Nicole was in her office at the television station, watching the footage of Brady's disastrous interview-turned-intervention on her laptop, when Miles barged in and announced that he had just seen Eric exiting the building. Miles assumed that Nicole had just finished conducting an interview with Eric, but she revealed that she had been unaware of Eric's presence in the building. Nicole guessed that Eric had returned to retrieve his cell phone, and she wondered why he had left without completing his task or saying anything to her.
Meanwhile, Miles -- who had taken a seat at Nicole's desk when she had walked away from it to pour a cup of coffee for herself -- laughed gleefully as he viewed the footage that Nicole had been watching earlier. Miles knew that the television station couldn't air the footage, since it didn't fit the narrative of one woman wronging two innocent brothers that Nicole was trying to sell to the audience, but he admitted that he thought that it was a shame that they would never be able to show everyone just how much of a train wreck Brady really was.
Nicole angrily closed her laptop as she insisted that Brady had been fine until Kristen had entered his life. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the start of every flippin' country song -- come on. But there aren't that many where the woman does two brothers, and one of them just happens to be a priest. Now, can you get me the cleaned-up version of that from the ex-fiancé?" Miles dismissively asked Nicole, who was confident that Brady would be able to give her a better interview the next time that they met to discuss his relationship with Kristen.
Miles reminded Nicole that he also needed her to interview Eric right away. Nicole sighed impatiently and asked Miles to let her handle her story the way that she wanted to handle it. Miles agreed to do so, but he warned that Nicole needed to get the story finished quickly. Nicole groaned with frustration as Miles exited her office.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady contemplated taking a drink of whiskey for a moment before deciding to pour it into a container of ice instead. When Brady turned away from the bar, he was surprised to find Victor and Maggie standing in the living room doorway. "Granddad, I, um -- I'm sure Maggie's told you, but, uh, I wanted -- I wanted to tell you myself -- I had a slip-up. It wasn't really a slip-up; it was more of a bender. It's been going on since before New Year's Eve, and, uh, if -- if -- if it hadn't been for Nicole and Daniel, I might have, um -- hell, if it hadn't been for them, I don't know if I would -- if I would be alive today," Brady admitted to Victor.
Brady promised that he wasn't going to use cocaine anymore, and he added that he was also going to stay away from alcohol, despite the fact that alcohol addiction had never been a problem for him. "You're an addict, Brady. An addict is an addict. Now, if you don't admit this, you are still putting your life at risk," Maggie firmly warned Brady, who assured her that he was aware that she held that philosophy.
Maggie agreed to drop the subject, admitting that she was simply pleased that Brady had chosen not to give in to temptation and consume the drink that he had poured for himself earlier. Brady assured Maggie that he had decided that he didn't want the drink and that he was committed to getting and staying clean. Brady braced himself for a lecture from Victor, whom he was certain that he had disappointed, but Victor simply wanted to know how he could help Brady. Brady said that he wanted to stay busy, so Victor promised to help him return to work at Titan.
Victor said that he was proud of Brady, who scoffed and insisted that Victor was going too far and didn't need to say that sort of thing. "Don't tell me what to say. I am proud that you realized you made a mistake and you're correcting it," Victor reiterated. Brady thanked Victor and Maggie for their support and promised to accompany Maggie to a meeting later that day, explaining that he first wanted to rest for a while because he was still feeling the effects of his earlier drug use. Maggie and Victor remained stationary, so Brady added that he didn't want them to feel like they needed to hover around him or put their lives on hold because of him.
Victor and Maggie took the hint and left the living room. In the foyer, Victor grabbed his coat as he acknowledged that Brady wasn't the only male in the Kiriakis family who needed to make amends. Confused, Maggie reminded Victor that he had already apologized to Eric earlier. "One apology down, one to go," Victor replied as he exited the mansion.
Eric was standing outside the Brady Pub, thinking about the things that he had heard Nicole say to Daniel at the television station earlier, when Marlena greeted him and asked if everything was all right. Eric claimed that he had simply been distracted because he had just realized that he had left his cell phone in Nicole's office earlier. Marlena wondered if Nicole was still using her position at the television station to help Eric clear his name.
Eric nodded and wondered if that was going to be a problem for Marlena. Marlena admitted that, while she understood that Nicole's intentions were good, she was worried about how others might perceive the situation due to Nicole's history with Eric. Eric asserted that people were going to judge him based on all of his actions, regardless of Nicole's involvement, and he reminded Marlena that he simply wanted to get back to being a priest again.
Marlena smiled sympathetically and asked if Eric was still waiting for the results of the latest round of tests that Daniel had performed. Eric nodded and optimistically reported that he would probably receive the test results soon. Marlena wondered if there was anything that she could do for Eric. Eric shook his head, thanked Marlena for her offer, and started to walk away, but he quickly changed his mind and decided to ask her to pray for him.
Later, Nicole tracked Eric down at the pub to give him his cell phone. Nicole wondered why Eric hadn't said anything to her during his second visit to the television station, and he replied that he hadn't wanted to interrupt her private moment with Daniel. Before Nicole could respond, she received a text message from Miles, and she irritably muttered that he needed to calm down. Eric guessed that Nicole's boss was pressuring her to pressure Eric into doing an interview with her. Nicole told Eric not to worry about the matter, reasoning that it was more important for them to focus on Brady.
Nicole proceeded to tell Eric about what had happened with Brady earlier. Eric wasn't sure if it would be wise to believe that Brady had truly decided to stop using drugs for good, but Nicole felt certain that what had happened earlier had scared Brady into finally realizing that he needed help.
At the Horton Town Square, Marlena met with Victor, who thanked her for agreeing to see him and admitted that he owed her and Eric a profound apology. Marlena wondered if Victor really believed that she wanted an apology from him. Victor reiterated that he knew that Marlena was owed an apology, and he invited her to take a seat at his table so that he could give her what she was owed.
After considering Victor's offer for a moment, Marlena reluctantly took a seat across from Victor, who admitted that his actions had been vicious and inexcusable. Victor said that he had hurt a lot of people whom he had never wanted to hurt, and he assured Marlena that he was profoundly sorry. Victor hoped that Marlena would be able to forgive him, but she insisted that the damage that he had caused was irreparable and that she would never forgive him for causing it.
"You can't forgive yourself, can you, Marlena? You were just as driven as I was -- willing to do anything to bring Kristen down. We may have crossed different lines, but make no mistake, Marlena -- you were right there with me," Victor countered as he and Marlena eyed each other. "You know what? Even if I were to forgive you, it wouldn't last -- you would still show your same true colors. I don't need to stick around for a second act. I find you completely unforgivable," Marlena calmly replied before walking away.
Later, Marlena visited Nicole at the television station. "I have no right to question your motives here. After what I did to my son, I have no rights at all. Eric wants to be a priest. I can't help him. Maybe you can -- maybe this story can -- so I need you to do it," Marlena admitted.
At Club TBD, Ciara unenthusiastically retrieved a box of thank-you cards from her backpack to prove to Hope that she had remembered to pack them. Hope gently reminded Ciara that writing a thank-you card was the polite thing to do after receiving a gift from someone. "So...I'd have to write these even if my presents were lame?" Ciara sullenly asked Hope, who confirmed the suspicion.
Hope wanted to know why Ciara was being moody, so Ciara admitted that, while their holiday celebration had been wonderful, she wasn't the least bit ready to return to school. Hope optimistically pointed out that it was going to be fun for Ciara to see all of her friends and teachers again. "Yeah -- so great. So special," Ciara sarcastically agreed, prompting Hope to warn that too much excitement could be hazardous to Ciara's health.
Ciara dismissively pointed out that the school was just a school, but Hope countered that it was a school that Ciara had begged to attend and had previously loved attending. Guessing that Ciara's indifference had something to do with the fact that Eric was no longer a presence at the school, Hope wondered if Ciara's classmates had been teasing her about Eric. "Is there really a video so awful that he could go to jail?" Ciara worriedly asked.
Hope firmly assured Ciara that Eric wasn't going to go to jail because he had done nothing wrong. Ciara insisted that Eric was "the best," and Hope smiled as she agreed with Ciara's sentiment. Satisfied, Ciara confirmed that she was ready to return to school, and she and Hope quickly exited the club.
Later, Hope went to the Kiriakis mansion to see Brady, who assured her that, while the holidays had been rough, he had recently turned a corner and was going to be all right. Brady guessed that Hope's visit had something to do with Kristen, and she confirmed his suspicion, explaining that the police had followed a lead to a man who had recently smuggled a woman out of Salem on his boat. Hope added that, while the police had ultimately found the woman and determined that she wasn't Kristen, the fact that they were still receiving tips about Kristen's case meant that there was still hope that Kristen would eventually be found.
Brady guessed that Hope wouldn't have gone to the trouble of tracking him down just to deliver news about a dead-end lead. Hope confirmed Brady's suspicion and admitted that she had also recently received a phone call from John, who had asked her to check on Brady for him. Brady told Hope to let John know that there was no reason to worry about him and that he would contact John later.
Brady wondered how John was doing, and Hope replied that John was doing well and had been researching his family history during his stay in Europe. Brady nodded and recalled that John had mentioned something about the research during their last conversation with each other. "It turns out that your dad wasn't Colleen Brady's son," Hope revealed, stunning Brady.
"Colleen was so desperate to find the son she had with Santo, and the people at the orphanage took total advantage of that," Hope explained, adding that Colleen's real son had apparently died at some point. "Your poor dad -- he still has no idea who his birth parents are. He's back to square one," Hope summarized, and Brady quietly muttered that he knew the feeling. Brady realized that the discovery meant that he was not biologically related to the Bradys or the DiMeras. "Hey, the Bradys aren't big on blood one way or the other," Hope assured Brady, adding that, like her, he would always be a part of the Brady family.
Hope suggested that it might be best for Brady to discuss the matter with John, but Brady insisted that he didn't want to talk to John because he was still harboring anger toward John -- anger that he suspected he would always harbor. Later, after Hope left, Brady received a visit from Eric, who revealed that Nicole had told him about Brady's deception earlier. Brady admitted that he shouldn't have lied to Eric and everyone else, and Eric shrugged as he reasoned that lying to loved ones was simply part of the struggle.
"Brother, you have no idea about my struggle. You want honesty? Can you handle honesty? When I look at your face, I see you on top of Kristen. I know -- I know the litany, man. I know she drugged you, you were raped -- I understand, [but] not really. I understand in my head, but I can't shake the picture. I can't forgive you. I -- that may be unfair, but I can't do it. That's the way it's gotta be," Brady explained, adding that he needed to put some distance between himself and Eric. Eric nodded sadly and exited the mansion.
Later, Eric ran into Hope at the Brady Pub. Eric told Hope about his earlier conversation with Brady, and she hugged him as he admitted that he doubted that his relationship with Brady would ever be the same again. Meanwhile, at the Kiriakis mansion, Brady took a drink of whiskey as he struggled to get the images from the video of Kristen and Eric out of his head.
Sonny entered his and Will's apartment and found Gabi pacing around the living room. When Sonny asked Gabi to tell him what was wrong, she launched into a panicked, frantic recap of what had happened earlier. Gabi's convoluted ramblings were difficult for Sonny to follow, but when she mentioned that Abigail was with Hope on Smith Island, he interrupted and assured her that he had just seen Hope at the club earlier.
Gabi calmed down a bit and started to explain everything to Sonny in a less confusing manner. Gabi was upset to learn that Sonny had known all along that Kate had been sending people text messages from Nick's cell phone, and she complained that her accomplices should have kept her in the loop about the murder that they were covering up to protect her. Sonny shrugged and suggested that Gabi might have simply forgotten about that particular detail of the cover-up, but she insisted that she wouldn't have forgotten such an important detail, and she vowed that she was going to have a long talk with Kate and Sami later.
Gabi grabbed her cell phone and composed a text message for E.J. to let him know that Hope wasn't on Smith Island. When E.J. didn't immediately respond to Gabi's message, she started to panic again, fearing that E.J. wouldn't be able to convince Abigail to keep what had happened earlier from Hope. "E.J. can talk a dog off a meat truck if he wants to, okay? We have to have faith in him," Sonny assured Gabi, who hoped that he was right, since Abigail could be extremely stubborn and refuse to let go of things until all questions were answered satisfactorily.
Sonny reasoned that E.J. would simply have to turn on the charm, which E.J. was more than capable of doing. Gabi guessed that E.J. was going to have to use all of his talents to keep Abigail quiet. Gabi doubted that Abigail would trust E.J. after everything that had recently happened with Chad, but Sonny remained confident that E.J. was the right person for the task at hand -- convincing someone to believe a lie.
On Smith Island, E.J.'s sudden appearance startled Abigail, who backed away from him as she nervously glanced around to see if anyone else had followed her. E.J. laughed and assured Abigail that he was alone, and he gently grabbed her arm as he explained that he needed to talk to her about something before she entered the Horton cabin. "Uh, no. No. I -- I've seen that movie before," Abigail said as she pulled away from E.J.
E.J. wondered if Abigail truly believed that she was in some sort of danger. Abigail claimed that she wasn't worried, but she insisted that she still wasn't going anywhere with E.J. Abigail wanted to know how E.J. had tracked her down, but he dodged her question, promising to explain everything once they were in the warm comfort of his boat. As Abigail continued to question E.J.'s motives, he received a text message from Gabi. Abigail was shocked to learn that E.J.'s cell phone was operational on Smith Island. "It's a global tri-band; it gets a stronger signal," E.J. explained as he read the text message.
Abigail observed that the rich really did live different lives than the rest of the population, and E.J. dryly agreed that the rich lived in a very exotic world -- a world that she could see much more clearly from his boat. Abigail once again refused to leave with E.J., although she added that he was welcome to stay as long as he didn't mind saying whatever he had to say to her in front of Hope. E.J. shrugged and pretended to accept Abigail's terms.
E.J. followed Abigail into the empty cabin, which she observed was still warm. E.J. innocently suggested that Hope and Ciara might have gone for a walk shortly before Abigail had arrived. Satisfied with E.J.'s explanation, Abigail pointed out that Hope and Ciara's absence would give him plenty of time to explain why he had followed Abigail to Smith Island. E.J. replied that he simply wanted to talk to Abigail about Gabi and Nick.
E.J. claimed that Gabi had asked him to talk to Abigail on her behalf because Gabi had done something embarrassing and didn't want to be the one to tell Abigail about it. Abigail wasn't convinced, reasoning that Gabi's embarrassment didn't explain why Nick had suddenly ceased communication with everyone, and she insisted that if he had done something to hurt Gabi, he needed to be held responsible for his actions and his family needed to help him make amends and turn his life around. E.J. assured Abigail that Gabi wasn't in any danger, but Abigail remained suspicious, insisting that nothing about the situation made sense to her.
Deciding to try a different approach, E.J. agreed with Abigail, complaining that helping Gabi was a thankless task and that he was sick of doing so. Claiming that he was going to reveal everything to Abigail, E.J. proceeded to explain that Gabi had gotten into a very public argument with Nick in the town square after finding out that Nick had arranged for her to receive the modeling offer in New York as a way of trying to tear her away from her family and make her totally dependent on Nick. E.J. claimed that he had arrived in the town square just in time to defuse the situation.
Abigail insisted that Hope needed to know about what Nick had tried to do to Gabi. "You don't think I'd want Nick hauled into jail? After what he did to William, I'd be happy to see that bastard locked up. Anyway, that wasn't what Gabriela wanted, and she was adamant, so I persuaded Nick to take advantage of the job offer that he had in New York -- make a fresh start. Leave Salem. Not come back. Nick Fallon's not a threat to Gabriela -- or anybody else, for that matter," E.J. assured Abigail. E.J. concluded that Gabi felt partially responsible for the situation and simply wanted to move on with her life and never think of or hear about Nick again.
"So let me get this straight, E.J. -- Gabi freaks out and comes to you. You then hop on your -- your Bat Boat, or your -- your Phoenix Boat, or whatever it is you DiMeras keep on hand --" Abigail started to summarize, and E.J. interrupted to clarify that he had used a simple speedboat to travel to Smith Island. "Great. So you hop on your modest little boat and come speeding out here because -- why, because Gabi is upset? Why are you running errands of mercy for your would-be stepson's roommate? Don't you have an -- an empire to run or something?" Abigail skeptically asked.
E.J. clarified that Gabi was the mother of Will's child, not Will's roommate, and he added that he would always make time for his family. Abigail still wasn't convinced, prompting E.J. to observe that she was completely relentless and that her relentlessness was very familiar to him. "Wait -- of course. Okay. It isn't really your family, but it is Sami's, right? That's why you're here -- Sami said 'jump,' so you --" Abigail guessed, but E.J. interrupted and stressed that Sami couldn't make him do anything that he didn't want to do.
Abigail shrugged and reasoned that it didn't matter why E.J. was really on the island or who had really sent him there, since he could do nothing to stop her from telling Hope everything once Hope and Ciara returned from their walk. E.J.'s calm response prompted Abigail to suddenly realize that Hope and Ciara weren't really on Smith Island as she had previously believed. E.J. confirmed Abigail's suspicion and revealed that he had learned Hope's whereabouts when he had received a text message before they had entered the cabin. E.J. explained that he was simply trying to stop Abigail from sharing her suspicions with Hope at some point in the future.
Abigail gathered her belongings and started to leave, but E.J. blocked her path and insisted that he couldn't let her do that. Abigail remained convinced that Gabi had to have some other reason for wanting to prevent Abigail from talking to Hope about Nick's actions, so E.J. sighed and revealed that Gabi had slept with Nick twice after their marriage had ended. E.J. concluded that Gabi felt like she had inadvertently encouraged Nick's behavior.
"Gabi slept with a man who she used to be married to? So -- so what? There's no big shame in that. If she's feeling ashamed, then that -- wait. Oh, my God. Oh, my God -- of course! Oh, my God, I am such an idiot! Of course! That's why you're here -- it's you! It's you! It's not Nick -- it's you! Gabi's sleeping with you! Maybe Nick found out, and he got really upset. You didn't just happen to be there when they fought -- it was about you, wasn't it? You're sleeping with Gabi!" Abigail reasoned.
E.J. reminded Abigail that he was engaged to Sami, but Abigail was certain, based on his earlier reaction to her comment about him following Sami's orders, that he and Sami were having problems. E.J. reiterated that, just as Gabi had told him earlier, Abigail was relentless when she got an idea stuck in her head. "Was that pillow talk?" Abigail wondered. E.J. insisted that he and Gabi had never shared a pillow and that he and Sami were just fine, but Abigail was still skeptical, insisting that there was no other reason for him to be in the middle of the situation with Gabi, who was Abigail's best friend and knew that she could tell Abigail anything.
E.J. sighed impatiently and insisted that Abigail was being absurd, but she pointed out that he wouldn't be the first man who had cheated on a fiancée, and she reminded him that he had previously warned her that he was a bad man. E.J. replied that, while it was true that he was a bad man, the notion that Gabi -- a young woman who had a child -- would sleep with him was just as absurd as the notion that he would sleep with her. "Okay, wait, wait, wait -- she is not that young, all right? She's as old as I am. And secondly, it is not that ridiculous that she would want to sleep with you, E.J., because any woman with a pulse would want to sleep --" Abigail blurted out, stopping herself only when it was already too late.
Abigail started to excuse herself, but she remained stationary, and she and E.J. gazed at each other for a moment before starting to kiss.
At the Horton cabin, E.J. and Abigail were sharing a sensuous kiss -- until he pulled away. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have done that," E.J. stammered sheepishly. "I'm not," Abigail said as she began to kiss E.J. even more passionately. She pulled off her scarf and unpinned the bun in her hair. Caught up in the moment, E.J. kissed her back, but then he forced himself to stand up and move away. He grabbed his coat and gloves and started to head out the door, but Abigail prevented him from leaving by stepping in front of the door and kissing him again.
Soon E.J. was on top of Abigail on the bed. Together, they peeled off his shirt, then he unbuttoned her blouse. Before long, they were having sex. Afterwards, they both lay silent, catching their breath and staring at the ceiling in disbelief. A remorseful E.J. assured Abigail that he hadn't meant to take advantage of Abigail; he had only intended to talk to her about Gabi. "I'm a grown woman, and if I didn't want what just happened, it would not have happened," Abigail asserted firmly, adding that she was not a "weak-willed girl" who needed an apology and who couldn't think for herself.
E.J. assured Abigail that wasn't at all how he saw her, especially not after seeing her kneeling over Chad, trying to keep him from bleeding to death with her bare hands. "Oh, my God. I've only been with two men in my entire life, and they're brothers -- and DiMeras. Oh, my God, I can never show my face in Salem ever again. I'm going to have to move back to Europe!" Abigail exclaimed. She begged E.J. not to compare notes with Chad.
E.J. seemed offended that Abigail would even suggest such a thing. He tried to tell her how he felt about what they'd just shared, but she stopped him. She acknowledged that she didn't know what she was doing but she also didn't need his reassurances. "Will you please just listen to me? What I want to say, what I've been trying to say, is that, actually, I feel like what happened between the two of us was really quite lovely," E.J. said sincerely.
Their eyes met for the first time since they'd had sex. E.J. smiled at Abigail as he assured her that he'd meant what he'd said -- and his words had obviously touched her. "It still shouldn't have happened," E.J. admitted. He added that she was very young, beautiful, and quite interesting. "I've always really enjoyed talking to you. I think that's part of what made this so lovely," E.J. said, caressing Abigail's cheek. Thanking him, she laced her fingers with his and kissed him.
Rafe was working out with his physical therapist, Pete, at the hospital. Pete urged Rafe to take it easy, since Rafe appeared to be overdoing it with the dumbbells, but Rafe was determined to get back to work -- among other things. Jordan appeared in the doorway and listened as Rafe announced that, even though he'd feared he might never walk again, he would soon be "as good as new." Pete pointed out that Jordan deserved the credit for that. Rafe wholeheartedly agreed, declaring, "I don't know what I would've done without her in my life."
Jordan entered the room as Pete was leaving. Rafe was pleased when he saw that Jordan was wearing the "coach" t-shirt that he'd gotten for her. "Oh, this old thing? I just wear it when I don't care what I look like," Jordan teased. When Rafe invited Jordan to dinner, she accepted -- but when he asked her to fetch his crutches, she told him that he could do it himself.
In Horton Square, Kate spoke by phone to Gabi. "I'm so sorry, Gabi. I thought that you knew that I was texting with Nick's phone," Kate apologized quietly. She reassured Gabi that E.J. would convince Abigail not to talk to Hope.
Soon, Kate joined Lucas in a corner booth at Club TBD. Lucas suspected from the look on his mom's face that she was about to ruin someone's life. Kate insisted that she was going to present someone with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "Does this have anything to do with the person Ortiz was tracking down? The woman who knew Jordan?" Lucas guessed. Kate confirmed that the woman was headed to Salem to interview for a job at Mad World -- and Kate wanted Lucas to conduct the interview.
Lucas flatly refused, so Kate threatened to ask someone else to do the interview. Lucas grudgingly agreed to do it -- but it would be up to Kate to dig up dirt on the woman. Kate got a text message from the driver, who had just arrived with the applicant, so she rose to leave but warned Lucas that a headhunter had contacted the woman, who had no idea that Kate was involved. "What did I just get myself into?" Lucas wondered aloud after Kate had gone.
Lucas' eyes lit up when the woman, Sheryl Connors, arrived, and he saw how beautiful she was. Lucas broke the ice with a joke, "We usually conduct our interviews in a nightclub, that way you don't get the impression that we're stuffy." He explained that they were meeting there because Sheryl was potentially replacing a graphic designer who didn't yet know that he might be losing his job. Kate hovered nearby and eavesdropped on the "interview."
Lucas said that it seemed as if Sheryl had the kind of background they were looking for. Sheryl admitted that she had been thrilled to get the call from the headhunter because she'd been looking to change jobs. Lucas said that he hoped Sheryl's husband wouldn't object to the relocation. Chuckling, Sheryl assured him that she was single.
Kate "casually" walked by just then and feigned surprise at seeing her son there. Lucas introduced the women and informed Kate that he was interviewing Sheryl for the graphics position. Kate explained that even though she was the CEO, Lucas ran his own division. Kate admitted that she'd overheard the word "relocation" and asked where Sheryl was from. Sheryl said that she was from Birmingham, Alabama. Kate assured Sheryl that Salem was a very friendly city, and Sheryl admitted that she knew someone who'd just moved to town.
Sheryl said that she hadn't told anyone about the interview for fear of jinxing it. When Kate learned that Sheryl had gone straight to the club without checking into the Salem Inn to freshen up first, she insisted that Lucas finish the interview later, after Sheryl headed to the hotel. Sheryl gratefully accepted and admitted that she hadn't slept well the night before because she'd been so excited.
After Sheryl had gone, Lucas complained to Kate that he'd gotten the girl's hopes up for nothing. He wondered why Kate hadn't pumped Sheryl for information about Jordan. "Darling, these things need to be handled delicately," Kate advised. Lucas admitted that he didn't want to see the disappointment in Sheryl's beautiful eyes when he told her that she hadn't gotten the job. Kate said, "Then don't disappoint her. Give her a job."
Lucas groused that he had told Sheryl that they might be firing someone in the graphics department. With a shrug, Kate suggested that he just put some names in a hat. Kate spotted a little notebook that Sheryl had left behind and eagerly reached across the table to pick it up -- but Lucas grabbed it first, refusing to let his mom look at Sheryl's personal information. "I really hate it when you get all 'moral police' on me," Kate complained.
When Rafe and Jordan arrived just then. A surprised Kate gave them a friendly greeting -- but nearly panicked when she spotted Sheryl just outside the window.
At St. Luke's, Eric filled Father Matt in about Brady's relapse, which meant that Brady wouldn't be able to finish the interview with Nicole. Eric continued that Nicole would have to drop the interview unless he agreed to let her interview him. Father Matt, who had been hopeful that Brady could have helped Eric reveal the truth, advised Eric that the bishop had decided to take a leap of faith and allow Eric to be interviewed.
Sensing Eric's hesitation, Father Matt asked if Eric were concerned about working with Nicole again because of his feelings for her. Eric swore that he could handle his feelings, and besides, Nicole had moved on with someone else.
At Daniel's apartment, Nicole entered as Daniel was speaking on the phone to someone named Donna about Eric's test results. Daniel said that he hoped to find something more conclusive on the next round of tests. When Daniel hung up, he admitted that he was frustrated that he hadn't found anything to help Eric yet. "I'm a pretty peaceful guy, but I think if I ever caught up with Kristen again, I might have some trouble with the 'do no harm' thing," Daniel added with a scowl.
Since he was unable to do anything further to help Eric, Daniel announced that he was going to find Brady's drug dealer, whose stomach Daniel had once pumped in the emergency room. "I am gonna amble on over to the park, and I am gonna convince him that it is in his best interest to leave Salem," Daniel vowed. Nicole offered to accompany Daniel, but he refused, pointing out that it was too dangerous. Nicole pretended to concede, but as soon as Daniel left, she followed him.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady had just poured himself a rather hefty drink when he heard Maggie calling his name from the foyer. Brady hid the glass in a decorative box on the coffee table with only seconds to spare before Maggie entered the room. She observed that Brady looked flushed. He claimed that he was coming down with something and cautioned Maggie not to get too close to him lest she get it, too.
Maggie invited Brady to join him at an A.A. meeting that she was leading at the hospital later, and afterwards Daniel could have a look at Brady. Brady agreed to meet Maggie at the meeting. As soon as she had gone again, Brady retrieved his drink and quickly downed it.
Theresa called J.J. at the Horton house to demand the rest of the drugs he owed her. J.J. reminded her that he could get sent to prison if he were caught, but Theresa didn't care. Jennifer arrived downstairs in time to overhear J.J. hiss, "You have no idea how much I hate you for everything that you've done to me." Jennifer hid outside the door to eavesdrop as J.J. warned, "One of these days, you are going to get what you deserve." Theresa reminded him about the video in her possession.
As soon as J.J. hung up, Jennifer strode into the living room and demanded to know what the phone call had been about. J.J. lied that some kids at school were hassling him about getting busted. Jennifer wanted to intervene, but J.J. insisted that he could handle it. He gave his mom a message from Liam, who had called earlier. J.J. thought that Jennifer would be making a big mistake if she went out with Liam again.
Jennifer warned J.J. that he had no say in the matter. J.J. assured her that he wanted her to move on, but he wasn't sure Liam was the right guy. "Then who is, J.J.?" Jennifer demanded, exasperated. J.J. explained that he just didn't want his mom to get hurt again after everything he'd put her through -- and he wanted her to be happy because he loved her.
Eric arrived after J.J. had gone. As Jennifer handed Eric a large envelope, she announced that he would be taking publicity photos for the hospital's ambulatory surgical wing -- but she teasingly cautioned him that the job was hardly glamorous. Eric was just grateful for the job. Jennifer expressed her remorse for not seeing what Kristen had been up to. Jennifer added that she prayed Hope could prove Eric's innocence.
Eric said that he and Daniel were just waiting for Eric's latest test results. He quickly apologized for mentioning Daniel's name, but Jennifer assured him that it was all right -- as long as they could change the subject. Recalling his conversation with Nicole about the night Theresa had overdosed, Eric asked if Jennifer were sure she'd gotten the whole story about Daniel.
With an uncomfortable chuckle, Jennifer admitted, "I don't know the whole story. Do you?" Eric tried to tell Jennifer that maybe everything that had happened with Theresa wasn't exactly as it seemed. Jennifer gently cut him off and reminded him that she'd wanted to change the subject. Eric apologized and thanked Jennifer again for the job.
When there was a knock at her door, Theresa assumed that it was J.J. with her drugs. She was taken aback when she opened the door and Juanita, her A.A. sponsor, pushed past Theresa into the apartment. Theresa tried to make an excuse about not attending the meeting at the hospital, but Juanita wouldn't hear it. "Let's go," Juanita said firmly, tossing Theresa's purse to her.
As the A.A. group assembled at the hospital, Theresa grumbled to Maggie about how Juanita had forced her to attend the meeting. "Maybe Daniel should have waited until you volunteered to go to the hospital that night so he could save your life," Maggie noted sharply, pointing out that Theresa's life was still at risk. When Brady arrived, Maggie reintroduced him to Theresa, who reminded him that he'd been too busy to take her to a meeting before.
Maggie began the meeting and asked if there were any new members or returning members who were in their first thirty days of sobriety. Brady rose to speak, introducing himself to the group as an addict who'd recently fallen off the wagon.
After the meeting, Theresa approached Brady. "That was a surprise. I wouldn't have pegged you as that kind of addict," she admitted. "Are you implying that some addictions are 'cooler' than others?" Brady asked. Theresa assured him that she'd just been making an observation. "You might want to keep your observations to yourself," Brady warned, walking away. "Wow, they should call it 'Humorless Anonymous,'" Theresa muttered to herself.
When Maggie asked Theresa about her chat with Brady, Theresa blurted that Brady was "kind of a jerk." Theresa hastily apologized and promised to show Brady more compassion. She asked if there were anything she could do to help Brady, but Maggie replied, "I think you ought to concentrate on your own problems. I think that'll be more than enough to keep you busy." Without taking offense, Theresa expressed a desire to get to know Maggie better. "I mean, your son, he's already like my best friend," Theresa added. "I think you ought to find other friends -- and stay away from my son," Maggie warned.
Back at the Kiriakis mansion, Brady poured himself a drink. "Maggie, you're wrong. Alcohol is your addiction. It's not mine," he told himself smugly as he took a big gulp.
In the park, Daniel found the drug dealer hanging out on a bench, counting his money. After Daniel confronted the guy, he asked if Daniel were a cop. Daniel admitted that he was a doctor who'd saved the dealer's life once before. Daniel ordered the dealer to leave town, but the guy pulled a knife. Daniel punched him, sending the knife flying, and the two got into a scuffle that only ended when Nicole showed up, grabbed the knife, and threatened the guy with it.
While Nicole held the knife menacingly, Daniel repeated his order for the guy to leave Salem. The dealer refused, so Daniel dropped the name Victor Kiriakis and explained that Victor was his godfather. Unconcerned, the dealer spat on the ground. Daniel continued, "I can predict with a certain degree of accuracy that [Victor] won't react nicely when I tell him that you've been dealing drugs to his grandson, Brady Black."
The dealer's face betrayed his fear. Nicole handed the knife to Daniel and snapped a picture of the dealer with her phone. She explained, "Victor needs to know who he's coming after. He will come after you. Oh yeah, I was married to him, and he wrote the book on vindictive." She warned the dealer that Victor didn't have to obey the law or respect people's rights. Daniel added that Victor didn't report crime; he handled it.
While Nicole and Daniel were threatening the dealer, J.J. arrived and ducked behind a tree when he saw what was happening. He snapped a twig with his foot, causing the others to whirl around to see where the noise had originated. Crouching low, J.J. did his best to hide himself. Nicole spotted a squirrel and identified it as the source of the sound.
Daniel vowed that if he heard about the dealer setting foot in Salem again or getting in touch with Brady, Daniel would "go to the godfather." Nicole threatened to use her position at Titan TV to identify the dealer -- which definitely wouldn't please his suppliers. Raising his hands defensively, the dealer conceded, "Fine. I'm out of here. You'll never see me or hear from me again."
After the dealer had gone, an exhilarated Nicole exclaimed, "I feel so badass! Threatening bad guys? Keeping the streets of Salem clean? We're like a crime-fighting team! You know what? We should ask Roman for a job on the Salem P.D.!" As he led her gently away, Daniel suggested that they quit while they were ahead.
At the hospital a little later, a distracted Jennifer ran right into Daniel as she got off the elevator. She expressed concern when she spied the bandage on his forehead, but Daniel claimed that it was just the result of his clumsiness. Jennifer mentioned how much Daniel had been helping Eric, but Daniel said that he was simply trying to get to the truth.
Jennifer asserted, "I think it's more than that. I think you're just a really good person, a really good friend. I am sorry that, during our relationship, sometimes I forgot about that." Daniel assured Jennifer that he also thought she was a really good person. "It's too bad we couldn't figure out a way to just be good to each other," Jennifer said before walking away.
Nicole went to the Brady Pub, where she found Eric reviewing the packet he'd gotten from Jennifer. Nicole asked how things had gone with Brady. "He told me to stay away from him, so my first thought is not very well," Eric said. Nicole maintained that Brady was only lashing out because Kristen had made such a fool of him. Eric pointed out that Brady was also lashing out at himself by using drugs again.
Nicole said that she would have to scrap her interview with Brady because he simply couldn't face continuing it. "No, you won't, because you can interview me," Eric said. Nicole cautioned Eric that the interview could be tough. "If you're doing it just to help me," she began. Eric interrupted to point out, "Nicole, look at you. You're going against your own personal interests." He assured her that he was doing the interview because it might be his only chance to let people know what had really happened -- so maybe he could be a priest again.
Rory met J.J. in the park outside Horton Square. Looking around nervously, J.J. asked, "Did you bring your stash?" Rory complained that J.J. only called when he needed something and never wanted to just hang out. Rory quickly realized that J.J. was truly afraid, so he fished a baggie of weed from his pocket and gave it to J.J. "Thank you, man. You literally just saved my life," J.J. said with sincere gratitude.
As Rory and J.J. were walking through the square, suddenly two guys ran past, shoving J.J. as they went. Cole appeared a second later, looking back over his shoulder as he ran away, but skidded to a stop at J.J. and Rory's feet. A cop showed up as Cole was clutching his ankle in pain. "I got those shoplifters. They're here in Horton Town Square," the cop said into his radio as he grabbed J.J. and Rory and yanked Cole to his feet.
"We weren't doing anything!" J.J. protested. "Then you got nothing to worry about. Bags on the table," the cop ordered as another officer showed up. "Open your bags," the other cop commanded.
In the Brady Pub, Theresa called J.J. on her cell phone and left him a threatening voicemail demanding that he deliver the drugs to her or suffer the consequences. As Theresa hung up the phone, she noticed Hope enter the pub. After rolling her eyes, Theresa smiled and greeted Hope. Hope asked Theresa why Theresa had talked to J.J. at the Christmas party when she had been ordered to keep her distance from him.
Theresa explained that she had wished J.J. well, and Hope asked Theresa why she had bothered when Theresa had noted that J.J. hated her. Shrugging, Theresa said that she wanted to make peace with J.J. because they were bound to run into one another around town. When Ciara and Cori arrived at the pub with Helen, Hope greeted her daughter warmly. Ciara admitted that she had torn her school uniform. When Hope took a closer look, she realized that there was more wrong with the uniform than just a tear.
Hope asked if Helen could give her some time alone with Ciara. Helen left with Cori. Once Hope was alone with Ciara, she asked her if another student had ripped Ciara's uniform. Ciara swore that no one had teased her or ripped her uniform. Hope nodded and asked Theresa to sit with Ciara while Hope made a phone call. As Hope walked across the room, Theresa whispered to Ciara about the phone call. Ciara said that Hope was probably calling the school because she did not believe Ciara's story.
Theresa assured Ciara that if she had told the truth then Ciara would not be in trouble with Hope. When Ciara turned away, Theresa asked Ciara if she was sure, and Ciara nodded. After her phone call, Hope thanked Theresa, and Theresa noted that Hope had a good kid. After Theresa left, Hope admitted that she had talked to Father Matt. Hope told Ciara that she wanted to be sure that no one had hurt Ciara.
When Helen and Cori returned to the pub, Hope gave them hot chocolate and sent the girls out for their play date. While Ciara was out of earshot, Hope asked Helen to tell her if she learned anything about someone bullying Ciara.
In the town square, a fleeing man, Cole, ran into J.J. and Rory. A pursuing police officer ordered Cole, Rory, and J.J. to open their bags. When Rory and J.J. protested that they were bystanders, the cop told them that if they did not have stolen money in their backpacks then they would be free to go. As J.J. stood frozen to the spot, Abe arrived on the scene and asked what had happened.
The officer explained that he had received a call that there had been a robbery at the corner store and that when he had arrived on the scene, he had witnessed three men run out of the store. The officer admitted that he had not clearly seen the men that had run out of the store. When J.J. said that he was innocent, the officer asked J.J. why he would not open his backpack. J.J. yelled at Cole to tell the truth and confirm that J.J. and Rory had not been a part of the robbery.
Abe ordered J.J., Rory, and Cole to open their backpacks. As J.J.'s mouth dropped open, the employee from the store arrived on the scene and confirmed that Cole had robbed the store but that the other two robbers were not J.J. and Rory. The officer arrested Cole and dragged him away. Abe set J.J. and Rory free, but he asked J.J. to stay and chat. Abe thanked J.J. for straightening out and reconciling with Jennifer.
After Abe left, Rory returned to the square and celebrated their narrow escape from the police finding the drugs in their backpacks. J.J. worried aloud what would have happened if the police had searched him. Furious, J.J. announced that he was going to "kick some ass."
At Club TBD, Rafe and Jordan said hello to Kate as she sat at a table with Lucas. Kate saw Sheryl outside the window of the club when she looked through the window. Lucas excused himself and went outside. Kate marveled at how well Rafe was walking on crutches. Rafe credited Jordan with his recovery.
Outside the club, Lucas handed Sheryl the notebook that she had left behind. When Sheryl asked if her forgetfulness would be an obstacle to getting the job at Mad World, Lucas informed her that she was hired for the job. Smiling, Sheryl thanked Lucas, but her face fell when she looked through the closing door of the club and saw Kate with Jordan.
"Oh I don't believe it," Sheryl said. Inside the club, Kate fidgeted nervously. When Rafe asked Kate why she was upset, Kate said that she was fine and preoccupied with work. Outside the club, Lucas asked Sheryl if she was okay. Sheryl shook her head, then smiled at Lucas and assured him that she was fine. Sheryl agreed to meet Lucas at the Brady Pub.
Inside Club TBD, Kate asked Jordan about her "coach" t-shirt. Jordan admitted that it had been a gift from Rafe. Lucas rejoined Kate, and he confirmed that he had handled Kate's request. Smiling, Kate told Rafe and Jordan that she and Lucas needed to get back to work. While Kate and Lucas returned to their table, Jordan and Rafe sat down across the room.
Kate asked Lucas what had happened with Sheryl. Lucas explained that when Sheryl had seen Jordan, Sheryl had eagerly left the scene. Kate ordered Lucas to get Sheryl to open up to him and supply them with information about Jordan. Kate noted that Ortiz had confirmed that Jordan and Sheryl had been close friends when they had lived in Birmingham.
Across the room, Rafe asked Jordan if she was uncomfortable with Kate. When Jordan admitted that she was uncomfortable, Rafe reminded Jordan that Kate had dumped him. Rafe added that he had made it clear to Kate that he was only friends with Kate. Jordan saw Kate leaving the club, and she shivered. Rafe told Jordan about growing up in Salem, and he asked her about her wanderlust. Jordan explained that she had left Birmingham because Rafe's case had intrigued her.
"You saw the picture, and then you knew you had to come," Rafe joked. Jordan promised to pay Rafe back for teasing her. Rafe told Jordan that he hoped she would stay in Salem. As Rafe and Jordan got up to leave, Kate returned to the club under the guise that she had left her tablet behind. Rafe said goodbye and left with Jordan. Once they were gone, Kate muttered to herself that she would uncover Jordan's secrets.
In their apartment, Will informed Sonny that an online literary magazine had sent an email to Will, asking to publish one of his short stories. Sonny joked that he was going to quit his job and live off of Will's publishing money. Sonny said he was proud of Will. As Sonny and Will hugged, Gabi asked if E.J. had stopped Abigail from talking to Hope.
When Will asked why Abigail was involved, Gabi explained that she had freaked out when Abigail had received a text message from Nick because Gabi had not known that Kate was using Nick's phone. Gabi added that Abigail had insisted on speaking to Hope about Nick's behavior toward Gabi and that she had asked E.J. to intervene with Abigail. Sonny stressed that if anyone could talk Abigail into keeping quiet, it would be E.J.
At the cabin, a naked E.J. and Abigail kissed in bed. E.J. pulled away and said, "I thought we agreed that that could never happen again?" Abigail agreed that she and E.J. could never have sex again. As Abigail looked over at E.J., she said, "After this." Abigail jumped on E.J., and the two had sex again.
Afterward, E.J. and Abigail lay in bed with guilty looks on their faces. Abigail chastised herself for acting stupidly. E.J. assured Abigail that there was no shame but that they should not have slept with one another.
"It can never, ever, ever happen again," Abigail added. After E.J. and Abigail dressed, E.J. urged Abigail to forget what had happened and move on with their lives. When Abigail pointed out that the next ferry would not go out for hours, E.J. offered to give Abigail a ride back in his boat. Abigail wondered aloud what would happen if people saw the two of them in a boat together.
"Well, you'll come up with a story. People will believe you. The daughter of the Horton family and the son of the Prince of Darkness? It's a little implausible," E.J. said. E.J. said that he hoped Abigail would not tell Hope about Gabi and the text message from Nick. Abigail said that she would not tell Hope anything because she did not want to explain that she had gone out to the island to find her. E.J. nodded. Abigail and E.J. agreed that no one could find out that they had slept together.
"Oh, my God. Sami would kill me," Abigail said with wide-eyed horror. Covering her face with her hands, Abigail said that she was embarrassed. E.J. assured Abigail that everything would be fine, and they agreed to act like nothing had happened. As E.J. and Abigail made the bed, Abigail said that their conversation about the meaning of the angel wing had made her believe that she could be friends with E.J. Smiling, E.J. said that he believed they still could be friends. Abigail half-heartedly agreed.
In Will's and Sonny's apartment, Sonny looked on the computer and wondered aloud how long it would take to get to Smith island. Sonny explained to Will that E.J. had gone to the island because Abigail believed Hope had been there. Worried, Sonny wondered why E.J. had not called. When Will noted that there was no cell phone reception on the island, Sonny nodded.
Gabi returned to the living room with Arianna, and she said that Arianna was fussy. Sonny offered to watch Arianna so that Will and Gabi could go for a walk and call E.J. Gabi nodded, and she left with Will.
In the town square, Hope saw Abigail and said hello. When Hope asked about Abigail's text message asking to talk, Abigail said that it was not important. Cocking her head, Hope noted that it must have been important because Abigail had gone to Smith Island to talk to her. Shocked, Abigail asked Hope how she had known about the trip. Hope explained that her friend Liz had spotted Abigail on the ferry. Hope apologized for Abigail's long trip.
When Abigail commented that she had just returned from the island, Hope asked if Abigail had returned on the ferry. Abigail said that the next ferry had not been for a couple of hours and that she had returned to the mainland in someone's boat. Raising an eyebrow, Hope asked Abigail if she knew the boat owner. Abigail thought about sex with E.J., then shook off the memory and confirmed that she had known the boat owner.
When Hope remarked that Abigail had seemed upset in her message, Abigail said that she did not know where to begin. Hope urged Abigail to start at the beginning. Nervous, Abigail thanked Hope and explained that she had worked out her problem on her own. Hope extended an invitation to Abigail to talk any time. Abigail thanked Hope, but she declined the offer. Once Hope had walked away, Abigail whispered that she could not tell anyone about what had happened.
At the DiMera mansion, E.J. answered the door and found Gabi and Will on the front porch. Gabi asked E.J. if he had managed to silence Abigail. E.J. invited Gabi and Will into the living room to talk. E.J. assured them that Abigail would not speak to Hope. When Gabi asked what had happened, E.J. said that the details were not important. E.J. explained that he had told Abigail that Nick had upset Gabi and that Gabi had overreacted.
"I'm pretty sure she is not going to be bringing up the subject of Nick Fallon anytime soon," E.J. said. Reassured, Gabi asked E.J. if that was all he had said to Abigail. E.J. informed Gabi and Will of his conversation with Abigail, leaving out the moments leading up to when he and Abigail had had sex.
Will thanked E.J. for protecting Sami by claiming that E.J. had witnessed the fight between Gabi and Nick. When Will asked E.J. about Sami, E.J. curtly said that Sami was out of town. Will countered that Sami always called him before she left town, and E.J. interrupted to say that Sami would call when she returned to town.
When Gabi left to return home, Will stayed behind and asked E.J. what was going on between E.J. and Sami. E.J. told Will to talk to his mother. Frustrated, Will begged E.J. to talk to him. Will noted that he appreciated E.J.'s effort to protect Will's family out of love for Sami. Will said that he hoped Sami appreciated what E.J. had done. Touched, E.J. thanked Will.
In her apartment, Theresa anxiously wondered aloud what had happened to J.J. There was a knock at the door, and Theresa opened it and needled J.J. for the delay. J.J. told Theresa about what had happened in the town square. When J.J. argued that Theresa would have been thrilled if he had gone to prison, Theresa disagreed. J.J. told Theresa that he believed the only way to be rid of Theresa's blackmail was to go to prison.
Theresa apologized to J.J. and noted that she did not want to be enemies with him. Groaning, J.J. countered that after the way Theresa had treated him and his family, he did not believe that they could be anything but enemies. Theresa nodded. Theresa ordered J.J. to follow her instructions, or she would release the tape.
When J.J. left, he called Rory on the phone and asked to meet. In the park, J.J. told Rory about the night that Theresa had overdosed and how she had been blackmailing him. With a sigh, J.J. noted that he needed to hurt Theresa before she could hurt J.J. In Theresa's apartment, she said, "You are right, J.J. I am so not done with you or your bitch of a mother."
At the Brady Pub, Lucas and Kate anxiously waited for Sheryl to arrive. Kate spotted Sheryl through the window, and she urged Lucas to look busy. As Sheryl entered the pub, Kate greeted her and noted that she was wrapping up her meeting with Lucas. As Sheryl sat down at their table, Kate said that she had seen Sheryl outside the club. When Kate asked if everything was all right, Sheryl admitted that she had been upset because she had seen Jordan.
Sheryl explained that she had known Jordan in Birmingham. Kate asked why Sheryl had been upset to see Jordan. With a sigh, Sheryl explained that she had been close with Jordan but then things had changed between them. When Sheryl backed off, Kate noted that no one could change her opinion of Jordan because Jordan had helped Kate's friend Rafe. After Kate left, Sheryl asked Lucas if she had ruined her chances for the job at Mad World. Lucas grinned and assured Sheryl that she had made a good impression.
When Will returned to his apartment, an anxious Gabi asked Will what E.J. had said after she had left the mansion. Will said they had not discussed Gabi. Nodding, Gabi went into her bedroom to check on Arianna. Alone in the living room, Will confided to Sonny that he was worried that Nick's murder would continue to haunt them.
Alone in the Dimera living room, E.J. stared at a photo of Sami and the children. "Oh, bloody hell, what have I done?" E.J. asked aloud.
On Smith Island, Jennifer carried a bag of groceries into the Horton cabin and promptly dropped them when she saw that Abigail was having sex with E.J. "Him? Of all people? My God, how could you?" Jennifer demanded to know, but she retreated from the cabin in horror before Abigail could respond. Stunned, Abigail turned to E.J., but he was too busy laughing about Jennifer's reaction to offer any support or guidance.
Abigail gasped as she woke up and realized that she had been having a nightmare. Jennifer -- who had been enjoying a cup of coffee near the fireplace in the living room, where Abigail had fallen asleep on the couch -- rushed over to Abigail's side to comfort her, but Abigail denied that she had been having a nightmare and insisted that she was fine. Jennifer observed that it looked like Abigail had spent the entire previous night on the couch, but Abigail clarified that she had fallen asleep on the couch after going to the kitchen to get a glass of water in the middle of the night.
Abigail claimed that she had simply had difficulty sleeping the previous night because she had been too tightly wound due to worrying about silly things, but Jennifer suspected that the restlessness was somehow connected to Abigail's impromptu trip to Smith Island the previous day, which Hope had mentioned during an earlier conversation with Jennifer. Jennifer admitted that, while she wasn't trying to pry, she was kind of curious to know what had prompted Abigail's sudden desire to travel all the way to Smith Island just to talk to Hope.
Abigail vaguely clarified that she had gone to Smith Island because she had overreacted to something and had wanted to get some answers right away. Abigail admitted that she had later realized that it had been dumb of her to hop on a ferry and rush out to the island to talk to Hope. Abigail declined Jennifer's offer to listen to her vent about the matter, instead changing the subject and wondering how things were going with J.J.
Jennifer replied that she believed that she and Abigail spent a lot of time talking about J.J. and never spent nearly enough time talking about Abigail. Jennifer stressed that she was proud of Abigail's recent accomplishments -- the completion of her college degree and the acquisition of a full-time job at the hospital -- and that Abigail was clearly ready to start the next chapter of her life. "I'm not ready. I'm not ready for any of it," Abigail quietly admitted as she silently recalled sleeping with E.J.
When Jennifer asked Abigail to elaborate, Abigail clarified that she always screwed everything up. Abigail said that her life had been a series of horrible choices that kept getting worse and worse, but Jennifer -- who assumed that Abigail was referring to her past relationships with Chad and Cameron -- insisted that Abigail wasn't responsible for the way that those relationships had ended. Abigail said that Jennifer was wrong, and when Jennifer expressed confusion, Abigail agreed to tell Jennifer everything.
After taking a deep breath, Abigail hesitantly admitted that she had made a horrible mistake. "I -- this is really hard for me to say, um -- and I don't even know what possessed me, but...I slept with --" Abigail tearfully started to say, but she stopped herself as she silently recalled her earlier nightmare, ultimately deciding to simply reveal that she had slept with Chad instead. Jennifer reminded Abigail that she had already shared that she had slept with Chad, but Abigail clarified that she had never told Jennifer why she had slept with Chad.
Abigail claimed that Chad had manipulated her into sleeping with him, explaining that Chad had lied about having a brain tumor in order to get Cameron out of the picture, and she insisted that she was an idiot and should not have allowed him to fool her. Jennifer stressed that Abigail wasn't to blame for what had happened. "Chad is -- is horrible. I can't even believe that he did this to you, but -- actually, I can believe it, because he's a DiMera, and this is what they all do," Jennifer added.
Abigail sighed and whispered that she felt humiliated. Jennifer wondered if anyone else knew about what Abigail had just admitted to her, and Abigail replied that Chad, Cameron, and Kayla all knew the truth. Abigail explained that she had thought about telling Jennifer sooner, but she had decided to just let it go after people had started treating Chad like a hero because of what he had done to save E.J.'s life at Club TBD. Jennifer reasoned that Abigail had clearly not been able to let go of what had happened yet, since she was still beating herself up about it. Jennifer hugged Abigail and stressed that Abigail was a beautiful, incredible woman and that what had happened wasn't her fault.
At the Brady Pub, E.J. considered calling Sami, but before he could do so, Eric approached him and asked if he had heard from Kristen lately. E.J. vaguely replied that Kristen was gone. Eric seemed skeptical, but he changed the subject and wondered why Sami had left Salem. Eric explained that, while Sami had claimed that her trip was business-related when he had talked to her earlier, he knew her very well and was certain that there was more to the story. Eric guessed that Sami and E.J. were having problems, but E.J. dismissively stated that if that were true, it would be none of Eric's business.
E.J. assumed that Eric would have shown more respect for other people's privacy if he had still been wearing his clerical collar, but Eric countered that if he were still wearing his collar, he would have no reason to talk to E.J. in the first place. E.J. stood to leave, reiterating that Kristen was gone and adding that he didn't think that it was fair for Eric to judge him based on her actions. E.J. also maintained that Sami's business trip was completely irrelevant, but Eric disagreed, explaining that Sami's business trip was relevant to him because she was his sister, and he was concerned about her. "I can tell by the look in your eye you don't quite have a clear conscience when it comes to Samantha -- in fact, I can bet my life on that," Eric knowingly added.
E.J. insisted that his conscience was fine. "E.J., if you don't want to talk about Sami, I can't force you, but take it from me -- nothing that is hidden under the sheets stays there for very long," Eric warned E.J. When E.J. asked Eric to elaborate, Eric clarified that he was confident that people would eventually learn the truth about Kristen, even if it didn't reveal itself in time for him to get reinstated as a priest, because the truth always found its way to the surface eventually. Eric exited the pub, leaving E.J. somewhat shaken.
At Club TBD, Kate confidently assured Lucas that Jordan was a liar. Lucas argued that everyone -- including Kate -- lied occasionally, but she impatiently insisted that she knew what she was talking about. "My private investigator couldn't dig up a thing about her [before] she landed in Birmingham, all right? Everything before that is scrubbed clean, which means it's all filthy," Kate added, but Lucas pointed out that she was simply speculating.
Kate spotted Sheryl entering the club and quietly told Lucas that she hoped that their newest recruit would be able to fill in the blanks for them. Kate warmly greeted Sheryl and took the time to politely question her about the Salem Inn's accommodations before shifting the topic of the conversation to Sheryl's potential new job at Mad World. Sheryl enthusiastically stated that she believed, based on what "Mr. Horton" had told her during her preliminary interview, that working at Mad World would be a fantastic opportunity. Kate sweetly clarified that Mad World was a very informal company and that Sheryl was free to use Kate and Lucas' first names.
Ignoring Lucas' subtle, silent disapproval of her fake kindness, Kate pulled Sheryl aside so that she could make sure that Sheryl was going to feel comfortable sharing a town with Jordan again. Kate innocently offered Sheryl the opportunity to explain why being around Jordan was a problem, but before Sheryl could respond, Lucas intervened and reminded Kate that they had previously agreed that they were going to respect Sheryl's privacy.
Kate feigned concern as she explained that she simply believed that if the unknown issue with Jordan was important to Sheryl, it might be best to get it aired out. Sheryl quickly clarified that she had never meant to give Kate or Lucas the impression that the issue was the least bit important. Kate replied that the only impression that Sheryl had given her and Lucas was that being around Jordan would be upsetting. Confused, Sheryl wondered why that would affect her eligibility for the job at Mad World. Before Kate could respond, she received a text message from Sami, and she excused herself so that she could read it privately.
After Kate left, Lucas assured Sheryl that Kate's inquiries had nothing to do with Sheryl's chances of getting the job at Mad World. Meanwhile, after viewing Sami's text message -- "What's going on with Gabi? Are you taking care of it?" -- Kate rejoined Lucas and Sheryl and abruptly excused herself, claiming that there was a minor crisis at the plant that she needed to deal with right away. "I am going to leave you in Lucas' capable hands. I'm so glad to hear that there are no issues -- for now," Kate sweetly added before exiting the club.
After Kate left, Sheryl enthusiastically shared some of her past ad campaigns with Lucas. Sheryl apologized when she realized that she probably sounded like she was bragging about her accomplishments, but Lucas assured her that she had every right to feel proud of those accomplishments. Lucas smiled as he also observed that Sheryl had "a good energy."
In Will and Sonny's apartment, Gabi groaned with frustration as she struggled to solve a math equation. "Ugh. Okay, I am so not a math head. Where is Nick when -- oh, my God. Okay, I can't believe I just said that," Gabi muttered as she tossed her homework aside. Meanwhile, someone knocked on the door, and when Gabi opened it, she was surprised to find Rafe and Jordan standing outside.
Gauging Gabi's reaction, Rafe conceded that he probably should have called before showing up at the apartment unexpectedly, but she assured him that he was always welcome -- especially when Jordan was in tow. After presenting Gabi with the christening gown that he had purchased for Arianna, Rafe grabbed his cell phone and asked for the exact date of the christening so that he could schedule it in his calendar. Rafe seemed slightly surprised when Gabi revealed that they were exactly two weeks away from the date of the christening. Rafe tried to brush off his reaction to the news, but Gabi insisted that she wanted to know what was wrong.
"It's just -- in two weeks, it'll be a year exactly to the day that you were standing on the altar, getting ready to marry Nick," Rafe reluctantly explained. Rafe could tell that his observation had affected Gabi, so he started to apologize, but she assured him that she was all right, reasoning that, while her first attempt to marry Nick had been a complete disaster, it had also been the day that everyone had learned that Will was Arianna's father.
Gabi added that she was content with the way that things had worked out, since Arianna's happiness was the only thing that truly mattered to her. Rafe hugged Gabi and assured her that she was a wonderful mother and that she would eventually find a guy who deserved her. "But until that day, there isn't a day that goes by that I am not happy that Nick Fallon is out of your life for good," Rafe added.
Gabi suggested that it would be best for them to change the subject to something that had nothing to do with Nick, and Rafe agreed, although he promptly reiterated that he was glad that Nick was gone for good, and he happily added that Nick hadn't even bothered to return to Salem for Christmas. Jordan helpfully reminded Rafe that Gabi had expressed a desire to change the subject, and he apologized, explaining that he had simply been trying to cheer Gabi up.
Meanwhile, someone knocked on the door, and when Jordan opened it, Kate entered and greeted everyone. Kate apologized for interrupting, but Rafe assured her that it wasn't a problem because he and Jordan were about to leave to get some breakfast anyway. "Oh! Well, you know, you should go to Sonny's place -- kind of help pay the rent here," Kate helpfully suggested.
After Rafe and Jordan left, Gabi gave Kate an update on the situation with Abigail. Gabi wanted to believe that the situation had been dealt with, as E.J. had claimed, but Kate warned that E.J. could never be trusted and that Abigail might still manage to put the pieces together eventually. Kate advised Gabi to do her own reconnaissance to ensure that Abigail had truly decided to stop pursuing the matter, stressing that Gabi couldn't afford to simply take E.J.'s word on the subject.
After leaving the apartment, Kate ran into E.J. in the town square and revealed that she had heard about what he had done to help Gabi neutralize Abigail. E.J. blamed Kate for everything that had happened, reasoning that she should have told Gabi about the plan to send text messages to people from Nick's cell phone. Kate reminded E.J. that they were dealing with a very complicated situation, and she dismissively added that she was sure that it had been an incredible burden for him to run out to Smith Island to handle the terribly difficult task of keeping Abigail quiet.
Kate assured E.J. that she had done what she could to help him defuse the situation, explaining that she had urged Gabi to talk to Abigail to ensure that Abigail's suspicions would not resurface later. E.J. was furious and insisted that Kate should have just stayed out of the situation. "Damn it, why couldn't you have just kept Gabi in the loop from the start? Then this whole issue with Abigail wouldn't have happened, and I wouldn't have had to --" E.J. started to add, stopping himself only after Kate's suspicions had already been aroused. Kate wondered what E.J. had done to "that poor girl," Abigail.
At Club TBD, Rafe went to talk to Lucas, who was sitting alone at one of the tables, while Jordan went to the bar to order two cups of coffee. When Jordan turned to leave the bar, she found herself face-to-face with Sheryl, who had just emerged from the back of the club.
At the DiMera mansion, Ricardo entered the living room and handed a cell phone to Stefano, reporting that the caller had mentioned that the call was important. "Repeat that -- what has Dr. Jonas done?" Stefano asked the caller, and after listening to the response, he instructed the caller to keep him informed. When Stefano ended the call, Ricardo asked if everything was all right. "No. That was Boston. They put me on alert," Stefano replied as he started to exit the mansion, vaguely explaining that he needed information.
Daniel entered his apartment and greeted Nicole, who observed that he looked horrible. Daniel thanked Nicole and joked that it had taken him hours to perfect the look. Daniel elaborated that he had spent the previous night studying Eric's blood work in the hospital laboratory. Daniel picked Nicole up and spun her around as he triumphantly announced that he had finally found the answers that everyone had been waiting for.
Daniel returned Nicole to her feet as she urged him to tell her everything. Daniel blurted out a bunch of medical jargon and wondered which thing Nicole wanted to hear about first. "I just really want to know if that sociopathic wench -- a.k.a. Kristen DiMera -- will be hung for what she did to Eric," Nicole replied. Daniel didn't know what sort of punishment Kristen could expect to receive for her crimes, but he assured Nicole that he could prove that Eric had been given a potent cocktail of exotic drugs that included a sedative, an aphrodisiac, and a memory-erasing drug. "You mean tequila?" Nicole dryly asked, and Daniel laughed as he excitedly added that he had much more to share with her.
Daniel explained that one of his friends from medical school was compiling a list of the handful of people in the world who were known to have access to the "esoteric designer compounds" that had been found in Eric's blood work. Daniel summarized that he could use that list to identify and track down the person who had supplied Kristen with the drugs, which would ultimately lead to Eric's suspension from the church being lifted.
Nicole excitedly hugged Daniel, and after locking eyes for a few seconds, they awkwardly pulled away from each other and reminded themselves that they were only pretending to be involved with each other for Eric's sake. Nicole and Daniel resolved to shake hands with each other in the future instead of hugging, and after practicing their new gesture of appreciation, he excused himself so that he could take a shower and return to the hospital, and she excused herself so that she could go to the television station to interview Eric.
Daniel and Nicole rose from the couch at the same time and bumped into each other as they tried to walk in opposite directions. After another uneasy exchange, Nicole quickly exited the apartment, and she and Daniel each privately lamented their embarrassing displays of awkwardness. Later, as Daniel was getting dressed, he received an unexpected visit from Stefano.
Stefano politely asked if he could enter the apartment, explaining that he had something that he wanted to relay to Daniel. After glancing at Eric's medical files, which were out in the open on a table, Daniel replied that he was about to leave. Daniel invited Stefano to go ahead and say whatever he needed to say, and Stefano replied that he had just talked to Chad and wanted to once again thank Daniel for saving Chad's life. Daniel assured Stefano that the first round of thanks had been more than enough.
Stefano once again tried to get an invitation into Daniel's apartment so that they could continue their conversation, but Daniel reiterated that he was in a hurry, so Stefano took the hint and started to walk away. "Son of a bitch," Stefano angrily muttered after Daniel closed the apartment door. Meanwhile, inside the apartment, Daniel gathered Eric's medical files and guessed that Stefano's visit hadn't been the least bit coincidental.
In Nicole's office at the television station, Nicole told Eric about Daniel's earlier discovery. Eric didn't want to get his hopes up yet, but Nicole insisted that he needed to allow himself to be optimistic for a change. Eric nodded and admitted that he was extremely grateful for Nicole and Daniel's help. Eric observed that Daniel and Nicole clearly made a great team, and she agreed before quickly changing the subject.
Nicole proceeded to conduct a private interview with Eric, reasoning that he would probably feel more comfortable without a camera crew in the room. After Eric explained what had happened to him and maintained his innocence, Nicole wondered if his suspension from the priesthood had been the most painful part of the ordeal. "Ordinarily, I would say yes, but I think what's crushed me in all of this, truly, is my own sin -- and I don't mean what happened with Kristen DiMera. You know, early on in the process, I was grappling with everything that was going on. I let my imagination go to a very dark place -- a place where I believed untruths. And I hurt a dear friend -- terribly, deeply. It was unnecessary. It's my biggest regret," Eric quietly admitted.
At the Horton house, Abigail was sitting alone in the living room, struggling to concentrate on something while her head was filled with images of what had happened at the Horton cabin. Abigail sighed as she tossed her work aside and quietly wondered how she could have been stupid enough to sleep with E.J. at the cabin. Later, Abigail received a visit from Gabi. "E.J. told me everything. He's incredible, isn't he?" Gabi gushed when Abigail greeted her.
At the hospital, Daniel entered his office and checked his email, where he found the list of doctors that he had been waiting for his friend to supply. Daniel quickly printed the list and went to the waiting area to retrieve it from the network printer. After Maxine handed Daniel the document, he turned to leave, bumping into Jennifer in the process.
After a brief, awkward conversation with Jennifer -- who was pleased to see that the bandage on Daniel's forehead was gone and that his injury had healed -- Daniel quickly excused himself. Jennifer warned Maxine to refrain from saying anything about what had just happened. When Daniel returned to his office, he examined the list of names that his friend had sent him. The list consisted of eight names -- one of which was Dr. Jakub Chyka.
At the DiMera mansion, Ricardo entered Stefano's study and wondered if everything was all right. "That call from, uh, Boston turned out to have merit. I saw Dr. Jonas, and he's obviously hiding something. I fear he's on the verge of, uh, proving what my daughter did with that priest. That cannot happen. That will not happen. The clock is ticking. It's only a matter of time before Jonas uncovers Dr. Chyka's name, and when he does, it will compromise Kristen beyond measure. This needs a quick solution," Stefano explained.
"You want me to kill Dr. Jonas?" Ricardo asked.
In Horton Square, Kate guessed that E.J. had threatened or blackmailed Abigail. E.J. insisted that he hadn't done anything to Abigail other than reasoning with her and maybe lying to her a little. E.J. added that he hoped Kate sending Gabi to talk to Abigail didn't blow everything wide open.
At Club TBD, Jordan and Sheryl were both visibly shaken when they caught sight of one another. Sheryl took a deep breath and crossed the club to greet Jordan, while Rafe and Lucas continued catching up nearby. "What are you doing here?" Jordan stammered. Before Sheryl could say anything, Jordan suggested that they meet in the town square in a few minutes. Although she was clearly reluctant, Sheryl agreed.
Jordan returned to Rafe and Lucas, who were engrossed in discussing football and hadn't noticed her talking to Sheryl. After Lucas rejoined Sheryl, Rafe observed that Jordan was shaking. Jordan claimed that the club was freezing, so Rafe offered to help warm her up.
Meanwhile, Sheryl asked Lucas if she could go for a walk while they waited for the marketing manager. He suggested that she check out the town square, so she headed out.
Rafe said that he would like for Jordan to help him shop for some things to make his place feel a little homier, perhaps in Horton square. After expressing her concern that it might be too much walking for Rafe, Jordan said that she had a "work thing" to deal with, but she should return soon. Rafe agreed to wait at the club until she got back.
Kate was still in the square when Sheryl arrived. Sheryl explained that she was just getting to know the town while she waited for Lucas to take her to meet with the head of marketing. Kate enthused that Sheryl should find the town quite charming.
Kate hung back to watch while Sheryl waited anxiously for Jordan, who finally showed up and signaled to Sheryl. Kate stealthily followed them to the park so she could eavesdrop. Sheryl started by explaining that when she'd agreed to go to Salem, she hadn't expected to run into Jordan. Jordan asked why Sheryl was there and what it had to do with Lucas Horton. Sheryl retorted that she had only agreed to have the conversation in private; she hadn't consented to an interrogation.
Jordan noted, "I'm sure you understand why I was surprised to see you here." Sheryl explained that a headhunter had contacted her. Jordan thought it was a strange coincidence. "What -- you think I'm following you? After the way you treated me in Birmingham?" an incredulous Sheryl said. "Sheryl, I am sorry about what happened, but I thought you understood that I had to keep certain things private," Jordan reminded her. Sheryl said that she understood why Jordan didn't want anyone to know.
Jordan asked if Sheryl knew who ran the company where she was interviewing. "Of course I do. Her name's Kate Roberts, and she's amazing," Sheryl gushed, much to the eavesdropping Kate's pleasure. Jordan revealed that she also knew Kate, but Sheryl interrupted to exclaim, "You're not going to make this about you, are you? Do you have any idea how hard I have had to work for this opportunity? [...] Kate would not just bring me to Salem to spite you, for God's sake."
Sheryl declared that if she got the job and Jordan didn't like it, Jordan would just have to leave town. When Jordan tried to stop Sheryl from leaving, Sheryl noted that she had once hoped the two of them could still be friends, but Jordan had disabused her of that notion. She stomped off.
Back at the club, Rafe credited Jordan with his recovery. Lucas wondered if the "amazing" Jordan had any flaws. Rafe admitted that Jordan was full of surprises.
Lucas had left when Jordan returned. Jordan apologized to Rafe for being gone for so long. Rafe was ready to go shopping, so Jordan waited patiently while he gathered his crutches and got up from the table.
When Lucas arrived at the square, Kate instructed him to get the jet ready to fly Sheryl back to Birmingham to pack so she could report for work in Salem right away. Lucas reminded his mom that Sheryl hadn't even met with marketing yet. Kate pointed out that she was the boss. Lucas noted that he had learned that Rafe liked Jordan. "Well, I'm so happy for him -- but I have no idea what that has to do with us hiring a graphic designer to work at Mad World," Kate replied nonchalantly, although Lucas didn't buy it.
At the Horton house, Gabi revealed that the "incredible" E.J. had told her everything. Taken aback, Abigail exclaimed, "He told you? What was he thinking?" Gabi wondered why E.J. shouldn't have told her that he'd talked to Abigail about Nick and Gabi. Relieved, Gabi wanted to know what E.J. had done that had been so incredible. Gabi explained, "E.J. didn't have to help me, and he did. He's been great to me." Abigail countered that E.J. DiMera never did anything unless there were something in it for him.
Gabi maintained that E.J. had helped her because she was the mother of Sami's granddaughter. A skeptical Abigail wondered why Gabi had talked to E.J. but not to Abigail. Gabi explained that she had talked to Sami, but Abigail still didn't buy it. "E.J. sent you here to make sure I bought his story, didn't he?" Abigail asked. Gabi insisted that E.J. didn't even know she was there. Abigail wondered why Gabi was there.
"Because you're my friend, and you're Nick's cousin, and I need for you to understand why I feel relieved that he's gone -- why I need to put him behind me for good," Gabi said. Abigail assured her friend that she did understand. After apologizing for putting Abigail in the middle of everything, Gabi left. Abigail asked herself, "What did E.J. want from me?" She grabbed her things and headed out.
Jennifer was on her cell phone as she exited Horton Square. "E.J. did what?" Jennifer demanded, furious. As she hung up, she muttered to herself, "You son of a... I'm not going to let you get away with what you did to my daughter!" Jennifer stormed off.
When E.J. arrived home, Harold informed him that Ms. Deveraux was waiting in the living room. Assuming that it was Abigail, E.J. paused to check his appearance in the foyer mirror. As he entered the living room, he began, "Abigail" -- but instead found an irate Jennifer waiting for him. "Do you think my daughter would step foot into your house after what you did to her?" Jennifer spat. She continued, "My daughter woke up shaking from a nightmare this morning. She is so ashamed; she was almost in tears!"
Shutting the doors to the foyer, E.J. insisted that it had been a mistake, but that only enraged Jennifer further. Jennifer accused E.J. of deliberately manipulating Abigail. E.J. claimed, "It wasn't premeditated; it just happened." Pronouncing that an "insulting copout," Jennifer snarled, "If Sami is wearing your ring, she deserves to know exactly the person she is getting into bed with." E.J. reminded Jennifer that he was a parent, too, and his family meant everything to him.
"You should have thought of that before you did what you did!" Jennifer shouted. She started to storm out of the room, but E.J. forcefully grabbed her by the arm. Startled, Jennifer jerked her arm away. E.J. moved toward her somewhat menacingly, but he was thrown when Jennifer began ranting about how Chad had lied to get Abigail to sleep with him and E.J. had enabled Chad. Jennifer continued that Kayla had told her how Chad had lied about having a brain tumor to get Cameron out of the picture and how E.J. had helped Chad.
"Chad loved your daughter, and I can see why. She's a wonderful girl," E.J. assured Jennifer. Jennifer accused E.J. of showing Chad how to be a coward instead of a man. E.J. was sorry that Abigail had been hurt, but he knew she would get over it. Jennifer complained that Abigail's trust had been completely destroyed -- and Jennifer wanted her daughter to stay away from E.J. and anyone else named DiMera.
Just as Jennifer began to charge out the door, Abigail arrived outside. Abigail had her hand on the doorbell to ring when she spotted her mom's car and ducked behind a potted tree. Jennifer paused before exiting the mansion to warn E.J., "If your brother thinks the third time with my daughter is the charm, why don't you consider giving him helpful advice, but also tell him to stay out of Salem if he knows what's good for him."
As soon as Jennifer had gone, Abigail emerged from behind the plant and asked E.J. why her mom had been there. E.J. quickly escorted Abigail into the living room and shut the door. He explained that Jennifer blamed him for Chad's lies. When E.J. realized that Abigail had told her mother about that, he wanted to know why. "Because I thought that it was a better idea than telling her that I slept with you," Abigail replied.
Abigail complained that she had been taking the moral high ground with J.J., but apparently she was the real screw-up. E.J. tried to tell her that she wasn't the first person to make love impulsively, but she ordered him not to placate her as if it helped. "My God, I barely even know you -- and I've slept with you," Abigail said with disgust. She continued that her mom had been having a hard time since Jack's death, and all Jennifer wanted was her children's happiness. E.J. tried to soothe Abigail, but she declared that she could not live with herself.
As Abigail and E.J.'s discussion continued, someone entered the foyer and paused outside the living room door. Fed up with Abigail's melodramatics, E.J. suggested that the two of them leave what had happened in the past, since they both obviously regretted it. Abigail declared that she couldn't do that until E.J. told her why it had happened. "You're acting like we both made a stupid mistake, when, in reality, I'm the only one who was stupid. You wanted something from me," Abigail asserted.
E.J. and Abigail's backs were to the door when the person outside pushed it open. Putting his arm around Abigail, E.J. assured her that what she'd said wasn't true. Abigail countered, "You took advantage of me, E.J. Just admit it."
In the study at the DiMera mansion, Stefano said that it was only a matter of time before Daniel's investigation uncovered Dr. Chyka's name and compromised Kristen. "Do you want me to kill Doctor Jonas?" asked Ricardo, Stefano's henchman. Annoyed, Stefano pointed out that Dr. Jonas had saved the lives of both of Stefano's sons. "Something might happen to him that is very bad -- but not by my hands," Stefano explained.
Stefano was listening to Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" when Ricardo returned with Dr. Chyka a little later. Stefano asserted that Dr. Chyka's last job was unfinished. "Is there a problem?" Chyka asked. "A big one. His name is Doctor Daniel Jonas," Stefano said. He explained that he could make any information at the hospital disappear.
Chyka asked about samples that Dr. Jonas might have at home, as well as the doctor's personal computer. Stefano declared that it was Chyka's problem. "Thanks to you, my daughter's problem is worse than it already was. So for her sake and for yours, tie up these loose ends. Do it now," Stefano commanded.
At the hospital, Daniel was making phone calls to the doctors on his list when there was a knock at the door. Brady entered as Daniel was hiding the contents of the file. Brady apologized profusely for beating Daniel up when Daniel had been trying to help him -- and for lying when he'd apologized to Daniel before. "I'm bad news. I don't deserve your friendship," Brady said. Daniel countered that the reverse had sometimes been true, as well.
"I'm humiliated about the way I treated you, man, and I don't just owe you an apology. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I owe you my life," Brady declared. Daniel thanked Brady for both his words and his actions. Brady acknowledged that he understood why Daniel didn't trust him, noting that Daniel had just been working on something that he hadn't wanted Brady to see. Daniel explained, "That's not even about you. I thought it was actually Stefano coming in." Daniel clarified, "He knows that I'm going to prove that Kristen drugged Eric -- and I just about have what I need."
In Nicole's office at the television station, Eric admitted on-camera that his biggest regret in the ordeal with Kristen was that he had hurt a dear friend very deeply. Perturbed, Nicole shut off the camera. She angrily asserted that Eric couldn't use the interview as a confessional to reflect on his mistakes; he should stick to the narrative that he had been a blameless victim of Kristen's manipulation -- otherwise the interview would be useless.
"That's not what's bugging you, is it, about what I said?" Eric asked. He apologized if his telling the whole truth and revealing his biggest regret had dredged up painful feelings for Nicole. Eric added quietly that he wished he could have that moment back so that he could undo it. Changing the subject, Nicole announced that she'd gotten enough footage and could edit out Eric's last remarks. She suggested that Eric go to the hospital to learn what Daniel had found out in the lab.
Eric wondered how long Nicole and Daniel could keep their relationship a secret. "Don't you think people are bound to notice eventually? Because when you're in love, it's really hard to pretend you're not," Eric pointed out. He asked Nicole if she were really happy, and she assured him that she was. She admitted that she didn't really want to talk about Daniel because things between them were still new. Eric declared that Nicole deserved a great life.
After Eric left, Nicole sat down at the computer to watch the interview footage. When Brady arrived, she quickly paused the video. "I just came from seeing Daniel, and you are number two on my apology tour," Brady explained, adding that he was sorry for all the "vile stuff" he'd said on New Year's Eve. Nicole reminded him that he'd already apologized. Brady clarified that even though Nicole had been a great friend, he had wanted to take someone along on his "misery train."
Brady noticed that Nicole had been working on her interview with Eric. After subtly making sure that Brady couldn't see the screen, Nicole asked if Eric were next on Brady's apology tour. When Brady hesitated, Nicole wanted to know what the problem was. Brady reminded Nicole that he had said the stuff about Kristen to hurt Eric. "But that's not what you really thought," Nicole concluded -- but when Brady paused again, she firmly reminded him that what had happened between Eric and Kristen had not been consensual.
Brady hedged that although he and Eric had talked, Brady thought that they should keep their distance. Nicole was incredulous that Brady seemed to think Eric had done something wrong. Brady argued that Eric might have been a priest, but he was also a man. "Maybe Kristen wasn't the first person he wanted to wind up in bed with, anyway," Brady added, pointing out how often Nicole jumped to Eric's defense.
Nicole declared that Brady had crossed a line. Brady reminded her that he knew her very well. Nicole argued that after Eric had accused her of drugging and raping him, she could no longer see him in the same way. Brady wondered why Nicole was still trying to help Eric clear his name. "For the same reasons as Daniel: we want justice," Nicole insisted. Brady contended that he recognized addiction when he saw it -- and Nicole was looking for any excuse to be around Eric. "Problem is, once you get him back into that collar, it's cold turkey time," Brady said.
When Eric arrived at Daniel's office, Daniel divulged, "It looks like you were given three different designer drugs with a litany of side effects, man. [...] You're lucky you recovered as quickly as you did." Daniel added that a DNA lab in Boston was going to finish the analysis to determine the exact makeup of the compound he'd found. "We are so close, Eric. Once we prove what Kristen did to you, I predict you are going to be back at St. Luke's in no time," Daniel declared.
As Eric was leaving Daniel's office, he almost ran into Dr. Chyka in the doorway. "Can I help you?" Daniel asked Chyka. "I'm counting on it," Chyka replied.
