, while the real Roman was being held captive by Stefano. Family loyalty made her turn away from the only father she'd ever known. Lucas was too close to the truth for comfort, and Sami had had enough. She swallowed her pride and asked Lucas to help her up. They still couldn't stop arguing, however, and as soon as she was back on the ground, Sami left, vowing that she would kill John before he could kill her mother.
John and Kate, meanwhile, were nearby enough to hear Sami scream as she fell, but neither made a move to help. John confided that he had a plan to stop Sami. He wanted Kate to stay by Roman's side. She asked him if he thought Roman was going to die, and he had to admit that he didn't know. Kate mentioned that people typically do a lot of reminiscing before they die; maybe Roman and Marlena were spending so much time together lately because they sensed imminent death.
Back in the church, Roman declared his plan to let the killer get at him. Marlena was angry that he would be so careless as to use himself as bait, but Hope thought it might be a good idea. When she began discussing the possibilities, Bo asked Roman to take her off the case. Hope was incensed, as she was just as committed to this case as anyone else. Bo explained that he was terrified of losing her since his mother's death, but Hope reminded him of all the rough times they'd survived by believing in each other. They resolved to stop the killer together, side by side.
Marlena asked Roman to put John's training and sense of community to work by having him help with the case, but Roman reminded her that as a suspect, John shouldn't be privy to sensitive police information. Marlena countered this logic with her own: if John was the killer, what better way to keep their eye on him than by keeping him close to them as they work on the case together. Bo stated his belief that the killer's plan was to turn them all against each other. The killer was picking off Carvers, Hortons, Bradys, one at a time in the ultimate mind game, isolating them into solitary hells. They must beat the killer by stick together - including John. Roman agreed, and Marlena thanked him, feeling that seeing John and Roman work together would be good for Sami. John and Kate walked back into the church just in time to see Marlena and Roman hold each other.
Bo receives another PDA message, "Roman Brady is dead."
At the Kiriakis Mansion Nicole told Brady that Chloe's return was being arranged to come between them. But Brady assured Nicole that was impossible since he had no romantic feelings for her. Playing on his emotions, Nicole selfishly tried to convince Brady that Chloe's return was wrong. No sooner had Victor promised Nicole that fate would pay her back, than she was moved to tears at a call for Brady. His face lit up hearing that Chloe was accepting the offer to return to the Salem Concert Hall.
After a workout at school, Shawn D. told Philip about a call he'd just received from Belle. Static kept him from hearing more than that Belle had been on a hot date before they were disconnected. While Shawn was upset, Philip thought it was uncharacteristic of Belle. Meanwhile, around a corner, Jan was delighted at what she'd heard. Disguised in a school mascot outfit, Jan continued stalking Shawn, as he undressed in the locker room
After the service for Caroline, Roman was settling the bill for the funeral. Sami became hysterical when the mortician offered Roman his business card. Taking it as a suggestion of future funerals, Sami noted paperwork depicting a burial plan for Roman and Marlena arranged before their divorce. Seeing it as a ‘universal' plan they were meant to be together, Sami continued her accusations against Kate, infuriating Roman.
John was concerned about the possibility of Celeste's premonition coming to pass. Not wanting her to come to harm, John encouraged her to leave immediately with Roman, as Sami had suggested. Feeling safest with John, Marlena refused to go, even when his concern extended to Roman. But he was re-assured when Marlena admitted that she still loved Roman but was IN love with John. While Kate asked Roman to let John help him find the killer, Roman was determined to handle things himself.
At Basic Black Sami went into Kate's office wearing gloves. Sitting at Kate's computer, Sami typed the words, "A Murder is Announced." With plans to frame Kate, Sami put the warning words from Bo's PDA into Kate's hard drive. She then edited a hard copy of the message to reflect Marlena and Roman as targets. But she was surprised when Kate, Roman and Lucas stopped by the office. Making up an excuse for being there, Sami dropped the paper, and nervously watched Lucas help retrieve it before he handed it back to her. After Lucas and Sami left, Kate expressed her gratitude to Roman for believing in her innocence and promised to never lie to him again.
After a call from Jan who pretended to be distressed, Marlena headed to her office to meet with her new patient. As Kate and Roman made plans to be married in a few months, Sami was breaking into Kate's hotel suite. Surprised at the lights being on, Sami looked around for a place to plant the incriminating page she'd typed. Deciding on opening a door, Sami screamed as she came face to face with the Salem Killer who raised a sharp object over her head.
