Nicole stood outside the Brady Pub and looked preoccupied when Philip walked by and asked her what she was doing. Nicole told Philip that she wanted to make sure that a certain someone was not inside the pub before she went in to have a drink. Philip asked Nicole to join him for drink; she hesitated at first and then agreed.

Philip and Nicole talked about love and romance. Philip confided to Nicole that Morgan might be willing to forgive him for threatening her father's life. He told Nicole that he was hopeful about reconciling with Morgan because he cared about her and wanted to give their relationship a second chance. Nicole wished Philip good luck and told him that she knew that he never meant to kill Paul and that Morgan would eventually understand. Philip asked Nicole about her love life and if she still had feelings for E.J. Philip mentioned to her that Kate told him that E.J. and Sami were together the night of the blackout, and that he heard that Nicole was upset about it. Nicole told Philip that she might reconsider a relationship with E.J. if she knew that Sami would be out of the picture.

Then Nicole sort of chuckled to herself and told Philip that she had an entertaining fantasy about murdering Sami so that she could live happily ever after with E.J. She explained to Philip that in addition to her part as the main character, he also had a part in her fantasy, as did Lucas, E.J., Sami, Chloe, Roman, and Abe.

Philip seemed amused and curious, and asked Nicole to tell him about her fantasy. Nicole recalled her fantasy in a series of flashbacks. As Nicole recounted the details of her fantasy, Philip told her that he was surprised that she had such a vivid imagination and felt flattered to be included in the fantasy as the owner of Club Marlowe.

When Nicole finished her story, Philip wished her good luck and told her that he hoped things would turn out better for her in real life. Nicole smiled and thanked Philip for listening. She said that maybe in real life, E.J. would turn to her for a change, instead of to Sami. As Philip left the pub, E.J. stormed in and sat down at Nicole's table. He seemed angry, and accused Nicole of scheming and interfering in his life. Nicole acted surprised and asked him what was wrong.

Much of today's show was comprised of scenes that aired previously during Days of our Lives' two-week Olympics break. Since parts of the country were unable to see DAYS due to NBC's Olympic coverage, the network opted to air special "stand alone" episodes. For a complete recap of the episodes that featured the flashbacks, which originally aired on August 18th and August 19th, please click here.

At the Brady Pub, an angry E.J. demanded that Nicole tell the truth about her part in calling the police to report Sami for kidnapping Allie. Nicole countered that E.J. was doing Sami a disservice by trying to save her from her own destructive nature, because she would never learn from her mistakes. When Nicole reiterated the list of misdeeds that Sami committed in the past, E.J. admitted that Sami was out of control, but he also firmly reminded Nicole that he needed to defend the mother of his child.

At a nearby table, Lexie was eating lunch while Theo played intently with a toy truck. A former classmate of Theo's, named Sawyer, stopped by the table with his mother to say hello, but Theo did not respond. When Sawyer's mother asked where Theo was going to school, Lexie explained that Theo had recently been diagnosed as autistic, and therefore, they were still looking for a school for him. To Lexie's surprise, the woman mentioned that another student at Sawyer's school, named Matthew Benson, had also recently been diagnosed as autistic. The woman promised to forward the family's contact information to Lexie.

Over at the bar, Daniel sat down next to Nicole and ordered a beer. Noting the juice glass in her hand, Daniel questioned why Nicole was not drinking any alcohol. Easily swayed, Nicole ordered some vodka for her orange juice and struck up a conversation with Daniel about her dog. When Nicole mentioned Pookie was her only friend, Daniel asked her why she stayed in Salem. Nicole admitted that she came to town for a man and was staying because of another one. After a bit of conversation, Nicole complained about her stomach, prompting Daniel to recommend that she visit him at the hospital. Nicole quickly cut him off and asked Daniel why he was staying in Salem. Daniel explained that he was in town for the same reason as her, only it was for a woman. Noting that Daniel was drinking alone, Nicole asked what he had done wrong. Daniel did not want to say, but when he mentioned the woman he loved was in France, Nicole put two and two together and figured out that Daniel was talking about Chelsea. With a sheepish smile on his face, Daniel admitted that was the woman, but refused to say what had gone wrong. Noting Nicole's frequent glances across the room at E.J., Daniel guessed that E.J. was her reason for staying in town. Daniel advised her to be honest if she wanted the relationship to work.

E.J. joined Lexie and Theo at their table. Worried about his sister, E.J. inquired as to how Lexie was doing. When Lexie tried to avoid the question, E.J. pressed her further and told her that he had heard about Theo's diagnosis. Frustrated, Lexie explained that Theo's obsessions seemed to include everything but his parents, and that saying that made her feel like a horrible mother. Smiling in sympathy, E.J. told Lexie that she was just tired and frustrated. Feeling better, Lexie asked E.J. about life in the mansion, and the two agreed that Stefano was probably plotting his revenge over in his wing of the mansion. Looking exhausted, Lexie noted that she would have to stop by and visit Stefano in order to clear the air with him so that she could concentrate on her family and her job. Lexie went on to explain that the hospital board was evaluating her performance. When E.J. asked whether Stefano's recent hospital antics were to blame for the review, Lexie denied it was the reason. Lexie went on to tell E.J. that Abe was still furious about John's refusal to press charges.

While E.J. and Lexie talked, Theo repeatedly threw a spoon on the floor, while E.J. repeatedly picked it up patiently, handing it back to Lexie. Frustrated with Theo's actions, Lexie took the spoon away, causing Theo to cry and throw a tantrum. When E.J. asked Lexie why she did not give the spoon back to stop his crying, Lexie explained that as an autistic child, Theo was expressing his emotions by acting out. Lexie went on to note that Theo's fits were more frequent since Chelsea left town. E.J. reiterated his support for his sister, and she turned the conversation around on him and asked about Johnny.

Beaming, E.J. talked about his son and mentioned that Johnny had been ill recently and was cranky like his mother. Chuckling, Lexie asked why Sami was cranky. E.J. explained that the judge had awarded joint custody of Allie to Lucas and Sami, and then he mentioned Sami's unannounced visit to the Horton cabin. Lexie told E.J. he was a glutton for punishment if he continued to pursue Sami, but E.J. argued that he was prepared to date other women. However, E.J. also followed that announcement by stating that he was not prepared for a relationship. E.J. admitted he still loved Sami, but when Lexie asked if there was anyone else, E.J.'s obvious gaze across the room at Nicole did not go unnoticed. Blushing, E.J. explained that he felt Nicole was a kindred spirit and that she had done the "most adorable thing." E.J. quickly confused Lexie by saying that the adorable thing he was referring to was Nicole's call to the police. Smiling, E.J. explained that Nicole placed the call to cause a rift between him and Sami.

As Lexie slowly shook her head with a smirk on her face, she mentioned to E.J. that she had pushed Nicole to pursue him. Lexie admitted she did not trust Nicole, but that she thought she was a better choice than Sami. After playing with Theo, E.J. excused himself from the table. As E.J. turned to leave, Lexie called after him, "Don't sell yourself short."

Down at the Salem Police Station in Abe's office, Sami told Marlena that she did not believe that Lucas could win sole custody of Lucas. When Marlena asked Sami why she had gone up to the cabin, Sami explained that she was worried about Allie and had found her alone. Frustrated with Sami's answer, Marlena said that she doubted that Lucas had left Allie alone and called Sami a "spoiled brat" who needed to grow up. Angry, Marlena told Sami that the best thing for Allie was to have both her parents in her life. "I raised you better than that, Sami," Marlena said sternly. Roman took Marlena aside and admitted that, though he agreed with her, he wondered if Marlena was being too harsh. Fed up, Marlena explained that she was done coddling Sami, because years of enabling her had made her spoiled.

After Roman stepped out to take care of some business, he returned to Abe's office to inform Sami that Judge Henderson had heard about Sami's stunt. When Roman told Sami that Lucas' visit had been extended, Sami immediately pulled out her phone to call her lawyer. Roman cautioned Sami not to make the judge angrier and, as he left to go back to work, Roman told her to stay out of trouble. As soon as Roman closed the door behind him, Sami began to make a call on her cell phone.

At the DiMera Mansion, Stefano poured Anna a drink and asked her to sit on the couch with him. Reluctant to touch anything from Stefano, Anna jokingly asked if her drink was poisoned with arsenic. Laughing his deep, sinister laugh, Stefano corrected Anna's statement by saying that if he intended to poison her, he would use mercury. Not reassured, Anna cautiously sat next to Stefano as he pulled out an old photo album with childhood pictures of Tony. Stefano explained that though he was not there for Tony, he had always kept an eye on him. His face darkening, Stefano cursed the fact that his children had disgraced the family when he had done nothing but cherish them. Taken aback by this statement, Anna reminded Stefano that banishing Tony to a desert island for years hardly sounded like cherishing someone. Stefano dismissed her argument and happily announced that he would soon have a new album for his new heir. Anna guessed that an heir was the reason that Stefano had proposed to Kate. Smiling, Stefano said an heir was a good enough reason to marry. As Anna tried to leave, Stefano attempted to give her the photo album. Shaking her head, Anna declined the offer and headed upstairs. Just as Anna rounded the corner, Marie brought in a letter for John. As the letter was urgent, Stefano opened it.

At Salem Hospital, Hope and Kayla drank coffee and discussed their husbands' mutual obsession with putting Stefano behind bars. Kayla confided in Hope that she was worried that Steve would take matters into his own hands, and Hope promised to keep an eye on Steve. As the two chatted, Marlena walked by and greeted them. Kayla invited Marlena to join them on their night out, and once Marlena accepted, Kayla headed off to change. Hope asked Marlena how she was feeling, and then asked Marlena if she knew why Stefano had targeted her. Taking a deep breath, Marlena said that Stefano's attack was payback for what she had done to him. Before Marlena could explain, Kayla returned. Noting the awkward silence, Kayla looked at Marlena, who repeated Hope's question. Kayla nervously looked down, and Hope realized that Kayla already knew the answer to the question. Marlena explained, "Because I was responsible for his coma." After telling Hope how she had injected Stefano, Hope thanked her for her honesty. Marlena admitted she was not proud of what she had done, but said that she would do it again to protect her family.

Back at the police station, an officer told Sami that she had a visitor. Expecting John at the door, Sami turned to find a shocking figure there instead. Smirking at the doorway, Stefano asked Sami if he could be of assistance. Angry, Sami told Stefano to go to hell and stormed out of the office.

Stefano was throwing a cocktail party at the mansion. Tony and Anna were suspicious about his motives. John entered with his invitation and wanted to know why parties were being hosted in his house without his knowledge. E.J. and Sami were there, as well. Sami was angry and told how she was abandoned at the police station by her mom and dad. She called John for help and he never responded. John said he didn't get the message. Stefano had shown up instead and gave Sami a ride home. Sami was upset E.J. didn't stand by her. E.J. thought her behavior was self-destructive and he didn't want any part of it. Sami had a conversation with John, who was very supportive of her. John warned Sami not to ever trust Stefano - not even for a ride. E.J. wanted to know what Stefano's motive was. Stefano said he was not the monster that everyone believed he was.

Tony assured Anna that he and E.J. had a plan and they knew what they were doing. The party began with Stefano toasting his family. John told Stefano to cut the crap and tell them what it was really about. Marlena showed up because she received a message to meet John. Stefano told Marlena she was his guest of honor. Stefano wanted his family to hear firsthand what Dr. Marlena Evans did to him. Marlena was horrified, and bolted. John caught up with her and told her they would get through it together. He would not let Marlena feel guilty about what she did. Marlena returned and told the truth. She injected Stefano with an untraceable toxin because she wanted him to pay for taking John away from her.

Lexie told Abe about running into a boy from Theo's pre-school class. Theo did not acknowledge him and the little boy didn't understand why. It made her wonder if they were doing enough for their son. Abe reassured her they would keep pushing and find the correct therapies for Theo. Lexie showed Abe the party invitation from Stefano. She refused to attend, especially after what Stefano pulled at the hospital. The board was not happy about what happened during the lockdown. Abe said Stefano was the one who was responsible, not Lexie. Abe thought Stefano was up to his old tricks. Lexie took the invitation and ripped it up. Lexie got a call informing her that the hospital board had called an emergency meeting for the next morning.

At the Brady Pub, Nicole told Philip she thought she met the man of her dreams, but she wasn't sure if that man felt the same way about her. When E.J. walked in the door, Philip excused himself to let Nicole be alone with E.J. E.J. looked at Nicole's glass and asked if it was the first mimosa of the morning. Nicole told him it was an orange juice, and she complained that she felt like she was catching some sort of virus, because she had a rough night the night before. E.J. told her to go to the doctor. E.J. really did care, Nicole said. Of course he cared, E.J. said. He didn't want to see her sick. Nicole asked E.J. to join her for breakfast, and he took her up on her offer.

Nicole said it wasn't such a bad idea moving in above the pub, because she could get home-cooked food. E.J. wondered if she had become tired of the Salem Inn, and Nicole said she had been anxious to leave the Kiriakis mansion because she didn't get enough privacy, but when she moved into a hotel, she had too much privacy, aside from her dog. E.J. said he envied Nicole's living arrangements, and Nicole advised him to move out of the DiMera mansion. E.J. said it wasn't that simple, because there was Sami, but also Tony and E.J. having legal problems with Stefano.

E.J. filled Nicole in on the cocktail party that Stefano threw and how Stefano tried to humiliate Marlena, but she stood up for herself. E.J. said he was trying to figure out why Stefano was trying so hard to get his family on his side. Nicole said she could relate, and E.J. realized she was referring to Trent. E.J. said he wondered why Nicole didn't take her divorce settlement and go to some place like Tahiti. Nicole said moving out of Salem wouldn't solve her problems and she liked the town. Besides, she wondered what good it would do to go to some remote island when she didn't have anyone special to share it with.

E.J. said he wanted to do more than just run away to an island with Nicole. She asked how he knew she was talking about him. E.J. asked if she was seeing some other guy, and Nicole asked him how he would feel if she was seeing someone else. E.J. said he would have been devastated, and it would have been a shame if they didn't get the chance to explore their feelings. Nicole wondered exactly what he meant by that, and E.J. suggested they go out on a date. She asked him what kind of date E.J. would have planned for her, and E.J. suggested they go out for drinks, have dinner, and then go for a moonlit stroll along the water. Nicole was moved to tears by E.J.'s description.

Nicole said she was afraid of letting herself get involved with E.J., because she feared that Sami would come between them. E.J. said Sami would always be a part of his life because of his son, and until his son was grown up, Johnny would always top E.J.'s list of priorities. Nicole had to understand that or any relationship between her and E.J. would have been impossible.

Outside the pub, Kate was on the phone having a coughing fit, and Philip took the phone from her and offered to get her some water. Kate said she was fine, but Philip said she wasn't fooling anyone. Kate downplayed her cough, and Philip asked her why she was acting like nothing was wrong. Philip accused Kate of being naïve and stupid. He asked her if she was taking her medicine, and she said she was. Philip advised Kate to talk to Kayla again. Kate said it was just a cough, and she promised that if it didn't clear up by the next week, she would call in and make an appointment. Philip called Kate's assistant, Chris, and asked him to clear Kate's schedule while Kate protested. Philip said he was taking her to the hospital.

Lexie saw Daniel at the hospital and wondered why he was there, because she didn't see him on the schedule. Daniel told Lexie he was called in for a meeting, and Lexie guessed correctly that he was called in to testify at her board hearing. Lexie thought it was unfair to put Daniel in the middle of things, and she warned that things would get ugly, because Eleanor Thomas, chairman of the board, had it in for Lexie. Lexie admitted to Daniel that she'd fallen behind on her paperwork, and Daniel downplayed it, saying everyone got behind on their paperwork. Then Lexie mentioned the times she'd come in late and left work early. While they were talking, Julie, who was also on the board, told Lexie she was on Lexie's side.

Abe told Roman that Lexie was going before the board for a job performance review. Roman asked why, because he thought Lexie was doing a good job. Abe said some people didn't think so. Roman wondered if it had something to do with the lockdown, and Abe said no one blamed Lexie for that. Roman said Stefano should have been blamed for the lockdown. Abe pledged to do whatever it took to nail Stefano.

Abe stepped out of the room to retrieve a file for Roman, and Roman received a phone call requesting that Roman and Abe meet with the mayor. When the mayor arrived, he made an analogy about baseball and using personnel wisely, making sure each player knew their assignments. Abe asked what he mayor was hinting at, and the mayor said they needed to address a problem that would not easily go away.

The mayor showed Abe and Roman an op-ed in the paper, and they weren't convinced there was a problem just because someone wrote a negative opinion piece on the way the police handled the lockdown situation. Abe assumed the mayor was looking for a scapegoat because he let Stefano walk. The mayor played dumb and said the police didn't follow proper protocol. Abe defended the department's decision, but the mayor said the people deserved better.

Roman said his men did a great job of handling the lockdown, and said that Stefano orchestrated everything from his hospital bed. The mayor pointed out that Stefano was comatose. Roman said the mayor wouldn't have understood because he didn't know Stefano, but Abe said maybe the mayor actually did know Stefano. Abe asked the mayor how much money Stefano bribed the mayor with.

At the hospital, Kate accused Philip of treating her like a child. Philip asked a nurse to page Kayla, but then Daniel wandered by and offered to treat Kate. Daniel told Kate they would run a quick x-ray to see what was the causing her cough, but Kate said she'd be more comfortable with Kayla. Kate went off with the nurse to make an appointment with Kayla, and Daniel used the opportunity to address his affair with Kate to Philip. Daniel warned Philip not to let his feelings toward Daniel to get in the way of Kate's health concerns. Daniel pledged he would not let Kate leave the hospital without getting several tests and several x-rays. Daniel asked Philip more questions about Kate's cough, and Philip asked if Daniel thought the cough could be something serious. While they were talking, Kate returned and informed them that she had an appointment with Kayla for the following week. But Daniel insisted Kate get checked out that day.

Kate had to change into a hospital gown, and she said she thought she was getting a simple x-ray. Daniel said it was important to diagnose her cough. He asked her some questions and had to step out, but he promised to be back. While the nurse was checking Kate's vitals, Philip asked Daniel if he thought there was something wrong with Kate. Daniel said he had to go to a meeting and would be right back.

Victor walked into the board meeting and was surprised to see that Daniel had been asked to attend the meeting, and Eleanor Thomas told him she asked Daniel to testify. Mickey wondered how Eleanor got to be chairman of the board. Lexie walked in with Julie, and Mickey asked Lexie if she was going to be okay. Julie said Lexie would be just fine. Eleanor said Lexie's competence as a doctor didn't translate into competence as an administrator. Mickey rattled off a list of Lexie's accomplishments, but Eleanor pointed out that Lexie had been delinquent in her communication with the state hospital board, and she mentioned that Lexie had cost overruns at the clinic and outstanding collectibles. Victor said he thought there was a reasonable explanation for it. Eleanor said Lexie also dropped the ball on the hospital fundraiser.

Lexie said she didn't have time to organize the fundraiser, and Eleanor said Lexie didn't even meet with the fundraiser committee about it. Eleanor asked if that was because Lexie's personal life interfered with her duties at the hospital. Julie, Vicky, and Victor stood up for Lexie, and when Eleanor tried to accuse Lexie of being unqualified, Daniel walked in and defended her.

The nurse heard Kate coughing and commented about how bad it sounded, and she asked Kate if there was anything she could get Kate. Kate requested permission to leave, but Philip said they were fine. Philip and Kate reminisced about the time Philip got the chicken pox. Kate took good care of Philip, he said, and it was his turn to take care of her. Kate promised Philip she wouldn't complain anymore, adding that she should feel lucky to have Philip to look after her.

Eleanor asked Daniel how Lexie compared to other chiefs-of-staff at other hospitals, and Daniel gave Lexie a glowing recommendation. Lexie was the one who convinced Daniel to stay at the hospital, he said. Eleanor asked if Theo's autism diagnosis had something to do with her recent performance. Daniel tried to defend Lexie, but Lexie decided to speak up on her own behalf. Maybe Theo's diagnosis had been affecting her job, Lexie said, but it didn't affect the level of care she gave her patients and it never would, Lexie said.

Nicole told E.J. she knew that Johnny was the most important person in E.J.'s life and she respected that. Nicole said she had no problem sharing E.J. with Johnny, but she didn't want to share E.J. with Sami. E.J. said Sami was Johnny's mother and would be in the picture because of that. Nicole suggested sending Sami to the deserted island. E.J. said if he and Nicole were to explore their feelings, Nicole needed to give a little. Nicole said she was willing to be flexible, but Sami needed to do the same. Nicole asked E.J. how Sami would react when she found out Nicole and E.J. were dating.

The mayor was offended at the insinuation that Stefano had bribed him, including the district attorney. When the mayor ran for office, Abe voted for him, he said, but he had been wrong about the mayor. The mayor warned Abe to back down on his accusations, and the mayor said to consider that Abe's final warning. Abe said he wasn't interested in working for a corrupt system, and he pledged to find a way to get to Stefano on his own. Roman urged Abe not to do it, but Abe quit the force.

Eleanor asked Daniel what the repercussions should be when a chief of staff fell behind on her duties. Daniel said his past impression of chiefs of staff was that they were just paper pushers, but Lexie was not a paper pusher. Lexie was the best person to lead the hospital, Daniel said-Lexie was a good chief of staff, and the hospital was blessed to have her. Eleanor thanked Daniel for his testimony and asked Daniel and Lexie to step out of the room while the board deliberated. Before he left, though, Daniel told the board that Lexie was what the hospital was all about. He had never been at a hospital where the chief of staff was as highly regarded as Lexie. The hospital staff followed Lexie, not because they feared her, but because they respected her. After Daniel was fnished, and he and Lexie left, Eleanor asked the board to decide to keep Lexie or let her go.

Lexie thanked Daniel for all the complimentary words. Daniel says they were all true. Lexie thought she had dropped the ball. She'd put her own life before her duties at the hospital. During the deliberations, Mickey, Julie, and Victor all defended Lexie's actions and work ethic. Eleanor was not questioning Dr. Carver's medical performance, only her leadership skills as Chief of Staff. Lexie gave a strong speech about how she had let her duties suffer because of her son's needs, but she had never let her patients suffer. She admitted she had not been the best Chief of Staff, which was why she was going to step down and focus on her private practice and her family.

Lexie went home and learned that Abe had resigned as Police Commissioner. She told Abe that she resigned as Chief of Staff, but still had medical privileges at the hospital. Abe was glad she still had a job, considering he quit. He had been asked to consult in the private sector. Theo finished his train puzzle and said, "Choo-choo." They were both blown away.

Bo and Hope learned from Nicole how she married Trent under her porn name of Misty Circle. The marriage turned ugly and Nicole left, assuming Trent had filed for divorce. She went back to her maiden name and had only recently discovered she was still married to Trent.

Kate was coughing as a nurse attended to her. Philip called Lucas to come to the hospital. Kate tried to tell him she was fine, but both of her sons disagreed. Kate went off for tests and Philip got his laptop. Lucas and Philip discussed their relationships with Chloe and Morgan. Philip asked Lucas what his plans were. Lucas said he needed to find a job and Philip wondered if he'd like to return to Titan. Lucas accepted Philip's offer. Kate returned from having a chest X-ray scan and wanted to leave. Philip informed Kate they were having a family meeting. He hit a button on his computer and set up an iChat with Austin and Billie. They needed to talk to their mom and convince her to stay to find out what was wrong. Kate finally agreed. Daniel lookd at Kate's X-ray and was thrown. It couldn't be right. He told the nurse to get the X-rays to the pulmonologist immediately.

In the pub, Max rushed in and punched Trent in the face. He yelled at Trent about how Claude nearly raped Melanie. Before Trent could defend his actions, Melanie entered calling Trent a liar and slapped him in the face. Melanie went off on Trent about how he used her. Trent ended up insulting Max, who lost it. He broke a bottle and brought it close to Trent's neck. Steve and Kayla tried to talk Max down after he threatened to kill his father. Caroline stepped up and reminded Max of the father who raised him. She told him Shawn was watching, and told him not to do it. Max lowered the bottle and Trent told Bo and Hope he wanted his son arrested for attempted murder. Nick told Trent if he pressed charges against Max, Nick would tell everyone at the university what Trent did to his daughter. Bo laid into Max for getting violent. Max said he was trying to protect his family. Melanie stepped up and told Trent she hated him and she should kill him herself because he deserved to die!