Sami and E.J. arrived at the Salem Police Station for their interview with Mr. Burke, the Immigration Office representative. Roman, John, and Marlena agreed to testify on E.J.'s behalf. Nicole arrived and told E.J. and Sami that she had volunteered to be a character witness for E.J. Sami was furious and demanded that Nicole leave the office, but E.J. asked her to calm down and advised her that Nicole might be able to help him. E.J. explained to everyone that though he had been born in the United States, his mother took him as an infant out of the country, and he had been raised as a citizen of the United Kingdom. E.J. emphasized the importance of the hearing if he were to avoid deportation.
John's testimony was convincing, but it was Nicole who seemed to mesmerize Mr. Burke with her feminine charms. Sami couldn't believe her eyes and physically attacked Nicole. Roman and Marlena had to pull Sami off Nicole and warned her that if Mr. Burke witnessed them fighting, it could be disastrous for E.J.
Mr. Burke concluded the witness interviews and asked E.J. and Sami into the office for their final interview. Mr. Burke questioned them about their rocky relationship and the feud between the DiMera and Brady families. Sami told Mr. Burke that all of those tumultuous times were in the past. Sami told Mr. Burke that she loved E.J. E.J. was sincere when he explained to Mr. Burke that his life had changed drastically for the better after he'd met Samantha. He said he was genuinely happy to be a husband and father. He begged Mr. Burke to allow him to stay in the United States with his wife and son.
Mr. Burke listened to their responses and advised E.J. and Sami that he would review his notes and make a recommendation soon.
At the Brady Pub, Philip asked Max if he would like a high-paying job at the docks if Max would keep an eye on John Black for Kiriakis Shipping. Max refused Philip's job offer as Morgan walked over and heard the last part of their conversation. Morgan warned Philip to stop interfering with her friends for the benefit of his business. Philip flirted with Morgan and asked her if he could buy her a drink. She counter-offered and challenged him to a game of darts, where she proved she had the upper hand.
Philip followed Morgan out of the pub to continue his conversation with her. Philip angered Morgan further by asking her if she always acted like a drama queen. Morgan sneered at him and continued on her way.
Kate visited Chelsea and comforted her after learning of Chelsea's inability to have children. Chelsea told Kate she would be fine, but she said Daniel had hurt her feelings after he had dropped her case and abruptly ended their friendship. Chelsea told Kate that she and Daniel had had a special friendship, and she felt he was abandoning her. Kate sensed that Chelsea wished Daniel could be more than a friend, but Nick arrived to visit Chelsea before they had the opportunity to finish their conversation.
Nick told Chelsea that he had plans for a romantic outing at the Horton cabin once she felt strong enough to travel. Nick asked Chelsea if she wanted to get some fresh air and sit out in the back yard with him, but Chelsea brushed him off and told him that she wasn't feeling well and would call him later.
At the hospital, Lexie tried to coax Daniel to stay in Salem and hoped that the reason he was leaving was not because of his feelings for Chelsea. Daniel assured Lexie that it was time for a change, said goodbye, and left.
Nick felt sad and rejected and left for the Brady Pub to find support from his friends after his visit with Chelsea. Daniel entered the pub and overheard Morgan, Max, and Nick discussing Chelsea's indifference toward Nick. Nick was very upset and left the pub. Nick left his notebook behind, and Max decided to finish some of Nick's mathematical formulas.
Meanwhile, Stephanie went to visit Chelsea. Chelsea confided in Stephanie that she did not want to spend time with Nick and was considering breaking up with him. Stephanie encouraged Chelsea to follow her heart but to be sure of her feelings before acting on them. Chelsea admitted to Stephanie that her feelings for Daniel were interfering with her relationship with Nick because she was falling in love with Daniel.
Stephanie was not surprised at Chelsea's feelings for Daniel and told her that she blasted Daniel for not being honest about his feelings for Chelsea. Stephanie urged Chelsea to go after Daniel because she knew that Daniel had feelings for Chelsea.
Martino Vitale insisted that he be given access to Ava's hospital room. He asked Kayla who she was and for someone to update him on his daughter's condition. Kayla explained that she was one of Ava's doctors and one of the hostages that Ava had held captive at the Vitale compound. Martino told Kayla that he was not responsible for what had happened at his home when he had not been there.
Kayla asked Martino why Ava's physician had prescribed a drug treatment plan that would cause Ava to be unstable and dangerous and would push her toward a psychotic breakdown. Martino had no answer as Ava begged her father to explain how this could have happened to her. Martino tried to comfort his daughter and told her that he was going to take her home so he could take care of her there. Though still groggy and confused, Ava reminded her father that she was under arrest and in police custody. Martino told Ava not to worry but said that if anyone was to blame for her state of mind and unpleasant situation, it was Steve. Ava became so agitated that Kayla asked Martino to leave the room.
Lexie checked in on Ava and told her that most of the drugs were out of her system and that she should be feeling better soon. Ava was very unsettled and agitated and kept asking for Steve and her father.
Later in the day, Kate met Martino, whom she called Marty, at the Brady Pub, and they reminisced about what seemed to be happy times from their past. Marty sensed Kate was tense and asked her what was wrong. She told him that she had walked by a crime scene and had been shaken by the sight of a dead body. Kate seemed unaware that Marty was responsible for the mob hit. Kate left for a business meeting but agreed to meet Marty later for dinner.
Stephanie left the Brady house. Shortly after, Daniel stopped by and told Chelsea he wanted to say goodbye to her before he left Salem to go off and catch the next big wave. Chelsea berated Daniel for his inability to live anywhere long enough for him to build a relationship or make a commitment to anyone. Daniel did not respond, but he turned and walked out the door. Chelsea turned her back with disgust.
Suddenly, Daniel walked back into the house, grabbed Chelsea, spun her around, and kissed her passionately. Without speaking, they looked at each other lovingly, and he walked out the door. Chelsea was shocked and overcome with emotion for what she knew was the beginning of a strong and profound love between her and Daniel.
In a dark Salem alley, E.J. walked out of the shadows and handed an envelope full of money to Nicole. "For services rendered," he said. E.J. asked Nicole for discretion about the fact that he had paid her to testify to the Immigration officer, Burke. Nicole assured E.J. that she had informed Burke that E.J. and Sami were totally in love. "Have I no shame?" Nicole said. Then, giggling, she answered by saying, "Of course not!"
Giving E.J. the once-over with her eyes, she sidled up next to him and suggested they were a lot alike as far as having morals only when they were helpful. As Nicole grew closer, she cooed into E.J.'s ear, telling him that if he were not so in love with Sami, she might go after him. Pulling away, E.J. firmly reminded Nicole that he was very much in love with Sami. Noting E.J.'s deal with her to pay for her testimony, Nicole said that ethics were obviously not too high on E.J.'s priority list.
Curious, Nicole asked E.J. how he got the money he had used to pay her for her lies when E.J. was so broke. E.J. brushed off the question, alluding to other clients he had taken on recently. Standing close to Nicole, E.J. made her promise that no one would find out about his deal with her, especially Sami. Taken aback, Nicole shook her head and said, "You really intend to make her love you." "Yes, I do," he quickly responded. "And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make sure she does," he continued.
Smirking, Nicole complimented E.J.'s dark side and told him that he made her a little tingly. E.J. smoothly told her he was flattered, but when Nicole waggled her eyebrow at him and suggested they go off somewhere, his demeanor quickly changed. "When I first met you, I knew I could use you very much for my purposes," he said plainly. Nicole warned him that she was not to be used, and he agreed he would not use her again. After E.J. complimented Nicole on her sarcastic, sexy, bad girl image, Nicole admitted that the real Nicole would resurface someday.
Turning the talk back to Sami, Nicole suggested that even if E.J. succeeded in getting Sami to fall in love with him, she would always side with Lucas over E.J. Smiling darkly, E.J. told her he had a plan, but he would not elaborate. When E.J. asked Nicole what her plans were after she won half of Victor's possessions, Nicole smiled devilishly in return. She explained that she planned to stay in Salem and take the other half of Victor's empire by taking his "hot as hell son, Philip."
Meanwhile, at the DiMera mansion, a restless Sami traipsed down the main staircase in her pajamas and found John playing chess in the living room. Sami and John briefly discussed Stefano's obsession with the game and then talked about their mutual insomnia. When John remarked that he rarely slept more than four hours, Sami asked him why. John would only say it was because his brain was scrambled.
John then turned the question around on Sami and asked her if she was having trouble sleeping because she was worrying about E.J. Sami denied it and said that she only worried that her children would lose another father. John suggested that Sami and the children could follow E.J. back to England, but Sami ruled that out as a possibility because she and E.J. were not an actual couple. Eventually a curious John asked Sami whether she wanted the old John back, and Sami jokingly admitted that the righteous old John kind of bugged her.
As Sami paced the room, she spotted the disk that John had found earlier in the safe. Sami asked if he had seen what was on the disk, but John told her his instincts told him that he did not want to know what was on the disk. As he said it, memory flashes of Stefano holding the disk in the lab went through John's mind. John informed Sami that he remembered seeing the disk in the lab, and though Sami insisted he needed to see what was on the disk, John declined. Instead, John asked Sami to tell him about when he had first arrived in Salem and how Marlena had fallen in love with him.
Sami informed John that Marlena had first fallen in love with him because she had thought he was Roman Brady. When they had learned the truth, that John was not Roman, Marlena had already been too much in love with John. Small memory flashes of Marlena telling John that she loved him, Sami seeing John make love to Marlena on the conference table, and Sami confronting Marlena about the affair, flashed through John's mind as Sami narrated the story. Sami concluded by telling him that his love with Marlena had destroyed her mother and father's marriage, causing Roman to leave town and screwing up her life. Sami explained that Roman had eventually been able to forgive them both, and John quickly interrupted to note that Sami still seemed to have a "chip" on her shoulder.
Searching for the right words, Sami said that she had not been happy for a long time, but that her children and Lucas had made her happy. John was quick to point out that Lucas had ruined her life more recently and suggested that she was not able to forgive Lucas, just like she had not been able to forgive him. When pushed to continue, Sami admitted that John had been her dad for a long time and then very suddenly had not been anymore. Sami explained that she had hated the situation and had hated him, and so she had rebelled.
As they continued to talk, Sami filled John in on his earlier bout with amnesia when he had left Marlena in the middle of their honeymoon in order to have sex with Hope. As John's eyebrow popped up in curiosity, Sami began to explain what had happened. More memory flashes of Hope pretending to drown in order to lure John out to sea and of Hope seducing John on the submarine went through John's mind. The memories were commingled with more memory flashes of Stefano standing in the lab, holding the disk. When Sami told him that Hope had thought she was someone else, John nodded in agreement and said, "Princess Gina." John thanked Sami for her storytelling because it had taken the pressure off of him.
John then questioned Sami as to whether the family had had any doubts that he had been Roman when he had first arrived in town. Sami related the story of Marlena and Roman in the wilderness, and John thought of Marlena finding the phoenix tattoo on his back. John told Sami that Stefano had branded him as a true DiMera with that tattoo, but he quickly eased Sami's mind by telling her that he had no intention of following in Stefano's hatemongering footsteps. When John and Sami joked about forgetting the past, John mentioned that Marlena had told him that Sami had once faked amnesia. Sami quickly corrected John, telling him that she really had had amnesia once, but that she had recovered sooner than she had let on, in order to escape her past.
Sami again suggested that John review the disk to see if there was any helpful information. Relenting, John put the disk into his computer, but the only video was some colorful static. After wondering aloud if the disk was encrypted, Sami offered to take the disk to his old friends in the ISA, but John declined. John again thanked Sami for her honesty. The two grudgingly admitted that they kind of liked one another, and John seized the opportunity to ask her how he had arrived in Salem.
John then had more memory flashes as Sami explained that Victor had taken the bandaged John back to town and that John had named himself John Black after seeing the name on a plaque at a mission. Angry, John yelled that he was tired of being a victim.
After a quick check on the twins, Sami returned downstairs to talk to John a little more. Smiling, Sami told him that he was good with the kids, and it reminded her of how he had been with Belle when Belle had been little, even before he had learned Belle was his daughter. Looking increasingly uncomfortable, Sami confessed that she had done a horrible thing to John and that she would not feel right if she did not tell him what she had done. Sami explained what had happened as more memory flashes told the tale of Sami learning of Belle's true paternity, changing the results, and eventually kidnapping Belle in order to give her away. John complimented Sami's initiative, while an amazed Sami wondered why John was not furious with her for kidnapping his daughter.
John explained that he had no memory of the events or any connection to Belle, and in a way, Sami's plan made sense. Sami was a little put off by John's sympathy for her but quickly decided to tell John that whenever he felt close to someone, he would say uncomfortable things like that in order to push people away. Annoyed, John went upstairs to bed. "Guess I struck a nerve," chuckled Sami as she soon headed upstairs as well. Once the room was clear, a black-clad figure crept out of the darkness and picked up the disk that John had left behind.
Chelsea dozed on the couch of the Brady house, where Bo overheard her mumbling Daniel's name in her sleep. When she awoke, Bo urged his daughter to go upstairs and get some more rest, but she complained that she was tired of being cooped up indoors and wanted to get out of the house. When he admonished her to take care of her health, she reminded him that he was supposed to be resting as well and suggested that he keep her company. He agreed, and the two settled in on the couch.
Bo asked what Chelsea had been dreaming about when he had entered. She said she didn't remember, and before they could get much further, Morgan dropped by with coffee and pastries. Though Chelsea protested that she'd promised Hope to keep him home, Bo used Morgan's arrival as an excuse to beat a hasty retreat to the station.
Once the girls were alone, Chelsea confided that her dad still blamed himself for her infertility. Morgan sympathized with Chelsea's frustration and asked her friend how she really felt about not being able to have kids. Chelsea admitted she didn't know because it hadn't fully sunk in yet. She continued that it would affect all of her future relationships, and though Nick had said he was fine with it, she knew she might not end up with him. Morgan assured Chelsea that Chelsea would have plenty of other options if she ever decided that she wanted children and that the right man would be understanding about her situation. Chelsea, relieved, agreed that she should wait to cross that bridge if and when she reached it.
As Kate and Martino were catching up over breakfast at the Brady Pub, Martino's bodyguard took Daniel to their table. Daniel angrily declared that he'd missed his flight because he'd been paged for a consult, and he demanded to know what was going on. Martino apologized for the inconvenience and told Daniel that he wanted help with his daughter's case. Kate informed Daniel that Ava was being treated at University Hospital and that Martino had called him on her recommendation. Though Daniel initially refused, he agreed to listen when Kate implored him to hear Martino out.
Martino related how Ava had unknowingly taken medications that had caused paranoia and anxiety because the psychiatrist who had prescribed them had thought they would help. He continued that he was worried about their long-term effects and would like for Daniel to review her case. Daniel stated that he couldn't help because Ava needed a psychiatrist. After rejecting Martino's offer of payment, Daniel left, with Kate following close behind.
Kate stopped Daniel in front of the pub and asked him to reconsider. Daniel reiterated his refusal to treat Ava or to even give Martino a referral for a psychiatrist. He told Kate that he didn't trust Martino and didn't want Martino around his colleagues or the people he cared about. Kate accused him of leaving Salem because he had feelings for Chelsea. He denied it, insisting that he was just Chelsea's doctor and that he was leaving because his job was done. He urged Kate to be careful with Martino then left.
Stephanie arrived at the pub and found Max sitting with papers spread out in front of him on the table. They kissed hello, and Max said not only had he worked on Nick's grant proposal all night, he'd fixed it. When Stephanie asked what he meant, he clarified that he'd just recopied it because Nick had spilled beer on it. He then put it in an envelope and asked her to mail it to the administration building. When she asked why he didn't just return it to Nick, he said he didn't want Nick to know about it.
Nick arrived just then and asked what they were talking about. Max covered and surreptitiously handed the envelope to Stephanie, who made an excuse and left. Nick apologized for unloading about Chelsea the day before. He asked if Max had seen his grant project, but Max lied that he hadn't. Nick said he was just going to have to start from scratch with his grant project then left, saying he needed to make his relationship with Chelsea a priority.
When Nick arrived at the Bradys', Morgan took that as her cue to leave. Just as Chelsea was telling Nick she was feeling better, Daniel showed up. Chelsea suppressed a grin and said she thought he had left town. When he informed her that he'd been asked to consult on another case, Nick asked why Daniel was visiting Chelsea. She claimed that it was for one final checkup and asked Nick if she could call him when she and Daniel were through. Nick agreed, though he left without even kissing Chelsea goodbye.
Chelsea asked why Daniel had really stopped over. He explained about the consult and confessed that part of him had been relieved instead of angry when he'd gotten paged to return. When Chelsea asked why, Daniel replied, "Because I didn't really want to leave Salem. I didn't want to leave you." He continued that it was wrong because she was his patient, but she countered that she was his ex-patient and urged him to stop pushing her away. As he tried to protest further, she grabbed him and kissed him, and he kissed her back.
Stephanie returned to the pub and told Max she'd mailed the grant proposal then asked what he was really up to. Max claimed he was just trying to help because Nick was too proud to ask for it. Stephanie noted that Max didn't understand any of what Nick was working on and questioned why it had taken him all night if he'd just recopied it. Max got defensive, and the two bickered momentarily until Max said something about their belonging together. He apologized for being corny, but Stephanie told him she liked it.
As Max and Stephanie were kissing, Nick returned and asked to speak to Max. After Stephanie excused herself, Nick recounted how Daniel had interrupted his time with Chelsea and said he thought Daniel was making a move on her. Max wanted to know if Nick had called him on it, and Nick said when he had before, Daniel had sworn he and Chelsea were just friends. Max advised him to keep an eye on Daniel.
Abe arrived at the hospital to see Lexie, and the two of them discussed making an appointment for marriage counseling. Lexie said she thought they should see someone they didn't know instead of Marlena. Roman arrived, and Lexie informed him that she was releasing Ava into police custody. She said that the medications were out of Ava's system. When Abe asked about Ava's mental state, Lexie replied, "It's my professional opinion that Ava Vitali is medically fit to face the consequences of her actions." Roman entered Ava's room and informed her that she was being taking to the police station for booking, but she just sat in stony silence in her wheelchair.
At the police station, Abe informed Roman that Ava's lawyer was trying to postpone her arraignment, but that he'd get her on the docket right away. As Roman and another officer were leading Ava to booking, Bo arrived. Though Roman cautioned him against it, Bo read Ava the riot act, telling her she was going to get exactly what she deserved in prison for killing Shawn and shooting Hope. He taunted her about how her beloved "Patch" was at home with his wife.
As Abe walked out of his office and demanded to know what was going on, Bo vowed through clenched teeth, "You're going to pay for what you did to my family, you bitch." Roman pulled Bo away. Ava quietly apologized, and while Bo fell into stunned silence, she added that she deserved to be punished for what she had done. After she'd been taken to her cell, Roman remarked, "Apparently, detox worked miracles for her disposition."
Bo expressed surprise that it really had been the drugs that had made her do the things she'd done and that her father had ordered them given to her. He was further stunned when Roman and Abe informed him that Martino was having breakfast with Kate at the pub. A uniformed officer entered and informed the group that they had just pulled Dr. Neusbaum's dead body out of the river. Bo declared that he was taking Martino Vitali in for questioning and stormed out.
When Roman led Ava back from her arraignment, Abe gently informed her that Dr. Neusbaum had been murdered. Ava unemotionally remarked that she wasn't surprised and hinted that her father was responsible: "Daddy doesn't like loose ends." She added that if the doctor had been doing everything the police said, he had deserved to pay. As Roman was leading her back to her cell, Abe informed them her lawyer had paid her bail. She said she wouldn't accept it, but Abe told that her she had no choice and that she was free to go. "Okay, where?" she asked.
Kate went back inside the pub and urged Martino to take Daniel's advice and hire a psychiatrist to treat Ava. He informed her he already had a psychiatrist on the way and then asked her to dinner. She cautioned him that, unlike in the past, she preferred to get to know a man before becoming intimate with him. When Martino asked if that meant she wanted to get to know him better, she asked him to tell her more about Ava.
Just then, Bo burst in, and the whole pub fell silent as he angrily confronted Martino. Martino apologized for what Ava had put Bo and his family through. Bo ordered Martino to send his goons outside and told Kate to leave. Once the two men were alone, Martino asked what Bo wanted. In response, Bo hauled off and punched him in the mouth. As the other patrons gasped in shock, Martino just rubbed his jaw and said, "Good shot."
Bo went ballistic at the pub, having cold-cocked Martino. Bo threatened to kill Martino. Max rushed to Bo, trying to calm the explosive situation. Martino complied with Bo's demands and allowed Bo to handcuff him. Ava arrived and thought maybe her father should be arrested. She didn't know if she'd ever be well again, thanks to that awful doctor her father forced on her. She needed time to sort things out.
Ava left. Roman arrived and subdued Bo. Roman and Abe told Bo to let Martino go, for the moment. Bo told Martino he would make Martino pay for what he'd done to Bo, Bo's family, and Martino's own daughter.
Chelsea kissed Daniel again until he pulled back. He couldn't do it. He asked about Nick. Chelsea told him she was not in love with Nick. Daniel said Chelsea was special, and he was attracted to her, but they could never be together. He said he was a loner and always would be. Besides, he had too much baggage to ever be in a relationship again. Daniel told Chelsea she had to give up on him, and he left.
Chelsea found Nick at the pub and broke up with him. She explained how the surgery had forced her to reevaluate her life. She didn't feel the same about Nick, and he deserved better. Nick was devastated but wished Chelsea happiness. Max and Stephanie were saddened by the breakup.
Marlena discovered that Sami had told John some things about his past. He had learned he wasn't such a great person, and neither was she. Marlena questioned him, and John referred to the time they had made love on a conference room table. Marlena turned on Sami, livid. John defended Sami, saying he had every right to know about his own past.
Nicole showed up to meet with E.J., her attorney. Sami was suspicious and asked E.J. if he had slept with Nicole. Suddenly, E.J. got a fax from the Immigration Department. His visa had been renewed. Nicole was thrilled, and Sami wanted to know what was going on between the two of them. They both denied any deep, dark secret. Nicole left, and Sami was furious.
John and Marlena discussed the encrypted disk and discovered it was missing.
John angrily rummaged through his desk, scattering files and papers as he searched for the missing computer disk, while Marlena looked on. Sami entered and was surprised to learn it was missing, as it had just been on John's desk the night before. Sami asked if it had been stolen. Marlena suspected Rolf had taken it, but he denied any knowledge of its whereabouts. After ordering Rolf to get him a drink and a snack, John said he didn't think Rolf had done it. He pointed out that anyone living in the mansion could have taken it; he reminded the women that E.J. was Stefano's son and therefore couldn't be trusted.
Marlena indignantly told John that, as his wife, he should trust her, so he asked if she trusted him. She acknowledged that, although she tried, he made it difficult. When Sami announced that she was going to run some errands, Marlena asked if she could tag along. Sami accused her mom of trying to avoid John and suggested Marlena stay there and help him look for the disk.
Rolf gave John permission to search his room, but John dismissed him, certain he hadn't taken it. John then phoned his security company and chewed them out then ordered them to install a brand-new security system that afternoon -- or else. Marlena questioned the need to have it done right away, but John said all signs pointed to the break-in being an inside job.
Marlena remarked that the old John would have taken care of the security and the investigation himself, but he reminded her that guy was gone for good. She replied, "Maybe not. Maybe this is a link to the old John." He disagreed. She began recounting how he had been Stefano's secret project, but he interrupted her, slamming down his glass and growling, "Don't ever call me that again." She apologized and asked if he wanted to talk about it. He angrily told her to leave him alone, so she turned to leave but stopped in the doorway to reassure him that he was much more than a patient to her.
Later, as John and Rolf looked over the list of things that had been taken, John noted that the thief had known exactly what they wanted and had taken other, smaller items to make it look like a regular burglary. Rolf again assured his boss that he had not taken the disk. John said he believed Rolf and surmised that, if Rolf had done it, he would have replaced the disk with a fake one. He added that whoever had done it had wanted the disk badly enough to break in while John had been at home -- which made him both curious and angry.
At the police station, Abe relayed Ava's warning to Bo that he should be extra careful because he'd threatened Ava's father. Abe and Roman then removed a chagrined Bo from the Vitali case. Hope arrived and volunteered to work on Dr. Neusbaum's murder. Bo objected on the grounds that it was too dangerous, but Abe and Roman reminded Bo that his wife was more than capable, plus she already knew all the facts.
As the four cops reviewed the details of the case, Roman pointed out that not even the Feds had been able to take Martino Vitali down. Abe concurred but noted that they had plenty of evidence against Ava. They all agreed that they weren't likely to find any forensic evidence to link Martino to the shrink's murder nor to that of Earl the snitch, though they had obviously both been professional hits. Hope vowed she wouldn't give up until she could connect Vitali to those murders.
Abe officially gave Hope the Neusbaum case, and Bo pleaded with him to at least let Bo and Hope be partners. Abe asserted that Bo had compromised the department by attacking Martino, and Hope reminded him that he'd been ordered to take it easy. When Abe offered to let Bo help out from the sidelines, Bo grumpily agreed. They all then discussed possible charges against Ava. Roman asserted that Ava's lawyers would do whatever it took to keep her out of prison and that she would probably manage to get away with kidnapping and shooting Hope.
Abe declared that they should focus on building a case against Martino, who was the real threat. Roman agreed and said it appeared that Ava was a victim herself. When Hope learned that Ava had hinted that she might help them build a case against her father, she wanted to go talk to Ava right away. However, Abe ordered her and Bo to go home and spend some quality time together first, and then Hope could start fresh the next day.
Marlena stopped by Roman's office. She asked him to investigate the break-in at the mansion and told him about the missing disk. Roman initially declined, but when he saw how important it was to her, he agreed to look into it on an unofficial basis.
When the Bradys arrived home, Hope wanted to discuss the Vitali case, but Bo petulantly reminded her that he'd been assigned to desk duty. Openly flirting with him, Hope praised his abilities as a cop and told him she'd still like his input. She wrapped her arms around him. Bo loosened up a little and began kissing his wife. Hope then called Maggie and arranged to pick up Ciara in an hour. As Hope began shedding clothing, Bo protested that an hour wasn't long enough. "Then let's not waste time, and get moving!" Hope playfully declared then scampered up the stairs with Bo close behind her.
At the Salem Health Club, Lexie found Daniel furiously working out with weights, loud music blaring through his headphones. When she told him that she was there because she wanted to speak with him in person instead of on the phone, he worriedly asked if something had happened to Chelsea. She assured him that nothing had and asked him to consult about another patient. He declined, claiming it was because he was leaving Salem. She asked if it was because of Chelsea, and he somewhat nonchalantly denied it.
Lexie began, "Daniel, if you care about her --" but he angrily cut her off and asked why she was so concerned. She insisted he was a good doctor, and she didn't want to lose him. "Yeah, well, maybe you should know what happened the last time I got involved with a patient." When she asked what had happened, he just sighed and walked away, leaving her calling after him.
Chelsea joined Victor at a table at the Brady Pub. He was thrilled to see his granddaughter but worried that she should be home resting. As they chatted about the possibility of her moving back into the Kiriakis mansion, Nicole stormed in and accused Victor of poisoning her dog, Pookie. Victor vehemently denied it, and the two began hurling angry accusations and insults at each other until Nicole's phone rang. She stomped off to take the call from Pookie's vet.
Outside the pub, E.J. ordered someone on the phone to do what they were being paid to do. As he hung up, he whirled around and bumped into Nicole, who immediately burst into tears. She tearfully told him that Pookie was in intensive care. He gently reassured her that Pookie would be all right then pretended to be enthusiastic when she pulled out a photo album of the little dog's pictures. He softened when he saw how upset she really was and noted that she really cared about the dog.
"She means more to me than anything," Nicole admitted, adding, "She's the only one I can really count on," before collapsing in tears in E.J.'s arms. He tried to soothe her and asked her to tell him about Pookie. When she worried that she would be all alone if anything happened to the dog, E.J. assured her that he would still be around. She scoffed and, her back to him, reminded him that she was paying him to be around. He put his arms around her, his lips near her ear, and softly chided her to stop being pathetic.
Just then, Sami arrived. "Are you always this cozy with your clients, E.J.?" she asked then noticed Nicole's tear-streaked face and asked what was wrong. When they told her about Pookie, Sami was unsympathetic, which started another war of words between the two women. Though Nicole indignantly claimed E.J. had just been comforting her, Sami accused her of using her poor little dog to manipulate him and get him into bed. "I'm not going to stand by and let that happen!" Sami declared then grabbed E.J. by the lapels and kissed him hard.
Victor turned his attention back to Chelsea and asked about school. She confided that she had fallen behind but that she was very happy her dad was going to be all right. She then informed Victor that Daniel was leaving town, possibly for Australia. Victor reminded her that Daniel had only been in Salem temporarily, until Bo was better, but Chelsea said she suspected he was leaving because of her. When he sighed in response, she asked if he knew something about Daniel's past. Victor maintained that even if he did, it wasn't his place to tell.
Chelsea admitted that Daniel had refused to share the details of his past with her and pleaded with her grandfather to tell her what he knew. Victor wanted to know why she was so curious, and she finally confessed that she was falling in love with Daniel. Victor pointed out that Daniel was older and more experienced than Chelsea, but she insisted she wouldn't get hurt. She kept pressing him for details until he reluctantly agreed to tell her, as long as she understood that it was in the strictest of confidence.
Lexie finally chased Daniel down in the juice bar and apologized, adding that if something had happened in his past with a patient, they should talk about it. When he again refused to discuss it, she began to walk off. Finally he blurted, "She wasn't just one of my patients. She was my wife."
While Victor recounted for Chelsea the story of how Daniel had met his wife, Rebecca, Daniel told Lexie the same tale: Daniel had been doing his residency in Miami when a woman wearing a San Francisco 49ers baseball cap had walked in, and he had been instantly smitten. Unfortunately, Rebecca had had cancer. As Daniel had treated her, they had spent more and more time together, and despite her grim prognosis, they had soon fallen in love. Daniel told Lexie how Rebecca had never lost her beautiful smile throughout her grueling treatment.
Victor said when Daniel had called to tell him he was getting married, Victor had urged him to at least wait until Rebecca had recovered, but Daniel ignored his advice and had married Rebecca that night at the hospital. Sadly, later that same night, she had taken a turn for the worst, and Daniel had been unprepared. He said he hadn't been able to stand to see her in so much pain, nor had he been able to bear the fact that she'd lost her smile. So he'd wrapped her up in a blanket and taken her to the beach -- the one place he had known she would smile -- and they had watched the sunset as he'd held her in his arms.
"Rebecca died that night," Victor told a visibly moved Chelsea. "It was truly heartbreaking," he said. Meanwhile, Daniel told Lexie he blamed Rebecca's death on his loss of objectivity. Victor said Daniel had been devastated and had lost himself in his work for a long time. Daniel confided to Lexie that he felt he'd known Rebecca forever, and Victor told Chelsea that Daniel had vowed never to put himself in a similar situation again. Chelsea thanked her grandfather for telling her, adding that it helped her understand Daniel's behavior. Lexie told Daniel that she understood his situation a little better, but that he shouldn't keep running away from falling in love.
Daniel tried to relax in the steam room, but he couldn't stop thinking about kissing Chelsea. Chelsea arrived at the gym and told the desk clerk she was looking for Daniel, and the man pointed her in the direction of the steam room. She slowed as she approached the door then flung it open and told an incredulous Daniel, "We need to talk. I know what happened with your wife."
